Duke Wen was stunned, as was Duke Martial. For a moment, the medicinal field fell silent before both men spoke in unison.
“What?!”
“That is Purity and Filth?!”
Duke Wu gritted his teeth. “Yes! Stop standing there and help me catch him!”
Duke Martial and Duke Wen exchanged a glance before moving simultaneously.
Duke Martial lunged into the medicinal field with his arms wide, pouncing toward Purity and Filth like an eagle catching a chick.
With a flutter of wings, Purity and Filth darted under his arm, leaving a face full of pollen on him in the process.
“Cough, cough, cough—” Duke Martial choked on the pollen. “What kind of flower is this? Why is it so irritating?”
“Purple Jade Fragrant Smartweed!” Duke Wen shouted from behind. “The pollen has a serene effect, but inhaling it directly will irritate the nasal passages!”
“Why didn't you say so earlier?!”
“You didn't ask!”
Duke Wen joined the pursuit as well.
The three of them scrambled through the medicinal field, causing a chaotic scene as the plant demonlings fled in all directions, crouching on the ground with their heads covered.
In the end, it was Duke Martial who grew ruthless.
Gauging Purity and Filth's flight path, he lunged forward and brought his hands together with a sharp clap, trapping Purity and Filth in his palms like a mosquito.
He then pressed Purity and Filth firmly against his chest, holding him so tightly that only his tiny head poked out.
Purity and Filth's six legs kicked wildly as he squeaked and chirped, but he could not break free.
Panting heavily, Duke Martial looked down at the beetle in his arms, his face filled with disbelief.
“Is it really Purity and Filth?”
Duke Wen approached and leaned over to study the beetle closely. Straightening his back, he asked, “So, what is the situation now?”
“We are all soul-bodies, that much is true. But how is it that Old Man Purity and Filth was the only one to be reincarnated?”
“Is this reincarnation or a return to youth?”
Duke Martial also realized the oddity and frowned. “That’s right. Didn't we all die?”
“Our soul-bodies were marked by Wan Xiu. After death, weren't they supposed to dissipate into nothingness?”
“How did we end up back together?”
Duke Wu sighed and gave a brief summary of what Chen Zhou had told him earlier.
By the time he finished, Duke Martial's mouth was hanging wide open, and Duke Wen's brow was furrowed even tighter.
Tao Tuantuan stood behind Duke Wen, her gaze landing on Chen Zhou with a flicker of complex emotion in her eyes.
Duke Martial said with a troubled expression, “What do we do now? In this state, it’ll take Purity and Filth hundreds of years to grow up, won’t it?”
Chen Zhou smiled and said, “Do not worry.”
“He is a special case. It should only take a few days for him to grow.”
“In the future, Purity and Filth will serve as a Yin Commander under my command.”
“I need his origin to establish a contract.”
“And you all will serve as his Yin soldiers. You will still be able to work together as before.”
After hearing this, Duke Wen leaned over and bowed deeply.
“Thank you, Sovereign.”
“Not only have you saved our lives, but you have also given us the chance to reunite with Lord Purity and Filth. I shall remember this kindness for as long as I exist.”
Duke Martial also came to his senses and nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes! Thank you, Sovereign!”
“I thought death meant the end of everything. I never expected to see these old fogies again. Sovereign, you are like a second father to us!”
As he spoke, he dropped to one knee and cupped his fists in salute.
The soldiers behind him also knelt in unison, their voices thundering.
“Thank you, Sovereign!”
Chen Zhou nodded slightly and repeated his request. “The origin.”
Duke Martial had a sudden realization. “Right, right. Please wait a moment, Sovereign.”
With a grin, Duke Martial waved a hand at the soldiers behind him.
“Old Man Purity and Filth, forgive us!”
The soldiers swarmed forward, seven or eight hands pinning Purity and Filth down.
Purity and Filth squeaked and struggled frantically. Duke Martial clenched his right hand into a fist and suddenly struck out with a Black Tiger Steals the Heart, thrusting his hand directly into Purity and Filth's body.
Purity and Filth let out a shrill cry. Duke Martial felt around inside him for a moment before pulling his hand back, extracting a dusty yellow bead.
The bead was roughly the size of a thumb, perfectly round, and emitted a faint, dim glow.
As Chen Zhou reached out to take the bead, a white figure floated over from the end of the medicinal field.
In life, the paper person had been a disciple of the sword sect. Now, it wore a grey-white coarse tunic with a hemp rope tied around its waist, seemingly having been promoted to work in the City Lord's Mansion.
It floated before Chen Zhou, bowed respectfully, and presented a letter with both hands.
“Milord, Lord Tuoba Feng and Lord Dream Demon have returned from Cangzhou.”
“Lady Hong Ling has compiled a list for your review.”
Chen Zhou took the letter and glanced over it.
It was covered in dense numbers, names of items, and names of people.
After reading three lines, he gave up.
There were too many words; it made his head ache.
