Xu Jingfeng had delivered the antidote for the sacrifices well in advance. Wei Yuan worked through half the night alongside everyone else, finally managing to awaken every last captive.
Wei Yuan then cordoned off an encampment on the clearing beside the forest. He confined all the sacrifices within it to watch for any abnormalities, posting a large contingent of cultivators to keep guard.
As the sacrifices stirred to consciousness one after another, their expressions remained wooden. They did whatever they were told without crying or causing a fuss.
Xu Jingfeng had already explained this: to prevent the sacrifices from rioting or attempting escape, all of them had been treated with formations, Dao arts, and medicinal concoctions. The methods originated from the Wuyu Clan. Once subjected to them, a sacrifice would be stripped of most emotions.
Without emotion, a person gradually ceased to think. Combined with the drugs' inherent capacity to damage the mind, victims would inevitably sink into a stupor over time. The Shamans only cared about Dao Foundations and primordial spirits; so long as those two remained intact, it made no difference whether the sacrifices were dull-witted or clever.
Once awake, the vast majority simply sat in silence, staring blankly ahead. Only a handful of superior sacrifices covertly observed their surroundings. They were exceedingly discreet, yet with Wei Yuan's formidable divine sense, their subtle actions naturally did not escape his notice.
It seemed these individuals still retained a measure of their wits. However, they likely had no inkling that every move they made within Qingming occurred right under Wei Yuan's nose. Wei Yuan decided to wait and see what they intended to do.
Having awakened them, Wei Yuan ordered food and water brought over, then had over a dozen large sheds erected to house them temporarily. Moments later, Sun Yu arrived in haste and began examining their condition one by one.
It would naturally be ideal if the sacrifices could recover their sanity, but even partial recovery would suffice. Most had cultivated, giving them physical endurance far exceeding mortal standards. As long as they had not completely lost their minds, they could take on all manner of tasks.
The arrival of this batch of sacrifices instantly sent a hundred thousand liang of immortal silver flowing back into the Xu family's pockets. None of Wei Yuan's companions raised objections, however. Everyone had witnessed the terrifying might of Shaman blood curses; spending a bit of immortal silver to buy back these sacrifices was vastly preferable to letting them be turned into blood curses aimed at their own heads.
Over the days that followed, Xu Jingfeng proved surprisingly efficient, managing to uncover three Shaman sacrifice transit camps in one go.
Upon receiving the camps' locations, Wei Yuan did not waste a moment. First, Bao Yun advanced to scout the strength of each outpost. Wei Yuan then split their forces into three columns: he and Bao Yun led one, Ji Liuli led another, and Feng Tingyu and Cui Yu led the third. All three departed simultaneously, sweeping through every camp in a single breath and recovering more than eight hundred sacrifices.
To reward Xu Jingfeng for his efficiency, Wei Yuan conducted another transaction with him under the guise of the Shamans. He purchased large quantities of grain, minerals, various seeds, over a thousand suits of armor, a thousand fine bows, and a hundred thousand arrows, ultimately returning fifty thousand liang of immortal silver to the Xu family.
Over the next ten-odd days, tens of thousands more mortals arrived in the realm domain in steady succession. The mortal population within Qingming had now surpassed thirty thousand. The azure qi Wei Yuan had accumulated exceeded seventy wisps, joined by an additional advanced wisp of azure qi. Astonishingly, this advanced wisp came from Xu Jingfeng, granting Wei Yuan an unexpected impression of the man's loyalty.
The human settlement beside the small lake had grown to a considerable scale. The dozens of four-story timber buildings already constructed were obviously a drop in the bucket. Even after Wei Yuan subdivided each home into three—leaving each household a space a mere two zhang square—each building could accommodate only a little over two hundred people. All the timber buildings combined could shelter just five or six thousand; the rest were forced to make do under makeshift sheds for the time being.
The sudden influx of tens of thousands of mortals kept Xiaoyu, Cui Yu, and the scions and young ladies of the noble houses busy from dawn till dusk. Having studied military strategy and absorbed methods of leadership and governance from their clan elders, they were far from helpless.
