Chapter 746: Those Who Live Shall Own Their Homes (Thank You, Alliance Master Seven-Well-Done)

Food, clothing, shelter, and travel are the fundamentals of mortal life.

Wei Yuan's plan began with food and would break the impasse through shelter; at this time, mortals rarely traveled far, so movement could be ignored for now.

After more than half a year of use in the northern Shanmen, cement production and application had been continuously refined; after several rounds of improvement, output had surged, laying the foundation for large-scale deployment.

The Qingming Realm contained sufficient mineral resources; Wei Yuan had already assigned over ten thousand people to mine them and had gradually constructed dozens of kilns. Current capacity was sufficient for fortifications and engineering works, but Wei Yuan planned to build a hundred more kilns to keep pace with his next phase.

Amidst the mortal world's Renjian Yanhuo, the small island entirely modeled after the world beyond the heavens had long been completed, housing tens of thousands of mortals who replicated life beyond the heavens in every detail, testing differences between the two worlds and seeking ways to improve.

After its completion, the entire island was unexpectedly clean and elegant; the tallest building had already risen over thirty stories, equipped with Daoist elevators powered by arrayed spiritual energy, faster than the elevators of the world beyond the heavens.

With sufficient cement and the experiments in Renjian Yanhuo, Wei Yuan finally finalized the first version of the mortal housing plan.

The core of this design was a fifteen-story high-rise, square and box-like, with twenty households per floor connected by a single corridor. Each floor had its own public toilet and bath, and every household had two rooms and a kitchen.

When the design was complete, Wei Yuan showed it to Xu Xu Wenwu for his opinion. Unexpectedly, Xu Xu Wenwu froze upon seeing it; upon closer inspection of the green-painted corridor walls and metal handrails, he was utterly stunned.

Yet this housing was not a mere copy of the world beyond the heavens—it bore distinct Qingming characteristics. Its most obvious difference was the absence of elevators or Daoist elevators; instead, it featured external staircases.

Outside each floor's long corridor protruded a platform—this was the external staircase. Cultivators of the Casting Body realm could skip the stairs entirely, leaping several floors at once; even those on the top floor could reach it in just a few bounds.

This building was simple and easy to construct, allowing mass production; one building could house several villages' worth of people. Naturally, it could not compare to the courtyards and pavilions of the Immortal City, but compared to the shanties built by Qingming residents, it was a world apart.

Such housing could be exchanged for merit credits; Wei Yuan set the standard as follows: one, the applicant must hold commoner status; two, an ordinary family with two top-tier hardworking laborers could earn one unit after a full year of toil.

Exchanging under this plan was essentially half-sale, half-gift; even counting only material and labor costs, Wei Yuan would subsidize eighty percent. Yet this was the most critical component of his overall plan—only when people owned their homes could they truly come to love Qingming.

With better housing and better food, the body naturally grows stronger, greatly benefiting cultivation. As Qingming's spiritual energy grows ever denser, the innate talents of future generations will improve.

Moreover, with these houses as a goal, everyone would strive to rise to commoner status; once elevated, they would work diligently to earn their own home. If one still refused to work hard under such conditions, Wei Yuan could do nothing more.

Next, Wei Yuan had notices posted in every city and town across Qingming, informing all of the new system.

The new system was highly complex, but since Wei Yuan had massively opened the Qingming Academies, the number of those who could read and write had surged; by now, one hundred thousand had completed basic literacy, recognizing at least a thousand characters and able to read simple storybooks.

Thus, throughout villages and towns, people read the notices aloud, explaining them to those around them. Some ruffians were displeased, but they were few; the overwhelming majority were greatly encouraged.

The notices clearly stated: Qingming possessed divine methods; whether one worked hard or slacked off, nothing could be hidden.

From the day the notices were posted, the new system took effect. On the very first day, some rejoiced while others were astonished: among those working the same fields, some earned merit credits twenty times greater than the least productive.

