Chapter 188: New Residence, Land, Bamboo Grove

In the first year of Dashaxia, the twenty-first day of the fourth month

The wooden building is finally finished!

The notice from the Craftsmen's Department had been issued during the day, so as soon as night fell, a dense crowd surged to the side of the wooden building.

"These four walls contain so much iron—they look incredibly sturdy!"

"I've inquired—the joints connecting every part of this wooden building are made entirely of iron; each wall averages twelve ten-thousand catties of iron."

"Gah… twelve ten-thousand catties? When we were at Five Ape Mountain, our annual mining output was only a bit over twenty ten-thousand catties—and this one wall used that much!"

"Heh, can your Zhuhe even compare to Dashaxia? Do you know how much iron ore Dashaxia mined last month alone?"

"How much?"

"Nine hundred thousand catties!"

"Gah…"

Hearing this number, Zhu Meng's pupils dilated in shock; he turned to look and saw his father Zhu Xing equally stunned, mouth agape and unable to close.

It was no wonder—though Zhuhe Camp had twenty-one Earth-Digging cultivators qualified for mining, they lacked Tooth Drills; each person averaged barely a hundred catties per day, and they couldn't mine every day, so an annual output of ten to eleven ten-thousand catties was already excellent.

Nine hundred thousand catties of iron ore in a single month—what kind of scale is that!

"I heard this month will be even higher. Master Yuwen's decree stipulates that every Earth-Digging cultivator must submit five thousand catties of coal and two thousand five hundred catties of iron monthly. Do you know how many Earth-Digging cultivators we have in camp now?"

Everyone turned to look at the speaker, curiosity flashing in their eyes.

The man slowly extended his hand, spreading five fingers, and smiled: "I heard it's nearly five hundred. Let's say five hundred—think about it: how much coal and iron will our camp produce next month?"

Five hundred Earth-Digging cultivators!

Before anyone could even calculate, the number stunned them.

Especially those who had recently come from Five Ape Mountain—Zhu Xing, Xiao Kangcheng, Chen Hua, and others—beyond their awe, their faces flickered with complex emotions.

All of them had once been leaders; they knew exactly what this number meant.

"Two million five hundred thousand catties of coal, one million two hundred fifty thousand catties of iron… gah…"

When someone calculated the coal and iron output, the crowd erupted in commotion.

"No wonder this wooden building used so much iron—four walls total only forty-eight ten-thousand catties, barely a third of a month's output."

"I heard this building can withstand a Cold Beast Tide—henceforth, we can keep lights on even during the day. I wonder if we can get a room?"

"Everyone should get one. Come on, let's go inside and take a look!"

"Let's go, inside, inside—today you can browse freely."

"Look, the Deputy Minister has already entered with his men; they'll distribute rooms soon."

…………

The dense crowd poured through the main entrance, and the two-hundred-meter-long wooden building instantly filled with people.

The overall structure of this wooden building was identical to the previous one.

The only major difference was the materials.

This was strikingly evident inside the building.

Thus, whether they were the original thousand-plus from Dashaxia, or the twenty thousand-plus from Mirror Immortal and Five Ape Mountain, everyone who entered couldn't help but gasp in awe.

"Except for the first floor, the second and third floor floors are all made of a composite of iron sheeting and wood."

"The central circular staircase is also forged entirely from iron."

"All twelve load-bearing pillars are pure iron—wow, how heavy must they be!"

"The Yang Flame Cauldron hangs directly in the center, movable up and down."

"Gah, such thick iron chains—our chains used during the Cold Beast Tide weren't even half this thick."

"Didn't Deputy Minister Mu say this building is over ten times more defensive than the previous one?"

"No wonder they say we won't fear daylight anymore—living here, even if Cold Beasts actually come, we won't be afraid."

…………

Dashaxia's resistance against the Cold Beast Tide had spread far and wide over these many days.

The three thousand-plus from Mirror Immortal were fine, but the nearly twenty thousand from Five Ape Mountain—most had never even seen a group of three Cold Beasts, let alone a full Tide; learning their new residence could withstand a Cold Beast Tide, their excitement was unimaginable.

Except for the top floor, the first and second floors were open for free viewing; the twenty thousand-plus quickly scattered throughout, inspecting on their own, with some even beginning to debate which rooms would be most comfortable.

