After sunrise, just as Wang Yi returned from washing up, the villagers from Stone Village arrived.
Without any orders from Wang Yi, Zhang Dashan, the Production Team Leader, immediately began assigning tasks: moving stones, gathering firewood, digging for wild vegetables, and cleaning up. Everyone had their own job to do.
The team soon buzzed with activity.
Meanwhile, the five men, including Yang Qingniu and Zhang Lengzi, grabbed clubs and stuck close to Wang Yi and Man Datou. They were all bows and scrapes, exuding a roguish air, like a posse of gangsters.
"Don't follow me. Go train!"
Wang Yi muttered. Seeing Yang Qingniu and the other four looking completely lost, with no idea what "training" even meant, he sighed. He turned to Man Datou. "Big Head, I'm putting these five under your charge for now. How about you teach them some basic fighting skills?"
Man Datou glanced at Yang Qingniu and the others, then said dismissively, "Them? Their bones are too soft. They can't learn Powerful Fist. I'll just have them work on their strength for now!"
With that, Man Datou herded Yang Qingniu and his men off to begin their training.
First up: running!
"First, you'll follow me on a ten-li mountain run. Anyone who falls behind not only gets a beating, but they also don't get to eat!"
Man Datou's voice boomed, and his expression turned stern and imposing.
When Yang Qingniu and the other four had arrived that morning, they were all refreshed and energetic, feeling a cut above the rest. But now, hearing they had to run ten li on mountain roads, their faces soured, and a chorus of groans erupted.
"Good heavens, a ten-li mountain run!"
"Why in the world do we have to run on mountain roads..."
"Sir, please spare me! My straw sandals are already worn through. There's no way I can run ten li!"
It was Yang Qingniu who had his head on straight. Seeing Zhang Lengzi and the others muttering and complaining, he immediately gave them a few kicks and shouted, "Shut your traps! We get to eat roasted chicken, so what's a little run? If you don't want to be in my Civilian Militia, then get lost! I don't want any cowards under my command!"
"Run! For roasted chicken, I'll run!"
"Run! I'll give it everything I've got!"
Zhang Lengzi and the others quieted down, but their faces remained grim.
Man Datou glanced at Yang Qingniu. "You're not half bad."
Yang Qingniu's heart leaped with joy. He bowed and said, "Thank you for your praise, Sir!"
"From now on, I'll give you my *special* attention. You train hard with me!"
Man Datou grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and clapped Yang Qingniu hard on the shoulder.
"Yes, sir!"
Yang Qingniu was flattered, but he soon found himself wearing the Painful Mask under the iron fists and angry roars of Man Datou's "special attention."
Man Datou didn't play around when he hit people. A single swing of his fist would leave you black and blue, and it hurt like hell.
Watching the five men howl in agony as Man Datou drilled them into the distance, a slight smile touched Wang Yi's lips. 'Big Head really is reliable,' he thought. 'He's got the makings of a true Instructor. This kind of physical training is exactly what I wanted.'
While the other villagers were busy at work, Yang Wanli stood alone, staring intently at the Beast Cage.
"Th-this is... The Roasted Chicken Immortal built this last night? How could he possibly build this in a single night..."
His eyes filled with wonder and disbelief, Yang Wanli circled the Beast Cage, examining it from every angle.
The Chicken Squad of Combat Chickens, marching in formation, passed by, startling him so much he stumbled.
CLUCK, CLUCK...
The fifteen Combat Chickens, heads held high and chests puffed out, simultaneously swiveled their heads to stare at Yang Wanli as if in a formal salute. Apparently deciding he wasn't a threat, they ignored him, simultaneously turned their heads back, and continued marching away.
"Wh-what are these things? They've become spirits! They've become spirits!"
Yang Wanli pointed at the Combat Chickens marching away in formation, his eyes wide as saucers.
Wang Yi walked over with a chuckle. "Don't make such a fuss. It's just the Combat Chickens on patrol. Nothing to see here, nothing to see here!"
The storm raging in Yang Wanli's heart would not be calmed. He grew even more convinced that Wang Yi must be the "Leader of the Rebel Faction," a man who possessed Tongtian abilities. How could he dare show any disrespect? He hurriedly moved to perform a grand bow.
"No need for formalities, no need!"
Wang Yi waved his hand, gesturing for Yang Wanli to rise. "Village Chief, are there any farmers in your village? I have five mu of fertile land that needs tending."
"Five mu... of fertile land? Sir, are you joking? Where would we find fertile land in this river valley?"
"If I say there is, there is!"
"Even if there were fertile land, it would be useless. For generations, our village has lived off the mountains. We rarely farm, and besides, we don't have any grain seeds!"
"I have Wild Vegetable Seeds!"
"Wild Vegetable Seeds? Y-you want to plant wild vegetables?"
"What's wrong with planting wild vegetables? Find me two people. I'll take you to see for yourselves!"
