Waves of Wheat

Day 9.

The amount of food released by the traitorous forces led by Han Zezheng has greatly decreased.

Grain brought in from outside was bought up by powerful figures, wealthy merchants, and affluent citizens waving their money bags. Despite the high prices, they remained enthusiastic, and the grain market was booming. Transactions were happening all the time, and grain prices continued to rise, changing every moment.

Those who are still buying now believe that grain prices will continue to rise, even though many of them are aware of this huge anomaly. They firmly believe that someone else will offer a higher price to take over their stockpiled grain—wait a little longer, wait a little longer, wait two more days before selling.

In stark contrast to the bustling grain trading market...

The vast majority of people can no longer afford food.

The Suppressors of Rebellion walked the streets of Distant Harbor in the name of the Inquisition have gradually reduced their patrols, and most of them have returned to their warships. The gazes directed at them from the windows and doors are no longer filled with gratitude or curiosity, but with something more complex: hostility, dissatisfaction, doubt, and so on.

Hunger can turn a man back into a beast.

Hunger can destroy morality, integrity, kindness, bottom line, principles, and even the soul.

Evil spirits have taken advantage of the situation and are roaming the poorest areas of the Distant Harbor.

Day 10.

The situation is turbulent, like boiling water.

At Han Zezheng's home, an unexpected yet perfectly reasonable guest arrived.

Governor Norman, the nominal highest administrative official of the Azure Waves Province, came in person on behalf of the entire elite class to express his intention for understanding and peace to Kang De.

With a victorious yet humble demeanor.

If Kang De hadn't gone too far, if Kang De had shown the nobles the necessary respect, things wouldn't have escalated to this point. Why would they have turned against the Guardians for no reason?

"This farce must end, Mr. Han. Please convey this message to Kang De Highness Kant: we have never wanted to antagonize the Dragon of Cathay. We regard him as our guardian, respect him, and are grateful to him. All we ask for is that His Highness Kang De also shows us some respect."

"Goth's centuries-old tradition, the glorious and perfect aristocratic system, we are the guardians of the world and the backbone of the nation, we are willing to coexist peacefully with His Highness Kang De, to share all rights, wealth and glory with our guardians and saviors... All we want is respect."

In the Han Family's study, Governor Norman's voice was sincere and calm.

He bowed and said, "You are of Cathay descent, but you are also a Goth nobleman. You should know our strength, responsibility, and honor. For the peace and stability of Distant Harbor and even the Azure Waves Province, please offer appropriate advice to His Highness Kang De, my friend, for the sake of all of us."

Han Zezheng looked at the governor in front of him.

The other person's face was calm and gentle, sincere, and powerful in his eyes. The governor bowed slightly, his posture elegant and composed, a seasoned gentleman, resilient and dignified. He spoke to me patiently and earnestly, like an old friend that one could not refuse.

But Han Zezheng knew one thing.

Months ago, this powerful governor wouldn't have even glanced at him.

But now he appears before me with a respectful and sincere demeanor, his posture extremely humble.

He knew the root cause of this change.

The Cathayan pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Your Excellency."

Norman looked at this insignificant Cathay merchant, a despicable sycophant who had betrayed the honorable spirit of the nobility by joining Kang De's cause—he deserved to die.

But at this moment, he still had to put on a humble and proper smile.

The next moment, the smile froze on his face.

"My lord, Prince Kang De, already knew of your arrival."

Upon hearing this, Norman's face showed a moment of apprehension and fear.

After all, he was an unparalleled powerhouse who could kill elves as easily as killing chickens.

Han Zezheng looked at him and said calmly, "My lord ordered me to deliver a message to you."

The governor instinctively asked, "What?"

The Cathayan took a deep breath, conveying his master's ultimatum.

He said.

"You are all insects."

Norman's pupils contracted, and he froze on the spot, unable to process the information even immediately.

Insect.

I?

A nobleman? A governor of a province?

He snapped out of his daze, his face contorted with rage. He sensed utter contempt and hostility in those words, which meant Kang De had no intention of compromising—a very bad piece of news.

