Start from Fulilian

"How are things going?"

Fulilian asked without raising her head, reaching out to turn the page of the book. Her slender, white fingers inadvertently pushed aside the long hair that covered half of her face, revealing a swan-like, slender neck with skin as delicate as a baby's.

"I always finish my work today. I've already taken Anna to break off her engagement with her fiancé. They haven't met much anyway, let alone had any deep feelings for each other."

After Ivan finished baiting, he took out a small stool and sat down by the lake. The next step was to wait quietly for the fish to bite.

"I didn't give Anna any time to think. I half-coerced her into a marriage contract in front of her ex-fiancé. Now I can legitimately live in the Earl's Mansion."

"Lolicon." Fulilian rolled her eyes at him. "And he proposed to her in front of her ex-fiancé. How lame."

"Hehe, what do you know? This was just part of the show. You weren't there at the time, so you didn't see how funny that kid's face was, sometimes red, sometimes blue. If his dad hadn't tried to stop him, he would have challenged me to a duel."

"..." Fulilian asked again expressionlessly: "Where is your daughter Zanze? Is it really okay to come here fishing instead of spending more time with her?"

"It's okay. Anna is obsessed with Zanz. Zanz accidentally caught Anna with her hair when she tripped and fell flat on her right foot. So she started pestering Zanz to teach her magic. It just happened to give Zanz something to do, and it also helped Anna forget her sadness as soon as possible."

Ivan felt that he was so awesome that he could consider so many things in a comprehensive way, making him a model male protagonist in light novels.

As for Anna's father and brother being killed under his orders...what nonsense!

They had already died when they were captured as hostages by the demons, and Ivan merely gave them a decent death.

"It seems like you really care about that little girl." Fulilian pouted, "Lolicon."

"Slander, pure slander! Even lolicon has different types, okay? I like legitimate O-cup lolis like Celie, not flat ones with no development at all! Ah, I'm not talking about you, Fulilian, don't get me wrong, put your wand away, I'm really not talking about you!"

"..."

Fulilian finally put her wand back and said calmly, "I want to have a good meal tonight."

"no problem!"

Anna is already very cute, a stunning beauty, and Ivan has no other thoughts about her.

Just as he said, Anna is currently just a part of the play between him and the nobles of Vine City. If the other party really doesn't like him, then he can cancel the engagement after he completely controls the city.

Practice makes perfect, I believe she will get used to it.

Perhaps it was because Ivan's mind was full of inhuman thoughts, and after half an hour, there was no sign of any fish taking the bait.

Seeing this, Fulilian asked curiously, "Why don't you use the magic I taught you? That way, you can get as many fish as you want, right?"

"That magic felt very new at first, like I had a gadget that could hypnotize anyone. I was super happy every day, but after cheating for a long time, it started to feel boring."

"I don't know what metaphor you're using, but it feels a bit obscene." Fulilian frowned slightly.

"Your illusion is just like how I always feel like a fish will bite the hook in the next second, but unfortunately, this kind of thing... damn it really happened!"

Ivan, noticing the bait being taken, subconsciously lifted the fishing rod, and the palm-sized fish was pulled into the air, swinging its tail vigorously.

You came at the wrong time.

"Well, let's get back to the topic of why we don't use fishing magic."

Ivan bluntly and directly brushed off the dirty joke. "In short, the enjoyment of fishing is the whole process. From setting out with your fishing gear full of anticipation, searching for a good feng shui spot to lay the bait, to sitting on a stool and gazing at the lake, waiting, to finally catching a fish, all the anticipation and time-consuming waiting are transformed into a pleasant surprise in that instant. So what a fisherman catches isn't just the fish; it's the reward for his hard work!"

"I don't understand."

Fulilian responded to his long speech with three simple words and then continued to read.

It became quiet under the shade of the tree again, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

There was no topic to discuss, and the two of them were doing their own things, but both Ivan and Frelian felt that it was not strange to get along like this. Instead, there was a kind of inexplicable warmth.

……

Out of sight of the two men, two girls with a larger body size were hiding behind a tree trunk and monitoring them.

"That's not good."

Zanze repeated with a blank expression: "It's not good. Dad and Sister Fulilian's relationship is a bit too good."

