My lord, spare his life!

"This is a vicious cycle."

Zhang Yang inexplicably felt that even the delicious meatballs had lost their flavor.

Fan You: "A vicious cycle?"

Zhang Yang said, "Things are interconnected and cyclical, meaning the situation is getting worse and worse. The natural disaster had already caused widespread resentment and countless deaths and injuries. One-tenth of ordinary people were burdened with the 'Descending Star' curse, which is considered a good thing, since it's better to live a miserable life than to die. However, these people may lose control and harm even more ordinary people."

There was absolutely no sign that things were going in a positive direction.

A sudden inspiration struck Zhang Yang.

"If we don't intervene or stop it, there will be fewer and fewer normal people, and more and more people burdened with the 'Descending Stars' curse, which means there will be more and more 'ghosts'. Before long, 'ghosts' will become normal, and people will become heretics."

Are normal people really immune to further persecution?

The homestead side map is also a world created in imitation of human society. The NPCs here should also have human social animal attributes. They will naturally have the need to gain recognition and find a group to belong to, and reject existences that are different from the group.

When normal people are in the majority, they are the "group". When "ghosts" are in the majority, normal people are heretics. Heretics will not only be rejected, but will also be marginalized and eliminated with all their might.

Will only "ghosts" remain in this world in the end?

Zhang Yang's unintentional remark caused the group to fall into deep thought.

This is a taboo subject that they subconsciously avoid, something they try to avoid mentioning, but they never expected it to be brought up.

Fan You was the first to break the deadlock.

"I never thought of myself as different from others." Some people would tear up other people's umbrellas after getting caught in the rain, but Fan You is the kind of person who hopes for sunshine after getting caught in the rain. "And unless the human race stops reproducing, there will always be new people born in this world."

If only "ghosts" remain, it means the end of humanity.

However, the lord's concerns were not without reason.

Just as Fan You calmed down, Guan Zong swiftly scooped up all the shrimp paste Fan You had put down and put it in his own bowl, leaving not a single piece for him. Fan You searched with a slotted spoon, glaring angrily.

Guan Zong smirked and raised his lips.

He stuck out his tongue and licked the shrimp paste back and forth.

Finally, curl your tongue and chew with relish.

Fan You: "..."

A breath later—

Guan Zong was bound hand and foot by the Starlight Chains again, forced to watch helplessly as Fan You leisurely added shrimp paste to the copper pot. The mutton, beef, duck blood, tofu skin, beef balls… none of it concerned him. Guan Zong was furious, his face flushed red, wishing he could tear Fan You apart to vent his anger.

Guan Zong asked Puyang Kui to help him get out of trouble.

Puyang Kui: "You disgusted me just now too."

Guan Zong was both angry and helpless.

Fortunately, Fan You stopped short of satisfying Guan Zong's cravings and released him after less than fifteen minutes. Guan Zong grabbed his bowl and chopsticks and wolfed down his food, thinking bitterly that he wouldn't leave a single bite for Fan You and the others.

The clear broth in the copper pot was added more than a dozen times during this meal.

Zhang Yang did a final inventory; they had consumed fifteen large bags of pre-made hot pot ingredients from the wholesale supplier. Guan Zong wiped his mouth, still savoring the meal, and said, "I've never eaten anything this good in my life. My lord, we're not saying this is the last time we'll eat like this, are we?"

Zhang Yang said, "No, that won't happen."

She still has several sets of game items in her inventory.

Guan Zong: "Haha, that's good, that's good. For this food, I'll haunt you like a ghost for the rest of my life."

Zhang Yang: "..."

Is no one going to do anything about NPCs repaying kindness with enmity?

Guan Zong burped and sighed regretfully, secretly glancing at Zhang Yang's reaction out of the corner of his eye: "What a pity, no wine."

"liquor?"

"The lord has it too?"

"That's a must."

"Hehe, give me a taste."

Alcohol has a wide range of uses in the game; the creation of many buff foods and medicines relies on different types of alcohol. The observation subjects needed to drink alcohol to gain buffs in certain occupied areas, and Zhang Yang, a corpse dealer who spent years fighting monsters in occupied areas, naturally wouldn't be without sufficient alcohol. However, he politely declined.

"I won't give it to you."

Guan Zong looked surprised, seemingly not expecting Zhang Yang to be so stingy with a drink. Judging from this strange lord's behavior these past few days, she was not stingy with material possessions. To put it nicely, she was generous and righteous; to put it bluntly, she was a spoiled rich kid.

As the saying goes, "The son sells his father's land without a care in the world."

Guan Zong: "Why?"

Zhang Yang bluntly stated, "It's too expensive, I won't give it to you."

Whether players buy ready-made beverage ingredients from NPCs or brew their own, the cost is not cheap. The price of one jar of beverage can buy a hundred large bags of hot pot ingredients.

Guan Zong: "..."

Not getting any drinks wasn't a big deal, but being so bluntly rejected made Guan Zong feel embarrassed and a little annoyed. The drinks in her hand were fine wine; how could he not even get a sip?

