Chapter 267: Cao Ze's Favorite Episode

Although the sun was already high, the players were still immersed in the excitement of last night's blood‑pumping marathon, and the ancestral chapel, which had become somewhat dilapidated as the clan waned, regained its former glory thanks to the booming popularity.

After all, they came from a region in the tech world where the legal system is relatively sound; whether sparring physically and mentally with other humans of the same race, or brandishing swords and guns while personally executing missions alongside a large group of men in black, these are novel experiences unattainable in the Underground World or even the real world.

To celebrate this exhilarating victory and to soothe the surrounding townsfolk who were somewhat fearful after the repeated use of violent methods, the players set up dozens of banquet tables on the plaza in front of the chapel, inviting anyone to join the feast.

At first I thought, since my life was already a rotten one, I might as well be a well‑fed corpse as a beggar; then came the paupers who couldn't stand the smell of meat.

Next were the audacious merchants who would even sell the rope meant to hang themselves, the commoners who, seeing that everyone was fine, felt it would be a loss not to eat, and the city elites looking to forge new connections to preserve their standing in the underworld, as well as…

To the players' surprise, gangs with no current grudges rushed over to pay respects, flatteringly asking the White Wolf Clan to cover them, and even the mortal enemies who had been beheaded in a frenzy last night sent representatives.

And if they're coming, let them—your bunch of other‑world sumo wrestlers can gorge themselves to the point of ruin, but why do they all come as black‑clad old men, women, and children, doing nothing but opening their mouths to cry?

The players quickly brushed past a newly familiar merchant to inquire, and discovered these people were indeed extraordinary—they were the orphaned widows of deceased gang leaders, which explained their expensive attire and distinguished bearing, all under the solemn Sunlight Black Flag!

That makes it even more outrageous—sending such a group to wail at the enemy's house, what kind of business is that?

Are they planning to summon their own men to become vengeful spirits for a second round, or do they think the players, with their dragon‑like strides and tiger‑like steps, each carry the legacy of Wei Wu, and intend to trade their own charm for an endlessly bright tomorrow?

The council debated to no avail, so they summoned a highly rational and objective gang boss who had already pledged allegiance, to consult about these gangs' absurd actions.

Unexpectedly, the boss stared in shock at the Eastern man who came to visit him, stayed silent for a while, and finally laughed with a sense of relief.

"No wonder, no wonder… So you really don't understand the street rules of Sunlight City."

Although actions like "poisoning" and "assassination" can quickly solve many troubles, they can also make oneself become a trouble that gets quickly resolved.

Therefore, in commerce, aristocracy, and various other competitions, these relatively simple and brutal methods are tacitly banned, at least to give the major players a veneer of dignity and camaraderie, lest the outcome be a mutually damaging loss that benefits no one.

This is what the darkness beneath Sunlight City calls the "leave a margin for everything" rule, which even includes the cowardly quack Ji Ming who exists in the setting; theoretically, he survived the perilous Outer City and reached the point where Ji Ming began the game thanks to this unwritten rule.

But the players who arrived in Sunlight City wielding the murderous might of a mercenary clearly didn't know—or care—about this; after all, they could earn merit experience and become an unrivaled nemesis of evil, so why not just cut through everything swiftly and get it done?

Yet, in the eyes of the gangs, this is a disaster—Western barbarians storming in with foreign guns and cannons, what to do, Li Zhongtang, quickly think of a solution for us!

Strategists of the various factions: I have no idea!

Then the gang bosses discovered a frightening fact: they didn't actually need to devise a countermeasure, because they had no right to choose at all.

Under the Inner City‑level might of the players, the numerous Outer City gangs were weaker than even the Qing dynasty, being wiped out in a single night, achieving a great feat that could bring the French elder to tears.

Now, with the management nearly annihilated, only a group of widows could still speak up, yet they had become the coveted fat that anyone could snap at.

Looking around, every subordinate looked like Cao Ze, just waiting for someone to step forward and shout, "Sister‑in‑law, don't be afraid, let me, Cao Cao, protect you!"

