"My lord, you've arrived?"
High on South Mountain, in a deserted place, the Bluebird appeared and bowed to Chen Qing, the one who had been granted the title.
The Bluebird was the weakest of the demons collected by the Ghost Child, but its strengths lay in its ability to hide and observe. This made Chen Qing decide to make it the first Mountain God, so that it could better observe each believer and thus provide him with the most practical data.
"How's the situation?"
Chen Qing looked down at the mountainside, where hundreds of Mountain God followers were diligently working. They had clearly adapted to their roles. For example, Zhao Tiezhu was carefully manipulating the methods taught to him by the Mountain God god to nourish the land, acting as a devoted earth spirit.
At this moment, Zhao Tiezhu was extremely satisfied. A mortal suddenly possessing the supernatural power that only immortals in storybooks possessed was naturally incredibly exciting. Even if he spent all day staring blankly at a pile of yellow earth, he was still extremely satisfied. Every time the soil under his jurisdiction made a little progress, he would be excited and overjoyed. Moreover, thanks to the blessing of the Mountain God, his long-standing back injury was also cured. He felt that as long as he continued to believe in the Mountain God, his life would definitely be better than that of a poor farmer.
"Your Majesty, the people's faith is evident. The Power of Karmic Fruit I possess can bless and heal, and it is most effective in winning people's hearts."
Chen Qing nodded upon hearing this. The Mountain God can generate immortal seeds through the Power of Karmic Fruit. The spiritual fruits and seeds produced are beneficial to the body of both humans and animals. People who believe in the Mountain God are grateful for being able to manage these spiritual fruits. Not to mention humans, even wild animals in the mountains that have gained some intelligence will worship the Mountain God.
"How is the training of the spirit beasts going? What breeds are there now?"
"My lord," the Bluebird said cautiously, "It hasn't been going very smoothly. There are only three spirit beasts among the believers, and none of them are of superior talent. Currently, each of them is only trying to cultivate one type of spirit beast."
"Of the three, Luo Daxing has the best aptitude. He is currently mainly training spirit birds, and two of them can already speak human language. If trained well, they will be very useful for transmitting messages and surveying the land."
"Not bad." Chen Qing nodded upon hearing this. It is a variety that is in great need now, used to warn of enemy attacks or to survey geographical conditions. Luo Daxing's cultivation direction is quite good.
"The second is An Xiaowang, who cultivates green bees. He can collect the essence from the flowers and herbs that grow from the spirit seed to make honey, which has excellent effects, including calming the mind, healing diseases, and aiding in meditation."
Chen Qing nodded slightly upon hearing this. The effects were indeed good, but it wasn't practical right now. This kind of nectar could be used to cultivate mental strength for many professions, but what he needed more right now was something to replenish his physical strength.
"The third one is Xiao Kai. He cultivates a kind of fleshy worm that feeds mainly on decaying plant roots, leaves, and vegetable scraps. Originally, he was mainly cultivating it to loosen the soil, but it has unexpectedly grown extremely large, making it too efficient at loosening the soil, and its reproduction is also excessive. If this continues, the species in my South Mountain may become unbalanced, so I am planning to have him give up."
"Oh?" Chen Qing's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Take me to see!"
The Mountain God possessed the ability to teleport within his jurisdiction, and Chen Qing and the Bluebird arrived at Xiao Kai's location in an instant. At this moment, Xiao Kai was clearly reluctant to part with the plump insects in the field, as they were the fruits of his labor. However, he had heard the Mountain God god say that the creature could not continue to be nurtured in the morning.
Of the three beast spirits, the other two had achieved good results. He had always been better at hunting than the other two, and his wife was also prettier than theirs. However, he never expected that after believing in the Mountain God, he would be surpassed by the other two in this aspect, and he was immediately filled with resentment.
"It really is quite fat!"
Chen Qing's voice rang out behind Xiao Kai, startling him so much that he almost fell into the field.
Turning around, he immediately knelt down excitedly. "Greetings, Mountain God! Greetings, Prefect!"
Chen Qing nodded and continued to observe the fat worms in the soil. They looked a bit like silkworms, each one as fat as a child's thigh, and they were quite frightening to look at. However, because they were raised in spiritual energy, they did not look ferocious at all, but rather cute and cuddly.
"How many offspring can this insect produce in one litter? How many days does it take for them to grow this big? I mean, without the stimulation of karmic consequences."
