C19 Side Line Mission Smash the House

"Humph, I'll smash it!" Jia Jiucheng bellowed in rage, startling the man holding the hammer so much that he recoiled. Jia Jiucheng's eyes blazed with fury as he grabbed the hammer and began to violently demolish the nearest house.

With a powerful swing, the hammer struck a pillar, and a corner of the house crumbled away.

"Don't smash it!" a woman wailed desperately. "If you smash it, where will we live? We'll have nothing left but death!"

This time of morning should have been filled with the joy of a family gathering for breakfast. Yet, the arrival of the Captor had turned it into a scene of chaos, with the family's cries ignored as their breakfast table was upended and the house ruthlessly demolished, the debris crushing the remnants of their meal.

"Ding… Congratulations to the host for smashing a commoner's house. Current progress: 1/5."

A house represents years of labor for an ordinary person, a refuge from the elements, and the embodiment of their hopes. Now, with a thunderous crash, it lay in ruins.

Memories of decades spent in laughter and toil within those walls haunted the onlookers. How could they not be heartbroken? But the might of the Imperial Court was not something a mere commoner could defy.

Jia Jiucheng didn't spare a glance for the people weeping on the ground. Perhaps he was blind to them, his conscience clouded by rage. He turned to another house and, with all his might, brought the hammer down again and again, each blow ringing out with a resounding clang.

Jia Jiucheng might one day become the world's strongest through the system, but he could not alter the harsh realities of power and weakness, wealth and poverty, oppression and authority.

Worker Zhang watched Jia Jiucheng with a knowing, smug grin. He was pleased to see the young man taking to the trade, yet he was astonished by the kid's formidable strength.

With another explosive boom, a second house collapsed into dust, merging with the rubble.

"Ding… Congratulations to the host for destroying another commoner's house. Current progress: 2/5."

Another family's cries of sorrow echoed through the heavens, a heartbreaking sound that seemed to resonate with the earth itself. How could they not be heartbroken? A house they had lived in for so many years had vanished in an instant. How many memories of family life lingered within those walls? How much effort had gone into building that home, only for it to be reduced to nothing? Just moments before, it was a warm, welcoming home, and now it lay in ruins.

...

"Ding... Congratulations to the host for demolishing another house of the commoners. Current progress: 3/5."

...

"Ding... Congratulations to the host for demolishing another house of the commoners. Current progress: 4/5."

Once again, a family's cries of sorrow pierced the heavens.

"Ding... Congratulations to the host for completing the demolition of the commoners' houses. Current progress: 5/5."

Yet another family's cries of sorrow reverberated through the sky.

Worker Zhang exclaimed, "Why stop after demolishing just five? With over a hundred households, you should at least demolish half to make an example. Keep smashing!"

"Smash, smash!" Jia Jiucheng was in agony as he continued the destruction. Was this really the fault of the commoners of Sunny Wind Village? He had always been unable to condone falsehoods. How could the manufacture of counterfeit medicine be approved? Why were harmful products allowed to be sold? Why did the routine annual inspections by officials yield no results? With personnel constantly circulating and even entering the official ranks, why did no one speak up?

When a major issue arose, accountability was demanded, but minor issues were overlooked. Then the laws would be tightened even further. The longer the dynasty stood, the more heartless it became, with laws growing increasingly oppressive. Was this a sign of the Northern Song Dynasty's decline? Li Shimin once said, "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it." There must be a limit to exploitation.

A country is comprised of its people, so governing a country is akin to nurturing a person. When someone is ill, you identify what's wrong with the head and make changes. If there's a stomachache, you pinpoint the stomach's issues and address them. But if the body is riddled with ailments, endlessly changing things throughout the year, is that truly the way to nurture health? Have they not heard of the art of maintaining well-being?

Jia Jiucheng chuckled at the thought of the Northern Song Dynasty rulers being so rigid. Yet, at this moment, he was powerless to change anything. He knew he would have to wait until he was near the epicenter of power in the Great Soong Dynasty to make any changes.

With a mix of fury, Jia Jiucheng continued to demolish. The system typically rewarded him with a mere handful of silver coins, but this time it was a whopping 1000 taels. Clearly, there was an option to compensate the twenty affected families with 50 taels each afterward, allowing them to rebuild their homes with plenty to spare.

Realizing the system's motive, Jia Jiucheng became even more relentless in his destruction. Worker Zhang and his colleagues watched in disbelief. "Why is he smashing with such gusto? Shouldn't he feel remorse?" They recalled their own experiences with such tasks, the pain and inner turmoil they had endured. How could he smash so quickly? Had he adapted that fast? At just seventeen, his callousness was truly frightening, especially when it took many of us to demolish just a few houses!

. . .

When officials are enraged, what suffering must the people endure?

Without notice, a light rain began to fall.

After swinging the hammer countless times, a chime sounded, "Ding… Congratulations to the host for demolishing a commoner's house. Current progress: 20/20 complete."

"Ding… Congratulations to the host for completing the Sunny Wind Village Side Line Mission: House Demolition."

Mission Description: House Demolition: The villagers have failed to pay their fines on time, resulting in enforced demolition. Five houses must be demolished (0/5 completed so far), then sold off at a discount to cover the fines. Please proceed with the task.

Never having demolished a commoner's house, overturned a stall, or bullied the villagers, how could one dare to call oneself a Captor, a hound of the court, or a minion of the rulers?

Demolishing 20 houses comes with an extra bonus.

