The sun had set, and the temperature was slowly dropping. Moisture began to rise in the valley, and the chirping of insects and birds grew louder, only serving to highlight the silence of the speechless crowd.

The children had forgotten to cry; they craned their necks to look at Mao Zhengwang in the center, and at the two ability users behind him who looked nothing like the people of Stone Spring Village.

Mao Zhengwang had been speaking for quite some time and only now found a moment to take a sip of water to moisten his throat.

Just then, a child asked enviously, “Uncle Maowang, do the people in Yongning Village really have enough to eat? Do the little kids there never go hungry?”

Mao Zhengwang’s heart ached. “It’s true. Their village even has a community center where kids and the elderly can go to play, and they provide free food there.”

A look of longing flashed in the child’s innocent eyes.

A middle-aged man standing nearby whispered, “Um… A-Wang, you haven’t been tricked, have you? These days, who would just give away food for free…”

“Uncle Gaofeng, don’t doubt it. Not only do they give out food for free, but they even let me bring some provisions for you all.” He opened the large sack beside him, revealing it was filled to the brim with dried wild vegetables and mushrooms.

The villagers of Stone Spring Village all looked on with envy. “Wow, that’s a lot of wild vegetables. That’s enough to feed a family for half a month, isn’t it?”

But then Mao Zhengwang kept rummaging through the sack and actually pulled out a bag of grain. Grain!

Stone Spring Village stared in disbelief. “They… they actually let you bring grain back? Is… is this really a gift for us?”

“It’s true,” Mao Zhengwang chuckled. “The Chief said that even if you don’t want to join Yongning Village, this grain is still for you. It’s out of—um, out of human…” He looked to the two ability users for support.

One of the ability users replied calmly, “Out of humanitarianism. Our leader has a kind heart. Upon learning that Stone Spring Village was massacred by bandits—a man-made disaster, not a natural one—he couldn’t bear to see it. So he’s giving this grain to everyone as emergency aid.”

The people of Stone Spring Village were dumbfounded. They didn’t understand what “humanitarianism” meant, but the grain was real—you couldn’t fake that! To receive grain for free from complete strangers… Could the leader of Yongning Village be some kind of divine being?

Wait a minute, what did A-Wang just say? The people of Yongning Village want Stone Spring Village to join them? If they join, their benefits would be less than those of Yongning Village’s residents, and they wouldn’t be allowed to live in the village—they’d have to find a separate place to stay…

Wait a minute, what do you mean by “benefits”?

So, Mao Zhengwang took a sip of water and continued to explain to them.

Several more days passed, and the wheat and rice planted in Yongning Village had all sprouted. The long shoots resembled garlic chives, their vibrant green swaying in the gentle breeze—a sight that filled one’s heart with joy.

The newly recruited ability users had already completed their training and taken up their posts, making the village’s workforce even more abundant. The resource area outside the village had doubled in size; in addition to the four nearby mountains, three more had been added to the west and north. The terrain to the south was a bit more complex, and since Team Leader Liao hadn’t finished surveying it yet, it wasn’t included for now. As for the east, with Dahei there, ordinary mutant beasts dared not venture over.

With the expanded resource area, the villagers’ lives have grown increasingly prosperous. Looking at Yongning Village now, it hardly resembles a small mountain village in the aftermath of the Cataclysm; it is just as quiet and peaceful as those self-sufficient hamlets from before the Cataclysm.

Cen An was sipping tea in the courtyard.

With more manpower, the leader has fewer tasks to handle. Boss Cen has returned to his former leisurely lifestyle.

A few days ago, he had Su Rui help him find a stone, which he carved into a stone table and placed in the courtyard. Now, three people are seated at that stone table: him, Su Rui, and there’s also Tian Yuan.

After downing the cold jade melon juice in one gulp, Boss Xiao Cen smacked his lips. “I’ve eaten so many of these cold jade melons, yet I still haven’t awakened any special abilities.”

