Chapter 375: Chapter 367: The Boastful Young Lady

Zhao Laosan was in a dilemma, repeatedly attempting to speak but stopping short, wanting to refuse, yet he and his wife had just solemnly promised their benefactor.

But the benefactor wanted him to lead all the villagers in continuing to mine. Even disregarding his own ability to persuade the villagers, the fact that the mined copper ore had to be handed over directly to the benefactor and not to the Court was something unlikely to be accepted by any villager.

The grave crime of treason and extermination of a family, who dared to try it lightly.

Even if the benefactor could provide enough food for them to endure the harsh winter, what then?

These copper billets were meant to be sent to the Ministry of Industry’s Coin Casting Workshop for processing and smelting, finally cast into copper coins, which was related to the Court’s economic lifeline. If pursued, they might be blamed for the entire village’s demise.

"What’s this, regretting so soon?" Cheng Xiaoxiao teased.

"No, no, it’s not that, benefactor, mining copper illegally is a—it’s a crime worthy of capital punishment. If the officials above investigate, investigate..." Zhao Laosan’s heart pounded and he stuttered again.

Cheng Xiaoxiao scoffed, "Do you still expect the Court to save you? This disaster has spared no place in Tianqi. Do you know how many civilians die every day? This catastrophe will last at least another three months. Do you really think you can survive till then?"

"The entire Tianqi, three, three months." Zhao Laosan and his wife were even paler, shocked by the earth-shattering news Cheng Xiaoxiao had mentioned.

They had only a few days’ worth of food left. Surviving three months was out of the question, not even ten days or half a month.

Their expressions were indescribable, and Cheng Xiaoxiao, unaffected, spoke each word with increasing terror.

"Now you are out of food, and you can’t go out for three whole months. What will happen next? Hunger will drive people insane, turning them into beasts, attacking and preying on one another. Out of thousands, perhaps only a dozen will survive in the end. Long-term bloodshed and cannibalism—wouldn’t those dozen minds eventually warp and collapse, or become cold-blooded killers?"

With every word Cheng Xiaoxiao spoke, she moved closer, and her voice grew colder. The couple fell to the ground, shivering and speechless.

Their eyes glazed and distant, with blood-soaked images flashing and swirling in their minds.

Seeing the couple scared senseless, Cheng Xiaoxiao eased her tone and said, "After three months, less than half will survive. By then, Court order will have long since collapsed, and the outside world will belong to cultivators. Who will care about some petty mining affair?"

It took them quite a while to digest all that Cheng Xiaoxiao had said, still somewhat unwilling to believe it.

"These are all just guesses by the benefactor. It might not—might not be that bad."

The young woman quivered with her lips, not daring to look up.

"Actually, you’ve already half-believed in your heart. Why delude yourself? The days to come will only be harder. Survival of the fittest—if you cannot adapt to the new order, you might as well end it early."

Zhao Laosan knew that what the benefactor said was likely the truth. To protect his wife and children, he had to change and become strong.

No matter if the Court would pursue this in the future, at least they had to get through the present. If the future is as the benefactor said, having such a strong backer like the benefactor gave them hope for a stable life.

If not, he could seize the chance to send his wife and daughter away and take the responsibility himself.

Having made up his mind, Zhao Laosan got up and knelt properly, "I, Zhao Shimou, am willing to follow the benefactor’s orders for the rest of my life, no matter the task, without any complaints. If I violate this, may I die a terrible death."

Cheng Xiaoxiao sighed as she rubbed her forehead. Although she was strict, she was not without compassion. Such an oath was unnecessary.

"All right, get up first. Oh, right, I am an Envoy from Phoenix City. Phoenix City is constructed within Daxing Mountain, where there is no royal hierarchy, no oppression or exploitation; it is a paradise longed for by all common folks. If you complete your tasks, you can gain residency in Phoenix City, so perform well."

"Really?"

If they had any doubts before, now their hearts were finally at ease.

Though the benefactor was of extraordinary bearing, a single person couldn’t possibly support the needs of thousands, so having a large force backing her was most believable.

Later, Cheng Xiaoxiao and Zhao Laosan discussed the rules of mining there, rewards and punishments, distribution of food, and other specific matters.

A quarter of an hour later, she and Zhao Laosan headed towards the mining camp.

Before arriving, they heard the obvious sound of quarrels. Within the spacious mine cave, a dense crowd—some sitting, some standing—watched the commotion as another two families had quarreled briefly.

The smell here was so unbearable that it almost made Cheng Xiaoxiao nauseous.

The people inside the mine spent day and night together, clueless about what today was. Living anxiously, eating, drinking, and defecating together—the mixed odors made merely breathing for a second longer difficult.

At this moment, Cheng Xiaoxiao tucked away the Luminous Pearl, put on a mask, and shone a flashlight toward the crowd. The people quieted for a moment.

"Mother, is she an Immortal?" A tender young girl’s voice sounded charmingly.

With one sentence, everyone paused their work.

An elderly man in coarse cloth and cotton clothing squinted and asked under the light, "Who are you?"

"Benefactor, this is the village chief of our village; he’s in charge of this area," Zhao Laosan quietly reminded Cheng Xiaoxiao from the side.

Looking at the elder full of wrinkles, Cheng Xiaoxiao smiled kindly, "Hello, uncle, I am a well-intentioned person here to show you a way to live."

Some robust men holding hoes and shovels kept a wary stance on the side.

If she hadn’t been a frail woman, they certainly would have tied her up first.

These days, food was their lifeblood, the hope of survival for their families. If she were here to seize what little food they had left, all the old and young of their village would have nothing but death awaiting them.

"What way to live?"

Cheng Xiaoxiao gave Zhao Laosan a glance.

He then shouted loudly, "Everyone listen to me! We have a way to survive. This is the Envoy from Phoenix City..."

Zhao Laosan spent a quarter of an hour explaining what Cheng Xiaoxiao instructed, and the villagers inside the mine immediately burst into chaos.

"Really? Will they really give us food?"

"You’re just a little girl; why should we believe you?"

"Right, right, take out the food first. We’ll believe you when we see it."

"May I ask Envoy, how much food can we get daily? And how much ore do we have to submit?" Someone quickly asked the critical question.

"Old Niu is right. The weather is too cold now; picking up the work might yield little output," someone worried aloud.

There were also educated people present, knowledgeable enough, who warily looked at Cheng Xiaoxiao and asked blandly, "To my knowledge, Daxing Mountain is surrounded by mountains, extending endlessly within the deep mountain range, without any towns, much less a city called Phoenix City. Young lady, you’re not joking, are you?"

The scholar spoke tactfully, but it was evident to all that his words: this girl was talking nonsense, with her boasting reaching the heavens.