Zhang Cuigu lifted her trembling head, looking at the stone emitting a gentle green glow, then at Hong Ling’s firm and encouraging gaze.
She didn’t understand anything about talent, but she understood the phrases 'experience with the land' and 'the arrangement of the god'.
Hong Ling had received a large batch of pills from Chen Zhou early that morning. She took out a few and pressed them into Zhang Cuigu’s hand, instructing her to take them.
The pills emitted a foul stench, yet they slightly eased her nerves, which were taut with fear.
She pinched her nose and swallowed them all at once, gulping them down like a starving person who didn’t even stop to taste their food.
As the pills entered her stomach, it felt like a long-awaited rain falling upon parched earth.
A warm current of Qi instantly dispelled the cold and fatigue from her body. Her rough skin became firm and lustrous, and her graying hair turned a deep, rich black at a speed visible to the naked eye.
A burst of white light appeared above Zhang Cuigu’s head.
Within the light, one could faintly see countless phantoms of pure white silkworm threads intertwining. They eventually condensed into the phantom of a compassionate-looking woman wearing ancient robes and holding a silken thread.
The phantom flashed and vanished, but it carried a solemn and bountiful aura originating from ancient times.
A commotion broke out among the onlookers, who stood there dumbfounded.
Was this the power of a god? He could actually make someone young again—this was truly a miracle!
No one dared to look down on this rejuvenated peasant woman anymore. The vibrant vitality she radiated, combined with the certainty of being personally handpicked by the god, made it seem as if she had been reborn.
"Since you have taken on the responsibility, you must have the corresponding power. This is the god's recognition and blessing. It is a talent that many people could never obtain, no matter how hard they begged," Hong Ling said with a smile, patting Zhang Cuigu’s shoulder encouragingly.
Zhang Cuigu subconsciously straightened her back, feeling the overflowing vitality within her. Her original cowardice and inferiority were significantly washed away by this tangible physical transformation.
The god had even bestowed such precious immortal medicine upon her; what reason did she have to shrink back?
A surge of courage and responsibility she had never felt before surged in her chest.
She looked again at the small black snakes tilling the soil in the spirit field. They no longer seemed so terrifying. After all, they were all working for the Great One.
Zhang Cuigu took a deep breath, wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes—uncertain if it was from fear or excitement—and performed a solemn kowtow.
"Yes! This humble woman, Zhang Cuigu, thanks the Great One for his grace! I will do my utmost to manage the spirit fields for the Great One and will never betray his trust!"
The other citizens looked on with eyes full of envy. This was a massive opportunity; who wouldn't want to be valued by the god?
Similar situations were happening in more than one place.
Among the thirty thousand new followers, quite a few possessed special traits.
【Sincerity Splits Stone (Purple): Perhaps a bit of favoritism from a mountain god, or perhaps just pure luck. One possesses a beast-like intuition for mineral distribution. Rare ore output rate increased by 1% when mining.】
【Shennong's Enlightenment (Purple): Carrying a wisp of the benevolent Qi scattered when Shennong tasted the hundred herbs. Disease curing and injury healing effects increased by 100%.】
【Godlike Craftsmanship (Orange): Perhaps the reincarnation of a master craftsman obsessed with his art. Possesses intuition for construction and manufacturing that transcends ordinary people. When responsible for building or repairing structures, speed is increased by 100%, durability is increased by 50%, and there is a chance to comprehend special architectural blueprints.】
Under Chen Zhou’s will, with the old guiding the new, the entire territory began to operate rapidly and efficiently.
Those with special traits were given as many pills as needed by Chen Zhou. No matter how poor their natural talent was, he directly boosted them to the second-stage level.
As for the original hundred or so villagers, Chen Zhou also selected dozens who worked particularly hard—such as Widow Li, the black-faced man, the leading man from Shideng Village, and A-Xiu—and rewarded them individually.
This immediately ignited a fire in the hearts of the new followers. It seemed that one didn't just need a specialized skill to be valued; loyalty and hard work could also earn one's blessings.
