Chapter 267: The Earth‑Demon Man

An old saying goes, "If officials do not maintain the office, guests do not maintain the inn."

Moreover, Shanhai County was already a hard‑pressed area on the Ming Song Northern Border, so the office was even more dilapidated, cramped and shabby.

The main hall was about the size of a modest courtyard house in Nanguo's Pingyang Commandery City, the typical size of an ordinary family's courtyard house.

The back courtyard was, naturally, even more unendurable.

Zhang Gui and his party arrived at the office and stopped beside the hall's drum.

Zhao Tou asked, "Sir, you want me to go report it, to inform our County Magistrate?"

The County Magistrate of Shanhai County listened.

I am the Shishi Kingdom Heir Apparent of the Ming Song barbarian lands, and General Caiyang Shi Zhong of the Dragon‑Tiger Shogunate.

I have specially come to this precious land to rescue the common folk; I request an audience.

Zhang Gui waved his hand to signal Zhao Tou not to chatter, and shouted loudly.

His voice echoed over the county town, prompting more passersby to stick out their heads and murmur.

But County Magistrate Fan was slow to appear.

Zhang Gui's face drooped gradually; he lowered his head, glanced at Zhao Sanshi's pretended orders, and said:

"Zhao Commandant, since your superior has ordered you to assist me, I shall not be courteous.

Disperse your troops and bring County Magistrate Fan of Shanhai County to see me."

"Your Majesty, no need for courtesy; our two nations are allies.

Although I am a 'guest general' and you a 'guest lord', there remains a ruler‑subject distinction.

Nevertheless, the decree stands."

The two performed a theatrical act of singing, reciting, acting and fighting at the office's main gate.

In a side room of the office's back courtyard.

The gaunt, goat‑bearded, water‑like‑faced County Magistrate Fan stood before a water curtain, looking at them and speaking in a deep voice:

"Indeed, when a nation is on the brink of ruin, monsters must appear!"

"Ming Song loses its deer, Yuanshan does not seize,"

"Now even the barbaric minor states, whose extinction time is unknown, dare to cause trouble."

"This is not because your Hezheng Emperor, to restrain his own son, issued a decree granting this monster a 'name and weapon'."

"Is that what sparked his desire to eye Shu and Lang?"

"It is human nature; who can blame him?"

Opposite them, a fat man in brocade said with a half‑smile, half‑grimace:

County Magistrate Fan fell silent for a moment, offering no judgment on his own emperor's right or wrong.

When he saw Zhao Sanshi and the others disperse, he seized the office's gatekeeper and walked toward the back courtyard, then changed his tone and said:

"Stay here; I will first go meet that Shishi Kingdom Heir Apparent."

"Go ahead."

These past several dozen days he has been in the Ming Song Northern Border confronting our 'Compassionate People's Society', clashing softly and hard three or four times.

It is said he yields to neither soft nor hard attacks; blades and spears cannot pierce him.

When you have seen him, perhaps I too must go measure him.

"Jiang Lianpeng, we may be mouth‑talkers, but Caiyang is said to be truly a figure who rose from the weeds."

Even at a young age he is already a Bing‑Class Transcendent, having traced the Divine Cong True Form.

"Your temper is fierce; if you wish to trouble him, that is your business, but do not cause mischief on my turf."

County Magistrate Fan snorted coldly and strode out of the side room.

He arrived at the courtyard at a leisurely pace, just as a 'Bang—Bang—Bang' pounding on the door sounded outside.

"County Magistrate Fan, is County Magistrate Fan in the courtyard?"

"Ah—, Commandant, our County Magistrate truly is not in the office.

Not in the front hall, nor in the back courtyard.

I told you, the old man went early this morning to the granary to inventory the remaining grain."

"How did I hear a movement in the courtyard?"

"Probably not; Commandant, do not be impatient, I will go to the granary myself right now."

Hearing the office's gatekeeper outside constantly covering for him, County Magistrate Fan expressionlessly opened the courtyard gate.

Seeing him appear, the old gatekeeper stopped arguing, sneering, "Elder, so you have returned."

