Chapter 235: Fengcheng Invitation

Yu Su arrived at the peak with six children and witnessed the scene.

All six children stared at Qingze in excitement with wide-open mouths.

"Lord Mountain God!"

Yu Su, seeing their flushed faces, worried they might faint from excitement.

Qingze turned to look at them upon hearing the kids' voices.

Concerned they might faint, Yu Su urged, "When you see Lord Mountain God, you should bow."

The children, realizing, obediently bowed to Qingze.

Qingze's gaze scanned each child, nodding slightly.

Yu Su then said, "You may rise."

The children stood up quickly, gazing at Qingze with bright eyes.

Yu Su began introducing the children's names and ages to Qingze.

Each child stepped forward when called, presenting themselves to Qingze. When it was five-year-old Yuchan's turn, Qingze, observing her short stature and chubby cheeks, had a moment of hesitation.

The children didn't notice, but Yu Su did, thinking Qingze might not know one of them was so young.

Indeed, Qingze didn't know. He felt six pure souls and selected them, unaware of one being so young.

Such a small child couldn't be assigned labor, but as a Mountain God, he couldn't dismiss them without belief, so...

Qingze looked at Yu Su.

Understanding his intent, Yu Su coughed and said, "Lord Mountain God needs rest. Since you've seen him, go wait in the main hall."

"Yes," the children replied, reluctantly saying goodbye to Qingze and following Yuzhang down the mountain.

Yu Su turned, seeing Yuzhang carrying the youngest Yuchan, guiding Yusi with Yulan, leading the siblings down carefully.

Yu Su kept an eye on the children's movements with his divine sense and then looked at Qingze.

His attitude had relaxed; he smiled, "Lord Mountain God, are you satisfied with the temple?"

Qingze nodded.

Yu Su chuckled and talked with Qingze for a while. Then, addressing the placement of the six children, he said, "Except for Yuzhang, the other five are still too young. Whatever you command, let Yuzhang handle it. Yusi and the others will temporarily take care of the daily cleaning in the main hall, and I'll personally instruct them."

Qingze had no objections to this arrangement and nodded again.

On the other side, Yuzhang led the siblings down the mountain, and they handled it smoothly. The children were used to such activities, and except for Yuchan, they had no trouble navigating the mountain.

They were still immersed in the excitement of meeting Lord Mountain God.

Yuchan held her chubby cheeks, eyes sparkling. "Lord Mountain God is so handsome and shiny!"

"Yes, very shiny!"

The children thought Lord Mountain God couldn't hear them now, discussing his beauty excitedly while stomping their feet.

Qingze at the mountaintop: "..."

...

The residence for divine servants had been arranged earlier, a row of houses on the mountainside. Since there were six children, Yu Su assigned two women to take care of their daily lives. Both were honest and upright, ensuring good conduct.

Yu Su and Luyan's residence was on the other side, where the high priest and his "attendant" lived.

When Yu Su returned, Luyan had already packed their belongings.

Luyan: "Are the six children settled?"

Yu Su nodded, "They're settled."

Luyan: "How do you plan to teach them?"

Luyan had noticed that the six children were ordinary people without spiritual roots.

Yu Su: "They can't cultivate, can't communicate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, so they can't become priests. However, they still need to understand what divine servants should know. I plan to continue teaching them reading, writing, and the basic knowledge from the two books Chunan brought, 'Tai Yuan' and 'Ancient Chronicles.'"

These children, except for Yuchan, had attended school before, so basic literacy wasn't an issue. Yu Su intended to continue their education.

Luyan: "Why not send them to Chunan's school?"

Yu Su hesitated, "I'm afraid they'll face discrimination when they become divine servants."

Luyan: "With Chunan overseeing, they won't stay on the mountain forever. Let's not make it too special. Let them live as they wish. Eventually, everyone will get used to it."

Yu Su agreed with Luyan's reasoning. After all, they were just children, and keeping them on the quiet mountain forever wasn't practical.

Luyan: "I'll arrange it. Find someone to pick them up every day."

Yu Su: "Okay."

So, in addition to learning divine servant duties, the six children would attend school in the mornings.

...

Yu Su and Luyan appeared at the celebration feast.

"Lord Yu Su."

"Lord Yu Su."

As they passed, people greeted Yu Su.

