To ascend, I had no choice but to create games-Chapter 545 - 317 New Trading Partner (Part 2)_2
Chapter 545 -317 New Trading Partner (Part 2)_2
The tattered rebels had resolute expressions as they held their broken weapons, driving the high-ranking officials from the county city out of their homes one by one.
The usually arrogant noble sons were now trembling like quails, their faces usually condescending now filled with confusion and fear. Some ladies of high-born families were weeping bitterly, unsure of the misfortunes that awaited them.
However, contrary to their expectations, the rebels did not violate even a hair on their heads.
The soldiers, under the orders of the Squad Leader, gathered all the significant households together and searched for evidence. Those beyond redemption were sent straight to be hanged, and soon, there were mosaics dangling in the wind.
The food was distributed, and some people began to cook; the entire rebel force was surprisingly disciplined, nothing like one would expect from a rebel army formed by displaced civilians.
The surplus items were also collected and allocated uniformly. The once luxurious clothing was used to bandage the wounds of soldiers, while sumptuous residences were repurposed to house the injured. Everything was in perfect order.
Watching from the sky for a while, Xiemen Waidao remarked, “There are high personages here.”
Looting is often the norm for rebels, yet these rebels appeared utterly indifferent to what they saw, mechanically following their superiors’ orders, reaching the discipline one could hardly expect from an ancient army.
Unless they were guided by someone of high personage, Xiemen Waidao would never believe this to be possible.
While Xiemen Waidao observed from above, someone on the ground also noticed them.
An arrow flew swiftly towards Xiemen Waidao, aiming for his face, but it was just a regular strong bow, unable to penetrate Xiemen Waidao’s protective Magic Artifact.
However, for someone to shoot an arrow so high and still retain killing power, this person must also be born with a Divine Power.
The towering warrior who stood two meters tall put down his longbow and shouted at the two figures in the sky, “Rats, come down and face me in battle!”
Right after he roared, an elder came out from a tent below and said to the strong man, “Don’t be rude.”
Taking another look at the sky, the elder, who also stood tall at two meters, clasped his hands together and said, “It turns out to be a Cultivator. Could you please come down for a talk?”
The elder looked quite old, yet his voice was full of vigor and clarity. Even Xiemen Waidao in the sky could hear it clearly.
Having descended, Xiemen Waidao noticed the elder had a youthful complexion despite his snowy hair, a resolute face, and an air of solemnity uncommon among ordinary people.
After observing the two young Cultivators, the elder seemed surprised but still lifted the tent flap to invite them in.
The other strong man also wanted to enter, but the elder quietly held him back, whispering a few words in his ear. Afterward, the strong man stood silently outside, his eyes red, standing like an iron tower.
As Xiemen Waidao and Mukuai 1234 entered the tent, the elder stooped to pour them each a cup of clear water, then asked, “Are you two Cultivators sent by the Monarch?”
“That’s right.” Xiemen Waidao nodded, “How should I address you, Elder?”
“Just call me Sir Cheng.”
“Alright, Sir Cheng, you’ve done well. You’ve got these displaced people under such strict control.”
Sir Cheng waved his hand dismissively, “Just average. I was born intelligent, saw many books when I entered the court as an official, and after being demoted to the north and reflecting for several decades, I realized many truths. Hence, all this is my doing; it has nothing to do with the others. If you must take someone, just take me.”
“Take you where?” Xiemen Waidao asked, puzzled.
“Back to the Royal City for trial, of course. Aren’t you here to capture me?” Sir Cheng looked just as perplexed.
Xiemen Waidao observed the elder closely, finding his gaze honest and his eyes clear, ready to sacrifice himself.
Upon reflecting on the elder’s manner of speaking, Xiemen Waidao realized it sounded shameless, like himself, at first, but on reflection, the elder took all the blame upon himself, unwilling to implicate others.
