Good Person

Le City County Princess?

To be so young and hold such high authority, she must be either royalty or nobility. Although she said she would uphold justice, Yan Qing wouldn't truly place his hopes on her—justice was never bestowed by others, but could only be fought for oneself.

Especially in this unfamiliar world.

"He framed me," Yan Qing replied.

Before Ying Ru Shi could speak, a general beside her loudly berated, "What are you, a country bumpkin? If a Hundred-Guard General from the Northern Border wants to crush you, a Central Plains Person, do you think they need to frame you?"

Aside from those wearing masks, most people in the military camp had wide faces, long noses, and long, beautiful beards. 'Yan San', with the default male face from a modern game, naturally had an appearance closer to modern aesthetics. Even with height and muscle mass maximized, 'Yan San' could be considered heroic and valiant. Plus, without a beard, it was easy for others to see that he wasn't one of their own.

Yan Qing wasn't surprised by this ethnic discrimination. Perhaps this was also why Wu Huan Ryu was so unscrupulous; after all, framing an outsider would naturally draw less attention.

"Hold on."

Ying Ru Shi glanced at the general beside her, who immediately retreated.

She looked at 'Yan San' and asked, "Why did Wu Huan Battalion Leader frame you?"

"First, he didn't inform me about the Secret Realm's demons, almost causing my death. Naturally, he'd worry about my revenge. Second, I became The Herald on my first day entering the Secret Realm, and he's jealous of me."

"How dare you try to deceive a noble!"

"The Herald? What makes you think a wild man like you is qualified to be The Herald?"

"Do you think you're a noble, becoming The Herald at your age?"

"County Princess, this person is desperate and talking nonsense; there's no need to pay him any attention!"

The officials following Ying Ru Shi mocked or refuted 'Yan San's' words, with almost no one believing him.

Only Ying Ru Shi looked at the silent Wu Huan Ryu.

"Wu Huan Battalion Leader, is it true that he became The Herald in the Secret Realm?"

"Yes," Wu Huan Ryu replied. "After defeating the Demon King, his Vitality was overwhelming, and his injuries healed instantly. It was indeed a characteristic of becoming The Herald."

Even through the screen, Yan Qing could see the shock on the faces of the Northern Border people beside Ying Ru Shi, followed by disbelief, then disdain, jealousy, and contempt. He guessed that these people were probably officials from Ping City, and most likely not Heralds. Now that they saw a Central Plains Person actually becoming The Herald, surpassing ordinary people, they naturally felt very uncomfortable.

Then Ying Ru Shi looked at the quartermaster beside the dungeon entrance, her expression immediately becoming serious.

"You really can't find the Swift Thunder Saber Technique manual?"

The quartermaster immediately knelt down. "I really can't find it; that's the only thing missing from the big treasure chest."

"That Central Plains barbarian must have been tempted by the treasure; search him!"

"There's no way you'll find it; he must have already used it!"

"You just can't trust Central Plains People!"

Everyone offered suggestions, righteously indignant as if 'Yan San' had killed their entire families. Ying Ru Shi was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked at the general beside her.

"Are there any extra Swift Thunder Saber Technique manuals here?"

"Yes, yes, yes, we've been saving the loot from these days. County Princess, are you planning to take them back to Evernight Sky?"

"Bring me one."

The orders of the Duke and Marquis were carried out with utmost speed, and before long, a copy of the Swift Thunder Saber Technique was delivered to Ying Ru Shi's hands.

Ying Ru Shi beckoned to 'Yan San': "Come over here."

Yan Qing didn't move, maintaining a three-meter distance from Uwan Ryu at all times.

The others, seeing this Central Plains Person so unappreciative, began to curse again. But Ying Ru Shi showed no annoyance, raising a hand to signal them to stop. Protected by the Evil Spirit Knights, she walked to 'Yan San' and handed him the Swift Thunder Saber Technique.

"Take this saber technique and silently recite 'learn' in your mind. If you haven't stolen any secret manuals from the Secret Realm, you'll be able to learn it; if you have, then naturally you won't be able to."

The general beside her was astonished: "Le City County Princess, this is a Secret Realm manual! How can you so easily bestow it upon a Central Plains Person... he's not even a Hundred-Guard Rider listed in the military!"

