Chapter 176 The prosperous North Peak City
The arrival of Erin Campbell boosted the morale of Thunder City and stabilized the people's hearts that had been floating due to the successive arrival of Chaos Corruption.
For the evil forces lurking in the darkness, the existence of the Light of Praise is undoubtedly a huge deterrent.
However, Jack, the godfather of the Brotherhood, watched the Campbell family's motorcade entering the city in the dark, but he was not afraid.
Even on the contrary, an unexpected expression appeared on that pensive face.
Others don't know the identity of the King of Flame, but he who dedicated his soul to the Demon King knows it.
Even a rat like himself who is active in the gutter knows about this matter. He does not believe that the senior officials of the principality know nothing about it.
Unless he deliberately condoned it...
"...Has the corrosion of the necropolis spread to the court of the Principality of Campbell?"
Thinking of this, Jack was shocked in his heart, but he couldn't help but feel a little thankful and awe.
It seems that he made the right bet this time.
At this moment, he was extremely happy. It was indeed the right choice to seek refuge with His Majesty the Demon King...
...
At this moment, the naive Miss Irene did not realize that because the food with the royal emblem appeared in the porridge shop where the King of Yan was distributing to the victims, her unintentional act of kindness added another legend to the King of Yan.
Soon there were voices in the refugee camp. King Yan, who was rescuing the victims, received support from the court of the Duke of Campbell.
This rumor is serious.
The guards who originally disliked the porridge shops that provided alms to the victims no longer dared to find fault with the former.
It’s more than that.
That already tall image in the minds of the refugees is now coated with a layer of sacred light!
At this moment, Luo Yan, who was far away in the necropolis, had no idea what was happening in Thunder City, but when he woke up, he suddenly found that his power of faith had increased.
Confused, he instinctively placed the credit on the Beifeng City believers.
In fact, there is nothing wrong with thinking so.
It's just that the logic has to take a few twists and turns...
While the citizens of Thunder City were cheering the name of Irene Campbell, Beifeng City, far north of the Silver Pine Forest, also opened its sleepy eyes under the light of dawn.
In the early morning, the mist has not dispersed, and a ray of golden light shines through the treetops and onto the newly repaired cement road.
Farewell to his wife and children, Shep, wearing a large animal skin coat, carried tools and walked through the compacted snow to a pasture not far away.
That is the pasture he built with his own hands.
The crooked wooden sticks were inserted into a fence, enclosing a land of three to four hundred meters long and wide at the edge of the forest.
In the center of the pasture, there is a cowshed made of regular wooden boards.
Compared with this new pasture, the place where he worked in Hollyoak Village was like a garbage dump.
After all, it is the property of the lord. None of the cows he raises belong to him. No matter how good the job is, there is no egg in the instant noodles, so naturally there is no motivation to work hard.
Besides, the place where he lived at that time was scrawled like a doghouse, so naturally he was not in the mood to improve the living environment of the animals.
However, it is different here.
The owner of this ranch [Senior Beast] not only gave him and his family a place to live, but also promised him that he could independently decide on the management of the ranch, including purchasing livestock and hiring apprentices, and when it was profitable, he would receive one-third of the profits as compensation for his labor.
Such a generous offer that he couldn't even believe his ears.
It wasn't until a contract in black and white was placed in front of him that he was sure that the "player master" was not joking, but was seriously entrusting him with this ranch.
"...Come on, this is not only my ranch, but also yours!" After saying these words, the player gave up the place completely to him, and then turned around to build a "vegetable greenhouse".
In order to live up to the trust of the master who took him in, and for a better tomorrow, Shep was so moved that he devoted almost all his efforts to this brand new pasture.
Every design here was re-improved based on his past experience in breeding.
He not only differentiated the functions of the trough taking into account the convenience of drinking and eating for the livestock, but also optimized ventilation, lighting, heat preservation and other aspects.
In this regard, he also referred to some suggestions from the ranch owner, and basically took into account everything he could think of.
