In the afternoon negotiation hall, the atmosphere was so thick with tension it seemed to choke, yet some individuals even wore relaxed expressions.

The head of the conscription office sat with his legs crossed, his fingertips tapping leisurely on the table. Gazing at the group of villagers across from him, whose faces were ashen and murmuring lowly, a smug grin curled his lips.

The Chamber of Commerce representatives and a few officials were entirely at ease, chatting and laughing with each other.

Nuoneike sat close to the big shots, but he was mentally unsettled, as restless as sitting on pins and needles.

He always felt the Fogfolk were up to something.

“Alright, break’s over! ” An official tapped the table. “Regarding the land ownership dispute over Qiaoshi Fort, village representatives, do you have any new evidence to submit or statements to make? If not, we will draft the final report for the division headquarters based on the existing materials. “

“We… this land isn’t yours anyway. It’s private noble territory—you have no right to survey it! “

“Hmph, I knew you wouldn’t give up until you saw the coffin. “

A lawyer lifted his chin and produced a piece of aged paper, which at first glance looked like a land deed from decades ago.

And just as he raised his hand…

Bang!

The heavy warehouse door was slammed open! A travel-worn man, dressed in the uniform of a lease-land postal worker, rushed in, tightly clutching a long cylinder wrapped in thick greased cloth.

Everyone’s eyes locked onto his uniform—and his rounded ears.

He was a Fog Person!

“Urgent mail! ” the postman announced in a booming voice, his eyes scanning the crowd before landing on Yang Zicang’s face. “Mr. Yang, an express parcel from the Chebin Archipelago! “

He then looked at the two factions present and the long table between them, “Ah-ha, did I happen to stumble upon something interesting? “

“Thank you, courier my friend; you truly are a good friend of mine. “

The ever-calm expression in Yang Zicang’s eyes finally lit up. He stood up and walked unhurriedly over to sign for the delivery.

All eyes focused on him.

The lawyer holding the deed flinched and quickly stuffed it into his bag. A Fog Person had been here all along!

He realized the situation — this whole affair was likely far more complicated than the Garrison simply asking the Fogfolk to help paste up seal strips!

Amid the astonished gazes of the Minister and Department Chiefs, the Fogfolk, who had seemed to do nothing at all for the past two days, tore open an oilcloth. From inside, he pulled out a sheet of yellowed old newspaper, imbued with a thick sense of history.

“F-Fogfolk, what are you doing? ” Kangde asked, sensing something was wrong.

Yang Zicang strode straight to the central position at the negotiation table, ignoring the troubled and suspicious looks from the officials and nobles.

Nuoneike swallowed heavily. The postman found an empty seat and sat down, looking on as if to watch the show; he realized he might be part of a “Prelude to Glory ” event — what incredible luck!

In the silence of the crowd, Yang Zicang spread the newspaper across the table’s surface. It was theHorne Guardian News, dated the 27th of April, 365. The brittle paper crackled loudly, the sound clearly audible. He spotted the announcement that She Liqi had shown him, occupying a sizable portion of the page, and began to read:

“The Official Announcement of the Hawthorne Family Pertaining to the Permanent Severance of Bloodline Relations and the Forfeiture of Territorial Inheritance Rights with the Siris Family of Bridge Stone Castle. “

He paused, letting his gaze sweep past Kangde, whose face had suddenly paled; the Department Minister of Conscription, whose smile had frozen on his lips; and Hurst and the others, who had straightened up in their seats. He then continued reading:

“…In light of the conduct of members of the Siris family, which has gravely tarnished the glory of the House of Hollinsberg’s Red Spirit and betrayed the founding purpose of the ancestral land grant… From the issuance of this announcement onward, the blood ties between the House of Hollinsberg and the Siris family of Kestral Keep are permanently severed, with no further relations involved. All rights to the Kestral Keep territory and its affiliated privileges granted by our House to the Siris family are hereby lawfully revoked. So declared. “

Yang Zicang finished reading and, with a crispslam, lightly placed the newspaper—bearing over sixty years of accumulated dust and a decisive ruling—at the direct center of the negotiating table, pressing it down atop all those supposedly “legal procedures. “

Dead silence.

A profound, hushed stillness blanketed the entire warehouse.

The influential figures, who had only moments ago seemed so pleased and confident, had the color drained from their faces in an instant, as if slapped by the words on that newspaper page.

“Lawful… revocation? “

“I think the greatest law here is Archduke Hohn I’s grant to the Hollinsberg family, ” Yang Zicang said with a faint smirk as he swept his gaze over everyone present. “Am I right? “

The finger of the Conscription Office Director rose and then froze mid-air.

The smiles on the faces of several merchants vanished utterly, their eyes filled with disbelief and a barely perceptible trace of panic.

Cord was even worse, his face ashen with despair. Nuonek, sitting right beside this director, instinctively turned his head away—he had finally understood what the Fogman was up to.

A nameless person selling the deed to Kestral Keep? As if that could ever compete with the territorial divisions decreed by Grand Duke Hohn!

They absolutely must not let the director know that this entire matter was originally something the Fogfolk suggested to me…

“Th-this… this is impossible! ” Kangde abruptly stood up.

The conscription director had already rushed over to grab the newspaper. “A forgery! It must be a forgery! “

“A forgery? ” Yang Zicang smiled faintly as he intercepted Kangde’s hand, his eyes sharp and laced with a cool grin. _”This archived original of theHorn Guardian Gazettefrom sixty-three years ago can withstand any paper or printing technology appraisal. Moreover, this newspaperwon’t just be circulated in one copy, gentlemen. I believe you could retrieve at least a stack full of the same paper from that year from your own archive room. Can you not?

