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Xin'an Town.
This town, adjacent to [Shouzhe Pass], was the first large agricultural town developed by the Wang's Clan after they began pioneering the outer regions.
After a hundred and seventy to eighty years of development, it has become overcrowded, with too many people and too little land, making it extremely cramped.
Even though the Wang's Clan continuously expanded outward and many people migrated from Xin'an Town to various newly developed small towns, the population growth rate was simply too fast once basic needs were met.
Here, every piece of land is utilized to its fullest extent, with terraced fields on the hillsides stretching as far as the eye can see. Yet, many who were born and raised here have grown accustomed to their existing way of life and are unwilling to migrate outward.
The Wang's Clan's policy for settling the people has always been to avoid coercion, relying instead on persuasion and encouragement.
Because of this, despite the desire for change, the migration and expansion of Xin'an Town's population remains a persistent challenge.
[Shouzhe Pass], once a grand construction project to fend off fierce beast invasions, has now become a de facto transportation hub.
To prevent Shouzhe Pass from becoming a bottleneck for cargo transport, its gates have been expanded repeatedly and remain open year-round, ensuring smooth two-way traffic.The center of Xin'an Town, under Shouzhe Pass, is bustling due to the high living standards of its residents. The town is filled with shops, restaurants, workshops, and various functional facilities, making it a hub of commerce.
"Uncle Fuxiao, persuading people to migrate from Xinping Town has always been a tough task. Why did you choose this place?" Wang Baogun asked, glancing around with a slightly complaining tone.
At this moment, he wore a jade crown on his head, a white Lingyun brocade Xuanwu tunic, top-grade spiritual boots, an Ice Soul jade pendant at his waist, and a high-grade storage ring on his finger, embodying the image of a young and handsome nobleman.
In his recent graduation exam from the advanced clan school, he graduated with an excellent overall score of nineteenth place. Although this score was far from qualifying for the research institute, it was still considered an outstanding achievement for an advanced clan school graduate.
As a result, the elders of Wang Shouyi's lineage rewarded him generously.
Moreover, his bloodline aptitude, under the careful nurturing of his elders and the various award mechanisms of the clan school, had reached the third level of innate bloodline, commonly known as the [great prodigy] level.
Such bloodline aptitude is top-notch throughout Great Gan, and even in the Immortal Palace, he would be considered a highly sought-after core talent. However, in the talent-rich Wang's Clan, it could only be described as "quite excellent."
Besides Wang Baogun, Wang Meiheng's overall conditions were similar. She also lacked the qualifications to enter the research institute and could only gain experience in various family units before determining her final development path.
"You two~~" Wang Fuxiao, with the demeanor of an old hand, said, "Do you know how many people are helping Ancestor Zong'an with this task? Fifteen mobilization teams~ a full fifteen! We're just one of the ordinary ones among them."
"Do you think if we do things in a mediocre and ordinary way, we can catch Ancestor Zong'an's eye?"
"Certainly not," Wang Baogun and Wang Meiheng shook their heads in unison. "I've heard that Ancestor Zong'an is meticulous in his work, strict in discipline, and demanding, so it's not easy to earn his praise."
"Exactly," Wang Fuxiao chuckled. "Ancestor Zong'an is the chief commander of the outer demon realm's grand development, personally appointed by Ancestor Shouzhe. This shows how much the family values this demon realm development. For us juniors, it's a great opportunity and a huge challenge. If we do well, our future will be limitless, and we might even catch Ancestor Shouzhe's attention."
Now that the Wang's Clan has grown large and is brimming with talent, if one cannot stand out in this internal competition, it's unlikely that Ancestor Shouzhe will remember their name in this lifetime.
Except for Wang Fuxiao, after all, he is the eldest of the "Fu" generation.
But if he doesn't work hard, in the eyes of the elders, he might just be remembered as the "eldest of the Fu generation."
"That may be true, but Fuxiao, the old residents of Xin'an Town are particularly difficult to deal with," Wang Meiheng said with some difficulty. "Many residents have deep roots and feelings for Xin'an Town, as their ancestors have lived here for generations. Do you have any special methods? We don't want to end up at the bottom of the fifteen mobilization teams, that would be embarrassing."
"Don't worry, I have a plan."
As he spoke, Wang Fuxiao led the two to the square in front of the garrison office with a mysterious air.
The garrison of this office is, of course, still recommended by the Changning Garrison Town. However, with the current power of the Wang's Clan, no matter how many terms the garrison changes, it's undoubtedly under the control of the Wang's Clan in Xin'an Town.
Moreover, due to the continuous rapid development of Xin'an Town, being stationed here as a garrison, even if one does nothing, can still earn political achievements. Therefore, even knowing that coming here means following the lead of the Wang's Clan, countless people still vie for the position.
