Chapter 98: News Of The Bandits, Dongxia’s Decision
Oren was very fond of this kind of bold buyer.
The two sides quickly finalized the details.
The first batch would consist of one thousand young and strong slaves, with humans making up at least half, orcs selected preferably from mild-tempered tribes, and Half-beasts with centaurs as the first choice.
The upper three races and lower three races would not be considered for now; that would be discussed later.
Unlike others, Lord Chen Mo directly stated that if these slaves still had family members, such as wives and children with them, they could be sent together, and Hanhai Territory would accept them all without exception.
As soon as this request was made, Oren fully understood in his heart that this lord was planning to develop here long-term and would not leave.
This tactic on the Starlight Continent was usually used when defending a city.
Once a foothold could not be held, the young and strong could be taken away, but it was very hard for women and children to make another long journey, especially when the women and children were the families of the young and strong. This was clearly meant to bind people to this land.
The unit price of slaves and their categories were agreed upon, and next came another troublesome issue: transportation.
The Seven Luminaries Wreath would be responsible for sending people to the Flag Mountain Pass; the rest of the route would have to be handled by Hanhai Territory itself.
“No matter what, we will not undertake transportation after entering the desert. After all, the vast desert, the difficult journey, such a huge team would require far too large a guard force.”
“Moreover, if some gang harbors ill intent and launches a surprise attack on the road, we truly could not afford that.”
Now it was Chen Mo’s turn to scratch his head.
Originally, he had wanted to pay extra to have them deliver the slaves all the way, and had even planned to pay by the number of people who actually arrived, so as to urge them to be as careful as possible.
But with this attitude from the other side, it was no longer a matter of money.
Just as Chen Mo helplessly agreed to arrange his own team to meet at the Flag Mountain Pass, Helan suddenly stood up and saluted Chen Mo first. “My lord, forgive my presumption, there is one matter I must inquire of Steward Oren face to face. I earnestly ask your permission.”
“Just say it.”
Helan turned to Oren, opened his hands, his expression solemn. “Steward Oren, as far as I know, the Seven Luminaries own many businesses, and escort and convoy services are among them.”
“To be able to do business with orc tribes and sell them weapons and armor that are contraband strictly prohibited for trade to orcs by humans, there is probably no business you dare not do.”
“You say you fear a possible gang assault. I suspect it is not that you are worried there might be an attack, but that you know for certain there will be one, correct?”
Oren gave a bashful smile. “Nothing of the sort, I just…”
Helan stepped forward, leaning slightly, his gaze pressing down on words Oren had yet to utter. “Steward Oren, our Hanhai Territory is sincerely doing business with the Seven Luminaries. With the first batch of young and strong bringing their families, this is already a scale of several thousand people.”
“As long as the first batch of slaves arrive safely, my lord will sign for the second and third batches immediately afterward.”
“In the future, as long as the Seven Luminaries Wreath does not deliberately deceive us, then for population, grain, weapons, armor, cloth, clothing, and daily supplies, our Hanhai Territory will by all means give priority to purchasing from your merchant house—more precisely, from those who sincerely connect with our Hanhai Territory.”
“As long as my lord establishes a firm foothold here, this vast ocean-and-mountain-like trade is enough to support you rising to become a grand steward, is it not?”
Because Helan pressed step by step, the two attendants beside Oren involuntarily stood up, seeming to want to block him, yet not daring to truly move forward.
Oren’s expression remained calm. He glanced at Chen Mo, who was watching with interest, then at the imposing Helan. He pressed his hands on the table and slowly stood up.
“I did underestimate the foundation of your territory. It was my short-sightedness.”
“However, sir, you worry too much. I have no information about any gang attack.”
“It is just that with the southern nations fighting in utter chaos, I have heard in private that some families’ deserters violated military law, were stripped of rank, and drifted north. They have to live somehow.”
Oren tapped his chest meaningfully. “If they happen to see our merchant caravan escorting such a large group of slaves and take us for fat sheep from whom they could reap a huge profit, that would truly be tremendous trouble, would it not?”
Helan’s expression relaxed, and that textbook-standard perfect smile returned to his face, even brighter than before. “So that is how it is. It was I who misspoke. In that case, we must trouble Steward Oren to give extra care to this slave purchase.”
