Chapter 29: Getting Something for Nothing

Ever since Xiao Haonü’s real name had been exposed that night, he had lost all authority within the Dragon-Tiger Gang. In truth, at first he had intended to temporarily lower his head and numb Zhaoge’s vigilance, then find a chance to rescue all his underlings together. However, after he was finally released from prison with an empty stomach, he was shocked to discover that his cultivation was gone!

No!

His cultivation was still there. It had only been firmly sealed by another, domineering stream of spiritual power, leaving him unable to draw out even the slightest bit of it!

Xiao Haonü understood what was going on. Only cultivators had the means to seal off another person’s spiritual power like this. The master of this valley really was a cultivator!

Once he reached that conclusion, Xiao Haonü no longer dared harbor any thoughts. He obediently stayed in the valley and worked.

His underlings’ spiritual power had also been sealed, and they had been scattered all over the place, cutting off any chance they had of gathering together to cause trouble.

Without being able to use their cultivation, they were no different from true mortals. No, they were not even as good as true mortals! More and more of the mortals in the valley were summoning their life-bound artifacts and entering the Dao one after another, and they treated their own people wonderfully. But toward people like them, they were as ruthless as an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.

Everyone from the Dragon-Tiger Gang was disliked wherever they went. Every day, they worked themselves to the bone, yet they were always nitpicked. And everyone else had houses to live in, while they could only return to the open-air prison. Their days were indescribably miserable!

“Up earlier than chickens, asleep later than dogs, working more than oxen, eating less than birds…” In a fit of rage, Xiao Haonü kicked over the timber in front of him and roared, “I quit!”

Lu Wuxing happened to be passing by. Seeing this, he raised his broom with contempt and pointed it at him. “What did you just say? Say it again.”

Xiao Haonü immediately caved.

As for Lu Wuxing, back then he had been someone Xiao Haonü had defeated. Who could have known the wheel of fortune would turn? Now he, the dignified leader of the Dragon-Tiger Gang, had been reduced to a prisoner, while this weakling with only the third level of Qi Refining had become a steward who could order him around. Even worse, the person Xiao Haonü now least dared offend was him.

That was only because he had no idea what kind of wicked art had been cast on the broom in Lu Wuxing’s hand. If that broom hit him once, he would have bad luck for an entire day. Even drinking water would get stuck between his teeth. It was truly damned strange.

Therefore, under Lu Wuxing’s gaze, Xiao Haonü could only unwillingly tidy up the pile of firewood, pick up the ax, and continue chopping wood.

Lu Wuxing did not leave, either. He found a chair beside him and sat down, crossing his legs as he cracked sunflower seeds and watched Xiao Haonü work. He spat seed shells all over the ground, and some even drifted downwind onto Xiao Haonü’s clothes. Xiao Haonü was furious but did not dare speak, inwardly cursing him as a cheap bastard.

On the other side, the residents of the valley were still working in full swing. This time, they had begun building houses on the western side of the valley.

It was right around noon when a somewhat thin man unloaded a sack of sand and mud, wiped away his sweat, and accepted the meal his daughter had brought him.

The meal was packed in a basket woven from bamboo strips. Inside were three steaming, plump white steamed buns, a small dish of pickled vegetables, and a plate of stir-fried greens.

Although there was no meat, having a bite of something hot was already better than what many people had. What was more, those greens had been fried in lard. Beside him, a man who had stopped to rest and eat could only gnaw on a hard, cold flatbread. Seeing this, he could not help saying enviously, “Second Zhang, your girl can already cook for you.”

Second Zhang’s daughter was only six years old this year. Her name was Zhang Xiaoxiao. In the past, she had followed her father as a slave, never eating enough or dressing warmly. She was not even taller than the stove. How could she know how to cook? Second Zhang said, “This was made by Miss Lanlan from Second Lane. Her cooking is good, so I asked her to help make three meals a day for me and my girl.”

When the man heard this, he immediately became interested and asked which household that Miss Lanlan lived in and how to ask her to cook for him.

Second Zhang said, “It doesn’t cost much. Just send her some rice or flour. If you have money, two or three copper coins a day will do, but you have to provide your own grain.”

