Chapter 406: Unanimous Agreement

The moon climbed into the sky, faintly visible behind the clouds. A cool evening breeze drifted gently by.

At the entrance of a village, several middle-aged women were sitting together, chatting about trivial household matters. Every so often, hearty laughter erupted from the group.

The old woman known as Blaze Five had cleverly blended into this “intelligence post” at the village entrance. At first, she thought she could learn a lot from this group of women.

But all they talked about were things like which couple had been fighting again at night, or which child had gotten into trouble.

Initially, Blaze Five wanted to slip away after listening for a bit, but she was unexpectedly thwarted.

These ladies didn’t just try to keep her with words—they even pulled her back physically, almost tearing apart her disguise.

With no other choice, Blaze Five ended up spending nearly an entire half-hour at this “intelligence station” before finally managing to leave.

Reaching a quiet place, she wore a helpless expression and muttered,
“How does this count? Midnight is almost here, and all I heard were random household gossip. Not a single word was about Yan Wuyong…”

“I don’t think so. Didn’t you see how happy those women looked? On our way out gathering food, did you see any other villagers smiling like that? Sitting at the village entrance after dinner, chatting in the breeze?” a voice came from her abdomen.

“Yeah, I agree with what that brother said just now. Things are chaotic everywhere else, yet here it’s like they’ve been untouched by disaster. Doesn’t that prove Yan Wuyong has treated them well?”

“So that’s what they call: not mentioning Yan Wuyong at all, but every word is about Yan Wuyong?”
The “mouth” of the Blaze Bug paused for a moment, then chimed in,
“You’re right, brothers. Many heads do think better than one.”

“Maybe once we take human form, we should stay like this—hundred demons, one person?”

“More demons, more strength!”

At this, the other Blaze Bugs fell silent—only the “mouth” kept babbling on…

…

In front of the Huba Prefecture government office, two majestic stone lions stood tall, one on each side of the gate. Their sharp gazes seemed to guard the peace and order of this administrative building.

An elderly man leaned on a wooden cane, one hand resting on a lion as he looked toward the office with a conflicted expression.

At that moment, a young man dressed like a scholar walked out of the building. After passing the old man, he stepped back and cupped his hands in greeting.
“Sir, what are you doing here this late at night? Are you here to report something?”

The old man cautiously asked,
“You… are you from the office?”

Why does this old man seem afraid of me?

And judging by his expression, he must’ve suffered an injustice. Why else would he be hanging around the government office so late?

The scholar blinked, then replied,
“No, I’m just a scholar. I’m here to help edit official documents.”

“Oh…”
The old man nodded, looked around, then lowered his voice:
“Scholar, if a rich man took over my land… would the magistrate do anything about it?”

“Your land was seized?!”
The scholar’s face grew serious.
“Of course they would! The government office absolutely handles things like this!”

“Come with me—I’ll take you to file the report!”

“Wait, wait!”
The old man pulled his hand back.
“But the one who took my land… he has powerful connections. He said the judge here is his relative.”

“That’s why… I didn’t dare go in.”

“Connections?”
“Impossible!”

The scholar waved a hand and said firmly,
“Sir, let me tell you: Huba Prefecture isn’t like it used to be. All those corrupt officials who abused the people—they’ve already been executed by Monarch Yan!”

“Now, the people in charge here are Monarch Yan’s men. That means they serve us commoners!”

“They will absolutely handle the case fairly!”

“If they dare do otherwise, Monarch Yan would be the first to behead them!”

He paused, then revealed his identity:
“I was once a lowly clerk in this office. Because I refused to collude with those corrupt Great Wu officials, my family was destroyed and I was thrown in prison.”

“Then Monarch Yan arrived, killed those corrupt officials, rescued me, and made me the current head clerk of Huba Prefecture.”

“In other words—I’m the one judging cases now!”

“I have no family left—what ‘connections’ could I possibly have?”

“Please, come with me. Tell me everything. If someone really dares seize land under Monarch Yan’s rule—I won’t let them off!”

Looking at the scholar’s sincere expression, the old man gave a kindly smile and patted his shoulder.
“Good child. I hope you can carry this burden and continue on this path…”

“Hm?”
The scholar blinked, confused by the old man’s sudden change in tone and the strange turn in his words.

“I’m old… my memory’s not so good. I had a lapse just now…”

“No one took my land.”

Saying that, the old man turned to leave.
“I’ll go now. You should head back and get some rest too.”

“Hey!”
The scholar called out, but the old man waved his hand and walked away.

He stood there, pondering for a while.

When he looked up again, intending to escort the old man home, the wide street was already empty.

…

By the banks of the Meng River, five black-robed figures once again gathered. They remained in their disguises cast by the illusion spell.

The cane-wielding old man spoke first:
“I’ll go first. Officials are people too—they understand the people’s suffering. Maybe the future is uncertain, but for now, I think we should give the grain to Yan Wuyong.”

The old woman chimed in:
“In the village I visited, the people lived like there was no war or disaster at all. To provide that kind of peace in these times—I think Yan Wuyong has done very well.”

Nearby, the gaunt youth nodded:
“They’re hungry, but not starving. He gave the grain to the people. I think Yan Wuyong is more suited to be emperor of Great Wu… as long as he doesn’t lose his way.”

Chi Cuihua covered her mouth and laughed: “I support Yan Wuyong.”

“So do I,” said the burly man, stretching his limbs.

“For someone of his status to get his hands dirty helping farmers till the land—that’s impressive. At least for now, with the grain in his hands, the people can eat.”

Seeing everyone in agreement, the five exchanged a smile.

The old man urged:
“Then let’s not waste time. Let’s deliver the grain to Yan Wuyong.”