A Shocking Upheaval in the Commandery City

That day, Zhou Ye had it incomparably easy—the most comfortable day he had enjoyed since transmigrating.

It was only when he went out for a stroll and heard from some neighbors that grain prices seemed to have risen. Because of the drought over the past few months, many fields were bound to suffer reduced harvests.

With that reminder, Zhou Ye did recall that it seemed... perhaps... it really had not rained in a very long time?

He suddenly remembered that he still had two mu of land in Little Homestead. It was nearly time for the winter wheat there to be harvested.

And he had spent more than fifty days at the martial arts school without time to return and tend to the crops. Could they have suffered from drought too?

Forget it. None of that mattered anymore. He no longer needed that wheat anyway. No matter how high grain prices rose, he could still afford it. Besides, he had so much salted fish and salted meat to eat.

Still, seeing the worried looks on his neighbors' faces, Zhou Ye felt a little sympathy. Life was hard for those at the bottom; they had almost no ability to weather risks.

Once he returned home, Zhou Ye tossed that tiny bit of sympathy to the back of his mind.

After looking over the things in the kitchen, he made quite a few egg pancakes in one go. Tomorrow, after going to the martial arts school to report that he had reached the force stage, he would return to Little Homestead. They would make good travel rations along the way...

He also needed to start earning money again and maintain his persona again. Even the charcoal piled up at home was nearly all sold out...

Zhou Ye beamed as he ate a lavish dinner. Once he was full and satisfied, he found a wooden splinter and picked his teeth with it.

It was already deep into the night, nearly time to put out the lamps and rest.

All of a sudden, Zhou Ye felt the ground tremble. The vibrations rapidly grew from faint to strong, and before long, the whole house began shaking violently.

Holy shit! Was this an earthquake?

Zhou Ye sprang from his chair and dashed into the courtyard in a few strides.

Yet just then, from the main street leading into the city two streets away, came an earthshaking sound... hoofbeats, perhaps?

At the same time, scattered cries drifted over.

"Bad news! Soldiers! Soldiers are causing trouble!"

"The army has entered the city!"

"That's the Red Profound Army! Run—!"

"..."

Zhou Ye was somewhat dumbfounded. What kind of situation was this?

Could it be that his brow was glowing, and he had actually been lucky enough to encounter the legendary military rebellion?

With a leap, he landed on the roof. His mastery of the Cloud-Leaping Ladder truly felt different. Hiding behind the eaves, Zhou Ye cautiously observed his surroundings.

Ahead, the army's torches resembled a wandering dragon, winding into the city gate as far as the eye could see. Perhaps these soldiers had no time to concern themselves with this slum for now. There had to be more important targets inside the city. Before long, the city was filled with killing intent, and waves of battle cries soon rang out.

As for the houses around him? Every visible light was swiftly extinguished, while doors and windows were shut tight. He even spotted several faint figures on distant rooftops.

Having figured things out, Zhou Ye silently jumped back into the courtyard.

He first entered the house and carried out all the weapons, armor, and important belongings, placing them in the courtyard.

Fortunately, Zhou Ye had prepared for this long ago. Those important items had always been packed together and kept within easy reach, ready to be grabbed for a quick escape. As for what remained in the room, it was unimportant as well—just trivial odds and ends.

Next came putting out the lights and fires. He thoroughly extinguished the oil lamps, the fire in the stove, and everything else in the house.

Finally, he put on his equipment. Leather armor, leather boots... After thinking it over, Zhou Ye still wore the chainmail over his leather armor and put on that iron helmet. He then hung the weapons on his body one by one.

Carrying the remaining things, Zhou Ye came to a pile of firewood in a corner of the courtyard and sat cross-legged on the ground beneath its shadow. He held the eight-stone bow in his hands and, by the faint starlight overhead, carefully watched the courtyard gate and the surrounding walls.

With the woodpile as cover, if any thieves entered, they would never spot him at once. He would be able to seize the initiative and strike first.

Of course, it would be best if no one came. If the rebellion ended soon, hopefully the commandery city could return to peace as quickly as possible.

But heaven did not grant his wishes. Before long, someone screamed themselves hoarse, "Those bastards from the shanties are coming to steal things! Guard your homes—!"

Zhou Ye could not help but freeze. There were actually people looting amid the chaos?

He climbed up the woodpile in a few steps and secretly looked beyond the wall again. Sure enough, groups of refugees from the shanty district were rushing over, shouting and cheering as they prepared to begin their zero-dollar shopping spree.

Robbing amid chaos. Risk meant opportunity. Those refugees had nothing anyway, so they might as well gamble on it while everything was in turmoil.

Looking again toward the city gates, he found that the army had long since fully entered the city. Even the gates seemed to have been tightly shut?

Holy shit! This was not good. The slums outside the city had apparently been abandoned; order here had completely collapsed.

After considering it, Zhou Ye decided to hold his position. He could not worry about anyone else now. It was better to guard his home. The outside was likely even more chaotic, and staying home was more reliable.

After all, this was the slum district. Ordinary people's homes had nothing worth stealing. To put it bluntly, breaking open a few shops for a grand zero-dollar shopping spree would be far more worthwhile.

At that moment, Zhou Ye's thoughts suddenly wandered. Since he was talking about shops, what about Old Gao's butcher shop? There was nothing more to say. He could only wish safety upon their whole family.

Sure enough, waves of looting sounds had already begun outside. Amid the clamor of the shanty refugees, children could be heard crying and women screaming...

Some thieves even set fires along the way. Yet as several flames soared into the sky, Zhou Ye's vision actually improved considerably.

Fortunately, the place where Zhou Ye lived was quite poor; even the houses were ramshackle. Thus, not many refugees entered the alley. Even when a few did come, they quickly left again to choose more valuable targets...

And so, Zhou Ye went from being extremely tense at first to gradually relaxing. He even found it a little amusing. Had renting this shabby house actually been the right choice?

Time flew by. Zhou Ye had already sat cross-legged for one or two shichen. Picking up the wine gourd beside him, he took a mouthful of grape wine and moistened his dry lips.

The grape wine was not very strong. Drinking a little of it was really no different from having a beverage. But it kept easily, better than the water in a waterskin.

By now, it was already past midnight.

While counting himself fortunate, Zhou Ye prayed that nothing would happen through the night. Tomorrow, he would flee back to Little Homestead.

There was no helping it! The commandery city was too damn terrifying—I want to go back to the countryside!