After the small conflict just now, A Yiti Jialuo and his party did not continue on their way but chose to enter Fuqing City to rest.

Fuqing City is a city with a population of seventy thousand. Because it is close to Qingzhou, a major grain-producing state with abundant resources, there are many traders from all over the country. The constant flow of convoys is bustling, and at the docks connecting to the Luochuan River tributaries, the noise of people is constant, and trading ships come and go without pause.

The Western team led by A Yiti Jialuo caused quite a stir upon entering Fuqing City.

Many local citizens gathered out of curiosity, especially drawn to the massive Dragon Elephant, whose every step seemed to shake the ground, capturing everyone's attention.

"This city seems quite fond of puppetry techniques."

A Yiti Jialuo dismounted from the Dragon Elephant, walking barefoot on the bluestone streets.

His attention was caught by some puppets at the street sides, which were steel-forged puppet vehicles, equipped with several wheels underneath. They were loaded with large quantities of grain and supplies, constantly transporting goods to warehouses and docks.

Puppetry techniques were nothing unusual; A Yiti Jialuo had seen them before. However, generally speaking, puppets crafted by puppet masters were mainly humanoid puppets focused on combat.

But the puppets before him were clearly not made for combat; they resembled purely transport tools, constructed not with expensive spiritual materials but with steel and similar materials. Moreover, they were operated not by cultivators but by ordinary people.

"Amitabha Buddha, pardon me, Master. I am A Yiti Jialuo, from the Western Regions, and it's my first time witnessing the Da Li Dynasty's wondrous puppetry techniques. Might I ask what these puppets are called?"

A Yiti Jialuo walked up to a puppet vehicle engaged in loading and unloading and asked the middle-aged man in the driver's seat with a gentle demeanor.

"Ah!"

The middle-aged man being asked dared not neglect the query because it was clear that A Yiti Jialuo and his companions were not ordinary people; they certainly appeared to be exalted cultivators. He hurriedly jumped out of the vehicle.

"This is a puppet vehicle produced in Qingzhou, running on a type of black fuel. It's cost-effective and efficient, thus widely popularized in recent years. There are many similar puppet machines in Qingzhou, but since they require oil and electricity, they are only promoted in Qingzhou and some nearby border areas."

"Indeed, puppetry from Qingzhou!"

A Yiti Jialuo pondered for a moment, as he didn't recall any sect in Qingzhou known for proficiency in puppetry.

"It's said to be made by the Ghost Ridge Palace. They've made plenty of things, like iron dragons capable of traveling a thousand miles a day, flying iron birds, and large ships for the sea..."

The middle-aged man spoke eloquently, evidently familiar with Qingzhou, having been there.

"Ghost Ridge Palace, the strongest Demon Sect in Qingzhou!"

After an exchange, A Yiti Jialuo seemed contemplative.

He knew that in recent years, the demon path in Qingzhou had flourished. The Demon Sect known as Ghost Ridge Palace had overwhelmed the alliance of righteous sects, effectively dominating this large state.

"Qingzhou Demon Ghost Ridge Palace, interesting. After the mission to Chongzhou, I should pay Qingzhou a visit."

With this thought in mind, A Yiti Jialuo turned and took his leave.

However, before leaving, A Yiti Jialuo glanced upwards to his left.

On the eaves of a street there, a white figure stood quietly—it was Qin Yushang, the Hall Master of the Heavenly Patrol Department's White Tiger Hall.

"Ghost Ridge Palace..."

Qin Yushang's bright eyes flickered as she watched the departing backs of A Yiti Jialuo and his group, then turned and disappeared from the eaves.

.........

The next morning!

At the Fuqing City docks, A Yiti Jialuo led his team there.

For the next leg of their journey, they would travel via waterway on the Da Li Dynasty's largest river, the Luochuan River, heading to Chongzhou.

The docks were bustling with activity, with many merchants and laborers busy at work, as well as some mechanical puppet creations similar in style to the puppet vehicles seen yesterday, clearly the work of Ghost Ridge Palace.

Besides that, to the left of the docks, hundreds of refugees were gathered.

They were filthy, many emaciated and emitting a foul smell, yet they queued in an orderly fashion to board a ship.

"Once you reach Qingzhou, life will be better. Ghost Ridge Palace will arrange for you to farm and clear land or enter factories. As long as you work hard, you will have enough to eat."

A merchant shouted instructions from the ship, organizing the refugee group to board.

Upon hearing the name Ghost Ridge Palace again, A Yiti Jialuo couldn't help but glance over, wondering whether Ghost Ridge Palace truly meant to do good or intended to use them for cultivating demon techniques.

Not delving further, having already chartered an entire large merchant ship last night, they quickly boarded smoothly.

"Master Qin, why not join us for the journey? Rooms have been prepared."

A Yiti Jialuo didn't immediately enter the cabin but offered a distant bow to the sky.

"No need."

Qin Yushang's figure floated down from the sky, standing on the bow of an official ship.

As the Hall Master of the Heavenly Patrol Department, requisitioning an official ship was a simple matter of just saying a word.

