My lord, spare his life!

She may believe it, but she needs to know why.

"This natural disaster has affected all eight counties of Tianyue Prefecture. If the number of casualties here is far lower than in the other seven counties, it would be too conspicuous." The previous bloodshed could be barely attributed to decisive action. Using violence to borrow food to alleviate the immediate crisis was something that other places could easily copy. However, taking out such precious warm clothing would attract those who would try to seize it by force, which would cause a lot of trouble.

Fan You not only didn't feel uncomfortable, but his brow relaxed, and even his formulaic smile became more sincere. He wasn't afraid his lord was illiterate; he was afraid the illiterate would think he was clever—to know not only what, but also why. This meant there was still hope for this illiterate man.

"Just making a mistake? I'm not afraid."

Can players still fear red names?

Fan You shook his head: "Of course it's more than that."

In an era when even a tattered garment could fetch a life-saving sum from a pawnshop, the value of so many blankets was greater than the grain stored in all of Chiang Kai-shek's fortified granaries! Zhang Yang could easily pull them out, so she had no concept of the blankets' value, but Fan You knew it all too well.

"My lord, these blankets are meant for trade. If you just give them away to the refugees, not only will their value be diminished, but their true worth will also be exposed. Even the best things become worthless when they are plentiful." Fan You looked at the refugees lining up with their families to enter the city and began to mutter again. "My lord's compassion for the poor and weak is not a fault, but he is unaware of the treacherous nature of people. The poverty of the poor is not simply about having nothing to show for it; it is also about their emptiness of mind. Once they suddenly become rich, they will surely lose their true nature. They should be educated and enlightened."

Zhang Yang tilted his head and gave the order without any politeness.

"Shuyan, speak like a human being."

Fan You: "...The blanket will be stolen."

Don't test human nature with something so expensive.

Zhang Yang: "..."

Fan You knew without guessing that once the blanket reached the refugees, only a small portion would use it for warmth; most would choose to secretly hide or sell it. This was a risky but potentially lucrative endeavor. If they won the gamble, Zhang Yang wouldn't hold the blanket accountable for its fate, and the proceeds from that one blanket would be enough to cover the family's basic expenses for the rest of their lives.

It's too good to gamble with your worthless life.

Fan You solemnly said, "This also harmed them."

The supplies scavenged from various places are enough to ensure that the refugees gathered outside the city survive this natural disaster and meet their minimum survival needs. Any further gratification would be poison.

Zhang Yang opened his somewhat unfocused peach blossom eyes, nodded vaguely, and mumbled, "I understand, this 'person' is quite complicated."

Is this the deep storyline that the game's developers were touting?

She felt that following the plot was a waste of time.

Fan You: "..."

He felt it wasn't that people were complicated, but that Zhang Yang was too simple. She seemed to possess a primitive air about her, as if she were accustomed to using violence to survive, and problems that could be solved with violence weren't really problems. This made him even more curious about her upbringing.

"Waaaaah~~~"

Zhang Dami approached silently with her cat-like steps, nudging Zhang Yang's leg with her fluffy head. After successfully attracting Zhang Yang's attention, Zhang Dami rolled over, revealing her soft, warm belly and her clear, innocent tiger eyes.

Zhang Yang stared at it for a while, then emphasized it seriously.

Don't seduce me.

She's not like some players who get seduced by the beauty of mounts.

Zhang Dami's tiger paws froze, and she rolled over as if she had no will to live.

Zhang Yang looked around and saw that Guan Zong was the only one with free time: "If you're free, take Da Mi to get a bath. It's too dirty."

Guan Zong: "Why would I be idle with nothing to do?"

Zhang Yang, expressionless, reminded him: "A large house."

"Come, come, I'm coming right now, I'm the most relaxed one." Guan Zong did a somersault and ran towards Zhang Dami with his short legs, his attitude as enthusiastic as if he were serving his own living ancestor.

The newly arrived Puyang governor happened to overhear these words.

"What kind of mansion?"

"The Jiang family's large mansion in the city, which is a full hectare in size."

Puyang Kui raised an eyebrow: "Does the lord intend to reward him?"

"It's for him to see, not for him to live in." She didn't give any guarantees, only saying "big house." Guan Zong's misunderstanding is not her fault.

Puyang Kui wanted to laugh, but he forced himself to hold it back.

"The lord is fair in rewarding and punishing."

For this ruler, encouragement is far more effective than blunt advice.

Zhang Yang: "But I didn't punish him."

Puyang Kui: "..."

The most urgent task is to read more books and improve literacy.

