Last time, on Apocalypse Lord: Yun Ling buys S-rank Stone Skin at Sunglow Village. Rising Cloud becomes a farming hamlet.

This chapter has been brought to you by me and Smash10101.

Chapter 48 – Return Gifts

Maybe because she had unlocked the building “Farmland,” two days later, Yun Ling got related professional talents.

Level: 0

Attributes: Strength 6, Agility 5, Stamina 6, Intelligence 5, Spirit 5.

Combat Skills: None

Life Skills: Intermediate Farming

Note: Elementary Farming, can take care of 2 pieces of farmland at most. Intermediate Farming, can take care of 5 pieces of farmland at most.

Advanced Farming, can take care of 10 pieces of farmland at most.

After sowing, watering, weeding and fertilization were required.

Yun Ling named the newly hired HPC “Farmer A” and then sent him to work.

She looked at the farmland and saw the attribute window show —

[Name: Farmland]

Quality: Normal

Use Effect: Every 5-10 days, you can receive a batch of crops.

Note 1: Seeds will drop when hunting monsters. By sowing different seeds, you can harvest different materials.

Note 2: If the sower has “Elementary Farming” skill, the harvest will be on average 80-100%

If the sower possesses “Intermediate Farming,” the harvest will be on average 90-100%.

If the sower possesses “Advanced Farming,” the harvest will be on average 100-120%.

“I have to hire farming talents, and select high level ones. That way, the farmland can be used to their limits.” Yun Ling thought.

Seeing it was still early, she stopped thinking about it. She called some NPCs to go out, and use the time to transport shrubs.

**

It was not hard to transplant the shrubs, but finding them in the endless forest was.

For three days, Yun Ling left early in the morning with the team, and only returned at night. They went to many places but only found four patches of shrubs.

This was because some monsters would eat shrubs. Sometimes, while they saw shrubbery a few days ago, when you went now, there was nothing there.

Luckly, there were a dozen or so shrubs in one patch of shrubbery, and at least 8 or so in a small patch. So if they were all transplanted, it was enough to use.

Also ….

Right now, she did not find them. In the future, when she did, she could still transplant them, and did not have to be in a hurry right now.

After working so hard for a few days, there were several rows of shrubs around the residence area, looking very neat and inviting.

The residents started to follow in transplanting shrubs.

There was a person who wanted to open up a piece of vegetable field near the residence to get some food for themselves.

Yun Ling sent the NPCs to set up wood fences around each wood house. The land within the wood fence was the personal territory of the residents and they could do as they wished.

That came out amazing!

Players raised chickens, ducks, geese, and even pigs and deer.

Some people did not like animals, and transplanted shrubs at the back of their houses, planning to rely on harvesting berries during next year’s rainy season.

Some were good at farming and used to cultivating crops. After buying their house, they immediately planted highly yielding crops like corn, potato and sweet potatoes. Then they counted the days to the harvest, hoping this would support their families.

There were some life skills players who had been tired of going out already. So seeing this, they hired people to help, cutting bamboo and wild grasses to take home and plant. When the bamboo formed a forest, and the grasses were growing, they did not have to worry about raw materials anymore.

It was still hot, but with hopes in their hearts, they were much faster at working.

Rising Cloud Town brimmed with a happy and lively atmosphere.

At the same time, the residents of the slum looked with admiration at the people of the residence area.

“I tried to transplant shrubs next to my tent. The system did not let me.”

“I grabbed two chickens, wanting to raise them, but the system did not let me.”

“You can only raise chickens and farm after you become an official resident of Rising Cloud Town, buy a house, and get a fence. We should not think of anything else, no way!”

Just as they were speaking, a couple were helping each other walk, luggage on their backs.

Someone recognized them, and asked curiously, “Pang Yu, why did you take down the tent? Where are you sleeping tonight?”

Pang Yu had an undisguised expression of joy. “We bought a house! We are moving today! I will invite everyone to a housewarming party another day!”

Everyone was shocked and turned to stone.

One person snorted. “So what if I am living now in the slums? Who has never been at the bottom? Wait, one day, I will buy a house belonging to me!”

His words were firm and expressed his determination.

The other people were motivated as well.

Suddenly, the wood houses of Rising Cloud Town were selling quickly, and the income of the territory increased greatly.

