A Journey Through the Martial World After Transforming into a Loli

Some people who didn't know much about Xuanzong thought so, but the heads of those powerful forces or other masters of high status didn't think so. They believed that it was necessary to welcome them in advance out of respect.

At this moment, Master Tiancong had his own ideas. He had met Xuanzong during his travels. At that time, he was not yet a Grandmaster. The two had a pleasant conversation. He knew that Xuanzong was not the kind of person who valued formalities. Since he would have some time before he could come, he would go to Xiaoyao City first to meet Grandmaster Lin Xueyi and see if she was really the kind of person that his junior brother Zhichan had described.

"Uncle-Master, could it be that you wish to go to Xiaoyao City to meet that Grandmaster Lin in person?"

Before Tiancong could speak, Huiming whispered in his ear to verify. In fact, he had served this senior uncle for half a year and knew him very well. He was not the kind of person who would just follow the crowd, but rather the kind of master who would personally verify things before drawing conclusions.

"You little rascal, you're quite perceptive. I want to go, but why are you coming along?"

The other party understands him, and he understands the other party. This kid is the kind of person who would rather meditate and chant scriptures in his own meditation room than go out. This time, he was probably forced to come here by his master. However, his senior brother is really worried about his disciple. How can a very talented disciple like to stay in his own meditation room?

If he were to spend the time he would otherwise spend meditating and chanting in his meditation room on martial arts training, their Buddhist sect would probably gain another grandmaster.

Knowing that his senior apprentice was probably criticizing his habit again, he was used to it. His own master had also criticized this habit of his for a long time, but he couldn't change it either, so he could only chuckle.

“Uncle-Master, since you’re going there this time, why don’t you also check my file? Consider it as if I’m going with you.”

This kid is utterly shameless, but he still smiled and nodded in agreement. After all, he has a certain tolerance for juniors, especially talented ones like this.

While the Buddhist sect was discussing how to cause trouble for Lin Xueyi, Lin Xueyi was also doing her own thing. Previously, Luo Jiushang had not opened the road to prevent people from easily entering Xiaoyao City, but after Lin Xueyi arrived, she felt that Xiaoyao City was truly blessed by heaven.

Putting aside everything else, the mineral resources in these mountains are extremely abundant. There are iron ore, coal, and even copper, silver, and gold mines. It's simply astonishing how many there are. In addition, there are some earthen hills where salt wells can be mined, which is also a significant source of income.

Putting everything else aside, if this place is really opened up, it will bring in a large population. At that time, it will be difficult for Xiaoyao City not to develop. After she builds her own house in a valley, she can find Ruoxue and live in seclusion here with her. That way, she will have money and enjoy life to the fullest.

What? You say that to live in seclusion, one must go to the mountains and fields and not cause trouble like this? Ha, then you are very wrong. There is a saying: "A minor hermit lives in the wilderness, a major hermit lives in the city."

Wearing a straw hat, Lin Xueyi watched the bustling construction work and directed her guards to deliver water to the people she had recruited.

"Everyone, have some water and rest. Our goal today is to build to the foot of the mountain ahead and clear this section of the road. Rest for a bit before you go. But please be careful when you start working, okay?"

The people who were conscripted were initially terrified. They were very anxious when they heard that a grandmaster had come to recruit them, especially since road construction was a common task that often resulted in people dying from exhaustion or being beaten to death by overseers. The thought of a grandmaster conscripting people meant that if they refused, they could die on the spot.

The only consolation is that this time they provided meals and wages. This is extremely rare in many organizations; providing meals usually means only covering one meal, while wages are just a pipe dream.

However, once they arrived, they discovered that what Master Lin meant by "providing meals" was actually three meals a day, with vegetables included at lunchtime. Other factions, for example, only provided plain porridge and pickled vegetables. Here, the meals included both rice and vegetables.

The fact that they were given meat only once every three days was utterly astonishing. For Master Lin to be willing to feed these common people meat—was he some kind of bodhisattva descended to earth?

Unaware that many people were calling her a Bodhisattva descended to earth, Lin Xueyi was speaking to her subordinates at that moment.

"Can't you guys be a little less stingy? Road repair is such a tiring job, shouldn't we at least give them some food and wages? Besides, it's just a matter of having rice and vegetables, is it really necessary to be so stingy?"

Some people were puzzled by her kindness towards the people, so Lin Xueyi had to explain to them to avoid any issues with withholding wages or food.

