"Choosing to build the village near the Ancient Qin Secret Realm was definitely the right decision!"
After calming his turbulent emotions, Xiao Jing's attention gradually shifted to the output of the Ancient Qin Secret Realm.
No matter how severe the consequences of his bug exploitation were, that was a problem for the future. Right now, the resources produced by the Secret Realm alone were a massive haul for him.
Soldiers—100 Ancient Qin Soldier Terracotta Warriors (Unranked), 1 tael of gold, 100 rusted iron spears, 20 terracotta helmets.
Admittedly, this output didn't quite match the Ancient Qin Secret Realm's "gold" quality. It was as if the Secret Realm's guardians had been forced by the system to hold their noses and toss out a few meager supplies just to get rid of Xiao Jing.
But for the current Xiao Jing, this was undoubtedly a huge asset.
Keep in mind, players had only just entered this world. While most were still penny-pinching over their next meal or a single copper coin, he was about to have a whole tael of gold...
'Withdraw this week's troops and this month's resources from the Ancient Qin Secret Realm!'
Xiao Jing recited silently in his mind.
The moment the thought formed, he saw a brilliant flash of light. A hundred bronze-colored Soldier Terracotta Warriors, carrying old chests, abruptly appeared before him.
His village's small square was instantly crowded.
"Qin Centurion Yong Er, leading ninety-nine Soldier Terracotta Warriors, awaits your command!"
From among the Soldier Terracotta Warriors, one wearing a bronze terracotta helmet and possessing a more robust build stepped before Xiao Jing, speaking in a raspy voice with a cold, indifferent expression.
Although he found the Soldier Terracotta Warrior's emotionless expression a bit unsettling, he didn't mind it much.
After all, units like Soldier Terracotta Warriors, puppets, and automatons could typically be recruited directly from troop-producing buildings for a small cost.
While they could be formed quickly and were powerful combatants, their lack of emotion, rigid behavior, and low intelligence were all inherent flaws.
In the words of modern people like Xiao Jing, these Soldier Terracotta Warriors were essentially robots.
Would you care if a robot had a cold expression?
"Mm, very good!"
Xiao Jing nodded and casually opened the Soldier Terracotta Warrior's status panel.
[Unit]: Qin Soldier Terracotta Warrior
[Level]: 5 (0/1000)
[Category]: Soldier Terracotta Warrior (Emotionless Unit: Morale is fixed (morale-reducing/boosting tactics and traits have no effect)), Blade-and-Shield Soldier
[Potential]: Common (Gray, gains 0.3 free Attribute Points per level)
[Attributes]: Force: 5.5, Martial Intent: Not Unlocked, Morale: 5
[Arts of the Hundred Schools]: Blade Arts (Proficient), Basic Military Formation
[Martial Arts]: None
[Traits]: 1. Might of Qin Soldiers (Blue): Slightly reduces enemy morale. For every 100 additional Soldier Terracotta Warriors, their strength is boosted by +1% (max 20%).
2. Low Intelligence (White): Possesses low intelligence and high loyalty. Can only understand simple commands. The Martial Intent attribute cannot be unlocked.
[Evaluation]: ...An old soldier of Great Qin.
'As expected...'
Xiao Jing looked at the Soldier Terracotta Warrior's attributes.
He sighed. 'It seems the guardians of that Secret Realm hold a serious grudge against me!'
On the first floor, even the weakest Soldier Terracotta Warrior guards he had seen possessed Tier One strength (Force > 10), yet he had been sent 100 Unranked ones.
He gave them a quick scan.
Among the Soldier Terracotta Warriors, the strongest was the self-proclaimed centurion, Yong Er, who was level 9 with a Force of 6.7 and some horsemanship skills.
'Still, this strength should be enough!'
Looking at the hundred neatly arranged terracotta soldiers, Xiao Jing felt a sudden surge of heroic spirit.
An army of a hundred right at the start of the game—who else could boast that?
'My earlier scouting of those mounted bandits was rough, but there were twenty at most, and the strongest was only Tier One. With a hundred terracotta soldiers, I can take them!'
'But I shouldn't rush. I still need to wait for the refugees to arrive.'
After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Jing decided to hold off for now.
After all, he was the only person in the entire village. It would be a joke if the refugees arrived and found no one here.
With this in mind, Xiao Jing ordered the Soldier Terracotta Warriors to patrol the village's perimeter.
This You Mountain Valley was not a peaceful place; he had seen large beasts in the mountains earlier.
To be safe, he had the Soldier Terracotta Warriors patrol the village, drive away any wild animals that wandered in, and gather some food supplies while they were at it.
Time ticked by, second by second. Just as Xiao Jing was growing impatient...