**

The ice house produced 1000 ice cubes each day, but in reality, there was not much.

One cup of ice water needed two ice cubes to be refreshing.

One cup of iced milk tea needed three to four ice cubes to be cool enough.

As to iced watermelon juice and red bean shaved ice, there was even more ice needed.

Occasionally, when there were some left, she would put a basin in the room and add ice to greatly lower the temperature of the room.

After a while, the ice cubes in the ice house were all used up, and none were left over.

Yun Ling waited and waited, waited and waited, and finally saved 10000 copper coins.

She eagerly upgraded the ice house to level 2 and so the territory attributes became —

[Unlockable Buildings: 10]

[Existing Buildings: 9]

[Existing building detail:

Warehouse (level 2): Omitted.

Mission Hall (level 2): Omitted.

Woodworking Workshop (level 2): Omitted.

Tailor Shop (level 2): Omitted.

Residence (level 1): Omitted.

Defensive Shield (level 2): Omitted.

Restaurant (level 2): Omitted.

Ice House (level 2): 500 square meters in area, can provide 100 cubic decimeters of ice each day. Can refrigerate food, and extend shelf life. (Note: The lord can set an access list and allow specific people to use it.)

Farmland (level 1): Omitted. ]

Now, the ice house could produce 10000 ice cubes each day, enough for normal use.

There was one building slot left. She could unlock the blacksmith shop any time she wanted.

But right now, there was no one to mine, smelt or forge. Also, she had not found suitable mines nearby, so she decided to delay this.

Right now, she had to hire people to take care of the farmland. Then she would mine for ore and forge high level equipment.

Seeing that many people had bought houses recently, and the wood houses were almost full, Yun Ling planned to upgrade the residences to level 2.

**

The farmland and the shrubs would have a harvest every 5 to 10 days.

Yun Ling always thought, was the maturity time random every time?

To verify her guess, she observed each day, and carefully made notes.

After 10 days, the flax and cotton in the fields had matured.

At the same time, the shrubs formed fruits waiting for people to pick them.

Yun Ling could not help but doubt life. “Am I this unlucky? A harvest every 5-10 days, but this is perfectly day 10?”

After being stunned for a moment, she sent NPCs to harvest, and move to the warehouse for storage. Then she started a new round of planting.

Like spring, on Day 61, the characters in the top right corner changed, “Day 61, summer, peace day.”

Yun Ling thought, “Based on the present situation, spring, summer, autumn, winter, each season is 30 days. The first 20 days are calamity mode, and the last 10 are peace mode, so the players have time to rest and prepare for the next round of challenges.”

She did not know what calamities would come with the autumn.

**

That afternoon, the five wells in the four cardinal directions and in the center were all completed.

Hu Da Cheng said, “Come and see if you are satisfied.”

Yun Ling inspected them one by one, and was reassured. “You did well.”

There were five wells in the territory. Even if there was a drought, it would not be so worrisome.

Based on the game’s personality, she had reasons to believe they would encounter drought, flooding, insects, and even the loss of land and decreases in wild resources.

After the inspection, Yun Ling did not hesitate to pay the rest of the wages.

Hu Da Cheng was overjoyed, and thanked her.

“I should thank you,” Yun Ling said warmly. “You helped me greatly by building the wells.”

“You are too polite,” Hu Da Cheng said embarrassedly. “If you need any more help, just say it. I stayed in a countryside village for more than ten years. I know how to do many things.”

Yun Ling smiled and nodded. “Okay, if I have work, I will find you in the future.”

After the talk, Hu Da Cheng happily went home. He was eager to tell his family that they had money! They could buy a house!

**

Day 63.

In the morning, Yun Ling cooked herself a pot of sweet corn for breakfast.

The corn was crisp and sweet, and she unconsciously finished one.

Yun Ling was inventorying when the system suddenly gave a notification, “Player “You Qing Wen” Requests to enter. Will you allow it?”

How come she was here?

Yun Ling pressed “yes.”

Entering, You Qing Wen gave a bright smile. “I came to give you delicious food!”

Yun Ling was puzzled. “What is it?”

“Lotus root osmanthus cake!”

“Mung bean cake!”

“Egg rolls!”

As You Qing Wen reported names, she took out the food items from her backpack.