With ample food and no money involved, Fan You instructed the cooks not to be stingy and to cook according to the standard that the chopsticks should stand upright without tipping over.

As the rich aroma of rice gradually spread, the refugees' stomachs rumbled. The smell was so enticing, especially in their hunger; it was like hot oil poured on parched hearts, burning their bodies with pain.

They dared not snatch it; they could only swallow their saliva and suppress their impulse.

"It's cooked. Line up to collect it."

Everyone not only received a bowl of hot wheat porridge, but also a bowl of soup with minced meat. After taking a bite, the warmth spread from the inside out, making one feel as if they had come back to life.

Having learned their lesson from last time, no one dared to forcibly seize it this time.

Zhang Yang also asked the helper for a share.

One bite, chewing and chewing, and there are pebbles!

He swallowed it without expression and then gave it a bad review.

"One star, this rice makes my throat sore."

It smells so good, but tastes so bad.

"Dami, suckle." She said it with disgust, and her actions showed even more disgust. She poured the wheat rice into the earthenware basin and pushed it in front of Zhang Dami, who had just returned from taking a bath. "Eat, don't waste it, or I'll break your legs."

Zhang Dami turned her face away, but Zhang Yang forcibly turned her face back to face.

It sobbed in grievance, forced to submit.

"Sweetie, I'll hunt some meat for you later."

Zhang Yang stroked the tiger's head with satisfaction. When her gaze fell on the line of refugees, she suddenly remembered an NPC refugee who had been kicked yesterday, which she guessed had already been refreshed. Just as she was about to send someone to inquire about the situation, a new record popped up in the system log.

"Huh, is this a bug?"

Calmly observe, and you'll find a strange aura in your mind's eye.

This aura was quiet and weak, drifting slowly away, carefully avoiding the other two auras—one belonging to Fan You and the other to Guan Zong. Both auras appeared because the two of them gave her their heart's blood, but what about this third one?

Zhang Yang scrolled up through the system logs and discovered a detail.

Congratulations on finding a new recruit!

This system log was refreshed a few minutes ago.

Following this clue, Zhang Yang opened the system recruitment page and found an unfamiliar avatar among the row of avatars on the left. The avatar was young, probably an eight or nine-year-old child, with sunken cheeks, dark circles under his eyes, and deep-set eyes.

She looked at it for a while and then remembered.

Isn't this the refugee child NPC from yesterday?

Zhang Yang's peripheral vision caught sight of the figure on the platform to the right. The refugee child NPC was still dressed as yesterday, his shoulders slightly hunched in, and his thin face gave him a timid and reserved appearance. The child's clothes were ill-fitting; the sleeves and trousers were too short, exposing most of his arms and calves, and large patches of frostbite were cracked and oozing pus.

Behind the human figure was a floating phantom.

The main body of the phantom was bizarre, with five bamboo-like lower bodies intertwined together, forming a lumpy, tumor-like outline. It had a thin neck longer than its lower body, and its head had no face, except for a single eye on the head in the center.

A cowardly refugee child NPC, a hideous phantom.

[Name: Ya Zi (can be changed)]

Age: 9

[Faction: Star Lord Yang]

Occupation: Retainer (Undetermined)

【Stars: Azure Dragon - Heart Constellation】

[Talent: Heart Moon Fox]

【The stars descend in fury: First level, one eye sees five】

Loyalty: 92 (The Moon Shines on Me)

[Morality: 77 (The Bright Moon Shines on Me)]

[Strategy: 78 (The Moon Shines on Me)]

[Ambition: 67 (The Moon Shines on Me)]

Title: The stars Shen and Shang never meet.

Zhang Yang looked up and happened to see a dirty-looking child standing in the group of refugees, whose gaze was clearly being stolen at her.

Isn't this the person who just appeared on the recruitment page?

She forced a small smile at the child.

"come over."

The child pointed to himself, his bluish face filled with disbelief.

"Yes, it's you."

The child trotted towards Zhang Yang, his steps steady and his movements agile, showing no trace of the weakness and near-death he had shown the day before.

Zhang Yang: "Okay, I told you it could be refreshed. Do you still feel any discomfort anywhere? Does your stomach still hurt?"

He then took out a rice wrapped in oil paper from his game backpack.

"Eat it while it's hot, it'll warm you up."

The child was still wearing yesterday's clothes, probably because he hadn't received his winter coat yet. Wearing so little while queuing for food, he was freezing when it was his turn.

