Fan Shangzheng engraved Bai Yuan's words deeply into his heart and nodded with conviction.
"That is exactly how it should be."
He considered himself a decent man as well, so he felt no particular anxiety. With a slightly shameless grin, he leaned closer and asked, "Mr. Bai, could you also help make one for my official robes later?"
The officials following behind him immediately lit up.
"We want one too!"
"Us as well!"
Bai Yuan laughed. "Naturally, that is no problem. But does His Excellency the Governor not wish to gain a deeper understanding of Dao Xuan Tianzun?"
Fan Shangzheng answered without hesitation, eyes bright. "Of course I do. I am extremely eager to learn more."
The Prefect of Luoyang and several other senior officials quickly echoed him.
"We wish to learn as well!"
"Please enlighten us!"
Bai Yuan nodded. "Very well. I will have a full set of The Divine Saga of Dao Xuan, Heavenly Lord of Exorcism delivered to each of you. Once you have read it, you will naturally understand everything."
That very night.
The twelfth volume of The Divine Saga of Dao Xuan, Heavenly Lord of Exorcism, along with a thick stack of earlier volumes, was delivered straight to Fan Shangzheng's residence.
Fan Shangzheng lit the lamp, sat down, and began reading.
He read from dusk until dawn.
From the first volume all the way to the end, he devoured everything in one breath.
By the time he finished, he was completely shaken.
If he had not personally experienced the locust plague in Luoyang, he would have dismissed this book as nothing more than entertaining folklore, a collection of exaggerated legends meant to amuse the masses.
But now?
Now every single word felt real.
To him, every plot point in the book was truth itself.
Dao Xuan Tianzun striking down bandits with a wave of his hand.
Calling down rain to save the suffering common people.
Bestowing weapons to suppress rebellions.
Dropping food from the heavens to feed the starving masses.
All the seemingly disconnected stories suddenly clicked together.
Everything made sense.
Why Bai Yuan commanded so many flintlock rifle soldiers. He understood now.
Why Chen Yuanbo managed the tiny Wenshui County with such astonishing competence. He understood now.
And why Young Hero, Great Hero, Grand Hero, Extraordinary Hero Xiao Qiushui could charge through rebel ranks alone, impervious to blades and spears, unharmed by fire and water. He finally understood that too.
Just a few days earlier, the magistrate of Xin'an County had submitted a report stating that the hardened mud deposits along the Yellow River floodplain, a problem that had plagued the county for years, had been excavated with divine assistance. Xin'an County had even constructed a bridge leading directly into Shanxi.
Fan Shangzheng had originally scoffed, believing the magistrate was fabricating achievements to curry favor.
Now he knew.
That, too, was the work of Dao Xuan Tianzun.
Joining the Dao Xuan Tianzun Sect carried enormous benefits.
If he joined as well, would Henan, the province under his governance, also fall under the protection of Dao Xuan Tianzun?
The mere thought filled him with uncontrollable excitement.
That night, Fan Shangzheng did not sleep at all.
The next morning, when he left his residence to attend to official duties, he noticed something peculiar.
The Prefect of Luoyang.
Several circuit officials.
A whole group of senior bureaucrats.
Every single one of them had dark circles under their eyes.
Clearly, he had not been the only one awake all night.
From that day onward, the grand development of Luoyang City officially began.
With Dao Xuan Tianzun's divine manifestation laying the foundation, the common people of Luoyang City were brimming with energy.
The fear and uncertainty that had once clung to them vanished almost overnight.
In its place was hope.
They were people protected by a deity.
They were no longer refugees drifting without shelter.
Just like how a kitten with a mother is no longer a stray.
Standing before the Governor's Yamen, Fan Shangzheng addressed the gathered refugees in a loud, clear voice.
"We are now recruiting a large number of laborers to construct a super long road starting from Luoyang City, passing through Xin'an County, and extending north into Shanxi, all the way to the Hedong Circuit."
"Those willing to work will receive three catties of flour per person per day."
After speaking, he hurriedly added, voice rising.
"This is not corvée labor. Not corvée labor. Not corvée labor. I will repeat it three times for emphasis."