"They put in the labor, and I'll contribute some money. That's normal. I can't bring myself to make people work for free. You should do the same in the future. Besides, how did you manage them before? What did you do besides whips? Look at them now. I don't need to tell you, they're already working on their own initiative. Isn't that better than what you did before?"

The guards, who were already used to the previous practices, were at a loss for words when they saw the civilians, who should have been resting and drinking water, taking the initiative to clear away the rubble around them without them having to ask.

“This is their home. With this road built, their future life will be better. They are human too, and they can manage their finances. Who would want to live such a hard life if they could live a good life? Building this road is not just for me, but also for them.”

Looking at the people below who were working spontaneously, Lin Xueyi only said this one sentence before standing quietly on the hilltop, letting the wind blow her long black hair.

Main text: Chapter 192 The Construction of Xiaoyao City (Two chapters published together)

In the towns near the mountains, the name of Xiaoyao City has been heard, but many people feel that they may never be able to see Xiaoyao City in their entire lives.

However, today they had the opportunity to witness the mysterious City of Leisure, because some people from the City of Leisure came to their town to recruit workers. That's right, recruiting workers.

It is said that a road is being built in Xiaoyao City to connect it to the outside world. Once this road is completed, the grains and vegetables produced outside will be able to enter Xiaoyao City, and some cheap ironware from outside will also be sent to them.

Most importantly, these recruitments have very clear details, and even stipulate that three meals a day are provided, work is done during the day and rest is done at night. Moreover, there is also a wage. People with certain skills will be paid three qian of silver a week, and even those who do only physical labor will be paid one qian of silver a week.

This means that after a week of work, they could earn back a month's living expenses. And that's pure profit! With food and lodging provided, the money is their net income. Plus, with the grains and vegetables they grow at home, that money is enough for them to improve their lives.

Liu Gouzi, well, that's a very ordinary name. He was currently inquiring carefully about the details of the rules from the guard. To be honest, he didn't really trust the words of those underworld forces.

"You asked which faction we belong to? Well, that's a bit of a question for me. Our young lady is Lin Xueyi, a newly emerging master in the martial arts world. This road repair was also her request. If you don't believe me, you can go and see for yourself. The locals of Xiaoyao City have also been conscripted to repair the road. And just like this, they get meat and vegetables once every three days, and the rest of the time they also get food and vegetables. We've also arranged accommodation for you to ensure your well-being there."

This wasn't the first person to come and ask questions. Adhering to the words Master Lin had instructed them before they came, the guard used a level of patience he had never shown before to answer the questions of these ordinary people.

Liu Gouzi was now in a dilemma. This was a golden opportunity, and the other party had said that the wages would be paid weekly, and if they didn't want to continue working after the week, they could choose to leave. They would also be provided with food and a carriage to send them back.

The biggest problem now is whether to believe or not. With this thought in mind, Liu Gouzi returned to his home, Liu Family Village, a village that is not very wealthy. They usually rely on growing grain on some barren land to make a living, and part of that grain has to be handed over to the sects and forces in the vicinity.

Aside from some food reserved for seed, the remaining grain was just enough for the family to barely survive. As for vegetables, those were luxuries; eating a little occasionally was considered good enough, and meat was out of the question.

When he heard that going to Xiaoyao City to participate in road construction would mean getting a meat dish every three days, he couldn't even imagine such a life. Because of this, he couldn't believe what the other party said. What kind of power would give ordinary people like them at the bottom of society meat?

However, considering the other party's confident words, he hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should participate. Perhaps that master was a good person and would really keep his word.

"Honey, why are you standing at the door and not coming in?"

The years have etched deep marks on his face. His wife looked at her husband standing hesitantly at the door and wondered what he was doing standing there instead of going inside.

"My dear wife, you say..."

He told his wife what he had heard and asked about outside, hoping to get some advice from her, but he saw that she also gasped in shock.

"Such a good thing probably doesn't exist, right? How much money would it take to support that?"

In fact, Lin Xueyi had really gone all out for this, taking out all the wealth she had obtained from the Luo family. This wealth was enough to rebuild Xiaoyao City, and even building a road was feasible. However, the outsiders were unaware of this. The total amount of money required was beyond their wildest imagination.

"But what if it's true?"

This "what if" situation put the couple in a dilemma. Yes, if it were true, such good treatment—three coins a week—would greatly improve their family's life. It might even give their child a better future.

