"For the Noble Families, the opening of a Domain is a great opportunity. But for the ordinary people, it's not just a disaster—it's a catastrophe!"
Nangong Yaoyue said grimly, "From what I know, once a Domain fully opens, its range is at least fifty miles, with the largest spanning a thousand."
"I've observed the Domain here at Great Dragon Mountain, and it isn't very large. Even so, I conservatively estimate its range will be sixty miles once it opens."
"...A sixty-mile radius, with Great Dragon Mountain at the center?" Gu Zheng's voice turned cold.
"Yes." Nangong Yaoyue nodded. "Everything within sixty miles of Great Dragon Mountain will become the Domain. Demon Fiends and Evil Spirits will emerge within that range. When ordinary people encounter them, the only outcome is death. And being killed on the spot would be a mercy. The true suffering is being captured, skinned alive, having your soul torn out, or your blood drained while you still breathe—tortured to death, piece by piece. That is a fate worse than death."
Gu Zheng fell silent.
"Of course, though we say the Domain's range is sixty miles, the immediate vicinity of Great Dragon Mountain will be the most dangerous. The farther you get from the mountain, the relatively smaller the danger becomes."
"However, Qingshi County Town is only a dozen or so miles from here, isn't it?"
"...Fifteen miles, as the crow flies." Gu Zheng took a deep breath, stood, and clasped his fist. "Thank you for the information, Miss Nangong. I have other business to attend to, so I must take my leave."
"Everyone, my apologies. I must be on my way."
He offered a parting salute to the others, then turned, strode briskly out of the inn, and broke into a full sprint.
"This Gu Zheng fellow is quite interesting."
Liangqiu Changkong watched Gu Zheng's receding figure and chuckled. "He's truly earnest, taking the lives of the commoners so seriously. The moment he heard about the Domain, he rushed back to deal with it without a second's delay."
"That's because he's always been on the outside, one of those wandering scions," Yuan Qianjun added. "After several decades, that's not the kind of influence you can change in a day or two."
"Besides, don't forget who's in charge of the Jing Country royal family!"
At the mention of the Jing Country's royal family, the group went quiet.
After a long moment, Liangqiu Changkong sighed. "The Zhong Family wants to begin the Dragon Struggle, and for that, they naturally need the common people. If everyone below them dies, how will they struggle for anything?"
"Speaking of the Zhong Family," Yuan Qianjun said, a look of surprise on his face as a thought struck him, "with Gu Zheng's status as a Chief Constable, they'll likely try to recruit him, won't they?"
"Are you saying the Zhong Family would recruit Gu Zheng even without the Qing King's bloodline?" Dongfang He couldn't help but ask. "The Zhong Family has always been exclusionary toward the other families. I can't imagine they'd take an interest in Gu Zheng, right?"
"That was in the past."
Liangqiu Changkong let out a soft laugh. "Now that they want to begin the Dragon Struggle, they'll naturally need to gather more power for their cause. And Gu Zheng's official position makes him a natural fit for recruitment. It all just depends on whether he himself is willing!"
...
...
'When the Domain opens, Qingshi County Town will be swallowed by it.'
'The timing of this news was critical, and utterly horrifying.'
As Gu Zheng sprinted down the road to find Han Ming and the others, a chill ran down his spine.
'Demon Fiends wandering about, Evil Spirits appearing out of nowhere... what kind of scene would that be?'
'How many people would have to die?'
'Putting all else aside, anyone left outside the city walls would have virtually no chance of survival.'
'Their only chance of survival was to get inside the city.'
Gu Zheng didn't have the power to single-handedly bear the disaster brought by this Celestial Change.
After finding Han Ming and putting him in temporary charge of matters at Qingniu Market, Gu Zheng immediately sprinted back toward the city.
He ran without stopping, making a beeline for the Government Office to find Tong Yuanshan.
