24: Chapter 24 Di Heitan! Recapture the Death Row Inmate!

Returning to Qinghe Town, it was already the morning of the second day.

First, he cleared out the courtyard and settled all the prisoners in... Then, Shen Yi called for the leader among these dead prisoners.

The leader of the dead prisoners was a young man with a tattoo on his face... His face held Evil Qi, yet he appeared to have a glimmer of clarity.

It seemed he was not a great villain.

However, who could truly know what was in another's heart?

This person was named Di the Charcoal... It was said he was from Taihe Prefecture.

He was thrown into the Dead Prisoner Camp because he led his unit in a retreat.

However, according to his own account, his superior had run away first... leaving them as cannon fodder to cover the rear.

He had led his troops to block the monsters, and only when he saw that the situation was lost did he think of fleeing...

But after escaping the tiger's den and returning to Taihe Prefecture... his superior had turned the tables on him... claiming that he himself had fought the monsters, while Di the Charcoal had been the first to flee.

Putting the cart before the horse.

This superior of Di the Charcoal was no simple person, but a scion of a noble family... naturally capable of calling black white.

And so... Di the Charcoal, this sturdy man, was thrown into the Dead Prisoner Camp!

Afterward, he was dispatched to Taiping County.

When Shen Yi left, in addition to receiving the slave registers of these people, he naturally also received the corresponding files.

Although it was not written in such detail in the files... the reason for being sent to the Dead Prisoner Camp was clearly stated!

It was simply: deserter.

It was just that Shen Yi, in the end, dared not trust him too much...

In the courtyard, looking at the dead prisoners who seemed somewhat listless, some calm, and some indifferent... Shen Yi spoke to Di the Charcoal.

"As for past matters, let bygones be bygones..."

"If you handle your duties properly, one day, this official may be able to remove this label of dead prisoner from you."

"But if you do not handle them properly... your slave mark is with me, and with a single thought, I can make you all vanish into ashes!"

Di the Charcoal's expression was calm, his tattered armor on, as he knelt on the spot.

"This sinner acknowledges the order!"

He had long ceased to hold any expectations, believing that coming here was merely to continue being a slave, to be cannon fodder...

Naturally, he had no desire to run... just surviving in this ignoble manner was enough.

It was just a pity that his ideal of fighting on the battlefield felt like a phantom dream...

However, this imperial court, shrouded by noble families and immortal sects, was not worth it anyway.

Shen Yi said indifferently.

"Wang Meng..."

"Here!"

Calling Wang Meng over, Shen Yi looked at Di the Charcoal and said indifferently.

"You shall seek out thirty capable young men, then go before the rakshasa statue, and temper them into Dao soldiers..."

Di the Charcoal was shocked and suddenly raised his head...

His eyes were filled with disbelief.

A First-Rank Rakshasa Guard... those were Dao soldiers!

This young lord... had actually not lied to him?

And he even allowed him to continue leading thirty men to command the dead prisoners...

Truly... letting bygones be bygones?

His mouth was dry... watching that receding figure, he couldn't help but speak in a hoarse voice.

"My Lord!"

Shen Yi did not turn back, just standing where he was.

"Is there anything else?"

Di the Charcoal looked solemn, prostrating himself completely, and slammed his head against the ground.

"This sinner, Di the Charcoal... is willing to go through fire and water for you, My Lord!"

Shen Yi just smiled freely.

"Do your duty well... Qinghe Town will not treat you unfairly!"

Shen Yi gradually walked away... and then returned to the courtyard.

The courtyard truly changed its appearance day by day... At this moment, inside the courtyard, the air was filled with moist water vapor.

He saw that the adjacent yard had been expanded by a few rooms... Shen Yi looked over.

"Strange... isn't that Auntie Wang's house?"

"How did it get merged in too?"

He saw Pei Lingshu wearing a cerulean dress, slowly walking out of the courtyard... behind her, Cuier was holding that lingze flower.

Pei Lingshu replied indifferently.

"I chased them away..."

Shen Yi frowned.

"Miss Pei... what you did was not right."

"How was it not right?"

"Although you are wealthy, you shouldn't force others... doing this, aren't you making things difficult for me?"

Pei Lingshu looked at him with a strange expression.

"I gave them fifty copper coins, and they moved elsewhere."

"Is there anything wrong with that?"

Shen Yi was stunned for a moment, and seeing the teasing in Pei Lingshu's eyes, he sighed helplessly.

"Miss Pei... you dare to play with me?"

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing... as long as you are happy."

"It's just... this necklace, let's give it next time."

After speaking, Shen Yi slowly put away the necklace he had taken out.

But before he could put it away, he felt a pain in his neck.

He immediately felt dizzy.

When he regained his senses... his hands were empty.

His eyes were full of bewilderment as he looked at the necklace Pei Lingshu was playing with in her hands.

"This is..."

Pei Lingshu smiled slightly.

"You personally delivered it into my hands."

"Thank you."

"Me? Personally delivered? I wasn't..."

Shen Yi suddenly felt waves of coldness sweeping over him and immediately shut his mouth.

Then he took out the harvest from this trip, some items that could be kept close to his person.

Those two land deeds.

Pei Lingshu took a look and said indifferently.

"Be careful."

"Huh?"

Pei Lingshu said indifferently.

"Generally, land deeds sold by noble families... fall into two categories."

"Those received by the imperial court are mostly land deeds with poor management but clear origins... the imperial court will temporarily help maintain stability."

"These types of land deeds have relatively high value."

"And the other type is land deeds without official government stamps... some are even privately occupied by noble families, and the government turns a blind eye!"

"And when problems arise, they are usually big problems... to the extent that they are forcibly sealed off from inside and out, but the government won't take on the mess, so it gets sold to the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce."

Shen Yi was instantly dumbfounded.

"In other words, that idiot Steward Zhao scammed me?"

Pei Lingshu's expression was strange.

"It doesn't count as a scam, it's just that the difficulty of reclaiming them is higher."

"Some land deeds are sealed because of foreign invasions... others might be due to disease interference, among various other reasons."

"However, since you say you have good luck, I suppose fortune favors the lucky."

"This lass is mocking me, right?"

"This lass is definitely mocking me!"

Shen Yi was so angry his teeth itched.

"Forget it... you're the rich lady, say whatever you want!"

Converting the Rakshasa Guards would still take some time; after familiarizing themselves with the training, it would take at least seven days.

Seeing this, Shen Yi took the Bainongzis Essential Guide to Spiritual Planting from his embrace.

He began to examine it.

This trip to Taiping County had resulted in buying quite a lot of medicinal herbs for cultivation, and the Spiritual Qi array outside was currently being cast.

By then, there would be a place for nurturing seedlings.

Pei Lingshu played with the leaves of the lingze flower and looked over indifferently.

"Spiritual field planting?"

"I couldn't tell, you have an ideal of becoming a farmer?"

"Can't get enough of farming?"

Shen Yi felt helpless, holding the item, and huffed.

"Miss Pei, your words are truly unpleasant."

"I'll find another place to do it!"

After speaking, he pushed the door open and left.

Only Pei Lingshu, with eyes full of smiles, remained, stroking the necklace in her hand.

The necklace was warm and smooth.