Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 32

For several months in a row, only refugees move from north to south—it’s rare to see anyone traveling the opposite way.

When Lin You returns to the north this time, he’s once again shocked by the hellish scene before him.

Along the way, they hardly encounter any living people, only empty villages. When they push open the dilapidated doors, the houses are filled with cobwebs and dust. The land feels dead.

The dry, barren fields, crumbling homes, and occasional scattered bones along the road make it seem like they’ve left the human world behind and entered hell.

It’s not that the government hasn’t tried to suppress the disaster, but such natural calamities are beyond human control.

Besides, the north can’t be saved, and the south isn’t peaceful either. Countless warlords have risen, seeking to rebel against the court.

The government is too preoccupied with its own affairs to care about the north.

Lin You thinks of his father, the governor of Anyang City, who has been working tirelessly ever since the refugees started flooding in. Though he pities them, he can only allow a small portion into the city while watching the rest starve at the gates.

If they can’t be let into the city, how can they be fed?

How much food and how many soldiers would it take to sustain so many people?

Anyang City simply doesn’t have enough food or soldiers. If they allow the refugees in, more will die.

Lin You dares not recall the scene, nor the words his father speaks.

He remembers questioning him: why not allow the refugees into the city? They’re living beings—men, women, the elderly, and children. They journeyed a long way, many perishing along the road, suffering greatly, only to reach Anyang City thinking they could survive and start anew.

But his father makes him kneel for a whole day, his legs numb as though they’re no longer his own. Only then does he speak:

“Your father is not a god or a Buddha. I can’t save everyone. Let me ask you—it’s easy to let them in, but then what? How will you feed them? If we don’t feed them, how can they survive? They will steal, they will rob—they have to survive, and the people of the city must survive too! Even if I spent all my wealth, how many could I save?”

Back then, Lin You was indignant, thinking his father was just shirking responsibility. “Among the major families in the city, which one doesn’t have stockpiled grain? If they gave up their stores, they could save tens of thousands! That grain, that wealth—they all come from the people. Isn’t it only right to use it for the people?!”

But his father only looks at him as if he’s foolish. “Will they be willing to part with their food? Even if they are, how long will it last? What happens when it’s gone? Feeding refugees requires more than food—it requires land! Something for them to do! Besides, your father has to consider the powerful families here. Do you think being a governor is glamorous? Do you think my words carry weight? I’ve only been here a few years—how long have those families been here? Even the strongest dragon can’t suppress local snakes. Do I look like a strong dragon to you?”

That’s why Lin You comes. He doesn’t care about the chaos or the court. He’s here simply to buy food.

Food that can save lives.

Even if they can’t let the refugees into the city, they can at least distribute porridge outside the gates—at least stop them from eating their own children.

But he’s not sure if he can find the immortal’s dwelling again.

He remembers the way, but what if the immortal has moved elsewhere?

“Even if we manage to escort the grain back safely, what’s the point?” his cousin Gao Sheng says, full of disdain for the so-called immortal—not because he doesn’t believe in gods or spirits, but because he only believes when he needs something. “We only have two hundred people. How much can we really bring back? And even if we brought a lot, we couldn’t protect it.”

Lin You doesn’t look pleased. On the journey so far, Gao Sheng has poured cold water on him countless times. “How can you give up so easily when you haven’t even tried? Cousin, please stop talking.”

But Gao Sheng isn’t angry. He knows this cousin of his has an idealistic heart. After so many years of studying, the teachings of the sages are already etched into his bones. Though he teases Lin You, he also admires him.

How many scholars fight tooth and nail for a place in the court, mouthing the teachings of sages—but only use those teachings as tools for advancement, not as the foundation of their character? In the court, how many form factions for personal gain? How many still remember the words in their books?

Yet here is Lin You—despite walking through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, after returning to the safety of Anyang—he still dares to volunteer to travel once more down the path of famine.

When Gao Sheng joins the expedition, he signs a military pledge, vowing to bring this scholarly, physically weak cousin back safely. If anything happens to Lin You, he won’t live either.

“It’s that forest!” Lin You points eagerly to a familiar patch of woods ahead. “The Lord Immortal is in there!”

Gao Sheng asks curiously, “Shouldn’t it be on a mountain? Don’t immortals like to dwell at the peaks?”

Lin You only feels his cousin is full of questions. After all their arguing along the way, he doesn’t want to argue any further. He rides into the forest alone.

Gao Sheng has no choice but to follow with his men.

Even after entering the forest, it still takes several more days of travel—even on horseback—to reach the immortal’s dwelling. But Lin You isn’t in a rush. Whenever the horses can’t pass, he dismounts and leads them by the reins. Though raised as a pampered young master, he can now sleep under the open sky and eat chokingly dry rations without complaint.

“This is much better than when I left. Before I met The Lord Immortal, we had no dry food,” Lin You says as he drinks water. “Ugh, I got sick too—I’m hot, hungry, and thirsty every day.”