The child stared blankly at Zhang Yang for a long while before realizing that this was just for her. So, she held the oil-paper-wrapped rice in both hands and wolfed it down, almost burying her entire face in the scalding hot rice. She didn't even chew it properly.

"Eat slowly, isn't it hot for you?"

"Why didn't the magistrate provide you with clothes?"

Zhang Yang should give the county magistrate a piece of his mind.

Supplies should be distributed starting with the elderly and children. Young and strong people are physically stronger and more resistant to the cold; they won't die even if they shiver for a while.

The child stared with his dark eyes and remained silent.

If Zhang Yang hadn't heard the child cry out in pain yesterday, she would have suspected the child was mute. She waited for the child to finish eating, and seeing that the child looked like he hadn't had enough, and that his stomach was still rumbling so loudly she could hear it, she generously took out a second serving of rice wrapped in oil paper.

Eat up, there's plenty.

There was still quite a bit of rice left from the two sets of oil-paper wrapped rice.

So, the child ate ten servings in one go before stopping, leaving Zhang Yang stunned! Aside from the observation subjects who had bottomless stomachs, capable of eating several meals without feeling full, she had never seen any NPC with such a good appetite. One serving of rice wrapped in oil paper weighs three jin (1.5 kg), so ten servings would be thirty jin (15 kg)! Not to mention that the child almost choked to death eating so fast and drank three bowls of soup.

"How's your stomach?"

The child finally stopped and let out a satisfied burp.

"I'm full." She said with some difficulty, her voice hoarse, as if her throat had been rubbed back and forth by the roughest sandpaper.

Zhang Yang patted the child's frizzy, tangled hair.

"Go get some clothes to change into, don't get cold."

The child looked down at his arms and shook his head: "I'm not cold."

"You're so cold you can't feel anything, it's not that you're not cold."

The child's arm looked better than it appeared on the recruitment platform; the chilblains had healed and were no longer oozing pus, and her skin color was gradually returning to normal. Zhang Yang was worried that she wouldn't be able to get the clothes alone, so he decided to take her with him.

"She's not cold at all; Yi Muwu isn't that fragile."

"One eye can see five? How did Uncle Yan know?"

"The aura is too strong. I didn't have much experience the first time and didn't know how to control it. You'll get used to it." He still remembered this child. It was quite surprising that he could wake up in just one day. "You don't need to be afraid of me. I have no ill intentions. The person next to you is also my star lord. If you trust me, stay by my side for the next few days, and I will teach you."

"What's that aura?"

Zhang Yang sniffed hard.

"Why can't I smell it?"

Fan You: "It's normal that my lord can't smell it, because only his kind can smell it. It's not a good thing that you can smell it."

If given a choice, no one would want to take this step.

With Zhang Yang's endorsement, the child's resistance to Fan You lessened considerably. When she first woke up, she did feel some strange changes occurring in her body, and her intuition told her it wasn't a good thing, even dangerous. However, there was no one around to help her understand, so she could only digest this confusion and fear alone.

Fan You took the child elsewhere.

"Don't be afraid, this is normal."

The child clutched helplessly at the tattered hem of his clothes, and after a long while, he looked up and cautiously asked, "Am I... dead?"

"I died, but now I'm alive again."

The child suddenly opened his eyes wide, his lips trembling.

Fan You sneered: "What's there to be afraid of? Aren't ghosts supposed to live in hell? You can't be considered dead; this is a rebirth."

The human world is a purgatory, where humans and ghosts coexist.

"What's your name?"

"Ya, Ya Zi."

"Duck? What kind of nickname is that? Change it."

The child looked timidly in Zhang Yang's direction, but Fan You poured cold water on her enthusiasm: "If you let the lord name you, you'll most likely grow from a duckling into a chick. What name could she possibly give you?"

We must have a deep understanding of Zhang Yang's illiteracy.

As the sun was about to reach its zenith, Zhang Yang noticed a change in Ya Zi's recruitment information; the name field had changed from "Ya Zi" to "Shi Xu, courtesy name Jiu Ge." She exclaimed, "No, who named her that? What kind person would name their child Jiu Ge?"

So he's just like Guan Zong's son, taking advantage of others.

"Which words are they?" The county magistrate was about to come over to discuss how to deal with those families when he overheard Zhang Yang's complaint.

"Nine in one, two, three, four, five, seven, eight, nine, is the song of singing."

"Nine merits are recorded, nine records are sung, that's a good name," the magistrate joked, "but why not call it Nine Records?"

Zhang Yang pondered for a moment.

"Then her name should be Shige?"

The teacher sings a song, "Senior Brother," and anyone who calls out to him automatically becomes a junior brother or sister.

