Therefore, it's impossible for this to have come from anywhere else. Again, there's only one possibility: the so-called bandits and outlaws of Black Cloud County have always been the same group of people.

They simply changed their names every time the government launched a full-scale crackdown on them. The county government would then record this in its register, stating that a group of mountain bandits had been eliminated.

When those mountain bandits changed their names, the county government would assume that a new bandit stronghold had arrived, thus creating a false impression.

They say that the bandits and brigands of Black Cloud County have been killed in waves, and just as one wave is wiped out, another arrives.

Upon hearing Zhu Yunwen's words, Zhao Qingzhu's eyes widened, and she said in disbelief:

"Impossible, right? How could these bandits and mountain thieves still be the same group after all these years?"

Even if these bandits and outlaws number in the hundreds, there have been so many clean-up operations every year for so many years.

Even if we kill a few dozen every year, over the years that's enough to wipe out all these hundreds of people, right?

Zhu Yunwen narrowed his eyes and said to Zhao Qingzhu:

"The claim that they killed wave after wave of bandits and outlaws is only the official story from the Blackwater County government. Neither you nor I witnessed it, so how can we be sure they really did kill them?"

What if they're lying, and they didn't actually kill anyone, but they claim to have? So it's not impossible that those bandits could simply change their names and return.

Zhao Qingzhu was speechless; such a statement was indeed quite reasonable.

Zhu Yunwen also said:

"That's why we encountered bandits on our way here, and that's why I ordered them to kill as many as possible. Perhaps all the bandit suppression operations we've organized over the years haven't been as effective as the number of bandits we killed in one operation today."

Zhao Qingzhu was speechless.

After a moment, she asked her last question:

"But if they really are the same group of bandits, then why doesn't the government of Heiyun County just wipe them out?"

Why let them continue to live, only to reappear under a different name and repeat the same old routine?

Zhu Yunwen sighed and said:

"This is easy to understand. Look at how many times Heiyun County has applied to the higher authorities for funds to suppress mountain bandits."

You applied for so much money, but didn't actually do anything with it. Where did all that money go?

The money was spent, and the operation was carried out, but the number of bandits and brigands only increased. What do you think they're after?

Zhao Qingzhu wasn't entirely stupid. Her eyes darted around, and suddenly a terrifying possibility occurred to her. Looking at Zhu Yunwen, she said:

"There's profit involved, both for these bandits and for the government?"