In front of the garrison office, a high platform had already been set up at some point.
It was a temporary high platform made of metal materials, with a thick wooden board on top, standing two to three meters high. The platform was decorated with red satin fabric on all sides, giving it a more high-end and grand appearance.
This platform was arranged by Wang Fuxiao in advance with the garrison office.
Under Wang Fuxiao's lead, the three of them flew up to the high platform.
Wang Fuxiao naturally had the cultivation of the Celestial Realm, and although Wang Meiheng and Wang Baogun were not yet thirty, they were already at the Lingtai Realm, so leaping onto the high platform was a breeze.
"Folks passing by, come and take a look~" Wang Fuxiao shouted at the top of his lungs, "The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the 400,000 folks of Xin'an Town has arrived. A windfall is coming, don't miss out on great wealth."
A population of 400,000 would be nearly half the population of a garrison town in a remote area, but here, it's just the population of one town.
This shows how crowded Xin'an Town is.
The voice of a Celestial Realm cultivator was loud and, with the support of profound energy, it penetrated the town like a shockwave. In no time, the high platform was surrounded by layers of people.
Seeing this scene, the two young people were so embarrassed that their faces turned red. They were elite graduates of an advanced clan school and had never done anything like this before.
"What are you standing there for?" Wang Fuxiao handed each of them a vertical banner to hang up, "Get busy, get moving. We want to be the top of the fifteen mobilization teams."
The two hurriedly and clumsily hung up the vertical banners.
The huge banners immediately unfurled from the high platform, the words on them "crashing" open. One read "Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop the outer demon realm," and the other "Xin'an brothers strive for the benefit of future generations."
Both banners were red with gold lettering, as eye-catching as possible.
Wang Baogun and Wang Meiheng exchanged glances.
Is this okay? It feels like a scam.
"Folks," Wang Fuxiao looked at the crowd gathered below the platform and said loudly, "I know everyone has deep roots in Xin'an Town, and it's natural to be reluctant to leave your homeland. But how did Xin'an Town come to be? It was when Master Wang Shouzhe and your ancestors fought fierce beasts, built city passes, and developed Xin'an Town bit by bit with their blood and sweat."
"Now, our Wang's Clan has conquered a vast territory in the outer demon realm. The land there is incredibly fertile, you can squeeze oil from a handful of soil, and just scattering some seeds will yield cartloads of grain in a few months."
"The mines there are filled with endless treasures, and with a bit of luck, one swing of a pickaxe can make you rich overnight."
"Such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, how can you miss it?"
Although Wang Fuxiao spoke passionately and with great persuasion and appeal, the people under the Wang's Clan's jurisdiction were already enlightened and had basic judgment, so they weren't easily fooled.
Here, as long as you're an adult, you're at least a graduate of a basic academy and have Qi Refining Realm cultivation. Among them, those with a middle clan school education and Lingtai Realm cultivation are common, and if you throw a few dozen bricks, you're bound to hit one or two.
Such people aren't easily swayed by a few words from Fuxiao.
"Brother, you're exaggerating, aren't you?" a passerby shouted. "My second ancestor is also serving on the outer region battlefield, and he wrote back a couple of years ago saying the outer demon realm is harsh, filled with demonic miasma. How come in your words, it's like the Immortal Realm?"
"Yeah, yeah, you're talking as if we don't know the situation in the outer demon realm."
Everyone chimed in, refuting Wang Fuxiao.
Wang Fuxiao, of course, remained unflustered, calmly continuing, "The difference between the Immortal Realm and the demon realm lies in our efforts. The land beneath our feet was overrun by fierce beasts and miasma two hundred years ago, wasn't it? But now? It's become the granary of our Changning Garrison."
"Brother, we understand your reasoning, but we're living well in Xin'an Town, so why should we go suffer in the outer demon realm?"
"Yeah, yeah, I think life is pretty good now, no need to make such a fuss."
"I don't want my descendants to blame me for taking them to the outer demon realm and making them suffer."
Many expressed their clear intentions.
This is different from responding to a call to go to war. War isn't lifelong; once it's over or the time is up, you can come back, at worst, die in battle, but your descendants are still here. But once you go to the outer demon realm to pioneer, you have to settle there, and even your descendants will live there.
"Uncle Fuxiao, this is quite challenging~" Wang Baogun said worriedly, leaning towards Wang Fuxiao. "People seek change mostly because they're dissatisfied with the status quo. But the people under the Wang's Clan's jurisdiction live too comfortably, so it's not easy to make them take risks and seek change."
"Don't worry, I have more tricks up my sleeve." Wang Fuxiao took out various pre-made vertical banners and had Wang Baogun and the others hang them up one by one.
