Zhang SAN, an Unknown trailblazer

“Who’s there!?”

Wang Xiaoer laughed so loudly that the man inside the room had obviously noticed. He immediately cursed angrily, “Is it old Wang from next door? I’ve long suspected it was you. Come over if you've got the guts!”

Wang Xiaoer innocently replied, “I’m not old Wang, I’m young Wang!”

I’m still got many years to go before becoming the old Wang next door.

However, Zhang San punched Wang Xiaoer squarely on his fontanel and angrily scolded, “Are you an idiot?”

Wang Xiaoer rubbed his little head and said, “Don’t panic, Master. We have martial arts.”

Zhang San scolded, “Are you stupid? Why would you fight without getting paid? Besides, can you definitely beat him?”

Without a doubt, that man next door was currently at the strongest point in his life!

In this state, a person at the human level could kill someone at the earth level, an earth level expert could kill a junior heaven level expert, and a junior heaven level expert could even fight against a heaven level expert!

Grabbing Wang Xiaoer, Zhang San swiftly left the scene of the serious crime.

...

...

During the time when Zhang San was thirty-seven years old,

The entire underworld of Nanguan County was fuming when they found out about a guy without any sense of chivalry or professional ethics who was buying and selling assassinations, running the business like a grocery store.

We risk our lives in this bloody business, and you’re treating it like a freaking convenience store!

Later, the various underground organizations unified the pricing for assassinations to prevent another freak like him from appearing again. This unified pricing phenomenon even spread throughout the entire Dawu Country for a period of time.

Moreover, not just for assassinations, but for all illegal trades, this kind of price unification or regional price control was firmly implemented in the developmental policies of many underground groups.

Without a doubt, this was a reform and boost to the development of a more civilized underworld.

However, just like how people who go abroad to further their careers don’t always benefit tremendously themselves, while the underworld developed better, Zhang San didn’t gain many personal benefits. Sometimes when he had nightmares, he would lament over his youth during that time.

What a great idea that was!

Unfortunately, he didn’t control the scale well enough and his crimes were exposed, getting himself arrested.

Sigh.

...

...

Tian Ge Prefecture, Tian Ruo City, Xiaotian Town, rural areas outside town.

The two master and disciple walked with rather dejected bearings.

After all this effort, they still hadn’t accomplished their mission.

They estimated the bounty reward was going to slip away.

However, in the past two months of coming and going between the various towns of Tian Ruo Prefecture, although Zhang San and Wang Xiaoer hadn’t successfully completed many missions, they did get to see many peaceful sights after traveling around Tian Ruo Prefecture.

Half a year ago, the death of Prefect Lu Gaosheng didn’t cause too huge of an impact on the commoners of Tian Ruo Prefecture. After all, when an official dies, a new one naturally comes to replace him. Other than the major search across the entire prefecture half a year ago, life continued on as usual.

However, it wouldn’t be entirely accurate to say there was no impact at all.

Not only did Lu Gaosheng’s death not negatively affect the commoners’ lives, there were even some improvements.

Because in the past few months, quite a few farming households had gotten back fields and farms that originally belonged to them. Perhaps it was because an explosion at a banquet had killed over eighty percent of the rich merchants in Tian Ruo City.

There were rumors circulating amongst the public that some assassins had wanted to assassinate the Prefect. Therefore, they buried large amounts of explosives inside the government building, setting them off during the banquet that day.

Oddly enough, although those that died were all famous and influential rich folk, the honest merchants in the city that kept their noses relatively clean and even did some good deeds here and there didn’t receive any banquet invitations. Most of those that died were the extraordinarily wealthy who didn’t care about harming others to benefit themselves.

Those people were the richest batch in all of Tian Ruo Prefecture. Not to mention the abundant assets in their families, their fields and farms were also extremely fertile.

After these people died, almost immediately a mysterious rich businessman appeared in Tian Ruo City, aggressively going to these people’s homes to purchase their lands and farms.

As for those rich merchants’ families, seeing their own patriarchs die such horrible deaths, the various households were currently fighting over and dividing up the family assets. Although the fields and farms could continuously produce wealth, cash was still more tangible.

There were some families that were unwilling to sell their land, but that mysterious businessman seemed to have used some kind of method, because no single family could resist his acquisition offers.

What was odd about this businessman was that after purchasing the fields, he didn’t farm them himself and never appeared in person. He only sent people to distribute land deeds all over Tian Ruo Prefecture.

As Zhang San and his disciple passed through the farm roads outside of Xiaotian Town, they noticed quite an amusing scene.

“Old Chen, congratulations!”