Zhang Yang provided feedback on the person who chose the name.

"A name that comes from someone who is uncultured but insists on being pretentious is like that of an illiterate person."

The magistrate chuckled, his eyes crinkling with laughter. Fortunately, he was a professional official and never forgot his duty: "This humble official has a matter that is difficult to decide, and has come to seek your advice, Your Excellency."

"You speak, I listen."

Zhang Yang likes NPCs who are sensible like this.

"We have received all the promised grain from the families in prison, and they are prominent clans in the county with many members. I feel it is inappropriate to continue detaining them. What do you think, Your Excellency? Should we release them for now?"

"A common surname? Making up a large proportion of the county's population?"

"It's not a huge amount, but most of it is related to merchants in this county." The county magistrate knew Zhang Yang's straightforward nature, so he didn't play any roundabout hints and said directly, "This year's chaos and natural disasters have meant that next year's land tax will mostly be gone, and the county government will have to make up for it by relying on merchants. If we offend everyone and cause them to close down or move elsewhere, it will be bad for the county."

Agriculture is the foundation, but commerce is also important.

The former (businesses) have limited financial benefits, and pushing them too far can lead to family ruin and widespread public resentment. In contrast, targeting businesses carries less moral burden, as prioritizing agriculture over commerce is an established trend.

Zhang Yang nodded knowingly and concluded, "Oh, I get it. You want to keep the fat sheep alive to slaughter slowly; it's a waste to kill them all at once."

Isn't this what the observed samples mean by sustainable development?

The magistrate chuckled, "Pretty much."

Zhang Yang shook his head and said, "But what you're doing is wrong."

The magistrate humbly sought advice: "I humbly request Your Excellency's guidance."

Zhang Yang: "I don't understand the rest, but I know that people are inherently cunning. If you don't beat them into submission and scare them, if you don't hold their weaknesses in your hands, they'll become arrogant and overconfident again after a few days of good fortune. You're still wary of them because their clansmen own many businesses. They hold your weaknesses, yet you still release them? Shouldn't you first obtain their weaknesses before releasing them?"

The magistrate thought about it and realized that was indeed the case.

Zhang Yang proudly declared, "It's fine if you want to keep the fat sheep and slaughter them slowly, but you have to keep them firmly tied down. Otherwise, if they run wild and you can't catch them, they might even gang up on you."

"What does Your Excellency mean?"

"Few businessmen can withstand tax audits."

Why not investigate them now that they're not under any protection? Are we supposed to wait until they recover before investigating? These companies themselves are corrupt and arrogant; how can their subordinates be clean and untainted? The underlings will only become more troublesome.

The magistrate seemed to understand: "I understand."

Those people will need to be detained for a few more days.

Zhang Yang imitated Fan You's deep voice.

"This child is teachable."

Magistrate: "..."

That was a bit offensive.

However, Zhang Yang's words also made him start thinking.

Of the several families, the Jiang family was plundered and massacred by Zhang Yang. Those who could escape fled, and those who couldn't were arrested. The county government brazenly confiscated all the hidden farmland and land where the Jiang family had been hiding, without even needing to provide evidence. But were the surviving families simply let go?

The magistrate was somewhat unwilling.

Forging household registers and concealing people to cultivate land are serious crimes. Which living family hasn't done it? It's just that investigations require evidence. In the past, county magistrates were hampered by this. Every time they wanted to investigate, they were either obstructed or betrayed by traitors, and they didn't catch anyone with any evidence.

Now is the perfect opportunity.

We wiped them all out in one fell swoop.

As for the merchants—

As long as there is a market, there will always be people who want to make money.

The magistrate could also take this opportunity to release some of the monopolized businesses in the county and distribute them to ordinary merchants, completely eradicating the roots of these few businesses in the county. The more he thought about it, the more tempted he became, wishing he could return to the county government now to gather manpower and get this done.

Zhang Yang clapped his hands and turned around, only to meet Fan You's gaze.

She asked, "How did I do?"

Fan You said in a strange tone, "My lord is a man of exceptional literary talent."

Zhang Yang: "How much did you eavesdrop on?"

Fan You spoke calmly and gracefully, unhurriedly: "It all started with the lord's comment, 'Those who are uncultured yet insist on coming up with names are illiterate.'"

Zhang Yang: "..."

What a vengeful man!

County dungeon.

A continuous stream of shouts and curses followed.