Tian Yuan chuckled, “Don’t they say cold jade melon is supposed to adjust your constitution? Just wait a little longer.”

Su Rui chewed on the beef jerky Cen An had made the day before and gave Cen An’s wrist a light pat. Cen An felt a warm energy flow from Su Rui’s palm into his forearm, circulating through his entire body. Then he heard the guy say bluntly, “Your constitution isn’t suited for it. You won’t awaken any special abilities. You might as well stop eating them.”

Tian Yuan：……

Cen An smiled as he walked past Su Rui’s instep, smiled as he went into the melon patch to pick a cold jade melon, took out a beginner’s iron sword he hadn’t used in ages, and smiled as he sliced it open with a fierce swing.

Su Rui’s chewing of the beef jerky grew more and more tentative, and he whispered doubtfully, “Why do I feel like he’s angry again?” 

Tian Yuan: …

He took a deep breath and changed the subject. “Brother Cen, I’ve decided to join the Yongning Village Ability Squad. From now on, I’ll be your official subordinate.”

Cen An walked over, holding half a cold jade melon. “Have you made up your mind? Aren’t you going back to your old base?” Although Tian Yuan had never mentioned it, he must have been part of a fairly large base before.

Tian Yuan shook his head. “I’m not going back.” He added with a laugh, “Besides, my abilities aren’t exactly impressive enough to impress that old base. But here in Yongning Village, I’m one of the top ten experts.”

“Yongning Village really is a nice place.” Cen An dodged the hand Su Rui reached out to him. “By the way, have you seen Brother Fei and Xiao Lin lately? Haven’t they been out in ages?”

Tian Yuan thought to himself, They’ve been out and about; they just don’t dare to see you… “It’s probably just too hot lately. They’re too lazy to go out.”

Cen An nodded; the temperature had indeed risen again in the last few days. If it had been around thirty-seven or thirty-eight degrees before, it must have reached forty degrees recently. He wondered if it would keep climbing.

“Brothee Cen, Brother Cen!” Xiao Ji came running out from outside, drenched in sweat and excited. “The small merchant caravan is back. Team Leader Liao went to meet them and happened to run into a flock of Feather Beasts. Team Leader Shi asked if you wanted to go watch the fight!”

“Huh?” Cen An was taken aback. “Is that something we’re allowed to watch?”

“It’s fine,” Xiao Ji said cheerfully. “Feather Beasts are Level 1 mutant beasts. They’re rare, sure, but they don’t have much fighting power. Plus, they’re a sight to see when they fight. A while back, a lone Feather Beast showed up near the village, and all the kids came out to watch!”

Cen An perked up and stood up. “Let’s go see! I heard you can weave cloth from mutant beast feathers?” Su Rui wrapped his arm around Cen An’s waist and flew off with him.

Xiao Ji and Tian Yuan ran after them, and the group arrived outside the village. Sure enough, they saw a crowd gathered there, including the small merchant caravan that had been away for quite some time. They looked travel-worn, but no one was missing, and no one was injured.

Cen An immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Although he could tell from Xiao Ji’s expression that the small caravan was fine, he wouldn’t truly feel at ease until he saw it with his own eyes. He then turned his gaze to the group of large birds in the center.

These birds were truly beautiful—pure white feathers, gray-blue tail feathers, and a few bright red plumes on their heads. They resembled red-crowned cranes, though they were slightly larger. It was hard to imagine that such ethereal-looking birds were actually mutant beasts that ate people.

Cen An patted Su Rui on the forearm, and the two of them descended.

To their surprise, quite a few villagers had gathered to watch the spectacle. Upon seeing him, they hurriedly made room: “Young Master Cen, come over here! You’ll get a much better view from here!”

Cen An didn’t refuse. He walked over with a smile. An older woman standing nearby grabbed a handful of dried fruit and pressed it into his palm, asking with concern, “Young Master Cen, you’ve lost weight again. Is it because it’s too hot and you’re not eating properly?”

