My lord, spare his life!

When Guan Zong and his companion arrived, they saw Zhang Yang in this state.

She was short, with chubby cheeks that resembled a full moon. Her usually striking peach blossom eyes were even more prominent, wide open to their maximum, almost taking up half of her face, shimmering with watery light. She clearly looked extremely pitiful and adorable, but her expression was numb and stiff, and her surrounding aura was fierce and intimidating, forcefully suppressing her innocent and childlike appearance.

Not pitiful, not lovable, but terrifying.

Guan Zong instinctively hid behind Guan Si.

Zhang Yang's strength remains unaffected; this old man is a different story. With Zhang Yang's current momentum, he could kill him with a single punch.

Looking at Zhang Yang, who was only waist-high, Guan Si was not quite sure.

"You are... Boyuan?"

"Yes, Eggman, move aside." Unlike the clear and clean boyish voice before, this voice was soft, tender, and a little sweet. Guan Si didn't react immediately, raising his hand to rub his ears, his brain overloaded with processing the information.

Upon hearing this, Guan Zong's heart tightened.

Without saying a word, he gripped Guan Si's wolf tail tightly.

"No, no, no—ancestor, living ancestor, I call you my dear ancestor, ancestor, please don't hand me over."

If I fall into Zhang Yang's hands, how can I possibly survive?

Guan Si, having processed the good news, regained his composure, though his ears were slightly red. It was unclear whether this was from rubbing them or from his surging emotions. Guan Si grabbed Guan Zonghou by the collar and ruthlessly tore him off: "You stubborn, unyielding piece of meat, do you think Bo Yuan can beat you to death? Don't act like a child, be more frank, or people will laugh at you."

Guan Zong frantically kicked his legs, but his feet dangled in the air and he couldn't land.

Then Guan Si tossed it away with ease.

"Oh dear, these old bones of mine!"

Guan Zong struggled to his feet in pain, a dark shadow falling over his head.

He looked up and saw Zhang Yang draw the long sword from Guan Si's waist, dragging the blade toward him like a female ghost.

"Help! Help! Help!!!" He scrambled away, but Zhang Yang, dragging a long sword that was a head taller than her, leaped up and raised the sword above her head. The 1.23-meter-tall woman, wielding a 1.67-meter-tall sword, slashed down at Guan Zong.

Ge Zhou, who had already gone to bed, woke up immediately upon hearing the noise.

"Oh no, my lord!"

He hurriedly put on his clothes and rushed over, but he didn't see his lord. Instead, he saw a little girl wearing his lord's outer robe, dragging a knife in her hand, leaping and slashing people. Upon closer inspection, the little girl looked somewhat familiar, and she exuded the aura of his lord.

No, this is the lord.

Ge Zhou was terrified: "My lord!"

Upon seeing Ge Zhou approach, Zhang Yang stopped his attack.

"Xidan, what brings you here?"

Guan Zong was finally able to catch his breath. He scrambled to hide behind Guan Si, but remembering that Guan Si had betrayed him, Guan Zong changed his hiding place and cursed the despicable child in his heart.

With Zhang Yang's strength, killing Guan Zong in his current state would have been effortless, but she didn't. She deliberately intimidated Guan Zong, wanting to see him scrambling around in a sorry state; her character was truly despicable.

Ge Zhou: "Who poisoned our lord?"

Zhang Yang slung the back of his longsword over his shoulder, his face expressionless: "No one poisoned or plotted to kill him; it was Guan Zong's 'Descending Star'."

In short, the crisis is over.

"Xidan, crouch down a bit, I can't see you."

Zhang Yang could only see Ge Zhou's abdomen when looking straight ahead; he couldn't see his face.

She had just gone to borrow Guan Si's knife. If Guan Si hadn't pressed down on the hilt, she wouldn't have been able to draw the knife at her current height. Ge Zhou, on the other hand, was a burly and strong warrior with naturally superhuman strength. His shoulders were even broader than those of the young Guan Si, and he was slightly taller.

Zhang Yang found it even more difficult to see her.

If you're too close, you can only see his chin when you look up.

Without saying a word, Ge Zhou squatted down, wrapped his long arms around Zhang Yang, and steadily lifted him up, letting Zhang Yang sit on his shoulders.

"How long will the lord maintain this appearance?"

"A normal night-crying child grows one year older each day after becoming an infant until they recover, but the current situation is a bit different." Zhang Yang looked at her much smaller hand and squeezed it, finding that both the bones and flesh were soft. "We can only ask Guan Zong and the others."

When will recovery begin, and how long will it take...?

Zhang Yang knew nothing about it.

Ge Zhou then asked, "Does the lord's strength have any impact?"

If her strength has also regressed to that of an eight or nine-year-old, the guard rotation will need to be adjusted and made more meticulous. Previously, when the lord was still strong, she was not afraid of sneak attacks or assassinations; even if the guards didn't arrive in time, she could deal with uninvited guests. But that's no longer possible.

"It doesn't affect me, I'm just not used to this height."

Ge Zhou's eyes sparkled: "Before the lord restored everything to normal, he sat on my shoulders, so that he could see higher and farther."

