Chapter 130: Spectating

Chapter 130: Spectating

Immortality, even the mere possibility of it, drove people mad. Scholars, who were usually known for their calmness, were no exception.

The latest news about Bran had come back, which made the Scholars abandon any ideas of taking things by force or trickery. They decided to reach an agreement with Bran as soon as possible and then immediately block all related information. The fewer people who knew about this, the better.

Bran’s demands were not a problem for the Scholars. In their eyes, it was a quite fair trade. The strength Bran had displayed earned him the qualification to enjoy fairness. Since it was fair, schemes and plots that might disrupt the deal had to be set aside for now. On the premise of fairness, negotiating with Bran became the simplest matter.

What gave the Scholars a headache now was the internal balance. Who would go, and who would not? The radicals and the conservatives still needed coordination. But none of this affected the initial preparations. The allocation of supplies had been arranged, and the books on geography and history that Bran requested had started being copied.

…

Bran sat in Northland City, unaware that he had earned the qualification for fairness. At that moment, he faced Pachu and Tirui expressionlessly, listening to their plea. They begged for Bran’s forgiveness, for his mercy.

A plea… Bran had never pleaded for anything. He had only hoped, hoped for a tiny bit of fairness here, a small chance. Even if he had schemed a little before, it was only trying to gain an advantage within the bounds of fairness. Now someone was pleading with Bran, hoping to get a chance they had never given to others.

“Is that possible?” Bran sneered and asked in return. “Or do you think I am kind and easily bullied, that’s why you come begging for my mercy?

I know your duel rules, the victor is justice. Go back. If you lose wealth, you must have the resolve to accept failure. I hope you can face your identities as losers properly and not let there be a next time.”

Anya and his allies were not used to failure yet; they actually thought they could weasel out through arguing. Unfortunately, this was not their home ground. After their failure, they faced backlash. They were completely isolated in Green’s capital, unable to move a step.

The situation had become clear. Nobles stepped forward one after another, condemning the atrocities and overreach of the Anya People. This time, Bran finally became a positive figure. He was the hero in people’s mouths who feared no brutality and turned the tide. Even the Royal Family stepped forward, expressing their admiration for Bran.

All sorts of goodwill and help began to appear around Bran. Nobles, as friends, sent him tips, telling him about all the despicable acts of the Anya People.

Bran marking Twofold Mountain and Sandstone City as his private property was also silently accepted by everyone. People strongly supported Bran’s sweep of Twofold Mountain and his clearing out of the bandits. When they learned Bran urgently needed manpower, they even started doing slave business with him. Learning that Bran needed grain, they said they would transport grain to Bran’s Territory. Everything was just for the friendship between both sides and the hope that this friendship could last long.

For the first round of gifts sent for friendship, Bran accepted them all without refusal, because he understood these were tokens of allegiance. The real deals would come later; that would be the time when both sides followed the Rules of trade.

Mary was probably the happiest of them all. Now she finally had some air of a head steward. Watching the old warehouses being filled and new warehouses being built, a smile always lit up her face. “The capable do more work,” Bran thought. He temporarily assigned the other few idle Northlanders to her, hoping this would save her from counting the warehouses a few less times…

…

Jonah came to Northland City again and informed Bran that the Scholars had agreed to his demands. This surprised Bran a bit. Were these Scholars all madmen who could already overcome the instinctive desire for survival? Bran didn’t believe it!

Whatever. Since the Scholars weren’t afraid of death, Bran wouldn’t stop them. But necessary precautions had to be in place. He proposed that the Scholars be responsible for building a small Fortress on the road leading to Sandstone City. After it was built, he would arrange for people to garrison it.

Unexpectedly, Jonah agreed without hesitation.

The overly quick reply made Bran feel something was wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what the problem was at the moment. He simply decided not to dwell on it and readily reached a preliminary agreement. After all, this was his turf; he believed nothing could escape his grasp.

Since the other side showed sincerity, Bran also introduced the process of how The Dead came to be, including its randomness. About his own Mana characteristics, Bran said nothing; about the connection between The Dead and himself, Bran didn’t speak either. Such matters involving personal secrets—Bran believed anyone would keep some things to themselves.

The Scholars didn’t expect Bran to disclose everything either. Their initial goal was simply to obtain permission, permission to approach Sandstone City and conduct research on The Dead.

…

After Jonah and Bran reached an agreement, Jonah immediately began bustling about nonstop. He established Camps north and south of Sandstone City, using the reason of preventing The Dead from spreading and ensuring the safety of the area to try and seal the place off.

During the process of setting up the Camps, they made an unexpected discovery. That Scholar who died in Sandstone City appeared in the form of The Dead. Attracted by his companions’ activities, he came near the Camp.

Upon learning this news, Jonah rushed over, trying to communicate with him, but The Dead ignored him completely.

This former nobody, after death, finally received unimaginable attention. All his information was compiled and handed to Jonah. Name — Madi, born in…

So Jonah’s communication attempts began to make progress. He brought Madi’s daughter, a child of about four or five years old, here—a cruel but effective method. Family affection, in many cases, was the most effective means of communication or threat. Through this child, he learned that The Dead still retained most of their memories from when they were alive, but not all.

He immediately sent this message flying back to the City of Wisdom.

…

While Jonah was trying to communicate with The Dead, Bran was also listening to the voices of The Dead. But the Ancient Tree offered his own opinion while Bran was listening: “I don’t like that place.”

This made Bran pause for a moment. “Why?”

“They are too noisy. And, I know you didn’t lie to me; they really did die from sound.”

“You can hear them?”

“Yes. When you were listening, I wanted to know what you were listening to?” The Ancient Tree shook its crown excitedly. “So, I also tried to listen, and finally, I managed to hear them.”

“Is it only because they are too noisy that you dislike them?” Bran pressed further.

“They just make me feel disgusted.”

Bran patted the Ancient Tree, indicating he understood.

…

While Bran secretly observed the Scholars’ actions, the Anya People, who had been left out in the cold, finally recognized the situation. They were willing to pay ransom for themselves and also to redeem the bodies of their companions. But all of this needed time; they hoped Bran would allow them to return to their country to prepare.

This was the attitude Bran wanted. As for other specific matters, he let Earl and Mary deal with them. So he gave the Anya People a break, allowing them to return to their country to prepare. He wasn’t afraid of the Anya People going back on their word; on the contrary, he very much hoped they would. He would eventually go out; he wouldn’t be trapped in Northland City. The more debts owed to him from outside, the better. At the right opportunity, these would be the best excuses.

However, what Bran didn’t expect was that the Anya People, knowing full well they could do nothing to him, turned their target toward the Royal Family of Green. They publicly declared that the Green Royal Family was the root cause of everything and must pay the price. Hearing this news, Bran couldn’t help but burst into loud laughter.