In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar!

"Actually, at the beginning, this song only had the part sung by senior Farusan. The rest were added by everyone later."

Among the pack animals traveling together, Wang Yan and Farusan received special treatment, with the caravan providing a pack animal specifically for them to ride.

Perhaps this is the preferential treatment of [Hebantu]. Thinking back to the scholars Wang Yan first met, Ian and his two companions did not ride any beasts when they returned to Xumi City from Huacheng.

Dixia also took a break and sat down next to Wang Yan.

The weight of three people was barely enough for the pack animals.

"At first, I refused... After all, I didn't do much. The plan to save the gods was mostly the work of Elhesen and the Traveler."

Dixia spoke softly, her gaze fixed on the direction of the desert.

"However, Candice later told me something. She said that someone in the desert had to stand up and set an example for everyone, and also let the rainforest people know that the desert people also participated in the rescue of the Grass God. Only in this way could the two sides have a basis for conversation."

Dixia withdrew her gaze and sighed slightly: "Actually, Rahman and the others made a greater contribution than I did. After all, it was they who held back the thirty-man group under Hazar's control."

Rahman entered the Red King's Ruins and realized that the Red King was not murdered by the Tree King, but was actually the leader of the gilded troupe who saved the desert people.

Of course, in his current understanding, it was the Grass King who paid the price to save the desert people.

During the operation to save the Grass God, Rahman assembled the Gilded Brigade, infiltrated Sumeru City, and intercepted a large number of thirty-person groups who had been brainwashed by Azar using the Void.

Speaking of his contributions, they are definitely significant.

"But Rahman said that he had done wrong things and had gone against the Church, and using him as a benchmark would easily cause misunderstandings among the rainforest people, so he pushed me up instead, while he himself became Miss Setare's bodyguard in the desert."

Setare is Hazar's secretary. She is also of desert origin. After being turned by the traveler and the grass god, she realized her true nature and stopped pursuing fame and fortune in the Church. Instead, she began to teach in the desert.

No, she was originally from the desert; she should be said to have returned to build up her hometown.

Then, Dixia whispered, "I consider you a friend, so please don't be like them and sing all the time."

Wang Yan nodded slightly.

He knew that Dixia didn't hate singing, but rather disliked the feeling of being fawned over.

She is willing to be relied upon, but she also hopes that everyone will treat her equally.

Seeing that Dixia didn't want to continue the conversation, Wang Yan changed the subject: "This is my first time in the desert. How long will it take us?"

As the leader of the gilded caravan escorting the merchant caravan, Dixia was naturally very clear about the caravan's route: "Our route is Sumeru City - Vimo Village - Zen Garden - Yesong Youjing - Kawan Post Station - Aru Village."

"If everything goes smoothly, this trip will probably take a month; if not, it will take even longer."

Wang Yan's eyes widened: "Does it really take that long?"

"Long? It's not that bad. There was one mission before where the journey alone took half a year." Dixia gave her a look that said, "You're making a fuss over nothing," and then pointed to the caravan. "Thirty-five pack animals, that's only a small part of this caravan. The other half went to Omos Port. We'll meet up at Vimo Village, and then head to Zen Garden, where another part of the caravan is staying..."

"This is Aru Village's annual purchasing caravan. They buy a lot of things, enough to last a year. Do you think a month's journey is far?"

The king was speechless.

The purchasing caravan in Aru Village is somewhat similar to the Hu merchants on the ancient Silk Road before Wang Yan's time travel, making a trip once a year and living off the profits of that trip for a year.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Yan still asked doubtfully, "Hasn't the Order of the Instruction tried to find a better means of transportation?"

This stumped Dixia, who was a military officer and indeed didn't know anything about these things.

At this moment, Farusan looked up from the book in her hand and looked at Wang Yan, saying, "Of course there is. The Grass God once commissioned the Myo-ron School to manufacture aerial transport vehicles. Once they are developed, they can ignore the terrain and transport people directly."

"Spaceships? I heard Fontaine has something similar," Wang Yan said directly, then asked with some curiosity, "Has the Mystic Theory School figured it out yet?"

"Of course, don't underestimate the technology of the Order of the Church. Those people can even build mechanical gods..." Farusan paused, then continued, "In short, the Mysticism School has successfully built the spaceship."

