Chapter 240
The Grassland Tribe
Two months passed, and the drought on the grasslands had ended. With the return of abundant rainfall, life across the plains had once again become active.
Thanks to the water exchanged from the two “divine envoys,” Old Ping’s tribe successfully made it through the dry season.
Moreover, after Tang Yu’an and his group transformed the land near the lake into an oasis, attracting countless grassland creatures, the nearby tribe also benefited greatly.
For the first time, they didn’t have to worry about their livestock dying due to a lack of food during the drought. For the first time, they could successfully hunt every day, even in the harshest dry season.
Old Ping’s business was thriving. He mainly sold salt, hemostatic powder, alcohol, black pepper, and wheat.
Of course, the wheat wasn’t for planting. Some in his tribe knew how to brew alcohol, and the liquor they made from wheat was far superior to the alcohol he sold.
Aside from running his business, his daily routine consisted of learning and exchanging ideas on the message board and forums, occasionally chatting with other employees. Life was much more comfortable than before.
The only challenging part was the daily assessments from the higher-ups in the Church of Commerce through the store channel.
Although ‘Little Noise’ senior never explicitly stated his identity, it was evident from his words and forum posts that he was a core figure in the Church of Commerce.
Old Ping didn’t know why he was so lucky to have been assigned to the same store as him, especially since there were only the two of them.
Every day, “Little Noise” would test his understanding of the doctrine. Old Ping had to rack his brain and use all his energy to respond carefully, fearing that a misinterpretation or an improper attitude might get him fired.
Of course, getting to interact with such a key figure in the church was still a stroke of luck. He considered it an opportunity to be cherished—an experience both painful and fulfilling.
That night, as he opened the message board for his daily assessment, he was surprised to see a new message from ‘Razor’.
A newcomer?
Old Ping immediately recalled when he had first joined the “church.”
Finally, it was his turn to… not make things difficult, but guide a newcomer!
So—
[Store Channel]
[Little Noise]: A rare newcomer! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.
[Razor]: Greetings, seniors!
[Silverlight]: Oh, a new recruit! Hello, hello! First, let’s start with the basics—what is the core doctrine of our Church of Commerce?
[Razor]: I read about this on the forum! The core doctrine of the Church of Commerce is…
Meanwhile, Tang Yu’an was silently watching from behind the scenes.
Seeing Old Ping take the initiative to train Da Huzhi as a newcomer, he nodded in satisfaction.
That would save him a lot of effort in explaining things! From now on, any new recruits like Da Huzhi could be sent to Store No. 6 first.
After Old Ping and Lao Mo provided them with ideological guidance, they could be transferred to other stores as needed.
Since Da Huzhi had already done his homework on the forum, he managed to barely hold his own against Old Ping’s questions, even though he was drenched in sweat.
At the same time, under the guidance of these two seniors, he gained a deeper understanding of the Church of Commerce’s principles.
[Little Noise]: The God of Commerce is the most benevolent and kind deity. We must always remain grateful, abide by the doctrine, and never commit acts that bring shame upon the god.
[Razor]: Understood, understood.
Aside from agreeing obediently, Da Huzhi had no idea how else to respond.
Though he still harbored skepticism toward the church’s doctrines, he didn’t dare express it outwardly.
After all, he could feel the binding force of the doctrine preventing him from breaking the church’s rules. No matter how doubtful he was, he couldn’t deny the power behind it.
Because of this, he repeatedly warned Mao Da and his siblings never to violate the doctrine.
As he continued using points to exchange for food, Mao Da and his siblings could no longer deny reality. They had to accept that the two mysterious figures were, in fact, divine envoys sent by the gods to the wastelands.
“But why do we have to follow this damn—uh, I mean, these church rules?” Mao Da grumbled. “It’s not like we were recruited as believers…”
Before he could finish, Da Huzhi smacked him on the back of the head.
“Are you an idiot?”
Da Huzhi scolded him. “If you follow my lead and join the Church of Commerce properly, I might be able to get you all in someday!”