Noticing Xiemen Waidao’s silence, Sir Cheng thought he was hesitating and spoke, “There’s no need for this struggle. From the moment I started this uprising, I knew this would be the outcome. The people at the border suffer too much, what with natural disasters and exorbitant taxes, and the local landowners taxing them now and then. We couldn’t live without rebelling. But after each rebellion, although the leaders die, the commoners get to live a bit better. It’s worth dying for. Now then, esteemed immortals, do what you must.”
Seeing Sir Cheng prepared to be taken away, Xiemen Waidao clapped his hands and said, “Good, you pass. I think you’re a high-quality customer.”
Pulling out a list that had been rejected by the Monarch, Xiemen Waidao pointed to an item and asked, “Mr. Cheng, which of these interests you? We’ve just opened our new shop and can offer a 20% discount.”
Sir Cheng looked at the list, finding the items quite tempting.
Some could clear fields for the area, turning even the poorest soil into top-quality farmable land guaranteed for ten years.
Some were helping with road construction, as it would take at least more than a year to excavate a road that stretched in all directions if done by human labor alone. But if left to the Cultivators, it might be finished in just over ten days.
Other projects, such as water disaster management, disease treatment, and construction of levees, were also listed, dazzling those who looked at them.
Sir Cheng had heard about the Cultivators when he was in the Royal City and had seen what they were capable of.
However, this list gave him a deeper understanding of the power of the Cultivators.
Their strength was a hundredfold that of ordinary people, which is why Monarchs throughout the ages could sit stably on their thrones no matter how incompetent they were. The contributions of these Cultivators were indispensable.
Moreover, unlike the Monarch of the Fire Leaving Nation who had grown accustomed to the Cultivators’ selflessness, he had never hired Cultivators to work for him before, so he did not resent the idea of them charging a fee; he actually found it quite normal.
After all, there shouldn’t be anyone in the world who would work without asking for payment.
The payment for these projects was made with spirit-energy items. These were typically unusual items, and the local gentry had collected quite a few, which could be used for payment.
The list provided by Xiemen Waidao had over a hundred entries, each one looking very tempting.
In addition to large-scale projects, it was also possible to hire Cultivators to help—a very rare opportunity that significantly changed Sir Cheng’s impression of the Cultivators.
Any one of them could bring tremendous aid to the rebellious forces, but unfortunately, he could only afford a few of them now.
Looking at these projects, even Sir Cheng, with his strong will, couldn’t help swallowing his saliva at this moment.
However, he still looked at Xiemen Waidao and asked, “Dare I ask the Immortal, in past rebellions, there were never any Cultivators who contacted us here. Why is it different this time?”
“Nothing much, I’m in charge here now, so I’ve decided to try a new way of interacting with the secular world. This is our pilot attempt.”
Sir Cheng pondered for a while and felt that he perhaps understood.
There must have been a change in the Heavenly Tao, and the Monarch of the Fire Leaving Nation’s perverse ways had angered the heavens.
The cries of the common people had finally been heard by the heavens, and now was the time for a change of dynasty.
Therefore, the Cultivators had found him to make him the one to receive the heavenly mandate.
For a moment, Sir Cheng felt somewhat dazed and self-satisfied.
But soon, he awoke with a start and knew there was a flaw in his thinking.
The mandate was not for him alone, but for all the people here.
Moreover, the Cultivators had mentioned that this was only a trial. If they failed to demonstrate better capabilities, then a new Li or Wang would come to replace them and the people would simply jump from one cage into another.
Only by seriously considering the relationship between the secular world and the Cultivators and finding a system that benefits everyone could long-term stability be assured.
Having understood this, Sir Cheng knew what he had to choose.
Pointing at the content on the list, he said, “I need twenty doctors.”
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“No problem.”
“I need twenty Livestock Masters.”
“Certainly.”
“We also need farmland, farm tools, we need…”
Only after spending all the spirit-energy items they had captured that day did Sir Cheng reluctantly say, “That’s enough, that’s all.”
“Alright, shortly.”
Xiemen Waidao left satisfied with the list while Sir Cheng began to wait anxiously.
A few minutes later, black dots descended from the sky, and one player after another came over excitedly shouting, “Xiemen Brother is mighty! You really found a hidden quest!”
