Global Lords: Me and My Calabash Kiddos

Chapter 64: Chapter 56: Locust Plague (Part 2)

Besides, cooking skills are built up slowly with practice.

Seeing Qixin’s eyes brimming with tears, Yi Tian still forced himself to offer a few words of encouragement.

She’s just a kiddo, a little coaxing is all it takes.

Yi Tian was too busy developing the territory to have free time. Otherwise, he’d cook Earth’s famous dishes for the kiddo every day.

Right now, in the special auction house, all sorts of bizarre handbooks were available—hundreds of recipes from various stars, agricultural techniques, animal husbandry, fishing skills, handicrafts, tailoring, you name it.

The rule here was: once something new appears, just copy it.

Sometimes, copycats earn way more than the original creators.

The scene where Yi Tian earned a hundred million Celestial Dao Coins in a short while was impossible to repeat!

”Liyue, Qixin, you two go out to the prairie with Fourth Child. If the locusts arrive, spread the Hundred Flowers Spirit Honey all over the grassland.”

After breakfast, Yi Tian assigned the task to Liyue.

”Understood, Lord.” Breakfast may have been a little disastrous, but Liyue and Qixin were happy to do something for the Lord.

Yi Tian went to the Warrior Pavilion and awakened all the Elemental Warriors who were cultivating, instructing them to join Fourth Child, Liyue, and Qixin in encircling and attacking the locusts attracted to the area.

If ordinary fierce beasts count as Intermediate Intelligent Life, then locusts are Low-level Intelligent Life, acting entirely on instinct.

What’s more, these locusts are under the control of the Celestial Dao Rules.

In the cosmos, intelligent life is divided into four tiers and thirteen awakenings.

Low-level Intelligent Life is sub-divided into First, Secondary, and Third Awakening.

Low-level Intelligent Life, First Awakening, is creatures like locusts, worms, beetles, butterflies, bees, and other insects. Calling them ”intelligent” is a stretch—virtually everything is dictated by instinct.

Chickens, ducks, sheep, cows, and other livestock fall under Low-level Intelligent Life, Secondary Awakening; they can be domesticated and show basic intelligence.

Dogs, cats, and regular tigers, lions, and other predators are Low-level Intelligent Life, Third Awakening.

E-level to A-level fierce beasts, depending on the species, fall into Intermediate Intelligent Life First, Secondary, or Third Awakening.

S-level Potential Beasts are High-level Intelligent Life First Awakening.

SS-level Potential Beasts are High-level Intelligent Life, Secondary Awakening.

SSS Potential Beasts are High-level Intelligent Life, Third Awakening.

Top-level Intelligent Life refers to the Lords descended into the Celestial Dao World.

Most Lords evolved from Low-level Intelligent Life over eons.

Top-level Intelligent Life are divided into First, Secondary, Third, and Fourth Awakenings.

For example, Human Race includes individuals with First, Secondary, and Third Awakenings.

From the chat channel, Yi Tian learned that some races can basically understand the native language without using a Celestial Dao Stone.

It’s an odd sensation, and is also a hallmark of Third Awakening among Top-level Intelligent Life—they can basically discern meaning from eyes, gestures, or tone.

Flower Spirits and Gourd Spirits are born as spirit bodies and count as Top-level Intelligent Life, First Awakening.

When it comes to handling locusts, Yi Tian had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

If, due to Heaven and Earth Rules, the locusts can’t be attracted by the Hundred Flowers Spirit Honey, Yi Tian would instantly uproot the Spirit Fruit Trees and Heavenly and Earthly Treasures and put them inside the villa.

The gourd vine goes into Little Black’s room!

Everything else—just lay flat!

Yi Tian knew the likelihood was very low.

Just like with the Fish-eating Stork, the Locust Swarm event by the Celestial Dao would always leave Lords a sliver of hope.

Yesterday, in the regions hit by the locusts, were there Lords who managed to preserve their territory?

The answer was surely yes.

They used methods even Yi Tian hadn’t thought of to solve the locust threat.

Items from Treasure Chests come in all shapes and forms—maybe something to deal with locusts is among them.

At the scheduled time, Yi Tian called over Gu Qianqiu, Yun Long, and Yun Fei to get ready to receive newcomers.

After paying 7 million Celestial Dao Coins, he completed a deal with the Great Emperor.

Among the seventy people, ten were Late-stage C-level, fifty were Mid-level C, and another ten had one foot into Mid-level C.

