Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 320 Too many people
Fengdu City in the northern frontier is the most dazzling pearl in the entire desolate land.

Although it was built only a few months ago, it is already a well-known earthly kingdom.

If someone were to say that humans and ghosts coexist, people from the northern frontier would laugh at you: "If you've never done anything wrong in your life, what are you afraid of if a ghost knocks on your door in the middle of the night?"

The rules of the Yellow Springs Sect have been deeply ingrained in people's minds, and now no one cares if a ghost suddenly jumps out and scares you.

As long as you live a peaceful life and don't do anything immoral, you can live and work in peace and contentment in Fengdu City.

For ordinary people, where in the world is there such a good thing?

Farmers who till the land will find that no matter how hard they try, the arable land is getting less and less, and in the end they will have to become tenant farmers and sell their children.

Those who do business will find that most of their profits come from bribing officials at various levels; any official in disguise can ruin your family.

Everyone suffers, whether they are landlords or officials, they are all burdened by heavy mountains.

Not long ago, a plague killed countless people, and it was only thanks to the intervention of immortals that these mortals survived.

It's no wonder mortals worship gods and immortals, because they don't need anything from them; a meager offering of incense is enough. Mortals, in turn, live under the protection of these deities, enjoying good weather and abundant harvests, without the worry of being enslaved.

Previously, only the banks of the Qinghe River, Zhuguang Port, and a few other cities enjoyed this benefit. Now, Fengdu City has been added, and it is located in a remote place like northern Xinjiang.

Even if you are not in Fengdu City, if you have any grievances or dangers, just go to any City God Temple to pray, and a ghost messenger will come to inquire. As long as you encounter a danger that you cannot solve, a deity will come to help you overcome the difficulties.

During the time that Huangquan Sect ruled the northern frontier, the tribes no longer needed to fight to the death over a little water and grass, nor did they need to count how many people would die this winter.

The people of northern Xinjiang are deeply grateful to Fengdu and the Yellow Springs.

Now that they heard that the Yellow Springs Sect was going to hold a founding ceremony, many people from the northern frontier began to travel overnight towards Fengdu.

Back then, the people of the northern frontier also made pilgrimages to the holy city in the snowy mountains in such a grand and imposing manner.

The holy city of that time was built by the people of the Northern Frontier with their own blood and flesh. All they received in return were the misleading and heretical words of the Nirvana Sect.

Today's Fengdu City was built without using a single brick or tile from the northern frontier; instead, it has given them a peaceful and prosperous life.

Even the most foolish person knows who the true God is and who is worthy of their worship.

Nowadays, few people mention the ancestral spirits and the original holy city anymore. Everyone just wants to go to the City God Temple to burn incense and think about how to go to Fengdu City to get some good luck.

However, this put a strain on Fengdu City.

When Chen Ye emerged from his seclusion, he saw Tuo Yalier and Zhao Hezhou waiting anxiously for him.

Chen Ye hurriedly called the two in to report, and Zhao Hezhou eagerly explained: "Sect Master, Fengdu City is overcrowded. Although there has been no major chaos yet, the number of people pouring in is still increasing. It's like a pot of boiling oil; any spark could set it off."

Zhao Hezhou is now considered Tuoya Lier's deputy. The two are in charge of mortal affairs, but Tuoya Lier is in charge of the affairs of the people in the Northern Frontier, while Zhao Hezhou is in charge of the affairs of the people in the Central Plains.

But the number of people pouring in these days is just too much. Originally, there were less than 30,000 living people in Fengdu City, but now there are probably already 300,000.

This sudden surge in population is pushing Fengdu City to the brink of collapse. Putting aside everything else, just the eating, drinking, and relieving themselves of 300,000 people could turn the entire city into a cesspool.

When Fengdu City was first built, too many empty areas were left behind, originally intended to be gradually developed after mortals migrated there.

But when word got out about the opening ceremony, no one expected that hundreds of thousands of people would come.

Moreover, this was not even the day of the ceremony. Many herders from northern Xinjiang were still on their way, and a large number of caravans from the Central Plains had heard about the excitement and were preparing to come and do some business.

Neither Toya Lier nor Zhao Hezhou had experience managing hundreds of thousands of people. They hadn't slept for almost two days, but the city's population continued to increase, bringing with it all sorts of troubles.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye couldn't help but ask, "You're just letting people into the city like this? Didn't you try to stop them?"

Toya Lier asked doubtfully, "But Sect Master, you said that anyone can enter the city at will as long as they do not violate the rules of Fengdu City, and can even settle down in the city."

Chen Ye sighed and looked at Zhao Hezhou.

Zhao Hezhou quickly said, "Sect Master, please don't blame me. Steward Toya Lier did mention blocking the herdsmen from entering the city and having them set up tents outside. However, I believe there are many people from the Central Plains in the city. If we treat them differently, it will cause dissatisfaction among the people of the Northern Frontier. Therefore, I advised against it..."

Toya Lier glanced at Zhao Hezhou discreetly, as if she hadn't expected him to explain it that way.

Halfway through his sentence, Chen Ye waved his hand and said, "Toya Lier, go outside and wait a moment. I need to speak with Zhao Hezhou for a few minutes."

Toya Lier was puzzled, but she could only bow and take her leave.

Once only Zhao Hezhou and Chen Ye remained, Chen Ye spoke up, "Shouldn't what you just said be reversed? You suggested that the herdsmen camp outside and wait, and Toya Lier objected to your suggestion. Am I wrong?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hezhou was so frightened that he knelt down in front of Chen Ye.

Zhao Hezhou quickly said, "Please calm down, Sect Master."

His voice trembled slightly as he spoke, completely unexpected that Chen Ye had already discovered the problem after only hearing half of it.

Zhao Hezhou did anticipate that the influx of people from the northern frontier into Fengdu would cause trouble, but the number was not large at the time. Tuoya Lier rejected Zhao Hezhou's suggestion on the grounds that "people from the Central Plains can enter, so why can't people from the northern frontier enter?"

Toya Lier was prepared for Zhao Hezhou to report her, but she never expected that Zhao Hezhou would take the blame on her just now, which is why she glanced at him unexpectedly.

Zhao Hezhou just didn't expect Chen Ye to see through it so quickly.

Chen Ye said to Zhao Hezhou in a serious tone, "Before you lie, don't you think about your own identities? Tuoya Lier is the one from the Northern Frontier, and she has been with me for quite some time. Don't I know her well? Although everyone in Fengdu City is equal, there has never been little conflict between the Northern Frontier and the Central Plains. Tuoya Lier will always stand on the side of the people from the Northern Frontier. How could it be your turn to side with them?"

"In officialdom, a deputy can take the blame for the superior and then be appreciated, making things easier for him. I understand the saying that a local official is more powerful than a distant one, but when will you, a scholar, understand this: the Yellow Springs Sect is a celestial sect, not the imperial court."

Chen Ye walked to Zhao Hezhou's side, reached out to help him up, and then said, "The Yellow Spring Sect is not the imperial court. We do not need mortals to pay tribute, nor do we need the people to become obedient subjects, and we do not need those who work for the Yellow Spring Sect to play the game of officialdom."

"In Fengdu, the gods are watching from above, and every word and deed has its consequences. I know you have been to school, worked in officialdom, escaped hardship, and witnessed the coldness and warmth of human relationships. So just do your best and have a clear conscience."

(End of this chapter)