My lord, spare his life!

The room was silent.

Zhe Meng's heart pounded wildly, and she swallowed the rest of her words.

Feeling frustrated: "Too much talk leads to mistakes; too much talk leads to mistakes."

She was still a bit too eager for quick success.

"What do you mean, 'late'?" Sure enough, as if to confirm Zhe Meng's premonition, her brother-in-law suddenly frowned. His dark eyes, which resembled those of Zhe Meng's husband, stared intently at her face, his seemingly calm gaze revealing a turbulent undercurrent of doubt.

Zhe Meng's performance does indeed prove her innocence.

However, too much of a good thing can be bad.

This move, however, exposes a logical flaw.

To understand a person's true intentions, don't just listen to what they say, but also look at what they do. If Zhe Meng didn't mind surrendering, and could even rationally analyze the gains and losses of surrendering early versus late, why did he fight to the death to escape to Zongren County in the first place?

Why go through all that trouble?

The situation is already this bad anyway.

According to what she just said, surrendering early would earn them a commendation.

The elder brother and Zhe Meng stared at each other for a long time. Although neither of them made any move, the air was filled with a dangerous tension. It wasn't until hurried footsteps came from outside the door that the elder brother snapped out of his daze. He came to his senses, lowered his eyes slightly, and realized that his fingers had been raised and were about to touch the sword at his waist.

This scene made his back drenched in sweat.

Although Zhe Meng was seriously injured, it would not be difficult to silence him.

I was reckless just now.

Regardless of whether Zhe Meng's stance is problematic or not, one should not expose him face-to-face in private; such an action would do nothing but harm.

The elder brother-in-law lowered his finger and exhaled a breath of stale air.

"……Come in."

Turning around, the elder brother-in-law's expression returned to normal.

He asked the visitor, "What is it?"

The other party delivered devastating news: "The people in the city have mutinied."

The elder brother-in-law, no longer interested in delving into Zhe Meng's matter, was stunned by the sudden bad news: "You mean a mutiny?"

Why did this upheaval occur?

The person who arrived was also sweating profusely with anxiety.

"I suspect it's still the same group of people from earlier that are causing trouble."

The elder brother tried hard to control his blood pressure soaring, but with little success. He broke down, his face flushed, and asked, "Is it still that same group? Just how many spies has Lü Bafeng planted in Zongren County?"

What he really wanted to know was how much energy this group of people actually had.

In the morning, they carried eggs and coins, spreading rumors of absconding with supplies from the front lines. At noon, they evaded searches, and in the afternoon, they continued spreading the rumors, inciting panic and unrest among the common people. If it were a small town, it wouldn't be so bad, but Zongren County seat was the largest city in the county! Even walking briskly around the city's perimeter would take almost a day. How could these people spread rumors throughout the entire city twice in one day? No matter how hard the county government sent people, they couldn't catch these people.

Such high efficiency and execution are truly terrifying.

Zhe Meng remained silent this time.

But a sense of wavering arose within her.

She couldn't help but suspect that she and Zhang Yang weren't the only ones who had arrived beforehand. Had Lü Yuanzhen planted people in advance? If not, how could someone's execution efficiency be so terrifyingly high?

One person did the work of hundreds.

During this time, she could also play hide-and-seek with the people who were trying to capture her.

If Zhang Yang knew what Zhe Meng was thinking, he'd probably say something like, "So what? That's how players are."

What's wrong with spreading rumors?

The daily/weekly missions issued by the Survivor Base often involve spreading rumors and manipulating public opinion; Zhang Yang's sixteen years of daily/weekly missions haven't been for nothing. The missions are simple, and with a powerful tool like "eggs" at his disposal, the progress of rumor-mongering missions can be maxed out in no time. As for avoiding enemies, that's even simpler.

Anyone with eyes can see a red name approaching from a great distance.

"It's definitely more comfortable in your comfort zone."

Zhang Yang rummaged through her game inventory, only to find she was out of eggs. She could only clap her hands and call it a day. Spreading rumors about the enemy was incredibly fun, and the people listening to her weren't just NPCs with fixed lines, but real people. Watching them get completely bewildered, Zhang Yang felt a strange sense of accomplishment, which was strangely addictive.

She never imagined that such a small egg could have such a powerful effect.

"Next time, I'll ask Big Meow for more eggs." Items placed in the game backpack can remain in their original state, so there's no fear of eggs going bad after a while. It's always good to have extra on hand.

"I just don't know how effective it will be."

Zhang Yang has already done everything he needed to do.

The most important thing right now is to eat as much as possible to restore her strength. Low strength will cause her to faint, affecting all her attributes. Zhang Yang doesn't want to suddenly collapse and be caught by the enemy. While trying to replenish her strength, she's also thinking about Zhe Meng's situation, wavering between "leaving the city directly" and "taking Zhe Meng with her." She mutters, "The rabid dog shouldn't have been detected, right?"

