[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-immortals-disappeared":3,"chapter-after-the-immortals-disappeared-after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-948":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Immortals Disappeared",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2284832,4468,"Chapter 948: Old Friends","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-948",948,"\u003Cp>Ding Zuodong gave a bitter smile: \"According to what you say, besides mining, shipbuilding, and casting weapons, we have to do everything else.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn't that just the case?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Estimate it for me, how many more people are we short?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Before you subdued the Yin Serpent and the Three Paths pirates, we had already started recruiting, but no one was optimistic about us, and there were very few respondents; once the news of your great display of power spreads, I estimate we can recruit more hands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right now, we are most short of people for harvesting palm oil and farming. Most of the farmhands we hired have brought their whole families, but it's still not enough.\" The young and strong climb trees to cut fruit clusters, the old and weak pick fruit and press oil, and the whole family can collect wages. \"It would be best to have another three or four thousand people, or at least two thousand to twenty-one hundred.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The shipwrights and laborers at Blade Harbor have almost all been recruited by us, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Zuodong nodded repeatedly: \"Isn't that so? There's no one left on the docks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Blade Harbor is a large port, it would be difficult to gather so much labor all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will tell the pirates on the island to return to their own villages and find people to come over to work.\" He Lingchuan thought for a moment, \"Most of them have roots.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had suppressed bandits in Red Cliff Road and Longchuan, and knew well the intricate connections between bandits and the local people. The pirates were likely no exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charity begins at home; the pirates should also be very willing to find work for their fellow villagers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan snapped his fingers: \"Also, go to Bailie to recruit people, the more the better. Just say that our land rent here is halved for the first ten years! Later on, all grain will be purchased at favorable prices.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, he took a storage ring from his bosom and handed it to Ding Zuodong: \"This is the private legacy of Yue Pinghe. You can enter the silver notes inside into the accounts and use them first; for the other items, find someone to sell them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Pinghe's family assets were hidden in three storage rings. After he was beheaded, He Lingchuan inherited the estate. Although there were no so-called thirty or fifty thousand, there were over two thousand in silver notes, as well as some magic treasures and miscellaneous items, which could also be exchanged for money if sold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, killing and arson bring money quickly; no wonder pirates love doing business without capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Zuodong did not stand on ceremony and took it to put away. Which of the things the Proprietor needed to do didn't cost money?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This supplement from Yue Pinghe came just in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan happened to ask again: \"What have the expenses been lately?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Recently, expenses on the books have been flowing like water. Building houses, renting ships, and buying various means of production have already cost over ten thousand taels. Once more people are hired later, labor costs will be the main bulk.\" Ding Zuodong calculated for him, \"Most of the people we recruit are short-term or emergency workers, so the price is naturally a bit higher than ordinary labor. If we can recruit seven or eight thousand people, including wages, food, and other expenses—such as medicine for injuries, compensation, and material loss—we will have to spend at least a thousand taels of silver every day. Then there are the Rongshan people under you, the pirates, and us who manage the work; that is also an expense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pirates alone number six or seven hundred. After switching to become archipelago guards, they have to receive wages. How could those holding blades and spears not have higher salaries than those holding hoes and shovels? The base salary for each is at least five taels; the salaries of Qiu Hu, Ding Zuodong, and others are even higher. Adding all these together, plus some miscellaneous items, that's at least another five thousand taels gone every month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan gave a bitter smile. With a base cost of thirty-five thousand a month, he still had to be happy and hope that all this money could be spent, because that would mean the farmhands could be fully recruited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, all things are difficult at the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That over two hundred and forty thousand taels of silver in his pocket sounds very wealthy, but how long can it actually last?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, after the palm harvest season ends, the archipelago won't need that much labor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, He Lingchuan had other plans afterward that would burn even more money and be even more extravagant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So... he was poor! But on the surface, he still had to act indifferent: \"Those are all small matters. Grand Manager, do you have enough people under you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not enough.\" Ding Zuodong had been sleep-deprived these past few days, sporting two large dark circles under his eyes, yet his spirit was strangely good. He took out a booklet and placed it in front of He Lingchuan, \"You need more managers, accountants, and construction supervisors. This is the list of candidates, totaling sixty-two people. I think we need to select at least fifteen. Do you have any thoughts?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan got a headache as soon as he saw a list, and immediately thought of a lazy way: \"Why not organize a test!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A test?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You and I will both come up with some questions, have them gather, and take a unified exam. Those who do well and get high scores will be retained.\" He Lingchuan said sullenly, \"It saves us from interviewing them one by one; neither of us has the time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would test these people the same way Master Sun tested him. He couldn't be the only one to suffer this kind of pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Zuodong nodded: \"That's a good method. Shall we each come up with three questions?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan naturally had no objections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Zuodong added: \"You also need a few master builders to plan the island's zoning and the layout of the buildings on the island. But I'm afraid Blade Harbor doesn't have such talent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master builders? Isn't that just urban planners? He Lingchuan scratched his head; he—well, he didn't know how.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was not the most urgent matter at the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, Min Tianxi also came over to report a problem: \"Young Master, the farmers are all unwilling to go to Dragon Spine Island. They fear the baleful aura and the Yin Serpent, and no matter how it's explained, it's useless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blade Harbor has long-term and short-term workers waiting for employment all year round, commonly known as unemployed labor. As long as there is money, they will do any work. But the Yangshan Archipelago has a bad reputation. Although there have been various opinions recently, everyone is still suspicious of the former no-man's-land, fearing that they might earn money but have no life to spend it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of suspicion can only be worn down by time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about adding money?