Mu Qing asked, "Your Highness, why did you leave for so many days?"
Xie Lian was taken aback and said, "Have I been gone for long?"
Back and forth, across heaven and earth, he gathered lake water, ascended the clouds to transform into rain, losing track of days and nights, he had already spent countless days, yet was oblivious. Mu Qing added, "It's been many days! The wishes of the believers at the Crown Prince's Hall have piled up like a mountain."
At that moment, Xie Lian noticed the rain weakening and reached out a hand, saying, "Didn't I instruct you to first deal with the urgent ones?"
Mu Qing replied, "We handled what we could, but... but there are many wishes that we can't take over. That's why I asked you not to delay, to return quickly."
His words finished, the rain stopped. This rainfall lasted shorter than Xie Lian expected, and he felt a weight in his heart. In the clearing sky, a bamboo green bamboo rain hat gently floated down, and Xie Lian caught it, saying, “But as you can see, I can't just leave things here.”
Mu Qing frowned, "Your Highness, did you borrow the Rain Master's treasure? From where did you bring this water?"
Xie Lian answered, "The Southern Rain Master's land."
Mu Qing responded, "From so far? How much power does it take to transport it here each time? Furthermore, the rain covers a small area and isn't long-lasting. If it keeps taxing you like this, how will you tend to the wishes of the Crown Prince's believers?"
Xie Lian knew this well. As a martial god, the believers at the Crown Prince's Hall were the foundation for his establishment and the source of his spiritual power. This was like giving up the fundamentals for something trivial, risking neglect on both fronts. Yet, what other solutions were there?
Xie Lian said, "I know. But if it continues like this, and if unrest breaks out in Eternal Peace, the Crown Prince's Hall will inevitably be affected sooner or later."
Mu Qing countered, "It's on the verge of breaking out!"
Xie Lian was shocked, "What?"
Upon hearing Mu Qing's report, he swiftly returned to the Divine Joy Palace. Arriving at Divine Martial Street, he encountered a group of royal soldiers, fully armored, wielding weapons, escorting a group of ragged, shackled men. The street sides were filled with citizens, all with faces filled with anger. Feng Xin stood with a black bow in hand, on high alert as if guarding against a riot from the citizens on both sides. Xie Lian called out, "Feng Xin! Who are these people being escorted? What crime do they commit? Where are they headed?"
Feng Xin heard his voice and stepped forward, saying, "Your Highness! These are the people from Eternal Peace."
The men were all tall and skinny, with slightly darker skin, numbering in the dozens. Following the escort were some elderly, and a handful of frightened women and children. Xie Lian asked, "Are those behind them as well?"
Mu Qing confirmed, "All of them."
As it turned out, Eternal Peace had suffered a drought for months, causing its residents to flee eastward in search of refuge. While initially unnoticed, eventually, over five hundred people had gathered. This mass of Eternal Peace residents, unacquainted with the place, having nothing, and with an accent giving away their origins, found themselves in a bustling foreign city. Naturally, they banded together for survival. They finally found an uninhabited patch of greenland, delighted, and set up makeshift shelters to rest.
Unfortunately, this land, though uninhabited, was a cherished spot in the hearts of the royal city residents. Known for their love of leisure and beauty, the citizens of Celestial Music especially enjoyed leisurely strolls, dances, sword practice, poetry, painting, and gatherings there. Eternal Peace, located west of Celestial Music, was impoverished with infertile lands.
Its customs and temperament vastly differed from Celestial Music's, drawing forth a keen sense of cultural superiority among royal city folks.
The once elegant site had now become occupied by a large group of refugees, with daily whiffing smells of cooked medicine, cries, laundry, smoke, along with sweat and leftover food, proving unbearable for many nearby citizens, leading to mounting complaints.
The leading elder of Eternal Peace understood this and wanted to relocate, but the royal city was teeming with people everywhere, unable to find another suitable settlement for so many. Furthermore, with wounded, sick, elderly, and children in their midst, frequent moves were unwise. Reluctantly, they had to stay. Though discontented, the city's citizens tolerated them due to shared nationality and misfortune.
By now, the soldiers escorted the Eternal Peace men to the market entrance, commanding them to kneel.
Despite their faces showing defiance, the blade at their necks forced compliance. The watching citizens of the royal city sighed or felt satisfied at this sight. Xie Lian asked, "According to you, both sides were tolerating each other; what happened today?"
Before Feng Xin and Mu Qing could respond, a woman among the crowd burst into tears, shouting, "You scoundrels! Stealing and beating my husband so that he couldn't even stand! If anything happens to him, I'll fight you to death!"
Others consoled her, while some scolded, "Displaced, unable to live honorably!"
"Indeed, settling in someone else's home so rudely, stealing!"
A shackled young man couldn't hold back, "I told you, we didn't steal! We didn't start the fight either! Besides, we also have injured..." An elderly man cut him off, "Enough, don't speak."
The young man grudgingly stopped. Feng Xin explained, "A royal city citizen lost a dog. Previously, a starving child from Eternal Peace stole ducks to cook, so they suspected this time it was the same, catching and cooking the dog. They questioned them, and a dispute broke out."
