Jin Klest used a shovel to dig up about two or three square meters of ground and, with the help of two young lads, lit a campfire on the empty beach by the sea.

Yang Zicang watched his movements. This man from the “Hellfire Sect ” had suggested cleaning the fish beside the campfire.

Moreover, Edgar Jin Christie strongly insisted that only half of the fish caught could be killed. The rest were to be released in batches over the next day, and afterward, the campfire had to burn for an entire day.

Someone was specifically tasked with adding wood to the fire.

When things were nearly done, Yang Zicang teased the young man in the new red robe with his hair in a ponytail.

“I finally see a bit of the tradition left behind by your so-called sect. “

“Heh heh, these are all experiences passed down by our predecessors. “

He planted his hands on his hips and gazed at the distant sea horizon, which merged dimly with the night, sounding with a roar… roar…

“Also some old rules that no one cares about anymore. “

Yang Zicang didn’t say much more. He had great respect for such folk customs. It seemed that no matter which world he was in, fire was always one of the most important elements connecting all things.

He watched the young man’s profile in the firelight.

“What is the Hellfire Sect? “

“Hmm—Legend has it that only by lighting a fire on the earth can the world be saved. So, I guess we’re just an ignored gathering of saviors. Uh, this identity is something I bought. “

Yang Zicang was taken aback.

A few steps away, the kid in blue clothes squatting to add wood to the fire chuckled.

“It’s not bad to be able to buy one. We can’t buy one even if we want to. “

“Well, what a strange belief. “

“This isn’t about belief. “

Jin Christie spread his arms, looking very much like a prophet, “This is a summary of historical experience. “

……

They worked until the moon was high in the sky before finally calling it a day and returning to the storage room.

“Mr. Bu Chen, I think we should start preparing the fish soup overnight, don’t you? “

Milena, a petite girl, ran into the room to ask.

“Hmm… no, we’ll hang them up to dry for now. You know, our Fog State possesses some special mystical powers; I think I can make these fish more nutritious, so we need to let them dry for a day. “

“Ah? Then… we won’t be able to distribute fish soup to everyone tomorrow—or rather, today? “

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi indicates “Frustrating. “｝

“Mm-hmm, that’s right. But to keep everyone from complaining, I’ll give them some compensation. “

“Compensation? “

Yang Zicang stood up. “Tomorrow I’m going to distribute supplies to everyone. I’ve already prepared everything. “

Milena and the others had no clue what was going on.

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi indicates “Thumbs up. “｝

-｛Loki Tata Mingqi wants to reserve a share in this burgeoning prelude of brilliance.｝

Yang Zicang smiled. Initially, he had simply thought of the ballads left behind in this land by an unknown soul, which reminded him of the struggles certain people in his past world had faced. He had only wanted to offer a small piece of advice to these vibrant people, without ever considering it might spark a “burst of Radiant Light. “

But someone unexpectedly added another brick to his wall.

Well then, bring it on! Let’s see who will ignite this strange “radiance. “

At that very moment, Yang Zicang, through his spreading “Silent Night ” perception, sensed a small boat being pushed by strange sea spray toward the shore.

His two team members had finally arrived.

……

At 8 a.m., both theQingying Gazetteand theDancing Fire Gazettehit the stands simultaneously.

That day, people were filled with anticipation, bustling and surging toward two gathering points.

At the publishing site of theDancing Fire Gazetteby the warehouse, Ma Shuo sat smiling on the stone steps along the warehouse edge, not far from the upright bulletin board, listening to people read the words inscribed on it.

“Pay attention to the hygiene of shared bowls… It’s best to scald them with boiling hot water before using public bowls… “

“What? Those Qingying folks are going to distribute fish soup. “

“TheDancing Fire Gazettesays to be wary of illness caused by gathering crowds, and to mind hygiene… “

The bulletin board dedicated a full half-page to explaining how to maintain hygiene and prevent infectious diseases under conditions of plenty of people but few bowls.

At the same time, in a professional, almost official tone, it praised theQingying Gazette‘s act of giving out fish soup, and encouraged them to keep studying the “Dancing Fire spirit ” to bring even more benefits to everyone.

Yao Xiaoqin and Anxi, hidden deep in the woods, stared wide-eyed at the scene.

“Good heavens, is this Chenchen President’s target today? “

“Looks like in these days, even if the President doesn’t want to waste effort on blazing radiance, there’ll be people rushing to deliver it to us. “

Anxi rubbed his hands together, unable to contain his eagerness. “We need to step it up too and make a contribution to this matter. Come on, beautiful, let’s continue diving into the sea to fish for treasures. “

The crowd was stirring noisily. Many people, after reading the text on the newspaper, rushed toward the large square on the other end of the village.

