Journey to the West: Life Simulation of Sun Wukong

Coarse within the fine, rigid yet supple.

Such a man, turned bandit,

would be a waste of talent.

For a time, Su Jie's classmates listened to his reasoning and seemed to reflect on it.

Clearly, Zhang Muzhi was the true underdog here.

And the real start of the lesson should take place at the location where Zhang Muzhi was to assume office—Goose City!

Following Zhang Muzhi and others to Goose City, Su Jie and his companions immediately saw a group welcoming Zhang Muzhi and the others outside with dancing and singing.

On the city gate wall, a few portraits were posted, resembling Zhu Yuanzhang.

It was a wanted poster, and the subject was Zhang Mazai, Zhang Muzhi.

Chen Tian Yuzi looked at the portraits, then back at Zhang Muzhi, filled with question marks: "Is this the same person?"

This painting was too abstract!

Recognizing him would be strange!

At the city gate, the local powers had someone bring a sedan chair with a hat inside, intending to intimidate the new county magistrate as he took office.

"Local tycoons," said Su Jie. "In these chaotic times, although a magistrate is a magistrate, the real power in the city still lies in the hands of the tycoons."

Zhao Xinglong nodded, "Yes, even in the external reality, it was much the same a dozen years ago."

Zhang Muzhi's response was quite open-minded.

He completely ignored the sedan chair and the two people beside it, instead placing the hat from the sedan on top of a horse, boldly entered the city, then staged a scene with a few corpses hired by Ma Bangde, pretending they were bandits and had them shot, thereby establishing his authority.

At that moment, standing on the fort's balcony, Goose City's top figure, Huang, who was also watching Zhang Muzhi through a telescope, suddenly saw Zhang Muzhi raising his hand pointing at him, and jumped in surprise.

"Such bravado!"

"Seeking death!"

Clearly, Huang had already taken a disliking to Zhang Muzhi.

Subsequently, Zhang Muzhi, upon entering the county magistrate's office, ordered the drumming area to be cleared, aiming to preside over justice for the town.

Then, arranged by Huang, a martial scholar came forward, accusing a simple yet slightly sleazy, skinny middle-aged man who sold jelly desserts.

Afterward, Zhang Muzhi proceeded to punish this martial scholar.

"Zhang Muzhi is not only a bandit but also possesses a heart of justice," Chen Tian Yuzi clapped her tiny hands. "He's a hero."

"He's no hero, but simply a reflection of someone with convictions in this era," Zhang Manman seemed to understand the thoughts of her distant ancestor. ThereferenceversionofthischapterisonM*V*LEMPYR.

At this point, Ma Bangde appeared to have grasped the situation, summoned Zhang Muzhi, and exclaimed, "We're too late. The previous magistrates have set Goose City's taxes up until ninety years later, which is bloody 2010, we've come to the wrong place."

After entering, Zhang Muzhi placed his hat on a side desk and said, "I actually find this place quite decent."

Ma Bangde responded with a resigned smile, "The people are impoverished, there's no profit to be squeezed from them."

Zhang Muzhi glanced at Ma Bangde, his tone slightly stern, "Laozi never intended to extort money from the poor."

Ma Bangde, astonished, "If not from the poor, whose money will you collect!?"

Zhang Muzhi: "Whomever has money, that's whose money I'll collect!"

Ma Bangde, helplessly, "Have you ever been a county magistrate before?"

Zhang Muzhi shook his head: "No."

Ma Bangde earnestly explained, "I'll tell you. When a magistrate takes office, he needs to cleverly set up pretexts to win over the gentry, gather taxes and donations. Once they pay, this will lead the common people to also pay. After collecting money, the money from the gentry should be fully returned. The money from the common people is split thirty to seventy."

Zhang Muzhi dissatisfied, "Why only seventy percent?"

Ma Bangde scoffed and slowly said, "Seventy percent belongs to others, and getting thirty percent still depends on Huang's mood."

"Whose mood?"

Zhang Muzhi's tone intensified again, already showing signs of anger.

Pointing at the hat Huang had sent on the day he assumed office as mayor, Ma Bangde said, "His."

Zhang Muzhi slid the hat across the table to his side and asked, "Him? I came all this way just to cater to his mood?"

Zhao Xinglong temporarily paused the continuation of the virtual realm and began to explain, "This is the characteristic of this chaotic era, with ongoing conflicts everywhere, cities controlled by landlords and gentry, and officials can only survive and even make money by cooperating with them."

"Moreover, the previous mayors were also corrupt, colluding with the gentry to exploit the people, cutting them down like leeks, one batch after another."

"If Zhang Muzhi really wanted to make money, he could have heartlessly taken it from the people of Goose City, but he did not do so."

"Because he is a steadfast revolutionary," Su Jie said slowly, observing Zhang Muzhi's next move, "he will not compromise with power."

"Or rather, he will not compromise with capital."

"Such people are always lonely."

Zhao Xinglong looked deeply at Su Jie, thinking to himself: Su Jie's vitality had not only risen to levels beyond my imagination, but his spirit had also reached an immense height, able to view issues from a class perspective.

"Indeed, as Su Jie said, this Zhang Muzhi is thoroughly a—"

"Revolutionary!"

"Moreover, this is also evident in his mentoring of his comrades' son."

The pause in the virtual realm was canceled by Zhao Xinglong, and everything continued.

······Behind the martial candidate was Huang, and Zhang Muzhi punishing the candidate was tantamount to slapping Huang's face, leading to the shocking scene for the students that followed—the mung bean noodle incident.

That young boy actually split open his own stomach for a bowl of mung bean noodles, leading to his death in the Netherworld.

Is it foolish?

Is it silly?

Is it naive?

Or is it because of something else?

But regardless, everyone was shocked by it.

At least, the act of disembowelment was a kind of "courage," though many people put the word "courage" in quotes in their hearts.

To make such a fuss over a bowl of mung bean noodles is something unimaginable for ordinary people.

Just for a bowl of mung bean noodles!

Is it worth it?

"This is not just about a bowl of mung bean noodles," Zhao Xinglong's eyes lowered, it is a commitment, he was being groomed as a successor by Zhang Muzhi, "you can discuss who in this farce exceeded your expectations?"

"The martial candidate," someone raised their hand, "he actually spoke for the boy, yet he is clearly one of Huang's men, which is very abnormal."

"Those who were watching the drama, they also acted very abnormally."

Another person spoke up, "I think they were all bribed by Huang, after all, the eyes of the masses are clear, they couldn't possibly not know that the boy didn't owe any money."

"The one selling the mung bean noodles as well."

"Also, holding the trial in the Teahouse Hall was very unusual, shouldn't it be inside the county hall?"

The crowd discussed fervently, citing the irrationalities they had noticed.

But Zhao Xinglong slowly shook his head and said, "In this era, such performances by them are the only reasonable ones······"