24: Chapter 24 Bran and Rice...I Don't Have Any

Whoosh!

A wooden club, whistling through the air, smashed down heavily, sending the table leg in Minister Wang Fugui's hand flying.

Minister Wang Fugui let out a startled cry and stumbled to the ground.

Before he could scramble up, the club, studded with wooden splinters, was already raised high, aimed directly at his head.

Watching the shadow of the club grow larger and seeing the hideous Killing Intent on the burly man's face, Minister Wang Fugui closed his eyes in despair.

It's over.

This time, it's truly over.

Zhou Yun... you win.

You really did use this blade to slaughter us without leaving a single piece of armor intact...

Just at this critical moment.

A voice, not particularly loud but seemingly imbued with some strange magic, pierced through all the clamor and madness, exploding suddenly at the entrance of the hall:

"Stop."

The voice was not loud.

Nor was it a desperate, hoarse roar.

But strangely, the moment these two words rang out, the entire hall seemed to have been hit with a pause button.

That wooden club, only a few centimeters from Minister Wang Fugui's head, stopped abruptly in mid-air.

It wasn't just him.

All the refugees who were smashing, looting, and committing violence stopped!

The reason they stopped was simple.

The entrance to the Chamber of Commerce hall had, at some unknown moment, been blocked by a group of Professionals radiating battle Aura!

Minister Wang Fugui waited for a long time, but the pain he expected did not come.

He opened his eyes tremblingly.

Following the gaze of the refugees, he looked out and saw a figure he would never have dared to dream of at this moment.

Amidst the falling snow.

Zhou Yun stepped over the threshold. He didn't have any earth-shattering Aura; he simply brushed the snowflakes from his shoulders.

Yet, standing there, the originally dark and chaotic hall seemed to brighten slightly.

Behind him, the long blade in Lei Lie's hand was unsheathed by half an inch, gleaming with a biting cold light.

Further back was the army of Professionals, standing like an iron wall.

"Zhou... Zhou Yun?!" The fat merchant poked his head out from under the table, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"How... how did he come here?" Another merchant, whose face was covered in blood, rubbed his eyes vigorously, thinking he was hallucinating.

That Zhou Yun, who should have been watching the show, secretly laughing, and wishing for their complete demise...

Had actually come?

Minister Wang Fugui slumped on the ground, staring blankly at the young figure, his mouth wide open, but unable to make a sound.

"Who are you?!"

Looking at the young man with an extraordinary air before him, the leading Refugee Leader, despite feeling terrified due to the presence of numerous Professionals, did not let the fierce light in his eyes fade.

"I am the City Lord of Flower City, Zhou Yun." Zhou Yun spoke indifferently.

This title of "City Lord" was like a spark falling into a pan of oil.

"City Lord? That means he's an official!"

"None of these officials are any good! Brothers, we're going to die either way!"

"We've already looted the place, so we might as well fight our way out! Killing one is breaking even, killing two is a profit!"

After a brief silence, a desperate madness erupted among the refugees.

Since the main authority had arrived, and the army had arrived, a dead end was surely awaiting them. Since that was the case, they might as well break the pot and smash it, fighting to the death!

Thousands of refugees roared, raising the wooden clubs and stones they had previously lowered. The wave of madness looked ready to engulf the Chamber of Commerce hall once again.

"You're courting death!" A cold snort rang out like a thunderclap.

Lei Lie stepped forward abruptly, his long blade unsheathed by half an inch.

"Hum—!"

It wasn't just him.

The Professionals behind him moved in unison.

The warriors slammed their pickaxes into the ground, sending gravel flying.

Dazzling elemental radiance lit up in the mages' palms, with fireballs and ice spikes coalescing in the air.

The archers drew their longbows fully, their cold, gleaming arrowheads locking onto every refugee in the front row.

The Spiritual Qi fluctuations of ten thousand people converged, pressing down on the refugees like a landslide or a tsunami.

The refugees, who had just been clamoring about "killing one to break even," were instantly like ducks whose necks had been grabbed; all sound ceased abruptly.

In the face of such absolute force, their so-called desperate struggle seemed pale and powerless.

Fear once again dominated their bodies.

They trembled, looking in terror at the skills ready to be unleashed, with only despair left in their eyes.

"Why... why won't you even give us a way to live..."

The Refugee Leader, eyes red, roared at Zhou Yun: "What did we do wrong?"

"In this godforsaken weather, if we don't enter the city, we'll freeze into ice sculptures outside! If we don't have food, we'll starve to death!"