Those who earned less naturally protested, gathering to petition the government offices.

Yet the Heavenly Star Array monitored all, and Renjian Yanhuo verified merit credits with perfect fairness. The government would not be swayed by ruffians; these men were plainly lying, so all were charged with deception, each receiving a beating of fifty strokes, leaving them wailing and crying, fully convinced of the new system.

In the courtroom, veteran clerks instructed newcomers: "How many ruffians are there really? One beating, and all become obedient subjects."

After one month, the new system ran smoothly; the ruffians, staring at their empty pots and pans, smelling the rich aroma of meat drifting from their neighbors' homes, finally abandoned their fantasies and reluctantly began working honestly.

Two months passed, harvests came in across the fields; this season's grain output surged by thirty percent, increasing production by six hundred million jin across eight million mu of land.

Meanwhile, Wei Yuan collected fifty thousand Qing Qi.

With this first victory, Wei Yuan's spirits soared; buildings were already under construction across all regions, with an initial one hundred erected, capable of housing over one hundred thousand people. Wei Yuan planned to begin the next phase of his plan—"Those Who Live Shall Own Their Homes"—once these buildings were capped.

In the Zhenshan Realm, the weather had turned cold, the season for harvest.

Li Zhi had barely slept these past days, spending every moment in the fields, watching acre after acre of crops harvested. When urgent tasks arose, he even brought his personal guards into the fields. As a Law-Form cultivator, Li Zhi worked with astonishing speed; one mu took only half a cup of tea to harvest, and he could clear hundreds of mu in a single afternoon.

Leading by example, Li Zhi won the people's hearts; the hundreds of thousands of civilians and over one hundred thousand troops of Zhenshan Realm were now united as one.

After finally harvesting the last field and storing the grain, Zhenshan Realm officially entered winter. Li Zhi returned to the Zhenshan Military Governor's mansion and summoned his officers to a banquet, celebrating this year's harvest.

Li Zhi's Military Governor's mansion was grand and majestic, radiating authority. This autumn banquet featured thirty tables, with civil and military officials gathered—it was the grandest event Zhenshan Realm had seen in recent memory.

Tonight's wine was fine liquor, the tables laden with rare delicacies, bearing a touch of the decadent elegance of the Southern Qi capital, truly a scene of prosperity.

Li Zhi raised his cup, surveying the officials, seeing capable ministers and mighty generals, and felt a surge of pride: "This year, weather and seasons favored us, the people worked diligently, and all of you gave your all. Our Zhenshan Realm now holds thirty million jin of grain!"

Instantly, thunderous applause erupted; civil and military officials cheered wildly. With grain in storage, it was time to turn outward and seize new achievements.

Li Zhi waited for the applause to subside, then said: "Today, I, Li Mou, can finally say: within Zhenshan, everyone eats their fill. Only now do I feel I have not betrayed the trust of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. The foundation of ten thousand generations has received its first stone!"

A scholar, feigning eccentricity, clapped and laughed loudly: "Everyone eats their fill! Easy to say—but where in the world has this ever been truly achieved? Even the ancient Emperor Huang could not have done better!"

Li Zhi's face hardened; he said sternly: "Don't speak nonsense! What merit do I have to compare myself with the First Emperor Huang?"

Another Confucian general said: "The First Emperor Huang faced hostile barbarians on all sides, in the direst of circumstances; he had to unite the strength of all under heaven to ascend to immortality. His achievements were monumental, yet minor flaws in the people's livelihood were inevitable."

Li Zhi's lips twitched upward slightly, then quickly suppressed it; inwardly, he marked these two men for promotion.

But references to the ancient Emperor Huang must be touched upon lightly, nothing more.

Li Zhi knew his limits; he changed the subject: "When I lived next to Wei Yuan, my younger brother, I watched Qingming grow and flourish, changing day by day. Soon after, I heard rumors that in Qingming, everyone ate their fill."

