The Righteous Army occupied the entire city, distributing money and grain, comforting the common people, and cheers filled the city.
However, Zhou Shi walked over with a wailing face, bowing to the crowd. "You all possess vast supernatural abilities, wiping out the Zhang family and removing an evil for the common people of the city, which is deeply gratifying. We mere mortals are moved to tears of gratitude."
Yan Nu said in confusion, "Since it's such a great thing, why are you making a wailing face?"
Zhou Shi glanced at him, maintaining silence as he simply bowed repeatedly.
Feng Junyou immediately reacted, however, and said indifferently, "Yan Nu, you've basically slaughtered all the gentry in the city. Once we leave, they're going to be in big trouble, and the surrounding powerful clans will surely rise up en masse to attack, right?"
Shen Leling giggled. "What's so scary about that? Didn't I help you recruit and organize so many soldiers? Surely you don't lack the confidence to hold Hua County? If so, you might as well surrender early."
Zhou Shi sighed. "But we have no fame or legitimacy, so we can't absorb and hold many."
If we have soldiers in hand, the surrounding powerful clans are not to be feared. I have a way to defeat the enemy, and even seize counties and prefectures to grow stronger.
Yet these surrendered soldiers are only temporarily deterred by your martial might. What happens when you leave?
Without the support of the gentry, even if those martial artists surrender for the moment, they'll stage a coup to seize the city afterward. Even if I handle it properly, they'll just flee and defect to other powerful clans.
*Give them all the money you want and they'll just run off with it, possessing zero combat power,