People's coping methods are rather straightforward:
If artificial industrial livestock farming is prohibited, they resort to large-scale wild breeding. Given the vast expanse of the Tianwei Empire, designating certain areas as hunting grounds imposes no significant pressure.
This is why hunters become the most numerous profession in the Tianwei Empire. While other adventurers earn rewards by defeating magical creatures, hunters sustain themselves by hunting.
Moreover, it seems that the Barbarian Emperor is aware of the stringency of this prohibition. In recent years, there has been a gradual relaxation of restrictions.
Limited breeding is still permissible, but the prerequisite is that it cannot be circulated in the market. After all, without trade, there is no killing.
However, this restriction has indeed had a considerable impact on the living standards of the people in the Tianwei Empire. The price of game brought by hunters is naturally higher than that of livestock, and transportation issues for vegetables and fruits lead to soaring prices. Ordinary families can only occasionally purchase them in the city to meet nutritional needs.
"This..." Yethree Ming suddenly understood why Weng Ling, when handing him those chili peppers and potato seeds, added a special remark—it took her considerable effort to find them.
Similar to the flexibility with game meat, people can find alternative ways to consume affordable vegetables and fruits. After all, the empire does not prohibit them from growing their own.
In fact, besides wheat, people have begun to re-cultivate various cereal crops. However, due to the best lands being predominantly occupied by the Holy Silver Church for large-scale production, even the most exceptional farmers have been conscripted, resulting in low yields in other areas.
As for quality, let's not even mention it. Barren land, poor-quality seeds, and inexperienced farmers have led to produce that is simply unappealing.
How about radishes as thick as a pinky finger and leafy vegetables as thin as chopsticks?
But even so, these subpar fruits and vegetables are still welcomed by the general public. Once they hit the market, they are instantly snatched up, so just because Yethree Ming hasn't seen them doesn't mean they don't exist.
Relatively speaking, the adaptability of improved wheat is much stronger. It can be grown anywhere, and the yield is not low, ensuring the basic livelihood of the people.
However, as the saying goes, it's easy to eat, but hard to eat well. Unless one becomes an adventurer, the income is much higher than that of farming. If one can catch the eye of the nobility and become a follower of a big shot, then naturally, they can have whatever they want to eat.
It is for this reason that the Tianwei Empire remains indifferent to this policy that affects the quality of national life.
Farmers and warriors, he chose the latter.
"Looking at it this way, my construction seems to have great potential!"
Just as she was feeling elated, Weng Ling suddenly extinguished the holy light on her body and quietly pointed ahead, saying, "There seems to be a flickering light in front."
Yethree Ming snapped back to reality and looked ahead. His brows furrowed. In the distance, there was a faint firelight flickering in the dark night. However, besides that, he also saw several points of blue light.
"There are dead people, let's be careful!"
"Dead people?" Weng Ling looked at him suspiciously. How could Yethree Ming, from such a distance, judge that? Nevertheless, she stopped her cart at the roadside, took out a large iron hammer, and followed behind Yethree Ming.
Along a winding path towards the flickering light, they could clearly see a large stone house on fire. Next to the stone house were two slightly smaller houses that were temporarily not on fire. Strangely, there were no people trying to put out the fire.
"Help...gulp, help..."
A weak groan suddenly came from the side. Weng Ling frowned, pushed aside the grass, and, with a shocked expression, said, "Lao Jiang?!"
"Be careful!"
Two shadows suddenly sprang from Lao Jiang towards the dumbfounded Weng Ling. However, Yethree Ming had already shouldered her away, simultaneously lifting his sword to send one shadow flying. Still, the other one fell on his left arm, protecting his neck.
"Hmm!"
A low muffled groan. Yethree Ming frowned, a sword cleaving the shadow on his left hand into two. He then stepped back two steps, carefully observing the surroundings.
"Magic, magic rats?" Weng Ling looked at the broken corpses on the ground in surprise.
Only two terrifying corpses, as large as wolfhounds and entirely black, were convulsing on the ground. They had claw-like claws, brown tails as straight as whips, but the most conspicuous were the black and yellow large flat teeth under the green eyes!
It was like four large chisels intersecting!
However, Weng Ling noticed that there seemed to be a bit of black-red bloodstains and familiar cloth scraps hanging on those chisels.
"Are you injured?"
Weng Ling approached Yethree Ming nervously, wanting to check his injuries. However, Yethree Ming ignored her, pointing to the grass where Lao Jiang was found.
"Just cast any Holy Light spell there!"
"Oh, oh!"
Weng Ling suddenly realized that it was not such a leisurely time now. She quickly took out a small knife from her waist and was about to cut her palm.
"Eh? No need for a big move, just cast a Holy Light Illumination spell." Yethree Ming said with a black line on his face.
Was this silly girl scared silly, or what? She almost used a big move without paying attention.
"Okay, okay."
Weng Ling blushed. She gently touched her fingertips, and two strands of pure white light immediately shone into the grass.
Only to see Lao Jiang covering his neck, staring at them with blood-red eyes. However, his chest and abdomen had already been hollowed out. It was evident from the situation that the two magic rats that pounced on him were doing something terrifying.
Yethree Ming looked left and right, confirming that there were no magic rats ambushing around. He frowned and stabbed through Lao Jiang's head with a sword. This poor guy had just been moving his lips, obviously not dead yet.
"What are you doing!" Weng Ling exclaimed in shock.
Yethree Ming shook off the blood stains on the tip of the sword. "Help him to rest, can you still save him?"
Looking at the terrifying wound on Lao Jiang's body, even a Grand Archbishop of the Holy Silver couldn't save him, let alone her, who was only moderately skilled.
It would be the greatest mercy to help him escape from pain as soon as possible, rather than standing by and doing nothing.
"Let's go, let's go check the house over there." Yethree Ming sighed. "By the way, bring the cart. I don't want to come back and find the supplies ravaged by magic rats."
Weng Ling nodded mechanically. In fact, she could easily deal with these dangers,
but when things happened suddenly, her mind always went blank, making her current state of mind very chaotic.
"Regard the whole world as your imaginary enemy, and you will naturally be vigilant. Be more careful in the future." Yethree Ming, walking ahead, suddenly said something inexplicably.
Regard the whole world as an imaginary enemy?
What has this man experienced...
Weng Ling was stunned for a moment, then nodded determinedly at Yethree Ming's back.
"Thank you..."
Meanwhile, Yethree Ming, with his back to Weng Ling, lowered his head and shot a death light entwining his left arm.
"Hiss! Lost a piece of meat. It hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts..."