“Stop thinking about fighting and killing all the time—use your brain! Did fighting and killing ever get you this much food?”
Mao San and Mao Hua, who were sipping their bowls of coarse rice porridge, shook their heads in unison.
When had they ever eaten this well? And without having to risk their lives!
With full stomachs, they had the strength to endure the cold disasters. With enough food, they wouldn’t have to worry about freezing or starving when the winter storms hit.
Mao Da finally shut his mouth.
“The doctrine I just read to you—did you memorize it?”
“…Yes.”
“Memorizing isn’t enough. You must follow it. The gods are watching us.”
Mao Da wanted to retort that only Da Huzhi was being watched, but when he recalled the two mysterious figures who vanished into thin air, an inexplicable chill ran down his spine. He obediently nodded.
The two younger siblings had no interest in breaking rules anyway, so they didn’t need much persuasion.
Only then did Da Huzhi nod in satisfaction.
“We really hit the jackpot this time! Those two divine envoys aren’t just anyone you can meet…”
Earlier, he had expressed his gratitude to Lord Silverlight and Lord Dark Moon in the public channel, hoping they were still around. Instead, he was bombarded by responses from veteran employees.
It was then that Da Huzhi realized—very few people in the church had ever seen a divine envoy. In fact, not even a single person had laid eyes on Lord Silverlight before!
The more he thought about it, the luckier he felt.
But more importantly—
“We need to earn more points!”
Da Huzhi declared, “A senior just gave me a tip—there’s an item in the trading zone called a stone that generates heat.”
He watched the hardwood charcoal burning in the brazier. “Although it’s much more expensive than regular charcoal, a single stone can continuously emit heat for at least one to two months.”
“And according to other predecessors, this type of stone has an extremely high heat output. Just one piece is enough to warm up a small room!”
500 grams of hardwood charcoal cost 25 points. While it seemed to burn longer than ordinary charcoal, it still couldn’t last an entire day.
On the other hand, Flame Stones were sold for 200 points per 500 grams in the trading zone. A single Flame Stone weighed about 500 grams, costing roughly 300 points.
Although it was much more expensive than the hardwood charcoal sold in the marketplace, a single Flame Stone could continuously emit heat for as long as one to two months!
The three Mao siblings nodded in agreement, expressing their willingness to cooperate with Da Huzhi in business.
When they returned to the settlement, they did not hide their miraculous encounter with the Divine Envoy. After all, with such a large amount of food, if they didn’t explain its origin, people would start asking questions.
Rather than letting others covet what they had, it was better to be upfront about it.
Although no one had ever heard of the Church of the God of Commerce, the name alone suggested a mysterious and powerful force. Now that they had a backing, others would think twice before causing trouble.
Moreover, Da Huzhi was already using the food for trade.
In Red Bee Town, nearly every household stored honey, saving it for the harsh cold disaster when food would be scarce.
Although honey had a high caloric value, it was easy to digest and couldn’t provide lasting satiety. At best, it could barely sustain life.
But Da Huzhi brought something different—brown rice.
One spoonful of honey could be exchanged for 500 grams of rice. If rationed carefully, it could last for two days and was much more filling.
The key was that Da Huzhi still made a profit!
500 grams of brown rice cost only 5 points, while honey was far more valuable. This allowed him to complete over a hundred profitable transactions in just one day, successfully advancing to Level 5.
Just then, Da Huzhi noticed a new message popping up in the shop channel.
His heart skipped a beat instinctively.
Were they going to test him on religious doctrines again? He hadn’t even memorized everything from earlier today!
However, he soon realized he was mistaken.
[Little Noise]: Razor, do you lack water there? If you’re willing to trade water, I can give you Flame Stones.
Da Huzhi was stunned and immediately replied.
[Razor]: Any kind of water?
The dry season had just ended, and with rainfall becoming more abundant, their town also had rich underground water sources. They weren’t exactly short on water.
[Little Noise]: Yes, 50 liters of water for one Flame Stone.