Yun Ling inspected the items, and found they displayed —

[Name: Lotus Root Osmanthus Cake (Heat Relieving Cake)]

Quality: Normal

Use Effect: Base recovery speed +1 HP/minute, +1 MP/minute. (lasts 1 hour)

[Name: Mung Bean Cake (Heat Relieving Cake)]

Quality: Normal

Use Effect: Base recovery speed +1 HP/minute, +1 MP/minute. (lasts 1 hour)

[Name: Egg Roll]

Quality: Normal

Use Effect: Base recovery speed +2 HP per minute (lasts 1 hour)

These were all recovery items that added buffs after consumption.

Yun Ling refused to accept. “It is too much.”

“Take them.” You Qing Wen was determined. “Didn’t we eat your grilled fish before? I thought next time if there was a chance, I would invite you to a good meal.”

“But once summer started, half of our stored food rotted. In order to hoard food again, I was very busy and did not get anything good.”

“Now, I finally have a chance to return the gift.”

Seeing Yun Ling not take them, You Qing Wen try to promote them. “This Lotus Root Osmanthus Cake is delicious. It is sweet and soft, and has a clear fragrance, the more you eat, the more you want.”

“The mung bean cake is fine and melts in your mouth. When you smell it, there is the clear fragrance of the mung beans.”

“The egg rolls are very crispy. A bite, and you will taste the egg and the milk.”

Seeing that the other still was not moveed, You Qing Wen thought, if she had to, she would throw away her face, and grab on to Yun Ling’s leg to force her to accept it!

“You just got something good, save it for yourself,” Yun Ling urged.

You Qing Wen said seriously, “In the past, I did not have many good things, but it is different now. Do not worry, I have more.”

Yun Ling stilled.

You Qing Wen put the cakes on the table, and then took out a wood jar about two fingers long and half a finger wide from her backpack. “I came this time primarily to deliver some salt to you.”

Salt?

She opened the wood jar and found white crystals in there. It was salt.

She inspected the item, and saw the window —

[Name: Table Salt]

Quality: Normal

Use Effect: Makes food salty, and can be used to preserve food.

“Quality: Normal” meant this was a game item.

“Quality: None” meant this was a non-game item.

“Where did you get so much salt?” Yun Ling was shocked.

A hint of mirth appeared in You Qing Wen’s eyes. “A while ago, when out, we saved a person. I heard that he was a researcher, and specialized in chemistry.”

“When we met him, he had many glass bottles and equipment with him. We told him to throw these things away, but he was unwilling and said those were the things for him to make his living.”

“We just saved him as a natural thing, and did not think much of it. But a few days later, he came to our door with a large jar of salt, saying he was very grateful that we saved him. And that this small gift did not show his respect.”

Mentioning it now, You Qing Wen still felt her heart beat. “A large jar of salt! Pure game item! He gave it without a hint of hesitation. Zheng Ming Yue and I were frightened, and we said in private that we did not save a person, but a deus ex machina…”

“And then?” Yun Ling asked.

“The person we saved is not just a researcher and also knows how to make pastries,” You Qing Wen said in an admiring tone. “Advanced baking. He knows how to make many different things.”

“We reached an agreement. The team provides the materials, he provides the skills, and we split the products made.”

“Sounds like a technical talent, high level life skills player, not skilled in fighting,” Yun Ling said.

You Qing Wen nodded repeatedly. “That is right.”

“He said he was not safe in other territories, and wanted to go to the most prosperous, Rising Cloud Town. But along the way, he was deceived, robbed, and chased. He did not have a good time.”

“If other people did not want his equipment, he would have nothing long ago.”

At the end, she changed the topic. “Do not worry and accept the cakes and salt. We do not lack for these. I just felt that you also need them so I came to give you a portion.”

You Qing Wen’s smile was clean and pure.

Yun Ling thought, if it was this person, it would not matter to tell the truth?

“What is it?” Seeing Yun Ling silent, You Qing Wen could not help but ask.

“I have kept some things from you all this time, and I feel very sorry.” Yun Ling sighed.

“High level players, who does not have some secrets?” You Qing Wen did not care. “I only speak the truth to you. When with other people, I always fool them, and do not say anything.”

Ask where the salt came from? Bought from the restaurant.

Why so much? Buy daily, and save up.

Even if other people knew there was a problem, if they could not get it out of her, they could not do a thing to her.

