Chapter 600

Tian Ting and Shen Han spent about an hour registering their identities. The two received identity tags from the three officials handling the process. As Shen Han lowered his head to examine the piece in his palm, he noticed that the square tag had barbs along its edges, clearly indicating it had been freshly crafted. The authorities demanded that this wooden tag be worn at the waist; anyone caught walking the streets without one would be treated as an intruder without exception. Intruders would be reported and attacked by the people around them. Any act of harboring an intruder would implicate the surrounding neighbors, creating a situation where a single movement of one part would affect the whole; conversely, reporting a neighbor was clearly rewarded with even greater incentives. Such practices had existed throughout the ages in many dynasties. It was a method that greatly reduced the pressure on management, but its side effects were devastating. The common people here lived in misery, with everyone constantly fearing for their own safety. However, considering that the City Lord of this place did not view these people as human beings at all, it was, in a sense, consistent.