My lord, the times have changed.

The villagers, at long last, were finally able to eat the wheat meal they had so longed for. After all, they had contributed to the wheat harvest, and it would be impossible to expect the horse to run without feeding it. However, Qin Xiaofan couldn’t bear to provide them with iron pots. Iron pots were far too expensive, while shovels were quite cheap. At only 10 points apiece, he immediately exchanged for a hundred and distributed them, instructing everyone to fashion their own small iron pots from the shovels—so long as they could cook rice, that would suffice.

Wheat planting was proceeding apace. With so many hands, the fifty pounds of wheat seed were quickly sown, covering an area that now exceeded an acre—a truly impressive sight. They only had to wait for the wheat to grow and form ears before completing the wheat field task.

Yet, there was a disappointment: this batch of wheat seeds was clearly quite different from those exchanged at the shop. The store’s wheat seeds matured in just ten days, but these new seeds were growing significantly slower and would take about thirty days to harvest. It was as if the superior genes were gradually being diluted, and likely another two plantings would reduce them to ordinary wheat seeds.

On the other side of the wheat field, Qin Xiaofan established an orchard. This nearly exhausted his remaining points, but he managed to plant twenty fruit trees. The fruit trees, too, exhibited the same tendency: after the first harvest, the interval between fruitings grew ever longer.

There was another thorny issue: clothing. The making of clothes had always been a troublesome affair. People couldn’t simply wear the same outfit perpetually. Men might not mind the smell, but women, by nature, cherished cleanliness. Qin Xiaofan could only suggest that the men go shirtless and hand their clothes to the women, so the women could have changes to wash and wear. Many men agreed, but this solution was only temporary. Clothes would eventually wear out, and replacements were needed. Tree bark was now the only option—made into crude garments, they sufficed for now. In time, they would find a way to produce silk.

Qin Xiaofan checked the lottery wheel every day to see what new items appeared, but the eggs he so dearly wanted never showed up. It was always seeds, points, saplings, and such, which left him disinterested in trying his luck.

The population was slowly increasing each day. Qin Xiaofan distributed only twenty portions of the Water of Civilization daily, giving them to those who behaved well and worked hard. Those who received it were overjoyed, while those who didn’t dared not complain but strove to work harder. By this point, the village population had reached 140. With more people, all sorts of strange incidents began to occur.

For instance, yesterday someone’s underwear left out to dry had been stolen; today, someone was caught peeping on another while bathing; tomorrow, someone would lose at mahjong and refuse to accept the result. These trivial matters gave Qin Xiaofan a headache, as the villagers always came to him for justice. It was tedious, but he couldn’t refuse—he was, after all, the sole authority here. Thankfully, these were mere trifles.

But then, the first serious violent incident occurred in the village. The perpetrator was a C-class combat-type ability user named Wang Hong, aged 31. That morning, unable to suppress his desires any longer, he broke into his female neighbor’s home, knocked her unconscious, and assaulted her. Early risers noticed something amiss and apprehended him, dragging him before Qin Xiaofan.

Without hesitation, Qin Xiaofan kicked him so hard he flew, then broke both of Wang Hong’s legs, spat on him, and gave a chilling order: “Castrate him!”

At this, Wang Hong was so terrified he wet himself. He had thought the worst that could befall him was a severe beating; he never imagined his life would be at stake. In his panic, Wang Hong shouted at Qin Xiaofan, “You have no right to do this! According to the law, the most I should get is a few years in prison!”

As soon as he spoke, he regretted it. Everyone around looked at him as if he were a fool. Qin Xiaofan smiled, a gentle expression that to Wang Hong seemed as if the devil himself were baring his fangs.

“Times have changed,” Qin Xiaofan said softly.

With a single stroke, Wang Hong’s head rolled to the ground.

Wang Hong could have survived, but he made the fatal mistake of challenging Qin Xiaofan’s authority—no matter how slight. The butcher’s knife still dripped blood. Some stayed calm, but most of the newcomers were so frightened they turned pale, with some even soiling themselves.

Wang Hong’s corpse was swiftly carried away. No one pitied him. Those who prey on women have always been the most despised. The ones digging his grave even stripped him of his clothes and urinated on his body before burying him. It was a grisly end.

After this, the village entered a period of peace and stability. Even the petty thieves and voyeurs grew cautious, not daring to act out.

But a system was needed.

Qin Xiaofan could not be expected to personally handle every minor dispute. Power needed to be delegated. After careful consideration, Qin Xiaofan convened the first village assembly. The main agenda: to improve the regulations and elect the first village officials—six key positions in total: Security Captain, Agriculture Captain, Construction Captain, Women’s Committee Member, Discipline Supervisor, and Mediator.

The Security Captain was responsible for order, the Agriculture Captain for food production, and the Construction Captain for expanding the village. Each captain could choose six team members and later appoint a vice-captain. The committee members had similar arrangements. Captains handled external matters, committee members internal affairs—clear divisions of labor, with mutual oversight.

To ensure fairness, Qin Xiaofan let the villagers vote freely. The news electrified everyone. Volunteers came forward in droves. Qin Xiaofan had candidates deliver campaign speeches to win support; eloquence became a decisive advantage.

The selection process was not casual. Like a tournament, candidates for the same post competed in rounds, with the lowest vote-getters eliminated each time, the survivors advancing to the next round.

It was a grand affair. For the sake of ceremony, Qin Xiaofan suspended all activities except for the election. Even Iron Fist Wang Yishan at the village gate was given leave to campaign and vote.

For three whole days, many barely slept, knowing all too well what becoming a village official meant. Many spent the nights memorizing their speeches, hoping to be fluent and passionate when the time came, to win more support.

As dawn broke, people tidied their clothes, groomed their hair, some even endured the pain of shaving their beards. Then, spirits high, they left their wooden huts and gathered in front of the cave for the final day’s showdown.

This day would change the fate of many.