C13 It Was Either Heaven or Hell Not the Human World

Worker Zhang chuckled and remarked, "That little lady, you can surely explain. But your great-grandson, Lee Er, had the audacity to proclaim in public that neither the law nor the county officials could touch him. How should we handle this?"

"Indeed, his audacity knows no bounds, claiming that the law and the county officials have no power over him, Lee Er. He acts as if he owns the public street in Dingyuan!"

A voice from the crowd questioned, "Does the Lee family think they're the heavens in Dingyuan? Are they the law itself?"

The Lee family elder stammered, "Uh... children say foolish things sometimes, they can be forgiven, right?"

Jia Jiucheng interjected, "But I've got it all recorded. That's solid evidence for the court. Weren't you the one who wanted to discuss the law?"

Captor Lee added, "It might have been said in jest, but his brazen claim that neither the law nor the County Magistrate could control him is a serious matter." As a captor, Jia Jiucheng had to consider his position. Despite being from the same clan, if a new captor was publicly humiliated, it would reflect poorly on him. It could also erode the captors' authority in the yamen, leading to a loss of public trust.

Captor Lee was in a particularly tough spot today. If Jia Jiucheng lost face among the captors and the yamen lost its prestige with the public, it would be a double defeat. And if the Lee family lost, they would likely harbor resentment towards him. It was a no-win situation.

"Old Lee, I'm asking you for a favor today. Let's just let bygones be bygones, shall we?"

After a long contemplation and a heavy sigh, Elder Lee realized there was no way out. He turned to Lee Er and scolded, "You worthless fool, completely oblivious to the vastness of the world."

With a string of curses, he led the hundreds of members of the Lee family away.

At that moment, Jia Jiucheng received a System Notification: "Ding... Dingyuan Street Side Line Mission 2: Overcoming the Fourth Generation of the Notorious Gentry completed."

Jia Jiucheng couldn't stand by as the little bully harassed innocent women on the street. After giving the bully a well-deserved thrashing to teach him a lesson, the entire Lee family, spanning four generations, rallied around the yamen, clamoring for punishment against the 'assailant.' With his reputation and position on the line, Jia Jiucheng cleverly used the Lake Glimpsing Stone to safeguard both.

Congratulations to the host for receiving: 200 Righteousness Coins, a Speed Scroll (grants a speed boost of 500% to a team, up to 50 people), and a Recovery Scroll (restores 500 health points and 50 stamina to a team, up to 50 people).

Watching the normally boisterous Elder Lee swagger in with hundreds from the Lee family, only to leave so deflated and disheartened, was a sight to behold. It wasn't often that they were on the losing end, and many had suffered at their hands.

The captors couldn't help but burst into applause, "Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!"

Eldest senior brother and second senior sister both gave thumbs up, and even Zhu Yeqing had nothing to say this time! Worker Zhang nodded in approval at Jia Jiucheng.

Captor Lee pulled Jia Jiucheng aside, his eyes gleaming with curiosity, "Jia, what was that you just used? Where did it come from? Do you have any more?"

It seemed no one was surprised by the use of the system's items, perhaps because someone had recognized or seen them before. But where could they have originated from? How could a 17-year-old boy come by such items? Stolen? Robbed? Purchased? And where could one purchase them? How much silver would they cost?

Thinking to himself, "I have the system. Could I possibly resell these items and make a fortune?" However, the system priced them at 1,000 taels of silver each. To make a profit, he'd have to sell them for more than 1,000 taels. A captor's salary was akin to that of a Bronze Fish Captor, barely 12 taels a month. With family expenses, there was likely little to no savings. If he claimed to have such items and others couldn't afford them, it would only cause trouble down the line. After much deliberation, Jia Jiucheng decided to decline, "No more, my father only left me this one, and it's a one-time use item."

"Just one? You used it for such a trivial matter!" Captor Lee said, shaking his head in disappointment. It seemed like such a waste. It was probably left to Jia Yong by the previous County Magistrate. Their family couldn't possibly have such treasures.

Upon hearing there were no more, the other captors shook their heads in dismay, lamenting the waste of such a precious item and wishing they had one themselves.

"Alright, everyone, gather around and listen up," Captor Lee called out.

The crowd quickly assembled around him.

It seems everyone's already heard. Last night, two significant incidents shook our county, and the County Magistrate has already briefed us. The first incident occurred at the Qii family residence in the North District. They are related to Xiao Sanpang, one of the Four Playboys of Dingyuan, and it involves the treasured daughter of Minister Qii, Qii Yuzhu. Shockingly, her room was found with a letter and a blood-red jade mark from Shan Hong, the notorious Rapist from Xiangnan County. If harm comes to her, it won’t just be difficult for the County Magistrate to explain; it would be a slap in the face for all of us!

The audacity of the Rapist, Shan Hong, is beyond belief. He declared that within three days, he intends to 'pick the flower' in Qii Yuzhu's room and has the gall to instruct her to 'bathe and wait for him.' Can we stand for this?"

"No!" the Captors shouted in unison.

Therefore, in response to the order, 400 of us will head to the Qii family in the North District. We must be vigilant and prevent the Rapist from succeeding. To issue such a brazen challenge in broad daylight and then follow through would be a direct affront to us, and we cannot let him escape justice.

The second case involves the brutal murder of two little ladies in the South City. Worker Zhang, you and your squad will handle this. Jia will be directly under your wing for guidance. Make sure to cover all the new protocols with him. From today, we're all in this together. Dismissed—let's move out!"

