Chapter 73: Heaven-Eroding Lord

"Village Chief, I'm afraid this won't work, right?"

"That's right! This is too risky; we should wait another month or two!"

"Sowing twice a year—we've never even heard of such a thing. Who knows if it will affect the harvest for the second year?"

"Yes, there's really no need for us to take risks for those outsiders!"

As expected, the villagers were mostly opposed to harvesting the rice paddies early.

Even with the experience of the past three years, they all knew that the grain seeds provided by Li Boyang were genuine, high-quality seeds.

If they harvested a few days early, it would indeed be possible to plant a second wave before winter arrived.

But on one hand, it was out of a desire for stability, and on the other, it was due to their understanding of soil fertility...

The villagers were unsure if sowing twice within a single year would have a massive impact on the soil's fertility, or even affect the grain planting plan for the coming year.

In most cases, the villagers would rather plant some vegetables and melons during the next half-year than consider planting staple crops.

No one dislikes stability; everyone instinctively abhors risk...

"Just as everyone said before, no one knows what those people who are starving out of their minds might actually do."

Just at this moment, Li Boyang, who had remained silent the whole time, finally spoke up.

Although his voice was youthful, it successfully caused the villagers, who had been chattering incessantly, to fall silent all at once.

"We are not just saving people; we are also protecting ourselves."

"Do you think only those few dozen outsiders have come here?"

"No, the number of outsiders who have actually arrived here is far greater than you imagine..."

He knew these mountain folk had no concept of numbers.

So, Li Boyang couldn't be bothered to talk to them about data, and instead stated the essence and outcome of the whole matter directly.

"If we choose to accept these few dozen people, it means that before more people arrive here in the future, they will stand with us to protect our village."

"We give them a 'hope' to survive, and they will absolutely not allow anyone else to come and destroy this 'hope'."

The youthful voice echoed in the ancestral temple; Li Boyang's words were cold and true.

"As for the problems you are worried about?"

"Haven't you already witnessed these things with your own eyes over these past three years?"

"As long as there is enough fertilizer, the carrying capacity of this land is far higher than you imagine."

Without waiting for anyone to refute him, Li Boyang continued to speak.

"You are unwilling to spare extra time to form a 'production brigade,' and you are unwilling to try collective labor..."

"Now that there is a group of homeless people willing to perform this attempt in your stead, you stand up and oppose it."

"Do you think the Mountain God would like people as selfish as you?"

Li Boyang did not know the situation with other Mountain Gods, but he clearly had the ability to influence Xi Luo's decisions.

The villagers were clearly well aware of this point as well.

Thus, this meeting of the Li Village representatives ended under the old village chief's slightly helpless gaze.

[This child... he is still too sharp after all.]

………………………………………………………………………………………………

At the same time, outside the Ghost God Cliff Cave on Flying Peak.

"How rare! You actually took the initiative to come find me?"

"I thought you would keep playing dumb forever?"

The big black dog's voice came from within the Ghost God Cliff Cave, the tone even laced with a hint of mockery.

"I am not playing dumb; I call that tacit understanding."

Standing proudly outside the Ghost God Cliff Cave, Xi Luo acted with the cold arrogance typical of all felines.

"That child is simply too smart, so smart that even I don't know how to teach him."

"Since that is the case, he has taken the initiative to find a 'test subject' willing to cooperate with him, so why should I bother him?"

When she reached this point, Xi Luo's voice paused slightly.

"On the contrary, you are actually willing to try his whimsical ideas..."

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, it would be hard to believe that the former 'Heaven-Eroding Lord' would trust a human so much."

Xi Luo's words successfully caused the big black dog to fall silent for a moment, but what followed was an indescribable rage.

"A thousand years ago, I once trusted a human just the same."

"But she betrayed my trust in the end and sealed me inside the body of a mountain-chasing hound!"

Facing the big black dog's rage, Xi Luo also raised her voice and roared.

"That is because you were the one who betrayed her trust first!"

"You knew full well how much she loved humans, yet you slaughtered them in droves in pursuit of power."

"In the end, you even became so deranged that you devoured the heavens and earth, attempting to keep the sun from rising ever again..."

"You indirectly killed my sister; you have no right to say such things!"

In an instant, the entire Flying Peak trembled, and countless boulders slid down from the mountain body.

It was obvious that the big black dog sealed within the Ghost God Cliff Cave had been thoroughly enraged, and His anger even caused the entire mountain to shake.

"You and I are different after all..."

"At the end of the day, you are just a domesticated beast, while I am a Heavenly God who has always revered freedom and power."

"You cannot understand my longing for freedom and power, nor can you realize what that child is researching..."

After a moment, the big black dog forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart and asked.

"Stupid cat, you didn't come here this time just to provoke me, did you?"

Perhaps the thousand-year seal had tempered the big black dog's temper quite a bit.

Even Xi Luo had not expected that the other party could forcibly suppress his rage to speak with her.

Although the other party's words were still barbed and full of gunpowder, at the very least, they could communicate again.

"That child needs help now..."

Suddenly realizing the purpose of her visit, Xi Luo lowered her voice, feeling slightly awkward.

"That child's personality is exactly the same as my sister's."

"He always likes to look for trouble, and this time he has taken on a hot potato."

"He came up the mountain to beg me yesterday, asking if there was any way to continuously influence the weather..."

"To keep the villages within a radius of hundreds of kilometers in a warm, humid climate suitable for rice growth for the next few months..."

Understanding the implication behind the words, the big black dog immediately reacted.

"So, you half-baked thing just agreed to it?"

"Wait, can't that child do such things himself?"

"Relying on that altar he built himself, isn't this kind of thing easy as pie without divine interference?"

"Was he injured last time?"

"No, his injuries shouldn't have been that serious!"

Refuting his own guess while talking to himself, the big black dog gradually began to laugh.

"Haha, that kid is planning to pull off something big!"

"He needs to focus all his attention on doing something major, so he can't even spare the time to 'summon clouds and rain' every now and then."

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(End of chapter)