Mist Lord

"Xia Yuan, you... struck it rich again?"

Pei Shuang truly hadn't expected that Xia Yuan would experience another war after just dealing with the revenge battle.

He really is a warmonger.

"There's a kobold camp near our territory. They launched an attack, so we had no choice but to fight back."

"..."

Pei Shuang, however, remained skeptical and did not delve into the matter further. Instead, she asked, "Has the list of the observation group we mentioned last time been finalized? I need to submit it as soon as possible."

"We'll have to wait three more days. I want to finalize the roster after we upgrade to level 4 territory and recruit new heroes. Do you think that's still enough time?"

Xia Yuan did not conceal the fact that his territory had been upgraded; in order to gain more support from the faction, he had to demonstrate his strength.

"Level 4, so fast?"

Pei Shuang knew Xia Yuan was always quick, but she didn't expect him to be this fast.

It's been less than a month since the new players arrived this year, and they're already going to upgrade their territory to level 4?

Back then, she had the strong support of her older sister Pei Shuang and was the rookie champion of the year, yet it was only a year after her arrival that her territory reached level 4. The difference was enormous.

"This is also thanks to the Avengers of the Yingzhou Alliance, otherwise we would have had to wait at least another three months."

"...Oh, right."

Thinking about it carefully, Xia Yuan chose to attack during his first civilization trial, then suffered revenge from a level 3 lord and successfully defended against it, plus that near-perfect sweeping operation.

Upon closer examination, this is indeed both unexpected and perfectly logical.

Outsiders only saw Xia Yuan's speed, but they didn't expect the danger involved. He had fought several dangerous battles; if he hadn't survived even one, he would have been gone.

Who would dare to take such a risk?

Especially for someone like Pei Shuang, who has her older sister's support, they generally take a cautious and steady approach. They would never choose to be the attacker unless they were absolutely certain of success.

In terms of upgrading territory levels, the speed is not particularly noticeable.

"You're about to break the alliance's record for the fastest level 4 territory upgrade. The upgrade rewards will definitely be very generous."

Despite feeling relieved, Pei Shuang couldn't hide her envy.

"Is there any explanation for this?"

Xia Yuan is a newcomer after all, and many things may not be recorded in the "Lord's Handbook".

"The alliance has conducted similar statistical surveys, and the rewards for territories that are prioritized for upgrades each year are different. The general principle is that the faster you upgrade, the better the rewards."

Pei Shuang clearly has a lot to say on this.

She is not only the younger sister of Pei Ye, the vice leader of the alliance, but also the newcomer king of the year before last. Her subordinate lord, Lu Zhanting, was the newcomer king of last year, so it is easy to obtain comparative data.

"So there was such a hidden mechanism."

Xia Yuan pondered for a moment. No wonder the reward options were so generous when he upgraded his territory to level 2 and level 3. It must have been thanks to the speed of the upgrade.

Even though they are both Rookie of the Year, the difference between them could be beyond imagination.

"The beast tide during the Level 4 territory trial is not to be underestimated. Do you need any support?"

Pei Shuang was very considerate and didn't press Xia Yuan about the rewards he had received. She clearly knew that Xia Yuan wasn't the type to show off or share secrets; he was quite shrewd.

"The beast tide is alright, but I hope we can purchase more food."

"food?"

Pei Shuang was full of surprise, "Didn't we just send 100,000 jin of grain as aid?"

"It might have been enough before, but once we reach level 4, the territory's population will explode again. 100,000 catties of grain will probably only last for two or three months. No matter how you calculate it, it won't be enough."

It's only July now, and winter is still more than half a year away.

"That's true."

Pei Shuang was also troubled. "I'll talk to my sister and try to get you another batch of grain. However, this time it might not be possible to give it away for free."

"That must be purchased with money."

Including the rewards from factions and alliances, the spoils from several demonized camps, and the killing of two Yingzhou lords, Xia Yuan had accumulated a considerable amount of funds.

Although some of it was used for troop recruitment, there was still some surplus.

