Fantasy: The Second Miss Said She Was Ordinary

Ordinary cultivators like Ahan have to put in more effort and spend more gold coins to maintain their original level of survival and cultivation.

Throughout the empire, there was a chorus of lamentations.

But this also inspires greater resilience and cultivation potential.

Half an hour later, Qin Youyou felt that the torrent of spiritual energy was even more surging. Sure enough, the pressurization effect was significant.

The cultivators in the Blood Moon Mirror shouted, "A blizzard is coming! Quickly, take shelter in the coastal area and the summer area!"

"This is bad! A large number of refugees are pouring in from the coastal and summer areas!"

"Damn it! Hurry up and build the fortress and the great furnace to withstand the blizzard!"

"All War Immortals, assemble! Guard against the incursions of refugees into our domain!"

Qin Youyou snapped out of her daze.

"Pressure is the driving force. Keep up the good work, everyone. The full coverage of the psionic network in Wujiu City depends on you."

Outside the window, in the night sky above Wujiu City, thousands of illumination orbs powered by spiritual energy emitted a steady and gentle light, illuminating this divine city that was marching into a new era.

But the source of the light is hidden deep within that small black cube, originating from another world.

■

Another leisurely six months have passed.

On the opposite side, Ling Yi placed a piece:

“Spiritual energy is truly a wonderful thing,” he remarked, looking at the flashing aircraft outside. “Just six months ago, we were worried about the energy shortage, but now even Old Wang, the ordinary man who sells candied hawthorns on the street corner, is using a spiritual energy mini-fridge.”

What is half a year on the Brilliant Continent is, in the Blood Moon Mirror, nearly a thousand years of tumultuous changes.

For the first three hundred years, the so-called Eternal Empire within the Blood Moon Mirror flourished.

Under Zhang Fugui's guidance and Yu Benben's rule, people became accustomed to making a living on the edges of the four perilous regions.

Life is tough, but there's hope for the future.

Gold coins can buy better cultivation techniques, elixirs, and even a small house in the relatively safe capital.

It is widely believed that as long as one cultivates diligently and accumulates contributions, one can gain a foothold in this realm of immortality and even touch upon the legendary secrets of eternity.

But within these three hundred years, some subtle changes began to occur.

Suffering breeds philosophy.

Some loners started asking strange questions: "Why are the rules of heaven and earth like this?"

"What is the ultimate goal of our cultivation?"

But they were seen as lunatics whining without cause and no one paid them any attention.

By the second three hundred years, the feeling that everything had been arranged became more and more obvious.

Resource points seem to appear and deplete according to a certain pattern, and no matter how innovative the cultivation techniques are, there seems to be an invisible ceiling.

The initial enthusiasm gradually cooled, and the repetitive work and the lack of hope for a real breakthrough caused many people to feel restless.

Doubts began to circulate, spreading like the wind to taverns, mines, and casual conversations during breaks in cultivation.

"Don't you think we're like hamsters in a cage, running frantically, the wheel spinning fast, but we're always stuck in the same place?"

"Immortality? If immortality means forever mining, forever taking on quests, and forever battling this awful weather, then I'd rather live a hundred years of carefree days and then die!"

"Grand Preceptor Zhang Fugui and the Eternal Emperor, it seems they'll never have to worry about these things..."

Some people couldn't bear the oppressive atmosphere that made them shudder and went insane, howling as they rushed into the depths of the four forbidden zones, never to be heard from again.

Some people have come to terms with it and simply give up, taking it one day at a time and just muddling through.

Discontent is building up throughout society.

For the next few centuries, the empire continued to function on the surface, but its foundations were already crumbling.

The gap between the rich and the poor is huge, and upward mobility is almost monopolized by the early privileged class.

The new generation is born and grows up in the lie of "immortality," repeating the fate of their parents. Many of them see no hope from birth.

The philosophers' voices grew louder and more pessimistic.

They stopped asking why and instead asserted: "We are being raised in captivity! Our efforts and suffering are only providing nourishment for certain people!"

"What immortality? That's just an immortality that's hanging over us, an immortality for a select few!"

These pessimistic and despairing pronouncements spread to every corner of the empire.

Finally, on a blizzard night in a cool region, a young miner named Shi Jian, a new third-generation descendant born in the Blood Moon Mirror, raised his voice in protest because he could no longer endure the oppression of the noble stewards and the endless labor!

The resentment that had been building up for nearly a thousand years erupted like a volcano! The flames of rebellion ignited in the cool region and quickly spread!

Qin Youyou happened to have nothing to do that day, so she immersed herself in the body of her clone "Zhang Fugui" and personally experienced this great change.

