Su Fu shifted her gaze from the hoe and looked around.
The mud hut was only ten square meters in size.
Bundles of hay were stacked in the corner, and a dilapidated wooden table held half a bowl of cold water and a few shriveled wild fruits.
The thatch on the roof was sparse, with several holes already leaking; on a rainy day, the water would likely fall directly on her.
The mud on the walls was peeling off in patches, revealing the straw stalks underneath, and the floor was untreated yellow earth that kicked up a layer of fine dust with every step.
‘This environment is too poor…’ Su Fu frowned.
This was the literal definition of living within four bare walls.
She stood up and checked the items provided by the Shen Yan prompt.
The herb bundle contained some dried mugwort, dandelion, and honeysuckle, which were likely only good for stopping bleeding or reducing inflammation.
In this era of scarce medicine, they might be considered a small fortune.
As for the 30 copper coins, they probably wouldn’t last more than a few days in Chao Ge.
As for the coarse cloth clothes mentioned in the prompt…
Well, they were the ones she was wearing, already covered in several patches.
“Er Ya! Are you deaf? If you don’t hurry up, the Headman is going to be furious!” The urging voice outside grew more urgent, mixed with impatient cursing.
Su Fu paused.
She had almost forgotten.
She intentionally called out in a weak voice, “I’m not feeling well today. I think I’ve caught a cold and I’m dying. Can you lend me some money to see a doctor?”
After speaking, she coughed violently a few times, as if she were trying to hack up her lungs.
As soon as the request for money came out, the outside immediately fell silent.
It was as quiet as a grave.
Su Fu used her Control over a sparrow on a large tree outside to check the situation.
She saw the woman slipping away at top speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
According to the Shen Yan prompt, she no longer had any land.
It had been forcibly seized by the notorious official Fei Zhong under the guise of a “military aid tax.”
Then why did she still have to work?
She was likely farming for a landlord just to earn a bite to eat.
In this situation, working hard all day just to get one meal was considered lucky; that meal would probably be a bowl of thin porridge with barely any grains of rice.
‘Truly, “When the state prospers, the people suffer; when the state falls, the people suffer.”‘
‘Fei Zhong,’ Su Fu thought, ‘he really is a notorious official under King Zhou. To plunder the people’s wealth, he comes up with all sorts of excuses.’
At this specific point in time, the Grand Preceptor of the Shang Dynasty, Wen Zhong, was following the orders of the late Di Yi to suppress the rebellion of Yuan Futong in Beihai.
With no one of authority left in the court, corrupt officials naturally held sway.
Su Fu felt that she wasn’t the only victim.
The seemingly prosperous city of Chao Ge had long since sown the seeds of its own destruction.
Beneath the silk robes and fine clothes were hidden thousands upon thousands of refugees whose homes and families had been destroyed, just like her.
All it needed was a single spark to ignite a prairie fire.
However, Su Fu did not plan to act rashly.
This was the world of the Great Desolation, and it was a history-type Dungeon classified as a Civilization Projection.
This meant those anomalies must have seen many high-level deities, and it wasn’t impossible for even Saints to be involved.
Although they might not be able to perfectly replicate a Saint’s power, they had at least seen them.
Replicating an appearance and creating some plausible-sounding abilities was definitely possible.
Otherwise, the difficulty of this Dungeon couldn’t possibly be EX-rank.
She had to plan for the worst-case scenario.
If a Saint truly existed, even if they only possessed one or two percent of a true god’s power, playing with a Test Taker would be as easy as playing with a dog.
It wasn’t just talk when people said Saints plotted across eternity; each one possessed the power to reach the heavens and move the earth.
Any overly obvious intervention or attempt to change history would likely attract a Saint’s attention.
Beneath a Saint, all are but ants.
One wrong step would lead to death and the total erasure of one’s path.
Therefore, the best strategy was to keep a low profile and plot in secret.
‘Stay low, I must stay low-key!’
In that case, key figures like Jiang Ziya, Daji, and Shen Gongbao could not be touched carelessly, nor could their original fates be changed.
Otherwise, a Saint would certainly notice her.
More importantly, if she influenced the subsequent changes and the plot didn’t develop according to her memory, it would be even more troublesome.
“Cough, cough.”
If there was a situation where she absolutely had to act, she would have to find someone to take the blame.
For example… Brother Leopard?
In short, steady and low-key development was the way to go.
First of all, she couldn’t stay in Chao Ge any longer; she had to slip away.
Although the war of the Investiture of the Gods had not yet fully broken out, Daji’s arrival meant that Chao Ge was not far from chaos.
