My Great and Benevolent Lord Francis!

Although the specific whereabouts of Phil's mother remained elusive this time, Du Chen was confident that what even Flaying couldn't accomplish, he could easily achieve. Thus, merely obtaining a new clue about Phil's mother was enough to leave him feeling “content.”

Prankstering with Beibei all the way, Du Chen flew back to the inn in the small town. Suddenly, he noticed a large crowd gathered around the inn where he was staying. Judging by their coarse, unadorned linen clothes—far from opulent, in fact, quite humble—it was clear these were commoners. Not a single one could possibly be a noble! Even nobles on a so-called “incognito” tour would wear clean, simple attire, never debasing themselves with plain linen, much less oil-stained clothes!

The commoners surrounded the inn’s entrance. No matter how the innkeeper tried to explain, they refused to disperse.

Had something happened at the inn?

Worried that the Grand Matriarchs, who were thousands of years out of touch with the current era, might have encountered trouble indoors, Du Chen hurriedly flew back to his room! The moment he landed, one of Lily or Lucy suddenly materialized like a phantom, giving Du Chen quite a fright—well, they *were* phantoms after all.

“Francis, what exactly have you done to the commoners here?!”

From the direct and forthright tone, Du Chen recognized this to be Lily, one of the twin Grand Matriarchs. He asked, curious, “Miss Lily, you seem upset? What in the world has happened?”

Lucy also appeared, saying, “Soon after you left, hundreds of commoners surrounded this inn outside. Reportedly, they recognized your family crest on the carriage outside and swore they wouldn’t leave until they saw you!”

Du Chen was utterly bewildered this time, completely at a loss. But seeing the displeased expressions of the two Grand Matriarchs, he somewhat understood what they were thinking.

Commoners blocking an entrance to see a noble was rare but not unheard of. Generally, such situations arose when nobles were cruel in their wealth, exploiting and oppressing commoners until the poor could no longer survive! Only then would people unite, besiege a noble, and demand an explanation!

In short, such an incident easily conjured an image of nobles bullying commoners.

Lily said, “Francis, whatever you’ve done to these commoners, I do not wish to see you oppress them again today. And I believe Brother Sigurd wouldn’t want to see such a scene either!”

Lucy sighed, “Ah, I’ve seen such things before the War of Fallen Gods. But Francis, even if you, as a noble, disdain commoners—!” She raised her voice, “From my experience in war, commoners are the foundation of a nation. Without their hearts, you can’t win a prolonged war—even if you possess a peak Level Nine Battle God like Brook!”

Heavens, was Grand Matriarch Lucy also an expert in the theory of people’s warfare!? Du Chen mused mischievously, but he was genuinely curious as to how he had offended the commoners of Rick Province! The Grand Matriarchs had only just formed an excellent impression of him, and that impression could not be ruined by the commoners outside!

“Esteemed seniors, I believe those commoners might have misunderstood!” Du Chen declared. “By the Battle God above, I swear upon the name of Sigurd, my ancestor, that I have never used my noble status to oppress anyone—absolutely anyone!” He glanced at the sky outside and added, “It’s midnight now; there are only ordinary folk out there. No one will recognize you two. How about you both accompany me outside to see what’s happening? Brook, you stay here and protect Harry and the young lady!”

“Very well! Let’s go out and get to the bottom of this!” Lucy and Lily exchanged a glance, then followed Du Chen out of the room, fearing he might oppress the commoners again!

Inside their minds, a thought blossomed: *Could everything Francis just told us be lies!? Then he’s a complete and utter hypocrite! That would also explain why his father wouldn’t allow him to use the name of a direct descendant of Sigurd to enter the mausoleum for ancestral worship. That damnable pretender, we’ve been fooled by him!*

“Look! Lord Francis is out!”

To Du Chen’s surprise, someone among the commoners recognized him. With that shout, the crowd’s emotions flared, and hundreds of people pushed past the inn’s security to surround Du Chen and his companions.

“My fellow villagers!” Lily cried out, raising her arm. “If you have any grievances, please tell me!”

The villagers’ actions seemed organized. As soon as Lily finished speaking, an old man with white hair and beard, his face aged yet benevolent, stepped forward. He nodded and began, “Esteemed young lady, Fran—”

“Did Francis seize your land?” Lily demanded.

“No!”

“Then did he bully men and women, destroy your homes? Did he even silence witnesses?”

“Please don’t speak nonsense, young lady, allow me to—” The old man grew agitated.

“I understand now, my poor old man, don’t be afraid. Francis must have imposed harsh taxes and levies within his domain, making life impossible for you!” Lily nodded with conviction, then shot Du Chen a fierce glare.

“Ah! Young lady, what are you saying...?” The old man, unable to get a word in, stomped his foot in exasperation. He quickly waved his hand, urging, “Bring out the items!”