"You really haven't been hiding anything from me?"

The elder brother-in-law sent the messenger ahead, while he himself took advantage of Zhe Meng's lack of preparation to suddenly question her.

"We are related by marriage, why would I hide anything from you and harm you?"

Family members shouldn't harm each other.

The elder brother-in-law merely let out a mocking laugh.

If in-laws could avoid harming each other, how could the phrase "killing one's kin" even exist? Even siblings can harbor resentment towards each other, let alone someone who wasn't even siblings with Zhe Meng, but rather his own sibling who had married into Zhe Meng's family. Zhe Meng's husband, his brother, might very well harbor resentment towards him, his elder brother. Thinking of this, he turned and left.

Zhe Meng: "...Tsk."

He scratched his hair, which he hadn't washed in days, and sighed.

She should have trusted her husband's assessment of his elder brother as "hidden inwardly sharp, wise in action and principled in conduct," and hoped that her momentary oversight wouldn't cause too much trouble for the new master. Fortunately, the granary had been emptied, and the Zongren County was destined to fall; Zhang Yang was bound to be the victor in this round.

A night breeze calmed the restless heart of the elder brother-in-law.

He glanced back at where Zhe Meng was.

His low curses could be faintly heard in the night breeze.

"This boy is hateful."

I don't know if they were cursing Zhe Meng or the group outside the city.

He hadn't been home for several days, and as soon as he got in the car, he sensed something was amiss in the neighborhood. Glancing around furtively, his brother-in-law had a vague sense of unease, and a bitter feeling welled up inside him.

"What were Zhang Boyuan and the other woman doing inside?"

This is Guan Si's biggest question right now.

The army shot some deceptive notes into the city in the morning, intending to gauge the reaction and rest for the night before launching a probe attack the next day. Unexpectedly, feedback came that very evening. A scout captured a suspicious man, who, instead of panicking upon being discovered, straightened his clothes and specifically asked to see the scout.

Guan Si's first reaction: "Is this a trap?"

He had also studied military strategy and fought in battles.

Spreading rumors about the enemy is a common tactic, but such rumors spread slowly, and achieving the desired effect takes time and effort. He had just finished his work during the day, and then someone sneaked out of the city that night—wasn't this clearly an attempt by the enemy to set him up?

Guan Si frowned for a long time.

"Bring the person in and let's see what they have to say."

With Zhang Yang gone, he's in charge now.

Before long, the suspicious-looking person was brought over.

Although the candlelight was dim and the two sides were separated by distance, the person brought along could not see Guan Si's appearance clearly, but it was not a problem to see his body shape. The styles of men's and women's armor were somewhat different, but the core was to protect vital organs, pursue defensive capabilities, and take into account a solemn and dignified image. Naturally, no one would be given any special curves. That's how armor is, but men and women's body shapes are inherently different.

The newcomer immediately recognized that he was looking at a male military officer.

Instead of the law he thought he was referring to.

Guan Si didn't give him time to think: "What brings you here?"

The visitor hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands in a respectful bow.

"My lord wishes to abandon darkness and embrace the light."

"Your lord? Who is he?" Guan Si shifted his posture and sneered, "Regardless of who your lord is, my troops have only just arrived at the city walls, and you haven't even opened the gates, nor shot a single arrow. How could you... surrender so easily?"

Where can you find such a crude honey trap?

Guan Si asked the question sincerely, but the person who came heard it was all mockery. However, he could not refute it and had to swallow his pride.

What does it mean to surrender easily?

What did these people do in the city?

He took a deep breath, lowered his eyes slightly, and maintained a humble posture.

As Guan Si suspected, he was not truly sincere in coming to the night to surrender; he was more or less testing the waters.

For example--

They need to figure out which route Guan Sixing's army took.

If they were truly just passing through the Imperial City, they could still hold onto a sliver of hope; otherwise, the problem was much bigger. Besides, they needed to figure out how Lu Yuan's troops knew about the granary theft. Did they genuinely see the frontline troops "carrying provisions and fleeing in haste at night," or was it a frame-up, and the granary incident was related to them?

These factors will determine their subsequent actions.

Guan Si realized the man was rambling and testing him, but he ignored him: "If your lord is truly sincere, he'll find a way to open the city gates before dawn. As for what that way is, that's none of my business. If he's not sincere, that's fine too. I'll send troops to attack the city tomorrow, enter, and ask your lord what his intentions are in toying with me!"

The visitor's expression changed drastically.

"Siege the city tomorrow?"

