How Dare You Kill Him?! (Thanks to reader 202...1631 for the 21 recommendation votes)

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone from Nanyang Village, including Gasen, revealed shocked expressions!

The person in their village most likely to become a Soul Master had actually been killed by this strange man?

After their shock faded, quite a few women looked at Zhao Yun with eyes full of hatred!

After all, with Zhuge Yan dead, their hopes of latching onto this future Soul Master had been completely shattered!

All the money they had previously scrimped and saved to spend on Zhuge Yan had gone to waste as well!

How could they possibly accept that?

One of them, a plain-looking but sturdy woman, pointed at Zhao Yun and cursed loudly:

"You're just a mere taxi soldier, yet you dare call yourself a general? You even dared to kill our Yan?

"Do you know how much I invested in Yan? How dare you kill him?!

"Do you know that if a commoner kills a Soul Master, their entire clan will be exterminated?!

"Captain, hurry up and arrest this criminal!"

Listening to the woman's abuse, Gasen had already gone pale with fright!

He hurriedly looked at Zhao Yun beside him, terrified that the man would slap the woman to death.

Fortunately, this lord remained calm and did not become angry over her insults.

Zhao Yun looked at the woman named Ma Mengxiang, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

"Why don't you use your brain and think about what kind of person could kill a level-nine Soul Adept?

"Are you sure the ordinary soldier you speak of could defeat a Soul Adept?"

Two simple questions left Ma Mengxiang frozen where she stood!

What kind of person could defeat a Soul Adept?

At the very least, they would have to be a Soul Adept—or someone even stronger... a Soul Master?

Ma Mengxiang's pupils abruptly contracted!

She looked once more at this extraordinary stranger.

Then she suddenly noticed that Gasen's gaze toward this man was filled with awe!

Ma Mengxiang finally realized that the man she had cursed was someone even Soul Masters feared!

Could he be an even more powerful Grand Soul Master?!

She had actually cursed a Grand Soul Master more noble than a Soul Master?!

Ma Mengxiang's face turned deathly pale!

Her legs gave out, and she collapsed straight to the ground. The crotch of her pants visibly darkened...

The people around her wanted to laugh at Ma Mengxiang, who had been frightened into wetting herself, but did not dare.

Because they had also realized that the man who had returned with Gasen to summon them was actually someone of even higher status than Gasen!

No wonder Gasen had suddenly gained such astonishing speed!

No wonder this strange man had called himself a "general."

So this fellow really was no ordinary man!

At the same time, Zhou Xuan and Zhuge Tong in the crowd were also shocked by Zhuge Yan's death.

Not long ago, he had come to their home and declared that he would forcibly marry them. Yet after only one afternoon, he had suddenly died?

That was far too surreal, wasn't it?

But Zhou Xuan let out a long breath of relief!

With Zhuge Yan dead, no one would force her and her daughter to marry anytime soon...

However, Zhuge Tong beside her had already recalled what her younger brother had said before.

He had said Zhuge Yan would not live past today, and it had actually come true!

She could not help looking at her younger brother suspiciously.

Why could this little fellow predict Zhuge Yan's death so accurately?

Could Zhuge Yan's death be connected to him?

Was the martial soul he had awakened truly just a useless martial soul?

Zhuge Ming felt his elder sister's burning gaze.

Rather than hiding anything further, he winked at Zhuge Tong!

At the sight of this, the many doubts in Zhuge Tong's heart immediately vanished!

Seeing Ma Mengxiang lying limp on the ground, Zhao Yun paid her no further attention.

No matter what, she was also part of the population resources his lord would soon control.

As long as she did not harm anyone, he would not take the presumptuous words of an ordinary commoner to heart.

The late emperor had once said: Do not refrain from doing good because it seems minor; do not commit evil because it seems minor.

He had always kept those words firmly in mind!

Looking at the uneasy villagers, Zhao Yun slowly floated into the air.

Amid the villagers' cries of alarm, he spoke to them in a loud voice:

"From this day onward, none of you men will be forcibly conscripted into the army!

"None of you women will be forced to bear children either!

"Starting today, the Pelagi Kingdom will be renamed the Shu-Han Empire!"

Those few simple words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd!

Everyone's eyes widened, their faces filled with disbelief!

Men would no longer be forcibly conscripted?

Women would no longer be forced to bear children?

Was that real?!

Rather than feeling happy, the villagers all fell into confusion.

Especially some of the older people.

They had been exploited and oppressed their entire lives and had already grown accustomed to such a life.

Now they were suddenly being told that men no longer had to go to war and women no longer had to bear children...

Then what had all the suffering they endured in their youth been for?!

Yet soon enough, the cheers of a group of children rang out from the crowd!

The two boys who had failed to awaken innate soul power today were especially overjoyed!

They had originally been scorned by their families for failing to awaken innate soul power.

Now that this rule was gone, they could finally live the kind of life normal children lived!

Children's emotions were often the most infectious.

Influenced by the children, the villagers finally realized that their miserable lives seemed to have truly reached their end!

Even the elderly could not help shedding tears of joy at the thought that their descendants would no longer suffer as they had, their eyes filled with relief...

For a time, every villager began cheering!

As they looked at the man floating in the air, it was as if they had seen their savior!

But they did not know that the true savior was actually hidden among them...

Zhao Yun was very satisfied with their reaction.

He continued speaking to them:

"From now on, you only need to hand over grain once a year.

"Each time, you need only hand over one-tenth of that year's harvest."

The moment those words were spoken, the crowd was stunned once more!

In the past, they had to pay land taxes twice a year, and each payment was a fixed quota.

The amount they paid was often more than half their harvest!

If the crops failed, they had to borrow money everywhere to make up the shortfall.

Yet this lord not only required them to pay grain only once a year, but demanded only one-tenth of their total harvest...

They finally realized that this new nation, renamed the "Shu-Han Empire," truly seemed different from the one before!

After everyone had calmed down from their excitement, Zhao Yun continued:

"For now, Nanyang Village is only a trial site. The other villages have not yet implemented this.

"This is a secret. If anyone leaks it, Nanyang Village's new system may be revoked at any time. Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

Even amid their excitement, everyone silently reminded themselves that they absolutely could not tell the people of other villages about this.

Otherwise, the happiness they had finally endured long enough to receive would immediately disappear...

Finally, Zhao Yun said to them:

"From this day onward, Nanyang Village will be my lord's territory. Does anyone have any objections?"

Everyone, including Village Chief Zhuge Zhong, shook their heads.

As Nanyang Village's allegiance was confirmed, a familiar surge of warmth rose within Zhuge Ming once again!