"Xu Jiusi, you son of a bitch, you motherfucker...%￥*#**..." The angry curses echoed in the dungeon, waking the Jiang siblings huddled in a corner. They recognized the voice and exchanged bewildered glances. They hadn't expected their usually refined and witty uncle to speak of their parents so incessantly, like a street thug. What had happened now?

This person used foul language, and the others weren't much better.

The Jiang siblings were so frightened they didn't know what to do.

Upon inquiring, I learned that it was the prison warden who brought bad news.

The jailer's family member was a maidservant released from a certain household. It was through the maidservant that the jailer had the opportunity to establish a relationship with her. Over the years, they had maintained a regular relationship, and he was considered a retainer of that household.

In the morning, they said the magistrate intended to release the man, but just after noon, they changed their story again, saying the magistrate had returned to the county government with a group of clerks, and their direction seemed to be towards the shops in the county. The quick-witted one immediately figured out what the magistrate was up to, and was so angry he nearly jumped out of his skin.

Simple economic losses were nothing to worry about; the real fear was that Xu Jiusi would become greedy and persecute these families to the point of exhaustion. They couldn't continue to sit idly by and wait for their doom, nor could they pin their hopes on the county magistrate stopping while he was ahead. After cursing for a while, the group calmed down and discussed their options.

"The best course of action now is to send someone to rescue them as soon as possible."

News travels slowly, and most of the retainers live in manors outside the city, so they may not yet know that their master is in prison.

"Yes, it is. If this continues, their lives may be in danger."

Some people don't want to take this risky step.

If they send someone to rescue them, there are only two outcomes. They either join forces to overthrow the county government and seize power from Magistrate Xu Jin, or Xu Jin drives them out. What about the farmland, the estates, the tenants, the oxen, and the farm tools? Wouldn't they all end up benefiting Xu Jin in the end?

He hesitated for a moment: "Xu Jiusi...does he have the guts?"

This statement immediately drew a rebuttal from the cell next door.

"If Xu Jin didn't have the guts, was yesterday's banquet a setup by some ghost? It infuriates me! He's played with the eagle his whole life, and in the end, the eagle pecked out his eye!" I thought Xu Jin was just a cowardly rabbit who could only take a beating, but who knew this guy had a trick up his sleeve: the rabbit kicks the eagle.

Years of humiliating reputation were exchanged for the success of a single treacherous banquet!

That kick nearly killed them.

They couldn't predict Xu Jin's next move based on past experience, and they couldn't gamble that he would stop short of making a move: "What do you think? If we're going to act, let's act together. The jailer found out that that monster Du Dongsu just lost his son, and Xu Jiusi can't rely on him for the time being. The county government is short-handed, and there are quite a few people among them who have received favors from us. They're beholden to us, and if we have something on them, they won't wholeheartedly help Xu Jiusi."

Once rescued, they immediately set about organizing a counterattack against the county government.

We cannot give Xu Jin the opportunity to defeat them one by one.

"Gentlemen, what do you think?"

"I have no objection."

"Can."

"At your disposal."

In just a few words, the group reached an agreement.

The jailer relayed the message and the deployment of the county dungeon to his retainers outside the city. Upon receiving the message, the retainers naturally understood what to do.

Each person took a token from their person.

The jailer wrapped the token up and tucked it into his coat. His warm clothes were bulky, making it difficult for anyone to discover anything he'd hidden.

He endured his shift until it was over, and then calmly left the dungeon.

Before he could even step out of the county government gate, a heavy object fell from above and pinned him to the ground. A foul-smelling, black mass muffled his cries for help. His hands were bound by large, iron-like grips, and no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't break free. His face was pressed against the cold, damp stone bricks, making it impossible to see the attacker's features.

All that could be heard was a voice from out of town saying, "We caught one!"

"Quickly, take it to the parents."

"Behave yourself, or I'll beat you to death right here."

The prison warden was escorted to the Puyang governor.

The spirited woman cast a cold, indifferent gaze upon the inanimate object.

"They really are restless."

The guards violently searched the warden, finding a package of tokens on him, which they presented with both hands. Puyang Kui merely glanced at it and ordered it put away: "Heh, you won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences."

Pu Yangkui tapped his finger on the table, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.

Surprisingly, she was actually the one who most wanted those families wiped out. It wasn't because she had any grudges against them; they had no past or present conflicts. Puyang Kui's murderous intent stemmed solely from the fact that it would benefit her in re-establishing herself in Tianyue.

The pit is occupied, how can she get in?

Although her ancestors were from Tianyue, they did not settle there. They had long since shifted their focus to the capital region, and the Puyang clan's foundation in Tianyue had become shallow. In terms of resources, they were probably inferior to some rural gentry, and all she had at her disposal now were these guards.

