Chapter 242 “The Messenger” (1)

A gray-clad clerk, carrying several official documents, hurriedly led the head of the Liuhe Trading Company. He expertly lifted the hem of his robe from his legs and trudged deep into the farmland, calling out, "Lord Lan, an angel from the Supreme Alliance is coming to inspect the town. Lord Rong Yantuo will go with you to greet him!"

Rong Yantuo frowned, stopping on the dry ground at the edge of the field and waiting. He listened to Lin's calls and scanned the wheat fields. A vast expanse of ripe wheat formed a golden sea, with a few deep golden paths marked by the harvest. But compared to the vastness of the fields, they were almost insignificant.

Amidst a sea of waist-deep golden wheat ears, a figure dressed like any other farmer straightened up and turned. It was Lan Ling, the mayor of Yilan Town. She held a semicircular bamboo basket, with a shiny black iron blade tied to its straight edge—a wheat reaper. She was rushing to harvest the wheat with the townspeople.

Hearing the call from her clerk, Lan Li paused, put down her sickle, and scrambled up the ridge of the field. She was covered in a mess of golden debris, but she didn't care. She asked directly, "Where are you going to meet me?"

Seeing that she had no intention of tidying up, Rong Yantuo patiently replied, "They are right here. They are three envoys. They have already inspected Hongda City and Jiuruo City and will be heading to the next city. So there is no need for an elaborate welcome. Once you receive the envoys, I will take them to the trading house."

"Hmm," Lan Ling replied succinctly. Standing still, she extended her hand, and Lin Shengsheng immediately, in perfect unison, pulled out the official document from her bosom and placed it in her hand. Lan Ling pulled a brush from her waist with her left hand, dipped it in the ink from the water bag, and, standing still, began to review the document.

Seeing that her clothes were dirty and she hadn't even changed into her formal official uniform, and she was standing by the field with her trouser legs tied up and not even wearing shoes, it seemed that she was planning to welcome the envoys from the six alliances like this. Rong Yantuo was a little impatient.

Rong Yantuo was born in a small branch of a family of immortal cultivators. It took him more than 120 years to reach the late stage of foundation building. He was able to climb to the top position of the Zhili Trading House of the six major alliances. In addition to his extraordinary mind and means, he never made mistakes in dealing with people.

He also knew that Lan He had served as agricultural officials in Yilan Town for generations. Even after being elected mayor, he remained hands-on, never resorting to flattery or the slickness of bureaucracy. Knowing Lan He was a good official, he still had to be careful to give her some advice when facing the envoys from the six alliances, lest they judge him as "disrespectful to the six alliances."

I've heard that two of the people who came this time are law enforcement guards, not to mention one whose identity remains unknown. According to secret reports from Hisawaka Castle, both law enforcement guards are under the command of a third person. This patrol is likely to be more complex. If the law enforcement guards, who are directly under the Internal Affairs Hall, deem someone disrespectful, they can strip them of their official position without further appeal, or even execute them on the spot.

To survive in the Dayan officialdom, you can disrespect the royal family, but you cannot disrespect the six major alliances.

Since Lan Lu took office, she had seized many large landowners' fields and returned them to the slaves, even using government funds to lend them money to buy seeds and farm tools. Many of the town's major families were dissatisfied with her. If they fanned the flames further, Rong Yantuo feared that Lan Lu's actions would only bring disaster upon herself.

Knowing that Lan He disliked intrigue, Rong Yantuo said tactfully, "I heard that this time, the envoy will not only inspect our trading houses, but will also help the towns to increase their food supplies."

As soon as the topic of grain harvesting came up, Lan He looked up from her official documents. She'd assumed it was just some face-saving job, and with disgust, she didn't bother to fix her appearance. "Really?"

"They say they saw the previous flower distribution meeting was effective in bringing rain, and since they saw the people were not able to harvest their crops quickly, they sent patrol envoys to help." Rong Yantuo nodded. The abnormal astronomical phenomena brought on by the Feiyi disaster caused the wheat fields to sometimes produce only five or six crops a year, and sometimes not produce a single grain of rice in the entire year. Once the wheat was ripe, it had to be harvested within three days, otherwise it would rot inexplicably.

Ordinary cultivators were not allowed to intervene in such mundane farming work; after all, it was part of the natural order of things. Only when the six major alliances could no longer tolerate this and consulted with the Internal Affairs Hall could they send specially authorized cultivators to assist with specific matters.

Lan He was worried that the wheat harvest wouldn't be complete, and that the town might face a food shortage. Knowing that the envoys from the six alliances weren't coming for another feast and inspection, she immediately returned the official document to Lin Shengsheng.

However, relying solely on her speed, she might not be able to change clothes in time. Rong Yantuo was about to speak when Lan Ling swiftly brushed off the weeds on her body. With a flick of her belt, she removed her outer robe and flipped it inside out, revealing a pale vermilion satin embroidered with fragrant herbs. She then put on the belt. Lin Shengsheng squatted down to help her untie her leggings. Her wide culottes with dark black patterns fell down, covering her feet, which were stained with dried mud.

After a quick hair-tie and a pin, within a few moments, Lan He stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a long red robe, looking like an elegant civil servant. If Rong Yantuo hadn't turned his eyes while standing there, he would have doubted that the peasant-looking person just now was not Lan He.

Rong Yantuo smiled slightly and wanted to say something teasingly to Lan He, but when he heard the sound of thunder coming from the distant sky, his face immediately became solemn and he stood facing the chariot with his hands hanging down.

Lin Shengsheng, a clerk for the mayor of a small town, didn't dare raise his head to look directly at the envoys from the six alliances. He stood behind the two men and quietly stuffed the documents into his arms. Lan He, however, didn't lower her head. She stared straight at the thunder that roared loudly in the sky.

Between the clouds in the sky, two thunder beasts were surrounded by blue lightning. Their four legs were nimble and they stepped down with full power. The air seemed to vibrate with them, and they looked extremely handsome.

The bronze chariot it pulled behind was even more magnificent, dazzling, and mysteriously beautiful. Atop its forged bronze dome was a fist-sized gemstone. The intricate patterns, though hard to discern, shone a faint golden glow. The thin veils draped around the chariot blocked Lan He's view of the interior. She glanced away from the veil, catching sight of the two monks seated on either side of the chariot.

The two were actually twins, their faces difficult to tell apart. Their hair was swaying in the wind, their pearls and jade adorned them, and they wore orange skirts and green sashes. A circular halo enveloped their figures as they drove their chariots, one on each side, like goddesses from mortal history.

Rong Yantuo stared at the two men with shock. Inspections were a major undertaking, so the traders only dared to share trivial details. He hadn't heard that the two law enforcement guards were the sisters Yuzhi and Laimian!

As the direct disciple of Cankunzi, the leader of the Exorcist Sword Sect, Yuzhilaimian has a more transcendent status than ordinary law enforcement guards. The matters they are in charge of must be major ones.

And how noble and distinguished could the third envoy in the car be who could be escorted by these two? Could he be a powerful being in the Nascent Soul or Refining Void realm?

Moreover, just like in the chariot, Yu Zhilaimian's body was unable to detect any aura level. This was a very high inspection standard.

Sensing that this inspection might be unusual, Rong Yantuo urgently recalled everything he'd already memorized, wishing he could run back and inspect it himself. But the chariot was already before him. He took a deep breath, clasped his fists, and joined Lan Lulin in greeting.

First update~Thanks to Ruoyou Shao Yuexi for the monthly ticket~

Thanks to Xuan Songai for voting for a monthly ticket~