My lord, spare his life!

"I shouldn't have told the Prefect these things."

Ever since hearing Du Guan's words, Zhang Yang's mood has visibly soured. Although she is usually expressionless, when she goes out for a stroll and inspects, seeing the children's cheeks gradually becoming fuller, their complexions gradually improving, and the children slowly growing taller, a hint of joy would appear in her eyes, and her aura would seem to melt away like ice and snow. This time was different.

She was genuinely in a bad mood this time.

Du Guan couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

Ignoring certain details, the fact that the Prefect carried such a large fortune suggests he grew up in a comfortable environment, free from worries about food and clothing. In places of abundant resources, the tragedy of cannibalism is naturally rare. The Prefect probably never imagined that living beings, like food, could be prepared in so many different ways.

Fan You: "I said it, so why shouldn't I have?"

Du Guandao: "But—"

Fan You said indifferently, "This is a good thing."

Du Guan frowned: "You mean good news?"

"If she remains unmoved after hearing this, I'll be more worried." Fan You's usually indifferent expression softened slightly. "The rabbit dies, the fox grieves; things of the same kind grieve. She'll feel sadness, sorrow, and anger, which means she sees the vegetable people as her own kind, as human beings, rather than as edible food."

Does this mean she's starting to have feelings for him too?

Even if it's just a tiny sprout?

Du Guan exhaled a breath of stale air: "Indeed, I misunderstood."

but--

Shouldn't we offer some guidance or comfort?

Of course not, Zhang Yang isn't that sensitive.

She just felt like she was sick.

The illness is quite serious.

"...Is it infected with a virus? Or is it a bug?"

Zhang Yang grabbed Zhang Dami's round ears.

Zhang Dami's muscles tensed, afraid to move an inch, letting Zhang Yang torment her. After a short while, Zhang Yang sighed and murmured, "But this illness is hard to diagnose. Doctors can detoxify, but they can't cure the virus."

In the post-apocalyptic wasteland, cruelty is even greater.

The game designers also created many outrageous missions.

Overall, the conflict still focuses on the survivors and the outside world. The threats to their survival are zombies, alien beasts, alien plants, and even some mutated creatures that are a mixture of several races. They will hurt, kill, or even eat people. Zhang Yang has seen this more than once.

But never before has she felt as uncomfortable as she does today.

Zombies do eat people, but they are no longer part of the human race. Strictly speaking, zombies and humans are two different species, belonging to a food chain relationship of natural selection. Whether zombies eat people or people kill zombies, it's all about competing for survival space.

In the Home side map, there are no zombies, only people.

Why do humans still eat their own kind?

This behavior wasn't even driven by hunger for survival, but rather by a perverse enjoyment on a psychological level. Zhang Yang recalled the subjects she had observed, and she had never heard them mention cannibalism.

Zhang Yang couldn't understand it, so she made Zhang Dami carry her around everywhere.

She wanted to clear her head.

Find the source of this strange feeling.

Within a few days, the buildings damaged by the mutiny had been restored without leaving a trace, as if it had all been an illusion. This time, Zhang Yang did not help the laborers; instead, he sat cross-legged on Zhang Dami's back, one hand supporting his chin, his gaze seemingly fixed on nowhere.

Just then, several laborers' children, playing around, bumped into Zhang Dami and fell flat on their backsides onto its outstretched tiger paw.

The child turned his head and was met with Da Mi's round, tiger-like eyes.

They weren't afraid; they were just embarrassed and apologized to Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yangchong and the others waved.

Perhaps because she had eaten her fill, her shaved head grew quickly, becoming a thick, soft, black tuft that was quite pleasant to touch. She reprimanded the group expressionlessly, "This isn't a place for fooling around. What if you get hurt?"

The children dared not argue, but instead skillfully stared at Zhang Yang with pitiful eyes, silently begging for mercy. After spending more time with her, these clever children also learned that this magistrate was the most soft-hearted and lovable person. Don't be fooled by her lack of smiles; she was even more lenient than their fathers and mothers.

Zhang Yang ruffled their hair haphazardly.

However, it was not appropriate for a terrifying thought to surface in my mind.

What if these children also became meat on a butcher's stall...

Zhang Yang's eyes suddenly changed, and his fingers curled up secretly.

Just thinking about it makes me feel angry.

Even though these children are just a bunch of simple data, data is not all the same. But to Zhang Yang, this bunch of data looks more beautiful and pleases her more than other data.

How could such vibrant faces be reduced to meat and vegetables on a butcher's stall?

Children are extremely sensitive to changes in emotions.

The child whose head she was rubbing stared at Zhang Yang nervously, his eyes filled with pure worry, not fear or terror.

Zhang Yang asked her, "Do you know what a vegetable vendor is?"

The children's faces changed drastically, and they burst into tears.

