Chapter 4: Chapter Four: The Gratis Peerless Beauty

Li Bucai thought: She really knows a lot; Jingang is the shield guard, which I quite like, but if others can't kill me, I can't kill others. I intend to found a daughter kingdom, and as the revered lord of many beauties I should lead the charge, not let the beauties finish off enemies at the crucial moment.

War God.

Wu Zhuoran said: "I suggest the lord recruit a few Blade Badge Warriors, Crossbowmen, scouts, and preferably a field medic."

Li Bucai currently has only 80 silver coins left. Reason tells him he must recruit few people here, otherwise lacking first‑rate manpower will greatly hinder the camp's initial construction. Yet a few of the beauties here are ones he greatly favors; missing the chance might let another lord beat him to it, leaving him in a dilemma. On a sudden inspiration, he decides to leave it to fate.

"I can see you're very talented and will surely be an extremely capable aide. How about this: you handle the recruitment; besides you and me, our capital is another 80 silver." He gives her the hiring task; whatever she selects will be what it is, perhaps saving him a lot of silver.

Wu Zhuoran's eyes flickered; clearly a bit surprised by his authorization, she did not refuse, and calmly said, "As you command."

"Then I shall be off to the administrator."

Wu Zhuoran gave a soft "hm" and escorted Li Bucai away from the crowd, then scanned the crowd. Her status was clearly higher than the other beauties present; besides bowing to the various lords, when Wu Zhuoran approached them they all also paid their respects.

……

Li Bucai arrived at the administrator's desk.

"Now that I'm done, you said you had something? What is it?"

Zheng Zheng Mang bowed and said, "It's rare for the lord to keep my affairs in mind. I have a relative who is a blacksmith and loves making friends. If the lord doesn't mind his humble status, I'd like to invite the lord to have a few drinks in the first‑floor tavern; may I have the honor?"

Li Bucai replied, "Heroes aren't judged by money, nor friendships by poverty; of course, after I finish recruiting, we'll go."

"Then I thank the lord in advance."

The two chatted for a while. Wu Zhuoran brought a group over.

"Report, my lord, the people you requested have been recruited; please review."

Behind her, a multicolored line of troops bowed to Li Bucai in unison: "Salute the lord."

There were two Blade Badge Warriors, two Crossbowmen, one swordsman, one scout, plus a military doctor—seven in total, all scoring above 95 out of 100, and all of the type he likes.

Wu Zhuoran said, "These are my rough selections; if the lord is dissatisfied, I will replace them immediately."

Seven people mean a hiring fee of 70 silver, leaving only 10 silver, insufficient to purchase more labor for production. Yet at the mention of replacement, the girls showed nervous expressions, clearly eager for the job; moreover, these recruits perfectly match his wishes, which can only be called destiny.

He praised, "Not bad, very satisfied. Have the provisions and wages been settled?"

"Reply, my lord, it has been agreed: hiring fee 10 silver per person, monthly salary 20 silver plus 20 food."

This price is quite a bargain; the school‑uniform girl's Blade Badge Warrior costs 30 silver and 25 food per month. This beauty is not only striking but also a capable aide, so the extra 20 silver doesn't go to waste.

"Very good, very good, thank you for your effort." Li Bucai was very satisfied.

Wu Zhuoran, rarely, showed a faint smile.

Li Bucai turned to the girls and said, "If you don't mind, from today on, temporarily follow Zhuoran's orders, okay?"

The girls replied in unison, "We humbly obey the lord's command; we are willing to follow the lord and Sister Wu's orders."

While Li Bucai paid the administrator, the girls began whispering.

"He should be a lord easy to serve."

"No need to say, you can tell he speaks without a commanding tone."

"And his demeanor is pleasant."

"Sister Wu has always been accurate in judging people; could she be wrong?"

"Indeed, if it weren't Sister Wu but he himself came to me, I might not follow him at this price."

"I don't think so; I feel if he himself came, I'd follow him, perhaps for an even lower price."

"Why?"

"I always feel there's something about him that's hard to explain; anyway he's very different from us of Sky City."

……

First floor tavern.

Because Zheng Zheng Mang was busy with manpower market affairs and couldn't leave, he sent an assistant to guide Li Bucai to a private room in the tavern.

Inside the private room sat an elderly man with white beard and hair, the person Zheng Zheng Mang mentioned, who had been waiting there for a long time; upon seeing Li Bucai enter, he smiled broadly and invited him to sit.

Though the old man is a blacksmith, he is far from ordinary; not only does he forge fine weapons, he also serves as a Sky City guard commander, named Wu An.

