Chapter 11: The Village of Zhaoge

Once Chi Yixuan found the correct method, inspiration burst through him. In the blink of an eye, he had listed dozens of plans in his mind, all waiting to be carried out.

But he did not rush to gain points and implement them in haste. Instead, he restrained his thirst for power and carefully considered the impact each measure would have on Zhaoge’s future. He weighed them cautiously for quite a while, eliminating many contradictory measures. After only a dozen or so were left, he considered them word by word. In the end, he discarded the ones that could not be implemented for the time being, leaving only a few. Only then did he ask the life-bound artifact, “How much am I still short of Foundation Establishment?”

The life-bound artifact said gently, “Fifteen thousand six hundred and eighty.”

Chi Yixuan was a little surprised. “I remember it being more than that before!”

“Over the past two days, some of your subjects have advanced in cultivation again, so you received rebates.”

“Rebates.” Chi Yixuan muttered the word. “That doesn’t sound very auspicious. It feels like when a Jinjiang novel I’m following gets de-V’d and refunds everyone.”

At that thought, Chi Yixuan felt deeply regretful. Before transmigrating, a favorite author of his had just started a new novel. He might never get to read it now.

“Please don’t be sad. Once your cultivation improves, perhaps…”

“What are you talking about?” Chi Yixuan reacted extremely strongly. “Haha, how could I possibly be sad? You’re overthinking it. I’m not sad at all. So what if I can’t go back? Now I can establish a kingdom that belongs to me. Haha. In the future, I’ll issue a law to encourage creators. Anyone who dares abandon a story halfway, I’ll have her arrested and locked in a little black room. No ending, no release!”

The life-bound artifact: “…That sounds less like encouragement and more like intimidation.”

After going crazy for a while, Chi Yixuan calmed down and said to the life-bound artifact, “Did I scare you just now?”

“No.” The life-bound artifact’s voice was still gentle. “In my eyes, you are much more relaxed than before. I like you this way very much.”

Chi Yixuan was deeply moved. “You’re so nice. I really want to kiss you.”

The life-bound artifact fell silent for a moment, then said slowly, “If you are willing, once your cultivation is higher in the future, you can shape a body for me.”

Chi Yixuan was instantly disappointed. “Huh? You can actually do that? Then forget it. I was just saying it.”

The life-bound artifact: …

However, what the life-bound artifact said did give Chi Yixuan some inspiration. If he had transmigrated into an ordinary world, then so be it. But this was a fantasy xianxia world. He was using the original owner’s soul and occupying the original owner’s physical body. Although this was the truth, whether said aloud or heard by someone else, it sounded a little perverted.

If he had the chance in the future, he still wanted to reshape a body, then return this body to the original owner.

As for cultivation and the like, he was not worried. This world was ultimately different from the settings in some novels. Cultivation followed the soul. After He Nianyuan died, his ghost was still at Foundation Establishment cultivation, while the life-bound artifact was also bound to the soul. It was just like changing phones. With one tap, all the data could be transferred to the new device.

“Forget it. My cultivation is low right now anyway, so I can’t do it.” Chi Yixuan set the matter aside and started busying himself with something else. He did not notice the shadow guard dwelling in his shadow ripple slightly.

…

“Night has fallen. We have to find a safe place to spend the night.”

“As if that’s so easy. The sandstorm earlier made us lose our direction, and the compass broke too. Everything looks the same now. We can’t even find the places we used to remember for overnight stops.”

Under the night sky, a caravan trudged forward, covered in dust and grime. Sand clung to their faces and bodies. If they shook the scarves wrapped around their faces, a whole pound of sand might fall out.

But they did not dare stop carelessly. At dusk today, a sudden strong wind had risen, causing them to break their compass and lose their direction. If another strong wind rose at night, things would be bad. Although this place was not a true desert and would not bury them alive, if there was too much sand, sandworms would mix into it and burrow in. At best, they would damage the goods. At worst, people might die.

No one knew how many people died to sandworms every year.

As the saying went, whatever one feared would come to pass. Just as the caravan leader, Luo Yanxing, was worrying inwardly, someone in the caravan suddenly let out a strange cry and began clawing and jumping around wildly.

One look at the man, and Luo Yanxing knew sandworms had gotten onto his body. Startled, she said, “You’re not wearing protective armor?”

The man scratched everywhere from the itch while sobbing bitterly, saying that he had sold his protective armor.

Luo Yanxing’s vision went dark. He nearly angered her to death.

Someone beside her said, “Boss, we have to treat him quickly!”

But the last of their medicine had been lost in the sandstorm. What they carried now was only their cargo. Besides, where could they possibly find a safe place to treat him at a time like this? The moment his clothes came off, all the sandworms hidden in the darkness would probably swarm over.

Just then, the person scouting ahead shouted, “Boss, boss! Look! There’s a village here!”

Luo Yanxing was shocked. They had traveled this area for so many years, and there was not a trace of habitation for several hundred li around. How could a village suddenly appear?

She rushed forward for a stretch, then discovered in surprise that there really was a village.

On the sandy ground lay a winding road paved with pebbles. At the end of the road stood a lamp. In the swaying lamplight, the two words “Zhaoge” were faintly visible.

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