Monarch Night

The villages closest to this area were all destroyed, but fortunately, there weren't many bodies, and in many places, new graves appeared.

New graves!

Everyone was invigorated.

New graves meant the disaster here wasn't too severe—those who had left could even bury their dead and build graves.

There was still time.

This meant that many people likely escaped from here.

As they traveled forward, the torrential rain exposed cracks in the earth.

After a journey of four hundred miles, they finally discovered a village with many survivors. They were emaciated but were all moving toward open spaces, standing in the rain, some cheering.

Some were kneeling, constantly kowtowing to the heavens.

This rain saved their lives.

Fang Che and the others hurried over and were momentarily stunned by what they saw.

All were elderly, over sixty, with white hair.

There wasn't a single young person or child.

"Where are the village's young people?"

"They fled... They escaped the famine."

"Why didn't you leave?"

"In such a disaster... If we took us elders who can't walk, the whole family would die. The children are still young… They shouldn't be dragged to death by us…"

Fang Che and the others remained silent.

Jing Xiuyun and others rushed into the houses, where there were many more elders who couldn't move, like dried corpses, their bodies dehydrated and emaciated.

Jing Xiuyun and others immediately gathered water, began preparing medicine on the spot, and then started distributing it.

They also checked the grain reserves in each household.

Fortunately, there was still food.

An elderly man with white hair and beard trembled: "Sir, when the volcano erupted, we knew it was bad, so we quickly started storing water… But…"

He pointed to numerous water jars in the village, trembling: "The jars filled to the brim, but after a while, half the water would be gone…"

He wept bitterly: "Originally... there was still thick snow here that hadn't melted... Everyone wore cotton jackets, my little grandson complained of cold and tucked his little hands into my sleeves for warmth, then suddenly it got so hot we couldn't breathe..."

"The children didn't want to leave us behind, but we forced them with threats of death, so they left, turning back every three steps."

His aging face was filled with pride and urgency: "It was truly us who forced them away… It's not that the children were unfilial to us…"

Reports came from deacons who went to nearby villages.

It was the same: only immobile elders remained in the villages, and some had already died.

But indeed, the young adults, children, and women had already escaped.

"That's good."

Fang Che breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing these withered old people gradually regain vitality and signs of life, Fang Che suddenly felt that this trip was very meaningful.

Soon, the aroma of cooking rice rose, and the previous unbearable heat was gone without a trace, while the torrential rain continued to pour.

In its place were coolness and a quietly returning spring chill.

After settling things here, everyone moved on without stopping, rendering aid along the way.

There were still many deaths, but compared to places closer to the volcano, the situation was much better than they could have imagined.

They worked through countless villages for several hundred more miles.

They finally saw people fleeing on the roads, some even starting to run back through the rain.

Clearly, after seeing hope from the torrential rain, they were even more anxious about the elders at home. Each one eagerly returned.

Over here, the disaster was essentially over.

In the rain.

Over four hundred people quietly stopped, all covered in mud.

But, seeing the liveliness ahead, and those who had fled returning with surprise, anxiety, and joy.

Amidst the rain, all the Guardians of the Great Hall smiled silently.

"We accomplished our mission."

Yuan Zhenjiang, his steps uneven, laughed heartily: "Let's head back!"

"Master Cao, what about you?"

"We're heading back too."

Master Cao smiled and said: "We're retracing our steps… Many brothers are waiting for us to bring them back."

He looked through the rain toward the path they came from, as if he could see his brothers, trudging through the storm.

Laughing amidst the rain.

The mission was accomplished.

Torrents of tears ran down their faces with the rain, as Master Cao covered his face and cried his heart out, this big and robust man, an Emperor Level expert, the Hall Master who could keep his composure even facing life and death during missions.

Finally, after completing the mission, he cried like a child.

"Four hundred and twenty brothers went out with me, and I lost them…"

Master Cao wailed: "I lost three hundred and forty-seven of my brothers!"

The seventy or so people behind him all cried silently.

Yuan Jingjiang wanted to comfort him, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he started crying too.

During the mission, no one cared about life and death.

But after completing the mission, everyone suddenly became so vulnerable.

Moments later.

Master Cao stood up, wiped his eyes, choked up, and said: "Let's go! We're retracing our steps!"

"Retracing our steps!"

The seventy or more brothers shouted thunderously.

"Let's go back and see if the path we cleared is still passable after the rain and repair the damage!"

"Repair it!"

Over seventy people lined up in the rain, saluting and bidding farewell to the Baiyun State Guardian Hall.

Master Cao's voice resounded clearly amidst the rain: "Wish every one of you return alive, and none of you fall short!"

This was the most sincere, beautiful, and devout blessing.

All of you, return alive, not one missing!

"Wish you all a safe journey back!"

All members of Baiyun State Guardian Hall stood at attention and saluted as well.