Chapter Forty-Six: Rewards and Raising an Army!

In the mythological world, the expanse of the ocean is countless times larger than the land. Moreover, it is bizarre, unfathomable, unimaginably perilous, and ever-changing. Ancient people generally did not venture out to sea because it symbolized death.

Lin Mu, however, coveted the ocean immensely, his desire to conquer it far surpassing his ambition to acquire cities through the system!

Across the vast ocean, islands are scattered like stars, varying in size, with a great number of enormous landmasses. A single one of these islands could easily accommodate multiple cities.

In his past life, many players on the mainland, driven and hunted down by behemoth indigenous factions such as Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Sun Jian, and Liu Bei, chose to head out to sea and occupy an island to become carefree island lords. Doing so allowed them to avoid the encroachment and annexation of major powers, escaping the endless raging wars of the mainland!

For a period of time, the ocean was the stage where all players vied for supremacy!

Therefore, the Mysterious-tier warship represented a massive catalyst for Lin Mu to reach out toward the sea, advancing his plans even earlier than scheduled. Although Lu Hao was an 8th-tier master shipwright, his value ranked just behind Feng Zhong and Chang Yin, temporarily placing him third! He was far rarer than expert-tier talents like Jiang Yuan and Chen Hui!

After browsing the information regarding the territory's elite talents, Lin Mu felt refreshed and buoyant. With light steps, he hurried toward the shipyard......

Several days of preparation passed swiftly. Under the capable hands of Chang Yin, a divine-tier scholar, handling all affairs was as effortless as drinking water.

On April 18th, 180 AD, a massive plaza in front of the village council hall was already filled with tables and chairs, upon which various kinds of food were laid out.

This entire plaza was rammed and compacted using grey stone mixed with some mud; once dried, it became exceptionally smooth and level.

There was fish, meat, shrimp, vegetables, and fruit—an overwhelming abundance. Food within the territory was plentiful!

Through the efforts of the village's tens of thousands of residents and under the radiant blessing of the village's divine-tier attributes, all kinds of resources in the village were overflowing to the brim, to the extent that the storehouses were constantly being expanded!

Laughter and joyous chatter filled the mouths of the villagers.

The tables were all wooden, crafted by the carpentry workshop. Each table could seat twenty people for a meal. With thirty thousand people, there were a total of fifteen hundred tables arranged in thirty neat, orderly rows across the plaza, stretching out like a magnificent, majestic dragon.

At the easternmost front of the plaza, a giant wooden platform had been temporarily erected. Several people were already seated upon it—the upper echelon and elite talents of True Dragon Village.

With the development of the village, the population would continually grow, and the administrative staff would likewise expand and multiply. Lin Mu had also instructed Chang Yin to cultivate more high-tier scholars. Utilizing his divine-tier scholar profession, instructing subordinates was akin to royal decrees; a single word could elevate them. Of course, Chang Yin had not yet grown to his peak; otherwise, a divine-tier scholar shouldn't be so limited.

The divine tier possessed miraculous, god-like qualities. The activation of a single skill could obscure the sun and moon, plunge heaven and earth into darkness, and resemble the apocalypse. How could the present Chang Yin manifest such divine power? In Chang Yin's usual words, he was still shackled by the rules of heaven and earth.

Lin Mu sat upon the wooden platform alongside Feng Zhong, Xiaohu, Chang Yin, and others. At this same table were several expert-tier talents of the territory, as well as Gouwa, who was playing with a small white dog by his side.

Normally, Gouwa spent his time staying in the council hall and was very familiar with Lin Mu.

"Lord, the time is nearly right. We may begin the meal, but before that, the Lord might want to say a few words to the residents!" Chang Yin looked up at the sky and, deeming the time appropriate, reminded Lin Mu.

"Very well, then I shall say a few brief words!" Lin Mu stood up, graceful, poised, and utterly composed, walking gently to the front of the wooden platform.

He raised his hands slightly and pressed downward in a calming gesture. The plaza, previously somewhat bustling and noisy, instantly quieted down at the sight of the Lord's signal.