Gao Sheng frowns. “Didn’t someone escort you?”

Lin You waves his hand. “Don’t blame them. The food was tight, and they were hungrier than me. Father and Mother found those people in the south. How could southerners know what the north looks like now?”

After three more days of walking, they arrive at a clearing.

This place appears to have been cleared by humans, though no signs of carving are visible, as if it has always been an open area.

Gao Sheng is shocked by the sight of a square house in the distance.

There are no eaves, no tiles—just a seamless whole, like a giant stone hollowed out by someone. The cuts are impossibly clean and precise—no indentations, no protrusions. Not even the best craftsmen of today could manage such perfection.

Even stone houses are made by shaping stone into bricks, and no matter how big the bricks are, they never look this natural.

Not to mention the strange plaque—it must have taken a massive amount of high-quality iron to make.

“The writing on that plaque…” Gao Sheng squints. It looks familiar.

Lin You replies, “It should be immortal text. When I first came here, I also thought it was just some broken characters.”

Gao Sheng believes him, falling silent to avoid further embarrassment.

When Ye Zhou hears the sounds of people and horses, he prepares to greet the visitors—though he’s also ready to defend himself.

These sounds clearly aren’t made by refugees.

When guests arrive, there’s fine wine; when enemies arrive, there are pistols.

Ye Zhou doesn’t go out himself but asks Cao’er’s mother and Sarah to check.

When they receive the order, Cao’er’s mother and Sarah walk to the door of the supermarket, with Wu Yan and the others hiding in the shadows.

“It’s Young Master Lin,” Cao’er’s mother says, relieved. She turns to Sarah. “Young Master Lin has been here before and exchanged a lot of things!”

Though she’s wary of Lin You, she doesn’t dislike him.

Besides, The Lord Immortal has willingly traded with Lin You, which means he must be a good person.

“Aunt Li!” Lin You, spotting Cao’er’s mother, smiles warmly. Though startled by Sarah, he quickly realizes it’s not strange—there are foreigners in Anyang City too.

Cao’er’s mother smiles back. “Young Master Lin.”

Lin You pokes his head inside the supermarket, looking for Ye Zhou. “Is The Lord Immortal here?”

Before Cao’er’s mother can respond, The Lord Immortal’s voice comes from within.
“Let him in.”

Cao’er’s mother turns to Lin You. “Young Master Lin, please.”

Lin You turns to Gao Sheng. “Cousin, stay here. Don’t wander.”

Gao Sheng wants to go inside too and asks Cao’er’s mother, “Lin You is my cousin—can I go in with him?”

Cao’er’s mother replies curtly, “Since The Lord Immortal only called one person, only one can enter.”

Gao Sheng glances at Lin You, hoping his cousin will speak up for him.

But Lin You, eager and excited, doesn’t even notice his cousin’s hopeful expression. Grinning like a fool, he says, “Cousin, I’ll be back in a bit!”

Then he rushes into the supermarket like a baby bird diving into the forest.

The moment he enters, he takes a deep breath. The supermarket is filled with a refreshing fragrance—neither floral nor incense, but something that makes him sigh with pleasure.

When Cao’er’s mother leads Lin You to the break room, Ye Zhou is almost startled by the dark-skinned young man standing before him.

The last time he saw Lin You, he had been the picture of a frail nobleman with red lips and white teeth. Now, he’s darker, stronger, and dressed more like a common farmer.

“Lord Immortal!” Lin You instinctively lifts his invisible hem and kneels before Ye Zhou with a “thud.”

Ye Zhou, accustomed to seeing people kneel, remains unmoved. “Get up. No need to kneel.”

Lin You stands and bows. “Lord Immortal, I can never repay you for saving my life. This time, I come on behalf of the tens of thousands of refugees outside Anyang. I beg the immortal to lend aid and grant me divine grain to save lives.”

Ye Zhou blinks, feeling puzzled. So what, you’re saying there’s no way to repay me… so you won’t?

Fortunately, Lin You quickly adds, “This time, I’ve brought some things to exchange.”

Ye Zhou’s mood brightens, but Lin You dashes it again.

“I know gold and silver are no different from dirt to immortals, so I didn’t bring those mundane things.”

Ye Zhou’s face remains expressionless, though internally, he feels a sense of weariness.

No, I’m just a mortal. I’m a regular guy—I just want to make money! I’ll take all the gold and silver you’ve got! I don’t care if it’s dirt!

Pretending to be mystical really is a double-edged sword.

Ye Zhou feels like he’s on a roller coaster—his poor heart can’t take it anymore.

Extreme joy. Followed by extreme sorrow. Then sorrow followed by joy.

He has no idea what kind of “transcendent” items Lin You has brought to trade.

But Lin You hasn’t even dressed nicely this time. No ceremonial robes, no headpiece. Just a fabric belt. He doesn’t even have decent clothes that could be stripped off.

Sigh!

Is this guy here to repay a favor… or to take revenge?