In the courtyard, the piled-up supplies took flight and surged toward the little wooden house. The sound of clanging and clattering filled the air, and the little wooden house was enveloped in a hazy white glow.

This phenomenon quickly caught others’ attention.

During the last house upgrade, Cen An had the Reality Protection System activated, so everyone only knew that Boss Cen’s house had suddenly changed—but they didn’t know what had actually happened. Now, however, the Reality Protection System had long since been turned off.

The villagers working nearby were startled and looked around for their leader. When they saw him standing right in front of the little cabin, they smiled and went back to their work.

Not only did the people of Yongning Village remain silent, but even those from Stone Spring Village said nothing. A few elders from Stone Spring Village quietly admonished their descendants, “Don’t be loose-lipped; keep the Chief’s secret safe.”

The younger generations quickly nodded. They weren’t fools—they knew full well they had to keep their mouths shut. Their time in Yongning Village had been the happiest of their lives, and no one wanted to be driven out. Besides, even if it weren’t for the benefits, they’d been rescued by Yongning Village when they were on the brink of death—how could they possibly repay kindness with ingratitude?

“Brother Cen, is there another change at home?” A string of figures strolled up from behind—it was the Ability Squad in charge of patrol duty today. Leading the group were Wang Jin and Ji Lan, followed by a few unfamiliar faces, likely those who had only recently awakened their superpowers.

Newcomers or not, the look in their eyes as they gazed at Cen An was uniformly one of excitement, mixed with a touch of shy nervousness—as if they were approaching their hometown for the first time. The greenhorns thought to themselves: So it’s true—joining the Ability Squad really does let you get up close and personal with the Leader!

Cen An smiled at them and nodded. “That’s right—we’ll need to turn it into a two-story wooden house. Hmm, and by the way, we’ll also need to build a utility room. Is there anyone in our village who knows how to make medicine?” As soon as he asked, he realized the request might be a bit much, so he added, “Someone familiar with herbs would work too.”

“You should ask Teacher Yu about that,” Wang Jin said cheerfully. “As it happens, Teacher Yu from the Mediation Team is on duty today!” With that, he found a quick-footed ability user and sent him off to fetch her.

Since the topic had come up, Cen An casually asked, “How’s everything been going with the Mediation Team lately?”

“They’re doing great!” Everyone looked like they were trying to hold back laughter, and Ji Lan said with a smile, “Before, Teacher Yu was the head of the Mediation Team, and Xie Xiuping was the deputy head. Now that Xie is away on business, the team was missing a new deputy head and couldn’t get things organized, so they’ve selected a new one to replace him.”

Cen An nodded. “That makes sense. Who’s the new leader? Do I know him?” Everyone burst into laughter. “Of course you do—the new leader is Shi Jie.”

A few young ability users finally seized the opportunity, crowding around him and chattering away as they recounted the events to their leader. What had happened to Shi Jie recently?

On the third day after Cen An and his group left, the people from Stone Spring Village who had gone to gather oak wood returned. Following the principle of “trust those you employ, and don’t employ those you don’t trust,” the Stone Spring villagers were given full responsibility for the task, while Yongning Village sent only a few ability users for protection.

Stone Spring Village did not disappoint, bringing back a large batch of oak—all top-quality hardwood—which was now stacked in the Ability Squad’s warehouse, waiting for their leader to put it to use.

Cen An nodded, puzzled. “That sounds like a good thing, doesn’t it?” Then he thought further: he had just crafted a batch of storage chests, so in the future, when the people of Stone Spring Village went to gather oak wood, they wouldn’t have to work so hard.

Wang Jin burst out laughing. “Who says it isn’t a good thing! The problem is, as soon as Stone Spring Village’s oak wood team entered the village, they got into an argument with the people from Yongning Village. It was Shi Jie who went to mediate at the time.”

Reportedly, the argument between the two sides started like this: As soon as the oak wood team entered the village, the people from Yongning Village complimented them, saying, “With such high-quality wood, you’ll surely be able to exchange it for a lot of points, right?”

Little did they know that the Stone Spring villagers were quite straightforward. They explained that this year had been too hot for oak trees to thrive, so the wood wasn’t growing as well as before and could only be considered medium quality. The Yongning Village villagers weren’t having it. “How can this wood be considered medium quality?” they protested. “It has to be high-grade! We in Yongning Village are the fairest—we call things exactly what they are!”

The villagers from Stone Spring Village stood their ground too, insisting, “Medium is medium. Just because you say so doesn’t make it high-grade. What about the quality of our Stone Spring Village oak?”