The man thanked him, then went off to talk to someone else. Presumably, he thought two or three copper coins a day was expensive and wanted to find someone else to eat with.

Second Zhang paid him no mind and ate on his own. When he and his daughter had first been transported to Nameless Valley, both of them had been so thin they were nothing but skin and bones. Now, although they were still thin, there was already flesh on their faces, and their complexions were much better than before.

His daughter looked a little unhappy. “Dad, why don’t they give out meals for working?”

Zhang Xiaoxiao had been born a slave, and her life had been bitter. She had spent years hungry, so she was very particular about meals. These past few days, her father had come out every day to do heavy labor, but the stewards no longer handed out food from the communal pots. They even had to eat their own grain. Every day, the little girl measured the sack of grain at home against her own height. Seeing that it was about to be shorter than she was, she became more and more anxious the longer she looked at it.

Seeing his daughter’s dissatisfied expression, Second Zhang burst out laughing. He put down his steamed bun and patiently taught her, “In the past, when your dad came out to work, there was communal-pot food to eat, but didn’t we also have no home of our own? Didn’t we have no grain of our own either?”

Zhang Xiaoxiao nodded, but she was still conflicted. “But our family’s grain is getting less and less!”

She was still too young. She did not understand how reassuring it was to have a roof of one’s own and a sack of stored grain of one’s own. All she saw was that working no longer came with meals, and they had to cook their own food.

Second Zhang said patiently, “Now, although they don’t give out meals, working earns wages. Steward Qiu said that as long as you come work for a day, you can receive a day’s wages.” He took several copper coins out from his clothes. These were the wages he had received yesterday.

The little girl recognized money and also knew money could buy grain. Her eyes immediately lit up.

Second Zhang pointed at the foundations across the western side for her to see. “I heard the steward say that they’ll build even more houses here in the future, and they’ll also plan out lots of shops. From now on, this place of ours will be lively.”

There was longing in Second Zhang’s voice. He patted his daughter’s shoulder and vaguely saw traces of her mother in her features.

Second Zhang and Xiaoxiao’s mother had not really been husband and wife. They had both been slaves, and slaves who were being prepared as human sacrifices at that. The Sea of Suffering Path required human sacrifice offerings every year, and human sacrifices were not limited by gender or age, nor did they distinguish between the healthy and the weak. Therefore, to save some money, slave owners would make slaves pair up and have children. Some slaves were unwilling, so they would be drugged and forced to bear children.

Xiaoxiao’s mother had given birth to too many children. Her body had become too weak, and she had died from heavy bleeding.

Second Zhang was actually not sure whether Xiaoxiao was his seed, but what did that matter? He had saved mouthfuls of food from his own meals to raise her. She called him Dad, so she would forever be his child.

The days now were truly good! Second Zhang thought. Xiaoxiao was a girl, yet not only did he not have to watch her walk her mother’s old road, he could raise her properly and leave her some family assets in the future. Later, when she learned a skill like Lanlan, she would not have to worry about food or drink.

Thinking this, Second Zhang finished eating, immediately hoisted up another sack of sand, and went back to work.

Earn wages, save family assets. Earn wages, save family assets…

His mind was stuffed full of these thoughts.

…

Several dozen li away from Nameless Valley, Tao Dacheng was riding a horse and leading a long procession toward Nameless Valley. Perhaps it was because his ancestors had sold ceramics, but after he reached adulthood, the life-bound artifact he summoned was a clay jar.

At the time, he could not say he had been terribly disappointed. After all, the things most people summoned were objects that could be seen everywhere. Anyone who summoned a weapon could already be considered a genius. Sometimes, he even felt lucky. Although his cultivation had always remained at the first level of Qi Refining, the money he stored in his own life-bound artifact had never been lost.

Later, after receiving guidance from the employer, he had finally made a breakthrough in his cultivation, and now he was almost at the third level of Qi Refining.

This time, he had accepted an assignment. Carrying the letters of the other servants, he went back to bring their families over. They had been traveling on the road for many days. Seeing that they were finally about to reach Zhaoge, the anticipation and eagerness in his heart grew greater and greater.

