The Spark of Salvation (Part 1)

The refugees were stunned. After a long silence, someone retorted, “Who would want to die if they could live!?”

“Excellent! None of you want to die!” Du Chen galloped back and forth before the refugees, his voice booming. “Since you wish to live, then *act* like you want to live! What is this? This lifeless stupor? I say, you don’t even need the flood; you might as well just kill yourselves!”

Most of the refugees’ eyes flashed with indignation, but restrained by the soldiers maintaining order, they dared not vent their fury.

“You think yourselves pitiful, don’t you? But let me tell you this!” Du Chen’s horsewhip pointed towards the refugee camp. “No one will pity you! You brought this upon yourselves!”

Finally, a bolder refugee could no longer hold back, roaring, “You lie! The flood is a natural disaster! How is it our fault!?”

“Yes, the flood is a natural disaster, it has nothing to do with you. But what about human folly!? Look at yourselves!”

Du Chen pointed his horsewhip at the strapping fellow closest to him. “How strong are you?”

“I can lift a hundred-jin stone block with one hand!”

“Good. Then I ask you, how long would it take to build a simple wooden shack with your strength?”

“Three days!”

Du Chen burst into laughter. “Three days, ha! But the flood has lasted two months now. Have you built *even one* wooden shack!?”

Without waiting for an answer, he roared again, “Why aren’t you rebuilding your homes with your own hands!? Look at your bodies, you are strong enough! There’s plenty of timber in the eastern mountains! Why are you waiting here to die like a pack of stray dogs!?”

Then, pointing to an elder, Du Chen softened his tone. “Old sir, you may not have strength, but you can still look after children, sew clothes, and cook, right? Why not help this strong gentleman with chores, and then ask him to help you build a house? The two of you, working together, could have a home again in just six days!”

A flicker of vitality entered the elder’s eyes, and he slowly nodded.

Du Chen continued, “Everyone, my words may be harsh, but I only wish to impart a crucial truth: natural disasters are unavoidable, but they are not to be feared! As long as you work together, you can survive. Only by surviving first can you have a future, can you have everything!”

“There are one hundred thousand people here! Excluding the old, weak, women, and children, there are at least thirty thousand able-bodied men! Thirty thousand strong men could build an entire village in a day, and an entire town in a month! All they need is sufficient support from the remaining old, weak, women, and children! Everyone, those who don’t wish to die, stand up! You *can* live, and you *have the ability* to live! Moreover, if you strive, you will prosper!”

The burly man who had just been rebuked suddenly raised his head, staring at Du Chen. “You’re right, but rebuilding homes costs money!”

Du Chen offered a faint smile, signaling Steve to bring over the grand banner of the Charitable Foundation. He planted the flag in the ground, pointing to it as he spoke, “Do you see this emblem? It represents an organization—the Lotus Charitable Foundation! I am its master. And this time, my Charitable Foundation will give all of you ten thousand gold coins!”

A thunderous roar of cheers erupted from the refugees instantly, shaking the very air. Before long, even the refugees further away, unaware of the reason, began to cheer in blind imitation.

“Quiet, please!” Du Chen bellowed. “Ten thousand gold coins might seem like an unimaginable fortune to you, and forgive me, I mean no offense, but I merely wish to illustrate that most of you have likely never seen even ten gold coins in your entire lives. That’s why you’re cheering so wildly at the mention of ten thousand! But have you done the math? There are one hundred thousand people here. Each person would only receive a few silver coins, barely enough to sustain you for a single month!”

The refugees’ cheers instantly died down.

Du Chen dismounted and walked among the refugees, picking up a child who was scavenging for breadcrumbs. He wiped the dirt from the child’s face and said, “I won’t waste any more words. My Lotus Charitable Foundation will make a pact with you: for one month, no one among you will starve. The strong will also receive tools! However, within this month, you must build me a simple settlement and resume normal lives!”

“Big Brother, is what you say true?” the child in his arms asked Du Chen.

“Big Brother tells you this: natural disasters are inevitable, but people can save themselves!”

Du Chen set the child down and strode to the front of the convoy. “The gold coins are right here, but you won’t receive hard cash. They will be transformed into bread and tools and distributed to your hands. Now, I need you to elect fifty trustworthy individuals to form a Refugee Self-Help Committee to oversee the use of these funds!”

While the refugees were holding their election, Du Chen returned to Steve’s side. Before speaking, he sighed. “Refugees… they sound and look so different from what I imagined!”

Just half an hour ago, Du Chen’s purpose in aiding the disaster victims was merely to get his ‘Butt Blossoms’ to bloom. But now, he couldn’t quite distinguish his true motivation. Especially with the child he’d just held; in that nearly desperate gaze, Du Chen seemed to see a glimpse of his past life—the orphan who had to beg on the streets and steal spare change just to survive.

Steve also sighed, saying, “Indeed. All my life, I thought the common folk of the Southern District of Saint John City were the most pitiful. But today… sigh, Little Brother, you’ve already done exceptionally well.”

Soon after, the refugees elected fifty venerable elders. The eldest among them approached Du Chen. He appeared kind-faced and benevolent, in his seventies or eighties, immediately reminding Du Chen of Old Foye back home.

“Young Master, we are so grateful for your salvation, I praise you…” His eyes darted uncertainly, as he hesitantly uttered many empty words of praise.

Du Chen perceived his unease and chuckled, “Haha, old sir, speak your mind. I am a descendant of Sigurd, and I am willing to help you resolve any difficulties!”

“Heh!” The elder gave a sheepish laugh. “Young Master, we are all simple folk who haven’t seen much of the world, so please don’t take offense. But, a few of us old fellows discussed it, and we feel safest if we hold the money ourselves!”

Typical peasant mentality! Du Chen was about to scoff, but then it dawned on him: these refugees had been terrified by corrupt officials!

“Very well. Each person will first receive one silver coin. With careful budgeting, it should sustain you for about a week. But you must also accelerate the rebuilding process!”

“Young Master, you are a good man!”

With those words, the elder began to kneel. Du Chen hastily stopped him. What kind of joke was this? Letting an old man in his seventies or eighties kneel to him? Wasn’t that inviting ill fortune and a shortened lifespan?

As the relief funds were distributed one by one, Du Chen grinned from ear to ear, because his backside had begun to itch—and not just a normal itch! One mustn’t forget, the lotuses on Du Chen’s backside were shaped like the Eight Trigrams. Now, all three flowers on the Triple Qian Trigram were on the verge of blooming.

The Precious Lotus Scripture comprised eight layers and thirty-six stages. Now, he was about to complete the first layer!

Next, Du Chen, beaming with satisfaction, began to search around for a latrine, eager to check on his lotuses at any moment.

But as his gaze swept across the vicinity of the refugee camp, he suddenly erupted in fury.

Do these scoundrels have any humanity left!?