"We just wanted to find a place to shelter from the wind and snow, just wanted a bite to eat to survive! Is that so hard?!"

"Is it a crime to want to live?!"

These questions, filled with blood and tears, moved quite a few of the Professionals present.

Indeed, in these chaotic times, survival itself was a luxury.

Everyone's gaze turned to Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun did not answer immediately.

He first looked at the blood on the ground, then at the smashed tables and chairs, the overturned grain bags, and the few servants huddled in the corner shivering.

"Lei Lie."

"Here."

"Hold down those who hurt people. Those who didn't take action, back away to the wall. Take the elderly and children out first; don't let them get trampled."

"Yes!"

Lei Lie waved his hand, and several teams immediately stepped forward to separate the people in the hall.

Someone tried to struggle, but the pressure of the blade light made them freeze in place instantly.

Only then did Zhou Yun look at the Refugee Leader.

"Wanting to survive is not a crime."

The Refugee Leader's eyes trembled slightly.

Zhou Yun pointed to the wooden club in his hand, then to the merchant lying on the ground, covered in blood.

"But your current actions are no longer just for the sake of survival."

The hall slowly quieted down.

The refugees who had just been shouting with their necks stiffened subconsciously looked down at their hands.

Some were clutching silver utensils in their hands.

Some had looted clothes stuffed in their arms.

And on someone's wooden club, blood was dripping down the wooden splinters.

Zhou Yun's voice was not loud, but it made everyone gasp for breath.

"If you want food, you can ask."

"If you want shelter, you can beg."

"But breaking down doors, arson, looting, and harming people—in Flower City, everything must be settled according to Flower City's rules."

The Refugee Leader's lips moved, but he couldn't immediately retort.

The people behind him also lost their previous Aura.

Because Zhou Yun did not say they shouldn't live.

He simply laid out what they had just done, one by one, before their eyes.

They looked at the mess on the ground, at the merchants and servants who had been beaten until their heads were bleeding, and the righteous indignation in their eyes slowly faded, replaced by a trace of shame and speechlessness.

Indeed.

Wanting to survive does not mean one can become a robber, a beast.

"Then... then what can we do?!"

The Refugee Leader gritted his teeth, still trying to argue, but his voice lacked the confidence it had before.

"Other cities drive us away! They shoot arrows as soon as they see us approaching! We were forced! We didn't want to become like this!"

Following his words, the refugees behind began to stir again.

"That's right! If a person isn't ruthless, they can't stand firm! If you aren't cruel, you can't survive!"

"If anyone had been able to give us a little food, we wouldn't have reached this point!"

"We are human too! We have the right to live!"

But no matter how they shouted, Zhou Yun just watched quietly, listening silently.

When all the noise died down again, he spoke once more: "I don't know how things are in other places."

"But in Flower City, no one will force you."

"And no one needs to rely on becoming a beast to survive."

Hearing this, the Refugee Leader froze for a moment, then let out a sneer filled with mockery:

"Heh... who can't say pretty words?"

"You only know how to say nice things! All these grand principles you speak of—can they give us a bite to eat? Can they stop us from starving to death?"

All the refugees stared at Zhou Yun.

This was the most realistic question. Without food, everything else was empty talk.

However, Zhou Yun, without almost any hesitation, succinctly spat out one word: "Yes."

This word was so fast, so firm, that the burly man didn't react for a moment.

He stared blankly at Zhou Yun, subconsciously asking again:

"Then... can you give us a place to stay? So we won't freeze to death?"

"Yes." Still an instant reply.

Still so resolute.

Now, even the burly man was stunned, and the refugees were stunned too.

They had originally thought Zhou Yun would make excuses, set conditions, or refuse outright.

But this young City Lord had agreed too readily!

So readily that their nerves almost couldn't keep up!

"Hmph... don't think I don't know the tricks of you officials!"

The Refugee Leader's eyes flickered; he clearly still couldn't believe there would be such a free lunch.

However...

He sighed and said with some resignation: "You want to stabilize us first, then drive us away once the wind and snow stop, right?"

"If that's the case... then you, as a City Lord, are not bad."

"At least you didn't kick us while we were down or try to exterminate us."

By the end, the burly man's tone carried a deep sense of sorrow.

Even if it was just to let these tens of thousands of people survive this snowy night, for them, it would be a huge gift.

Hearing this, Zhou Yun suddenly laughed: "Why would I drive you away?"

"As long as you are willing, you can stay."

