This delivery of supplies was truly astonishing. It wasn't just a single batch—it was distributed directly into the hands of every single person, every villager. When added up, the total was no small amount. One had to understand that even a single pound of Mixed Spirit Rice could sustain an ordinary person for a whole day, even with a hearty appetite. With fifty pounds, one could easily last over a month. If used sparingly, boiled into porridge, it could last two or even three months.
There was also five pounds of fierce beast meat, which could greatly enhance one's health. Eating it was no doubt a powerful boost. This kind of meat was normally a rare luxury, only enjoyed by the higher-ups in the village.
And then there was a bolt of cloth, sizable enough to be cut into a decent new garment.
Clothing and food—the two most fundamental human needs—were both covered.
The scale of this distribution was such that, if White Poplar Village were to attempt it on their own, it would instantly deplete their entire stockpile—and still might not be enough. Such an extravagant act was almost unimaginable, especially in these chaotic times.
Right now, the only place truly capable of large-scale grain cultivation was Xuanhuang Town. Even after stabilizing, other villages could only manage small patches and needed to constantly guard them from sabotage. They could only grow in small quantities—barely enough to feed themselves, let alone the whole populace. That's assuming the crops were grown within the village boundaries.
If grown outside, they would almost certainly be completely destroyed before harvest.
Only Xuanhuang Town had the strength and security to continuously mass-produce grain.
Such a godsend left Bai Hai and Bai Lang visibly stunned and overjoyed.
"Village Chief Bai Yang of White Poplar Village thanks Lord Yi of Xuanhuang Town for his benevolent and saintly act. All of us at White Poplar Village will remember this kindness. Open the gates. Let the people go forth and receive their supplies."
At this moment, a middle-aged man in a white robe ascended the village wall. His face was smooth as jade, radiating a cultured and refined aura. There was a natural air of authority about him.
That kind of gravitas can only be cultivated through prolonged leadership and command. It cannot be faked. Only those who have ruled over land and people can develop such a presence.
"So it's Fellow Daoist Bai Yang,"Wu Yong greeted with a smile and a nod.
After a brief exchange of courtesies, the gates were opened.
Villagers of White Poplar streamed out, their faces filled with hope and expectation. One could tell from their pale complexions that although they weren't quite skin-and-bones, they rarely had full meals.
"Here, here, over here to register and collect your supplies!"
At once, people began calling out. These were members of the Wanbao Hall, assisting in distribution.
They used spatial pouches and storage bags to carry the supplies. Though the space in each was limited, their numbers were vast. Back during the First Martial Dao Tournament, Yi Tianxing had acquired hundreds, even thousands of these storage artifacts. When combined, they could carry a truly staggering quantity of goods.
Someone opened one such bag—and immediately, a large pile of supplies appeared: sacks of Mixed Spirit Rice, fresh fierce beast meat, and bolts of cloth.
The first villager stepped forward.
"My name is Liu Sangou... Are you really giving out food and cloth here?"
he asked timidly, nervously.
"Yes. Register here and you'll receive your supplies."
Wu Yong said warmly.
"Okay!"
Liu Sangou quickly registered, and just like that, he was handed his share: a small sack of spirit rice, a piece of fierce beast meat, and a bolt of cloth large enough for one set of clothing. When he held it in his hands, he felt as if he were dreaming—it didn't seem real.
But the grip he had on those goods was firm. He had no intention of letting go.
People who have never starved can never understand what this means.
"It's real! We're getting food—and beast meat! The Lord of Xuanhuang Town is truly virtuous."
"I've heard that within ten thousand miles, Xuanhuang Town is the best settlement for humanity. So many long to go there. They say everyone there can cultivate, and there's even a Scripture Pavilion where anyone can choose techniques to train. Becoming a cultivator—it's something countless people dream about."
"Amazing. My clothes have been falling apart for months now. I couldn't even find enough cloth to patch them. Now I can make a new set. Even if I die in these, I'll look decent!"
"What a generous act from Xuanhuang Town. If only we could join them too. Then we could all become cultivators and fight those beasts ourselves. No more living in fear."
One by one, villagers followed the process and received their supplies. Their faces shone with joy.
Meanwhile, up on the wall, Bai Yang and the others had already left. They had returned to the village chief's residence, known as White Manor, the Bai family's estate.
Inside the discussion hall, the atmosphere was tense.
Bai Yang sat at the head, flanked by Bai Hai, Bai Lang, and a petite, beautiful young girl.
"Second Brother, Lang'er, you both miscalculated. When Xuanhuang Town offered to give us supplies, you should have accepted directly—and found a way to distribute it ourselves. No matter what, you should never have let them hand it out personally. With this, we've likely lost the hearts of the people. Leading them from now on will be difficult."
Bai Yang's face was grave.
"I was so stunned by the scale of the offer, I just blanked out. By the time I came to my senses, it was too late to take control."
Bai Hai replied bitterly.
"But Father, isn't it a good thing that we got so much free material?"
asked Bai Xiaoyu, puzzled.
"Receiving such a large stockpile is absolutely beneficial. It'll relieve pressure on the village for at least a month—maybe longer. We'll be able to build and develop faster. But we've lost the people's hearts."
Bai Yang said with a wry smile.
Who distributes the supplies makes all the difference. If the goods had been handed to the Bai family for distribution, the goodwill would have fallen to them. But with Xuanhuang Town doing it directly, both credit and loyalty now belong to them. The people will now look to Xuanhuang Town. How can the Bai family continue to lead under those circumstances?
This is nothing short of buying the people's hearts.
Especially in these chaotic times, nothing wins loyalty like food. And now, with people so easily swayed, a single ripple can trigger a tidal wave. If hearts turn, a power base crumbles.
"Can't we stop it?"Bai Xiaoyu asked hesitantly.
"We can't. Xuanhuang Town has already publicly announced the distribution throughout the village. Everyone knows. Letting them get their supplies is one thing. Stopping it now would be like snatching food from the people's mouths. That would turn them directly against us. The resentment would build—and explode later into something disastrous."
Bai Yang shook his head.
If he could, he never would've let Xuanhuang Town hand out supplies directly. It was like handing over your foundation stone to someone else, and watching them dig up your roots—and being powerless to stop it.
There's a story in unofficial histories—about the Ming dynasty's founder, Zhu Yuanzhang, and the wealthiest man of his time, Shen Wansan.
After the Ming Dynasty was founded, Zhu Yuanzhang summoned Shen Wansan and had him offer up great sums of silver and gold. When the court's treasury was short during the construction of Nanjing's outer walls, Shen volunteered to finance half the project. His half was completed faster than the emperor's—and this annoyed Zhu Yuanzhang.
Shen then went even further—offering to reward every soldier in the empire with a silver tael. That totaled nearly a million taels.
That was too far.
Construction of fortresses was the imperial court's domain. Rewarding the army was the emperor's right—a form of imperial grace. For a mere businessman to reward the army himself—what did that imply? That the soldiers belonged to him?
Such usurpation of imperial authority could only lead to one end: the destruction of Shen's family.
Why? Because he crossed the line.
No emperor would tolerate this. Shen was buying hearts—a privilege only the emperor had. If a merchant could do this, would the empire not collapse?
Now, what Xuanhuang Town is doing is essentially the same as Shen Wansan's move—but the result is completely different.
Why? Because they have the strength to back it up.
This is an open scheme—a strategic maneuver in broad daylight. Even if everyone sees through it, no one can stop it. That's the weight of power.
Even knowing this is a campaign to win hearts and minds, no one dares act. Those thousand soldiers stationed outside are real—and the villagers are overjoyed. Any attempt to block this would backfire disastrously.