Blessed by Abundance, Scourge of Terra

"Time to get up and work. What employee sleeps in later than the boss?"

"I've never hated Victoria's systems this much!" Warfarin gritted her teeth.

No matter how you looked at it, Warfarin's previous wandering, lackadaisical attitude wouldn't make her a good helper.

Huang Cao had already figured it out—this Blood Demon intended to stick with him to the end, because he'd piqued the interest of this Immortal.

He could play the part of an old-timer, but it wouldn't be long before his lack of life experience gave him away.

Warfarin walked over to the small shop's counter and found her room already prepared, with a small sign hanging beside it that read "Simple Wound Treatment."

Next to it were some basic medicines, though only simple herbs—after all, in this era, modern medicines like pills and capsules didn't exist yet.

Or maybe they did, since this world's technology relied a bit on archaeology; there might be some stashed away in some ruin, but the stockpile certainly wasn't large.

"When there's nothing to do, help keep the accounts. Whatever these people ask for, give it to them. If they've got the coin, anything in the warehouse is up for grabs."

Huang Cao slapped a thick ledger onto the table with a thump.

The future relocation would inevitably require all kinds of tools. Silver coins were just a medium for trade; gold coins were the budget for buying land.

He had to plan ahead for his future territory. He couldn't exactly go up the mountain himself to dig rocks for a castle, could he?

And digging rocks didn't cost money? Didn't take effort? Didn't need clearing?

Better to use cheap labor now to get these things done. The town's population might be small, but as long as you were willing to pay, it wasn't a problem.

You could always trust a Super Terran's physical fitness.

And so, with that mindset, under the exploitation of a certain black-hearted boss, Warfarin spent the most fulfilling six months of her life.

Having passed her probation period, Warfarin was now completely in cahoots with that certain weed.

Someone remarked: "Once you're on this pirate ship, you think you can get off?"

Not a chance!

Of course, the most important thing was that both sides got what they needed. With survival no longer a concern, Warfarin could focus more on her future and her medical research.

But silver coins would eventually run out. After six months, the silver in the warehouse grew scarcer, while the newly minted gold coins piled up.

These gold coins were, of course, refined by Huang Cao from a gold mine. Building a castle was a big project, but not that big...

The past six months had been decent. Through some maneuvering, he'd fully synchronized his identity here with his identity in the River Valley.

The name Huang Cao was only known to the Banshees of the River Valley. Luckily, his brain's dual-thread processing ran smoothly enough that Lamian didn't catch on.

But why did Lamian's tone sound so much like his own mother's?

There was a certain maternal quality in her words.

Warfarin, who already knew both their true identities, watched from the sidelines and nearly burst out laughing.

That's right—Warfarin also knew what this man's plan was.

Otherwise, why would she be in cahoots with him?

Huang Cao's thinking was simple: constant vigilance and suspicion wouldn't cultivate trustworthy people. If you wanted others to trust you, you had to trust them first.

Another year passed.

At the end of that year, an unexpected blizzard struck Kazdel.

A flood of refugees suddenly poured into the town from outside. Strangely enough, the official Kazdel authorities offered no relief whatsoever, as if disaster was just disaster—something to flee from, not resist.

Huang Cao's choice was to take them all in, signing loan agreements that traded cheap prices and the grace of saving their lives for three years of their future labor.

After this ordeal, Huang Cao's alias instantly became the backbone of the entire town.

With Kazdel's order shattered by the coalition of multiple nations, the town had no real rules, let alone laws.

But if anyone was to be chosen as the town's administrator or mayor, Huang Cao was unquestionably the only one fit for the job.

The town's population grew from small to large, becoming the only region still experiencing positive population growth during this snow disaster.

Thanks to the Sarkaz's unique nature and someone's advanced management, the incoming outsiders didn't clash with the original townsfolk.

But such a massive population shift was bound to attract attention.

At the very least, Theresia once again turned her gaze toward this town she had visited before.

There will be another update in the afternoon.

Chapter 17: I Want It All!

"Greetings, Your Highness. What may I help you with?"

Huang Cao's black robe, floating in the air, folded slightly in a bow. His current identity was still a Sarkaz, and disrespecting the Demon King would be high treason.

His foundation was still here. No matter what Theresia was like, she remained the light in the hearts of the Sarkaz people.

His prestige and achievements weren't yet great enough to overshadow this Demon King.

"Mister Undead Spirit, perhaps I may address you as such." Theresia also bowed slightly, her tone gentle.

"Of course, Your Highness."

Under the sidelong glances of the nearby residents, the two walked together into the small shop, which had now expanded two or three times in size.

"I was here a few years ago—this shop wasn't nearly this big, and the walls were still made of wood. I never expected it to grow so fast."

"Thanks to Your Highness's blessings. Without a safe environment, I couldn't do business. This is a small token of my gratitude; I hope you won't find it beneath you."

Huang Cao glanced at Warfarin, who respectfully pulled out a large bag of gold coins from the cabinet.

"Thank you both for your protection over these years."

Theresia didn't even look at the bag of gold, even though it was a considerable fortune even for her.

But what use were gold coins she couldn't spend or eat?

Trade blockades, rare calamities—disasters both natural and man-made tormented the Sarkaz people in turn. Forget good fortune; just surviving was an achievement.

And the shopkeeper before her was a key to opening contact with the outside world.

