Chapter 823: The Confused Person Suddenly Doesn’t Want to Be Confused Anymore

Sun Shiming’s eyes darkened profoundly. It was as if, in this single moment, he had finally seen the citizens of Dayu City for who they truly were. It was as if he had finally awakened—completely and utterly.

Human nature...

Once you truly understood it, it was utterly repulsive!

"HAHAHA!" A harsh, piercing burst of laughter suddenly erupted.

The onlookers froze, turning toward the sound.

"Mr... Mr. Sun?"

"Mr. Sun, are you alright?"

Faced with Sun Shiming’s manic laughter, the crowd instinctively took a step back, a ripple of fear passing through them.

As his laughter faded, Sun Shiming looked at the crowd with sheer indifference. His voice carried an unprecedented sorrow. "The prosperity Dayu City worked so hard to build is going to be ruined. You have ruined it all. Your descendants... will never again enjoy this golden age of wealth..."

The onlookers blanked for another second before indignation quickly took over.

"Mr. Sun, how can you say this?"

"Isn’t that just cursing our children and grandchildren?"

"Mr. Sun—no, Sun Shiming has probably lined his pockets with Gu Shuo’s money over the years! Why else would he defend him so fiercely now?"

"At the end of the day, it’s just Sun Shiming’s incompetence. If we sold our seafood to other countries, the prices would double! Other cities have been doing it in secret."

"Exactly! I’ve heard about that too. There’s a fortune to be made! Sun Shiming definitely took bribes from Gu Shuo, otherwise we could have been swimming in money a long time ago."

"Beat him to death! The black-hearted scum! He was just making excuses for Gu Shuo in front of Old Prince Feng!"

"A man like him doesn’t deserve to be the City Lord! Get out! Get out of Dayu City!"

A single sentence from Sun Shiming had incited the mob’s fury. The citizens began grabbing raw seafood and rotting cabbage leaves, hurling them at him.

Sun Shiming’s expression was desolate. Having already been violently kicked several times by Old Prince Feng, a stream of crimson trickled from the corner of his mouth. Yet, he seemed completely numb to the pain of the barrage hitting his body, merely raising a hand to wipe the blood from his lips.

He staggered forward, step by step. The unforgiving crowd trailed relentlessly behind him, continuing to pelt him with whatever they could find.

Upstairs, Xiliu Yuan sat by the window, his long, slender fingers holding a book. He cast a fleeting, impassive glance down at the rioting mob before returning his gaze to the pages.

"The citizens of Nanyuan are truly ignorant." The Hidden Guard watching the spectacle almost felt the urge to draw his sword.

"He has some backbone," Xiliu Yuan remarked lightly, his fingertips flipping to the next page.

Ignorance was bliss. But when a fool suddenly decided to cast aside his delusions, facing reality was often a fate worse than death.

"Does Xi Yan truly intend to ally with such a foolish and arrogant nation?"

"What do you think?"

"Xi Yan is a mighty empire. Even without Nanyuan’s commerce, our wealth would remain at the top of the four nations."

For Nanyuan to ever surpass Xi Yan... let alone ten years, it would be utterly impossible even if they were given a century.

"Nanyuan is nothing," Xiliu Yuan said dismissively. "If even you understand this truth, then if Fang Rui fails to grasp it, his career as an official is already over."

Without Gu Shuo at the helm of its commerce, Nanyuan’s decline was only a matter of time. Not to mention... she had returned.

"Master." Another Hidden Guard materialized inside the room.

"How did the investigation go?" Xiliu Yuan asked softly.

"Reporting to Master, your subordinate was incompetent and failed to uncover the intentions of the Young Master of the Shuiyuan Clan. I only managed to find out that Young Master Shui stayed at the Immortal Sea Building for an hour yesterday. As for what transpired inside, I do not know. The perimeter of the Immortal Sea Building is secured by guards stationed by Xiang Minghou. Their Inner Strength is profound, preventing us from getting close."

Xiliu Yuan’s gaze darkened with thought.

The people of the Shuiyuan Clan were notoriously difficult to summon. Years ago, his imperial father had personally sent envoys to invite them to Xi Yan. Their men had waited on the outskirts of Guanghai for half a month, yet failed to even set foot inside the Shuiyuan Clan’s territory, ultimately returning empty-handed.

How on earth did Ye Qianning manage to invite the Young Master of the Shuiyuan Clan?

Just what were they plotting?