This confused Anna, who was standing by, and she asked, "What's so strange about that? They're a full two meters apart, each doing their own thing, and they're not even talking to each other. I think their relationship might be strained."

"Anna, you're still young and don't understand. When adults get along with each other, sometimes the quieter and more ordinary the relationship, the better. Those who are always laughing and enthusiastic may actually be scheming against each other behind their backs."

"But Zanze, you look younger than me." Anna pulled his sleeve and said, "Let's ignore them and go play."

"Although I still have a child's body, my mind is still mature. I am no longer suitable for playing games between little girls."

Zan Ze said seriously, "What needs my most attention right now is Dad's infidelity. I, a famous detective, will handle this—gulp."

After the famous detective Miss Izanze was caught, she was lifted up by the collar like a rag doll.

"Dad? When?"

"Just when you were speculating about me." Ivan brought his daughter to his uneasy young fiancée.

"Go play with her. Although those games may be a bit childish for children, they should be just right for you."

It's a good opportunity to make up for the trauma of childhood and experience the play process of normal children. It's not too late to mend the fence after the sheep have been lost.

Fulilian (A Thousand Years of Past): Chapter 44: Establishing Credibility and Authority

"Is it really already completely incorporated?..."

Humphrey sighed. He had just visited some of the commanders of the defeated soldiers from Vine City. After a little probing, he realized that they were completely loyal to Ivan and were unmoved by any inducements.

It seemed that the position of Lord of Vine City would definitely fall into Ivan's hands. But what would he do next?

Humphrey could clearly feel that the young man was ambitious and would never leave just to collect a layer of tax revenue.

On the second day after the official handover of power, Humphrey was a little confused about Ivan's actions.

He placed a piece of wood at the south gate of the city wall and announced to the people that he was the new lord of Vine City. If anyone could move the wood to the north gate, he would reward them with a gold coin.

At the current price, one gold coin can buy a donkey, and a senior construction worker's monthly salary is only one gold coin. Ivan's meaningless behavior left the people confused for a while.

No one dared to act rashly. After all, the nobles were moody. What if it was a game specifically designed to kill people for fun?

After working hard to move the wood to the north gate, he went there with a shameless face to ask for a reward. Then the noble lord shouted angrily, "How dare you come and take it!", and his head was snapped off.

There is also the possibility that there is a counterweight hidden inside the wood. If it is not delivered to the north gate, the noble lord will shout angrily, "You can't even do such a simple thing, are you making fun of me!", and the head will be gone in a snap.

It could even be like this, "If you want to get this gold coin, you have to pay ten gold coins as a handling fee first. What? You can't get it? Then you die!", and with a snap, the head disappeared again.

All in all, the rewards are pretty good, but you have to be alive to get them.

So even though many people were tempted, no one dared to step forward.

"Are you suspecting I tampered with the wood, or that I won't pay the bounty honestly? Or both?"

The crowd was silent.

Ivan used the loudspeaker to shout, "The reward has been increased to 5 gold coins."

Everyone was ready to make a move.

"The reward has been increased to 10 gold coins."

Many people's eyes were red with anger, but they still did not dare to take a step forward because they had been oppressed by the nobles for a long time.

"The reward has been increased to 20 gold coins."

"I come--"

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

A middle-aged strong man wearing ragged clothes and shoes with several patches stepped forward. Fearing that someone would snatch the wood from him, he crawled over and hugged the wood.

Such a funny look naturally caused the crowd to laugh. The strong man blushed at first, but after getting used to it, he raised his head again.

"Lord City Lord, can we begin?"

"Of course, anytime." Ivan nodded.

The sturdy man put a little effort and lifted the wood onto his shoulders. Judging from his relaxed look, the noble master did not do anything to it.

The man walked towards the north gate with steady steps. Ivan followed him in two or three steps, and the other onlookers also followed.

Everyone wants to know whether this strong man can finally get the 20 gold coins.

The strong man walked very carefully along the way, fearing that the wood would fall accidentally and give the other party an excuse to judge him as a failure. At the same time, he was also worried about what to do if he encountered human obstacles.