The directors were choked speechless.

“Wow! “

“Gods above! The miraculous Fogfolk! “

Meanwhile, the crestfallen villagers remained stunned for many moments before, at last, they finally grasped what had just unfolded!

“Surveyor, sir! I never expected you would produce such evidence! ” A young boy cheered.

They scrambled up and surged forward, “We’re saved! Our land is saved! “

“You—you! ” the director of the Territory Bureau trembled, shaking his finger accusatorially as he pointed at Yang Zicang.

“Fog-folk! We demanded you to request Fogfolk tenants to send someone to assist in clearing house counts. How dare you defy our directive! That act of yours is a wholly reckless and faithless deed! From now on, who will ever dare hire you to work again? I will expose your vile conduct in the newspaper! “

“Yes! Fog person, you will regret this! ” A merchant howled in anger. “I will have your misdeeds spread throughout the city. From now on, everyone will know there’s a Fog man named Yang Buchen who breaks his word! You damned bastard, secretly pulling a stunt like this here! “

Yang Zicang took out the document about the Fog folk’s land lease sent by the division headquarters and pointed his finger at the text on it.

“Gentlemen, the task I took on is clearly and plainly written here in black and white—’appease the villagers, prevent the conflict from escalating.’ Do you recognize these words? “

“You, you you! You bastard! “

He spread his hands and shrugged, then turned the command’s letter halfway to show it. The villagers cheered, while the opposing lawyers exchanged glances. One lawyer muttered, “Judging from the task objective… he… is indeed avoiding conflict escalation…“

Several lawyers looked at the representative of Hirst Detective Agency across from them—the man from that firm’s side positively beaming—and wiped the cold sweat from their brows.

Just then, the warehouse door was pushed open again.

Cole led a group of villagers in, headed by Fusi and others from that little courtyard at noon. Their faces no longer bore the dejection and rage of the noon hour; instead, they wore an unprecedented resoluteness, a composed excitement like that of masters taking possession.

In their hands they clutched a newly drafted document sheet. Cole announced in a clear voice:

“Honorable officials and esteemed representatives. Pursuant to the collective will of our Qiao Shi Village residents, and grounded in the fact that we have lived on this land for generations, we hereby announce the formal establishment of the ‘Qiao Shi Village Residents’ Self-Governance Committee’ as of today! “

“What?! “

The department heads, still engrossed in the newspaper statement, thought they were hallucinating; the mailman who had been watching the spectacle nearly jumped out of his seat.

-｛Distributor May Valkyrie gave me a “Favorable Review. “｝

Cole took out a simple document bearing more than a dozen fresh red handprints, and even a few crooked signatures, and solemnly placed it on the negotiating table.

“I, Cole, have been elected as the temporary convener of the Self-Governance Committee. From this day forth, all public affairs and land management, dispute mediation, and external negotiations concerning Qiao Shi Village will be entirely handled by the ‘Residents’ Self-Governance Committee’! “

“This is treason! You deserve a good thrashing! “

Cole straightened his back:

“This land is granted by the Duke to the Hawthorne family. We are merely engaging in self-management on this land that they are unwilling to manage. Be it a trade union or a chamber of commerce, they are legal entities, and this mutual-aid public welfare organization of ours is not against the law either. “

Several stunned lawyers turned their heads and murmured among themselves.

The villagers drew closer to Cole and his people.

“With regard to your intention to forcibly requisition the land of Qiaoshi Village and encroach upon the villagers’ homes and property, since the inception of this Autonomous Committee, we shall formally lodge a stern protest! We reserve the right to hire lawyers to pursue all legal responsibilities. Any so-called development, expropriation, or sale without the consent of the Autonomous Committee shall be deemed an invasion of our homeland and a theft of the interests of all villagers!“

The boy Fusi’s face flushed red with excitement as he gathered the courage to shout, “Our land! Our home! We have the final say—they have owners!“

The villagers were momentarily stunned, but after hearing whispered explanations from the rear, they became increasingly impassioned:

“That’s right, we have the final say!“

“I’m voting right now! Let Ke’er be the first committee chairman!“

“I agree!“

“No objections!“

The entire negotiating hall exploded into chaos.

Officials exchanged blank glances; representatives from the Chamber of Commerce whispered among themselves, their faces etched with shock and bewilderment. The Chief of the Police Department grimly consulted the legal team, only to find these experts unanimously shaking their heads, admitting that the opposing side’s actions were not illegal. He drew a deep breath, snorted, and scooped up his coat before striding out.

The remaining attendees, like beaten cocks, slunk away disheveled under the escort of lawyers and attendants. Nike was essentially half-dragged out by his entourage.

Yang Zicang gently patted the shoulder of an excited old man beside him. The man, caught up in his fervor, merely nodded at the Fogfolk man before eagerly rushing off to inquire about the autonomous committee. None of the villagers here, now aroused by their excitement, had time to pay attention to the Fogfolk man.

Yang Zicang quietly turned around and began gathering his belongings, including the vital original newspaper and the records the investigation company had made over the past two days.

Though momentarily ignored by the villagers enthusiastically signing their names, seeing the resolute light burning in their eyes, a genuinely relaxed and approving smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Beside Cole, who was surrounded, Fu Si spotted his movement from the crowd’s center and desperately tried to push through.

Yang Zicang gave a slight shake of his head, passing him a look that said,“It’s up to you now,“then picked up his cloth bag and strode calmly through the cheering crowd, heading toward the dusk outside the warehouse gate.