I didn't really want to drink it in the first place, but now I have no choice but to.

He laughed through gritted teeth: "I'll switch with you later."

"What are you going to give me in exchange?"

Guan Zong sneered: "Of course, it's valuable heads and military merits!"

Zhang Yang pulled out a jar of cashews, twisted open the lid, punctured the seal, and fed one to Shi Xu first: "Whose head?"

Guan Zong raised an eyebrow and said, "How about the heads of the Eastern Bandits lingering in the Eastern Bandit Mountains? One head for one jar."

Zhang Yang wasn't interested at all.

Puyang Kui and Fan You were very interested, and the two exchanged glances discreetly in secret—they had suspected Guan Zong's background from the very first day, knowing that the old man had something wrong with him, but they didn't know what his origins were—the Eastern Bandit mentioned this time was probably a clue.

"Not interested. What would I do with heads?"

Human heads are worthless.

Guan Zong's rebellious thoughts resurfaced: "This is the head of the Eastern Bandits. Do you know who the Eastern Bandits are? They've been a rebel force that has been entrenched in the Eastern Bandits Mountains for over twenty years. Relying on their familiarity with the Eastern Bandits Mountains, they've been roaming around plundering the counties and prefectures near the mountains. It's said that the Eastern Bandits have amassed a fortune that rivals that of a nation, and they also maintain elite troops and generals. This group of bandits lives a carefree life like local tyrants in the mountains."

Zhang Yang raised an eyebrow: "Wealthy enough to rival a nation?"

Guan Zong choked for a moment, subconsciously thinking of Zhang Yang's pile of stuff. If that stuff were in the hands of someone knowledgeable, it would be incredibly effective in battle. Besides that, Zhang Yang was also carrying a considerable amount of gold ingots of astonishing purity. Although the exact number was unknown, it was substantial.

but--

Guan Zong snorted, "I'm definitely richer than you."

"You talk as if you've seen the true financial strength of both sides."

"I have my own sources of information."

"Information channels? Are you implying that you have a friend who's a bandit in the Eastern Frontier, and that the information he possesses is absolutely reliable?" Zhang Yang quoted Guan Zong's line, watching with interest as the name flashed continuously above Guan Zong's head. "The observation samples have said that, generally speaking, 'I have a friend' is equivalent to 'that friend is myself.' You're harboring murderous intent; are you planning to kill me?"

The name flashing above Guan Zong's head instantly returned to its original yellow status.

Guan Zong wasn't entirely confident about the rest, but one thing he was certain of was that Zhang Yang was ruthless towards anyone who harbored murderous intent towards her—who would refuse a neck stretched out in front of them? Zhang Yang wouldn't refuse, which is why that idiot surnamed Jiang was the first to die.

Guan Zong chuckled awkwardly.

"How could that be? I said I would follow my lord for life."

Zhang Yang gave a strange smile.

"Isn't this time it like a ghost haunting me?"

Guan Zong: "..."

The more you look at Zhang Yang's smile, the more eerie and unsettling it becomes. Does this guy really not possess the "Descending Stars of Wrath" aura? Why does he exude such a ghostly presence?

He suspected that Zhang Yang had been pretending to be stupid all along.

Zhang Yang lowered his eyelids slightly. From this angle, he appeared less ruthless and more alluring with his naturally captivating eyes. Just as Guan Zong was about to end the probing, Zhang Yang asked, "How many men does the Eastern Barbarian rebel have? How much grain?"

Guan Zong replied, "Several thousand people, I suppose. As for the grain, I don't know the exact amount, but I've heard that they have enough stored grain to last five or six years. They have a lot of grain stored, and the mountainous terrain is complex and intricate. Several attempts by the counties and prefectures near the Eastern Fan Mountains to encircle and suppress them have all failed."

They couldn't find the person, and they couldn't besiege them for five or six years.

Over time—

They could only watch helplessly as the bandits in the eastern vassal states grew increasingly powerful.

Zhang Yang's heart began to flutter with excitement. Enough grain to feed several thousand people for five or six years! If all this grain were given to her, it could feed not just the eight counties of Tianyue, but all eighteen counties. The crop failure and deficit caused by this natural disaster could be perfectly balanced.

Guan Zong was taken aback.

He seemed surprised that Zhang Yang's plan was to resolve the trouble with Tianyue, rather than to use the supplies and troops to launch an uprising after subduing the Eastern Bandits. He even began to suspect that Zhang Yang's silence about the Eastern Bandits was a ploy to lure him into a trap.

He watched coldly as he lost his temper first.

Otherwise—

Why would she suddenly take advantage of the situation and become interested in the Eastern Barbarian bandits?

Guan Zong doubted that he had misjudged the situation.

Zhang Yang is a cunning fellow who pretends to be weak while actually being strong.

Little did they know, this was simply a common trope in game storylines.

If an unfamiliar thing/faction/character/place name pops up in an NPC chat, it goes without saying that it will definitely have a place in the later plot. Game developers don't have that much free time to mention irrelevant things; if they do mention it, it's bound to be useful later.