Because if Kang De hadn't acted recklessly, he really could have killed them.

But why!

But why are they unwilling to compromise!?

I've come to your door myself! We're both guaranteed to win! We won't rush to finish you off; we might even try to help you save face! We're both going to win! But we're still willing to settle for a draw!

Why do you disagree?

"Incomprehensible!"

Norman shouted, "Why! Is this Prince Kang De's ultimatum? Is this Prince Kang De's attitude? Are you just going to let this happen? Do you know how many times grain prices have increased? Do you know how many nobles are laughing at Prince Kang De? Does he really want to lose face?"

Han Zezheng said calmly, "That's not something the Governor-General needs to know."

"What does he want to do? What other options do he have? Borrow food from the elves, the empire, and the Council?"

"I know that the secret envoys from these three countries have arrived! I know they have brought enough leverage! But does Prince Kang De really intend to rely on the power of these foreigners to fight against us?"

The governor's eyes widened, almost as if he wanted to devour someone. "Does he know this is just a warning! Today it's grain, tomorrow it's cloth, the day after it's herbs. His Highness Kang De can certainly ask foreign countries for help, but if it happens once, twice, can it continue every time? If this continues, where will the Dragon of Cathay be?"

"Does he know our power? We control everything in this city, this province, and even this country! Everything!"

"We hold the key to the nation's situation and the people's livelihood in our hands; we feed the lowly; we maintain the stability of this country; we are Goth's backbone; we are Goth!"

He roared, "Why are you making enemies of us!"

Han Zezheng shook his head. "Someone—send the guest out."

He raised his hand to invite them out, his intention to send them away was quite clear.

"... Okay, okay, okay."

The governor took a deep breath, suppressing his anger—or rather, something beyond anger.

His anger actually stemmed from fear.

Fear stemming from the unknown.

Things did not develop as he had expected. Even though defeat was now extremely obvious, Kang De showed no intention of compromising or backing down.

What does he want to do? What other bargaining chips does he have left?

Are you determined to fight us to the bitter end, even if it means utter defeat?

Or... does he really have something else to rely on?

Either possibility filled the governor with dread and fear.

He left Han Zezheng's house, got into the carriage, and felt an immense unease enveloping his heart.

"... Let's go," the governor said. "Back to City Hall. Also, have everyone come to a meeting..."

Just then, a commotion arose in the street.

In the Eastern Villa in the Tulip District, Sir Luste, a blond young man from the Broken Isles, sat on a high pavilion in the corner of the garden, sipping a cup of fragrant tea with rising steam.

"Representative Luste."

Following the banquet arrangements set up by the Cathay Monument, the guests sat at separate tables. The first man on the left, a disheveled red-haired man with a bulbous nose, slammed his teacup down on the table. His narrow eyes stared at the other man, gleaming with a venomous light. "Excuse my bluntness, but you've come to Distant Harbor with a huge sum of money and the trust of the Broken Isles Joint Conference, and all you do is drink tea all day?"

Luste, holding his teacup, gently raised his left hand, signaling for the other person to be quiet.

Then he gently blew on the emerald green tea, causing it to ripple like lake water, as if listening to the subtle echoes and savoring the delicate aroma of the tea.

Then he took a small sip, a look of lingering enjoyment on his face.

Including the sycophant Aona, there are seven people present. Six of them are messengers who arrived today, representing various factions in the Broken Isles to oversee the progress of the mission.

Luste's arrogant demeanor aroused everyone's dissatisfaction.

The man with the stubble nose slammed his hand on the table. "Representative Luste! Watch your attitude! We have the right to question and supervise your actions and mission results! You have an obligation to answer all our questions! I now demand that you provide a detailed account of your achievements and progress over these ten days, you..."

Just then, a commotion arose from afar.

The supervisor, whose questioning was interrupted by the noise, frowned and asked, "What's that sound?"

Luste shook his head. "... What a nuisance, what a waste of such good tea."

The man with the bulbous nose snapped, "What did you say?"

