Yu Ziqing obviously didn't know that after his desperate survival, there were some positive impacts he brought about.

The Wilderness grew colder, but the cold air wouldn't sensibly remain only there. Dazhen was inherently cold, so it was no need to mention, while Dali and Daqian usually had temperate climates, with rivers not freezing even in the coldest winter. However, this year, the areas bordering the Wilderness naturally became much colder than usual.

The resulting consequences were inevitable in every aspect. Winter crops would surely have reduced yields or might be entirely frozen to death. Coupled with issues like heating, those poor households with little stored grain beyond seed might find it very hard to survive this winter. Even if they managed to survive the winter, how to live next year remained a problem.

In the past, those high and mighty leaders who never overlooked the sufferings of the people only began to pay attention during famines, plagues, droughts, or floods when chaos ensued.

This year, at least those ordinary, poor citizens didn't have to worry about not surviving or starving.

Because those individuals perched on the Golden Platform, indulging in luxury, were somewhat frightened.

They had witnessed the emergence of the Ghost King and seen countless starving ghosts appearing in the Wilderness like a tide. They knew those starving ghosts weren't conjured by the Ghost King out of thin air. They were acutely aware of how those starving ghosts came to be.

At this time, they expressed amazement and shock, realizing that so many people had starved to death here in the past, never knowing that so many lives once existed here.

In the past, those who starved to death underwent excruciating torment at the end, with their hearts filled with despair and reluctance far greater than those who met sudden accidents or were tortured to death. This made the probability of becoming starving ghosts extremely high.

And once driven mad by endless hunger, many starving ghosts actively sought death. Killing them, people could even lower their heads and sigh a few words, feeling they'd done a good deed, helping them find release.

Now, the opportunity to do such good deeds seemed to be growing fewer.

Whether considering the dormant Ghost King or not, they needed to consider those starving ghosts.

At the very least, ensure that the humble populace within the region had a simple and lowly wish—to not starve to death.

For they dared not gamble, fearing that the growing number of starving ghosts might reach a point where they would awaken that great master again. Even at the moment they conceived this thought, cold sweat began to break out.

Putting aside various concerns and numerous considerations, it seemed a beneficial act to gather the people's hearts and strengthen the foundation of national power. Get moving quickly; don't let those at the grassroots really starve to death.

In some aspect, the starving ghosts shared their thoughts—let more people not starve to death. This was one of the primary reasons why everyone directly agreed to treat starving ghosts differently from ordinary ghosts after their appearance.

This incident had multi-faceted impacts, prompting changes in many major policy directions, which overall favored the lower-class civilians.

But Yu Ziqing remained unaware of this. Even if he knew, he'd only applaud. Whatever those influential figures thought, at least they did a good deed.

At this moment, he was carrying a dry biscuit, picking off small crumbs, and pressing them into his mouth, always ensuring he had something to eat without overeating to the point of fullness.

Because he now had a severe aftermath—his stomach felt hungry even when full, a severe hunger, craving to eat anytime and anywhere.

Crumbs falling into the dirt tempted him to crawl down and eat them with the soil.

Seeing Er Han eat like a pig, with some spilling outside his bowl, made him want to jump up and smash Er Han's head. But fortunately, Er Han was resilient, allowing Yu Ziqing to calm down slightly. Of course, after Yu Ziqing beat Er Han, the village chief would also send Er Han for a round, having nothing to do with others.

The once Despair Abyss had now morphed into a domain within Cece, leaving only the original hillside.

Yu Ziqing was squatting at the edge of the cliff at the hill's end, gazing into the black Abyss below.

"You say this place previously connected to another realm, where a powerful entity trapped you here, asking you to gather living souls while preferring the ghosts?"

"Yes, young master, but it blocked my way at that time, keeping me from leaving. I had to use the Dao Mark to awaken you, so I refrained from using it. Then the Ghost King got angry, injured it, and incidentally burned its lair. Now I don't know if it's dead; I can't feel or connect to it anymore."

Yu Ziqing glanced back at the distant locust forest, still vibrant amid the wind and snow. No wonder those tree-gorging starving ghosts dared not spread to Cece's Despair Abyss.

A small pathway that had once existed here had disappeared entirely. The pitch-black Abyss, once bottomless, now in daylight was slightly illuminated by the day's glow, vaguely showing the bottom.

"Now that there's no connection, and the passage is destroyed, once we know, we'll address it if we have a chance later; or if you become strong enough, when you meet it again, kill it yourself to vent thoroughly."

"Young master, I don't care anymore. It's likely already dead." Cece still smiled brightly.

But the way he said it, Yu Ziqing found it sounded quite like him, practical.

When powerless, it was his attitude—I don't care; I want to live my life well and train at my own pace, neither fighting nor seeking quarrels.

When powerful, don't give me the chance; otherwise, I'll shatter your head.

"The village is running out of food. Those people won't starve easily after Body Refinement, but reducing rations won't last long, now is the time to procure from the outside world..."