His wife contracted lung disease in the winter, and the cost of medicine was a huge sum of money. Now his savings had been used up, and he was planning to join the suicide squad when the demons attacked the city next time to exchange his life for money.

Now seeing the new city lord's actions, even if there was a trick, the twenty gold coins had already made his brain unable to keep up with his body's movements. When he came to his senses, he had already grabbed the wood.

No matter if it's a trap or not, just go for it! Now that things have come to this, there's no reason to back down.

For a person who is about to lose everything, a fearless and ruthless spirit is the last bargaining chip.

The road between the South Gate and the North Gate had been cleared long ago and there were no obstacles along the way, but the strong man still found it very difficult to walk on this road.

More and more people were watching him on the roadside, as if they were watching a monkey performing. The expressions on their faces varied, some were curious, some were sarcastic, some were pity, some were jealous, some were malicious, and some were gloating.

The burly man was just an ordinary dock worker. It was the first time in his life that he had endured the gazes of so many people. Those gazes were like invisible big hands, wanting to strip off his patched clothes and worn-out shoes to see what kind of person could do such a thing.

The wood on my shoulders seemed to be getting heavier.

He gritted his teeth, trying not to pay attention to the onlookers around him, but stared at the road under his feet, and the big toe of his right foot that was unwilling to remain silent and sticking out of the hole.

I don’t know how long it took, but a familiar cobblestone ground appeared in front of me.

"arrive?"

The strong man seemed to be asking himself, and also seemed to be asking others.

"arrive."

Ivan nodded, smiling gently, and at the same time, using his loudspeaker technique, he shouted to the crowd that had gathered along the way, "Congratulations to this warrior for completing the mission I assigned him. Now it's time to distribute the bounty."

In full view of everyone, Ivan personally took out a sheepskin purse and put the shining gold coins into it one by one, no more, no less, exactly twenty.

After counting, he handed the purse to the other party.

The crowd went wild.

They never imagined that Ivan would actually give out gold coins just for something as meaningless as carrying an ordinary piece of wood from the south gate to the north gate!

Oh, my goddess, what is going on in this world? Have the nobles who have nothing to do and have enough food to eat started to use throwing money around as an entertainment activity?

You can do it yourself!

Originally, the spectators had mixed emotions, but after seeing that ordinary middle-aged strong man actually received the bounty, they all turned to envy, jealousy, and regret for their past.

If I had been more reckless before, why think so much? Lord Ivan smiles so beautifully, how could he be the kind of cruel noble who doesn't keep his word?

"Kougua! Lord Ivan, we admire your mouth and teeth! Can we do it again!!!"

"I can carry two logs at once!"

"Two are nothing. I can carry ten at once—"

"I can carry a hundred of them!!"

"Lord Ivan, I want to have a baby with you!"

There seems to be some strange ingredients mixed in, but it's not a big problem.

Ivan pressed his hands together, quickly suppressing the crowd's voices. He continued using the loudspeaker technique, "There's one more thing I must announce. If anyone uses any of the rewards I, Ivan, give out with ulterior motives to take them by force, then the next day..."

"The heads of his entire family will be hung on the city walls."

Fulilian (A Thousand Years of Past): Chapter 45: What is Professional Translation?

Once a lot of people gather together, it is easy for some rather strange individuals to emerge. They often cannot distinguish between forms and always like to measure the present with past experiences.

For example, there are several thugs who are secretly following the strong man. Even though Ivan has warned them in front of everyone, they still choose to take the risk for the 20 gold coins.

I would never dare to confront the nobles openly, but if I plan ahead, break into their house in the dark of night, and then burn all traces with fire... then there is absolutely no need to hesitate!

They are professionals in stealing, deceiving, murder and arson.

As night fell, just as they were about to sneak in, a group of guards with torches surrounded the place.

These guards were not wearing knight armor, but rather black and gold robes with strange embroidery, and had long swords at their waists. They moved as fast as the wind, without making any noticeable sound.

I heard they were called Jinyiwei, the direct troops of the new city lord.

Leading the group are Douglas, the former leader of the Mastiff Gang, and Huck, the former leader of the Falcon Gang. Now they have been completely subdued by the stick and carrot and have become Ivan's lackeys.

Huck was the first to ask, "Why are you sneaking around here so late at night?"