My lord, spare his life!

"Strike the magistrate? Why?"

The county magistrate dared not take direct action.

What if Zhang Yang has set a trap for him?

Fan You took a deep breath, feeling a throbbing pain in his temples, wondering what Zhang Yang was up to.

"Lord?"

Zhang Yang said, "No reason, I just want to get beaten up."

Fan You sneered through gritted teeth: "If the lord desires it, why trouble Lady Xu? I am happy to relieve the lord's worries!"

I'll definitely whip her until she screams in agony!

It took the magistrate a long time to recover from the shock.

Although the world is rife with demons and the mental health of the common people is generally poor, he had only ever seen one person in all his years of experience who immediately said they wanted to be beaten up. What's worse, the person who made this terrible request was none other than his future lord.

The magistrate couldn't help but back down: "This...this is truly putting me in a difficult position. Your Excellency's health is of utmost importance; how can it be harmed so easily?"

"Stop babbling nonsense. Just do what I tell you to do. Hit me, but don't make me repeat myself a third time." Zhang Yang's peach blossom eyes clearly conveyed one meaning—the magistrate refused to obey her orders and hit her, so she was going to hit him!

Magistrate: "That Mr. Fan..."

Zhang Yang said, "He's not good enough."

The magistrate fell into a subtle silence, then was forced to have a ruler brought to him. The moment the cold ruler touched his hand, he felt as if he were holding a hot potato, and inwardly groaned. How did this happen to him? If only Dong Su were here.

He carefully considered the force he used.

Under Fan You's murderous glare, he flicked Zhang Yang's arm with a ruler, then asked her if the force was right. Zhang Yang checked the system logs but found no notification of health deduction.

She frowned: "Didn't you eat?"

Magistrate: "..."

He inexplicably felt humiliated.

He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and hypnotized himself into believing that Zhang Yang before him wasn't some magistrate, but rather his good-for-nothing and infuriating son. His anger flared instantly; the magistrate had finally found his rhythm!

Snapped!

After a sharp, painful crack, Zhang Yang's jade-like arm only showed a faint blush, which returned to normal after a breath or two. However, Zhang Yang's confusion only increased, as the system log still did not show any notification that her health bar had been deducted.

The health bar is still full.

Zhang Yang was both helpless and disappointed: "Don't bother with your ruler, it can't even break through the defenses. Go, get a knife. I'll just look at the sword at your waist, draw it and give me a cut on the arm. I want blood. Don't just stand there, get this over with quickly."

Magistrate: "..."

He cautiously probed indirectly—Zhang Shijun's behavior was strange; could it be that she had fallen for some masochistic demon?

Zhang Yang said, "No, don't waste your time."

As he spoke, he gestured his arm toward the magistrate.

Magistrate: "..."

When Du Fang arrived at the county court, this bizarre scene unfolded before him—Magistrate Xu Jin pointed his sword at Zhang Yang, while Fan You stood grimly to one side, the three seemingly locked in a standoff. He was greatly alarmed and shouted, "Jiu Si, what are you doing!"

He appeared ready to snatch the sword from the magistrate's hand at any moment, but in reality, he intended to protect the magistrate. At the same time, he gave the magistrate meaningful glances, trying to understand what had happened. Meanwhile, Du Fang also began to feel some resentment towards the magistrate.

Compared to Zhang Yang, Du Fang was naturally closer to the county magistrate.

He and the county magistrate were on the same side.

The magistrate changed his plans without even consulting me? And he even dared to threaten Zhang Yang's life with this frail body?

This is no way to court death!

The magistrate was both amused and exasperated: "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."

What kind of mess is this?

Fearing that Zhang Yang would be displeased, the magistrate steeled his resolve.

He pressed down hard on the hilt of his sword, the blade swiftly slicing across Zhang Yang's arm. The cut was neither long nor deep, and only when bright red blood gushed from the wound did the magistrate breathe a sigh of relief. He sheathed his sword, cupped his hands, and said, "My martial arts skills are not refined enough to satisfy Your Excellency. Dong Su has been diligently studying martial arts; if Your Excellency has any needs, you may seek him out."

Du Fang: "???"

Although he didn't know the whole story, his intuition told him that the friend he had been caring about one moment had betrayed him the next.

"Not for now." Before the wound healed, Zhang Yang inserted her finger and tore open the wound expressionlessly. The gushing blood stained her fingers and palms. She coldly looked at the stable green name above the magistrate's head, and then glanced at the blood loss message refreshed in the system log. The confusion between her brows was not relieved, but instead festered and fermented in her heart.

strange!

That's so strange!

