My lord, spare his life!

Guan Zong was chased all over the Dongfan Mountains in just two days.

"Ha, you think you can escape this time?"

Guan Zong increased his speed to the maximum, the scenery on both sides of his vision rushing past in afterimages, but the voice that terrified him clung to him like a leech, relentlessly pursuing him. Suddenly, a strong sense of danger surged to the top of his head, and he instinctively rolled to the side. Before he even landed, he saw a sharp blade stuck where he had just stood. If he hadn't dodged it, he feared he would have been cut in half at the waist.

"Well--"

Guan Zong let out a short, muffled groan, glancing down as he saw half of the blade slice across his waist in another direction. As his vision shifted, Guan Zong's previously dark face was replaced by a strange, ashen white. As the blade was pulled from his waist, he turned to ashes on the spot.

The young man clicked his tongue: "They ran away again."

His face showed no displeasure or anger at the prey's escape; instead, it radiated an barely suppressed excitement and joy. For a hunter, easily obtained prey holds no interest whatsoever; it's the cunning, treacherous prey that thrives on hiding and evasion that makes the chase so interesting. He sensed the lingering presence on the spot and set off in one direction.

"...Still the same mad dog as before." After an unknown amount of time, the scattered ashes gradually glued back together, transforming back into a complete human figure. Guan Zong clutched his bleeding abdomen, not even flinching.

Guan Zong didn't want to fight this kind of person.

Winning brings no sense of accomplishment, while losing means reincarnation.

The fight between the snipe and the clam only benefited the old fisherman.

The next instant, a cold arrow flew from nowhere and struck his back.

Guan Zong narrowly dodged the arrowhead's blast of air, immediately recognizing the attacker. His anger flared instantly, and he roared, "What kind of bastard dares to ambush your grandpa? If you can't handle this mad dog, your grandpa will at least kill you!"

"I at least lured him away for you, and this is how you treat your savior? Where have you been hiding all this time, my dear brother?" Several streams of water flowed out from the snow, transforming into another tall, slender female figure, but this was just an avatar made of water; the real person was nowhere to be found. "Should we join forces to kill him first? We won't have peace of mind as long as he lives."

Guan Zong scoffed, "Aren't you two equally incompetent? Why would I cooperate with you? Who knows if you'll stab me in the back first?"

These people are all incredibly cunning.

Not only are they cunning, but they're also mentally unstable. One moment they can be all smiles and friendly, the next they can pull out a knife and cut off someone's eyes, nose, lips, and tongue, then dip them in wine and eat them as a dish.

"Oh, that's a real shame."

Before the words were even finished, countless star-shaped arrows shot out.

Guan Zong: "..."

He truly regretted accepting the mission.

Have those lunatics in the Dongfan Mountains taken the wrong medication lately?

They all looked even more irritable and ferocious than when they last met! However, the sneak attack was within his expectations—this person was extremely cold-blooded and ruthless. At the age when he was just able to draw a bow, he liked to tie up slaves and use them as targets for her arrows. He was also ruthless in killing the children of old men—Guan Zong had long been prepared to be ambushed if they couldn't reach an agreement.

The commotion caused the hunters, who had been lured away, to return.

But Guan Zong had already fled far away, leaving only a trace of their battle. He recognized the other aura at a glance. In the past, he certainly wouldn't have let the latter go, but with Guan Zong, who had always been a coward, now showing himself, he felt it was more interesting to chase after him. He pursued at a leisurely pace, enjoying the despair of his prey's disheveled hiding and scrambling, yet never quite shaking him off.

Unbeknownst to them, they had chased the enemy out of the Dongfan Mountains.

At the foot of the mountain, the young man did not take another step.

He simply put his finger to his lips and whistled, and the falcon that was circling high in the sky searching for its prey landed steadily on his arm: "Go back and tell them that I'm going on a long trip to kill someone. I'll be back in ten days to half a month. Tell them to keep an eye on the camp and not let any scum come over to show off."

Eagles and falcons cried out in response, flapping their wings and soaring high into the sky.

While Guan Zong was being chased to the ends of the earth, the Prefectural Magistrate and others had already arrived at the new prefectural city with the first batch of laborers and most of the prefectural government's belongings. Upon receiving the news, Xu Jin went out of the city early to greet them: "Greetings, Prefectural Magistrate. My colleagues have come from afar. You must be tired."

The prefectural magistrate's gaze swept towards the area behind Xu Jin.

She didn't see the unfamiliar face she had imagined, nor did she see Fan You's familiar face. Xu Jin immediately read her mind and explained with a smile, "My lord left a letter last night before departing on a long journey. Lord Fan is busy with affairs of state and couldn't get away, so he entrusted me to come. The welcoming banquet has been prepared. Please come into the city first, and then we can exchange pleasantries."

"Leaving a letter before departing?"

This terminology was somewhat unfamiliar to the prefect.

"The lord did not explain his whereabouts, only saying that he would return after finishing his work."