While everyone toured the first and second floors, on the top floor, Xia Chuan led the six Department Heads, accompanied by Xia Hong, touring the completed third floor.

The central hall on the top floor.

No—it shouldn't be called a hall.

This should be called a grand hall.

Vermilion main doors; floorboards carved with beast patterns; overhead, a golden ceiling clearly painted with powdered Golden Frost Wood; sixteen two-meter-tall statues of Cold Beasts, carved from bone and meticulously painted in vivid, lifelike poses, lined the hall's perimeter.

At the hall's center stood the Yang Flame Cauldron; the entrances to the suspended staircases had been sealed, clearly meant to restrict access.

Aside from the staircases, the grand hall had only one entrance/exit: the vermilion main door on the west side, through which Xia Hong and the others had just entered.

Around the Yang Flame Cauldron rose four load-bearing pillars extending from the first floor; unlike the eight pillars elsewhere in the building, these four, like the ceiling, were coated in gold lacquer.

If these elements lent the hall a certain solemnity;

Then the five-meter-wide, five-meter-high platform, rising in ten steps along the eastern inner wall, added further gravity;

And the massive golden chair atop the platform imbued the entire hall with a sacred aura.

The chair was golden, but unlike the golden ceiling and pillars, this gold had texture—clearly discernible to the naked eye: it was crafted from large pieces of bone, meticulously fitted together, then coated in thick gold lacquer to achieve this effect.

The chair had a square backrest; the portion above the cushion, just one and a half meters high, was carved with over a dozen miniature Cold Beast patterns; the armrests each bore a snarling, clawed juvenile Teng Dragon, their heads positioned precisely at the armrest's front end, roaring forward with lifelike ferocity and overwhelming majesty.

The wall behind the chair was not left bare.

Etched upon it was a massive map of Dashaxia's territory; anyone in the hall could see it clearly with a single glance upward.

"Mu Dong, your craftsmanship has improved greatly!"

Hearing Xia Hong's praise, Mu Dong's nervousness instantly eased.

"Thank you, Leader!"

He spoke, then remembered something else, adding: "Leader, the Deputy Minister said this hall is for the camp's official deliberations henceforth, so we invested considerable effort. Behind the hall is your room—why not go see it now? If anything's missing, we can add it."

Seeing the anticipation in Mu Dong's eyes, Xia Hong guessed his room must be even more extravagant than this hall; he chuckled softly and shook his head: "I'll see my room myself. Everyone's still waiting to be assigned rooms—today's duties are heavy for you all; go attend to them."

Hearing the occasional noise from below, Xia Chuan nodded, took his leave, and led the group to open the suspended staircase entrance and descend.

Xia Hong pushed open the eastern wall's door and entered his room.

………………

"Everyone, assemble in the main hall! The Deputy Minister has an announcement!"

"Everyone, assemble in the main hall! The Deputy Minister has an announcement!"

……

Repeated announcements echoed through the corridors of the first and second floors; those touring the building hurried toward the main hall.

Touring's over—now comes room assignment!

Everyone was prepared; as they walked toward the main hall, anticipation filled their hearts, and joy shone on their faces.

Soon, over twenty thousand people gathered in the main halls of the first and second floors—each hall fifty meters wide; even with two levels, twenty-three thousand people crammed together, leaving no space.

Soon, not only the main halls, but the surrounding corridors and even the central suspended staircase were packed with people.

Everyone who arrived saw Xia Chuan standing above the second-floor suspended staircase, holding a ledger.

Guessing it was the room assignment list, their faces lit with anticipation.

Seeing most had arrived, Xia Chuan glanced at Yuan Cheng.

Yuan Cheng understood instantly, stepped forward, and bellowed with cultivated voice:

"Silence! Everyone, be silent!"

"Silence! Everyone, be silent!"

"Silence! Everyone, be silent!"

Yuan Cheng's foundational strength neared the thirty-thousand-catty limit; his bellow carried powerfully—not just through the two or three thousand in the hall, but clearly down the entire first-floor corridor.

The twenty thousand-plus fell silent; the entire wooden building became utterly still.

Xia Chuan stepped to the center of the suspended staircase and spoke clearly: "The wooden building is complete—you've all been eager. I won't waste time—let's assign rooms directly.

