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After bidding farewell to Chairman Vitri, Victor spent another half day wandering through the markets of Blackwater City. He found that bulk goods such as grain, iron, timber, and cloth had all risen in price because of the war, so he made no further purchases. After buying some fresh meat and fruit, he returned to the camp outside the city.

Once Victor had people prepare the meat, he planned to personally deliver it, along with the fruit, to the wounded soldiers.

Before leaving the camp, he had specifically instructed Santos to arrange a separate tent area for the wounded so they could rest properly.

When he entered the tent, he saw soldiers injured in battle lying on their beds. Most had only minor wounds. After all, even medicinal herbs for external injuries like Bitter Bamboo could hardly save severely wounded soldiers, and this world's medical standards were poor. Only those with light injuries could be rescued.

He said softly, "Brothers, this is freshly prepared food and some fresh fruit. I hope you eat more and recover soon."

A young soldier accepted the food, tears glimmering in his eyes. "My lord, you are far too kind. We will recover properly and strive to return to the battlefield as soon as possible to serve the baron."

An older soldier beside him also said emotionally, "Yes, my lord. Thank you for your concern. We will work hard to recover and will not disappoint your expectations."

Victor smiled and patted their shoulders. "I believe you can do it. You are all brave warriors. As long as you persevere, you will overcome your injuries. I look forward to fighting alongside you again."

The soldiers all nodded in agreement, their faces filled with gratitude and respect.

Seeing the reverent looks in their eyes, Victor sighed inwardly. This was only a cheap imitation of Wu Qi Lancing a Wound, yet it had such an effect. The wisdom of the ancients from my previous life truly cannot be underestimated.

He also saw some soldiers who had lost limbs. Their grateful gazes were mixed with confusion.

Victor continued, "Brothers, even if you can no longer fight in the future, you are still fine men. I have already discussed this with the baron. Once we return to the territory, a compensation decree will be issued. The families of soldiers killed in battle will receive one Silver Maple as compensation. If they have children, each child will receive ten jin of wheat every month until the age of fourteen. If they have no children, their parents will receive twenty jin of wheat each month for ten years."

After Victor finished speaking, he paused and looked around. Every soldier, including those standing outside the tent, had joy in their eyes.

He continued, "I am not finished. Disabled soldiers will be assigned as forest rangers throughout the territory or as guards in the estates. Though it cannot compare to the one Silver Coin per month earned while serving as a soldier, they will still receive three Copper Pieces a month. Those truly unable to work will receive fifty jin of wheat every month for their livelihood. Furthermore, the families of serfs killed in battle will be exempted from turning over one year's harvest."

At this, all the soldiers cheered.

Victor watched them with a smile. Ten jin of wheat can only be sold after being processed into flour, and even then it only fetches three Copper Pieces. The territory cannot process all its wheat anyway. Rather than throw away grain that will eventually spoil, it is better to turn it into military security and morale. Besides, people in this world are physically strong. Those with minor injuries can mostly recover seven or eight tenths of their strength, and once they return to the army, they will be genuine backbone troops. Few seriously wounded soldiers survive, while the entire territory has only a dozen or so disabled soldiers unable to fight again. They are easy to support and pose no burden at all. A favor that costs nothing—why not do it?

After encouraging several soldiers, Victor left and returned to his tent, where Santos and Jack had already been waiting for a long time.

"My lord, are we setting out tomorrow morning? You have not finished looking around Blackwater City yet. Why not stay another day and get some rest?" Santos asked.

"There is no need. We have done what needed to be done. We must return to the territory as soon as possible; there is still much work waiting for us. The war on the battlefield is over, but the war at the table has yet to begin," Victor said.

"And Jack, you reacted quickly today. You managed to gain a little advantage," Victor said with a smile.

"It was my duty," Jack said, scratching his head.

"The fact that you understood what I meant is already impressive. If it had been Santos, he probably would have asked, 'Young master, what is wrong with your eyes?' Hahaha." Victor teased.

Santos already knew what had happened that day. He did not mind and laughed along with them.

Victor then arranged Santos and Jack's duties for the following day, as well as the departure plans. Once everything had been confirmed, he sent them back to rest.

Victor took out a bag from beside him. It contained the Iron Beans he had asked Jack to pick out from that pile of straw sacks.

He took out a small iron ball and examined it carefully, then drew the dagger he carried close to his body and chopped down on it.

Victor then inspected both the dagger and the iron ball. The dagger was completely undamaged, which was perfectly normal. It had been made by the Southern Desert Moluo People, who possessed unique smelting techniques. Their alloy weapons could cut iron like mud and were welcomed across the continent.

There was, however, an obvious blade mark on the Iron Bean. Victor examined it.

"This is obviously stainless steel. This thing can grow out of the ground? What kind of plant is this? It is practically a miniature smelter capable of refining steel, and it can even extract minerals. How miraculous. What exactly do these miraculous plants represent, and where did they come from?" Victor thought excitedly.

"Unfortunately, this world only has a little over a thousand years of recorded history, and most of it consists of poetry. There is no established historical system at all. There are also very few books available on the market. Unless I can collect manuscripts from across the land like the First Emperor after unification." Victor thought gloomily.

He turned to look at his palm again. The blurry image of the lighthouse had not changed at all, leaving him disappointed.

"Golden Finger, when will you activate? My foundation is too thin. If I want to become the Qin Shi Huang of another world, how can I manage without cheats?"

After agonizing over it for a while, Victor picked up another Iron Bean tuber and studied it.

"It really looks like one. It truly feels like a potato."