[Razor]: How much is 50 liters?
[Little Noise]: You can set up a new listing in the trading zone, and it will show the measurement.
Da Huzhi quickly went out to fetch water and concluded that about two buckets equaled 50 liters.
Two buckets of water for one Flame Stone?
This was a great deal!
If it were the dry season, he might have hesitated. But since it was the rainy season, there was nothing to worry about.
Once the weather got even colder, there would be snow, which could be melted for water. For the foreseeable future, Red Bee Town wouldn’t have to worry about water shortages.
Da Huzhi immediately made a trade with Old Mo.
Since he had never used a Flame Stone before and wasn’t sure about its effects, he suggested exchanging just one to test it out. Old Mo had no objections.
Soon, they completed the transaction in the trading zone.
The moment the glowing red stone appeared in the brazier, Da Huzhi and the three siblings felt the difference immediately.
So warm!
The originally slow-burning charcoal suddenly flared up under the Flame Stone’s heat, making the drafty wooden hut feel cozy in an instant.
“Da Huzhi, you weren’t lying to us!”
“Can this stone really keep us warm for one or two months? Does that mean our Red Bee can survive?”
“With the cold disaster, no flowers will bloom, and we won’t be able to keep them alive.”
“But we have honey now! We can use the honey we traded for brown rice to sustain the bees, can’t we?”
Listening to Mao Hua’s words, even Da Huzhi fell into deep thought.
That’s right—honey used to be their emergency food, but now that they had brown rice, they didn’t need as much of it for themselves. They could use it to keep their Red Bee alive instead.
“This is great! I love the Church of the God of Commerce!” Mao Hua cheered.
“I love it too!” Mao San raised his hand. “I want to become the most devoted follower of the God of Commerce!”
Da Huzhi had only joined the Church of the God of Commerce for one day, and he had already solved their most urgent survival problems. Wasn’t that exactly the church’s doctrine?
To provide water and food for the poor, ensuring that more people could survive on this wasteland!
“If only Mao Er had held on a little longer…” Mao San couldn’t help but sigh.
The atmosphere turned slightly somber for a moment but was quickly dispelled—after all, people died on this wasteland every day.
From childhood to adulthood, they had seen far too many deaths, which only made them cherish the blessings given by the God of Commerce even more.
Soon after, the three siblings followed Da Huzhi’s teachings and began their nightly prayers.
Apparently, a senior named Little Noise had taught Da Huzhi.
“That name sounds young and promising—he must be highly favored by the Divine Envoy and the God Himself, holding a high rank in the church.”
Da Huzhi analyzed confidently, “So following his guidance can’t be wrong!”
Then, they pressed their hands together and began to chant in low voices:
“Oh great God of Commerce, I shall faithfully carry out Your will…”
“I shall respect the elderly, maintain hygiene, and be polite…”
“I shall care for my children, neither abandoning nor mistreating them…”
“I shall be diligent and courageous, using my hands to…”
As their murmurs joined together, their voices became louder and drifted outside, where a group of people lurking in the shadows overheard them.
“Wait, could it be that Da Huzhi and those three kids really joined some church?”
The intruders whispered among themselves. They didn’t believe Da Huzhi and the others had actually found backing from a powerful faction. They thought they had merely stumbled upon a lucky encounter, so they planned to rob them.
But after hearing their devout prayers and those grand-sounding verses, the would-be robbers hesitated.
They weren’t so sure anymore.
“How about waiting a bit longer and seeing how things go?”
“Alright, let’s see what that Da Huzhi is up to!”
In the end, the group of robbers faded back into the darkness. Little did Da Huzhi and his companions know that their sincere prayers had actually saved them from danger.
*
Near Flame Dragon Fortress
Old Mo looked at the two barrels of water he had just traded for, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
Even though they now had five wells, these wells were not self-replenishing—once the water was used up, that was it.
After a month of growth, the branch of the Church of the God of Commerce he had established had already expanded to over a thousand people.
Yes, under his leadership, the branch had gathered over a thousand devoted followers.
