Chapter 1 The Sun Returns

After three days of rain, the sun, having rested for three days, finally poked its round head out.

Perhaps knowing it had been stifled for too long, not a single cloud dared to appear in the sky to greet it today.

A million miles of cloudless sky, a blazing sun!

On the small city tower of Meiji坞,

Two rocking chairs sat side-by-side,

Facing the scorching sun,

Rocking together;

Blindy Bei liked to bask in the sun and was endlessly fascinated by this behavior.

Zheng Fan believed that perhaps the scorching sunlight gave him the illusion of warming his cold heart.

However, in any era, not having to toil under the scorching sun or worry about the anxieties of life, but simply sitting there and feeling the tranquility of time, was a very enjoyable thing.

"My lord, calculating the time, Ah-Ming and the others should be back by tomorrow morning at the latest."

"Yes, my transfer order should be coming down soon too."

Zheng Fan wasn't sure if the Sixth Prince had returned to the capital yet, but the Sixth Prince had told him that matters should be dealt with urgently rather than slowly. As early as when Zheng Fan had not yet left the Marquis's mansion, he had already sent people to arrange things and send them to the capital.

Right now, Zheng Fan had the feeling of waiting for his university acceptance letter back then.

Although he was fairly sure that the place he was being transferred to should be Silverwave Prefecture.

Because Silverwave Prefecture was the southernmost prefecture in Great Yan, and also where Great Yan bordered the Jin and Qian kingdoms.

Sometimes, the borders between great powers were no different from tectonic plate boundaries; friction and confrontation were extremely frequent.

What Zheng Fan was looking forward to was that after his transfer, his official position should be promoted somewhat, right?

After all, there were just too many captains in the Yan Kingdom.

"Recently, the Northern Garrison Army has been mobilizing very frequently," Zheng Fan remarked.

This was also why Zheng Fan wanted to pack his things and go south as soon as possible. The entire Northern Sealing Prefecture—no, to be precise, the entire three northern prefectures of the Yan Kingdom—were now shrouded in the shadow of war.

"There's no need for my lord to worry about this. The imperial court and the Northern Marquis's manor are unlikely to start a war. These recent actions are more like Xiang Zhuang's sword dance, aimed at Duke Pei." (an idiom meaning someone's actions are a cover for a hidden agenda)

"I trust your judgment."

"My lord is too kind. Since the Sixth Prince wants to transfer you to the south, it means he has already seen that the north cannot descend into great chaos.

From his perspective, if he really wanted to help you develop, it would be best if the Northern Garrison Army and the imperial court fought to the death.

Heroes emerge in chaotic times; chaotic times are the real opportunity for those at the bottom to rise and develop."

"I know. I'm just curious, if all of this is an illusion, a duet sung by this generation's Yan Emperor and the Northern Marquis, then how good must their relationship be?"

"Sometimes, it's very unfortunate for a country to have two overlords," Blindy Bei said. "But fortunately, this Yan Kingdom isn't big enough to accommodate two true overlords."

"Because beyond the Yan Kingdom, there is a wider world?"

The Yan Kingdom's territory was the smallest and most barren of the four great eastern powers.

But the Yan Kingdom's image was like that of a honey badger: poor and fierce.

"So, this is Yan Kingdom's good fortune. This generation's Yan Emperor and this generation's Northern Marquis are both true overlord-level figures.

For the sake of their dreams, for the sake of themselves, for the sake of their country's hegemony, they can make extremely great sacrifices.

The home is too small; perhaps neither of them looks up to it. It's better to stand together and build a great home for future generations."

"Then what do you say, how will the Yan Emperor deal with the local aristocratic families in the Yan Kingdom?"

"The Northern Garrison Army has already been mobilized. It is said that the Yan Kingdom's Imperial Guards and the Tiancheng Prefecture's prefectural soldiers have also been mobilized. With so many soldiers moving, bloodshed is inevitable."

"So extreme?"

