"Military Affairs Bureau?" A glimmer of light flashed in Huang Chengyan's eyes.
"That's right—the Military Affairs Bureau. My plan is for all military forces to come under its authority. It will oversee the army and warfare, and protect the villagers. Once established, all soldiers in Xuanhuang Village will be registered under this bureau. They'll officially join the military and be managed solely by it. No one else can interfere with its operations," Yi Tianxing laid out his thoughts.
"My lord, if we do that, won't the Military Affairs Bureau hold too much power? It's not a problem now since our forces are small, but in the future, it could become dangerous if something goes wrong." Huang Chengyan frowned slightly. Though a scholar, he didn't resent the military—in fact, he valued them in this chaotic world—but he still felt a hint of apprehension.
"Don't worry, Elder Huang. Though the Military Affairs Bureau will have considerable authority, there will also be restrictions in place. But those are issues for later. Our current goal is to establish a clear structure and build the functional systems we need. The rest can be adjusted over time. Don't forget—we're cultivators. As long as we live and continue to grow, we'll have long lives. There's no need to fuss over temporary gains or losses. If we make mistakes, we'll have time to correct them," Yi Tianxing said with a smile.
Historically, many founding emperors implemented good systems, but they had flaws. It often took decades—or even centuries—to truly evaluate whether a law or policy was right or wrong. Yet even when they were proven flawed, later generations often didn't have the courage to change them.
They lacked the boldness and authority of the founding rulers, who could act decisively without fear of turmoil. In contrast, later rulers prioritized stability. Any change carried the risk of unrest, and that risk deterred reform. Historical reforms were numerous, but few succeeded. Most brought instability or weakened the nation. But if a founding emperor had led them, their authority could have suppressed any disorder.
"Hmm. In that case, we can go ahead with the Military Affairs Bureau. It will manage military affairs and soldier registration," Huang Chengyan nodded in agreement.
"Now, regarding the village's construction and weapon forging—these are critical matters. We have carpenters, blacksmiths, and skilled builders. I propose we bring them together into a Heavenly Crafts Pavilion, which will recruit and organize talented artisans and allocate them efficiently. This will allow us to make the best use of our manpower and resources," Yi Tianxing continued.
As someone from the modern world, he deeply understood the importance of craftsmanship. Advanced techniques and tools were the foundation of civilization's growth. Without innovation and skilled artisans, society couldn't progress. Every invention could spark a transformation.
Take papermaking, for instance—without it, knowledge couldn't spread, and literacy would have stagnated. The Heavenly Crafts Pavilion wasn't just necessary—it had to be prioritized and heavily supported.
…
Time slipped by as Yi Tianxing and Huang Chengyan engaged in intense discussion. Hours passed. By the time night fell, they had finalized their initial structures.
"My lord, now that our village's population is growing, we must quickly address currency and trade. Bartering and communal meals may work for now, but they are not sustainable. If we want long-term development, we need a monetary system," Huang Chengyan said.
"Even if we can't immediately establish a currency system, we need a substitute—like contribution points tied to the Scripture Pavilion. We need a clear standard for earning and spending these points. Otherwise, the pavilion's appeal will drop sharply if no one can exchange them for techniques or skills. That would contradict your original intent."
Yi Tianxing nodded in agreement. "Do you have any suggestions, Elder Huang?"
The issue was already pressing. While no one had yet tried to exchange high-level cultivation manuals, the day would inevitably come. For example, when Cao Zhengchun donated several manuals, how were they to be valued? How many contribution points should he receive? How were such points calculated, awarded, and verified? It was a tough problem—but one that had to be solved.
Fortunately, Yi Tianxing already had a plan.
"I believe we need two systems. One is a monetary system for everyday civilian transactions. This currency cannot be made of gold or silver. Since we've introduced cultivation methods, we may eventually reach the point where everyone's a cultivator. For cultivators, gold and silver are worthless. We must find another rare material useful to cultivators."
Huang Chengyan had clearly considered this deeply. Currency is the lifeblood of a society. If it fails, the entire system collapses. For cultivators, gold and silver were little more than scrap metal. While acceptable for mundane transactions, they held no value for the mystical.
Thus, gold and silver were ruled out.
But what to replace them with? That remained a tricky question. The substitute had to be valuable to cultivators—and in this new world, many resources were still unfamiliar.
"The Eternal Continent is rich in spiritual energy, and it's bound to spawn countless spiritual ore veins—including spirit stones and crystal stones. These contain pure world essence and can be absorbed by cultivators. My plan is to use these as the base material for currency, possibly mixed with other components. That would give us a currency tailored to cultivators."
Yi Tianxing added, "I have a special treasure in my possession—the Universe Coin-Forge Cauldron. This cauldron can mint any type of coin. We can design the coins ourselves, create a mold, and then feed in the materials. It will continuously produce a steady stream of currency. The key is finding a spirit stone or crystal stone vein. Once we find one, we can begin issuing currency quickly."
Among the many treasures he collected during the Cataclysm, some had bizarre powers. The Universe Coin-Forge Cauldron was one of them. When he realized its function, he knew it would play a vital role in the future.
Currency was the lifeblood of any power.
Huang Chengyan was stunned, then overjoyed. He had seen firsthand how powerful those strange treasures were—each one incredible. With this cauldron, the coin minting process would be flawless, greatly advancing Xuanhuang Village's development.
But one issue remained.
"How do we find a spirit ore vein? Without it, we can't produce the currency," Huang Chengyan frowned.
Finding such a vein would require luck—or professional prospectors. It remained to be seen whether this valley held any spiritual resources.
"Coinage can wait a little. After all, we're still operating on communal meals. It's not urgently needed yet. But the contribution point system must be established immediately," Huang Chengyan advised.
"That system will need to start with manual recordkeeping," Yi Tianxing said. "For example, soldiers defending the village face danger daily. They can receive monthly contribution points. Greater deeds earn extra points. But we must develop a clear standard for how many points are awarded."
He couldn't help but miss modern technology. If only he had a computer—so many problems would be easy to solve. A technological artifact with intelligent functions would revolutionize Xuanhuang Village.
Unfortunately, none of the thousands of treasures he obtained fit that description. Worse yet, he couldn't even be sure modern tech would work on the Eternal Continent. During the Cataclysm, all electronics were destroyed. The rules of this world might prohibit technology entirely. Unless something was born of heaven and earth, it likely wouldn't function here.
Their discussions stretched into the deep night.
Huang Chengyan didn't leave. He simply found an empty room in Yi Tianxing's residence and stayed.
…
The night grew darker. Outside the Scripture Pavilion, three figures stood.
"This place is incredible… it looks like it's made entirely of glass. So this really is one of the magical treasures Brother Yi took out? Unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it," Yang Yanding exclaimed in awe.
"Come on, let's go choose a cultivation method. With real techniques, we can grow stronger… and survive long enough to find your brothers," Yang Ye said, taking a deep breath and stepping into the pavilion.