Free Web NovelChapter 228: Chapter 219: Li Yao’s Core Team
In the Wizard World, they would be defined as "resource consumers," a burden.
But here, they were fathers, mothers, craftsmen... ordinary people who had resisted the Erosion in the most primitive of ways.
"Brother?" Li Yao called softly, his youthful eyes filled with worry.
Ian snapped out of his thoughts and looked at everyone in the courtyard, then began to speak slowly.
"We’ve arrived at Blue Cave Mountain."
His voice was not loud, but every word reached their ears with perfect clarity.
"This is the Outer City. It’s chaotic and dangerous, but as long as you don’t cause trouble, you’ll at least have a roof over your head and a safe place to sleep at night."
A slight stir went through the crowd, but they quickly fell silent again.
Ian paused for a moment before continuing.
"But this courtyard costs five Dust Crystals a month to rent, and the food we brought will only last us two days."
The moment he finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze.
’Five Dust Crystals a month... As refugees, they had no way to pay that rent.’
"However," Ian said, his tone shifting.
"I brought you this far, and I won’t abandon you on the streets to die."
He scanned the crowd, his gaze as sharp as a knife.
"But I have one condition."
"Please, Lord Li, tell us!" The white-bearded elder was the first to speak, his voice hoarse but firm.
"Starting tomorrow, every one of you must provide for yourselves."
He calmly laid out his plan, offering them a path forward.
"The elderly will look after the children, cook, and clean the courtyard. The women will mend clothes and process medicinal herbs. The men will go out and find work—hauling goods, mining, repairing walls, anything goes."
"The boys, fifteen and older, will return to the courtyard every evening to learn the basics of swordsmanship and Runes with me for one hour."
He looked at Li Yao. "Li Yao, you will be in charge of them."
Li Yao nodded firmly, his young face taut with resolve.
"What about me... what can I do?"
Old Luo, the man with the missing arm, looked up, his eyes filled with a helpless uncertainty. "With this arm of mine..."
"Your other hand still works," Ian said, walking over to him.
"I’ve seen your skill at repairing blades. There are many weapon shops in the Outer City that need people to maintain their wares. You should go and try."
Old Luo stared in stunned silence. Then, his eyes reddened, and he nodded emphatically. "I... I’ll go! I’ll definitely go!"
Ian then turned to the white-bearded elder. "You’re literate and know a little about medicinal herbs, don’t you?"
"I know a thing or two..." the elder said, looking a bit uncomfortable.
"That’s enough." Ian pulled a crude map from his clothes, on which the locations of several pharmacies and herb markets in the Outer City were marked.
"Starting tomorrow, take a few of the sharper youths and check out these places. Get familiar with the market for medicinal ingredients and gather information."
"Yes, sir!" The elder took the map, his hands trembling slightly.
Finally, Ian turned to the few able-bodied Guards.
"You few will be responsible for guarding the courtyard during the day. At night, you’ll take shifts. I won’t be staying here, so you are in charge of security."
The Guards exchanged a glance and answered in unison, "As you command!"
Having arranged everything, Ian slowly let out a breath.
"Remember, here in Blue Cave Mountain, we don’t start trouble, but we don’t run from it either."
His voice grew heavy.
"If anyone dares to bully you, tell them my name. If that doesn’t solve the problem, wait for me to get back."
His words were a powerful reassurance, and the uneasy restlessness rippling through the crowd finally began to subside.
A few of the women secretly wiped away tears, while the men stood a little straighter.
The few small children, realizing they could stay, broke into genuine smiles.
Everyone understood. They were no longer refugees, alone and adrift.
They had a place to live, work to do, and someone... to protect them.
"All of you, go and get some rest," Ian said with a wave of his hand. "Starting tomorrow, everyone has their role to play."
The crowd slowly dispersed, each person finding a spot in the courtyard to lie down.
It was crowded and the conditions were crude, but at least it was a place to shelter them from the elements.
Li Yao sidled up to Ian and whispered, "Brother, are you sure about this? Supporting so many people..."
Ian glanced at him and ruffled his hair.
"A single acceptable Basic Purification Potion sells on the market for at least twenty Dust Crystals."
He paused. "The cost of Refining one Potion is about five Dust Crystals, for a net profit of fifteen."
Li Yao’s eyes widened, and his heart began to race.
"Fifteen Dust Crystals? Then... doesn’t that mean..."
"One Potion is enough to feed everyone in this courtyard for three days, with money left over for medicine."
Ian said calmly, "If I can Refine six Potions a day, that’s a profit of ninety Dust Crystals."
’In truth, I can make far more than six, but my Power is too low right now. I have to hide my true capabilities for now.’
He looked out at the people tidying up the courtyard, and a flicker of emotion crossed his face.
"Supporting them is actually quite easy."
Li Yao was stunned. "Is Refining Potions really that easy?"
He looked at Ian’s calm profile and suddenly understood.
’For my brother to take these people in, it couldn’t have been a spur-of-the-moment decision.’
