My lord, spare his life!

The registrar couldn't recall what the prefectural magistrate looked like back then.

Upon learning that the Prefect and Fan You were old acquaintances, the Registrar felt as at ease as a traveler seeing a familiar face in a foreign land, and his emotions relaxed as well: "When I first met the Prefect, she looked just like this, at most a little more vibrant than she does now."

This is a rather tactful way of putting it.

The prefectural assistant was a trusted confidant brought over by the previous prefect.

The prefect was, after all, an outsider, and it would take considerable effort for him to truly gain control of the local area. The prefectural assistant was his most trusted henchman, and he often clashed with the local officials, such as the registrar. Fortunately, these were all minor conflicts, and they worked together amicably for the next few years. The most recent conflict arose during a period of seasonal disorder, when the prefectural assistant wanted to allocate funds and grain for disaster relief, but the local officials were unwilling to be taken advantage of.

Before the conflict escalated to an irreparable and bloody level, Lord Zhang, the God of Wealth, appeared out of nowhere and showered money everywhere, greatly easing the conflict between local and out-of-town forces.

The local clerk was secretly using the connections of the outsider, the Prefect, to have a pleasant conversation with the most trusted advisor of the wealthy man. The conversation mainly revolved around the internal affairs of Tianyue and interesting stories about the Prefect, and he even learned about the Prefect's youth.

"Sir and Chancellor were classmates?"

When Fan You mentioned his school days, a touch of warmth appeared in his eyes.

"Yes, she's two years older than me." Fan You is twenty-eight this year, while the prefect should have just turned thirty. The academy divides students according to their age and learning progress. The two of them had also attended lectures by the same instructor. "I remember she was skilled in archery and horsemanship."

The registrar said, "His swordsmanship is also quite good."

Don't ask him how he knows.

When this prefectural magistrate first arrived, he also drew his sword.

The registrar asked curiously, "May I ask what schools you two are studying?"

At the beginning of the Seven Kingdoms period, the continent enjoyed a relatively stable era, with a strong emphasis on education and a proliferation of private schools. Despite countless wars, some academies survived and gained immense prestige among scholars. Graduates from these academies had a higher starting point for entering officialdom.

Fan You said, "Virtue is the foundation."

The way of the Great Learning lies in manifesting one's bright virtue.

The registrar couldn't help but feel a deep sense of respect.

Although family and clan schools have always looked down on private schools, the major private schools, with Mingde Academy as the leader, were not among them. Many scholars from prominent families chose these academies as their first choice when they went out to study, as the learning experience would add another layer of prestige to their resumes.

Fan You then changed the subject: "It's a pity it was destroyed by fire."

The registrar exclaimed in surprise, "How could it have been burned?"

"It was all because the rebels used the students to threaten the temple..." Fan You was somewhat depressed when he mentioned this, but he tried his best to restrain himself in front of the registrar. "Fortunately, it wasn't too serious, and the foundation was preserved. It should all be repaired by now."

The registrar breathed a sigh of relief, genuinely feeling fortunate and grateful: "Thank goodness, it is a century-old academy with a renowned reputation. It would be a great pity if it had been destroyed by those rebels."

Fan You twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Unfortunately, the rebels were also from Mingde."

"What a tragedy! To have produced such an unworthy disciple!"

Even in chaotic times of moral decay, social rules still exist. With traditional knowledge largely monopolized by clan academies and schools, the rise of private schools undoubtedly provided many commoners with a path to advancement.

Students studying at the academy not only gained knowledge but also received a degree of protection from the flames of war waged by various warlords. This provided them with precious respite and space for growth amidst the chaos of war. They wouldn't become casualties of warlord conflicts before they even had the strength to protect themselves—they were like second parents! And then they turned around and burned the academy down…

This was unforgivable in the clerk's eyes!

If it weren't for the uncertainty about whether Fan You was from a commoner or a noble family, the registrar would have likely hurled insults like, "Born of humble origins, truly ignorant and lacking in manners, ungrateful and treacherous," a kind of sweeping generalization. He suddenly thought of something: "When did the burning of Mingde occur?"

Fan You said: "A few months ago."

Chief Clerk: "The Chancellor probably hasn't received the news yet."

After chatting for a short while, the registrar got up and left, satisfied.

Fan You sat alone and sighed.

The conversation with the registrar stirred up his past, which he had tried so hard to forget. The scabbed wounds were cruelly torn open, revealing festering, unhealed sores. He closed his eyes to suppress the emotions surging within him, and a surge of heat spread from his dantian throughout his body.

Fan You: "...???"

Is this the wrath of the stars acting up?

Where did the lord go?

