novelraw Chapter 82: Liuhe Farm
Chapter 82: Liuhe Farm
The crowd of Refugees was stunned by the sudden bombardment. Some cried out in alarm, while others fell to the ground. Six Big Yellow Dogs started barking and ran over to wag their tails at Wang Yi’s feet.
"Don’t panic. We’re just testing a new weapon. Keep moving!"
Wang Yi said calmly, his voice amplified by Prototype No. 1 and carrying a great distance.
After that, Wang Yi didn’t dare to use the Super Bubble Gun carelessly. The thing had no accuracy to speak of; the bubbles just drifted with the wind. If one happened to hit him, it wouldn’t be fun at all.
’This Bubble Gun needs a hairdryer to be truly powerful!’
Wang Yi thought to himself.
As they neared Eggshell Village, Zhang Dashan hurried over to Prototype No. 1 and said, "Boss, it spawned! The Rock Giant Scorpion at Chaotic Stone Slope has spawned!"
"Perfect timing!"
Wang Yi immediately shouted, "Taisen Squad, with me to Chaotic Stone Slope! Everyone else, continue escorting our new friends. Da Mao, you lead the group!"
"Yes, Boss! You can count on me!"
Pang Damao quickly replied. The dog Tu Gou Damao beside him also let out a bark, tilting its head to stare at Pang Damao. It didn’t understand why this two-legged beast was always answering the master on its behalf.
A moment later, Wang Yi arrived at Chaotic Stone Slope with four Beast Taisens and four regular Taisens.
Seeing the newly spawned Rock Giant Scorpion, Wang Yi immediately controlled Prototype No. 1 to charge forward.
’I watched fighting competitions all night, so I’ve learned a thing or two. Take this! Jab, straight punch, front kick... Crow Takes a Plane...’
With his Solid Mecha, Wang Yi was now utterly fearless. His mind was at ease, as if he were a teenager again. He quickly crippled the Rock Giant Scorpion. Under his control, Prototype No. 1 grabbed the creature’s tail with one hand, dragged it all the way back to Eggshell Village, and tossed it into the Beast Cage.
The group of Taisens followed along to watch the show and even applauded, much like how Wang Yi had watched them fight the previous night.
After seeing that the Beast Cage was working stably, Wang Yi couldn’t stay idle. He grabbed a batch of Crispy Fried Small Fish, five-spice ham, and Vegetable Soup from his Chaos Warehouse and headed for the south side of the village.
The group of three to four hundred people had now reached the 20-acre plot of fertile land. They were exhausted from their journey, and most were now sitting on the ground. Quite a few were gnawing on dry biscuits and pointing at the luxurious sheds in the distance, muttering amongst themselves.
As soon as Wang Yi appeared, the Six-Eared Yellow Dogs immediately swarmed him, circling and wagging their tails to curry favor.
Wang Yi first rewarded the doggos with some ham, then took out the Crispy Fried Small Fish and Vegetable Soup and had Pang Damao distribute them.
Soon, the villagers were munching on the Crispy Fried Small Fish. Their eyes lit up one by one. Some cried out in astonishment, some were moved to tears, some just ate voraciously without a care in the world, and swaths of them even knelt down to kowtow.
"Hmph. Getting so worked up over some small fish. We have plenty of good things back in Eggshell Village. There’s a lot more that will surprise you."
Pang Damao muttered, feeling a sense of superiority.
Wang Yi, meanwhile, took out the Talent Assessment Machine and began to check the villagers’ assessment information, screening them for talent.
This group of Refugees numbered 355 in total, and they came from six different villages.
Among them were many able-bodied young adults, but not many had a Talent for martial arts. There were, however, some Tilers, carpenters, and Stonemasons, as well as those skilled in farming, weaving straw sandals, firing pottery, tailoring, and so on.
With the Talent Assessment Machine in hand, Wang Yi understood them better than they understood themselves. He went deep into the crowd, talking with them, and quickly singled out a group of useful people.
However, there weren’t many who could be called "high-quality talent." Among the 355 people, the one with the highest overall score was Pei Zhi, followed by the young woman who had helped Pei Zhi on and off his horse. She was assessed as being meticulous and cautious, with a gentle yet sharp and agile personality. She also possessed a Talent for Magic, with a good perception of the Ice Element. She had the makings of an Ice Mage.
