The City Lord Su immediately panicked: "No! Su has never lied! You are now the new City Lord of Black Crow City!"
"Since that's the case, doesn't everything in Black Crow City belong to me?" Bai Ran's smile widened.
City Lord Su was in a difficult position: "This..."
He struggled mentally, and just as he was about to relent and tell Bai Ran the location of the mineral vein, Bai Ran interrupted him.
"City Lord Su, could you give me a copy of Black Crow City's map?"
City Lord Su was startled, clearly unable to keep up with Bai Ran's line of thought: "Please wait a moment."
Not long after, he returned with the map. Bai Ran took it and studied it carefully.
Beside her, City Lord Su was still debating whether to interrupt his benefactor and tell her the location of the mineral vein...
Black Crow City had the smallest territory among the four cities and a very sparse population, indicating it would be relatively easier to govern.
Bai Ran drew a vertical line on the map: "City Lord Su, you only need to tell me if the mineral vein is on the left or right half of the map."
City Lord Su pointed to the map: "On the left half."
If that was the case, she could use it to her advantage... Bai Ran had an idea.
Time flew by, and it was already past midnight.
In an alley in Black Crow City, Tang Yi walked step by step into it.
"Only you would use such low-level methods," she said, raising the leaf in her hand, on which a small line of text was written with spiritual energy: Meet at Yin Shi.
In the darkness, a woman in a long robe with her face covered stood in the alley: "If you didn't do this, why would you come to see me?"
"Disgusting," Tang Yi glared at her: "So what is your purpose?"
The woman chuckled: "People from the Demonic Realm are so impatient. Look how eager you are."
"Hmph," Tang Yi sneered: "Likewise. When your divine maiden was clinging to Bai Li Xiao, you weren't any better than I am."
The woman's heart seethed with anger, but for the sake of the plan, she endured it: "That's right. The Divine Maiden sent me to cooperate with you."
"Cooperate? A place as aloof as the Divine Realm would cooperate with someone as lowly as me from the Demonic Realm?" Tang Yi glanced at her dismissively.
Even in the darkness, the woman visibly trembled with anger.
She took a deep breath to calm herself: "This plan is only beneficial to you, with no drawbacks."
"You like the Demonic Lord, don't you?" the woman's voice was seductive: "If you cooperate with us and kill that wench, you can have the Demonic Lord all to yourself."
Tang Yi narrowed her eyes, to have the Lord all to herself...
"If that wench is gone, our Divine Maiden can be with Divine Lord Bai Li, and you can naturally be by the Demonic Lord's side. Isn't that good?"
Tang Yi had to admit, she was somewhat tempted: "Hey, how did you know I liked the Lord?"
The woman smiled: "The Divine Realm and the Demonic Realm have clashed for hundreds of years. As women, we can detect the impure look in your eyes when you gaze at the Demonic Lord."
Was it that obvious... Tang Yi frowned.
Seeing her reaction, the woman knew Tang Yi had taken the bait and needed one more push...
The woman handed her a porcelain bottle: "Since you're unwilling to kill her, just put this into her food."
"The powder inside can cause a permanent loss of spiritual energy, turning her into a complete cripple who cannot cultivate."
Just a loss of spiritual energy... Tang Yi clenched the porcelain bottle and left without a word.
Watching her retreating figure, the woman was filled with pride. In this way, even if something happened to that wench, it wouldn't be traceable to the Divine Maiden.
...
An hour later, City Lord Su in his room looked at Bai Ran with hope: "Benefactor! You are truly too brilliant!"
The crystal mineral vein grew in the western half of Black Crow City. The land in that area was affected by the mineral vein, making it rich in spiritual energy.
Utilizing this spiritual energy, large fields of spirit grass could be planted, and they would grow extremely fast.
This would not only cover up the spirit grass that was already growing, but ordinary people without spiritual energy could also cultivate it. Furthermore, the spirit grass could be sold.
In the eastern half, with its fewer inhabitants, Bai Ran would have them learn to brew wine.
A small portion of the spirit grass grown in the western half of Black Crow City would bloom and bear fruit. The fruits and flowers could then be transported to the eastern half for winemaking.
The winemaking process was not complicated, the cost of the fruits and flowers was very low, and the wine produced could be sold for ten gold coins a jar. This was something even ordinary people without spiritual energy could do.
"Once they have an income, I will issue a new regulation: they will have to pay one-tenth of their profit," Bai Ran said as she looked at the map.
One-tenth of the profit was half of what other cities demanded.
"Once their income stabilizes, they can enter the next phase, introducing cultivators from other cities."
City Lord Su interrupted Bai Ran: "But cultivators generally wouldn't choose to settle here..."
Even if they had food and shelter, compared to the prosperity of other cities, it was like comparing the sky to the earth. Cultivators would be eager to leave...
Bai Ran chuckled: "Cultivators don't care about the environment. What they need most are resources."
And Bai Ran was precisely the leader in creating resources.
After listening to her plan, City Lord Su was so excited he could barely speak, feeling as though his breathing had become smoother.
The plan began to be implemented the very next day. Bai Ran had an entire spiritual grass garden in her spatial dimension, and even if half of it was distributed, it would quickly grow back.
City Lord Su, brimming with enthusiasm, personally distributed the spirit grass to the citizens.
The citizens were incredulous when they received the spirit grass. The new City Lord had given them money yesterday and today, she was giving them so much spirit grass!
"City Lord Su, who exactly is this new City Lord?"
"Yes, how can she be so generous?"
City Lord Su smiled slyly: "No need to call me City Lord Su anymore. City Lord Bai is now the City Lord of Black Crow City."
The previous woman, holding her little daughter's hand, happily took a bundle of spirit grass: "Little one, when Mommy earns money, I'll make you braised chicken every day."
The little girl held her hand and happily agreed. She had indeed eaten braised chicken yesterday, and her mother wasn't lying this time.
City Lord Su, following Bai Ran's instructions, patiently taught the citizens how to plant spirit grass.
This day was the day they looked forward to the future the most, the day their new lives began.
In the spatial dimension, the few little ones were exhausted from digging spirit grass.
"I'm so envious of Xiao Zhu... she gets to be free outside..." Shi Tian was too tired to move.
The White Tiger rolled over: "Isn't that the truth? Hurry up and call her in, let's dig spirit grass together."
Even Little Purple, who was usually very clean, was covered in mud, her tail drooping.
"This brat... she really knows how to order people around..."