The prefectural magistrate nodded, not pressing further. She wasn't particularly interested in Zhang Yang at the moment; she only wanted to see Fan You first. The group entered the city. The temperature inside was noticeably higher than outside. Upon entering, a warm breeze seemed to greet them, but upon closer inspection, it felt like a perceptual illusion. The other officials couldn't hide their curiosity, looking around anxiously, as if they were seeing things.

This, this is still the Weiyin County that Tianyue always hangs at the end of?

A hint of surprise flashed across the prefect's eyes.

The registrar and his men returned, saying that the population of Weiyin County under Xu Jin's rule far exceeded that of the old prefecture before the natural disaster. The prefect initially thought it was an exaggeration, but now, seeing it for himself, he knew it was true. Not only were there more people, but the commoners they saw were all neatly dressed, with very few patched clothes. Passing through the market, they could hear the shouts of vendors from inside even through the market walls. Many peddlers and laborers, carrying goods on their shoulders and in carts, moved through the bustling market, showing no signs of the recent chaos caused by the four seasons.

In contrast, the old prefecture seat...

The city was desolate, and the houses were dilapidated.

"The prefect's governance of the county is indeed effective."

The Prefectural Magistrate nodded in satisfaction, having a very good initial impression of Zhang Yang. Xu Jin didn't feel that his credit had been stolen; if Zhang Yang hadn't forcibly opened the door and set up a trap, Weiyin County wouldn't have been able to regain its popularity in such a short time. Having acted as the Prefectural Governor for more than half a year, the Prefectural Magistrate naturally knew best about Xu Jin's abilities and the constraints he faced. To put it bluntly, Xu Jin hadn't contributed much in the process.

"The lord is kind and compassionate, and cannot bear to see his children suffer."

Xu Jin considered many of these measures unnecessary, yet she still did them, fearing the children would get cold or hungry. If one tried to gently persuade her, Zhang Yang would argue that this was how parents should act. If they could provide the children with warm clothes and enough to eat, why not?

It's not like she doesn't have these assets.

The Prefectural Magistrate had heard Zhang Yang's words about his parents and children from the Registrar, but only by seeing it with her own eyes could she have a deeper understanding.

She said, "Only Yin is fortunate."

In this world, there are many who hold positions without performing their duties, but few who are truly honest and incorruptible. A region may not have one official who can genuinely promote the well-being of its people and prioritize their livelihood for decades or even centuries. Let alone someone like Zhang Yang, who practically paid off his family's savings to become an official.

Xu Jin first led everyone to their temporary lodgings to put their things away, and then led the Prefect to the temporary Prefectural Government to see her old classmate.

When the prefect arrived, Fan You was lost in thought.

"Junior Fan."

Fan You snapped out of his reverie and, backlit by the light, saw the Prefectural Magistrate enter the room. Compared to the man he remembered, the Magistrate looked much more weathered and weary. He gestured for the Magistrate to sit down: "It's been many years, but you still possess the same refined elegance, Senior."

"Public matters are public matters, private matters are private matters. Just call me Yuan Yi."

Prefectural Assistant, Du Guan, courtesy name Yuan Yi.

Fan You drifted off into thought for a moment, the scene of seeing Du Guan through the crowd years ago seemingly appearing before her eyes. She even clearly remembered what Du Guan had said back then: "My Way is one that runs through all things, and that is Du Guan."

The prefect acted as if they were very familiar with each other, and called him after he sat down.

"What are you thinking about, so lost in thought?"

"I'm thinking about how to get things done before the lord returns."

Yes, Zhang Yang had gone on a long trip, and in the middle of the night, she suddenly barged into his door to tell him she had to go out for some business. Fan You knew her temperament, so he didn't stop her, and instead grabbed his clothes to put on, preparing to go with her. But she refused.

Fan You: [Reason. 】

Zhang Yang said, "I have a little trick that allows us to split up temporarily. I'll be back before the countdown ends."

This game has been running for sixteen years, what strange and unusual items haven't it accumulated? Zhang Yang, a pseudo-veteran player/NPC, is quite nostalgic, and her game inventory and warehouse are filled with plenty of these "junk" items. She actually found some useful ones while decluttering.

The prop's description is only one sentence—

A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near.

Valid for 72 hours.

Fan You used it with some skepticism.

Zhang Yang grabbed Zhang Dami by the back of the neck with one hand and ran away without a trace.

Her trip wasn't for any other reason than receiving a distress message from an NPC in the middle of the night. The glaring red notification was impossible to ignore. Zhang Yang had been doing quests for years and was very familiar with this process.

At first, she simply covered herself with the blanket and went to sleep.

In the past, players would receive system SOS messages from NPCs while completing quests. However, these SOS messages weren't for rescuing the NPCs, but rather for following necessary storylines. Whether the player went that day or a year and a half later, they would never die if the storyline didn't require them to, and even if they arrived instantly when the storyline did require them to die, they couldn't save the NPC's life.

only--

She vaguely sensed that a certain aura in her mind's sea of ​​consciousness had weakened considerably, like a candle flickering in the wind, about to go out in the next second.

