"Immortal Master, have mercy! Please take me in, I want to join the sand factory too! I only need half a roasted chicken a day!"
"My whole family is waiting for food to eat! I want to work for roasted chicken, please take me in, Immortal Master!"
"Immortal Master, please, do us this good deed! If you don't take us in, we'll starve to death!"
"Immortal Master, have mercy! If you don't give the nod, Boss Li won't dare to hire us..."
The eleven villagers from Huangni Village kowtowed like they were pounding garlic, all of them begging Wang Yi to let them into the sand factory.
Wang Yi's expression, however, was stern. He looked at Boss Li and said, "What's going on? Is this how you run things as the manager of the sand factory I appointed? Hiring workers is such a small matter, and you can't even make the decision yourself? You need me to get involved?"
Upon hearing this, Boss Li immediately dropped to his knees in terror. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he was at a complete loss.
"I gave you the authority, so use it! Go on, take them to work. The sand factory can produce a hundred tons of river sand a day. Forget these few people—even if you had several times more, you wouldn't be able to dig it all!"
After scolding Boss Li, Wang Yi thought for a moment, then added, "Forget it. I don't care how many people are working. From now on, I'll pay you based on your river sand output. High output means high wages, low output means low wages."
"Yes, yes, of course!"
Although Boss Li didn't quite understand what "wages" were, he didn't dare to ask and hastily agreed.
"Oh, right. No roasted chicken today. We're handing out ham! Now get to work!"
Wang Yi waved his hand dismissively. The crowd of villagers didn't dare say another word and hurried away.
Boss Li felt a little uneasy. He mulled over Wang Yi's scolding again and again, and gradually, he began to understand.
'The matter of hiring a few workers actually got brought before the Immortal Master. No wonder he was angry. This can't happen again. I'm the factory manager personally appointed by the Immortal Master. From now on, I need to step up, take charge, and make this sand factory a success...'
At this thought, Boss Li straightened his back. Mimicking Ma Changgui's arrogant demeanor, he shouted, "You dogs! You disturbed the Roasted Chicken Immortal's peace and cost us our roasted chicken tonight! Despicable! I'll let you join the sand factory, but from now on, I'll be watching you like a hawk. Don't even think about slacking off!"
The group of villagers gave sheepish, apologetic smiles, but the four who had eaten the Golden Roasted Chicken last night sighed in dismay.
"Manager, is there really no roasted chicken tonight?"
"The Roasted Chicken Immortal said it himself. Could it be fake?"
"That's awful! The roasted chicken was so delicious, and I haven't had my fill yet!"
"Who could ever get their fill? That's Immortal Roasted Chicken we're talking about!"
"Is it really that good?"
"Those who've had it know. Those who haven't never will!"
"What's ham? The Immortal Master said he's giving out ham!"
"I don't know, never heard of it. But it definitely won't be as good as the roasted chicken!"
"Don't be greedy. We're lucky to have anything to eat at all. People in other villages don't even have enough to fill their stomachs!"
"Yeah, you're right. As long as we can fill our bellies, that's all that matters..."
Though the group grumbled and lamented, they didn't slack off once they reached the sand factory.
While the Giant Crab Sand Factory was starting its operations, to the north, Yang Wanli, Yang Qinggu, and Yang Qingxiu had already crossed the Chaotic Stone Slope and entered the mountain forest.
North of Stone Village was a mountain, which the villagers had called North Mountain for generations.
North Mountain was densely forested. Wild medicinal herbs grew deep within its high peaks, among which Hemostatic Grass was the easiest to identify and gather.
The three members of the Yang Family were there to gather those very herbs; they had set out as soon as the great morning feast was over.
"Qingxiu, Hemostatic Grass is delicate and very difficult to cultivate. Even if it doesn't grow in the Immortal Field, don't feel too bad, alright? Oof, no, I can't... My stomach is so bloated. I need to rest..."
