Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 279 The Lord of the Vast Sea and His New Year

Before he knew it, Chen Mo had been in the Starry World for more than three years.

For him, the Spring Festival was a very distant concept in recent years.

The most important thing about a festival is the atmosphere. Obviously, such a thing doesn't exist in the Starry World, and the lord, who is busy to death, obviously doesn't have time to hold any celebrations.

In each of their communications, Dongxia seemed to pay close attention to these details, deliberately avoiding festivals that might evoke memories of their hometown, and carefully circumventing any melancholy that Chen Mo might stir up.

But in reality, some things are simply unavoidable.

Whenever the north wind begins to howl, swirling fine snowflakes that tap against the windows of the lord's mansion, whenever the grass and trees in the wilderness lose their last trace of green, leaving only hard, withered branches pointing towards the gray sky, Chen Mo would always involuntarily recall an ancient poem from Dongxia.

As the year draws to a close, a traveler remains far from home!

Now, I am someone who has not returned home, and I am more than ten thousand miles away from home!
Therefore, it's best not to celebrate, mention, or even think about holidays!
Time flows by like water.

Before this period, the Vast Ocean Territory had just experienced a rare period of peace. So this winter, the lord could finally sit peacefully in front of the courtyard, watching the orcs fight each other in the north, the elves fight the Stream Moon in the south, and the clouds drift and the flowers bloom and fade in the Vast Ocean Territory.

In this state of mind, Chen Mo suddenly felt that perhaps having some celebrations wouldn't be a bad idea.

Of course, no one in this vast ocean knew that the lord also sincerely wanted to offer his congratulations for the World Tree on that distant Blue Star.

In addition, there is an even more important reason: holidays should be spent with family.

Previously, the lord was all alone, and apart from skeletons, there was hardly anyone he could be considered close to. But this year, the situation is somewhat different.

Ever since she advanced a rank in Hanhai, Princess Liushuang has never mentioned returning to Tianshuang City. She has stayed in Hanhai quietly and is not leaving!

For some unknown reason, ever since the day the little princess suddenly rushed over emotionally and gave him a hug with six layers of magical protection, the girl has become increasingly attached to Chen Mo.

They won't answer when asked, they just follow me wherever I go.

Despite seasickness and being blindfolded, they insisted on going out to sea! Whenever anything happened, they immediately shielded Chen Mo behind them.

This is probably what is meant by the hardest thing to bear: the favor of a beautiful woman.

At the same time, Chen Mo was also very clear that the little princess was actually a person who knew the bigger picture and would not easily give up what she should do to indulge in some personal feelings. Well, actually, she didn't have any personal feelings.

The young princess seemed too young; I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Well, perhaps there were other reasons as well.

However, from Hanhai City to Tianshuang City, from Xuanshui Swamp to Yinyue Forest, everyone she knew advised Liushuang that the biggest priority was staying by Chen Mo's side.

If Chen Mo hadn't amassed such immense power and Liu Shuang hadn't held such a high rank, the military and political officials below would probably have already tried to drug them.

In any case, Liu Shuang can now be considered at least a "girlfriend" level, which means she has a relative in the Starry World.

Finally, the territory does indeed need some nationwide celebrations.

For the people of Hanhai, the former superior territory, Yunwu Territory, has long since vanished, so the Yunwu Territory celebrations naturally cannot be held.

With relations with the Emerald Kingdom remaining strained, the people of the Vast Ocean naturally cannot participate in the Emerald Kingdom's grand events such as its founding ceremonies.
Although there are temples within the territory, the people only go to offer a token worship as a courtesy, mainly because they can earn task points. The festival of the gods' birthday has no influence in the Vast Ocean.
While other races each have their own traditional festivals, their territories include southern and northern races, orcs and half-orcs, dwarves and elves... Each race enjoys its own festival in private, and none of them can celebrate together.

Shared celebrations can build consensus.

