Joy!

Feeling the girl’s secret gaze, Chen Zhou raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“You can see me?”

His voice sounded like celestial music to the ear, yet it carried a chill that made the soul tremble, causing Hong Ling’s knees to go weak.

She decisively followed her body’s instincts and knelt without hesitation, nodding heavily.

Hong Ling’s mind was clear. Regardless of the price this god might demand in the future, the benefits he was bestowing upon everyone right now were real. He deserved her kowtow.

This made Chen Zhou even more astonished. She could directly sense his existence and hear his voice without being drawn into the Ghost Domain or being subjected to illusions?

Was this kid’s constitution that special?

One had to remember that Chen Zhou was currently an evil spirit; he was not something a normal person could easily glimpse.

This piqued Chen Zhou’s interest immensely.

“Your talent is extraordinary, and your temperament transcends the mundane. One day, you shall surely become a peerless talent. I hope you will cultivate with determination, never ceasing day or night, and do not fail my great name.”

Facing a follower, Chen Zhou adopted a different tone of voice.

Hong Ling had long been aware of her own talent, but hearing it recognized by a god still made her heart leap with wild joy. She bowed her head to the ground.

“I shall obey your command, Great One!”

As she stood up, she asked urgently, “What can we do for you now?”

Having received such a great favor, she was desperate to know what price Shideng Village would have to pay.

She had once had the fortune of seeing an immortal master from the White Jade Sword Sect.

But that immortal master wore a bamboo hat that covered half his head. His face was pale and bloodless, and his expression was cold and numb; he didn’t possess a shred of a living person's aura.

From that moment on, she understood that becoming a disciple of the White Jade Sword Sect was not without a price.

The White Jade Immortal did not provide for mortals without wanting something in return.

You get what you give. It was fair.

Hong Ling thought so.

Therefore, entering the White Jade Sword Sect to cultivate had once been Hong Ling’s pursuit.

In these chaotic times, ordinary people had no choice. She wasn’t afraid of paying a price; she only sought power.

However, Hong Ling had observed the people from Daliang Village and saw that their complexions were rosy, their bodies were strong, and their minds were clear. Perhaps the price wouldn't be too high.

Chen Zhou knew nothing of Hong Ling’s complex inner monologue.

He simply felt that a follower who was so diligent in showing loyalty and eager to work was truly rare.

Chen Zhou immediately had the netherflame dismantle the snake demon corpse that Shitou and the others had brought back, and dozens of portions of common flesh were distributed.

“Eat to fill your bellies first. Once you are full and your bodies and spirits are strong, enter the lumberyard and mine to perform your duties. Just do your best.”

“Eat first... then... then perform our duties...”

Hong Ling chewed on those words, so shocked she couldn't speak.

She had already heard about the god’s treatment from Shitou’s mouth, but hearing it directly from the god made it feel unbelievable.

The Great One didn’t even demand a specific workload; he only asked them to do their best.

It turned out that in this world, there really was such a benevolent god...

Chen Zhou didn’t think he was being particularly benevolent. Food was the primary need of the people. He always believed that people needed to be full before they had the motivation to work.

Now that the most difficult stage of pioneering was over and basic materials were abundant, raising the living standards of his followers would also increase their sense of belonging and happiness.

Chen Zhou believed in sustainable exploitation!

The villagers of Daliang Village were already used to receiving fresh flesh.

Everyone familiarly carried the massive chunks of meat and began preparing them.

Someone brought over a huge stone pot, someone else carried grain harvested from the spirit field, and others warmly greeted the villagers of Shideng Village.

Chen Zhou then had the netherflame deliver some well-packaged seasonings found in the secret realm to Widow Li.

Among the people of Daliang Village, Widow Li had the best culinary skills and had always been in charge of meals.

The villagers of Shideng Village, on the other hand, were very restrained. They had just arrived and hadn't done anything yet, but they had already received the god’s blessing and warm hospitality.

This made the simple-hearted villagers feel inevitably embarrassed.

But a communal meal was enough to bridge the distance between people.

The stone pot continuously emitted the rich fragrance of food, and all restraint was thrown to the back of their minds.

“Is this the taste of meat? It smells so good!”

“Look at that rice! The grains are so large and plump, and as white as snow! How was this grown?”

“Water! There’s water too! The water is clean and cool, it even tastes sweet!”

Widow Li stood with her hands on her hips and laughed while scolding them, “Stop shouting and get your bowls! After eating, hurry up and work for the Great One. Don't waste his blessing!”

Once everyone received a portion of food, someone exclaimed again.

“How is this possible? This meat doesn't have any gamey smell at all!”

“It’s too delicious! I’ve never eaten anything this good in my life!”

“The salt isn't bitter at all! This truly is a blessing from the god!”

The man leading the Shideng Village group wept as he ate. Halfway through, he silently put down his bowl and called a few people over, saying:

“The god is benevolent, bestowing grace to protect us. I think our days will only get better from now on.

“So... I want to make a decision today. I want to marry A Xiu today!”

Father Hong was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “What, you’ve finally figured it out?”

Mother Hong also smiled and said, “A Xiu used to follow you around. Who couldn't see she liked you? You just kept saying you were afraid of holding her back.”

“Life was hard before. I was afraid of making her suffer with me.”

The man scratched his head and took out an old but neat red wedding dress from his luggage.

This was passed down from his mother, and he had intended to give it to his wife. “Now that we have the Great One protecting us, there’s hope for the future. I want to take advantage of this good day...”

People around him laughed good-naturedly, and a few young women immediately pushed the blushing A Xiu to the front of the crowd.

After taking the medicinal pills, A Xiu was no longer the skin-and-bones figure she once was. Her graceful figure was wrapped in coarse cloth clothes, and her lovely face was so red it looked like it might bleed.

Under everyone’s blessings and teasing, A Xiu still took the red dress, hugged it to her chest, and nodded heavily.

But as soon as she nodded, someone shouted, “Wait, how can a wedding dress be red?”

“Huh? Why can't it be red?” The leading man looked confused.

“Didn’t Shitou say? The Great One is a god from the Underworld!” that person said urgently. “Bright red is so unlucky. What if it offends the Great One?”

As soon as these words came out, many people felt as if they had just woken up from a dream.

“That’s right! The Great One is the god of the underground who rules over death. We can't violate his taboos!”

“Remake the outfit! Red is too unlucky. White is auspicious. I still have some hemp cloth left over from making mourning clothes when an elder passed away. Do you think it’ll work?”

“White is good! It’s very auspicious! I’ll cut some paper money and fold some gold ingots. How can we have a happy occasion without some 'joy money'?”

“Hemp cloth is good, it’s just a bit plain. I’ll help you embroider a skull on it to soak up some of the Great One’s auspicious aura. With the Great One protecting you, you’ll surely have many children!”

“I think we need to pick a new date too. For such a big event, we must choose an auspicious day for burials!”

The man and A Xiu were dazed by what they heard, yet they felt it made sense and nodded repeatedly. “We’ll listen to everyone! White is good! A day for burials is good!”