The sun had already set.
It was still relatively bright out.
There was still about an hour until it would be completely dark.
They could have kept working, but there weren't enough tools—not even enough for the Goblins.
Besides, it was the first day, so this was good enough.
They would work hard again tomorrow during the day.
Zhao Chi gave the order, "Gu Qing, let's call it a day. While it's still light out, you all should go bathe. Get some rest early when you're done."
Gu Qing smiled. "Lord, aren't you going? You worked up quite a sweat today, too."
Zhao Chi shook his head. "I'll stay here and watch the Goblins. Otherwise, they'll definitely try to escape."
"I can watch the Goblins. Lord, you should take them to bathe. It's a good chance for you to wash up, too."
"It's fine. I'll go in a bit. You all go ahead."
Gu Qing stared into Zhao Chi's eyes.
She could tell he meant it.
'Why?'
'Those are all young women.'
'They're all beautiful, with great figures, too.'
'And the Lord doesn't want to go see?'
Gu Qing glanced around.
The Goblins were all tied up, so they weren't much of a threat.
The Lord's Attributes were a bit low, but he could still handle them without a problem.
Gu Qing whispered again, "Lord, you really can go. They won't mind."
Zhao Chi chuckled. "Good. Now hurry up and go. It's fine."
"Oh..."
Gu Qing left, looking unconvinced.
She led the female villagers toward the river.
Watching Gu Qing leave, the Goblins began to grow restless.
Zhao Chi grabbed a length of rope and walked over to the Goblin Clan Leader.
The Clan Leader eyed the rope in Zhao Chi's hand and asked nervously, "What are you doing?"
Zhao Chi asked, "Are you questioning me?"
"N... No."
"Don't speak unless I give you permission. Got it, Old Bu?"
"O... Old Bu? My name is Tashi..."
"No," Zhao Chi cut him off. "Your name is Old Bu."
"I... My name is Old Bu."
The Goblin Clan Leader had a name, which Zhao Chi could see in the system.
But his name, Tashige Ganu, was too long and complicated.
Since he was an old Goblin, calling him Old Bu felt right.
Zhao Chi tied the ends of the rope around Old Bu's knees, connecting them.
The rope was only 40 centimeters long. It restricted his stride so much that even if he tried to run, he wouldn't be able to get away.
"Alright, Old Bu. You have a little over an hour. Get your people to start chopping down trees. We only have five felling axes, so you'll need to arrange for them to take turns."
With that, he tossed the five felling axes in front of him.
Old Bu looked at the axes on the ground, then at the nearby trees.
"Uh... Human Lord, which trees do you want us to chop?"
"I don't care. In one hour, you must have five trees chopped down. If not, I'll chop you instead."
"What!?"
Old Bu was incredulous.
Zhao Chi smiled. "The clock's ticking."
"Huh? It's starting now? What am I supposed to do? I need to untie their ropes."
Zhao Chi idly polished the Firewood Knife in his hand. "Fine. But after you untie them, don't forget to tie them to the trees again. If a single one escapes, I'll chop off your leg."
"What the hell! Why?"
"Fifty-eight minutes left."
"!?"
Old Bu scrambled in a panic toward the other Goblins.
But with his knees tied, he couldn't take proper strides and had to waddle over with a strange, pigeon-toed gait.
He quickly untied a few Goblins, re-tying each of them to a different tree.
"Chop! Hurry up and chop!"
The Goblins reluctantly picked up the axes.
They were already starving, and now they had to chop trees.
Every one of their arms was trembling.
"Faster, chop faster!"
Old Bu yelled, constantly urging them on.
After chopping for a while, the Goblins were visibly exhausted and could barely swing the axes.
Zhao Chi called out, "You can swap them out! There are twenty-one of you, don't just make those five do all the work."
Old Bu slapped his forehead and quickly swapped in five new Goblins.
The chopping speed picked up again.
About forty minutes later, five trees had fallen one after another.
The sky had turned a deep blue.
Zhao Chi tossed over some cold, leftover kebabs.
"Old Bu, you can divide these up. Give them to the ones who were chopping."
Old Bu hurried over, picked up the kebabs, and distributed them to the workers.
The other Goblins watched them eat with envy.
Zhao Chi said, "You'll get another chance tomorrow. If you work diligently, I'll make sure you get enough to eat. If you slack off, you'll not only go hungry, you'll get a beating. Understand?"
The Goblins all nodded frantically.
System Prompt:
[Your captive "Tashige Ganu"'s Obedience Level has increased to 4: Subservient]
[Your captive "Gou Heilai"'s Obedience Level has increased to 5: Obsequious]
[Your captive "Sazeluge"'s Obedience Level has increased to 3: Unyielding]
[Your captive...]
More than ten Goblins had their Obedience Level increase.
The lowest score was now 3.
The Goblin Clan Leader's full name was Tashige Ganu.
'What kind of ridiculous name is that?'
'It's just easier to call him Old Bu.'
'I'm just going to sell them in a few days anyway. No need to memorize his name.'
'They should fetch a good price.'
Just then, the crisp sound of laughter and conversation drifted over, growing closer.
Zhao Chi ordered, "Turn around, all of you! Anyone dares to look, and I'll gouge your eyes out!"
The Goblins flinched in fear.
They immediately stared away from the camp, not daring to move a muscle.
Zhao Chi turned his head.
He saw the women approaching, their skin fair and tender.
Their skin seemed to glow faintly.
'So this is how fair their skin was underneath all that grime.'
It was a tender, rosy-white complexion.
They had long legs.
Their thighs were full and lush. With every step, the firm, soft skin of their thighs would sway slightly, as if gently nodding.
Their calves were straight and slender, leading down to delicate feet.
Although the data for their skin, legs, and feet were all based on Elves,
it wasn't a direct copy.
It was a combination of the best traits from both Elves and Humans.
Elves couldn't achieve this kind of Effect.
Elves were too thin.
Furthermore, the proportions of an Elf's Body were different from a Human's, almost like one of those digitally stretched photos you see from online influencers.
So, while Elves were more attractive than ordinary Humans in some ways, they still couldn't compare to the women of the Peach Blossom Human Race.
He couldn't see anything else.
They were all wrapped in bath towels.
They were covered more modestly now than they had been during the battle.
Gu Qing walked over.
Her bath towel was wrapped very low on her chest.
It looked like a low-cut halter top.
With every step she took, they swayed precariously.
"Lord, have they been behaving?"
The moment Gu Qing spoke, all the Goblins flinched.
The fear she inspired in them clearly lingered.
"They've been manageable. They chopped down five trees. Once we make more tools for them tomorrow, we should be able to clear out the nearby area quickly."
Gu Qing nodded. "Yes, we discussed it while we were bathing. We're all going to work overtime tonight, taking shifts in the three workshops to make tools and clothes as quickly as possible."
Even though there are only three professional Craftsmen right now.
Ordinary villagers can also produce items in the workshops.
They just don't receive a Bonus.
Zhao Chi said, "There's no need to push yourselves. Everyone should get a good night's sleep and recover their Energy. That way you can work properly tomorrow."
Gu Qing smiled. "But it's only seven o'clock. The Time is still early. The territory has just been established; a little hard work is to be expected. Everyone understands that."
Zhao Chi nodded. "Alright then. Thank you for your hard work."
Gu Qing said gently, "You don't have to keep saying that. We all love it here. We'll all work hard together to build our new home."