Since his transmigration, Chen Zhou had always been a hands-off boss.
In the beginning, Hong Ling had managed the internal affairs of the City of the Wrongfully Dead. Later, as she became overwhelmed, she promoted a group of literate people selected from the refugees to assist in management.
As their territory grew and their manpower increased, the management structure became more complex.
However, no matter how things changed, Chen Zhou's principle remained the same.
Leave professional matters to professional people.
He was only responsible for the general direction and the peak combat power; he didn't care about anything else.
Therefore, looking at this list was a waste of his time.
Chen Zhou handed the letter to Duke Wen.
“Take a look.”
Duke Wen was taken aback, but he accepted it and began to read carefully.
He flipped through the pages one by one, studying them intently.
He wasn't familiar with the names of the people, but he understood the resources.
Foodstuffs, medicinal ingredients, building materials, tools, clothing, weapons.
The quantity of each item was clearly marked, along with which region it was allocated to, who was to receive it, and who was to distribute it.
After finishing, Duke Wen pondered for a long while, carefully weighing his words.
“Sovereign, this list...”
“I dare to guess that you have a large new territory that needs reclamation and that you intend to build a new city.”
“When taking over new territory, the primary task is to pacify the people and restore production.”
“Food and medicine are the foundations of pacifying the people.”
“Building materials and tools are the reliance for restoring production.”
“Clothing and weapons are necessities for warmth and self-defense.”
“This list distinguishes priorities with extreme clarity, and the allocated amounts are perfectly balanced—not a fraction too much, nor a fraction too little.”
“The person who drafted this list is meticulous and possesses a talent for coordination that is not inferior to my own in my prime.”
Duke Wen paused here, a look of admiration appearing on his face.
“The one who drafted this must be an extraordinary talent under your command, Sovereign. I wonder who this person might be?”
Chen Zhou replied, “Hong Ling. She is the acting city lord of the City of the Wrongfully Dead under my command. She is about fifteen years old this year.”
Duke Wen was shocked. Fifteen? A fifteen-year-old could draft such a list?
He lowered his head and looked over the list again, growing more alarmed the more he read.
When he said "not inferior to my own in my prime," he had actually been being modest.
The level of this list was superior to his own back then.
What was he doing at fifteen?
He was studying literacy under the old peach trees of his clan, unable to even process an official document.
Yet this Lady Hong Ling was already able to coordinate the resource distribution of a city and even several provinces. Although the ages of humans and demons could not be compared broadly, it was enough to see how high her talent was.
Duke Wen was someone who cherished talent. He immediately shed his gentle expression and spoke solemnly.
“Sovereign, this Lady Hong Ling is a rare talent.”
“If there is an opportunity, I would like to meet her.”
Chen Zhou nodded. “That is my intention as well.” He then turned to the paper person and ordered, “Go, call Hong Ling here.”
The paper person bowed and floated away.
Watching the paper person's departing figure, Duke Wen looked at the list in his hand and couldn't help but ask, “Sovereign, has Lady Hong Ling ever systematically studied the art of governance?”
Chen Zhou shook his head. “No.”
“She was once just an ordinary refugee. She only learned to read after coming to the City of the Wrongfully Dead.”
“As for managing the city, she was forced into the role and has been learning as she goes.”
Duke Wen fell silent. Self-taught, fifteen years old, coordinating resources for several provinces.
When these three facts were placed together, he didn't know what to say for a moment.
Chen Zhou continued, “Although she has a Linglong Heart and is naturally intelligent, she has never systematically studied the art of governance.”
“When there was only the City of the Wrongfully Dead, she could rely on her own intuition to keep things in order.”
“But now, my territory is growing larger—the entirety of Gloomlight Province, Tianchi Province, and soon Cangzhou.”
“Three provinces, hundreds of millions of living beings.”
“The unconventional methods she figured out on her own are starting to become a bit strained.”
Duke Wen frowned.
Chen Zhou looked at him and said directly, “I am not someone who fails to show consideration for my subordinates.”
“Therefore, I want to find her a teacher to systematically teach her the art of governance. What do you think?”
Duke Wen was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening and quickly bowed.
“You overstate the matter, Sovereign.”
“To be able to teach such a fine talent is my good fortune.”
“It is just that my knowledge is shallow, and I fear I might lead her astray...”
Chen Zhou waved his hand. “There is no need for such formalities.”
“Back then, you were the Duke of Wenchang of Tianchi Province, in charge of documents, laws, household registration, and taxes for Purity and Filth.”
“You managed an entire province; teaching one student is more than within your capabilities.”
Duke Wen took a deep breath and bowed deeply.
“In that case, I shall obey your command.”
“I will teach her everything I know and will not fail the trust you have placed in me, Sovereign.”
He straightened up, his face showing a hint of anticipation.
A self-taught Linglong Heart who was entrusted with great responsibility by the Sovereign—he truly wanted to meet such a student.
