My lord, spare his life!

"Opportunity knocks but once. Since our lord says he has a plan, why are the troops halting?" Xiao Sui's heart, which had been in her throat, settled when she saw the banner at the entrance of the temporary camp. After some inquiry, she learned that she had actually made it in time.

The campaign to eliminate the bandits in the Eastern Frontier has not yet officially begun.

Xiao Sui is a bit arrogant and always wants to be the first.

No matter how well she did business in Tianjiang County, in her eyes it was all underhanded, not as good as legitimate military and political achievements. The former was at best icing on the cake, only the latter was real merit. She thought she was late, but it turned out the other woman arrived at just the right time. Xiao Sui secretly calculated the time and noticed something amiss.

"Her solution... I don't even want to mention it!"

Fan You's expression was indescribable, as if he had swallowed a fly whole.

Xiao Sui couldn't understand.

Even if the lord's plan wasn't particularly brilliant, it couldn't be too outrageous. Why did Fan Shuyan react this way? The more she heard this, the more curious she became, wanting to hear firsthand what kind of earth-shattering plan could elicit such a reaction from Fan Shuyan.

Fan You: "Are you sure you want to listen?"

Xiao Sui: "What's so unacceptable about that?"

Fan You: "..."

He hesitated several times, unable to speak, and finally waved his hand in frustration, telling Xiao Sui to ask Yuan Xie, whose eyes were covered in filth. Xiao Sui's curiosity was piqued, making her unbearably itchy. Yuan Xie smirked and uttered something earth-shattering.

"My lord said—"

"My solution is this: I'll rip off my head, and have your bird carry it around at low altitude. Once it returns, I'll know where those Eastern bandits are hiding, not a single one will be missed!" Zhang Yang ignored the astonished reactions of the crowd and continued, "Of course, if your bird can carry me, then I won't need to rip off my head. What do you think of this suggestion?"

I don't know what others think.

Zhang Yang was clearly very satisfied with her strategy.

"...Take off the lord's head and let a bird carry it away?" Xiao Sui recognized each word individually, but why did it sound so unfamiliar when put together? Although the descent of the stars made one live like a ghost, even a proper ghost didn't sound as eerie as the lord's words...

Even the most authentic ghosts would be ashamed of themselves in comparison.

Fan You closed his eyes in despair and nodded.

Xiao Sui: "...This method is really inappropriate!"

What does "truly inappropriate" mean? It simply means inappropriate!

This is something no normal person could come up with!

Xiao Sui said, "Yes, my lord, haven't you considered the many birds of prey in the mountains? Her head is heavy with blood and energy. If that star beast fails to catch her or lets go for a moment, wouldn't my lord's head be gone? This is extremely dangerous; we must not take it! We must not take it!"

Fan You: "..."

Xiao Xiuying's objection wasn't because Zhang Yang wanted to remove her head, but because she feared other birds would snatch it away as prey. Fan You's face grew increasingly dark, and he even had the illusion that he couldn't breathe.

Xiao Sui stopped speaking when she saw that Fan You looked extremely unwell.

Hmph, she also has a grudge against Fan You.

If it weren't for Fan You's suggestion, would the human skin we received have been so mediocre?

As they were talking, Zhang Yang arrived after hearing the news.

Xiao Sui strode forward, raised her hands in a gesture of respect, and said, "I have been fortunate enough to fulfill my mission. The trip to Tianjiang has been very fruitful."

"You've worked so hard, Xiu Ying has gotten so thin."

Fan You and others felt that Zhang Yang was blatantly lying.

What does it mean that Xiao Sui has become thin?

This woman was dressed in magnificent robes, adorned with jade pendants and gold hairpins, radiating brilliance. Even bandits could rest for a year after robbing her; her appearance was far better than anyone else present. Where was there any sign of thinness?

Xiao Sui took out an account book.

The document was filled with detailed records of the supplies she brought back. She said with some regret, "I never expected the seasonal disorder to end so quickly. All those winter furs and animal hides will have to be stored in the warehouse until next year."

Animal hides are much harder to preserve than ordinary cloth.

If stored improperly in a warehouse, they will become infested with insects and mold.

Their prices were relatively high, taking up a significant portion of the budget for this transaction. Had she known that winter would end and summer would come immediately, she should have exchanged more of her rawhide for usable kudzu cloth, saving on the cost of maintaining and preserving the animal hides, and allowing them to quickly enter the market and generate profit.

Zhang Yang: "Don't worry about it, it will come in handy soon."

The disordered seasons in Tianyue County reveal that the seasons on this side map of the homestead are not uniform, influenced not only by latitude and longitude but also by mysterious forces. This disruption of the seasons is certainly not limited to Tianyue County.

With trade routes opened up, these things will still have a market.

"Only two human skins were sold?"

