As Li Teng's body fell into the bottomless Luoshen Stream, Lin Xiao put away his sword and crossed the chain bridge without looking back.

On the other side is the western border of Chen Kingdom, my homeland after five years of absence.

Lin Xiao was already twelve years old when he was forced to leave the Chen Kingdom. He still remembered that after crossing the chain bridge and climbing over the mountain on the opposite side, there was a vast expanse of fertile land.

The western border of Chen Kingdom is known as the granary of Tianfu and is the richest land in Chen Kingdom.

Lin Xiao unconsciously quickened his pace, eager to see the smoke from his hometown, the children playing in the fields, and the old man waiting for the sunset under the tree.

However, the moment Lin Xiao climbed over the mountains and set foot on the land of Chen Kingdom, his heart seemed to be hit hard by a heavy hammer.

The fertile fields in my memory turned into Gobi sand, the smoke from the farmhouses turned into ruins, and a few vultures circled in the air, making sharp hawk calls from time to time.

Lin Xiao seemed to have entered a broken world, until after a day and night, he finally came to a village with people.

Although it is said to be a village, there are actually only a dozen or so households left. In Lin Xiao's memory, this place was originally a prosperous town with hundreds of households.

The streets are empty, with mostly uninhabited dilapidated houses on both sides, and the smell of corruption can be seen in the doors and windows that open and close in the wind.

Not far ahead, a human figure finally appeared. This was the first time Lin Xiao saw a living person after returning to Chen Kingdom, but what he saw was more like a walking corpse than a human being.

The skinny body was covered with a few tattered strips of cloth, with sallow skin and sunken black eye sockets. If they hadn't been rummaging around for food, they would have been no different from dead bodies.

Lin Xiao stepped forward quickly, finally finding someone to ask what happened.

However, as soon as he took a few steps, he accidentally saw an old straw mat in the corner, surrounded by many flies. In the corner of the straw mat, a child's foot covered with purple-red spots was exposed.

Lin Xiao could no longer control his emotions. He rushed forward, grabbed a man, and asked sternly: "What happened here? Tell me!"

I don't know whether it was because he was too weak or because he was really not interested, but the man ignored Lin Xiao, his eyes still dull.

Lin Xiao was so angry that he knocked the man to the ground with one punch. The man was obviously vomiting blood, but he still seemed to feel no pain.

Having no other choice, Lin Xiao took out some silver and threw it in front of the man, saying, "Can we talk now?"

But the man still didn't respond.

When Lin Xiao took out the dry food he had brought with him, the man's eyes suddenly glowed like a beast, and he jumped up from the ground and rushed towards Lin Xiao.

Not only him, but other people nearby saw Lin Xiao taking out the dry food and rushed over like crazy. Their expressions looked like they wanted to eat Lin Xiao alive.

Just when Lin Xiao was about to drive them away, he heard a weak voice coming from behind: "Your Highness, let them go."

Lin Xiao was stunned for a moment and threw the dry food in his hand to the ground for others to fight for. He walked in the direction of the sound. In a dark corner, he saw an old man huddled in the corner.

In the old man's cloudy eyes, Lin Xiao saw a trace of remaining humanity.

He leaned down and asked: "Old man, do you know me?"

"Sure enough, it's His Highness Lin Xiao." The old man looked at Lin Xiao carefully for a long time. Suddenly, he didn't know where the strength came from. He raised his hands and grabbed Lin Xiao's arms tightly. Lin Xiao could clearly feel the old man's arms shaking violently.

The old man said excitedly: "Although His Highness has grown up a lot, you can still vaguely see the outline of his childhood. By the way, I used to be on duty in the palace and could often see His Highness from a distance."

Lin Xiao ignored the filth on the old man's body, straightened his body to make him sit more comfortably, and then asked: "Then can you tell me what happened? Why is this place like this?"

"This is all because of you, Your Highness!"

The old man's words hit Lin Xiao's chest like a bolt from the blue. He never expected such an answer.

"Speak more clearly." Lin Xiao said in a deep voice.

The old man looked at the sky and said slowly: "Five years ago, His Highness married the Great Zhou Dynasty and was taken to the Great Zhou Dynasty to practice."

"Is it related to Dazhou?" Lin Xiao asked before the old man finished speaking.

The old man nodded and continued: "In the spring of the next year, the Great Zhou Dynasty asked for a large amount of resources from our country, Chen, on the grounds that His Highness needed it for his cultivation. They said that they would purchase Lingyuan Pill through Cangxuanhai's channels, and they said that the bloodline level was higher than the previous year's.

The higher the level, the more Lingyuan Pills are needed for practice."

Having said this, the old man stopped and rested for a while. He had run out of energy and energy, and even speaking normally was a huge burden for him at this time.

After taking a breath, the old man continued: "The royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty claimed that they have an existing engagement, and they are willing to bear half of the resources required for His Highness's cultivation, but the remaining half needs to be borne by our Chen Kingdom."

"Father, did you agree?"

"No, it was King Han who promised Da Zhou." After the old man said this, Lin Xiao's eyes suddenly froze, as if he had caught something.

The full name of King Han mentioned by the old man is Han Sheng. He is the sworn brother of Lin Xiao's father. He is a king with a different surname under one person in the Chen Kingdom. His cultivation level has also reached the eighth realm of body tempering, and his strength ranks third in the Chen Kingdom.

More importantly, Han Sheng is the king of the western border of Chen Kingdom, and the land Lin Xiao is currently stepping on is within Han Sheng's fiefdom.

Lin Xiao recalled Han Sheng's appearance in his mind. He knew that his father trusted Han Sheng very much, and even he called Han Sheng his second uncle since he was a child.

Emperor Chen not only granted Han Sheng the richest land in the Chen Kingdom, but he also never interfered or asked. In other words, Han Sheng could decide the affairs of the Western Region with one word.

The old man said: "From then on, millions of people in the Western Region only live for you, Your Highness!"

"In the past five years, the situation in the Western Region has deteriorated year by year. The fertile fields have turned into deserts. The people live in water and heat, and even exchange their children for food. Every year, countless people die of hunger and pain."

"Does the emperor not care about this situation?"

"King Han's 100,000 flying feather army has blocked the entire Western Territory. No one can leave this purgatory, and it is impossible for any news to be passed out. All your Majesty and the adults know is that the Western Territory suffers natural disasters every year."

"Your Highness, since you are back, please save everyone."

After saying this, the old man's voice stopped suddenly, his arms stopped shaking, and the newly revived look in his eyes dissipated again.

The old man's body gradually became colder, and Lin Xiao gently closed his eyes for him.

Lin Xiao understood that the old man left with reluctance and doubts. The old man didn't know why he had to sacrifice millions of people in the Western Region just for Lin Xiao.

It's like other people in the Western Region don't understand either.

In front of me, several skinny men were fighting each other for a mouthful of dry food, tearing each other apart like wild beasts.

Seeing this scene, Lin Xiao felt mixed emotions. He left all the dry food he had with him and then disappeared from the place in a flash.
Chapter completed!