The more trusted a person is, the less you should mistreat them.

Even the most loyal confidants may leave due to the pressures of life.

She desperately needs businesses like land and shops.

I don't need much, just a small share will do.

Puyang Kui, carrying the token and the jailer as witness, approached Zhang Yang: "My lord, how about I handle this matter?"

Zhang Yang readily agreed.

"Sure, I couldn't be happier."

Look, look! A mature NPC should be like Coindus, proactively completing quests and advancing the storyline. What kind of heroes are those who act like lords, waiting to be bossed around and run errands? They're all incredibly lazy, treating players like free laborers.

Fan You watched from the side without raising any objections. It was still in its early stages; the most urgent task was to work together to secure a foothold, not to expose the petty schemes of their colleagues. Everyone has selfish motives, as long as they don't harm one's own interests.

"What are Cointreau's plans?"

Puyang Kui said, "Let's play along."

"Gather them all together and capture them all in one fell swoop?"

Zhang Yang perked up his ears.

Isn't this just luring the monsters together and killing them in a group?

"We are short-handed, and even if we could gain the upper hand, it would be too risky. I plan to take them down one by one." He told each faction different meeting locations or different times for their actions. Puyang Kui had a bodyguard who could disguise himself and could use the prison warden's identity to carry out his plans.

As for the prison warden?

If they're no longer of any use, kill them.

The dead keep secrets, but the living can ruin things.

Fan You considered it in his mind and felt there was no problem.

Zhang Yang pointed to himself: "I don't need to do anything?"

Puyang Kui: "Subjects are meant to share the burdens of their ruler. If the ruler has to do everything personally, what is the point of having subjects?"

Fan You found it amusing.

Puyang Jundu is treating people like children, not a single word of truth he speaks. But truth or falsehood doesn't matter, what matters is what he does. As long as Puyang Jundu's actions benefit Zhang Yang, that's all that matters.

Zhang Yang: "That makes sense."

As night fell, the light rain in the city gradually subsided, and the heavy snowfall outside finally stopped. The county government received ample relief supplies and was finally able to spare some attention for the surrounding villages.

What they brought back were frozen corpses.

The open space was densely covered with corpses.

The magistrate covered his face with his sleeve, his eyes filled with tears.

The onlookers were all moved, but Fan You sneered inwardly.

The heartbreak is real, as is the feeling of being held back and unable to act. The tears are merely a way to lessen the self-blame and guilt in my heart.

It is a disaster for those in lower positions to occupy positions of power when they lack the necessary abilities.

"Lord Zhang, I have another request."

Zhang Yang perked up upon hearing this; there was another map quest.

"Magistrate, please speak freely."

"This matter is somewhat shameful to tell, and it involves Higashijuku."

The commotion caused by Du Fang's celestial descent is quite significant. In the past, when manpower was plentiful, he could lead his men to protect the area, but now he needs manpower everywhere. The natural disasters have caused too many deaths, the yin energy is strong while the yang energy is weak, and the magistrate is worried about potential accidents. Therefore, he sought help from Zhang Yang, hoping she could help oversee the situation.

"The demise of the stars in the Eastern Constellation? Is there a risk?" Zhang Yang glanced at Fan You, who hadn't acted up lately. "If the risk is too great, he can stay with me. Didn't they say the Star Lord can help share the burden?"

Magistrate: "..."

Fan You: "..."

Zhang Yang noticed the strange expressions on their faces: "No way?"

The magistrate stammered, "Alright...it's alright, but this is the first time in all these years that I've heard someone bring this up on their own initiative..."

What's the difference between this and deliberately sticking your neck under someone's knife?

Even a magistrate would be courting death if he couldn't come up with such a solution.

Fan You: "Du Dongsu is not an option."

Zhang Yang pressed on relentlessly, asking, "Why not?"

Fan You sneered: "You'll see tonight."

The magistrate's smile became even more awkward.

He felt like he was about to be glared to death by Fan You.

Zhang Yang: "How do you know it must be at night?"

"Because of the heavy yin energy, this is conducive to the creation of ghosts and evil spirits."

The magistrate's smile faded, a fleeting look of surprise crossing his eyes. The "Descending Stars" technique was like a fatal weakness, not easily exposed. Once outsiders grasped its secrets, it was tantamount to having one's life and fortune held in someone else's hands. How could Fan You know?

Fan You didn't say much, but he asked Zhang Yang to bring Shi Xu along as well: "The One-Eyed Eye can neither harm good nor evil people, but it has a strong restraint on those who are neither good nor evil, and who have neither fortune nor luck. The 'child' that is about to be born fits this description perfectly."