The entire building has three floors: one hundred rooms on the top floor, two hundred eighty on the second, three hundred sixty on the first. Excluding the Leader's room, there are seven hundred thirty-nine rooms total.

Excluding the Leader, the entire camp has twenty-three thousand two hundred thirty people, five thousand eight hundred twenty-one household registrations, totaling nineteen thousand two hundred twelve individuals; the remaining four thousand eighteen are unmarried individuals.

With only seven hundred thirty-nine rooms, priority goes to household registrations: roughly nine to ten households per room, totaling about six hundred ten rooms.

Then, for individual registrations, allocate by gender: roughly thirty-one people per room, totaling one hundred twenty-nine rooms.

This is the general allocation plan. Later, Deputy Minister Qiu Peng will post the full assignment list at the building's entrance—you'll find your assigned room by the list. Understood?"

"Understood!"

"Hahaha, just being able to move in is enough."

"Understood, my lord!"

………………

As Xia Chuan finished speaking, responses rose in waves; most faces beamed with satisfaction.

But a few frowned, their expressions puzzled.

"Ten households per room? That's at least thirty people—Deputy Minister, won't that be too crowded?"

"Yes, first and second-floor rooms are only ten meters wide—one hundred square meters for thirty people is way too cramped."

"Better than the old temporary huts, but still too tight."

…………

Those asking questions were mostly from the Hunting Division, at the Digging Earth realm.

Hearing these people ask, the others also snapped to attention, recalling the rooms they had just seen, and immediately realized that with this allocation, it would still be overcrowded—barely better than their current temporary wooden huts.

Hearing the crowd's questions, Xia Chuan was unsurprised; he repeated aloud what he had said during last night's meeting.

"I already said this wooden building was meant only to handle emergencies like the previous Frost Beast Tide—not to improve your living conditions. The allocation method won't change!"

At Xia Chuan's words, the crowd fell silent.

But just then, Xia Chuan suddenly shifted tone and added: "However, if you want to live comfortably, there are other ways."

As he spoke, Xia Chuan gestured to Qiu Peng.

Qiu Peng and a few others carried out a wooden board and placed it in the center of the main hall.

The board was about one and a half meters long and thirty centimeters wide, with three thick horizontal lines dividing it into five sections. Around these lines were drawn numerous small square boxes, each marked with sequential numbers starting from 1.

In the center of the board was a large rectangular frame.

Inside the frame were two characters: 《Main Building》.

Seeing the words "Main Building," everyone froze.

Yuwen Tao and the other Digging Earth cultivators—including many from Mirror Immortal Camp—seemed to grasp something, their expressions brightening instantly.

Several sharper minds, seeing the words "Main Building" and the numbered small squares, also began to guess.

Xia Chuan felt the moment was right and pointed at the board:

"Starting today, anyone in camp who breaks through to the Digging Earth realm may purchase a plot of land from the Supply Department. The numbered squares on this board mark the plots allocated to you—each exactly one hundred square meters. Once you buy a plot, you may spend Contribution Points to hire craftsmen to build your own house…"

Xia Chuan paused, noticing the crowd's eyes gleaming. He added fuel to the fire:

"This house, along with its land, will be permanently registered by the Supply Department. Unless disaster strikes, it will remain yours and your descendants' for generations."

Boom…

The entire crowd erupted.

"Generations? Even after I die, I can leave it to my son and grandson?"

"As long as I buy it, it's mine."

"The house doesn't matter—it's the land that's valuable. You must build."

"Only Digging Earth realm cultivators qualify."

"We must train harder. The highest number here is 4200. To live in the valley, we need to break through fast—otherwise it'll all be gone."

We must train urgently—the highest number on the list is 4200; to live inside the valley, we must break through quickly, or we'll run out soon.

The Woodcutting realm and ordinary folk were merely excited, buzzing with discussion, but the nearly five hundred Digging Earth cultivators in camp—aware they now had the right to build—fixed their burning gazes on the wooden board behind Xia Chuan.

This was no longer just about improving their own living conditions.

It was a chance to leave a legacy of wealth for their descendants.

With Great Xia's current trajectory, they could already foresee the future value of these plots.

"My lord, how much do these plots cost? Tell us!"

Yuan Cheng was the first to speak, voicing the question everyone wanted answered. All eyes turned to Xia Chuan.

