Chapter 553, A Chaotic Situation.
Hearing that the old king had died, Wu Heng frowned.
The constant turmoil in the Ekow Kingdom had been going on for some time.
The old king would fall into a coma and wake up again, causing instability throughout the kingdom.
This time, the news was that he was dead.
It wasn't all that surprising.
"Is the information reliable?" Wu Heng asked.
"It's mostly circulating privately, but I think it's likely true. We might not feel much of a difference, but the residents and wealthy merchants of the kingdom wouldn't be fleeing for no reason," Wen Mansa analyzed.
Wu Heng continued, "The king's death—how does that directly relate to them fleeing?"
Wen Mansa explained, "According to what they're saying, there are factions supporting different parties within the city. The army, private guards, and royal security forces have all become unstable elements. Some merchants have had their properties seized for no reason. Everything's in chaos, and people are trying to escape however they can."
Wu Heng had thought that a struggle for the throne would just involve the princes leading armies against each other.
Whoever won would take the throne.
That's how it played out in television dramas.
But now it seemed that ordinary people were being affected too.
"Are you in any danger over there?" Wu Heng asked.
"No, I'm safe. The guards you left me are enough to keep Rentam City under control, and the Ekow Kingdom probably doesn't have the energy to worry about me right now," Wen Mansa said lightly.
When Wu Heng last left, he had assigned her six Level 15 skeletons and two thousand Level 10 skeletons as personal guards.
These Level 10 skeletons were originally from the zombie world, raised to be skeleton warriors.
They didn't have specialized professions, but every one of them had fought their way up from Level 1, with proficiency in weapons and armor well beyond novice level.
In a place like Rentam City, they were more than enough to protect Wen Mansa.
"Any news from Slater?" Wu Heng asked.
"Steward Slater came by a few days ago to set the direction for Golden Cat's operations, then returned to Blackstone Town. I heard the situation there isn't great either. He also uncovered evidence of a cult spreading its teachings and is currently investigating." Wen Mansa replied.
Even a small place like Blackstone Town had cult activity.
The Ekow Kingdom must not even have patrol guards anymore.
"Stay safe. If anything happens, go to the guild and hide there. I'll come get you."
"Alright. Rentam City is still relatively safe, but if anything happens, I'll take care of myself," Wen Mansa reassured him before adding, "How are Minnie and Viel? Do they miss me?"
"They're doing well. In fact, they were just saying that without you around, no one gives them pocket money anymore," Wu Heng joked.
"They're the Island Lord's maids now; they can't possibly lack a bit of money."
"Who ever complains about having too much money?"
Wen Mansa's voice grew softer. "Will you come back when the baby is born?"
"Of course. I'll be there to help name the baby."
"Good!" Wen Mansa smiled.
"Alright, if anything happens, head to the guild. Your safety comes first. The city can fall—it doesn't matter."
"Got it!"
...…
Ending the call, Wu Heng placed the receiver back on its hook.
Leaning against the table, he contemplated the information Wen Mansa had given him.
Comparing it to the intelligence he had gathered over time.
The likelihood of the old king's death was extremely high.
In fact, hearing about it didn't even feel surprising—more like a confirmation of something inevitable.
The fate of the Ekow Kingdom had little to do with him.
Even if a civil war broke out, it wouldn't affect Gold-Silver Island.
"New factions are pouring into Rentam City. The Emerald Sea also needs watching—more pirates might start showing up."
Running through his thoughts quickly.
He left the room and went downstairs to eat with the maids.
...…
Training Room.
Wu Heng watched the training maids and gestured for them to come over.
The four maids stopped their drills and quickly approached.
Especially the droopy-eared rabbit girl, who held a shield in one hand and a sword in the other. As she moved, her weapons and armor clanked together.
"Master!"
They bowed.
Wu Heng took out the peculiar item, the [Instructor] longsword, and said, "This is a special longsword that can help the user train. If any of you want to practice swordsmanship, you can use it. When you do, don't resist the feeling of your body being controlled."
Aside from Minnie, who was a martial artist, the others could all use a longsword.
Even rangers had opportunities for close combat.
Meanwhile, Wu Heng's own swordsmanship had reached the 'Advanced' level but had yet to break into 'Master' level.
With fewer opportunities for training, he decided to let others use the sword whenever they had time.
"Thank you, Master," they all expressed their gratitude.
Andviel, knowing the sword's effects, was delighted.
Annett and Robe, excited by the idea of training with such an artifact, were equally thrilled.
They took turns testing it out.
As night deepened, they all retired upstairs to rest.
...…
The Next Day, Zombie World.
Conference Room.
Wu Heng sat at the head of the table, with Qi Hancai and Gao Rong seated on either side.
Qi Hancai spoke first. "I have two updates. First, news from Xinfushi—Wang Haibing has completed power restoration. The remaining two cities are still undergoing line inspections, and once confirmed safe, they will be connected to the grid."
"The second matter concerns the previous report of survivors who had looted and killed for supplies. Yanhong used the Truth Sculpt Mud to verify the claims, and it turns out the accusations were true. The situation was severe—four individuals in total. Yanhong executed them immediately. Moving forward, all new survivors joining the base will undergo screening."
The Truth Sculpt Mud was an artifact known as [Sincere Doll].
By making eye contact with the doll, a person would be compelled to answer questions truthfully.
Wu Heng had obtained this artifact from a guild inspector but had never dared to use it in the otherworld, fearing it would attract trouble.
Last time, when Li Yanhong needed to investigate the reported survivors, Qi Hancai had handed it over to her.
Now, there were results.
Moreover, Li Yanhong had displayed an unprecedented decisiveness—executing them on the spot.
"Leave the doll with her. All new survivors must be regularly screened. If there's any severe misconduct, they are to be removed," Wu Heng ordered.
"Understood. That's all from me," Qi Hancai said.
Gao Rong cleared his throat before speaking. "I wanted to address the printing press issue. We checked the digital archives we brought over. Previously, we had supplied a printing factory in the city with relevant equipment. We could go check on its condition. Even if it's damaged, it'll be faster than manufacturing a new one."
"Where is the printing factory?" Wu Heng asked.
"It's in the north, in a commercial street behind an advertising company's factory." Gao Rong took out a map and pointed at the approximate location.