"This project is personally backed by the venerable Dao Xuan Tianzun. All wages will be paid in full."
The moment these words fell, the crowd erupted internally.
With Dao Xuan Tianzun overseeing it, what was there to fear?
Even if officials could not be trusted, there was no need to worry.
Would the government dare go against Dao Xuan Tianzun?
He could sweep the entire officialdom into the heavens just like he did with the locust swarm.
In the blink of an eye, an overwhelming number of refugees signed up.
Especially those who had once taken shelter beneath the glass dome.
Their lives had been saved by Dao Xuan Tianzun himself.
They had no reason not to believe.
Fan Shangzheng recruited tens of thousands of laborers in an instant.
The sheer scale of it left him stunned.
In the past, building a road meant forcibly conscripting strong young men, a process that almost always sparked resistance, riots, and bloodshed.
Now?
One shout.
Tens of thousands responded.
Blue Hats from Gao Family Village arrived by boat from Shanxi shortly after.
Under the guidance of these skilled technicians, a railway and highway double line began extending steadily from Luoyang toward Shanxi.
At the same time, construction teams from Shanxi were advancing toward Luoyang.
The Luoyang extension of the Xihe Railway officially broke ground.
Xi'an. Caisikou Plaza.
Gaojia News aired as scheduled.
Gao Yiye appeared on the screen, smiling calmly.
"The railway connecting Hedong Circuit and Luoyang City has officially commenced construction. This segment is named the Xihe Railway Extension."
"Once completed, it will connect seamlessly with the Xi'an to Hedong Circuit railway. The entire route will then be renamed the West Luo Railway."
"From that day onward, everyone will be able to travel directly from Xi'an to Luoyang by train."
The crowd burst into cheers.
"That's amazing!"
"Now we can visit Luoyang easily."
"I've always wanted to see the Central Capital."
"I have poetry friends in Luoyang. Now we can finally travel together."
Merchants were equally thrilled.
"Our goods can finally reach Luoyang quickly," one sighed. "Before, transporting goods meant crossing Mount Hua, passing Tongguan, navigating dangerous terrain, and dealing with bandits everywhere. It was exhausting."
The atmosphere was jubilant.
Everyone was happy.
Everyone except one person.
The Heir Apparent of the Prince of Qin.
Zhu Cunji.
Zhu Cunji was very unhappy.
His lips were tightly pursed.
His Princess Consort gently poked him. "What's wrong?"
Zhu Cunji muttered, "I want to go to Luoyang."
She sighed softly and held his hand. "You cannot go. Do not even think about it."
Zhu Cunji protested, "Am I not even allowed to think?"
She lowered her voice. "If you think about it too much, it will become an obsession. One day, your mind will fail to control your legs, and you will jump onto a train."
"After that comes the reduction of your fief, the stripping of your title, and finally, your head."
Zhu Cunji snorted. "Hmph. Always threatening me with losing my head. If they are so capable, let them exterminate my entire clan."
His wife fell silent.
There was nothing she could say to that.
No emperor, not even a mad one, would exterminate an entire princely clan over something like that.
Suddenly, Zhu Cunji stood up and declared loudly, "I have decided!"
His wife jumped. "Why are you shouting?"
Zhu Cunji announced passionately, "I will continue building railways."
"I cannot stop at the West Yan Railway."
"I will build a Xi'an to Chengdu Railway."
"Then a Xi'an to Hangzhou Railway."
"A Southwest Railway connecting to Nanjing."
"A Xi'an to Yanjing Railway."
"And a Xi'an to Qiongzhou Railway connecting to Qiongzhou."
He paused.
"…Wait. That one might not be feasible."
His wife stared at him. "What exactly are you planning to do?"
Zhu Cunji answered earnestly. "I am preparing in advance."
"Just in case."
"One day, if I am finally allowed to leave Xi'an…"
"I will board a grand train and travel across the entire realm."
His wife let out a long sigh.
"I told you not to think about it."
"It really has become an obsession."
Zhu Cunji nodded firmly. "It already is."
"Too late to stop now."