She stood atop the city wall, looking down at the dark mass of people below, their eyes burning with rage.

Shouting to break the cage and overthrow the dictator, they fought desperately against the well-equipped royal guards, their eyes bloodshot.

Inside the palace, Yu Benben was no longer the ambitious leader he once was.

A thousand years of indulgence had turned him into a fat, senile good-for-nothing. With his favorite concubine in his arms, he drunkenly asked, "What's all the commotion outside? Is it...is it the new opera troupe performing?"

Only when the rebel army rushed in front of him, and the cold blade was pressed against his neck, did he suddenly wake up and scream in terror: "I am the Eternal Emperor! You cannot kill me! Grand Preceptor Zhang, save me!"

Qin Youyou had already changed her appearance and was hiding in the crowd.

Shi Jian, the young leader of the uprising, roared with bloodshot eyes: "Eternity? It's your eternity! It was built with the blood and sweat of our generations! We don't want it anymore! And you don't want it either!"

The light of the knife flashed.

Yu Benben, who had pursued immortality for a thousand years, died in a way that was like a joke.

In the instant he breathed his last, Qin Youyou saw his soul.

The soul, filled with regret, fear, and confusion, let out a painful wail.

At that moment, he suddenly understood: for most people, the ability to start over is far more benevolent than the eternal decadence of the few.

Qin Youyou withdrew her thoughts from the Blood Moon Mirror; in that plane, Zhang Fugui no longer existed.

The transformation has been initially completed, new ideas have emerged from the collision of ideas, and the old order has been overthrown.

She would consider helping these insurgents with new ideas to better manage that plane.

Another day has passed in Wujiu City.

The energy fluctuations emitted by the power bank have changed.

It's no longer the struggling, sharp, surging energy of the past; it has become more profound and peaceful.

"Hmm? The energy texture inside has changed?" Qin Youyou asked curiously. "Fifty years have passed since the uprising inside. What kind of mess have those little rebels made of the world?"

She decided to go and see for herself.

He transformed himself into a wandering scholar named Mr. Yunyi.

He was simply dressed, had a kind face, and looked well-read.

"The Four-Domain Republic Federation?" Qin Youyou pondered the name of this new nation with great interest.

When she arrived in the federal capital, the new regime was facing its first major bottleneck.

As the initial enthusiasm for the successful uprising cooled, real-world problems began to surface.

How to govern the four perilous regions? How to quell disputes within the territory arising from differences in resource allocation and ideologies?

The current governor, Shi Jian, a former mining leader, is now fretting over a huge map of the Federation.

On the map, the four perilous regions remain clearly distinguished by color, representing danger and the unknown.

"The blizzards in the cool regions are exceptionally fierce this year, causing severe damage to the newly built oasis towns..."

"The lava rivers in the Summer Domain are unusually active, threatening the main mine tunnels..."

"Every region is complaining about unfair resource allocation. If this continues, I'm afraid internal strife will break out..."

Shi Jian rubbed his temples, deeply feeling that governing a country was a thousand times more complex than leading an uprising.

Just then, a guard announced that a wandering scholar who called himself Yunyi was requesting an audience, claiming to have a strategy for stabilizing the country.

Shi Jian didn't want to pay any attention to him, but he heard that this person had an extraordinary demeanor and was very insightful about the formation of the four forbidden regions and the flow of spiritual energy. So, he decided to give it a try and meet him.

When Qin Youyou, disguised as Mr. Yunyi, met Shi Jian, she did not engage in grand discussions. Instead, she pointed to the map and asked, "Your Excellency, in your eyes, are the snow and wind of the Cool Domain and the lava of the Summer Domain enemies, or... resources?"

Shi Jian was taken aback: "Of course they are enemies! They threaten the survival of our people!"

Qin Youyou smiled slightly and shook her head gently: "If we regard them as enemies, we will never have a peaceful day. We can only passively defend and be constantly on the move."

"The way of Heaven is constant. Wind, snow, lava, storms, and tsunamis are all natural forces of the universe, governed by their own laws. Instead of fighting against them, why not try to understand them, guide them, or even... borrow from them?"

Shi Jian said seriously, "Please explain in detail."

“Extreme cold is not only destructive. Cold air can be condensed and stored. Why not organize cultivators who are proficient in ice-based laws to survey the earth's veins and construct a large-scale cold-gathering spirit array and a heat-conducting circulation system? The excess cold air can be channeled deep underground for storage, or geothermal energy can be guided to form a warm bed in specific areas, turning harm into benefit.”

