San Shier's head started throbbing again.
The cause was simple—and terrifying.
Dao Xuan Tianzun had issued a new directive:
Gao Family Village was to begin extending its reach toward Xi'an.
The moment San Shier received the order, he felt his hair turn white from stress.
Xi'an was not some backwater county or forgettable prefecture town. It was a true monster of a city—a former capital, a colossal urban center. The population within the city walls alone numbered in the hundreds of thousands. If you counted the surrounding towns and villages?
The scale was enough to make any administrator reconsider farming instead.
How many people would Gao Family Village need to mobilize to reshape that kind of place?
Just thinking about it made San Shier's temples ache.
Thankfully, the initial construction in Puzhou City had already been completed. That meant a large number of skilled technicians—engineers, foremen, organizers—could now be transferred from Puzhou to Xi'an.
That realization was the only thing keeping San Shier upright.
He buried himself in paperwork, approving transfer orders at a frantic pace. Blue Hats rushed in and out like ants whose nest had been kicked over, carrying stamped documents in every direction.
Just as San Shier was drowning in work, Zhong Gaoliang squeezed through the doorway.
"Third Manager," Zhong said cheerfully, "I'm here to get a slip approved."
San Shier didn't even look up. He took the document and was just about to sign—
When a familiar, teasing voice echoed from his chest:
"Hey! Read it properly before you sign. Or you'll end up fooled by your subordinates, just like the officials of the old society."
San Shier jolted so hard he nearly flung the brush away.
It was the Golden Thread Dao Xuan Tianzun.
Panicking, San Shier hurriedly bowed his head toward the figure resting on his chest, mumbling an apology. Then—finally exercising caution—he reread the document Zhong Gaoliang had handed over.
It was a Special Pardon Request.
Specifically: a request for clemency for over six hundred former Guyuan rebels.
San Shier's expression shifted. He read more carefully.
The document stated that Chen Baihu and the others had undergone several years of Labor Reform, had fully atoned for their past crimes, and had completed ideological education. Their moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor development was now considered complete, and they were deemed capable of aligning with Gao Family Village's new social ethos.
San Shier nodded.
"I've read it. No problem."
Only then did he lift his brush and write two decisive characters:
Approved.
He signed his name, then pulled out the official seal of the Gao Family Village Disciplinary Committee and stamped it firmly onto the document.
Thunk.
Zhong Gaoliang laughed. "When I show this to them, they'll be overjoyed."
The Golden Thread Dao Xuan Tianzun, who had been quietly chuckling, suddenly zipped across and landed atop the Silver Thread Dao Xuan Tianzun on Zhong Gaoliang's chest.
Grinning broadly, he said, "I want to watch the fun too."
Zhong Gaoliang boarded a train, carrying the Tianzun along, and quickly returned to Labor Reform Valley.
By now, Labor Reform Valley had become astonishingly lively.
With the exception of military industries—which remained strictly forbidden to reform prisoners—nearly every sector of Gao Family Village relied heavily on them: textiles, mining, printing, farming, animal husbandry, road construction, cement production…
Any piece of flat land within Huanglong Mountain was immediately turned into factory space. Houses dotted the slopes and valleys, scattered wherever construction was possible.
At the very heart of the valley stood something even more unexpected:
A market.
Shops lined the streets. During designated rest periods, Labor Reform prisoners could browse and purchase daily necessities.
Of course, they had no money.
Instead, they used Labor Reform Points.
Those who worked diligently, demonstrated genuine reform, and showed good conduct earned points. These points could then be exchanged for goods at the market.
The system was brutally effective.
Motivation skyrocketed.
Now, every factory had its own "Labor Models", individuals praised for exceptional reform and productivity.
One hundred and twenty thousand Labor Reform prisoners lived here—not as chained criminals, but as participants in a strange, disciplined, half-utopian experiment.
The moment Zhong Gaoliang returned, he summoned the six hundred-plus former Guyuan rebels.
They were the longest-serving reform group—and it showed.
Neat. Orderly. Calm.
Led by Chen Baihu, they stood in formation, listening quietly as Zhong Gaoliang raised the document in his hand.
"Look carefully," he announced. "This is your special pardon. From today onward—you are free."
The formation exploded with cheers.
Zhong Gaoliang raised a hand. "You may choose to leave freely. Or…"
Chen Baihu spoke without hesitation. "We choose 'or'."
Zhong Gaoliang laughed. "Not afraid that my 'or' means jumping into a pit?"
Chen Baihu grinned. "After all these years, we know Warden Zhong. You wouldn't dig a pit for us."
Zhong Gaoliang nodded approvingly.
"Good. Then here's the 'or': Join the Gao Family Village Militia and immediately head to the front lines—Puzhou City. Your former superior, Lao Nanfeng, is stationed there and needs manpower."
The six hundred erupted again—this time in pure excitement.
"Of course!"
"That's perfect!"
"We're ready!"
Watching this, Li Daoxuan felt deeply satisfied.
This group had truly become his people.
Once they reached Puzhou City, reunited with Lao Nanfeng, and received proper arms, they would instantly add another powerful core to the militia.
With that thought, Li Daoxuan casually shifted his focus.
His consciousness leapt across space toward Puzhou City, half-expecting to catch Lao Nanfeng listening to Cai Lin sing again.
Instead—
He found a meeting in progress.
A serious one.
Inside the Puzhou City barracks, Cheng Xu sat at the head of the table. Beside him were Xing Honglang, Gao Chuwu, Zheng Daniu, Zao Ying, Lao Nanfeng, and others.
No one was smiling.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Li Daoxuan co-sensed through the Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun perched on Gao Chuwu's shoulder, listening closely.
Xing Honglang spoke first. "When was the last time Tie Niaofei contacted us?"
Zheng Daniu scratched his head. "Before I ate my nineteenth meal."
Silence fell.
Lao Nanfeng's face darkened. "That would be nine days ago?"
Zheng Daniu corrected him. "No. I eat four meals a day."
Everyone stared at him.
Speechless.
Lao Nanfeng exhaled slowly. "Even so, that's almost five days. Tie Niaofei travels constantly between Puzhou City and Xie Lake. He should report at least once every two days. Four days without contact means something has gone very wrong."
Li Daoxuan frowned.
Since joining Gao Family Village, Tie Niaofei hadn't fought major battles. Instead, he handled the salt trade, shuttling between the Xie Lake salt excise office, Puzhou City, and the processing factories.
He was a critical link.
And the straight-line distance between Puzhou City and Xie Lake was less than a hundred li.
That was far too short a route to simply vanish.
Xing Honglang said decisively, "Instructor Zao, send cavalry to search immediately."
Zao Ying nodded. "Understood."
The Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun suddenly spoke:
"No need."
Everyone froze—then lit up with relief.
"Greetings, Heavenly—Tianzun!"
"I will locate him," the Puppet Tianzun said calmly. "Allow me to conduct a divine search."
In the next instant, Li Daoxuan's consciousness surged outward, racing eastward beyond Puzhou City—
Toward the unseen stretch of land where Tie Niaofei had disappeared.
And whatever awaited him there.