Chapter 84 – The Path Under Divine Rules

Cheng Yang hadn’t fully decided on Liu Hao’s and others’ future roles. While they currently served as captains of Phoenix Village’s five combat squads, this was merely a temporary arrangement due to the lack of suitable candidates.

In the future, if they proved adept at military command, leading troops would be ideal. If they excelled in administration, managing a subsidiary settlement would be a good alternative. Cheng Yang’s current decision to appoint Liu Hao as Xianghe Village’s chief wasn’t based on administrative skills but to help Liu Hao advance through settlement management. The actual administration could be handled by a deputy.

After finalizing his thoughts, Cheng Yang quickened his pace toward Liu Hao’s group.

Liu Hao and his team had waited impatiently for nearly two hours, restrained only by Cheng Yang’s earlier prohibition against entering the forest. Seeing Cheng Yang emerge, they rushed to meet him.

“Lord, did you find anything after all these hours?” Liu Hao asked eagerly.

Cheng Yang replied, “It’s done. Follow me,” and led them into the forest without further explanation.

Within minutes, they arrived at a massive altar surrounded by monster corpses. The sight left Liu Hao’s group stunned.

“Lord, is this altar your target? Is this another settlement?” Liu Hao asked.

Cheng Yang nodded, smiling. “Indeed. This is Xianghe Village, Phoenix Village’s first subsidiary settlement. Liu Hao, you’ll be its chief. How does that sound?”

“Me? A village chief?” Liu Hao exclaimed. “Spare me! I’m not cut out for managing trivial data and daily affairs.”

Cheng Yang anticipated this response. “You’ll be a nominal chief. The actual administration will be handled by your deputy, Cai Chengtian.”

Liu Hao turned to Cai Chengtian, who looked bewildered. “Me? But I only ran a small company before. This is Phoenix Village’s first subsidiary settlement. I’m not sure I can handle such responsibility.”

Liu Hao interjected, “This is the Lord’s way of nurturing talent. Why don’t you make Cai the chief directly? He’s steady and capable.”

Cheng Yang shook his head. “Cai will be deputy chief, but you must remain chief. This position offers significant benefits, including immediate advancement in power. As the settlement grows, you’ll gain further enhancements. We need strong warriors now, and subsidiary settlements provide that opportunity.”

Liu Hao’s expression turned serious. The weight of responsibility was daunting. After a moment’s thought, he said, “What about Old Yu? He’s more thorough and better at coordination.”

Cheng Yang replied, “Don’t worry. Old Yu, Niu Bing, and others will also have opportunities to manage subsidiary settlements. It’s up to you to seize this chance.”

Finally, Liu Hao agreed. Following Cheng Yang’s instructions, he placed his hand on the altar. After identity verification, Liu Hao officially became Xianghe Village’s chief.

At that moment, a voice echoed in their ears:

“Congratulations! Xianghe Village’s chief has been successfully appointed. As the world’s first operational subsidiary settlement established within a month of the apocalypse, a divine rule has automatically created a road connecting Phoenix Village and Xianghe Village.”

As the announcement concluded, trees south of Xianghe Village fell in rows, rapidly decaying into soil. The ground leveled and solidified, forming a thirty-meter-wide road resembling an eight-lane highway.

Cheng Yang was thrilled. Constructing such a road under current conditions would be nearly impossible due to the immense resources required. This divinely created path was a priceless boon.

Liu Hao remarked, “Lord, who knew having the first subsidiary settlement would bring such benefits? Travel between the villages will be much easier now.”

Cheng Yang smiled, knowing more about the road’s significance. “This isn’t just any road. It’s a divinely protected path where monsters won’t spawn, and large monster groups will avoid it.”

Liu Hao quickly grasped the implications. “So even ordinary people can travel safely between settlements?”

Cheng Yang nodded. “Exactly. While risks remain, it’s infinitely safer than before.”

Liu Hao’s eyes lit up. “Can we build a road to Tianfu City? That way, we could reach my family there.”

Cheng Yang understood Liu Hao’s longing but had to disappoint him. “The resources needed would be astronomical. From Xiang City to Tianfu City is over 1,500 kilometers. Even a basic 10-meter-wide road would require millions of cubic meters of stone. It’s better to focus on strengthening ourselves and reclaiming Tianfu City directly.”

Liu Hao pointed to the newly formed road. “But this one didn’t use any resources.”

Cheng Yang explained, “This was a divine reward, not something we built.”

With a resigned sigh, Liu Hao accepted the reality. Cheng Yang then appointed Cai Chengtian as deputy chief.

After setting permissions for Liu Hao and Cai Chengtian, Cheng Yang examined Xianghe Village’s property panel. It differed significantly from Phoenix Village’s, notably featuring a “pseudo” label on divine grace abilities and an additional permissions tab.

Cheng Yang didn’t linger. He set off along the new road back to Phoenix Village. Xianghe Village currently lacked both materials and manpower. Developing it would require transporting wood from Phoenix Village and recruiting new combatants.

Liu Hao’s team remained behind to protect the fledgling settlement. Without walls, the surrounding monsters posed a constant threat. If they regained control of the altar, Cheng Yang’s first subsidiary settlement would be lost.

Liu Hao wisely delayed using the pseudo-divine grace effect. He was close to advancing to intermediate apprentice level. Waiting until after this advancement would allow him to reach high apprentice level directly, maximizing the benefit.

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