by Fang Xiang
Zuo Mo has learned a great skill in this chapter, delegation. He didn’t really need it before and he did delegate to Gongsun Cha but this is delegating an area that he is skilled in away so he can create a factory for black processing meditation mat.
No symmetry … … I keep imagining one of those masks with one half smiling and the other half frowning.
Chapter 241: City Construction
Nan Sheng Village. The damaged walls had been reconstructed and it only took a span of a few months for this place to recover its prosperity.
Large numbers of xiuzhe had been transported over. This place also purchased all kinds of ore and other materials, but most importantly, this place sold ling grains, but it was limited. Just this was enough to cause all of Little Mountain Jie to shake.
———
Just as all of Little Mountain jie’s eyes were on Nan Sheng Village, a crowd of people appeared soundlessly in a mountain valley.
“We’ve searched. There are two jingshi mines here. The jingshi produced here is not high, only third-grade. This area used to belong to Sky Star Sect. Sky Star Sect did not manage to avoid the calamity, and there were heavy fatalities. The other people have disappeared.”
“Other than jingshi mines, there are three more mines in this area. They do not produce much. The primary product is Bright Flash Rock, Black Ling Stone Bead, and Greenwater Stone. The primary producer of Greenwater Stone comes from that pond right there. It is called Sky Star Lake.”
Xie Shan had done a large amount of work to research all of this.
Zuo Mo gave a satisfied expression. “Let’s choose this place!” He then asked, “What about the surrounding powers? Have they been investigated?”
Gongsun Cha smiled shyly and timidly, “They have all been destroyed.”
It was not the first time he saw Gongsun Cha smile shyly like a teenage boy, but the coldness in Xie Shan’s heart still could not be controlled. Gongsun Cha’s trademark timid smile was called “Lil’ Miss’ Slight Smile” in the camp, and all of them were afraid of it as though it was a snake or scorpion.
The female xiu wearing the black mask stood behind Zuo Mo.
This female xiu that had suddenly appeared had attracted everyone’s attention. However, no one dared to challenge her. Even Xie Shan was intimidated by her powerful strength. Xie Shan, whose cultivation had reached ningmmai third statum and was a step away from jindan, but even he did not have the courage to face the mysterious female xiu.
Many people had been secretly speculating if the female xiu was a jindan.
No one dared to ask, even Boss could not get her to speak. No one believed their face was bigger than Boss’.
Looking at the female xiu that was always steps from the Boss, they felt that is was pretty good. With such a powerful guard, Boss wouldn’t encounter any danger. This meant they did not have to worry that Boss would accidentally die, and they would collectively die as well. Dying without understanding why was an extremely depressing thought.
Zuo Mo did not have a solution to her following him. The female xiu was of unknown origins, and Zuo Mo naturally did not want her to overhear such secret information. But there was no way around it. The difference between their strengths was too large, his resistance was not effective.
Even someone like Pu Yao praised her with “powerful.” Her martial strength quickly rose in Zuo Mo’s mind to an unprecedented level. In his memory, Pu Yao had never called someone “powerful.”
Unable to communicate and not daring to attack, this was like the mouse pulling the turtle, unable to do a thing! Zuo Mo decided to let it go, pretending that she was air, as he went about his own business. The only thing worth celebrating was that she did not speak, nor make a fuss. Other than being slightly creepy, there were no other inconveniences.
He found it strange. He didn’t believe that she was going to help him for the rest of her life because he had saved her. But no matter how puzzled he was, it was clear that he would not find out the truth at the moment, so he could only go with the flow.
If the other held malicious aims against him, no one in the camp could stop her.
Zuo Mo could only comfort himself like so.
He decided to put his attention on what was in front of him. “In other words, this is ours now?”
“En.” Gongsun Cha nodded his head, and then added, “No one to compete with us.”
At the side, Xie Shan almost choked on air. That was a waste of words, of course no one was competing with them! Gongsun Cha had taken the group and conquered an area two thousand li in circumference, all of the powers had been plucked out one by one like they were nails. Even the xiuzhe who were hiding in the caves had not been let off. Lil’ Miss had sent out many small teams that combed the entire area.
“Great!” Zuo Mo’s eyebrows danced.
The people around him that were used to seeing his zombie face felt extremely unadjusted.
Boss’ face was more and more lively!
As they muttered inside, Xie Shan and the others waited for Boss’ next words.
After Lil’ Miss had left Boss’ place last time, the series of signs had shown that Boss was going to do something big!
It had to be said that Gongsun Cha had been very successful in his transformation of this group of lawless ruffians. The string of victories had increased their confidence, and the harder battles had tempered them and helped them complete the transformation. This troop, having been effected by a battle maniac like Gongsun Cha, always showed great offensive strength and desire for battle.
Having guessed that there was something big coming up, this group of people were full of anticipation!
Reality proved their speculation was correct.
Lil’ Miss had personally led the troops and carried out a blitzkrieg operation. All the powers in the area two thousand li in circumference around Sky Star Mountain were almost all taken out in the span of one night.
