As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 236 To Bai Ling, the Free World

"Did you hear that?"

"It seems the alliance has sent troops again and captured all three passes of Qian Yuan! This is something that even Bei Lie has not been able to do."

"I heard they won without even fighting!"

"The Alliance Leader is truly a god-like figure. This border region is much easier to navigate than Qian Yuan."

"Oh? I heard that someone was robbed by the Zhu You Gang a few nights ago, and they still haven't found out where they are!"

"Hmph, it's still better than being in Chen! The people of Chen are starving now!"

"Selling pearl strands! Top-quality pearls, each one plump and crystal clear!"

……

Once you leave Zhenling Pass, you enter the territory of the Jinglan Alliance.

This northern land was originally the site of the Qian Yuan Northern War, and was impoverished, desolate, and sparsely populated.

Mingchen came here last time to negotiate with Beilie.

He had seen this place before, but now it looked completely different.

The further north and east you go, the more prosperous it becomes.

Great wealth and status are impossible, but it is completely different from the desolate scene of starvation and death before.

Bailing City, located in the northeast corner of Qianyuan, at the mouth of the wide Liehe River, has a large wharf and well-developed sea and canal transportation. This is also the best location chosen by Hong Lingshuang.

The Jinglan Alliance crossed the sea and entered the Central Plains, which became their political and economic center.

Because the Jinglan Alliance also occupied Beilie's land.

This resulted in the presence of people from the Northern Lie region, the Qian Yuan region, and islanders who came from across the sea... all living here.

Different cultures intertwine, collide, and merge here.

Hong Lingshuang's policies showed no favoritism towards any particular nation.

At least on the surface, they seem to be getting along harmoniously.

The sworn enemies, Bei Lie and Qian Yuan, did not actually fight.

Of course, arrogance is a deep-seated flaw that can never be eradicated from the human heart. Humans are born to compare and will naturally divide themselves into classes.

Really not? Well, that's hard to say.

However, bringing these people together here can maintain a balance on the surface.

This leader is something special.

Mingchen walked down the street, observing his surroundings and listening to the chatter of passersby, which made him sigh inwardly.

This city is special.

To the north lies a vast river, so wide and long that its boundaries are nowhere in sight.

The southern half is the urban area.

People dressed differently, and their accents and physical features were all different.

Commerce is extremely developed, with vendors setting up stalls everywhere on the streets, selling all sorts of odds and ends.

Food, materials, handicrafts, daily tools... even smuggled salt can be bought and sold.

The people moved about peacefully, without any sense of tension or fear, and the whole city was joyful and free.

Even... the freedom is a bit too much.

It was completely different from the Blood-Clad Army and the cities occupied by the Chen Kingdom amidst the chaos.

"Brother, how much is this?"

When you travel, you should always bring back some gifts.

This has always been Mingchen's habit.

He would go to the northern border, to the south, to the grasslands of the Xiongnu... In his spare time, he would stroll through the market and bring back gifts for his family.

Gifts are the sweet sweetness of a traveler's longing.

This shows that Mingchen is thinking of them even when he's away from home, which is reassuring.

He strolled along the street with Long Zhi and Xiu Die, and when they came to a stall, he casually picked up a string of pearl necklaces and asked the vendor behind the stall.

This thing does exist in the Central Plains, but it is relatively rare.

This is not recognized by the mainstream elite's aesthetic.

There are quite a few here, which is probably the result of cultural exchange and collision when people came from the archipelago.

Regardless of his past or present life, Mingchen personally doesn't like pearl jewelry; he feels it makes him look older.

The goods sold on the street aren't anything special either.

But since we're already here, buying two won't hurt.

"Hey, young master! You're really handsome. You're not from around here, are you? Otherwise, you'd be famous here by now!"

"The lady is also as beautiful as an angel, they are truly a perfect match! A talented man and a beautiful woman, a golden union."

The arrival of Mingchen and his group surprised the stall owner.

The man was dashing and debonair, the woman was beautiful and graceful.

He had never seen a customer with such good looks before!
His eyes darted around as he subtly observed Mingchen and his companion, offering no reply but instead showering them with flattery and praise.

Long Lian, who was standing next to Ming Chen, was a little embarrassed by what he said. She kept a cool and aloof expression, but her eyes wandered a bit.

