204: Chapter 205 I'm looking forward to your future.

After this single word was asked, the room fell silent for quite a while.

The Jeweler's voice was very soft.

It was so soft, as if he were afraid that if he asked too heavily, those forty-one tons of gems would vanish before his eyes.

Wan'er looked at him, her tone remaining steady.

"It is tons."

The Jeweler opened his mouth but couldn't immediately respond.

Zhou Yun also glanced at Wan'er.

Forty-one tons of gems was certainly not a small amount.

By common logic, for something like gems, as long as they could be measured in tons, the quantity was already astonishing. Even if they were just Black Iron Rank gems, if they were sold off, it would still be an immense fortune.

Yet Wan'er had specifically used the word "only" just now.

This word "only" was clearly not added casually.

Zhou Yun's gaze paused, and he asked, "Forty-one tons of gems, still not considered much?"

The Jeweler's mind had just been left feeling somewhat hollow from the shock of Wan'er's confirmation.

Hearing Zhou Yun's follow-up question now, his heart tightened bit by bit once more.

There was, of course, a reason why Wan'er had used the word "only."

And that reason, he understood better than anyone else.

Wan'er said, "Reporting to City Lord, if they are only to be sold, forty-one tons of Black Iron Rank gems are already very considerable."

She lowered her head and glanced at the ledger.

"But if they are used to cultivate a Jeweler, then it is not much."

Wan'er continued, "The Jeweler profession consumes resources heavily, grows extremely slowly, and relies heavily on success rates. For a low-level Jeweler making enchanted gems, succeeding once in ten attempts is already considered steady-handed. If one wants to advance in rank, the consumption will only be greater."

The few people in the room did not speak.

The Magic Potion Master also needs to burn Magic Stones.

The Alchemist and the physician also need to consume Spirit Medicine.

But after they consume resources, they can always see a finished product. Even if they fail, the reasons for failure can mostly be traced.

The Jeweler is different.

Many times, the gem is put in, the Formation pattern is carved on, and the spiritual power is pressed in.

Crack.

It shatters.

Nothing remains.

No alchemical dregs, no medicinal residue, no potion sediment.

Only a pinch of fine powder is left.

Wan'er said, "If one is lucky, dozens of tons of Black Iron Rank gems might perhaps pile a Jeweler up to the Gold Rank."

The Jeweler lowered his head even further.

Wan'er's voice held no blame, yet it made him feel worse than if she had blamed him.

Because it was the truth.

"If one is unlucky, even after dumping hundreds of tons of gems, one might not even touch the threshold of the Silver Rank."

Zhou Yun's face showed surprise.

He looked up at Wan'er.

"You are speaking of... a single Jeweler?"

"Yes."

Wan'er nodded.

"What this subordinate is referring to is the consumption of just one Jeweler."

Zhou Yun was silent for a moment.

Now, he finally understood why Wan'er had said "only forty-one tons."

Flower City might not lack this amount of gems.

What was truly frightening was the resource-devouring speed of the Jeweler profession.

However, for him, it was not really a difficult problem.

As long as he bestowed the resources upon those who needed them, the resources would only increase.

Gems, naturally, were the same.

Under such a premise, the real problem should be how to spend the mountain-like and sea-like resources in the System space.

But just because he understood this point, it did not mean others knew it too.

Therefore, the air in the room slowly grew heavy.

The Jeweler stood there, the small cloth bag in his hand already crumpled beyond recognition.

He suddenly really wanted to take back what he had said just now.

Wanting to open a jewelry shop. Wanting to make enchanted gems. Wanting to enchant equipment, staves, and Formation tools.

When he said these words, he actually still harbored a little bit of hope in his heart.

But now, after Wan'er laid out the true consumption of a Jeweler, he suddenly felt that he was laughable.

Forty-one tons of gems. It sounded like a lot. But for a Jeweler, perhaps it was only the first leg of his journey upward. And it was not even certain that he would make it through.

He had heard too many similar words in the old city.

"With these gems, wouldn't it be better to sell them?" "Wouldn't it be better to use them to trade for food?" "Wouldn't it be better to trade for equipment?" "Why burn them on you?"

When those people said these things, there was absolutely no malice on their faces. They spoke very reasonably and were quite objective. After all, people were not stupid.

With dozens or hundreds of tons of gems lying there, just selling them would already be of immense value. Taking these items to trade for food, medicine, and equipment would yield immediate results.

But what about dumping them into a Jeweler's hands? Perhaps after burning through them, it would only allow a Black Iron Rank Jeweler to become more familiar with drawing a few more Formation patterns. There would be no returns to see in the short term. And if he failed, no one would compensate.

The more he thought about it, the more his heart sank.

If not for the fact that this craft was passed down from his family, and if not for his mother clutching his hand before she died, telling him he must pass this craft on, he would have quit long ago.

A low-level Jeweler looks glamorous. In reality, he doesn't even have the confidence to find himself a way out.

Just at this moment, Zhou Yun spoke up.

"Since the consumption is so great…"

The Jeweler's heart tightened abruptly. It was here. What was bound to come had finally arrived.