"Things are valued for their rarity, so why sell something so expensive cheaply?" If it can be sold at a high price, why sell it at a low price? Of course, this is only one of the reasons on the surface. The deeper reason is that Xiao Sui does not believe that just anyone is qualified to use the same human skin as her.

This kind of product can't be sold with low profit margins and high volume.

Zhang Yang was astonished when he saw the supplies obtained in exchange for two human skins.

"Didn't they say Tianjiang County and Tianyue County were enemies? Why did they so easily agree to exchange supplies for human skin?" Zhang Yang subconsciously recalled what Xu Jin had said earlier. Tianyue County and Tianjiang County had a bad relationship.

Xiao Sui: "A grudge? What grudge? Even if there is a grudge, so what? The person doing business with them is me, Xiao Sui, and the power behind me is the Xiao Clan, not Tianyue County. These people from Tianjiang County won't give face to Tianyue County, but they certainly wouldn't dare to disrespect the Xiao Clan."

Zhang Yang said, "Is just stating my name enough?"

"It's acceptable to mention the Xiao family's name."

Zhang Yang fell into deep thought. She somewhat understood why Fan You had wanted her to impersonate the Zhang family of Jiukan. A prestigious background could sometimes be very useful, saving trouble. However, she didn't like it. Those born into extraordinary circumstances would always be a small minority. Allowing this small group to enjoy privileges while ignoring the rights and demands of the vast majority was simply too unfair.

Xiao Sui asked her, "Does the Lord dislike this?"

Zhang Yang: "..."

Xiao Sui said, "If someone else used their background to pressure me, I wouldn't like it either. But I happen to be the one who has the power to pressure others. As a beneficiary, it's hard for me to say something like 'I don't like it' against my conscience."

"But this is not something that can be tolerated."

"It is also not conducive to a stable foundation."

Zhang Yang disagreed with Xiao Sui's words: "To rejoice in oppressing others and be enraged when oppressed is a gross double standard. No one can guarantee that they will always be the oppressor and not the oppressed. I once heard someone say, 'The imperial treasury is burned to ashes, and the streets are trampled with the bones of officials.' Those who underestimate the power of the common people will one day be overthrown by them."

Suddenly, Zhang Yang recalled a time when he went beachcombing.

Together with her, we traversed several large maps, observing samples as we gazed at the vast ocean. She then uttered a strange, seemingly random remark.

Humans should have reverence for the ocean.

[Because of thalassophobia?]

The ruler is the boat, and the people are the water; water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it.

Zhang Yang: 【...Why are you talking so strangely?】

The observer chuckled and waved his hand sheepishly: "I've fallen back into my old habits, but that saying has always held true throughout history..."

Zhang Yang: [...]

What was she thinking at that time?

My mind is foggy, I can't think of much.

She vaguely remembered that it was a pity that this game map didn't have a time system, which forced her to turn her head and look at the dazzling red hair of the person she was observing, using the red hair that the other person had spent 380 yuan to buy as a makeshift sun to make do.

Zhang Yang was lost in memories and couldn't pull himself out.

At some point, Fan You and the others fell silent. Xiao Sui's eyes also held a darker, more complex expression, tinged with a hint of unexpected joy. She had chosen Zhang Yang purely for his human skin; she didn't care at all about her master's character or personality.

Even if it means aiding and abetting evil in the future, it doesn't matter.

but--

Zhang Yang's words surprised and delighted her.

Her lord actually possessed a rare conscience.

In an era where ghosts roam freely, countless demons and monsters, cloaked in human skin, indulge in all manner of filthy desires with a clear conscience. Those in power cannot demonstrate the value of their privileges without abusing them; the lives of the common people are never considered, they are merely waste materials to be misused. In an age where conscience is often fed to dogs and ghosts, a ruler with conscience and reason is as rare as finding a lantern.

Xiao Sui said, "That's true."

But very few people can see this crisis.

At least within the Xiao family, she saw no one with such awareness. They also failed to realize that commoners were living, breathing human beings, with emotions and desires, not mere puppets to be oppressed and unable to resist. The arrogant die from their arrogance.

Xiao Sui's perception of this crisis may not be for the good of the common people, but rather her rationality tells her that failing to see it is digging her own grave.

Zhang Yang snapped out of his daze: "What are you all spacing out for?"

"Should we send someone to return these goods to the county seat?"

Zhang Yang: "Let's keep it here. Moving it back and forth is too much trouble. If we can reclaim the trade route in the next few days, we can transport this batch of goods to the mountain prefectures and make a profit on the round trip..."

She thought that splitting up was super cool.

Unfortunately, no one agreed with her.

It would be troublesome if other birds snatched your head.

Guan Si could no longer tolerate it: "My falcon can carry people."

Zhang Yang: "You should have said so earlier."

Guan Si: "..."

He has his reasons for not saying anything!