And just like that, the two sides started arguing.

Cen An fell silent for a moment. “Let me get this straight… You’re saying the reason they started arguing is that the villagers of Yongning Village think the oak wood brought back by Stone Spring Village is of very high quality, but the people of Stone Spring Village don’t think so, so they got into a fight?”

A group of ability users nodded in unison. “That’s exactly it!” 

Cen An: …

For the first time, he wondered if the village had grown too much grain and if everyone was simply eating too much. Rubbing the side of his forehead, he asked, “So how did Shi Jie mediate the situation?”

Several ability users continued to stifle their laughter. “Shi Jie was called in to mediate. After listening, he said, ‘Isn’t this simple? If you think the wood isn’t high-quality, just trade it to him—take fewer points. If he thinks it’s high-quality, he can use the wood to exchange for points in the village—take a few more. We’re all from the same village anyway; no one loses out.’”

Cen An’s mouth twitched. “And then?”

Ability users: “Then both sides teamed up to give Shi Jie a good scolding, and the conflict was resolved. After that, the village held a vote to elect a deputy head for the mediation team, and a lot of people voted for Shi Jie. Everyone agreed that Shi Jie was the perfect choice for deputy head—he was able to draw all the fire onto himself in the shortest amount of time, uniting both sides against an external threat.”

…So that’s how the deputy head position came about. As long as everyone’s happy—except Shi Jie.

The lively discussion only lasted a few minutes—the upgrade progress bar for the little wooden house hadn’t even finished yet—when Teacher Yu arrived.

Teacher Yu still wore her stern, head-of-discipline expression. She first glanced at the clattering little cabin, asked no questions, and instead spoke softly to Cen An: “The leader sent me here—is there something you need?”

Although her face remained expressionless, those who knew her well understood that this was already her gentlest expression.

Cen An quickly nodded. “I wanted to ask you if there’s anyone in the village who knows medicine, can make medicine, or is familiar with herbs.” Yu Hong thought for a moment, then pulled a small notebook from her bosom, its pages densely covered with handwritten notes.

She was a curious person by nature and paid close attention to such matters; she knew exactly which villagers possessed what special skills. Previously, it was she who had discovered the woman in Stone Spring Village who was skilled at raising chickens, and she had recommended her to the livestock team. Reportedly, that woman was doing very well—she had already taken over several chicken coops and had become the deputy leader of the livestock team.

Teacher Yu flipped through a few pages of the notebook. “Chief, do you still remember Zhang Xuedong?”

Cen An nodded; of course he couldn’t forget. “Aunt Zhang did indeed know how to make medicine, but unfortunately, her craft wasn’t passed down.”

Teacher Yu continued, “Zhang Xuedong had two neighbors. One was Sun Qiuhua and her son Sun Xiaoshu—I’m sure you remember them. The other was a pair of sisters who relied on each other for support. A while back, the older sister awakened her superpowers and has since joined the Ability Squad. The younger sister just turned seventeen; she’s blind and used to rarely go out, but now she enjoys spending time at the village activity center.”

“When Zhang Xuedong was alive, the younger sister often went to her house to help out. Zhang Xuedong probably took pity on her and would sometimes prepare some eye medicine for her to take. She has a keen sense of smell, so she gradually learned some of the recipes and came to recognize many kinds of medicinal herbs.”

Teacher Yu thought for a moment, then added, “I wonder what the Chief is looking for? If she doesn’t meet the requirements, I’ll look for someone else.”

Cen An shook his head. “Let’s give it a try first. If it’s really as you say, I actually think she’d be well-suited for the role… In any case, please bring her in for an interview tomorrow.”

Teacher Yu naturally agreed. Seeing that Cen An was rather busy, she took the group of leather monkeys behind her and left. No sooner had the group left than a system notification popped up: 【Congratulations on successfully upgrading your house!】

Turning around, he saw that the upgrade had indeed been completed.

The simple little wooden cabin had transformed into a small two-story wooden house, doubling in floor area. From the outside, it resembled a wooden building block, with three roofs arranged in a harmonious, staggered pattern. The eaves were adorned with vines that Cen An had carefully selected, giving the structure a vibrant, lively feel. Even the windows were all different shapes—some round as the moon, others square as a ruler—and they were actually fitted with transparent glass!

Cen An was instantly curious about the interior. He opened the wooden door and stepped inside.

The first thing that caught his eye was a living room twice as spacious as before. It was brightly lit, with a thick, soft, and comfortable carpet covering the floor—perhaps designed with summer in mind, as it even carried a hint of coolness. In the center of the living room stood a wooden coffee table, on which sat the leftover Sparrow Tongue Bud tea he’d drunk that morning. Behind it was a row of white sofas, stuffed with soft animal fur; sitting down felt like sinking into a soft cloud.