"Yes, sir!" the Captors responded in unison.

Four hundred people dashed to the affluent North City, while a mere five were dispatched to address the heinous murder in the impoverished South City. When the wealthy face trouble, the entire County Yamen springs into action. But when the poor die, it's just a matter of following procedure.

All lives are equal, yet reality paints a different picture. With experience comes a tinted view of the world, as people hustle and bustle for their own gain. Such is the bitter taste of reality.

Regarding Jia Yong's death, a collective silence prevails. Not a word was spoken at the scene, and no one approached Jia Jiucheng to offer words or comfort.

Jia Jiucheng was well aware that attacking the Gale Stronghold was currently out of the question. No one would bring it up at the moment. Claiming he wanted to assault the Gale Stronghold to avenge his father would be futile and would only lead to being shunned by everyone. Captor Lee might think he hadn't done a good job, and the County Magistrate could suspect that Jia Jiucheng was reneging on his word and demanding a higher price. If everyone shared the same disgrace, it wouldn't matter, right? No one would feel uncomfortable as long as it remained unspoken. But if someone were to call it out, there might be a collective outrage leading to an attack!

...

At 254 Yellow River Street in the South City of Dingyuan County, houses were crammed together, accessible only by a narrow alleyway that exuded a dark and foul odor. Without a local to guide you, it was nearly impossible to find your way. Tragically, the Xie family sisters met their demise on the second floor of their home, with no witnesses to the event.

The next morning, Mrs. Lee from next door noticed that the window on the second floor of the Xie family's house was left open. She alerted the Lee family, who were horrified to discover the two sisters had died a gruesome death in their home.

Jia Jiucheng and his four companions made their way to the Xie family's second floor, where they found the sisters' clothing in disarray, their lower bodies exposed on the bed, and their torn garments scattered haphazardly around the room. Both bodies bore multiple bruises.

It was now time for the coroner to take over, Jia Jiucheng thought to himself.

"The second brother is beginning the autopsy," Jia Jiucheng said, looking at the second senior sister with astonishment. She was actually performing the autopsy!

Worker Zhang glanced at Jia Jiucheng and clarified, "The second brother comes from a family of coroners; it's been their trade for generations."

Jia Jiucheng nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. When you enter society, you're judged by your background. His family has only his father as a Captor and the rest are peasants. They're considered to have one of the less fortunate backgrounds."

Xiao Shaomei chuckled and turned to Laosan, who was standing nearby, "Remember this: on the 5th of March, Year 3 of the Heavy Years, at 254 Yellow River Street in the South City of Dingyuan, the eldest sister of the Xie family..."

Jia Jiucheng was startled. He realized he had neglected a crucial issue: time. What was the current year? What significant events had occurred in history? As someone from the future, he could use his knowledge of history to foresee risks, seize life's opportunities, level up by defeating monsters, achieve great deeds, attract beautiful women, and reach the pinnacle of success.

"Which emperor reigns during the Heavy Years?" Jia Jiucheng pondered. He had no clue which year corresponded to the Heavy Years.

"What did you say?"

"What were the previous years?"

Xiao Shaomei replied, "Let me think. It was the first year of Jianzhong Jingguo, the fifth year of Chongning, the fourth year of Daguan, the eighth year of Zhenghe, and now it's the first year of Chonghe."

Jianzhong Jingguo's first year, Chongning's fourth year, Daguan's third year, Zhenghe's seventh year, and now the second year of Chonghe... I've got it! The Soong Dynasty used so many era names, but only one was Jianzhong Jingguo.

"Is the current emperor the eighth emperor of the Northern Soong, Soong Hui Emperor Zhao Jie?" Jia Jiucheng asked, astonished.

Xiao Shaomei sternly said, "Hold your tongue, you little rascal. You can't just blurt out the emperor's name like that!"

"It is indeed the eighth ruler of the Great Soong Dynasty. What do you mean by 'Northern Soong'? Is there a division between a northern and southern Soong?" Worker Zhang wondered, confused.

At that time, who could have known about the division between the Southern and Northern Soong? Jia Jiucheng gave an awkward smile, "It's nothing, really."

Worker Zhang cautioned, "Considering you're just a kid who hasn't traveled much, I'll let it slide. But don't speak like that when you're outside!"

"Ah, it's actually the Soong Hui Emperor!" The Heavy Years began in 1118 AD. In just seven years, the Jingkang Shame would occur, and the Northern Soong would fall. There's still time. I'm only a junior captor now. I must diligently hone my skills to prevent history's tragedies from repeating. The Jingkang Shame could have been avoided; it was the authorities who were shortsighted and surrendered to the Jurchens.

During the Soong Dynasty, civilians were not expected to die in battle, nor were generals expected to simply hold their ground. The emperor and his rulers favored scholars over warriors, relying on the clever manipulation of words in diplomacy. Actions were driven by bribery and a desire for self-preservation, leading to a lack of willingness among the people to fight to the death. Soldiers were willing to lay down their lives, but they were undervalued. Promises of rewards were not fulfilled, and threats of punishment were not carried out. With such a lack of credibility in rewards and punishments, who would be willing to exert themselves to the point of death?

To govern a country by law, throughout history, only the Qin Dynasty has done so. It was a state that governed according to Legalist principles, and it was the Qin Dynasty that rejoiced at the prospect of battle, with clear distinctions between rewards and punishments.

Jia Jiucheng asked, "Second senior sister, what about Jin Country and Liao Country?"

Xiao Shaomei replied, "Which Jin Country and Liao Country are you referring to?"