Chapter 25: A Flourishing Territory

The journey home was familiar, yet it still took four days for Lin Mu and his party to reach the vicinity of the village.

Looking at the village from afar, Lin Mu noted that its area had expanded tenfold since his departure. Much of the territory's wasteland had been reclaimed, and many farmers were busy at work. From the air, the neat and orderly fields looked as if a sharp blade had sliced the land like a cake into squares, triangles, and trapezoids—a truly pleasing sight. The paths between them were well-planned and sturdily constructed, making movement much more convenient. It seemed Chang Yin had been managing things exceptionally well; he was truly worthy of being a god-tier scholar.

Lin Mu checked the territory’s population: 3,529/100. It seemed the growth over the past twenty days or so had been quite impressive. However, the village rank remained at the primary level; he had not yet upgraded it. Lin Mu decided not to examine the other details too closely, intending to learn more through conversation with Chang Yin. He wanted to hear the suggestions and insights of this god-tier scholar, as he, the lord, was still quite a novice in comparison.

After settling the youth and Xiao Hu, Lin Mu headed straight to the village’s administrative hall. At the same time, he ordered Xiao Hu to summon Feng Zhong, who was busy training the soldiers.

Despite the many days apart, Chang Yin remained spirited, and Feng Zhong was as robust and upright as ever.

"Fengjin and Yuanjian, it has been over ten days, yet you both look so refreshed, and your capabilities have clearly improved!" Lin Mu first examined the changes in Chang Yin’s attributes:

Name: Chang Yin (Courtesy Name: Yuanjian)
Aptitude: Tier 9 [Heavenly Aspect] (Sealed)
Loyalty: 100
Profession: God-tier Scholar
Title: None
Qi Luck: 1.16 Yuan
Status: Village Clerk
Merit: 0
Level: 18 (12%)
Command: 21, Might: 10, Intelligence: 21, Politics: 47
[Derived Attributes]:
Combat Power: 1,000
Commanding Power: 2,100
Divine Strategy: 2,100
Administrative Efficiency: 267%
Stamina: 250, Speed: 46, Defense: 160, Morale: 160
Talent: [Pioneer of Innovation]
Skills: Bumper Harvest, Favorable Weather, Humanistic Harmony, Peace and Prosperity
Specialties:
1. Advanced [Tuntian] (Military Land Cultivation): Increases grain yield by 30% during cultivation operations.
2. Master-level [Territorial Expansion]: Increases overall effectiveness by 100% when leading residents in wasteland reclamation.
3. [Infinite Command]: A special god-tier strategist trait that breaks the limitations of commanding power, allowing for the command of an unlimited population.
4. Advanced [Effective Governance]: Allows administrative orders to be executed thoroughly through the territory, with high-level efficiency of 50%.
Internal Cultivation: "Natural Scripture": A god-tier technique with twelve layers. Each layer increases Politics by 1 point. Once mastered, it greatly enhances scholar-type skills and provides special bonuses to territorial operations like cultivation, afforestation, mountain clearing, and lake excavation. Currently at the ninth layer: +9 Politics, +120% bonus to territorial operations, +900% bonus to scholar-type skills.
Equipment: Deerskin Clothes, Antler Shoes, [Ancestral Protection]
Wealth: 191 Qi Luck Coins

His level had risen quickly to 18, and he had gained two new traits: [Infinite Command] and Advanced [Effective Governance]. The [Infinite Command] trait was truly awe-inspiring; it filled Lin Mu with ecstasy to know that the limitation on commanding power was broken, allowing for the management of countless people. No wonder the legendary generals and strategists of his past life could command vast armies with the ease of moving their own hands!

Chang Yin’s growth was foreseeable to Lin Mu, as administrative talents leveled up quickly. It was undeniably powerful, though there were still surprises, as Lin Mu knew too little about these god-tier figures.