Fan You's expression shifted repeatedly. He tried to get up by supporting himself on the table, but found his arms and legs were abnormally weak, and even his breath was unusually hot. He shook his head violently, his gaze falling on the wooden pillar, and gritted his teeth, determined to smash his head against it. The expected excruciating pain and unconsciousness did not come; instead, his body temperature rapidly decreased.

Fan You: "..."

If he weren't still well-mannered, he would have cursed at people.

Zhang, the mastermind and the culprit, rode Zhang Dami at breakneck speed towards the Dongfan Mountains. They had only gone a dozen miles out of the city when she suddenly remembered she'd forgotten Fan You. She slapped her forehead: "Let's go back first."

Sure enough, Fan You's face turned ashen.

"Why did my lord travel so far?"

Zhang Yang: "Didn't you say you wanted to dump the body in the Dongfan Mountains?"

Naturally, we set off immediately while the weather was still good.

Fan You: "..."

Zhang Yang sighed helplessly, "Sigh, although I'm not a lone wolf, I don't like having to worry about exceeding the distance no matter where I go. Can't you think of a way to completely eliminate this limitation?"

Fan You: "..."

He's not omnipotent.

The task of disposing of the body was ultimately left to others.

Du Fang needed to train his troops and couldn't spare the time, making Guan Zong the most suitable candidate. He had completely recovered from the weakness caused by the Starfall event and was back to his peak strength, making him perfectly capable of carrying out this mission. Guan Zong's expression was subtle upon learning of this.

He pointed to himself: "Are you sure you want me to do it?"

Zhang Yang said, "You can't escape."

Guan Zong smiled and said, "What if I go and never come back?"

"I have a vague idea of ​​where you are. Once I find you, I'll kill you." Zhang Yang's words were half true and half false. The truth was that she might actually do it, but only when she had the time. The falsehood was that she usually didn't have that much free time. "You can try."

Guan Zong grinned: "I am utterly loyal to you. I would give you my life without you even having to ask."

Zhang Yang wouldn't believe his sweet talk.

Before saying that, change the yellow name to a green name.

Fan You cautioned, "Be careful. The various factions of the Eastern Bandits are intertwined, and our lord recently took a significant portion of their savings. Even without mutual suspicion, they can't remain completely silent. If they discover your presence, you'll be in trouble."

"I know that place better than you do."

When Guan Zong said this, a flash of sinister intent crossed his eyes.

He accepted the assignment and set off with his men without lingering for even a day. Zhang Yang sat cross-legged on Zhang Dami's back, seemingly expressionless, but Zhang Dami's constantly swaying yellow and black tail seemed to betray her inner anxiety. Fan You reminded her to study.

Zhang Yang coldly replied, "No."

Fan You: "My lord, study hard. When I have time in the future, I will write you a letter of recommendation to go to a top university to get your credentials."

The premise is that he has already resolved the issue of the distance between the two.

Zhang Yang: "What?"

Zhang Dami's eyes widened, revealing a hint of confusion.

Fan You laughed and said, "It's not about learning a lot. Not much of what the academy teaches is actually useful. The main thing is to build connections. Some scholars with extraordinary talents are hard to recruit, but if you have the status of being their classmate, it's easier to talk to them."

Zhang Yang: "Is this also part of the great cause of unification?"

Fan You answered without hesitation: "Yes."

Zhang Yang looked on but wasn't very interested, and Fan You asked him why.

"I heard from the people I was observing that when there are too many people in the same camp, it's easy for factional strife to arise." Zhang Yang wanted to observe the people she was observing, so naturally she couldn't stay completely out of it. She would occasionally try to integrate into their small groups, and then she found these people to be very interesting. They seemed to have a natural ability to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and they also knew how to fight as a group and use the group to deal with individuals.

Most of the love and hate in PvP happens within the same survivor base, the same sect, the same faction, or the same small group of players. Those PvP wars involving millions or even tens of millions of players might be sparked by someone being bullied, then calling for reinforcements, including but not limited to those from the same guild/same sect/same faction/same star region or even the same class.

The more commonalities there are, the easier it is to form a group based on those commonalities.

Fan You said coldly, "My lord is thinking quite far ahead."

Zhang Yang felt that he was being sarcastic and unsettling.

Tsk tsk, even the green name above my head has turned yellow.

Fan You suddenly smiled bitterly: "But it's not entirely without reason. It's just that our family is poor, and we can't even afford to eat our fill, so we can't even think about how to lose weight after gaining weight. We'll think about the future later."

It's also possible that Zhang Yang didn't even live to see that time.

The world is far more cruel than she imagined. What she has seen recently is not even the tip of the iceberg.

Fan You subconsciously thought of that classmate, the Prefectural Magistrate.

The fall of two star lords means that two more star lords have perished, and the impact of the fall of two star lords is far more than just that of a prefectural magistrate.

Millions have been dragged into the quagmire.

