To the Green Spirit Clan and Earth Spirit Clan, the Hua Xia Empire was utterly foreign; they had never encountered such a place in their lives.
The vast lands stretched out before them, crisscrossed with impeccably clean roads, teeming with an endless array of strange machines moving back and forth.
In addition, there were metal tracks laid across the lands and mountains, with long iron boxes speeding along them at incredible speeds.
Rivers and lakes bustled with elegant iron ships, gliding swiftly through the water.
And in the grand cities, they frequently saw cloudships rising from within, soaring off in various directions.
On their journey, Lin Qian had already explained the existence of the Ministry of Transportation to them, so they weren't completely caught off guard by these sights.
After Lin Qian had spoken, Cui Bailin and Zhu Dingtian took it upon themselves to explain these wonders to their people so they could better understand.
As the saying goes, "hearing something a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once." Now that they had seen it with their own eyes, they finally grasped the true extent of what Lin Qian had described.
The Ministry of Transportation, as Lin Qian had mentioned, was nothing short of miraculous. Back in the subterranean world of the Ancient Forest, only powerful soul warriors could travel between different regions, and the journey was often exhausting.
But in the Hua Xia Empire, thanks to the Ministry of Transportation, even ordinary citizens could travel effortlessly across vast expanses of the empire, with no fatigue, making communication and movement much more convenient.
Reflecting on this, both Cui Bailin and Zhu Dingtian felt more certain than ever that they had joined an extraordinary empire.
The sky-floating battleships, carrying the Green Spirit Clan and Earth Spirit Clan, continued flying across the Hua Xia Empire's territory. Before long, they reached the area where the Wood Spirit Clan now resided.
As the sky-floating battleships hovered in the air and the members of the two clans disembarked, they were taken aback by the sight of the city before them.
The architecture was unmistakably in the style of the Wood Spirit Clan.
From high above, they could see not only the city below, but many other Wood Spirit Clan cities scattered across the land.
Furthermore, not all the sky-floating battleships had gathered in one place. Given the sheer number of people in the Green Spirit and Earth Spirit Clans, they couldn't all be housed in one location, so the people were distributed among various regions.
After they disembarked from the battleships, officials from the Ministry of Engineering, who had been waiting for their arrival, began processing identification documents for the two clans. After a series of procedures and oaths, they would officially become members of the Hua Xia Empire—citizens of the empire.
"Originally, the Wood Spirit Clan only had one city. The many cities you saw from the battleship were built by the Hua Xia Empire as a reward for the contributions made by the Wood Spirit Clan," Lin Qian explained to Cui Bailin and Zhu Dingtian as they walked towards the entrance of Agriculture Valley.
Ye Xin had already gone ahead to oversee operations, directing the officials of the Ministry of Engineering in processing identification documents for the Green Spirit Clan and Earth Spirit Clan.
As for the three elders, they had been escorted by officials to New Qin City to obtain their documentation and reunite with Yun Fan, Lin Qian's maternal grandfather.
Now, Cui Bailin and Zhu Dingtian followed behind Lin Qian, listening quietly.
They remembered how Mu Houde had often boasted in his transmissions about the Wood Spirit Clan's achievements. He frequently mentioned how the Wood Spirit Clan had developed three new medicinal herbs and one new type of spirit wood, which had earned them thirty-eight cities in return.
"In the past, the Fengxun Clan treated you as tools, draining you dry. But things will be different in the Hua Xia Empire," Lin Qian continued as they walked. "From now on, you will be citizens of the Hua Xia Empire. By doing your best, you will make the empire stronger, and the empire will thrive because of your efforts. The empire does not exploit its people. Outstanding contributions will be rewarded, as they are the fruits of your labor."
As they approached the entrance to Agriculture Valley, a figure suddenly hurried towards them. Cui Bailin and Zhu Dingtian exchanged glances, both surprised by the sight.
The figure was none other than an old acquaintance: Mu Houde.
However, as Mu Houde approached, he seemed completely transformed.
Gone was the weak and hunched figure they remembered. Instead, Mu Houde now strode with confidence, standing tall with a bright, vigorous aura that made him appear decades younger. He no longer looked like an old man, but more like someone in the prime of his life.
"Your humble servant Mu Houde greets Your Majesty," Mu Houde said, his voice trembling with excitement as he knelt before Lin Qian and bowed respectfully.
Despite being older than Lin Qian by many years, Mu Houde felt nothing but respect and reverence for the young emperor. He knew that it was thanks to Lin Qian that his people now enjoyed such a prosperous life.
No longer did they have to worry about the yield of their herbs, nor did they have to fear the oppression of the Fengxun Clan. They no longer had to live in constant dread that failure to meet their quotas would result in the deaths of their people.
Though the Wood Spirit Clan was still busy, their daily lives were now filled with hope and joy, not despair and exhaustion.
The faces that had once been downcast and weary now beamed with enthusiasm. The sounds of laughter and excitement filled the air as they worked, no longer grumbling or sighing as they once did.
For the Wood Spirit Clan, the act of creating new medicinal herbs and spirit woods was like becoming the creators of life itself.
Lin Qian had tapped into their natural talents and given them a platform to showcase their abilities. Whereas they had once toiled under the harsh rule of the Fengxun Clan, they now worked freely, driven by their own ambitions.
The Wood Spirit Clan's new quotas were ten times higher than those imposed by the Fengxun Clan, yet not a single member of the Wood Spirit Clan felt that Lin Qian's demands were unreasonable.
On the contrary, they found the work to be remarkably easy!
Thanks to the existence of Agriculture Valley, they were able to produce ten times the yield with ease. The amount of time they now had to rest was almost unimaginable compared to before.
In fact, the Wood Spirit Clan had felt embarrassed by this. In their first harvest alone, they had exceeded Lin Qian's expectations by five times.
Lin Qian had praised the Wood Spirit Clan immensely for their efforts, rewarding them with a cultivation technique far superior to anything they had practiced before.
However, Lin Qian also urged them to work within their means, making it clear that he did not want to see any of the Wood Spirit Clan members overworking themselves to death.
In Mu Houde's eyes, Lin Qian was nothing less than the savior of the Wood Spirit Clan.
"Rise. I must say, you've exceeded my expectations. Your progress has been remarkably swift," Lin Qian said as he helped Mu Houde to his feet, offering sincere praise for the Wood Spirit Clan's efficiency, which had greatly impressed him.
Mu Houde smiled awkwardly, his expression humble as he replied, "What we've accomplished so far is only the lowest level of medicinal herbs and spirit woods. We feel undeserving of such generous rewards from Your Majesty."
"A good beginning is half the battle. Progress takes time, but I'm confident you'll achieve even greater results," Lin Qian said, stepping forward to pat Mu Houde on the shoulder reassuringly.
But in the next moment, Lin Qian's expression suddenly shifted, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.
"So... they finally couldn't hold back any longer?" he muttered darkly.