“Same to you, same to you!”

In the early evening golden dusk outside the small town, one of the elderly farmers carried a hoe on his shoulder, while the other led an ox.

A child around ten years old sat atop the ox.

Hearing the congratulatory remarks from the two elderly farmers, the boy became curious. He asked, “Uncle Chen, what are you and my dad congratulating each other about?”

The innocent naivety of the child caused the two rugged farmers to guffaw loudly. In their hearts they thought: After all he’s just a child. How could he understand how important farmland is to us?

Mountains of gold and silver can be used up, but crops from your own fields are endless, ensuring that children in the future will never starve.

These kinds of congratulatory exchanges have been especially common recently.

Even though this was just an insignificant little town within Tian Ruo Prefecture.

As they walked past the two elderly farmers on the small farm road, both Zhang San and Wang Xiaoer noticed this scene. After looking for a short while, Wang Xiaoer unconsciously smiled.

“Master, that Li Xing is pretty capable, huh.”

But as soon as he said it, Wang Xiaoer regretted it. That was because he had mentioned the two words “Li Xing,” which his master was currently extra sensitive towards.

The main reason being that the 30,000 silver Liang reward that Lu Gaosheng had initially promised Zhang San for his assistance still hadn’t been given yet.

As soon as Zhang San heard this, he immediately stopped in his tracks. The grief and anguish in his eyes could truly be described as pitiable beyond description.

Wang Xiaoer tried to console, “Master, don’t be upset. It wasn’t that Brother Li Xing was unwilling to pay the money, but you were in a coma for two months and he had already allocated the money elsewhere. Besides, it was only 30,000 Liang. We can earn that back by killing 1,800 people right? With your speed, it would only take 35 years tops.”

Very clearly, Wang Xiaoer’s consolation...was completely useless.

Zhang San raised his fist threateningly, scolding, “Only 35 years!? If I were already over 80 years old with no teeth left, how could you ask me to still go kill people!?”

Seeing his master raise a fist, Wang Xiaoer's first reaction was to leap sideways. Of course he didn't dare say anything more, but he grumbled inwardly: Missing teeth...doesn't seem to affect the ability to kill.

Zhang San became increasingly aggrieved. All that could be said was...

He had gotten swindled again!

Zhang San took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing, “That bastard Li Xing was able to accomplish all this probably because he followed Lu Gaosheng for so many years and understands those wealthy merchants inside and out. Add in Lu Qingming’s arrangements before death and inheritance, achieving this much isn’t too difficult. However...”

Right before death, Lu Qingming had said that he owed the commoners of Tian Ruo Prefecture too much, so every bit he could repay was worthwhile.

It seemed he was referring to this very matter.

But when Zhang San looked towards those two elderly farmers behind him, his mood gradually turned cold and aloof, completely different from Wang Xiaoer’s smile.

Wang Xiaoer curiously asked, “Master, you don’t seem to care much?”

Zhang San replied, “No, I don’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I think it's meaningless.”

Wang Xiaoer looked back at the two elderly farmers behind them who were growing increasingly delighted. Puzzled, he asked, “Master, I don’t really understand what you mean.”

Zhang San indifferently stated, “They have happily regained their land today, but have you considered—who will the next prefect of Tian Ruo Prefecture be after Lu Gaosheng has died?”

Wang Xiaoer hesitated, “This...”

Zhang San continued asking, “And can we be certain that the next prefect will do a better job than Lu Gaosheng?”

When they first entered the city, Zhang San noticed that Tian Ruo City’s walls and streets were dozens of times wider compared to ten years ago on his first visit. Lu Gaosheng had developed a mere prefecture city to practically the level of an entire prefecture.

Lu Gaosheng was also greedy and ruthless, but you can't deny that he was extremely capable, skilled at controlling his subordinates. At least on the surface, Tian Ruo Prefecture had thrived and prospered since his arrival, even though the prosperity was likely built on much bloodshed in secret.

But now that he's gone, who will be the next prefect?

Zhang San wondered, just like everyone else.

Will the next prefect be able to do better than Lu Gaosheng?

Zhang San said matter-of-factly to Wang Xiaoer, "What Lu Qingming and Wu Qixue did ultimately didn't matter. In my opinion, the only people who can win this world are Song YanShi, Tang Li, or perhaps... the 'Marquis of Hundred' that even Lu Gaosheng deeply feared."

"Even if Lu Qingming fights to the death for temporary peace, what does it matter?"

How long could it possibly last?

After listening to Zhang San's words, the ten-year-old Wang Xiaoer stopped in his tracks.

The young disciple didn't quite agree with what his master said.