I Become a Martial Arts God in the Chaotic Demon World

Chief Clerk Lin desperately wanted to curse out loud.

What Han Zheng said was utterly nonsensical!

Did he not know that if the common folk had food, they wouldn't cause trouble?

But the question was, where could one find food at this time?

Initially, Black Stone County hadn't much grain to begin with, and the situation only worsened after the blockade of the county town.

"Our granaries in Black Stone County had been empty for a long time. If there were grain, the undersigned wouldn't just watch the common folk start a commotion."

Han Zheng sneered, "The granaries may be empty, but the grain stores are not. Some people, even now, are still trying to hoard grain to make a fortune, truly ignorant of life and death."

Chief Clerk Lin was taken aback, "Are you suggesting the Guo Family? But we don't have any right to force them to open their granaries and distribute grain, they bought it with real silver after all."

Han Zheng looked at Chief Clerk Lin with a half-smile, "At a time like this, Chief Clerk Lin, are you still thinking about following the rules? When the common folk actually start rioting, do you think they will listen to your reasoning?"

Chief Clerk Lin shuddered violently, able to imagine himself being torn apart by a mob of angry people.

He quickly said, "Let's do as you say, Mr. Han."

"Better you perish than me."

The Guo Family was too wealthy; so rich that killing them could feed the entirety of Black Stone County.

But the Guo Family was also too stingy, so stingy that the people of Black Stone County were starving, and they still tightly controlled the grain they held.

Although Chief Clerk Lin had a fairly good relationship with Guo Kai, at times like these, he chose self-preservation first.

"Call up the patrolling soldiers, let's head directly to the Guo Family's grain store."

...

Outside the Guo Family's grain store in West City stood several robust guards.

The sign on the door listed the day's grain prices; rice was as high as five taels of silver per jin, and even rye flour cost one tael of silver—a sky-high price indeed.

Yet, those families with some savings in Black Stone County had no choice but to pinch their noses and deplete their savings to buy grain.

Some tried to reason, but the guards inside the grain store were not interested in reasoning.

The Guo Family was lucky in its own way.

Originally, the Smell Fragrance Sect entered the city under the guise of the Guo Family's merchant convoy, and Guo Mingyuan and his team were taken hostage by the sect.

But at that time, the sect wasn't sure if they might need them later, so they didn't kill them; they simply locked them in the granary and set fire to the Guo Family mansion.

After the unrest with the Smell Fragrance Sect subsided, the fear Guo Mingyuan and his father experienced was minimal.

Compared to other merchants who were slaughtered by the sect's followers, their luck had been quite good.

And though the Guo Family mansion was burnt down, they could absolutely recoup their losses with this round.

Since their homes were not burnt down, Guo Kai and Guo Mingyuan, son and father, were stationed inside the grain store.

A seventy-year-old shopkeeper walked in and said, "Boss, more and more people are gathering outside, and many are calling for us to lower our prices. I'm afraid maintaining such high prices might lead to trouble; maybe we should symbolically lower them a bit."

Guo Kai glared, "Lower the prices? Right now, this grain is more valuable than gold. It's good enough that we haven't raised the prices further, and you want me to lower them? That's wishful thinking! Don't worry about unrest. Do you think those guards I pay in real silver and feed rice every day are here for nothing?"

With that, Guo Kai walked out of the grain store and, pointing at the people outside clamoring for lower prices, he snorted coldly:

"I paid real silver for this grain; why should I reduce the prices? You have the strength to shout, so you must not be that hungry! If you don't have money for grain, go dig up wild vegetables or chew on tree bark. Can shouting here conjure up grain? Everyone, get lost! Don't interfere with my business!"

Guo Mingyuan, even more arrogant than his father, picked up a stick and told the guards, "If these troublemakers dare to yell again, break their legs!"

When Han Zheng arrived with his men, what he saw was this arrogant display by Guo Kai and his son, and it almost made Han Zheng burst into laughter.

Was Guo Kai stupid? Guo Mingyuan might be a better contender for stupidity, but Guo Kai was certainly not.

If he were foolish, he wouldn't have been able to expand the Guo Family's grain store to such a grand scale.

You must know that before the unrest with the Smell Fragrance Sect started, the Guo Family was the largest grain merchant in the county town, bar none.

A man capable of expanding his business to such a degree could hardly be a fool.

After the Smell Fragrance Sect unrest, Guo Kai took advantage of several opportunities to continuously inflate the grain prices, hoarding grain and not selling it, and using various extreme tactics to make the Guo Family the richest in Black Stone County.

Guo Kai wasn't stupid; he was just greedy.

