"We encountered bandits."

Su Yuniang appeared visibly shaken, adopting the demeanor of a timid and adorable young woman, "It was terrifying, there were three of them, slaughtering Uncle Xu's family who were fishing, the ground was covered in blood."

"The two of us ran home and stumbled upon it, the courtyard was filled with the stench of blood, and after a fierce fight, we barely managed to defeat them."

Ning Zheng nodded.

The courtyard was drenched in blood; perhaps the villagers had been well-fed recently, their bodies full of flesh, bleeding out only upon death.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so much blood.

Lately, blacksmiths from the manor have been assigning tasks to villagers, collecting various plants, spiritual roots, digging, and woodcutting...

To help them improve their livelihoods.

In particular, recent signpost distributions encouraged villagers to tell stories while fishing, supplying them with resources to better their lives.

An industry chain has formed between the mountains and villages, with villagers becoming half of a passive adventure, searching for materials like NPCs.

"Condolences," Ning Zheng said.

In reality, he didn't care at all about Uncle Xu's family of three that died.

It's not out of cold-bloodedness but because Earth-bound Spirits will resurrect after a while.

This is just the beginning.

In the thirty days before the Red Sun, the chaos will grow daily, with the Ash Disaster intensifying across the Nine-State.

Plus, with the gap in the Nine Ancestors, more "outsiders" are pouring in.

Just a small opening here, and it turns into this.

It shows the danger of Pingchang City, where everyone has been uprooted and entering the city is like walking on a smooth path.

Uprooted ancestors might even go mad.

It's truly hard for the common people to survive.

This is despite the Courts and families running around managing various issues.

Ning Zheng, having previously been a slave, deeply understood the hardships involved.

In chaotic times, the people suffer; in prosperous times, they also suffer.

Indeed, one must hold the power in their own hands.

Su Yuniang said, "I believe everyone will become more alert, and tomorrow I'll go around the village to warn them to lure outsiders up the mountain if they encounter them."

"I'll go too tomorrow," Ning Jiaojiao said earnestly.

"I need to train, but if something happens, you can come find me," Ning Zheng added nonchalantly.

He thought to himself that he'd obtained another batch of Continuing Ash Talismans from Zhang Huaping and planned to stick a couple on them tonight, re-rooting them as Earth-bound Spirits.

This way, no matter how reckless they are, they won't die, or at least they'll be somewhat safer.

The villager died.

To Su Yuniang, it felt unpleasant.

In her eyes, these were living people who had spoken with her, now dead at the hands of bandits.

Su Yuniang resolved to thoroughly train the villagers tomorrow, teaching them how to fish and go to the mountains, and how to avoid attacks.

After chatting with them for a while, Ning Zheng exhaled a breath and returned to his room to train.

"The Red Sun is indeed approaching, and after a while, I will have to live underneath a wellhead, which is safer."

It's not about lacking combat power, but hiding is just safer.

Why engage in a life-and-death fight with a swarm of dead? There's no benefit in winning.

Moreover, there's the possibility of encountering a ghost in the Four Viscera Realm.

He reassessed his body, recalling the previous injury where his right leg's meridian ruptured.

From this, he felt that the Sixth Body would be best cultivated once he accumulated 7000 Qi Fortune Value.

After all, this area is too delicate.

It can't withstand even a little meridian shock damage, although cutting it off directly for a Five-Body Great Perfection breakthrough to the next realm is possible.

After training for a while.

He started logging onto the forums to see what the blacksmiths were up to.

Today should be pretty exciting.

He'd given them a new choice-of-two reward.

He toured around various areas, offering some public funding sponsorship.

Sure enough, Jiao Wuyu's sorrowful event had been completely forgotten, replaced entirely by excitement.

"Hahaha, the planner is so awesome!"

"So considerate!"

"They're giving away so much!"

"Hahaha, the planner must've been terrified by the blood-dripping knives, afraid of us showing up in person, and started crazily flooding us with gold coins!"

"Awesome! The real estate gameplay is open, the old manager made another round, and distributed funds, leading to a significant update in the blacksmith shop and spirit farmer area."

