Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

It lowered its head, licked it, and swallowed the demon core into its mouth.

I didn't hear any chewing sounds, so it must have just been swallowed.

After his father returned, Zhuang Xing asked about the situation in the fields and among the displaced people at the dinner table.

“Refugees…” The father stopped shoveling rice into his mouth. “More than fifty people came yesterday, making it about two or three hundred. They’re distributing land to them over there.”

"Sigh, they're all quite pitiful. Some are the only surviving members of their families, and they come here carrying only pots, pans, and all their belongings."

Hopefully, we can get through this difficult time...

After saying that, the father seemed to have lost his appetite.

He scratched his head and said, "Xiao He, we haven't worn those old clothes much at home, have we? I'd like to send them over."

“Let’s tidy up together later,” Mother said. “You and I both grew up on the charity of many families. We were able to get through it thanks to the care of the Taoist priests when we went up the mountain. When others are in trouble, we should help them out as much as we can.”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” the father agreed.

Chapter 142 Getting Back on Track

Zhuang Xing and his parents sorted out the things they didn't need at home, including old clothes and a few stools. Zhuang Xing also donated his bedding; he didn't care whether he used a blanket or not, as a bed board was enough for him.

By the time everything was sorted out, it was already late.

My little sister is sleepy and wants to go to bed.

While her mother stayed home to take care of her, Zhuang Xing and her father carried the things out together.

The refugees gathered at the village entrance near the river and lit bonfires at night. Zhuang Xing spotted a familiar figure there.

Unexpectedly, Senior Sister Qiaoxia had come. Zhuang Xing saw her performing magic for a group of children from afar. A ball of flame floated and shaped in her hand, and the children whose eyes had been dull during the day now had the firelight reflected in their eyes.

Zhuang Xing felt that it was a waste of Qiaoxia's talents to be a Taoist priest; she clearly had a greater talent in the performing arts.

She stirred the children's emotions, and they clapped their hands. There were also many adults watching nearby.

Zhuang Xing stood to the side for a while, and his senior sister noticed him and waved to him.

The two hadn't seen each other for almost half a year, since Zhuang Xing went to Yidu with Daoist Qingxuzi last year, and only met again today.

She looked very energetic, just like before.

"Junior brother, what brings you here?"

Senior Sister Qiaoxia spoke loudly, drawing all eyes to her with her booming voice.

“My home is right here, senior sister,” Zhuang Xing said.

"Oh, you live here." Senior Sister Qiaoxia looked surprised.

Seeing her silly expression, Zhuang Xing felt relieved. This was still the senior sister he knew, and she hadn't been possessed by some unknown soul.

Zhuang Xing caught up with his senior sister briefly and learned that she had arrived in the village the day before.

They came with the fat Taoist priest. They came down from the mountain together with the soldiers and brought the refugees here.

This spring, Xuanqing Temple mobilized a great deal of resources. Apart from Bai Sui's disciples and some teachers who were in charge of overseeing the temple and teaching classes, most of the other people came down the mountain to provide support in various places.

When Zhuang Xing and his father donated clothes and benches to the refugees, they saw that Da Chun's relatives had also come to the place.

They raise chickens at home and brought some eggs and a set of bedding.

Those were Da Chun's old bedding, clothes, shoes, and other unwanted items, all donated by Da Chun's family.

Many families came to help donate clothes.

Spring nights are cold. The new tents are still being set up, so the children spread out straw mats, wrap themselves in blankets, or cover themselves with old clothes, and sit by the fire watching the Taoist priestess perform magic tricks.

For a time, the field was filled with laughter and joy.

Some of the displaced people, who had been expressionless, burst into tears after receiving the villagers' aid.

But after crying, a glimmer of light returned to those lifeless eyes.

The first to play together were the children who came from all over.

Sister Qiaoxia taught them to sing, and they held hands and sang folk songs.

The fat Taoist priest arrived later. When Zhuang Xing saw him, he was standing aside, looking at his adopted daughter's smile, and wiping away his tears.

That was the look of a father's relief, as if he felt that his daughter had finally grown up.

Humans are social animals after all. When you're alone, it can be hard to cheer up, but if you have someone by your side to help you, you can overcome many difficulties that you can't overcome alone.