He wondered how his brothers and sisters were doing. Had they worked properly these days? Hmph, with him gone, who knew how much guidance they had received from the employer? They really were a bunch of lucky fellows.

At that moment, someone behind him called out, “Dacheng! How much longer until we arrive?”

Tao Dacheng came back to himself and hurriedly said, “Yes, Mother, were you calling me?”

Tao Dacheng’s mother, Tao Xiuli, was sitting on a flat cart pulled by a donkey. Beside her were all of her family’s belongings, as well as her youngest daughter.

At first, she had happily followed her son, but they had been traveling for several days already, and the surroundings had grown more and more desolate. She had become a little uncertain. Suspiciously, she glanced at the barren desert sands around them, where not a blade of grass grew, then looked back at the other families following behind them. There were men and women, old and young, all traveling on flat carts pulled by donkeys.

She tugged her son over and whispered, “Tell your mother honestly. Are you trying to do something bad?”

Tao Dacheng immediately felt wronged. “Mother, don’t you know what kind of person your son is? I wouldn’t even dare steal a needle.”

Tao Xiuli had spent her life firing and selling porcelain, and she had saved up some family wealth back home. But when she heard her son say he had followed a cultivator, and that his cultivation had now increased under that cultivator’s guidance, she sold off the family property without another word, picked up her bundles, and followed her son here.

The other families in this group were the same. As soon as they heard that their sons, daughters, siblings, or relatives had gained the appreciation of an immortal master, and that the immortal master’s territory currently lacked people, they all joyfully followed along.

But the farther they walked, the more remote it became. They had even walked into the desert, and everyone’s hearts had grown more and more uneasy. Tao Xiuli could no longer stand it, so she questioned her son. This was also on behalf of the anxious villagers behind them.

Tao Dacheng thumped his chest in guarantee. “Don’t worry, Mother. The employer is a true immortal, and he has a benevolent heart. He’s taken in many people! Besides, even if I deceived you, I wouldn’t deceive all the elders and fellow villagers behind us!” As soon as he finished speaking, Tao Xiuli twisted his arm.

Tao Xiuli muttered, “In the past, you also said that working as a servant at Strange Treasure Hall would let you receive guidance from cultivators. I spent a lot of money to stuff you in there.”

Tao Dacheng chuckled. “Wasn’t I only speaking from hearsay back then? This time is different. The employer really is an immortal, and he treats us all very well. Just follow me without worry!” After saying that, he added, “But right now, there’s nothing in the valley yet, so it’s a bit simple. It’ll definitely get better in the future.”

Tao Xiuli believed him. With the environment here in the desert, conditions being good would be the strange thing. But in the past, when her son had been at Strange Treasure Hall, every time he came home, he had looked like he was attending a funeral. Now, not only had his cultivation risen, he also had spirit, and he was cheerful all day long. Just for that point alone, even if life was bitter and tiring after they arrived, it would be worth it.

Tao Xiuli and the elders and villagers behind her all had no idea that Zhaoge was inside the original Nameless Valley, beside the Sea of Suffering Path. Tao Dacheng and the other servants had also deliberately not revealed this in their letters. Otherwise, forget coming over. They probably would have fainted from fright the moment they heard it.

Not long after, the long procession finally stopped at the mouth of the valley. There were already servants guarding the entrance.

When Tao Xiuli jumped down from the cart, an old man behind her saw Fan Huilan at the valley entrance and immediately jumped down as well, calling out to his darling granddaughter as he ran over. By the time Tao Xiuli finished carrying her daughter down, quite a few people had already found their relatives and were moving things while catching up.

Tao Dacheng said to Qiu Ping’an, “How did you know we were coming?”

Qiu Ping’an smiled cheerfully. “Naturally, the employer told us in advance!”

Tao Dacheng looked moved. “The employer is indeed considerate of us.”

Before they were chosen to transport human sacrifices to Nameless Valley, they had already gone a long time without returning home. The things that had happened during this period had been more exciting than everything they had experienced over the past decade and more. Compared with the past, it felt like another lifetime. Everyone had also been hoping they could reunite with their families. The employer must have understood this as well, which was why he had taken time out of his packed schedule to remind them.

