"The destination is decided—but what exactly are we going to use to trade for the beast spars?"

Yue Qinlan's thoughtful voice cut through the conversation. She remembered the twelve trade principles Luciel had once mentioned to her, and now she was finally learning to apply them herself.

Luciel paused to think for a moment, then replied, "We could start with Starlight Tea. It's valuable and easy to store. There's also cabbage—we can harvest some soon from the plantation once the Starlight Tea trees mature."

"Starlight Tea…" Yue Qinlan murmured, furrowing her brows slightly. "We can't use too much of that for trade. It'll draw attention. If word spreads, seventh-order powerhouses will start keeping their eyes on us."

She spoke from experience—she had tasted Starlight Tea herself. The invigorating clarity it provided was almost addictive. Even among the most powerful, items that could refresh the mind and enhance focus were rare and sought after.

"As for this cabbage you mentioned," she added softly, "what kind of plant is that? I've never heard of it."

Luciel smiled faintly. "It's a green vegetable, mild and crisp, and tastes great when cooked. Simple, but useful."

In his mind, he was already picturing the future. Once the Starlight Realm expanded, he could use it to cultivate more seeds—vegetables, fruits, maybe even staple crops. As long as the land was vast enough, he could build large-scale farms.

And then there were the sweet potatoes he'd discovered earlier. If he cultivated them well, they could serve as an abundant food source for the growing population.

Yue Qinlan sighed quietly. "Ordinary people won't be able to afford such food. Only those with power and wealth would buy it."

She could already see the issue clearly. Both Starlight Tea and cabbage were low-yield but high-value commodities—good for luxury trade, but not for earning large quantities of beast spars.

After thinking for a moment, she tried to help Luciel analyze the situation. "If we want consistent profit, those two items alone won't be enough. We need something that everyone needs—something people will always buy."

Luciel nodded slightly. She had a point.

Since stepping down from her position as Moon Lord, Yue Qinlan seemed more relaxed—her sharpness returned. Without the burden of authority, her mind had become clearer than ever. The saying was true: bystanders see things more clearly.

He found it interesting that she now used the lessons she learned as a ruler to assist him, the new city lord.

"Indeed," Luciel admitted, "the tea and vegetables will only go so far. Their supply is limited, and we won't be able to gather much in the way of beast spars."

Yue Qinlan's elegant fingers tapped the table thoughtfully. "We need something that can be produced in large quantities and that everyone, strong or weak, has use for."

Her expression dimmed slightly. "But what could that be?"

The room fell silent for a moment—until Yu Feier, who had been quietly thinking, spoke in a soft voice.

"What about… water?"

Luciel's eyes brightened instantly. "Yes. Water. That could work."

Thanks to the crystal fish in their possession, they could purify and store vast amounts of clean water. With enough containers, they could easily transport it and trade it for beast spars.

Water was essential. Every tribe, every settlement needed it—especially in the dry regions beyond their city.

"Anything else?" Luciel asked, scanning the faces of the women gathered around him—Liyue, Yue Feiyan, and Mino.

"I—uh… I can't think of anything," Liyue admitted, averting her gaze. "I'm good at fighting, not business."

"It's the same for me," Yue Feiyan said, shaking her head. "Maybe meat or hides, but we don't even have enough food for ourselves. How could we trade it away?"

"I…" Mino fumbled nervously with her fingers. Her fluffy rabbit ears drooped as she lowered her head. "I can't think of anything either."

When the room once again fell silent, Yue Qinlan gently changed the topic. "Luciel, you should also start establishing proper rules for Black Tortoise City. A city can't thrive without structure. No rules, no order."

Her tone carried a calm authority. She had found her place here—not as a ruler, but as a wise counselor to Luciel. Her role was to assist him in managing the city, to guide its early development, and to handle the minor affairs that didn't need his direct attention.

Luciel rubbed his temples. "Alright. I'll take care of it."

He was realizing more and more that building a new power from scratch was exhausting. There were too many things to handle all at once—defense, economy, governance, trade, food supply, and training.

But if he wanted Black Tortoise City to have a steady source of beast spars in the future, he would need to invest the effort now.