The City Lord was already gentle enough. Being able to listen seriously to his request and saying that jewelry enchantment was meaningful was already the best thing he had ever heard in his life.

But no matter how good the words were, they could not make the gems appear out of thin air.

He had even already thought of the reasons for Zhou Yun in his heart. Flower City now had one hundred thousand newly migrated people. Food, medicine, cloth, housing, water—every single thing required resources. For a profession like a Jeweler that couldn't show returns in the short term to be pushed back was simply too normal.

Zhou Yun looked at him, then looked at Wan'er.

"Then it is not suitable for Flower City to disperse resources to cultivate too many Jewelers for the time being."

The Jeweler's shoulders slumped imperceptibly.

But the next moment, Zhou Yun's voice continued to ring out.

"Therefore, let us first cultivate him alone."

The Jeweler raised his head abruptly.

Zhou Yun said, "That forty-one tons of Black Iron Rank gems, establish it all as a special fund for jewelry enchantment."

Wan'er looked up.

Zhou Yun's tone was calm.

"From now on, this batch of gems will only be provided for his study, practice, shop opening, and enchantment use."

The Jeweler was stunned. It was as if he understood, yet as if he completely did not understand. Forty-one tons. All of it. Provided for his consumption.

His lips moved, wanting to say something, but his throat felt as if it were blocked by something, and he couldn't squeeze out a single word.

Wan'er did not show surprise, only lowering her head to reply, "Understood."

She opened the registry in her hand, her voice very soft, yet crystal clear.

"Forty-one tons of Black Iron Rank gems, classified into the jewelry enchantment special fund. This person is to register for their use, draw them in batches, record losses in the ledger, and enter finished products into the registry. Without approval from Zhou Yun or the administrative line, they must not be used for other purposes."

With every sentence she spoke, the Jeweler's eyes widened by a fraction. By the time she finished, his whole body began to tremble. It was not fear. It was that the road pressing down on his back had suddenly been lifted out of the mud by someone.

His knees went weak, and he knelt down heavily.

"City Lord!"

The sound of his forehead hitting the floor was dull. The few people in the room were all startled by this sound.

Yet the Jeweler seemed to feel no pain. He kowtowed again.

"Thank you, City Lord, for your great kindness and virtue!" His voice trembled violently. "Thank you, City Lord, for your grace of rebirth!"

When the third kowtow landed, bright red blood had already seeped out from his forehead.

"This commoner will never forget this for the rest of his life! I will surely exhaust all my abilities to refine jewelry processing and will absolutely not fail City Lord's great kindness today!"

Zhou Yun quickly stood up, walked to his front, and bent down to support his arms.

The Jeweler still wanted to kowtow again, but was steadily supported by Zhou Yun. That hand was not heavy. Yet, resting on his arm, it made him unable to kneel any further.

"Get up."

Zhou Yun helped him up. The Jeweler stood unsteadily, his eyes extremely red.

Zhou Yun looked at him and said gently, "Jade cannot become a vessel without being carved."

The Jeweler stared at him blankly.

Zhou Yun said with a smile, "Since you have entered Flower City, you are a citizen of Flower City. As long as you have the determination to become a vessel, then Flower City has the patience to wait for you to become one."

His voice was still not loud. Outside the room, the sounds of footsteps, carriage wheels, and small officials calling people continued to arrive. Yet at this moment, the Jeweler could only hear Zhou Yun's words.

"Moreover, for every step you take further on your path, Flower City's equipment, staves, and Formation tools have one more point of possibility."

"I am very looking forward to your future."

Very... looking forward to it?

The Jeweler's Adam's apple bobbed. From the moment he started on this path of being a Jeweler, he could be said to have suffered all kinds of cold looks. But now, this City Lord before his eyes actually said to him, said that he was looking forward to it!

Thinking of this, he finally couldn't hold it back, and tears came crashing down.

"This commoner..." He said two words, and then couldn't continue.

Zhou Yun did not rush him. Wan'er did not rush him either. The other three Professionals in the room looked at him, and their eyes also slowly grew hot.

They suddenly realized that standing here today, what they had gained far exceeded a few boxes of Spirit Medicine, a few Magic Stones, and a few carts of gems. It was that Flower City was truly willing to give them a path.

...

When the few people retreated, their footsteps were completely different from when they arrived.

When they arrived, it was caution, it was nervousness, it was the fear of stepping on and breaking the floor tiles of the City Lord's mansion. Leaving, they were still cautious. But within that caution, there was a bit more of an indescribable solemnity. It was as if, from this moment on, they finally dared to plant their feet on this land of Flower City.

Wan'er did not leave immediately. She waited for the small official to lead the few people out, and then closed the ledger in her hand, only then looking at Zhou Yun.

"City Lord, there is one more matter."

Zhou Yun sat back behind the desk. "Speak."

Wan'er said, "In these two days, people from The Four Cities have been detected around the city."

Zhou Yun's eyes flickered slightly. "Liefeng, Qinghe, Nanchang, Maple Leaf?"