After reviewing Chang Yin’s stats, Lin Mu looked at Feng Zhong’s:

Name: Feng Zhong (Courtesy Name: Fengjin)
Aptitude: Tier 9 [Wu Qu] (Sealed)
Loyalty: 100
Profession: God-tier General
Title: None
Qi Luck: 1.17 Yuan
Status: Village Military Officer
Merit: 0
Level: 28 (10%)
Command: 23, Might: 63, Intelligence: 31, Politics: 10
[Derived Attributes]:
Combat Power: 6,300
Commanding Power: 3,300
Divine Strategy: 6,200
Administrative Efficiency: 10%
Stamina: 400, Speed: 80, Defense: 450, Morale: 236
Talent: [Power of Suppressing Gods] (Inactive)
Skills: [Yellow Springs Nine Formations] (Yellow Springs Array, Heaven-Covering Array, Earth-Carrying Array, Wind-Raising Array, Cloud-Hanging Array, Dragon-Flying Array, Tiger-Wing Array, Bird-Soaring Array, Snake-Coiling Array), [Divine Strategy], [Divine Calculation], [God of War]
Specialties:
1. Expert-level [Eloquence]: Sharp words and fluent speech; provides a massive bonus to diplomacy, persuasion, and debates. Proficiency: 29%.
2. Grandmaster-level [Strategic Planning]: Massive bonus to marching and formations; easily sees through lower-level tactical traits. Proficiency: 1.7%.
3. Master-level [Troop Training]: Increases training efficiency by 100% and has a high chance of triggering soldiers' hidden talents.
4. [Infinite Command]: A special god-tier general trait that allows for the command of an unlimited number of soldiers.
Internal Cultivation: "Wo Qi Jing" (Classic of Grasping the Marvelous): A god-tier technique. Twelve layers; each layer increases Might by 2 points and greatly enhances general-type skills. Currently at the eighth layer: +16 Might, +800% formation effectiveness.
Equipment: [Feng Hou’s Protection] (Crown), Yellow Springs Set (Sealed): Yellow Springs Staff (Weapon), Heart of Yellow Springs (Ornament), Boots of Yellow Springs, Leggings of Yellow Springs, Protection of Yellow Springs (Armor)
Wealth: 188 Qi Luck Coins

As expected, as the one who went out to fight, his level had risen even faster to 28. He also possessed the [Infinite Command] trait. They were truly heaven-defying.

"My Lord, you have improved significantly as well! I hope you continue to grow quickly so that our territory can become even stronger," Chang Yin said mysteriously.

"Indeed, my Lord. Compared to me, I could defeat you with a single finger right now! You are far too weak," Feng Zhong chimed in.

"Can I really compare myself to two freaks like you?" Lin Mu rolled his eyes, unfazed by their teasing.

"Haha..." They both laughed sheepishly. It was true that the Lord's aptitude was quite weak, but as one possessed of great Qi Luck, he could still change his fate.

"Enough. Now that both of your capabilities are increasing rapidly, I will entrust the management of the territory entirely to Yuanjian, and the military development will be in your hands, Fengjin!" Lin Mu concluded.

"As you command, my Lord. Thank you for your trust!" Both were deeply moved.

If Lin Mu knew their thoughts, he would have laughed. *Haha, you god-tier laborers, it would be a sin not to use you!* Being a hands-off lord was a wonderful feeling.

"Fengjin, Yuanjian, a few days ago I received a territorial expansion mission. We need to resolve the threat posed by one large mountain stronghold to another, which would allow us to annex the former and recruit over 100,000 people. It would be a massive leap for our development."

...

"The stronghold is Qingyun, and the other is Green Dragon. I heard Green Dragon has 100,000 elite troops, 80,000 of which are Tier 3, with the rest being Tier 4. What do you think, Fengjin?"

After a moment of contemplation, Feng Zhong spoke first. "My Lord, it is only 100,000 ordinary soldiers. Once our troops are trained, destroying them will be as easy as reaching into a pocket! We already have over a hundred Tier 2 soldiers with Tier 6 aptitude. Give me some time to train a wolf-like force, and we can easily crush them!"

For a god-tier general like Feng Zhong, it was truly effortless. Lin Mu was amazed—he had been agonizing over plans like poisoning, fire, or water attacks, yet Feng Zhong could resolve it simply by waiting a short while.

"As expected of Fengjin, my divine assistant. How long do you need?"

"Two months. By then, we can recruit 1,000 high-aptitude residents, train them into Tier 3 soldiers, and we will be ready to conquer Green Dragon Stronghold!" Feng Zhong declared boldly.

Two months. That was not long; Qingyun Stronghold should be able to hold out until then.