Chapter 116: Night Stroll (Returning to my hometown today, a bit late—my apologies)

Trapped within the illusion, the people had no idea that the snakes were mere phantoms. They huddled together, desperate to squeeze into the center of the circle, terrified that the giant serpents might swallow them at any second.

Suddenly, a robust man in the group, seeing a snake’s head looming closer, turned pale. He grabbed a seven-year-old girl standing nearby and, without a word, hurled her into the mass of snakes. Seeing this, several other men nearby followed suit, shoving the women and children beside them into the writhing pile.

As a gap opened in the snake wall, those cold-hearted men immediately scrambled to escape. Before the others could follow, the serpents closed ranks once more.

"You ungrateful, heartless wretches! May you rot in hell!" the tall, burly leader roared, his eyes bloodshot with rage. But there was nothing he could do; he could only curse their names. Watching the villagers who had been shoved into the snakes vanish into the dense white mist in the blink of an eye, his heart was filled with profound grief and indignation.

"Don't panic! Everyone, stand back-to-back! Men, take up your weapons and stand on the perimeter. Women in the middle, children inside!" He stepped forward, brandishing a wood-chopping blade, and took his position at the very edge of the formation.

Seeing this, the others felt a glimmer of hope. They stopped panicking and quickly rearranged themselves according to his instructions.

Of course, there were still two or three cowardly men in the group who dared not face the enemy. Instead, they crouched on the ground, heads in their hands, weeping and trembling, refusing to budge no matter how much they were struck or scolded. There was no time to deal with them.

Fortunately, several women in the group, armed with sickles or kitchen knives, stood resolutely at the front alongside the men, ready to protect their loved ones from the giant snakes.

Wang Keyue and Jin Yi watched everything unfold on the giant screen.

"Jin Yi, go and bring them out," Wang Keyue said. "You don't need to worry about the others."

Jin Yi understood her meaning perfectly and departed to carry out the order.

Wang Keyue mused that this defensive formation was only suitable for the early stages of the village's development. Once the village grew stronger and high walls were erected, they could build observation towers and replicate the city walls and gates of a county seat.

She instructed Jin Yi to take the newly accepted refugees to work on the walls, intending to observe them further later on. As for the others, Jin Yi ignored them; whether they made it out of the mist was up to their own fate.

Having been delayed by these events, Wang Keyue brought out her flying vehicle, bid farewell to her relatives, and soared into the clouds.

As the artifact vanished into the horizon, the Wang clansmen were filled with deep emotion, and more than that, a sense of shared honor and destiny.

Wang Keyue’s journey across the great Northwest spanned over five hundred kilometers. Along the way, she saw mostly barren deserts and mountains, with hardly a hint of green; it was incredibly desolate. After crossing the border of Beiping County, she flew for another half hour, and the landscape began to change: the green increased, the desert turned into oases, the oases into forests, and the forests into plains.

Standing on a vast plain was a bustling, prosperous city—this must be the seat of Beiping County.

She had killed Xiao Zilin during her mission, and she wondered what the state of the Beiping Prince’s mansion was now; it was likely in absolute chaos. She had heard the Prince was a man of loose morals, wasting his days among his many concubines in the back courtyard or frequenting the flower houses and taverns in town. Thinking of this, she suddenly remembered the wronged maidservant whose body she had originally possessed. Goodness! She couldn't dwell on that; it gave her goosebumps!

Wang Keyue circled Beiping in her flying vehicle. Under the veil of night, the prosperous city was still ablaze with lights, with red lanterns hanging from every shop and the gates of wealthy estates.

Gazing at the peace and prosperity of the city, Wang Keyue felt a sense of tranquility. She even envied these ancients; if only her own family could live in such a world, how wonderful that would be!

To the east lay Changbai County, but Wang Keyue did not plan to go there yet. She needed to return and properly manage Fortune Manor and the surrounding hundred miles of land. Only when she was fully prepared would she head to Changbai to see how the original owner's maternal relatives were faring—it would be a way to honor both the original owner and the old Lady Wang.

Having seen the desolation and the prosperity of the journey, Wang Keyue had no heart for other thoughts. She instructed Xiao Ai to switch to autopilot, lay back in her seat, and closed her eyes to reflect.

She still had many rewards, but most had not been put to use. However, to build a city, what she had alone was nowhere near enough. She needed the people here to mobilize, to become self-sufficient.

It wasn't just about grain, but also clothing. With winter approaching, the winter in the Northwest was not only bitterly cold but prone to devastating blizzards.

The sturdy, improved housing in Wang Village was not afraid of snow, but she didn't know how many families lived in the various villages across these hundred miles. She would have to take a trip to Kangle County upon her return to consult with the County Magistrate.

As she went through the list of tasks, she felt a throbbing headache. Deciding to stop thinking about it, she cleared her mind and rested.

By the time the sky was completely dark and the night was deep, Wang Keyue finally returned to Fortune Manor. She didn't alert the others, simply landing her vehicle in the open space of her courtyard. Little did she know that the seemingly quiet courtyard would suddenly erupt with five or six figures brandishing torches, swords, and staves, surrounding her.

"Who goes there?" someone demanded sharply.

"Cheng San! It’s me!" Wang Keyue immediately recognized the girl.

"Oh! It’s our Mistress! Quickly, put away your weapons!" Hearing her voice, Cheng San immediately signaled the others, and they all knelt to offer their respects.

"Good. Not bad! Your vigilance remains high," Wang Keyue praised them sincerely.

The group hadn't expected their Mistress to be so gracious; instead of punishing them for their aggression, she had praised them. They were all delighted.

Wang Keyue had no time for idle chatter. She summoned the managers left behind—Hong Yi, Cheng Yi, Cheng San, Qing Yi, and her "cheap" first apprentice, Wen Dali. None of them had slept yet, and upon hearing of her return, they all eagerly gathered in the conference hall.

Wang Keyue took the head seat, while the others sat on either side.

"It is quite late, so I will be brief. Starting tomorrow, Fortune Manor will be officially renamed the 'Daoist Crescent Sect'. The sect's territory will encompass the surrounding hundred miles. Hong Yi, you are responsible for the plaque; it must be grand and impressive!

"Cheng Yi, you will accompany me to the county office tomorrow to understand the situation of the surrounding villages.

"Cheng San and Qing Yi, organize the basic information of everyone in the manor according to this form."

Wang Keyue handed a thick stack of papers to Cheng San. It was a form she had designed herself, requiring registration of names, gender, age, marital status, special skills, and more.