Longzang

Chapter 510 gave way to far too much.

In the southern town of Qingming, countless refugees gathered in an open space outside the town. In the center of the open space stood a high platform, on which three people knelt, each with a burly executioner standing behind them.

On the high platform, a cultivator channeled his Dao power, making himself clearly audible to tens of thousands of people present. He first announced the identities of the three men: all were stewards of the Zhao Kingdom's merchant caravan, accused of colluding with an insider to embezzle grain from the soup kitchen, a crime punishable by death. Now that their crimes have been verified, they are to be executed.

As soon as the executioner finished speaking, three large swords fell, and heads rolled to the ground!
The refugees cheered thunderously, scrambling forward to dip their steamed buns in the blood and eat it. The Dao Foundation cultivators responsible for maintaining order had to exert considerable effort to stop them.

However, Wei Yuan also obtained more than a thousand strands of azure energy.

The executioner then added that there were more than ten accomplices in the caravan being interrogated. No matter who they were, they would be executed as soon as they were found guilty, without any leniency!

The refugees cheered again, and Wei Yuan added several hundred more green qi.

With a continuous influx of good fortune, Wei Yuan couldn't remain calm any longer. He flew directly to the southern town to observe the situation firsthand. After watching for a while, Wei Yuan roughly judged that the good fortune he had gained today was the maximum that these 30,000 refugees could contribute.

Wei Yuan had been diligently studying the Dao of Destiny and had now achieved some success, especially in the in-depth research on the generation of destiny among refugees. With the help of everyday life experiences, he had taken his research a small step further. Of course, Wei Yuan felt that the main contribution to the research's achievements was himself.

Based on their living conditions, the refugees were divided into three categories.

Firstly, there are those who are honest and easily deceived. Such people are few in number, but they are very likely to contribute to one's luck.

Secondly, they were honest and not easily fooled. This group made up the majority of the refugees and was also known as the Wuhe Clan.

The third type: those who are dishonest and not easily fooled, are the so-called troublemakers.

There's a reason for dividing people into three categories.

The first type of person is most likely to gain good fortune, but their numbers are small, as they tend to die quickly in chaotic times. If they are also kind-hearted, they will have no chance of surviving to the end.

When the executioner says to continue beheading the remaining accomplices, the people who contribute the most luck are mainly the first type. They are easily convinced by all kinds of empty promises and are easily excited.

The second type, the rabble, is the most numerous. Although they are not easily fooled, they are accustomed to acting in groups and don't think much. Even if there's a volcano ahead, if everyone else jumps in, they will too. Therefore, this type of person is also the main force filling gaps on the battlefield.

However, once their hearts are won, they will not be easily swayed and will become the main force contributing to the good fortune of humanity in the future.

The third type needs no further explanation. A long-term research project is to identify this third type of person as quickly and accurately as possible and then send them to the front lines of the battlefield.

Wei Yuan's original plan was to behead all the criminals in the caravan who had been interrogated in the next two days, and deal with the accomplices slowly.

However, seeing the situation on the ground and the fact that new refugees were joining every day, Wei Yuan did not want to let go of the easy-to-obtain fortune of the first-class people. So he changed his plan and only killed two people a day, which would take seven or eight days to kill them all.

This change will add approximately two thousand strands of azure energy. Wei Yuan plans to imbue all those in Qingming who have gained the opportunity to forge their Dao foundation through military merit with a strand of azure energy, significantly increasing their chances of success. Perhaps this is another form of taking from the people and using it for the people.

Wei Yuan's plan was to behead that young nobleman last, so he could reap a huge reward.

In fact, after the interrogation, the whole process became quite clear. This young master was only the nominal boss; in reality, he delegated most of the affairs to his subordinates, including managers and stewards.

The embezzlement of relief grain was a scheme devised by several officials who conspired together, emphasizing the benefits while omitting the drawbacks. Ultimately, this young nobleman made the final decision, and the matter was settled. If anything went wrong, this young nobleman would be held responsible by those above.

Throughout the entire ordeal, the young master was actually quite unaware of what had happened, let alone what the consequences would be.