”Now that you’ve come to my territory, you are my people! Don’t even think about betrayal—traitors will be killed with no mercy!”

”ROAR...”

As soon as Yi Tian finished, five tigers suddenly appeared and roared in unison—right on cue.

The Tiger’s Fury from these ”Gold Level” war beasts made the new arrivals shiver with fear.

A few sharp-eyed Silver elites even realized these five tigers were even more powerful than regular Gold Level beasts. Killing them would be effortless for these tigers.

”Screech...”

Two Eastsea Falcons let out sharp cries, diving from above, almost brushing the newcomers’ heads as they zipped by.

More ”Gold Level” predatory birds.

No one knew the Lord’s own power, but his underlings were even more formidable than the Great Emperor’s. Some of them had even been planning to rebel after joining the new territory.

But now, that fire was instantly snuffed out.

Rebellion? That’s suicide!

”Of course, we’re all Human Race, so we ought to look out for each other. If you have kin serving under me, ask them how I treat people. Here, as long as you do your work, you’ll eat well and live well. If there’s fighting and you kill enemies or render merit, you’ll be rewarded with Spirit Fruit to boost your strength.”

”Don’t think I’m just all talk—ask your kin and you’ll know soon enough.” Seeing a few of them looked unconvinced, Yi Tian suddenly raised his voice.

Those people immediately straightened their faces and stood at attention, looking very disciplined.

When it comes to ruling subordinates, you need both benevolence and force. This was exactly the effect Yi Tian was going for.

This was the method Yi Tian always used to win over new territory members: first demonstrating power, then soothing with kind words, and finally offering rewards.

”Qianqiu, take these people and explain the rules.” After handing off this batch of newcomers to Gu Qianqiu, Yi Tian went to arrange their dorms.

Because of rising material prices, Yi Tian spent the whole morning, altogether burning 2 million Celestial Dao Coins.

Three per room—now, with forty sets of houses and one hundred twenty rooms, it was just enough for everyone.

Groups of three formed small units to share the workload; meat, veggies, and grains they could get themselves from the ice storage or warehouse.

Of course, not everyone was treated equally.

Those grouped with Gu Qianqiu became his little bros—the ones who rushed to cook and wash for him.

Looking at the clean, comfortable rooms, the newcomers felt warmth for the first time.

What did they live in at the Great Emperor’s territory?

Dog kennels, basically.

And the Great Emperor actually made them call him ”His Majesty”—kinda twisted, if you think about it.

Even the housing they had in their own tribe wasn’t as good as this.

Later, after asking Yun Long, Yun Fei, and others, once they found out these folks had eaten Spirit Fruit—and A-level ones at that—they realized maybe it wasn’t so bad here after all.

As for risk!

They fought in tribal wars every day anyway, it was just as dangerous.

But they waited all morning and no locusts came—Fourth Child, Liyue, and the rest started to get a little deflated.

Only the Elemental Warriors stood watch across the prairie, maintaining strict discipline.

Yi Tian didn’t deploy mercenaries today; he kept his eye on the regional channel, ready to take action at any moment.

”Crap! Locusts have invaded the territory!”

”Oh my god, those locusts are huge—and there are so many...”

”Aaaah... they’re flying in all directions, my net is useless!”

”Yeah... as soon as the locusts hit the mist, they scatter across the whole territory—we can’t hold out!”

”Screw it, I give up...”

Around one o’clock, someone in District 1 spoke up in the regional channel.

Yesterday, news from District 66 had already reached the regional channel—but some believed it, some didn’t.

Especially the ”boss” of the district, Yao Wuyu, led the charge in doubting it!

In Yao Wuyu’s own words: ”Who the hell is Yi Tian, that he dares steal my spotlight?”

”Qianqiu, have all territory members bring wood and fire oil, and head to the prairie.”

As soon as the locust swarm hit District 1, Yi Tian immediately ordered Gu Qianqiu.

”At your command, Lord!”

Gu Qianqiu led over a hundred people, all carrying large bundles of pre-prepared firewood and fire oil, and rushed toward the prairie.

Yi Tian didn’t go; he headed to the villa to see if the locusts would actually be attracted and prepare to respond.

As for the kiddos, Yi Tian used High-Level Stone to build a stone house and locked them inside.

The locust plague spread like contagious disease—within a minute of District 1 being invaded, Districts 2 and 3 fell in sequence.

Soon, the locusts showed up in District 66.