Wang Qi followed the refugees’ procession numbly, too starved to utter a single word, the fiery sensation in his stomach causing him considerable discomfort.

The long line of refugees headed toward the Capital city where, in their simple minds, they believed that the Emperor’s residence would never lack food, thinking that once they arrived there they would survive.

It was this belief that had sustained them under the shadow of death until now.

Wang Qi looked around, desperately searching for anything edible, but along the way, everything that could be eaten had long since been consumed, including tree bark and wild vegetables, devoured entirely by the starving refugees.

The intense hunger even caused him to hallucinate; he thought he saw his honest parents, who had lived blameless lives, waving at him from not far away.

A feeling of desolation emerged in his heart. His parents had been honest their whole lives, never committing any foul deeds, yet in the end, they could only die of starvation.

On the contrary, those who committed crimes and acted wickedly seemed to thrive in this world. Thinking of this, he felt the injustice of the world.

"Someone is distributing porridge!"

A loud voice pulled Wang Qi out of his delusion, the will to survive reigniting his strength, as the entire group of refugees started to move.

Soon, a makeshift porridge stall appeared before their eyes, steam rising and the air filled with the aroma of grain.

Seeing the porridge stall not far away, he felt a surge of hope for life, and a man of his stature couldn’t help but shed tears.

This short distance felt like a lifetime apart.

When the steaming bowl of rice porridge was in his hands, Wang Qi realized it was real, he was truly being saved.

The porridge was not very thick, but to them, who had been starved for so long, it was the finest delicacy in the world.

"Drink slowly, there is more when you’re done, no need to crowd," said a man in a Daoist Robe warmly.

He was handsome, spoke naturally, and stood out in the crowd like a crane among chickens, transcendent of the world, quickly garnering everyone’s affection.

Although the Imperial Court’s decree had been disseminated throughout the land, the accumulated impressions over many years were not so quickly dispelled; in the eyes of the common people of Great Ning, the Taoists of the Daoist Sect still held high prestige.

Therefore, this young Taoist priest presiding over the distribution of porridge quickly won everyone’s affection.

"Taoist Priest, what is this porridge stall about?" someone curiously asked.

"Our Daoist Sect is committed to helping others, this food was originally our own provisions, specially brought here to aid you," the young Taoist priest said politely.

His words were natural and approachable, devoid of any superiority, his eyes filled with compassion.

Seeing this, the crowd’s respect for the Daoist Sect grew, considering it a lifesaving grace for them. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

At that moment, a series of urgent hoofbeats sounded.

Suddenly, a voice called out loudly, "Spare no remnants of the Daoist Sect!"

Accompanying the sound of hooves, numerous armored soldiers wielding weapons closed in, targeting the Daoist Sect.

Upon seeing the throng of displaced people, there wasn’t a hint of pity on their faces, and their gazes remained as cold as eternal ice.

Years of killing had already stilled their hearts like a pool of stagnant water.

"What crime have we committed, that we should be killed?" the young Taoist cried out angrily.

"What crime? I don’t care about your crimes. The imperial edict says that no survivors from the Daoist Sect shall be left alive," the leading soldier shouted arrogantly.

In his eyes, these people in front of him weren’t even human; they were his military achievements. With these heads, he might even get a promotion.

"My lord, you can’t do this, they are all good people," an elderly man cried out sobbingly.

Common folk are simple and pure. They didn’t know what was happening in the world, but they knew clearly that these Taoists had saved their lives.

"Stop your prattling. I see you’re an accomplice. Take him down too!"

The soldiers didn’t care who was good or bad; they were worried there weren’t enough Taoists to kill for all to share the spoils. Just then, as someone else stepped forward, they chopped him down without hesitation.

A stone thrown stirred up a thousand ripples. Most of these displaced people came from the same place, related by blood or friendship. Seeing a highly respected elder brutally killed fueled their fury.

The hardship and separation from these times of turmoil had already made their tempers volatile. Though many wouldn’t say it, they all believed the Imperial Court’s corruption was what led to their current plight.

At that moment, seeing the elder killed indiscriminately, a long-suppressed anger in their hearts erupted.

"Damn it, this is too much!" Wang Qi could no longer hold back his rage and roared loudly.

At that moment, he felt as though he had boundless strength. He rushed forward and pulled the leading soldier down from his mount.

The man had just killed the elder, his old strength fading and new not yet born. Caught off guard by Wang Qi’s sudden attack, he was dragged off his horse.

His heart was full of rage, but Wang Qi seemed to have endless strength. He gripped the soldier’s neck tightly with his arm, and despite the soldier’s struggles, he couldn’t break free from Wang Qi’s hold.

As the soldier’s eyes began to roll back, the rest panicked and drew their swords, rushing towards Tian Qi.

But at that moment, the displaced people were enraged. They had been living like weeds, seeing no hope for life, and just as they had glimpsed a chance at survival, someone wanted to snatch it away.

The furious displaced people showed these soldiers what the power of the people looked like. Even without weapons, they used their numbers to kill all the soldiers.

Only after the last soldier had breathed his last did the people realize what they had done. As anger faded and reason returned, they couldn’t help but worry about the future.

After all, these were soldiers, and killing them was undoubtedly rebellion, in an era where rebellion meant exterminating nine kinship degrees.

These people were all ordinary civilians, who trembled at the sight of government officers, let alone commit something as grave as rebellion.

Therefore, everyone looked at each other uncertainly, not knowing what to do next. All eyes turned unanimously to Tian Qi, for he was the first to act, and had alone killed the leader of the soldiers.

Since personally killing a man, Tian Qi felt no fear in his heart; on the contrary, he was unusually excited, feeling as if he was born for this.

Now, seeing everyone’s eyes on him, he wasn’t flustered but spat fiercely on the ground before shouting, "Fellow villagers, what illusions can you hold now? The Imperial Court is thoroughly corrupt."