Everything is good here.
Except there are no cows.
However, this problem has been solved as the livestock purchased previously finally arrived.
When Shep arrived at the pasture, several little devils were flapping their wings and flying above the cattle.
They seemed to startle each other.
The cows were pacing uneasily, and they were also confused about what to do when faced with these animals that were several times their size.
Seeing the human herdsmen coming from a distance, the eyes of several little devils suddenly lit up, and they rushed towards him, shouting.
"Oh! Humans!"
"Coming?"
"Too slow!"
"Hurry up, hurry up! Drive the Demon King's animals into the shed! Don't let them freeze to death!"
"Damn! It's really cold outside the maze!"
Looking at the chattering and noisy guys, Shep reached out and opened the fence door, and walked in carrying the tools.
"Don't worry, they won't freeze to death for a while. It's time for them to get familiar with the environment here while it's not snowing... Just leave them alone and let me come."
If it was a month ago, let alone this herd of cows, he himself would have been scared to death by these little devils.
But after getting along with each other for a period of time, he found that these guys were not that scary, at least they would not attack him who was also a servant of the Demon King.
By the way, these little devils are said to be herdsmen, and they come from the noble magic city.
It's just that they used to herd hell goats, and they had never seen such a guy that screamed "Hum, hum".
The player named Senior Beast told him that he could leave some tasks to these little devils that he was not worried about messing up, and then threw the translation crystal to him.
That thing can translate Hellish into Ostland.
Although Shep couldn't figure out what the so-called "jobs that you don't have to worry about screwing up" were, he still accepted the crystal.
In short, experienced helpers are better than inexperienced ones.
In addition, he was also curious about what the hell goat was and how it was different from the goats on the surface.
If he has a chance, he must buy two and come back to take a look.
Since arriving in Beifeng City, he feels that he can encounter new things that make him curious every day.
Getting back to business, Shep stepped into the ranch and quickly entered into his daily work state.
He first checked the health of the cattle, became familiar with the animals, and then used his own method to tell these guys who was the owner here, and then drove them into the cattle shed.
Several of the cows probably had just given birth and were relatively weak.
Although this kind of cow can give milk as soon as it is bought, it is generally difficult to survive the winter. The dealer who sells the cow to them must have no good intentions.
Shep cursed secretly in his mind and decided that he must choose it himself the next time he makes a purchase.
But it’s too late to complain now.
He ordered the little devils following him to fetch some bran from a nearby warehouse, then set up a large pot, poured the bran into it, mixed it with beets and roots, and cooked it until everything in the pot was cooked into a paste.
The little devils floating nearby swallowed their saliva and looked longingly into the pot.
"This thing is not for you to eat, it is for feeding cows! Look at what you are doing, go ahead and pour the feed into the trough, and I will prepare lunch for you later... at noon."
Shep shouted and drove these flapping guys aside. Then he carried the cooked paste to the cows and fed it to them one by one with a wooden spoon.
At first the cows refused to eat, their necks were stiff and they looked like they had no appetite.
It wasn’t until one of them tried to take a lick. Maybe he found that the taste was unexpectedly good, so he ate it obediently.
On the other side, the little devils who were swallowing their saliva started working under the temptation of lunch. They took feed from the warehouse nearby and filled it into the trough of the cowshed.
Shep found that these little guys were surprisingly good at carrying things.
The only drawback is that their wings may blow straw everywhere.
But just ban them from flying indoors.
out of awe of the Demon King himself, they were more obedient to his words, at least they would not disobey his "reasonable orders" in front of him.
For example, when he needs them to do something, as long as it is their job, they will do it even if they are reluctant.
After feeding the weak cows, Shep touched their heads, and then took the iron bucket from the warehouse.
According to his experience, this kind of highland cow will enter a lactation period that lasts for nine to twelve months after giving birth. During this period, if it is not milked for more than two days, there is a risk of being choked.
Although they look weak, in fact they are almost swollen.
