Chapter 177: Did We Take the Wrong Path?
“I found a river, and I have a Yi Jia Beast (Amor-Claw Beast)—it’s excellent at digging. The well in front of our home? That was dug by Yi Jia.”
“I know about that, Miss. Back when we were digging the reservoir, we heard your people cheering from a distance, but we didn’t dare approach. We only heard rumors that you had some powerful creature. But… how does this connect to this valley and lake?”
“Do you see this half-meter-wide river? That’s a water channel I had Yi Jia dig, connecting to the river I discovered. That’s why this barren valley has now turned into a lake. I wasn’t expecting this much rain—this storm has basically supercharged the process and filled the valley much faster than I thought.
Now, when I want to divert water toward our settlement, I won’t have to worry about wild animals coming near us for drinking water and attacking humans. They’ll naturally gather here.
And if there’s ever a drought, when our fields lack water, we can draw from this valley lake—it’s essentially a giant reservoir now.”
Hearing Yu Luo’s explanation, Tao Ming stood frozen in the rain, his mouth slightly open in shock.
His bamboo hat shielded most of his face, but even though Yu Luo couldn’t see his full expression, she knew he was utterly stunned.
“Miss… you and Master Yu really think ahead. If we can divert an actual river to our side, then growing crops won’t be difficult at all. And with this valley turned into a lake, it’s a lifeline for this entire region. Not only us, but even the wildlife won’t have to struggle for water anymore.”
“Exactly. That’s why I went through all this trouble.”
Yu Luo’s voice was calm and matter-of-fact, but Tao Ming felt waves of shock ripple through his heart.
He had completely underestimated the sheer intelligence and ambition of Yu Luo and her father.
With just a small team, they had managed to transform the entire ecosystem of this barren wilderness!
This… was unbelievable.
It truly seemed like their luck had turned—they had finally encountered powerful benefactors!
“Miss, you are incredible!”
Yu Luo chuckled. “I’m just doing my best. I don’t even know if this will really work out. But tell me, are you and your brothers truly willing to follow us?”
Tao Ming didn’t even hesitate—his head bobbed up and down like a pecking chicken before he even had a chance to speak.
“Of course we are! You, Master Yu, and Madam Ye are all good people! You’ll definitely succeed. I, Tao Ming, swear to follow you and serve with absolute loyalty!”
“That’s all I needed to hear. Since we can’t return to Lan Yue Dynasty, we’ll build our own paradise here—a place where people who get stranded here can truly live.”
“Miss, you have such great vision! You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met! Just for saying that, I swear—I will follow you for life!”
Hearing Tao Ming’s vow, Yu Luo turned to look at him with a grin.
“Then I promise you this—if I ever gain riches and power, I will never let you or your brothers go without.”
“We should go check out the river channel now. While the valley lake is stable, the river might have changed due to the storm.”
“Understood!”
Tao Ming didn’t ask any more questions—wherever Yu Luo went, he would follow.
Thanks to the storm, they could now block off a portion of the river channel, allowing only a small trickle of water to flow naturally.
The once-calm river was now swollen and muddy, rushing forward with powerful currents.
As Yu Luo reached down to scoop up some silt, Tao Ming immediately stopped her.
“Miss, leave the heavy labor to me! Your hands aren’t meant for this kind of work!”
Yu Luo: …
“It’s fine. There’s a large rock over there. If we move it together, we can block off part of the flow.”
Yu Luo pointed to a boulder about a hundred catties in weight.
But Tao Ming just glanced at it, then shook his head.
“Miss, just stand back—I can handle this alone.”
And with that, Yu Luo watched in surprise as Tao Ming hoisted the massive stone by himself and lugged it over to block the river channel.
“Wash your hands, and let’s head back.”
Tao Ming obediently washed his hands in the rushing water, then turned to follow Yu Luo.
But just as they were about to leave, Yu Luo suddenly stopped in her tracks.
“Tao Ming, look ahead—is that a person lying on the ground?”
“It… it really looks like someone! I’ll go check it out!”
In a place like this, finding an unconscious person was beyond unusual.
Even Tao Ming, who had spent years in the wilderness, found this extremely strange.
With a burst of lightfoot movement, he was instantly beside the figure. Yu Luo stepped forward, landing next to them.
“It’s a man… and judging by his fine silk robes and handsome face, his status must be high. But how did he end up here, unconscious and wounded?”
Tao Ming lifted the man, seating him on the muddy ground. Yu Luo frowned.
This man was ridiculously good-looking—even more than the idol actors she had seen in her past life!
“I’ve hunted in this area before, but I’ve never seen a single person here. Should we… help him?
If we leave him here, he might not even live long enough for the wild beasts to eat him. His injuries and the cold rain alone could kill him first.”
Yu Luo spoke as if asking Tao Ming’s opinion, but in reality, she was also asking herself—and the system.
But for the first time, the system remained silent, almost as if it had gone to sleep.
“Miss, we should take him back. I can bring him to our stone house and take care of him. If we leave him here, he’ll definitely die.”
Since the system wasn’t responding, Tao Ming had already made up his mind.
“But… what if his identity is complicated? What if we bring disaster upon ourselves? The people in this wilderness are all connected to something shady. And based on his clothes, he’s clearly no ordinary man.”
Yu Luo was still hesitant.
Tao Ming’s expression wavered—her concern was valid.
After a moment of internal struggle, Yu Luo finally nodded.
“Forget it. Saving a life is a virtue. We’ll bring him back, but he stays in your stone house.”
“Understood, Miss!”
Tao Ming lifted the unconscious man onto his back, and the two of them headed back toward the settlement.
But just as they were twenty miles away, something completely stunned them.
A massive stone wall—towering ten meters high—stood right before them.
“Wh-what?! Where did this city wall come from?! Tao Ming… did we take the wrong path home?!”
This imposing structure was as grand as the walls of Lan Yue Dynasty’s capital.
How could such a thing suddenly appear out of nowhere in the barren wilderness?
“Miss… I swear we’re on the right path… but… I have never seen anything like this before! How is this even possible?!”
