Chapter 992

First Volume, Chapter 992: The King of Hell Is Easy to Deal With, But the Little Ghosts Are Hard to Handle

The Wang-surnamed man crossed his arms and sized up Qin Feng, his eyes brimming with contempt.

"What's the point of saying so much? It's still impossible to manage."

"That Zhou family member who distributed the materials was the one who led the charge, bringing many able-bodied men from the city to join Lord Qin. He's already earned Lord Qin's trust as a great contributor—so skimming a bit of materials and favoring the Zhou family? Even if you took it to Lord Qin's doorstep, he'd turn a blind eye to keep morale stable."

"Changshui County isn't that big, and it's been a long time since the last battle—surely even if Lord Qin is out of touch, he must have heard some of the Common People's complaints?"

"In my view, this isn't about Lord Qin being unable to manage—it's that he simply doesn't want to."

"We common folk have no value compared to those loyal servants."

Hearing the Wang-surnamed man's words, Qin Feng's anger cooled by half—he realized the resentment among the city's people ran deep.

Once civilian morale turns sour, it could spark a chain of unforeseen troubles.

Qin Feng now took this unexpected brawl far more seriously. He fixed his gaze on the Wang-surnamed man and asked in a low voice: "Are these things you've seen with your own eyes, or just hearsay?"

The Wang-surnamed man didn't hesitate—he blurted out: "Do I even need to see it? Everyone in the city says the same thing!"

At this, Qin Feng raised an eyebrow: "So you have no concrete evidence—just speculation?"

Faced with Qin Feng's sharpening tone, the Wang-surnamed man's confidence visibly waned.

But since he'd already stepped forward, he had nothing left to fear—worst case, he'd die.

To secure enough materials for the Wang family, the Wang-surnamed man said gravely: "Since Lord Qin came to Changshui County, he's always treated the local people kindly and has repeatedly defended their grievances—we all remember these kindnesses."

"But anyone with a sane mind knows: how could a thousand people from Changshui County possibly all follow Lord Qin to Liang Kingdom?"

"Even if he took some, he'd only take the young and strong—the elderly, weak, and sick would be left to fend for themselves."

Saying this, the Wang-surnamed man sighed deeply: "I'll be honest with you—these days, we've hoarded every bit of material we've received, refusing to eat it, saving it for when we flee."

Hearing this, Qin Feng's anger had fully subsided—he even sighed inwardly.

In the end, Qin Feng had been too idealistic—he'd forgotten how isolated the Common People were, how little they knew of anything beyond their One Mu Three Fen Land. Even though Qin Feng lived in Changshui County, over eighty percent of the people didn't even know what he looked like.

The people's fears were not without reason—they'd already been dragged into this, and their fate now hung between Nine Clans Extermination as traitors, or fleeing into exile. As for the idea of moving to Beixi County to live well? These Common People probably didn't dare even dream of it.

Qin Feng also understood that relocating all of Changshui County's people would cost a fortune.

But since these people had helped him defend the city, Qin Feng would never commit the vile act of discarding them once they'd served their purpose.

The people of Changshui County needed only one thing: a promise.

If he couldn't earn their complete trust, conflicts like today's would only escalate—and that would be disastrous for military defense, and for the entire war effort.

Qin Feng stared at the Wang-surnamed man and said firmly: "Logistics is of paramount importance—no one is allowed to abuse power, favor relatives, or embezzle materials!"

"Today, not only must the logistics issue be settled properly, but those involved in this brawl must also pay the price. Rules are rules, and sentiment is sentiment—they cannot be mixed."

"But I can promise you this: if I said I'd take you to Beixi County, I will keep my word."

"If you don't believe me, I can issue you Beixi County Household Registration within days."

At these words, the crowd fell utterly silent.

They stared at each other, certain their ears had betrayed them—faces filled with disbelief.

The Wang-surnamed man studied Qin Feng closely, surprised—could this man not be a County yamen clerk, but someone from Lord Qin's inner circle?

If that were true, then the people of Changshui County might yet be saved.

Just as the Wang-surnamed man was about to thank him profusely, Old Man Zhou burst into loud laughter.

"Hahahaha! The greatest joke in the world!"

"Who do you think you are? A Thousand-Household Commander? Deputy General Zhang? Talking so big—you'll strain your tongue."

"Who in Changshui County doesn't know Lord Qin has a host of warriors at his side—but no one's ever heard he brought any strategists or civil officials?"

"Your frail appearance? You're clearly just a lowly scribe recording documents. How dare you make such grand claims? You're asking for death."

If the Wang-surnamed man had joined the brawl out of desperation, this Old Man Zhou was simply insufferable.

Not only was his tongue sharp and cruel, but he'd also embezzled materials and undermined Qin Feng.

Most crucially, he'd insulted Qin Feng repeatedly—no matter how broad-minded Qin Feng was, his fury now burned hot.

Kindness doesn't mean tolerating abuse. If you forgive someone every time they point a finger at your nose, you have no authority left.

As the overall commander of the Winter War, losing authority would bring terrifying, catastrophic consequences.

Qin Feng's mind was already filled with killing intent—but killing just this one Old Man Zhou wouldn't solve anything. If he was going to act, he'd cleanse Changshui County's rot thoroughly, to prevent such incidents from recurring.

Qin Feng held back a cold laugh and said to Old Man Zhou: "What? A mere lowly clerk in charge of distributing materials dares to be so arrogant?"

At these words, Old Man Zhou's face turned black as ink. He glared fiercely: "Lowly clerk? You've lived too long!"

"Don't think just because you work in the yamen, I'll fear you."

"Our Zhou Family is large and powerful—two out of every ten gentry recruited by Lord Qin bear the Zhou surname."

"Without our Zhou Family's support, even Lord Qin couldn't take a single step in Changshui County—let alone you, a mere clerk!"

Old Man Zhou had already decided Qin Feng was just a lowly scribe—after all, all warriors were big and burly. Qin Feng's frail frame couldn't even compare to most soldiers.

Emboldened by the Zhou Family's power, Old Man Zhou felt utterly untouchable.

Qin Feng nearly laughed in disbelief—this was the danger of "clans."

Even ordinary Common People, once banded together, put on airs of invincibility—imagine what would happen if they grew stronger, like the powerful clans of Liang Kingdom's Nan Jing.