All the officials said that even if something went wrong, it would be just like in Zhao – a little connections and money would settle it. They'd only get a few hundred thousand catties of cheap grain; at worst, they'd return the grain and pay some compensation.

This young master actually believed it.

What they didn't know was that all the interrogation records were compiled, summarized, and analyzed amidst the everyday realities of life, ultimately revealing the whole picture.

But when faced with the facts, Wei Yuan found it difficult to understand.

These people in charge were truly talented to plan this matter so meticulously, almost flawlessly. However, their motivation for pushing this matter forward was to pocket a cut, with each of them receiving over a hundred taels of silver.

For this small gain, they deliberately underestimated, if not ignored, the consequences and risks, and deceived the young master to bring about this matter.

Wei Yuan couldn't understand how they could put the safety of the entire caravan aside for such a small amount of money. Did these people in charge think that the hundred taels of silver in their pockets were more important than the tens of thousands of taels of business the caravan was doing?

This good-for-nothing young master might think that Wei Yuan couldn't do anything to him, but these people in charge must have studied Wei Yuan. Even if they didn't know, they should be able to judge how ruthless Wei Yuan would be if he angered them. But in the end, they still chose to persuade the young master to make the decision.

In a typical interrogation, the incompetent young master would usually be considered the mastermind, with the others merely henchmen. However, through meticulous investigation and careful analysis, Wei Yuan discovered that these henchmen were actually the true masterminds, cleverly concealing themselves and shifting the blame onto the incompetent young master.

History records many countries have shown similar patterns. When a ruler is incompetent, his ministers collude to block information and deceive him, leading to flawed decisions. Ultimately, the benefits are reaped by the civil officials, while the incompetent ruler bears the blame.

From caravans to various kingdoms, there are countless precedents. Wei Yuan also vaguely foresaw Qingming's future fate.

Fortunately, Wei Yuan's cultivation is progressing smoothly, and he has a long future ahead of him. As long as he doesn't die, no one in Qingming can cause any trouble. But Wei Yuan suddenly remembered that he is already 218 years old, which is no longer young.

The few minor incidents that occurred in the past few days, though independent and unrelated, were resolved quickly. However, they foreshadow future trends. One can only imagine the upheavals and conflicts that will ensue once Qingming abandons its wartime regime.

With heavy thoughts on his mind, Wei Yuan continued his preparations for battle. Several days passed, and he was about to kill that noble young master.

At this moment, Li Zhi and Cui Yu both went to Wei Yuan to plead for the noble young master.

Upon further inquiry, Wei Yuan learned that although Li Zhi and Cui Yu had come together, they were actually acting on behalf of different people, offering to exchange one of the noble young master's life for another. The prices were 10,000 taels of silver or 500,000 catties of grain, respectively.

Both prices are very reasonable. In the Taichu Palace merit system, a late-stage Heavenly Foundation cultivator wouldn't even fetch this price.

But Wei Yuan flatly refused, refusing to listen to any bargaining, and said resolutely, "A government cannot stand without integrity! I will use this person's head to let everyone know the consequences of violating my Qingming Laws!" Li Zhi asked helplessly, "Where are your laws?"

"Soon... um, it will be promulgated in a while." Laws are no small matter; they can't be completed in a short time. All the consequences must be weighed. That's why Wei Yuan changed his mind, because it's impossible to implement them in the short term, and he didn't want to follow the laws of the Great Tang or the Nine Kingdoms.

Cui Yu finally understood and said, "You want to kill someone to establish your authority? Fine, I'll go and refuse that family."

Li Zhi, however, did not give up and said again, "What you are doing will only have a temporary effect, but it will offend the entire powerful and noble families of Zhao. It is not worth the loss. Besides, it is customary not to punish high-ranking officials or their relatives. If you think it is not enough, I can ask for more. Moreover, it will be a good opportunity to win over a few powerful and noble families to our side, which will be a check on the King of Zhao."

Wei Yuan shook his head: "This isn't about money, it's about principles." At this moment, Wei Yuan was already calculating in his mind how much good fortune beheading that young nobleman would bring.

