Chu Xuanzhen was openly lending a hand to the island's common folk. After receiving a whispered report from his trusted aide, the city lord's gaze grew colder. He had intended to keep this visitor from Capital City well fed, well dressed, and comfortably accommodated, yet the man had not only refused to show him any respect but had abandoned their welcoming party in front of so many people.
He had utterly humiliated him. He was merely some "important figure" from Capital City, and the city lord did not even know which minister he was, yet he had no choice but to bow and offer him a flattering smile. Just as with all the officials who had come to inspect the island before, he had handled everything flawlessly each time-but what had he gained?
The court had never taken him seriously. They had once promised that after ten years of service, he would be allowed to govern this entire stretch of sea, but how laughable that promise of authority was. Setting aside the formidable pirates at sea, the lords of the surrounding islands had never yielded any advantage for him to claim.
After so many years as city lord, he had finally understood that those spoken promises were nothing more than promises. They would never be fulfilled. Thus, he had grown increasingly unwilling to remain merely the ruler of this little island. Every time an inspecting official arrived, despite ranking only a tiny bit above him, they practically tried to snap his spine beneath their feet, using the most snide remarks to pick apart his supposed failures.
When asked what failed to meet the standards, the patrol officer would reel off a whole list of minor flaws. To him, those flaws were not even worth mentioning.
Yet they insisted on blowing