Longzang

Chapter 865 Lights
Wei Yuan stood in the air, looking down at the earth that was disappearing into the twilight.

In the traditional cities of the nine kingdoms, only a few lights remain after nightfall. Only wealthy families can afford candles; ordinary people rise with the rooster's crow and retire at sunset.

That's why the soup restaurant under the cover of night is more authentic, directly telling you who the wealthy are and who the immortals are through the few lights and warmth available.

Qingming was different. The city was brightly lit everywhere, and many high-rise buildings with more than ten floors had their lights on in every household. From time to time, you could see people returning home late from get off work leaping up the building and jumping into their own homes.

In Qingming, living in a high-rise building is a status symbol.

Each floor has a communal bathroom and toilet, making it far cleaner than a farmhouse courtyard. Furthermore, one's cultivation level is clearly visible to neighbors when entering or leaving. After all, a cultivator at the Jade Bone Realm can jump two floors more than a cultivator at the Blood Fusion Realm.

As for Zhuti Dacheng, not only does he live on the top floor, but he also often carries a lot of things with him when he goes to and from get off work.

Looking down at the bustling city below, Wei Yuan couldn't help but chuckle. These simple people, all they know is how to show off in front of their neighbors.

Since Xiao Yu returned to Yong'an City, the changes in the past month or so have been extremely obvious. The biggest change is the addition of hundreds of public toilets, which are scattered throughout the city. In densely populated areas, there are more than one public toilet. This is very much like Xiao Yu.

Then Xiaoyu set up several garbage collection points, stipulating that all kinds of garbage must be thrown into the collection points, and violators would be fined and have points deducted. At the same time, he also organized a large number of laborers to clean up the garbage in every corner.

At this time in Yong'an City, although it was past dinnertime and many ordinary families were about to go to sleep, many people were still gathering on the streets, and more and more people came out of their homes and onto the main road.

City Lord Xiaoyu has issued a notice that a major announcement will be made tonight at 7 PM.

There are millions of people in Yong'an City, and now at least a million have taken to the streets, creating a sea of ​​people.

People noticed some strange metal pillars along the roadside, with glass boxes hanging on them, and they didn't know what they were for.

Soon the appointed time arrived, and a beam of light suddenly descended from the night sky, illuminating the city lord's mansion. From within the beam of light, Xiao Yu descended from the heavens, her flowing sleeves billowing, resembling a celestial being from a painting, breathtakingly beautiful.

But suddenly being watched by countless people, Xiao Yu felt an unimaginable pressure. This wasn't just the attention of ten thousand people; it was the attention of millions. He had never imagined that the mere sight of countless ordinary people could bring him such immense pressure!
Xiao Yu was somewhat dazed. In fact, all the previous emperors had been under this kind of pressure.

But then another strange feeling welled up inside her, and Xiaoyu thought to herself, "This... is a little embarrassing!"

"Shut up! If you're going to put on an act, do it properly! Get your job done!" Shaoyang Xingjun's voice was extremely stern.

Xiao Yu gritted her teeth, channeled her Dao power, and made her voice resound throughout the city before loudly proclaiming, "The time has come!"

As he pointed forward, countless starlight burst forth from his body, like a grand fireworks display. Sparks flew across the city, illuminating the areas where they landed!
The entire city seemed to have been switched on, with blocks lighting up one after another until the whole city was brightly lit, as if it were daytime!
Seeing this scene that resembled a miracle, countless mortals were stunned into silence, and many even shed tears from the sudden light.

This light, which in the past belonged only to the immortals and the wealthy, has now fallen upon the human world, upon everyone.

Suddenly someone knelt down towards the sky, bowing deeply and shouting, "Thank you, Immortal Lord!"

Immediately, large groups of people knelt down, and the voices of "Thank you, Immortal Lord" converged in one place, like a raging storm, a landslide, and a tsunami!
In Wei Yuan's eyes, countless specks of azure light appeared on the bodies of mortals. Half of them floated towards the sky, returning to Wei Yuan. The other half converged towards Xiao Yu, making him glow!