Why is it that the magistrate, who is always green-named, can hurt her? And that guy with the Easter egg on him, he suddenly turns green-named while fighting, yet he can still attack her? This clearly violates the game rules! Green-named characters can't be attacked; are we just supposed to let her sit there and wait to die?

Is this a game bug?

She lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment, then looked up at the magistrate.

This glance made the county magistrate quite uneasy.

As expected, Zhang Yang didn't even bother with a map of Yan; he went straight to the point: "Magistrate Xu, may I draw your sword?"

Magistrate: "..."

Lord Zhang was certain that he did not harbor any murderous intent towards him.

Did they find an excuse to kill him?

Seeing the name on the magistrate's head about to turn from green to yellow, Zhang Yang offered a rare explanation: "I... I used to have a strange limitation that prevented me from harming those who were kind to me. Recently, this limitation seems to have malfunctioned, so I wanted to verify it. What if one day someone can control good and evil and suddenly stabs me in the back? I wouldn't be able to defend myself..."

She explained the game rules in a language that the NPCs could understand.

The magistrate nodded, reluctantly accepting the explanation.

"I see."

That explains his previous strange behavior.

Zhang Yang didn't notice the subtle glint in Fan You's eyes beside her. The magistrate casually extended his arm, and Zhang Yang only made a small incision on it. She stared blankly at the red blood gushing from the magistrate's wound, the whole process without any invisible obstruction.

Zhang Yang looked up at the magistrate's head in disbelief.

The other person's name is still green.

The magistrate's voice was gentle: "Does Your Excellency have cleared up your doubts?"

Zhang Yang shook his head and returned the sword: "There are many doubts."

She wasn't sure if this was a special game mechanic of the homestead side map, a bug in the game where the NPC's name was incorrectly colored, or... if there was something else going on.

These all exceeded Zhang Yang's established understanding formed over sixteen years.

She nonchalantly pulled out a brand-new notebook, began scribbling and drawing in it, muttering incoherently about what could be attacked, what could be attacked, before walking out of the county office as if in a daze. The county magistrate and Du Fang exchanged a glance, then turned to Fan You for help.

"My lord..."

Fan You: "Don't worry, let her figure it out herself."

He didn't know what Zhang Yang's previous environment was like, and could only make a general judgment based on her behavior. However, one thing was certain: her environment was wrong, contained unfavorable influences, and was different from the secular world, which Zhang Yang failed to notice.

Not only did they fail to discover it, they also interpreted it using flawed experience.

Magistrate: "Don't you need my explanation?"

Fan You shook his head and said, "Some things you have to figure out and discover for yourself. What others tell you will never be accepted. The lord's affairs won't interfere with anything, so Lady Xu doesn't need to worry. Please keep the matters of military settlements and minting in mind."

Du Fang's eyes widened: "Minting coins? Military settlements?"

He naturally supported the military settlements wholeheartedly.

This means that a lot of farmland in the county can be allocated to him, so that he can produce and sell his own food and be self-sufficient in the future. He won't have to beg for food and pay, and the soldiers will be able to eat their fill.

But coinage is a different matter.

It wasn't that he was worried about being held accountable—the Dou Kingdom's royal family was too busy taking care of themselves to care about them, let alone minting coins. Even if they established a new royal family overnight, the Dou Kingdom's royal family wouldn't be able to control them—Du Fang was worried about something else, and this rough and tumble general spoke eloquently about it.

"Our jurisdiction is limited to a single county. It's a remote area with a sparse population, and tax revenue barely covers the salaries of officials and the maintenance of city defenses. Minting coins is no ordinary matter; it's a matter of life and death. First, without enough ore, how can we start the minting? Second, the common people don't accept the new currency; they're worried and unwilling to use it, rendering it useless. Third, our county lacks skilled minting artisans; if the new coins are of poor quality and inconsistent in quality, they will inevitably be abandoned..."

"It would be better to wait for the right time and then plan something else."

The most crucial issue in coinage is not craftsmanship, materials, or circulation, but rather its value. How to maintain value stability?

Can a mere county guarantee its income with taxes?

That's wishful thinking.

Fan You replied calmly and confidently, "Don't worry, Mr. Du."

Du Fang understood the unspoken message: "You have a way?"

"We still need your help in finding a craftsman."

Of these problems, the easiest to solve is the minting technique. Due to frequent changes in power and the lack of authority of the royal family, private minting of coins was rampant, resulting in varying quality. There were quite a few skilled craftsmen involved. With a little searching, one can find them…

Du Fang exchanged a glance with the county magistrate and reluctantly agreed.

What about other problems?

Fan You: "This time we've had a very fruitful harvest, obtaining a considerable amount of copper and iron from the Eastern Barbarian bandits. We can put these to good use. Let's revitalize the Tianyue business first. Bartering is always too chaotic. Ensuring the value of our new currency will be easier."