After absorbing two to three hundred members from other gangs, they had become a considerable force.
But more importantly, unlike other factions, they provided food and water. In just half a month, the newcomers had grown stronger and healthier—at least compared to those who were constantly starving and dehydrated elsewhere.
Because of this, Old Mo didn’t even need to go out raiding anymore. Small gangs began voluntarily bringing their members to join his group.
Old Mo never turned anyone away and had no fear of betrayal.
With an abundant supply of food and water—along with repeated “miracles”—he quickly won over people’s hearts, making them devout followers of the God of Commerce.
Without realizing it, the number of believers in the branch had surged into the four-digit range.
To be honest, it was becoming quite a burden.
So whenever he had the opportunity, Old Mo would stockpile as much water as possible.
Besides being needed for drinking, water was also required for irrigation—after all, the Breadfruit Tree that Gan Lin had acquired through dream-trading with the Divine Emissary had already been planted.
Although there were few wood-element ability users in the Flame Dragon Fortress area, after gathering so many followers, Old Mo had actually found two.
Thanks to their efforts, in just a month, the tree had already begun bearing fruit.
True to its name, the fruit of the Breadfruit Tree, when simply roasted, tasted just like baked bread, exuding a sweet, creamy aroma.
The first time Old Mo tasted it, he nearly shed tears.
Memories flooded back, but as the leader of over a thousand followers, he forced himself to suppress his emotions.
He didn’t keep the breadfruit for himself but allowed followers to exchange Flame Stones for them.
When they personally tasted these fruits, their faith in the God of Commerce became even more fervent.
Over time, they came to realize that the Church of the God of Commerce was not merely making empty promises—it was truly fulfilling its teachings!
Unfortunately, the breadfruit did not contain any seeds.
For now, they couldn’t cultivate new trees from the fruit and had to rely on the single Breadfruit Tree given by the Divine Emissary.
Even so, it was already an incredible achievement—Old Mo had never seen a tree that could thrive so well in the arid wasteland while also being so productive.
However, due to the acceleration of growth by the wood-element ability users, the tree required even more water, which only added to Old Mo’s concerns.
Now that he had secured another trade route, how could he not be pleased?
“Grandpa, you should get some sleep. It’s getting late,” Gan Lin’s voice rang out.
Because of their changing roles, Gan Lin no longer called him “Old Mo” like before and instead addressed him as Grandpa.
As for the other believers, they respectfully referred to him as “Apostle.”
“Alright, I’m getting ready for bed,” Old Mo nodded.
Gan Lin noticed the increasing number of white hairs at his temples and couldn’t help but say, “Can’t I handle the daily trades instead?”
Despite becoming a leader, Old Mo still personally conducted transactions with his followers every day.
It was manageable when there were only a couple of hundred people, but with over a thousand now, even if each transaction took just one second, it would still take three hours to complete everything.
Not to mention, it was impossible to finish each trade in just a second.
For an elderly man like Old Mo, it was a physically exhausting task.
Old Mo sighed and said, “What do you know? This is all about accumulating points!”
He was now generating at least 20,000 points a day, which added up to 600,000 points a month. This meant that every month, he could earn 30,000 personal points and 60,000 supply points.
“We have a lot of people now, and besides water, we need a massive amount of food too.”
Relying solely on his points to exchange for food was not sustainable—90,000 points could only buy 8,000 kilos of brown rice.
Divided over 30 days, that was only 300 kilos of rice per day, which wasn’t even enough for each person to get a full meal daily.
If it weren’t for Gan Lin’s dream-trading with the Divine Emissary, they wouldn’t have been able to sustain so many followers.
“Then just let the squad leaders handle the Flame Stones, and you only trade with them,” Gan Lin suggested. “You’ll only lose a bit of experience, and besides, when was the last time you even leveled up?”
Old Mo hesitated but said nothing.
Leveling up had become much harder—it had been smooth sailing early on, but after reaching LV16, the difficulty increased exponentially.