To the left of the living room was the kitchen, which had also nearly doubled in size. The previously haphazardly piled ingredients were now neatly organized—a sight that would please anyone with OCD. At the back of the kitchen, where the old storage room used to be, was the newly upgraded warehouse.

Thanks to the spatial stone, the new warehouse now features spatial storage capabilities. Though it looks like a cramped little room, its storage area is a full 200 square meters. What’s more, he no longer even needs to go near it—he can store and retrieve items directly through the system, which is incredibly convenient.

Overcome with excitement, Boss Xiao Cen decided to stuff all the supplies from the courtyard into the warehouse. The warehouse automatically organized everything, stacking the supplies neatly—a double win for those with OCD.

To the right of the living room lies a study. A sparkling crystal chandelier hangs over the solid wood desk, and a lush green orchid hangs in front of the square window, creating a fresh and charming atmosphere. Next to it stands a large solid wood bookshelf, adorned with some metal ornaments and a few potted plants.

Cen An was quite pleased with this study—it got plenty of sunlight.

He continued up the stairs; the wooden staircase was of excellent quality and made no sound at all when stepped on.

The second floor featured two bedrooms—one large and one small—as well as a spacious bathroom with a wooden tub.

Mr. Cen pressed his hand to his forehead. “Finally, a bathroom! Taking a shower will be so much more convenient from now on! And with two bedrooms, Xiao Yi will have his own room too.”

He walked around the entire house, feeling exceptionally satisfied.

True to its Level 3 rating, the house wasn’t just more comfortable—it was also aesthetically pleasing. From the outside, it looked almost like a small duplex villa. He opened the system interface:

【House Tier: Comfortable Wooden House

Description: You’re not satisfied with this already, are you? Next Level: Luxury Villa

Materials Required for Upgrade: Silver Crystal Cores x50,000, White Stone Bricks x80,000, Silver Ore x10,000, Lumber x5,000……】

【Your house has been upgraded. New feature unlocked: Functional Buildings】

【Please select the functional building you wish to unlock!】

Cen An didn’t hesitate and immediately selected: Medical Room.

【You have chosen to unlock the Medical Room. It will only become operational after you hire a doctor.】

【Please select a location for the Medical Room. Note: The Medical Room must be no more than 300 meters from the Comfortable Wooden House.】 

Cen An walked outside and surveyed the area south of the small wooden house for a moment before choosing a spot to place it.

There were many functional buildings, and he was sure to unlock them one by one in the future—he certainly wouldn’t stop at just the Medical Room. That would be such a waste.

And there happened to be an open area south of the small wooden house—the space and distance were just right, which was very satisfying.

As soon as the medical room was placed, it instantly transformed into a small white building with a large red cross on the door—very eye-catching. Cen An pushed open the door, stepped inside, and took a look around.

The small medical room was fully equipped. Outside, there was a row of waiting chairs and three hospital beds. Inside, there was a medical examination machine and a medicine cabinet.

He was a bit curious about the diagnostic machine, so he stepped onto it to try it out. He discovered that as soon as he stood on it, it displayed his status… Hmm, so this diagnostic machine is pretty much just like the one he’d seen before, isn’t it?

After examining it further, he realized it was still different from what he’d seen before. This device could only display a patient’s physical condition; it wasn’t as detailed as what he saw through the system. For example, if the former Yu Lin were standing here, it would probably just show 【Vitality is Depleting】, not 【Curse】.

But for the people of Yongning Village, it should be enough. It’s better than nothing!

As for the potion-making box, that’s a real gem. Once you enter a potion recipe, it automatically brews the potion, transforming raw materials into finished potions.

Cen An immediately entered all the potion recipes he had. Perhaps because he had so many, the potion-making box rumbled for quite a while before finally coming to a stop. Then, with a click, it spat out a bottle of potion.

【You have mastered over 50 potion recipes. You have earned the achievement: Mystic Potion Collector! Please claim your reward!】

【Stamina Potion: Restores stamina upon consumption; suitable for treating fatigue after prolonged work.】

Xiao Cen remained silent and apologized sincerely: “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” This was a one-time thing; from now on, whenever he collected new recipes, he’d enter them one by one.

He pushed open the door and stepped outside, where a crowd of curious villagers had gathered again. “Mr. Cen, what’s this little hut for?”