Cen An obediently accepted the dried fruit, not daring to lie. “Actually, a little…” Sure enough, the woman began to scold him.

Xiao Ji and a few young ability users were snickering on the sidelines.

Fortunately, the battle ahead interrupted the old lady’s tirade, and Cen An quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Su Rui reached out two fingers to grab a piece of dried fruit to taste, but Cen An swatted his hand away.

Munching on the dried fruit, he craned his neck to look ahead.

This was the first time he’d seen Team Leader Liao in action, and he was truly extraordinary. How to put it? To earn the genuine respect of so many ability users takes more than just good character.

Liao raised his palm and flicked it downward. A barrage of sharp spikes erupted with a series of thuds, stretching from where he stood all the way to dozens of meters away, blanketing the entire flock of Feather Beasts.

Above, several wind-elemental ability users disrupted the air currents, preventing the Feather Beasts from taking flight. They could only dodge in place, their squawking incessant as white feathers filled the sky.

Team Leader Liao now looked anything but timid. His sharp gaze, like that of a hawk, fixed on the enemy. Seizing the moment, he suddenly crouched down, gripped the ground, and shook it like a blanket—

A wave surged from the ground, truly shaking it like a quilt. The ripples extended all the way to the Feather Beasts’ feet; they screeched and instinctively took flight, only to be trapped again by the wind-type users above.

Cen An was startled. Was this the power of a Level 3 ability user? How could he seem so much stronger than Qu Yue and the others?

Tian Yuan, standing nearby, guessed his thoughts and leaned in to say, “Team Leader Liao’s abilities have leveled up shortly after his recovery. He’s now officially the second Level 4 ability user in the Ability Squad.”

As for why “officially”… ahem, Tian Yuan, Yu Fei, and Yu Lin just smiled without comment. Just then, Team Leader Liao roared, “Charge!”

The ability users, who had been lying in wait, immediately sprang into action, unleashing a barrage of psychic energy that filled the sky.

Perhaps it’s true that a leader’s style shapes their troops. Under Qu Yue’s command, they were fiery yet meticulous. Under Captain Liao’s command, they exuded a casual yet commanding presence. Their formation appeared scattered and haphazard, but a closer look revealed that no matter which direction the Feather Beasts fled, they couldn’t break through the encirclement.

And honestly, the scene was truly a sight to behold.

The swirling supernatural energy and the swirling feathers intertwined, as if they were filming a romantic movie scene… Cen An was completely captivated by the sight, but suddenly sensed something was off. He turned his head and saw Su Rui stuffing something into his mouth. Noticing him looking over, Su Rui looked bewildered. “What’s wrong?”

Cen An：……

He silently put the dried fruit back into his backpack.

After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Are there Feather Beasts around here? I’ve never seen any.”

“We don’t have any here,” Su Rui said, chewing on the dried fruit. “If you want some, I can go a bit further and catch some for you.”

Cen An hesitated for a moment, then held up two fingers. “Two. Alive.” He wondered if he could keep them in the animal pen… Su Rui gave a thumbs-up, indicating it was fine, and asked for some more dried fruit.

Over there, the battle was drawing to a close. The last Feather Beast fell, and Team Leader Liao gave a signal to call it off. The group, carrying the Feather Beasts, walked back, laughing and joking.

The small caravan approached, and Old Geng said cheerfully, “Chief, we’ve fulfilled our mission.” Cen An remarked with emotion, “You’ve worked hard, Old Man. You can rest well these next few days.”

Old Geng smiled in return. “Indeed. Time to go home.”

They’d been away for quite some time. From the outside, things looked fine, but once they entered the village, they almost didn’t recognize it.

During their absence, the village had built a few more roads—that much was obvious. But what were those gleaming patches of land on what used to be empty ground? And why were there vegetables growing there? Wait—were they vegetables or grains?

Family members weren’t about to keep quiet, so Li Wei and the other young men immediately rounded up the villagers to ask.

