Chapter 909: The Locusts Have Arrived
Zhu Changxun cursed under his breath as he hurried out.
From his guards, he'd learned the visitor was a friend of Bai Yuan, a favored figure before the Governor of Henan, Fan Shangzheng, and known as the Divine Hero, Xiao Qiuxia.
Zhu Changxun was not a man of reason, and for someone to cause such a commotion right at his estate utterly disgraced him.
As for the "discipline" of the Jianghu roughnecks under his command, he hadn't truly bothered to manage them. He hadn't the faintest idea what sort of scoundrels they were or what mischief they’d caused; he was utterly in the dark.
To put it bluntly, why should he concern himself with the "discipline" of these unruly Jianghu men? Such petty matters should be handled by his estate's stewards, eunuchs, or any common servant.
Did it really require the Prince himself to intervene?
But now, he had to come out and clean up this mess.
It was infuriating.
So, as Zhu Changxun hurried outside, he snapped at Eunuch Zheng beside him, "Little Zheng, you're the one who invited those Jianghu ruffians, aren't you?"
Zhu Changxun bristled. "Just wait until I deal with you later."
Eunuch Zheng felt utterly wronged but dared not retort, so he simply bit his tongue.
Soon, the two reached the estate entrance, where dozens of Jianghu men were still stubbornly guarding the Prince of Fu's gate.
Zhu Changxun, a three-hundred-pound behemoth, burst out, knocking over three of his own guards with a loud "thump-thump."
Then he appeared before Li Daoxuan. "Ah, isn't this the renowned Hero Xiao Qiuxia?"
Li Daoxuan replied, "I'm not here for small talk."
Zhu Changxun said, "On my way out, my guards informed me that these Jianghu ruffians have been derelict in their duties, dining without paying. That is truly outrageous, and using my Prince of Fu's name to intimidate people is even worse."
"However..."
Zhu Changxun's tone suddenly shifted. "Isn't it just ten copper coins for duck blood vermicelli soup? What a trivial matter! Is it truly worth a hero like Xiao Qiuxia causing such a scene at my estate's entrance?"
Li Daoxuan's face darkened at these words. "Oh, so you don't consider this important, do you?"
Zhu Changxun retorted, "It wasn't a big deal to begin with. Your commotion has made it known throughout the entire city, and *that's* what turned it into a major incident."
His expression also soured. "For the sake of Master Bai and the Governor, I don't wish to quarrel with Hero Xiao Qiuxia. Let's consider this matter closed right here."
As far as Zhu Changxun was concerned, these words constituted a huge act of grace. Someone had caused trouble right at his estate, and he was magnanimously "letting it go." This was practically an act of profound benevolence! How benevolent and great a prince did one have to be to show such magnanimity?
The onlookers should be singing his praises!
However, Li Daoxuan had no intention of stopping there. "Stopping isn't an option! If this matter isn't properly resolved, these men will surely re-offend in the future."
Zhu Changxun began to fume. He, a prince, had already made a concession, and this man still wouldn't relent?
Li Daoxuan stated, "These Jianghu ruffians must be taken away for labor reform to become proper people again. As for the Prince of Fu's estate... at the very least, you must send a representative to apologize to the common people of Luoyang City, then go door-to-door to each merchant, tallying all the instances they were cheated out of payment, and compensate them for every penny."
Zhu Changxun roared, "You... you're truly insisting on pushing this, aren't you?"
Li Daoxuan cracked his knuckles, producing a distinct metallic click.
Things were about to get messy.
Suddenly, a lone rider galloped from the distance, screaming while still far off, "Locusts! Look east! An overwhelming swarm of locusts is coming... a great locust plague!"
His words made everyone present freeze.
They all turned their heads to look east...
In the eastern sky, a dense black mass of locusts was rapidly approaching.
The onlookers, who had gathered to watch the unfolding drama, instantly erupted in a clamor and began scrambling back to their homes.
Zhu Changxun was startled too. "Oh dear! Quick, get back inside the house, and secure all doors and windows!"
The Jianghu men Li Daoxuan had just knocked down also struggled to crawl into nearby houses.
Under normal circumstances, locusts didn't bite people.
But during a massive locust plague, the insects swarmed everywhere, covering the sky, scrambling for food. Ground vegetation would be devoured instantly by the locust army. In such dire circumstances, the locusts' desperation for sustenance made them more ferocious, increasing the likelihood that they would attack humans.
Just imagining being covered in biting locusts was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
Of course, everyone hurried to take cover!
In an instant, everyone around Li Daoxuan had scurried away.
As Zhu Changxun fled, he shouted exasperatedly at Li Daoxuan, "Hero Xiao Qiuxia, aren't you so impressive? Don't you love standing up for the common folk? Go on then, get rid of the locusts! Once you've handled that, I'll resume our discussion!"
Li Daoxuan shrugged. "Oh! While you're certainly making snide remarks, you have a point. Dealing with the locust plague first is indeed the right thing to do. The damage caused by your Prince of Fu's estate pales in comparison to the locust plague. Simply put, you're not even as bad as the locusts."
Zhu Changxun fumed, just about to burst into a rage, but his guards on either side hustled him back inside.
Immediately after, all the doors and windows throughout the Prince of Fu's estate slammed shut with a resounding clatter.
Li Daoxuan had no time to move his avatar. He left the silicone figure standing inertly before the Prince of Fu's estate, ended his co-sensing, and whooshed back to his true self outside the diorama box.
He looked down into the box...
And saw everyone in Luoyang City scrambling indoors.
Bai Yuan, too, was in a panic. Moments ago, he'd been training the local militia, but now he was shouting loudly, "Quick! Everyone retreat to the barracks, secure the doors and windows! Do not remain outside!"
Meanwhile, Fan Shangzheng, the Governor of Henan, stood in the open courtyard of the Governor's yamen, pointing at the sky and cursing loudly, "Are you kidding me? Henan is already struggling with floods and droughts, and now you send me a locust plague? Is there no divine justice left?!"
Two house guards rushed out from behind, fiercely pulling Fan Shangzheng towards the building. "Master, stop cursing and get inside quickly! If you're swarmed and bitten by locusts, you'll swell up and die. It's truly terrifying!"
Startled, Fan Shangzheng quickly clutched his head and scrambled indoors.
Those with homes were safe, but the refugees who had none were now in distress. Large groups of them streamed towards the city's temples.
The monks and Daoist priests in the temples desperately took in as many refugees as they could...
Some kind-hearted shopkeepers opened their doors, beckoning to the refugees, "Quick, come in! Come inside my shop!"
Other ordinary citizens also opened their homes, sheltering refugees. Yet, despite these efforts, many refugees still couldn't find a place to hide, anxiously scurrying everywhere on the streets of Luoyang.
Li Daoxuan watched this scene, unable to bear it.
He had to think of a way to help these refugees.
Just as he was at a loss, he suddenly spotted the glass cup next to his hand. Overjoyed, he quickly picked it up and placed it down over a small group of refugees.
As that small group of refugees ran, they suddenly felt something amiss—a massive current of air seemed to rush down from the sky. They quickly looked up, only to see a giant, transparent cup *thump* down, encasing them within.
The refugees were too terrified to move, frozen in place, daring not to stir for a long moment...
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