Chapter 302: He Was So Happy

An undercurrent of instability rippled through the labor reform worksite.

The atmosphere felt a bit off!

After Old Nan Feng and his seven companions had fled, the remaining labor offenders couldn’t help but feel an itch in their hearts. Seeing that not a single guard had moved or given chase when Olf Nan Feng escaped, they secretly wondered: Could it really be that easy to get away? If it’s truly that simple, I want to escape too.

Zao Ying, a seasoned figure in the Jianghu, immediately sensed this shift. She lowered her voice and said, “Thirty-Two, if you don’t come up with something soon, I’m afraid all six hundred-plus men are going to riot.”

Thirty-Two smiled. “No need to worry. Hold your horses.”

Zao Ying was both exasperated and amused: This wasn’t a reason to worry? Then when would it be time to worry?

She was deeply concerned about the atmosphere growing increasingly tense.

Just then, the eight who had run away earlier actually returned. One was drenched, his clothes dripping wet. The other seven looked dreadful. Their faces were unnervingly pale, as if they’d just been chased five blocks by a zombie while crossing a graveyard ridge.

The other labor offenders gaped in shock. “Huh? They’re back?”

“No one’s escorting them back.”

“Why do they look so utterly miserable?”

“Like they’ve been chased by monsters.”

Old Nan Feng trudged dejectedly to Head Guard Zhong Gaoliang. “Head Guard, we were wrong. We won’t try to escape again.”

Zhong Gaoliang glanced up at the low cloud overhead, seemingly unsurprised by their wretched return. His lips twisted in a smirk. “Pick up your tools and get back to work. Since you skipped out on work for a while, you’ll each work two extra hours today. Understood?”

Old Nan Feng replied: “Understood!”

His head hung low, he obediently picked up his tools and began working with vigorous effort.

The other labor offenders were inwardly stunned. That was Old Nan Feng! The fiercest warrior under Captain Wolf, notoriously rebellious and constantly defying even his own commander. Yet here he was, cowed into utter submission? What on earth had happened to him?

As they worked, the other offenders gravitated towards the eight men. Digging the earth, they asked questions: “What exactly did you run into out there?”

“A terrifying fortress machine! I urge you never to go inside that place.”

“It must be a special punishment structure built by the Dao Xuan Deity. Horrifying.”

“I’ll never go in there again in this lifetime, that’s for sure.”

Thirty-Two beckoned to Zao Ying and grinned. “Seems the situation here is under control now. Once Old Nan Feng is dealt with, the rest of the labor offenders won’t cause trouble anymore.”

Zao Ying was intensely curious. “What exactly stopped him? Did you have a hidden cavalry unit stashed around the worksite? Did they intercept and beat Old Nan Feng somewhere out there before letting them come back?”

Thirty-Two spread his hands. “Maybe. Hahaha.”

He continued the tour with Zao Ying. They visited the imposing Gaojia Fortress, then he took her to ride on the small train, showing her the vast fields of corn in Refugee Valley. “Look, these fields belong to Dian Deng Zi Zhao Sheng’s group, numbering about three thousand people in total.”

Zao Ying made a surprised sound. “So Dian Deng Zi Zhao Sheng settled here? Jianghu rumors said Zhao Sheng was pushed into rebellion by the authorities, joined Bu Zhan Ni’s army as the leader of the Second Team, then mysteriously vanished. Never thought he ended up joining Gaojia Village.”

Thirty-Two pointed and said, “See? That’s Zhao Sheng over there!”

Zao Ying followed his finger and saw a scholarly man strolling along the ridges of the cornfield with a group of elderly farmers, animatedly explaining various “key points of knowledge” about planting corn.

Zao Ying’s expression turned peculiar. “A scholar teaching farmers how to plant? Is this… backwards?”

Thirty-Two laughed. “All the corn we grow in our village uses the celestial farming methods imparted by the Deity. Those methods are written in celestial books. Only literate scholars can understand them; the farmers can’t read.”

Zao Ying: “…”

Thirty-Two called out to Zhao Sheng: “Mr. Zhao! Come meet this distinguished visitor. This is Zao Ying of Yichuan, a very formidable leader of a horse bandit group.” (The term “horse bandit group” was a euphemism for mounted bandits.)

Zhao Sheng momentarily froze, then understood. Jogging up from the edge of the cornfield, he started towards them.

His attempt at jogging went poorly. He wheezed like pumping bellows. Arriving before them, he gasped for breath: “Boss… Zao… cough… Greetings… I am… Dian… Dian… Deng Zi… Zhao Sheng…”

Zao Ying eyed him: “You are the renowned Dian Deng Zi Zhao Sheng, Captain of Bu Zhan Ni’s Second Team?”

Zhao Sheng fought for breath: “Pant… cough… yes… mere… humble me… though… it’s… hardly… worth… mentioning… cough…”

Zao Ying covered her face with one hand. “In this state, why on earth would you go into rebellion?”

Zhao Sheng: “Cough… I didn’t… want to rebel! Don’t… know how… suddenly… cough… my fellow Villagers from Qingjian County… hailed me as their leader.”

Zao Ying was speechless. Qingjian County was a place producing fierce warriors and towering heroes. This Dian Deng Zi Zhao Sheng was clearly an anomaly among them.

Zhao Sheng panted for a while, finally catching his breath: “Has Boss Zao also come to join Gaojia Village? Ah! You’ve truly found the right place. Look at our people from Qingjian County here. Not only do we have good houses and vast fields to farm, many have also found jobs. Every day they ride the big train to work… Everyone’s life here is incredibly joyous.”

A smile spread across his face. “When we first rebelled, I often felt sorrow. But after coming here, I realized rebelling was the right choice. If we hadn’t rebelled, we wouldn’t have left our hometown. If we hadn’t left our hometown, how could we have come here?”

He raised his hands emphatically. “Coming here is the best decision we three thousand Qingjian people ever made! Haha! Oh, here, try an ear of corn.”

He actually pulled an ear of corn from his sleeve and thrust it into Zao Ying’s hands.

Zao Ying: “…”

Zhao Sheng laughed heartily. “Corn grown by Qingjian County folks! Deliciously fragrant! Hahaha! Pardon me, I must return to the discussion with my Villagers about fertilizer application.”

He dashed off in the direction of the cornfield again.

Thirty-Two yelled after him, “Try walking slowly for once, would you?”

Zhao Sheng was already back to wheezing: “The Villagers… huff… cough… shouldn’t… keep them… waiting…”

Zao Ying: “…”

Zao Ying could see it clearly: Zhao Sheng was genuinely happy living here. This utter disregard for personal dignity – the sweat, the dishevelment, the undignified gasping – was itself a mark of profound relaxation. It meant he felt no need to cloak himself in a mask for protection.

Her thoughts drifted to Old Ghost from Guyuan, and to Xing Honglang of Yongji – legendary figures of both the martial and the common worlds. Yet here they all were, living quite contentedly under the shadows of Gaojia’s fortress walls. Xing Honglang was even reportedly courting someone.

For the first time, a flicker of doubt – a wavering – stirred within Zao Ying.