“Do you have more evidence of Francis’s crimes? Good!” Lily eyed Du Chen coldly. Even the usually composed Lucy looked extremely displeased, pausing mid-sentence, “Francis, you damnable fellow... No wonder your father expelled you from the family!” Lily was utterly enraged!

Du Chen felt quite “wronged,” for this hypocrite already vaguely guessed the commoners’ true intentions. But the old man felt even more wronged. Seeing Lily continue to pile accusations onto Du Chen, he rushed towards her, seemingly driven mad with anger: “Silence! How dare you slander the noble and benevolent Lord Francis!? I... I...”

“That’s right! She’s slandering the kind Lord Francis, let’s fight her!”

“How could the benevolent Lord Francis ever do what you’re claiming!? How can you speak such nonsense!”

“What did she just say? The benevolent Lord Francis was actually driven out of his home by his own father? Why!?”

“Why do good people never receive good karma...? Gods, what are your wise eyes observing!?”

“Is it because Lord Francis always helps us that he angered his father...? Why must this be?”

“It must be our fault, dragging down the benevolent Lord Francis. We deserve death...! ”

The crowd grew even more agitated! Many burly young men had already surrounded Lily; had she not been a woman, a bloody incident might well have occurred!

Lily was stunned, staring blankly at Du Chen, unsure what to say. Of course, she wasn’t afraid of a few ordinary people without battle qi; she was simply overwhelmed by everything unfolding before her. This situation was truly bizarre! Just then, the items the old man had called for arrived. They weren’t evidence of crimes, but rather a dozen small girls, each holding a small basket filled with fruits, vegetables, and grains.

The old man shot Lily a disdainful and fierce glare, then bowed deeply to Du Chen and, grabbing his hand, spoke emotionally, “Benevolent and wise Lord, one as kind as you may have already forgotten us! But we can never forget you for the rest of our lives!”

“My good sir, please forgive my poor memory, I truly don’t recognize you!” Du Chen feigned “bewilderment” as he replied, a joyful triumph blossoming in his heart!

The old man smiled, “Do you remember the Newin River flood from over half a year ago? At that time, our fellow villagers lost their homes and families, forced to eke out an existence in refugee camps on moldy bread. Yet, those despicable nobles still tried to seize the disaster relief funds the Empire sent us... Alas, if not for your timely provision of funds to rebuild our homes and your guidance on how to survive, our villagers would not be where we are today!”

The little girls, carrying their small baskets, walked up to Du Chen and raised them high above their heads. “Kind Lord, we hundreds of people traveled all the way from the New Town ten li away. We are all fellow villagers who survived that great flood thanks to your benevolence. Though these items are not valuable, they were all grown using the seeds and tools you bestowed upon us. Please, you must accept them!”

Du Chen smiled, “My good sir, this gift... I accept it! I thank you all. So your rebuilt New Town is just ten li away. Had I known, I should have visited my fellow villagers!”

“Lord, along the eight hundred li stretch of the Newin River downstream, there are New Towns you sponsored for reconstruction. We are merely one of them!”

Du Chen was startled. While he had somewhat grasped the origins of these people, New Towns spanning eight hundred li along the riverbanks—how many gold coins would that take!? He had only given ten thousand gold coins back then!

“Could the Lotus Charitable Foundation have done this? But does a charitable foundation possess such immense power?” Du Chen mused inwardly.

The old man smiled, “Benevolent Lord, you indeed gave us ten thousand gold coins. But at the same time, you also made us understand that if we didn’t want to wait for death, if we wanted to live, we had to save ourselves, to rely on our own efforts to survive! Back then, using the money and tools you bestowed upon us, we rebuilt a small town, a beacon of hope for survival. Following that, the villagers who had regained their homes began to help other disaster victims... Your teachings spread along the eight hundred li stretch of the Newin River downstream. Following your guidance, the villagers quickly helped each other to self-rescue, building countless small towns, countless hopes... Lord, you not only allowed us to live but also taught us how to live, how to live better. We are eternally grateful to you, my great and wise Lord!”

*The empty platitudes he’d spouted offhand back then actually proved so useful!?* Du Chen scratched his head awkwardly, his “approachable public image” instantly etched into the villagers’ minds once more.

The old man, filled with apprehension, said, “Lord, I just heard that you were expelled from your family... How can this be? How can such a kind-hearted person as you be expelled from your home!? You...”

The old man didn’t continue under Du Chen’s humble interjections. Instead, his resolute gaze seemed to have made a profound decision!