Without so much as a glance at A Yiti Jialuo, Qin Yushang, with furrowed Liu Mei, looked at the merchant ship busily transporting refugees at the docks.

The Great Li Dynasty now faces incessant natural and man-made disasters, and many great provinces have refugees, only varying in numbers.

Qingzhou, being a major grain-producing province of the Great Li Dynasty, is understandably a place where refugees migrate to flee.

However, if the Ghost Ridge Palace actively recruits them, the situation becomes different.

The demonic path often employs cruel methods, using people to cultivate demon techniques. In Qin Yushang's view, these refugees entering Qingzhou will likely be like sheep entering a tiger's mouth.

"Follow that ship."

Qin Yushang instructed the shipmaster behind her to watch the ship transporting the refugees.

"Yes!"

Moments later, with sails fluttering, the ship left the dock, heading south along the Luochuan River.

After half a day's journey, the ship emerged from Jingzhou's territory, arriving within Qingzhou's river basin.

Upon entering here, the number of visible ships increased; the Luochuan River was teeming with ships.

Besides the common wooden merchant ships, there were also some large iron ships navigating the river.

These iron ships had neither sails nor oars, seemingly propelled by a spiral iron frame at the stern that stirred the water, moving faster than the sail-powered wooden merchant ships.

Meanwhile, along both sides of the river, expanses of rice fields stretched out, square plots of rice planted on the fertile lands. Some iron puppet vehicles worked on the fields, alongside numerous farmers laboring in the fields.

This is a rare sight within the borders of the Great Li Dynasty.

In other great provinces, many fields lay fallow due to natural disasters and wars.

Scenes of fertile lands stretching for miles, bountiful fields like a sea — Qin Yushang hadn't seen such a sight in a long time.

"Isn't Qingzhou supposed to be under demonic rule?"

Qin Yushang found the scene before her a bit incredible. She had heard of Qingzhou's demonic chaos and assumed that under Ghost Ridge Palace's rule, Qingzhou would be a place of darkness, with people living in fear, constantly at risk of becoming cultivation materials for the demon sect disciples.

Yet here it seemed like a peaceful land where people lived in contentment, free from worries.

As she observed, a bustling dock appeared ahead, where the ship carrying the refugees was heading.

Huge steel machines were unloading goods on the dock, and far off, on a track laid on the ground, an iron vehicle several hundred meters long rumbled into the dock warehouse area.

Occasionally, she could see massive iron vehicles soaring overhead, flying by relying on the air jets from within the vehicle.

The refugee ship in Qin Yushang's focus had already docked.

After the refugees disembarked, cultivators waiting specifically for them led them into houses, performing the Little Qingfeng Technique to cleanse the dirt and bacteria from their bodies.

Then, appointed personnel broke them up and distributed them, arranging for them to recuperate nearby and restore their physical condition.

Judging from the conversations of those in charge, it was easy to deduce that after a period of recuperation, usually about ten days to half a month, these refugees would be assigned to farms or factories across Qingzhou to work, helping them restore production and livelihood.

"Disembark!"

As the sky gradually darkened, many ships decided to dock and rest at the harbor, including Qin Yushang and A Yiti Jialuo.

Qin Yushang disembarked and walked to the city behind the dock, where she witnessed a scene.

Some citizens lined up orderly for blood extraction, and after completing the blood donation, each person could receive rewards like grain, oil, rice, and flour.

Strolling along, she observed factories scattered across the city outskirts, filled with citizens working diligently to produce various mechanical components.

As darkness fell, street lights on both sides of the city streets came alight, dispelling the darkness over the city.

Shops along the street hung colorful signs, displaying some iron boxes that played enchanting music, enthusiastically attracting business and drawing in customers.

Many citizens, finishing their hectic day's work, gathered towards a particular place, arriving at an open area.

In the open area, a giant screen was set up, playing a mirage-like image that seemed to be narrating some story about ghosts.

The realistic visuals elicited bursts of exclamations from the crowd; many citizens, though startled, with their shoulders hunched and necks retracted, were reluctant to avert their eyes, caught between fear and excitement.

What truly caught Qin Yushang's attention were some boxes arranged to absorb the fear-induced breaths around the open area, where the fear emotions generated by the audience's viewing continuously streamed into these boxes.

From the locals, Qin Yushang learned that this was called a movie, arranged by Ghost Ridge Palace for free viewing by the citizens.

"Is Qingzhou truly under demonic rule?"

Qin Yushang began to doubt in her heart that everything she witnessed in Qingzhou was ten times better than what she had seen in other parts of the Great Li Dynasty.

The people here lived in peace and prosperity, though she had indeed noticed situations involving blood extraction and the absorption of fear emotions, it seemed clear that Ghost Ridge Palace wasn't draining the resources dry; the people here also accepted this ruling order.

If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Qin Yushang wouldn't have believed that a place under demonic rule could be more prosperous and developed than other great provinces.

Such stark contrast even made Qin Yushang cannot help but ponder, compared to Ghost Ridge Palace, who indeed is the righteous path, and who is truly the demonic path.

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