Cen An could hear the commotion over there, punctuated by occasional exclamations: “Wow! Really?” “That’s great!” “Hahaha, Brother Cen really is the best!”

Cen An shook his head in exasperation and followed the group to the Ability Squad base. Now that the small trading party had returned, it was only natural to report on the situation.

As soon as Old Geng took his seat, he chuckled, “The wild vegetables and mushrooms we took out this time sold for a total of 357 crystal cores. After deducting our expenses along the way, we ended up losing 1,400…”

Shi said helplessly, “Are you sure you want to bring this up, sir?”

Old Geng chuckled, “Let’s go over the numbers first, so I don’t lose face when we settle up later.”

Everyone burst into laughter. The small caravan was out there to gather intelligence—who would actually hold them accountable? If they really wanted to make money, they could just grab a few random items from Brother Cen’s farm and sell them like hotcakes.

Old Geng didn’t waste anyone’s time. After a brief pause, he dropped a bombshell: “This time out, we did indeed gather a lot of intelligence… The most important thing is that the Linghe Base has vanished.”

Cen An could hear a series of sputtering sounds coming from the room.

Even Team Leader Shi was startled for a moment before asking, “…Disappeared? What do you mean?”

Old Geng realized he might have phrased it poorly. “Uh, not exactly ‘disappeared’—it’s just gone. There won’t be a Linghe Base anymore. From now on, the largest base in the area will be the Tianhu Base.”

For the first time, Team Leader Liao found the meeting somewhat interesting. Running his fingers through his hair, he asked, “How did it disappear? Was it hit by a beast tide?”

“It’s similar, but not exactly,” Old Geng said. “It looks like a beast tide because the Linghe Base’s gates and walls were destroyed, and there are traces of supernatural energy—it looks very much like the aftermath of resisting a beast tide. But we searched the area, and there are no signs of a large gathering of mutant beasts in the mountains near the base. Even if it was a beast tide, those mutant beasts must have suddenly appeared around Linghe Base.”

Cen An froze. “Are you suggesting… teleportation?”

Old Geng spread his hands. “It’s just a possibility. In any case, they didn’t come running from the mountains.”

Team Leader Shi followed up, “What about the small settlements near Linghe Base? Did none of them hear anything?”

Old Geng shook his head. “We went around and asked. No one has any idea how Linghe Base was wiped out. Some of the nearby settlements didn’t even know Linghe Base was gone until we arrived. Not many people at Tianhu Base know either. This year’s Joint Mountain Clearance hasn’t started yet, and Tianhu Base is getting anxious.”

Cen An heard another unfamiliar term: “Joint Mountain Clearance?”

This time, it was Su Rui who answered him, “Every autumn, the nearby human settlements join forces to clear out the mutant beasts in the surrounding mountains. If they can defeat them, they kill them; if not, they drive them deep into the mountains. Sometimes when they sweep through my territory, I join forces with them too.”

Liao, standing nearby, froze for a moment, then suddenly slapped his thigh. “I knew it! The mountain clearings have seemed a lot easier these past few years. Judging by the movements of the mutant beasts in the mountains, I guessed there was a Beast King claiming a huge territory west of the village—and that’s you! Come on, let’s spar a bit. I’ve been dying to get to know you!”

Su Rui: “Alright…” 

Cen An: “No way!”

Team Leader Shi: “Sit down!”

The two exchanged glances and said in unison, “No fighting!”

Liao plopped down, his knees bumping as he sat. Su Rui closed his eyes to rest; as for the fight? He hadn’t heard a thing.

Old Geng looked around. “Shall I continue?” And so he continued.

Since he knew there was something fishy about Linghe Base’s disappearance, he naturally wanted to get to the bottom of it. So, he decided to make a round of all the nearby settlements. That was why, even though they’d planned for a two-week trip, they’d returned so late.