"It's rare for two overlords to emerge in the same era. They won't let this opportunity pass. At the latest, half a year from now, when this confrontation continues to escalate and heat up, when all aspects of the game and arrangements have been implemented, at least half of the local aristocratic families in the Yan Kingdom will be uprooted. The Yan Kingdom will definitely be a scene of rivers of blood.

This is like pruning branches. It seems like many branches have been cut off, but this tree called Great Yan will grow better and stronger."

"So, this is the strategy you told me about last night?"

"Yes, my lord. After we go to the south, it's highly likely that we'll face the Qian Kingdom. As long as that Sixth Prince isn't stupid, he will definitely arrange us to face the Qian Kingdom.

The Jin Kingdom is in internal strife. Putting external pressure on them will only help them quickly resolve their internal conflicts and turn outward. Only the Qian Kingdom has always been docile. If they don't cause trouble, we can create our own trouble. In short, we must earn military merits and quickly develop our own base of power.

When our power has developed to a certain extent, the great cleansing in the Yan Kingdom is estimated to begin. At that time, we can actively become the knife that the Yan Emperor and the imperial court use to deal with the aristocratic families, and we can ride the coattails and submit our pledge of allegiance.

After the great cleansing in the Yan Kingdom is over, the Yan Kingdom will quickly send troops south, both to quickly make up for its own losses through external plunder, to shift internal conflicts, and because both this generation's Yan Emperor and the Northern Marquis are getting old.

At that time, we, who have experience in the southern campaigns, will definitely be reused..."

"Wait, Blindy, I trust your deductions and arrangements, but one thing is, how can you be so sure that the Yan Emperor will definitely use a knife to dig out these aristocratic families instead of using a more appeasing approach?"

"The politics of the aristocratic families lies, on the surface, in their own vast land and other means of production, as well as the vast number of farmers who are attached to the land and also to them. In reality, what they are really good at is monopolizing the local economy, education, culture, and officialdom.

If it is just an appeasement policy or using soldiers to force the aristocratic families to make temporary concessions, it may seem like the Yan Kingdom is avoiding the great damage caused by its own cleansing, but in reality, it is just passing the trouble on to future generations to continue to headache over. This is an act of shirking responsibility.

Furthermore, according to what the Sixth Prince said, his second brother is an honest man. This also means that the Yan Emperor has no intention of leaving these problems for future generations to solve. He wants to solve all the problems himself, and he will bear the merits, demerits, and consequences alone."

"It's a pity that Great Yan doesn't have political newspapers; otherwise, if I asked you to write a column, the sales would definitely be very high," Zheng Fan joked.

"My lord is too kind again. Perhaps it's because blind people like to ponder things in their hearts more."

"According to you, this Yan Emperor has the aura of an emperor for all ages?"

"Definitely."

Blindy Bei paused and added, "He also has something that most emperors for all ages don't have: the Northern Marquis, who controls heavy troops."

"Then we..."

"When Qin destroyed the six kingdoms, the Han benefited;

When Sui pacified the country, the Tang succeeded."

"You've made me feel a little excited with what you've said. No, no, I have to drink a glass of wine to calm down."

When with Blindy Bei,

Zheng Fan experienced the feeling that the Sixth Prince had when facing him,

Repeatedly provoking you to feel that you are the son of destiny, and that not rebelling and not becoming independent is simply letting down your life and the air itself.

Leaving the city tower, Zheng Fan returned to the inner residence of Meiji坞. There were no irrelevant people in the inner residence. Even because preparations were being made to move south, Blindy Bei had even stopped the original highway service station business of Meiji坞.

Zheng Fan personally poured a glass of wine and added two pieces of ice to the glass.

Making saltpeter using indigenous methods and then using it to make ice was not difficult.

Zheng Fan and the people under him were all characters who enjoyed life, so naturally, they wouldn't mistreat themselves.

Blindy originally wanted to shake out all these things to make money and develop in the future, but since the Sixth Prince was a thick shield, it was estimated that there would be no shortage of money in the future, so he was too lazy to do business anymore. He would occasionally throw out a rare trinket for the Sixth Prince to exchange for money.

After drinking a mouthful of iced wine, his whole body shivered, and his brain also felt dizzy. This feeling was really too comfortable.

