Half a year passed in the blink of an eye for many people.
Lu Mouren's group had only spent a little over three months traveling, with nearly two months aboard the ship. They had barely noticed any changes in the outside world.
But for Mercury 42, a world in the midst of war, development, transformation, and destruction, that was enough time to change many things.
"Are the saplings selling well?"
The true purpose of these "Redemption" saplings, which possessed purification properties, was to serve as Lu PingAn's "signal towers"—signal nodes for his infinite Wish network.
Given how popular Lamp Flowers were in this world, Redemption saplings, marketed around large Lamp Trees, were predictably popular. Especially after Lu PingAn added the traits of "purification" and "weak Sacred Fire," they could, in a sense, be used as safe World Trees and shelters.
Before leaving, Lu PingAn had entrusted the task of "selling saplings" to Guan Xinxian. He hoped Captain Guan's Ark could plant Lamp Trees in every corner of the world, forming his own Wish network.
But that was no easy task. In a world with inconvenient travel and limited information, quality goods alone could not be marketed everywhere, especially when the product was not actually a necessity.
Yet, looking at the shoppers moving through the shopping district and the crates of saplings secured aboard cargo ships returning full from the docks, Lu PingAn knew he had underestimated their ability to get things done.
"Looks like Senior Brother Guan did far better than expected."
Salt City had been renamed Flower City only two or three months ago. Aside from the blooming Sun Tree Redemption, it was because the city had become the world's most famous producer of Lamp Flowers and Lamp Trees. Every day, numerous merchant groups and ships came specifically to