Who in the world had not lied? Sometimes, lying was just an instinct.

“But you are honest to me, and I should be honest to you. Then it is fair.” Yun Ling decided and said honestly, “In reality, I am a beta player, and also the lord of Rising Cloud Town.”

You Qing Wen, “???”

Lightning came on a clear day, and struck her dumb.

A long while later, she recovered. “What do you mean by beta player? What do you mean by the lord of Rising Cloud Town?”

“On April 1, Apocalypse Calamity officially opened. In reality, before this, some people were picked to participate in the beta.” Yun Ling narrated what she had seen during the beta, and the prize she had gotten.

“No wonder. On Day 1 of the game, Zheng Ming Yue and I were confused and did not know where to run, but you knew what to do.” You Qing Wen suddenly realized.

So there had been warning signs, but she never thought closely about them.

Maybe, because she trusted Yun Ling, she was not willing to probe and make things difficult for the other.

After learning the truth, she immediately thought of more details. “No wonder you are called Yun Ling, and the territory’s name is Rising Cloud. I thought it was a coincidence.”

Yun Ling smiled helplessly. “When naming this, I did not pay attention, and just gave it a name casually. Later, when I wanted to change it, I could not…”

“No wonder you were the first to transplant, no wonder you sent people to drill wells, no wonder you searched for people to build fountains, no wonder you like to collect all kinds of materials.” You Qing Wen recalled. “Other people are role-playing in a game of fighting monsters and adventuring. You are playing a resource management game.”

It was not wrong to say this. Yun Ling thought.

You Qing Wen’s emotions had changed greatly, and she could not calm down. After a while, she asked, “Why do you not tell everyone you are the lord of Rising Cloud Town?”

“If I have to say,” Yun Ling thought, “probably because I am used to playing stand-alone games? I do not want to interact with too many people, I just want to play my game quietly.”

In her eyes, Rising Cloud Town was not different from other system territories. She was like the system, unlocking buildings and making a “special” territory based on her will. If the players were used to this, they would live here, and if not, they could switch places.

It was so simple, and she did not want to make it complicated.

You Qing Wen, “……”

Always a stand-alone, and refusing to connect to the network. She suddenly understood.

“Why tell me?” You Qing Wen asked.

Yun Ling gave a faint smile. “Apocalypse game, a time when food is short. You bear to give me cakes and salt. What is there to not trust about you?”

She took out a long rectangular bag from her cotton backpack. It was filled with ice cubes, about a few dozen. “The territory has unlocked the ice house. It can produce ice cubes. I had wanted to give them to you a long time ago, but did not know how to explain the source. Now, since you know, I can give it.”

You Qing Wen murmured, “I finally understand why you were not willing to accept the cakes.”

All of the territory belonged to the other, how could she be greedy for just a few pastries?

Maybe she felt that accepting them was exploiting the poor?

You Qing Wen was full of thoughts, her mind a mess.

“Do not be polite, take them.” Yun Ling put the bag filled with ice cubes into You Qing Wen’s hands.

“Then…I will accept it.” You Qing Wen needed this so she was not polite. “If you need salt, just tell me, and I will bring you more.”

The only thing she had right now appeared to only be salt.

“I also hired people to make salt, and there is enough for my own use,” Yun Ling said with a smile. “I see that you have a lot of salt, you cannot use it all on your own?”

You Qing Wen admitted, “We cannot use it all. I discussed with Ming Yue and plan to keep some for our own use, and then sell the rest.”

Then she had an expression of distress. “But the containers are not easy to find, and the market is also a problem. The team members are either hunting, foraging, or busy with handiwork in their life professions. Who has the spare time to sell up a stall and sell salt?”

“How about we work together?” Yun Ling gave an invitation. “Sell the salt in the restaurant, and I will provide the paper packaging. After selling, 20% of the net income is mine, and 80% yours.”

You Qing Wen looked dazedly at Yun Ling.

**

You Qing Wen dazedly went home.

“What is it?” Seeing his girlfriend soulless, Zheng Ming Yue asked in concern.

“Nothing.” You Qing Wen moved her lips, her expression stiff. “I just did some big business worth several thousand, and tens of thousands. Our family will be rich overnight.”

Zheng Ming Yue, “???”

She had left fine, but she came back speaking nonsense?

