Chapter Forty-Seven: Rushing for Population (2) (Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!)

“This village chief is a good man. Once I’ve convinced all of them to come with me, I must find him a decent job!” Mofang Yuan’s fondness for the middle-aged village chief increased greatly as he savored the fragrant bread in his hand. What a truly good person!

In no time, most of the villagers had been thoroughly persuaded by Mofang Yuan’s superb brainwashing—no, propaganda—skills. With luggage in tow, they were ready to leave. The middle-aged chief, powerless against the situation and realizing he’d been outwitted by one of his own, could only follow along to this so-called Block Kingdom.

Meanwhile, in another village, the chief was an elderly man—easier to convince and prone to persuasion. Under the spell of Mofang Yuan’s rhetoric, he immediately knelt down and notified the entire village to prepare for relocation.

Thus, from the two villages, forty-five blockfolk and three combat professionals all ended up within Mofang Yuan’s grasp. It took two days to travel, another day and a half to persuade the villagers, and yet another two days to bring everyone back. After five and a half days, Mofang Yuan returned to the Block Kingdom with his new immigrants.

Not long after, he sorted out the necessary supplies, arranged for their resettlement, and then plunged headlong into the Wild West once again. This time, he was in such a rush that he even forgot to bring his two lovely companions.

“Oh no, I forgot to bring back that herd of cattle!” Only when he saw a flock of chickens and ducks in the distance did Mofang Yuan realize his forgetfulness. “Never mind, these chickens and ducks will do—I'll just take them back on my way home!”

This time, his target was a larger plains village on the northwestern edge of the map. There was only one village in the entire northwest, for reasons unknown. From bitter past experience, he knew that the more desolate the place, the greater the danger. Mofang Yuan suspected there might be some strange monsters in the northwest—minotaurs, tentacled beasts, and the like.

To prepare, he brought along an extremely precious Strength Potion from the Block Kingdom. Aside from the one in his hand, only one was left in the entire kingdom. “Resources are consumables, but life is not! You only have one!”

Determined to play it safe, Mofang Yuan pressed on northward. That village had over forty people—there was no way he’d give up on them.

In Mofang Yuan’s imagination, the northern village was already drowning in misery, with its people suffering in harsh conditions, desperately awaiting a hero—him—to defeat the monsters and rescue them. He would become their hero, lead them to victory, and then, naturally, bring them back to the Block Kingdom.

“Wise hero, please lead us to slay those skeletal fiends and reclaim our village!” In the depths of a cave, a group of ragged, sallow-faced blockfolk knelt before Mofang Yuan, pleading with him to help them retake their home. Leading them was a middle-aged woman, the village librarian and now the leader of these refugees.

According to their account, the village had indeed been overrun by monsters. Not some bizarre species, but the very force Mofang Yuan was most familiar with: the Skeleton King’s army.

“Seriously? The Skeleton King’s influence is already spreading this far west?” Mofang Yuan realized he had underestimated the Skeleton King’s power. “Best to keep a low profile!”

The Block Kingdom couldn’t win a fight against anyone—on the contrary, anyone could easily crush them. They had no choice but to stay quiet and inconspicuous. “What a cursed world…”

Under the villagers’ hopeful gazes, Mofang Yuan felt a pang of helplessness, but there was little he could do. “So long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn! Even if I help you retake your village, the monsters will only reclaim it. Without combat professionals, it will be nearly impossible to keep your village safe!”

Just as despair settled over the villagers, Mofang Yuan’s tone shifted. “However! You can come with me to the Block Kingdom in the south! It’s a powerful realm with twenty-five combat professionals who can guarantee your safety and offer you a comfortable life…”

“Come with me, it’s truly a good place—I wouldn’t lie to you!”

Having secured this group of twenty-some refugees, Mofang Yuan promptly decided to make his exit. He wasn’t about to leave his name in the Skeleton King’s records—it would be disastrous for the entire kingdom.

“The tragedy of the weak! I suppose this was what it felt like for our homeland during the Cold War…” Sandwiched between the Skeleton and Zombie factions, Mofang Yuan felt the oppressive weight bearing down on him. Thankfully, only the highest echelons of the Block Kingdom knew about the monster threat; the common folk were none the wiser. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire.

With a mix of persuasion and gentle abduction, Mofang Yuan and his group set off. Before leaving, Mofang Yuan took a quill and marked a heavy skull and crossbones on the northern map. “The Skeleton King’s territory shouldn’t expand much further—northern villages away from the border should still be accessible…”

On the way back, he casually herded a flock of sheep along, and soon, they returned to the Block Kingdom. This time, Mofang Yuan had intended to bring Lin Ye along, but no matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find him.

“How odd… People don’t just vanish into thin air, do they? It’s been ten days already—didn’t he say he’d only be gone for five?” Mofang Yuan decided that when Lin Ye returned, he’d have to wring every bit of work out of him.

With no other options, Mofang Yuan, against his better judgment, brought Zhang Lingyun to the western grasslands instead. Upon hearing the news, Zhang Lingyun was overjoyed, hopping about like a little white rabbit, the mysterious assets hidden under her gray robe trembling with every leap.

“Is changing gender really this terrifying? Not only did the body change, but even the personality…” Mofang Yuan felt that Zhang Lingyun was becoming less and less like the old Zhang San—more and more feminine. Once, Zhang San had shared a bed with Mofang Yuan and Lin Ye, comrades in arms. Now…

“She’s so alluring…” Mofang Yuan couldn’t help but think, gazing at Zhang Lingyun’s graceful figure ahead.

“Our target this time is those few connected human villages in the north! Don’t make Lin Ye’s kind of mistake… Keep your assets to yourself—don’t play with fire!” Seeing Zhang Lingyun draw an iron sword from her chest, Mofang Yuan hurriedly stopped her. Whether he meant not to use her fire mage powers, not to draw her sword, or something else entirely, was anyone’s guess.

In the northern region, thanks to the high humidity, the villages tended to be small—some with only six or seven people, others with a dozen or so—but there were five villages in all. “I should be able to recruit a decent number of people this time!”

To qualify as a village, there had to be at least one combat professional. Five villages meant at least five new fighters for the Block Kingdom. Combined with those already in the kingdom, that would make thirty. Divided into squads of five, that would make six small teams. According to Mofang Yuan’s plan, they could protect the farms and the kingdom at night, while the surplus combat professionals could form the Block Kingdom’s very own army—a force capable of fighting and carrying out missions!

After all, an army is the backbone of any nation! A strong country must have a strong military—that’s no empty boast! The mere thought of an army made Mofang Yuan nearly drool. An army—the ultimate dream of men!

Not far off, Zhang Lingyun noticed Mofang Yuan’s intense gaze, his eyes taking on a strange gleam, and his mouth almost watering. Her fair, delicate cheeks flushed a faint red.

“Could it be… His Majesty desires…?” Realizing something, Zhang Lingyun glanced around and instantly spotted a small grove not far away…