Finally, the figures of refugees appeared outside the village, at the mouth of the valley.
"This humble commoner, Guo Yun, and my fellow villagers greet Lord Xiao. We pray that Lord Xiao will take us in!"
An old man of about seventy, leaning on a cane, walked in, followed by a group of sallow-faced and emaciated villagers dressed in rags.
Guo Yun's voice was aged, tinged with a faint sense of helplessness and despair.
Lord Xiao?!!
A question rose in Xiao Jing's mind, and he asked in confusion.
"You know me?"
Guo Yun bowed respectfully, his voice filled with a hint of admiration.
"Lord Xiao is the chief of the Number One Village Under Heaven. We may be simple country folk, but even we have heard of Lord Xiao's fame. That is why, with nowhere else to turn, we thought to seek refuge with you. We hope Lord Xiao will not look down on us country people!"
Xiao Jing was a bit surprised. He thought to himself, 'Reputation really is important.'
He nodded and said, "Desolate Mountain Village welcomes you all!"
Seeing that the refugees behind Guo Yun were all sallow-faced and emaciated, clearly having been hungry for a long time, Xiao Jing turned to Yong Er behind him and ordered.
"Yong Er, bring out the wild animals we hunted and distribute them to these people."
"Thank you, Lord Xiao! Lord Xiao is truly benevolent!!!"
Hearing there was food, the refugees' faces filled with gratitude, and they all began to bow and give thanks.
Guo Yun, in particular, gave Xiao Jing a deep, respectful bow.
[Name]: Guo Yun
[Occupation]: Civil Official
[Status]: Desolate Mountain Village Villager
[Age]: 48
[Level]: 45 (2336/9000)
[Loyalty]: 71+
[Talent]: None
[Potential]: Third-rate (Yellow, gains 0.5 free Attribute Points per level)
[Attributes]: Force: 3, Martial Intent: 0, Tactics: 21
[Experience-based Abilities]: Leadership: 18, Strategy: 55, Administration: 67, Prestige: 4
[Martial Arts]: None
[Tactics]: United as One (Tactics Cost: 20. Upon activation, forcibly suppresses internal strife to unify against an enemy, temporarily increasing the faction's war capability by 5%), Flash of Inspiration (Tactics Cost: 8. Can temporarily boost Strategy), Persuasion (Tactics Cost: 11. When activated, words become charismatic and more persuasive).
[Arts of the Hundred Schools]: Devising Strategies (Proficient), Administration (Proficient), Farming (Proficient)
[Personal Traits]:
1. Highly Virtuous and Respected (White): Morally upstanding and respected by others. Increases territory cohesion by 10% (only affects a single village).
2. Meticulous Calculation (White): When managing the village, can reduce expenses by 5%.
[Assets]: Penniless
[Evaluation]: Huh! The probability of a third-rate talent appearing among refugees is so low, yet you ran into one. You... you're a lucky dog!
Xiao Jing helped up Guo Yun, who was bowing to him, and then appointed him as the deputy village chief of Desolate Mountain Village, responsible for managing the village's affairs and leading the villagers in clearing farmland.
After all, the long string of data on his panel clearly indicated that the old man before him was a talent geared towards administration. His loyalty wasn't low either, so Xiao Jing felt assured giving him the position of deputy village chief.
"I will do my utmost to fulfill the Village Chief's orders, but there is one matter that requires your decision."
After accepting the position of deputy village chief and efficiently settling the fifty-some refugees he had brought, Guo Yun cupped his hands and spoke.
"What is it?"
"This old one was originally the village chief of the nearby Tushan Village. We were forced to become refugees due to the Yellow Turban Scourge and raids by mounted bandits, ultimately leading us to join Desolate Mountain Village."
"The Yellow Turbans were one thing—they didn't care for the little wealth our village had. But the mounted bandits nearby, they are a great evil. The Village Chief must be on guard against them!"
Guo Yun said with a grave expression.
Hearing this, Xiao Jing's mind stirred. 'Mounted bandits? Could it be that same group from nearby?!' he wondered, immediately asking.
"How many mounted bandits are there? How strong are they?"
Guo Yun replied, "There are about twenty of them. The strongest is their one-eyed leader, who is far stronger than the Lord Village Chief's General Yong Er. By my estimation, he has likely touched the threshold of Tier Two (Force of 19). Lord Village Chief, you must not take this lightly!"
The trace of nonchalance on Xiao Jing's face vanished, replaced by a grave expression.
He thought to himself, 'It seems I'll have to put off exterminating the mounted bandits for now and focus on developing slowly. As for that other player in the Secret Realm... he'll just have to fend for himself.'