With an opportunity to make money right before his eyes, he knew that stepping further was an abyss, yet he dared to step over it.

He didn't believe he was standing at the edge of an abyss.

"Mr. Guo really throws his weight around, doesn't he? While the whole town's people are starving, you and your son indulge in feasts, yet you suggest everyone else eat wild vegetables and tree bark. I think you truly don't know the meaning of the word 'death.'"

Han Zheng walked out of the crowd with Chief Clerk Lin.

Seeing Han Zheng, Guo Kai's expression immediately changed.

Although he wasn't a martial artist, he had become a prominent figure in Black Stone County, knowing that Han Zheng had teamed up with Zhang Tianyang and had even been recruited into the Demon Cleansing Bureau.

Previously, Han Zheng had just been a martial arts academy apprentice, but now his status was a bit more complicated.

Beside him, Guo Mingyuan glared at Han Zheng, snorting coldly, "What do you mean, Han Zheng? It's their own fault if they are starving. The Guo Family can sell our grain for whatever price we choose. Do you have a problem with that?"

Guo Mingyuan's face was full of jealousy, even more so than when he had envied Song Tianqing and Lin Qing at the Moon Drinking Pavilion!

After all, Song Tianqing and Lin Qing had status and background, and joining the Cang Mountain Sword Sect was acceptable.

How did Han Zheng also qualify to join the Demon Cleansing Bureau?

Among the disciples lined up at the front of Zhenwei Martial Arts Academy, it seemed only he was useless, unaccepted by any factions.

Of course, there was also Chen Zhao, but Guo Mingyuan had already subconsciously excluded him.

Han Zheng responded indifferently, "Of course I have a problem. I don't care if the Guo Family hoards grain, but your collusion with the Smell Fragrance Sect is your crime."

"I'm not! I didn't! You're talking nonsense!"

Guo Kai's face changed drastically, "When did the Guo Family ever collude with the Smell Fragrance Sect? Show me proof!"

A sinister smile appeared on Han Zheng's lips, "I said you colluded, and so you have!"

"You're framing and taking personal revenge!"

Enraged, Guo Mingyuan charged at Han Zheng with a stick.

Previously, when Guo Mingyuan had fought with Han Zheng, it took several moves from Han Zheng to defeat him.

Now, Guo Mingyuan was almost no match for Han Zheng.

With one move, Han Zheng shattered the wooden stick in Guo Mingyuan's hand, grabbed Guo Mingyuan by the neck, and tilted his head for a look.

Guo Mingyuan instinctively began to curse, but Han Zheng tightened his grip suddenly, and with a crack, instantly crushed Guo Mingyuan's neck!

"My son! My son!"

Guo Kai's eyes instantly reddened.

Why had he labored for so many years to earn money? Wasn't it to make something of his son?

Eventually, the Guo Family would not just be a business but a martial arts family like the Song Family and the Shen Family!

Now, his dream was completely ruined by Han Zheng.

"Kill him! Kill him for me! I'll give you a thousand silver! Ten thousand silver!"

Guo Kai screamed frantically.

Han Zheng walked towards Guo Kai, and though some guards were tempted and rushed at him with knives,

a light sound of a blade rang out, and the onlookers could only see a slight movement of Han Zheng's hand before the guard was cleaved in two.

Blood and organs spurted out immediately.

Seeing this horrific scene, someone screamed instinctively, and the other guards backed away in terror.

Han Zheng picked up the corpulent Guo Kai like a chicken and threw him into the crowd of starving people.

"Guo Kai colluded with the Smell Fragrance Sect, hoarding grain and attempting to cause chaos in the town, stirring up a revolt, a crime that must be punished!

He's dead, grain will be sold at fair prices immediately!"

Hearing this, the surrounding people's eyes turned red, and they furiously pounced on him.

Their fists and feet weren't enough; some even started biting.

Guo Kai had made them chew bark, so now they devoured Guo Kai!

This scene sent shivers down Chief Clerk Lin's spine.

Han Zheng patted him on the shoulder, "I said solving problems could be simple, right? Just kill a few people, and it's done.You take over from here and figure out how to sell the grain at a fair price without causing a frenzy. You know how to handle this much better than I do. Don't get greedy at times like this; it really could cost lives, just look at Guo Kai.

Further incitement of revolt, and you all will end up like Guo Kai."

Chief Clerk Lin hurriedly responded, "I wouldn't dare! Absolutely not!"

Han Zheng turned back towards the County Government, but as soon as he stepped in, he saw the Family Head of the Shen Family, Shen Chengshan, standing outside Zhang Tianyang's door.

Han Zheng then remembered that Shen Conghai was still locked up in the dungeon.