What followed would be true misery.
Never mind bottom-tier peasants like them—even the high-ranking officials and nobles died one after another in horrific ways.
Queen Jiang had her eyes gouged out and her hands branded; Shang Rong committed suicide by slamming his head against a pillar to protest; Mei Bo suffered the punishment of the burning pillar…
Not to mention that Ji Chang would soon be imprisoned in Youli, Bi Gan would have his heart cut out, and Huang Feihu would defect from Chao Ge…
Chao Ge would become a living hell on earth.
Leaving was a must, and she needed to avoid the core war zones.
But before leaving, she had to leave behind a messenger and a spy to gather intelligence and understand the movements of all parties.
Otherwise, how would she know when Jiang Ziya descended the mountain, when Shen Gongbao appeared, or when the various immortals descended to the mortal realm?
She certainly couldn’t get news in this rural area.
She had to enter the city first to take a look.
Before entering the city, Su Fu changed her appearance, making her face look more ordinary and common.
She also used an Illusion Technique to change her clothes, first hiding the patches and then transforming them into a plain cotton dress.
This way, she would at least look like a common civilian, not attracting too much attention while also not being driven away for being too shabby.
In all things, caution was paramount.
Next, carrying her only 30 copper coins, she walked toward the city of Chao Ge.
The sunlight outside was a bit piercing.
Su Fu followed the dirt road forward, and in the distance, the towering walls of Chao Ge rose majestically.
At the city gate, the flow of people was like a woven tapestry.
Merchant caravans, farmers, and officials moved in and out, presenting a scene of great prosperity.
The guards were inspecting those entering the city one by one.
Seeing those in decent clothes, they nodded and let them through; seeing poor commoners, they made things difficult to extort bribes.
When it was her turn, the soldier glanced at her a few times but didn’t make much trouble, letting her into the city smoothly.
Entering Chao Ge was like entering another world.
Shops lined both sides of the streets: wine houses, Tea Houses, silk shops, pharmacies, blacksmith shops… everything one could need was there.
“Freshly baked sesame flatbreads, delicious and fragrant, 5 copper coins each!”
“Bronze mirrors! Use a mirror to see your handsome face!”
“Top-quality silk! Come feel it, unique fabric found nowhere else!”
The air was filled with the aroma of various foods: the scent of freshly baked flatbreads, the sizzle of pancakes on a griddle, and the steaming meat porridge from a small stall on the corner…
Su Fu was dazzled.
Finally, she chose a crowded tea stall, ordered a bowl of tea and a flatbread, and sat down to listen to the idle chatter of the people around her.
“…I heard the Great King has taken another concubine, as beautiful as a Celestial Immortal…”
“Shhh! Do you want to die? How dare you discuss palace matters!”
Su Fu took a sip of tea, understanding clearly.
That was definitely Daji.
The court’s turmoil was about to begin.
The conversation at another table caught her attention again.
“Have you heard? Lord Fei Zhong has taken another concubine. She’s only 14 years old. Her family was so poor they couldn’t even put food on the table, so they were forced to sell their daughter just for some grain.”
“Sigh, what a sin.”
“Also, Blacksmith Zhang’s family on the East Street all hanged themselves in their house last night.”
“Ah? Why?”
“Supposedly they couldn’t pay their taxes. When the Headman brought people to collect, they found the family of five hanging neatly from the beams. The youngest child was only 6 years old.”
“Speaking of which, my cousin’s family gave up all their land. The whole family, young and old, had no choice but to flee the famine.”
“Sigh, ever since that lady entered the palace, taxes have doubled.”
Suddenly, someone chimed in, whispering, “My cousin returned from Xiqi and said the harvests there are excellent. Not only did the Count of the West reduce taxes, but he also opened the granaries to distribute food. You can’t see a single beggar on the road.”
“Is that true?”
“Absolutely! The people there live and work in peace. The government opens the granaries to relieve disaster victims, and even criminals have a chance to defend themselves. It’s not like here, where people are beheaded at the slightest provocation.”
“The Count of the West is benevolent and righteous. He never plunders the people’s wealth, and during disasters, he even goes into the fields to work alongside the people.”
“Nonsense!” someone scoffed, “How can there be such a good thing?”
“Why would I lie to you?”
“I don’t quite believe it. How can there be such a good ruler in this world?”
“It’s a pity the journey is too far. Otherwise, I would really like to go to Xiqi and see for myself.”
“Don’t go. Who knows if it’s true or false? Although Chao Ge has some trouble, it is after all at the feet of the King of Shang. It’s incredibly prosperous—how could a small place like that compare?”
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