Zhang Yang: "..."

She looked helplessly at the group of noisy machines, wanting to soothe the child but not knowing how, until nearby laborers came running after hearing the commotion. Zhang Yang, not understanding why the child was crying, asked the laborers the same question.

The laborers were also terrified and turned pale.

Zhang Yang: "You guys don't know either?"

Perhaps, market vendors are not that widespread?

Seeing that Zhang Yang was mostly confused and curious, and not displaying the ferocious and greedy appetite that had terrified them, the laborers breathed a sigh of relief. They naturally knew about "vegetable people," and had personally witnessed their fellow villagers and relatives become them, even those who were themselves "vegetable people" but had luckily escaped. This term was a nightmare they couldn't shake!

"I know, I know..."

Zhang Yang turned his gaze over.

A laborer registered in Weiyin County said, "...Actually, before Magistrate Xu took office, there were two butcher stalls selling vegetables in the county. When Magistrate Xu learned of this, he forcefully shut them down. The old stalls were located next to the butcher shop in the west of the city. Magistrate Xu is a great philanthropist!"

The laborers didn't forget to say some good things about Xu Jin.

Trading between newbies is actually very common.

Either families couldn't afford to raise their children and sold them for survival supplies, or lost children were abducted by despicable kidnappers, or refugees fleeing the country were also kidnapped... In Weiyin County, that vegetable and human flesh stall would sell one or two human flesh every day.

Fortunately, they ran into Xu Jin.

Xu Jin also abolished it under immense pressure.

It's important to understand the power of influence from above. When wealthy and powerful families considered it impolite to have no human figures at a banquet, eating human figures became a popular and sought-after trend. People tend to conform; anyone who stands out will be ostracized and isolated.

Ordinary people naturally can't afford vegetables.

These vegetables are mainly supplied to wealthy local households.

This was one of the reasons why Xu Jin became enemies with them.

The other laborers echoed this sentiment.

"Yes, yes, Lord Ling has saved quite a few people." Leading a large contingent of guards, he kicked open the meat stalls and granaries, rescuing the vegetable vendors who hadn't yet been dealt with. At that moment, the vegetable vendors saw him as a god descending from heaven. Over the years, he has been struggling to maintain a balance.

Zhang Yang nodded: "Jiushi is indeed quite good."

I'll give him a raise later.

"Tell me anything else you know..." she paused, then continued, "Are there vegetable and human flesh stalls in other parts of Tianyue?"

One worker said, "They've been gradually shut down too."

We should thank Lord Cheng for this.

It is said that the Chancellor and the then Prefect argued with each other, and the two of them joined forces to put pressure on the evil forces in Tianyue County who loved vegetable vendors, and to prevent vegetable vendors from appearing again! Nowadays, there is no vegetable vendor business on the surface, but as for whether there is one behind the scenes? Of course there is.

Otherwise, where did the box of human bones they found come from?

Where do these strips of cured pork come from?

They just don't dare to act openly because someone is watching them.

Zhang Yang closed his eyes.

On the surface, all is calm, but within, a raging storm is brewing.

She didn't think of anything else.

Zhang Yang simply made a very simple assumption—

As a mother, would she let her children become meat hanging on a butcher's stall? Would she want to see human heads, legs, and hands displayed alongside sheep, pig, chicken, duck, and dog heads on the same stall? She simply couldn't accept it!

Even if it's just a bunch of data.

Again--

Even in terms of data, her children's data looks better than others!

There was a laborer who was quite perceptive.

She asked softly with concern, "Why is Your Excellency so worried?"

Zhang Yang: "Today, during the ransacking of your homes, I saw some people being treated like vegetables and fed with meat and grain. I cannot accept this. I cannot accept you becoming like vegetables."

She nodded solemnly as she spoke.

"Parents bring their children into this world not so that they may suffer all kinds of hardships. It is so that their children may see the vast world, see the vibrant life, personally experience the joys and sorrows of humanity, and taste the warmth and coldness of life. They should teach them to recognize the pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and also understand the hardships of farming..." This is what she, as a person, should do.

Since we bear responsibility, we must fulfill our duties to the end.

The laborers were puzzled as to why Zhang Yang suddenly worried that they would become slaves, but after hearing the following words, their eyes welled up with tears. Such words were something even their parents, let alone a high-ranking official, had never shown.

They learned how to be parents from their parents, but after hearing Zhang Yang's words, they were stunned for a moment—this is what parents are like?

By the time they came to their senses, the Lord had already ridden away on Mimi.

"Thoroughly investigate these families; find out which one has eaten human flesh—"

"Punish them severely!"

She had originally followed Puyang Kui's advice and was preparing to win over the collateral branches of poor families for her own use, but now she has added new standards.

"I don't want anyone who has eaten human flesh."

