In the end, a dejected Hai Ru Yue departed from Qingshan.
Seated in the swaying carriage, Hai Ru Yue held a mirror in one hand, while the other gently caressed her cheek.
Old? Nothing of the sort! All the men around her cast passionate glances her way. She herself understood the desires hidden behind their gazes. They only wished to strip her bare and sate their cravings.
Only Yuan Gang's blunt replies and Niu You Dao's frivolous objections had wounded her pride. These two men did not look at her as others did. This made her feel "out of place."
Precisely! They didn't want her, which was why she was troubled.
Lowering the mirror, she gazed out the window. When she had set out for this place, she had been consumed by worry. But now, Niu You Dao refused to acknowledge that he had helped her. This left her with a sensation as if a black hole had appeared above her, threatening to swallow her whole at any moment.
Hai Ru Yue was no longer the girl who had madly loved Shang Jian Bo. Therefore, she did not believe that anyone would simply help her without reason...
After seeing off his guests, Niu You Dao returned to his hut, where Gong Sun Bu was already waiting.
"Anything pressing?" Niu You Dao asked with a smile.
Gong Sun Bu asked worriedly, "Any news from Lu Sheng Zhong?"
Niu You Dao: "Either Shao Ping Bo killed him, or he has defected to Shao Ping Bo. In any case, Shao Ping Bo won't let him go."
Upon mentioning this, Niu You Dao's mood shifted. He had been pondering the matter and realized he had made a mistake. He shouldn't have withdrawn the three sects' people from the Song Kingdom. Then, perhaps, Shao Ping Bo, using Lu Sheng Zhong as bait, might have made contact. Who knows, perhaps he could have been saved.
Gong Sun Bu: "Better if he had killed him."
Niu You Dao said nothing, merely smiling...
Thus, a year passed by unnoticed...
It was summer once more, and a lone figure stood on a rock beneath the waterfall. He remained motionless against the torrent.
Hei Mudan flew towards him and called out:
"Lord Dao!"
The figure beneath the forceful water suddenly shimmered and shot upwards.
He ascended very swiftly, touching nothing. Then, amidst the current, he unsheathed his sword.
Swish!
He swung his sword, cleaving the curtain of water. At the top, Niu You Dao twirled his sword and returned it to its scabbard. Then, he calmly glided through the water and landed beside Hei Mudan.
Hei Mudan froze. To Lord Dao, even the raging torrent of the waterfall meant nothing at all.
Steam rose from Niu You Dao's body. He leaned on his sword and asked:
"What is it?"
Hei Mudan: "I found out what you asked. It's not a spy. It's just that the population in Qingshan is increasing, and merchants are arriving here too. So, some are mistakenly trying to break in. The Prince has already ordered a limit on the number of people arriving and also instructed to put up forbidden signs."
So that's it? Niu You Dao nodded slightly. Yuan Gang had once told him that people were constantly breaking in here.
"Are you saying life in Qingshan is good now?" Niu You Dao asked.
"Magnificent!" Hei Mudan nodded. "Much better than a year ago!"
"After the policy shift, the Prince has increased the population in the two counties by seven to eight times. Now, in Qingshan, lands that haven't been cultivated for several years are being worked again by refugees from other districts and provinces. To improve cultivation methods, the Prince not only divided and allocated land to the people but also earmarked 100,000 gold for education. Schools for children are now being opened in the villages. If fields are cultivated and schools educate the people, these will be excellent living conditions. Therefore, many people will want to start families here and settle permanently. And even if something happens, as Master Lan says, families will only leave these places as a last resort."
"The large population, combined with partial tax exemptions, has attracted many merchants from all directions. Business in the two counties is expanding. Qingshan is no longer as it once was. Everything in the county town has come alive. However, a problem has arisen due to the large number of people and insufficient commercial stalls. Many entrepreneurs are making demands, and Master Lan is currently negotiating with them."
"Negotiations?" Niu You Dao paused:
"About what?"
Hei Mudan: "The Prince has decided to make the current city an inner city and to expand the city limits by another five li. This will form the outer city."
"Expand the borders by five li?" Niu You Dao was startled:
"Won't that require immense funds?"
Hei Mudan: "That's why Master Lan is currently negotiating. They are preparing to provide land to businessmen for free. However, on the condition that those businessmen must finance the construction of the outer wall. And now they are discussing the relationship between the distance from the wall and how much each will receive in funding. By resolving this matter, they can quickly find a way to feed their refugee families. They have almost reached an agreement; only a few minor points remain to be clarified."
Niu You Dao asked, "Is Lan Ruo Ting handling all of this?"
Hei Mudan nodded: "It seems so. Master Lan handles all internal affairs, while the Prince focuses on military matters."
"This Lan Ruo Ting is truly talented. A shrewd operator!" Niu You Dao sighed, his thoughts drifting to Beizhou.