"Yes." Wan'er said, "The number of people is not high, and their movements are deliberately concealed. They look like porters sent out by merchant caravans, or like ordinary pathfinders. But the Supervision Department and the city defense line have separately verified several locations, and all can match the traces of The Four Cities."

She paused. "Sneaky, seemingly harboring bad intentions."

Zhou Yun was not surprised by this. The Four Cities had never been honest about doing business from the very beginning.

Before the Ten Cities declared war, they had already been sharpening their knives against Flower City for a long time. Now that Flower City's main force was out, and the people of the Ten Cities had migrated in large numbers, with such a window placed right before their eyes, it would be strange if The Four Cities had no movement at all.

Zhou Yun said, "Before Lei Lie and the military advisor set out on the expedition, they had already anticipated that they might have other thoughts."

Wan'er listened quietly.

Zhou Yun continued, "Therefore, they specifically left behind a unit to deal with emergencies. The city defense, Supervision Department, and temporary military orders all have contingency plans."

Speaking up to here, he looked at Wan'er. "Do you feel that we still need to add another layer of precaution?"

Wan'er pondered for a moment. "If it were only The Four Cities, there would be no need to add more precautions."

Her voice was very soft. "If it were only a joint attack by The Four Cities, with the remaining military strength and the city defense Formation, it should be sufficient to deal with it."

This was not said boastfully. Flower City was no longer the small city that couldn't even feed itself back then. Although the main force was out, the city still had Professionals, city defense, Formations, the Supervision Department, the Granary, the support of the people, and contingency plans.

If The Four Cities really regarded Flower City as an empty city, then they would truly be blind.

"It is just that this subordinate believes that if they really intend to act, it is impossible for them not to have calculated this layer in."

Zhou Yun looked up.

Wan'er said, "In other words, if they know full well that Flower City will have a garrison and still dare to strike, then there are only two possibilities."

"One is that they are desperate like a dog leaping over a wall."

"The other is that they have other backers."

The room fell silent. Zhou Yun pressed his fingertip lightly on the corner of the desk.

"Other backers?"

Wan'er lowered her head. "It is only this subordinate's speculation, there is no solid evidence."

Zhou Yun looked at her for a while, then nodded. "I understand."

Wan'er did not say anything more. She bowed to Zhou Yun. "This subordinate will withdraw."

Zhou Yun said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Wan'er's footsteps paused slightly. She said softly, "It is my duty."

After speaking, she turned and left. The door of the City Lord's mansion was gently closed. The room fell silent again.

Zhou Yun sat behind the desk and did not move immediately. The sounds outside the window were still very chaotic.

The people of the Ten Cities were still entering the city. Old officials, new officials, Medical Tents, settlement tents, Professional registration offices, and food distribution lines were like nets rapidly spreading out, catching the originally panicked and uneasy crowd bit by bit.

But that sentence of Wan'er's remained in his heart. Other backers.

Zhou Yun stood up and walked slowly around the room for a few steps.

Liefeng City. Qinghe City. Nanchang City. Maple Leaf City. Wang Shuai. Wang Group. The people of the Ten Cities. Flower City's main force. These threads slid through his mind one by one; they all seemed to match up, yet it also seemed like there was some place obscured by fog.

He walked to the window and looked out. The sunlight in the courtyard was just right.

A small official holding a new registry walked quickly under the corridor; he was running too fast and almost bumped into a pillar, but he hurriedly stabilized his figure and continued forward.

In the distance came the laughter of children. A little further away was the sound of carriage wheels rolling over the stone road.

Flower City was very busy. Busy and steaming with vitality. And busy in a way that every place seemed to hide a gap.

Zhou Yun withdrew his gaze and sat back down behind the desk. The next moment, City Lord Skill. One Mind of Heaven and Earth. Activate.

...

Above Flower City, the originally clear sky suddenly shimmered with golden light. First, it was a single point. Immediately after, that point of golden light rapidly spread out, as if an invisible hand were writing in the sky.

A horizontal stroke. A vertical stroke. A left-falling stroke. A right-falling stroke. Giant golden characters suddenly appeared.

[ City Lord Skill · One Mind of Heaven and Earth! ]

The entire Flower City paused for an instant. The small official who was distributing tent numbers to the new citizens looked up. The fire-element mage who was delivering hot water to the Medical Tent looked up. The old man who was queuing for porridge held his wooden bowl and looked up. The child who had just been fed a mouthful of Spirit Rice porridge by his mother also raised his face, with a bit of rice grain still sticking to the corner of his mouth.

The old citizens were stunned at first, but soon reacted quickly.

"City Lord is using the City Lord Skill again."

The person speaking was a man carrying water. He put the water bucket on his shoulder down on the ground, tilted his head to look for a few moments, his face full of familiar pride.

The people of the Ten Cities who had newly migrated nearby, however, were directly stunned.

"City Lord Skill?" Someone's voice even changed.

"This is a City Lord Skill?"

"Those characters in the sky... are they created by the City Lord?"

"Isn't that something that only a Destined City Lord can perform?"