There was a feeling that Wu Lai hadn't felt for a long time. What was it called? Oh, the urban-rural gap.

When Wu Lai first came to this world, this feeling was very strong, but as time went by, it gradually faded. People always unconsciously get used to the surrounding environment.

When he saw the town of Saltmarsh not far away, Wu Lai regained this feeling.

To put it simply, Wu Lai even felt that the small village where he set fire to half of the inn was better than Salt Marsh Town.

No wonder this place is easily attacked by bandits and thieves, because Salt Marsh Town is located in a large open area. The nearest hills in front, behind, left and right are five or six miles away from the town. In addition, the protective wall outside the town has collapsed in sections on the east and west, so the entire Salt Marsh Town is absolutely without any barriers.

Not only was there no barrier, but there wasn't a single house in the town that Woolley liked. They all had stone foundations, earthen walls, and stone roofs, and they were all as old as they could be. It seemed that there wasn't even a single house that was not low and crooked. The houses were like this, and so were the fences and guardrails, as if this place was meant to be like this.

After the carriage drove into the town, Wu Lai's mood became even heavier. The wheels rolled over the white saline soil road, making a creaking sound, as if driving on hard ice. The winding and narrow road was set off by the low and crooked houses on both sides of the road, making Wu Lai feel that the road ahead was bleak.

On both sides of the carriage, a group of disheveled and ragged children were laughing and chasing each other. It was obvious that Woolley's carriage was new to them, or maybe there was nothing fun to do in the town.

Wu Lai believed that the latter possibility was the most likely, because he had no extravagant expectation that this town, which seemed to consist of only dark blue stones and grayish white soil, could provide a dedicated playground for this group of children who were no more than ten years old and as young as two or three years old.

In fact, what Wu Lai could not stand the most was that the whole town did not even have a single tree, not even a single green leaf. No wonder it was filled with a kind of old and dead air all the time...

"Wulai, do you regret coming here?" Gulu suddenly spoke. He had pursed his lips tightly since the moment he saw Salt Marsh Town.

Wu Lai shook his head without hesitation. Regret has never been his style.

"What about El? Do you regret following your master to this damn place?" Guru suddenly grinned and asked jokingly.

El smiled and shook his head: "As long as I can follow the young master, I am happy to go anywhere."

Hearing El's answer, Wu Lai smiled slightly, and Guru shrugged his shoulders: "Okay, I admit that I can't stand it here. The air here seems to have the salty smell of salt, and there are not even a tree or a flower."

"If you don't want to see it like this, then change it," Wu Lai said with a smile.

El glanced through the car window at the group of children chasing each other, and suddenly there was a hint of pity in her eyes. After hesitating for a long time, she couldn't help but begged: "Master, don't we still have some sugar cakes? Can we..."

"No." Wu Lai's face hardened.

El was shocked and quickly shut up, but Guru was surprised and thought that this was not like Wu Lai's style.

"El, giving them some sugar cakes is certainly not a big deal, but have you ever thought about it? They are still children and don't know how to distinguish what they should and shouldn't do. They are chasing the car now just for fun. If you stop the car now and take out sugar cakes for each of them, then when another car and horse enter the town, they will not just chase for fun. They will beg and hope that someone will give them sugar cakes or other food like you. I don't want to see these children like this." After Wu Lai explained the reason, El blushed and Guru nodded gently.

After a while, Wu Lai's carriage stopped in front of a stone building. Although this stone building looks gray and inconspicuous, it is the real political center of Salt Marsh Town - the Governor's Residence.

"Oh my god, whether it's the White Stone Building or the Green Building, my slaves' houses are better than here." Wu Lai was almost dumbfounded. Although he was mentally prepared, the simplicity and shabbyness of the stone building still far exceeded his expectations.

Guru was also "scared".

"Wu Lai, this, this can't be true?" Guru suddenly had the urge to escape from here immediately.

Wu Lai let out a long breath, turned his head and forced out a "sweet smile": "Gulu, you said that we should advance and retreat together. I heard that this is a haunted house. The previous governor was..."

Before he could finish his words, the tightly closed door of the stone building suddenly opened with a creak, and a dark face appeared from behind the door. Needless to say, the noise almost scared Guru.

Seeing that Wu Lai and his men were dressed in bright clothes and had a noble demeanor, and were riding new and fine horses, the dark-skinned man did not dare to neglect them. He quickly stepped out and saluted. While glancing at Wu Lai and Guru's citizen badges, he asked, "Excuse me, two respected citizens, you have come from afar. Do you have something to do? Or are you looking for someone?"

"Who are you?" Wu Lai took a quick glance and saw that this fellow, who looked to be no more than forty years old, was wearing old clothes, but they were very clean. His eyes were sharp when he saluted and asked questions, and he showed some grace, so he asked.

The dark-faced man hesitated for a moment and replied, "Dear citizen, my name is Lauren, Lauren Boso, and I am the gatekeeper of the governor's residence in Salt Marsh Town."

"Door guard?" Wu Lai frowned and asked, "Then why is the door closed?"

"Excuse me, who are you?" Lauren asked back boldly.

Gulu at the side took out the appointment document from the Supreme Council of Nobles and flashed it: "Lauren, you need to address this distinguished citizen as His Excellency the Archon or Your Excellency, because he was nominated by the Chief of the Supreme Council of Nobles, His Excellency Connor, and all members of the Supreme Council of Nobles voted to approve him. He is the new Archon of Salt Marsh Town, Lunvington City-State, Wulai, Wulai Grindo."

