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The Beginning of Spring marks the commencement of seasons, the revival of all things, the awakening of hibernating animals and the springing up of vegetation.

To the people in the western Longzhou, the coldest winter had finally passed. However, it was not the onset of a vibrant spring, but rather, a time of greater death as spring approached.

An unexpected flood during the autumn harvest had turned western Longzhou into a vast swamp. Even powerful clans couldn’t harvest their crops while also fleeing the disaster. The flooding of the plains meant that there were no crops to plant, no food to harvest, not only for the commoners, but for the noble families as well. They could only rely on their stockpiled grain.

Throughout the flood, the starving noble families occupying the high grounds revealed their most savage sides, turning the entire western region into a purgatory where water and fire intersect.

Powerful clans seized lands, prestigious families submitted to them, smaller families lost everything, and the lives of common people became as cheap as dirt.

The strong became stronger, the weak became weaker. In a city of millions, it would be a miracle if two-thirds of the population survived the massive flood. And at least half of those survivors would die in the subsequent famine.

Violence and struggle became the main theme of the natural disaster. Only the noble families of each city, sitting in the clouds, watched the purgatory below with smiling faces, holding their wine cups.

Starting from the upper reaches of the Lingjiang river, there were ten major cities: Zhangtong City, Fuling City, Lanshan City, Xiling City, Clearwater County, Shen Ping City, Qutang City, Andong City, Boma City, and Jiejiang City.

These ten cities lay on both sides of the Lingjiang river, connected to the mainstream of the Longjiang river in the upper reaches and to the Xiling valley in the lower reaches. These were the ten most famous cities along the Lingjiang river, and also the ones most severely hit by the disaster. In particular, Xiling, Clearwater, and Shen Ping were completely obliterated by the flood due to their geographical locations and became part of history.

Other cities were no better off. Apart from Lanshan City, which was not much affected due to its location atop Mount Lan, the plains of all the other major cities were destroyed by the flood, resulting in total crop failure.

Clan wars triggered by hunger and fights over food were commonplace in western Longzhou, most of which were instigated by the major prestigious families.

Instead of submitting to the powerful clans and becoming their vassals, these prestigious families preferred to fight with their own blades to acquire the essential resources needed for survival.

In the face of natural disasters, everyone was equal. The survival of the fittest was the most basic truth. No one held themselves back with moral constraints. Warriors turned into wolves and tigers, hunting and killing at will in this jungle.

But it was at the darkest time when benevolence could best show its power. When violence broke out in various cities over a few dozen bags of grain, a peculiar fleet of ships appeared.

They could navigate through the flood with their ice ships, travel between the cities of northwest Longzhou, mediate in many clan wars, and distribute tons of grain, which people treated as treasures during the disaster years.

No one knew where they got so much grain. They only knew that wherever this merchant fleet went, wars ceased, disaster victims were comforted, and even families that were previously enemies were brought together.

The reason they were able to accomplish this was not only because the fleet had an abundance of grain and was generous, but also because there were nine extremely powerful warriors on the ships, who were so formidable that people feared them.

With food in one hand to alleviate the disaster, and weapons that controlled lightning in the other, they roamed the northwest of Longzhou, uniting various clans and conveyed a message to all families that had benefited from their aid.

“Early January, north of Xiling, Qiyun Peak, on behalf of the Tang Clan, I invite you to discuss important issues.”

This message did not spread far, but rather, it was passed orally among the leaders of medium and small families as the fleet moved through most of the western region.

Those who were aided by the fleet were mostly carefully selected medium-sized and small-sized noble families. A family of this size usually only had three to five members in the Fierce Realm. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been defenseless in the disaster years.

While receiving the grain and hearing the news, all families initially resisted. After all, everyone knew that there was no free lunch. And anyone who could become the head of a family knew that.

But the needy children were crying for food, so many nobles had to accept the ship fleet’s grain while nodding their agreement, thinking of ways to evade the invitation.

Fuling Mountain, outside Fuling city

A few clan chiefs sat in a cave with gloomy faces. No one could have imagined that these people, who had fought tooth and nail just two months ago, were now sitting together as though they had reached an unspeakable agreement, huddled around a bonfire.

No one spoke; they just silently added wood to the fire.

The wood crackled in the flames, as though urging them to say something.

After a burly, dark-skinned man snapped the wood in his hand into thin pieces and added them to the fire, he braced his hands on his folded knees, collected his thoughts, and asked a middle-aged man who looked like a scholar, “Head of the Liu Family, will you go?”

They had once been mortal enemies, but they had developed a tacit understanding and bond during the past few months of living together. The families gathered on Fuling mountain to resist the pressure and encroachment from the powerful clans, surviving the longest winter, and had developed significant synergy.

The days of cohabitation made them realize that, although the middle-aged scholar didn’t have strong martial arts skills, he was intelligent and thoughtful. He could see and think of things that others couldn’t. Therefore, when they discussed matters, they would heed his suggestions, and this time was no exception.

“I’ll go,” the middle-aged man known as the Head of the Liu Family lifted his head, looked at the others, and added, “I have no choice but to go.”

They were able to keep all their clansmen safe in this disaster because of the grain assistance from the ship fleet. This helped the small families, like themselves, survive the large disaster with relative ease.

However, this aid left them even more distressed at the start of spring. They had already opened all the arable land on Fuling Mountain. The warriors were fishing tirelessly by the river day and night, but the grain was still disappearing at an observable speed.

This was the first time they realized that surviving a disaster without dying was also terrifying. They had avoided war but couldn’t escape famine. Unless they abandoned all the old and weak people, the grain was bound to not be enough.

“Head of the Li Family,” the middle-aged scholar looked at the burly, dark-skinned man and said solemnly, “I will take my younger brother on this trip. If there is no news from us within three months, I hope you can help with my family’s affairs. I thank you.”

While he was talking, the middle-aged scholar sat up, and, in front of them, kowtowed onto the ground, alarming the burly man.

“What are you doing, Head of the Liu Family?” The burly man was sitting opposite the scholar, with the fire between them. Seeing the scholar kneel down, he quickly reached out his hand to help, but it went straight through the fire in his haste. The flame scorched the sleeves of his robe, causing a flurry of activity among everyone.

The burly man ripped off his burned sleeves and threw them on the side, exposing his iron-like arms. He sat beside the middle-aged scholar and sighed, “Actually, I wanted to ask you, the scholar, to help take care of the Li Family. I did not expect you to beat me to it. Well, we brothers will go to Xiling together to see what medicine Tang Zuo is selling in his gourd.”