Three Kingdoms, Myth

Chen Xi's way of thinking seemed remarkable to Li You, Liu Bei, and others. With such a system in place, one could simply glance at a person's household registration and know everything about them. How convenient! "Enough talk for now," Chen Xi said, waving his hand dismissively. "Zijing will eventually hand over a complete plan to Lord Xuande. Right now, we need to focus on feeding this kid and having him lead us to where the stray children gather. Let's capture them all first."

"Very well, Ma Zhong, can you take us to where you've been staying?" Liu Bei asked warmly. Ma Zhong nodded, though he had been devouring his food, years of living as a wanderer had trained him to stay alert, so he had been paying attention to Chen Xi and the others' conversation. In the end, he was sure these people had no ill intentions toward him, and he understood what they wanted to do. Although he couldn't grasp why such good things were only being done now, he knew how important this would be for people like him!

"Can I take the rest of this food with me?" Ma Zhong asked Liu Bei, his face full of hope. He had already finished the soup and only the sliced meat remained, which was easy to carry.

Liu Bei sighed and patted Ma Zhong's head. "Don't worry, you'll get to eat more in the future. Train well, and you'll become a mighty warrior."

"I want to take it back for my younger siblings..." Ma Zhong muttered. As the eldest among them, with agile reflexes, he was able to steal enough to keep the younger orphans alive. After all, opportunities like that one time with Chen Xi, a large mark with no caution, were rare. Unfortunately, even then, the gold he stole had been of little use...

Liu Bei glanced at the remaining food on the table and realized that from the beginning, Ma Zhong had been thinking of his siblings. He patted the boy's head again. "Who knows how many orphans like you are wandering the land. Soon, a servant will come and pack this food for you. You've had it tough these past years, haven't you?"

Ma Zhong only let out a small grunt and said nothing more. Chen Xi had some understanding of the hardships of wandering, even in the so-called lawful era of the 21st century, where recorded footage of wanderers was full of suffering. In this chaotic world of 1800 years ago, it was far worse—unspeakably cruel. If it weren't for Ma Zhong's strength and quick thinking, he and his younger siblings might have been sold... or worse, even eaten...

Carrying the wrapped food in dried lotus leaves, Ma Zhong hurried off to the place he'd been staying.

"Let's follow him," Liu Bei said, not stopping Ma Zhong's urgent movements. The boy's actions deeply moved him.

After many twists and turns through narrow alleys, the roads became even narrower. Seeing the conditions, Chen Xi couldn't help but think this area needed to be demolished and rebuilt. Yes, his public works program would find new tasks here, tearing down and reconstructing the neighborhood.

"Zichuan, does Fenggao still have places like this?" Liu Bei asked angrily, looking at Chen Xi. The streets were filthy with stagnant water, and the refugees—so thin it was hard to tell their age or gender—were covered in grime and looked utterly miserable.

"I can't help it. Fenggao developed too quickly. I'm not omnipotent; I can only manage things to a certain extent. Besides, haven't I already planned to address these issues, bringing them to light and cleaning them up?" Though Chen Xi was horrified by the scene, his expression remained calm, and his tone steady.

Chen Xi gazed at the people around him and sighed inwardly. While he hadn't noticed them before, their situation was largely their own doing. He clearly remembered that his public works program never stopped, and free medical treatment had been offered continuously. Judging by Ma Zhong's actions, he had likely gotten food from the public works sites and tried the free clinics. Yet, this group ended up like this—what else could Chen Xi say? They could have just left the alley!

Seeing Chen Xi's indifferent demeanor, Liu Bei hesitated to say more. He realized that Chen Xi's public works program had indeed been running continuously, and the free medical treatment was always available. Many people would go to the public works sites, help out, and get food in return. Even those with minor ailments would visit the clinics, which, though not top-notch, were free.

"I can't do much more. I want to help, but if they refuse assistance, what can I do?" Chen Xi said helplessly. "I'll make them understand what forced labor in exchange for food means soon enough!"

"..." Liu Bei could tell from Chen Xi's expression that he was serious about forcing these people into labor. "Sigh, after all, they are under my rule. Letting them live like this is my failure."

"Yes, it's all Lord Xuande's fault, so you'll need to keep working hard. But don't worry, dealing with them won't be a problem." Chen Xi casually tossed the blame onto Liu Bei, making it clear that he could handle the situation.

"Sigh~" Liu Bei sighed as he walked past the refugees squatting and sitting in the filthy streets. He noticed their cloudy eyes and fearful expressions. Since the establishment of Fenggao, Liu Bei had never seen anyone look at him this way. The citizens he knew always looked at him with gratitude, warmth, and respect—never with the gaze he saw today.

"Die!" Ma Zhong's furious voice suddenly rang out from a courtyard.

"What a coincidence. Zhongkang, it's up to you now. Capture them alive. We don't know how long they've been watching. Human traffickers, huh? How despicable," Chen Xi said, recognizing the situation immediately. When Ma Zhong mentioned both boys and girls, Chen Xi knew that female beggars were easy targets for traffickers. This era was truly twisted.

When Xu Chu arrived, Ma Zhong was already fighting several men, while his younger siblings huddled behind a pillar, watching quietly without a sound. They were clearly used to such things.

The Tiger Fool didn't waste any time. He punched each of the men, leaving them all coughing up blood. It was then that Ma Zhong realized the vast difference in strength between him and Xu Chu. Had Chen Xi not ordered the soldiers not to harm Ma Zhong earlier, even the regular troops could have easily subdued him.

"Well, it seems this place isn't very safe, is it?" Chen Xi casually kicked one of the heavily injured men at his feet. "Tell me, why were you after these kids?"

"They're from the Manxiang Pavilion!" Ma Zhong spat, kicking one of the men's necks with enough force to break it. Chen Xi was momentarily stunned, then looked at Ma Zhong with interest. He hadn't expected the boy to have such a mindset—killing someone to implicate everyone present. Now, naturally, Liu Bei and the others would be forced to intervene.

After killing the man, Ma Zhong noticed that no one seemed to care. He began to explain the whole situation calmly.

"Of course, you were an obvious target. A kid leading a group of little girls and boys? Any trafficker would be after you. If you weren't so skilled and cautious, you'd have been sold off yourself," Chen Xi remarked, his tone indifferent, though his words clearly angered Ma Zhong.

"They've come for us many times. The last time, they managed to capture some of my siblings. I killed several of them and rescued my sister. Since then, I've been much more careful, and they haven't dared to come back as boldly," Ma Zhong said, his voice steady as he spoke of killing.

Chen Xi's eyes showed a fleeting trace of pity before quickly returning to their usual calm. A boy of twelve or thirteen had already taken the lives of several adults who had wronged him. This damn era...