Relying on the good trust he had just established, Shep skillfully emptied the accumulated milk for them and put the iron bucket filled with fresh milk to boil on the stove where the charcoal fire was not extinguished.
It is winter, and boiled milk will not go bad immediately. It will be no problem if you leave it for two or three days.
He boiled some of the milk, put it in cans and put it in the snow, while most of the rest was reserved for making cheese, cream, butter and other dairy products.
Having been busy all morning, Shep finally finished all the work until noon, and then prepared lunch for himself and the little devils who helped him without stopping.
Although the lunch was very sloppy, just sliced black bread with some night elf specialty plum jam, these little guys who had never seen the world devoured it so much that they wanted to put their fingers into their mouths.
"Oh oh oh! What is this?! It's so delicious!"
"Damn it! Is this the surface world?! It's so rich!"
Ugh... I wish I had followed the footsteps of the Demon King ten years earlier! 」
"You weren't even born ten years ago, right?!"
Can you learn so much nonsense in less than ten years?
Looking at the group of chirping little devils, Shep, who was sitting with them eating, had a look of astonishment on his face and took a bite of the dry bread.
Maybe it was because he had been working all morning, or maybe it was because these little devils were so hungry for food when they gobbled it up. He felt that today’s lunch was particularly delicious, and it took him less than half the time to finish it.
There was still a while for lunch break. He did not rush back to work, but walked around the ranch, intending to examine the terrain and see where the next piece of land would be.
At this moment, he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from the direction behind him.
"Hey! Shep! What are you busy with?"
Shep, who stopped, turned around and saw a man with a beard smiling and waving to him.
The man's name is Jimmy. Like him, he is a refugee who wandered here from Shengxiangshu Village. He is also one of the first "living" residents of Beifeng City. He is currently working as a construction worker in the construction team of Beifeng City.
If he remembered correctly, Shep vaguely remembered that the construction team seemed to be building some kind of "youth apartment" recently.
It was a six-story building with many rooms. The area alone was larger than the main building of the manor of his former lord, but each room was only twenty or thirty square meters.
I heard that such a building can solve the accommodation problem of two to three hundred households, and there are public toilets and bathrooms at fixed locations on each floor of the entire building.
At first, all of them thought it was a place for young men to live, but later they discovered that it had nothing to do with whether they were young or not.
That thing is mainly used to accommodate foreigners who are homeless like them and have no available rooms for the time being. It is equivalent to a replacement for the previous abandoned hotel.
Praise the Demon King!
That kind gentleman even considered the "decency" of these poor people.
Shep felt more and more that the whole world seemed to be reversed. Hell was more like heaven?
In fact, for him, toilets and bathrooms are superfluous. After all, he might not have been able to take a bath once in two months, and he could just find a place to relieve himself.
“Have you finished your work?”
"Ah, it's done!" Jimmy grinned, walked up to him, and said in a casual tone, "Thanks to those stone men, one big man can move things that five or six people can't move. The job that was supposed to be completed next month was completed in less than two weeks. We're done. Before we decide what house to build next, the Demon King's servants gave us a break. I plan to go to the town to have a look. I heard there are a lot of good things there. Do you want to come with me? "
The so-called town refers to Mist Town.
Different from Beifeng City, which is still a large construction site, there are not only more people living there, but also a market with a rich variety of products.
It is said that it is a safe zone formed by a tacit agreement between the devil and the nearby human rulers. Not only humans live there, but also some undead and demons in the labyrinth.
Although he couldn't figure out why the Demon King wanted to build a place to provide supplies and equipment for adventurers on his own territory, he heard that it seemed to be developing quite well.
He planned to go over and take a look, purchase daily necessities and satisfy his curiosity at the same time.
By the way, the workers in the construction team have been paid for their work since last month.
Just looking at the denomination of their salary, their income this month has caught up with their income in the past year!
Hearing Jimmy's suggestion, Shep was a little moved.
He hasn't tasted wine for a long time, maybe he can buy beer there.
