Chapter 662: Revenge in Progress One

Both sides stared with open mouths as Shanming Xiuqi slowly slid down from the tree trunk to the ground.

Pan Yun silently lowered her foot and explained to Xue Shao, whose mouth was slightly agape: "I said I was distracted, so I messed up the move—do you believe me?"

Xue Shao closed his mouth and nodded: "I believe you."

What does Xue Shao believing matter? It depends on whether the others believe it, especially the people across from us.

Sigh, it was supposed to be a contest—now Pan Yun couldn't even admit it was a mistake without further humiliating them.

So she just stood there silent, casting a glance at Wang Cong to signal him to go calm them down.

Before Wang Cong could move, Seeing Miao Zhen, standing beside the tree, let out a derisive laugh and looked down at the fallen Shanming Xiuqi: "It seems your country's warriors are not just ordinary weaklings—you defeated so many, yet couldn't even block my junior uncle's kick."

Miao He joined Miao Zhen in laughter, looking utterly foolish.

Wang Cong quietly lowered his right foot.

Pan Yun turned her head away. Fine, let it be this way.

When they arrived, the two sides stood sharply divided, the atmosphere strangely tense.

It was a village of dozens of households, said to be a very large village.

The Great Ming heroes didn't understand—how could a village of dozens of households, three or four hundred people, be considered large?

But since they said it was large, then it was large.

All they needed to do was storm in, seize control of the villagers, drag out and kill the headman installed by the Uchida clan, kill one to warn a hundred, force the villagers to pay tribute, then install their own headman—this village would then officially become Shanming clan territory.

Pan Yun asked: "What kind of money are they paying?"

Yida Xintai blinked, taken aback, then said matter-of-factly: "Just money—when a place re-joins our territory, it must pay."

Pan Yun: "There must be a reason for it."

"We drove out the Uchida people—this land now belongs to us. They live on our land, farm our land, and are protected by us—don't they owe us money?" Shanming Xiuqi declared confidently: "We're only asking them to pay to join the Shanming clan—we haven't even demanded the penalty for secretly siding with the Uchida."

Pan Yun looked puzzled: "Wasn't this village seized by the Uchida? How is that 'secretly siding'?"

"It was seized, but they could have resisted. They're so many people—yet when seized, they didn't resist. Such disloyalty to us—what else could it be but secretly siding?"

Pan Yun: …

The heroes: …

What now? Don't want to help them seize territory anymore.

All the heroes turned to look at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun rubbed her forehead, took a deep breath, exhaled, and forced a smile: "Shanming Jun said he'd follow me—so you all follow me now."

Before Shanming Xiuqi could speak, Pan Yun directly asked Yida Xintai: "Do you know where the headman lives? Where are his men?"

Yida Xintai knew nothing.

Pan Yun smiled: "Not knowing is fine. Send two warriors—have them walk boldly into the village, call out the headman to a duel. When he comes out, we strike immediately."

Yida Xintai hurriedly said: "What about the villagers? How do we control them?"

Pan Yun: "Why control them? These villagers have lived here for generations—the Uchida only replaced the headman and a few warriors."

"If we don't control them, they'll all run away," Yida Xintai said: "If people flee, we can't collect money."

Pan Yun patted his shoulder: "Brother, I finally understand why your version differs entirely from what Yi Jianren told us—Shimane Province is divided into so many little 'countries'…"

Yida Xintai quickly explained: "Young Lady Pan, please don't misunderstand—our 'provinces' are administrative divisions, not actual countries…"

"I know that—but why are there so many 'countries' under one administrative province?" She'd only just learned yesterday that many regions were directly called 'countries.'

Like Suofo Province, Shizi Province, Jiwan Province…

In truth, a 'country' was just the area of a few villages.

When she and Xue Shao saw the crude map in Shanming Chifeng's study yesterday, the whole world had seemed to sway.

Everywhere, places that should have been called villages or townships were labeled as 'provinces.'

Supposedly, these names had been changed gradually over the past two years.

Sigh—after the Shogun died, no one governed the regions; everyone did whatever they pleased.

"Remember: to stabilize a place—even if someone seizes it, you keep the people's loyalty—you must treat the villagers like family," Pan Yun patted his shoulder: "This is the supreme strategy of winning hearts—the culture of our great nation, passed down for millennia. I don't teach this to just anyone—but since we're destined to meet…"

Yida Xintai: … Why are you shouting so loudly? Everyone here heard you!

Under Pan Yun's firm pressure, Yida Xintai had no choice but to follow her plan—he sent two warriors into the village to lure out the headman.

Yida Xintai agreed, and Shanming Xiuqi, there only as a figurehead, had no right to object.

Besides, he didn't understand anything.

From the moment Pan Yun spoke, he had stood quietly, holding his sword.

The two warriors strode boldly into the village, shouting loudly—and soon drew out the villagers, the headman, and his men.

Pan Yun turned to Yida Xintai: "See? They've come out. Only capture the headman and his men—don't harm the villagers, don't arrest them."

Yida Xintai muttered under his breath but still obeyed, leading his men forward.

They swiftly subdued the opponents.

The villagers, seeing the Shanming warriors burst out, scattered in panic—leaving only the captured headman, forced to kneel on the ground.

Pan Yun walked up to him, scanning the suddenly silent village.

She twitched her lips and said to Yida Xintai: "Find an elder."

Yida Xintai: "An elder?"

"Can you find any young people now?" Pan Yun said: "Elders can't run fast—they won't flee. Find several."

"Why find them?" Yida Xintai asked, puzzled, but still ordered his men to bring them.

Of course—to calm them.

Soon, the warriors dragged out three elders, who immediately knelt upon arrival.

Pan Yun stepped forward, helped them up, and spoke to them in the local tongue: "Don't be afraid—we won't harm you."

Three old men trembled, shivering: "Our family truly has no money left. Please, my lords, grant us two more months—once the rice is harvested, we'll pay…"

Pan Yun studied the three men.

All three old men wore short jackets and short pants, their clothing and trousers torn, not even mended with cloth.

Of the three old men, only one wore straw sandals; the other two were barefoot.

Their feet were blackened, their toes thick and calloused—clearly, they were usually barefoot.

Their fingers were cracked, their nails caked with black dirt; their faces were lined with wrinkles, each crease heavy with unrelenting sorrow.

Pan Yun set aside her preconceptions and asked gently, "How old are you all?" (End of chapter)