As he spoke, Wang Yi opened his warehouse management panel and took out the bag of Wild Vegetable Seeds.
A short while later, Wang Yi drove his vehicle to the five-mu plot of fertile land.
Yang Wanli rushed over as well, bringing Yang Qinggu and Yang Qingxiu with him!
These two sisters were Stone Village's resident "farming experts." According to Yang Wanli, he had once cultivated medicinal herbs, and his two daughters were the ones who had tended to them.
Seeing the neat plots of fertile soil, Yang Qingxiu covered her mouth in astonishment. Yang Wanli was once again struck dumb by the sight. His throat went dry, and his heart was filled with nothing but awe for the methods of an immortal. 'A mere Mortal like me can truly never comprehend such things!'
Planting wild vegetables required no special skill, so after handing the Wild Vegetable Seeds to Yang Wanli, Wang Yi washed his hands of the matter.
"Father," Yang Qinggu asked suddenly, "the Immortal Lord said there are five mu of fertile land, but the Wild Vegetable Seeds are only enough for one mu. What should we plant on the other four?"
"Plant what? What is there to plant? We don't have any grain seeds here."
Yang Wanli shook his head.
Yang Qingxiu proposed, "Father! Wh-what if we try planting medicinal herbs? Don't you always say that people in the county town pay a high price for Hemostatic Grass? I could go to the mountains, gather some old roots and young shoots, and try planting them in the Immortal Lord's fertile fields. Who knows, it might just work!"
"Plant Hemostatic Grass?" Yang Wanli raised an eyebrow. "That stuff is extremely delicate. Plenty of people have tried to cultivate it before, and none have succeeded!"
A determined glint appeared in Yang Qingxiu's eyes. "Just let me try! If we don't plant anything, the fertile land will just sit empty anyway. If I tend to it carefully, it just might work!"
"Fine, fine. Do as you wish!"
Yang Wanli waved his hand dismissively, his expression heavy with worry. He still believed Wang Yi was a rebel leader, and his mind was consumed with the fear of when government soldiers might arrive to slaughter them all.
Yang Qingxiu, on the other hand, was secretly delighted.
'My older brother is the Civilian Militia Captain, and my brother-in-law is the Production Team Leader,' she thought. 'I want to achieve something too. If I can manage to grow something impressive in these few mu of the Immortal Field, maybe I'll finally catch the Immortal Lord's eye.'
At the thought of the Immortal Lord, a slight blush crept onto Yang Qingxiu's face. 'The Immortal Lord is so different from the rough men in the village,' she mused. 'He's handsome, and his eyes are so bright... I wonder if he has a wife...'
Just as Wang Yi returned to his territory and was planning his next exploration of the map, people from Huangni Village arrived.
Boss Li was in the lead. Only five people had come in total, all of them middle-aged men in their forties and fifties.
"Sir, we... we're willing to work for you!"
Boss Li kowtowed to Wang Yi, his voice trembling with fear and reverence. Sweat beaded on his back. He had done his best, going door-to-door, notifying and even begging, but only the four men behind him had been willing to come.
When most of the villagers heard that the Roasted Chicken Immortal was opening a sand factory and hiring workers, they had turned pale with fright. Terrified they would be harmed, they absolutely refused to come.
Who was this Roasted Chicken Immortal, after all?
He'd killed a ruthless man like Ma Changgui!
Going to work for him would be a death wish, wouldn't it?
The people of Huangni Village were terrified of Wang Yi.
"All right. A smaller group is fine. Work hard, and I won't treat you unfairly. Follow me!"
Wang Yi didn't waste any time. He retrieved five [Left Pincers of the Sand River Giant Crab] from his Chaos Warehouse, giving one to Boss Li and each of his men. Then he drove his Crossbow Machine Carriage, taking them to the river sand resource point.
Along the way, the five men were very quiet, though they whispered amongst themselves, clearly intimidated by the "mount" beneath Wang Yi.
When they arrived at the river sand resource point, they stared at the beach—at once familiar and strange—with confusion in their eyes.
"The giant crab pincers I gave you can be used as shovels. Just find a pole to attach them to... From now on, this place will be called the Giant Crab Sand Factory. Boss Li, you'll be the temporary factory director. Your job is to sift the sand, dig it up, dry it, and then transport it to my small courtyard."
Wang Yi pointed at the beach and continued, "The sand factory is just starting out, so I don't have many requirements for you. Work hard, and you'll get to eat roasted chicken! There are no wages—I pay in roasted chicken. I'll hand them out tonight. The more you work, the more roasted chicken you get; the less you work, the less you get! Factory Director Li, I'm leaving this place entirely in your hands. Remember to come find me this evening to collect the roasted chicken!"
"Oh, oh, yes! We'll definitely work hard!"
Boss Li responded in a hurry. He tightly gripped the flat crab pincer, feeling its sharp edge. As he looked at the strange beach before him, his mind was in a daze.