"Respected villagers, dear fathers, mothers, and fellow townsmen, that we can gather together today and share a single table is a destiny bestowed upon the heavens. Many of us come from all corners of the land, from various provinces and commanderies. Yet, now that we are all seated here, you are the villagers of True Dragon Village! From this day forward, True Dragon Village is your home, your backing, your future, and your final harbor!" Lin Mu slowly began to speak, his voice resonant and resolute.

"Regardless of whether you were previously wandering in displacement, far from home like rootless duckweed, or if you were left with no home to rely on, no elders to support, and children with no one to educate—now, you are my subjects, you are my family! The elderly will be cared for by us, and the children will be educated by us. Our territory will undoubtedly provide you with an environment where you can live and work in peace and contentment, enjoying your twilight years! Here, I make a promise: as long as you remain my subjects for a single day, I shall protect you for a day! Even if I have only a single mouthful of hot rice to eat, I will not consume it alone; I shall share that mouthful of hot rice with everyone so that we may all be fed and warmed together!"

"Our territory possesses abundant produce, fertile and rich soil, countless fields, and grain aplenty; none of you need worry about food. With the development of the territory, we will certainly ensure that everyone has land to till and a plot to depend upon! As long as you contribute a single drop of sweat, our territory will grant you a corresponding share of the reward!"

"As your Lord, I have the obligation to lead you toward a better and brighter future, hacking through thorns and thistles to forge boldly ahead!"

"However, the abundant resources of our village will inevitably attract countless covetous eyes. Those greedy and insatiable local gentry and powerful clans outside will certainly attack and pillage us. We need strength to defend our home!"

"Moreover, regarding the imperial court outside, as everyone knows, the state affairs are chaotic, the imperial way is feeble, the ministers' power is flourishing, eunuchs are in control, external relatives vie for power, the local gentry and powerful clans are insatiably greedy, the world's morality is declining, and public standards are worsening. The sparks of chaos in troubled times have already begun to ignite. In these troubled times, what we need is to unite, jointly resist external enemies, defend our homeland, establish a firm foothold amidst the turmoil, live and work in peace, and leave behind a stable environment for our children and elders!"

"Hiding away in a corner and seeking temporary refuge will not allow our home to peacefully weather the troubled times. Only by holding in our own hands a strength that makes others fearful can we gain the right to speak, the status to make our voices heard, and the ability to protect our families in the rear, securing blessings and benefits for everyone! Therefore, military recruitment within the territory will be held from time to time. I hope valiant warriors and heroic talents will step forward to shed their blood and sacrifice their lives to defend our home!"

"Our territory will provide the best welfare for the warriors who march into battle. You need not fear that the elders at home will have no one to lean on, or that the children at home will have no one to raise—our territory itself shall be their child and their father, let everyone rest assured!"

"A few days ago, when our village was upgraded to an intermediate village, those evil forces, in order to pillage our territory, led countless fierce beasts and wicked men to assault us. Fortunately, our territory had three thousand brave warriors defending our home. They used their own flesh and blood to resist the sharp fangs of fierce beasts and the cold blades of enemies; they are our heroes! The heroes of our home!"

"In resisting the external enemies, eighty-nine heroes sacrificed their lives. They are forever buried in our village's cemetery. Although they have passed away, they will forever remain in our hearts! They are the revolutionary martyrs of the village! We are deeply grieved by their sacrifice, but such are the troubled times, and sacrifice is unavoidable. We must forge ahead bravely and carve out a domain that belongs to us!"

"We are immensely grateful for their sacrifice. It was thanks to the sacrifice of these martyrs that our happy home was preserved, our laughter was preserved, and our peaceful lives and work were preserved! Now, I ask everyone to raise your cups and pay tribute to them!" Lin Mu picked up his cup, raised it high above his head, and slowly poured the wine inside onto the ground. This wine had been purchased from the trading market—mere coarse and cheap rice wine, but having wine for this occasion was already more than satisfactory.

Everyone in the plaza turned solemn and subdued, deeply moved by Lin Mu's words and saddened for the fallen villagers.

After pouring the wine, Lin Mu spoke once more: "The departed are like a flowing stream; may they rest in peace!"