Gradual development

In the pitch-black darkness of Wan Family Town, a shadow swept past like a gentle breeze. Heading straight for the courtyard of a wealthy member of the Kai clan, he slipped easily through the rear courtyard and into the main house.

The shadow was Wenlong. He had interrogated many of the captured slaves and learned about several important members of the Kai clan. Now he could locate their homes precisely.

Indeed, Wenlong intended to carry out a decapitation strike, stripping the Kai clan of its leaders. This would also reduce the threat they posed to the Wen clan.

After killing the people inside the main house, Wenlong ignored the household guards and servants. He turned toward another courtyard and continued his decapitation operation.

Before long, he had killed every leading figure of the Kai clan he knew of, one by one. He then collected money and grain, filling his storage space before beginning to ambush and kill the household guards.

Of course, he could assassinate the leading figures without a sound. The guards, however, were numerous, making it easy to alert the Kai clan.

By the time they raised the alarm, Wenlong was already far from Wan Family Town. With the threat from the Kai clan removed, the Huaxia Sect could develop with peace of mind.

Wenlong did not let down his guard. He had Shitou send clan members to establish hidden lookout posts and keep a close watch on the Kai clan's movements. This offered greater peace of mind and guarded against unforeseen dangers from the enemy.

He was unwilling to fight the enemy head-on. After all, the Wen clan had few members now and could not afford casualties.

A cautious approach was far more worthwhile. Although he could not wipe out the Kai clan in one stroke, repeatedly ambushing them like this worked quite well.

After returning to the clan this time, Wenlong finally found time to set up the Paper Workshop. Taking his eldest maternal uncle and the slaves with him, he divided the workshop into several sections.

This also prevented the techniques from leaking out. He recruited villagers from Huaxia Village to work in the workshop, giving them a source of income as well.

For the time being, his eldest maternal uncle would manage the workshop. Whenever Wenlong had time, he would also come over to provide technical guidance.

In truth, this papermaking method was very simple. Yet the people of this era could live their whole lives without ever imagining that the materials and process could be so straightforward.

Having experienced the modern age, Wenlong had the knowledge, even though he had never made paper himself. Wouldn't a few attempts be enough?

Wenlong worked in the Paper Workshop for several days. Watching the sheets of paper gradually take shape filled his heart with joy.

He told his eldest maternal uncle to continue keeping a close eye on the Paper Workshop and allow no mishaps. He also instructed the patrolling Security Squad to watch over it carefully.

Wenlong discussed with his father how to increase the incomes of everyone in the Huaxia Sect and Huaxia Village. The villagers could help with household chores for the Wen clan and receive wages.

The Wen clan members could then focus on martial arts and medicine without worries hanging over them. Of course, everyone in Huaxia Village was related now, so they could hire people with confidence.

Members of the Huaxia Sect could gather medicinal herbs, hunt, or join the Security Squad. They could also perform other miscellaneous tasks, all of which would earn contribution points.

Contribution points could be exchanged for money or any of the sect's goods.

Wenlong's main intention was to get the economy moving and encourage everyone's enthusiasm.

Apart from their regular assigned work, Wen clan members could also earn money through rewards for their contributions.

Following Wenlong's wishes, Clan Chief Wen Tiancheng issued a notice to everyone. They were all thrilled. At last, they could earn money through their own hard work. Who would refuse that?

The clan's storerooms were now piled high with the countless valuables Wenlong had reaped from the Kai clan. Anything they had no use for would be put up for sale in the shops in Huaxia Village.

This would expand the goods available to the villagers and give them a richer variety of choices. Through their own efforts, the villagers could improve their quality of life.

Slaves who worked diligently and performed well would also receive rewards. This gave them a measure of hope, too.

The lime kilns and the Brick Kiln continued operating, while construction of homes carried on in the sect and the two villages. The perimeter walls would be widened and raised, and several Watchtowers were built as well.

Any remaining slaves with nothing to do would build a dam across the small river near the Huaxia Sect.

With a reservoir, there would be no need to worry about water for the fields and rice paddies. Even if drought struck, they would no longer have to fear a shortage.

One day, good news finally came from the Papermaking Workshop: they had produced paper. Although Wenlong was not particularly satisfied with its quality, it was good enough. They could improve it gradually.

Wenlong divided the Papermaking Workshop into two production sections. One made xuan paper for writing, while the other specialized in toilet paper.

At last, he could say goodbye to the days of wiping his backside with a little wooden stick. He was relieved to have a daily necessity he had once been accustomed to using.

For now, the products from the paper mill would first meet their own daily needs. Their storerooms were full of money, so they hardly needed those few extra coins. Besides, most of the Kai clan's wealth was already in the Wen clan's storerooms.

Everyone learning to write switched to paper; those sand trays used for practice could be thrown away. Paper also replaced bamboo slips for keeping records and accounts.

The Wen clan became the first people in this era to use paper. Those who had never seen it before clicked their tongues in wonder.

Seeing the paper he had used in modern times stirred a wave of emotion in Wenlong. To address everyone's hygiene, he would have to make soap as well.

Whether for washing clothes or bathing, he would make it all. That way, when he met someone, their sour stench would no longer reach him before they had exchanged more than a few words.

Wenlong began researching how to make soap. He gathered several aunts from the clan, wrote the method on paper, and had them experiment with it several times.

They experimented over and over. After several days of effort, they finally worked out a feasible process.

Soon, a Soap Workshop was established in Huaxia Village, producing bars of soap that gave off a faint fragrance.

After the Wen clan members and the villagers began using soap, the unpleasant odors on their bodies vanished, and they felt much fresher all over.

Just as everyone was basking in the joy brought by this series of achievements, Shitou hurried over with a report: the Kai clan had begun sending scouts to gather information.

Before they could even reach Huaxia Village, the hidden sentries had caught them. They had already been sent to the slave workforce to perform labor.

The Kai clan had also appointed a new clan chief and was preparing to retaliate against the Wen clan. Wenlong smiled. "If they're looking for death, I'll oblige them."

He then ordered more men to strengthen the covert surveillance and capture every scout they sent out.

Afterward, he interrogated the two Kai scouts again, asking where their current clan chief and other important clan members lived.

To save their lives, the two scouts confessed honestly without any need for torture. Wenlong obtained all the information he wanted.

It seemed he would have to visit Wan Family Town again. Unless he dealt the Kai clan another savage blow, they would keep hopping around causing trouble.

Wenlong was just about to return to Wan Family Town and teach the Kai clan another harsh lesson, giving them no chance to interfere with the Huaxia Sect.

Then wonderful news arrived from home: his mother was pregnant. This was joyous news indeed.

Wenlong was the happiest of all. One day, he would leave this place. He yearned for his ancestors' Azure Dragon Continent, where divine arts existed, along with the ultimate path to immortality.

Having been born a second time on a continent where lifespans lasted only a hundred years, he also hoped to witness a vaster world.

And the blood-deep vengeance his ancestors bore in their homeland had yet to be exacted. If the opportunity arose, he was willing to avenge them and wash away that hatred.