In view of this, Chen Mo thought it over and over and decided, "Okay, let's celebrate the Spring Festival together!"

When the lord formally proposed this idea at the year-end summary meeting of the territory, the entire Vast Ocean Territory erupted in jubilation.

A festival belonging to the people of the vast sea!
Chen Mo had originally planned to give a slightly more official interpretation, such as bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, New Year's Day sacrifices, paying homage to the past, and praying for blessings in the coming year, but he soon realized that there was no need for that at all.

For the people under his command, they didn't care what day it was or what its significance was. All they needed to say was, "This is a celebration organized by the lord," and that was enough.

We must live it, and we must live it well!

Of course, in order to celebrate this festival, the territory really went all out.

As the Han Hai Territory has developed to this point, apart from a very small number of recently acquired slaves, the rest have become quasi-citizens or citizens, possessing official status within the territory. However, due to the Han Hai Territory's near-collective operating model, coupled with the relatively short period of accumulation for its inhabitants, there remains an objective fact: the territory's inhabitants have little surplus wealth.

Therefore, for this first Spring Festival, Chen Mo did not intend for the people to spend the money themselves, but instead had the Lord's Mansion take care of everything.

First, there's the decoration of the territory.

The lord provided lantern samples and arranged for personnel to fully promote the production techniques. The territory provided materials free of charge and paid work points to purchase finished products.

The young women and wives, who had some free time during this winter month, enthusiastically got to work.

In the workshop temporarily converted from the side hall of the council chamber, laughter and cheerful voices filled the air, along with the fresh scent of bamboo and wood and the slightly sweet aroma of paste.

In just twenty days, from the eaves of the lord's mansion to the streetlights in the center of the city, red lanterns were hung everywhere, illuminating the entire city.

There are also paper-cut window decorations, the character "福" (fortune), and couplets!
All the task of writing couplets fell to the professional students among the naval academy students. Unfortunately, although the lord had created an excellent environment for them to learn Xia script, it was clear that he had not yet had time to offer calligraphy as an elective course.

At first, when everyone tried to copy the couplet templates sent by Dongxia, their handwriting was crooked, of varying sizes, and covered in ink, which was quite a sight to behold.

However, Chen Mo soon realized the power of the professionals in the Starry World.

With their terrifying micro-control over their muscles, warrior-type professionals could hold delicate brushes in awkward postures and, after a day or two of practice, quickly adjust and trace complex Xia characters with straight lines and sharp angles.

Meanwhile, the students in the mage class simply used psionic magic to "cheat," using the invisible "mage's hand" to restrict the flow of ink, turning writing into a game of scribbling and filling in holes.

And how could we forget the enchanter, who is known as "the most mischievous person in the world, who can enchant anything"?

Thanks to the Lord's long-term policy of encouragement, the enchanter community in the Vast Ocean Territory is quite thriving, characterized by a low average rank but full of vitality.

Although the number of core members is relatively small, there are several highly respected masters at the top and a large group of apprentices full of ingenious ideas below.

Moreover, even the apprentices who have just started are particularly bold and daring, because Hanhailing is not afraid of waste and encourages innovation.

Faced with these festive "gifts" personally brought by the lord, the enchanters racked their brains and used their unique skills.

A large number of strange and creative products were soon delivered to Lord Chen Mo.

After being improved, the lantern can automatically absorb the faint spiritual energy in the air and keep burning forever.

Written with special activated ink, this living "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character can slowly crawl on a glass window, making various movements, but will never go out of the frame and escape.

Couplets with borders drawn using ink prepared with special spelling materials, which maintain a "smooth and new" effect for at least one year.

There is also the Xia Kingdom Knot, which has a miniature magic circle embedded in it.

Because of its complex structure, this knot can be fitted with three-dimensional, more versatile miniature magic circles, making it possible to create a wide range of effects.