To be honest, I was envious—and ashamed—so I worked tirelessly, and with your full support, I have now finally been able to say: 'Within Zhenshan, everyone eats their fill.'"

The room fell into murmurs.

One civil official spoke up: "When Wei Yuan had only a few hundred thousand people, feeding them was easy. Now Qingming has absorbed millions of refugees—at least three or four million. How could everyone possibly eat their fill? Even if grain suffices, human nature will always find a way to fall short!"

Before Li Zhi could respond, a fierce general beside him said: "Minister Wang speaks wisely indeed!"

Li Zhi smiled faintly; this man, though outwardly crude, was sharp-witted—he had voiced Li Zhi's unspoken thought. Truly, this hall was filled with talent, radiating grandeur.

Two great Confucians seated nearby nodded silently. Surrounded by Fengyun, gathering talent from all directions—this was the bare minimum of a true ruler. Li Zhi, at only twenty-five, had already begun to rise—remarkable indeed.

At this moment, deep within the western mountains, Sheng Xin and Lady Hui Xin walked through a strange region, where mist hung thick, spiritual power nearly solidified into blocks, rendering even the two top-tier Great Shamans unable to fly, their full strength reduced to a fraction.

Lady Hui Xin could no longer hold back: "Where are we going? We were fine in Lei Dong's place—good food, good drink—why are we wandering again?"

Sheng Xin replied: "Lei Dong is all show and no substance, his fortune hollow—he's a fake chosen one. We've feasted for months, consumed nearly all the nourishing substances; staying longer yields nothing, and worse, we risk forming karmic ties with him, forced to bear his calamities."

Even within the Lei Ze tribe, there were treacherous souls who subtly delayed us, hoping we'd stay longer. Fortunately, my old eyes are sharp—I withdrew just as the karmic bond was forming but not yet complete! Stay one more day, and we'd be in danger."

Mid-sentence, Sheng Xin suddenly exclaimed, hastened up a small hill, and gazed eastward, his expression altered.

"What now?" Lady Hui Xin had grown fearful of his strange behavior.

"An imperial destiny surges eastward—someone new is about to emerge as Emperor Huang, currently gathering momentum, like an eaglet about to break its shell. We must head east."

Lady Hui Xin asked curiously: "That's Emperor Huang—can we really just tag along to eat and drink?"

Sheng Xin replied solemnly: "Don't phrase it so crudely! Emperor Huang's destiny is overflowing; we consume a little, drink a little—it's helping him shoulder his burden. Only true friends do this."

"Pah! You're shameless!" Lady Hui Xin scoffed, but then paused, her eyes narrowing: "You've dragged me along this whole time—aren't you trying to form a karmic bond with me so I'll take your calamities for you?"

Sheng Xin's face changed; he hurriedly said: "I'm no such shaman!"

"Then what kind of shaman are you?"

Sheng Xin had no answer.

Back in the Zhenshan Hall, wine had flowed thrice, the atmosphere thickening; many generals and ministers were flushed with drink, wine coloring their faces. Li Zhi had served premium spiritual wine—strong, potent, beloved by Law-Form cultivators, adored and feared by Foundation Establishment ones.

At this moment, a wild scholar grabbed the collar of a young general, slurring: "I'll tell you, Wei Yuan's an idiot! A barbarian! Worthless! 'Everyone eats their fill in Qingming'? Pah! He dares say anything!"

The young general was also drunk, swaying, confused: "Is that really just talk? I heard several merchant caravans say that in Qingming now, everyone eats meat."

The hall fell silent; even a pin dropping could be heard. Li Zhi strode forward to the young general and asked: "What did you just say the merchants were saying?"

The young general jolted awake, instantly sober.

In the far west, Sheng Xin, halfway up a mountain, suddenly turned back the way he came.

Lady Hui Xin, exhausted and panting like an old dog, exploded: "What now?!"

Sheng Xin said: "The Emperor Huang's shell cracked halfway—something happened, and it's retreated again. We continue west."

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(End of Chapter)