Guan Zong naturally follows this pattern as well.

He is definitely an important NPC who leads to the storyline of the Eastern Bandits.

I just don't know if this is a side story or a main storyline.

The next day, the county magistrate inspected the resettlement of refugees.

"Magistrate Xu, I have a question for you."

"Please speak freely, Magistrate Zhang."

Do you know where the bandits from the Eastern Frontier are?

The magistrate's expression changed drastically, visibly showing signs of panic. He hurriedly asked, "Why did you suddenly mention this group of bandits, Magistrate Zhang? Did you discover anyone last night? Did bandits from the Eastern Frontier infiltrate the city?"

Zhang Yang: "No, it's just that I heard this group is well-off and has plenty of grain. With such a small number of people, can they manage to eat everything they need?"

If you give her 100%, she'll understand exactly what she's getting.

The magistrate's expression froze, his emotions a complex and inexplicable mix.

He never expected Zhang Yang to target that group of desperate, bloodthirsty thugs. The magistrate was already thankful that the Eastern Frontier bandits weren't taking advantage of the chaos; Zhang Yang actually wanted to provoke them. The magistrate said with difficulty, "They are always elusive, and the Eastern Frontier Mountains stretch for thousands of miles. I really don't know where the bandits are."

Zhang Yang then asked, "Is there any way to find their hideout?"

The magistrate forced a smile: "This humble official is unaware."

"You know nothing about this and nothing about that, what use are you?"

The magistrate smiled apologetically, "Yes, yes, it's all my fault."

Zhang Yang: "..."

It's like punching cotton.

Why should NPCs make things difficult for other NPCs?

She waved her hand, signaling the magistrate to attend to his own business.

The magistrate bowed and took his leave, but before he had gone far, he bumped into his pale friend: "Why don't you just tell her? What are you afraid of? Anyway, if something goes wrong, she'll take the blame. She won't kill you."

Du Fang looked at the magistrate's obsequious manner with a bit of speechlessness, feeling somewhat ashamed, yet unable to correct his friend. This was simply the magistrate's consistent way of dealing with people—avoiding trouble if possible, always putting on a smiling face for everyone, utterly pathetic.

But it was this cowardice that brought him a few years of peace.

"Are you out of confinement after giving birth?"

Du Fang: "..."

Zhang Yang, standing some distance away, raised his voice to correct him.

"All we can calculate is the date."

Du Fang: "..."

Zhang Yang: "What did Dong Su mean by that just now?"

The county magistrate had a way to find the bandits from the eastern frontier, but claimed he didn't know anything about it.

Du Fang explained, "Lord Zhang, please don't misunderstand. Jiu Si didn't mean to conceal anything; it's just that this method also depends on luck. The Dongfan bandits originally started as a remnant of a dozen or so men. To grow to their current size, they naturally couldn't have relied on surrendering or starting from scratch. Therefore, wherever there's an uprising near the Dongfan Mountains, they might go there to incite people and lure them into becoming bandits..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang understood: "So... this natural disaster might have been caused by the Eastern Bandits sending people to cause trouble? If I follow this lead, I can find the Eastern Bandits' headquarters?"

Du Fang nodded: "Yes."

"The bandits of the Eastern Frontier are fierce and ruthless. There is really no need for Magistrate Zhang to put himself in danger. Right now, we have enough food, and we can even spare some to support neighboring counties and take in refugees from those counties." The magistrate's words were met with a warning look from Du Fang.

Du Fang frowned: "What did you say?"

The magistrate said sheepishly, "The neighboring county is in a worse situation than us. This morning, the county government received a letter requesting a grain loan, asking if we have any surplus grain here. I ordered people to take inventory and prepare to send a batch over..."

Du Fang: "Have you consulted Magistrate Zhang?"

"Not yet..."

Zhang Yang: "I just heard about it too."

Du Fang: "..."

If the situation weren't so inappropriate, he would have grabbed his friend and given him a beating: "Have you considered what would happen if the neighboring counties used some excuse to drive all the refugees here?"

The magistrate said, "Then I'll accept it."

Having said that, he bowed to Zhang Yang and said, "This natural disaster has caused heavy casualties in our county, and it will be difficult to recover within ten years. Attracting refugees from elsewhere will replenish our population. With able-bodied men, it will be more convenient for Magistrate Zhang to... in the future."

The magistrate paused after the words "if you want".

The tone was extremely ambiguous.

Du Fang: "..."

The magistrate lowered his voice and whispered in Zhang Yang's ear, "In that case, there's one advantage. Rather than letting our county become the target of everyone's wrath, it's better to take the initiative and appease the neighboring counties first, thus avoiding being attacked from both sides later..."

Zhang Yang only heard a string of gibberish.

However, seeing the bright green banner above the magistrate's head, she knew his words were definitely for her benefit. So, feigning seriousness, she patted the magistrate's shoulder: "I naturally trust you to handle things. This is a very worthwhile and virtuous act!"

Du Fang: "..."

He went home and had a child, in a day, not a month!

Why has Xu Jiusi become so unfamiliar?

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