Luste glanced at him dismissively and placed his teacup on the table. "Since you've raised your questions, then I'll show you what I did while you were all hiding among the Broken Isles, filled with sorrow and resentment, and terrified by the hostility of the Forbidden Spell spellcasters."

The other person abruptly stood up. "Fear? This is utterly insulting..."

"--That clamorous sound was the triumphant return of my spies, whom I had infiltrated into the slums of the Distant Harbor, the day before yesterday! The lowly people are starving; a little kindness can make them grateful, a little incitement can make them blindly follow—that's what I do!"

Luste stood up and met the gaze of the man with the wine-stained nose.

The noise outside grew clearer.

"I'll make them believe that soaring food prices are all Kang De's fault, and that the inability to afford food is all because Kang De is hoarding it! Hungry people are irrational, especially the lowest castes! They will ignore their own powerlessness and baseness, shifting all blame onto others, so their anger can be channeled!"

"That's what I did!"

Luste looked around at everyone present.

"Someone will incite them! They will act! Go to the Sound of the Tide Manor! Beg Kang De for food! I have dispatched my most capable men! I have also found the survivors of the massacres committed by Kang De! Their hatred is enough to ignite everything! The so-called pleas will turn into violent action! My men will lead the charge against Kang De's army! Then the slaughter will begin! Let Kang De become a tyrant who slaughters civilians!"

"That's what I did!"

"The survivors of those exterminated families will become our scapegoats! Kang De will discover that the conspirators behind all this are the powerful figures in Distant Harbor who are his enemies! Kang De's retaliation will fall on these people, and then it will escalate into a chaotic war between Kang De and the entire Goth aristocratic group! Hatred will linger, and Goth will be plunged into fierce infighting—that is what I am doing!"

With high spirits and a gaze as sharp as a sword, Luste stood tall and proud.

His imposing presence overwhelmed all opponents and skeptics.

"You all ask me what I've been doing these past few days? The answer is simple! What I've been doing these past few days is ensuring that today's grand event can proceed as scheduled! The uprising of the common people stems from hunger, hunger stems from a lack of food, and why is there a lack of food? It's because I've stirred up the greed of the Goth nobles with enormous sums of money!"

"I bought up grain at any cost, I drove up grain prices at any cost, I incited people's greed, I made them spontaneously join this frenzy of pushing up grain prices! I did the same thing in every city of Azure Waves Province, letting fanatical greed and the pursuit of profit roam freely across the vast land of Azure Waves Province!"

"Every city will become a vortex devouring food, and the whole of Goth is no exception. Distant Harbor will not receive any food support. Everything I've done is to ensure this! I've mobilized the Merchant Guild's connections, and I've made all the arrangements. Even if the elves, the Council, and the Empire want to borrow food, the storms and minor troubles along the way will be enough to ensure that Distant Harbor receives no food for twenty days!"

"That's what I did!"

Luste grinned menacingly, spreading his arms wide like a fanatical actor delivering his best performance at the most successful celebration, showcasing all his achievements to all the skeptical villains.

"I will win this war for the Broken Isles."

"I will reclaim our lost glory."

"Even if our opponent is Destroyer wielding Forbidden Spell, we will still win!"

"I will let Goth ignite the Flame of civil war, I will make all the speculators in this war of sustenance lose everything! I will make wealth vanish into thin air! I will devastate the economy of the Azure Waves Province! I will make Kang De and the nobles of the Azure Waves Province fight to the death! I will lock all the rage of these barbaric Cathayan on this continent! I will make them unable to covet the Broken Isles for ten years!"

"This is my purpose! My mission! My achievement! My determination!"

He pointed into the distance.

"Listen to this jubilant roar! Witness this victory in the first battle with your own eyes! Report to the island lords at the joint meeting what you have seen today and my resolve!"

Sir Luste's face was filled with pride, determination, and high spirits.

"Ladies and gentlemen, witnessing this exhilarating victory firsthand, experiencing this unprecedented..."

--The excited speech was interrupted by a brief pause.

The blond young man was reveling in his achievements, gazing at the faces of those present, filled with shock, excitement, realization, and respect, and deriving unprecedented satisfaction from it.