Cen An replied with a smile, “This is a medical clinic, for treating everyone’s illnesses. But it’s not ready to use yet—we need to hire a doctor first.”

The villagers cheered with simple, heartfelt enthusiasm: “A clinic? To treat illnesses? My goodness, does that mean we’ll be able to get treated when we’re sick from now on?” 

“Come to think of it, how many times have we all taken medicine from Boss Xiao Cen? Have you already forgotten?”                   

“Oh my, what a scatterbrain I am! Hahaha, my apologies…”

Cen An made his way back effortlessly through the laughing crowd, unaware that everyone behind him was simply pretending not to see him. Little Boss Cen is shy—everyone knows that, right?

Only after he’d walked out of sight did the crowd’s voices suddenly erupt. “Our leader’s only been back for a short while, and he’s already set up a medical room for us. Seriously… I’m going to go toss a crystal core tonight! Who’s with me?”

“I suggest we go separately. If we spread out, we’re less likely to be spotted, and even if we are, we’ll be harder to catch. Plus, I saved up a silver crystal core a few days ago—I’m going to sneak off and toss it. Hehe!”

“You little rascal…”

Hmm, what if the Chief had stayed just one more minute?

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

He got a lot done today, but he didn’t feel tired at all. In the afternoon, Cen An sorted through the loot from Dongying Village. There wasn’t actually that much—mostly Divine Flowers and those mutants.

A few hundred Divine Flowers weren’t of much use, so he set them aside for now. There were quite a few Spirit Divine Flowers, so he decided to turn them all into Soul Nourishing Elixir. He divided them up, giving half to Team Leader Shi and half to Senior Lin.

Cen An had never forgotten that these two were still suffering from soul injuries. But the soul is a tricky thing—it’s easy to damage but hard to heal; it’s a long, slow process that can only be done gradually.

Needless to say, receiving the Soul-Nourishing Elixir brought them immense comfort.

Cen An lay on the soft sofa in his new home, tossing and turning, feeling as though he’d forgotten something.

What could it be…

Little Boss Cen furrowed his brow in thought, shifting from the sofa to the carpet—the cool carpet felt pleasant against his skin… Just then, there was a clatter as a black object fell from the second shelf of the coffee table and rolled right in front of him.

He looked down and fell silent—it was the obsidian statue of the god. Oh, he’d forgotten to pray to the statue.

Let’s see—he’d been away from home for so long, and counting today, it had been a full twelve days since he’d prayed. Hmm, it didn’t seem like a big deal after all.

Besides, with twelve prayer opportunities in total, what was he supposed to offer as an offering?

The Chief looked left and right. Now that his home’s storage space had expanded, there really weren’t any spare supplies… Wait a minute, maybe there were? He sat up, reached into his backpack, and pulled out a large handful of Divine Flowers.

The Divine Flowers themselves serve no particular purpose—he’d actually been wondering what to do with so many of them! It’d be a waste to throw them away, but keeping them just takes up space. Now, isn’t this the perfect chance to put this “useless junk”—wait, no—to use as an offering?

The recipe included an item called “Vibrant Bouquet.” The materials were unrestricted—any ten fresh flowers could be used to craft one—and its purpose was purely decorative.

This item is different from the Hundred Flowers Divine Offering Tray—it’s not specifically designed for offerings… but then again, he didn’t have the Hundred Flowers right now. This would have to do.

Cen An casually crafted about ten 【Vibrant Bouquets】. Rows of fresh flowers were arranged on the table, their fragrance filling the air—it felt a bit like walking into a flower market.

He cleared his throat, reverently placed the obsidian statue in position, washed his face and hands, and whispered soothingly, “This time, we’re doing this for real, okay?” With that, he picked up a bouquet and placed it on the statue.

Clunk—the little bottle fell to the ground.

【Congratulations on obtaining the Hundred Flowers Cough-Relief Pills.】

It’s not much use, but it’s medicine after all—he’d better put it away safely. The second bouquet.

Clunk—the little bottle fell out.

【Congratulations on obtaining the Hundred Flowers Cough Relief Pills.】 The third bouquet.

Clink, a little bottle… 

Cen An: …

He silently stared at the obsidian statue, and the obsidian statue silently stared back at him.

“Bro, I mean, is it possible that even though I’m offering fresh flowers, I don’t actually want medicine made from them?” Cen An asked politely.

The obsidian statue remained silent.

Feeling he’d made himself clear, Cen An placed another handful of fresh flowers on the altar.

【Congratulations on obtaining the Flower Spirit Necklace.】 

Cen An: …Uh, I guess that’s fine.