The world is like a person whose ankle is sinking into a swamp; the more they struggle, the deeper they sink, and war accelerates the process of death.

No, it should be said that human nature drove it toward its predetermined outcome.

Zhang Yang was reluctant, but considering she didn't have to go to school tomorrow, she optimistically put the matter out of her mind. Perhaps after a while, Fan You would completely forget about it.

The registrar and others arrived looking preoccupied, but left looking radiant.

"My lord, guess who I met this time?"

The prefectural magistrate was somewhat unaccustomed to the old man's strange enthusiasm; she pursed her lips, clearly showing no interest in the matter.

The registrar didn't keep them in suspense: "It's Fan You, Fan Shuyan."

Prefectural Magistrate: "Hmm?"

The registrar said, "He is the chief strategist of the newly appointed prefect. During our conversation, he mentioned that the Prefect and I had studied at Mingde Academy together. It seems we had a rather harmonious relationship."

The prefectural magistrate realized what was happening: "You ran into Fan Shuyan?"

Is the Fan You mentioned by the registrar the same Fan You she knows?

As a shrewd person, the registrar keenly sensed that the relationship between the two might not be as Fan You described: "Is there something wrong with this person?"

The prefect's lips twitched, his expression carrying a complex look that the registrar couldn't decipher: "It's not a problem. If we had known the person on the other side was Fan Shuyan, neither of us would have needed to be so cautious."

The registrar sighed, "Indeed."

As he spoke, his eyes visibly brightened. He clapped his hands and exclaimed, "That Lady Zhang, who lost her virginity to Fan Shuyan, is truly remarkable. I've never seen anyone as wealthy as her, and I wonder what her family background is. In any case, it's a good thing for Tianyue."

The prefectural magistrate was more concerned about the fate of the two who had pledged their allegiance to the emperor.

The registrar said, "I haven't asked about that much."

Asking too many questions can easily reveal your true intentions.

Prefectural Magistrate: "And who exactly is this Lord Zhang?"

Someone who can gain the approval of the notoriously arrogant Fan Shuyan must be extraordinary. After all, he was handpicked by her classmates; if he's reliable, she might as well temporarily rely on him to protect herself.

The registrar has a lot to say about this.

In his view, many of Zhang Yang's actions were inappropriate, even despicable, but Zhang Yang's words about his parents that day greatly improved the registrar's favor. As a shrewd person, he realized that Zhang Yang was not putting on an act when he said those words, but truly speaking from the bottom of his heart, and putting them into practice in a very serious manner.

Prefectural Magistrate: "Really?"

The registrar said, "Absolutely true, except..."

He always felt that Zhang Yang had a somewhat inhuman quality, but he couldn't say it outright; perhaps that was just his personality.

The registrar added, "The prefect also received officials from the prefectural government office."

The Prefectural Magistrate said, "It's impossible to accept everything. Even if the Prefect is willing, that picky and demanding Fan Shuyan won't agree."

In just a few words, she had already made up her mind.

"We've had our belongings packed these past few days, and we're moving there now. Those who want to leave can go, and those who don't won't be forced to."

Although both the new and original county seats are located in Tianyue County, it is still considered leaving one's hometown for the time being. Not everyone is willing to abandon the wealth they have built up over many years and go to another place to develop.

The registrar bowed in agreement, for he had many other matters to attend to.

For example, if the prefectural government staff were to move there, some personnel would need to be reassigned. As the chief strategist for the new prefect, Fan Shuyan could not possibly be subordinate to the original prefectural officials; with his arrival, some people would have to give way.

The prefectural magistrate was completely unconcerned about this; he simply ground ink and wrote a letter.

"Fan Shuyan..."

The prefectural magistrate revised the contents of the letter several times.

Her letter was not addressed to Fan You.

Who burned down Mingde Academy?

The relocation at the former prefectural seat was quite a spectacle. The collected documents filled dozens of carriages, and other miscellaneous items also took up considerable space. Some of the clerks went ahead first, settling in before bringing their families over. The prefectural magistrate was naturally among them.

Unlike the orderly progress here, Guan Zong's situation was more complicated. Upon entering the Dongfan Mountains, he knew he would inevitably encounter familiar faces, but he hadn't expected them to come so soon. Fortunately, the framing was complete, and the bodies were all dumped near the camp of some unfortunate fellow. The patrolling Dongfan bandits would soon discover the bodies.

only--

He never expected that the person chasing him would be this one.

"You're still alive?"

Guan Zong grinned: "I'm just lucky to be alive."

The man said indifferently, "Meeting me has made your life difficult."

Without hesitation, Guan Zong decisively chose to flee!

??|??w?`)

With the addition of a new alliance leader and the monthly votes at the end of the month, I'm guaranteed at least two 10,000-word updates. I plan to save those for the last two days of the month.