Fang Zhiyi pulled the stack of official documents from the dead Liu Baocai's hands and left the military camp with satisfaction.
In the following days, drastic changes swept through Anning City and its surrounding areas.
Squads of armed soldiers jogged through the streets, and from time to time, the townsfolk would witness their county magistrate being dragged out. The commanding officer would then publicly announce his crimes—embezzlement of silver taels—before executing him on the spot.
County magistrates, finance officials, tax collectors, village chiefs... One after another, these high-ranking figures were hauled into the streets for public trials. The people, initially fearful and uneasy, gradually grew exhilarated, clapping and cheering with delight.
Yet Fang Zhiyi was stunned.
He had expected corruption, but after Cao Wenjie's investigation, even he found himself at a loss. The list reported back to him was shocking—from top to bottom, not a single official under his jurisdiction was clean!
Cao Wenjie was even more taken aback when Fang Zhiyi, after a brief moment of shock, made a decision that would shock the world.
Kill them all.
From that moment on, Cao Wenjie truly feared this seemingly newly awakened warlord.
Fang Zhiyi proceeded to post notices: anyone with ability could come forward and recommend themselves for official positions at the warlord's residence. Meanwhile, soldiers were temporarily reassigned from the military to fill these administrative roles.
Zhao Dezhu was uneasy. This move encroached on the interests of the local gentry, but the warlord didn’t seem to care.
Of course Fang Zhiyi didn’t care—he had the guns.
After confiscating so many properties, his soldiers were now fully paid and supplied, their combat effectiveness elevated by more than just a single level.
Fang Zhiyi also revised military regulations, strictly prohibiting harassment of civilians, extortion, and unauthorized desertion.
At the same time, he disbanded and reorganized his forces, promoting a large number of young officers. The army now brimmed with vitality.
New policies were implemented without obstruction. A series of oppressive taxes were abolished, and Fang Zhiyi himself opened a grain store, selling food at fair prices. These two measures alone elevated his reputation to new heights.
His title shifted from "that damned warlord" to "Governor Fang."
At the Li Family estate, Old Master Li had his servants keep watch outside while he addressed the men gathered inside. "Fang Zhiyi has gone mad. He’s killing officials, killing soldiers, even killed my son. Now he wants to let those lowborn peasants become officials! What do you all think?"
One of the gentry gritted his teeth. "Old Master Li, what we think doesn’t matter. Fang Zhiyi has men and guns. What can we do?"
"Exactly. Are we supposed to fight him with the few rusty rifles we have at home?" another muttered in defeat.
Old Master Li smiled. "This old man has a way out for you."
"Please enlighten us, Old Master Li."
"Marshal Luo of Wacheng was on good terms with my late son..."
The room fell silent.
"Old Master Li, are you suggesting...?"
"I’m suggesting you’re finished." The doors swung open as Old Master Li watched his own servants usher in a squad of soldiers with deference.
"You! This is the Li Family estate!" Old Master Li’s eldest son roared.
"The Li Family? After today, there won’t be a Li Family anymore." Cao Wenjie sneered. "I was just thinking it’d be a hassle to hunt you down one by one, but you’ve all gathered here so conveniently."
"Cao Wenjie! How dare you!" Old Master Li stood, trembling with rage. "I demand to see Fang Zhiyi! If not for our Li Family’s aid, would he even be where he is today?!"
Cao Wenjie waved a hand. "Yes, yes. The warlord specifically mentioned that the Li Family provided him with provisions, so I’m here to repay that favor on his behalf." He clapped his hands, and more soldiers carried in sacks of grain.
"Today, you will eat every last grain of this. Then you may leave." Cao Wenjie’s tone was venomous. The soldiers beside him cocked their rifles in unison.
Terror flashed in Old Master Li’s eyes.
"After you, gentlemen."
At the warlord’s residence, Zhao Dezhu stood awkwardly as an old man in spectacles shouted, "Fang Zhiyi, don’t think you can run wild just because you have a couple of rifles! Look at the state of Anning City—utter chaos!"
Behind him, seven or eight men in long robes murmured in agreement.
"Go ahead, execute me too if you dare!"
Fang Zhiyi scratched his head, forcing an apologetic smile. "Old Mr. Dou, I really haven’t done those things..."
"Haven’t done them? Because of you, the schools are empty! Students are hiding at home. At first, I thought you might be a decent warlord, but now? Executions in the streets, homes ransacked at a whim—Anning is in shambles!" He took a heaving breath. "Do you think a peaceful world can be built on bloodshed?"
Fang Zhiyi looked at the old scholar and sighed. "Just wait until today is over, alright?"
"Over? You’ve arrested the entire education bureau! Teachers and students alike are terrified!"
"They were corrupt. Should I have let them be?"
"Regardless, this isn’t how things are done! Squeezing the people dry is one thing, but arresting people indiscriminately and disrupting education—that’s where you’ve crossed the line!"
"Yes, yes. My mistake." Fang Zhiyi shot Zhao Dezhu a glare—how had this fool let these old men in?
He took a deep breath. "Actually, I was planning to seek you out myself."
"Oh? Scared of my scolding? Ready to make an example of me?"
Fang Zhiyi shook his head. "I wanted to discuss education with you all. Though I’m a rough man, I understand the importance of learning. Knowledge changes destinies—not just for children, but for our entire nation."
Old Scholar Dou was taken aback, reassessing the warlord with new eyes.
"Here’s my plan: I’ll appoint new officials to the education bureau and allocate funds to build a new school in Anning City—free for all children."
"Free?" The men muttered among themselves.
Zhao Dezhu was stunned. Free? Currently, poor families couldn’t afford schooling. Even with Old Scholar Dou and other teachers lowering fees, many still struggled.
"Additionally, we’ll establish programs for teacher training, military studies, agriculture, and more, open to young recruits. Instructors will be selected from both the military and existing teachers."
"Fang Zhiyi, are you serious?" Old Scholar Dou asked skeptically.
Fang Zhiyi nodded. "My word is my bond."
After ushering out the scholars, Zhao Dezhu hesitantly approached. "Warlord... we don’t have that kind of money, do we?"
Fang Zhiyi remained calm, gazing outside until the clamor of voices reached them. He smiled. "Who says we’re broke?"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