A loud whistle rang out, and the Star Beast Falcon swooped down almost from the clouds, slowing down steadily just before landing and making a smooth landing. It was much larger than an ordinary falcon, but in Zhang Yang's opinion, it was still not large enough to carry a person.

The strange bird from last time was bigger.

Zhang Yang remembered that the other person could still grab him and fly around.

Unfortunately, she went too far and killed the bird.

Seemingly understanding the emotions in Zhang Yang's eyes, the Star Beast Eagle let out a cry, flapped its wings and took to the sky again. A starlight emanated from its body, and its wingspan extended several times over, and its size visibly increased before it swooped down a second time!

This time, the target is not someone else, but Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang grabbed the leg of the star beast eagle, used the leverage to leap onto its back, and the eagle cooperated perfectly, maintaining its balance and flight posture. The crowd looked up at the tiny dot that flew higher and higher, growing smaller and smaller, and could faintly hear Zhang Yang calling out "Wuhu!"

Less than a quarter of an hour later, the Star Beast Falcon flew back.

Guan Si was prepared and tossed out the prepared fresh meat. A chunk of meat as big as an arm was swallowed whole, and in no time, more than thirty pounds of fresh meat were gone. But its pupils still had an ominous red tinge, and the surrounding aura was restless and turbid.

It wasn't until the Hundred Ghosts Guard brought over another twenty-odd pounds that the situation calmed down.

"See? Star beasts have a huge demand for meat."

This is also why Guan Si almost never lets the falcon display its full potential; its appetite will only grow larger until its master can no longer control it. Of course, if it's fed living people, its needs can be reduced significantly. But Guan Si forbids it from touching human flesh.

"But Da Mi doesn't do that..."

"You mean that big worm you ride around with every day?"

"right."

"Try letting it release its restraints and return to its full state."

When Zhang Dami is starving, she can eat up half the people in the city.

Zhang Yang shook his head: "Then forget it."

Seeing the falcon trying to nuzzle its head against Guan Si's shoulder for food, Zhang Yang took out a handful of birdseed from his game backpack.

These birdseed are common bird snacks for Beast Tamer players. Although this class is not very strong, the fact that the tamed beasts cooperate with the player in battle allows the player to pet cats and birds anytime, anywhere, which is why there are quite a few players who play this class.

As for why there was bird food in Zhang Yang's backpack?

Because one of the ingredients for bird food is the animal itself.

Zhang Yang not only buys and sells zombie corpses, but also captures and processes the corpses of exotic beasts for resale. There are many beast tamer players, creating a high demand for various types of animal food, forcing these players to always keep several food slots open, otherwise their beasts will go on strike.

The star beast eagle initially ignored Zhang Yang.

But they simply couldn't resist the allure of abundant blood and energy.

Zhang Yang tossed a handful, and it opened its mouth wide and caught it all. After tasting it, its eyes brightened noticeably. It hopped over to her, nuzzled affectionately, and gurgled in its throat.

Guan Si: "???"

The fresh meat he hunted with great effort was not even worth a handful of birdseed.

Seeing that the eagles were interested, Zhang Yang generously fed them again.

Guan Si and his two deputies grew increasingly silent as they looked at each other.

Those who don't raise star beasts don't know that a star beast's hunger is often reflected in its eyes. The redder the eyes and the more agitated the beast, the higher its hunger level and the more easily it loses control of its emotions. Zhang Yang tossed down a handful of birdseed, and the hawk's large eyes almost overflowed with tenderness. Anyone who didn't know better would think it was Zhang Yang's pet. Guan Si's lips twitched; he was annoyed.

"Are you full?"

Zhang Yang raised his hand, and the falcon lowered its head in response.

It emitted a series of pleasant sounds from its throat.

Zhang Yang said, "Shall we fly it again?"

The falcon flapped its wings happily.

Release its full form on the spot, slightly lower its back, and gesture for Zhang Yang to sit on its back, then firmly grasp its feathers.

Left Deputy: "...Is this still the general's bird?"

The right deputy turned his head to the side: "Look at the general's face..."

The left deputy carefully observed with his peripheral vision.

Wow, that's scary!

The Star Beast Falcon flew for a full fifteen minutes before reluctantly landing. This wasn't because it landed voluntarily, but because Zhang Yang said he had discovered a red-named creature and wanted it to return and report. Zhang Yang leaped down from mid-air, and the falcon coordinated by shrinking its body.

Finally, he stood firmly on her raised arm.

Zhang Yang found it somewhat strange.

"The demand isn't that high."

The star beast eagle gurgled something again. Zhang Yang didn't understand, but Guan Si, as its keeper, did. He conjured a starlight arrow at his fingertip and shot it, making the eagle gurgle wildly. It had just said—"It used to only eat three-tenths of its fill, and it starved to death!"

When people are bad, birds are hungry; when people are bad, birds are hungry!