Mission Success: Reward: 0 Justice Coins, 1000 taels of gold.

Additional Reward: 1 Rage Bar (Upon filling, it can be released to increase attack speed and attack power by 100% each, lasting for 5 minutes).

At last, the task was complete. The Rage Bar had been installed, and the villagers were all starving, their cries filling the air. The evening sky was heavy, as if even the heavens were weeping.

The Captors were furious, their curses filling the air as eldest senior brother and Zhu Yeqing, eyes bloodshot, continued to demand that Jia Jiucheng keep smashing.

Jia Jiucheng had already demolished 20 homes, and his guilt was overwhelming. Clutching his hammer, he surveyed the shattered walls and crumbling ruins, the families in tattered clothes huddled together in tears. The men sat in silence, too hungry to speak or move.

The System Mission was complete, so why continue the destruction? Were homes here so valueless that no one cared? As he gazed upon the weeping, ragged villagers, he realized that as a Captor, no one would intervene.

It was a time when families should have been gathered joyfully for a meal, but the Captors' arrival had turned everything upside down. Breakfasts were ruined, tables were taken away, rooms were emptied, and roofs were destroyed. Families cried with hunger, uncertain of their future. Did they truly deserve such a fate?

"Ignorance is no fault, and the law does not punish the many. Why doesn't that apply here? Are the people too honest, too unaware of how to resist?" His heart heavy with desolation and his body shivering with cold, Jia Jiucheng found he could no longer bring himself to swing the hammer. They were all human beings; why inflict such hardship? Could such laws truly prevent the scourge of "false medicine"? Wasn't their establishment a commendable act?

In modern society, this would never happen. Jia Jiucheng muttered to himself, "Enough is enough, let's call it a day," and walked away.

"Worker Zhang, just let them be. I've got the system, what's there to fear?" he said, turning on his heel.

Worker Zhang, eldest senior brother, and Zhu Yeqing called out after him, "It's not for you to decide when this ends."

Jia Jiucheng ignored them and pressed on.

Xiao Shaomei, as a woman and second senior sister, could no longer bear to watch. She led the Village Soldiers, carrying the confiscated goods, and began to follow suit.

Worker Zhang and the others, seeing how things were unfolding, also decided to leave, but not without a parting shot: "We'll leave it at this for today, but we'll be back after some time."

The group departed, leaving only the villagers behind, weeping on the ground.

The Captor had arrived at a happy and prosperous village.

Upon their departure, it was reduced to rubble, with people crying out in pain and hunger.

The murder of a single person was considered a major crime.

Yet for a scholar to govern and ruin an entire village, destroying countless families, was deemed justifiable by law!

As Jia Jiucheng passed by some unnamed hills, he caught sight of a lonely grave amidst the overgrown grass and felt a pang of melancholy. He pondered his place in this era, having traveled through time. He had resolved to live as his ideal self, yet the thought of oppressing the common folk and feeling their anguish weighed heavily on his conscience.

In a foreign land, he stood alone, encountering an unnamed grave in a desolate place.

If he remained unmoved, he would silently keep company with the verdant hills.

With a sigh, he pressed on.

The group walked on, their faces void of expression, as rain fell from the sky and sorrow filled their hearts.

Approaching the county town, Worker Zhang caught up with Jia Jiucheng and shared his thoughts: "How do you feel after today's experiences? Have you learned anything?"

"Until yesterday, I hadn't considered the saying, 'When prosperous, aid the world; when struggling, focus on your own virtue.' I'm not well-read. Those are just clever words scholars use to deceive, always advocating for a system that doesn't exist, speaking as if they're saints, appearing logical and convincing. It's laughable how they believe they can bring about an ideal age after a few decades of governance."

"Today, I wanted to give you a reality check. Don't aspire to be a saint or a hero. I too wish to be a good person, to be greeted with flowers and applause, to love what I do. But remember, we are Captors, hounds of the court, executioners. We must simply do our jobs well. We're not all fortunate enough to love our work from the start. I took on this role to make the most of each day.

I don't relish this work either. I'm human, merely an enforcer, doing what I must to get by. I force myself to find passion in my work, but it's not what I truly enjoy."

Worker Zhang's face betrayed his discomfort. "I have no desire to demolish the homes of ordinary folks or upend their livelihoods. These actions are the result of scholars legislating with their pens to the detriment of others. A murderer who kills twenty people causes an uproar, but these scholars craft laws and wield their pens to tout their accomplishments, their words cutting deeper than any blade, affecting millions, far surpassing the damage done by any murderer. Yet, who will hold them accountable? At worst, they'll replace a Prime Minister every few years. Those ousted can retire in peace, perhaps even securing a place in history. They are the very embodiment of scholars who proclaim, 'If wealthy, aid the world; if poor, only look after oneself.' I am not one of them; I've never harbored such thoughts!"

Jia Jiucheng watched Worker Zhang with astonishment. "I never imagined Worker Zhang would express such sentiments."

"At heart, I scorn such individuals. He's tormented within and seeks to spread his misery," Jia Jiucheng reflected. Yet, he couldn't fault him; he was merely an enforcer. The laws he enforced were certainly legitimate, and such executioners were commonplace.

Some people dwell in a dark abyss and wish for the entire world to carry that same darkness. It was evident that Worker Zhang had endured suffering and struggled before finally conceding. Indeed, in the face of such harsh realities, the average person feels utterly helpless.

But Jia Jiucheng had the system. In this life, he could choose a different path.