Knowing that Wei Yuan had made up his mind, Li Zhi had no choice but to leave with Cui Yu.

No sooner had they left than a gentle yet authoritative voice suddenly rang in Wei Yuan's ears: "Lord Wei, would you please come out for a chat?"

Wei Yuan's heart skipped a beat; this was Yu Jing's method!

But now that Wei Yuan had the Yin-Yang Bullet in hand, he was not afraid of ordinary Yu Jing, so he went to the appointment without hesitation, wanting to see who the visitor was.

A hundred miles within the boundary stood a man with disheveled hair and loose robes. His eyes were a strange pale amber color, and his entire being exuded both unrestrained and reserved charm, a blend of contradictory qualities. As for his appearance, he naturally inherited Zhao Li's style, being exceptionally handsome.

Upon seeing Wei Yuan, he stated directly, "Li Xiange, Marquis of Ping'an of the Great Zhao."

"Wei Yuan of Taichu Palace greets Marquis Ping'an." Wei Yuan bowed. Although he didn't understand why a powerful being of the Imperial Realm would only be granted the title of Marquis, he still had to show proper courtesy.

Li Xiange waved his hand and said, "We're enemies now, no need for formalities. Let's get down to business. I'm here to redeem my good-for-nothing brother-in-law."

Upon hearing the title of Marquis of Ping'an, Wei Yuan knew it referred to this matter and immediately said, "This... brother-in-law has violated the law, and according to the law, his entire family should be executed. Execution of the entire family is unlikely, but beheading is unavoidable. Therefore, Marquis of Ping'an, please return..."

Before he could utter a single word, Marquis Ping'an let out a cold laugh and said, "Two hundred thousand refugees!"

Wei Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Why wasn't the Marquis of Ping'an playing by the rules? This...this...

Fortunately, he was very good at maintaining his composure, and said expressionlessly, "No."

"Two hundred and fifty thousand."

Wei Yuan shook his head.

"Three hundred thousand!"

Wei Yuan shook his head again.

"Two hundred and eighty thousand."

Wei Yuan almost doubted his ears; how could the price have dropped? He immediately became anxious.

Marquis Ping'an said calmly, "From now on, the price will only decrease with each bid until negotiations break down. Alright, then, twenty-six..."

“Two hundred and ninety thousand!” Wei Yuan immediately interrupted him.

"make a deal!"

Marquis Ping'an then tossed over a storage bag filled with radiant treasures—spiritual treasures, no doubt!

He said, "Consider the treasure inside as collateral. Release my brother-in-law immediately so I can have an explanation when I get back. Then, within ten days, I will send all the refugees to you. Once you have the refugees, return the treasure to me."

Wei Yuan estimated that the bag of spiritual treasures was worth at least a million taels of silver, and immediately said, "Ping An Hou, please wait a moment."

His figure flashed, and a moment later he returned carrying the young nobleman, handing him over to Marquis Ping'an.

Marquis Ping'an accepted the young nobleman's gift and said, "No hesitation whatsoever, very good, you have the bearing of a hero!"

Wei Yuan hurriedly said, "After returning, please keep this a secret for three days, Marquis Ping'an."

"Why?"

Wei Yuan was a little embarrassed and said, "I'd like to make a couple more small profits."

Marquis Ping An was taken aback, then burst into laughter and said, "As you wish." With a flick of his sleeve, he drifted away.

Wei Yuan returned to the main peak and ordered someone to summon Li Zhi and Cui Yu, saying, "Let's talk about the ransom again. Go and ask those two families if they can offer more; adding a little more will make the deal."

Li Zhi and Cui Yu were greatly surprised, not understanding how such a big change could have occurred in just the time it takes to eat a meal.

Wei Yuan coughed lightly and said, "I just released that person. He promised to keep it a secret for three days, so we need to hurry."

Cui Yu was deeply shocked: "Didn't you just say that this is a matter of principle?!"

Wei Yuan coughed a few times, slightly embarrassed, and said, "This is indeed a matter of principle, but the other party has given too much."

(End of this chapter)