"Stay in Flower City."

The whole place was silent.

The wooden club in the Refugee Leader's hand dropped to the ground with a "clatter."

"St... stay?" He stuttered, as if he had heard something unimaginable.

"Of course, not for free." Zhou Yun's expression became a bit more serious. "If you want to stay, you need to work."

"In this world, nothing is given as charity."

"But as long as you are willing..."

He stretched out his hands, extending an invitation to these people struggling in despair:

"As long as you are willing to work with your own hands, in Flower City, I guarantee that every one of you will be able to eat your fill, be warm, and have a place to stay!"

"That... sounds better than a song." After a brief moment of shock, the Refugee Leader took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the palpitations in his heart.

He looked at Zhou Yun, the corners of his mouth curling into a bleak and mocking arc. "This young City Lord, your silver tongue is truly impressive. Just a moment ago, even I, who have rolled through piles of corpses several times, almost believed the pie you drew for us."

"Work and you'll be fed and warm? Heh..."

He shook his head, his eyes full of vicissitudes and disbelief. "This kind of idealistic nonsense is only good for fooling three-year-olds. In these chaotic times, it's good enough just to survive; you still want to live like a human?"

"Insolent!!" A violent shout rang out suddenly.

Lei Lie's eyes were wide open, his hand on the hilt of his blade, his whole body surging with Killing Intent. "City Lord is a man of his word; how dare a rogue like you question him?!"

"A man of his word?" The Refugee Leader was not scared off; instead, he stiffened his neck, pointed at the gaunt and starving brothers behind him, and roared loudly:

"If he's a man of his word, if he says he'll give us a bite to eat, then don't just talk!"

"Even if it's old, stale chaff, even if it's moldy bran! Bring it out now, let us all have a full meal!"

"As long as we see the grain, you don't need to say another word; I'll sell my life to you!"

Although these words were crude, they instantly struck a chord with the refugees.

Indeed, anyone can speak grand principles, but the hunger that makes the whole body groan cannot be deceived.

"That's right! We want to eat!"

"Bring out the grain!"

"Even chaff porridge is fine!"

The refugees echoed him one after another, and the clamor rose again. In their view, this was also the only way to test whether this City Lord was lying.

Facing the questioning of the crowd, Zhou Yun sighed softly: "Chaff... I don't have any."

As soon as these words came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

The mockery on the Refugee Leader's face grew even stronger; he was about to sneer that this City Lord was indeed just pulling a bait-and-switch.

However, the second half of Zhou Yun's sentence followed leisurely: "However, letting you eat your fill is not a problem."

After saying this, he didn't explain further, turned around, and waved his hand behind him: "Follow me. This is not a place to eat."

Seeing him turn and leave, the Refugee Leader's heart skipped a beat.

An instinctive vigilance arose, and he shouted loudly: "Wait! Follow you? Where to?!"

"What?" Lei Lie turned back, looking at him coldly, his eyes as if looking at an idiot. "It's good enough that there's food to eat; do you think you have a choice?"

That condescending contempt deeply stung the Refugee Leader's self-esteem.

"Don't push us too far!" He gritted his teeth and roared, his tone fierce but cowardly: "Don't think that just because we are surrounded by you now, we don't have more! In this area, we still have over twenty thousand brothers!"

"If we die here today, they will definitely avenge us!"

After roaring this, his heart was pounding wildly.

Only he himself knew that this was purely bluffing.

He was just a temporary leader pushed into the position; what kind of prestige could he have?

But now he could only gamble.

Gambling that this young City Lord was afraid of trouble, and that this group of Professionals wouldn't dare to fight to the death.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than a series of rapid and uniform footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

More than a dozen City Guards quickly entered, knelt on one knee before Zhou Yun, and reported:

"Report! The refugees on East First Street have been controlled; no one is resisting!"

"Report! The fire in the East Second Alley has been extinguished; the ringleaders of the arson have been apprehended!"

"Report! The refugees in the North District attempted to storm residential houses and have been completely suppressed!"

"Report! The South District..."

One report after another, like dense drumbeats, smashed heavily against the Refugee Leader's heart.

Every time a location was reported, his face turned a shade paler.

Every time he heard "has been controlled," the bodies of the refugees behind him trembled.

In less than half a cup of tea's time, the wave of refugees that the Refugee Leader had just boasted about as a "twenty-thousand-strong revenge army" had actually been easily, like catching chickens, completely pinned down in place by this group of Professionals!

This... is it over already?