After three weeks of drinking, the old blacksmith Wu An suddenly said, "The people of Sky City are becoming so numerous that they can barely be contained, yet there is only a pitiful amount of arable land here, so food is severely scarce, almost to the point of cannibalism. We are a peace‑loving race, non‑confrontational, but that doesn't guarantee peace for us, so we can only stay here; no one dares to leave Sky City. Fortunately your arrival helps—many who have left Sky City say they lived well there, at least they could fill their stomachs…"

Li Bucai asked, "You mean there are other races on the continent below?"

"They're just legends; we haven't left Sky City for dozens of generations, probably only beasts and the like."

Realizing other species, Li Bucai said "oh" and continued, "I'm a straightforward person who likes direct speech. I think the old lord invited me this time for more than drinking; if I'm not mistaken, there must be other matters."

The old blacksmith sighed, "Ah! Ever since you arrived, the people of Sky City have all hoped to follow you to the continent below and make their way. My granddaughter, ever since her cousin left, has been clamoring to leave Sky City, but she can't find a good lord. Lord Li, you are a remarkable talent; if you don't mind her youth, could she follow you?"

"Oh? My territory is still a wilderness; following me now would certainly bring many hardships."

"My granddaughter just turned sixteen a few days ago and spends all day playing the flute. You are magnanimous, my lord; I think even a wilderness is better than staying here starving."

"I am short of manpower now; if the old lord would kindly let her endure hardship with me, I would gladly accept."

"Then I will call my granddaughter in to meet you," Wu An said happily, and immediately had someone bring her in.

As the door softly chimed, a butterfly‑like radiant girl fluttered in.

"Yue Er, salutes the lord."

Li Bucai's first impression was that her voice, like her looks, was incredibly pleasant. This girl's appearance rivals Wu Zhuoran's; both are like ethereal blossoms shrouded in mist, fallen into the mortal world, yet they are different types—Wu Zhuoran is elegant and pure like a narcissus, while this girl always carries a sunny smile.

The girl bowed, stood behind the old blacksmith, and whispered, "Grandpa, is that him?"

"Do not be rude." The girl, raised by him since childhood and always well‑mannered, now about to become the lord's servant, became casual; Wu An scolded her harshly.

The girl pursed her lips and gave Li Bucai a cheeky grin, as a courtesy, ignoring Wu An's rebuke, and happily said, "Grandpa, I saw my cousin; she's just outside."

"Oh? You mean Zhuoran is outside? Didn't she go with Lord Qian?"

Wu Zhuoran, now Li Bucai's attendant, follows him wherever he goes to protect his safety; although Sky City is very safe, she still stays outside the private‑room door.

The girl nodded, "Hmm, I just talked with her outside for a while; she's now following this lord."

Wu An was a bit surprised, then realized his rudeness and apologized, "Yue Er is young and ignorant; please, my lord, do not take offense."

Li Bucai said, "No problem, I don't like all those formalities either. From what you just said, Yue Ran is also the old master's granddaughter?"

Wu An said, "Indeed, I didn't expect Ran'er to serve under the adult; that eases my mind. A few days ago, when a lord arrived here, the Emperor showed mercy and, to look after us old ministers, granted our descendants permission to follow the various lords to live on the lower continent. By right it should have been Yue Er's turn, but Yue Er has been willful since childhood and absolutely refuses to go with that Qian Feng Qian. Refusing would be defying the edict, and the Emperor's reproach would mean the whole family being executed. Fortunately Ran'er was sensible and went in her stead, so the matter was resolved."

Li Bucai thought to himself: That Qian Feng grandson—turns out Wu Zhuoran also got it here for free, saving my old man 20 silver; still, this transaction was very profitable, great value for money.

They summoned Wu Zhuoran to come in and meet Wu An; Wu Zhuoran is a very rule‑abiding person, and even though he reunites with his grandfather after a long separation, because his own master is here, he still greets Wu An with the subordinate's courtesy to his respected lord.

The Wu family's lineage is vast, supplying many talents to the various lords. Logically, Wu Zhuoyue should have left her grandfather long ago, but the lords she had met before never suited her taste. Her cousin, who serves under Li Bucai, learned from her that although Wu Zhuoran has just recently been assigned to Li Bucai's command, his impression of him is fairly good; only then did Wu Zhuoyue, together with her, become willing to follow Li Bucai.

After the decision, Wu An, as usual, laid the pre‑prepared gifts before Li Bucai; he is an outstanding blacksmith, and a few servants brought in his most prized weapons, letting him pick any one.

Li Bucai chose the Ruyi Spear; this Ruyi Spear is eight chi long, forged from fine copper, and for ease of carrying it can be reduced to the size of an embroidered needle…

…