Just as Jiang Yan stepped out of the hall, he ran into Guizhong, who was returning alongside Cloud Retainer.
"Jiang Yan, where are you off to?" Guizhong asked curiously as she saw him heading out.
"Ah… just something I need to take care of," Jiang Yan replied with an awkward laugh.
After being relentlessly worked to the bone these past few days by Guizhong and the other immortals, Jiang Yan felt his scalp tingle just seeing them.
"Oh?"
Cloud Retainer narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"You're not trying to sneak off to slack, are you?"
Jiang Yan instantly took two steps back, his smile turning stiff.
"Haha… no, no, really! I've got actual business!"
Before either of them could speak again, he spun around and disappeared down the corridor in a blur of motion.
"This boy… what's he being so secretive about today?" Guizhong said with a puzzled look, glancing in the direction he'd fled.
"Hmph, probably just found an excuse to slip away." Cloud Retainer snorted softly.
Still, both she and Guizhong knew they'd been pushing Jiang Yan—and Morax, for that matter—a bit too hard lately.
So when he said he was heading out, they didn't bother to stop him.
After all, everyone needed a little time to breathe.
Once outside, Jiang Yan looked over his shoulder to make sure neither Cloud Retainer nor Guizhong was following.
Only when he was sure of it did he let out a long sigh of relief.
Scared me to death!
That look Cloud Retainer had just now—she definitely looked like she was about to chain him back to a desk!
As for why he hadn't told them about his plan to establish the Liyue Qixing and the Eight Gates, the reason was simple:
He didn't have a concrete plan yet.
It had only been a sudden idea.
That's why he wanted to go among the people himself first—to see, to listen, to understand.
Only what the common folk truly needed was what Jiang Yan wanted to build.
And as for "slacking off"?
Slacking off? How dare you!
This wasn't slacking—it was personally walking among the people to experience their needs!
A totally different concept!
At least, that's what Jiang Yan told himself.
Ehe~
Leaving the Administration Hall, Jiang Yan disguised himself as a black-haired human youth before entering the residential quarter of Guili Plains.
Half the plains had been destroyed by the flood, forcing nearly all survivors to gather in a temporary settlement near Mt. Tianheng.
Once a vast and fertile land, Guili Plains was now scarred and silent.
War always demanded a price.
As Jiang Yan walked among the people, he noticed that even though their homes had been washed away, most wore bright, determined smiles.
Their homes were gone—but they were alive.
And as long as they lived, homes could be rebuilt.
Jiang Yan stroked his chin thoughtfully as he wandered through the crowd.
Thanks to his disguise, no one recognized that the black-haired young man strolling casually among them was actually their revered Wood Spirit Immortal Lord.
He wasn't stupid—if he'd come out with his usual silver hair and pointed ears, everyone in Guili Plains would've recognized him instantly.
That would've defeated the whole purpose of his little "field study."
Seeing how naturally people ignored him, Jiang Yan couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
That's more like it. Only this way can I really understand what my people need most.
Today, he told himself, he would learn from the Morax of a thousand years in the future—
—and become a proper man of the streets!
He bought a bowl of tea from a temporary stall and strolled leisurely, sipping as he went.
For the first time, he truly understood how comfortable life must have been for Morax when he later lived as Zhongli—a calm, refined gentleman wandering the city streets, enjoying mortal life.
As he took another sip, Jiang Yan couldn't resist muttering under his breath:
"Put it on the Administration Hall's tab."
Ahh, bliss.
He let out a contented sigh.
But as he continued his walk, observing the people, a serious issue soon became clear.
Half of Guili Plains was far too small.
Because the immortals had evacuated the populace quickly—and Jiang Yan himself had arrived in time to fight off the Chi Dragon—
the number of casualties had been relatively low.
That meant the surviving population was now too large for the remaining land to sustain.
The current residential zone was packed to bursting—people practically shoulder-to-shoulder wherever he went.
The other half of Guili Plains, though slated for reconstruction, had been devastated by floodwater.
Now, rotting fish and debris filled the once-fertile fields. The stench was overwhelming, and cleanup would take months at best.
Even if rebuilt, it was doubtful the land would ever return to its former glory.
Jiang Yan calculated silently, his gaze turning southward.
"Looks like I'll have to relocate half the population south of Mt. Tianheng…" he murmured.
The area he spoke of—would one day be known as Liyue Harbor.
Having settled on a plan, Jiang Yan straightened up, ready to return and put his ideas into writing.
But just as he stood, he noticed a large crowd gathered in the distance, a noisy commotion rising from within.
Curious, he frowned slightly—then began walking toward the crowd.
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