Zheng Fan didn't rush back to the city tower to continue accepting Blindy Bei's brainwashing, but instead turned into a room in the inner residence and reached out to push open the door.

The room was very dark.

In the center was a curtain.

Zheng Fan lifted the curtain and went in, seeing Si Niang and Liang Cheng busy around Shatuo Queshi.

After arriving at Meiji塢 from Tiger Head City the day before yesterday, Zheng Fan had seen Shatuo Queshi.

However, the original scruffy man had been standing there, not moving at all.

According to Xue San,

That night, it was raining,

He and Blindy Bei were singing Yue opera for their own amusement,

Shatuo Queshi fell from the sky like Lin Daiyu.

He didn't know why, but every time he entered this room these days, Zheng Fan felt an inexplicable sense of peace in his heart when he saw Shatuo Queshi.

Perhaps, ultimately, Zheng Fan was also clear in his heart that the seven demon kings under him actually all had their own thoughts and their own selves.

In this world, so far,

Perhaps,

Only this guy who called himself a barbarian from the desert

Was truly willing to give him a hand.

There were no special transactions or conflicts of interest,

Purely,

Seeing you as pleasing to the eye.

This relationship was very pure, so it made people feel very comfortable.

Si Niang had been busy these days repairing Shatuo Queshi's body. Her needlework had a very good space to display itself here.

According to Liang Cheng, the best way to restore him was to find an opportunity for Shatuo Queshi to kill someone, to drink blood, and to rely on baleful aura and blood food to repair his body himself.

But there was no place to find someone to kill at the moment.

He couldn't possibly take Shatuo Queshi to the desert to exterminate a barbarian tribe, right?

Zheng Fan really couldn't do such a thing; it was too beastly.

"Hasn't he awakened yet?" Zheng Fan asked Liang Cheng.

Liang Cheng shook his head and said, "He may be self-secluding."

"Why?"

"Because he doesn't know how to face his current self, and he doesn't want to face his current self."

Liang Cheng gave a reply with a strong literary tone.

"My lord, should this servant give him a makeover?"

Si Niang asked.

Logically speaking,

This should be a "godfather" that her lord had acknowledged.

In fact, the demon kings were not very resistant to their lord acknowledging fathers outside; in fact, they were quite supportive.

What did seniority matter? Who cared?

Ahem, except for Demon Pill, that idiot.

If her lord could acknowledge a three-rank godfather regiment outside,

It was estimated that Blindy Bei would be so happy that he wouldn't be able to find north,

What was the point of operating or developing?

He would just directly flatten the world with the godfather regiment!

"Don't give him a makeover; just change him back to what he was before."

"Still that scruffy look?"

"Yes."

"Okay, my lord."

At this time, Liang Cheng said, "My lord, it's not impossible to wake him up, but..."

"But what?"

"But, there's no need."

"Then what exactly is the method?"

"For example, this subordinate could take a knife now and stab you a few times, my lord. He would probably wake up, and then..."

Si Niang rolled her eyes beside him and said, "Then he'd hammer you to pieces?"

Liang Cheng didn't refute and nodded, "Most likely, that's the result."

The corners of Zheng Fan's mouth couldn't help but twitch, and he said, "Focus on your work and don't think about things that aren't there."

"Okay, my lord."

When it was time for dinner,

Everyone else put down their work,

Zheng Fan then scooped some rice and dishes and specially brought them to the room where Shatuo Queshi was.

This was something Zheng Fan did every night.

According to Blindy Bei, the lord was maintaining the heat of his relationship with the zombie.

This was naturally a more utilitarian statement. In fact, Zheng Fan just felt that it was more comfortable to have dinner with Shatuo Queshi.

This feeling was like opening a favorite variety show video after ordering takeout in his previous life, and eating while watching it, making the meal even more delicious.

Zheng Fan knelt on the ground, with the food on a stool, a cup of wine in front of him, and a cup of wine also placed in front of Shatuo Queshi.

After drinking a glass of wine himself, he would pour a glass on the ground for Shatuo Queshi, and then the two would refill their glasses together.