The magistrate's expression changed drastically: "Mr. Fan!"

Fan You: "You're the ones who need to clear your heads."

Zhang Yang glanced at Fan You and then at the county magistrate, feeling that the two of them were talking about some kind of encrypted content—tsk, what secret gossip could a noble player like her not be allowed to hear?

Du Fang's home was located in the most remote corner of the eastern part of the city.

There were hardly any people here to begin with, and the county magistrate's deliberate relocation of nearby civilians made the place even more deserted and eerie. Shi Xu followed closely behind Fan You in fear. Zhang Yang glanced at her, then bent down and scooped her up. Shi Xu was so frightened that she didn't dare move, stiff as a board.

Guan Zong was furious: "Didn't you say that Da Mi was a single-person mount?"

Zhang Yang: "It is indeed a single-person mount, there is no second seat, but you can hold it. It's because you look too abstract."

I really don't want to hug an old, ugly person with a dark face.

Guan Zong: "..."

I have the will to kill the traitors, but I am powerless to reverse the situation!

Whether it was her imagination or not, the closer she got to Du Fang's house, the lower the visibility became. Zhang Yang looked up, and the moon, which had been as bright as snow, had become intermittently visible, giving her a vague sense of foreboding. She took out a flashlight from her game backpack.

Push the button, and it's dawn.

Startled, Guan Zong assumed a fighting stance, and Fan You was also taken aback. Both stared in astonishment at the object in Zhang Yang's hand—a blinding white light emanating from it. This light moved with her movements, illuminating wherever it touched, making the area as bright as day.

"What is this?"

"Wasteland Special Edition Super Flashlight"

This flashlight has two main features—

Durable and bright!

It is said that the manufacturer of the lighting factory used to specialize in making cars.

Guan Zong, shameless as ever, stepped forward: "My lord, let me do it. With your subject here, how can I let you light the lamp?"

Zhang Yang tossed the flashlight to Guan Zong.

He then said to his master, "Now I have nothing to fear."

Shi Xu trembled like a leaf in her arms. Da Mi disliked the noise and reacted quite strongly, but since the troublemaker was sitting on its back, it dared not show it outright. Zhang Yang remembered that she had some small items in her game backpack, which would come in handy.

Shi Xu nodded.

With a flashlight, walking at night becomes much easier.

Before long, we saw Du Fang's house.

The door was draped in white mourning clothes, and several retainers stood guard outside the mourning hall. Upon seeing Zhang Yang sitting on the large, spotted tiger, the retainers immediately recognized the group and stepped forward to bow, saying, "Greetings, Your Excellency."

Zhang Yang peeked into the mourning hall.

The funeral hall was lit by many candles, but the light was dim. She took out a flashlight and hung it on the door, shining it directly at the coffin. The funeral hall wasn't large, and the light enveloped every part of it.

With the light, the eerie atmosphere vanished completely.

Zhang Yang clapped his hands and turned to look at the dumbfounded sergeants.

"No need for formalities, where is Dongju?"

"Yes, it's inside."

To be precise, in the delivery room.

Zhang Yang and Shi Xu both looked over at the same time: "Huh?"

Are you sure it's not a funeral parlor but a delivery room?

"Is my wife in Higashijuku about to give birth?"

The clerk didn't know how to answer for a moment—someone was going to give birth, but it wasn't Du Fang's wife who was going to give birth, it was Du Fang himself who was going to give birth.

Zhang Yang: "...Is this still Chinese?"

She could understand each word individually, but when they were put together, she was completely confused.

The side quests in the Homestead are surprisingly heavy-handed?

Zhang Yang kept recalling Du Fang's appearance: a burly, imposing figure with proportions that didn't resemble a woman at all. Based on her current observations of the homestead side map, the technology of this era wasn't that advanced.

At the very least, it's impossible to install a uterus on a man to give birth to a baby.

The observed samples stated that in their world, if an adult is dissatisfied with their body shape or organs, they can go to a store to buy parts to replace them. Some men also go to hospitals to have surgeries to increase their compatibility with female organs. Furthermore, some alien intelligent species buy certain human organs to install on themselves and then use them to engage in bizarre and illegal businesses, exploiting loopholes in the law... This has led to some laws having to be divided into more detailed categories.

but--

Is this correct?

She closed her eyes briefly, her gaze confirming with her comrades a second time.

"Really...it's not that my wife in Higashijuku is about to give birth?"