“As far as we can tell, no one knows why Linghe Base vanished,” Old Geng said, though his expression showed no sign of urgency. “But we’ve picked up another piece of information: people from Red God City have been here recently. Apparently, they made a trip to Linghe Base, then for some reason went to Stone Spring Village, and then left…”

“Stone Spring Village?” Before Old Geng had even finished speaking, Cen An, Team Leader Shi, and Qu Yue all looked surprised at the same time. “Oh, so it seems you already know something happened in Stone Spring Village?” Old Geng asked.

Qu Yue nodded and briefly recounted what had happened to Mao Zhengwang.

Old Master Geng pondered, “Could it be that Linghe Base disappeared in the same way?”

“That can’t be…” Wang Lie gasped. “According to Mao Zhengwang, there were only thirty or forty people who went to massacre their village. Linghe Base has over ten thousand people, right? There are hundreds of ability users alone—wouldn’t thirty or forty people be insufficient?”

“But don’t forget,” Qu Yue reminded him, “one of the attackers was actually from Linghe Base. What if there was a mole working from the inside?”

“That would be terrifying…” Wang Lie muttered.

“So,” Cen An continued, “where exactly is Red God City, and why is everyone so surprised?”

Team Leader Shi explained carefully, “As you likely know, Chief, after the Cataclysm, the old regional divisions no longer apply. Now, the entire continent is divided into four parts: the Eastern Foothills, Western Foothills, Southern Foothills, and Northern Foothills. We’re located in the Eastern Slope. The Eastern Slope has three provinces in total; we’re in Jiang Province, and the largest settlement in Jiang Province is Red God City. Rumor has it that the city lord is a Level 7 Fire-ability user.”

Team leader Shi wore a look of concern. “Before, we lived in a secluded corner and knew little of the outside world, but now that’s no longer enough.” Suddenly, someone spoke up: “Red God City has a permanent population of about seventy or eighty thousand, with eight hundred ability users. The city lord is Geng Huo, a Level 7 Fire-type ability user.”

The group froze, then turned to see that the speaker was Tian Yuan.

He rubbed his nose. “I used to be stationed at Pingxing Base, right next to Red God City.”

Team Leader Shi pondered for a moment. “So, in your opinion, why would Red God City send people all the way to our little place?”

“I don’t know,” Tian Yuan replied bluntly. “But Geng Huo is a very ambitious man. He won’t be content with just being the City Lord of Red God City.”

He turned to Cen An. “If he finds out about Brother Cen’s abilities, it could cause quite a stir.” As soon as he said this, the expressions of those around him immediately hardened, as if to say: He wouldn’t dare!

Su Rui had been sitting with his arms crossed, eyes closed in meditation, but now he lifted his eyelids and cast a casual glance at Tian Yuan, as if a lion that had suddenly spotted its prey.

Tian Yuan smiled; it was Su Rui he’d meant to warn. Even now, he still couldn’t gauge Su Rui’s ability level. That was a good thing—it meant Su Rui was ranked higher than him.

Cen An patted Su Rui’s head, and the big lion immediately calmed down. He gave the others a reassuring smile. “It’s nothing to worry about. As I’ve said, if anyone knows how safe our village is, it’s you guys. Don’t worry.”

He turned to look at Shi Dui. “Should we try to join forces for Joint Mountain Clearance?” Shi Dui looked at him with admiration. “What do you think, Chief?”

Cen An thought for a moment and said, “Now that Linghe Base is gone and the group is leaderless, shouldn’t a new boss be emerging soon?”

Shi burst out laughing. “Just as I expected from the leader of our Yongning Village—that’s some real swagger.”

Team Leader Liao also slapped the table excitedly. “That’s great! I like it. Yongning Village should be the boss!”

Cen An felt a bit helpless as the two men laughed. He wasn’t a domineering person by nature. But that’s just the way the world is—there’s no helping it. People have to compete with mutant beasts and with one another. To survive, you have to hold the reins of power in your own hands.

Otherwise, even if he controlled the farm, what would become of the ability users who followed him and the villagers who worshipped him like a god? He couldn’t be their leader for nothing.