He quickly explained the situation with the Domain as Nangong Yaoyue had described it, then urged, "Sir, we can't wait any longer! We have to arrange for men immediately to move everyone from the surrounding villages into the city."
"I... I..."
Tong Yuanshan sat in his chair, his face deathly pale. The cucumber in his hand dropped to the floor, but he didn't even notice.
"Gu... Gu Zheng... this... this news... is it... is it real?"
Tong Yuanshan was still clinging to a sliver of hope.
"She would have no reason to lie to me."
Gu Zheng's voice was grim. "Let's put it this way: even if she was lying, the situation at Great Dragon Mountain is undeniably real. Even if the Domain that erupts in three days doesn't have such a massive range, the villages near Qingniu Market will not be spared. So, Sir, the threat of countless Demon Fiends pouring out of Great Dragon Mountain to ravage Qingshi County is an absolute certainty."
"There's no escaping this. We must act immediately!"
"...I..." Tong Yuanshan took several deep breaths, then gritted his teeth. "Alright! I will issue the order immediately. Everyone in the Government Office is to head out of the city and evacuate the populace."
"Our manpower alone won't be enough, I'm afraid," Gu Zheng added. "We'll need the City Defense Bureau to act as well. Have all of them go out and help move the people into the city."
"Of course. I'm just afraid that son of a bitch Pang Qian Ding will use this as an opportunity to extort a fortune," Tong Yuanshan said with hatred in his voice.
At this, Gu Zheng frowned and said thoughtfully, "Let him line his pockets for now. Once everyone from outside is safely in the city, we'll make that bastard Pang spit it all back out. As long as people are alive, there's hope. If they die, no amount of money is worth more than a pile of dirt."
"..." Tong Yuanshan's mouth hung open. After a long moment, he cursed, "This goddamn world!"
But cursing wasn't going to stop the course of events.
Moving everyone from outside the walls into the city within three days was a massive undertaking. Even if they used force, some people were bound to be uncooperative.
To the farmers, their fields were their lifeblood. For the County Magistrate's Office to force them into the city now was like demanding they give up their lives.
If there were enough time, Gu Zheng would never have agreed to using force.
However, with the Domain set to open in three days, time was too short to allow for anything else.
In a situation like this, only force could save them.
With a single order from Tong Yuanshan, the entire Government Office sprang into action. Upon learning of the situation, Zhang Hucheng also mobilized.
After giving his report, Gu Zheng immediately ran home to get Gu Sihai moving as well.
Gu Sihai was to notify all the tenant farmers on their lands to move into the city, and the Gu Family would cover all their expenses.
Gu Zheng had even arranged a place for them to stay: they could temporarily take shelter in the family's workshops.
Then, the entire Gu Family, young and old, was to evacuate to the Prefecture City.
One had to prioritize their own.
Gu Zheng himself would stay behind to defend the city, slay Demon Fiends, and earn Demon Points.
But he didn't want any harm to come to his family. Evacuating to the Prefecture City was their escape route. The Gu Family already had a residence there.
Evacuating with them were the families of all his subordinate constables—Han Ming, Tao Qi, Wang Meng, Li Yidao, and the rest.
Gu Zheng went to each of their homes personally. He didn't offer many explanations, simply telling them to pack a few changes of clothes and head for the city gate to rendezvous immediately.
The Gu Family had its own guards, so the large group could set out together. They had to leave, even in the snow.
Although Gu Sihai was confused and had his doubts, he knew that if Gu Zheng said it, it must be something serious.
Likewise, Gu Zheng's actions over the past half-year had earned the trust of the families of Han Ming, Tao Qi, and the others, so they did not hesitate.
Soon, the group was hurrying out of the East City Gate, braving the wind and snow as they headed straight for the Prefecture City.
Meanwhile, Gu Zheng returned to Qingniu Market to find Nangong Yaoyue.
"Miss Nangong, once a Domain opens, how long does it typically last?"
After a pause, Gu Zheng asked another question. "Is there any way to make it close ahead of schedule after it opens?"