“Once this is done, Hanhai Territory will certainly present generous gifts to thank you for your thoughtful handling.”
After seeing Oren off, Helan impatiently turned back, asked his lord to dismiss all maidservants and guards, leaving only the old mage Downs by his side, and then hurriedly explained.
“Though they did not say it clearly, the meaning is basically obvious: someone has their eyes on us.”
“Our purchase of slaves was decided suddenly; they should not be targeting this batch of slaves. In that case, it must be…”
“They are targeting me!” Chen Mo, very displeased, ran a hand through his hair, rubbing it into a tangled mess. “He said they were deserters from the south. This is done by Zircon Territory again, isn’t it!”
“Uh… my lord, it is hard to assert that absolutely…”
“Nothing hard about it!”
Chen Mo pressed down one finger. “Their little golden-haired brat schemed against me first. That was our first enmity.”
“Then they sent people to hunt me down, and the hatred only deepened.”
“After that, when I escaped Green Pine with Liushuang, that old Hometown bastard Count Cloud Mist ruthlessly humiliated the Green Pine Kingdom.”
“I came here; it would be strange if they did not come looking for trouble.”
“But in this situation, is the Pioneering Knight Protection Ordinance completely useless?”
Helan replied, “It is still useful. If they act like this, even the Mist Moon Divine Court will not sit idly by. The temple’s tracking and lie-detecting methods are not for show.”
“So the ones sent must be deathsworn.”
“The number of deathsworn will not be large. And for this kind of dirty and dangerous work, they cannot easily hire human mercenary groups.”
“But the races in the Northern Lands are chaotic. There are always some brainless goblins or bold ogres and Half-beasts that they might bribe and use.”
Chen Mo nodded slowly. “So they might be able to put together a band of desperadoes, either to strike directly at our Hanhai Territory or… ambush our slave convoy on the way, right?”
“That is the case. Please, my lord, make preparations in advance.”
“Mm, Old He, you did well this time. Keep it up, and confirmation in post is just around the corner!”
After verbally commending Steward Helan for his good performance, Chen Mo began organizing and reporting to the organization back home.
Although, following the plan from his homeland, Hanhai Territory was striving its utmost to pursue a military-first line, Chen Mo truly did not want to fight a war now.
Once war broke out and fighting began, his meager transport capacity would be entirely occupied by weapons of war.
How many good things had his homeland planned for him?
Seawater rice seeds, soil conditioner, microbial fertilizer, lightweight film greenhouses, pipe sprinkler and drip irrigation systems…
Flexible photovoltaic panels, solar power generation arrays, electric power storage systems, micro vertical fans, human-powered generator sets…
Seawater purification systems, portable drilling equipment, light electric-drive construction machinery, multispectral detectors…
Even on the military preparation side, there were reconnaissance systems, wireless signal towers and communication facilities, biological detection radar networks, automatic shell casing stamping machines, nitrocellulose reactors, and many other valuable pieces of equipment and facilities.
Any one category, once built up, would be a project capable of sustaining returns and exerting immense influence in the future.
His original plan was that once the territory had enough manpower, he would first build a photovoltaic power plant, then a seawater purification station, start farming within three months, achieve ammunition self-sufficiency in half a year, and realize the basic “five small industries” within one year.
If he could prospect some petroleum, he would be able to soar upward in a spiral on the spot.
But once war came, the pace of development would be greatly delayed again.
He had to remember that he had essentially built a magic psionic hub for himself and had a master providing full-time guidance. His cultivation speed was already pushed to the limit.
After all, in any magic academy or magic tower, there was no way the dean or tower master would let someone exclusively use their psionic hub.
Yet even with this top-tier cultivation environment, burning expensive magic crystals, advancing to the next level would still take at least about a year.
Before that, his monthly transport capacity of 8 tons, which seemed high, was actually far from enough.
A batch of weapons and ammunition might squeeze out a month or even several months of development time for one of those “five small industries.”
Chen Mo flipped through the plan list. For this bloodline altar transmission, the materials prepared to be sent back included: aerial images of the overall territory, soil and rocks dug from several meters underground in various places of Hanhai Territory, offshore seawater and samples from the underwater ecosystem, some desert plants and animals, and one desert beetle…
The planned supplies to receive included a batch of solar panels and energy storage equipment, several sets of weather station components, a small supplement of ammunition, and new training courses designed for centaurs…
It now seemed the plan had to be adjusted again.