From the time he came in until he finished dinner, Zheng Fan didn't say a word, because everything he wanted to say had been said on the previous nights.

Full and satisfied,

Zheng Fan leaned back slightly,

Looking at Shatuo Queshi, who was still standing there motionless with his eyes closed,

Through Si Niang's work these days,

Shatuo Queshi was no longer as eerie and terrifying as he had been at the beginning; he looked like a person now.

"Hey, actually, I make pretty good Cola chicken wings. Wake up early, and I can make some for you to eat.

You probably don't know what Cola is, right? Actually, I don't know how to make it either, but if I let Blindy and the others tinker with it, they should be able to figure it out.

Don't be inferior; so what if you're a zombie? Look, that guy Liang Cheng is also a zombie, but he's still jumping around every day as if he's no different from a normal person, right?

Stop standing there foolishly; open your eyes early and let's chat."

Zheng Fan said some things to himself, although he knew it was probably useless, but he still wanted to say them.

The guy helped you smash the carriage, he helped you act, he died and became a zombie but didn't go home and instead came south to find you.

He was really quite loyal to you.

"Hey, do you get lonely being alone in this room at night?"

Zheng Fan asked.

Shatuo Queshi remained silent.

"Sleeping alone must be lonely, right? I'd like to sleep with you at night, but Si Niang is a woman, and she's afraid of the dark at night, so I have to accompany her.

How about this, I'll leave my son here. You two can chat at night?"

Having said that,

Zheng Fan took out the stone where Demon Pill was from his arms,

And placed it on the ground.

Then,

He turned around,

Closed the door,

And left.

Walking down the steps, Zheng Fan couldn't help but reveal a smile:

You little brat, I'll teach you to make trouble tonight!

In the dark room,

The stone that Zheng Fan had placed on the ground suddenly trembled and shook;

Shatuo Queshi, who had been standing there, not moving for several days, actually shook slightly.

The stone shook again,

And Shatuo Queshi also shook.

The stone shook twice,

And Shatuo Queshi also shook twice.

After a while,

The stone calmed down,

And Shatuo Queshi also stopped moving.

…………

On the other side,

Just as Zheng Fan was about to return to his room to wash up and rest, he saw a small figure very nimbly hopping in front of him.

At first, Zheng Fan thought it was Xue San;

But after getting closer, he realized that it was the filial wolf cub.

The wolf cub excitedly patted his small chest,

"My... my... my people... my... my people... come... coming!"

The wolf cub was very smart and learned to speak quickly.

Hearing this, Zheng Fan narrowed his eyes,

Grabbed the wolf cub with one hand and ran towards the city tower.

On the city tower,

Si Niang, Liang Cheng, Blindy Bei, and Ding Hao, along with a large group of people, were already waiting there.

When Zheng Fan came up, they consciously made way for him.

Outside,

Under the dark night,

A group of dark shadows could be seen swaying.

After the team approached,

The appearance of the people was finally seen clearly by the torches on the city tower.

This was a group of disheveled barbarians. Their clothes were tattered, but their gazes were particularly sharp. They didn't look like a group of people, but more like a pack of... hungry wolves wandering in the desert.

The wolf cub excitedly roared their "dialect," and the crowd below immediately responded with enthusiastic cheers.

Clearly,

These tribesmen greatly recognized this filial young clan leader.

There was no other way; this was probably the... corporate culture in the desert.

At this time,

The team below also made way from the middle,

And a man as tall as an iron tower walked out.

He looked up,

Looked at the city tower,

And then with a "bang,"

Punched himself in the chest,

And roared:

"My lord, have you had dinner yet!"

After that,

Behind the big man,

A man in a tuxedo walked out.

His face was pale, but his hairstyle was meticulous, and his clothes were frighteningly new. It could be said that he formed a very sharp contrast with the group of barbarians around him.

He was filing his nails while walking,

Until he was about to reach the city gate,

Did he come back to his senses,

Looked up,

Glanced upwards,

A noble and reserved smile appeared on his face,

He put his right hand on his chest,

And bowed slightly:

"My lord, your most loyal subordinate has returned."