The servant whispered, "The mistress passed away many years ago."

Zhang Yang: "..."

She suddenly didn't want to know the truth anymore.

Just as Zhang Yang hesitated whether to skip this shameless scene, a chilling wind swept in from the backyard, accompanied by a strong stench of blood. Zhang Yang could even hear Du Fang's groans of pain. Fan You got up from his wheelchair: "Let's go see."

Guan Zong: "Why aren't you in a wheelchair anymore?"

He didn't like Fan You's attire very much.

Fan You coldly observed: "There are entry requirements."

Now there's no one to help him lift his wheelchair.

Once things stabilize, we can look for two followers.

Zhang Yang took out a gold brick and prepared for battle.

"Don't tell lame jokes at a time like this."

The delivery room was a small room with its windows and doors wide open. Ten retainers stood guard there, glancing inside from time to time. Du Fang was the source of this bloodshed. Besides the retainers, there were a few other people, who, judging from their clothing, were likely relatives of Du Fang.

Under the moonlight, their skin appeared bluish-white.

He looks like he has insufficient blood and qi.

Guan Zong couldn't help but gasp after just one glance.

Zhang Yang: "What's wrong?"

Guan Zong checked the location of Du Fang's room.

He gave a thumbs-up: "That's a tough guy."

Inside the room, Du Fang lay naked on a hard bed made of piled stones, his abdomen swollen and distended. Something seemed to writhe beneath his belly, as if about to burst forth. Above his bed floated a completely naked woman.

The woman was bound and suspended by four bright red ropes.

Her face contorted in extreme pain and ravenous greed, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Du Fang below. Her belly was alarmingly large, several times larger than Zhang Yang had seen on the recruitment platform. After an unknown amount of time, a hand with sharp claws ripped open Du Fang's stomach, and blood gushed out instantly. Du Fang gasped for breath and grabbed the wrist of the hand.

Gritting his teeth and fiercely pulling the baby out of the wound with a thud, he grabbed the knife beside him with his other hand and slashed at the woman.

The woman screamed horribly, sending chills down one's spine. She struggled violently, but the red ropes binding her limbs suddenly tightened until she could no longer move. Only then did Du Fang drag his bleeding belly off the bed, expressionless, and pull a lump of flesh from the woman's stomach.

After the woman vanished in a puff of smoke, Du Fang wearily walked out of the house, leaving the child with his men. Only then did he see the dumbfounded Zhang Yang, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Why has the magistrate come?"

"The magistrate is worried about you, fearing that something unexpected might happen if the stars descend in anger."

Du Fang recalled, "That was indeed dangerous."

The demon seemed to be wary, which gave him the opportunity to suppress the demon.

He took the strips of cloth handed to him by his subordinates and calmly wrapped them around his abdominal wound, saying, "Let's get out of here first."

The child was taken away by family members.

Zhang Yang also noticed that the Du family members had a healthy glow on their faces.

"This is?"

My family

Fan You sneered: "You could also say they're your children."

Zhang Yang: "???"

Du Fangda readily admitted, "So what if it is?"

Zhang Yang: "???"

Can't this plot be skipped with one click?

The game even has minors under the age of thirty. Won't these graphic and disturbing storylines affect the mental and physical health of minors?

The servants brought out the qi-boosting foods they had prepared long ago.

"Put it aside for now, we'll eat it later."

Some things don't take much effort to explain.

Du Fang said calmly, "As you can see, I fed my deceased child with my own flesh and blood, it's that simple."

To be more precise—

Zhang Yang saw his parents, wife, and children in the same way.

However, it didn't mention that even someone like him has limited life force. If his life force is insufficient to give birth, the birth demon will treat him as a meal, feast on him, and give birth to him as a demon child. An out-of-control demon child and demon mother can cause considerable harm.

Zhang Yang: "Is it mandatory to give birth?"

Du Fang's smile was weak: "It's possible not to have children, but it's not acceptable."

Zhang Yang: "Why not?"

Du Fang said, "How can we sever ties with blood relatives?"

The obsession of the demon is also with its blood relatives.

If one can relinquish these attachments, how can one not be reborn in a better realm?

"But you don't know, that's just—"

A piece of data carefully compiled by the game developer.

??(?_?)

The update is a bit late; my liver is really aching.

PS: During the first month of the new book's release, there will be a 10,000-word update for every 1,000 monthly votes received, and another 10,000-word update for each additional Alliance Master. This is only valid for this month. Next month, I'll be preparing for the Chinese New Year (#^.^#). Normal updates will resume with two chapters combined daily.