Chapter 154: Planter
Chu Qiguang decided to call the miniature giant a planter. Given how strong it looks, I'm sure it'll be great at working in the fields.
Chu Qiguang attempted to use the Demon Refinement Technique again, and it finally worked. The living corpse had been injected with qi and blood from the blood pool, allowing Chu Qiguang to control it.
Thankfully, the human brain of the living corpse granted it some intelligence, so it could follow simple verbal instructions from Chu Qiguang.
After assuming control over the planter, Chu Qiguang tested out its physical prowess, and he discovered that it was at least three to four times stronger than the average living corpse.
Furthermore, the nurturing of the blood pool had liberated it from its ravenous hunger for food, so it no longer posed a threat to others.
However, it was going to continuously spend the qi and blood inside it, and by Chu Qiguang's estimate, the planter only had enough energy to support it for a day and a night of nonstop work.
A planter like this should be able to look after several dozen acres of land on its own, but it'll need to be replenished daily in the blood pool.
With that in mind, Chu Qiguang turned his attention to the blood pool once again.
The water in the blood pool was still churning and swirling, much like a martial artist constantly circulating their qi and blood. Based on what Chu Qiguang knew, the blood pool was essentially a living organ, one that was constantly circulating the qi and blood within it as a form of cultivation.
As time passed, the blood pool would grow through rigorous cultivation, and it would develop more abilities. The process was similar to that of a martial artist improving their cultivation base.
This thing is like a machine created using both Dao arts and martial arts. It can grow on its own like a martial artist, while simultaneously using the power of Dao arts to restore and modify living corpses.
Aside from food and medicine, pills could also be fed to the blood pool to accelerate its growth. Even if the blood pool wasn't fed, it could still maintain itself and slowly replenish its qi and blood, but it would cease to grow.
At the moment, the amount of qi and blood that the blood pool was capable of self-replenishing per day was enough to modify a living corpse into a planter, or replenish the qi and blood of ten planters.
After some thought, Chu Qiguang called over Wang Cailiang, the vole fiend, Jin Ji, and the village's designated chicken farmer, Song Baishi.
At this point, a tinge of redness had already returned to the near-transparent water in the pool.
Wang Cailiang sweated profusely as he observed the unsettling blood pool and the hulking planter standing next to it.
Ever since he became the CEO of the Azure Sun Trade Association, he had become a very powerful figure in the county, and even his father's manner of speaking toward him had changed drastically.
His friends also treated him with a great deal of respect, constantly flattering him while trying to ask him about the stock prices and textiles.
Since he had many duties, he had become much busier than before, but he enjoyed his position with relish. He felt like he had already reached the pinnacle of life, and he was even beginning to lose motivation in taking part in the martial examination.
Looking at the blood pool and the living corpse, Wang Cailiang felt as if a bucket of cold water had just been dumped over his head, snapping him violently awake from his rosy fantasy.
Can't we just do business and stick to the straight and narrow? Why does Chu Qiguang always have to dabble in stuff like this? If we get caught, surely all of us will be executed!
In contrast with Wang Cailiang, Jin Ji had experienced many hardships throughout his lifetime, and he was satisfied with just being able to live in peace and safety in Hidden Fiend Village.
He had land to farm and living corpses to assist him, making his job much easier; he prayed to the heavens that these peaceful days would continue.
As for Song Baishi and the other villagers from Southern Ravine Village, Chu Qiguang had given them everything, and they were completely devoted to him.
"This is a living corpse?" Jin Ji marveled in amazement at the sight of the hulking planter. "Why does it look like it's alive?"
Song Baishi was staring at the planter with wide eyes, and he immediately thought of his living corpse grandson.
"You can resurrect living corpses?" he exclaimed.
Chu Qiguang shook his head and told them that he had only modified this living corpse using the blood pool.
Chu Qiguang encouraged Wang Cailiang, Jin Ji, and Song Baishi to issue some instructions to the planter, and sure enough, it followed the instructions just fine, as long as they were simple enough.
The planter also followed Qiao Zhi's instructions, but when Chu Qiguang told both Wang Cailiang and Qiao Zhi to issue their instructions at once, Chu Qiguang discovered that it prioritized Wang Cailiang's orders.
Thus, the hierarchy of authority was established, going from Chu Qiguang, Wang Cailiang, and then to Qiao Zhi in descending order.
The planter was more intelligent than Chu Qiguang had anticipated. It could follow instructions from multiple people, but it also followed instructions in a certain order.
"Doesn't this mean that anyone can control these living corpses? Won't that be a safety hazard?" Qiao Zhi asked.
"That's exactly what I want," Chu Qiguang replied with a smile. "I don't want an army of obedient living corpses. Instead, I want tools of production that can be used by anyone."
The planter could accept instructions from multiple people, but Chu Qiguang quickly discovered that even Wang Cailiang could control the blood ool.
This was seen as a flaw by the creator of the blood pool, but in Chu Qiguang's eyes, this was a convenient feature that only made it even more invaluable.
It was exactly like having a good tool. Ubiquitous accessibility was never going to be a flaw as long as one could keep the tool in check and didn't allow it to be taken away by one's enemies.
Under Chu Qiguang's instructions, Wang Cailiang traveled to the county town to purchase a batch of medicinal ingredients, which were transported back to Hidden Fiend Village by Chitter and Chatter.
Jin Ji chose nine living corpses and dragged them over to the blood pool, while Song Baishi herded some of his roosters to the blood pool.
With the preparations complete, Chu Qiguang created nine blood pools at once before modifying all nine living corpses.
Looking at the ten hulking planters, Wang Cailiang sighed inwardly. We're only going further and further down the path of no return...
Given the circumstances, he knew that he had to be extra careful in everything that he did from now on.
Chu Qiguang left two of the planters to guard the blood pools, and then he instructed Chitter and Chatter to patrol the area day and night. The remaining eight planters were given to Jin Ji for him to do with as he saw fit.
As for other matters, such as the feeding of the blood pools and the modification of living corpses, Chu Qiguang left those responsibilities to Jin Ji, Song Baishi, and Wang Cailiang.
With these blood pools and planters, the village should be able to support a population of over ten thousand by next year. The living corpses will also be gradually modified, making the village stronger and stronger. Soon, I'll have plenty of fiends and living corpses at my disposal.
After making all of these arrangements, it was finally time for Chu Qiguang to set off for Jade Face Mountain.