This time, they didn't rashly hang them up but wisely checked the content of the banners first. They saw that the slogans were quite exaggerated, with some like "Contribute today, enjoy a thousand years of blessings," "Suffer for me, benefit millions," being relatively normal, while others were more exaggerated, such as "Wang's Bank officially established, large interest-free loans available for those pioneering the outer demon realm," "Seize the moment for success," "One family registration earns a Wang's Clan School spot," and so on.
"Fuxiao, isn't this a bit exaggerated?"
"Exaggerated? What exaggeration?" Wang Fuxiao said mysteriously, "You don't know, do you? Back then, when our Ancestor Zong'an and Prince An were raising funds to develop the Dala Great Desert, they did the same thing in Guilong City. The slogans and banners were even more exaggerated than ours."
"Really!?"
Wang Meiheng and Wang Baogun's eyes widened in surprise.
"Of course. I heard it from my Ancestor Shouxin himself. He said this idea was orchestrated by Master Wang Shouzhe behind the scenes."
"Then there's no problem, let's keep going."
Hearing this, the two young elite members felt encouraged, and their initial embarrassment diminished significantly, even feeling a bit of excitement.
For the sake of the family's development, they couldn't afford to be embarrassed.
Subsequently, Wang Fuxiao employed one tactic after another, using emotional appeals, logical reasoning, and enticing benefits, with various methods in play. Eventually, the plants he had placed in advance also took the stage.
With the passionate "excuses" from the plants and the various incentive policies displayed by Wang Fuxiao after signing the agreements, some people who were not content with the status quo began to take action.
And these actions seemed to trigger some kind of switch, quickly spreading from one to two, two to four...
Before long, Wang Fuxiao's mobilization team had signed hundreds of pioneering subsidy agreements, and this was just the beginning. After all, Xin'an Town had a population of 400,000.
Moreover, since this was a major project hosted by the Wang's Clan, and given the Wang's Clan's consistent reputation, it was somewhat reassuring.
If pioneering the outer regions was as good as advertised, taking the risk might indeed bring great benefits to the family.
Under the guidance of the "old hand" who wasn't afraid of hardship or fatigue, Wang Baogun and Wang Meiheng gradually grasped the work's essence and began to assume their roles.
Besides Wang Fuxiao, other mobilization teams were also in full bloom.
Thus, the second step of the Wang's Clan's [Spring (Explosive) Thunder Action] officially commenced.
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While the Wang's Clan was launching a general mobilization within their jurisdiction.
Wang Fugui was also busy, leading two princesses on daily outings, showing them the splendor of Great Gan's Changning Garrison.
This was a style distinct from both the Red Moon Demon Dynasty and the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty.
Princess Zhaoyu, being younger, didn't feel it as deeply, but Princess Yun Mengyu of Chuanan, being a grown woman with more experience, felt it more strongly.
Compared to when she was a child, the Wang's Clan had undergone earth-shattering changes.
Not only were there more public carriages on the roads, but the number of flying chariots in the transportation system had nearly doubled. Occasionally, you could even encounter demon clans from the Myriad Demon Nation working in Great Gan, using human tools with almost human-like proficiency. Even the number of people on the streets had nearly doubled compared to before.
Even she had to be amazed at the rapid development of the Wang's Clan.
Inside the main residence of the Wang's Clan, many exquisite small courtyards were built to accommodate various distinguished guests.
Among them, Princess Yun Mengyu was assigned to the [Lingxian Courtyard].
This Lingxian Courtyard was located in the innermost area of the Wang's Clan's Gathering Spirit Array, where the spiritual energy was most abundant. The courtyard was filled with spiritual flowers and exotic grasses, and even a wisp of immortal spirit energy from Stay Immortal Valley was brought in, constrained by a small Gathering Spirit Array to prevent its dispersion. This added a touch of immortal charm to the courtyard's spiritual energy, making it very suitable for her age group's daily cultivation.
Princess Zhaoyu, on the other hand, was assigned to [Xishui Garden].
Xishui Garden was adjacent to Zhuhui Lake, another area rich in spiritual energy. The garden was serene and elegant, with Wang's Clan's spiritual beasts and turtles frequently appearing, such as the Yuan Shui Old Turtle, Huahua, Yuanshui Sky Sparrow, Li Fire Sparrow, and the Five Little Wolves, all of which were popular with children, making it a lively place.
On this day.
Princess Zhaoyu, after being attended to by her maid, got up, washed, and changed into a new, pretty little dress, eagerly preparing to find Wang Fugui.
Brother Fugui had promised to take her to the East Sea to ride the Dragon Whale in the coming days, which sounded like a lot of fun~
However.
As she stepped out of Xishui Garden, she saw a girl of about fifteen or sixteen walking along the small dock.
