Rule Zero: The Village Mission

Real Earings In This World

Chapter 6: The Merchant’s Gamble and the Golden Leaves

Two days had passed since the first wooden ID tag was carved with charcoal, and the transformation of the Twin Springs was a testament to the sheer, desperate willpower of ten people who had been told they were nothing. The "Roxia" clan was no longer just a girl in a coffee-stained apron and a group of shivering outcasts. They were a settlement. The Great Hall stood as a testament to that—a massive, sturdy structure built from the ancient pines of the forest. Its roof, thatched with broad, sun-dried leaves, hummed softly whenever the wind blew off the river, but the interior was hollow.

Luvia stood in the center of the hall, her boots echoing on the packed-dirt floor. It was a shell. They had a roof, but they had no beds. They had a hearth, but they had no iron pots to hang over the fire, no ceramic bowls to hold soup, and no spoons to eat with. For forty-eight hours, they had lived on the Twin Spring Night-shades.

She looked at the small pile of blackberries sitting on a flat stone. They were beautiful, glowing with a faint, medicinal light, but Luvia felt a surge of guilt. These are high-level reagents, she thought, her overthinking mind calculating the opportunity cost. Every berry we eat just to stop our stomachs from growling is a gold coin we aren't saving for the winter. These are for emergencies. For healing wounds. Not for breakfast.

She turned to her group. They were waiting for her instructions, standing in a semi-circle. She had finally memorized all their names, her notebook now a detailed ledger of the "Roxia Decem."

"Line up for roll call," she commanded, her voice sounding more like a leader's every day.

First was Roxia Mian, her unofficial second-in-command. Then Roxia Kai, the powerhouse of the logging team. Beside them stood the rest of the ten:

Roxia Renji: A quick-witted boy with nimble fingers.

Roxia Hina: A girl who had a strange affinity for the river currents.

Roxia Kaito: Strong-shouldered and silent.

Roxia Sora: Who spent her hours meticulously tending the new farm.

Roxia Mei: A girl with an incredible eye for detail.

Roxia Kenzo: The youngest, but the fastest runner.

Roxia Yuki: Who had a knack for finding the driest firewood.

Roxia Akane: A girl who could weave grass into rope with blinding speed.

"We are out of options for food," Luvia told them bluntly. "The blackberries are off-limits starting now. We need real grain, real vegetables, and real beds. I am not spending my last reserves of gold on things we can earn with our own hands."

She sat down on a stump near the hearth, her mind spinning. "System," she whispered, "I'm hitting a wall. My people are getting stronger, but we’re starving in a paradise. Talk to me. Give me the data I’m missing."

[INITIALIZING SYSTEM DIALOGUE... GREETINGS, FOUNDER ROXIA LUVIA.]

The blue screen seemed to pulse with a more vibrant light today.

[NOTICE: YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE RESOURCES IS 87% ACCURATE. THE NIGHT-SHADES ARE TOO VALUABLE FOR DAILY CALORIES. HOWEVER, YOU ARE SITTING ON A GOLD MINE OF RAW MATERIALS.]

"The wood?" Luvia asked, looking at the forest.

[PRECISELY. WITHIN YOUR PROPERTY BOUNDARIES, INTERSPERSED WITH COMMON PINE, ARE TWELVE 'SILVER-BARK WEEPERS.' THESE ARE RARE SPIRITUAL TREES. THE WOOD IS SELF-SEALING AND HIGHLY COVETED BY THE CLOUD CLAN FOR MEDICINE CHESTS.]

Luvia leaned in, her eyes sharpening. "What’s the market value?"

[MARKET DATA ANALYSIS: THE CLOUD CLAN BUYS RAW SILVER-BARK LOGS FOR 1,200 GOLD PIECES PER UNIT. THEY THEN SELL PROCESSED BOARDS TO ROYALTY FOR 5,000. IF YOU SELL TO THE COMMON MARKET, YOU CAN PRICE A SINGLE LOG AT 800 GOLD FOR A QUICK SALE. FURTHERMORE, THE LEAVES OF THE SILVER-BARK ARE NOT TRASH. THEY ARE USED IN CALMING TEAS. A BUNDLE OF DRIED LEAVES FETCHES 15 GOLD.]

Luvia’s jaw dropped. She had been using those leaves to thatch the roof! She felt like she had been roofing her house with dollar bills. "And the flowers?" she asked, remembering the thicket of white lilies behind the cold spring.

[THE 'MOON-DRENCHED LILIES'.] The System sounded almost smug. [THEY ARE THE PRIMARY INGREDIENT IN ROYAL PERFUMES. ROYAL LADIES PAY UP TO 100 GOLD PER STEM. HOWEVER, THE ROYAL MERCHANTS MONOPOLIZE THE TRADE, LEAVING THE COMMON PEOPLE WITH NOTHING. HUSBANDS, BROTHERS, AND SONS FREQUENTLY SEARCH THE LOWER MARKETS FOR AFFORDABLE LUXURIES TO GIFT THEIR LOVED ONES. YOU CAN UNDERCUT THE ROYAL PRICE AND SELL THEM FOR 20 GOLD PER STEM.]

Luvia’s mind raced through the logistics. The Market of the Third Path was barely an hour’s walk away—dangerously close, but perfect for trade.

