The river thawed in February, and spring warmth arrived in March.
Fugu City was even more vibrant than it had been the previous year.
Figures bustled about, voices clamored, and children laughed and played.
Under Shen Tang's governance, Heyin was flourishing. Quite a few merchants even took deliberate detours to do business here.
There was no other reason than the excellent security, which gave them a deep sense of safety. Bandits, a common sight elsewhere, had no soil in which to survive in Heyin.
Whenever traces of bandit activity were discovered, people only had to file a brief report with the government office. The next day, soldiers would be dispatched to flatten the entire mountain stronghold!
Informants could also receive rewards of varying value depending on the number of bandits and the size of their organization.
Of course, if a report was false, and the investigation proved it so, the informant would receive severe punishment as well, preventing people from maliciously wasting the limited manpower.
Even so, there were still some hardheaded fools who refused to believe it.
If they did not dare rob travelers on the road, they turned to petty theft.
They specifically targeted merchants from out of town.
The result—
"Ahhhhh—"
"It hurts, it hurts—"
On the market's main street, a plain-looking young man had his wrist clamped by a white figure. The thief cried out and loosened his grip, and a heavy money pouch fell to the ground with a crisp clang.
The disturbance drew the attention of nearby pedestrians and vendors.
"What use is crying now?" the person who had caught him sneered. "Where were you just now?"
The captured youth's face had turned livid with pain, veins bulging on his forehead. Angry and afraid, he opened his mouth and cursed.
"Do you know who