**

After a night, the amount of salt sold in the restaurant skyrocketed.

While each person could still only buy a bag each day, at least they did not need to fight. The residents just had to stroll there and buy a portion after they finished their work for the day.

At the same time, each day, 4000 copper coins came in. Zheng Ming Yue was shocked speechless.

He immediately related this to the increase in the salt supply. “The restaurant is selling our salt?”

“Yes.” You Qing Wen originally planned to speak of Yun Ling but felt there was no need. She only said, “I finished a special mission, and was allowed to sell salt in the restaurant. That day, I was so surprised I needed a while to recover.”

Zheng Ming Yue understood very well. He was very excited right now, not knowing what to do, his mind dizzy.

He took a deep breath several times, and tried to calm down. “Go, let’s find the researcher. He made the salt, we have to split the income with him.”

You Qing Wen could not help but sigh. “No wonder he persisted and said what he carried was to make his living, and could not be thrown away.”

Now that she thought about it, it made sense.

**

Peaceful days always passed quickly.

Soon, Yun Ling saved up enough copper coins and upgraded the residences to level 2.

Residence (level 2): Simple wood houses, and stone houses for the players to live in. Requires 100/500 copper coins to build one. (At the current level, at most, 1000 can be built)

Yun Ling thought that the wood houses and stone houses both took up spots in the residences. Most players hoped to have a house to stay in. A few players hoped to live in larger ones, with more space to store their food.

Thinking, she created 20 stone houses, and 80 wood houses to provide more choice for the players.

**

You Qing Wen and Zheng Ming Yue just came back from splitting the money with the researcher and saw a patch of grand residences appear in the area next to the residence area.

[Name: Stone House]

Use Effect: After purchasing, the player will possess 100 square meters of private space. No one is allowed to enter without permission.

Price: 5000 copper coins.

Note: Special equipment. Each official resident may only purchase one.

5000 copper coins!

For them in the past, this was an astronomical number, but now, with a daily income of 2000 copper coins after splitting, saving up the money was just a matter of a few days.

“How about we move after we save up the money,” Zheng Ming Yue suggested softly.

You Qing Wen nodded. “Okay.”

**

With a large house to live in, there was no need to mistreat yourself by staying in a small one.

Yun Ling was the first to move into the stone house, and called the NPCs to help her move, and transplant the shrubs and other trees into the backyard.

Compared to the wood house, the stone house took up a larger area. There was a backyard behind the house, half the size of a soccer field.

The NPCs were working hard on moving the plants when Yun Ling discovered noise coming from the neighboring backyard.

“Such a coincidence.” Her neighbor saw her and greeted her with friendliness.

Yun Ling:”……”

How come it was him?

“I had not expected to become neighbors again.” Yun Ling was very surprised.

That person was Lu Chuan, and like her, he had immediately moved.

Lu Chuan stated, “There was so much the house almost could not hold it all. I saw the stone house for sale, so I changed places.”

“Such a coincidence. I thought the same,” Yun Ling said.

Lu Chuan said, “The stone houses are expensive, and if you buy early, maybe all your neighbors are familiar people.”

After chatting a few words, he returned to his house to pack up.

“So.” After he said this, Yun Ling had an inexplicable thought. “In the future, the tent area was the slum, the wood house area was the residence area, and the stone house area was the luxury residence area?”

Thinking of this, she could not help but be silent.

She had not thought of dividing the residents into classes. But based on individual ability, economic situation, without knowing it, the gap opened…

**

Farmer A, Intermediate Farming, took care of 5 pieces of farmland.

Farmer B, Advanced Farming, took care of 10 pieces of farmland.

Farmer C, Intermediate Farming, took care of 5 pieces of farmland.

Now, all the farmland was taken care of by the NPCs, and not a piece was left.

In order to get the professionals, Yun Ling had waited a while. Sometimes, when NPC with “Elementary Farming” appeared, she gave up on them, and did not hire them.

Fortunately, she was lucky, and this had not been delayed long.

**

In the blink of an eye, another 10 days passed.

The shrubs bore fruit at the right time. The farmland harvest came at the right time.

After this second time, Yun Ling guessed that she was not unlucky, and from seeding to maturation, 10 days were needed.

She was speechless. “10 days are 10 days, why write 5-10 days?”

This had caused her to be filled with anticipation starting from the sixth day.