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Chapter 181: The Fourth Stratagem, Alarm Drums, City-Wide Panic

"Boom, boom, boom, boom!" Suddenly, a series of drumbeats sounded from the southern part of the city.

Today was the city lord election, and Wushuang City\'s four gates were closed. The alarm would only sound if there was an urgent situation outside.

As soon as the alarm sounded, the entire Wushuang City fell silent. The seventy-two commercial districts quieted down, and everyone turned to look towards the south. An alarm? Why now? Was it the army of the Dayu Dynasty?

Everyone stared intently at the south, and many began to slowly rise into the air. Even in the no-fly commercial districts, people took to the skies.

While everyone was holding their breath, the drumbeats stopped. Then, the voice of a city guard was heard.

"The south gate was attacked by an unidentified beast due to no one being on guard outside. It was a lone beast. The beast has now left; there is no need to worry."

Hearing this, everyone sighed in relief. It turned out to be just a small beast and not the army of the Dayu Dynasty.

But if it was just a small beast this time, what about next time? What if it hadn\'t been a beast but the army of the Dayu Dynasty? Everyone\'s heart sank.

"Support Lord Shui, defend Wushuang City!" Someone shouted again.

"Support Lord Shui, defend Wushuang City!"

The chanting resumed, even louder and more fervent after the alarm.

The citizens of Wushuang City were boiling with fervor, shouting their support for Lord Shui.

"Support Lord Mo!" A sudden voice shouted from the crowd.

This was one of Mo Baili\'s campaigners, a hired supporter.

"Bah!" Someone spat at him.

"Boom, boom, boom..." Instantly, the area where that person stood was enveloped in smoke, filled with explosions. When the smoke cleared, the man was lying on the ground, covered in wounds, his clothes tattered, twitching and unable to get up.

Mo Yanbing stood in a daze, listening to the chants outside, his face blank. Was there no way out?

Similarly, Mo Baili, standing with his officials on the large tiger, watched the citizens chanting "Support Lord Shui, defend Wushuang City!" Seeing the cold glares from the masses, Mo Baili knew that the road ahead was blocked. His heart turned cold, and without a word, he rushed towards the city lord\'s mansion. Campaigning was hopeless now.

In the southern district, inside a secret room of the Southern City Department.

Shui Tianya had the arrow removed from his chest and applied some medicine. He looked refreshed. Shui Wuhen stood beside him, filled with excitement.

"Father, how did I do?" Shui Wuhen asked.

"No problem at all. With the strategist\'s plan, it\'s hard for me not to become the city lord. You\'ve done well, Wuhen," Shui Tianya replied.

At this moment, a victorious smile appeared on Shui Tianya\'s face. The fourth stratagem, the alarm drums, had successfully incited city-wide panic, turning the citizens\' anxiety about Wushuang City\'s future into overwhelming support for him.

"Thank you, Father. I just did what needed to be done," Shui Wuhen said modestly.

"Wuhen, you did very well. Now we just need to wait for the results," Shui Tianya said, satisfied.

"Yes, I understand," Shui Wuhen nodded.

At this moment, both father and son felt a sense of certainty that the position of city lord was firmly within their grasp.

"Yes, Father," Shui Wuhen responded promptly.

"In the future, no matter the situation, never stand in opposition to your junior brother," Shui Tianya advised.

"Huh?" Shui Wuhen asked, puzzled.

"Your junior brother, Mr. Zhong Shan, is too formidable. No matter what stance he takes in the future, never stand against him," Shui Tianya reiterated.

"Yes, Father," Shui Wuhen nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, let\'s wait. Since you said it\'s at the hour of Hai, we\'ll head to the city lord\'s mansion then," Shui Tianya said with a smile.

"Understood," Shui Wuhen replied.

After A Da shot the arrow, chaos ensued. Taking advantage of the confusion, A Da quickly left the scene and headed straight for the city lord\'s mansion.

Upon arriving at the mansion, A Da presented his token and was allowed to enter directly, heading towards Princess Qianyou.

Seeing A Da\'s arrival, Princess Qianyou, Zhong Shan, and A Er all turned to him.

A Da smiled, and the three let out a sigh of relief.

At that moment, Shui Wuhen\'s heartfelt speech echoed through the city, painting a picture of profound sorrow and despair.

Even some officials in the square clenched their fists in response.

"Shui Tianya was attacked?" Gu Lin exclaimed in surprise, then smiled.

Seeing Gu Lin\'s reaction, Zhong Shan was taken aback. This heir was indeed extraordinary. Was he actually happy? Did he think Shui Tianya could no longer campaign?

Then, suddenly, the alarm drums from the south. The alarm came so suddenly and so timely that even some of the more timid officials showed fear. Had the Dayu Dynasty really torn up the agreement and attacked?

When the city gate guards announced it was merely a beast, a sense of relief washed over the crowd, and Gu Lin also smiled.