Even with hundreds of profitable trades per day, it still took him four or five days to level up. Once he hit LV17, it would likely be even worse.
Old Mo knew that if he let the squad leaders pool the Flame Stones for trade, he would still get the same amount of points without all the exhaustion.
But… he just couldn’t bear to part with the experience points.
Leveling up felt too satisfying—he couldn’t stop!
“Tomorrow, you can’t keep doing this! If you wear yourself out, what will happen to all these people depending on you?” Gan Lin said firmly.
Old Mo sighed and reluctantly nodded.
“Also, we have too many people now. Shouldn’t we stop recruiting for the time being?” Gan Lin added hesitantly. “I’m starting to get a little scared…”
Who would have thought that their initial goal was just to gain a bit of power for self-preservation, yet in such a short time, they had grown to over a thousand members?!
The scariest part was that six or seven hundred of them had joined in just the past two weeks.
If things continued at this pace, Gan Lin didn’t even dare to imagine what would happen…
“We do need to slow things down,” Old Mo nodded. “But we can’t stop people from coming to us. We’ll have to think of another way.”
After all, their banner was already raised—if they refused new followers seeking refuge, wouldn’t that be a slap in the face?
Although these believers had initially gathered out of self-interest, under Old Mo’s relentless indoctrination, they had gradually become more devout.
“It’s time to select a few trusted confidants,” Old Mo said in a low voice.
Naturally, these confidants were meant to be recommended to the Divine Emissary, in the hopes that the Emissary would recruit them as employees.
What set him apart from the other employees was that he had Gan Lin, allowing him to communicate directly with the Divine Emissary through dreams!
If he made the recommendations through Gan Lin, it should work, right?
Only by doing this could they earn more points to exchange for enough food to sustain the growing number of people.
Otherwise…
Old Mo understood what Gan Lin was worried about. But now that the great wheel had begun turning, how could it possibly come to a stop so easily?
All they could do was hope that the Divine Emissary would hear their struggles and grant them guidance…
That Night
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi quietly escorted Kang Kang back to the Desolate City Haven, reuniting him with his grandmother and planning to pick him up again the next day.
Although Lan Yunqing now had access to the Guardian Barrier, he was unlikely to come barging in in the middle of the night.
Of course, Tang Yu’an had already designated his bedroom as a restricted area, so he wasn’t worried about anyone suddenly discovering his absence.
Back at the attic of the Peace Grocery Store, they retrieved the dream message bottle for the night.
After hearing about the challenges Gan Lin and Old Mo were facing, Tang Yu’an agreed to their request and told him to submit the recommendations for the new employees in three days.
Once they finished the day’s transactions, he and Zhou Qi started discussing the situation.
“It looks like we need to head to Flame Dragon Fortress as soon as possible,” Zhou Qi said. “If we set up a new branch there, Old Mo’s worries will be solved.”
Just like the Desolate City Haven, with a Guardian Barrier and the rules of the Night Rest, at the very least, Old Mo and Gan Lin’s safety would be assured.
“If we drive there, it’ll take quite a bit of time,” Tang Yu’an said.
Zhou Qi nodded. “Let’s go to Linhai Town first—it’s closer. If we don’t need to build a bridge, we should be able to get there in a few days.”
Flame Dragon Fortress was too far away. They might have to rely on flying to reach it, and building roads would have to be a gradual process.
“Alright,” Tang Yu’an nodded. “Should we leave tomorrow then?”
Zhou Qi thought for a moment before shaking his head.
“Let’s finish setting up the Red Bee Town branch first. Let Da Huzhi handle the development—it’ll also ensure their safety.”
“Right, right, that’s important too!”
Tang Yu’an quickly opened the mission panel and started assigning a task to Da Huzhi.
And so, just as the four in Red Bee Town finished their prayers and were about to go to sleep, a new system message popped up in front of Da Huzhi.
[Congratulations! You have triggered the Elite Mission: “Build the Red Bee Grocery Store”!]
Da Huzhi’s eyes widened in shock.
So prayers really do work!