If, in the end, Liu Gouzi decides to believe it for now, then he will. Putting everything else aside, his eldest son is already capable of supporting the family. If it's true, then he will come back and bring his other older sons to help.

If it's fake, then the eldest son is still able to support his family and protect his brothers.

This wasn't the only family making this decision; many families struggled with the decision, and many adult men traveled by carriage to Xiaoyao City, awaiting their fate—a gamble in their minds. If they succeeded, they'd get a big win; if they failed, their families would cover for them.

As for revenge, the other party is a grandmaster; their revenge will only bring disaster to their own families and villages.

However, when they actually arrived at the road construction site, they discovered that it was not at all what they had imagined.

Tents resembling military camps were already prepared there, and hot water and some food were placed on the table, just waiting for them to wash up and then go to collect their meals.

This... this is exactly as said before; the only thing left is the payment, which will be confirmed in a week.

However, at this time they still saw some locals from Xiaoyao City who had already received their wages, happily going to rest in their tents.

"Um... um..."

"You mean them? They're getting paid today. Don't worry, you'll get your share next time too. But you have to work hard. If we find out you're not working properly or slacking off, we won't let you stay here."

Although our young lady is wealthy, she's not going to support those good-for-nothings for nothing. If they try to shirk their duties and cheat, then they shouldn't blame us for being ruthless.

Looking at the white rice and stewed cabbage, Liu Gouzi swallowed hard. Their family's meals were never this good. If he had known it would be like this, he would have brought his eldest and second sons with him, and the rest of the children and their mother could have stayed home to farm. That way, they could have saved a lot of grain and brought some wages back home.

"Alright, all of you, stop just standing around. There's someone over there to register you. If you have any good cooking skills or anything, register them there, then wash your hands and come here to get your food. Let me make this clear: the food here is all-you-can-eat, but if we find out you're wasting food or hiding it, don't blame us for being ruthless. Of course, if any of you throw up, I'll twist your necks off and force-feed you what you vomited."

"Aren't you disgusting? Why are you saying this while we're eating?"

Originally, I thought I could intimidate the others, but I heard a delicate voice coming from the crowd. Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw that their young lady was actually in the crowd, eating food from the construction site with a bowl in her hand.

This was awkward. He had brought it up while his young mistress was eating; it would be strange if he didn't get scolded. He could only laugh awkwardly and explain to everyone, thus diverting the blame from his mistress.

"This is our Master Lin. She's the one who funded the road construction here and gave everyone such good treatment. If you want to express your gratitude, thank Master Lin."

At this moment, Lin Xueyi rolled her eyes at the guard. She had been too good to them, occasionally guiding their cultivation and never missing a meal. And now they dared to divert everyone's attention to her like this? Did they not intend to live a peaceful life?

Feeling a little uneasy under the grateful gazes of everyone, Lin Xueyi quickly waved her hand, said "Everyone, do a good job," and then slipped away.

For a homebody like Lin Xueyi, being under such intense public scrutiny was a disaster. She couldn't take it anymore and vanished from everyone's sight in a flash, eliciting good-natured laughter from the crowd.

"Alright, everyone stop laughing. Hurry up and register. After that, you'll be assigned to your respective barracks, and then you can come out to collect your meal trays and eat."

Thanks to the charming master, everyone lost the tension they had felt when they first arrived. Led by some spontaneous locals, they all collected their own tableware and bedding, ready to begin their day.

Because Liu Gouzi didn't have any skills, he was assigned to a tent with sixteen people in it. However, it was not too crowded and there was enough room for everyone.

Carrying his rice bowl, he arrived at the food station. Looking at the steaming white rice and the slightly overcooked cabbage, he couldn't help but swallow again, making the lady serving the food next to him laugh out loud.

Hearing the other person's laughter, Liu Gouzi lowered his head in embarrassment. It was really a bit embarrassing, but the other person seemed used to it.

"You just want to eat, you're not the first one to do this. Don't even mention you, I was like this when I first came here. You'll get used to it."

He was given a large spoonful of rice, topped with another large spoonful of stew, before being asked to leave. He was told that he could come back for more if he needed more, and that he should remember to wash his own dishes after eating. He was told that the dishes needed to be clean before he could use them again, and that he couldn't get more rice if they weren't clean.

I also have to wash the dishes. They're really meddling in a lot of things. But when I think about all the food, the rice, and the wages, it's just washing dishes. It can't be that hard for them.