Xia Chuan smiled lightly. Seeing their eager stares, he didn't delay: he pointed to Plot No. 11 on the board and said:

"Plot prices vary by location—you can check with the Supply Department later. For now, take Plot No. 11 as an example: it costs 5, 00 Contribution Points."

Land in different zones has tiered prices; you can check with the Supply Department later. I'll use Plot 11 as an example—it costs 5, 00 contribution points.

Not just the common folk and Woodcutting realm, but even Yuan Cheng—who had joined Xia Hong on early hunts—inhaled sharply.

Five thousand points? What did that mean?

He himself had barely six thousand total.

And he knew Xia Chuan had just over ten thousand.

Five thousand points—Yuan Cheng glanced at Luo Yuan, Zhao Long and his brothers, his mind stirring.

As soon as the meeting ended, he'd go straight to Qiu Peng.

Xia Chuan saw Yuan Cheng's look and silently chuckled.

The price Qiu Peng set had been discussed with him; he knew who could afford it.

This price was certainly high for now.

But not impossibly so—Digging Earth cultivators could still buy it.

Even at the bare minimum income: 2, 00 jin of iron and 5, 00 jin of coal per month gave 500 Contribution Points. A low-tier hunting team's minimum quota was fifteen low-tier Frost Beasts—divided among ten members, roughly 450 points each.

Even at the lowest guaranteed income, a Digging Realm cultivator earns 500 points monthly from mining: 2, 00 jin of iron and 5, 00 jin of coal. A low-tier hunting team's minimum quota is fifteen low-grade cold beasts; divided among a ten-member team, each person gets roughly 450 points.

And that's assuming minimum earnings. If you mined and hunted harder, you could get one in under five months.

Compared to the 2, 00 Contribution Points needed for a ten-stone iron-bow, this land price was almost absurdly low.

Looking ahead, as population grew, these plots' value would skyrocket—possibly to outrageous levels.

"Setting it at 5, 00 is already a preemptive benefit for you!"

Xia Chuan thought to himself. Seeing the crowd's excitement subside, he signaled for the board to be removed and continued:

"Enough about housing. For details, consult the Supply Department later. Today, I have two more announcements…"

The first was to reward Mu Dong and Cheng Feng.

Nine items: salt, silk, white paper, cloth, alcohol, Beast Core Pills, Blood Sore Pills, Hot Wind Pills, and Blood Rush Pills—each awarded 10, 00 Contribution Points.

As Xia Chuan read out Xia Hong's decree, over twenty thousand in camp erupted—even the Digging Earth cultivators were stunned.

Ten thousand Contribution Points—in one lump sum.

Even knowing it was to be split among all participants, their faces flushed with excitement.

This sum was simply too tempting!

Digging Earth cultivators earned barely a thousand per month at minimum; earning more demanded immense effort. Yet inventing one thing earned ten thousand?

Every eye in camp burned with desire.

Seeing their gazes, Xia Chuan knew his brother's goal had been achieved.

Without doubt, in the days ahead, everyone in camp would scramble to invent new things—especially those who struggled in cultivation, now gaining a new path to Contribution Points.

After announcing the first matter, Xia Chuan dismissed the crowd, keeping only the twenty-two Hunting Team leaders.

"Chief Secretary, do you have orders for the Hunting Division?"

Seeing Xia Chuan had retained only the hunters, Yuwen Tao asked.

Xia Chuan nodded, cutting straight to the point. He unfolded a marked map of Great Xia and said:

"Our current territory consists of five sections: the northern foothills of Five Apes Mountain, the western cliffs of Twin Dragon Mountain, the eastern outskirts of Redwood Ridge, the western portion of Arrow Bamboo Forest, and a small southeastern area of Pingxi Plain. What do you notice?"

The areas currently controlled by Great Xia are roughly divided into five sections: the northern foothills of Five Apes Mountain, the western cliff of Twin Dragon Mountain, the eastern periphery of Redwood Ridge, the western portion of Arrow Bamboo Forest, and a small patch of southeastern Pingxi Plain. Have you noticed anything?

It wasn't a trick question—the markings on the map were clear.

"You mean we only control fragments of these five areas, not the whole regions, correct?"

Finally, Yuwen Tao voiced it.

Xia Chuan nodded. Seeing they understood, he spoke plainly: "420 square kilometers isn't Great Xia's limit. Territorial expansion must never stop.

