Barren Mountain Village.
Many villagers had stopped at the village entrance, their eyes burning with excitement as they stared at the massive pile of beast corpses.
"So many beast corpses! Just how many beasts did the Village Chief kill?!"
"Yeah, he's so strong! And those clay soldiers... they don't look as tough as me, but I never thought they'd be so powerful!"
"The Village Chief's soldiers being strong is a good thing! They can protect us! We finally don't have to live in fear anymore!"
"That's right, the Village Chief is worthy of his title as the chief of the world's number one village..."
...
"Ding! Congratulations, Player. You have impressed the refugees (villagers) with your actions. Barren Mountain Village's morale has greatly increased, public order has moderately risen, and villager loyalty has slightly increased! Administrative and construction efficiency have slightly increased."
On his way back to the village, the system notification that suddenly rang in his mind left Xiao Jing a little confused.
But he didn't dwell on it if he couldn't figure it out. After all, it was a good thing!
"Village Chief!!"
At the village entrance, Guo Yun saw Xiao Jing returning with the Soldier Terracotta Warriors and a large number of beast corpses, and he hurried to greet him.
Xiao Jing casually threw the wild boar from his back onto the ground.
Nearby villagers immediately came forward and worked together to move the corpses into the newly built village warehouse.
With the village's fertile fields just recently cleared and not yet producing crops, these beast corpses were the entire village's food supply. For this reason, before setting out, Xiao Jing had specifically ordered Guo Yun to have people build a warehouse for storing grain and other provisions.
Xiao Jing asked casually, "How was the village today? Nothing went wrong, I hope!"
Guo Yun quickly replied.
"Nothing major happened in the village, but a group of refugees arrived..."
As he spoke, Guo Yun's tone was a little hesitant.
"Hm? Is there a problem with these refugees?"
"With the Soldier Terracotta Warriors you left behind, there weren't any major issues. It's just that their leader is a bit defiant and has been clamoring to see the Village Chief."
"Hmph!" Xiao Jing's brows furrowed slightly.
'A troublemaker?!'
The thought flashed through his mind, but he said aloud, "Where is this refugee leader? I'd like to meet this hero for myself!"
"Please lead the way, sir!"
Hearing this, Guo Yun hesitated for a moment but still walked ahead, leading Xiao Jing to the newly built thatched huts in the southern part of the village.
Due to a lack of manpower, the village's population was barely two hundred people. With some clearing land and others building the warehouse, the newly arrived refugees could only be temporarily housed in large, thatched shelters.
Under the shelter, the new refugees were gathered in small groups. When they saw Xiao Jing's party, especially when they felt the biting, murderous aura from the Soldier Terracotta Warriors behind him, a trace of fear appeared on their faces. Their gazes unconsciously shifted to the burly, saber-wielding man who was half-lying on the ground in front of them, his weapon at the ready.
"Brother Zhou! They're..." a refugee mumbled, reminding him in a low voice.
Hearing the villager's mumble, the burly, saber-wielding man looked a little impatient. He waved his hand, making a gesture as if to say, 'I've got this.'
"You're the leader of the refugees?"
Xiao Jing asked, but inwardly he raised his guard.
It was because he could feel an immense pressure coming from this burly man.
The pressure of someone who could utterly crush him in terms of strength!
"That's right, I am!"
The burly man got up from the ground, dusted himself off, picked up his great saber, and slung it over his back.
He looked Xiao Jing up and down, a smile cracking the fleshy, somewhat fierce-looking features of his face.
"You're the chief of the so-called 'world's number one village'?"
"That's right! And you are, brave warrior?" Xiao Jing replied, his mind racing.
Hearing Xiao Jing's confirmation, a hint of disappointment appeared on his face, and he muttered under his breath:
"I was wondering what kind of legend the chief of the world's number one village would be. I never expected just an ordinary guy! And so damn weak, too."
Although he intentionally lowered his voice, the burly man's voice was naturally loud, and his string of muttering reached Xiao Jing's ears without a single word missed.
Xiao Jing felt his face darken, but instead of anger, he felt a surge of joy in his heart.
Although the burly man's words were unpleasant, they were the truth. With his current strength, he might be a top dog among the players, but he was definitely nothing special among the natives.
Moreover, this burly man radiated an oppressive aura; his strength was clearly immense. Under normal circumstances, there was a high probability that he wouldn't even give this shabby village a second glance, making recruitment impossible.
