Beside Gao Family Village, a massive pond had appeared.
It stretched over thirty meters in length, sixteen meters in width, and plunged twenty-six meters deep into the earth. Its surface lay still beneath the open sky, clear and pristine.
The water within was modern tap water. Crystal clear. Pure.
For villagers who had endured a devastating drought, water of this quality had not been seen in years.
"Water! It's water!"
"Heavens… such a huge pond!"
"And it's so clean!"
"Is this… a gift for us?"
"I can't believe it…"
"Long live Tianzun!"
Their voices overlapped in disbelief and ecstasy, rising one after another like waves.
Li Daoxuan lowered his gaze and looked toward Gao Yiye.
"Yiye," he said calmly, "tell the villagers that from this day forward, I will replenish this pond daily. They may use the water as they wish, whether for daily needs or irrigation."
Gao Yiye was overwhelmed with joy.
She immediately dropped to her knees and kowtowed in gratitude. Only after completing her prostration did she rise, turn toward the villagers, and loudly proclaim Tianzun's divine decree.
A thunderous cheer erupted.
"Now we don't have to fear the drought anymore!"
"We can irrigate our fields!"
"Our reserved seeds can finally be planted!"
"What are we waiting for? Let's get buckets and fetch water!"
"Don't rush. It's still too hot to plant crops. We must wait until early autumn."
"Ah… right. I got carried away."
The villagers were nearly delirious with happiness, their minds spinning as they struggled to decide what to do first.
The women, however, had already made up their minds.
Their eyes shone with excitement.
With so much water available, they could finally wash their clothes. Finally bathe.
For half a year, they had endured filth, sweat, and stench. No woman could tolerate such conditions forever.
They hurried off to fetch containers, eager to fill their water jars first.
San Shier, who had been half-drowsing moments ago, was now fully awake.
He looked up at the sky.
There was nothing there.
He lowered his gaze again, staring at the pond before him.
It was real.
Utterly real.
What he had witnessed earlier had not been a hallucination brought on by fatigue. An invisible, unfathomable force had truly created this pond from nothing, and an immense torrent of water had descended from the heavens to fill it.
If anyone dared claim this was not the work of a deity, he would be the first to slap that person across the face.
As he stood there in stunned silence, Gao Yiye suddenly spoke.
"Master San, Tianzun has words for you."
San Shier jolted back to his senses.
He hurriedly bowed deeply toward the heavens.
"This humble one awaits Tianzun's command."
Li Daoxuan spoke, his voice calm.
"You were the county magistrate's advisor, were you not?"
Gao Yiye relayed the message.
San Shier's expression immediately darkened.
"A few days ago, this humble one spoke on behalf of the common people, advising the magistrate against levying additional taxes. This angered him. I was dismissed from my position and cast out of the county office. It is called… reaping what one sows."
Li Daoxuan paused briefly.
"So, you have lost your livelihood."
San Shier lowered his head.
"This humble one… indeed… it is called—"
"Enough."
Li Daoxuan cut him off, irritation creeping into his voice.
"You are annoying."
San Shier froze.
"Do you not realize how irritating your manner of speaking is? No wonder the magistrate dismissed you."
San Shier did not dare respond.
Li Daoxuan continued.
"I originally thought that, as an advisor, you could read official notices and report important matters to Gao Family Village. But now it seems you are no longer of much use."
San Shier's heart trembled.
Understanding dawned instantly.
So Tianzun had intended to employ him.
Serving a divine being was an opportunity blessed by heaven itself. How could he allow such a chance to slip away?
He hurriedly spoke.
"This humble one is still useful. Although I no longer serve in the county office, I remain literate, numerate, and observant. Entrusting matters to this humble one would surely prove worthwhile."
He almost added another idiom out of habit, but quickly stopped himself, remembering Tianzun's earlier irritation.
His expression twisted slightly as he forcibly swallowed the words.
Li Daoxuan found the reaction faintly amusing.
"Very well," he said. "For now, return to the county town. Observe carefully. Listen well. Gather information about events occurring there."
"If any important news arises, send word to Gao Family Village immediately."
"When I require your services, I will summon you."
San Shier immediately prostrated himself, pressing his forehead firmly against the ground.
"This humble one obeys Tianzun's command."
Only after completing his kowtows did he rise and depart toward the county town.
Above, Li Daoxuan fell into thought.
At present, his field of vision remained limited to Gao Family Village. The sandbox world did not allow him to see beyond its boundaries.
San Shier, however, could serve as his eyes and ears beyond that limitation.
If used properly, this man might prove invaluable.
Shifting his attention back to the village, Li Daoxuan observed the villagers already hard at work.
The younger men had begun digging irrigation channels.
With such an abundant water supply, their confidence had returned. Although planting season would not arrive until autumn, their long-suppressed farming instincts could no longer be restrained.
Li Daoxuan nodded slightly.
Excellent.
Their ability to sustain themselves had finally been restored.
For the next few months, he would still need to support them, but once autumn arrived and crops were planted, the burden would gradually lessen.
If he could replicate this method in other villages, he might save countless lives.
Then his thoughts shifted to the next problem.
How could the villagers protect themselves when he was not present?
His first instinct was to arm them with firearms.
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
Even the smallest modern pistol, when scaled up two hundred times, would become over eleven meters long.
Such a weapon would be completely unusable.
Manufacturing microscopic firearms was equally unrealistic with modern technology.
Teaching the villagers to produce firearms themselves was even less feasible. With their current capabilities, forging a proper sword would already be difficult.
For now, there was only one practical solution.
A fortified stronghold.
A sturdy defensive structure would allow the villagers to withstand bandit attacks and protect themselves in his absence.
It was a simple, proven method. One used countless times throughout history.
And it was something he could build himself.
All he needed to do was construct it in the real world… and place it inside the sandbox.
It was entirely achievable.
Only one problem remained.
It would cost money.