My lord, spare his life!

Seeing the joy on Wang Qi's face, Wang Ba choked for a moment.

They secretly cursed the young man, calling him a heartless scoundrel who sold off his family's wealth without a second thought, showing no appreciation for the hard-earned legacy his ancestors had built. If Dongxian were truly stolen, wouldn't Wang Qi himself go from a warlord's son to a homeless dog? He was already at a disadvantage compared to Guan Si; losing his family fortune would make a comeback even more difficult. Tsk, throughout history, which man or woman who married into another family didn't have some wealth to rely on when they went out?

You little rascal, still having fun?

Wang Ba was both annoyed and helpless: "No."

Wang Qi: "Or was He Wu'an finally assassinated by someone?"

Wang Ba wanted to cover Wang Qi's mouth: "No, no, it's... alas, it's that your brothers and sisters died."

"What kind of bad news is this? And what does 'died young' even mean? The youngest of them died of natural causes." Wang Qi didn't care at all; he only cared about one thing: "How did they die?"

Wang Qi wanted to keep them alive and kill them slowly.

Wang Ba slowly explained the whole story: "They intended to stage a mutiny and threatened Dongxian with their troops, which is why they were killed by Wu An."

Wang Qi: "Do you want to hear me say 'Please accept my condolences'?"

Wang Ba smirked: "No need, I'm not sad."

Thinking back to the day when Wang Qi killed two people right in front of him, Wang Ba stared at those two heads until he was completely cold. As he watched the blood pool on the ground, the thought that arose in his mind was not anger or grief, but rather a strange and bizarre feeling.

Even though the two corpses shared his bloodline, the way they lay dying in pools of crimson blood was no different from the corpses on the battlefield. Wang Ba showed little emotion looking at the corpses, and the same was true for these two.

Wang Qi retorted, "Since there's no need to grieve, who are you trying to impress with this half-dead act? Are you just putting on a show for fun?"

Wang Ba tilted his head at him: "It's your mother who's suffering."

His descent into madness destined him to be devoid of human emotions.

Wang Qi immediately became obedient.

"She always had such a strange soft heart. When you killed your two brothers, she felt guilty and remorseful for a long time after leaving behind their hearts." If it weren't for the fact that this heart was hers, Wang Ba would have wanted to take it out. The abundant emotions brought novel experiences, but also unnecessary pain. Wang Ba continued, "The bad news I mentioned wasn't all about the deaths of your siblings; it was my concern for the safety of Dongxian."

He was worried that He Ning wouldn't be able to control Dong Xian.

Wang Qi raised an eyebrow: "If you're worried, then you can lead your troops back."

Wang Ba: "..."

He looked at Wang Qi with a hint of anger at his lack of ambition.

This idiot is really impossible to manage!

Dong Xian, as Zhang Yang's ally, suggested leading the troops back to their hometown when Zhang Yang was in a favorable position. How would an ally think of this? Even if there were no suspicions, they would begin to grow. If Wang Ba really wanted to leave, would Wang Qi follow? If Wang Qi didn't leave, what would be his status in staying behind?

Besides, why would Wang Ba lead his troops back?

At this critical juncture, of course we should get a share of the pie.

Wang Ba replied stiffly, "No need."

Wang Qi grew increasingly displeased with the old man, but hesitated to act because this was the main tent: "How many did He Wu'an kill?"

"The news wasn't clear, but many people are involved. If the situation gets out of control, you should be able to become the only child your mother mentioned." The term "only child" is actually quite rare and few people use it. The term "only son" is more commonly used in daily life.

"...He actually killed them all? He Wu'an, who gave him the audacity to do this?" Wang Qi suddenly erupted in rage, like a wild beast driven out of control by a provocation. "Who allowed him to do this?"

Zhang Yang: "Were any of the people who were killed people you were close to?"

Otherwise, Wang Qi wouldn't have reacted so strongly.

Wang Qi's eyes flashed with barely concealed killing intent as he said, "Those people should have been killed by me. What right does He Wu'an have to bypass me?"

Killing one or two would be one thing, but why kill several?

Zhang Yang: "..."

Even she, a data-driven NPC, thought Wang Ba's family was insane. The adopted son, He Ning, killed his adoptive father, his own son, and his daughter. Wang Qi was furious that his adopted son had killed all his brothers and sisters, leaving none for him to kill. Wang Ba, as the father who raised two beagles, didn't try to stop it at all.

Are those murdered children the ones who harbor resentment?

If I had known this day would come, I would have preferred to hang myself.

Wang Badao said, "They probably didn't kill them all."

It's impossible to kill them all.

Wang Qi cast an inquiring glance at him, and Wang Ba explained, "Back when I arranged for the women in my harem to marry off, several of them took their children with them when they married far away. Even if Wu An had killed all the children I raised, you would still have a few brothers still alive in the world."

Zhang Yang: "..."

What do you mean by saying all this?

Are you hoping that Wang Qi will catch them and kill them someday?