Wang Yan knew what Farusan had said, but wisely refrained from pressing the matter, instead continuing with his original question: "Then why not let everyone use it?"

"The reason is simple: the desert people can't afford it," Farusan said calmly.

"Can't afford it? Senior, how much do you need? We can always scrape together some money," Dixia said urgently.

Hearing about more convenient transportation and thinking about the conditions in the desert, Dixia longed for it.

Farusan shook her head: "It's not about the money. If you were given a spaceship that flies through the air, would you even know how to use it?"

"If the spacecraft encounters problems in the field, can you repair it?"

"If the ship can't be repaired in the wild and is damaged, resulting in a loss of several million Mora, can you afford that?"

Farusan asked several questions in a row, and Dixia's face darkened as she listened, but she couldn't refute them.

Wang Yan understood. The desert people buying spaceships is the same as African tribes buying sixth-generation fighter jets. If we sell them to you, can you even figure out how to use them?

Even if one or two geniuses emerge and figure out how to play, what will you do about maintaining logistics?

The desert's resources are ultimately too limited, and even if the Order of the Church is willing to provide assistance, it can only offer basic support.

The spaceship, such a high-tech piece of equipment, can either be provided to the desert people free of charge by the Academy, or it can only be left until the next generation of desert children who have received education from the Academy grow up.

The former is obviously impossible. The Council has already compensated the desert enough. If it were to provide additional free subsidies, not to mention the attitude of the Rainforest people, the Council's own finances would not be able to support it.

"But if the spaceship isn't feasible... why not build a road?" Wang Yan asked.

Farusian frowned: "You mean... the road leading directly from the Church of Christ to the desert?"

The so-called "Chidao" refers to a smooth road suitable for galloping horses.

Wang Yan nodded: "That's right, we don't need to build it all the way to the desert, just to Kawan Post Station. This way, we can greatly reduce the time caravans spend on the road."

"Moreover, this road is within the rainforest, so it not only benefits the desert people, but also the rainforest people living in the surrounding villages."

Wang Yan directly adopted the perspective of a construction maniac.

"Moreover, compared to spaceships, building highways can also provide a large number of basic jobs and supporting industries."

"For example..." Wang Yan looked at Dixia, "Dixia, if we were to build such a road, would it be feasible for the Order Academy to recruit people from the desert?"

Dixia's expression turned serious: "I guarantee I can find enough people, all of them hardworking and resilient men."

According to Wang Yan, this road is not located in the desert; it can be considered a rainforest project.

But once it's repaired, it will greatly speed up the travel of caravans. For the desert people, it will not only make it easier to obtain supplies, but also make it easier to return home even if they go out to work.

Even if the Order of the Church didn't give money, but only some living supplies, the desert people would still be willing to help.

After Dixia finished speaking, Wang Yan looked at Farusan: "Mentor, what do you think?"

"Not so good." Farusan shook her head, a hint of sarcasm in her eyes. "It's a good idea, but... unrealistic. Without considering the damage from monsters, do you know how much it would cost to build a road like this?"

"According to your calculations, a road that runs directly from Sumeru City to Kawan Post Station, let's say it's 500 li long. Leveling the road and paving it with stone slabs or rammed earth would cost at least 100,000 to 200,000 Mora for every li of road paved. And that doesn't even include the subsequent maintenance costs and the workers' wages."

Farusan said with a sneer, "If we take into account the complex terrain of Sumeru, this number will double. In other words, even at the very least, the Council of the Church will need to come up with hundreds of millions of Mora to advance this project."

After a pause, Farusan asked directly, "Do you think the Order of the Fathers still has that kind of money?"

As everyone knows, the Order of the Fathers has a lot of money, but with more money comes more places to spend it; and with more places to spend it, there is naturally less money left.

Therefore, the more money the Church has, the less money the Church has.

Let alone hundreds of millions in funding, the Council of the Church is probably struggling to even squeeze out a budget of ten million Mora.

After hearing what Farusan said, Wang Yan and Dixia exchanged a glance and both lost their temper.

However, a thought did arise in Wang Yan's mind.

Teyvat...it seems there's no cement yet?

Just now, Farusan mentioned that the road paving was done using a mixture of lime, sand, and clay.

"Perhaps... as a disciple of Farussan, it's normal for me to dabble in the construction industry, a field known for its esoteric theories."