Skinny Monkey’s body slowly slumped to the ground.
The next moment, several big men burst in.
One-eyed Dragon flipped the table on the spot, but before he could take a few steps, someone pinned him to the floor.
He didn’t even have time to ask who they were before a blade slit his throat.
The only thug left alive was terrified. He’d seen brawls and even killings before, but who wouldn’t fear men who walked in and murdered without a word?
Yet those men didn’t kill him. They dragged him before a man.
“What’s your name?” The man stared at the trembling thug.
“I—I—I—I’m Liu Asan! Spare me, sir! Spare me!”
The man frowned. “I’ll give you two choices. Work for me, or… go with them.” He pointed at the two corpses not far away.
“I’ll work for you! I’ll follow!” Liu Asan blurted out without hesitation at the prospect of surviving.
At that moment, in Fengyang County, a local official was frowning at the young man who had arrived late at night.
“What business do you have?”
“I’m the owner of the Lucky Pawnshop, here specially to pay my respects to Lord Hu.” The young man smiled brightly.
“Lucky Pawnshop?”
The young man didn’t answer, merely handing over a stack of banknotes.
Seeing the money, the official’s eyes lit up. In any other time, taking this bribe would be suicide, but nowadays—if the county magistrate ate meat, he and his underlings ought to get at least a sip of the soup.
He studied the young man, hesitated briefly, then reached out and accepted the notes.
That night, several households in Fengyang County received a surprise visitor after dark.
But come dawn, everything appeared normal.
Beneath the surface, however, a storm was quietly brewing.
First, a gang that had long dominated Fengyang’s docks was thrown into the river, and Liu Asan took over the wharf.
Next, the gambling house owner disappeared, replaced by a stranger no one had seen before.
Even the underground loan sharks and illicit salt trades were seized.
Oddly enough, these ousted groups had all enjoyed the backing of local officials—yet the authorities remained conspicuously silent. Many soon caught on: someone had struck a deal with the government. No one dared to probe further.
Days passed, and things carried on as usual.
In truth, the county magistrate knew nothing of it. He only noticed that his cut never dropped, so he was happy to stay out of it.
“The External Relations Bureau handled this well. Remember, I told you to spend money—but not like fools. Fools throw money away for nothing,” Fang Zhiyi said to his subordinates. “Spend wisely. Spend where it counts.”
The men nodded.
Someone asked, “Your Highness, why not just give the silver directly to the county magistrate of Fengyang?”
Fang Zhiyi glanced at him. He knew these were all rookies, so he didn’t grow impatient. He explained: “The eunuch faction and the Ningxi faction are locked in a fierce struggle. Don’t underestimate some petty official—he’s the key to governing this place. His circle is bound to have spies from the Ningxi faction or the eunuch camp. We can’t afford that risk. Even if there were no spies, how do you know whose pocket he’s in? He might sell you out without you even knowing.”
He paused. “That’s why I believe the bureau did an excellent job. In times like these, lower-ranking officials either have their salaries slashed or haven’t been paid in ages—they’re desperate for cash. And does the magistrate handle every detail himself? No. So targeting these middlemen was the right move.”
“Originally, bribing the Fengyang magistrate was budgeted at five thousand taels. Thanks to the bureau’s setup, we saved three thousand. That saved sum will be distributed as bonuses.”
At this, many eyes lit up.
Another payout? The Prince sure is generous!
Fang Zhiyi clapped his hands with a smile. “This mission was meant to sharpen your teamwork. The Action Bureau contributed immensely—swiftly and fiercely neutralizing the local gangs, absorbing their underground networks, and recruiting a number of new hands. They will also be rewarded.”
Several men puffed out their chests.
“Remember: as long as the job gets done, you won’t lack rewards,” Fang Zhiyi said.
In unison, they replied: “For the Prince, we will brave fire and water, even unto death!”
Fang Zhiyi shook his head, a bit exasperated. Let them have their enthusiasm.
He turned to a scrawny man with rat-like eyes. “Liu Laogou, does the money house have anything to report?”
Liu Laogou shook his head.
“Then the rest is up to you. Sort out these businesses quickly. I’ve taught you this long enough—don’t let me down.”
Liu Laogou rubbed his hands together, grinning. “Don’t worry, Prince. I’ll get it done!” His little eyes sparkled with cunning, reminding Fang Zhiyi of a certain potbellied old acquaintance named Qian.
Though one was fat and the other thin, that calculating glint in their eyes was identical.
Seems like such talents existed in every world.
“Remember this: never touch anything involving the great clans,” Fang Zhiyi instructed.
“Understood!” Liu Laogou hurried off.
After everyone had left, the head of the External Relations Bureau, Zhu Hongcai, emerged from a corner. His frame was hunched, as if he might collapse at any moment. Fang Zhiyi exchanged a glance with him, then stood and walked outside. Zhu Hongcai followed without a word.
Only when they reached the garden did Zhu Hongcai speak. “Your Highness, the matter you asked me to investigate—I have the results.”
Fang Zhiyi’s lips curled. His eyes were fixed on the rockery in the garden. “Since it’s clear, put the brothers to work.”
“Yes.” Zhu Hongcai bowed and began to withdraw.
“Wait.” Fang Zhiyi turned to look at him.
Zhu Hongcai stopped at once. “What else do you command, Your Highness?”
“Your bureau has been running high and low—after all that, everyone’s exhausted. Go collect three thousand taels and distribute it among the men.”
Zhu Hongcai was taken aback. “Your Highness, we do this willingly. You’ve already rewarded us once just now. How can we accept another…”
“Enough. This isn’t from me to them—it’s for them to give to their parents. Times are hard. If it were better, I’d build new houses for them in the outskirts of the capital.” Fang Zhiyi laughed. “Tell them: if anyone pockets the silver, I’ll break their legs!”
A flicker of gratitude showed in Zhu Hongcai’s eyes. “Yes!”
“Your External Relations Bureau—outwardly, you are negotiators, but in truth, you are my eyes and ears.” Fang Zhiyi patted Zhu Hongcai’s shoulder. “Crucial. Hurry up and train the spies.”
Zhu Hongcai nodded firmly. “Rest assured, Your Highness. As you instructed, I’ve almost finished the groundwork.”
Fang Zhiyi closed his eyes. “Remember: even internally, the bureau only conducts targeted investigations. Never expose the undercover agents you’ve planted.”
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