Day and night, they tallied the population, registered cultivators and artisans with useful skills, organized the cultivators into separate units, and recruited able-bodied youths to assign various tasks.
With so many people, conflicts were inevitable, and naturally there were those who sought to exploit the disorder.
Well aware that severe laws were needed in tumultuous times, Wei Yuan showed no mercy. He rounded up and executed over a dozen ringleaders who had deliberately stirred up unrest, then dispatched cultivators to patrol the settlement day and night, finally reining in this unruly crowd.
Among the executed were several who held a shred of justification yet made twelve times the fuss. Wei Yuan had them beheaded all the same. Once those heads rolled, everyone understood that Wei Yuan was certainly not someone who could be duped with righteous pretenses.
Under strict governance, a semblance of order finally took root among the tens of thousands. Once the census and registration were complete in a couple of days, they would officially become citizens of the realm domain.
Yet a few recalcitrants remained. They had come to try their luck and see if they could carve out a station for themselves, but seeing the numerous high cultivators in the realm domain, they realized their prospects were dim and yearned to return to the carefree days of pillaging and robbery.
Had they slipped away quietly, nothing would have come of it. Instead, they wanted to make one last haul before leaving. Deep one night, they ambushed the guards, seized a cache of weaponry and magical implements, and attempted to flee.
Yet while the Shattered Lands were lawless, Qingming was not. The instant they struck down the first guard, Wei Yuan was alerted. Zhang Sheng stepped in immediately, capturing all seven or eight of them.
Wei Yuan did not hesitate. Before the assembled crowd, he executed all eight on the spot, showing no leniency to the three Dao Foundation cultivators among them, one of whom was in the late Dao Foundation stage.
Seven days later, the mortal census and registration were finally finished. The resulting registers filled two massive crates. In addition, two duplicate sets were recorded on jade paper. As mortals continued to arrive, the final count of registered mortals had surpassed forty thousand.
The completion of the registry meant the settlement beside the small lake was now under formal governance, transforming it into a city, even if most of it still looked like a sprawling shantytown.
This was the very first mortal city within the Qingming domain. Barring any surprises, it would also be the one closest to the core region in the future.
Now that a city existed, it naturally needed a name. Wei Yuan drew upon everything he had learned in his life and all he had seen and heard since coming to the Western Regions, ultimately deciding to name the city Yong'an—Perpetual Peace.
With the name chosen, Wei Yuan had brush and paper brought over and laid across the table. Calming his heart and steadying his breath, he brandished the brush and laid down the ink, writing the two large characters: Yong'an.
As the final stroke fell into place, flashes of the shanties in northern Quliu Town, the human sacrifices beheaded within the formation, and the corpses left strewn along the roadside swept through his mind. A tiny spark flared into a fierce blaze within his heart!
The brush in his hand felt heavy as a mountain yet light as a feather. When he lifted it, the entire mountain peak seemed to shift along with it.
The ink of the two characters blurred for a moment, then gradually resolved into crisp focus. Imposing and magnificent, the characters carried a profound sense of the vast, boundless world.
In all his life, these were the finest two characters Wei Yuan had ever written. Compared to the celebrated calligraphers of the era, they fell short only slightly in sheer technique, but in presence and artistic conception, they far surpassed them.
Wei Yuan stared fixedly at the two characters. Then, breaking into a sudden smile, he tore the paper to shreds. He crumpled the scrap into a ball, tossed it into the wastebasket, and laid out fresh sheets. He wrote several more versions of Yong'an in succession, each marred by different flaws. In quality, these sheets were not even on par with Xu Zhiyuan's hand.
Gathering the sheets, Wei Yuan went to Zhang Sheng's residence.
Zhang Sheng was standing before a desk, carefully examining an oddly shaped component in his hands. Seeing Wei Yuan arrive, Zhang Sheng asked, "What is it now?"
Wei Yuan said, "The mortals have all been registered, and the city has taken shape. Since it will serve as the hub of Qingming in the future, your disciple thought it over and named it Yong'an. However, when I tried to inscribe the name, the results were never quite satisfactory. I was hoping Master could inscribe it instead."
Zhang Sheng beamed with a smile. "So that's it. Bring what you wrote. Let me see if your skill has slipped."