Zhang Yang replied without hesitation: "Good."

Her ability to smoothly accept sitting on her subordinate's shoulders is also thanks to the various quirky mounts that the game designers have continuously introduced, including but not limited to those that fly in the sky, run on the road, swim in the water, are made of metal, wood, are humanoid, or are non-humanoid... In the game world, players can often be seen riding around on zombie beasts or android machines as tall as small buildings.

Some players even rent themselves out to act as mounts when they're bored.

Zhang Yang pulled out a handful of copper coins from his game backpack and accurately smashed them onto Guan Zong's head. Guan Zong was furious but dared not utter a word. Guan·Block·Si, who was beside him, did not try to stop him. He simply raised his eyelids slightly, his gaze falling on Ge Zhou's shoulder before shifting his gaze away after a while.

"Ge Xidan's duty is to guard the safety of Bo Yuan."

Why are you trying to steal Zhang Dami and the others' jobs?

Ge Zhou clearly didn't understand the implied meaning.

She said, "This humble general dares not forget his duty for even a moment."

Guan Si: "..."

Zhang Yang shifted his weight, using Ge Zhou's helmet for support, and looked at Guan Zong with his chin propped on his hand: "I remember last time when the Starfall flared up, your whole body rejuvenated, except for your face."

This time it's different.

Guan Zong said, "It's not like he doesn't keep his face turned up every time."

Zhang Yang didn't quite understand: "What do you mean?"

"Every time the 'Star-Descending Calamity' strikes, one part of my body will retain its original age; last time it was my face." If I could perfectly rejuvenate, I would be indistinguishable from an ordinary baby, and Night Cry wouldn't be easily recognized. "If I'm lucky, it might be a body hair or a small bone; if I'm unlucky, it might be my limbs or torso. As for my face, I've been very lucky."

Guan Zong was lucky last time. Some unlucky souls are even worse off; their entire body ages backward except for their long thigh bone, which might even be pierced through their heart. People in this world are indeed resilient, but they can also die suddenly in such situations.

If it weren't for the chaotic seasons, he would have been safe if he had just stayed in that small village and endured the weakest days.

Zhang Yang: "..."

She was imagining the scene in her mind.

Whether it's an infant with an adult's leg, or an infant's limbs and brain growing onto an adult's torso, the image is incredibly surreal and bizarre. Zhang Yang wholeheartedly agreed with Guan Zong's assessment that he was lucky the last time only his face remained unchanged.

Zhang Yang: "I see. And what about this time?"

Both she and Ge Zhou looked at Guan Zong. The parts of his body that were exposed looked normal, so what was abnormal hidden beneath his clothes? Guan Zong felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively hid behind cover: "What are you looking at? What are you thinking?"

Ge Zhou replied honestly, "This humble general didn't think of anything."

Zhang Yang also asked, "What am I supposed to think about?"

Guan Zong blushed, clearly realizing that it was he who had unhealthy thoughts.

Fearing that Guan Si would unleash his righteous fist, he hurriedly said, "No, not this time. I've carefully checked, and there's nothing unusual."

It was as if his body was simply rejuvenating normally, with his age suppressed to at least eight or nine years old, rather than being a newborn.

If I had to point out where something is different...

That is, Zhang Yang also looked like he was eight or nine years old.

Zhang Yang: "So, is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It should be considered a good thing." Guan Zong looked at Zhang Yang with complicated eyes. "The Night Crying Disease can make people rejuvenate. The first level will cause it to occur once a year, the second level will cause it twice a year, and so on. The actual age is the same as the length of the period of weakness in regeneration. I am already thirty-nine years old, and I am at the third level of the Night Crying Disease. One cycle is only four months, and it takes thirty-nine days to recover from each attack."

Zhang Yang: "The recovery time is too short?"

Guan Zong shook his head and said, "It's because I've lived a long life."

If it weren't for his exceptionally good luck, he would be at who knows how many levels he'd be at by now. Assuming he's at level six, one cycle is two months, totaling sixty days. Subtracting the thirty-nine-day recovery period, only twenty-one days remain. Without the increase in the number of levels from the Starfall Descendant, Guan Zong could live a maximum of twenty-one more years. If he were to rise to level eight, one cycle would be forty-five days, leaving him with only six years at the age of thirty-nine.

Nowadays, the age for rejuvenation is suppressed to eight or nine years old, so he doesn't have to start growing from a newborn baby, thus indirectly extending his lifespan.

Zhang Yang said, "It's somewhat complicated."

Guan Zong: "As long as we know it's a good thing, that's fine."

The benefits this lord brought him didn't stop there.

Guan Zong is a triple night-crying child, experiencing a reversal of aging every four months. However, the time between his last episode and now is more than four months. This disruption of the pattern caused Guan Zong considerable anxiety. He feared it wouldn't come, yet he also feared it would act recklessly and kill him.

It's finally here!

Guan Zong actually felt a subtle joy.

The shoe that had been hanging in the air finally dropped, and there was no longer any need to worry anxiously about when the damned Star Descendant would launch a surprise attack!

Paper wrapped fire.