This was the first time Xiao Yu had been surrounded by such a large amount of azure energy, like being immersed in warm spring water—an indescribable comfort. Her already near-flawless Dharma Image, under the refinement of this energy, actually expelled a tiny impurity. Although only a negligible amount, it was extremely rare. At Xiao Yu's level, advancing even a fraction of the Dharma Image's grade was incredibly difficult. It was like refining metal; three nines and four nines were completely different things.

At this moment, Xiao Yu was surrounded by a sea of ​​azure energy, numbering at least tens of thousands, and rapidly approaching one hundred thousand. He felt as if he were in a dream, never imagining that one day he would have such great fortune.

The Lesser Yang Star Lord appeared beside him and smiled, "How does it feel? Now you know, there's nothing shameful about earning luck!"

"Isn't this a bit too much? I only installed some streetlights..."

But Shaoyang Xingjun said, "It's not just about installing streetlights; it's about keeping them in your heart. These mortals, in fact, all understand."

"But..." Xiaoyu felt a mix of emotions, yet also a sense of unworthiness.

The Shaoyang Star Lord sighed, “Among mortals, there are lazy and cunning people, and all sorts of mediocre people, but if you truly keep them in your heart and examine government affairs from their perspective, the feedback they can give will far exceed your expectations.”

I only gained inspiration after seeing what Wei Yuan did when Qingming was first established. But this was intentional; we really don't know what Wei Yuan was thinking back then, or how he could have done those things.”

The pillar of light in the sky disappeared, Xiaoyu vanished, and the people began to celebrate. From that night on, their lives would be extended by an hour each day.

The streetlights built by Xiaoyu were made primarily of lamp oil treated with Taoist energy; one pot could light up the entire night. The switching on and off of the lights could be controlled by the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array, allowing the entire city to light up and go out simultaneously, and any broken lamp would be immediately apparent.

In fact, many people found it hard to understand Xiaoyu's decision to build streetlights. After all, these things don't produce any real output; they just make the city cleaner and brighter.

Especially bright. What's the point of having such a bright light at night? A cultivator's eyes can see the night as if it were day. A Dao Foundation cultivator doesn't need a lamp, and even if they did, they couldn't say so.

Not to mention that many people don't understand, even Xiaoyu didn't understand at first, but in the end she couldn't resist Shaoyang Xingjun and invested the last bit of her budget in this.

Wei Yuan had actually witnessed the entire transformation. It wasn't just the streetlights; the public toilets, garbage stations, and drainage ditches were all subtly changing people's hearts.

The biggest difference between Xiaoyu and his predecessors is that he started with the poorest and most chaotic neighborhoods, spending almost all his money there, actually comparing himself to wealthy areas and bustling commercial streets.

Perhaps it was just that Xiaoyu couldn't stand the filth and darkness, but the poorest, most ordinary, and most numerous ordinary people received real benefits.

After tonight, Xiaoyu's actions in Ding'an City will surely be imitated by other cities. The entire Qingming will increasingly detach itself from the human landscape since the dawn, gradually moving closer to the outer world.

High in the sky, Wei Yuan looked down at the city, now brightly lit, where people were still bustling about at dusk. These people weren't just well-fed and clothed; they also had responsibilities, needed to keep busy, and had futures awaiting them.

The battle rages on ahead, but the fighting spirit of the mortals is higher than ever. Now, there's no need for Wei Yuan to activate the Instantaneous Life Activation; they will fight to the death. Before, people protected their homes, their families, and their children. Now, they have something else to protect: the beautiful life they have just gained.

Isn't this what a prosperous era looks like?
Wei Yuan suddenly recalled the scene when he first established the Azure Sky, saying things that now seem somewhat embarrassing. Unexpectedly, more than a decade had passed in the blink of an eye, and Azure Sky had begun to show signs of a prosperous era. The ideal Wei Yuan held in his heart back then was actually getting closer and closer, little by little.

Wei Yuan stood with his hands behind his back. Since the sky beneath his feet was so blue and the hearts of the people were tied to him, then the Wu Clan could use whatever means they had.

(End of this chapter)