This was exhilarating for this group of battle-maniacs. The series of performance rewards, especially the spots for the sword formation, caused everyone to yearn about finding another eyesore and having a big battle!
———
“Then let’s build a city,” Zuo Mo sent down the order, but Xie Shan and the others stared at each other.
“Boss, you said to build a city?” Xie Shan probed.
“Yes. Build a big city. We are going to stay here for a while,” Zuo Mo said in a matter-of-fact voice.
“But we don’t know how to build a city!” Xie Shan frowned.
Zuo Mo rubbed his chin. “Oh, that is a problem.”
Very quickly, the camp received a second round of skill selection. With the example of the first round of selection before them, the qualifying round this time filled many people with anticipation since the reward from the first round had been a very enviable one.
Fourth-grade Golden Crow Fire!
But quickly, everyone exchanged looks in silence.
Build a city?
The ending was, no one knew how.
A headache instantly started. He knew how to make formations, but setting up formations and building a city were two different things. If the plan failed now, he would not be satisfied. He said to Gongsun Cha, “Send some people out to investigate where there are xiuzhe who know how to build cities! If they find one, no matter the method, they have to get the person back here.”
The first thing Gongsun Cha did after returning was to gather everyone together.
“Who knows where there would be xiuzhe that know how to build cities?”
After continuous battle, the number of xiuzhe in the camp had rolled like a snowball and reached seven hundred and thirty people. However, the true core of power, and the ones with highest attack power were the one or two hundred people that had been there since the beginning. The remaining xiuzhe needed time in order to become offensive fighters.
The benefit of more people was more information.
As expected, several people p
rovided some related information. Gongsun Cha instantly sent people out to investigate immediately. The cataclysm in Little Mountain Jie had been very severe. Much of the information that had been provided were things they had known from before. Many were useless information that needed to be further investigated.
Just as Zuo Mo and the others were in a panic, Nan Sheng Village had opened.
———
He Xiang looked at the waves of people on the street with ambition. He felt his future prospects were a road of light. When he had heard that Clear Sky Sect had been hiring for the Outer Hall, he had went over at the first possible time.
After having survived so laboriously in Little Mountain Jie for so long, no one knew better than he did what the xiuzhe here needed, and were willing to pay for it. He had especially provided large amounts of suggestions to the sect, and received a good appraisal from the Old Forefather. He had personally been appointed by the Old Forefather as the Chief Elder and became one of the most important people in Little Mountain Jie in one step.
He had not failed Old Forefather’s hopes. He worked hard and diligently. His contribution in helping reconstruct Nan Sheng Village in just a few months could not be erased.
A few days ago, they had tried to sell ling grains. However, that was just the beginning. What would come next were the interactions with the different factions. That was the most important part of this battle which had no death. As long as he could handle these interactions cleanly, no one could shake his position as Chief Elder of the Outer Hall.
With the great weapon of ling grains in his hand, he was full of confidence about the upcoming battle!
———
Sky Moon Jie, a non-descript mountain valley was abnormally silent.
A figure landed from the sky. In a blink, it disappeared into the mountain valley.
This xiuzhe then appeared at the bottom of the valley. The bottom was covered in dense layers of jinzhi that would make people’s scalp prickle. It continued on for a long distance, and it was possible to see that the person who set down the jinzhi was an expert. It was not possible to see a hint from outside the valley.
This xiuzhe made his practiced way through the alarming jinzhi without even looking. With a few twists and turns, he headed straight to a cliff face.
The cliff face rippled and the person disappeared.
The scene instantly changed inside.
A seemingly borderless grass plain, a winding river. No one would have ever thought that such a large grass plain could be hidden in a mountain valley.
Secret realm!
If someone saw such a strange place, they would have shouted in shock!
This was a secret realm!
Entering the secret realm, this xiuzhe’s expression instantly lightened. The thick ling power made him feel unspeakably comfortable. He flew straight towards the big river. There was a camp there.
A few xiuzhe flew out of the camp in welcome.
“Haha, you came back!” The xiuzhe in the welcoming entourage smiled as he gave a greeting. “Must have been difficult!”
“No way about it.” The xiuzhe who had just flown in said helplessly. “Got stuck with this mission. You guys have it easy, it seems you have made pretty good progress!”
“Haha!” All of the xiuzhe had proud expressions. “In the time you were gone, another two people entered ningmai. The ling energy here is just too thick!”
“That’s so good!” This xiuzhe was somewhat jealous.
“After this mission, you don’t have to worry and can just cultivate.”
“Hee hee, that’s true.”
“Quick, Leader is waiting for the news!”
“En!”
The people instantly increased their speed as they flew towards the camp.
After landing, this xiuzhe instantly went to a tent.
“Come in!” A deep male voice.
He hurriedly walked into the tent, and respectfully bowed to the male inside. “Daren, I have come back.”
“It must have been great trouble for you!” The male inside the tent raised his face and said in a warm tone.
If Zuo Mo saw this person, he would definitely recognize who it was.