"Reporting to you, sir," Xiao Kai hurriedly said, "This insect doesn't lay eggs. Each litter only produces about ten offspring, but the reproduction rate is fast, averaging one litter every three months. Without the blessing of the Mountain God, they would grow to this size in about three months, and could even grow bigger."
"Good, good, good!" Chen Qing nodded in satisfaction, then asked, "How efficient was the soil loosening?"
"Excellent!" Xiao Kai exclaimed. "These insects are quite strong; four or five fat insects can even pull a cart, comparable to a country ox."
"Not bad, not bad!" Chen Qing nodded again. Luckily, he came, otherwise such a good breed would have been wasted by this silly bird. This is a rare gem!
It can serve as a laborer in the fields and also provide meat, making it a perfect species to fill this urgent need. It must be strongly supported!
How's the meat quality?
"Huh?" Xiao Kai looked at the fat worm wriggling in the field and swallowed hard. "Sir, you mean the meat of this worm? Is it edible?"
"Why not?" Chen Qing chuckled. "During famines, people eat tree bark and clay, so why can't we eat this stuff?"
That's what they say.
"Just give it a try!"
--
At this moment, at the entrance of the government office, Gu Bei was assisting Zhou Haitao. The entire city was being recruited, and all the able-bodied men were being gathered around, excitedly looking at the notice.
Although they have been rescued and seem safe after entering the city, most people are uncertain about the future. The prefectural government has allocated temporary housing for them on North Street, and they are provided with thick rice porridge and steamed buns every day. It seems that they have no worries about food and lodging, but without any work to do, they feel very anxious.
Everyone understood that relying on government handouts wouldn't last long. They had seen this during previous famines; many refugees initially received government relief grain, but over time, without proper care, countless either starved to death or were reduced to begging.
"Come and see!" Zhou Haitao shouted at the top of his lungs, "The imperial court is recruiting soldiers! This time, we're recruiting three thousand. Requirements include being physically strong, preferably with some martial arts skills. The pay is the same as the previous soldiers: ten taels of silver per month, and plenty of dry rations plus meat. If you want to sign up, hurry up!"
This offer initially excited many people. Given the current situation, there are quite a few people with strength, and if they could join the army and have the government provide meals, they would have some security.
However, upon hearing that they would have to go to the countryside for rescue again, most of them backed down.
They had all personally experienced the horrors of those zombies; many of their relatives had been bitten to death. Few could muster the courage to go back and fight those monsters again.
However, there were also some brave souls who, because of the tragic deaths of their loved ones, were instead filled with a fierce fighting spirit against the undead, wishing they could wipe out all the monsters. Besides, they had a guaranteed salary, so what were they afraid of?
In this way, over a thousand people signed up.
Gu Bei watched as the young men enthusiastically filled out their names, but he was puzzled. With so many soldiers joining, Ma Erniang had slaughtered all the pigs in the countryside, and in the past two days, she hadn't even sold meat porridge to the outside world to supply the soldiers at the city gates. How could they possibly fulfill their promise of providing meat per ton of meat if they recruited so many more?
Just then, a strong aroma wafted from afar. Gu Bei was startled and even forgot Deng's name for a moment. He turned his head and saw Ma Erniang and her group rushing over with huge buckets. The aroma from the buckets was irresistible, Gu Bei immediately recognized it: it was the smell of meat!
" Erniang, what good stuff is it?" Gu Bei quickly got up to help, his stomach rumbling with hunger. He hadn't eaten meat for several days because he was taking care of the servants. Had Erniang found another fat pig somewhere else?
Curious, the bucket was opened, and strips of meat, fried until golden brown, were poured out and arranged on a pre-prepared wooden plate. The rich aroma of the meat immediately made everyone watching drool.
"What is this?" Gu Bei swallowed hard. "Fish? Didn't the master say that the fish in the river are no longer edible?"
"It's not fish meat, it's insect meat!" Ma Erniang said, wiping away her sweat.
"A worm?" The group of people were stunned, staring blankly at the huge, enormous thing on the plate. Was this a worm? What kind of worm was so big?
But the thought that it was an insect immediately diminished many people's strong appetite.
