Chapter 71: All Living Beings
After Xiao Ta left, Ji Qing also stood up and walked through the city step by step.
One day, two days, three days…
At first, there were still many kind-hearted people in Boyang City who gave some food to the refugees.
But as time passed, the number of refugees increased, and they did not engage in production, causing prices in the entire Boyang City to soar.
For a time, the people in Boyang City gradually began to complain.
And the refugees, due to soaring prices and many having no livelihood, simply resorted to theft.
Thus, the atmosphere in Boyang City changed.
Ji Qing saw a Baozi Shop with many people watching.
The Baozi Shop boss was grabbing two emaciated refugee children, pointing at half a steamed bun on the ground, and scolding the refugee children for stealing the steamed bun.
But the refugee children argued that it was a steamed bun they had picked up.
The two sides argued endlessly.
The Baozi Shop boss punched and kicked the two refugee children, immediately causing them to roll on the ground.
“Stop!”
A ragged but tall and burly refugee stepped forward.
“Whether they picked it up or stole it, you’ve been beating them for so long, your anger should be gone by now. Do you really want to beat them to death?”
“Hey, you dare to meddle in this? If it weren’t for you refugees, life in our Boyang City was fine, how could it be such a mess now?”
The Baozi Shop boss loudly accused the burly refugee.
And he even received responses from many Boyang City residents.
“Say that again!”
The tall and burly refugee clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with ferocity.
The Baozi Shop boss suddenly trembled in fear.
Seeing the ferocity in the other’s eyes, a trace of fear arose in his heart, and for a moment, he didn’t dare speak again.
This was a farce.
The refugee children left, and the Baozi Shop boss no longer pursued it.
This was not an isolated incident.
Ji Qing saw refugees begging on the street and being beaten by Boyang City people.
He also saw Boyang City people being robbed, suffering heavy losses.
There were even Boyang City women being harassed, and public security deteriorated further.
The atmosphere between Boyang City residents and refugees grew increasingly tense.
All these scenes of all living beings were seen by Ji Qing.
He vaguely realized that the vast Boyang City had now become a powder keg.
One careless move and it would explode.
Compared to when the refugees first entered the city, they were endlessly grateful to Boyang City, after all, it was a lifesaving grace. Boyang City residents were also proud and happy, having done a good deed and saved countless lives.
But now, the breeding of anger, suspicion, disgust, and various emotions meant neither side had any trust left, and conflicts kept accumulating.
This was all living beings!
Ji Qing took every scene of all living beings into his eyes.
He could vaguely feel that he seemed slightly touched, but it was far from enough.
On this day, Ji Qing saw an acquaintance.
Xiao Ta!
The other was holding things in his hand, standing in front of a small courtyard.
The courtyard great door opened, revealing the bamboo weaver Old Man Liu and the little girl who had given Xiao Ta a pancake to save his life that day.
Xiao Ta must have found work and bought things to thank his benefactor.
The old man welcomed Xiao Ta into the courtyard.
Ji Qing nodded secretly.
This Xiao Ta, after going through such a dark refugee life, could still repay kindness—this was still very rare.
Ji Qing did not disturb Xiao Ta and the old man, but continued walking in the city, experiencing the myriad states of all living beings.
“Sir, please have mercy, my whole family hasn’t eaten for three days, please give us some food…”
“Get lost. You refugees do nothing all day but beg for food—starving to death is what you deserve!”
“Husband, come back quick, the son has no breath…”
The refugee quickly returned to his wife’s side and pinched his son’s philtrum hard while holding him.
Unfortunately, it was no use.
He was already gone.
A six- or seven-year-old child, skin and bones, had starved to death alive.
“Xiao Bao… my Xiao Bao…”
The refugee wailed loudly.
He had thought entering the city would save their lives.
He hadn’t expected his son to still starve to death.
This was his only son!
“Sigh…”
The passersby sighed.
Since the refugees entered the city, such things happened almost every day.
Even kind-hearted Boyang City residents had no grain left—how could they continue to help the refugees?
“You all caused my Xiao Bao’s death…”
The refugee’s eyes turned bloodshot.
His frail body somehow found strength, and he suddenly stood up and rushed toward a restaurant across the street.
He rushed in and started looting.
“Bang”.
The refugee was pushed to the ground by the restaurant people, hit the stone steps, and blood flowed everywhere—he was already gone.
The refugee’s death seemed to instantly ignite the refugee group.
Groups of refugees on the street went mad.
“We want to survive—loot!”