The next day, everyone learned about the changes that had occurred in Zhang Yang.

Lu Yuan stared in disbelief: "You are... my godmother?"

Zhang Yang's face remained expressionless, but at her age, she inevitably had baby fat, which, far from being aloof, actually held a unique attraction for Lu Yuan, making her want to pinch her cheeks. She had the desire but not the courage: "How long will it take to recover?"

"About a month." After thinking for a moment, he corrected himself, "About ten days. It will take Guan Zong a month to grow back to thirty-nine years old, but I only need to grow back to eighteen. One year older each day, so ten days will be enough."

Seeing Zhang Yang's ill-fitting clothes, Lü Yuan said, "Should we find someone from the clothing workshop to alter my foster mother's clothes?"

Whether the sleeves or pant legs are too long, you can roll them up and sew a couple of stitches to secure them. Once you've grown back to your original size, you can unroll them.

Zhang Yang shook his head: "No need for that trouble."

She often wore flowing, round-necked robes, the excess fabric of which could be tucked into her armpits. Now, it was just a little longer; her trousers had been temporarily altered into tulip-shaped pants, barely wearable, and didn't require special alterations. Theoretically, it was ten days, but in reality, she would have recovered to the age of thirteen or fourteen, not much different from her original height. Lu Yuan felt quite regretful about this. Upon hearing the news, everyone else, regardless of whether they had official business to report, rushed to Zhang Yang's side…

This is the first time I've seen a lord like this.

Wang Qi: "Are you... a mountain spirit?"

Zhang Yang said in a soft, sweet voice, "Many people have already started with this today. If I'm not myself, who else could I be? You can't possibly suspect that I'm my own child or something, right?"

Wang Qi said, "If your 'Descending Stars' is a demon or monster that produces ghosts, then this suspicion is not impossible."

Zhang Yang fell silent: "..."

She thought of Du Fang, who had given birth to her parents, wife, and children.

Zhang Yang discovered that her childhood physique wasn't entirely without its advantages. For instance, the former Dongxian subordinates who had come with Wang Ba changed their aggressive and domineering attitude upon seeing her appearance, and even unconsciously raised their voices when speaking...

Zhang Yang shifted his position, sitting cross-legged: "Have you reached a price agreement regarding the plan to connect the mountains and Dong-Ham City?"

Her reminder made everyone remember the purpose of their visit.

He Ning presented a letter.

The document roughly outlines the results of the discussions held last night.

Zhang Yang calmly opened the package, glanced at it, and then calmly closed it again: "Okay, I can pay you 30% as a deposit in advance, which is my way of showing my sincerity. But in exchange, you must be completely honest with me about everything that happens within Dongxian."

Wang Ba, who knew Zhang Yang was wealthy, also looked at him with astonishment.

You agreed just like that?

Aren't we going to try and negotiate the price?

They all reserved 30% of the negotiation space.

Zhang Yang asked, "What's wrong with it?"

Because Zhang Yang was so extravagant, the others were somewhat uneasy. However, they could not openly doubt Zhang Yang's wealth, nor could they accuse him of fraud—what if Zhang Yang really had that kind of wealth?

Wang Ba's confidant spoke tactfully, even offering Zhang Yang a way out: "No matter how precious gold and silver are, Dongxian cannot absorb them in a short time. On the contrary, it will affect the local people's livelihood. How about using equivalent amounts of cloth and rice as collateral for part of it, and gold, silver, and copper coins for the rest?"

"I don't have much rice left; I need to save it for the war."

There's plenty of gold, silver, copper, and iron, but very little rice.

Before engaging in battle with the mountains, Zhang Yang secretly purchased and stockpiled a large quantity of rice and grain. Some of it was transported back to Tianyue, while the remainder was mostly consumed during the war. Some supplies were replenished after the war, but they couldn't be easily used. Zhang Yang pondered for a moment: "I can give you more; you can send people to purchase rice, grain, and cloth elsewhere. If other places refuse to trade, I still have horses."

Warhorses were a form of hard currency even in chaotic times.

As long as the price is kept low, there's no worry about finding a market. It's difficult for ordinary people to buy grain, but it's different for large families who own vast fertile land; their granaries have more grain than they could eat in several generations. Zhang Yang may lack connections, but Wang Ba, who has been operating in Dongxian for many years, certainly does.

The Dong-Ham group's eyes lit up: "There are horses too?"

Yes, I heard there's a nice horse farm over there in the mountains.

None of them dared to mention the horse farm, after all, the warhorses produced there were of excellent quality, and their strategic value far exceeded that of gold, silver, and grain. They never expected that Zhang Yang would bring it up himself.

This guy is practically a god of wealth!

? ?|??w?`)

I'm trying to get some drafts saved up. I received five flood prevention text messages on my phone last night. I'm worried about a power outage at home, and typing on my phone isn't convenient, so I'll have to write more tonight. The refrigerator is fixed. I thought the compressor would take three or four days, and with the typhoon, it might not be fixed until next week, but the repairman came today, and the refrigerator is working normally again. I went to the supermarket and bought new popsicles and frozen dumplings.