That day, Mingchen praised her for looking beautiful in human form. During their leisure time, she would always transform into human form and walk with Mingchen in that way.

The little red bird perched on Mingchen's shoulder, and upon hearing this, it tilted its head to the side, puffing out its wings in a proud manner.

You fool, the real lady is right here!
"Thank you very much!"

Mingchen smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying only, "Big brother, you still haven't told me how much your things cost!"

These two men had an extraordinary air about them, and their attire was equally impressive.

They must be wealthy young men and women from abroad.

Out-of-towner, young, and rich!
Two large characters were clearly written on its head.

Fat sheep!

The vendor chuckled and waved to the two men, saying, "Esteemed guests, you are also distinguished visitors from afar. We hit it off immediately. Since you call me 'brother,' I won't lie to you."

“Our pearl necklaces are made with the best materials. I would charge others fifty taels of silver for them.”

"It is fate that we met. If you want it, sir, we can split it in half. I'll leave you with twenty-five taels of silver, and you can take it."

With fifty taels, he could buy a thousand beads.

Mingchen shrugged and simply said, "Farewell!"

Mingchen has money and spends it without restraint, so giving him more is no problem.

Let alone fifty taels of silver, even fifty taels of gold would be fine to give to him.

However, he disliked being schemed against or deceived by others.

I can reward you with money, but you can't take it from my pocket and then feel smug about it.

He's always the one deceiving others.

This guy, who doesn't run an honest business, has no way to hide his shrewd and cunning nature in front of Mingchen, a big swindler.

That's fine then.

Anyway, the items on the stall were just so-so, and gifts were everywhere.

After saying that, he took the child and Long Lian and left without looking back.

"Eh?"

"Sir? Young master?"

Without even a word of bargaining, the vendor called out to Mingchen's retreating figure, but nothing could bring him back.

snort!
Why pretend to be a rich young master if you don't have money?
Seeing the other person leave, the vendor, whether out of regret or anger, spat repeatedly and muttered to himself.

"Son..."

"Stop, don't run!"

"Give me, let me!"

After walking a few steps, Long Lian wanted to talk to Ming Chen, but suddenly a noisy sound came from ahead.

A little beggar was running towards us, seemingly being chased by an older boy.

Just as the other woman was about to pounce on Mingchen, Mingchen nimbly dodged her without making contact.

The little beggar's eyes flashed, and then his foot slipped, deliberately veering towards Mingchen's direction.

It looked like she bumped into him.

At the same time, her little hand moved swiftly like the wind, and it was about to touch Mingchen's clothes.

But at that moment, he grabbed her wrist.

"The child's hands aren't very clean!"

The playful whispers of young people rang in my ears.

The little beggar's eyes suddenly narrowed.

"Good good!"

"Thank you, sir!"

"This kid stole our things."

Seeing that Mingchen had caught the little beggar, a young man rushed up from behind, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Mingchen, and said, "Please hand him over to me! I need to take him to the authorities!"

"Crack!"

But the next instant, the sound of bones shattering rang out.

The boy's eyes widened.

"what!"

The cries and screams of the little beggar echoed through the market.

Mingchen smiled, but showed no mercy as he snapped the little beggar's wrist: "You naughty little hands, someone has to teach you how to behave!"

He's just a child.
He neither respects the elderly nor loves the young.

He only knows one thing: those who offend him will pay the price.

"Ouch...it hurts!"

The little beggar's hand was crushed, and excruciating pain struck.

He stopped running and just lay on the ground, rolling around and howling, "My hand, my hand is broken! Waaah..."

His face was flushed and he was covered in cold sweat.

"you!"

The young man who had chased after him stared wide-eyed, his anger barely contained.

He was clearly there to catch the little beggar, but at this moment he felt no satisfaction at all; he was just looking at Mingchen with eyes full of resentment.

"Here you go, young man! No need to thank me~"

Mingchen, however, pointed with a smile at the little beggar rolling on the ground, his smile like that of a demon.

Without waiting for their reply, and not wanting to get entangled with them, he continued on his way with Xiu Die and Long Lian.

"Let's go find a place to stay first!"

Mingchen plans to stay here for a few days. Living directly in a tree on the street is obviously not a good idea; he needs at least some private space.

After encountering the corrupt official and the thief, it seems that nothing has affected Mingchen.

