Chapter 115: The Illusory Realm

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Upon hearing this, Wang Zhiheng immediately brightened. “Kangle County! That’s not far from here! Sister, why don’t you introduce my second brother to the sect?”

Wang Zhiheng harbored an inexplicable reverence for Daoist Xuanqing of Jiushan. This feeling of awe was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, leaving him restless and unable to eat or sleep these past few days.

“Waiter, do you think you’re immortal? Have you forgotten who you are now?!” Before Wang Keyue could respond, the old madam’s face darkened, her tone icy. “We are traitors to the court now. Don’t think a few good days have erased the stain of treason on us. If you go out and get caught, don’t expect us to rescue you!”

Wang Zhiheng’s heart pounded fiercely; indeed, he had been blinded by the comfort of his current life. If anything happened to him, countless members of the Wang family would be implicated.

“Second brother, you must be more cautious from now on! Grandmother, rest assured, he won’t act recklessly!” Their eldest brother, Wang Yuxuan, interjected to calm the situation and give Wang Zhiheng an out.

“Yes, grandmother! I’ll listen carefully to big brother and stay put, managing Wang Family Village properly. Don’t worry, the immortal elder gave me a mission before he left, and I’ll fulfill it diligently!” Wang Zhiheng promptly clutched his chest, swearing an oath.

Wang Keyue ate quietly, but inwardly, she could not agree to her second brother’s desire to join a sect.

Given their current status as wanted criminals throughout the Great Qin Empire, even though Kangle County was part of an internal estate, there might be imperial spies lurking. In their current state of laying low and secretly building power, she absolutely could not allow any Wang family member to roam freely outside.

Staying in Wang Family Village was ideal: it was protected by formations that barred outsiders, relatively remote and inconspicuous, and with the old madam overseeing the three of them, ensuring their safety. Letting them stay and build their home here put Wang Keyue’s mind at ease.

Given the present circumstances, if they could solve the Hu barbarians’ invasion issue, Wang Family Village could develop robustly. It might serve as a logistics base for the northwest border troops and become a hub linking the Crescent Sect with the frontier. Just thinking about planting trees, building roads, and establishing bus stops filled Wang Keyue with ideas—but there was no rush; she would take it one step at a time.

The family shared a rare, cheerful reunion meal.

Afterward, as the sunset cast its last light, Wang Keyue strolled through the village to aid digestion and observe the households.

Wang Family Village could no longer be called a mere village. Broad, clean roads stretched in all directions, connecting the village. Unfortunately, these roads extended only as far as the reach of the white mist; beyond that, there were none.

Along the roads stood three-story buildings. Wang Keyue noticed that many first floors were occupied, but the second and third floors were mostly empty.

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Curious about the interior of these buildings, Wang Keyue entered one of the unoccupied houses by the roadside.

The stairwell was somewhat dark, so she pulled out her solar-powered flashlight. The light illuminated the stairwell clearly. The first floor consisted of four rooms: the first was a bedroom with a simple wooden plank bed and an old wooden table; the door was unlocked.

The second room contained a rudimentary clay stove with scattered firewood on the floor in disarray.

The third room was relatively tidy, featuring a large earthen kang (heated bed), a low kang table, and a wooden chest.

The fourth room was empty but clean, lacking even a bed.

The second and third floors followed the same layout—four units per floor—but all rooms upstairs were empty, devoid of furniture or belongings.

Wang Keyue quickly understood: the renovation altered the building’s exterior and basic structure, but the interior furnishings remained unchanged. The second and third floors were newly built from scratch, hence their emptiness.

This renovation was commendable; Wang Keyue wished for more such support to provide housing for more people.

Exiting the building, she encountered familiar faces—Old Zhou from Zhou Family Village and Jin Yi—who had come to discuss village matters.

Old Zhou now managed all agriculture in Wang Family Village. Wang Keyue planned to allocate ten acres of fertile land there and needed to explain this to him. She also brought many seeds, ready for spring planting. This winter, she intended to build greenhouses for growing grains and vegetables.

Jin Yi was to lead Wang Keyue’s guard squad, so Wang Keyue handed her a communicator and taught her how to use it. Another communicator was reserved for Wang Jinfeng, responsible for training and needing constant contact.

Once arrangements were made, Wang Keyue busily engaged with Old Zhou, Miao Pozi, and two younger skilled farmers, learning about greenhouse management and planting.

Though surprised by the sudden appearance of ten acres of fertile land, these villagers had witnessed even more astonishing magical feats from the immortal elder and thus accepted Wang Keyue’s methods.

Wang Keyue had nearly organized all village affairs when, two days later, a new group of refugees arrived—about a hundred people led by a tall man.

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This group included old and young, men and women. On closer inspection, most were able-bodied men, though all looked gaunt and malnourished, their clothes tattered and bodies emaciated. Many children appeared especially frail, with large heads and swollen bellies—a clear sign of having consumed the so-called Guanyin soil.

From afar, they could see the village, but approaching closer, they were stunned to find it vanished into thick white mist, impenetrable and dark.

At that moment, Jin Yi and Wang Keyue were inside the ancestral hall. After upgrading the defense compass with real-time monitoring features, they could observe the newcomers’ conditions on a screen.

“Young master, these people seem to be refugees. Should we let them in?” Jin Yi hesitated.

“Refugees can be admitted. Our future development requires many people. Even repairing the ten acres of fields and the walls will need plenty of hands,” Wang Keyue replied.

“Still, I’m uneasy about these people,” Jin Yi frowned.

“That’s okay. We can use this formation to test their character,” Wang Keyue smiled.

She pressed a button on the lower right of the screen, revealing a terrifying scene: numerous giant snakes encircling the hundred refugees.

“This is another function of the upgraded compass—a created illusion,” Wang Keyue explained.

Inside the illusion, the refugees were unaware the snakes were fake. They huddled tightly, desperately trying to squeeze into the circle, fearing the snakes would swallow them at any moment.

Le Wen