For Elina, who often frequented this place, this situation was absolutely unimaginable.
She knew very well that Lakeside Town, under the control of the church, had never cared about the lives of the poor. They were only concerned with annual taxes and capital. The only reason they allowed the poor to remain in Lakeside Town was to use the population count to apply for more funding from above.
But today, everything had changed. It felt like a scene straight out of magical realism!
Lynn, lying on a rocking chair, glanced at the selected works of the King of Secret Source in his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips. He said nothing more.
"Let's go take a look," Lynn stood up, smiling as he put the book away. "Let's see what they're up to."
……
At the square of Lakeside Town, the crowd was bustling.
The church had set up dozens of simple wooden sheds in the square, and with the soldiers maintaining order, everything appeared to be well-organized.
Some sheds were distributing food, cotton clothes, and daily necessities to the people.
Others had stationed many priests and doctors, providing free medical care to the poor who were seriously ill or injured.
Not far away, the bulletin board was surrounded by people in tattered clothes.
A freshly inked announcement was posted on it.
Since many of the poor were illiterate, two knights were stationed beside the board to read the announcement aloud to the crowd.
The main points were as follows:
1. Taxes would be significantly reduced, and all unnecessary levies would be abolished.
2. Everyone in Lakeside Town could register for free medical care, and those with serious illnesses or disabilities could apply to enter a sanatorium after registration.
3. The church would fund the renovation of the slums and provide subsidies.
4. The church would gradually open up job opportunities in various fields, offering wages, food, shelter, and free medical benefits.
And so on.
The announcement listed dozens of new regulations in great detail.
Many of the commoners felt as if they were dreaming after hearing it.
No!
Even in their dreams, they had never dared to imagine such things.
And now, it was happening in reality.
"By the grace of the gods! Is this heaven's mercy upon us?!"
"Could the noble lords really be so kind? Wages, food, shelter… this… this must be a joke!"
Many still couldn't believe it, their faces filled with astonishment.
In their long-held beliefs, this was nothing short of a fairy tale.
On the square, Nanako stared in shock at the scene before her. She even recognized many of the people she had helped the night before.
"This… this…"
Her mind was buzzing, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.
Lynn walked up to her with a smile, crossing his arms as he said, "It seems the church has had a change of heart, Master."
[Many things can't be solved with money alone. I know you meant well by helping them, Master, but without a proper system in place, the gold coins you gave them would only bring them misfortune.]
[But now, there’s no problem. Although some underhanded methods were used, at least for a long time to come, this town will be a much better place.]
[Reforms and policies need to be implemented gradually. While it’s impossible to completely overturn the centuries-old system of oppression, at least it gives people hope, doesn’t it?]
Lynn’s lips curled into a smile.
Nanako listened in a daze to her disciple’s thoughts.
For some reason, she suddenly felt her eyes sting, as if something was churning deep within her heart.
So… he knew all along…
She lowered her head, her nose tingling as she struggled to hold back the tears.
What a… what a wicked disciple he was…
He had known all along about the foolish things Nanako had done, had secretly followed her last night,
and pretended not to know anything.
And then he quietly took care of everything on his own…
Plop—plop—
Tears fell to the ground.
"Lady Nanako, why… why are you crying?"
Elina looked at Nanako with confusion and surprise.
Nanako rubbed her eyes vigorously, then shook her head, her ponytail swaying.
She looked up, her tear-stained face breaking into a pure and radiant smile.
"Because Nanako is really, really happy."
A gust of wind blew by.
The willow catkins scattered in the air, creating a dazzling spectacle.
……
Clip-clop—clip-clop—
The sound of hooves echoed as a carriage raced down the road toward the nearest Silver City.
Inside the spacious carriage, Elina and the other girls covered their mouths, their eyes filled with amusement as they looked at Lynn sitting across from them.
Lynn, on the other hand, looked extremely awkward, his body stiff as he dared not move.
Hanging from him was Nanako’s small figure, her eyes closed, her tiny nose gently rising and falling as she breathed evenly. Her lips parted slightly as she slept.
One of her small hands clutched the front of Lynn’s shirt, while the other held his wrist. She nestled comfortably in his arms, her sleeping face adorably peaceful.
But Lynn was utterly embarrassed.
Especially with three girls sitting across from him, their faces filled with knowing smiles, he felt even more uncomfortable.
"Mr. Lynn, you mustn’t move around, or Lady Nanako might wake up," one of the girls teased.
Lynn coughed awkwardly. "I won’t, I won’t."
The girls all covered their mouths, their eyes filled with envy.
Ever since the church had announced the new policies that morning and began distributing food and clothing to the slums, they had enthusiastically volunteered to help.
And Lady Nanako had been the most active and passionate among them.
Throughout the entire day, Nanako’s face had been radiant with joy as she tirelessly helped those who were too injured or sick to collect their supplies.
It wasn’t until evening that she finally stopped.
And after that, she had fallen asleep, exhausted, in Lynn’s arms.
Which led to the current situation.
Elina smiled warmly.
She could see how happy Lady Nanako had been today, and there was something different about her relationship with Mr. Lynn, something that hadn’t been there before.
The sound of hooves continued.
Nanako slept soundly, her eyes closed. It seemed as if she was having a dream, her brows slightly furrowing.
Unconsciously, she let go of Lynn’s wrist.
Then she hugged his chest tightly, burying her face in it, her breathing steadying once more.
Her expression was peaceful and relaxed.
"Disciple is… the worst, worst villain in the world…"
Her soft murmur reached their ears.
Hearing this, Elina and the others covered their mouths, trying hard not to laugh.
"Mr. Lynn, did you do something very, very bad to Lady Nanako?" one of the girls teased.
Lynn retorted, "I did no such thing! Don’t make baseless accusations!"
The girls all giggled, their eyes sparkling with mischief.
Lynn looked down awkwardly at the little master sleeping peacefully in his arms.
[What on earth happened?]
[Why is my little master acting so strange today? Did she find out about what I did last night?]
[That shouldn’t be possible. I acted alone. How could she know?]
[Then what’s the reason?]
Lynn was utterly confused.
[And… little blue-haired master, if you want to sleep in my arms, we can do that when we get back. Any position is fine! (Frustrated) But there are people here now, people!]
[Think about the image, the image!]
……
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