"System," Luvia said, her voice dropping to a serious tone. "Tell me about the springs. My people are working themselves to the bone. How do I make them better?"

[THE HOT SPRING IS FOR THE FLESH,] the System replied. [IT REPAIRS MUSCLE AND SOOTHES THE MIND. BUT THE COLD SPRING... THAT IS FOR THE SOUL. THE TEMPERATURE IS NEAR ABSOLUTE ZERO IN SPIRITUAL TERMS. SITTING INSIDE IS AGONIZING, AS THE COLD TRIES TO FREEZE THE QI CORE. BUT IF A CULTIVATOR CAN ENDURE IT, THE CORE WILL PANIC AND TRIGGER THE IMMEDIATE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRITUAL ANIMAL TO PROTECT THE BODY. IT IS THE FASTEST, MOST VIOLENT WAY TO AWAKEN.]

Luvia shivered just thinking about it. She looked at the dark, still water of the cold spring. "Agonizing, huh? Good to know."

She stood up and clapped her hands, snapping her clan to attention. "Kai, Renji, Kaito, Kenzo! You four are the strongest. You stay here. You are the Sentinels. Take the axes. If anyone—scouts, travelers, or beasts—tries to cross the river, you stop them. Do not let them see the hall. Guard the mist."

The boys puffed out their chests, gripping their iron axes. "Yes, Leader!"

"Mian, Hina, Sora, Yuki, Akane—grab the baskets," Luvia commanded. "We’re going to the market. We’re going to harvest the lilies and the silver-leaves. We aren't just building a village; we're starting a business."

The harvest was a delicate affair. Under the System's guidance, Luvia showed the girls how to snip the Moon-drenched Lilies without damaging the bulbs, and how to strip the silver leaves so the trees would continue to weep their precious sap. By the time they finished, they had four baskets overflowing with fragrance and silver-hued foliage.

The walk to the market was tense. Luvia kept her eyes peeled for the distinctive white robes of the Cloud Clan or the purple of the Lotus. But as the System had promised, the market was bustling and chaotic.

They set up a small stall on the far edge, away from the glittering Royal Row. Luvia didn't look like a royal lady; she looked like a hardworking commoner, which worked to her advantage.

"Lilies for your wives! Silver-tea for your elders!" she called out, her voice clear and inviting.

A young man, his clothes worn and dusty, stopped in front of the lilies. He looked at the price tag—20 gold. His eyes widened. "Is this... real Moon-drenched Lily? The Royals sell these for a hundred!"

"Fresh from the Twin Springs," Luvia said with a warm smile. "Every woman deserves to feel like a queen, don't you think? Why should only the Lian or Xan families have the scent of heaven?"

The man’s face softened. He reached into his belt and pulled out twenty weathered gold coins. "My wife... she’s worked so hard since the baby came. I’ll take one."

That was the spark. Within two hours, the "Roxia Stall" was the talk of the lower market. Men who had never been able to afford a gift for their mothers or daughters swarmed the table. The silver leaves sold out even faster to an old herbalist who recognized the quality instantly.

By mid-afternoon, Luvia’s leather pouch wasn't just filled with "System" gold—it was filled with the heavy, clinking currency of the world. They had earned nearly 3,000 gold pieces in a single outing.

"Now," Luvia said, her eyes gleaming. "We shop."

The shopping trip was a whirlwind of essential procurement. Luvia led her girls through the stalls with a checklist. They bought:

Ten Bed Frames and Straw Mattresses: No more sleeping on the dirt.

Two Heavy Iron Cauldrons and Frying Pans: The heart of the kitchen.

Ceramic Bowls and Polished Wooden Spoons: For every member.

Three Crates of Root Vegetables and Grains: Carrots, potatoes, and sacks of rice to bridge the gap until their farm matured.

Bolts of Thick, Durable Fabric: To replace their tattered clothes.

When they returned to the Twin Springs, the boys greeted them with a roar of approval. The sight of a cart—rented with their own earnings—piled high with the comforts of civilization was a turning point for the clan’s morale.

That evening, the Great Hall finally felt like a home. The hearth was roaring, and for the first time, the smell of boiling stew—rich with ginger, carrots, and salted pork—filled the rafters. The ten members of the Roxia clan sat on their new beds, holding their own bowls, eating food that hadn't been "summoned," but earned.

Luvia sat by the doorway, watching them. The transition from the modern world was still a shock, but as she felt the warmth of the stew in her belly and the weight of the coins in her pocket, she realized the System was right.

"I actually did it," she whispered.

[NOTICE: THE FOUNDATION IS SECURED. REPUTATION IN THE THIRD PATH MARKET: 5/100. CULTIVATION PROGRESS: 5.0%.]

The System's voice echoed in her mind, sounding almost proud.

[WARNING: THE ROYAL MERCHANTS HAVE NOTICED THE REVENUE DROP. PREPARE FOR SCRUTINY.]

Luvia looked at the cold spring, its dark surface reflecting the stars. The honeymoon phase of her village was over. Tomorrow, the training—and the agonizing cold—would begin.

"Let them come," Luvia said, gripping her wooden spoon like a scepter. "I have ten people and a year to get ready. We aren't going anywhere."