Chen Mo let out a deep sigh. Reality could hardly ever match one’s wishes.
Of course, Chen Mo’s worry was that his development was not fast enough, while the worry back home was that Chen Mo was not steady enough.
At this month’s regular meeting, the officer representative from the think tank pointed at the simulated sand table of Hanhai Territory on the projection screen and spoke in a grave tone.
“【Wanderer】 is too impatient.”
“He is eager to quickly establish a mutually reinforcing, self-sufficient industrial system of energy, grain, basic infrastructure, basic military industry, and related support. But as for territorial security, he is still using a military system relying mainly on natives and cold-weapon centaurs as the core, with a small skeleton guard as support.”
“Our repeatedly emphasized doctrine of ‘military first, military first’—putting all resources and materials into the military as priority—has still not received enough attention from 【Wanderer】!”
The young officer shook his head helplessly. “I keep feeling that 【Wanderer】 is like a player addicted to construction and production games, obsessed with hoarding resources, climbing the technology tree, and building his base beautifully first, then doing a mass troop rush after he has fully developed.”
“From his personal cultivation to acquiring a territory, he has consistently followed this mindset, which makes us… always feel like we are watching him walk on a tightrope.”
The experts present all nodded one after another.
With different situations and perspectives, as outsiders, Dong Xia hoped that 【Wanderer】 would first secure his own survival. It did not matter if his abilities improved slowly or the territory developed gradually; as long as he survived, everything could be planned step by step.
Chen Mo’s style, on the other hand, was clearly filled with radicalism. Calling it tightrope walking was somewhat exaggerated, but not wrong in direction.
Amidst a chorus of regretful sighs, Cang Ming, the director present at today’s meeting, lightly tapped the table, and the room instantly fell silent.
“As I have said before, I understand how you feel, but I do not support what you propose.”
“Demands—on what grounds are we making demands of him?”
“If we view our dealings with 【Wanderer】 as a transaction, then at least so far, I believe our gains far exceed our contributions. 【Wanderer】 owes Dong Xia nothing; we have no standing to demand anything of him.”
“If we view this as a mutual dedication on both sides, then we have even less right to point fingers or talk down to a compatriot fighting in another world.”
“In the end, you may offer suggestions, but whether he listens is up to him, and whether he acts is also up to him.”
“Let me repeat: in practical affairs, we should be cooperating with him, not asking him to obey us.”
“Many of our comrades behave like clan elders, acting like ‘I am doing this for your own good,’ always feeling they know more, calculate better, and that others must revolve around their baton.”
“What do you think this is? A match where you can tell people to deliberately lose goals for you?”
“If one day Wanderer manages to return through the altar, by your logic, should we lock him up under twenty-four-hour watch, treating him as a tool for your so-called maximization of interests?”
“Is that right?”
“No, it is not.”
“At least in my view, it is not.”
Everyone lowered their heads, faces flushing, looking sincerely receptive and deeply ashamed.
Cang Ming shifted back to the main point.
“Personally, I think 【Wanderer】 is doing quite well.”
“He has not neglected his cultivation, and he has built some kind of basic team around him. That is definitely safer than hiding alone in some foreign country.”
“If we had truly followed some people’s original conservative plan and had him find a corner to cultivate slowly, once war flames swept over and bandits and soldiers rampaged, with no open noble status, and noble enemies to boot, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
“No matter how you calculate it, that could never be safer than him now residing within his territory, with over a dozen guns around him, not to mention the possibility of him being restrained by others and turned against us.”
“So you may make suggestions and propose plans, but in final decisions we must respect 【Wanderer】’s choices.”
“Or rather—” the director’s gaze turned to the huge Starlight map on the meeting room wall, “we must trust the judgment of this child of destiny.”
Thus, the previous issue was concluded.
Next, Cang Ming brought up an even more sensitive topic that everyone had been reluctant to touch openly.
“What do you think about the experimental use of ‘psionic energy’?”
On this matter, the internal struggle of opinions within Dong Xia had already become shockingly intense.
Thanks to Wanderer sending back a large amount of mage handbooks, learning materials, and cultivation insights, the basic cultivation path had been largely clarified by Dong Xia’s technicians.