At that moment, chants began to rise throughout the city.

The deafening chants, wave after wave, left Gu Lin momentarily stunned.

"What\'s going on? What\'s happening?" Gu Lin shouted.

At the same time, on the jade wall to the south, the vote counts began to change rapidly.

Shui Tianya\'s votes surged like a breaking arrow, while Mo Baili\'s votes crawled like a turtle. Of course, there were some discerning individuals in the city who did not believe it was merely a coincidence.

"How can this be? How can this be?" Gu Lin exclaimed in shock.

Princess Qianyou smiled slightly, glanced at Zhong Shan, and sighed. Zhong Shan, meanwhile, merely closed his eyes and nodded gently. He was currently just a third-class guard, not a strategist.

"Shuijing, you\'re here! Quickly, tell me, what\'s going on? Why is the whole city chanting for Shui Tianya? Why are Shui Tianya\'s votes increasing so fast?" Gu Lin shouted as Mr. Shuijing approached.

Princess Qianyou immediately shifted her gaze to Mr. Shuijing as he walked slowly toward them.

"Shuijing, what\'s going on? Didn\'t you say we were certain to win?" Gu Lin shouted again.

"Your Highness, we\'ve lost. Princess Qianyou has won," Mr. Shuijing said calmly, without a trace of regret on his face.

"How can this be? How can this be? Mo Baili, you\'re back too? Tell me, what\'s going on?" Gu Lin shouted at the approaching Mo Baili, his face full of resentment.

Upon being relieved, Mr. Shuijing walked over to Princess Qianyou.

Seeing Princess Qianyou, Mr. Shuijing slightly bowed and said, "Greetings, Princess."

"Mr. Shuijing, you\'re too courteous," Princess Qianyou replied with a smile.

"And this is? The one from last time at Bamen Mountain...? Zhong Shan?" Mr. Shuijing immediately recognized Zhong Shan.

"I am Zhong Shan, a third-class guard. I didn\'t expect Mr. Shuijing to remember someone as insignificant as me. It\'s an honor," Zhong Shan responded with neither humility nor arrogance.

"Insignificant? Haha, it should be me who feels honored. I am Shuijing," Mr. Shuijing replied, reintroducing himself.

Zhong Shan glanced at Mr. Shuijing and smiled faintly. It was not surprising that Mr. Shuijing could identify him as the mastermind behind Princess Qianyou. If he couldn\'t, he wouldn\'t be Mr. Shuijing. By reintroducing himself, Shuijing was showing a form of respect.

"Zhong Shan," Zhong Shan responded.

"Mr. Shuijing, Zhong Shan is merely my guard," Princess Qianyou said to Mr. Shuijing with a smile.

Understanding her intent, Mr. Shuijing realized she was warning him not to reveal Zhong Shan\'s true identity.

"Yes, Zhong Shan is the Princess\'s guard," Mr. Shuijing acknowledged with a smile.

To others, their conversation might have seemed nonsensical, but among the three, the essential points were communicated. This was a dialogue between intelligent people: brief and efficient, conveying vast amounts of information with just a few words.

"This time, you\'ve put me in quite a difficult position. This is my first defeat," Mr. Shuijing said candidly with a smile.

"Mr. Shuijing, you are too modest. If you had exerted your full strength, we wouldn\'t have won," Princess Qianyou replied with a smile.

At this moment, Gu Lin approached from a distance with Mo Baili, his face darkened.

"Qianyou, congratulations," Gu Lin said. His earlier arrogance had dissipated, replaced by anger—anger at Mo Baili\'s incompetence, at Mr. Shuijing\'s failure, and at Shui Tianya\'s unexpected victory.

In Gu Lin\'s eyes, everyone except Princess Qianyou was to blame.

Hearing Gu Lin\'s congratulations, Princess Qianyou glanced at the distant jade wall.

Mo Baili: 4.45 million votes. Shui Tianya: 5.55 million votes.

In an instant, Shui Tianya had gained 2.05 million votes, while Mo Baili had only increased by 50,000. A difference of 2 million votes, a forty-fold increase.

A stunning reversal! Turning the tide!

At that moment, the dramatic shift in votes astounded everyone. Shui Tianya had won, overwhelmingly.

Princess Qianyou looked at the votes from afar with a slight excitement, listening to the enthusiastic cheers of the Wushuang City citizens. She was elated, not because of Shui Tianya\'s victory, but because she had gained an extraordinary sage, someone who could turn the tide in adverse situations.

Zhong Shan, however, stood solemnly in the background, unfazed. It was just an election; there was nothing to be proud of. His goal wasn\'t to thrive in Da Luo Tianchao, but for his Dazang Dynasty to rise rapidly, for him to grow stronger. External things were mere illusions, fleeting as passing clouds. Zhong Shan\'s mind was clear and focused.