Chapter 159
Chapter 159
Standing with Zhou Sheng before the tightly shut gates of the Xie Family estate, Zhou Wanting felt a pang of regret.
If she had known, she would have taken men and pursued the father and daughter directly.
“Father, it seems the Star Maiden has moved. What should we do?”
Zhou Sheng turned and climbed into the carriage.
“An estate this large could not have emptied without anyone noticing. Someone must know where they went. Spare no expense. Find the Star Maiden.”
Zhou Wanting entered the carriage after him.
“Father, should I return to the Lushan Qi Family, or…”
As a married daughter of the Zhou Family, Zhou Wanting had neither divorced nor been repudiated. She should not remain long in her maiden home. But this time was different. She had met the Star Maiden and even held her. Zhou Sheng needed his daughter’s help.
“Qi Sihai dared humiliate the Zhou Family so thoroughly. I will remember this debt. Stay with the Zhou Family for now. Once we find the Star Maiden, we will deal with the Lushan Qi Family. Finding the Star Maiden takes priority over everything else.”
Zhou Wanting was delighted. She had no desire to return to Qi Family Fort. Everyone there disgusted her.
Thanks to the Star Maiden, she could finally enjoy a period of peace.
Jin Bao’s soft pink face appeared in Zhou Wanting’s mind once more. The child was worthy of being the Star Maiden. A single embrace had made Zhou Wanting’s wish come true.
“Yes, Father.”
She kept her delight from her face and lowered her head respectfully.
In Jintang Valley, round-the-clock work had brought cement brick production into full swing.
Workers had begun excavating the inner city’s foundations. They were certain to complete the entire inner city before winter. Xie Chengyan had even designed the plans himself, blending architectural features of the Capital with local styles to create something new. The compound would have five successive courtyards, eastern and western side courtyards, a training ground, a military camp, and stables.
Beyond the inner city lay the residential district, divided into eastern and western markets.
Farther south stood the outer city, with workshops and production areas. Beyond that came the farmland, and the city gate stood at the very edge.
The valley split into seven branches. Following the natural terrain, they built seven roads alongside matching waterways, all converging at the inner city entrance.
Through another vision, Jin Bao taught everyone how to make concrete.
They paved both riverbanks with cement so the paths would not become muddy even in the rain. The valley floor had once been rough and uneven. Now it stretched into the distance, neat and orderly.
Pitching tents, cooking, and going about daily life on the new surface was far more convenient.
The invention of concrete propelled construction in the valley forward once again.
Meanwhile, in Tieshan City, the Black-Robed Man stood behind a desk in the Murong Family’s study, his fingers constantly stroking the Crystal Ball.
“Lord Black Robe, what is our next move?”
The Black-Robed Man was visibly agitated.
The image in the Crystal Ball had vanished.
The little girl who had always appeared inside it had disappeared into thin air.
His first thought was that the Star Maiden had awakened a new ability, perhaps invisibility.
But the Crystal Ball was blank and filled with snowy specks, like a television that had lost its signal.
The Black-Robed Man swept one hand outward, and a bolt of electricity struck the other person in the study.
The man was instantly burned to charcoal.
The smell of scorched flesh filled the room.
Clenching his fist, the Black-Robed Man slammed it onto the desk.
“Damn it! Where did she go?”
The state of the Crystal Ball made it clear that the Star Maiden had entered a place shielded by a magnetic field, somewhere even his device could not detect. It also meant her power was steadily increasing.
If he did not find her quickly, she would eventually absorb all the Crystal Core’s energy, and nothing in the universe would be able to oppose her.
Then, if she wished, she could wipe out every advanced civilization, leaving Earth as the only inhabited world in the universe.
The Black-Robed Man would never allow that to happen. He had to stop her.
After marking the last place Jin Bao had appeared on a map, the Black-Robed Man immediately ordered a blanket search of the area.
Ever since Jin Bao entered Jintang Valley, she no longer felt anyone watching her. She thought Jintang Valley was a wonderful place.
That night, Ye Qi returned at the head of one hundred Dragon Tiger Guards, bringing more than a thousand refugees.
Most were women and children.
They had lost their homes, and Jintang Valley seemed like paradise to them.
The sudden arrival of so many women and children made the valley livelier than ever.
But feeding them became a serious problem.
Only one-third of the farmland had been reclaimed, even with dozens of cattle plowing at the same time.
Time was short. Potatoes were planted the moment a plot of wasteland was cleared.
They reclaimed and planted side by side, ensuring the first potato crop could be completely harvested before winter.
For the next few months, however, they faced a severe shortage of provisions.
Including the miners, the valley now held nearly seven thousand people.
Such an enormous population made it essential to purchase grain from outside.
Plans to buy grain in Black Pine Valley had already been set in motion. Since everyone wished to sell potatoes, Xiao Che could purchase them and provide them to the residents of Jintang Valley on credit. They would repay the potatoes after the autumn harvest.
The reclaimed land in Jintang Valley would no longer be given away unconditionally.
The valley’s labor force currently consisted mainly of refugees and soldiers.
Besides daily training, the soldiers also had to farm.
Sixty percent of the land belonged to the city lord. The rest would be leased to the common people, who paid forty percent of their harvest in annual taxes.
The arrangement was much like that of a landlord and tenant farmers.
One day, after inspecting Jintang Valley, Xiao Che returned to the main tent.
Xie Chengyan tossed an account book at him.
“What’s this?”
Puzzled, Xiao Che caught it and opened it.
After only a brief glance, he frowned.
“We’ve nearly run out of grain? We don’t know how Old Han’s purchases are going either. If this many people go without food, we’ll have a catastrophe on our hands.”
Xie Chengyan knew that perfectly well, but distant water could not quench an immediate thirst.
A round trip between Black Pine Valley and Jintang Valley took nearly a month.
“We have no other choice. We must buy grain nearby. The closest place with grain is the Baishui Xiao Family. Speaking of them, they share some history with your family. Why don’t you go there yourself? The Baishui Xiao Family controls the Baishui docks and owns dozens of cargo ships. Seventy percent of the grain entering the Northern Frontier passes through their docks. If we want to solve our food shortage, we must visit them and buy grain.”
Xiao Che had heard of the Baishui Xiao Family, but knew nothing of any connection between the two families.
“What history do they share with the Xiao Family? I had no idea. How do you know?”
Xie Chengyan rolled his eyes. “Don’t forget that I’m half a Northerner myself. Why wouldn’t I know?
“The ancestors of the Baishui Xiao Family belonged to the same clan as your great-grandfather. By your generation, however, the relationship had long since passed beyond five degrees of kinship. I don’t know whether they will still acknowledge you.
“You should know that the Retired Emperor sent your great-grandfather to the Northern Frontier, where he remained for the rest of his life.
“At the time, part of the Xiao clan followed your great-grandfather north and settled here. They built homes along the river, multiplied over the generations, and eventually established Baishui Town more than a century later.
“I only heard this from my grandmother’s generation and don’t know the details. If you want to learn more, ask the Old Madam when you return. She may know something.”
Xie Chengyan told Xiao Che everything he knew.
After some thought, Xiao Che decided to make the journey.
At that moment, Ye Yi arrived with a report.
“Valley Master, something is wrong. People are searching outside Jintang Valley. I listened from a distance, and they seem to be looking for the Young Miss.”