Chapter 89: For the Sake of Satisfaction

The granary was not far from the Animal Transformation workshop.

Unlike the heavily guarded workshop, however, the granary had only a single ordinary old soldier standing watch. When they arrived, the man was still dozing. It was only after Magistrate Shi impatiently lashed him a few times with a whip that he finally woke up.

Magistrate Shi’s explanation was quite reasonable.

“A while back, we really were worried about thieves. But now the whole of Cangzhou knows that Grand Duke Jupiter meat fills your stomach and cures all illnesses. Everyone’s busy eating Grand Duke Jupiter meat. Who’d have nothing better to do than come here and steal grain? These days, this stuff is supplied only to the yamen runners and soldiers who know the truth, just to keep them from causing any trouble.”

Once he finished speaking, the granary doors were opened, and Magistrate Shi led Zhou You inside.

The interior was nothing like the Animal Transformation workshop. It was not a vision of hell, nor was there any nauseating smell.

In fact, the entire warehouse was filled with the clean fragrance of grain.

Yet...

The shock it gave Zhou You was far greater than anything he had experienced before.

He looked around.

The vast warehouse was packed to the brim with sacks of grain.

Gray sacks filled every corner. They stretched from the entrance to the far walls, and from the walls all the way up to the ceiling. Their numbers were so great and the area they occupied so vast that there was barely any space left to stand.

This time, Zhou You did not wait for Magistrate Shi’s explanation.

He walked directly to one of the sacks, drew out his bloodstained dagger, and lightly sliced it open.

Mature rice grains spilled out.

Zhou You grabbed a handful and sniffed.

The fragrance of rice filled his nose.

There was none of the mold, rot, and stench he had encountered before.

There were no pebbles or grit mixed within.

No matter how he looked at it, this was perfectly normal rice.

Rice that could be found everywhere in reality, but within this scenario was more precious than anything imaginable.

And yet here...

It was everywhere.

If I had possessed this back then, why would I have needed to kill the pig demon, fight the wolf demon for my life, and struggle all the way to this point?

If I had possessed this back then, how could I have witnessed starving corpses covering the land and bones stretching for thousands of li?

Zhou You slowly raised his head.

All he saw was a face overflowing with self-satisfaction.

As though proudly displaying some great achievement, Magistrate Shi said,

“Surprised, aren’t you, little brother? Let me tell you, this is only a small portion. Around the county camp there are three more granaries even larger than this one.”

“...Where exactly did you get so much grain?”

Failing to notice the sudden chill in Zhou You’s voice, Magistrate Shi burst into laughter.

“Nothing complicated. During good harvest years, I buy cheap and seize what I can. During bad years, I sell it back at inflated prices. Part of this grain belongs to me personally, while the rest consists of imperial tax grain and disaster-relief grain. Though in practice there’s no difference between them.”

“...What do you mean?”

Magistrate Shi’s expression grew increasingly smug.

“What else could I mean? I embezzle it, of course. They call it tax grain and disaster-relief grain, but I don’t intend to give even a single grain to those refugees. After all, they’ve got Grand Duke Jupiter meat to eat. Then I simply report to the court that the relief has already been distributed. Later, I sell the grain to other disaster-stricken regions. Before you know it, the money comes rolling in.”

After a long silence, Zhou You continued.

“What about the people within the province? Both of us know that Grand Duke Jupiter meat isn’t something people can eat forever.”

But Magistrate Shi merely waved a hand dismissively.

“The people of the province? It wouldn’t matter if every last one of them died!”

The grotesquely obese man laughed.

“They’re nothing more than numbers. If the Emperor doesn’t care, why should I? It’d be better if they all died. Once they’re dead, the farmland under their names becomes mine. Besides, when the drought ends, those refugees will come back anyway. This world lacks many things, but it never lacks mud-legged peasants to farm the fields!”

“...And the Governor? Surely you can’t hide this from him.”

Magistrate Shi immediately roared with laughter.

“Listen to yourself. Why would I need to hide it from him? Haven’t you heard the saying? Money can move even the gods, little brother. As long as enough silver changes hands, even the Governor can pretend not to see. And do you think I’m the only one profiting from Cangzhou’s drought? The Governor has made far more than I have!”