Bo Feng, the mysterious competitor that had appeared at the Sword Test Conference, a person of mysterious power. It had been him who had bought the location of the secret sect from Zuo Mo.
He had actually stayed behind in Sky Moon Jie!
Chapter 242: Bao Yi
“When did Nan Sheng Village become this prosperous?” Lei Peng looked around, full of curiosity.
It was not just him. The other people were also looking around with curiosity. The news that Clear Sky Sect was opening a market at Nan Sheng Village had passed through Little Mountain Jie already. The intentions of Clear Sky Sect was clear in everyone’s minds. However, the situation was stronger than the people, and resistance would be ineffective.
Large numbers of xiuzhe flooded Nan Sheng Village, causing Nan Sheng Village to become the most prosperous area of Little Mountain Jie. This was of great help to Lei Peng and his procession. From every angle, their procession was not too eye-catching.
The leader was Xie Shan. Xie Shan had past experience as a leader, and he was skilled in creating relationships with people. Gongsun Cha had appointed him as the leader of the troop for this mission.
After seeing the many wonders of Boss and Head, and after multiple bloody battles, Xie Shan’s mentality had changed greatly. The little thoughts that he had before had faded. He was clear that even if he was the leader, he could not reach the present level of success. Lei Peng and the others were willing to follow Zuo Mo not because they had been conquered by Zuo Mo’s dominating aura, but because they found that their present lives were better than before.
For the great majority of people, this was enough.
The procession was fifteen people. The person with the highest cultivation was Xie Shan, ningmai third stratum. The person with the lowest cultivation was Nian Lu, ningmai second stratum. At a glance, this group did not show any signs of power.
But Xie Shan was full of confidence in the mission this time.
All fifteen people were old-timers of the camp, and were very good at teamwork, but what made him so confident was that all fifteen people, including him, had comprehended “essence!”
Xie Shan had led many xiuzhe before, and had never encountered such a strong group. No, he had never even heard of one. There wouldn’t be so many xiuzhe that had comprehended “essence” in Clear Sky Sect’s disciples.
Fifteen xiuzhe that had comprehended “essence,” this was definitely a terrifying amount of power!
He felt strangely excited every time he thought that he was leading such a group.
Before the appearance of the sword formation, there had only been five xiuzhe in the camp that had comprehended sword essence. Up until now, there had been thirty people that had gone into the sword formation, and nine that had comprehended “essence!” Of the nine, eight had comprehended sword essence, and Lei Peng, who practiced a sabre scripture, comprehended a sabre essence. The one with the most unique situation was Zong Ru. Zong Ru had recovered from his previous wounds, and naturally comprehended fist essence. He was the only person of the group who had comprehended “essence” without going through the sword formation.
This was another reason why these people were willing to follow Zuo Mo. Nothing could be more persuasive to these people than the increase in strength. Why did they join big sects? It was to increase their strength, and breakthrough at an earlier time. Due to personality issues, most of these people had negative experiences with other sects. They were very clear of the scheming and plotting that occurred inside the bigger sects.
In the camp, as long as you put your best in to train, and were not afraid of death when you fought, you would receive a corresponding reward. With spells, talismans, the sword formation, and formations, everyone’s strength was flying ahead.
These fifteen xiuzh
e who had comprehended “essence” were the elite fighters of the camp. Xie Shan believed that as long as they did not encounter a jindan, their safety was guaranteed.
Xie Shan did not worry about the problem of safety at all. What he was thinking about was if he could finish the mission more beautifully.
But before that, he planned on visiting a familiar acquaintance of his.
This old acquaintance of his was called Bao Yi who was a black market business man that could buy anything. Before, he could always get some ling grains, and was famed in the profession.
“Boss Bao,” Xie Shan cheerfully gave a greeting. To avoid attracting unnecessary attention, he had come alone.
Bao Yi was both thin and tall like a stick of bamboo. When he saw Xie Shan, his eyes instantly lit up as he said in a warm voice, “Head Xie, what wind blew you here? Come in, please sit! Please sit!”
———
He had made a few transactions with Xie Shan before. The two of them were quite familiar with each other. He knew that Xie Shan had about one hundred people under his command. Customers like this were primary targets of attention. However, it had been quite a long time since Xie Shan had come. He had actually feeling that it was a pity since he had assumed that XIe Shan had been killed. He hadn’t expected the other man to still be alive. For him, this was a good matter.
“Why is it so empty here?” As Xie Shan walked in, he looked around and asked in puzzlement.
Bao Yi’s face instantly wrinkled. “Oh, there’s nothing to do. Now that Clear Sky Sect has come to directly trade, the business of us little people have become harder.”
“Oh, isn’t the Clear Sky Sect doing large business?”
Bao Yi explained, “Clear Sky Sect only does transactions with big factions, but it isn’t possible for anyone to do business with small groups. Without jade disks, it is impossible to buy ling grains.”
“With Boss Bao’s skill, getting a few jade disks should be easy.” Now, Xie Shan was really puzzled. Bao Yi’s network was extremely complex and broad. He had ties with people from all levels of society. It should not be hard for him to get a few jade disks.