Who Is He

Chen Yuxin spoke with a cold voice, her imposing aura rushing forth!

The Mayor was shocked into bowing even lower, clasping his fists tightly, daring not to make a sound.

He dared not speak, but she had already seen through everything. With a cold glance, she began to admonish him.

"Mayor Xu."

"Your Qinghe Town falls under the jurisdiction of my Ye City, naturally making it a part of Ye City. As the saying goes, 'When one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer.' Now that Ye City and Liang City are on the brink of war, if Ye City is defeated and breached, do you think Qinghe Town can be spared?"

"When that time comes, Qinghe Town's losses will likely exceed a mere one thousand able-bodied men."

"Surely, I do not need to explain such simple logic further to you?"

Her words were ruthless, yet they hit the nail on the head.

In the face of a great war concerning the city's interests, a subordinate town could only assist with all its might. Otherwise, if they were defeated, how could any egg remain unbroken beneath an overturned nest?

This Eldest Miss appeared young, but having been born in the City Lord's Manor, her eyes saw only the bigger picture of victory and defeat. Ordinary human lives held little weight for her.

This was the disposition of one in power.

As for the common people of Qinghe Town, they could only obey orders. The strong rule supreme; it has been this way since ancient times. Even the Mayor was nothing more than a servant in her eyes.

Facing such a powerful figure, the Mayor lowered his head and half-closed his eyes, forcing out a difficult reply.

"What the Young Miss says is absolutely true..."

"For the sake of the greater good, Qinghe Town will certainly gather one thousand able-bodied men for the army to ensure victory in this battle!"

Hearing these submissive words, only then did Chen Yuxin nod faintly. She continued walking forward, a look of superficial concern appearing in her eyes as she asked about conditions in Qinghe Town.

The Mayor and the old patriarch were men of experience; they naturally knew these were mere pleasantries. Yet, they dared not disobey. They could only accompany her and respond, their hearts sinking to rock bottom.

Meanwhile.

Under the large locust tree at the street corner.

Several old men, having watched the commotion, returned to their idle chatter as usual. Having toiled all their lives, they had long since seen through the vanity of the world. Enjoying their daily leisure was their greatest blessing. So-called "big shots" were nothing more than fodder for conversation after tea and meals; why should they worry about them?

Unexpectedly, before they had chatted for long, the legendary Mister Yi Feng arrived.

The old men immediately felt excited. Coupled with their admiration for this "Star of Wisdom," the floodgates of conversation opened instantly.

Cups of clear tea, bursts of laughter.

Seeing the refined young gentleman looking just as leisurely and at ease as they were, appearing quite ready for retirement, the old men felt a sudden intimacy amidst their surprise, as if they had found a kindred spirit.

The more they chatted, the more congenial they became.

A toothless old man even began recounting his glorious deeds from years past.

"Mister Yi."

"Let me tell you the truth. Don't look at me now with no teeth; back in the day, I was a handsome lad known for miles around! Fifty years ago, I had thick eyebrows and big eyes. The matchmakers visiting to propose marriage nearly trampled our doorstep flat!"

His animated expression, combined with his lisping speech, looked quite comical, immediately provoking laughter from the group of old brothers.

"Hahaha..."

"Old Liu here is blowing hot air again!"

"Hey, it's the same few lines every time, can't you change it up?"

No matter how the old men teased him with their eyes, the old fellow remained smug, seemingly used to the crowd's banter. He just turned to Yi Feng.

"Tell me, I counted as a handsome lad back then, right? Guess what happened next?"

Yi Feng smiled and responded with curiosity.

"What happened next?"

The old man was very satisfied with the response, then sighed with emotion!

"Sigh!"

"I was young and ignorant back then. I thought I was quite the catch. I looked down on the girls in our Qinghe Town and insisted on going to Ye City to see the world!"

"It was a sin, really. I was lucky enough to actually go to Ye City and became a servant for a wealthy family. The Second Miss of that family was so good to me. Every time I led the horses, she would cover her mouth and chuckle softly..."

"Tsk tsk, thinking about it now, that young miss was truly beautiful!"

The toothless old man looked up at the sky, a look of reminiscence on his face.

It seemed that the sweet smile in his memory was enough to soothe all of life's disappointments, remaining fresh even now.

Just amidst this intoxicated atmosphere, the old man beside him burst out laughing.

"Keep dreaming!"

"If she was really that good to you, you would have become the live-in son-in-law of that wealthy Ye City family long ago!"

"Pah, you old coot, still engaging in wishful thinking even now!"

"Young and foolish, didn't know the village was best; mistook a rich miss for a treasure!"

"Regret it now, don't you?!"

As the sarcastic jokes came out, the toothless old man glared back.

After staring at his old brothers for a moment, the dissatisfaction on his face finally turned into helplessness. He flushed red, smiled, and shook his head.

"Sigh..."

"I regret it, I regret it!"

"I really was young and ignorant back then. Now I can understand many things, but I've grown old; it's too late for everything."

At the end, he still squeezed a bit of pride into his eyes.

"What the hell are you laughing at!"

"At least I was a handsome lad back then, much better than you lot!"

His childish indignation provoked another round of laughter.

Living to their age, having reached the end of their lives, they had seen through everything. Chatting and joking nonsense every day, occasionally recalling the past—this was their happiest and most comfortable time.

Watching the old brothers chat freely, Yi Feng was infected by this grounded aura of life. He smiled and nodded, personally pouring tea for the old men.

Tea is like a drifting life, its bitterness and sweetness birthing a hundred flavors.

A drifting life is like tea; a single cup holds a world.

Amidst the most ordinary life, Yi Feng felt only tranquility in his heart. Everything became pure and simple. Even his favorite clear tea seemed to leave a lingering fragrance between his lips and teeth, retaining the most authentic taste of indifference to worldly cares.

At this moment.

He forgot all the past, and forgot everything around him, chatting and laughing, leisurely and content.

Such a leisurely scene was not rare in the past; one could see old men chatting after meals every morning and evening. It was an indispensable landscape in the generational life of Qinghe Town.

However.

Today was vastly different.

The Eldest Miss of Ye City had arrived, scaring the pedestrians off the streets until they were sparse. For someone to still be chatting and laughing calmly seemed somewhat glaring.

Gazing at this scene, Chen Yuxin, who was about to exit the long street, couldn't help but stop and frown.

As the high and mighty Eldest Miss of the City Lord's Manor, ordinary people only ever regarded her with awe and avoidance. She had never seen anyone so bold as to chat and laugh cheerfully right in front of her.

Let alone the fact that these were merely suffering commoners of a small town.

This was truly a bit strange.

Chen Yuxin felt surprised and couldn't help but look closer.

Under the distant locust tree, amidst the old men, sat a young man. His white robes were as pure as snow, his features handsome. He was clearly a refined scholar, yet he was laughing and talking with a group of suffering commoners who had one foot in the grave.

The image was like a piece of unpolished jade fallen into a pile of rubble and weeds, jarring to the eye. At the same time, it highlighted the young scholar's outstanding bearing, as if he shouldn't have appeared in such a place at all.

Chen Yuxin grew increasingly curious. Keeping her eyes fixed on him, she asked in a deep voice.

"Who is this person? Is he on the conscription list?"