"The focus of cultivators should shift from resisting the cold to regulating temperature. In this way, not only can the environment be improved, but the subtle manipulation of ice-type spiritual power in the process is itself a very profound form of cultivation."

Of course, the spiritual energy generated will also be purer and more stable.

Shi Jian's eyes lit up.

Look, this is what a cultured person is like!

Unlike those brutes who only know how to shout and kill!

"Please take a seat, sir!"

Qin Youyou did not reject his enthusiasm and continued to teach him:

"The raging fires of the earth are also a vast treasure trove of energy and minerals. We can select fire and metal element cultivators to establish the Molten Fire Resources Bureau, design energy diversion towers and safe mining tunnels, and gradually extract the raging fire energy, transforming it into stable heat and power that can be used by the city. To dance with the flames and turn destruction into creation is a great merit."

She also put forward similar views on tranquil areas and coastal areas, emphasizing guidance and utilization rather than hard confrontation.

“In this way,” Qin Youyou concluded, “the four forbidden regions will no longer be threats that require huge sums of money to defend, but will become the four engines of the confederation’s development. The cultivators’ cultivation will also be closely integrated with building their homes and serving society.”

"The pursuit of the ultimate in personal power, those old-fashioned dreams of immortality, are illusory. But the pursuit of harmonious coexistence with nature and the ability to use the power of heaven and earth to benefit the collective is real and endless. This may be the true way of eternity, also known as sustainable development."

Shi Jian was completely dumbfounded.

These theories, once passed down, shocked the Confederate leadership and academics.

This completely overturned their past way of thinking!

They began to try to implement reforms according to Qin Youyou's ideas.

The Domain Governance Institute was established, and cultivators with relevant spiritual root attributes were recruited as technocrats.

Countless cultivators eagerly signed up.

Reform the cultivation and education system, emphasizing the understanding and application of natural laws, and take the practical ability to govern remote areas as an important criterion for selecting talents.

The atmosphere for cultivation has become even more intense.

Large-scale environmental remediation projects are being launched one after another.

The "Constant Temperature Oasis" project in the Cool Zone, the "Geothermal Energy Conversion" project in the Summer Zone, the "Wind Rail Network" construction in the Tranquil Zone, and the "Ecological Fishery" project in the Coastal Zone are all being carried out in a vigorous manner.

Qin Youyou did not interfere too much in the specific matters, but only casually offered some pointers on key technologies and provided guidance.

It ignites a spark, and then you watch it grow into a prairie fire.

The effect is significant.

The environment has improved, living space has expanded, and resource acquisition has become more sustainable.

Social conflicts are mitigated by shared goals.

The cultivators found new and more valuable goals for their cultivation and social status, and their enthusiasm soared to unprecedented heights.

Most importantly, the spiritual energy generated through this positive, orderly, and harmonious collective effort with nature far surpasses the energy extracted under fear, oppression, and blind resistance in the past in both quantity and quality.

The energy flow became more stable, robust, and vibrant than ever before.

With the new federal system taking initial shape, Qin Youyou bid farewell to Shi Jian.

"Why are you leaving, sir? I need your help right now!" Shi Jian pleaded with him to stay.

Qin Youyou casually boasted, "Governing a country is like cooking a small fish; the heat is just right, all you need to do is patiently tend to it. My ambition is to travel the world and observe the principles of heaven and earth. Moreover, the true way to govern lies in stimulating endogenous motivation, not in relying on an outsider. I hope that the rulers and all of you can uphold this mindset and persevere."

Where did you learn all these techniques?

I learned this from the book Qin Youyou read when she took the civil service exam in the 21st century!

After saying that, she drifted away, waving her sleeves and leaving without a trace.

Shi Jian gazed in the direction Qin Youyou had gone and bowed deeply.

I was so moved that tears welled up in my eyes.

He was a third-generation person born in this Blood Moon Mirror. He had never seen the outside world, nor did he yearn for it.

Even knowing that the world might be manipulated by beings from a higher dimension, he couldn't bear to leave his hometown.

There's no place like home.

To be able to turn one's doghouse into a golden palace is truly a joyous occasion!

He didn't know who Mr. Yunyi was, but he had a vague feeling that perhaps fate wasn't so cruel to them.

Qin Youyou's thoughts returned to their original state.

"Occasionally, I personally step in and act as the 'golden touch' grandpa, and the results are quite good."

She stretched comfortably.

"The productivity brought about by happy people is indeed more advanced and more lasting."

Inside and outside Wujiu City, thousands of lights shone.

The same myriad lights shone in the Blood Moon Mirror.

Each one of them represents a striving to live.

For the present, and for the not-too-distant future.

(End of the article)

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