Although Li Daoxuan had "ascended into the clouds," he wasn't truly gone.He had simply lowered the glass cover over the diorama box and was now peeking in from above—secretly, like a man enjoying snacks at midnight and pretending he isn't.
He had discovered something peculiar:
Open the top cover → the little villagers see him as a god surrounded by clouds.
Look through the glass → they can't see even the shadow of Gao Yiye.
Humans really are strange creatures.When watched openly, they stiffen like students caught cheating.Watched secretly, their true personalities bloom like weeds after a spring rain.
Li Daoxuan found himself rather entertained by the natural behavior of Gao Yiye, San Shier, and the rest once "Heavenly Venerable" conveniently vanished.
He personally didn't care whether they built a temple or sculpted a golden idol of him—it wasn't like he needed the flattery—but if the little people wanted to fuss about it, that was their business. There were only forty-something villagers; without manpower, they couldn't achieve much anyway. Might as well let them play.
Villagers Mobilize
San Shier's first order was simple and loud:"Everyone! Bring out every oil jar, oil cup, oil bowl—anything that can hold oil!"
The villagers scrambled, hauling out their mismatched containers.Together they siphoned off the rapeseed oil.
Then, imitating an army of very determined ants, the young laborers he rounded up carried the enormous mineral-water bottle cap—half filled with oil—toward his temporary residence. After that, they started processing the flour.
All the flour Li Daoxuan had dropped into the box came in neat little dough-ball shapes.
San Shier borrowed the village chief's grinding plate and assigned several youths—Gao Xiaowu among them—to grind the flour balls back into powder so they'd look like ordinary grain.
Gao Xiaowu grumbled while grinding,"Third Master, why smash them again? This is so much work…"
Smack!San Shier slapped the back of his head.
"What do you know? I'm taking this flour outside the village to bring back more people. If officials see mysterious round flour balls, we'll be explaining ourselves at the execution ground. Grind it! We need to *'cover the heavens and cross the sea.'"
Gao Xiaowu blinked innocently."If officials see us, can't we just tell them Tianzun gave it?"
Smack!Another slap.
"What do you know?! The imperial court has been hunting the White Lotus cult for years. Anyone who claims divine gifts will be executed before they can even kneel. Do you want the whole village to die because of your mouth?"
Gao Xiaowu rubbed his head miserably."Okay, okay… don't hit me anymore. I'm already dumb. If you keep hitting me, I'll be super dumb…"
Studying and Suffering
Meanwhile, the Third Lady sat under the eaves with Gao Yiye, reading aloud from a Taoist scripture.Gao Yiye's head was swelling like rising dough, but she persevered, dutifully memorizing divine lines with the expression of someone preparing for an imperial exam they never signed up for.
Even the tiny villagers were giving it their all.
Li Daoxuan watched and sighed."If they're trying so hard, I suppose I should too… if only to afford tomorrow's lunch."
He opened his work messenger and typed his colleague:"Bro, any new freelance jobs these two days? Throw me another."
The reply came instantly:"Waiting for you! A game company wants monster designs. Main aesthetic: black, fierce, disgusting—must look gross at first glance. 800 yuan. Two days deadline."
And so the days passed.
Work, Monsters, and Party A
Two days later, at dusk, Li Daoxuan stretched his stiff back.
Party A had reviewed the monster sketches:
"Looks good. Add fangs."
Added fangs.
"Hmm… fangs too cliché. How about a long tongue?"
Added a long tongue.
"The tongue should have spikes."
Shrunk the fangs and pasted them onto the tongue.
Finally, Party A was satisfied, and 800 yuan dropped into his account.
With work done, he finally turned his attention back to the box.
San Shier Returns With… an Army of Refugees
Inside the box, San Shier was entering the village gate with a long line of ragged people trailing behind him—one hundred and two in total.
The newcomers stared wide-eyed at the "majestic city walls" of Gaojia Village, their jaws hanging somewhere near their knees. They shuffled into the village square, unsure what to do with their hands or their lives.
San Shier stood proudly before them, hands on his hips:
"As I've said on the way: come to Gaojia Village and you'll have food. But let me make this ugly part clear—after you taste Tianzun's generosity, you must work for Tianzun."
He paused dramatically, turning sideways with a wicked grin:
"If you slack off… well… offending Tianzun is fine. I'll just let you experience what 'Heaven and Earth Obliteration' feels like."
Li Daoxuan blinked.
…This guy really knows how to intimidate newcomers. And he makes me sound terrifying.
The village chief hurried over."Third Master, who are all these people?"
San Shier clasped his hands behind his back like a seasoned county official.
"These are the remaining villagers from Wang Village, Zheng Village, Zhong Village, and nearby places. Wang Er's rebellion dragged away most of their people. Too few remain to survive on their own. Their land is useless after three years of drought, so they must migrate."
The village chief frowned."But… so many people at once… where will they live? We don't have that many houses left."
San Shier shrugged."Not my problem. I give them food. Where they sleep is their own business."
The village chief hesitated."Should we ring the bell and ask Tianzun for guidance?"
San Shier glared fiercely."For every tiny problem you want to disturb Tianzun? One day he'll kick your crotch and toss you out of Gaojia Village."
Outside, Li Daoxuan froze halfway through cutting a can.
"…I'm what?"
He dropped the scissors and decided to observe how they solved this themselves.
The Refugees Settle In
Li Daoxuan picked up his takeout—shredded potato and pork over rice—and watched while eating.
San Shier distributed little bags of flour to each refugee.The starving people burst into grateful tears, borrowed pots, cooked flour batter, and ate like they hadn't tasted real food in years.
As darkness fell, they gathered hay and made simple bedding along the city walls.With no rain forecast, a roof seemed like a luxury.
Just as they lay down, something stunned them:
Lights ignited across the walls.One lantern every ten paces, glowing golden in the night.
Two villagers with bows began patrolling the ramparts.
The refugees were awestruck.
Burning rapeseed oil like this?!Just how rich is Gaojia Village?!