Zhang Yang's blanket would come in handy.

Scarcity increases value. These blankets are limited in number and controlled by our own people, making them suitable as temporary anchors. Furthermore, gold can be added to further stabilize the new currency.

The magistrate said, "That blanket is indeed rare..."

Du Fang asked, "Gold?"

Fan You smiled and said, "My lord is quite wealthy."

I cannot disclose the exact number.

The two county magistrates nodded repeatedly.

"Perhaps that's feasible..."

It's not about implementing the new currency on a large scale; it's just operating within the small pool of Tianyue. The blankets and gold are actually quite effective in stabilizing the new currency. As long as the public understands the value of these two items and trusts that the county government can redeem them at any time, this method can indeed be tested.

Fan You cupped his hands in greeting: "Then I'll have to trouble you two."

He is now going to find Zhang Yang.

If you're too far away, you'll be the one who suffers.

Fan You found her in a vast, open wasteland outside the city. She wasn't hiding away, wallowing in self-pity or indulging in despair. Instead, she was carrying a hoe and digging something in the ground. There were hundreds of similar pits scattered throughout the area.

"What is my lord searching for?"

Fan You was very careful with his steps, afraid of falling into a pit.

Zhang Yang raised his face, which was covered in mud and sweat, and asked in return, "Didn't you say you were short of minerals? I'm digging right now."

Fan You: "..."

He looked around blankly.

Isn't this just an ordinary wasteland?

Although Fan You wasn't very knowledgeable about geography and didn't know how to prospect for mineral deposits, he knew that the soil beneath his feet couldn't possibly contain the ore they needed. Zhang Yang raised his hoe and dug into the ground, then the hoe struck something with a dull thud.

Not long after, something was dug out.

A copper ore with a very standard appearance.

Fan You: "???"

He knew that Zhang Yang could dig up all sorts of stones anytime, anywhere, but he never thought of it that way. He just assumed that she liked collecting them, but he never really looked at what the stones she dug up looked like.

Zhang Yang picked up his hoe again and dug in a different spot.

Thump—

They dug out a very standard piece of iron ore.

Fan You: "..."

His pupils contracted sharply as his gaze swept over the countless pits dotting the wasteland. A bizarre thought surged into his mind. This... this couldn't possibly be described as "the lord's origins are unusual, hence his eccentric behavior." Even if it were bizarre, how could they have dug up these things!

Fan You refused to believe in superstition and chose a spot to dig with his sword.

They dug and dug, but found nothing.

Zhang Yang, however, scooped up a piece with each shovel.

"My lord, why don't you try this?"

Zhang Yang asked, puzzled, "Here?"

"right!"

Zhang Yang granted his small request.

With one shovelful, another piece of copper ore was found.

Fan You found the shape and color of the copper ore somewhat familiar.

No, it should be said that the copper ore Zhang Yang dug up all looked very familiar; the size, weight, and color were exactly the same! The iron ore was the same. Fan You's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

He was basically certain of one fact—

These ores were not originally buried in the ground.

It was only when Zhang Yang shoveled it that it was "born".

What kind of bizarre and unpredictable ability is this?

While Fan You was pondering, Zhang Yang had already shouldered his hoe and was preparing to dig in another spot. He had only taken a couple of steps when Fan You quickly caught up, growing increasingly silent as he looked at him. Zhang Yang was exhausted from mining, one hand resting on his hoe, the other rubbing his lower back.

"I'm exhausted, I need to take a break."

"How did you know there were minerals down there, my lord?"

Zhang Yang said, "I don't know, and I can't explain it."

That's just how the game is set up.

You can see medicinal herbs and minerals anytime, anywhere.

However, Zhang Yang is somewhat different from other players.

Zhang Yang discovered this by accident, which she called the game's "favor." Other players only had a few mining spots, and after mining them all, they had to wait for the ore to respawn, but she didn't have to. Every time she struck with her pickaxe, she would get something, and the ore was random.

Not only that, but ore will also spawn rapidly in the vicinity.

Those who were close to her all thought she was just lucky; whenever there was a mission that required mining special ores, they would call Zhang Yang along. As long as she was there, it wouldn't be long before they had mined all the ores needed for the mission, greatly saving them queuing time.

Her backpack was already stuffed with a set of copper ore, half a set of iron ore, and other rarer metal ores.

Zhang Yang tossed aside his achievements of the day, his voice much lower than usual, a deep look in his eyes that Fan You couldn't understand: "Just as I can't explain why Magistrate Xu could hurt me, I can hurt him too."

??(*ΦwΦ*)

The 20th is almost here...