"So funny, the Medical Fairy, Food God, and Su Yuniang didn't have any funding."

"What does this represent? It means the manor will conduct random inspections to provide more support to professions that show effort! This is the core of the management gameplay; you work hard, and you get rewarded."

"Ahhh, I'll never slack off again."

...

Previously, they were sending blood-dripping knives, but now they're all praising the planner.

Even Ning Zheng marveled at their quick change of attitude.

Everyone was discussing today's update content: it was so plentiful and abundant, not just in the spirit farmer area, which marked a newly developed blue ocean, gaining formal recognition and sponsorship.

A group was also discussing the alchemy room.

Thinking about how to divide up this large pie.

Considering becoming the alchemy room head, given the evident benefits the heads of neighboring areas enjoyed.

Some were discussing the Ember Pill Furnace, truly a useful transition beyond blade, spear, sword, and halberd transitions.

Even.

Someone suggested they should all transform Dizzy into a pill furnace since no one had achieved Embers yet.

Some discussed.

The possibility of recruiting special talents, like Alchemist or blacksmiths, among these Ember NPCs.

In total, everyone was bustling with excitement, and it was already a sleepless night.

...

...

Night fell.

Pingchang City.

After slaying a ghost, Zhang Huaping brought the Sword Fairy to the shop.

The old shopkeeper, seeing her stained with blood, was shocked and anxiously said, "Didn't I tell you not to hunt ghosts anymore? Now you're our precious treasure among us shopkeepers, if you die, who will dare go up the mountain?"

Zhang Huaping shook her head, "But we're increasingly short-handed recently, so it's good to lend a helping hand."

The old shopkeeper sighed.

Neither he nor Zhang Huaping, nor even 99.9% of the city's commoners, had ever experienced the Red Sun before.

No one had experience.

Seeing all kinds of bloody events was still hard to bear.

After all, there are quite a few orthodox cultivators in this world, with most scholars having a chivalrous heart from private school education.

"Forget it," the old shopkeeper didn't elaborate.

Zhang Huaping asked, "How are the painting cards selling?"

"Sales are excellent, I've gone through fifty blind boxes in just a day," the old shopkeeper remarked in awe.

"Mainly because the previous hit blind boxes gained a reputation, with second-hand traders hyping them up, causing a valuation increase, and customers have already been conditioned."

This is what reputation is.

Hesitant to buy the first time, the second time they see the same packaging, inquire about the features, and immediately snatch it up.

At the same time.

She not only brought back 500 blind boxes of painting cards, but also 100 of the dog tail series boxes, with each shop getting five weapons boxes, all sold out on the spot.

After all, the younger generation is gathering cultivators from all over to fight the Ash Tides, and having this weapon already signifies the aristocratic foundation's endorsement.

"Five hundred painting card blind boxes, and they still aren't enough?"

Zhang Huaping marveled, "Understand that out of those five hundred boxes, there are even a hundred ten-person family series sets!"

"All very sellable," said the old manager.

Completely unable to meet the demand, whatever came in was immediately consumed.

That's why everyone is so optimistic.

The versatility is just too strong!

The weapons Loose Cultivators use can differ, incredibly diverse, but they'll all use communication magical artifacts.

This market is enormous.

The previous Mother and Child Rings even couldn't satisfy their own city's demand, with only a small portion flowing to other cities.

It's likely the same with this painting card.

The old shopkeeper said, "The production of Mother and Child Rings is low; I've heard it's from materials off a demon beast known as Mother and Child Fish, whose breeding capability is extremely strong, but once captive-bred, the demand is still somewhat insufficient."

"And for their side?"

"What demon beast material is used to craft it? Regardless, their supply capability is surely lacking."

The old shopkeeper sighed, eyes filled with envy.

"Sword Casting Demon Manor is going to make a fortune; after this round, Pingchang City will likely take action against them, not allowing them to rake in so much."

"But how arrogant is the other party? Clearly knowing the resentful eyes, not even waiting for Pingchang City's big families to cause trouble later, they actively targeted us first."

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