His laughter grew louder and louder.

The warehouse itself seemed to tremble faintly with it.

“From the Emperor down to the lowliest clerk, nobody has ever cared about these peasants. Let me tell you the truth. A while ago, I already arranged things with the Governor. Once this disaster ends, he’ll immediately commend me for ‘distinguished disaster relief efforts and compassion toward the people,’ then promote me two ranks. So what if more people starve to death? As long as I throw around enough silver, I’ll still be considered meritorious. By the next time we meet, old brother here won’t merely be some insignificant county magistrate anymore!”

Zhou You stared deeply at that smug, triumphant face.

Suddenly, he recalled something Wu Wenqing had once told him.

“This isn’t a demon disaster at all. It’s entirely a man-made calamity.”

After saying those words, Wu Wenqing had told him that if he had the ability, he should see things for himself.

And indeed.

Had he not witnessed it with his own eyes, how could he have seen such ugliness?

Thinking back to the information he had heard from Madam Bone, Zhou You could now more or less guess the entire theme of this story.

Even the old Daoist could not help but praise the man from inside his pocket.

“This fat bastard is truly an extraordinary talent. First he got involved with Grand Duke Jupiter and eliminated the Profound Origin Daoist, the only person capable of threatening him. Then he brought demons and ghosts in as his backing, suppressing the county’s soldiers and yamen runners. After that he balanced rewards and punishments, throwing out Grand Duke Jupiter meat to prevent rebellion among the people. Being merely a county magistrate is a waste of his talents. If he became a prime minister, he’d absolutely become a treacherous minister remembered for generations.”

Zhou You nodded in agreement.

Then he raised his head and once again revealed a smiling face.

“I’ve learned a great deal, old brother. Then please prepare some grain in advance. Once Madam arrives, we’ll transport it together with the birthday gifts. As for these next few days... I’ll have to trouble you by staying at your residence a little longer.”

Naturally, Magistrate Shi had no objections and immediately agreed with a hearty laugh.

That night, after leaving the county office,

Zhou You once again knocked on the door of Wu Wenqing’s home.

In the darkness, the courtyard was utterly silent.

It seemed as though nobody had lived there for a long time.

Zhou You was in no hurry.

He simply stood there with his hands behind his back and waited quietly.

After a long while, accompanied by an almost imperceptible sound, a cautious voice finally came from behind the door.

“Daoist Priest?”

Another misunderstanding.

By this point, Zhou You could not even be bothered to explain.

He simply nodded.

“It’s me.”

The sound of a bolt sliding back followed.

Only then did Wu Wenqing’s wary face appear.

Not until he clearly saw Zhou You’s face did he finally let out a sigh of relief and lower the club he had been hiding in his arms.

“Daoist Priest, you’ve returned so late. Have you already seen what lies within that residence?”

“Of course. Everything you mentioned, and everything you didn’t, I’ve basically seen it all.”

“And the result?”

Zhou You shook his head with a bitter smile.

“Just as you said, what happened in this county truly is a man-made calamity.”

Wu Wenqing sighed as well.

“It’s good that you understand. I know you’re a man of great ability, Daoist Priest, but what can one person accomplish against the government? Beneath this bright sky, this place has already become a demon’s domain and a devil’s kingdom. If you’ll take my advice, you’d better flee while you still can.”

Zhou You remained silent.

Indeed.

There were no side quests in this county.

Nor would the Star Lord return before the birthday celebration ended.

His best option was still his original plan: continue borrowing Madam Bone’s authority, trick the magistrate into issuing him a travel permit before discovering the deception, and then head straight for Youtai Mountain.

As for these common people.

As for these countless refugees, living or dying.

What did any of it have to do with him?

It was only a scenario.

Once he returned to reality, everything would be normal again.

But then...

Zhou You grinned.

If he spent his life worrying about every consequence, then what had been the point of struggling so desperately for all this lifespan?

In life, isn’t the whole point of living simply to do what feels right and satisfying?

That magistrate has been making me miserable this entire time. Am I really supposed to let him walk away feeling pleased with himself?

So Zhou You patted Wu Wenqing on the shoulder and smiled.

“As for running away... there’s no rush. I happen to have a plan. The only question is...”

“Are you willing to join me in seeing it through?”