While he cultivated here, he hadn't concerned himself with the development of the two counties; instead, he paid more attention to Beizhou.
According to the latest news, Shao Ping Bo was also displaying his great talents there. He had attracted numerous masters and scholars to establish a water conservancy system in this tumultuous age. As a result, they also managed to significantly increase their population within a year.
It seemed Shao Deng Yun had granted him even more authority, so that Shao Ping Bo wouldn't waste much time.
Now, Shao Ping Bo was handling both military affairs and internal governance. He was demonstrating high skill and administrative capabilities. In just one year under his management, Beizhou had rapidly transformed. Previously, Beizhou had seemed to shrink like a snowball, but now it was developing intensely in all aspects. It attracted both human and financial resources, making things difficult for neighboring regions. However, there was nothing they could do.
Niu You Dao was forced to acknowledge these abilities. In this regard, he was not as good as Shao Ping Bo.
Therefore, Niu You Dao secretly sighed over Beizhou's rapid growth. This meant that Shao Ping Bo's influence in the cultivation world would also grow.
News from Beizhou reported that Dachang Mountain had begun to attach even greater importance to Shao Ping Bo. Therefore, they had assigned more high-level masters to protect him.
Niu You Dao snapped out of his thoughts and saw Hei Mudan standing before him in high spirits. Niu You Dao noticed that even this girl had begun to change with time.
"And Yuan Gang?" Niu You Dao asked.
Hei Mudan: "It seems he's gone to the armory. Lately, he's often been with Gongsun Tie Niu."
Niu You Dao waved a hand:
"I haven't left the mountain in a long time. Let's go see the city."
Hei Mudan immediately notified the three sects to send high-level cultivators for his protection.
As soon as they began to approach the county town, Niu You Dao immediately noticed that the atmosphere was no longer the same.
Endless streams of people walked along the roads. Minor officials moved about outside the city, driving in wooden demarcation poles. It seemed they had already begun expanding the city.
As soon as they entered the city, Niu You Dao heard the clamor of a lively metropolis. It was much livelier than before. Niu You Dao even wondered if he had come to the wrong place.
Although the people here wore worn, poor clothing, and many beggars sat pleading, the city as a whole had fundamentally changed.
Crowds of people could be seen everywhere, making Niu You Dao feel slightly unaccustomed. He didn't linger to observe everything but headed straight for the ruler's palace.
The Prince Chao Zong's bodyguard knew Niu You Dao, so he ordered the other guards not to check Niu You Dao and personally led him to the ruler.
From outside the council hall, the voices of Lan Ruo Ting and Prince Chao Zong could already be heard.
Niu You Dao waved his hand, signaling the bodyguard not to announce his arrival for now, and began to eavesdrop on their conversation.
He heard Lan Ruo Ting speaking:
"Prince, there is a port on the south side here that is advantageous for us. We are surrounded, but through this, goods can be transported by sea. For businessmen, this is very profitable. I propose extending the city walls to the port and building a fortress at the port where entrepreneurs' goods can be stored..."
"Cough, cough" - a bodyguard suddenly coughed. He could not allow anyone to eavesdrop on the Prince.
"Prince, Lord Dao has arrived."
Niu You Dao smiled at him and stepped inside.
Prince Chao Zong and Lan Ruo Ting also walked forward to meet him. They were surprised by Lord Dao's arrival, as they had not seen him for nearly a year.
"Lord Dao, what brings you here?" Prince Chao Zong clasped his hands and greeted him.
Niu You Dao entered the council hall with them and, looking at the map, asked:
"Nothing special. I heard we are blocked on all sides. Is that true?"
Lan Ruo Ting: "For now, that's not the case. But with this rate of development, we will definitely attract attention. And then they will block our trade routes to prevent our growth. This will start sooner or later. So, it's better to be prepared. If we are cut off by land, we will be supplied by sea. The same goes for horses; if we can't bring them in by land, we can transport them by sea."
Niu You Dao nodded: "Master Lan is farsighted. You're thinking ahead!"
Prince Chao Zong, frowning, said:
"The three sects and the Heavenly Jade Sect still haven't responded regarding the Qi Kingdom."
Lan Ruo Ting explained:
"Lord Dao, the Prince says our development speed isn't fast enough. If the people around us perceive a threat from our side, they will cut us off, and we'll tremble with fear. We need warhorses. Otherwise, our army's speed won't be high. We'll be left here waiting and enduring humiliation."
Niu You Dao: "Must we only look to the Qi Kingdom? Can we not acquire horses from other places?"
Prince Chao Zong: "We are purchasing horses in small batches from around here. But the difference between ordinary horses and warhorses is immense. They are faster, more resilient, and one can overcome more enemies with them. The warhorses we have here are already aging. And it's unlikely we'll be able to procure new horses quickly. But there are many pastures in the Qi Kingdom."
Hearing this, Niu You Dao fell silent...