A Home for Every Inhabitant

Food, clothing, shelter, and transport were the fundamentals of mortal life. Wei Yuan’s plan began with food and would break new ground with shelter. For now, mortals rarely traveled far from home, so transport could be set aside for the moment. Over more than half a year of use at the Northern Mountain Gate, the firing and application of cement had been continuously refined. Through several iterations of improvement, production had soared, laying the groundwork for large-scale deployment. The Qingming Domain possessed abundant mineral deposits. Wei Yuan had already assigned over ten thousand laborers to quarrying and had progressively erected dozens of kilns. While current capacity was already sufficient for city defense and fortifications, Wei Yuan planned to build a hundred more, ensuring output could keep pace with his upcoming ventures. Inside the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, the small island modeled entirely after the otherworldly realm had long since been completed. Tens of thousands of mortals lived upon it, recreating life in that other world in every aspect to test the differences between the two realms and search for improvements. Once the island was fully built, it proved unexpectedly neat and picturesque. Its tallest building had reached more than thirty stories, equipped with Dao lifts driven by formation-channeled spiritual energy that moved even faster than the elevators of the outer world. With ample cement and the trials inside the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, Wei Yuan finally settled on the first design for mortal housing. At the core of this design were fifteen-story high-rises—square and boxlike, with twenty households per floor along a single corridor running the entire length. Each floor featured communal lavatories and washrooms, while each individual residence contained two rooms and a kitchen. When the blueprints were finished, Wei Yuan showed them to Xu Wenwu to ask for his thoughts. To his surprise, Xu Wenwu froze the moment he laid eyes on them. And when he saw the interior details—green paint along the corridor walls, handrails fashioned from metal pipes—he was overcome with emotion. Yet this residential block was not a sheer copy of the outer world; it bore distinct Qingming characteristics. Its most prominent departure from the outer world was the lack of both elevators and Dao lifts—instead, it featured exterior landings. Protruding from the long corridor of each floor was a projecting platform, serving as an external step. Body Casting cultivators would not need to take the stairs at all; they could leap several stories in a single bound. Even if they lived on the top floor, a few quick hops along these external landings would bring them right up. The design was simple and cost-effective, suited for mass construction, and a single building could house the population of several entire villages. Such blocks naturally could not compare to the courtyards and pavilions of immortal cities, but set against the shanties the people of Qingming had cobbled together themselves, the difference was like night and day. These residences could be redeemed with merit points. Wei Yuan set the criteria: first, one had to possess commoner status; second, if an ordinary household had two exceptionally diligent able-bodied laborers, a full year of hard toil would be enough to secure a unit. Redeeming them under these terms was practically a giveaway; counting only materials and labor, Wei Yuan was subsidizing eighty percent of the cost. Yet this was the most vital link in his grand design: only when every inhabitant had a home of their own would the people truly pledge their hearts to Qingming. With better shelter and better food, their bodies would grow robust, which would greatly benefit their cultivation. And as Qingming's spiritual energy grew denser by the day, the innate talent of the children they bore would improve as well. Moreover, with these apartments as an incentive, everyone would strive by any means to attain commoner status, and once they attained it, they would labor diligently so they could soon own a home of their own. If even that could not motivate someone to work hard, then Wei Yuan had no remedies left for them. Next, Wei Yuan instructed his men to post notices across every town and city in Qingming, announcing the changes to the system. The new regulations were quite intricate, but ever since Wei Yuan had established Qingming academies on a grand scale, the number of people with basic literacy had surged. By now, a hundred thousand had completed their elementary schooling, knowing the basic thousand characters well enough to read plain-speech storybooks. Thus, in every village and town, people could be seen nodding their heads as they read the notices aloud, explaining them to the crowds gathered around. A handful of scoundrels and loafers were naturally dissatisfied, but they were a tiny minority; the vast majority were thoroughly energized. The notices stated clearly that Qingming possessed immortal methods: neither diligence nor slacking could ever be concealed. From the day the notices went up, the new system went into effect. On the very first day, some were overjoyed while others were dumbfounded. Working within the exact same field, the merit earned by some laborers was a full twenty times that of the lowest! Those who received the least were naturally unwilling to accept