The streets of the Imperial Capital were still bustling with people, seemingly indifferent to the national war that had captured the world’s attention.
However, upon closer inspection, one could see many citizens hurrying about, carrying supplies in their arms, gathering in front of various well-known shops to make donations.
“I don’t have much savings. Over the years, I’ve earned some money selling grain. It’s not much, just thirty taels of silver, which is half of my savings. The other half is for household expenses.”
“I’m a landlord. My father left me a few properties, so I don’t worry about food and drink. All my surplus grain is in this storage ring! Leave my name? No need. When the country is in trouble, everyone has a responsibility.”
“I don’t have much money. This is a bag of sweet potatoes, grown at home. It’s for the soldiers on the front line to fill their stomachs.”
…
…
Meng Qingzhou and Su Qingqiu strolled through the streets and alleys of the Imperial Capital. He wasn’t in a hurry to enter the palace to see the Empress. Instead, he wandered leisurely, listening to the voices of the people of Great Jin, wanting to know their attitude towards the national war.
Contrary to his expectations, there were no scenes of widespread complaints.
Instead, the people were enthusiastic. Regardless of wealth, they were all making donations. Even merchants were no longer hoarding wealth but were helping Great Jin raise funds.
This was far beyond Meng Qingzhou’s expectations.
“How can this be?” Meng Qingzhou muttered to himself, unable to understand.
It was too fantastical, too much like a fairy tale!
In reality, things were often harsh. In times of national crisis, there was rarely a sense of duty among the common people. They would focus on their personal gains and losses, and merchants would take advantage of the situation to make a fortune.
Such a scene was unheard of!
Su Qingqiu smiled, showing a rare moment of poise and grace, her tone proud:
“Sir, this is why both the Wilderness and Sky State fear us. This is why, even though Her Majesty was only at the peak of the Moon Shine Realm a month ago, many Great Beings and giants called her the conqueror of the world and revered her as the Empress.”
“Sir, think about it. Great Jin is not the strongest in the Wilderness. A month ago, it wasn’t even a match for the Northern Sejong Alliance. Yet, the Ji family of Sky State feared it so much that they sent the seven major forces to besiege it, determined to cut off Great Jin’s path to unification.”
Su Qingqiu pointed to the people, proudly saying, “This is the reason!”
Meng Qingzhou remained silent for a long time.
What made the Empress most feared was not her unparalleled talent or her ruthless methods, but her forward-thinking vision and her governance policies that were ahead of her time.
The entire nation’s people were united, viewing the Empress as a deity, a savior who rescued them from suffering!
Meng Qingzhou, leaning on his blind staff, took off a storage ring and queued at the end of the line. He silently placed the storage ring on the donation table and turned to leave without a word.
The person responsible for recording the donations quickly called out, “Sir, may I have your name?”
“No need,” Meng Qingzhou waved his hand without looking back.
“Open it and see what was donated. Record it,” said one of the officials.
The recorder nodded and used his Divine Sense to probe the storage ring. His eyes widened in shock, and he exclaimed, “So much!”
The official frowned and scolded, “Why are you making such a fuss?”
The recorder handed the storage ring to the official, his throat dry as he said, “See for yourself.”
Hearing this, the official took the storage ring with suspicion and poured out its contents onto the table.
Clatter…
The entire table was piled high with a dazzling array of treasures of all kinds!
Even without a detailed inspection, a mere glance was enough to know that these items were invaluable.
Wow!
Everyone’s eyes widened, staring dumbfounded at the small mountain of treasures on the table.
“Quick, stop that gentleman!” The official’s pupils trembled in shock, and he hurriedly called out.
However, the young man in the green robe, blindfolded and leaning on a straight staff, had already disappeared into the crowd.
“First, let’s inventory the items and see what we have.”
After half an hour of summarizing and inventorying, they found thirty-one bottles of Celestial Grade spiritual herbs, including those for healing, augmentation, burst, and support, fifty-six Celestial Grade spiritual treasures, thirteen Celestial Grade techniques, over a hundred Celestial Grade spiritual plants, and thirty-two types of Celestial Grade formation disks…
Roughly estimated, the value of these items was enough to buy a small to medium-sized country! It could cover the expenses of an ordinary national war!
“This is a big deal. Report to the government immediately. No… go directly to see Her Majesty. We can’t make this decision,” the official said nervously, swallowing hard.
The people in line to donate burst into a buzz of discussion, their eyes glued to the mountain of treasures on the table.
Suddenly, someone exclaimed, “Do you remember the appearance of that gentleman just now?”
Black silk blindfold, leaning on a straight blind staff, elegant in a green robe, accompanied by a maid…
In the past, such attire would have been rare, but since Space-Time Sword Saint Meng Qin became famous, the style of the Blind Sword Saint had become a trend in Great Jin, so no one paid attention earlier.
But now, seeing these treasures, people suddenly realized.
“Could he be… the Sword Saint?!” A sword cultivator’s voice trembled in disbelief.
“The Sword Saint has returned! Minister Meng has returned! He hasn’t forgotten Great Jin. In the nation’s crisis, he has come to aid Great Jin once again,” a sword cultivator said tearfully, kneeling in the direction Meng Qingzhou had left.
Since Space-Time Sword Saint Meng Qin resigned and left the capital to travel the world, the sword community of Great Jin had lost its spirit. Sword cultivators were no longer high-spirited but vowed to become like Meng Qin and continue to support Great Jin.
The merchant who organized this donation hurried to the scene upon hearing the news. Looking at the treasures on the table, he remained silent for a long time before speaking softly:
“Thirty-one, fifty-six, thirteen… not a single round number. These… must be the Sword Saint’s lifetime savings.”
The merchant picked up the storage ring and examined it carefully in the sunlight. After a long time, he slowly said, “Worn marks everywhere, it must have been worn by the Sword Saint for many years.”
The scene fell into silence, not a sound to be heard.
“The Sword Saint has truly returned. We thought he had forgotten Great Jin, but he has come to save us again in our time of need.”
“Let’s rename the donation shop. In honor of the Sword Saint, let’s call it—Time Shop.”
Named after the Space-Time Sword Saint’s first ultimate skill, [Reverse Time].
In no time, the news of Space-Time Sword Saint Meng Qin’s return to the Imperial Capital spread throughout the streets and alleys, causing a sensation among countless people.
In the hearts of all the people of Great Jin, the Space-Time Sword Saint held an extremely high status, having saved Great Jin from disaster multiple times.
He came with the dawn in times of crisis and left without a trace during Great Jin’s prosperity. Now, as war looms, he has given away all his wealth, not even leaving behind a name.
………………
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