Wang Ba was more sensible and experienced than Wang Qi. He had no intention of letting the young Zhang Yang witness his family's downfall. His purpose in seeking an audience with Zhang Yang wasn't anything else, but rather to get Zhang Yang to order He Wen to dispatch troops to monitor the situation in Dongxian. Besides troop support, providing some provisions and supplies would be even better. His original intention was to gain sympathy by feigning the loss of a son/daughter in middle age, but Wang Qi had thwarted his plan.

Without the fig leaf of sympathy, they could only lay bare their naked interests, and Wang Ba skillfully managed to strike a balance.

He didn't mention Yuan Xie, the one who controlled the floods in Dongxian, at all, for fear that Zhang Yang would misunderstand that he was deliberately mentioning Yuan Xie to remind Zhang Yang that he still held such a "hostage." After thinking for a while, Zhang Yang readily agreed to Wang Ba's request.

Having achieved his goal, Wang Ba rose to take his leave.

Wang Qi did not stay and got up with him.

The atmosphere outside was calmer for the father and son than inside the tent.

Wang Qi asked, "What exactly is that old man planning?"

"You're already prepared to hand over Dongxian to him, what are you thinking, your father? I don't mind giving you Dongxian as a safety net, but you have to be more ambitious..." Wang Qi is about to become an only child, so he can't refuse Dongxian.

Wang Qi retorted, displeased: "Speak like a human being!"

Wang Ba then became serious: "Those killed by Wu An weren't without powerful backers... In short, both Wu An and you acted recklessly this time. Dongxian was originally a separatist territory, and I only managed to stop the war by barely managing to unify it. Now that so many people have died, naturally some people are dissatisfied. Bo Yuanjun... I guess after she takes over the mountain prefectures, Dongxian will be her first target."

People won't stay neutral just because they were once allies.

Wang Ba either fights or he becomes dependent on others.

If Wang Qi hadn't concealed the truth, Wang Ba could have prepared a backup plan before the alliance was formed, allowing Zhang Yang to turn the tables on him. But Wang Qi was utterly incompetent, betraying his father with remarkable ease. If Wang Ba didn't have a heart, his first priority would likely have been eliminating Wang Qi.

But it happens to have such a special heart.

So Wang Qi's rude behavior was somewhat endearing in his eyes—the child was just getting older and wanted to side with outsiders, but he wasn't doing anything immoral. Wang Ba's wealth would eventually belong to Wang Qi, so it didn't matter whether he gave it to him sooner or later.

and so--

Wang Ba was forced to accept the situation.

I want to see just how far Wang Qi can go in his shamelessness and humiliation.

Wang Qi said, "I have no intention of handing it over so easily."

Wang Ba asked in surprise, "You haven't planned on that?"

"Hmph, Dongxian isn't anything valuable anyway, it's just that you fools are fighting over it. The thing is right here, whoever wants it can come and take it." But if anyone else came to take it, Wang Qi would kill them, but if Zhang Yang came to take it, he wouldn't touch him.

Therefore, this does not count as giving it away easily.

Reason told Wang Ba he should be angry, but his heart stirred with secret joy and indulgence, leaving him completely at a loss.

What strange place did the child's mother come from?

The indulgence and pampering of these children had reached a perverse level that he couldn't comprehend: "Yes, yes, Dongxian is worthless. Would Zhang Boyuan go to such lengths to scheme for something worthless? Would he be willing to send Yuan Youzheng here? Have you ever seen a girl who gets married naked and live a good life in another family? You look down on Dongxian, but plenty of others do. If you anger me again, believe me, I'll give Dongxian to Wu'an, let him become the powerful and you become the concubine, and see if you can still be so high and mighty then!"

It took Wang Qi a long time to understand the meaning of Wang Ba's words. Suddenly, his eyes turned extremely dangerous. Wang Ba, on the other hand, seemed to be looking away guiltily. Wang Qi was amused and retorted, "What do you mean by 'doing big or small'? What are you plotting behind my back?"

Wang Ba: "...N-nothing."

If Wang Qi found out that he and his confidant had plotted to have He Ning help him win favor, Wang Qi would probably expose the whole affair.

Wang Qi: "What do you plan to have He Wu'an do?"

Wang Ba sheepishly took a step back, while Wang Qi pressed on relentlessly.

Hearing the commotion, Zhang Yang poked his head out: "Is there an enemy attack?"

Guan Si flicked his finger and pulled back a wisp of stellar energy. In the distance, a small Kui Mulang avatar disappeared and returned to its original form. But in an instant, Guan Si knew what had happened: "Wang Gongsun killed his father."

"Wang Hongtu is dead?"

"no."

Zhang Yang recalled what the observed samples said and said, "Any fight that does not aim to kill the other person can be regarded as flirting."

Wang Ba and his son were simply exchanging feelings.

Guan Si neither confirmed nor denied this.