Right now, Theresia didn't want to probe where this Undead Spirit gentleman's grain came from.

Questions and suspicions couldn't feed her people.

"I need food—a lot of it. I'll raise the funds and pay you by next spring. I swear it as the Sarkaz Demon King..."

"How could I dare? But I don't lack money either. In this environment, getting these goods here is no easy feat. Right now, I have to sell a kilogram of wheat for seven silver coins. The people here can barely afford to eat..."

Huang Cao was telling the truth—he had indeed raised grain prices.

But what he didn't mention was that this town's average wages and employment rate, thanks to his plans, far exceeded those of other regions.

Two years ago, a price of seven silver coins would probably have driven the residents to smash his shop.

But now they just grumbled bitterly about some heartless profiteer and paid up obediently.

Theresia's expression lost its earlier respect, and her aura began to seep out, carrying a clear undertone of pressure.

Yes, she was still the Demon King after all. Huang Cao was on her turf now. Gentleness and kindness didn't preclude decisive ruthlessness.

Huang Cao fully understood this—it was exactly what he wanted.

If she had treated him with excessive deference, that would have been the real problem.

"May I ask, Your Highness, did you carefully read the letter I sent to your desk through Lamian a few years ago?"

"You want that barren land? But there's nothing on it..." Theresia asked, puzzled.

"So, can you give me a more favorable price?"

Seeing a flicker of hesitation in her expression, Huang Cao pressed on, laying out his intentions bluntly.

And it was precisely that sliver of hesitation that made him want to seize an even bigger advantage.

Originally, he had planned to give the grain to Theresia for free and pay her every last coin for the land. But now he changed his mind.

I won't give away the grain for free, and I'll still buy the land—but you'll use the money from the land sale to buy my grain.

I won't let you profit twice!

I won't let you owe me a favor, and I won't owe you one either.

Put everything on the table. Words are hollow; only interests can guarantee equality between both sides.

Having respectfully conveyed his thoughts to the Demon King, Huang Cao floated on the counter, patiently awaiting her reply.

After a long while, Theresia spoke slowly, but her presence as the Demon King didn't diminish in the slightest.

An overwhelming power seemed to turn into countless blades, and even Warfarin, who had been watching the show, couldn't help shrinking her neck.

Holy crap, is this the pressure of a Demon King?

Warfarin wanted to bolt, but seeing how calm and composed someone else was, the boulder in her heart finally settled.

Her Highness wouldn't be that brutal, right?

After about twenty minutes, Theresia's aura suddenly retracted, and her tone became somewhat weaker than before.

"Fine. But this isn't something that can be resolved overnight."

"Neither is hunger. The land will stay there, but people won't necessarily stay alive."

"Respected Your Highness, land lost can be reclaimed, but if people leave, they may never return."

"I understand."

"A wise choice. Name a price—I want permanent ownership of that land."

Huang Cao didn't ask for ninety-nine years or a few centuries; he wanted permanence, because the lifespans of people on this land were far too long.

A hundred years was but a blink of an eye, especially for the Sarkaz—every one of them was a champion of endurance.

Without guaranteed permanent sovereignty, his territory would eventually be taken back, and he'd end up with nothing.

Even though having a big fist could let him ignore Theresia, it was better to minimize trouble.

What followed was straightforward. To show goodwill, Huang Cao proactively provided a batch of grain for Theresia to handle emergencies—but only enough for emergencies.

His principle was cash on delivery. Without announcing it nationwide, he couldn't and wouldn't reveal all his cards.

A month later, Theresia personally issued a proclamation, selling the chosen land to Huang Cao. She didn't grant him an actual noble title, only an Honorary Duke.

The sale price was five hundred thousand gold coins—a very steep sum.

If this land belonged to a Victorian noble, they'd probably be eager to lower the price further and offload it quickly—after all, that plot truly had nothing going for it, utterly unfit for human habitation except for the frequent natural disasters.

Only a monarch who treasured national sovereignty above all else would care.

For the next six months, Huang Cao poured all his energy into two things: tinkering with the land and stockpiling food.

Though he could use Originium to conjure food, he was still just one person, and his production speed was limited—barely enough to keep up.

"After dawdling for half a year, I've finally got something to show for it."

Even while busy, Huang Cao hadn't forgotten to keep exploring the mysteries of Originium, and today he finally made a breakthrough.

In fact, a month earlier, Huang Cao had already bid farewell to Lamian and her group in the Banshee River Valley.

The moment he left the valley, the body he had built from his soul instantly dissolved into a puff of smoke.

At the same time, his mind felt a surge of clarity.

Chapter 18: Call Me the New Generation Lord of the Royal Court!

"Nice! Finally done with dual-thread work—hasn't been easy these past few years."

Huang Cao breathed a long sigh of relief in his heart. After years of scheming, he finally had a piece of land to call his own.

Sure, the banshees were beautiful, but maintaining a split personality the whole time had put no small amount of mental strain on him.

Still, this identity had ultimately achieved its goal, successfully linking him to Theresia's line.

Next came rebuilding his body—using a year to prepare everything.

No wonder that Undead Spirit in the story, the one who could eat normal food, had a physical body. It really felt off to lack a channel to interact with the world.

"Warfarin, for the next six months, this shop's business and the follow-up arrangements are up to you."

"After wallowing in the mud with me for nearly a year, I trust you can keep this place running. There are gold bars buried underground—use them to patch things up if you take a big loss."