it, clamoring to bring their grievances before the magistrates. Yet with the Zhou Tian Celestial Stars Array watching from above and the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World tallying their merit, nothing could have been more impartial. The local yamen would hardly be swayed by rabble-rousing scoundrels. Seeing that these men were blatantly lying, the officials slapped them with additional charges of deception, giving each a sound thrashing with the heavy paddle until they wailed for their mothers, thoroughly cowed and reconciled to the new rules. In the courtroom, veteran clerks instructed the newcomers: "What scoundrels? Give them a round of the heavy paddle, and they'll all turn into obedient subjects." A month later, the new system was operating smoothly. Looking at their own empty pots and bowls, then smelling the rich, lingering aroma of meat wafting from next door, the loafers finally abandoned their delusions and were forced to get down to honest labor. Two months passed, and crops across the fields were harvested in succession. Grain yields for the season surged by thirty percent—on eight million mu of land, production increased by a staggering six hundred million jin. Wei Yuan, for his part, accumulated five hundred thousand strands of azure qi one after another. With this initial victory won, Wei Yuan was greatly heartened. By now, construction on the residential blocks had commenced across various regions. The initial phase comprised one hundred buildings, capable of housing well over a hundred thousand people. Wei Yuan intended to wait until these buildings topped out before launching the second phase of his plan: a home for every inhabitant. *** In the Zhenshan Domain, the weather had turned brisk and cold; it was the harvest season. For the past several days, Li Zhi had gone almost without sleep or rest, burying himself in the fields every day to watch the crops harvested acre by acre. When pressing deadlines arose, he simply led his personal guards into the fields alongside the laborers. As a Dharma Appearance cultivator, Li Zhi worked at blinding speed; he could clear a mu of land in less than half the time it took to finish a cup of tea, tackling several hundred mu in a single afternoon. By leading from the front in this manner, Li Zhi naturally won the hearts of the people. Across the Zhenshan Domain, hundreds of thousands of commoners and over a hundred thousand soldiers were now united in purpose. At last, the final parcel of land was harvested and the grain securely stored in the granaries; winter had officially set in over the Zhenshan Domain. Returning to the Military Commissioner's office in Zhen City, Li Zhi summoned his generals and hosted a banquet to celebrate this year’s bumper harvest. Li Zhi’s headquarters was grand and imposing, radiating an air of majesty. This autumn banquet spanned thirty tables, gathering civil and military officials in great numbers, making it the most grand event in the Zhenshan Domain of late. Tonight, the wine was mellow and potent, and the tables groaned under delicacies from mountain and sea, already bearing touches of the extravagance seen in Southern Qi's royal capital—a true portrait of a flourishing age. Lifting his cup, Li Zhi looked around at his officials. Seeing the sharp competence of the civil ministers and the fierce might of the generals, a surge of pride welled up within him. "This year, the weather was favorable, the commoners worked diligently, and all of you gave your utmost," he declared. "At present, the grain reserves of our Zhenshan Domain have reached thirty million jin!" Thunderous applause erupted instantly, and civil and military officials alike cheered with joy. With ample provisions in hand, foreign campaigns would surely follow; it was time once again to win glory and build renown. Waiting for the applause to subside, Li Zhi continued, "As of today, I can finally proclaim that within the borders of Zhenshan, every single person can eat their fill! Only at this very moment do I feel I have lived up to the trust of our hundreds of thousands of soldiers and common folk. Today, the foundation for an enduring dynasty has received its very first cornerstone!" A scholar, feigning the posture of an unrestrained genius, clapped his hands and laughed boisterously. "Every single person eating their fill! Easy to say, but in all this vast world, where has it ever truly been achieved? Even the ancient Human Sovereigns could hardly have surpassed this!" Li Zhi’s expression straightened, and he spoke sternly: "Do not speak such nonsense! What virtue or talent do I possess to dare compare myself to the First Human Sovereign?" Another scholarly general remarked, "At that time, the First Human Sovereign was surrounded by hostile barbarians on all sides, facing dire circumstances. He had to concentrate the might of all humanity into his own person in order to ascend to immortality. The Sovereign's achievements were unmatched, yet it was unavoidable that there were minor imperfections regarding the common people's livelihood." The corners of Li Zhi’s mouth twitched upward almost uncontrollably before he quickly reined his expression in. In his heart, he made a mental note of these two, resolving to grant them high responsibilities. Still, touching upon the ancient Human Sovereign was something to be addressed only lightly; it was unwise to dwell on it. Knowing where to draw the line, Li Zhi shifted the subject: "In past years, I was neighbor to my worthy brother Wei Yuan, watching his Qingming grow and prosper, transforming day by day. Before long, rumors reached my ears that in Qingming, every person could eat their fill. Truth be told, I was quite envious back then, and deeply ashamed. Thus, I strove with all my might to govern well, and with all of your steadfast assistance, I too can finally declare: within Zhenshan, every person can eat their fill!" The crowd murmured in sighs of admiration. A civil official chimed in at once, "Back then, Wei Yuan had merely a hundred-odd thousand people; feeding them was naturally simple. Now Qingming has taken in waves of displaced refugees, numbering three to four million at the very least. How could it still be possible for everyone to eat their fill? Even if the grain were enough, human nature itself wouldn't permit it!" Before Li Zhi could answer, a fierce general beside them said, "Lord Wang speaks true sense!" Li Zhi smiled faintly. That general appeared rough on the outside but was sharp within, having voiced what Li Zhi himself had wanted to say. This hall was indeed brimming with talent, grand in its splendor. Seated to the side, two eminent Confucian scholars nodded inwardly. Gathering storms around oneself and drawing worthy talents from all quarters was the bare minimum required of a sovereign of men. Li Zhi was only twenty-five, yet he was already revealing his extraordinary mettle—no small feat indeed. *** At that very moment, deep in the far-western mountains, Shengxin and Huixin were trekking through a strange region. Dense fog hung heavy here, and their dharmic power was practically congealed into solid blocks; they could not muster even ten percent of their full abilities, leaving two top Great Shamans unable even to fly. Huixin could hold back no longer and asked, "Where on earth are we going? Weren't we having a great time staying with Lei Dong, with all that fine food and drink? Why are we running around again?" Shengxin replied, "That kid Lei Dong is strong only in appearance—his Great Fortune is hollow and unsteady. He’s nothing more than a counterfeit child of karmic destiny! We ate and drank for several months until the choice nourishing delicacies were nearly gone. If we stayed any longer, there’d be no pickings left. Worse, we might become entangled in karma with him and end up taking the fall for his disasters. There are insidious schemers in the Leize Tribe as well, lulling us into complacency so we’d linger. Good thing this old man has sharp eyes: the moment that karma was about to take root, I pulled back decisively! One more day, and we'd both have been in danger." Midway through his words, Shengxin let out a sudden gasp. He hurried up a small hill and gazed eastward, a strange expression coming over his face. "What is it now?" Throughout their journey, Huixin had grown thoroughly exasperated by his mystical antics. "In the east, an imperial fortune is surging straight to the heavens. It looks as if a new candidate for Human Sovereign is about to emerge, currently gathering momentum like a fledgling eagle about to crack its shell. We have to head east." Huixin asked curiously, "That's a Human Sovereign! You think you can freeload off someone like that too?" Shengxin replied solemnly, "Don't put it so crudely! A Human Sovereign's karmic luck soars to the heavens, far more than he could ever use up. If we drop by to eat and drink a bit, we're merely relieving him of his burdens—only true friends would do such a thing." "Bah! You're shameless!" Huixin scoffed. But then a thought struck her, and she said, "Dragging me along this whole way... don't tell me you're trying to weave karma with me too, just so I can take a hit for you?" Shengxin’s face changed, and he quickly said, "Am I that kind of shaman?" "Then what kind of shaman are you?" To that question, Shengxin had no answer. *** Meanwhile, inside the great hall of Zhenshan, three rounds of drinks had passed in the blink of an eye, and the atmosphere was reaching a fever pitch. Many generals and civil officials were flushed red with drink. The wine Li Zhi had brought out today was top-grade spiritual brew, exceptionally potent—a favorite among Dharma Appearance cultivators, and something Dao Foundation cultivators both craved and feared. At that moment, an unruly scholar grabbed a young general by the collar and slurred his words: "Let me tell you, that Wei Yuan is just a brainless idiot! A barbarian! Nothing at all! 'Everyone in Qingming can eat their fill'—bah! He dares brag about anything!" The young general was also thoroughly plastered. Swaying on his feet, he asked in confusion, "Is it really bragging? How come I heard several merchant caravans that arrived today say that in Qingming, everyone has meat to eat now?" The hall suddenly fell dead silent; you could have heard a pin drop. Li Zhi strode right up to the young general and demanded, "What did you just say the merchant caravans were saying?" The young general shuddered, his drunkenness evaporating in an instant. *** Far to the west, Shengxin, who had been halfway up the mountain, suddenly turned and headed back the way he came. Trailing behind him, Huixin was panting like an old dog from exhaustion. Flying into a fury on the spot, she snapped, "What are you doing now?!" Shengxin said, "The Human Sovereign was halfway out of his shell, but who knows what happened—he seems to have shrunk right back in. We keep going west."