Chapter 75: Chapter 75 After the Severe Drought, There Must Be Great Disaster_1
After chatting idly with the Ancestor of the Luo Family for a while,
little Luo Chuan silently stood up.
He left the courtyard that emanated an ancient charm in waves.
“The humidity in the air seems to be gradually becoming drier…”
Watching the departing figure of Luo Chuan,
Luo Changfeng suddenly narrowed his eyes slightly.
He spread his hands and silently felt the dry breeze coming toward him.
As he squinted his eyes, his expression became increasingly grave.
Ever since his cultivation reached the Organ Refinement Realm above Bone Refinement,
he became increasingly sensitive to environmental changes.
In the past, a bit of dry air
seemed not to be a matter of great concern.
But now, the Da Feng Dynasty had been suffering from drought for several consecutive years.
The annual rainfall has been dropping, and the annual grain yield has been sharply decreasing.
Because Qingshi Town is located beside the Huai River,
in the past few years, Qingshi Town’s Luo Family and other cities near Huai Shui County didn’t need to pay too much attention.
But now, the situation seems to be different.
“Often after a great drought, there must be a great disaster.”
“Could it be that disasters like a locust plague will occur this year?”
“If that really happens…”
“Then things would become even more troublesome.”
…
After the grain supplies of the two cities, Qingshi Town and Huangqu Town,
were completely cut off,
the Luo Family of Qingshi Town became even more focused on land cultivation
and grain farming.
Of course, apart from these matters,
Luo An, the second child of the Luo Family, organized yet another convoy,
taking along countless treasures of gold and silver.
It seems he intended to exchange them for any grain that could be found on the market.
Initially, the Luo Family’s actions were successful.
They successfully traded gold and silver for grain on the market
and managed to transport it all back to Qingshi Town smoothly.
However, as time passed,
and as the quantity of grain on the market continued to decrease,
the devaluation of gold and silver began to accelerate.
From the initial triple price, it gradually became five times, eight times, ten times more expensive.
Until now, even if you offer twenty, thirty, or even fifty times the price,
it has become difficult to purchase grain on the market.
As a result of the various actions taken by the Luo Family, eventually,
gold and silver gradually lost their original economic value.
Not to mention other places, even in Huai Shui County, and within the whole domain of Luo Mountain Prefecture,
the economic level has regressed to a state of bartering goods for goods.
No one is willing to trade their goods for the now-pointless gold and silver anymore.
…
In the Luo Family Ancestral Land of Qingshi Town,
within the courtyard of the Ancestor of the Luo Family,
Luo Changfeng looked at a gold ingot in his hand that shimmered with dazzling light.
His expression became somewhat complicated.
Previously, gold and silver had already shown a trend of devaluation,
but gold and silver were nonetheless economic systems that had been inherited for countless years and had endured the test of time.
Even with a slight devaluation, many people still believed in the trading system based on gold and silver.
But now, unexpectedly,
the speed of devaluation of gold and silver turned out to be so rapid.
Nowadays, even if you present gold equal in weight to the grain,
“`
I doubt there are many who would be willing to trade you food equivalent in weight to gold.
At least food can be eaten.
In crucial times, it can even save your life.
But gold, silver, in these truly chaotic times where a human life is worth less than grass, what value do they hold?
“It seems that next, I will have to study the special talismans for rain seeking and locust removal more closely…”
The Rain Seeking Talisman is to be well prepared, in case the waters of Huai Shui run dry.
After all, gold and silver have gradually begun to lose their original value.
The drying up of Huai Shui then becomes an all too possible reality.
As for the Locust Removal Talisman.
It is naturally for dealing with the locust plagues that follow a drought.
Even if this year is spared from a plague of locusts.
Who can guarantee that next year, the year after, or the years beyond that will be free from such disasters?
Even if Luo Changfeng uses these years to continuously cultivate and becomes that legendary Immortal of lore,
reaching the stage where he can subsist by absorbing spiritual energy and fasting,
his clansmen still need to eat, don’t they?
It can’t be possible that every member of the Luo Family Ancestral Land can become immortals, can it?
…
Thus, in Huai Shui County, the four major clans: the Luo Family of Qingshi Town, the Feng Wentai from the King of Huai Shui, the grain traders of the Tang Family, and the old-established Chen Family,
coexisted in a bizarre equilibrium and Huai Shui County, somewhat chaotic until then, began to gradually settle into tranquility.
“How is the situation with the Luo Family in Qingshi Town?”
Within Tang Residence in Huai Shui County,
inside a luxurious estate,
the current Family Head of the Tang Family, Tang Huaiping, a somewhat corpulent figure with an oily face,
was having a hard time sitting upright in an armchair.
Holding a steaming cup of tea, he sipped the hot beverage while quietly inquiring of a servant standing before him.
“Family Head, following our cessation of grain supply to Qingshi Town and Huangqu Town,”
“the Luo Family of Qingshi Town began frantically scavenging for the remaining grain in the market some time ago.”
“Now, with the last of the grain in the market having been completely scavenged,”
“the Luo Family will lose all means of securing food…”
In a room adorned with precious calligraphy and paintings, a servant dressed in black reported this information with his head slightly bowed.
“Good, very good!”
Upon hearing this, Tang Huaiping nodded repeatedly, laughing boisterously.
Huai Shui County should be divided into three parts.
The King of Huai Shui, Feng Wentai, should hold a place, the old-established Chen Family should hold a place, and the Tang Family where he belonged should hold a place.
Divide and rule Huai Shui County.
This arrangement had long been set in stone.
But that worthless Luo Family, appearing from who knows where, actually dare to dream of carving out their own domain in Huai Shui County that’s already been divided?
Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.
If not for the fact that within the Luo Family Ancestral Land there emerged an ancestor with the cultivation of the Organ Refinement Realm,
the Luo Family would have already perished.
However, it’s not a problem.
Even if the Luo Family has that ancestor in the Organ Refinement Realm, what of it?
All it will take is a slight move of a finger from his Tang Family, cutting off all grain supplies to Qingshi Town and Huangqu Town.
That so-called Luo Family of Qingshi Town will naturally collapse bit by bit under the immense pressure of food scarcity.
In the process, the Tang Family need not put any pressure on the Luo Family of Qingshi Town.
The Luo Family will erode from within.
This plan is an overt strategy.
Even if the people of the Luo Family in Qingshi Town come to their senses, they are helpless to do anything about it.
Out of desperation, could the Luo Family directly move against his Tang Family?
Don’t be foolish. The Luo Family has Viscera Refinement practitioners, and so does his Tang Family.
Practitioners of the Organ Refinement Realm can only ensure that their family is not annihilated by others; they can’t guarantee anything else.
“`