84: Chapter 84 Why are you running?

He hurriedly patted his own face to make himself sober up.

Having stayed in Flower City for too long, he felt that his brain was about to have problems!

He carried the bag of spiritual rice and stood in place for a long time.

Eating spiritual rice for breakfast, receiving Gold Rank Demonic Beast meat for lunch, working in the afternoon was equivalent to Cultivate, and even getting paid in spiritual rice after finishing work.

He suddenly felt that the version of himself this morning who patted his chest and said "We'll pay for this meal" was as stupid as a joke.

...

The night was deep.

Old Dao and the dozens of people with him were squeezed into the assigned house.

The room was not big, but it was much cleaner than they had expected; the bedding was all new and still exuded a faint scent of soap.

No one could fall asleep.

Everyone lay on the beds, staring at the ceiling, none of them speaking.

Too many things had happened today.

The metal ring falling off. Moving stones. Spiritual rice. Gold Rank Demonic Beast meat. A ten-jin meat subsidy. Working was equivalent to Cultivate.

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A wage of three liang of spiritual rice.

Every single event, taken alone, was shocking enough; stacked all together, their worldview had shattered into dust.

In the darkness, someone turned over and whispered: "Boss."

Old Dao gave a hum.

"Should we... perhaps find a chance to run away tonight?"

Once these words were spoken, the steady breathing sounds in the room were all disrupted.

Everyone opened their eyes.

Run? Can we run? Should we run?

Old Dao sat up abruptly from his bed.

"Run? What are you running for?!"

His voice was kept very low, but his tone was sharp.

He scanned the shining eyes in the darkness and said sternly:

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated! The mission hasn't been completed yet, and our understanding of this city is far from enough. Stay undercover for a while longer, figure out the details, and only then will we have something to report back!"

Once these words were said, the others hurriedly chimed in:

"Right, right, right, Boss is right!"

"Boss is wise! Let's stay undercover for a few more days!"

"Let's scout the situation more! Let's eat more—and understand more for a few more days!"

...

Old Dao was finally satisfied and lay back down.

The room became quiet again.

...

On the same night. At the City Lord's Mansion.

Zhou Yun was not asleep either.

He had just put down his brush—a new sheet of paper was spread on the table, with the last character "Ren" (Person) written on it today—when he heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the courtyard.

Tieshan had come again.

"City Lord." Tieshan cupped his hands outside the door, "There is another situation over at Ganlan Mountain. The White Tiger Clan has come to fetch water again, and our people have clashed with them once more."

Zhou Yun did not hesitate and got up to leave.

...

Ganlan Mountain.

The moonlight was brighter than the previous night.

The stream water shimmered with a cold silver light under the moonlight, flowing over the rocks with a splashing sound.

By the stream, the Flower City water-fetching team and the White Tiger Clan were once again standing face-to-face.

Both sides were very restrained.

The people of Flower City remembered the City Lord's order and did not attack proactively.

The White Tiger Clan also just crouched by the stream, growling in low voices, neither advancing nor retreating.

After Zhou Yun arrived, he walked straight towards the stream.

The Little White Tiger wearing the red bell recognized him from afar.

Its fur immediately stood on end, its round ears flattened back, its four legs tensed up, striking a pose ready to flee at any moment.

Yesterday, it had swiped at him with a paw, but it had been of no use. It remembered that very clearly.

Zhou Yun stopped his steps. He did not continue walking forward.

He observed the Little White Tiger and also observed the clan behind it.

The adult Tiger-men were tightly gathered on both sides of the stream, their posture defensive rather than aggressive.

There were a few cubs lying by the stream drinking water, and a mother tiger used her body to block the space between the cubs and the humans.

They were not here to fight.

The thought that Zhou Yun had since last night became even clearer at this moment.

The Little White Tiger knew it couldn't beat him, yet it still came. It wasn't because it was combative, perhaps... it was simply because the clan needed water.