He acted as if nothing had happened and took Long Lian and Xiu Die to a restaurant.

Haven't entered yet.

"You country bumpkin, how dare you talk to your grandpa like that? If I don't knock three of your teeth out today, I'm not a Chen!"

"Hmph, your Chen Kingdom is already destroyed, and you stray dogs dare to bark here! This is our alliance leader's territory! You dare to touch me and see what happens?"

"I'm not from Chen, I'm from Qian Yuan! Hey, I'll beat you up! You bastard who relies on his master's power!"

"You dare to lay a hand on me! You actually dare to do it!"

"You piece of trash! I'll beat you to death!"

"What's an alliance?! Let me tell you, I'm..."

……

A vulgar and noisy sound came from inside.

Two figures rushed out of the tavern. They seemed to have drunk quite a bit, their faces flushed and reeking of alcohol. They grabbed each other by the collar as they rushed out of the tavern and started fighting recklessly.

One of them was probably from the islands, and the other was likely from the Qian Yuan era.

The fight escalated, with the two wrestling and rolling on the ground, exchanging profanities.

As the Qian Yuan man fought, he became enraged and seemed to have lost his mind, wanting to roll up his sleeves and show something.

But in the next instant, as if remembering something, his cloudy eyes cleared up a bit.

He suddenly shuddered, his words abruptly stopped, and he stopped talking, but continued to fight with the other party.

The fight was quite fierce.

However, no one stopped this scene, and there were not many onlookers. Only a few idle drinkers watched from the sidelines, seemingly enjoying the spectacle.

People around glanced at it and then walked away, seemingly unfazed by it.

Mingchen is someone who enjoys watching excitement, but he prefers the biggest excitement.

For example, the final Battle of Yueyang between the Blood-Clad Army and the State of Chen.

The fight between these drunken street urchins was clearly not worth watching.

He glanced at her briefly before leading Long Lian inside.

"Shopkeeper, give us a superior room."

Mingchen entered the room, gently tapped on the counter, and spoke to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper was an old man who looked quite old and had probably seen a lot of people; he had a deep and insightful gaze.

The two people who looked up were amazed.

Having run the shop for so many years, it's rare to see a man and woman like this.

How long will you be staying, sir?

Mingchen thought for a moment: "It could take five or six days, or as long as a month."

"Okay! I'll arrange it for you!"

A commotion could be heard outside; diners were fighting.

The shopkeeper remained calm and ignored him, nodding at Mingchen.

"Thank you very much!"

"Are you two guests from out of town?"

The shop assistants were all busy, so the manager personally led the two upstairs, asking them questions as they went.

"Yes, shopkeeper, we'll get it from Ji."

The old shopkeeper was taken aback upon hearing this. He glanced at the two men again and sighed, "Ji Qu? That's far away! Isn't that the territory of the new Qian Yuan? This is the first time I've seen someone from there. I've heard that the new emperor is wise and virtuous. I wonder if things are going well there? Is that true?"

His Majesty would probably be happy if he knew her reputation had spread this far.

Mingchen waved his hand casually: "It's alright, it's alright! It's about the same as here, isn't this place pretty good too?"

"good?"

"Eh~"

The innkeeper shook his head upon hearing this, his eyes conveying a profound meaning: "It's good in some ways and bad in others; without comparison, one can't say whether it's good or bad... Are you, sir, Wensheng?"

Mingchen had a well-proportioned figure, but he did not look strong, and he was dressed like a scholar.

It looks like a young master from a wealthy family has come out for a stroll.

But why don't they deserve to have a guard or something?

Despite the chaos and turmoil, they seem quite resilient.

"That's it!"

He always defined himself as a civil official. And a civil official is naturally a scholar.

The innkeeper nodded and said, "Sir, I'll arrange a quieter room for you."

"White Spirit City is indeed tens of millions of times better than the Northern Territory, but..."

He glanced at Long Lian's ethereal and beautiful face, and said to Ming Chen in a mysterious tone, as if giving a suggestion: "I hope you will heed my advice. Although there is no curfew at night, do not go out. During the day, when you are with your wife, you should also be careful and avoid going near deserted alleys and streets."

"Oh?"

Mingchen smiled upon hearing this, but did not ask any further questions. He simply nodded in agreement: "Thank you for your advice, elder. I will remember it."