The girl was bright-eyed and beautiful, full of life as if she embodied the essence of the world. Only her large, blinking eyes seemed to hold a hint of mischievous intelligence.
On her arm was a small green snake with a horned head.
The little green snake seemed to be asleep, its slender tail coiled around Huari, lazily not moving at all.
This girl was none other than Wang's Clan's current eldest daughter, Wang Jidie, titled [Huari] and known as Princess Huari.
"Oh? Hello, Sister Huari." Princess Zhaoyu cheerfully greeted her.
Under Fugui's arrangement, she had met Huari before, though they weren't very familiar.
"Zhaoyu~" Huari blinked and smiled at her, "You're up early to find my brother, huh?"
"Yes, yes~" Princess Zhaoyu nodded without a second thought, happily saying, "Brother Fugui said he would take me to the East Sea to ride the Dragon Whale."
"What's so fun about riding a Dragon Whale?" Huari laughed, "Come, come, let me take you to the most fun place in our Wang's Clan, I guarantee you'll be amazed and won't miss the Red Moon."
"Really?" Princess Zhaoyu was thrilled but then hesitated, "But, Brother Fugui..."
"Oh, come on~ don't keep saying Brother Fugui this and Brother Fugui that." Huari grabbed Zhaoyu and jumped onto a broad-backed Yuan Shui Spirit Turtle, speaking earnestly, "We girls need to learn to be reserved. Clinging to a man all the time will make you disliked. Let's go, I'll have a maid inform my brother that we're not going to ride the Dragon Whale today, I'll take you to Wang's Clan School to broaden your horizons."
"Wang's Clan School? What's so fun about a clan school?" Princess Zhaoyu was a bit disappointed.
That didn't sound like a fun place.
"You don't understand, do you? Other clan schools aren't fun, but our Wang's Clan School is the most fun place." Princess Huari squinted her eyes, smiling like a little fox, "Little green snake, don't you agree?"
The little green snake perked up at the mention of "Wang's Clan School," becoming alert. It looked at Princess Zhaoyu, nodding excitedly, indicating that Huari was right, Wang's Clan School was the most fun place in the world.
"Old Turtle Grandpa, please take us to the clan school, I want to show Zhaoyu around today." Princess Huari commanded, activating the Yuan Shui Old Turtle.
The Yuan Shui Old Turtle "huffed and puffed," signaling the two to sit tight, then steadily began swimming towards the clan school.
It had traveled this route for nearly two hundred years, very familiar with it.
Passing by a group of female Yuan Shui Spirit Turtles, the old turtle even tossed its head at one of them, winking flirtatiously. The other was so embarrassed that it "huffed and puffed" at it, then dove into the lake.
"Wow, Old Turtle Grandpa, you're something~~" Princess Huari's eyes lit up with delight, "Miss Nine used to ignore you, but now she's actually scolding you. Did you take advantage of her?"
"Huff huff~"
The Yuan Shui Old Turtle howled proudly, as if saying, naturally, ever since it enjoyed a small bottle of Chaos Essence, its bloodline aptitude had significantly improved, making it a hot commodity in the Yuan Shui Spirit Turtle world.
With its current potential and aptitude, if it swam around the Great Swamp, countless female spirit turtles would cry and beg to have little turtles with it~ pursuing Miss Nine would be a piece of cake.
"Show-off~" Princess Huari giggled, then immediately took out a pile of strange, nutritious meat to feed the old turtle, "Old Turtle Grandpa, you should eat more to avoid overindulgence harming your health."
The Yuan Shui Old Turtle stumbled, nearly diving headfirst into the lake.
It had carried many young masters and ladies, but none as knowledgeable as Miss Huari at such a young age, and no one could outdo her in being cheeky. It was truly embarrassing.
After arriving at the clan school and dropping Huari and Zhaoyu off at the dock, the Yuan Shui Old Turtle went off to enjoy its delicacies.
Huari then led Princess Zhaoyu straight to the primary class.
As soon as they reached the door, they heard Mr. Bear's roaring teaching voice, filled with anger, indicating dissatisfaction with this batch of students.
Even through the window, they could see its increasingly large and bloated figure.
"Mr. Bear, look who's here?" Huari led Zhaoyu inside, smiling and greeting Mr. Bear.
!!!
Mr. Bear shivered, the whole bear froze. In its nervousness, it even crushed the word board it used for speaking into fragments with a "crack."
Nightmare, had it returned?
Could it be that the days without Huari tormenting the bear were just a long, self-deceiving dream, now suddenly awakened?
Or was it that it hadn't woken up this morning, still dreaming, trapped in a terrifying nightmare?
Was this reality or a dream? Was the Huari before it real or an illusion?
These were questions worth pondering.
Mr. Bear stared with its huge bear eyes, lost in a daze.
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