This showed that they could not find enough water sources elsewhere, and the stream at Ganlan Mountain was their lifeline.

Just like Flower City. Both sides needed this stream.

Zhou Yun took a step forward.

The Little White Tiger let out an "Aow" sound and turned to run.

"Wait a moment." Zhou Yun's voice was not loud, but the Little White Tiger's steps faltered.

It turned its head back, its round tiger eyes staring at him vigilantly. The red bell on its neck swayed gently.

Zhou Yun pointed at the stream, then pointed at the White Tiger Clan, then pointed at the water-fetching team behind him, and finally opened his hands with palms facing up—Together.

He was expressing one meaning: We will use this stream together.

The Little White Tiger tilted its head. The adult Tiger-men behind it exchanged a few glances.

The silence lasted for a long time. Then, the largest mother tiger slowly turned her body, yielding half the space by the stream.

The Little White Tiger looked at the mother tiger, then at Zhou Yun, and finally let out a "Hmph," reluctantly moving to the side as well. The red bell jingled twice.

Zhou Yun turned back and glanced at the water-fetching team.

"Go fetch water. Only take our half."

The water-fetching team was stunned for a moment, then immediately moved into action.

They walked cautiously to the stream and started filling water on the side yielded by the White Tiger Clan.

The Tiger-men crouched on the other side, their golden vertical pupils staring at their every move, but they did not attack.

Two species, drinking from the same stream.

Tieshan stood behind watching this scene, his mouth opening and closing, closing and opening, but in the end, he just shook his head and said nothing.

...

Blue Star. Late night.

A taxi stopped in front of a villa. The car door opened, and a middle-aged man stepped out. Zhou Tianhao.

He stood at the entrance of the villa, looking at the tightly closed gate, and took a deep breath.

This was his last hope. Last time he went to find his third brother, Zhou Tianyao, he hadn't even been able to get through the door. This time...

He came to the door, hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and rang the doorbell.

After waiting for about a minute, the door opened. It wasn't a servant who opened the door, but Zhou Tiancheng himself.

Zhou Tiancheng was two years younger than Zhou Tianhao, but he looked more than ten years younger.

At this moment, he had a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, was wearing a casual cotton shirt, and was holding a pen—evidently, he had been called out of his study by the doorbell.

The brothers stared at each other at the door for a few seconds. Then Zhou Tiancheng turned to the side, clearing the way. "Come in."

Zhou Tianhao was stunned for a moment. He had prepared himself to be turned away again, and had even thought of his lines. But Zhou Tiancheng did not refuse.

...

In the living room, tea had been brewed. The two sat opposite each other.

Just as Zhou Tianhao was about to speak, Zhou Tiancheng raised his hand and spoke first.

"Since you came to find me, it means this matter is very important to you."

Zhou Tianhao nodded and opened his mouth to say—

"But it's not that I don't want to help you." Zhou Tiancheng's voice was very calm, his tone devoid of evasion, possessing only the candor of someone who had thought things through thoroughly, "It's just that some things truly cannot be helped."

Zhou Tianhao's mouth remained half-open. He hadn't even said what the matter was, yet his second brother had already put the words "cannot help" on the table. This showed that Zhou Tiancheng had already made his decision.

"So it really won't work after all..." he thought.

Zhou Tiancheng put down the pen in his hand, picked up his teacup and took a sip, then looked at his eldest brother, his tone unchanged.

"You might think I am too cold. Not even helping my own nephew."

"How about this, let me ask you a question first."

Zhou Tianhao frowned: "What question?"

Zhou Tiancheng put down the teacup, crossed his hands on his knees, and his gaze, through the gold-rimmed glasses, fell on Zhou Tianhao's face.

"Powerful families in the city monopolize resources, hoard goods for speculation, and even refuse to obey the City Lord's summons."

His voice was unhurried, every word clear, as if he were reciting an exam question.

"If suppressed by force, it may cause turmoil. If left unchecked, the people will suffer."

"As the City Lord—" "How would you solve this?"