Chapter 6

"Recently, the Governor of Songyuan, in the dense forest, inflicted a heavy defeat on the Wuxi Swamp, and some of the swamp people fled to the territory of Jian Nan Dao. One group of them has been roaming in the south, and it was they who destroyed your villages."

Liu Huai sighed a few times and then recounted what he knew. Although he was a steward in the Pan family, his family was not large, and there were not many rules. They usually ate in the main hall. Now, seeing Qiu Yan return safely, he hurried back, cleared the dining table, and the few of them sat down. Qiu Yan's aunt, Liu Yue's wife, then withdrew.

"Wuxi Swamp, Governor of Songyuan."

As Liu Huai spoke, Qiu Yan's expression gradually changed.

After the establishment of the Great Rui Dynasty, a three-tier system of Dao, Fu, and County was implemented at the local level. However, there was another type of administrative unit—military garrisons. These garrisons were not the same as the modern concept of the military but referred to a city. The area under the jurisdiction of a "military" was usually a city, similar in size to a county, with no subordinate villages or settlements, but with a garrison and military camps.

There were seven military garrisons in the entire Longjian Dao, each a city with a garrison, directly under the jurisdiction of the Dao. They were mainly distributed in the south and west, serving as a protective barrier for the country, and were in constant conflict with the swamp people and the barbarians.

The highest official of a military garrison was the Governor, who managed both military and civilian affairs within the city. Songyuan was the Governor of Wuxin Military Garrison in the southwestern region, and also the highest controller of Wuxin City, located between Yuan Ning Fu and Rongzhou Fu. He had been in constant conflict with the Wuxi Swamp people and rarely suffered defeats.

Understanding the general situation, Qiu Yan gradually grasped the outline of the events and asked, "Where did these messages come from?"

"The government has already issued a notice. A few days ago, Wuxin sent a troop to suppress the swamp people. The villagers have been buried, and the refugees who fled have been properly accommodated." As Liu Huai spoke, he paid close attention to Qiu Yan's expression. Seeing him frown frequently, he said, "Yan, your father..."

This nephew of his had always been somewhat stubborn and taciturn, acting with a single-mindedness. Liu Huai was afraid that Qiu Yan would seek revenge once he found out the reason, so he was somewhat worried.

Those swamp people were known to be cruel and ruthless. Liu Huai had never had a good impression of Qiu Yan's father, Qiu Zonglin, but he had always been particularly fond of his sister's son, Qiu Yan.

Last year, the Qiu family father and son both went to take the exams. The son wanted to become a scholar, and the father wanted to become a provincial candidate, but both failed, becoming a laughingstock in Qingchang County. This led to the Qiu family moving to Zuqu Village. Unexpectedly, a few months later, such an incident occurred, and the villages were completely wiped out, including Qiu Zonglin, with only Qiu Yan surviving by chance.

Qiu Yan's calmness did not reassure Liu Huai; instead, he was more worried that Qiu Yan had made up his mind and might act impulsively. Therefore, he said, "Stay here for now, and return to observe the mourning period after a while. In two years, you can take the imperial exams again."

Liu Huai actually did not have high hopes for Qiu Yan's imperial examination path. In his view, Qiu Yan and his father were not cut out for it. It would be better to settle down and become a tutor or an accountant, which would be more practical than focusing solely on the imperial exams. However, he was afraid that Qiu Yan might not think clearly, so he used this as a thought to keep him in check.

In this world, like ancient China, there was a tradition of mourning, but there were not many restrictions. One could not hold office, take the exams, or marry for 27 months, which is two years and three months.

Qiu Yan had a good memory from a young age and had studied various classics and histories. At the age of sixteen, he passed the county and prefecture exams, and his father, Qiu Zonglin, was overjoyed, thinking that the family would produce a young provincial candidate. However, Qiu Yan failed at the Dao exam before the formal provincial exam. He tried again at the age of nineteen but still failed, not even obtaining the title of scholar.

The Dao exam was held twice every three years, in April and May. After Qiu Yan finished his mourning period, he would be able to take the exam, and if successful, he could even participate in the autumn exam of the same year.

However, Qiu Yan's father, Qiu Zonglin, obtained the title of scholar at the age of twenty and continued to take the exams for over twenty years without advancing. In the end, the family was destitute, relying on his wife's sewing to survive, which led to his wife falling ill and passing away five years ago. Since then, Liu Huai had no longer interacted with Qiu Zonglin.

Understanding Liu Huai's thoughts, Qiu Yan shook his head. "Uncle, don't worry. I have a plan. Those people are not something I can deal with now."

"It's best if you can understand. I have some matters at the Pan family, so you rest for now. I'll prepare a banquet for you tonight to calm your nerves. I haven't told your aunt about your return yet, but I'll inform her later. She has been worried about you and has been scolded by Lady Pan a few times."

Liu Huai then thought of something else. "Right, the refugees are being strictly screened. Try to stay indoors for the next few days and don't reveal your identity, or there might be some trouble. Wait until the situation calms down."