"In my eyes, there's no distinction between Northern Border people and Central Plains people, only Qi people," Ying Ru Shi said solemnly, surveying the crowd. "If a Qi person can become The Herald on their first entry into the Secret Realm, such outstanding talent deserves a manual. If we don't fairly promote talent, who will defend the lands of Great Qi?"

Ying Ru Shi's statement caused the crowd to lower their heads, though Yan Qing could tell even through the screen that they weren't convinced, merely submitting to the Le City County Princess's authority.

'Yan San' accepted the manual, but instead of learning it, he stored it in his personal warehouse and then transferred it to the public warehouse. But to Ying Ru Shi and the others, the manual simply disappeared, no different from being consumed by learning.

"Since he can learn the manual, it proves he didn't steal anything from the Secret Realm." Ying Ru Shi looked at Uwan Ryu: "Wu Huan Battalion Leader, do you accept this outcome?"

Uwan Ryu lowered his head: "I accept."

"This matter ends here, but only this once!" Ying Ru Shi's voice suddenly turned stern: "The Ping City Secret Realm is a vital national asset. His Majesty entrusted me with managing the Secret Realm, and I will not tolerate anyone disrupting its operation! If such an incident occurs again, I will investigate thoroughly. If the culprit cannot be found, then all the Hundred-Guards who cleared the Secret Realm that day, and the auxiliary soldiers who scavenged it, will be hanged, and their families reduced to military slaves. Do you understand?"

"We understand!"

The crowd knelt down, and seeing 'Yan San' still standing, they couldn't help but scold: "You barbarian, quickly kneel and thank the County Princess for her grace!"

"Almost forgot." Ying Ru Shi looked over: "I haven't had time to ask, what is this brave warrior's name?"

"Yan San."

"Yan San, I now promote you to Hundred-Guard Captain, with a monthly salary of six hundred jade, and a reward of one hundred jade for each Secret Realm clearing. You can borrow first-cycle Herald items like the Evil Spirit Mask from the Great Qi Secret Treasury, but you will need to clear the Secret Realm hundreds of times in the future to repay it." Ying Ru Shi paused: "Gai Lou Commander, Yan Captain will be under your jurisdiction, is that alright?"

The old general who hadn't spoken nodded: "Such a fierce general, who wouldn't love to have him? Thank you, County Princess."

"Yan San, are you satisfied?"

"Satisfied."

"If you have any other requests, feel free to speak."

"I hope to clear the Secret Realm every day."

Ying Ru Shi and the other generals exchanged glances, looking quite surprised.

"I must say, you've given me a great surprise. Even among The Heralds, many are unwilling to clear the Secret Realm, and few are willing to fight demons without fear of death... I'll give you a warrant. As long as you're willing, you can join the team clearing the Secret Realm that day. But you'd better act according to your capabilities; combat isn't the only way to temper yourself."

"Thank you." Yan Qing replied: "County Princess, you're a good person."

Ying Ru Shi was visibly taken aback, then smiled: "This is the first time I've heard someone describe me like that, thank you."

Having dealt with this matter, Ying Ru Shi had many other things to attend to, and left with the others. Uwan Ryu had been silent throughout the process, and only now stood up. He raised his head and saw 'Yan San' standing before him.

"Although it's meaningless, I still want to ask." Yan Qing looked at the Evil Spirit Knight in the screen: "Why?"

In fact, Yan Qing wanted to ask many whys, such as why Yan Er was killed for no reason while walking on the road, why he didn't tell Yan San about Zheng Shan's information, and so on...

And Uwan Ryu's answer seemed to answer all the unspoken questions—

"I'm happy." Wu Huan Ryu's voice was calm, but in Yan Qing's ears, it had a kind of evil spirit-like viciousness: "Don't think you've won. This is the Northern Border people's territory. We want to crush you like crushing an ant, it's that simple."

Having said that, Wu Huan Ryu raised his head and chest, stepping past 'Yan San', and walked towards the Hundred-Guard Cavalry waiting for him.

They were clad in sturdy armor, wore sabers and carried bows, with Evil Spirit Masks covering their faces. From a distance, they looked like a group of Evil Spirits walking in the human world.