Puyang Kui cupped his hands and said, "Yes."

Zhang Yang's gaze swept over Guan Zong: "I will forgive and forget what happened in the past, but you cannot repeat this mistake. If you do, I will not let you off lightly!"

Guan Zong suddenly realized what was going on.

He nearly flew into a rage: "My lord, you've wronged me! I may have a suspicious face and come from such a background, but I truly haven't done anything like that. The bandits of the Eastern Frontier didn't split up their families back then; they were a large and powerful clan. Would they really deprive me of a bite to eat?"

He was one of the old man's eldest children, after all; there was no need for him to eat that kind of meat. He killed people but didn't eat them.

Zhang Yang was taken aback, seemingly not expecting to misunderstand Guan Zong.

Since it's a misunderstanding, then an apology is necessary.

"I misunderstood you, but it's not my fault, it's yours."

Whose "good guy" is known as the "bloodthirsty killer"?

This title sounds like it belongs to a cannibal or a serial killer.

Guan Zong: "..."

Hmph, he won't hold it against his lord.

Zhang Yang had all the bones and cured meat collected together. She didn't know which ones were originally one, so she simply burned them all and erected a monument so that the families of the victims could come here to pay their respects.

Xu Jin received a commendation for no apparent reason.

He suggested, "Let's hold another Buddhist ceremony to pray for their souls to be delivered."

Zhang Yang stared at him silently.

"Where did I say something wrong?"

"If there were any rituals in the world that could deliver ghosts from suffering—" Zhang Yang's gaze swept over the few people present who had been summoned by the stars, then he raised an eyebrow.

The existence of these ghosts proves that the rituals for delivering the spirits are just a scam.

Xu Jin: "..."

He gave an embarrassed, apologetic smile.

Zhang Yang swiftly silenced the dissenting voices within Tianyue, finally enjoying a few peaceful days. However, the stability within Tianyue did not guarantee stability outside. The source of an uproar outside was precisely a character customization tool she had casually gifted.

Du Guan fell silent due to the calamity of the stars, but this did not prevent her from keeping in touch with her old friends. In such chaotic times, receiving a letter from an old friend would be a joyous occasion for anyone.

"Parents, there is a letter."

"letter?"

In the dimly lit, cramped room, an indescribable stench of decay was quietly spreading. Even with strong incense burning everywhere, the odor couldn't be masked. The steward, long accustomed to it, remained unfazed. As the voice of response drew closer, the smell grew stronger.

The owner of the hoarse voice was entirely black.

Even at home, she was always fully covered up, wearing an extremely long veiled hat that almost reached her ankles. The visitor took the letter handed to him by the steward and opened the sealing wax.

The thin book was filled with tiny, fly-like characters.

I could read ten lines at a glance and finished it in no time.

A hoarse voice asked, "Is there anything else?"

The steward said, "The messenger also brought a package."

"Bring it here so I can see it."

The manager looked slightly worried: "But..."

He dared not open and inspect the secret letter sent by his parent's friend, but the contents of this package were different. If it were contaminated with any insect eggs or filth, his parent would suffer greatly in their current state. The body had just been prepared and was only waiting for a suitable human skin to arrive so it could be worn.

"Bring it here, no need for further explanation."

The steward had no choice but to bow and agree, then turned to fetch it.

Because the package was so tightly sealed with multiple layers, the parents would have difficulty opening it in their current state, so they had to ask the manager for help. Upon seeing the contents of the package, the manager was speechless for a moment.

"What did Yuan Yi send?"

Since she was afflicted by the wrath of the stars, even her own clansmen have turned their backs on her. Few friends remain willing to maintain normal relations with her, and Du Guan is one of them. In his letter, Du Guan mentioned sending her some local specialties, urging her to try them herself. After all, it was a friend's kind gesture, and even though she wasn't feeling well, she couldn't bear to refuse. Could it be that the journey was too long, and the specialties had rotted and become infested with maggots?

The steward stammered, "It looks like... human skin?"

The moment those two words were uttered, the indoor temperature plummeted.

A chilling wind, which gradually turned from gentle to violent, made the steward shiver, and even his lips turned bloodless from the cold.

"Human skin?"

The woman's voice seemed to be trembling.

"Yuan Yi...why did you send me human skin?"

A powerful, uncontrollable aura coursed through her body, causing her to suddenly change color in a frenzy. The Painted Skin Ghost needed human skin to live a normal life, and even though she resisted harvesting the skin of living people, wasn't the skin of the dead also human skin?

She needs human skin, yet she also despises it.

As her friend, Du Guan couldn't possibly be unaware of this...

Why send her a human skin to humiliate her?

Her mind was in turmoil; blood was oozing from the flesh that was no longer covered by skin, and waves of intense pain shot straight to the top of her head.

"Yuan Yi..."

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