Li Daoxuan had "vanished into the clouds," yet in truth, he had never left. He remained outside the box the entire time, simply closing the glass lid and quietly observing the miniature world through its transparent barrier.
Over the past few days, he had discovered an interesting pattern. Whenever he opened the lid and looked inside directly, Gao Yiye could perceive his presence, interpreting it as Tianzun manifesting within the clouds. However, if he kept the lid closed and merely watched from outside, even Gao Yiye was unable to detect him.
Humans truly were strange creatures. Watching openly was perfectly acceptable, yet there was an undeniable thrill in watching secretly.
Observing Gao Yiye, San Shier, and the others revealing their genuine personalities after Tianzun's "departure" was especially entertaining.
As for their plans to construct temples and sculpt statues in his image, Li Daoxuan found the idea unnecessary. Still, he had no intention of interfering. If the little people wished to busy themselves with such matters, he would let them. After all, with only forty or so villagers, any grand undertaking would inevitably be limited by their lack of manpower. It was far more interesting to simply watch and see what they would accomplish on their own.
San Shier immediately began organizing matters.
His first order was for every household to bring out all their oil jars and containers. One by one, the villagers filled their vessels with rapeseed oil, until every jar, bottle, and pot was filled to the brim. Even so, nearly half of the massive oil pool remained untouched.
Next, San Shier gathered the village's able-bodied young men and instructed them to transport the remaining oil. Together, they lifted the mineral water bottle cap, now filled with oil, and slowly carried it toward his temporary residence. From afar, the scene resembled a swarm of ants working together to move an enormous burden.
Once the oil was secured, their attention shifted to the flour.
The flour Li Daoxuan had provided existed in spherical form, an unnatural shape that would immediately draw suspicion. San Shier borrowed a millstone from the Village Chief and ordered Gao Chuwu and the other young men to grind the spheres into fine powder so that it resembled ordinary flour.
As he worked, Gao Chuwu could not help but complain.
"Grandpa San, why do we have to grind it again? Isn't this just extra trouble?"
San Shier immediately smacked him on the forehead.
"Idiot. I plan to take this flour outside the village and recruit people. If outsiders see perfectly round flour balls, what do you think they'll assume? If government officials notice it, who knows what kind of trouble it could cause? It must be ground into powder so we can conceal its origins."
Gao Chuwu scratched his head and grinned foolishly.
"If officials ask, can't we just say Tianzun gave it to us?"
San Shier smacked him again.
"You still don't understand. The imperial court has spent years exterminating groups like the White Lotus Society. Anyone suspected of cult activity or sorcery is executed without mercy. If I carry strange flour and claim it was given by Tianzun, I'd be delivering myself straight into their hands."
Gao Chuwu winced.
"Ow! Stop hitting me. I'm already stupid enough. If you keep hitting my head, I'll only get worse."
Watching the exchange, Li Daoxuan could not help but smile.
He shifted his attention elsewhere and saw Mrs. San sitting beneath the eaves beside Gao Yiye, holding a Daoist scripture and reading aloud. Gao Yiye listened with intense focus, though her expression clearly showed how difficult she found it. Her head felt ready to split apart, yet she endured the discomfort and forced herself to memorize every word, refusing to give up.
The little people were working hard.
Li Daoxuan leaned back in his chair and muttered to himself,
"If they're working this hard, I should stop slacking off too."
For the sake of his own livelihood, he opened his work messenger and contacted his client.
"Got any jobs lately? Send one my way."
The reply came quickly.
"I was waiting for you. Here's one. A game company needs a monster design. Main color black. It has to look fierce, disgusting, something that makes people uncomfortable just by looking at it. Payment is 800 yuan. Deadline in two days."
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
As evening approached and the setting sun cast golden light across the room, Li Daoxuan stretched and loosened his stiff muscles.
The client had finally approved the design.
At first, they wanted fangs added. After he added them, they decided fangs were too common and requested a long tongue instead. When he gave the monster a long tongue, they wanted barbs added to it. He ended up shrinking the fangs and attaching them along the tongue itself.
At last, the client was satisfied.
Eight hundred yuan was deposited into his account.
Having been busy working, he had barely checked on the miniature world over the past two days. Now that he was free again, he turned his attention back to the box.
Immediately, he saw San Shier entering the village through the city gate, followed by a large group of ragged figures.
Li Daoxuan counted carefully.
One hundred and two people.
The newcomers stared in awe at the towering walls of Gao Family Village. Their movements were hesitant, their expressions uncertain. They gathered awkwardly in the open square, unsure of where to stand or what to do.
San Shier stepped forward and addressed them loudly.
"I've already explained everything on the way here, but I'll say it again. Once you join Gao Family Village, you will never go hungry. However, understand this clearly. Since you will eat the food bestowed by Tianzun, you must work for Tianzun. You must obey all instructions and perform your duties diligently. Otherwise…"
He paused deliberately, allowing tension to build, before letting out a cold chuckle.
"If you anger Tianzun, hunger will be the least of your concerns. You will learn the true meaning of divine punishment."
Li Daoxuan nearly laughed out loud.
This man was deliberately playing the villain, using fear to establish authority.
Just then, the Village Chief approached.
"San Shier, who are these people?"
San Shier replied calmly,
"They're villagers from Wangjia Village, Zhengjia Village, Zhongjia Village, and nearby settlements. Wang Er's rebellion devastated their homes, leaving only scattered survivors. I went to find them, and they chose to follow me here."
Humans were creatures who depended on community. Once a village's population fell too low, survival became impossible. Migration was inevitable.
Normally, farmers were bound to their land, unable to leave. But after three years of devastating drought, the land had become worthless. Remaining behind meant certain death.
The Village Chief looked troubled.
"So many people… where will they live? We don't have enough houses."
San Shier shrugged.
"That's their problem. I'll give them food. They can figure out the rest themselves."
The Village Chief hesitated before suggesting,
"Should we ring the bell and ask Tianzun for guidance?"
San Shier's expression hardened immediately.
"Do not trouble Tianzun with trivial matters. We should only seek Tianzun's intervention when we truly have no solution ourselves. If we rely on Tianzun for everything, then what use are we?"
Outside the box, Li Daoxuan paused mid-motion, scissors still in hand.
He slowly set them down.
San Shier was right.
If he interfered in everything, the villagers would never develop independence.
Just then, his food delivery arrived.
He picked up his meal and ate while watching the miniature world.
Below, San Shier distributed small bags of flour to the newcomers. Their gaunt faces filled with disbelief and gratitude. Some even wept openly.
They borrowed cooking pots, boiled the flour into thick porridge, and ate until their hunger was finally satisfied.
Night fell.
With no homes available, they gathered dry grass and laid it beneath the city walls, using it as bedding. In this drought-stricken land, rain was rare, and a roof mattered little compared to a full stomach.
Soon after, lanterns began lighting along the city walls.
One by one, they illuminated the perimeter.
Every ten paces, a lantern burned with rapeseed oil, casting a dim yet steady glow across the defensive walls.
Two guards carrying bows began their patrol.
The newcomers stared in stunned silence.
Using rapeseed oil for lighting…
Just how wealthy was Gao Family Village?