"This is no ordinary insect," Ma Erniang quickly explained. "It's a sacred insect bestowed upon the people by the Mountain God. Not only is it delicious, but it also has the effect of replenishing qi and blood." As she spoke, she took out a knife and cut one open. The golden-brown skin was cut open, and the meat inside looked better than expected. It was as succulent as beef, with juices oozing out, once again whetting everyone's appetite!
Moreover, upon hearing that it was a blessing from the Mountain God, many people in the crowd felt relieved.
The Mountain God in South Mountain has been built. Because it occasionally bestows a magical elixir that can cure all diseases upon believers, it is extremely popular. The wealthy families who built the Mountain God worship there every day. There are quite a few believers in the Mountain God in Liuzhou City now.
"Who wants to try?" Ma Erniang asked with a smile.
Most people still hesitated after hearing this. Such a big insect, although it looked tempting, still had some psychological barriers.
"I'll give it a try!"
Just as everyone was hesitating, an old man spoke first. The group looked over and were surprised to find that the person who spoke was an old scholar with a refined and scholarly demeanor, dressed in a long robe!
"Oh, Master Yang?" Gu Bei stood up cooperatively and respectfully invited the man over. "What brings you here, sir?"
Upon hearing that it was indeed a scholar who wanted to eat this, the group immediately perked up even more. If even a scholar didn't care, why should they be so particular?
Immediately, several more burly men stepped forward, expressing their desire to try as well.
"Here, Master, have a taste first." Ma Erniang enthusiastically cut a small piece, dipped it in her special chili powder, and then handed it over.
Master Yang took it, examined it for a few moments, and then took a bite. The moment the meat entered his mouth, his eyes widened in Laoda. After chewing it carefully, he nodded in delight, "Good, good, good!"
Then he asked Ma Erniang for another piece.
"Sir, how does it taste?" several burly men nearby asked hurriedly.
"The meat is succulent yet firm. I initially thought it would be like fish, but it's more like beef. It's very chewy; I thought I was eating beef shank."
"Oh? That's amazing?" The burly men couldn't hold back any longer. After all, ordinary people might never get to eat a piece of beef in their entire lives.
After everyone took a piece of the meat that Ma Erniang had cut and tasted it, they all praised it repeatedly and said they wanted another piece. Suddenly, the crowd of onlookers no longer cared and all said they wanted to try it, making the place incredibly lively.
"Everyone gets one, don't push, line up properly."
Ma Erniang busied herself with a smile. Now that all the pork in the countryside had been sold out, she was a little anxious, worried that she would lose her livelihood. Unexpectedly, Auntie Chen's son, the prefect, took care of her and gave her another idea. He brought over a large bunch of worms and said he was selling them. At first, she was startled by the size of the worms and hesitated for a moment, wondering who would eat them.
But after trying it herself, she knew this product would definitely sell well.
Oh dear, I wonder when the insect-producing fields the adults mentioned will be available. I should lease a few more acres; that would be a great business.
--
Meanwhile, Master Yang, who was the first to taste the meat, had somehow brought a plate of insect meat to the teahouse next door. The teahouse was filled with teachers from the official schools in Spirit Deer County who had been fortunate enough to be saved. Seeing the fragrant insect meat, they couldn't help but pick up their chopsticks and start eating.
"You old codger, you're quite cooperative with your student." One of the teachers picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, his eyes immediately lighting up. "Hmm, not bad, not bad. I thought you were exaggerating when you were shouting like that, but I didn't expect this insect meat to be as delicious as beef."
"Is that so?" Master Yang said with a smile, "Even if I don't help with this 'flesh worm' thing, it will still spread later. I'm just doing you a favor."
"Hahaha!" The other teachers burst into laughter, but one of them shook his head. "This meat is good, but it's a pity there's no wine. What a shame."
"You still want to drink at a time like this?" The other teachers rolled their eyes at him. "We're lucky we have anything to eat."
Whether Liuzhou Academy is open or not, whether those old scholars have food to eat is another matter, but they're still thinking about drinking.
"What a coincidence, gentlemen!"
Just as the group was enjoying their meal, a sinister voice suddenly rang out.
The group frowned and turned around, their hearts skipping a beat. The person who had just arrived was none other than Liu Yiqi.
Despite the bright, clear sky, Liu Yiqi somehow gave off a sinister feeling.
"I happen to have some wine here. Would you gentlemen be willing to give me a seat and drink with me?" Liu Yiqi looked at the group with a smile.
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