With such anticipation, Duke Wen suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Tao Tuantuan behind him.
Tao Tuantuan was currently lying leisurely in the medicinal field, her head resting on her arms and her legs crossed. She had a leaf of Green Heart Grass in her mouth and was squinting as she basked in the sun.
The sunlight spilled down from the sky, landing on her and feeling warm.
She hadn't been this relaxed in a very long time.
Eight hundred years. For eight hundred years in the underground city, she had exhausted her mind every day with schemes and calculations. Her distorted perceptions and her memories from the texts had fought for dominance, and her reason and emotion had been at odds. She even had to do her best to maintain a facade so that no one would discover anything was wrong.
But now, everything was fine.
Wan Xiu was dead, and she had her revenge.
She had also seen her master. Although he was dead, his soul remained; he could still talk, smile, and nag her.
She was dead too, but her soul remained, and she could still bask in the sun.
What plant demonling didn't yearn for sunlight and rain? Who would willingly stay underground for a lifetime without seeing the light of day?
The current days were good—truly comfortable.
Tao Tuantuan closed her eyes, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
Then, she heard her master's voice.
“Tuantuan.”
Tao Tuantuan opened her eyes to see her master standing before her, his face filled with a bit of pride and a bit of anticipation.
“Come here. I have something to tell you.”
Tao Tuantuan sat up, the grass leaf still in her mouth as she asked indistinctly, “What is it, Master?”
Duke Wen pulled her up, brushed the grass off her, and then turned to Chen Zhou.
“Sovereign, speaking of manpower, I have a recommendation.”
He took Tao Tuantuan's hand and pushed her toward Chen Zhou.
“This is my disciple, Tao Tuantuan. She possesses the Wenchang destiny.”
“She has studied under me for several hundred years and has learned seventy to eighty percent of my skills.”
“Drafting documents, calculating accounts, investigating embezzlement, and setting criminal laws—she is proficient in all of them.”
“Back when Tianchi Province suffered a grain shortage, the inventory reported by various cities and villages didn't add up. I calculated for three days and couldn't figure it out.”
“She took it, flipped through it twice, and found the altered numbers.”
“Later, when a plague broke out in Tianchi Province and every city was fighting over medicine, things were in a total mess.”
“I fell ill, and it was she who stepped forward. With just a few words, she straightened everything out.”
The more Duke Wen spoke, the prouder he became, his face practically glowing.
“Sovereign, although this disciple of mine has a bit of a lazy temperament, her skills are genuine.”
“If you lack talent for coordination and management to participate in the reclamation efforts, you might consider Tuantuan. With her there, everything will be twice as efficient.”
Tao Tuantuan stood to the side, listening to her master praise her to the heavens. Her expression changed from confusion to helplessness, and from helplessness to utter exasperation.
Reclamation?
Going to a foreign land for reclamation?
She had just come out of the underground city, had only been dead for a few days, and had just wanted to take a good rest. Yet her master was going to exile her to a foreign land for reclamation?
Had she violated the heavenly laws for her master to exile her like this?
But looking at her master's proud expression, with his eyes sparkling and the corners of his mouth almost reaching his ears, he was clearly very proud of her.
Tao Tuantuan choked back the words that were at the tip of her tongue.
“Fine.”
“I'll go.”
She tried her best to comfort herself.
Developing a foreign land and building a new city wouldn't take that long.
She had stayed in the underground city for eight hundred years; what hardship hadn't she endured?
It was just reclamation; how hard could it be?
One month.
If she worked hard, she could probably be back in a month. Then she could go back to being a slacker and enjoy the company of her master.
Yes, one month.
Tao Tuantuan desperately tried to convince herself.
Chen Zhou nodded. If Wenchang was personally going, then he was even more at ease. In the future, he would have Tuantuan manage Cangzhou, Hong Ling manage Gloomlight, and Duke Wen manage Tianchi. He could continue to be a hands-off boss. Perfect!
Duke Wen was overjoyed and quickly pulled Tao Tuantuan to bow. “Thank you, Sovereign!”
Tao Tuantuan followed suit, a smile forced onto her face, though the smile looked a bit strained no matter how one looked at it.
A short while later, Hong Ling hurried to the Myriad Herbs Life-Death Realm.
She wore a deep red robe with a black silk sash tied around her waist. Her long hair was casually held up by a wooden hairpin, revealing a clean but slightly weary face.
There were obvious dark circles under her eyes, but her gaze remained calm and deep.
She walked up to Chen Zhou and bowed.
“Milord.”
Her voice was somewhat raspy, as if she hadn't drunk water in a long time.
Chen Zhou looked at her and frowned slightly.
“How long has it been since you slept?”
Hong Ling was slightly stunned before answering honestly.
“I don't quite remember.”
“About... forty days or so.”
“The affairs in the City Lord's Mansion have been truly busy, and many things require my personal attention. I haven't had much opportunity to rest. Please do not blame me, Milord.”
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