Zhang Yang kicked off the blanket and flipped over like a hawk.

The mission is here!

As for the task Fan You mentioned, it was actually the policy discussed a couple of days ago, roughly about how to revitalize the local commercial economy. Speaking of commerce, Zhang Yang found that both Weiyin County and the other Tianyue Counties he passed through were quite desolate.

The variety of goods sold is very limited, but the prices are very high.

This has nothing to do with the disorder of the four seasons.

This was true even before the natural disaster.

Du Guan accepted the letter from Fan You, opened it, and saw that it was filled with writing that was sometimes messy, sometimes neat, and sometimes marked with corrections. Fan You said, "I asked Xu Jiusi, and he said that the operating costs for local merchants are too high. Good shop locations are all monopolized by various families. Merchants who want to operate have to pay considerable miscellaneous fees, and the government takes its share of the profits, leaving almost nothing for the merchants. Over time, merchants have become retainers and appendages of these families..."

It's practically a monopoly.

"Is Yuan Yi aware of this matter?"

Du Guandao: "I know, it's a stubborn disease that's hard to cure."

However, these chronic problems were left over from more than ten or even several decades ago, and their roots can be traced back to the Dou Kingdom's royal family's enfeoffment of its children. Du Guan wanted to intervene but could not. She also tried to find another way to open up a separate place for vendors to set up stalls, but the results were not ideal, and she was disturbed by local thugs several times.

Merchants who didn't pay their respects to the local magistrates were beaten up if they tried to do business.

Arresting and detaining a group of people is useless.

Fan You said calmly, "My lord wants to abolish it completely and issue a decree to designate special areas in the prosperous areas of each county for merchants to operate. Regardless of whether they are local or from other places, merchants from other places can even receive additional subsidies."

Du Guan: "It's not easy to do."

Fan You relayed Zhang Yang's original words.

"It's not easy to do, but it's easy to kill."

They all assumed they had misheard: "Kill?"

Fan You pointed to Weiyin County at his feet: "She wiped out all the local tyrants in one fell swoop at a Hongmen Banquet, and her entire family's property was confiscated. Without these profits, how could they afford their current expenses? Therefore, killing them is feasible."

If someone is willing to back down and not cause her trouble, they can let her off the hook, after all, she's not a ruthless killer.

Fan You suspected that Zhang Yang had tasted the benefits of her swift and decisive action that time, but it was also possible that this was simply her principle in dealing with things.

Du Guan was not optimistic about this.

"The garrisons in various counties of Tianyue have extensive connections with various families."

The troublesome thing about local bullies is precisely this.

If such a major reform were to be implemented, Weiyin County, being Zhang Yang's stronghold, would be relatively easy to carry out. However, other areas that wouldn't have the same reach would be beyond the scope of her decree. Otherwise, how could there be a saying that a local official is more powerful than a county magistrate?

"No matter how far the involvement, it all depends on who is in charge of distributing the provisions and pay. These are the lord's exact words." In fact, Zhang Yang also said the second half of the sentence: anyone who disobeys the prefect's orders will be considered a rebel. That's ridiculous!

Fan You did not assume that Zhang Yang was just saying this out of anger.

He was absolutely certain that Zhang Yang was truly intent on killing them all when he said those words, and he didn't see anything wrong with it.

Fan You had no choice but to change the subject.

They were afraid that Zhang Yang might suddenly become engrossed in a killing spree.

[My lord, even if this new decree is issued, it won't restore Tianyue's economy. To do business, there must be a supply of goods.]

Zhang Yang: [Let's stock up.]

Fan You: [How do I get in?]

Du Guan also saw the two discussing this matter. She frowned and sighed, "Your Majesty is probably unaware that there are three main roads connecting Tianyue to the outside world, and each of them has been fortified with checkpoints."

Whether it's people or goods, passing through the main road requires paying tolls at the checkpoints. These extorted tolls ultimately end up in the pockets of certain individuals, and these "certain individuals" are not local bullies, but rather connected to forces within the nearby Tianbian, Tianjiang, and Fushuo counties. Offend them, and they will block the checkpoints in a fit of anger, preventing goods from entering.

Tianyue became a solitary peak on a high mountain cliff.

Even self-sufficiency is difficult.

Fan You gave a helpless, bitter smile: "My lord said we should fight our way through."

Whoever sets up a barrier, she'll smash it!

Du Guan chuckled, "That's quite a feisty personality."

People who rely heavily on force are often disruptors of order. As their power expands, they eventually become lawless warlords and bring about their own destruction. However, judging from the governance of Weiyin County, this person also possesses strong principles of order and a benevolent heart.

The two are mixed together, yet they don't seem out of place.

??|??w?`)

Du (surname written as du, first tone)