The two of them were quietly moved for a moment by the employer’s thoughtfulness. Then Qiu Ping’an asked, “Right, which ones are Brother Guo’s family?”

At that, the smile on Tao Dacheng’s face vanished. He lowered his voice and said a few words to Qiu Ping’an. A moment later, Tao Dacheng said goodbye to Qiu Ping’an, and each of them led the reunited families off to look at the new houses.

The moment Tao Xiuli came in, she began looking all around. The more she looked, the more her brows relaxed. When she saw a two-story house with a front and back courtyard, she was even more delighted. She happily twisted Tao Dacheng’s arm. “Good boy, if conditions were this good, why didn’t you say so earlier? You made your mother worry the whole way!”

Tao Dacheng cried out in pain, his face full of innocence. He had not known either! He had taken the letters and set out the day after Song Dianlai died. When he left, the valley had only just started preparing to build houses. How would he have known they could build them this well?

Tao Xiuli swept in like a gust of wind and began making arrangements. “This room is good. It’ll be for us mother and daughter. You sleep in that room to the east… This back courtyard is good. Build a brick kiln, and we can keep firing ceramics. Our family can restart the business here… When you have time, build a swing in the front courtyard for your little sister to play on… Sigh, it’s just short on water… You said before that your employer would solve that, right?”

Tao Dacheng followed behind her, silently holding his arm and nodding.

The next day, the servants went out hunting and stopped by the water source eighty li away to bathe. Once he took off his clothes, Tao Dacheng had purple and blue bruises on both arms. Wan Tianyou gave a little “yo” and said in a strange tone, “Dacheng secretly has someone. You hid it well.”

Tao Dacheng looked up at the sky. “Yes, I have someone. I have my mother’s love.”

Everyone: “…”

…

[Congratulations. Your territory now possesses its first small restaurant, contributing to the circulation of currency and the prosperity of all industries. You have obtained one thousand points.]

[Congratulations. Your territory now possesses its first civilian medical clinic, contributing to the lives and health of your subjects. You have obtained one thousand points.]

[Congratulations. Your territory now possesses its first elementary school, contributing to the exchange and prosperity of culture. You have obtained one thousand points.]

[Congratulations. Your territory now possesses its first ceramics shop. You have obtained one thousand points.]

[Congratulations. Your territory now possesses its first tailor shop. You have obtained one thousand points.]

[Congratulations. Your territory now possesses its first blacksmith shop. You have obtained one thousand points.]

Early in the morning, just after waking up, Chi Yixuan heard a whole string of delightful message notifications.

He turned over and poked open the game panel to take a careful look. He found that aside from the small restaurant, which had been opened by the valley’s original residents, all the other shops had been opened by the servants’ relatives.

Unlike slaves, these people had originally been commoners in good standing, and they all had their own means of making a living. After coming to Zhaoge, naturally, they smoothly resumed their previous trades. After all, Zhaoge currently lacked everything, but it had quite a number of people. Once they arrived here, what faced them was a blank market with unlimited potential. It was hard to say; they might earn even more than before.

After all, his points lacked everything. Once people had wages, their purchasing power would immediately be stimulated.

Chi Yixuan poked them open one by one and examined them carefully. “At first glance, the civilian medical clinic seems to overlap with the function of the Medical Workshop, but the Medical Workshop still has no doctor on duty. Its main function also isn’t treating people, but producing pills for external sale. The medicinal powders it produces can’t cure every disease either, so having a civilian medical clinic is still necessary.”

After all, true mortals who had not entered the Dao still made up the majority of the valley. Many of them were physically weak and did not even know the cause of their illnesses. Having a medical clinic would reduce a lot of trouble. After all, not everyone was willing to spend money buying Spirit-Replenishing Pills. Besides, his yellow-grade Medical Workshop could not produce Spirit-Replenishing Pills right now.

After confirming that all these points had been added reasonably and logically, and that there were no loopholes he could exploit, Chi Yixuan felt slightly disappointed.