Even a swarm of insects can always find a moth that can fly; at the crucial moment, a fierce woman descended among the families, giving birth to an otherworldly sage—a fantasy version of Yekaterina—who pointed everyone toward a clear path.

"So that's why they act that way; actually they're asking you for a way out,"

"They don't even need an apology; just a modest reception, showing a bit of remorse and a willingness to ease tensions, and the previous incident can be turned a new page,"

"After all, only the gang's upper echelons were hit hard; as long as they're not pinned down by external excuses, they will always have room and opportunity to maneuver,"

After hearing the boss's analysis, the players finally understood what the families of these gang leaders truly intended.

But they gave no response thereafter, remaining indifferent, allowing the elderly, women, and children to embarrass themselves on the spot, with none willing to approach and talk.

In fact, the widows had contemplated every possible outcome of their trip: they might have been shouted at and then rudely driven away, or the other side might have lost face and hysterically rushed over to beg for peace, or even…

Whatever the case, it would still be a normal behavior, yet they never expected it to result in the current situation!

—They simply ignore you, even standing around in groups of three or five like they're watching a clown performance, laughing beside you.

But the players can comfortably livestream the otherworldly mourning to a global audience and earn a tip of a hundred and eighty thousand, whereas they cannot.

Having suffered such a huge blow, and originally being a group of pampered noblewomen, after shouting and wailing a few times, their unevenly distributed stamina was near its limit and they were about to collapse.

There was no choice; one of the young widows stepped forward from the crowd and grabbed an Eastern man in the corner who seemed to have some influence.

"Sir, upon seeing this situation, don't you wish to offer any comment?"

Coincidentally, this fortunate player was the fearless Dan Qiu Yi Si, so he merely nodded at the woman's question and then gave a thumbs‑up.

"Great, everyone's emotions are so engaged. When's the audition? If I were a mentor, I'd definitely turn away,"

Such nonsense interrupted the young widow's carefully considered line, causing her to furrow her brows in confusion.

"What did you say?"

Facing this blatantly foolish fellow, Death God decided not to spare any more face; letting this group of nobles keep shouting was too unlucky, so he chose to drive them away.

Thus he changed his stance and withdrew the smile from his face.

"Alright, you're that 'Fantasy Yekaterina', younger than I imagined… then I won't engage in a silent duel with you,"

He paused briefly, not to ponder his words but as if winding up for a big move.

"Let me put it this way: you gather here and wail loudly; after watching, we feel nothing—no guilt, no sympathy, no regret, and in fact… I almost laughed out loud,"

"You might think you're miserable now, that causing trouble here is justified, that our cold, ruthless cruelty destroyed your life, but—if I recall correctly, the elder in your family is the skinny old man from the Black Gold family, right?"

Expressionless, he showed his delight as Death God began the most classic digging‑up‑the‑past move in negotiations.

"Do you know how many boxers and sparring partners die each day on the Black Fist Arena? Do you know how many gangs Black Gold swallowed during its expansion, how many innocent townsfolk it killed? You've recreated similar scenes countless times. Why can't you accept it when it happens to you? Yet you still call friends to cause trouble elsewhere, attempting to moral‑blackmail us,"

"So we simply don't care how you think or act; since blessings reach your family, sins should also reach your family, especially you who have no reflection and think reflection is just an excuse for yourself… then we will treat you with no psychological pressure just as you treat them, like…"

"…like I take care of them?"

Death God: Huh?

Madam Black Gold's sudden remark made him pause for a moment, and he quickly whispered to the other challengers, sending a swift message urging them to ask the boss again.

The boss replied: although among these families there are many blood‑stained beasts, the one before him is relatively more human‑like and seems to have no record.

Or, since they're all women of gang bosses, this group of widows won't lack ruthless people.

It's just that the most wicked ones in daily life are now hiding at the very back of the crowd, the most cowering, not even daring to raise their heads.

—They know they deserve death, fear being judged by Eastern men, so they never dare to show their faces, let alone step forward to lead.