The warehouse owner came out with a bowl of tea and handed it to Ma Shuo.

“Young and promising, truly young and promising~ To pull off such a grand operation in a shithole like this, your future will be boundless. “

“Nonsense, how could I compare to a seasoned veteran like you? What you earn in one day is more than I could scrape together here in a whole year. “

“Hey, now, you can’t compare it like that, ” the old man said, spiritedly waving his hand. “Don’t be fooled by the money I’m making now. A big chunk of it has to go to the gentlemen stationed up in the mountains as tribute. Half of what’s left goes to greasing the palms of certain folks in the village. Me? I’m just a poor soul fated to toil. “

Ma Shuo smiled cheerfully and took a sip of tea, not bothering to call the old man out on his bullshit. Wasn’t it well known that just two days ago, this old geezer had sunk two sturdy chests underwater in secret?

“There are fewer people here today, ” the old man remarked, lifting his head to look at the wooden bulletin board.

“They’ve all gone off to drink fish soup, haven’t they? Ha, perfectly normal. “

“Will it affect our business? “

“Just a day or two. They can’t sustain a show like this for long. Besides, I’m not worried about the business. “

“Yeah, yeah, I know. “

-｛Distributor March. Duli is currently monitoring my actions.｝

Ma Shuo lowered his gaze to the ring and, with a hint of resentment stirring in his chest, let out a faint, quiet hum from his throat.

Just as he was fantasizing about selling the “Glory Light ” to a first or second-tier distributor the moment it was born after two more days, a timid old woman in her sixties, who had bought the cheap lunch before, crept over with her head tucked in.

“Xiao Ma, why are you still keeping this board standing here? “

Ma Shuo paused, teacup at his lips. “What’s up? “

“Oh dear~ “

Her sharp eyes fixed on him, the wrinkled skin around her mouth twisting as she spoke, slapping her hands together in a low but incisive tone. “Take it down quickly. They didn’t distribute the fish soup at their place. “

“Didn’t distribute? ” Ma Shuo was taken aback.

A surge of anger mixed with panic roared straight to his brain.

“Why didn’t they distribute it? Are they ruining their own reputation? “

The warehouse old man, who had a hint of a smile, also froze for a second, then deliberately stepped back as if entertained by the scene, signaling his avoidance of the topic.

Doing this while those guys were frustrated—pretending not to hear was, in a way, giving the board publication’s founder some face.

But his long-ingrained curiosity kept the old man from retreating inside.

Under the gentle sunlight, the old woman leaned in toward Ma Shuo and lowered her voice:

“The folks over there were muttering all sorts of nonsense. Something about being afraid that the toxic fish had been cooked in the dark and mixed in by accident, or that it needed to be hung under the sun for a while. Oh heavens, as if anyone actually cared about a mouthful of their soup. “

Ma Shuo got up in sheer fury, his head buzzing.

“This is an excuse. This is dirty play! “

This was an outright attack on him!

That ignorant villager had stewed for days only to cook up such a dirty trick that would cut off his nose to spite his face—hardly a sharp tool in the shed, this one.

Ma Shuo just couldn’t figure out for the life of him why his distributor would bother to curry favor with such a person.

“Hmph, I’m putting out an extra edition! ” Ma Shuo waved his hand, seething. “I’ll call them to account! “

Another woman of about the same age scurried up beside the old lady, tapping her arm. “Quick, let’s go over there. “

The old woman shot her a quizzical look.

“They’re handing out clothes and shoes and caps—all good stuff. Let’s go, before it’s all gone. “

Even at that low whisper, Ma Shuo caught every word in a flash. The impulse to revamp the newspaper’s content and go indict theQingying Gazette—barely kindled, now extinguished—vanished like it had been snuffed out.

Whew! Good thing he hadn’t made that change. If he had, wouldn’t he just be slapping himself in the face all over again?

More people caught wind and drifted away. Before long, the bulletin board in front stood empty, graced only by a couple of stragglers braving the ocean breeze.

“Handing out supplies… There are thousands of people here. How the hell will they do that? “

Quietly suspicious for a moment, a sudden lightbulb went off in Ma Shuo’s head. He dashed to the doorway, shooting a sharp look at the warehousery keeper, whose sycophantic smile immediately soured.

“Where are you hiding your stock? “

“Wha—? What’re you on about, huh? I don’t get it. “

“Oi! They’re dishing out clothes and shoes and caps over there! The stuff you grabbed—where is it stashed? Is it still there? Go, damn it, go check! “

The older man spun around like a frightened hunting dog, nearly stumbling to the ground as he rushed toward the back of the warehouse, shouting his grandson’s name as he ran.