Yang Wanli clutched his stomach. He tried to sit on a rock to rest for a bit, but his belly was too bloated, and he found he couldn't sit down. He had to turn sideways and lean against a large tree to catch his breath.
"Dad, honestly! You devoured two whole pig legs first thing in the morning! How can you handle that? Even if the Immortal Master was generous enough to grant us meat and let us eat our fill, you can't just eat yourself to death!"
Yang Qinggu nagged.
"Yeah, Dad. Maybe you should just stay off the mountain. It's not like we don't recognize Hemostatic Grass!"
Yang Qingxiu dutifully massaged Yang Wanli's shoulders.
Yang Wanli said, "You two only know Hemostatic Grass. This old man wants to get some other herbs, too."
"What other herbs were you thinking of getting, Dad?"
"Fire Silk Grass, of course! That stuff is valuable!"
"Fire Silk Grass? I heard you say it only grows on the cliffs of the Old Mountain Stream. That place is dangerous! Are your legs still up for it? Don't fall and hurt yourself before you even find any!"
"Pah! Don't jinx it! What nonsense are you spouting? Your father's bones are still sturdy. Fall? I won't fall!"
Yang Wanli grumbled, then stopped resting. He strode forward and yelled, "Let's pick up the pace! We have to get back before dark so we don't miss dinner!"
「Meanwhile」
Pang Damao, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, was heading unhurriedly in the direction of Pottery Village.
He was stuffed, his belly full of meat broth, so he couldn't walk very fast.
'Time to go check out Pottery Village today... I wonder when the Roasted Chicken Immortal will get me, the director of the Intelligence Department, a Giant Scorpion Mount? Walking on two legs is so slow and tiring...'
Pang Damao mumbled to himself. Who in Stone Village didn't know that the Roasted Chicken Immortal's guard, Man Datou, now had a Giant Scorpion Mount?
It was so impressive, so prestigious!
Pang Damao was filled with envy. He resolved to perform well and gather more intelligence. Maybe one day he would please the Roasted Chicken Immortal enough to be rewarded with a Giant Scorpion Mount of his own.
As for Pottery Village, Pang Damao had been there a few times. The situation was similar to Stone Village's—about a hundred people living hand-to-mouth.
Pang Damao ambled along, not arriving at Pottery Village until noon.
To his surprise, the village was completely deserted. He walked from the east end of the village to the west and saw only a single shriveled old man.
The old man must have been very old. His skin was loose and wrinkled, his eyes were squinted into slits, and he was dozing in a pile of dry straw.
Pang Damao crouched down and asked the old man, "Sir, where is everyone from your village? Where did they all go?"
The old man slowly lifted his eyelids and glanced at Pang Damao. With a trembling hand, he pointed to the east. His lips quivered as he tried to speak, but after half a day of sputtering, not a single word came out.
Seeing the effort it took for him to speak, Pang Damao didn't press him. He glanced to the east, stood up, and strode forward.
Before long, a look of surprise appeared on Pang Damao's face.
He saw two wooden towers standing in a grassy field in the middle of nowhere.
Before Pang Damao could get closer for a better look, an arrow suddenly shot out from one of the wooden towers. WHOOSH! It flew past his ear and embedded itself deep in the ground.
"Whoa!"
Pang Damao stumbled back in fright.
Just then, someone shouted at him, "What are you doing here?"
Pang Damao looked toward the voice and saw a middle-aged man in simple wooden-plate armor standing at the base of the tower ahead. The man was holding a long saber.
"J-Just passing through!"
Pang Damao quickly replied.
"Passing through? You can't go any further! Ahead is the Lu Family Stronghold. This arrow was a warning. If you keep going, the Arrow Tower won't care which village you're from—it'll shoot to kill! Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless you join our stronghold and pledge your loyalty to Lord Red Yan. Only after the Lord grants you a Protective Talisman will the Arrow Tower not shoot you down!"
Hearing this, Pang Damao's eyes darted around. "In that case, I'll join! Yes! That's what I came here to do, to join you!"