These five individuals were mercenaries. The man on the far left was named Zuo Qing. He was one of the first people to agree to work with me after Lin Chun.
Next was Chen Ran. When we were building the city, he was the one who took the lead in finding limestone.
Following him was Bai Ran. This guy could brew wine, and it tasted good.
The second to last was Bei Chi. He was the type who didn't talk much but was very dependable.
The last person was a bit of a surprise. It was a girl.
I knew her well too. She was the one who was willing to explain things to us when we rescued them. Her name was Shen Zhi.
"Given the current situation, I personally suggest we focus on our own people first," Lin Chun mused. "It's not that I want to abandon the wildlings, but learning this stuff requires a certain level of intelligence..."
I nodded. "To reiterate, this is a very tedious process. During this time, you will primarily follow me in cultivating other matters and can temporarily put this aside!"
"Okay, Brother Lu!" Zuo Qing said.
"As for what I can guarantee, after you finish cultivating, I can elevate you to a new level!" I didn't make my words too specific, nor did I make overly high promises.
I wanted to see their true intentions.
If they genuinely wanted to improve, I would help them. But if their patience or any other aspect fell short, I would rather let them go.
"Brother Lu, what do you need us to do?" Bai Ran asked.
I didn't reply. I walked to the side, picked up a handful of sand, and said, "Hold out your hands!"
They looked confused but still extended their hands. I placed the sand in their palms. "What you need to do is very simple. Count these grains of sand and tell me exactly how many there are!"
The sand on the beach was different from the sand found on land. It had been polished by the sea for years, containing almost no soil, only pure sand.
Even if you put this sand in water, it wouldn't make the water cloudy.
"This..." Bai Ran paused but then nodded. "Alright!"
Seeing this, the others could only nod along and sat on the ground, beginning to count the sand.
Meanwhile, I quietly set up a "Thousand Li Wild" array nearby, enveloping the five of them.
At this point, Lin Chun could already see a faint green glow. A light flickered in his pupils, but he said nothing more.
I turned and left, telling Lin Chun to keep an eye on them and not speak.
After leaving, I found Luo Yaqin.
She was just emerging from her cultivation state, looking at me excitedly. "I can... I can..."
"What happened?" I asked.
Luo Yaqin stopped talking and placed a hand in front of me. An invisible force began to gather on her palm.
The energy mass emitted a faint green hue.
"So quickly?" I was surprised.
"Of course!" Luo Yaqin said with a smile. "Who do you think I am?"
I smiled and praised her.
To be able to wield the Shepherd's Power to this extent in such a short time was something few could achieve. Luo Yaqin's talent was truly astonishing.
I stayed with her for a while longer, practicing. Luo Yaqin was still unable to use the Thousand Li Wild array.
I explained it to her for a long time, and only then did Luo Yaqin, looking bewildered, go to try it out.
Time passed until evening. After a simple meal, I walked towards the beach.
As I approached, I saw the five people still sitting there, with Lin Chun standing beside them.
I walked over and took a look. Each of them still had a small amount of sand in their hands; it looked like they were almost finished counting.
I called Lin Chun over. "How is it?"
"These five were very confused at first. After you left, they complained a bit, but they quickly got into the zone..." Lin Chun said with a smile. "Do you know who maintained the silence the longest?"
"Shen Zhi?" I asked.
Lin Chun looked at me with surprise. "How did you know?"
"Just a guess. If you really need a reason..." I smiled. "Shen Zhi's eyes have something that the others lack!"
"What is it?" Lin Chun quickly asked.
"Hatred!" I said sternly.
Shen Zhi initially had a happy life until she was tricked onto this ship.
She must have endured inhumane torture on that ship. Because of that, she craved power even more.
Therefore, if there was a way to gain greater strength, Shen Zhi would definitely not refuse, she would do her utmost, and she would find any means to obtain it.
The days spent on the ship would become her lifelong nightmare, but at the same time, they would also become the driving force for her future progress.
"So that's how it is..." Lin Chun nodded. "Actually, there's one more person you might want to pay attention to..."