"My lord, there are quite a lot of supplies. We definitely can't transport them all in one trip. It'll probably take several."
Zhao Chi pointed at the goblins. "Have them carry supplies too."
"Wouldn't that mean untying them? They'll definitely run away."
"Yes, untie them, but tie ropes around their necks and tether them together in pairs. That way, they won't be able to run fast, and they can still carry things."
"Oh? What a great idea! You're amazing, my lord. I'll go change how they're tied."
Admiration filled Tang Ruan's face, and she didn't hold back her praise.
Gu Qing nodded as well. "You're amazing, my lord."
It was clear that Tang Ruan's praise might have been heartfelt, while Gu Qing was deliberately flattering him.
Zhao Chi smiled. "You're both amazing too."
With these goblins helping, they would be able to clear this place out faster.
The goblin camp had already fallen, so there probably weren't any dangers left in this territory world.
There might be wild beasts.
But even wild beasts weren't as fierce as Gu Qing.
Tang Ruan and the others were quite capable too. They could already go wherever they pleased here.
Other camps would spawn in a few days.
They would wipe those out when the time came.
Zhao Chi said, "Gu Qing, I'll leave this place to you. Finish transporting these supplies, and then we can start building."
"Yes, my lord."
"Keep a close eye on these goblins. Don't let them escape, and don't let them build houses either. Their workmanship is terrible. You can have them cut down trees."
"Yes, I understand."
"Handle the other arrangements as you see fit."
Gu Qing nodded. "Are you leaving?"
Zhao Chi said, "I'm going to buy you some body wash and things like that. I also need to buy more food."
Gu Qing smiled. "Body wash would be nice, but there's no need to buy food. Don't we still have half a wild deer? Besides, we saw plenty of animals on the way here. We can hunt."
Zhao Chi nodded. "It's fine. Rice isn't very expensive, and ten female villagers arrive every day. We can stock some up. I'll be off, then."
Gu Qing nodded. "All right. We'll all be waiting for you to return."
Zhao Chi clicked Return.
Gu Qing's face blurred.
When he looked again, he was back inside his room in the Great World.
"Phew..."
Zhao Chi breathed a sigh of relief.
So far, everything in his territory seemed to be going well.
Zhao Chi was brimming with confidence about the test seven days from now.
Chapter 23: The Foundation of a Secure Livelihood
He pushed the door open and stepped outside.
The dazzling afternoon sunlight greeted his eyes.
He squinted into the distance.
Snowfield City's towering walls stood ahead, stretching so far in both directions that he couldn't see their ends.
Some guards were patrolling atop the walls, looking like tiny sesame seeds moving about.
These walls had been built with special materials.
They were extraordinarily sturdy.
But most importantly, they weren't just walls. They were also a massive magical formation.
Magical beasts outside that wanted to attack the city couldn't even reach the walls.
As they approached the walls, they would be forcibly teleported into the territories of powerful lords.
This magical formation was connected to the system.
Based on the registered strength of each lord, it would assign magical beasts of different strengths to the territories of appropriately matched lords.
Even if a beast tide came, with over a hundred thousand or even several hundred thousand magical beasts attacking the city,
the formation would separate them and send them in batches to different lords to be eliminated.
There was strength in numbers.
No matter how many magical beasts invaded, if they could be divided into tens or even hundreds of thousands of groups, they could all be handled with ease.
As long as the number of lords remained sufficiently large,
and as long as this magical formation wasn't destroyed,
Snowfield City could be considered a haven in this frigid northern region.
Once night fell,
the sapphire-blue ripples of spiritual energy outside the walls became visible.
They were as beautiful as an aurora.
The magical formation outside the walls was powerful.
It was also what ensured the survival of humans and many other races in this world.
The formation's operating costs were equally high.
After all, it had to remain active around the clock, without stopping for even a single second.
The amount of energy it consumed was enormous.
That made Snowfield City's high taxes understandable.
Of course, those high taxes applied to valuable items or products.
The tax rates on daily necessities and inexpensive goods weren't particularly high.
For example, Zhao Chi's large bundle of old bedsheets and clothes from earlier had only required a tax payment of one copper coin.
It wasn't yet three in the afternoon.
The people in the village were all working.
Some were fighting magical beasts, while others were producing supplies.
Lords weren't all combat-oriented. There were production-oriented lords as well.
After all, some people were timid by nature or completely lacked the ability to command and manage others. Forcing them onto the battlefield would only send them to their deaths and waste a World Stone.
They were better off simply focusing on production, which was still a way to contribute.
If a force belonging to another race appeared in their territory, they could invite a combat-oriented lord or hire some warriors to wipe it out.
Snowfield City's high tax rates also applied to these production-oriented lords.
After all, although they put in labor, they were relatively safe.
They also had villagers helping them with production.
Despite the high tax rates, they could still earn a considerable income and live quite well.
Apart from them,
there were also many people who had lost their territory worlds after being defeated.
There were quite a few such people. After all, war was full of uncertainty, and few could win every battle.
Getting off the battlefield alive was already fortunate.
They had made their contributions. Even in defeat, they were heroes.
Others had gone too far in their behavior and been overthrown by their villagers, forcing them to leave their territory worlds.
Those people were scum.
Still others could no longer enter their territories for various reasons.
Whatever the reason, anyone who wanted to open a territory again had to spend a fortune hiring specialists to completely erase the traces of their old territory.
Only then could they open a territory again.
Otherwise, their territory world would become unstable.
There was a chance it could collapse.
After that, they still had to spend another fortune buying a new World Stone.
Only then could they reopen a territory.
But whether it was erasing the traces or purchasing a World Stone, ordinary people could hardly afford either.
These people either became craftsmen, producing supplies in the Great World to earn some hard-earned wages,
or became mercenary warriors, fighting in various territories to earn commissions.
Alternatively, they became artists, instructors, or workers in various service industries.
Although they couldn't become tremendously rich,
making a secure living was still no problem.
Those with good skills could live quite well too.
The village where Zhao Chi lived was quite remote.
That was why it was so close to the city walls.
Snowfield Commandery City encompassed eight counties, with towns under the counties and villages under the towns.
Before you continue