Among the diverse offerings sent to the city lord's mansion, some could calm the mind and aid sleep; some could purify the air and fill it with fragrance; some had built-in soundproofing barriers, making them the best choice for noise reduction; and some were even imbued with "warnings from undead creatures"...

Well, the last enchanter was clearly a newcomer and lacked knowledge of the lord's profession.

The moment the Xia Kingdom Knot entered the City Lord's Mansion, it instantly transformed into a large ball of light, exhausting its pre-constructed spiritual energy cycle within minutes. Chen Mo wasn't angry; instead, he rewarded everyone involved and arranged for the various enchanted items to be packaged with instructions affixed, then promptly sent home.

Of course, for the lord's festival, decorations are only the most basic part.

Food, a vast quantity of food, a wide variety of food, a dazzling array of food, filled every window of the territory's canteen.

The human stalls displayed freshly baked, honey-smeared, and fragrant bread; the orc stalls boasted whole roasted lambs and smoked meat, their fat dripping and sizzling on the embers; and of course, there were all sorts of strange mushrooms, the arthropods of sand beetles, the ribs of unknown creatures, and mountains of strong liquor.

Although people have escaped hunger and cold, food remains the most direct and effective source of happiness.

Of course, these foods had to be purchased with work points, and apart from military families or skilled workers in the territory, ordinary people only dared to try a small amount.

No problem, the lord said that on New Year's Eve, all food will be available, free of charge, and in unlimited quantities.

Everyone will also receive a brand new set of winter clothes, even the cannibals!

You have to understand that these big guys are so big because of their special size and small number. Plus, dealing with the collars around their necks is a disaster. They've always just wrapped them in a piece of waterproof coarse cloth.

Now that the lord has spoken, the chief tailor of the territory, known for his superb craftsmanship and fiery temper, personally led a dozen apprentices around the somewhat bewildered ogres several times, grumbling and complaining about "this damned neck" and "this clumsy waist," while still accurately recording the measurements.

Next New Year, even cannibals will be able to wear new clothes!

Three days before Lunar New Year's Eve, the territory held a rare large market, inviting traveling merchants from outside the Vast Ocean Territory and various friendly forces to come and display and sell their wares.

In the past, the products officially supplied by the territory were enough to satisfy everyone's basic needs, and the value of work points was too precious. As a result, everyone developed the habit of selling their goods to the official market of the territory and buying things from designated stores. Free trade was almost non-existent.

This fair was the first time everyone had seen a wide variety of products from different ethnic groups, beyond the standard formats.

The elves brought all sorts of exquisite wooden and rattan artifacts, as well as strangely shaped but supposedly magical fruits; the orcs sold tanned furs and bone artifacts, which were curiously examined by the necromancers who had come from the "Return to the Cemetery".

Merchants from the south and horse caravans from the north shouted their wares at the top of their lungs, slapping their products loudly; there were also stalls from mysterious sea creatures, and almost every passerby cast curious glances at those finned creatures floating in the water.

All the noise reached its peak when Lord Hanhai appeared in the market with Lord Liushuang.

Cheers erupted from one end of the market and quickly spread throughout the square. Those who had been watching the spectacle were initially taken aback, but then heard shouts of "The Lord is here!"

A massive, overwhelming celebration ensued.

Soon, only one unified sound remained in the entire market.

"Lord Lord!"

Liu Shuang walked in front of Chen Mo, her eyes constantly glancing left and right. The young fifth-level swordsman couldn't help but tense up.

She had witnessed her father's power and prestige when he was at the height of his influence in the Cloud Mist Territory.

Horses hooves swept past with a whoosh, and people on both sides of the street knelt down in rows like stalks of grass cut down by a sickle, their heads echoing heavily on the stone-paved ground.

The children were gagged tightly by the adults, who dared not cry or make a sound. The adults held their breath and dared not utter a sound. Even the old soldier with a broken leg struggled to lie on the ground, paying the most humble respect to the lord who ruled him.