Guan Si coldly stated, "Yes, do we need to pick an auspicious day to attack a city? I didn't bring many days' worth of provisions, and I don't have the conditions to besiege you until you run out of ammunition and food."

The newcomer's lips twitched slightly.

Guan Si continued to sneer: "Although your granaries are empty, you still have people in the city. If you really don't know what's good for you and resist to the death, you can indeed hold out for several months. It just depends on whether you think it's worth it."

The visitor felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

He chuckled and said, "My lord is sincere and has no intention of playing games."

Guan Si's response consisted of only two words.

"Get lost."

He was thrown out.

When Zhang Yang returned, she saw the man getting up in a disheveled state, brushing the dust off. She glanced at the color of the name above the man's head but ignored it. Seeing her return safely, Guan Si's last bit of worry dissipated: "How did things go?"

Zhang Yang stated frankly, "As long as I'm not reading, doing homework, or processing official documents, my efficiency is beyond question."

Players have plenty of strength.

Guan Si twitched his lips speechlessly and retorted, "What's so praiseworthy about this for a lord?"

Fan Shuyan would surely weep bitterly upon hearing this, wouldn't he?

Zhang Yang: "Who says a lord should behave a certain way? It's as if other faction leaders are perfect lords. If those rules were so effective, why are they all dying in such unexpected ways?"

She doesn't engage in internal strife at all.

No one dictates what a lord should be like.

Her behavior should dictate how the lord should behave.

"A boss who can't lead a team won't build a big business." Zhang Yang rubbed his stomach, still feeling a bit hungry. "Have someone cook me some noodles. I've been working out a lot today, and my energy is burning out quickly."

I estimate I'll break 60,000 steps today.

Slurp, slurp, and ate seven or eight bowls of boiled noodles in one go.

While eating, Zhang Yang listened to Guan Si talk about the man who came to surrender. He said, "If the two armies had been locked in a stalemate for a long time, one might have been able to believe a little of what this man said, but it has only been a day. There must be a trick going on."

"If there's a scam, there's a scam."

"What do you mean?"

Zhang Yang: "If someone secretly opens the city gate tomorrow, we'll go in. Do you think I wouldn't know if there's an ambush?"

If there's an ambush, she can easily spot a group of people with red names.

Guan Si: "..."

He couldn't help but think of Zhang Yang's past deeds of capturing bandits from the Eastern Frontier.

Indeed, even the Eastern Barbarian bandits hiding in the tunnels couldn't hide from her.

Zhang Yang ate another bowl of boiled noodles.

Perhaps because her severely depleted physical strength had finally returned to a safe level, she felt her mind was working smoothly again. An idea popped into her head: "Hey, I have a brilliant idea."

Because of the rumors spread throughout the day, many ordinary people in the city were terrified. If they were told which city gate would open at what time, they could take the opportunity to escape...

Hehehe, now it's impossible for it not to be lively.

However, the city was indeed bustling at the moment.

It all started with that sneaky person who went to test the waters. He sneaked back, and as soon as he jumped off the city wall, he was covered with a bag, and his mouth was covered with a large hand so he couldn't make a sound. What followed was a barrage of punches.

"Waaaaah—"

After a barrage of punches and kicks, his struggles subsided.

I could hear a few muffled curses through the sack.

"Gotcha!"

"Pah! Thief!"

Then he was dragged away, his hands twisted behind his back, and his mouth was stuffed with someone's stinky socks, which made him nauseous and his throat water. They didn't remove the sack or the gag from his mouth until they reached a certain spot. He couldn't even open his mouth to protest; he bent over and vomited up gurgling yellowish liquid: "Ugh—ugh!"

Looking up again, I found myself in the main hall of the prefectural government.

Several important figures with gloomy faces stood in the hall.

The elder brother-in-law pointed at him and asked, "Do you have anything else to say?"

His expression changed drastically, and his gaze instinctively drifted towards his master's direction. His master retorted, "It wasn't betrayal; we merely sent men to test the enemy and assess their strength. As for you, you sent men to stake out the city walls in the middle of the night—who knows if you weren't the one crying wolf?"

If there's no one else, he should go and defect to the enemy.

If they catch someone, they can turn the tables and accuse the perpetrator.

The elder brother-in-law wasn't angry; he simply stared coldly at the speaker, making the other person look away guiltily. However, the elder brother-in-law knew that the other person's guilt wasn't from being caught defecting to the enemy, but rather from secretly sending people to monitor and surround his house.

The elder brother-in-law gave a cold laugh three times.

"Am I crying 'stop thief' when I'm the thief?"

"Do you have evidence?"

"You have no evidence, but I caught you red-handed."

Thanks (w)

A day in the life of a high-energy player: clearing hundreds or even thousands of tasks a day without stopping.