Wang Qi did not kill Wang Ba, and remained tight-lipped about his reasons for doing so. Knowing he was in the wrong, Wang Ba refused to meet with Wang Qi for several days, citing the need to fight. After receiving a letter from Chao Tan, Zhang Yang, after much deliberation, entrusted the Eunuch County, which was closer to the Imperial Capital, to her, and ordered Wang Ba and his elite troops to launch a direct attack to support him, while the main force marched straight for Hu County.

Without Sun Ban's protection, and already severely damaged by the floods, the counties of Huanguan and Hu struggled to organize effective resistance. Zhang Yang's act of kindness in rescuing people from the floodwaters spread as the refugees returned to their villages.

At first, no one believed it was true.

"Bandits pass by like a comb, soldiers pass by like a fine-toothed comb"—these eight words are lessons learned through blood and tears, summarized by ordinary people over hundreds and thousands of years.

"Why don't you believe it? If it weren't true, would so many people in our village still be alive?" To the ordinary people affected by the disaster, the torrential rains and floods of those days were nothing short of an apocalyptic natural disaster. Under normal circumstances, it would be considered a stroke of good fortune if even a few people from the entire village survived. But now, the whole village is alive.

Not only did the entire village survive, but most of the poultry were also saved.

"Look at this millet, it was also given to us by our benefactor."

"Those thugs didn't steal from you, they even gave you food?"

"Our benefactor said that after the war, he would rebuild our houses, tidy up our fields, and repair the river..." The person who said this may not have been grateful to Zhang Yang, but he was indeed tempted by the benefits Zhang Yang promised and longed for the promise to come true.

Some things, if you keep talking about them, might just come true.

"Hahaha, dream on."

Passersby who heard about this burst into laughter.

These minor incidents did not affect the crisis facing Hu County. Throughout the county, people were filled with fear, lest they wake up the next day to find bandits' flags flying on the city walls. In contrast, Zhang Yang was relatively relaxed. Upon arriving at a new place, instead of rushing to deploy troops or conquer territories, she would first inquire about the local disaster situation.

The market prices of grain, labor, and firewood and charcoal.

The army's route inevitably passes through villages and towns.

Often, as soon as they arrive, the village is mostly empty, leaving only a mess, with only a few ordinary people, either elderly or young, occasionally visible. It's not that they don't want to escape, but that they can't.

"Did the other children flee with the adults?"

While the army rested, Zhang Yang went to a nearby village and found a child hiding under a half-collapsed earthen wall. He picked the child up and wiped his face. The child looked at Zhang Yang's face, and his fear strangely subsided; he shook his head.

"no?"

The child said, "It was sold."

Some well-informed brokers would come to buy up goods before the war. Some adults, unable to take their children with them, would reluctantly sell them at a low price, treating them as family property. The adults would then have some money in hand and be rid of a burden on their escape journey...

Zhang Yang didn't understand these things.

Hearing that I was being sold, I felt nothing but hatred.

Seeing that the dilapidated house where the child was staying was drafty, Zhang Yang thought she had plenty of time, so she took out some wood from her game backpack and started hammering and tinkering. The child didn't know what she was doing, but after watching for a while, he helped by handing Zhang Yang things, such as stones or straw mats.

Zhang Yang has sixteen years of repair experience.

A pair of skillful hands quickly plugged the leaks in the dilapidated house.

"Let's make do with this for now, and we'll move to a better place later."

The child looked at it and said, "Your cooking is better than my mother's."

No matter how much the roof was repaired, a sliver of sunlight would always seep into the house through the cracks. After Zhang Yang's repairs, the little house became dark, and the howling wind could no longer be heard.

Zhang Yang: "It's definitely me who's better; I'm more skilled through practice."

Child: "Are you a carpenter?"

"It used to be considered that way."

Which player in the game world hasn't done repair quests? Fixing pipes, light bulbs, and roofs for NPCs is a daily task, and each quest often involves multiple repairs, repairing several houses at once. Zhang Yang used to think there was nothing wrong with it, but now he feels that the game designers are treating game players like cyber cattle to be exploited.

Zhang Yang looked around: "Are there any other dilapidated houses?"

While things are still going well, I'll fix a few more.

The rhythmic tapping and hammering calmed Zhang Yang, allowing him to clear his mind and free him from all complex thoughts. He became so engrossed in it that when he came to his senses, dusk was falling, and Xia Gengshi had already come looking for him: "My lord, my lord, the strategist is calling you back for dinner."

Zhang Yang dropped the hammer.

He brushed the mud and sawdust off his hands: "Here I am."

Before leaving, I straightened the sign at the village entrance.

Xia Gengshi blinked: "What is my lord doing?"

"At first we were repairing the roof, but then we got hooked and just repaired everything we could. Although it can't solve the villagers' immediate problem, it can at least give them a place to shelter from the wind at night."

Xia Gengshi: "This village has about thirty households..."

It was fixed in just one afternoon?

"This is too slow." Normal players can repair anything in five or ten seconds by loading a bar, but Zhang Yang has to do it manually, making her far less efficient than a player. She only managed to repair about thirty households in an entire afternoon.

Xia Gengshi: "..."

Did the lord have carpentry skills before?

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