’He knows his own capabilities, he knows the value of these people, and perhaps... he has other plans as well.’
"But..." Li Yao hesitated. "What if someone betrays you, or causes trouble..."
"Then I’ll deal with them," Ian’s voice was soft, but it carried an unquestionable chill.
"I’m giving them a chance to live. They have to play by my rules."
He turned and looked Li Yao in the eye.
"Remember, you can afford to be kind, but only when you have the strength to back it up. Blind kindness won’t let you survive long in this wasteland."
"I understand," Li Yao nodded firmly.
"First, take a few people out and buy something to eat."
Ian handed him a few Dust Crystals. "As for the others, have them clean up the courtyard."
"Yes, sir!"
The boy took the Dust Crystals and hurried off with several able-bodied men.
Ian went into the room he had just rented. Inside was nothing but a bed and an old wooden table.
He paid it no mind and pulled the formula scroll from his clothes.
The yellowish Leather Scroll unfurled in his hands. The script on it was neat and clear, written in this world’s common tongue.
Ian quickly scanned the contents, which were identical to the analysis from his status panel.
[500ml Purified Water, 3 stalks of Blazing Flame Grass, 5g of Bright Moonflower Petals, 1g of Pure Starlight Dust, 10ml of Basic Stabilizer]
’The ingredients aren’t hard to find, and the procedure is simple enough.’
’Purified water and Stabilizer should be sold on the street. Blazing Flame Grass and Bright Moon Flower are common herbs that the pharmacies in the Outer City should have. The most troublesome ingredient is the Starlight Dust.’
It was a pure energy powder Refined from Elemental Crystals, and it was not cheap.
Ian felt inside his clothes. Empty.
’All my Dust Crystals are gone. I even had to use my last Standard Crystal to pay the tax.’
’Hmph! Just you wait. Daring to extort me for my Elemental Crystals...’
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank into his Sea of Spirit, and the Skill Level panel unfolded before him.
[Name: Li Xing (Ian)]
[Age: 21]
[Realm: Awakening Late Stage (81%)]
[Bloodline: Star Attractor (Faintly Awakened)]
[Status: Unharmed]
[Skills: Starlight Perception (Skilled 85%), Star Step (Beginner 78%), Basic Swordsmanship (Skilled 87%)]
’My Realm has improved again.’
’All the fighting and Meditation on the road has allowed my strength to grow steadily.’
’I’m only a step away from Awakened Perfection. After that... comes the Condensation Tier.’
’When my bloodline makes the leap, I hope my original body will reap some benefits...’
Ian opened his eyes and gazed at the sky outside his window.
The gray clouds were still heavy, but he could occasionally glimpse a few faint stars through the gaps.
The Starfall Core in his chest grew faintly warm, as if resonating with one of those distant stars.
’Star Attractor...’
He recalled the description in the bloodline manual.
"Star Attractors, descendants of the ancient Watchers. The paths of the stars are branded deep within their bloodline.
When fully Awakened, they can achieve Star Resonance, drawing upon Star Force and even... influencing Gravity."
Gravity.
Ian held out his hand, palm facing up.
An extremely faint silver halo appeared in his palm, and the air around it seemed to grow a little "heavier."
The effect was minuscule. If not for his exceptionally keen Spiritual Power, he would not have noticed it at all.
But it was definitely there.
"Brother! We’re back!"
Li Yao’s voice called out from the courtyard gate.
The boy was hugging a bulging burlap sack, his face flushed with excitement.
Behind him, several men were also carrying supplies: half a sack of dark-looking flour, a few bundles of dried vegetables, and two ceramic jars.
"The flour cost three Dust Crystals and the dried vegetables cost two. A kind old woman gave us the two jars for free,"
Li Yao reported breathlessly. "We also found out there’s a place called Old Cripple’s Pharmacy on Outer City East Street. They sell herbs, and the prices are supposed to be fair."
"Good work."
Ian stood up, took the burlap sack, and opened it.
Inside were dozens of grayish-brown hardtack biscuits and a small, oil-paper-wrapped packet of salt.
"Go and pass them out. Make sure everyone gets to eat their fill."
"Right!"
The biscuits were quickly handed out to everyone.
Everyone squatted in the courtyard, nibbling on the food with expressions of pure satisfaction.
It was their first meal since entering the city. Though simple, it was at least warm.
Ian only took one biscuit, breaking off half and handing it to Li Yao.
"You eat it, Brother. I’m not hungry," the boy protested.
"Just eat it."
Li Yao lowered his head, took the piece of biscuit, and began to nibble on it.
The sky gradually grew dark.
The Outer City had no uniform lighting, only the glow of oil lamps filtering through scattered windows.
A dull clamor, punctuated by faint sobs, drifted from the distance.
Another family losing a loved one.
Ian looked through the window at the group of people before him.
’It’s easy enough to feed this many people, but if I want to build them into a fighting force, coarse grain alone won’t be enough.’
’I have to make money as quickly as possible, and the fastest way to do that is...’
Ian touched the formula scroll tucked inside his clothes.