As his sense of reverence gradually faded, he simply began shoving the flowers in, bunch by bunch, without ceremony. Various items clattered to the ground, and flashes of light flickered in bursts.

【Congratulations on obtaining the Flower Wreath.】

【Congratulations on obtaining the Hundred Flowers Spirit Dew.】

【Congratulations on obtaining the Hundred Flowers Spirit Staff】

【Congratulations on…】

The room was filled with the sweet, radiant scent of flowers, and the table was piled high with potions and items made from fresh blooms—it looked as if someone had poked a nest of flowers. How should I put it? I still remember the last time I found a flower-themed Easter egg; I didn’t even get this many flower-based items then.

Xiao Cen was so worried his brow was furrowed!

Why was he so worried? Because both the flower items and potions have expiration dates—and they’re very short. They won’t even last if you just leave them in your backpack! With so many items, they’ll go bad before we can use them all.

Our leader is a frugal man—he wouldn’t even throw away a single piece of dry grass—so this must be tearing him apart. But worrying won’t help; the items are already in his hands, and he can’t return them…

Just as he was pondering what to do, an ability user ran up from outside. “Brother Cen, are you there? The people who went to Anjun River Bay are back—Team Leader Shi is leading them this way!”

Cen An was taken aback for a moment, then immediately called out, “Okay, I’m coming!” With that, he didn’t bother with the details—he swept all the fresh flowers and props into his backpack, shoved the obsidian statue onto the second shelf of the coffee table, and ran outside.

No sooner had he stepped outside than Team Leader Shi arrived with his group.

Cen An took one look and froze. “Wait—it’s the middle of summer. Why are you bundled up like that? What’s that stuff sprinkled all over you?”

Behind Team Leader Shi was a man wrapped up so tightly that even his head was covered with a leather hood, leaving only his eyes exposed. He was also dusted with a white powder—it looked like… lime?

A wind-elemental ability user standing nearby said solemnly, “Brother Cen, don’t go any further. Anjun River Bay is hit by an epidemic—Xiu Ping and Sister Qiu Hua have both fallen ill. Wen Chao is worried you’ll catch it, which is why he’s dressed like this.”

Cen An stamped his foot in frustration. “But he doesn’t have to dress like that! He’s just asking for heatstroke! And the lime—is that something you’re supposed to just sprinkle all over yourself?”

He checked Yu Wenchao’s status and, sure enough, found 【Moderate Heatstroke】 listed right after 【Exhaustion】 and 【Mild Hunger】. “He hasn’t caught the plague! Quick, get him out of those clothes!” 

Cen An urgently directed the group. “Su Rui, Brin…”

He called out to Su Rui, only to remember that he’d gone back to the territory today and said he wouldn’t be back for dinner until tonight.

Little Boss Cen hurriedly fetched some Ice Crystal Orchids from the warehouse, made an Ice Jade Pill on the spot, and shoved it into Yu Wenchao’s mouth.

Wrapped up in his clothes, Yu Wenchao couldn’t really make out what everyone was saying; he only saw their leader say a few words before the crowd rushed over to tear off his clothes. As he was still struggling, a cold, icy pill was suddenly shoved into his mouth. A wave of orchid fragrance flooded his senses, and the faint heat in his body vanished instantly, while the dizziness and confusion slowly faded away.

“Are you feeling any better?” Cen An looked at him, his expression full of concern—after all, heatstroke could kill a person!

Yu Wenchao shook his head blankly, then suddenly realized what was happening. His face turned pale with shock as he stumbled backward. “Cen… Brother Cen, don’t come near me! The plague…”

“Come back here. You don’t have the plague—I just checked you!” Cen An pressed his hand to his forehead. “Take him inside. Xiao Ji, go to the kitchen and bring some mung bean soup. Everyone should have a bowl first.”

Xiao Ji couldn’t care less about Yu Wenchao’s well-being; his face immediately lit up with a smile. “Got it!”

Tian Yuan, however, knew what Cen An was capable of. Hearing him say Yu Wenchao wasn’t infected, he immediately felt reassured and helped coax Yu Wenchao inside. Everyone sat down in a circle around the table.

The mung bean soup was served. Cen An had specifically asked Xiao Ji to add ice to it; it hadn’t even melted yet. The sweet, refreshing soup gave off a cool mist, and after downing a bowl of that cool broth, all traces of the summer heat vanished.

Seeing that their sweat had subsided, Cen An quickly cooked a bowl of noodles for Yu Wenchao before saying, “All right, tell us. You ran all the way back in this sweltering heat as if your life depended on it—what happened?”