Chapter 31: Harvest

Golden Sand Valley was steadily undergoing reconstruction, the scars left by that night of blood and fire gradually smoothed away.

“It’s truly different now.”

Standing on a high point, Slim Monkey watched Wang Yuan approaching from afar, a whip in his hand. For reasons he couldn’t quite name, Slim Monkey felt that Wang Yuan had changed since emerging from the dungeon—not outwardly, but at his core, as if he’d become someone else entirely.

Previously, Wang Yuan struck him as a gentleman, always greeting others with a pleasant smile, making one feel as if bathed in spring breeze. But now, Wang Yuan had transformed into a thorough and uncompromising enforcer.

When the sand raiders attacked, they had prepared, but the impact was still considerable. In the aftermath, with Qian Wen’s entire network purged, unrest naturally followed. Amid the turmoil, some harbored thoughts they should not have.

To preserve order, Wang Yuan, as the new steward of Golden Sand Valley, ruthlessly suppressed rebellion, revealing a cold-blooded side.

“Someone’s smuggling gold again?” Slim Monkey’s gaze fell on the blood-stained whip in Wang Yuan’s hand as he spoke.

As a bandit, Slim Monkey considered his own heart to be hardened, yet compared to Wang Yuan, he was lacking. A recent attempt at mutiny in the mines had seen several mine bosses seize the chaos as an opportunity, seeking to grab more power, perhaps even overturning their own fate. Wang Yuan, however, had detected signs early and responded with decisive brutality.

He not only executed those mine bosses, but also purged all their associates—some demoted to the lowest rank of slaves, their flesh and blood traded for gold, others simply killed, instilling fear in the hearts of all.

At first, Slim Monkey disagreed, concerned that too many innocents might be caught up in the sweep. But Wang Yuan convinced him, explaining that the Grand Chief had departed for Muyu Island, and at such a time, Golden Sand Valley must not fall into disorder, or the consequences would ripple upward.

If only a few ringleaders were punished, it would leave hidden dangers lurking, for human relationships are a tangled web.

In the end, Wang Yuan’s method proved effective—under his iron rule, Golden Sand Valley became stable once more. Though minor disturbances persisted, they were of little consequence.

From that point on, Slim Monkey realized his own ruthlessness paled in comparison to Wang Yuan. If it were up to him, he would have punished only the chief offenders.

Wang Yuan’s expression remained unchanged as he nodded in response.

Looking at Wang Yuan now made Slim Monkey instinctively uneasy. Wang Yuan seemed to have become cold-blooded, rarely showing any emotion, like a venomous snake.

“I wonder what exactly Qian Wen said to provoke such a change in Wang Yuan,” Slim Monkey mused, curiosity stirring within him. Yet he had no intention of asking. According to his men, when Wang Yuan emerged from the dungeon, Qian Wen had already been tortured beyond recognition.

Slim Monkey said no more, and Wang Yuan remained silent. The wind blew gently between them, until activity at the harbor broke the awkward quiet.

“Could it be the Grand Chief returning?” Slim Monkey’s face brightened. Lately, his greatest worry had been Jiang Chen’s safety.

As the sound of the horn echoed from the harbor and they realized Jiang Chen had indeed returned, even Wang Yuan’s icy face showed a hint of change.

Meanwhile, in the Mouse Garden, Mouse Tianjiao, who had been swaggering about like a wealthy landlord inspecting his estate, twitched his ears and stopped in his tracks, turning his gaze toward the harbor.

Seeing this, the servant responsible for feeding the mice quickly halted as well.

“Master Mouse, is something amiss?” The servant’s voice was respectful, not merely feigned but heartfelt. The longer he worked there, the more he realized Mouse Tianjiao was no ordinary creature. The Mouse Garden was far from a safe haven; previously, a careless servant had been bitten to death by the mice.

Yet serving in the Mouse Garden had its advantages—most notably, the chance to learn martial arts. For common folk, this was a path to advancement, which was why so many flocked to the Mouse Garden despite its dangers.

Hearing the servant, Mouse Tianjiao flicked his tail, cracking it on the ground like a whip, instantly silencing the mice.

Afterward, he glanced at the servant, squeaked once, and darted out of the garden.

The servant seized the moment, hurriedly finished distributing the remaining food while the mice were subdued, and left the Mouse Garden at top speed, relieved that his efforts to please Mouse Tianjiao had not gone to waste. As for Mouse Tianjiao’s purpose, it was none of his concern.

With Jiang Chen’s safe return and the news that he was now the Third Chief of the River Raiders, the cloud of anxiety hanging over Golden Sand Valley finally dissipated.

That night, a grand feast was held in Golden Sand Valley—food and drink flowed, lanterns hung everywhere, even the miners and menials ate their fill. Smiles lit every face. Yet the true protagonist, Jiang Chen, did not attend.

At that moment, he was in his own courtyard, tallying his gains.

“Third Chief, here is all the gold we found, totaling three hundred and sixty-five taels,” said Stone, handing Jiang Chen a ledger.

The gold came from two sources: first, the official reserves of Golden Sand Valley, which, after the sand raiders’ attack, had been cleared and now belonged to Jiang Chen; second, the stash Zhao Meng had hidden away.

Zhao Meng had concealed his gold on a deserted island, and Jiang Chen retrieved it on his way back. Despite Zhao Meng’s precautions, Jiang Chen, with his soul-illuminating powers, left no secrets uncovered.

Jiang Chen flipped through the ledger and waved Stone away.

When Stone departed, Jiang Chen slowly opened a small chest. Unlike the others—which held gold, antiques, and paintings—this chest contained books and a small pouch.