Even guests from other villages joined, congratulating Yu Su on the success of today's divine ceremony. They expressed their desire to buy land and build houses in Yucheng.

The divine ceremony today was truly awe-inspiring. Many villages had been devoted to their deities for generations, but how many had seen a living deity?

Even most shamans claiming communication with spirits hadn't witnessed a living deity.

Yet, Yucheng had.

Not only did Yucheng have a living deity, but it also had the favor of divine beings from the heavens.

It wasn't just about blessings; Yucheng had divine support. Who wouldn't worry about missing out on such development?

They eagerly expressed their wishes to buy land in Yucheng, be it for homes or shops. Yu Su naturally didn't refuse. He called the village chief and Yufeng and discussed land visits for the next day.

The elite figures from the inner city were enthusiastic, while ordinary people from the outer city were moved by the divine ceremony.

The heads of major factions were eager to buy land, but ordinary people had to find alternative ways. They inquired at Yucheng's labor recruitment office, asking if there were job opportunities.

Since the days when Yucheng was still Yucun, it had often recruited help from other villages for clearing and farming.

Anyone working in Yucun could temporarily reside there and receive generous rewards.

Now that Yucun had become Yucheng, more workers would be needed.

This was evident from the large areas to be cultivated to the west and south, as well as various construction projects within the city.

The person in charge of recruiting workers, brought out by Yufeng, took advantage of the situation and posted recruitment notices, attracting people to join the workforce.

Soon, a long queue formed at the recruitment office, with people craning their necks to get a better view.

...

This lively scene continued for a long time. Even after the guests who came to witness the ceremony left Yucheng, the liveliness didn't subside.

With a large influx of workers into Yucheng, various foundational constructions began.

Major and medium-sized villages near the trading market started construction on the purchased land, attracting even more outsiders into Yucheng.

In no time, Yucheng's population increased, and the movement of people became more frequent. The outer city was filled daily with various shouts, and many suspected that people from villages all around the plains had gathered in Yucheng.

With more people, business in the trading market and shops naturally thrived.

Food, drinks, clothing, and various commodities—those who earned wages in Yucheng were willing to spend, boosting the prosperity of the trading market and accelerating construction in that area.

...

Two spring and autumn seasons passed in the blink of an eye.

A few days ago, Yucheng held its second divine ceremony since the city's establishment.

Unlike the relatively empty outer city when the city was just built, two years had passed, and the outer city now had a network of main roads.

The trading market, a street of shops, inns, restaurants, and ordinary residences all looked quite impressive, finally giving the appearance of a city.

On this day, a special group arrived outside the north gate of Yucheng.

This group consisted of fifty people, with the leader wearing a white linen shaman robe. The accompanying guards were mainly dressed in leather, their expressions arrogant. Even when they saw the towering city walls of Yucheng, they didn't seem intimidated.

The familiar attire and arrogant demeanor of these people caught the attention of the city defenders.

"Halt! Who are you?"

"We are envoys from Fengcheng, acting on the orders of the High Shaman of Fengcheng to meet the master of Yucheng."

Fengcheng? Yu Tong, the leader of the city defenders, frowned, raised his hand, and the defenders behind him immediately formed a formation. Iron spears leveled, a formidable pressure immediately surged toward the delegation from Fengcheng.

"You people from Fengcheng dare to come here to meet your doom," Yu Tong said coldly.

The initially arrogant expressions of the Fengcheng wizards and warriors changed when confronted with this powerful aura. Their arrogance faltered under the intense pressure.

"Seize them all!"

"Hold on!" The wizard from Fengcheng hurriedly said, "We are here on the orders of the High Shaman to deliver an invitation to the master of Yucheng. You can't lay hands on us."

"Invitation?" Yu Tong coldly stared at him. "What kind of invitation?"

The wizard from Fengcheng produced a parchment scroll and said, "I need to meet your master in Yucheng to deliver this invitation."

When Yu Tong's sharp gaze made the wizard from Fengcheng break into a sweat, he continued, "Someone, go report to the Lord and Lord Yu Su."

A soldier stepped forward, took the order, whistled, and a wild horse ran out. He leaped onto the horse and swiftly rode away.

The people from Fengcheng, seeing the agility of the horse and the skill of the soldier, had their expressions changed.