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The wages have been increased by thirty percent, but fewer than a hundred people are willing to go to the island.\" Min Tianxi asked, \"Should we add a bit more?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Zuodong objected: \"Once these hundred or so people who go to the island return safely several times, others will naturally know that Dragon Spine Island is not dangerous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Doesn't that take time?\" Right now, what they lack most is time and manpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two looked at He Lingchuan together, waiting for his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan rubbed his eyes. Ever since he became the \"Island Master,\" he had to face these fine, fragmented, and endless trivial matters every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh, the happiness of being alone in the past is gone forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, before he could speak, Mother Zhu suddenly appeared outside the window, her massive figure blocking the light shining in from outside: \"My sister has arrived.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spider demon sisters have a telepathic connection; Mother Zhu can know her sister's location in real-time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Erniang is here?\" He Lingchuan asked casually, then suddenly gave a start and stood up with a jolt, \"Erniang is here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erniang?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the joy on his face, the other two were full of question marks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mother Zhu is a spider demon, so Erniang should also be a great demon? He Lingchuan couldn't be bothered to explain to them and bolted out like the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid causing panic, Mother Zhu Erniang did not enter Blade Harbor but stopped in the western suburbs of the port.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When He Lingchuan arrived, a row of giant spider demons emerged from the deserted dense forest, each one larger and more ferocious than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The largest one was at least twice the size of Mother Zhu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention Min Tianxi, Huang Zhao, and the others being dumbfounded, even the Rongshan disciples felt their scalps tingle upon seeing so many prehistoric giant demons lining up to come out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How is it that Young Master He can always make friends with prehistoric giant demons? First, he easily signed an agreement with the King of Yin Serpents, and now so many big guys have come to join him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dragons associate with dragons, and phoenixes with phoenixes; Young Master He, who can be friends with prehistoric great demons, is definitely no ordinary person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Erniang!\" He Lingchuan opened his arms to greet her, his face full of the joy of a long-awaited reunion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mother Zhu Erniang just watched him act out: if you have the guts, come up and hug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, He Lingchuan stopped in front of the spider demon's dense, sharp spikes and said resentfully: \"Why is Erniang so cold?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You recognized the wrong one.\" Mother Zhu stretched out a claw and pointed at another spider demon on the side, \"This is my sister.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These spider demons looked like they were cast from the same mold, only differing in size. But the last two were almost identical, so it was no wonder Young Master He recognized the wrong one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan turned to Mother Zhu Erniang, still full of enthusiasm: \"Erniang, I missed you to death!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mother Zhu Erniang said unhurriedly: \"You've caused trouble again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amazing! Everyone secretly gave a thumbs up; this great demon seems to know Young Master He very well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What trouble could there be!\" He Lingchuan laughed, \"It's nothing more than some sweet troubles.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mother Zhu Erniang directly changed the subject: \"Sister said you prepared a new home for me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, since she had already settled in the canyons of eastern Mou Kingdom, why would she travel thousands of miles to join He Lingchuan? It was all because Mother Zhu strongly urged her, claiming that the environment here was top-notch and most suitable for burrowing spiders to build nests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly!\" He Lingchuan pointed toward the sea, \"Please board the ship; we can talk as we go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was by the sea here, but there was no dock, and the six large ships were moored below a cliff nearly thirty feet high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan chose this desolate place to meet because he didn't want to attract the attention of idlers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, everyone had cultivation, so climbing down the cliff was a piece of cake. The spider demon sisters and the spider molts descending the cliff was even more like walking on flat ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan knew Mother Zhu Erniang's way of moving house very well and knew that her thousands of descendants were all stuffed into the spider molts, and each hill-like spider molt had almost the weight of a small hill. Therefore, he called for so many large ships, with each ship carrying only one giant spider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Mother Zhu Erniang saw them, she said: \"Your ships are too small. The large ship I took from White Sand Bay to here was three times the size of yours!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's the rush?\" He Lingchuan had plenty of patience, \"There will be even larger ships in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The giant cargo ships Mother Zhu Erniang spoke of would also be used by the Yangshan Archipelago for transporting goods in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sea ships set sail, heading with the wind into the depths of the Yangshan Archipelago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About an hour later, the ships docked, and everyone filed onto the island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the island I have reserved for you sisters—Silk-Spinning Island.\" He Lingchuan led the guests around, diligently explaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This island was renamed specifically for the spider demon sisters. It is located in the northwest part of the main island, Dragon Spine Island, about a two-quarter-hour boat ride from the main island, making it very convenient to send messages back and forth. However, there are two small islands between Silk-Spinning Island and Dragon Spine Island, so they cannot see each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This ensures the privacy of the spider demon's territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The island's area is about four hundred qing, making it the fourth-largest island in the Yangshan Archipelago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2179,"2026-06-20T02:23:34.395Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","e695742c7dc5eea7c58cbe239b061a9b6d649c9cf144b32e4acb2246dec7a6d9","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-949","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-947",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-immortals-disappeared-cover.jpg"]