He poked open the small restaurant and looked at it.

Because this was the only shop opened by a slave, he could not help paying it a little more attention.

The restaurant’s owner was Lanlan. It was called a small restaurant, but in truth, it was nothing more than several tables set out in the front courtyard of her home, selling foods like steamed buns, stuffed buns, and small dishes.

After the houses were allocated, everyone had begun thinking about ways to make a living.

In the past, they had been slaves. They only had to work according to the slave owners’ demands. They did not need to have thoughts, nor were they allowed to have thoughts.

But things were different now. They had freedom, their own homes, and the right to save money and store grain! Naturally, they also had to shoulder their own lives.

There was still not much work in the valley. Men and women with strength could go to the construction site to work. Adults who had summoned their life-bound artifacts could be selected for the Artifact Refining Workshop or the Medical Workshop, and they could also find work at the warehouse. Generally, they were responsible for following the stewards out to purchase goods, as well as moving cargo and so on.

But for children like Lanlan and Wutong, their range of choices was very narrow.

Wutong was ten, and Lanlan was only twelve. They had neither height nor strength. Back when everyone had been building houses and eating from the communal pots together, half-grown children like them had actually benefited at the adults’ expense.

So Lanlan and Wutong thought it over for several days and opened a restaurant. Lanlan was responsible for the kitchen, while Wutong was responsible for drawing in customers, carrying firewood, and cleaning up trash. They even found Shi Dahai’s younger brother and sister to help deliver food.

Because the food was quite good and the prices low, business was currently not bad. Those who were busy earning wages and had no time to take care of three meals a day came to them.

“Just two children, and they’ve actually managed to build a life.” Chi Yixuan sighed a little.

He had actually thought about what to do with the orphans in the valley. There were no very young children in the valley. Children who were too young could not survive at all without parental care, so the orphans were basically children over ten, like Lanlan and Wutong.

He had considered finding parents willing to adopt them, and he had also considered building an orphanage specifically to take them in.

To his surprise, when he had Qiu Ping’an investigate and visit them, compared with collectively entering an orphanage, they were more willing to be allotted houses of their own and earn money to support themselves.

At first, he had not quite understood. But after seeing the looks in those children’s eyes, he finally knew. These children had wandered since they were young and had tasted all the warmth and coldness of the human world. They were especially precocious, different from the children in Chi Yixuan’s impression.

Seeing that Lanlan and Wutong had opened a small restaurant, and that the other orphans had also each found ways to make a living, Chi Yixuan said softly, “In that case, we need to have the servants take more care of their business. If there are any errands, we should also try to let these children do them. Help me remember this. At the end-of-month meeting, we need to tell the servants.”

[Understood.]

“Next, my schedule…” Chi Yixuan stared at the plan and decided to first solve the valley’s water problem.

A running-water system required a water source before it could be built. Although there was a water source eighty li away, first, there would be more and more people in the valley, and that water source might not be able to satisfy the valley’s gradually increasing water needs. Moreover, that water source was the only place all the animals in this desert could drink. If he drained it dry, what would happen to them?

Second, that water source was still too far away. Although the running-water system could filter impurities and automatically remove some toxins, if someone wanted to deal with him and specifically poisoned it with a deadly toxin, the purification ability of a beginner-level water system would not be able to purify it. At that point, if all his points died off, he would lose disastrously.

“The water must be close. It would be best if it were right beside the valley. And it must be completely under my control.”

In a normal world, a desert could not produce a water source out of nowhere. But this was a cultivation world. Cultivators could completely change the ecology of a place.

According to the knowledge Chi Yixuan had recently learned, summoning wind and rain and changing terrain and climate required one to be above the Nascent Soul stage. Although he was only at Foundation Establishment right now, he had a shortcut he could take. That was to capture a spiritual vein and plant it inside Zhaoge!

In this world, spiritual qi gave birth to all things, and spiritual veins gave birth to spiritual qi.

As long as there was a spiritual vein, even one so thin and small that it had no grade, the climate of this valley could completely change.