"Could eating too much and causing diarrhea be because the sprouted parts were not properly removed, leading to solanine poisoning? I will arrange some experiments once we return to the territory. If its edibility and yield problems can be solved, this could become the foundation of a noble house."

There was a reason nobles in this world liked to use plants as surnames. This world possessed all kinds of miraculous plants, many of them extremely valuable. Every noble family mastered the cultivation and propagation methods of one or several miraculous plants, and the most valuable one among them would become the family surname. To prevent duplicate names, every nation had a Noble Council responsible for reviewing and updating coats of arms. Every newly elevated noble had to submit an application, which could only be approved after confirming that there was no duplication. Of course, there were workarounds. For example, the other two branches of the Golden Sunflower Family were named Silver Sunflower and Oil Sunflower. Though the plants were the same, the names differed, so they could still pass review.

Thus, many people in this world searched the wilderness for all kinds of miraculous plants, while many others researched their functions and habits to determine cultivation methods. The best among them were known as plant hunters and botanists. Nobles also recognized and supported such pursuits, and every nation had specialized associations to assist and manage these people.

If someone made a new discovery or developed a better cultivation technique, even if they could not become nobles, they could still earn considerable wealth by selling it. If an exceptionally outstanding result was presented to a royal family or a great noble with the authority to grant titles, there might even be a chance to become a noble.

Victor had also trained a group of people using knowledge from his previous life, but they could only be considered technicians, not scholars. Most of their work involved cultivating and selecting plants by setting different conditions.

After a busy while, Victor soon went to rest as well.

Early the next morning, the ships set sail.

They then traveled downstream, heading east. After two days and one night of sailing, they finally crossed three hundred kilometers and reached Bole County.

Standing at the bow, Victor looked at the dock not far ahead. It was Linshui Town, the inland river port of Golden Sunflower Territory.

He turned and shouted to everyone, "Brothers, we are home."

Everyone cheered, both from the joy of returning home and from their happiness at having survived the battlefield.

Victor turned to Santos and said, "Take the men back to the barracks first and settle the wounded soldiers. The others can be given leave to return home for now, but they must report back to camp in three days. I am going to the castle to look over the accumulated administrative affairs. Let Jack sleep in my barracks first."

Santos immediately agreed. "Rest assured, young master. I will handle it properly."

Jack bowed to Victor in thanks. "Thank you, my lord!"

Victor waved his hand. "Jack, you are my subordinate. Since you serve me loyally, you should naturally be rewarded. For now, you will serve as deputy captain of the cavalry squad and receive a monthly salary of four Silver Coins. It may not compare to your treatment when you were a knight, but rest assured, I will arrange all your other proper benefits as soon as possible, including housing, a warhorse, and new armor."

"My lord, you are too generous. My previous annuity was only two Gold Coins a year, so this is practically no different," Jack said gratefully.

Normally, a knight was a warrior who had rendered outstanding service and possessed a certain degree of leadership ability, making him an officer in every territory. Depending on the lord, some were given temporary fiefs, with the knight providing his own equipment and warhorse, and the fief being reclaimed after his death. Others received an annuity, while the lord provided the knight's equipment and warhorse and paid compensation after his death. The usual standard ranged from two to ten Gold Coins per year, depending on the knight's ability and years of service.

Victor preferred granting annuities. He believed knights should focus on combat, while estate production and management were better left to the territory's more professional civil officials.

Although Jack had once been a knight, and his combat skills and command ability had been proven by war, he had not rendered any service to Golden Sunflower Territory. Victor could not possibly grant Jack the title of knight directly.

Fortunately, the treatment for light cavalry squads was already generous enough. Every ordinary cavalryman received two Silver Coins per month, along with food and lodging in the barracks, with no shortage of meat. The deputy squad captain's salary was doubled, already approaching the standard of the lowest-ranking knight. As the actual manager of a cavalry squad, the squad captain received six Silver Coins per month, equivalent to three Gold Coins a year, no different from a lower-ranking knight in terms of treatment.

After all, this world had no battle aura or magic. Knights merely possessed exceptional talent and professional training, much like the difference between special forces officers and ordinary people in Victor's previous life. At most, they could fight more than a dozen people unarmed; they could not fight a hundred alone. It was more appropriate to regard knighthood as a military rank and honorary title.

Once the ships docked, Victor left first with several guards, while Santos and Jack were responsible for maintaining order and handling the remaining arrangements.

After riding east from Linshui Town for roughly ten kilometers, Victor saw a vast estate and castle in the distance. This was the heart of Golden Sunflower Territory: Stone Castle.

The name was unremarkable, and its appearance was not imposing either. Bole County lay deep in the interior, far from the borders. The Golden Sunflower Barons of successive generations had placed greater importance on the army in their hands and paid little attention to the castle. As a result, it held only symbolic significance, and even the lord usually lived in the estate.

After Victor took over part of the territory's authority, he turned the castle into a center for handling administrative affairs. Civil officials usually worked inside, while the estate became a more purely residential area.

Before they reached Stone Castle, someone spotted Victor. Before long, a group emerged from the castle to greet him.

After arriving at Stone Castle, Victor dismounted and said to the man at the front, "Steward Boon, you have worked hard during this time. You managed the territory while we were away, and everything remains so orderly despite our hurried return."

The silver-haired middle-aged man at the front hurriedly waved his hands. "Young master, you are too courteous. This is my duty. Please come inside and rest. You have grown thinner during this time. Welcome home."

"Mm, I am back." Victor nodded and walked into the castle.