However, the harsh reality was that Blue Star did not possess this thing called psionic energy—or this elemental factor.
In the large volume of materials Wanderer had sent back, traces of so-called psionic energy were found here and there, but only indirectly perceptible, unable to be absorbed or utilized.
The turning point came after 【Wanderer】 sent back those few precious Magic Power Spirit Crystals.
When these high-concentration psionic aggregates from another world were placed in a highly isolated laboratory, under specific meditation guidance, the experimenters for the first time truly “captured” the psionic energy diffusing within the sealed space.
Even more exciting, through repeated attempts, they had successfully achieved initial guidance and conversion.
In other words, on Blue Star, in a special environment, cultivation results had been born.
Though the effect was still very slight, the leap from “0” to “1” was already revolutionary.
Through repeated testing with multiple control groups, Dong Xia’s experimenters had already produced the first “mage” capable of independently casting a weak fireball and the first “warrior” able to mobilize psionic energy to enhance muscle strength.
The fierce internal conflict within Dong Xia arose over this: with Magic Power Spirit Crystals extremely limited in number, who had the right to cultivate?
It was well known that such a small quantity could never be widely distributed.
Even within a small circle, it was still a case of too many candidates for too little resource.
The Technical Department, from the perspective of research, the military, from the perspective of practicality, and certain groups, from the perspective of individual gain—all of these made the allocation of such scarce resources impossible to reconcile.
Thus the matter was deadlocked. Except for several small control-group experiments continuing slowly under the support of the Central Committee, all other applications were essentially suspended, awaiting the outcome of higher-level struggles.
Now, this issue was placed openly on the table.
Facing the utter silence of the room, the old man gave a cold snort. “What is this? Where is all that spirit you had when you were bickering in private, red-faced and ready to kill, eager to take the dispute to the heavens? Now you are all mute?”
“Come on, starting from my right, speak one by one. Share your ‘brilliant opinions’.”
The first representative called swallowed. “Uh… we… will comply with all arrangements.”
The second followed. “We firmly obey orders.”
The third. “We unconditionally obey commands.”
The fourth, the fifth… all in almost the same tone, without a ripple.
Cang Ming almost laughed in anger. “Oh? Were you not all at each other’s throats a few days ago? Did someone not say they wanted us old men to judge who was right?”
“I heard some people grumbling everywhere that their families had shed blood and endured hardship for generations, so why should their children have no cultivation rights, while those big dumb soldiers benefited instead?”
The old man smacked the table heavily. “Is that what you should be saying? What, do you think you are invaders from beyond the pass, that because your ancestors suffered, your descendants now have the right to trample others?”
All the military representatives instantly stood up, followed by Security, 【Ci Hang】 Engineering Department, Gezhi Academy, the Spaceflight Administration…
Soon the entire room was standing like wooden stakes, silent, not daring to breathe loudly.
Cang Ming pointed outward. “I have discussed this with Ziyuan Tianshu. We have already given you democracy. Since the people cannot come up with a single unified decision, then we will centralize it.”
“These resources sent back by 【Wanderer】 are to serve the nation, not to let your children become cultivation nobles and stand above others.”
“All cultivation-related resources will be allocated entirely to the military and concentrated in a specially selected unit.”
“If your children want to train, they can—but only if they pass the ‘threefold review and ninefold verification’ and complete the selection. Then they will have lawful cultivation qualifications.”
“I even know some of you may try little tricks. That is fine. If they can pass the triple review, I will grant you that privilege.”
The room fell utterly silent.
The threefold review referred to examination of political thought, personal will, and combat proficiency.
Those who could pass were people with full marks in loyalty, iron will, outstanding physical and combat skills—one in ten thousand, even rarer.
Even on the most grueling battlefields before the nation was founded, they would be among the ones who survived to the end.
In any case, the higher-ups had now given a clear directive.
At the end of the report, the person in charge quietly asked for instructions. “The experimental team previously proposed a small-scale battlefield test. May we authorize implementation?”
“Approved.”
“Mm—right now we are confronting cold weapons on two fronts, south and west. It seems the Henghe Lotus Federation in the west is a bit more troublesome.”
“Send the cultivation test team west. Perhaps at a critical moment they can be of use.”