Wei Yuan presented the sheets. Zhang Sheng opened them and looked through each one, offering offhand remarks that struck right at the heart of their weaknesses.
Once he finished, however, Zhang Sheng glared at Wei Yuan and said, "These characters of yours either lack structure, lean toward excess, or flaunt empty technique. Every sheet bears a different flaw—truly a rare feat! Realm Master Wei, are you trying to tell me this isn't your true level of skill?"
Wei Yuan stood meekly and said, "I was just afraid Master might think I hadn't been applying myself."
Zhang Sheng snorted. "No need for such theatrics. You certainly have plenty of tricks these days."
Zhang Sheng swept the components and mineral ores to the side of the desk, smoothed out a sheet of paper, and dipped his brush into the ink. Yet he did not immediately set it down. After a thoughtful pause, he said, "Judging from those sheets of yours, your calligraphy should already have reached the realm of embodying intent in every character. In terms of attainment, you are no worse than your teacher. Why not write it yourself?"
Wei Yuan replied, "Your disciple felt that since this is our very first city, it is only right that you inscribe its name."
Zhang Sheng declined no further. He calmed his mind and steadied his breath. Just as he was about to set brush to paper, the memories of the past dozen years flashed through his mind. All these years, he had stayed by this disciple's side, watching him grow step by step, carving out a foundation in this land of wolves and tigers, and raising a city from barren ground.
Though the city held only tens of thousands of penniless paupers at present, no one could say what it might become in the future.
With his heart clear and tranquil, Zhang Sheng moved his wrist and set down the brush, writing out the two characters: "Yong'an."
The characters were balanced and peaceful, reserved without ostentation, rounded at every turn, with not a trace of sharp edge showing.
Had he not seen it with his own eyes, Wei Yuan would hardly have believed Zhang Sheng had written them. Could a peerless sword cultivator who had grasped four swords of slaughter truly produce calligraphy so free of worldly fire and brimstone?
Zhang Sheng appeared immensely pleased with the two characters. After admiring them for a long while, he let out a sigh and said, "A sage within, a king without. Who knows when I will ever write characters like these again? Take them!"
Wei Yuan reminded him, "Master, you haven't signed it yet."
"Ah," Zhang Sheng murmured. Beside the inscription, he penned the two characters: "Zhang Sheng." These two characters faintly radiated an unmatched sword intent; in the end, he could not help but reveal a sliver of his true nature.
Having obtained Zhang Sheng's inscription, Wei Yuan went off to have it mounted. Next came filling the key offices within the city. For the inaugural city lord, Wei Yuan chose Xiaoyu.
Xiaoyu was utterly dumbfounded. He could not fathom why Wei Yuan would pass over so many people from the Palace of Grand Beginning just to pick him. Yet Wei Yuan clearly had no interest in hearing his protests; having delivered the decree, he vanished without a trace.
It took Xiaoyu a long while to recover his senses. He was well aware of Yong'an's importance—it would effectively serve as the capital of the entire realm domain in the future. But to put him in charge of a massive city of tens of thousands of mortals... had Wei Yuan lost his mind?
In his heart, Xiaoyu heaped a barrage of foul curses upon Wei Yuan's head. Cursing all the while, he abandoned the thought of packing his bags, resigned to staying a while longer.
With the Shamans reeling from repeated blows and beginning their withdrawal from the Shattered Lands, Qingming had secured a preliminary foothold. Xiaoyu felt his mission to offer reinforcement had essentially been fulfilled. There was plenty to attend to back in his clan, and the cultivation environment within Qingming was certainly inferior to his family's or the Palace of Grand Beginning's. If nothing else, the single restriction sealing immortal swords made him reluctant to stay even a day longer.
Xiaoyu had intended to bid Wei Yuan farewell in a few days. He had never expected that fellow would suddenly lose his senses and saddle him with the title of city lord.
Yet seeing how everything within Qingming remained to be built from the ground up, Xiaoyu weighed the matter back and forth. His heart ultimately softened. He decided to put his own affairs aside and stay another ten days to half a month; he could leave once the new city had begun to take proper shape.
Chapter 169