Thus… could my supposedly invincible logical chain have been broken so easily by them?

If it were a bystander, the discussion would indeed stop here, but before Death God suffered the greatest blow of his life, he had his own moments of glory, so he merely gave a faint smile.

"Even if you're a good person, so what? Since I can't deem everyone evil because of one villain, I also can't deem everyone good because of one good person,"

Unbeknownst to him, Madam Black Gold seemed to be waiting for that line and replied at once.

"So I didn't come to speak up for them; I don't care whether they live or die. Actually, there are a few bastards among them that I also want to kill. I... I'm only doing this for myself. I still have many things I want to do. I want to stay alive!"

Death God fell silent for a moment, only then realizing he had walked into the opposite side's trap.

First emphasize that one is not bad, letting oneself stick a foot out of the disadvantaged group, then directly carry out a righteous split, quickly follow up with the latter step to completely become non-stick.

Following this line of thought, even the other side's initially unreasonable and provocative words and attitude could possibly be a deliberate tactic to make oneself let down one's guard.

Such a disposition is truly impressive; if one survives this ordeal, they will surely achieve great things in the future...

Just then, seeing the spearmen who had come over due to the argument here, he habitually wanted to act as a mediator.

His appearance with sword-like brows and starry eyes also indeed had affability and reliability, so after carefully listening to the young widow's plea, he laughed heartily.

"Hey, it's just this matter, isn't it just wanting to stay alive? Simple!"

"Tonight we will launch a second strike against all the major gangs, thoroughly eliminating some unjust and disharmonious elements."

"At that time, those willing to submit to us as their sect leader and live peacefully can be pardoned for the past, all may stay, including you orphans and widows, and will receive our proper care; as for those who stubbornly resist and still want to cause trouble in everyone's sunny city, we will also firmly strike them, showing no mercy, leaving no future trouble."

Clearly this is a rather gentle measure, but the young widow's face shifted from barely concealed delight to shock, and Death God almost cried out.

"What the hell, you honest person and mediator, the point of your words is actually just one thing!"

"——Stop arguing, stop arguing, we're all dogs; I say whoever is the leader is the leader, your internal opinions are all bullshit."

Death God even had reason to believe that the so-called amnesty was a deception, after all you have the enemies bound hand and foot, ready for disposal; isn't there ten thousand ways to make those formerly vicious dangerous elements on the spot withdraw from the Yangyue World?

And Black Gold Lady couldn't utter a word, after all the request she had made was not only willing to be heard, but was also settled on the spot.

Although this solution is even worse than not solving it, what does it matter to you, a loser, whether you're satisfied or not concerning the winner?

So she could only grit her teeth, turn back to her group, bringing along the black gang family members whose expressions varied upon hearing the news, some even collapsing on the spot, as they left the Ancestral Plaza.

But they had just reached the alley entrance when they heard the sound of hooves approaching from afar, clearly heading this way.

Several widows who needed support to barely walk stared blankly into thought, their faces twitching violently, as if injected with chicken blood, they sprang back to full vigor.

"Haha, it's the Inner City officials, mountain mercenaries, and tax collectors finally coming to deal with you lot of rioters!"

"Yeah, by the grace of the gods, this bunch of bastards is finally going to be judged."

"I'm terrified, I thought I was really done for......"

"They cheerfully clapped and cheered, preparing to welcome the royal army, letting the Inner City's heavenly soldiers and generals vent this anger for them, and then return to continue their luxurious, carefree lives as wealthy wives."

But the other widows all pulled their children and elders back to the sides of the road, while Black Gold Lady even lifted her skirt and ran straight back into the plaza's interior, nimbly hiding behind a few Easterners.

The facts prove that sometimes truth indeed lies in the hands of the majority, because that was not a warhorse but a carriage, and it had already slowed down before reaching the plaza.

Three fine horses finally appeared at the end of the lane, pulling a splendid carriage, its side bearing an iron shield engraved with the emblem of the Adventurers' Association.