Chapter 359 - 343: The City Lord is Dead?
Anhe City, dusk.
At this hour, Anhe City radiated a different kind of vitality.
Gone was the harassment from hooligans and ruffians. Gone was the farce of counterfeit goods running rampant. And gone were the beggars preying on people’s sympathy, peddling their sob stories on the streets.
For the vast majority of the city’s law-abiding citizens, life was far better than before.
As for whether the City Lord’s surname was Zhao or Su? Who the emperor of Daqian was? What his name was? Such things were too distant for them. The highest-ranking official they had ever seen in their lives was, at most, a City Lord or a Chief Constable.
As long as they could get by, it truly didn’t matter who was in charge.
"Before, if you were wronged and went to the authorities... ’The yamen gates are open wide, but if you have reason and no money, don’t come inside.’ They’d drag things out for half a month, and in the end, you’d still get bullied by the other party who had connections."
The old man at the tea stall took a sip of tea and sighed wistfully. "And now? Heh! The moment you cry injustice, a squad of city guards rushes over! They’re so efficient, you know. If they’re even a little slow, not only do they get chewed out by their own, but they might even be stripped of their post on the spot and replaced."
Of course, sometimes you’d see other residents talking to thin air, running into walls in groups, or tirelessly making trade runs and signing up for newly announced infrastructure projects. Jingtang Hall was even more packed, with a constant stream of people wanting to fight in the arena. Below the stage, rows of physicians waited for the injured to come down for treatment, only for them to get right back in line to fight again. It was all a bit strange, but so what?
Life went on, one day at a time. At least it was much better than before.
...
However, one person’s joy is another’s sorrow.
For those who were used to cheating and cutting corners, the current Anhe City was a living hell.
The man who used to pass off duck as lamb was squatting in a corner. He had planned to pilfer some materials while working on the bridge and road repairs, but he was immediately pinned down and reported by a group of equally green-eyed laborers behind him. When the city guards arrived, they were furious to see him, as it meant a deduction from their performance score.
In the past, a little silver would have made the problem go away.
But now? He found that these people simply wouldn’t take money! Or rather, if they did accept his meager silver, that city guard would be stripped of his post on the spot and replaced.
What was even more torturous was being cornered by a city guard for a "re-education" session. Whenever this happened, the guard’s eyes would go vacant, his body would stiffen, and he would woodenly recite the exact same lecture every time, droning on for the time it takes an incense stick to burn!
’Seriously, if you don’t want to lecture me, then don’t! Why torture yourself and me like this?!’
He couldn’t even run if he wanted to. And because he was a repeat offender, the next day he would have to go to the newly opened school in the city for further re-education.
Seeing the dead-eyed look on the city guard’s face just now, he had a bad feeling about the future.
"What have I done to deserve this..." another vendor, who had gotten rich by short-changing customers and selling counterfeit goods, wiped his tears. "This year was going so well. I was about to earn enough for another mansion. Now look at me! The fines are so high I’m about to lose the mansion I bought a few years ago!"
The few men next to him looked as if they were mourning their own parents.
"There’s no other way. The crackdown is too strict. If we want to survive, we have to stop..."
But earn money honestly? For people like them, who relied on schemes to endlessly drive down costs for massive profits, it was unbearable. Was that any way for a person to live?
How could the meager profits from honest work compare to offloading costs onto suckers? The only reason they could afford mansions and visit brothels before was because the authorities turned a blind eye, and because those suckers had no choice but to swallow their losses when they got scammed, treating it as a part of daily life, right?
Now, the moment they even thought about trying any funny business, several pairs of eyes would be watching them.
Bribe them? No way! If those city guards dared to take money, they’d instantly become commoners just like them!
And the huge gap between their former and current wealth was more painful than death.
They would gather from time to time, sighing as they watched the bustling streets where one could now only earn money honestly. They yearned for the old days when they could slash costs with impunity.
Someone even offered up a most fervent prayer in his heart: ’When will this damned Miss Su finally leave? When will the imperial court find out what’s happening here?! Someone, please come and restore order! Even if a great demon lord came to rule, it might be better than this!’
However, sometimes, when you wish for something with all your heart, it just might come true...
...
At this moment, player-run stalls and native residents’ shops lined the streets in a picturesque arrangement. Cries of hawkers, cheerful laughter, and the ceaseless, repetitive sounds of AFK players filled the air.
Children darted through the crowd holding candied haws, while young men and women released river lanterns carrying their heartfelt wishes by the riverside. The water sparkled, and all was peaceful and good.
Even the player acting as a city guard on patrol couldn’t help but slow his pace.
"Whew... today’s public security situation is just perfect."
He glanced at the [Regional Stability Value] on his panel and breathed a long sigh of relief. ’Looks like my max performance score for the day is in the bag. A shame there are no monsters to fight, though. I’m kind of itching to grind some mobs and level up...’
...
Anhe City - East Gate Watchtower.
"Hey, brother, don’t you think... the fog is a little thick tonight?"
The soldier on night watch atop the city wall pointed outside in confusion. The official road and the distant forest were gradually being enveloped by a thick fog.
...
Anhe City, the bridge construction site.
The disguised [Yi Jian Ding Qiankun] was inspecting the players and NPCs repairing the bridge to see if they were doing their dailies properly. He was also participating himself, on auto-pilot. While Spirit Stones were what truly mattered, why not AFK for some extra copper coins?
He also had a hired artist paint a scene of him contributing to Anhe City’s development, working alongside everyone else.
While his character worked on auto-pilot, he opened the [City Information Panel].
However, one look at it and his expression changed instantly.
[City Information Panel]
[Current Region]: Anhe City
[Affiliated Faction]: Daqian Dynasty
[Current City Lord]: Zhao Decang (Status: Deceased)
[De Facto Ruler]: The Su Family Immortal
???
’What the hell? How did you just drop dead like that?!’
[Yi Jian Ding Qiankun] rubbed his eyes hard, wondering if they were playing tricks on him.
’Seriously, how long has it been? He just left not too long ago, and now his status bar is grayed out? Did he go back to his hometown or back to the fountain?!’
But what frustrated him even more was that even though the [Current City Lord] field had turned gray, indicating death, the "City Lord" title—which represented the highest legal authority over the city—had still not been transferred!
Even the [Affiliated Faction] field still showed the Daqian Dynasty.
The City Lord was dead, yet nothing had changed. What else was needed? And what had happened to the City Lord?