"Ah."

As they were talking, the innkeeper led Mingchen and the other two to a side room on the second floor.

Just then, the door across the hall opened. A muscular man, half-naked, stepped out. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and, upon seeing Ming Chen and his group approaching, or more precisely, upon seeing Long Lian, his eyes widened in surprise.

They couldn't help but crowd around, saying to the shopkeeper, "Old Li, where did you get this good stuff?"

"You're being unfair! Didn't you even introduce me to someone?"

The innkeeper twitched the corner of his mouth and gestured with his eyes for Mingchen to quickly bring Long Lian into the room. He then said to the other party, "Sir, you are joking. They are my guests..."

"Hey! What are you afraid of?!"

The man raised his eyebrows, a smug look on his face: "This isn't Qian Yuan Bei Lie, nobody cares about me here!"

"Girl, you..."

He seemed not to even see Ming Chen, and then moved closer to Long Lian.

However, at that moment, before he could finish speaking...

Suddenly, a strong force came from my face.

"Crack!"

He didn't even see the shadow clearly before he was slapped to the ground. His neck was whipped through, making a crisp sound.

"Forehead……"

I felt like the stars were spinning before my eyes, and my head was spinning.

Blood trickled from the corner of the burly man's mouth as he braced himself against the floor, seemingly trying to get up.

However, at that moment, a foot landed on his forearm.

"Crack!"

"what!"

A sharp crack and screams followed.

The immense force came from the joint, and the perfectly good arm was now strangely bent.

All the burly man heard was a devilish laugh: "Big brother, you don't seem to see me? It seems there's no need to keep these eyes!"

The jade stick gently pointed at his eyes, and a chill rose from the soles of his feet to his forehead.

In an instant, all lewd desires vanished.

"Humph!"

A cool, clear female voice came through.

The air seemed to freeze in the next instant.

It felt heavier and heavier, making it harder and harder to breathe; I couldn't catch my breath.

To the astonishment of the burly man, the slender, captivating, and aloof beauty seemed to transform in an instant.

Its beautiful face gradually elongated, growing fangs, whiskers, and scales... In a daze, it transformed into a soaring azure dragon, its vertical pupils radiating a chilling killing intent.

Being looked at by it felt like being torn to pieces, dying a million times over. A terrifying majesty surged from his head to his entire body, pressing down on his spine, as if to crush every bone and every piece of flesh in his body into powder.

In a short period of time, I experienced the ultimate fear.

"Save...Save..."

He lay on the ground, trembling uncontrollably, defecating and urinating, his eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth, his entire spirit seemingly broken.

"Sir, sir... murderers will be executed by firing squad and thrown into the sea."

Things took an unexpected turn.

The old man thought another tragedy was about to occur, but the opposite was true.

Oh, it's still a tragedy, but the main character has changed.

The shopkeeper didn't know what the burly man had gone through, but seeing his miserable state, as if he were about to die at any moment, and fearing he would die in his shop, he quickly called out to Mingchen twice, hoping the man would stop.

Under lenient laws, chaos ensues, but if someone dies in public and the murderer is nearby, the Alliance will still intervene.

Mingchen stopped and glanced at the shopkeeper who had spoken.

What he needed to determine now was whether this old man, like the boy and the beggar before him, was fishing.

The shopkeeper paused, feeling as if he were being watched by a venomous snake.

It was cold and eerie, as if it had seen right through him from the bottom of his being.

I shuddered involuntarily.

Immediately, Mingchen put on a bright smile: "Shopkeeper, if there is any damage, just deduct it from my account."

"Thank you for reminding me!"

After a brief observation, Mingchen had basically grasped the cultural essence of the area.

In a free world, might makes right.

Yes, he quite likes it.

"Forehead……"

You're telling me you're a literary student?
You call this Wensheng?!
Answer me!!!
The shopkeeper twitched the corner of his mouth, speechless for a moment.

Decisive and ruthless.

This was even more decisive than a thug killer, leaving the big thug completely powerless to fight back.

Is Ji Qu also a city like Bai Ling?

This scholar looks refined and cultured, but he's anything but hesitant when it comes to fighting.

This made his previous advice seem somewhat superfluous.

With this person here, who knows who might bully whom!

"Please feel free to stay here, sir. If you need anything, just let me know!"

(End of this chapter)