These five areas, from easiest to hardest, are: Five Apes Mountain, Arrow Bamboo Forest, Pingxi Plain, Redwood Ridge, Twin Dragon Mountain.

Five Apes Mountain is too far from the valley, and a frost tide is imminent—set it aside for now. Our next objective is Arrow Bamboo Forest."

Xia Chuan pointed to the forest's location, paused, then continued:

"Arrow Bamboo Forest runs east-west, seventy kilometers long and twenty kilometers wide. Though officially part of Great Xia, we've only explored one-third of it."

And even that one-third was explored by the former Mirror Immortal Camp.

Xia Chuan didn't say it aloud, but everyone understood.

"Mu Dong, you mentioned the Craftsmen's Department needs bamboo silk. If we fully claim Arrow Bamboo Forest, the Gathering Department's access will improve—and output will rise."

Mu Dong, didn't you say the Craftsmen's Department is short of bamboo filaments? If we take full control of the Arrow Bamboo Forest, the Gathering Department's people will find it much easier to collect them, and bamboo filament output will naturally rise.

Bamboo silk was vital for paper, cloth, silk, bowstrings—its potential was immense. If gatherers could freely enter the entire forest, output would surge.

"So our next mission: fully explore the remaining two-thirds, bring the entire Arrow Bamboo Forest under our control, and check whether any human camps exist along its eastern edge."

So, the next phase's mission is to fully explore the remaining two-thirds of this region, turning the entire Arrow Bamboo Forest into Great Xia's actual territory, and also check whether any other human encampments exist along the eastern edge of the forest.

Mapping detailed terrain and attracting new settlers were both Frontier Expansion Department tasks—with generous Contribution Point rewards.

Mapping detailed charts and bringing in new population for the encampment are also tasks of the Pioneer Department, and completing them brings substantial contribution point rewards.

Xia Chuan turned to Yuwen Tao and pointed to a marked location on the map: "Mirror Valley."

"The coal mine inside Arrow Bamboo Forest can wait—but the two iron mines near Mirror Valley must be guarded in rotation. No one must steal from them. I'm establishing a temporary outpost at Mirror Valley."

Yuwen Tao's expression darkened slightly, but he nodded.

Mirror Valley was the former Mirror Immortal Camp's base. Though now history, it still lay within Great Xia's territory—and must be secured.

The buildings still stood, and many usable items remained—perfect for a temporary outpost.

"This outpost will serve as a supply point for Arrow Bamboo Forest expeditions. If you're too deep to return to the valley, rest here. More importantly, it will monitor Pingxi Plain—preventing the Hive or other camps from targeting Arrow Bamboo Forest."

Hearing this, they instantly grasped Mirror Valley's strategic value, all looking to Xia Chuan.

"Who among you volunteers to command this outpost?"

The twenty-two team leaders stirred at once.

"I'll go."

"Me."

"I'm willing."

………………

All twenty-one team leaders—except Yuwen Tao—volunteered eagerly.

Before he even spoke of what support would be given to this temporary outpost, these people were already eager to go.

These people have clearly come to their senses.

"Since everyone is interested, then as before, compete!"

After speaking, Xia Chuan paused, then continued: "There are nine days left this month. Whoever surveys the largest area of Arrow Bamboo Forest will be appointed head of the Jinggu Outpost."

The twenty-one men nodded solemnly in agreement.

"My lord…"

Yuwen Tao, now showing a hint of hesitation, spoke up: "The Bingshuo trees will bear fruit by month's end—now is not the time to survey Arrow Bamboo Forest."

Zhu Yuan, Zhu Ling, Hong Tian, and Meng Yi from the Mirror Immortal Camp all immediately realized the implication, their expressions changing.

During the crystal fruit's ripening period, Arrow Bamboo Forest experiences beast surges.

They had nearly forgotten this—thankfully Yuwen Tao remembered.

"Don't worry. The leader is well aware of the beast surges. He'll be there during this time, and if any problems arise, he'll notify you immediately."

Hearing that Xia Hong would go in person, everyone's expressions brightened.

Yet Yuwen Tao and the other four still frowned.

They had firsthand experience with the beast surges in Arrow Bamboo Forest.

With the leader's current strength, he might still…

The five exchanged glances. Though worried, seeing Xia Chuan and the others' confident expressions, they held their tongues.

(End of Chapter)