Chapter 470: Chapter 470: Repelled by Force

Thunk!

The mount beneath him snorted uneasily, its galloping steps became hesitant.

Zhang Yuan gently patted its neck, soothing its unease.

This fine horse was raised by the Upper Scenic Celestial Beast Taming Workshop, and likely infused with the Spiritual Qi within the mountain gate, possessing a bit of spirituality, far more intelligent and keen than an ordinary mount.

It had clearly sensed the danger ahead.

At this moment, Zhang Yuan’s gaze swept across the desolate plain, seeing the shadows of people under the cover of night in the distance.

They were dense, swarming over the mountains, their steps faltering, like living corpses!

Some were even holding torches aloft at the forefront, shouting to rally those behind them.

It was actually thousands of roving bandits!

But in Zhang Yuan’s view, these people sweeping towards the trade team’s direction were more like refugees than bandits.

They were the starving, the disaster-stricken!

For these people were all emaciated, their clothes barely covering their bodies, and most of the weapons in their hands were merely sharpened bamboo poles, or simply stones.

Only a few who still appeared somewhat strong had some makeshift metal weapons.

These refugees were like locusts driven to desperation, risking their lives to plunder in search of a last chance for survival.

Behind Zhang Yuan, the trade team, which had just experienced a brief chaos, had already stabilized.

And they had formed a defensive posture.

Zhang Yuan had left Mo Huai’an to oversee the camp, venturing out alone to assess the situation.

And this was the result?

Though the number of refugees vastly outnumbered the trade team.

As long as Zhang Yuan had enough time, even without activating the Divine Nest Host, he was fully confident he could slaughter them all, ensuring none escaped.

Zhang Yuan ordered his mount to halt, coldly watching the massive refugee troop before him.

At this moment, several head figures within the refugee troop also noticed his presence.

They exchanged glances, murmured among themselves, and then collectively approached Zhang Yuan.

The large group of refugees behind them instinctively quickened their pace too.

Swish!

An iron arrow pierced through the air, crossing hundreds of steps in an instant, landing before a burly man with a beard.

The bearded man’s expression changed immediately.

Among all the refugees, he was the strongest physically, holding a gleaming Xuanhua Great Axe in his hand.

His combat value should also be the highest among the refugees.

But facing this arrow shot by Zhang Yuan, the bearded man’s expression fluctuated, and his eyes showed deep apprehension.

He suddenly raised the large axe in his hand and shouted loudly, "Stop!"

Some of the refugees heeded the call and stopped, but many ignored it and continued forward, bumping into others as a result.

Many fell because of this, cries and screams rang out, creating a considerable chaos.

The bearded man’s brows furrowed into a ’川’ character, and he threw down the axe in his hand in frustration.

Then he opened his arms and walked towards Zhang Yuan.

Clearly indicating a desire to negotiate.

Zhang Yuan did not attack again, watching as the man approached him.

He said flatly, "I don’t want to kill. You should go elsewhere."

Zhang Yuan was fully capable of killing all the refugees, but he didn’t feel it was necessary.

Unless they insisted on acting recklessly.

The bearded man fell silent.

But his heart wasn’t calm at all, the tattoo on his forehead twisted and bulged, as if it were clawing and biting.

After a moment, this refugee leader said, "We just want to survive!"

He spoke with a hoarse voice, every word seemed squeezed out through his teeth, carrying endless grievance and humiliation.

"That is your own business."

Zhang Yuan, unmoved, said coldly, "If you don’t want to die, choose another path!"

In the next instant, a pressure from a Tier Five power suddenly expanded.

Carrying a strong aura of blood and evil Qi!

The bearded man was momentarily breathless, indescribable shock filling his heart, feeling as though he was in a sea of blood and corpses, his entire body submerged in fear.

He wanted to say something, but found his throat completely blocked.

His legs trembled, instinctively wanting to kneel!

Fortunately, Zhang Yuan’s aura was released and then retracted, allowing this refugee leader to breathe again.

He was drenched in sweat!

Even though the bearded man felt resentful, he knew that they had no chance of winning against Zhang Yuan.

He dejectedly lowered his head and turned to leave, maintaining the last bit of his dignity.

Soon, thousands of refugees changed direction.

These refugees, muddled and exhausted from long-term hunger, had already drained their energy, driven solely by a last instinct for survival, chasing after a faint thread of hope like walking corpses.

From time to time, someone collapsed within the troop, never rising again.

Zhang Yuan watched as the refugee army disappeared into the night, feeling no ripple in his heart.

The drought in Yongzhou was beyond imagination, and such scenes were likely to recur; no matter how kind-hearted he was, Zhang Yuan couldn’t solve the problem.

Zhang Yuan returned to the temporary camp.

Learning that the refugee army had left, everyone in the trade team breathed a sigh of relief.

They were only two or three hundred strong, and even if they could withstand the refugees’ attack, it would undoubtedly come at a great cost.

Now that the issue was resolved bloodlessly, it was naturally for the best.

Everyone also held immense awe for Zhang Yuan!

At this time, the man in blue, who had been rescued by Mo Huai’an, had somewhat recovered, struggling to get up and express his gratitude.

Mo Huai’an asked a few questions, only to learn that he was the Chief Clerk of Shanyang County in Yongzhou.

Since the beginning of summer, Yongzhou had not seen a drop of rain for over four months; the blazing sun and high temperatures had not subsided, causing numerous rivers and ponds to dry up, and countless farmlands to yield no harvests.

Although Yongzhou had encountered droughts before, it was never this severe, forcing a large number of people to flee and become starving refugees.

Five days ago, Shanyang County was besieged by tens of thousands of refugees, the situation was precarious.

And this Chief Clerk was ordered by the County Magistrate to take two guards and secretly escape the city through a secret passage, heading to Yong’an for assistance.

But he never imagined.

On the road, the two guards developed malicious intent, knocked him down, and fled with his belongings!

Thankfully, he encountered the trade team, or else he would have died by the roadside, becoming food for the wild dogs.

After hearing this Shanyang Chief Clerk’s account, everyone realized how dire the situation in Yongzhou truly was.

The Trade Team Leader and a few confidants exchanged silent looks, all feeling compelled to withdraw.

Before setting out, they had never expected the disaster in Yongzhou to be so severe; if they continued to Yong’an, the consequences were unimaginable.

After some discussion, the Trade Team Leader decided to return the way they came.

Even the rescued Chief Clerk did not want to go to Yong’an anymore, choosing to travel with the trade team.

Presumably, he was too frightened.

Naturally, Zhang Yuan and Mo Huai’an could not give up halfway, so they parted ways with the trade team the next morning.

Fortunately, the road ahead was not difficult, just continuing along the official road meant only three to five days’ journey to Yong’an City.