Therefore, he could not see what was behind him.

But others can see it.

Now, everyone, including Aona, wore expressions of surprise and confusion.

Luste instinctively turned around.

The sky in the direction of the Sound of the Tide Manor, which I'm pointing to with my left hand.

A storm is brewing.

The calm, sunny port city cast a deep Shadow, as if a giant cloud had covered the city's sky. Everyone outdoors felt the change in the sky and sunlight. They looked up in confusion, only to see a deep, dark arc suddenly drawn across the bright sun and clear sky!

It was as if a crack had appeared in the sky.

It was like opening a door.

"Kang De!"

In different areas, at the same time, different people subconsciously called out that name.

The Dragon of Cathay, the Sword of Deterrence, a peerless master of space, Forbidden Spell, and alchemy, he is renowned for these three accomplishments. The Star of the Firmament annihilated the Elven Warband, the Wings of the Sky slaughtered the Elven Dragon Cavalry, and the God's Warship, forged from steel, leaped out of the Phase Door and is now anchored overseas in the Distant Harbor.

Now he is shifting phases once again over the Distant Harbor.

The manipulated and instigated people on the street felt bewildered and uneasy, while the conspirators who were manipulating everything in the cool and comfortable indoors also rose in panic. The latter thought they were the ones in control, but at this moment they felt great fear and suddenly realized a fact.

Just as they can manipulate the joys, sorrows, life, and death of the common people at will.

Kang De was equally capable of judging them.

Wealth and honor, immense power and influence, vast financial resources, and a united will.

It was merely a fleeting Forbidden Spell, ultimately turning to ashes.

The portal to this space has now been opened.

The last scene depicted a colossal divine warship leaping out and utterly destroying the enemy.

So... what about this time?

"It's Forbidden Spell!"

A series of pitiful and terrified screams echoed from the Justice Hall of the City Hall.

A nobleman shouted, "He's going to kill us all! He's going to destroy the Distant Harbor!"

Amidst the chaos and fear, the governor struck the Thunder Hammer.

"Don't panic! How dare he cast Forbidden Spell on a city with hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians! If he did that, he would become an enemy of the entire continent! Don't panic! This is just bluffing! This is intimidation! He's intimidating us! This low-level tactic proves he's run out of options!"

Even as he said this, Governor Norman's voice trembled involuntarily.

The unknown is the most terrifying thing.

Just then, a nobleman crowded by the window shouted, "Look! What's that!"

Something's coming out!

"Ah..."

In the Eastern Courtyard, the Justice Hall, and the streets and alleys, crowds gathered. Citizens and merchants who still had some money to spare, all those caught up in this terrifying economic war, all looked toward the direction of the Sound of the Tide Manor, or rather, toward the enormous portal that had split open in the sky.

Then, they witnessed a scene they would never forget.

A surging golden wave roared down from the sky, like a waterfall cascading from the heavens, like an overwhelming tide, massive, deafening, and awe-inspiring, unstoppable and raging.

It stretched endlessly, like a gift from heaven, scattered across the ground.

That is...

Composed of countless tiny yet plump particles, each "water droplet" is a hope for life, gathering on the ground to form mountains, gradually rising, a nine-story tower rising from a mound of earth.

That is...

The people who were relatively close by, the spellcasters who used the Eagle Eye spell, the nobles who looked into the distance with the Magic Glass Mirror, the envoys and spies from the Three Kingdoms and other forces, and more and more people showed expressions of astonishment, disbelief, and unforgettable shock.

The scene before my eyes was incomprehensible, unprecedented, and unforgettable.

That is...

"--wheat!"

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: Update...

PS2: And, it's so strange, it feels like the technology in the last two years of AAA games has improved, but the level of incompetence of the writers has skyrocketed. First, there was Far Cry 5, which made me want to pre-order Ubisoft games again. Then there was Borderlands 3, which made me want to kill the writers' mothers a thousand times. And now, The Last of Us Part II, it's really hard to understand. Seriously, I could do that too.