Wang Yi now walked over to the young woman.
Pei Zhi quickly bowed and said, "My lord, this is my humble daughter, Pei Xue. She is sixteen years old."
"Pei Xue, is it?" Wang Yi thought the young woman was good material for a secretary. He said, "My subordinate Jelena currently manages the Eggshell Money Shop and also handles administrative affairs. Are you willing to be her assistant?"
Pei Xue bit her lip and asked in a quiet voice, "What is an assistant?"
"It’s a helper. You can also think of it as a high-ranking handmaiden."
"I am willing!"
"Good. Then, once you’re settled in, report to the Eggshell Money Shop tomorrow morning!"
After speaking, Wang Yi turned to Pei Zhi and said, "You can join the Foreign Affairs Department and work under Yang Wanli. From now on, you’ll be responsible for establishing a merchant caravan. Yang Wanli has gone to procure supplies, but I expect he’ll be back before long."
"A merchant caravan?"
"That’s right. You can start looking for subordinates now. You might need to get busy very soon!"
"Understood!"
Pei Zhi wondered, ’I’m already disabled. Do I still have to travel with a caravan?’ But since it was an arrangement made by the Immortal, he believed there must be a deeper meaning to it and didn’t dare to refuse.
After that, Wang Yi didn’t speak to anyone else individually. He announced in a loud voice, "I don’t support freeloaders here. If you think that just by coming here you can eat and drink without having to work, you are sorely mistaken. You must learn to support yourselves, and I will give you the opportunity to do so!"
After a pause, Wang Yi continued, "Now, you need to build a settlement right here. Since you come from six different villages, I will name this settlement Liuhe Farm. You will be the first residents of Liuhe Farm. As for its master..."
Wang Yi looked at a sturdy-looking villager who appeared to be in his twenties, pointed at him, and said, "It’s you!"
"Me?"
The villager pointed at his own nose, somewhat stunned.
"That’s right, you! Come to Eggshell Castle tomorrow to discuss the farm’s construction!"
"Alright!"
The young man clenched his fist tightly.
His name was Guangkun. He was all alone in the world now, with plain looks and tattered clothes. His short jacket was full of holes, making him look no different from a beggar. But his build was strong, and his eyes were bright.
The Talent Assessment Machine had given him an overall score of 75, assessing him as decisive and resolute, with decent leadership abilities. His innate constitution was also excellent, making him suitable for martial arts. He also had a Talent for earth-type Magic. More importantly, he was skilled at farming!
And he was the only one among the 355 people, besides Pei Zhi and Pei Xue, whose overall score exceeded 70.
’Agriculture, industry, commerce, military, diplomacy, internal affairs... For a territory to develop, it needs all kinds of talent. This Guangkun is worth cultivating. I’ll temporarily put him in charge of Liuhe Manor. And the 20-acre plot of fertile land will be temporarily managed by Liuhe Manor...’
Wang Yi silently laid out his plans. He explained some of Eggshell Village’s rules to the crowd, then spent 500 Chaos Energy points to construct 160 luxurious sheds to serve as temporary housing for Liuhe Village for the newcomers to live in.
After a flurry of activity, by the time Wang Yi returned to Eggshell Village, it was nearly dusk.
"I will be hosting a fighting tournament..."
Nangong Jin’s voice echoed from the Octagonal Cage.
He had already begun automatically recruiting soldiers, and quite a few people had gathered in the stands of the Octagonal Cage, their cheers unending.
Yang Qingniu and the others were standing in the stands, waiting for their turn to fight.
Gegeda, the Combat Chicken Squad, the Rock Giant Scorpion, and others were also in the stands.
The Six-Eared Yellow Dogs, which had been following Wang Yi the whole time and completely ignoring Pang Damao, now swarmed toward the stands and obediently lay down to watch.
To be honest, the fighting tournaments in the Octagonal Cage were quite captivating. You could see spectacular moves, powerful duels, and also some comical contestants...
Workers who were off duty, idle children, and the elderly would come to the stands to watch the fights for free. They all felt content and greatly enjoyed the spectacle.