The developers still haven't forgiven the players.

Chapter 132 The Joy of Harvest

The elder of the Shanyan clan slowly raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the thick smoke and firelight, reaching the campsite atop the mountain.

He stepped down from the decision-making level of the Ministry of War, voluntarily leaving the opportunity to his juniors.

Because he was old, his vitality was gradually declining, and his lifespan was coming to an end.

If he were young, even alone, he would have the confidence to sit outside the city and not let a single Roaring Clan soldier escape.

But we no longer have that ability.

Moreover, the blood of his clansmen was flowing right beneath his feet, and there were still a large number of women, children, and the elderly behind him. He could not do such a thing again and could only wait for the camp to be able to handle it.

Shan Yan suppressed the turmoil in his chest, his sharp, knife-like eyes softened slightly, and he turned to look at his clansmen who were still immersed in the aftermath of the disaster.

"What are you all standing there for? Save people! Put out the fire! Gather the bodies of the dead tribesmen!"

This sharp shout, imbued with the unique pressure of boundless blood energy, instantly jolted everyone awake.

"yes!"

"Quick, go fetch water!"

The surviving young and middle-aged women and children, with tears in their eyes, sprang into action.

Although accompanied by lamentations and weeping, at least the organization level was restored.

Four hours have passed since the Roaring Clan launched their night raid.

As dawn broke, the battle situation at the mountaintop camp finally became clear.

In fact, once all parties in the camp mobilized, it was only a matter of time before the Roaring Clan was pushed back onto the post road.

At this moment, the fires in various parts of the camp gradually died down, leaving only a few wisps of smoke clinging to life among the charred beams.

The ground was soaked in blood, which congealed into a dark red crust. Stepping on it would produce a slight cracking sound, mixed with the fishy smell of mud and the smell of burnt earth, which went straight into the nostrils.

Most of the tents near the post road had collapsed, and there were hardly any intact tents to be found.

As far as the eye could see, corpses lay scattered about, including soldiers of the Mountain Rhyme Clan and soldiers of the Roaring Clan.

Before the first line of defense, where the fiercest fighting had taken place, Chief Shanyun stood leaning on his long sword, his armor stained with blood, his beard and hair turned somewhat white from the smoke.

"Take stock of casualties."

His gaze swept over every corpse, every pool of blood, finally settling on the massive light screen in the depression at the mountaintop: "Also, quickly determine how many beasts escaped the city?"

"Casualties are still being calculated, as for the Roaring Clan warriors who escaped the city—"

Shanhe paused for a moment, then added, "—Roughly speaking, it's no less than ten thousand."

Upon hearing this, both of them fell silent.

The wind blew from the mountain pass, swirling up the ashes and bloodstains on the ground, which then landed on the shoulders of the mountains and rivers.

After a long silence, Chief Shanyun finally spoke again: "Have the warriors from each tribe already resigned?"

The commander of the mountains and rivers responded with silence.

This is the obvious choice.

The warriors who came to support the various tribes were themselves the most important defensive force of their respective tribes.

With so many soldiers of the criminal tribe scattered into the wilderness, the situation posed a life-or-death crisis for the various tribes within the Ministry of War's jurisdiction.

Even a tribe as strong as Qinghe could be wiped out if it wasn't careful when facing a 10,000-strong battle army of the Hou tribe.

Other weaker tribes, let alone the Roaring Clan's ten-thousand-strong warrior army, even a few thousand-strong squads, must be on high alert.

From a strategic perspective, it would certainly be more reasonable for these divisions to remain and assist in the defense.

But if they choose to go back to guard their homes, there's no reason to criticize them.

Chief Shanyun sighed softly.

"Fine."

Near the Xishi tribe.

At this moment, Si Dongquan and Nian Dongjian stood on a small field ridge, seemingly immersed in a golden dream of a bountiful harvest.

Before us lies a paddy field covering approximately one acre.

To determine the characteristics of this crop, the young couple selected several locations near the village as "experimental fields."

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The rice plants in these fields are growing at different rates, but the fastest growing is clearly the experimental field near the stream in front of us.

It is no longer the tender green it was when it was planted just one or two days ago, and the lush green of the heading stage has also faded.

The rice paddies before me seemed to have been meticulously painted with the richest gold dust by the sunlight.

Each grain of rice, nestled among the emerald green leaves, shimmers with a warm, lustrous sheen.

Each stalk of rice bows its head humbly, the plump grains bending the stalks into graceful arcs, like a giant...

The meticulously woven golden tassels sway gently in the cool breeze, creating layers of golden waves.

Upon closer inspection, each grain of rice is firm and compact, with a mature, pale yellowish-brown husk that subtly reveals the glossy white of the polished rice inside.

A unique fragrance permeated the air, and Si Dongquan could tell that it must be the aroma emitted by the ripening of this special crop.

The air is filled with the moisture of the soil and the warmth of the sun. Take a deep breath, and your lungs will be filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

The special rice in the game has a much shorter growth cycle than real rice.

But the sense of accomplishment from the harvest is not diminished in the slightest.

The young couple was genuinely happy at that moment.

It's not just because these mature, polished rice varieties can bring them substantial benefits.

In reality, they chose this major simply because they were fascinated by the fruits of hard work and time.

It will bring abundant hope, abundance, and the most authentic joy of life.

Si Dongquan squatted down, his fingertips gently brushing against a drooping rice stalk, the plump grains making his fingertips itch slightly.

He looked up, his eyes reflecting the golden expanse of rice paddies, his voice brimming with undisguised joy: "Look how tightly the grains are packed into these ears."

Nian Dongjian didn't reply, but simply reached out and parted the rice leaves to reveal the slightly whitish soil on the paddy field ridges underneath.

She touched her fingertips to the damp mud, brought it to her nose, and smelled it. Suddenly, she laughed: "Smell it! This mud still smells of stream water. No wonder this experimental plot grew the fastest. When we were choosing the location, you said that being close to the stream would allow us to absorb moisture." I even thought you chose too remotely, but now it seems like it was a lucky accident.

As Nian Dongjian spoke, his eyes lit up: "You calculate, how many jin can this acre yield? Three hundred? Or five hundred?"

Si Dongquan also squatted down like his girlfriend, gently picked a grain of rice, and crushed it in his palm.

The light yellowish-brown outer shell cracks open, revealing the glistening white rice grains inside, and at the same time, you can smell the rich aroma of rice.

"Look at the rice grains, they're even more translucent than glutinous rice. Selling them for one spirit essence per pound isn't unreasonable, is it?"

Incidentally, for players, this kind of thing is even a lower priority as food.

Most importantly, these rice husks, when ground into powder, are the essential material for refining Blood Qi Pills.

Even if players would rather hunt in the mountains than spend spiritual essence to buy refined rice, it won't affect sales much.

At least players like Dog Bro wouldn't mind buying all of these premium rice.

In order to get other players to refine Blood Qi Pills for him, he will probably take the initiative to distribute the rice husks that have been ground into powder.