[According to this world’s book Record of All Things, at the edge of Dongchen Continent, there are ownerless spiritual veins wandering in the East Pole Sea day and night without rest, causing violent winds and torrential rain in that sea region. Fishing boats cannot approach, and living creatures cannot find peace. It is precisely a spiritual vein suitable for Zhaoge.]

Chi Yixuan clenched his fist. “Then we’ll go to the East Pole Sea. We’ll set out the day after tomorrow, once the meeting is over.”

These days, he had been holed up in his room because he had constantly been sculpting his face for himself. His hand-disabled-party skills were no good, and it had taken him a great deal of effort to finally restore the appearance he had had in his previous life.

His original face had five points of similarity with the original body, but the shape of his lips and nose differed greatly. On top of that, his personal temperament was entirely different. Even if people from the Tyrant Blade Sect saw him, they would not recognize him.

From now on, when he went out, he could wear his original face. This kind of face-sculpting technique was also a spell he had comprehended on his own after Foundation Establishment.

People could not choose their own appearance at birth, but cultivation could!

The further one cultivated, the more handsome men and beautiful women there were, because cultivators could already change their own appearances. And this kind of change was different from using illusions or magic artifacts. Even those with higher cultivation could not see through it, because it was originally the face the cultivator sincerely wanted and was willing to maintain forever, and it was recognized by the Heavenly Dao.

However, this kind of change could not be made casually. Before Soul Formation, it could only be changed once.

He lowered his head and glanced at the shadow beneath his feet. “Sorry. I changed your appearance on my own. Don’t worry. Once I reach Soul Formation, I’ll change it back for you.”

The shadow did not change in the slightest, and Chi Yixuan stopped paying attention to it. He murmured to himself, “I wonder what the servants are doing right now. But in the future, I can’t keep calling them servants all the time. I need to arrange titles for them.”

…

Guo Qianshan was called to the warehouse hall by Qiu Ping’an. As soon as he entered, he saw that a large round table inside was covered in dishes, and there was also a pot of weak wine.

He froze for a moment before remembering that today was his birthday. Somewhat moved, he said, “Thank you, everyone.”

The servants sat gathered around the hall, all giving him gifts and toasting him. In order not to delay work tomorrow, each person only had one small cup. Only the birthday boy was an exception. After Guo Qianshan finished drinking, he heard Qiu Ping’an say, “Brother Guo, only after hearing Brother Tao speak today did we learn that you have no one at home anymore. Sorry. We never knew.”

The others also fell silent. In the past, they had never seen Guo Qianshan mention his family. Everyone had thought he was simply quiet and did not like talking. They had not expected that he was actually an orphan. When he asked Tao Dacheng to deliver letters and things, he had only been entrusting him to give them to a neighbor who had looked after him when he was young.

Ma Hongxuan patted his shoulder and said, “There is no need to keep brooding over this. In the past, you had no home. But now, all of Zhaoge is the home of every one of us. In the past, you had no parents or siblings. From now on, we are all your siblings, and our parents are all your parents.”

“Brother Ma is right! From now on, we are all your family!”

“Haha, going by age, I can be the big brother!”

“Get lost. You’re only at the third level of Qi Refining. You should be the little brother!”

“If we line everyone up, I can be third. Not bad, hahaha…”

Everyone burst into laughter. Guo Qianshan choked up slightly. He could not say anything too moving, so he could only drain another cup of wine.

…

Chi Yixuan watched from afar. Since he did not overhear Guo Qianshan making a wish, he felt slightly disappointed. “No, I have to find an excuse to spread the custom of making a wish on one’s birthday.”

[Your birthday is coming up soon as well. What wish do you want to make?]

Chi Yixuan was surprised. “You’re my life-bound artifact. Don’t you know what my wish is?”

Return to his old home? Establish a dynasty? His life-bound artifact guessed several possibilities and did not really want to say them, so it said, [I’m very curious.]

“All right, it won’t hurt to tell you.” Chi Yixuan said shamelessly, “Of course my wish is—to get something for nothing!”

Things like today, where points came in while he was still sleeping, the more the better!

His life-bound artifact: “…”

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