He continued, “Also, I think we should set aside some of our vegetables to trade with nearby settlements.” Cen An hadn’t known this before; it was only after hearing everyone’s discussion that he realized Yongning Village had already become quite a force to be reckoned with.

There were eight hundred ability users in Red God City, and before Linghe Base was destroyed, there were one hundred and fifty. Tianhu Base is currently the largest base in the area, with fewer than a hundred ability users.

How many ability users were there in Yongning Village?

It’s enough to scare the living daylights out of anyone: seventy-six certified ability users, plus the unranked ability users, totaling one hundred fifty-six! And as everyone knows, with Cen An’s vegetables around, unranked ability users can become certified ability users at any time.

It’s also common knowledge that with Cen An’s “special ingredients,” ordinary people can awaken as ability users at any time. And it’s yet another well-known fact that with Cen An’s “special ingredients,” ability users can advance in rank at any time…

So, after a quick calculation, Cen An realized that with a little more time to develop, Yongning Village could easily subdue all the nearby mountain clans! Of course, he certainly wouldn’t do that… but wanting to and being able to are two different matters.

Besides, given their current strength, selling a small portion of the vegetables wouldn’t be a problem. The others were a bit shocked to hear this, and their first reaction was: “No way!” “What if someone comes to harm you?”

They’d rather not be leaders at all than have anything happen to Brother Cen, right?

“Aren’t you guys going to protect me?” Cen An joked, then continued, “Of course we’ll sell it on the sly. We’ll pick a few trustworthy people from each settlement to act as our agents and keep the news under wraps as much as possible. We’ll sell more produce to those willing to do business with us, and none to those who aren’t. We’ll make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible…”

“Make plenty of friends and few enemies…” Team Leader Shi savored the words and praised, “The leader always manages to say things that are simple yet full of wisdom.”

“The one who said that was truly a great man; I’m just parroting his words.” Cen An smiled and waved his hand. “That’s my basic idea. Let’s discuss the details later.”

Since the Chief has spoken, they’ll just have to discuss it further.

Time flew by; several days passed in the blink of an eye.

Selling vegetables to the outside world was a matter of great importance. Although the plan had been agreed upon, they were still in the early stages of preparation. Team Leader Shi dispatched dozens of ability users to nearby bases to gather intelligence and screen potential partners with good character.

During this time, a batch of wheat and rice in the village had ripened.

The villagers knew their leader never lied, but until they saw those golden, plump grains, they still found it hard to believe.

Wait, just how much land did the whole village plant? Is it all ripe? It ripened in just one month? How much grain could they possibly harvest…

The first harvest was distributed according to the established ratio: a portion (at everyone’s unanimous request) went into Cen An’s private granary, another portion into the Ability Squad’s communal storehouse, and the remainder was distributed to the villagers.

Seeing their homes piled high with grain, many adults and children couldn’t help but shed tears. So this is what a bountiful harvest feels like…

Only Cen An looked at the grain piled high both inside and outside the courtyard (there simply wasn’t any more room inside) and felt worried. How on earth were they going to eat all this…

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he said to Xiao Yi, “Since the villagers can secretly pile supplies outside my courtyard, why can’t I secretly pile them outside theirs?”

Xiao Yi hesitated, then asked, “Brother, are you sure you want to do this?”

Cen An thought it over, couldn’t find any flaws in the plan, and clenched his fist. “Let’s give it a try!” The two—one big, one small—set to work stealthily under the cover of night.

After who knows how long, they finally managed to distribute half of the grain to every household.

Cen An was physically exhausted but happy at heart. “We can finally put this behind us. Let’s go back and see…”

He stopped short. Looking into the distance, he saw another pile of grain had appeared around the little wooden house—even more than what he’d just carried away! And it was already sun-dried; he’d even saved himself the trouble of drying it!

Xiao Yi whispered, “The villagers are keeping a close eye on your movements so they can come and drop supplies while you’re away…” 

Cen An: …

You really have gone to a lot of trouble for me.