He pretended to be foolish and retreated to the side.

Zhao Sanshi gave the gatekeeper a hard stare, but did not trouble him.

Turning his head toward County Magistrate Fan, he said, "You are the County Magistrate of Shanhai County?"

"Indeed, I am. And you are?"

"I am a minor Commandant under the Great Emperor Zhenlong of the overseas island nation, insignificant."

"It is not I who wishes to see you."

"It is a First Rank superior of your Ming Song Kingdom, the dragon‑son of Jiaozi."

"Let us go."

County Magistrate Fan frowned slightly but said nothing odd, only in a cold tone,

"Since that is so, lead the way."

Zhao Sanshi was born into a farming family; when his home collapsed and fled famine, his parents, brothers and sisters were completely scattered.

Half due to natural disasters, the other half to corrupt officials who preyed on the people.

So he has always harbored a prejudice in his heart toward the officials of the Ming Song Kingdom.

Seeing Fan the dog official swaggering, he couldn't help but clench his teeth in secret.

He just wanted to turn into a giant and crush him with a single punch.

But helplessly, since this dog official was someone the Emperor himself wanted to see, he could only lower his head and take two quick steps.

He led County Magistrate Fan toward the main hall of Shanhai County.

On the road.

County Magistrate Fan, the more he pondered, felt that this situation could not be confronted forcefully and thought perhaps he should soften his stance and adapt flexibly.

But when he entered the Shanhai County yamen where he usually held court,

at a glance he saw, on the grand minister's chair that only he could normally occupy, a plain‑looking teenager perched high.

He was idly tapping the hall table with his fingers—tap tap tap.

Blood involuntarily surged to his head, his whole face swelling bright red,

"Heir Apparent, how bold you are, daring to occupy the great hall as if a pigeon taking a magpie's nest.

It seems you already disregard the dignity of our Ming Song Court!"

Then why must you insist on seeing this tiny county magistrate as small as a sesame seed?

"Just kill me outright."

"County Magistrate Fan, why demean yourself so? You are the Hundred‑Li Marquis of a whole county.

You command the fortunes and misfortunes of hundreds of thousands of the populace, the great elders, the old parents, and the lofty sovereign of the heavens."

"Besides yourself, who dares call you 'small'?"

County Magistrate Fan, upon hearing this, his angry beard twitched wildly, yet he was momentarily speechless.

Zhang Gui, seeing this, added fuel, "Especially at this critical moment,

the tens of thousands of lives in Shan River County City are all in your hands."

County Magistrate Fan gulped a coarse breath, and his mind gradually calmed down,

"Caiyang Heir Apparent, what do you intend?"

"I have a great fleet stationed at 'Chi Hai', just over twenty li beyond Shanhai Xiancheng.

It can easily transport all the city's populace to relocate elsewhere."

"Where would you move them? Your minuscule fief cannot possibly accommodate that many people."

Would you send them overseas to become uncivilized island barbarians?

That would be better than selling yourself to the charitable people."

"That scoundrel indeed colludes with the 'Charitable Society'.

I told you, in such a small county city, there are at least a hundred 'Charitable Society' criminals hidden, and the authorities must be involved."

Zhang Gui felt a stir in his heart, thinking proudly.

At this moment, several Shanhai County clerks' faces turned extremely awkward,

running from afar to near.

Arriving outside the main hall, they were blocked by a group of Stone Corpse Soldiers under Zhao Sanshi, who shouted loudly:

"Sir, sir, disaster has struck; Liu County Assistant's entire family is dead clean."

An elder said it resembles the 'Earth Demonic Human Calamity' from thirty years ago; you should go quickly to preside over the situation!"

"The great lord from the capital has reported that this 'Earth Demonic Human Calamity' is not a trivial matter.

Should it erupt, you will also suffer disaster.

"Exactly, exactly, at times like this everyone must work together; that is the safest.

"I heard that surviving the 'Earth Demonic Human Calamity' can produce great treasures.

"And it is currently being used by you high nobles.

"So stop troubling the old parents of our county."

(End of Chapter)

【103】 (End of Chapter)