Land of Eight Desolates, rak Island in the Far West.
Ever since the Great Cataclysm, rampaging flesh, living machinery, and writhing earth could be seen everywhere.
All of those were phenona caused by the Gods’ fall into corruption and their wanton tampering with the rules, and have now already beco a part of this world’s ecology.
Yet here on rak Island in the Land of the Far West, a patch of normal order has been preserved amid this boundless chaos.
The island itself is not large, but it possesses a vitality and vigor utterly different from the outside world.
Grass and trees grow here just as they would in a normal world...
Towering buildings and high-rises house the only intelligent Life left in this world...
What is even more uncanny is that there is a still-functioning city on this island, which has split into a complete industrial district, agricultural district, and residential district.
"Do we have enough grain output this year?"
Standing in the conference hall at the highest point of the city, a man with the typical look of a Qin People quietly asked.
Around the man, a series of huge screens connected to representatives of the populace from all parts of the city, to rchant guild leaders, and to union party chiefs, to jointly deliberate and decide the city’s future.
"The impact of the Great Cataclysm is still intensifying; the improved strains in the agricultural district have already begun to show signs of becoming ’alive’."
"If we keep using those seeds, who knows what kind of monsters we’ll grow next ti."
Hearing the man’s inquiry, the agricultural representative cautiously reported the situation on his side.
The Empire’s legacy technology was advanced enough, but rak Island’s location was simply too remote, and after the Great Cataclysm, basically no scientists or Engineers could make it out here.
"What about synthetic grain technology? How is that progressing?"
After a brief silence, the man turned his gaze to the representative of the technical experts.
"If it’s only a small gap in grain production, we can fill it on our side with synthetic thods..."
"But this is not a long-term solution; we need more energy."
In this ruined world, sun, moon, and stars had long since ceased to provide energy, and the molten core beneath the earth had turned into a monster.
And any technology, once it lacked energy support, could essentially make no great advances.
"I object to using that precious energy to synthesize food!"
At this mont, a rchant guild leader suddenly raised his hand in opposition.
"Your Majesty, let’s implent a rationing system!"
"We no longer need this many people!"
"Under the current circumstances, having children continue to study is completely aningless, and those elderly people are already of no value."
"I propose that before we completely resolve the energy problem, we restrict the rations for children and exile those useless elderly to outside the city!"
The rchant guild leader’s proposal stirred a commotion, yet no one voiced a rebuttal.
It was obvious that, in the face of a survival crisis, human nature could not withstand any test.
"We are humans, not beasts."
"If today we can abandon the elderly, then tomorrow can we abandon you as well?"
His cold gaze swept over the silent representatives, and the man’s voice suddenly grew a bit lower.
"From today on, cut the rations of all high-ranking officials, myself included, and give priority in food supply to children and the elderly."
"At the sa ti notify the chanical law enforcers: if anyone is found disobeying my orders, they may execute first and report later."
The man’s tone clearly carried no killing intent, yet everyone felt a chill crawl up their backs in unison.
Only then did they suddenly realize.
This seemingly gentle and refined Emperor before them was, in truth, the ruthless figure who had single-handedly built this Peach Blossom Spring.
The only reason people like themselves could sit among the city’s high echelon was simply because this Emperor needed soone to help him maintain order.
In fact, this was also a common state of affairs after the Great Cataclysm.
Those whose hearts weren’t ruthless could not survive, much less build this Peach Blossom Spring as it was now.
"Your Majesty, there have been a lot of protests in the residential district lately..."
As if to break the frigid silence, the representative from the residential district took the initiative to speak.
"Everyone is complaining that there have been too many restrictions lately—not only have food prices gone up and working hours grown longer, even the compensation they receive is getting less and less."
"So people are even cursing you in private. Do you think we should implent a detention policy?"
At these words, the man first lifted his head and glanced at the residential representative, then spoke lightly.
"So long as they don’t disturb the city’s order, let them complain if they want to complain."
......................................................
When the eting ended, the screens went dark one by one.
Only then did the man slowly close his eyes now that the room was empty, a rare anger and exhaustion surfacing on his face.
To govern a city—especially a city that had once tasted the conveniences of civilization—was far from as simple as one might imagine.
The complaints ntioned by the residential representative—were they not the very thoughts lurking in the hearts of those high-level participants themselves?
In the end, they were only using the people’s voices to express their own ideas.
In this city, the only one who truly cared for the people was this man standing here now.
"Qin Ershi?"
"You really overestimate . I’m not worthy of being given the na ’Ershi’ at all."
With a long, faint sigh, the man everyone called "Qin Ershi" clenched his fists, and the anger and weariness on his face gradually dissipated.
From a personal standpoint, Qin Ershi could in fact understand the thoughts of those in the upper ranks.
After all, this world was already broken and was inching step by step toward Death.
The beings living in this world were rely prolonging their lives; they had no way to reverse the fated doom of Death that was bound to descend.
In such a situation, who would still worry about the future?
Living in the mont, living only for oneself—that was the thinking of the vast majority of normal people.
It was instead an existence like Qin Ershi, who persisted in maintaining a normal civilized order, that was the true Mysterious Creature of this era.
Because Qin Ershi firmly believed that humans must not live like beasts, existing for the sake of existing.
To hold the moral bottom line, to preserve the Fla of civilization—that should be the original intention behind the founding of this city.
"Your Majesty, when you led the people in rebellion against the Gods back then, was your situation even more difficult than mine is now?"
Slowly walking to the large floor-to-ceiling window, Qin Ershi could overlook the entire city from his vantage point.
And directly opposite Qin Ershi stood a colossal human statue with a sword in hand, exuding an extraordinary sense of majesty.
The statue was ten thousand zhang tall, its entire body a dark yellow, its hair leaping and burning like Fla.
If it weren’t standing there motionless, without even the sign of a breath...
Many would probably take it for a living being, a true Life.
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