"If nothing else, this place sure looks desolate." Zenith gazed as far as the eye could see, only to find cracked earth and dried-up streams.
Not a single weed could be seen on the loess ground, and the bare wild trees had long been stripped of their bark.
A year of great famine!
Zenith himself was a bit confused by the world he had chosen this time, because its name consisted of only two words: "Wuxia."
The most he could imagine were the works of Jin Yong and Gu Long, or at best, *Wind and Cloud*. For a world like this, vanilla Minecraft survival items would be more than enough.
Think about it—could those martial arts masters even put a dent in an Iron Golem?
Naturally, a Wuxia world called for a change of attire. Recalling the TV dramas he had watched, Zenith dressed himself in robes as white as snow, giving off an ethereal, immortal aura.
Famine years were truly bitter for the common folk. Faintly spotting what looked like a village ahead, Zenith didn't overthink it and immediately set off to investigate.
Walking with his feet firmly on the ground, without opening the minimap or using teleportation, Zenith brought Iggy along and soon arrived near the village.
Under the shade of a tree at the village entrance lay an emaciated man. Hearing footsteps, his sunken eyes twitched slightly. When he got a clear look at the newcomers—especially when he saw a dog—his eyes immediately glowed with a feral green light.
*Meat!*
The man scrambled up on all fours, ready to lunge and grab the dog. Zenith gave him a gentle push, sending him stumbling back. "I say, friend, that's no way to greet someone, is it?"
Zenith didn't really blame him. A starving man would do anything. The fact that he hadn't lunged at the human at least showed he still retained a shred of humanity.
Zenith crouched down and dangled a loaf of bread in his hand. The rich aroma of wheat wafted through the air, making the scrawny man's Adam's apple bob uncontrollably.
"I ask, you answer. When we're done, this bread is yours."
The man didn't know what "bread" was, but he would never mistake the smell of wheat in his life. *What bread? This is clearly a long steamed bun!*
He opened his mouth, but only a puff of air came out at first, followed by a hoarse, raspy voice. "M-My lord, please spare a sip of water first... My throat is so dry, I can't even speak."
Only then did the man notice Zenith's attire. Earlier, he had been so blinded by hunger at the sight of the dog that he just charged. Normally, he would take a wide detour around anyone dressed like this.
Zenith reached behind his back, rummaged around for a second, and pulled out a Water Bucket. He set the bucket down in front of the man and gestured with his chin. "Drink up. Once you're done, answer my questions properly."
The man's eyes widened into perfect circles. He simply couldn't fathom where this bucket of water had been hidden.
Burying his face directly into the bucket, he gulped down several large mouthfuls before lifting his head with a look of pure satisfaction. "My lord, ask away! I'll tell you everything I know!"
Even as he spoke, his gaze kept drifting toward the bread. Zenith simply broke off a piece and held it in his hand. "Where are we?"
"To answer my lord, this is Hanpo Village. Six or seven miles east is Changle Township, and about twenty miles further is Neixiang County. I don't know much beyond that."
Seeing the man's hopeful gaze, Zenith handed him the torn piece of bread. He watched as the man shoved the fist-sized chunk into his mouth in two bites, washing it down with water from the bucket. Zenith felt like choking just watching him.
However, the loaf was quite large, enough to be broken into at least three or four sections. Zenith tore off another piece and continued asking, "What's your name, and what dynasty is it?"
"This lowly one is named Wang Er." Wang Er thought to himself that he had met a living saint, giving him food for such simple questions. He quickly answered, "It is currently the fifth year of Yuanyou in the Great Song Dynasty."
"Oh, we share the same surname." Zenith tossed the rest of the loaf to him, clapped his hands, and stood up. "How many households are left in the village? Go call them out. Anyone who works for me gets fed."
Starving corpses littering the ground seemed to be a common occurrence in ancient times, let alone in the Song Dynasty of a Wuxia world. Aside from government officials, anyone with skills went to work in handicraft workshops. Those willing to risk their lives either practiced martial arts or became bandits.
In a year of severe drought, the common folk were exactly like the man before him.
Having eaten and drank, Wang Er finally recovered a good amount of strength. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily. "Lord Wang is merciful! For a bite to eat, the hundred or so people in our village would gladly lay down our lives for you!"
He wasn't just saying that. In times like these, trading a white steamed bun for a wife wouldn't be surprising! As long as they were fed, these starving peasants were truly willing to give up their lives for him.
Wang Er jogged back into the village. Before long, a commotion stirred within.
Taking advantage of the wait, Zenith quickly built a two-by-two-meter water basin, creating an infinite water source first. Then, he used wooden planks and slabs to set up a makeshift shelf on the ground, placing four stacks of bread on it.
By the time he finished, the villagers were walking out, supporting one another.
Wang Er rubbed his eyes. Where did all this bread and this water pool come from? Why hadn't he seen them just a moment ago?
*Could this Lord Wang be a benevolent deity descended to save us from suffering?*
Not everyone knew restraint. Seeing so much bread, a few men immediately saw red and charged forward blindly to snatch it.
Would Zenith tolerate this? He was planning to stay here for a while and build a base of operations in this world.
Without mods, many things were inconvenient, so having a home base was absolutely necessary.
Therefore, many rules had to be established in advance: you can take what I give you, but you cannot steal what I don't.
Words were pale and powerless at a time like this. Zenith drew his bow and fired. After three arrows thudded into the ground, quivering, the charging villagers instantly froze in their tracks and backed away trembling.
At this moment, their eyes were filled with fear.
Zenith switched to a TNT block, placed it near them, and ignited it. With a deafening boom, a massive crater appeared in the ground.
At this moment, their eyes were filled with awe.
"I will be staying here for a short while. During this time, you will work for me. Those who do well will be rewarded; those who do poorly will be punished."
Zenith pointed at the few men who had rushed forward to steal and said coldly, "Behavior like this happens only once. There will be no next time. Wang Er, come here."
Wang Er trotted over eagerly. He first bowed deeply, offering a loud, respectful greeting, then stood up with a fawning smile. "My lord, what are your orders?"
Zenith dug through his inventory and pulled out a Cooked Chicken. He handed the whole bird, roasted crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, to Wang Er.
"Organize the villagers to line up for bread and water. This roast chicken is your reward. I'm going over there to find a house for myself. If any trouble breaks out, I'll hold you responsible."
*Chicken! This is a roast chicken! Let alone during a famine, even in a prosperous year, one might not get to eat this during the New Year!*
"Rest assured, my lord! If anything goes wrong, you can have my head!"
The surrounding villagers all swallowed their saliva greedily, secretly cursing the fact that it just happened to be Wang Er guarding the village entrance today.
But they didn't dare make any rash moves. Creating objects out of thin air, along with an explosion like heavenly fire and thunder—these were simply the methods of a god. Who would dare disobey a god?
Seeing them obediently lining up, Zenith was very satisfied. Now, all he had to do was build his own house first. There was no way he was willing to sleep in one of these dilapidated thatched huts.