Chapter 1577: Sudden Counterattack

Fan Shuang hesitated before asking, "After I sell the land I have on hand, my father still insists on buying more. We've argued about this two or three times. Brother He, do you think I should persuade him not to hoard land and instead stock up on grain?"

"Absolutely," He Lingchuan praised him. "You're chasing the rise, but that's fine; chasing grain is much safer than chasing land right now."

Fan Shuang wasn't sure how "safe" was being quantified, but he trusted He Lingchuan. "Grain prices can still go up?"

"Yes, very much so," He Lingchuan stated decisively. "At least several times more. However, can you still get your hands on grain now?"

"I can try," Fan Shuang whispered. "I have a classmate in the Ministry of Revenue who oversees grain and money for three districts. Oh, by the way, Brother He, do you need to replenish your grain supply? I can ask him to..."

"No need," He Lingchuan waved him off. "I have plenty here. If you're going to hoard grain, do it quickly. Even if you don't sell it later, your family won't starve. Also, strengthen the defenses of your storage place; watch out for bandits."

He rarely sounded so alarmist, which startled Fan Shuang, who quickly said goodbye and left to buy grain.

The Soul-Devouring Mirror clicked its tongue twice. "Even this kid is hoarding grain; the aristocratic families in Tianshui City must have started long ago."

"They're the first to know about any changes," He Lingchuan took a sip of wine from his cup, using the fruit wine's slight tartness to cut through the richness of the stewed lamb. "Who do you think is frantically buying up grain on the market?"

The mirror suddenly realized, "I thought only grain merchants were hoarding and speculating."

"The soaring grain prices aren't just a result of their concerted efforts?" He Lingchuan shook his head. "A medium-sized aristocratic family in Tianshui City has nearly a thousand people. On average, a noble person needs at least seven or eight people to serve them – maids, servants, cooks, coachmen, personal guards, escorts. Every single mouth needs food and drink."

"Now, consider how many prominent families there are in Tianshui City. How much grain and supplies do they consume daily? Rice, flour, oil, vegetables, and fruits must all be top quality. The horses in the manor need to be fed oats and soybeans, and various precious pets even get fresh beef and mutton – their meals are better than what ordinary people eat. Don't you think these large families have to prepare for a rainy day and hoard several batches of grain first?"

You hoard, they hoard, everyone hoards – wouldn't grain prices skyrocket?

"The fact that even Fan Shuang can get grain shows there's still significant room for prices to rise," He Lingchuan said. The Soul-Devouring Mirror couldn't help but laugh out loud at the idea of Fan Shuang becoming a benchmark. "Check again in a few days; the real show is yet to come."

The mirror said, "Hey, who do you think is really behind the soaring grain prices?"

"Who else?"

"Qingyang?"

"Of course, Qingyang! Or me?" He Lingchuan smiled. "But it's not just Qingyang. After all, she's an outsider. The force secretly fueling this is immense and powerful, and it understands Yaoguo's foundations and weaknesses perfectly!"

To drive up grain prices, one must first be thoroughly familiar with Yaoguo's various systems to exploit loopholes and find weaknesses; it also needs vast influence to secretly orchestrate such a grand scheme.

This force is certainly not just a combination of one or a few powerful families.

Although it hasn't surfaced yet, He Lingchuan already sensed its malicious intent.

"The Yaowang can't be completely unaware, can he?"

"He's been on the throne for twenty years; he's not that foolish. Besides, his control over the royal court has greatly strengthened recently, so he must have backup plans."

The mirror was a bit worried: "Hey, they won't trace it back to us, will they?"

"For safety's sake, the last person in charge of the shell companies used by Tonglin Records left the country with the grain five days ago. Even if Yaoguo investigates these shell companies, they won't catch the personnel involved," He Lingchuan always knew when to quit and not snatch the last bit of profit. "Besides, I believe the Yaowang should have more directions to investigate."

Ever since he discovered a major power secretly orchestrating the surge in grain prices, he made a significant move, then promptly withdrew to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

The mirror couldn't help but ask, "So when are we leaving?" Seeing that great chaos was imminent in Yaoguo, wasn't their master going to make a run for it? Regarding the chaotic situation in Yaoguo, he must have finished everything he needed to do, and sown all the seeds, right?

He Lingchuan shook his head. "The final move hasn't been played yet."

After planning for so long, he wanted to maximize the outcome.

Who wouldn't want to stand by and watch, who wouldn't want to wait for things to unfold naturally? Reality doesn't allow it.

The Temple of Heavenly Master Miaozhan.

Today's prayer ceremony was highly anticipated, being the first joint ceremony between the two groups of clergy after the demolition of Xilin Temple. It was originally planned to be grand and solemn, with believers not only filling the temple but also blocking the eight surrounding streets.

For this ceremony, no vehicles were allowed around the temple today.

Countless believers set out before dawn, prostrating themselves every five steps, devoutly walking to the temple gates.

Two hours later, the ceremony ended. Liang Envoy didn't even have time to drink a sip of water before hastily leaving. This was because distinguished guests from the Heavenly Palace had arrived unexpectedly.

While the crowd outside had not yet dispersed, Liang Envoy rushed to the back hall, smiling as he greeted the Heavenly Palace envoy. "Your Excellency Bai, we are overjoyed by your visit!" The newcomer was indeed Bai Ziqi.

Liang Envoy conveyed divine edicts and acted as the goddess's mouthpiece, holding a high position in Yaoguo. The Yaoting elites privately referred to him as the "number one under the Goddess." However, the Heavenly Palace served Lingxu Holy Venerable, the Chief of All Gods. Although both were main deities, Heavenly Master Miaozhan's position in the Lingxu divine hierarchy was below that of Lingxu Holy Venerable. Therefore, Liang Envoy, who served Heavenly Master Miaozhan, had to be respectful when meeting Bai Ziqi, the Heavenly Palace Envoy from Lingxu City.

Bai Ziqi also smiled and returned the greeting.

After a few pleasantries, Bai Ziqi said, "Liang Envoy, may I speak with you privately?"

Liang Envoy knew that the Heavenly Palace Envoy's sudden visit must involve important matters, so he invited him to a quiet room in the back, forbidding all unauthorized personnel from approaching and postponing other temple affairs.

Only then did Bai Ziqi explain his purpose.

Liang Envoy listened carefully, his expression solemn. He asked Bai Ziqi to rest there for a moment, then turned and entered the main hall to report to Heavenly Master Miaozhan.

Temple procedures were strict; each main deity had its own system. Since Bai Ziqi had come, he had to abide by them and not overstep his bounds.

Time slowly passed, and the sun reached its zenith.

After another half hour, Liang Envoy reappeared and spoke softly to Bai Ziqi. "Your Excellency Bai, you have traveled a long distance bearing such an important mission. Our God has instructed us to fully cooperate without any slack!"

"Good," Bai Ziqi saw that he had more to say and waited for his next words.

As expected, Liang Envoy then lowered his voice. "However, our Goddess has other plans for Yaoguo, which are about to commence. Therefore—"

"Please wait for half a month. Once this matter is concluded, the temple will certainly assist Your Excellency Bai in searching for Master Thousand Illusion with all our might! If necessary, the Goddess herself will take action!"