She once thought that was the most glorious moment for the nobility.

But now, she feels something completely different.

None of the people of the vast sea knelt down, nor did they show any deep-seated awe. Their faces were flushed, and they shouted loudly, standing a few steps away from their lord, desperately waving and shaking their hands. When their lord raised his hand in response, tears streamed down their faces.

It's hard to describe the atmosphere and emotions. In short, these ordinary people, who had never been taken seriously by professionals before, made even a fifth-tier swordsman like her feel a slight tremor.

She waved to the crowd, just like Chen Mo did.

A louder, more enthusiastic cheer surged forth, causing the young princess to involuntarily break into a smile.

The two lords spent a busy day.

Returning from the bustling market, having already achieved one more "joy with the people" milestone, he immediately rushed off to the military camp.

After extending our regards to the soldiers of Hanhai who remained steadfast in their posts during this joyous time, our next stop was a factory in the industrial zone that was still operating overtime.

After passing through factory buildings and assembly lines, the lord and the workers finally enjoyed a hearty meal together in the steel mill's reduction workshop.

During the banquet, the lord made a promise.

"You have served various territories and forces in the past, but these days you have worked hard and diligently. Director Li has reported all of this to me, and I am very pleased."

"From now on, we'll set a rule here: as long as you haven't committed any major offenses within the Han Hai Territory, such as murder, robbery, or theft of top secrets that have caused serious consequences, you'll be treated leniently. After working in the restoration workshop for two years, you can regain your freedom!"

"For those who wish to stay in the vast sea, I will arrange for the mercenary group to bring your families here for a reunion. For those who do not wish to stay here, we will provide travel expenses so that you may return to your hometowns on your own. From now on, we will part ways."

"However, if I catch you again next time, it won't be so easy!"

The lord smiled and spoke with a teasing tone, while the spies, big and small, nodded frequently and smiled obsequiously.

Old Eri and his child exchanged a complicated look.

According to the timeline, old Eli will soon be released from prison, but young Eli will have to serve another year or so.

Should we go back to this place, or not?
After the two lords finished touring all the workshops, their next stop was "Return to the Cemetery".

After some time apart, the necromancers had become visibly plump and healthy, and the undead creatures, large and small, in the valley were also adorned with red and colorful decorations, their bones radiating a lively energy.

The lord was very busy, extremely busy, so he only said a few words of encouragement and blessing, instructed the management of the "Return to the Cemetery" to distribute the New Year's gifts and extra special products, and then rushed to the council hall.

There, they rewarded the officials of all levels in the territory who had worked hard for several years, and then visited the elderly living alone in the territory, bringing them some winter supplies and care.

Then, go to the embassies and consulates of the elves and sea creatures in the vast sea, and say a few words about cooperation and mutual benefit, and sharing weal and woe.

The grand finale was a New Year's Eve dinner with the families of martyrs, officers, model workers, and outstanding individuals in the territory, all gathered at the city lord's mansion.

Without the Spring Festival Gala to watch, the lord has saved a lot of time. That thing is so boring—if you don't watch it, you feel restless; if you do watch it, you feel anxious. It's really a useless thing.

The noise gradually subsided, and night fell.

On the second floor of the city lord's mansion, there were several large chairs. Chen Mo sat among them, quietly admiring the moonlight, and also looking back at his hometown, which was hidden in some unknown part of the starry sky.

After running around all day, Liu Shuang seemed a little tired, but she still refused to sit alone. Instead, she squeezed next to Chen Mo, her long, flowing hair cascading over Chen Mo's chest, her pointed ears peeking out and occasionally trembling slightly.

Chen Mo couldn't help but gently pinch it with his hand. The ear seemed to be startled and twitched violently, quickly dodging. Then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, a blush quickly spread from the tip of the ear.

Just then, an untimely voice broke the silence.

"My lord, High Priest Todd Farrell requests an audience!"

(End of this chapter)