At this time, the martial arts forces near Xiaoyao City, including those local forces in Xiaoyao City, all knew that Xiaoyao City was about to open to the outside world and was even carrying out road construction in a grand manner.

At this time, many forces also had their own agendas. For example, there are many mineral deposits in the mountains of Xiaoyao City. If they could occupy Xiaoyao City, their forces could achieve great development.

However, this was just a thought. If they really wanted to take over Xiaoyao City, a huge obstacle would stand in their way: Grandmaster Lin Xueyi, who was in charge of road construction. If they couldn't take her down, all their military attacks and psychological warfare would be in vain.

Meanwhile, some of the forces within Xiaoyao City were also getting restless. Some of them hadn't always been in Xiaoyao City; they had only come here because they couldn't make a living outside. The reason they could stay safely in Xiaoyao City was because it was very difficult for outsiders to find its exact location.

But now, with road construction so openly and blatantly, wouldn't anyone be able to enter this carefree city? How are they supposed to hide here? If their enemies come, won't they be doomed?

But they really didn't have the guts to sabotage the road construction. It was being overseen by a grandmaster himself, who even paid for the road construction out of his own pocket. Even if they had a hundred times the courage, no, even if they had the audacity of a bear or a leopard, they wouldn't dare to have any crooked thoughts.

With no way forward and no way back, they were at a dead end. They dared not think of any crooked ideas, so they had no choice but to go through the back door. The relationship between the Xiao family and Lin Xueyi was still quite good, so they had to prepare generous gifts to visit the Xiao family, who had become the city lord of Xiaoyao City.

As for what was said, no one in the secret room spoke out. However, one thing was known: the head of the Xiao family personally went to see Lin Xueyi. After that, it was said that the people who had entered Xiaoyao City before, no matter what they had done, had temporarily come to an end. As long as they promised not to do evil again, they would be given a chance to live.

The words of a grandmaster were a lifesaver, so these people were temporarily relieved. Of course, they couldn't just do nothing.

A large amount of supplies once again entered Lin Xueyi's pocket and were used for road repairs. Now, she can not only eat meat once every three days, but even once a day.

However, after much consideration, Lin Xueyi ultimately gave up on this tempting idea. It wasn't that she was stingy, but rather that she was worried about what would happen to these people after the road construction was completed. It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.

If they really get used to it here, wouldn't it be a disservice to them when they go home? So Lin Xueyi thought about it for a long time and finally decided to stick to the previous method and just keep doing it this way.

Just as everyone was enthusiastically carrying out the first phase of infrastructure construction in Xiaoyao City, Master Tiancong also arrived at Liuying Town outside the mountains. He planned to enter the mountains from here to see what kind of existence the Grandmaster named Lin Xueyi was.

Main text: Chapter 193 Master Tiancong has many small questions (two chapters published together)

Lin Xueyi's infamy has been widely known in Lingshan Temple. There, Zhichan has almost portrayed Lin Xueyi as a villain in the martial arts world. If she is not brought back to the temple and guided in time, it will cause turmoil in the martial arts world and once again stir up a bloody storm.

However, Tiancong did not fully believe his junior brother's words. In his opinion, his junior brother's words were already influenced by his own selfishness and lacked impartiality. His words could not be taken as a reference. He could only listen to them for the time being and then draw a conclusion after conducting his own investigation.

So he traveled through the night, preparing to head to Xiaoyao City to see for himself what this newly promoted grandmaster was really like, and whether she was as ruthless as Zhichan had described.

Actually, Tian Cong was also a little nervous about coming here. After all, the other party was just a young girl who was not yet of marriageable age. It was understandable for her to act willfully, but it was hard to understand why a grandmaster would act willfully.

Then I heard that Lin Xueyi spread rumors in the martial arts world that those scoundrels who had entered Xiaoyao City before should no longer be pursued, which was a kind of protection for them. But is this really a good thing? Those heinous bastards are just being let go like this?

Ultimately, they were still too young and were fooled by those scoundrels. It's a pity, though, as most of these people have left a bloody stain on the martial world. Hopefully, they can restrain themselves in the future and not act recklessly just because there are Grandmaster-level experts in Xiaoyao City.

I was still thinking that way, but as soon as I arrived in the towns near Xiaoyao City, I heard that Lin Xueyi was recruiting people in various villages and towns to repair roads.