It’s more than that.
He also wanted to buy some new clothes for his wife and children.
I heard that in Mist Town, one Hades coin can be used as one copper coin. If calculated this way, the salary in his pocket would be enough.
However, thinking that there were still a lot of things waiting for him to do in the ranch, he finally shook his head and reluctantly refused.
「我就不去了，我这边才刚忙起来，估计得下个月才能闲一点……改天再一起去吧。」
吉米虽然有些遗憾，但也没有强求，爽朗的笑着拍了拍他肩膀。
"Haha, then I won't wait for you, but don't work too hard, you still have to take a rest when appropriate... In the words of those gamers, it's a work-rest balance."
When he said this, he suddenly smelled something, sniffed, and looked in the direction of the pasture.
"I just wanted to ask, what does that smell like? What delicious food are you making?"
Shep followed his line of sight and glanced towards the pasture, and saw that the little devils had actually returned to the house to work, so he said with a smile.
"I'm just boiling milk, nothing delicious. But I did make some cheese, and maybe I'll sell it to Misty Town."
Jimmy swallowed his saliva when he heard this and asked excitedly.
"How much do you plan to sell it for?"
Shep counted it on his fingers and said.
"It depends on the market situation. One pound is about twenty or thirty coins, and we don't intend to sell it very expensively."
One pound of bread costs about five Hades coins, and cheese of the same weight costs almost five times as much as bread.
But this is the market situation in Twilight Province, and he can't say what the situation is here.
Jimmy rubbed his hands in embarrassment and said with a smile.
"That's really not expensive, remember to leave some for me."
Although the construction team has enough instant noodles, he can't eat them all.
Besides, he has a family.
Happily, he had paid his salary recently and planned to buy some for his wife and children to improve their food.
Looking at the useless smile on this guy's face, Shep smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'll not only keep it for you, but I'll also give it to you at a cheaper price."
Jimmy's face suddenly showed an expression of joy when he heard this, and he held his shoulders with both hands.
"Thank you so much! I really don't know how to thank you... If you need my help in any way, just ask me, I happen to be free these days!"
Shep's heart moved, thinking of the places where the little devils didn't live, so he was not polite and said.
"The staff dormitory I plan to build in the ranch is not very complicated, just an ordinary wooden house. If you are free tomorrow, come and help me."
"Don't worry, just prepare the materials and I will take care of the rest." Jimmy smiled and patted his chest.
Since he became familiar with the new tools in the necropolis, that kind of wooden house was simply not easy for him.
It is no exaggeration to say that he could cover it up with his eyes closed.
Having agreed on a time to meet tomorrow, Jimmy waved his hand and left without further greetings. He turned back to meet the workers who planned to go to Misty Town together.
Watching the fellow villager’s back disappear at the end of the road, Shep’s lips couldn’t help but curl up into a smile.
I still remember that a few months ago, before they moved from the Elephant Tree Village, the lord even gave the grain that had not yet been confiscated from the fields to merchants in the nearby Twilight City at a cheap price in order to escape.
Since then, they have lived a precarious life and had to leave their homes in order to survive.
The past few months have been like a dream.
As of now, they can not only eat bread with jam, but also get paid for their work, and can even go to the market in the town to choose what they like, instead of relying on the charity of profiteers who are colluding with the lord, and enduring the exploitation of the latter in the monopolized market...
Such a life, he had never dared to think about before.
The days are really getting better day by day...
Just when Shep was thinking this, a cheering sound came from the cave not far from the pasture.
Under the illumination of the magic crystal lamps, a green bud emerged from the black soil filled with petri dishes.
Listening to the excited cheers of the skeleton soldiers around him, the night elf responsible for casting spells couldn't help but show a surprised expression on his face.
She originally thought planting crops in winter was a joke, but she didn't expect that the dormant seeds actually sprouted.
These humble-looking skeletons actually succeeded!
What she didn't expect was that these undead people actually understood nature better than she, a night elf...
The sun really came out in the west!