The refugees crazily rushed into restaurants, inns, shops, even into Boyang City residents’ homes, robbing and killing.
Some even set fires.
The entire Boyang City was completely in chaos!
…
Xiao Ta had indeed found a job as a helper in an inn kitchen.
No wages, just meals.
With Xiao Ta’s cleverness, everyone in the kitchen and even the inn shopkeeper liked him very much.
Xiao Ta had been counting on his fingers, looking forward to one day learning some cooking skills from the chefs—even a little bit would be enough.
Or simply become a waiter at the inn, which also paid well.
Perhaps he could settle down in Boyang City in the future.
Even marry and have children…
Hmm, he might have even thought up names for his kids in his dreams…
But Boyang City was in chaos.
A group of refugees rushed into the inn to rob silver and food.
The waiter and shopkeeper tried to stop them, and the refugees raised knives to kill.
The refugees had already gone berserk with killing.
Xiao Ta knew how terrifying these refugees had once been.
He hid in a corner and escaped the disaster.
After the refugees left, the waiter, shopkeeper, and even the chefs in the inn were all dead.
Xiao Ta saw that the streets outside were also in complete chaos.
Killing and arson everywhere.
The entire Boyang City had turned into a living hell.
“Oh no, Grandpa Liu and Xiao Hong.”
Xiao Ta immediately thought of the old man and little girl who had given him a pancake to save his life.
They were just grandfather and granddaughter depending on each other, and now with Boyang City like this, the old man and little girl were in great danger.
Xiao Ta gritted his teeth, grabbed a kitchen knife from the kitchen and tucked it in his waist, quickly left the inn, and hurried to Old Man Liu and Xiao Hong’s courtyard.
Soon, Xiao Ta arrived at Old Liu’s courtyard.
Fortunately, the courtyard door was tightly closed—Old Liu must have shut it early.
“Grandpa Liu, open the door quick, it’s Xiao Ta.”
“Creak”.
The great door opened, and Xiao Ta immediately slipped inside and quickly shut the great door.
Xiao Ta looked closely—it was indeed Old Man Liu and Xiao Hong.
“Grandpa Liu, good, you’re both okay. Let’s hide quickly, the city is completely in chaos…”
Xiao Ta was quite “experienced” with this kind of situation.
The three prepared to hide in the room.
But suddenly, chaotic footsteps outside.
“Bang”.
The great door was smashed open.
Several refugees holding sharp blades rushed in.
Old Man Liu was so scared he stumbled and fell to the ground.
“Take whatever you want, don’t hurt us…”
Old Man Liu tightly hugged his granddaughter.
“Kill them all!”
The refugees had gone berserk with killing and killed anyone they saw—how could they listen?
“Grandpa Liu, don’t waste words on them, they’re all man-eating beasts without humanity…”
Xiao Ta gnashed his teeth.
He recognized these refugees.
Before entering the city, these refugees had eaten people.
His grandfather had once told Xiao Ta that no matter what, even if starving to death, he must not eat people—once you eat people, you’re no longer human, you’re a beast!
His grandfather refused to eat and ultimately starved to death.
“Huh? You little bastard, outside the city someone protected you and we couldn’t touch you, but now you’re in our way—courting death!”
These refugees also recognized Xiao Ta.
Xiao Ta held the kitchen knife, shielding Old Man Liu and Xiao Hong behind him.
His eyes now were extremely fierce.
Just like an enraged wild beast, staring deadly at the three refugees in front of him.
The refugees felt uncomfortable under Xiao Ta’s gaze, so they stepped forward quickly and slashed down with a knife.
Many images flashed through Xiao Ta’s mind.
His grandfather, parents, younger brother and sister.
The whole family, only he survived.
But now, was he going to die?
“No, I have to protect Grandpa Liu, protect Xiao Hong…”
Xiao Ta gritted his teeth, advanced instead of retreating, gripped the kitchen knife, closed his eyes, and slashed wildly forward.
“Pfft”.
A stream of warm blood splashed onto his body.
From head to toe.
Xiao Ta’s whole body trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes.
What he saw were three headless corpses.
“Thud”.
The headless corpses fell to the ground, with three heads rolling on the floor.
Xiao Ta was drenched in blood splattered from the refugees, turned into a blood-soaked figure.
After the refugees fell, Xiao Ta saw a familiar figure.
Black clothes, conical hat, long saber.
Ragged all over, emitting a foul stench like a beggar.
But now, this figure seemed closer to Xiao Ta than anyone else.