As long as they worked steadily and diligently, they would one day receive god-given pills and become cultivators themselves.
Hong Ling displayed astonishing coordination skills. Following Chen Zhou’s arrangements and considering individual preferences, she quickly integrated and organized the tens of thousands of newly received people.
The mountain of low-grade materials in the warehouse finally had a use.
At locations designated by Chen Zhou, two buildings that radiated an ominous yet vital aura began to break ground.
One was the Blood-Flesh Furnace. It looked like a ferocious beast crouching on the ground, its mouth constantly spitting out dark red flames as if hungering for the nourishment of flesh and blood.
The other was the Soul Kiln, which resembled a massive, constantly rotating bone-china kiln. A soul-snatching, wailing wind swirled around its opening, designed specifically to temper soul essences.
Each of these two buildings could accommodate a thousand people for work. Their daily operation required a vast amount of first-stage or even second-stage wood as fuel. They could compress and purify ordinary flesh and souls into first-stage or second-stage resources.
The output of the existing lumberyards immediately became strained. Chen Zhou promptly planned and built a fourth Yin-Wind Lumberyard at the edge of his territory, pouring even more labor into it.
Two more mining caves were also added. All the buildings combined were just enough to employ ten thousand people.
As for the remaining population...
Chen Zhou watched the Wailing Mine operating day and night, with the excavated stone piling up in the warehouse. A thought became clear in his mind: building a city.
He couldn't keep his subjects scattered in temporary tents or crude wooden huts forever. A fully functional stronghold with defensive and production capabilities was an inevitable requirement for the development of his power.
Chen Zhou immediately pulled up the settlement planning module in the 'Build' list. Using the central area where the Bone Altar and the Blood-Prison Pool were located as the starting point, he began to outline the blueprint for a city.
Chen Zhou intended to use a nine-square grid layout for the initial urban prototype, as this would make subsequent expansion relatively easy.
The core area centered around the Bone Altar, the Blood-Prison Pool, and the General-Summoning Platform. This was designated as an absolute forbidden zone and center of faith, as well as the maximum area currently covered by Chen Zhou’s Ghost Domain.
Other districts radiated outward, including production zones for various buildings, residential zones for housing, reclaimed fields for farming, livestock pens, medical clinics, marketplaces, and more.
Chen Zhou handed down the blueprints and the preliminary construction tasks. His gaze swept over several core managers he had summoned, finally landing on an old man who had just been detected with the 'Godlike Craftsmanship' trait.
This old man was named Lu Cheng. He was originally an inconspicuous master carpenter in White Jade City who had spent half his life working with wood. He was a man of few words, his hands covered in a patchwork of old and new scars and calluses.
Now that he had been personally named by the god, he was so nervous he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet.
"Lu Cheng," Chen Zhou’s voice pulled him back from his panic.
"This... this old one is here!" Lu Cheng bowed hurriedly.
"The planning and construction of the city shall be coordinated by you. Any labor or materials required can be requested from Hong Ling."
Lu Cheng snapped his head up, his clouded old eyes filled with disbelief. Leading the construction of a city?
This... this burden was too heavy!
He opened his mouth to decline, but when he met Chen Zhou’s calm gaze and felt the trusting eyes of the surrounding citizens, a long-lost passion belonging to a craftsman surged in his chest.
Everyone knew that the Great One was omniscient and used people according to their strengths. He should believe in the god-given talent, and he should believe in himself.
He took a deep breath, suppressed all his panic, and replied solemnly, "This old one... Lu Cheng, accepts the command! I will do everything in my power, even if I must work myself to the bone!"
Hong Ling stepped forward at the right time and asked respectfully, "Great One, what shall our city be named?"
A name?
Chen Zhou pondered for a moment and pointed to the rising land beneath his feet. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a declarative majesty that clearly reached the ears of everyone present:
"This city... shall be named the City of the Wrongfully Dead."
Rate on N.U.
