Counting Breaths, Alertness Dawns on Field Affairs; Stubborn Folk Rely on Contracts to Block City Gates

Over a thousand Blood-Clad Army soldiers stood in a square formation before the city gates, their orders obeyed without fail. Not a sound was heard.

Not a single person made an unnecessary movement. Boundless killing intent and icy severity blanketed the entire scene, seeming to press even the surrounding air into stillness and lending this patch of heaven and earth an added weight of oppressive majesty.

Zhao Cheng merely swept his gaze around indifferently, and the countless commoners below instinctively retreated. Some even had their legs give way and fell straight to their knees.

"I am Lord Wuwei of Great Qin. Lieren City is my fief. I intend to implement new policies here and distribute land by household. Why are you obstructing me?"

His voice was not particularly harsh, yet it carried an authority no one dared question. Coupled with the earlier rumors of a "demon," the commoners immediately fell silent as cold cicadas, not one of them daring to answer.

Upon the city wall, Han Lie broke out in a cold sweat in his panic.

These foolish peasants were utterly unreliable at a crucial moment!

After only one encounter, Blood Butcher had scared the wits out of them!

Fortunately, just then, an old man tremblingly rose from within the crowd.

His hair and beard were entirely white, hanging against his withered cheeks. His skin was dark and coarse, covered in wrinkles carved by the years. He was so badly stooped that he looked as though he might topple at any moment, brown age spots covering his face. With every step, he had to support his waist and gasp for breath several times. One glance showed that he was a candle in the wind, with few days left to live—and thus no longer afraid of death.

The old man panted