We can still scrape together the money to buy grain.

The key issue is that with the arrival of a new round of civilization trials, it is now very difficult to buy large quantities of food even if you have money in the market, which is why they came to Pei Shuang for help.

"Okay, I've got it."

If Xia Yuan truly reaches level 4, he will be firmly established as this year's Rookie King. Even Song Jing, the sect's holy son who drew a third-tier unit, will likely be completely overshadowed. This will greatly benefit the reputation of the Suiye faction.

"However, now that your territory is about to reach level 4, you should consider cultivating the land yourself. Relying on buying food all the time is probably not a long-term solution."

Such a huge expense would be difficult even for a level 5 or 6 lord to bear.

"That's definitely a plan."

Xia Yuan explained with a smile, "Once we reach level 4 this time, we'll start the Great Land Reclamation. We had planned it before, but it's always been interrupted by war."

This was by no means a perfunctory statement; he did indeed have a plan for the subsequent land reclamation.

It's only early July now. After clearing the wasteland, priority can be given to planting slightly drought-resistant crops such as potatoes, corn, soybeans, peanuts, rapeseed, and buckwheat. As for rice, it's not suitable for cultivation until the irrigation canals are completed, so we'll have to wait until next spring.

Besides rapeseed, crops such as corn, soybeans, and buckwheat can be harvested before October, and winter wheat can be planted immediately afterward.

Even if the land is newly reclaimed and the soil is not fertile enough, resulting in low yields, it is better to have something than nothing.

Besides staple foods, we can also plan to plant various vegetables such as radishes, turnips, pickled mustard greens, and Chinese cabbage on a large scale, harvest them in autumn and winter, and store them in cellars during the winter. Otherwise, we can't just eat meat all the time.

Once we get through winter, we can start large-scale spring plowing next spring and truly get back on track.

"I almost forgot, you've only been here for less than a month, so talking about land reclamation is a bit premature."

Pei Shuang couldn't help but chuckle.

For newcomers who have just arrived, survival is the top priority.

Reclaiming wasteland?

This should only be considered after things have basically stabilized.

It was because Xia Yuansheng rose too quickly that there was a severe food shortage in the first month, and even she, as the great lord, could not fully support him.

The league has never encountered a situation like this before.

"Speaking of land reclamation, I'll need your help to borrow some oxen, or better yet, buy some calves."

Xia Yuan then took the opportunity to make another request.

In the agricultural era, oxen were strategic resources. Not to mention Suiye Pavilion, even Yunwu Pavilion did not sell oxen. If a new lord wanted to cultivate wasteland, he could only borrow oxen from the old lord, as large-scale land reclamation was simply impossible to achieve by manpower alone.

Of course, in the long run, buying calves is the best long-term solution.

"Can."

Xia Yuan's request was reasonable, and Pei Shuang had no reason to refuse.

"Is there anything I can do to help with this Civilization Trial?"

Pei Shuang agreed so readily that Xia Yuan felt a little embarrassed and wanted to do something about it.

"A fourth-tier powerhouse!"

Pei Shuang's gaze was intense. "In such a large-scale war, one or two hundred second-tier warriors won't play a significant role. But fourth-tier experts can act as the metronome on the battlefield; the more the merrier."

The outside world, including Pei Shuang herself, still firmly believes that Xia Yuan's initial hero recruitment must be a fourth-tier powerhouse. Adding the Wind Whisperer, that makes two fourth-tier powerhouses.

Considering that Xia Yuan is about to reach level 4 and recruit a second hero, Pei Shuang is still somewhat looking forward to it.

For level 8 lords, the annual Civilization Trial is a calamity. Not only must they successfully withstand it, but they must also avoid significant losses, otherwise it will inevitably affect the balance of power within the alliance.

Even the slightest ripple can unleash a raging storm.

"I see."

Xia Yuan nodded slowly, as if he had made up his mind.

.........

Xia Yuan, who had just returned to his territory after leaving Suiye Pavilion, received an unexpected surprise.