Chapter 2253: Journey to Imaskari 9

————A quick bump, I've filled in the previous three chapters, the rest will all be finished tomorrow~

————

Savile Territory, White Sheep Village.

Compared to the biting cold of winter, the coldness of the human heart is even harder to adapt to.

Before dawn this morning, the small courtyard of Laoyantou's home was already packed with people—some there to watch the excitement, some to bolster the momentum, and others who had simply come to check on the situation out of concern for Laoyantou.

"Laoyantou, the three days are up. Have you thought about the land exchange?"

"I won't exchange it. The young Mage from the south already said that White Sheep Village and Grey Rabbit Village will soon merge to build a town. You want to exchange half-barren land in the west for the land in White Sheep Village—I know exactly what kind of scheme you're harboring, even if you don't say it!"

Laoyantou looked like an ordinary country farmer on the surface, but his speech was very clear and logical, and his attitude was extremely firm.

Yet, this firmness of his infuriated the middle-aged man dressed as an Adventurer before him. Considering there were still many onlookers in the courtyard, the middle-aged man suppressed his anger and tried to persuade him again:

"Setting aside when the village merger and town construction will actually start, even if the village is merged and the town is built, what benefit could it possibly bring you? You can go to the West District of Savile Town and see for yourself—clinging to the status of a town resident is not even as comfortable as farming in the countryside!"

"If the status of a town resident is so bad, then why are you fighting to get it?" Laoyantou retorted.

"It's not that the status of a town resident is bad, it's just useless for lone individuals like you and me. It's the masters above who really need it. I'm still standing here talking to you nicely, but if you don't agree, the masters don't have as much patience as I do!"

As soon as the middle-aged Adventurer finished speaking, a chorus of boos erupted in the courtyard, though his words truly frightened Laoyantou, who had been trapped in the fields for half his life.

"Even if the masters above want it, they can't just use half-barren land to exchange with me! Give me cultivated land or cash, and I'll move out immediately."

Seeing that Laoyantou's stance had softened, the middle-aged Adventurer immediately pressed on, "You want cultivated land? Won't it become cultivated if you farm it for two more years? At most, I'll give you a few Gold Coins to make up for it. If you really anger the masters above, I won't be able to save you!"

"You—"

Laoyantou almost couldn't catch his breath; his withered fingers trembled as he pointed at the middle-aged man in front of him, unable to say another word for a long time.

"Hurry up, have you made up your mind? By the time I leave this courtyard, the next time I come back, it won't just be me alone!"

"I—"

Laoyantou's mind was in total chaos. Those in the courtyard who loved to watch the chaos were still jeering, but some gave very sound advice: "What they are doing violates the Daxia Code. Go to the south and report them; every report will stick."

These words stood out clearly amidst the noisy crowd. Laoyantou seemed moved, but the middle-aged Adventurer was truly startled. He tried to remain calm and continued to threaten:

"What Daxia Code? Since when does the south get to decide the affairs of Savile Territory? Let me tell you, the masters above have already spoken: whoever keeps the Daxia Code on their lips is a traitor to Savile Territory and will be sent to the stake in the future!"

"Is that so? If mentioning the Daxia Code means going to the stake, then what kind of punishment should I suffer for constantly explaining it to the villagers?"

"Who?" The middle-aged Adventurer turned around abruptly, but no one answered him. However, the sudden silence in the courtyard told him that trouble might have arrived.

The next moment, the crowd quietly parted a path from the courtyard entrance to where the middle-aged Adventurer stood, and a youth wearing ordinary coarse cloth clothes walked in slowly.

"Me! Puxini, the Legal Lecturer stationed in White Sheep and Grey Rabbit Villages for Daxia Territory! And who might you be?"

The middle-aged Adventurer looked into the bright, calm eyes of the youth standing less than three steps away and was stunned on the spot, standing blankly and unable to speak for a long time.

"Another petty person attempting to sabotage the integration of the two regions. Fellow villagers, help me seize him and hand him over to the law enforcement officers from the south."

Puxini was only a Legal Lecturer, but he was also an Official Mage. The north was not like the south; what a Spellcaster said could almost be taken as a formal order.

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Plus, Puxini said to hand him over to the law enforcement officers from the south, not to beat him to death, so after a moment of hesitation, the crowd swarmed forward and hauled up the now-crestfallen middle-aged Adventurer.

"Fellow villagers, next time there are matters like land exchange, land purchase, or threats and coercion, you can all go to the law enforcement officers for help. If the situation is urgent and you are forced to agree, it doesn't matter; you can just appeal to the law enforcement officers afterward. Daxia law absolutely does not support any agreements made against the will of the parties involved!"

"Good!"

A burly man in the crowd responded loudly, and then various cheers and shouts rose one after another. The middle-aged Adventurer, who could no longer move, finally regained his senses and stiffened his neck to continue being stubborn:

"You bunch of traitors, the masters above, the masters—"

No one stopped him from continuing, but he himself knew that no matter how tough his masters were, they couldn't be tougher than a Mage master.

At this moment, Puxini also walked up to the middle-aged Adventurer and said to him in front of all the onlookers: "I don't know who these masters you speak of are, but they certainly aren't Lord Xia Duo and Lady Niya."

"The plan to integrate the two regions is a major territorial policy jointly issued by Lord Xia Duo and Lady Niya. Anyone who interferes with or sabotages this plan is an enemy of Lord Xia Duo and Lady Niya."

After speaking, Puxini waved his hand and had people take away this now-useless pawn.

……

Not far south of White Sheep Village and Grey Rabbit Village lies the 【Daxia-Saville Passage】. The temporary station for the law enforcement officers from the south was set up inside the passage.

After handing the middle-aged Adventurer over to the law enforcement officers, Puxini continued to soothe the villagers again before finally arriving at the station to meet the Coordinator, Aidelian.

"Just as you guessed, those people are becoming increasingly unable to keep their cool."

"Even if they could keep their cool, what would it matter? The village merger and town construction here is only the first step. Next, land will be measured and redistributed throughout the entire Savile Territory. If those vermin don't jump around a few more times now, they will never have the chance again."

"How is your family situation? Is the impact significant?"

"It doesn't have much to do with my family. My father is a follower of the old lord; all land and all income are documented and traceable. The integration of the two regions is actually beneficial to my family because it integrates into a system with more prospects."

Speaking of this, Aidelian sighed deeply, "Actually, my father and those uncles of mine mostly support the integration of the two regions, but this day came too quickly. They are still a bit nostalgic, to the point of being blinded by the people below.

"But as long as the facts are clearly presented, making them realize the depth of the harm caused by the vermin below, I believe they will not choose to shield those vermin."

"I hope so!"