Lauren was startled, and then a look of surprise appeared on his face: "So it's Lord Archon Wuleglindo. Excuse me, are you Lord Wuleglindo from the Seneca City-State?"

"It's me. What? Have you heard of me?" Wu Lai asked with a smile.

"So it really is His Excellency the God-Favoured One. I have heard of your great name a long time ago. I used to be a soldier in the Second Legion, and was also one of the first batch of light cavalry in the legion. The God-given horse harness we use was made by you." Lauren said with great joy, "It is precisely because of your God-given horse harness that the legion has repeatedly raided the Hurrian territory. I, Lauren, have the opportunity to be powerful for a while in my life. You must not know..."

As they were talking excitedly, Lauren suddenly noticed that Guru was frowning and Wu Lai was half-smiling, so he quickly cut off the conversation: "Mr. Archon, I, I lost my composure."

Wu Lai glanced at him and said, "This won't happen again. Lead the way."

"Okay." Lauren nodded quickly, opened the door quickly, and welcomed Wu Lai and others in.

Although the official residence is small, it has everything. Not only is there a living room, office, reception room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and attendant's living room for the consul, but even the offices and reception rooms of the treasurer, tribune, tribune, and salt official are symmetrically located on both sides of the front yard. The only difference is that all the rooms and corridors here seem to be smaller, and there is a cramped feeling wherever you go.

Wu Lai was very angry, not because this place was narrow, dirty, messy and old, but because as the governor's residence was the core of Salt Marsh Town, only the gatekeeper Lauren was there at the moment, while the treasurer, tribune, tribune and salt production officer were all gone, and even their attendants and servants were nowhere to be seen.

What's going on? Has Salt Marsh Town become so peaceful and happy that it doesn't need to be managed? Wu Lai frowned: "Lauren!"

"Yes, Lord Wu Lai." Lauren quickly put down the bucket in his hand.

"You don't need to clean the columns. Go and find me the four guys in charge of finance, public security, protection of the people, and salt production." Wu Lai ordered in a deep voice.

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"This, sir..." Lauren hesitated to speak.

Seeing this, Wu Lai could not help guessing that those guys were deliberately leaving him, the new official, aside. He immediately became angry and said, "Lauren, I don't like to repeat my words a second time. Don't say that you don't know where they are. Go, find them, and tell them that if they don't come before dusk, they don't have to come anymore."

…

Wu Lai guessed correctly that Lauren knew where to find these four guys, but Wu Lai could never have imagined that these four guys were currently enjoying a meal and a drink with their men in a tavern just one street away from the official residence.

When Lauren mustered up the courage to convey Woolley's words word for word to the four, they were furious.

"Lauren, he really dares to say that?" The person who asked the question was the peace officer Harper Iflin. This guy was a big villain in Salt Marsh Town. He bullied men and women every now and then, and he took bribes every day. He made the whole Salt Marsh town complain. Everyone called him "the nuisance officer" behind his back.

Lauren nodded. Although he also disliked Hubble, it was Hubble who gave him his job, so he had to keep his thoughts to himself.

"Oh, this new master is really brave." A sarcastic voice sounded from behind Lauren, full of disdain.

Lauren knew who was coming without turning around. The man with the always shrill voice was naturally Henry Valen, who had been the tribune of Salt Marsh Town for fifteen years.

Lauren quickly stepped aside, but Henry pulled him with a smile and said, "Lauren, come and have a couple of drinks too, why are you paying attention to that guy?" Lauren quickly declined. He didn't want to follow Henry and do shameless things like the other servants.

"Lauren, just drink if Henry tells you to." The person who spoke was the financial officer Baker. Although he looked fat and kind, this middle-aged man in his fifties had extraordinary skills.

"Forget it, when have you ever seen Lauren drink? It turns out that this guy is a soldier under Lieutenant General Iner of the Second Legion. Hahahaha!" The guy who was drunk and laughing was called Tours. Although he was just a special salt production officer in the salt-producing area, ranking after finance, public security, and protection of the people, no one else present dared to underestimate him, because his cousin was Job Adams, the treasurer and salt director of the city-state of Rovington.

"My lords, I should go to the Archon..." Lauren said bravely.

"Why are you hesitating? Let him wait!" Tours' smile faded, his eyes widened, and he said unhappily.

"Yes! Just let him wait, what the hell!" Hubble echoed and shouted.

"That's right! Lauren, go back and tell that little bastard! Tell him to go wherever he wants!" Baker slapped the table, looking quite imposing.

Lauren sighed in her heart, thinking that if it weren't for the express horse that came from the city of Lunvington yesterday to give instructions, you guys wouldn't have been able to be so presumptuous.

When the leaders started cursing, the servants at the two tables next to them also started to make a fuss. The food, drinks, clothes and other daily necessities were all rewards from these leaders, so naturally they had to express their opinions when it was time.

Just as the place was bustling, there was a loud bang at the door of the tavern. During the bang, fragments of a door panel flew into the tavern like rain...

Everyone subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice, and saw two young men standing at the door, one in front and one behind. The one in the lead had a frosty face, and his eyes were so sharp that people dared not look directly at him...

"Master Wu, Master Wu Lai..." Lauren was the first to react.

Lord Wu Lai? Is he the new consul? Everyone was startled, and the whole place fell silent. The real boss was not here, so it would be fine if they laughed, made noises, said bad things, and cursed. But now the real boss not only came, but also kicked a door in anger. How dare they take the initiative to get close to him and cause trouble?

"What a lively scene!" Wu Lai snorted coldly, and his voice suddenly rose two octaves. "Who was swearing just now?! Stand up if you have the guts!"