Qiu Yan nodded in agreement. Even if Liu Huai hadn't given these instructions, Qiu Yan had similar plans, and he even intended to ask Liu Huai to help, but Liu Huai had beaten him to it, saving him a lot of trouble.

After a few more words, Liu Huai and Liu Yue left. They both worked at the Pan family, and Qiu Yan's sudden arrival allowed them to come and offer a few words of comfort, which was the most they could do.

As Liu Huai and his son left, Qiu Yan fell into deep thought.

"The incident with the demons has turned into an invasion by bandits, and the villagers who were eaten are now said to have died in battle. The refugees have been isolated and accommodated. This is a complete cover-up, and no one knows the truth about the tragedy in the south. It seems that the 'King of Tongshan' has considerable power..."

As he thought, his stomach suddenly growled.

"Yan, your uncle came in a hurry and didn't let you eat enough. I'll scold him tonight. Go to the kitchen and get something to eat."

Qiu Yan didn't hesitate and nodded, heading to the kitchen.

"After absorbing that drop of blood essence, my body has become more resilient, but my appetite has also increased. In the past half month, I could supplement my diet with wild game in the mountains, but here, it might not be so easy to get enough to eat."

Qiu Yan thought to himself as he entered the kitchen. He had obtained a physical body and inherited the cause and effect, but he was also in danger, especially in this situation. The other party clearly had considerable power in the human world, so he needed to be more cautious.

"However, the current situation also shows that although the demons are cruel, they still have to follow the rules when they reach areas with a dense population. They cannot act recklessly! The more people there are, the safer it is, and there's no need to worry about a large-scale demon invasion."

As he ate, Qiu Yan's thoughts became clearer.

"Coming to Yuan Ning City and seeking refuge with my uncle is a way to truly inherit this identity. Mourning for two years is not a bad thing. I can use this time to sort out my own affairs. The imperial exams are still important, but with the burden of cause and effect, I might perform even worse than the original Qiu Yan. However, after inheriting several causes and effects, I have a vague feeling that once all the causes and effects are resolved, there will be unforeseen benefits."

Time passed quickly, and soon it was evening. The Liu family's courtyard was not far from the Pan family, and after the hour of Dog, Liu Huai and his son returned from the Pan family. The family gathered around the table for a meal.

During the meal, Liu Huai naturally comforted Qiu Yan. Fortunately, Qiu Yan was not the same as before and responded to everything. Finally, Liu Huai took out a small box.

"You know the situation of your aunt at the Pan family. She has nothing to give you, so she asked me to bring some pastries." He put down the box and then took out a few pieces of silver from his pocket. "Take this money. It's from both your aunt and me. Our family is not well-off, so we can't give much. Just make do."

"I can't accept it!" Qiu Yan quickly declined.

Liu Huai's aunt was his sister, and also Qiu Yan's mother's younger sister. She was quite beautiful in her youth and was taken as a concubine by Mr. Pan. Liu Huai relied on this relationship to secure a position as a steward. However, over the years, Liu's status in the Pan family declined, and she often relied on Liu Huai for support.

As for Liu Huai, if not for his seniority and age, he might have lost his position long ago. Even now, he could only manage some trivial matters. The Pan family was vast, with seven or eight stewards, and Liu Huai was just one of them. The family's situation had deteriorated until recently, when Liu Yue gradually gained the trust of the third young master of the Pan family, leading to an improvement.

In this situation, Qiu Yan naturally did not want to accept the gift.

"Don't refuse. Buying books and food costs money. Writing materials are a significant expense. How can you study and write without money? If you feel indebted to your uncle and aunt, just remember us when you become an official. Take it!"

After a few words, Qiu Yan finally accepted it. As Liu Huai said, in this world, money was essential, even for deities.

"However, this will deepen the cause and effect of our family ties, and I must repay it in the future."

Listening to Liu Huai, who was slightly drunk, Qiu Yan, though not the original person, felt a warm feeling in his heart.

The meal lasted nearly an hour. When Qiu Yan returned to the room prepared for him, it was already late at night.

Sitting by the bed, he pondered for a moment.

"Something will happen tonight."

Thinking this, Qiu Yan took out a bundle of green robes from beside his pillow, unfolded them, and placed them on the table in the room. Then he lay down and soon fell asleep, snoring softly.

The night was quiet.

A gentle breeze blew through the window, causing the green robes on the table to flutter slightly.

Suddenly!

A green light appeared without any sign, rising from the ground and forming a cone.

Spinning, spinning, spinning!

The light faded, revealing a hunched figure, a person resembling a dwarf, less than three feet tall.

As soon as the figure appeared, it tiptoed to the table.

A white light flickered, and the green robes on the table fluttered. A figure in scholar's robes stood up, precisely Qiu Yan's divine form. He shook his sleeves and gracefully descended, bowing. "Greetings, Land Deity."

"No need for formalities. I am the Land Deity of the southern part of Yuan Ning City, under the command of the City God. I have come as ordered. May I ask your origin and the purpose of your visit to Yuan Ning City?"

PS: Only one chapter today. During the new book period, the contract has not been sent. Please understand.

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