Zhuang Xing sat quietly in the crowd, listening to the singing.

Humans in this world are not at the top of the food chain.

The outside world is inhabited by monsters and beasts that are naturally stronger than humans. Humans are weak, and it is precisely because of this weakness that we need to unite and help each other.

Many of the people standing here have come this far by supporting each other.

One person's strength is small, but a hundred or a thousand people cannot be ignored.

...

Time passed slowly, and half a year went by.

The land was cleared, and the houses were gradually built.

The refugees settled in Manggu Village, and the wheat grew well. The field was strictly guarded by the soldiers. There were monsters and wild beasts that attacked along the way, but they never saw a boar monster as big as the one they had seen in the spring.

The Taoist priests of Xuanqing Temple were very active in exorcising demons everywhere. After early spring, the traces of demons no longer frequently appeared in places where people lived.

The official road leading from the village to the canal was completed in September, with only one rest stop along the way, as the journey was not particularly long.

After the official road was repaired, it became much more convenient to travel from the village to Yidu; a fast horse could make a round trip in a day.

The first batch of harvested wheat was all transported away, supposedly via the canal from Yidu to the south to be planted as winter wheat.

As compensation to the villagers, Yidu transported millet and rice to replace the wheat seeds.

Although the exchange wasn't done at a 1:1 ratio, and only half was exchanged, the villagers were exempted from taxes and received additional subsidies, so it was still a profitable deal.

After the official road was repaired, many more merchants came to the village.

Where there are many people, there are business opportunities. With the addition of a market in the village, some things that were previously unavailable can now be bought.

Thermometers have also started to be used in various places.

To standardize wheat cultivation, all thermometers are currently manufactured by artisans in Yidu.

The government searched for cotton in the border areas, but without much success. It will take some time before cotton cultivation can be widely promoted.

However, everything is back on track.

The Taoists have basically done everything they could do at the foot of the mountain.

That day, Zhuang Xing returned from outside the village and led his black horse, Wuzhui, into the courtyard.

My little sister came running up, calling out loudly, "Brother!"

She will be three years old soon, and her speech is much clearer than it was six months ago.

Her hair grew to her shoulders, covering her ears. Her short legs were clad in cloth shoes embroidered with ducks, and the longevity lock around her neck swayed back and forth. Every time Zhuang Xing went out and came back, she would eagerly run out.

Zhuang Xing picked up his little sister and tickled her.

"Do you miss your brother?" Zhuang Xing asked with a smile.

"Hehe..." the little sister smiled, her eyes narrowing, "I want to!"

Zhuang Xing pinched his little sister's cheek, and she looked at him with shining eyes, saying, "Brother, play with me!"

Zhuang Xing peeked into the room, put his index finger to his lips, and the little sister immediately covered her mouth, no longer making any loud noises.

Zhuang Xing then took out his sword, which floated in front of him. He stepped onto the sword, hugged his little sister tightly, and she also grabbed his arm tightly.

The longsword lifted him up and made him slowly rotate once, about two meters high.

The little girl's eyes lit up and her mouth opened wide.

"Brother is so amazing!"

"Shhh."

The younger sister leaned close to Zhuang Xing's ear and whispered it again in a low voice.

"Brother is so awesome."

It's as if this is the biggest secret in the world.

Chapter 143 Brother, Play with Me

After flying in a small circle in the sky, Zhuang Xing landed safely with his younger sister.

With his current true qi, he can only fly for this long at most. Compared to when he first learned the supernatural powers, he has improved a lot.

This sword-controlling technique can also be used to control objects, but they must be made of metal or iron. If it's wood, it won't fly, and if too much true qi is injected, it will crack.

After putting his younger sister down, Zhuang Xing sheathed his sword.

"Brother, this is for you!"

The younger sister took out a small, warm seashell from her pocket. I don't know where she found it; it was a very small river clam.

She seemed to cherish the little seashell as her own treasure, carefully keeping it in her clothes bag.

"Where did you find this little sister?" Zhuang Xing asked.

"I didn't find it!" the younger sister said.

"Where did it come from?"

“It was given to me by my father, and I’m giving it to my brother now.”

"Oh, thank you."

"You're welcome."

Zhuang Xing touched her hair.

"Brother, hug me." The little sister reached out her hands.