Chapter 0107 - Talents

The main hall was spacious.It was originally built for holding meetings and receiving guests.

Yi Tianxing took his seat at the head. Not long after, Wang Dahu entered the hall, leading a group of people in an orderly line.Among them were Qiu Weiming, Wang Fengshan, the Yang family father and sons, Jia Yucun, and Cao Zhengchun, along with several unfamiliar faces. All gathered in the hall.

"Your servant greets the Lord,"Cao Zhengchun stepped forward immediately and knelt down with a solemn bow, his expression full of respect.

"I've already said, once you enter Xuanhuang Village, you are one of us—a villager, a citizen. There's no need to refer to yourself as a servant," Yi Tianxing said slowly, frowning slightly.

He couldn't quite get a read on Cao Zhengchun. Though past history couldn't be taken as absolute, it still offered some guidance. Cao Zhengchun's reputation wasn't exactly clean.

But his potential was astonishing. With a True Essence Pill (还真丹) within him, he was rapidly retraining in the Heavenly Gang Boy Technique ("天罡童子功"), advancing quickly.In just a short time, he had begun impacting the Twelve Principal Meridians, having reached the second level of the Divine Sea Realm.At this pace, and with continued refinement of the True Essence Pill, he would soon break through the Twelve Meridians and reach the third level of the Divine Sea Realm—without much difficulty.

This speed in retraining was simply natural for someone like him.

"I've sworn to the heavens. From this day forward, I am my Lord's servant for life. If my Lord lives, I live. If he perishes, I die with him," Cao Zhengchun replied with conviction on his androgynous face.

Rising, he silently moved to stand behind Yi Tianxing, hands folded, head bowed.Qi churned within him—yet he stood as if in meditation, clearly entering a state of cultivation.

But his twitching ears showed he was still aware of the surroundings.This was multi-tasking cultivation.

🔹 Life Aperture: Heart Eye (心眼)This Life Aperture allows the mind to split its attention, enabling dual-focus or even triple-focus thinking—as if one's heart had extra eyes.If fully cultivated, it could undergo further evolution.

Clearly, Cao Zhengchun had fully devoted himself. He now stood behind Yi Tianxing like a loyal servant, embodying the role in every action.

Yi Tianxing could only shake his head slightly. Since Cao had made up his mind, there was no need to persuade him further.History, after all, was written by the victors. Eunuchs didn't get to control the historical narrative—scholars did. And in this new world, everyone had a chance at rebirth. Anyone could begin anew.

If Cao Zhengchun wished to serve, so be it. In time, any hidden intentions would become clear.

Many in the hall exchanged subtle glances.Cao Zhengchun was no ordinary man. Since arriving in Xuanhuang Village, his political savvy and interpersonal finesse were remarkable. He had quickly learned nearly everything about village affairs.In his previous life, he would've been called a schemer.

Now, seeing him willingly bow his head, even someone like Huang Chengyan paused to reassess.But if his loyalty was real, he could be a valuable asset to Yi Tianxing.

"Alright," Yi Tianxing began, his eyes sweeping across the crowd, "Some of you are meeting for the first time. Introduce yourselves.From now on, you are the backbone of Xuanhuang Village. If you have ability, I will entrust you with great responsibility. If you have talent, I will reward you beyond your imagination."

The gathered group included scholars and craftsmen in varied attire—some familiar, others not.But all who had been brought here had their own skills.With Xuanhuang Village's population exceeding ten thousand, the probability of talented individuals increased significantly. Those gathered were only a portion of the total, including many rescued from the ogre camp.

"Village Chief, I'm Hu Bin, a carpenter. My family has passed down carpentry for generations—houses, furniture, tools, even decorative carvings—I can do it all,"A young man with a simple, honest face stepped forward. His hands were rough with calluses, but his confidence when discussing woodworking was evident.

"Indeed," Huang Chengyan nodded, "Hu Bin's craftsmanship is excellent. He's responsible for many of the buildings and woodwork in the village. He always said, 'If the Lord and his warriors fight on the front lines, I will build a good home for them in the back.'"

"Very good. What Xuanhuang Village needs is practical, capable people," Yi Tianxing said with approval. This was the spirit of the descendants of Yan and Huang—craftsmen who dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to their art.

"I'm Tie Niu, a blacksmith. I forge weapons, tools, knives—everything. I was a military blacksmith once. I know how to make refined steel weapons.But I need lots of iron ore. Right now, we don't have enough iron in the village. If we did, I could forge much better gear."

Tie Niu's voice was like a drum, his body massive and muscular like a bull—literally. His dark-red skin showed signs of exposure to intense heat.

"Good," Yi Tianxing nodded, impressed.

"Village Chief, I'm Zhu Dachang, a bamboo craftsman. Give me bamboo, and I can make anything out of it."

"Village Chief, I'm Li An. My family has been making paper for generations.We use the finest materials and detailed processes to make high-grade white paper, once reserved for officials and scholars.If I had enough help, I could restart production and make large quantities again."

Yi Tianxing's eyes lit up.

🔹 Papermaking Technique (造纸术)A major civilizational skill. Paper is vital for knowledge transmission and cultural continuity.Li An possesses secret methods for crafting flawless, snow-white paper.

"There are many talents hidden in Xuanhuang Village," Yi Tianxing mused.Before, they simply hadn't been discovered. But now that they were being unearthed, he could see how valuable they were.

"I'm Liu Xuan. I once held the title of Xiucai. I've memorized the Four Books and Five Classics, the teachings of the sages," said a middle-aged scholar in tattered robes. Though life had worn away his pride, a trace of scholarly dignity remained.

"Village Chief, I'm Zhang Yue, a former constable. Besides basic martial skills, I don't have much else," said a rugged, sharp-eyed man with a powerful build.

Others introduced themselves one after another, including chef Lai He.

After the introductions, Yi Tianxing had a general understanding of the talents gathered here.It was enough to form the basic framework of a governing body, though they still lacked many key people.

"I've called you here because the population of Xuanhuang Village has grown significantly—over ten thousand. We're no longer just a village.We're approaching the scale of a small city.We can no longer operate like scattered sand. Therefore…"

Yi Tianxing paused, letting his gaze pass over the crowd.

"I intend to form an official administrative body."

🔹 Opening of Government Structure (开府建制)Yi Tianxing plans to establish formal departments and governing bodies to manage village affairs.This marks a transition from a basic settlement to an organized, evolving force.

The room went still, but many eyes lit up.

This was a rare opportunity—to become part of the ruling body.If they made it in now, they'd be considered founding elders once the village flourished.

Status and identity would change drastically.

Everyone felt the same thing: they had a chance.In this new world, no rigid hierarchies had formed yet. As long as you had ability, anyone could rise.It was the best of times—a fresh start for all.

And in Xuanhuang Village, everyone was cultivating.This place was destined to grow far beyond the scale of an ordinary settlement.

The fire of ambition burned in their hearts.

"Last night, Old Huang and I discussed in detail and finalized several departments.These will become the core governing units of Xuanhuang Village," Yi Tianxing continued.

He ignored their reactions—this was the first step in true governance.Who would serve where didn't matter yet.

As the saying goes:

Iron barracks, flowing soldiers.The structure must be solid, even if the personnel change.