Xie Lian was incredulous, "Just a dog, such a fuss, arresting so many people?"
Feng Xin replied, "Yes, a dog. Both sides have endured long enough, little issues grew big. Both swear the other started it, the other was in the wrong, leading to a chaotic fight as if it ballooned inexplicably."
The leading soldier declared, "Rioters will face severe punishment! Showcased in shackles, no further offenses!" At that, they stepped back, and many started hurling vegetables and rotten eggs at these men. Older ones among them apologized to everyone at once, "Sorry, everyone, so sorry. Please be lenient."
Despite Xie Lian finding this excessive and absurd, he somewhat understood it, asking, "So, was it really them? Was the dog found?"
Feng Xin shook his head, "Who knows. After the bones were tossed, who could find out? But judging by their expressions, it doesn't feel like they did it."
Yet, the royal city soldier’s judgment naturally favored the citizens. Whether they stole or not, the fight meant Eternal Peace’s people were to blame. Especially since the city's men loved leisure and were less adept fighters than those from Eternal Peace, who seemingly handed them a sound defeat. This humiliation only intensified the grudge. Xi Lian shook his head, peering over, suddenly recognizing a familiar face—Láng Yīng, the young man from the woods burying his son, now amongst the line.
Xi Lian was stunned. Nearby, someone complained, “Lately, there seem to be more Eternal Peace people in the city, and now they're even fighting.”
“Could all of them be coming here?”
A merchant waved his hands wildly, “The National Lord won’t allow it! Just the other day, something was stolen from my house by someone from Eternal Peace. If they all come, what then?”
At that, Láng Yīng, always silent under the barrage of rotten leaves, lifted his head saying, “Did you see it?”
Surprised someone talked to him, the merchant replied, “What?”
Láng Yīng countered, "Did you see Eternal Peace people steal from your home?"
The merchant replied, “I didn’t see it myself, but everything was fine before. After you came, things started getting stolen. Doesn’t that mean anything?”
Láng Yīng nodded, “I see. Before we came, you were the thieves here. After we came, all thieves are now us....”
Before finishing, a rotten tomato spun and smacked him in the mouth, painting a picture akin to a blood flower spat out. Many laughed, but Láng Yīng, with a calm gaze, fell silent.
Xi Lian dispelled the sharp stones thrown at them, preventing the Eternal Peace youths from bleeding. The public shaming lasted until dusk, the citizens gradually left, and the soldiers, deeming it enough, arrogantly unlocked the shackles, warning against future misdemeanors under threat of severe punishment. Old ones bowed and nodded, laughingly offering assurances; Láng Yīng, however, indifferent, moved away on his own. Xie Lian carefully caught his moment, emerging from behind a tree to block his path.
Upon seeing Xie Lian, whose form he took was still that of the young Taoist, Láng Yīng was about to strike a reflex counter. Recognizing him instantly stopped his hand in midair, calmly saying, “It's you.”
Xie Lian, a bit startled by Láng Yīng’s quick close strike, thought, “This guy is quite skilled.” “Why not take the pearl and return to Eternal Peace?” He asked.
Láng Yīng looked at him, replying, “My son is here. I am here too.”
He held out the coral pearl with his hand, still bearing the bruises from the shackles. After a moment's pause, Xie Lian did not take it, “Go back. It rained in Lang’er Bay today.”
Pointing at the sky, he assured, “Tomorrow it will rain again. I promise.”
However, Láng Yīng shook his head, “Whether it rains or not, we can’t go back.”
Looking at his receding silhouette, Xie Lian stood still for a while, feeling a surge of frustration.
Before his ascension, life seemed to bear no troubles. Whatever he aimed for, he achieved. But after ascending, it felt like being suddenly surrounded by endless troubles, other people's issues and his own. Doing something now seemed notably difficult - stretched too thin, lacking in strength. With a sigh, Xie Lian turned back, returning to the Crown Prince's Hall to attend to the piled wishes of believers.
However, he wasn't the one most troubled—the National Lord was.
The worries of the Celestial Music National Lord had become a reality, as these five hundred Eternal Peace people were just the beginning.
Bearing the borrowed Rain Master's hat, Xie Lian frequently traversed the north and south, using his power to summon rain. Each rain effort demanded at least five to six days and immense energy. If it weren’t for him, it was doubtful any others could endure such exhausting back-and-forth.
Of course, except for Emperor Jun Wu, whose realm and needs far surpassed that of Celestial Music, seeking his aid for such a matter was unrealistic. Plus, each effort only managed to moisture a small part of Eternal Peace's land for a brief time, offering respite but not a solution.
Thus, a month later, Eternal Peace people began formally migrating eastward in groups.
Previously, they were batches of dozens, now they came by the hundreds, thousands, massive waves of people congregating.
After another month, the Celestial Music National Lord issued an order: Due to ongoing disputes and frequent fights for many months, to maintain royal city stability, all original Eternal Peace people scattered in Celestial Music capital must evacuate the royal city immediately. They were granted some money to settle in other towns.
In the face of the overwhelming influx of Eternal Peace people moving east, the gates of the Celestial Music Royal City were sealed shut.