Lily sheepishly retreated to Lucy’s side, glancing furtively at the scene before her in shame. They quietly returned to the inn, their hearts filled with deep remorse. *So we completely misunderstood Francis,* they thought. *Alas, who would’ve thought he not only had a pitiable background but also an almost perfect character—no, simply perfect! Such a person was exceedingly rare, even during the War of Fallen Gods era!*

*Perhaps his strength wasn’t on par with the generals of yesteryear,* they mused, *but his moral character far surpassed that of many Fallen Gods’ generals. No wonder a peak Level Nine Battle God like Brook willingly obeyed Francis—if he had been born in the pre-War of Fallen Gods era, when feudal lords abounded, he would surely have recruited countless elite battle commanders!*

Du Chen stole a glance at the expressions of Lucy and Lily, thinking, *Grand Matriarchs, you must be touched, right!? Who would’ve thought that a charitable act, done purely to make the Precious Lotus Scripture bloom, would lead to such a glorious scene today? As long as I’m a bit more careful in the future, the Grand Matriarchs won’t resist staying by my side—the Grand Matriarch recruitment plan is going very smoothly indeed!*

All night long, Du Chen remained busy outside the inn. Former disaster victims from nearby towns continuously arrived after hearing the news, personally thanking Du Chen. Even local officials were alarmed by the commotion.

Although Francis had been implicitly expelled from his family, he was still a student of Battle God Academy and as close as kin to Steve, the eldest son of Saint Kaine! Such a promising individual, now showcasing such powerful popular support, surely meant Francis’s future career would soar like a dragon!

Based on this reasoning, local officials treated Du Chen, this humble Lord, with the utmost deference. They even specially cleared out the official residence for him to host the enthusiastic commoners.

Three days later, the villagers finally dispersed after Du Chen’s relentless persuasion.

“Ugh! Being a good person is hard work! I’m exhausted!” Du Chen flopped onto the inn bed and said languidly, “Harry, pack up our things. We’re leaving tomorrow. Who’d have thought we’d be delayed here for three days!”

“Indeed, the villagers were too enthusiastic! But, this is all the glory you, our benevolent master, deserve!” Harry was beaming with excitement. In these few days, as Lord Francis’s Head Butler, he had received unimaginable respect from the Shieb. Now, Harry had only one thought: following such a master promised a brilliant future!

But Beibei wasn’t so happy. Pouting, she mumbled from the head of Du Chen’s bed, “Beibei was ‘molested’ by so many, so many people! They said Beibei was cute and all came to kiss Beibei...”

Du Chen burst into laughter, pinching his daughter’s nose. “How old are you, still afraid of being ‘molested’?” he teased. “Ha, the villagers just like you, Miss Belmonde Saint Sigurd Kaine!”

Beibei then grinned mischievously, “But Beibei got lots and lots of presents! I like them!”

It was the blazing heat of high noon. The Grand Matriarchs were resting within the Precious Lotus Scripture. Deboning, disliking bustling scenes, had remained hidden in the room for three days. Du Chen stretched lazily, then flopped onto the bed to examine the gifts he’d received with his daughter.

Suddenly!

Harry, the Shieb servant standing by, suddenly widened his eyes, trembling as he said, “Master, the scent of the ‘little fish’! Harry smells the ‘little fish’!”

“Fish? Do you want to eat fish?” Du Chen quipped.

“No, Master, didn’t you intentionally let an assassin go a few days ago? He’s back!”

Du Chen abruptly rolled over and sat up on the bed, rubbing his nose. Just then, a knock sounded from outside, “Esteemed Lord Francis, two guests wish to call upon you!” It was the innkeeper’s voice.

*Well, well! Failed assassination, now they’re coming at me openly!*

Du Chen placed Beibei into Harry’s arms and whispered instructions, “Harry, pretend you know nothing, understand!? If your Shieb courage can’t manage that, then open the door and pretend you have something urgent to do outside. Also, tell Deboning to protect Beibei well!”

Harry, not daring to remain in the room, hastily headed out after opening the door. He even feigned busyness, muttering, “Yes, Harry remembers your orders. First, a bath for the young lady, then to repair the carriage...”

The innkeeper left after showing the guests in. The two remaining “guests” consisted of a burly man around forty, clad in dark blue soft armor, a black cloak draped over his back, and a disc-shaped sacred artifact hanging from his waist. He had short red hair and a rustic appearance, though his face was somewhat pale, as if recovering from a severe illness.

The other individual wore black robes, had golden hair and blue eyes, appeared to be in his twenties, and with his tall, well-proportioned figure, was clearly a dashingly handsome man. Yet, for some reason, Du Chen always sensed a sinister aura in the handsome man’s eyes—a deeply unsettling wickedness!

Harry met their gaze, cracked a grin, then lowered his head and walked past the burly man—he was signaling Du Chen that this burly man was the “little fish” Master had let go!

“Are you Lord Francis? Please forgive my presumption!” The handsome man bowed slightly and smiled, “I am Divine Grant Earl Brockman, and this is my attendant, Sinos, a Level Seven Battle God and Force Warrior!”

*Here they are. Lord Brockman from that mysterious organization, here to ‘reclaim’ ‘Number Six’.*