But to his surprise, perhaps due to his 'World's Number One' title, this burly man had actually heard of him, giving him a sliver of a chance to recruit him.
"Me?! You can just call me Zhou Cang!"
"Zhou Cang?!!!"
'Is he the Zhou Cang I know?!!'
In that instant, Xiao Jing's pupils shrank, and overwhelming joy surged through him!
But just as quickly, Xiao Jing calmed himself down.
'Even if this burly man is most likely the historical general 'Zhou Cang', what do I have to recruit him with my current resources?'
'This rundown village? These low-level Soldier Terracotta Warriors?'
'It's a joke. He wouldn't look twice at any of it.'
'Maybe if I revealed the golden 'Wind Cavalry' barracks and the Pre-Qin Ruins, the 'Ancient Qin Secret Realm,' I might have a chance of success.'
'But given Xiao Jing's cautious nature, even if the historical Zhou Cang was known for his loyalty, you can know a person's face but not their heart. He wasn't willing to take that risk.'
'Looks like my only option is to play up my reputation!'
'But I did just notice that Zhou Cang seems to care a lot about these refugees. I wonder if I can use that as an angle...'
As these thoughts churned in his mind, a broad smile quickly spread across Xiao Jing's face. He said cheerfully,
"So it is the brave warrior Zhou! May I ask what business brings you to my humble village?"
Zhou Cang scratched his head. Looking at the hope filling the eyes of the refugees behind him, he said, a bit sheepishly,
"Our village was hit by a bad drought, and the officials were pressing hard for grain taxes, so we had no choice but to flee!"
"I heard there was a 'number one village in the world' around here. My fellow villagers and I thought it over and decided to come seek refuge."
"But..."
As he spoke, Zhou Cang paused and glanced at the extremely simple and crude state of the village.
He didn't say it outright, but the disappointment in his tone was palpable.
Hearing this, Xiao Jing smiled and explained,
"Brave warrior Zhou, my village was only just established, which is why it seems a bit crude. My apologies for the poor reception."
He paused, then his tone shifted as he continued, "However, I believe that with time, the village will definitely prosper."
"Besides, brave warrior Zhou, there's something you don't know. Although this village is new, behind it lies a vast plain. We can cultivate at least ten thousand mu of fertile farmland there. In the future, I plan to grant this land to those who have made contributions to the village. Joining now might be tough, but the opportunities to earn merit are plentiful. Earn even a little merit, and you'll be rewarded with a large plot of land, enough to build a legacy for your family."
Xiao Jing's tone was full of temptation as he spoke leisurely.
He believed that in this ancient society, no commoner could resist the lure of 'land grants'.
Sure enough, as soon as Xiao Jing said this, it wasn't just the refugees behind Zhou Cang whose eyes lit up. Even Guo Yun, Li Ye, and the other villagers who had first joined Barren Mountain Village were deeply moved.
"Village Chief, is... is what you're saying true?"
A refugee from behind Zhou Cang immediately asked, his voice trembling.
Xiao Jing nodded solemnly and said resolutely, "I swear it's the truth!"
With that said, his gaze turned to the thoughtful-looking Zhou Cang, and he said with a smile,
"Right now, the village is being built from scratch. I hope all of you will join and help us build a better home together!"
"Brave warrior Zhou, what are your thoughts?"
"This... I need to think it over..." Zhou Cang said, a hesitant look on his face.
However, his hesitation sent the refugees behind him into a panic.
One of the refugees immediately said,
"Young Zhou, what's there to think about? Where else will we find a place this good? Those officials want to hoard all the land for themselves. Where else will you find an official as good as Lord Xiao?"
"That's right, that's right! We know you're capable and want to join the army to bring honor to your ancestors, but we're just poor farmers! Those big clans would never give us the time of day!"
...
His fellow villagers' words of persuasion made Zhou Cang even more hesitant, unable to make up his mind.
Seeing this, Xiao Jing decided to strike while the iron was hot.
"Brave warrior Zhou, I promise that if you join the village, you will be the Grand Commander. The village's army will be under your command."
Looking at the sincerity on Xiao Jing's face, and then at the eager expressions of his fellow villagers behind him, Zhou Cang sighed inwardly. He cupped his hands in a salute and said,
"Village Chief, I will follow you from now on. I only ask that you treat my fellow villagers well!"