Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Half a day later, the food had been distributed, and the disaster victims had either left or dispersed.

At this point, the housekeeper had only selected 19 talented individuals.

Zhou Qingfeng rode into the city in a grain-carrying cart. What came into view was a bustling street, a constant stream of people, shops, and vendors lining the streets, a scene of great prosperity.

The residents inside the city and the refugees outside the city are both human, but their appearances are worlds apart.

When you reach the vegetable market entrance, a place where crowds gather.

A man was bound hand and foot and kneeling on the ground, with a black-clad strongman standing behind him.

The black-clad warrior said, "This person was caught red-handed trafficking children on the street. Because his crime is a serious violation of the laws of Sword Tower City, he shall be burned at the stake, to be carried out immediately!"

After speaking, the black-clad warrior quickly formed hand seals, and a ball of flame slowly gathered between his palms. Then, like a volcanic eruption, the flames shot out, instantly engulfing the trembling prisoner in fear.

"Ahhhhh!" The prisoner screamed in agony, rolling on the ground. His body was visibly charred, and his flesh was slowly melting like a candle. The sound of his screams was enough to send chills down one's spine.

The steward glanced at it and said casually, "Every citizen in the city is the city lord's precious property. This person's trafficking of children is tantamount to stealing the city lord's property. Being burned at the stake is the punishment he deserves."

"This kind of burning at the stake doesn't kill people instantly. The executioner controls the heat, and the person will burn for a full quarter of an hour before they die completely. This is to deter the villains in the city and prevent the prisoners from rising from the dead to harm others."

What did the butler mean by saying this? Was it just a baseless statement? Or did he see it and simply offer a casual explanation?

Zhou Qingfeng didn't know if the others had understood, but he had picked up on the implied meaning.

The steward was using this as an excuse to warn his newly arrived servants that if they dared to have any wicked thoughts, engage in petty theft, or harm the city lord's interests, they would suffer a terrible fate.

As the grain wagons headed towards the city lord's mansion, the number of pedestrians on the streets dwindled, and red-armored axemen could be seen standing guard everywhere, along with patrolling squads of axemen, making the defenses increasingly tight.

The grain carts stopped as soon as they reached the city lord's mansion.

"Follow me. Once inside, do not wander around or look around. Do not speak unless asked. Behave yourselves."

"There is one more thing you should remember. If the city lord has the honor of asking you questions, you must not address her as the city lord directly, because the city lord does not like others to call her the city lord to her face. Remember to always address her as Madam."

The steward gave a few serious instructions before leading Zhou Qingfeng and his group of nineteen into the city lord's mansion.

Led by the butler, Zhou Qingfeng and the others arrived at an outer courtyard.

All around the courtyard stood female maids in green robes carrying swords. In the center of the courtyard, a stunningly beautiful woman, dressed in a pure white robe and nightgown, lay lazily on her throne.

The stunningly beautiful woman appeared to be lying on her side as if ill, but in reality, she exuded an aura of dominance. Only when there were no enemies around who could pose a threat to her could she be so relaxed and at ease.

"Madam, these nineteen people are all exceptional talents, selected from among the best. I hope you will review them one by one." The steward stood three zhang away, holding a stack of evaluation reports and indentures, and bowed to present them.

The First Lady slightly raised her eyes and hummed in agreement.

The personal maid slowly stepped forward and took the indentures and evaluation certificates of the 19 people.

He turned around and walked back to the First Lady, handing it over.

The First Lady examined these contracts of servitude and evaluation certificates one by one.

Then, looking at Zhou Qingfeng and the others who were standing behind the butler with their heads bowed and waiting, she parted her lips slightly and said, "This is our first meeting. Many of you do not know who I am. My surname is First. You can call me First Lady."

“I am the master of this Sword Tower City, and I am also your master.”

“I know you are all literate and intelligent people, and you must be resentful about selling yourselves into slavery.”

"But now that you've joined my first company, I hope you can put aside any other thoughts and wholeheartedly pledge your loyalty to me and the first company. I will absolutely not treat you unfairly."

Everyone present bowed their heads in agreement, and no one dared to utter a single word, for they all remembered the steward's words: if no one asked a question, then try not to speak. Now they were slaves, and their lives were in the hands of their master.

Saying the wrong thing could get you a beating, or worse, you could be crippled.

The First Lady glanced around and smiled faintly. She knew that winning people over required real money; mere sweet talk and empty promises wouldn't win their hearts and minds. So she was prepared.

With a flick of her sleeve, her sword-wielding maids brought over trays and walked to Zhou Qingfeng and the others.

There were three bags and a secret manual on the tray.

The manual had a line of text written vertically: "Complete Guide to the Basics of Eating Turbid Qi".

The butler was very perceptive and knew when to speak up to help the lady win over people's hearts: "These are the cultivation methods and resources that the lady has bestowed upon you. This is a life-saving grace. From now on, you will have the power to surpass that of ordinary people."

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and accept this gift to thank the lady for her life-saving grace."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng suppressed his excitement, reached out and picked up the three bags and the secret manual. He and the others bowed and clasped their hands in thanks, saying loudly, "Thank you, Madam, for your life-saving grace. We will remember it forever and serve you to the death."

"Alright." The First Lady smiled slightly. "Butler Qiu."

Butler Qiu immediately turned to face her, cupped his hands and bowed, replying, "Madam, please give your orders."

The First Lady said, "You did a good job this time, gathering a group of talented people for my family. You deserve to be rewarded. Go to the Hall of Merit and Charity later to collect your reward."

Upon hearing this, Butler Qiu remained calm and composed, bowing and clasping his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your generous gift, Madam."

The First Lady lazily got up and walked around the newly arrived servants. The servants, who were under her gaze, all lowered their heads, kept their eyes straight ahead, and dared not even breathe.

Upon seeing this, Butler Qiu quickly bent down, lowered his head, and stepped aside.

Soon, the First Lady noticed Zhou Qingfeng, who was looking down at his nose and seemingly lost in thought, and stopped in her tracks.

Zhou Qingfeng's heart tightened immediately.

The feeling is like a homeroom teacher proctoring an exam, suddenly stopping at your desk and staring at you intently—it's both nerve-wracking and uneasy.

I don't know what I'm nervous about, or what I feel guilty about, I'm just nervous and I feel guilty.

The First Lady sized up Zhou Qingfeng, a hint of interest appearing on her languidly beautiful face.

Zhou Qingfeng was still dressed in modern clothes at this time: a shirt, jacket, jeans, and sneakers, all in black and gray. His hair was a typical short student haircut. In modern society, this was an ordinary outfit, but to outsiders, he looked like a strangely dressed little monk, a vagrant, or a foreigner.

There are many people dressed in such strange clothes in Sword Tower City, and it has become commonplace.

So while his attire was strange, it wasn't exactly shocking.

At most, people might glance at you a few times, but no one would ask you any questions, lest you be ridiculed for your lack of knowledge.

The First Lady found it somewhat interesting, but only glanced at it a few more times: "Steward Qiu, these new servants are your responsibility. Train them well and help them make contributions to the First Family as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Butler Qiu immediately bowed and replied, "Yes, Madam."

The First Lady stretched lazily and turned to walk slowly towards the inner courtyard.

The servants quickly followed, until the First Lady was far away.

Only then did Steward Qiu dare to straighten his back, put his hands on his hips, and look at the group of new servants: "Don't be too happy yet. Entering the city lord's mansion does not mean that you can stay here and work forever."