"Young master, this matter is non-negotiable. I can go; you just recuperate in the village." Cece's tone was firm, his phoenix eyes steadily fixed on Yu Ziqing, indicating he had no choice but to tie him back.

"Alright, alright..." Yu Ziqing waved his hand, letting out a long sigh, "I'll find something else to do; I'll go settle those starving ghosts, is that okay?"

Cece remained silent, merely following closely behind Yu Ziqing, ever ready to protect his safety.

They hadn't walked far when a head suddenly emerged from the ground. The young boy popped out, carrying a wooden bucket, walking before Yu Ziqing with a silly expression, eyes full of stubbornness.

"You... Young Master, you should..."

The boy stammered for a long time, forgetting how to convey the word tactfully.

"It's time to use the toilet, or else being too full will harm the body." Cece chimed in beside him.

The boy gazed at Yu Ziqing, nodding repeatedly.

Yu Ziqing looked pale as dirt, with a hint of wanting to flee, but the boy was quick, swiftly standing in front of him with the wooden bucket. Today, no matter what, Yu Ziqing couldn't escape.

Yu Ziqing looked up at the sky, full of tangled thoughts, not knowing what to say.

How did that stubborn starving ghost become so mule-headed after changing professions, and why, of all things, did it have an accompanying entity?

And how did that unexpectedly accompanying entity become a toilet bucket?

Otherwise, he wouldn't be chased thrice daily, urged to use the toilet.

Standing still, the boy pursed his lips, head slightly raised, as if undertaking some sacred, grand mission, unwavering, just watching him, proving escape impossible.

"Alright then..."

The boy put down the toilet bucket, letting the surrounding snow and wind rise automatically, forming a makeshift small room. Considerately, he opened the door for Yu Ziqing, waiting for him to enter.

Yu Ziqing had no choice but to walk in, sitting on the toilet bucket, which would automatically change shape with his intention, ensuring a satisfying toilet experience.

The grains' cyclical process within his body flowed out smoothly, leaving him clean without even needing to wipe. Of course, in case Yu Ziqing needed psychological reassurance, clean toilet paper was thoughtfully prepared beside him.

He actually had no objection to this arrangement. Since waking, he found an uncontrollable compulsion to eat, and without jerky to satisfy, other food barely halted his mouth. The instant it stopped, heart-gnawing hunger would ensue, even if he was full.

Unsolved, even at the brink of bursting, the hunger would persist intensely.

He merely found daily pursuit to use the toilet, with two attendants outside, a happiness he hadn't enjoyed in either life, somewhat embarrassing.

Moments later, Yu Ziqing pulled up his pants, stood up, with the bloating sensation gone, and his stomach resumed normalcy. The food ingested, rapidly digested by that strange power, transformed into energy stored within him.

Instinctively, he glanced back at the toilet bucket, finding it empty and without any odor.

Truth be told, in a different context, Yu Ziqing would have loved such an ultra-convenient toilet bucket.

Exiting the simple ice-snow restroom, the boy immediately closed the toilet bucket, held it once more, saluted Yu Ziqing, then vanished into the ground.

Subsequently, the simple ice-snow structure also shattered, melting back into the snow covering the ground.

Yu Ziqing turned to glance at the village.

"Another poor child, starved to death at just a teenager."

"Yes, and quite stubborn too," Cece sighed following him.

"He actually had a chance to live in his lifetime. His village contained good people who left him hope to survive, hoping he could bring corpses to Jinlan Village, where there remains a slim chance for survival. At least he wouldn't starve.

He was stubborn, refraining from following their advice. Like them, he felt it wasn't right. Therefore, he never resorted to eating just anything, and when nearing insanity due to extreme hunger, he clung to the toilet bucket, using excrement to make himself vomit until no longer tempted to eat inappropriately.

Ultimately, he starved to death, becoming a hungry ghost, somehow arriving at our village, unlike other starving ghosts, not transforming into tree-gorging ghosts living within the locust trees."

"What's his name? Has he remembered it?"

"Yes, he remembers, it's Wu Shuangge."

"Surname Wu, huh, that's rare." Listening to Cece, Yu Ziqing got slightly lost in thought.

He encountered many who held such unyielding beliefs. With no education, perhaps illiterate, they upheld with conviction that refusing wrongful sustenance was self-evident, beyond argument.

"When there's a chance, find his original village, and bury his former relatives and friends. Also, inform his elders that he will never starve again."

Yu Ziqing flipped his hand, and a wooden bowl appeared out of thin air. Holding a locust tree branch, he dipped it into the bowl of sweet rain, sprinkling it outwards.

Where the sweet rain fell, locust trees sprang up, each providing refuge for a starving ghost, offering them, through the trees' power, relief from hunger.

This time, unlike prior tree-dwelling ghosts, they received the first offering of food directly from Yu Ziqing.

After planting a patch of locust forest, Yu Ziqing glanced back at Cece trailing after him.

"How about this—could you maybe look outside for supplies or obtain some grain? I'll manage these starving ghosts myself; you don't need to accompany me."

Cece merely smiled at him, implying, 'Go on, and if I nod, consider it my loss.'