"It's always like this in the beginning," Yue Qinlan said with a soft chuckle, sipping her broth elegantly. "Once the foundation is stable, things will get much easier."

Luciel glanced at her helplessly. The amused sparkle in her eyes told him she was enjoying this—seeing him deal with the same problems she once faced as a leader.

"You should help me think, then," he said lightly.

"Oh? Me?" Yue Qinlan smiled faintly, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes," Luciel replied. "And not just that—you'll have to teach me to read."

Her eyes widened. "You mean… you're illiterate?"

Luciel's expression didn't change. "It's been so long since I used it that I forgot most of it," he lied smoothly.

Liyue's lips twitched slightly. That excuse sounded suspiciously familiar.

Luciel caught her expression and winked at her mischievously. "Liyue, you'll learn too."

"M-me too?" she asked in surprise.

"Of course. Everyone in the city should be able to read," Luciel said seriously.

If he wanted to create a strong and organized city, he needed educated people—individuals who could understand policies, follow written rules, and help govern.

He couldn't afford to have a city full of illiterates where every new law had to be explained one by one.

"Luciel… do I need to learn to read too?" Mino asked innocently, her long rabbit ears twitching curiously.

Luciel smiled warmly and patted her head. "Yes. Learning more is never a bad thing."

He wanted to train her—not just as an assistant, but as someone who could help manage affairs in the future.

Right now, Black Tortoise only had a few dozen residents. But once the rock tortoise evolved, its back would expand many times over. The city's population would multiply.

By then, it wouldn't just be a settlement—it would be a thriving metropolis.

And he would need capable people to handle the growing number of tasks.

So, in a way, everything he was doing now—education, training, preparation—was his way of being lazy later.

"Okay," Mino said seriously, nodding her head. "I'll learn."

"I don't need to," Yue Feiyan muttered, raising her hand weakly. "I already know how to read. Mother made sure of that."

Luciel chuckled. "Alright then. In that case, I have another task for you—ironmaking."

"Ironmaking?" she blinked, confused.

"Yes," Luciel said. "You should train your awakening ability and help with smelting. We've collected a lot of old weapons. I want to melt them down and forge something useful."

He'd been thinking about this for a while.

With more mouths to feed, they couldn't keep surviving on roasted meat and broth. They needed proper cookware—like a large wok for communal meals.

"That makes sense," Yue Feiyan said after a pause. "I'll do it."

Luciel turned his gaze toward Yu Feier. "And you, Feier—I want you to focus on researching secret medicines. I'll build a special research room for you soon."

Her golden hair shimmered in the torchlight as she nodded obediently. "Alright."

Then Yue Qinlan looked up again. "And what about Wei Geng and the others? You can't just keep them idle. It's not wise to feed people who contribute nothing."

"Of course not," Luciel said firmly. "They'll be put to use."

He was already planning it—some training for them, modeled after his old world's special forces. They could patrol the rock tortoise's perimeter, guard the walls, and form the foundation of a future defense unit.

The hunting team would become the seeds of Black Tortoise City's military.

"As long as you know what you're doing," Yue Qinlan said softly. "Don't concern yourself with my opinions. Just lead them as you see fit."

She didn't want her past authority to influence these people. If they started following her instead of Luciel, that would cause dangerous division—and she would never allow that.

She had already suffered betrayal once, from the Great Elder. She would never let such a thing happen to Luciel.

Luciel gave a faint smile. "Don't worry. I'm not as easygoing as you think."

Yue Qinlan met his gaze. His calm black eyes carried a cold sharpness beneath their surface—a quiet but undeniable killing intent.

"…I can see that," she murmured.

She looked away first, her tone softening. "In any case, we can organize hunting parties soon. If we do it properly, everyone will have enough meat to eat."

"That works," Luciel agreed. "I'll have Xiao Cai and Xiao Hong help as well."

He thought about his ghost-faced spiders—they were due to evolve soon. Their silk was incredibly useful, and he could use it for many new purposes.

It had been a while since he'd domesticated any new beasts, but with their next journey to Stone Tower City, he intended to change that.

There were countless strange creatures and rare plants out there waiting to be discovered—and tamed.

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he looked out into the distance.

The age of the Black Tortoise had only just begun.

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