Judging by Dannas’s devastated state at the start, he likely had no will left to manage his affairs. After Gu Yin and Ling Hong took the plant and left through the city gates, they never saw him again.
It was only later that they heard Absurd City had fallen into chaos. The former lord disappeared without a trace, and when he was finally found, all that remained was the barely recognizable skeleton of a giant python, coiled before a lone hill.
But that was a story for another time.
...
...
While Gu Yin and Ling Hong were hurrying on their journey back, the iron smelting project in Sheng’an City began in full swing.
The Beastmen successfully produced the first batch of iron farm tools.
—Sharp sickles, hoes, rakes, harrows...
And even plows!
This was a piece of farm equipment An Jin had designated as a top priority.
The origins of the agricultural tool known as the "plow" were long and storied. Even though it had gradually faded from the world stage with technological progress, it was undeniable that the plow held a significant place in the agricultural history of Ancient China.
A plow was constructed from several wooden components that formed what was called the plow frame.
An iron plowshare was mounted onto the base of the frame, completing the wooden plow, which could then be used to till the fields.
In ancient times, when productivity was low and labor was scarce, farmers would hitch their livestock to a plow, letting the animals till the fields for them.
Now that the tribe’s cultivated land had gradually expanded to nearly twenty acres, the growth of the Beastman population had hit a bottleneck. They simply couldn’t spare enough labor to till all the farmland.
As it happened, the livestock pens held several dozen strong, sturdy oxen. Keeping them cooped up all day to listlessly chew grass meant their meat wasn’t lean and firm. This was a perfect opportunity to let them out to stretch their legs and build some muscle.
This would solve their labor shortage, and the quality of the beef would improve to a whole new level.
It was truly killing two birds with one stone.
An Jin had the Beastmen follow her design drafts to forge a sharp, portable knife for self-defense. ’I never want to be caught helpless in a crisis like that again.’
’Oh, right. It’s not just a knife for me. I need to start producing weapons like daggers and bows and arrows so I can outfit all the Beastmen in the tribe with brand new equipment!’
Not to mention the recurring Demon Beast attacks over the past two years. The upcoming Great Cold Season was an especially dangerous time, known for frequent Demon Beast hordes.
However, most Beastmen specialized in close-quarters combat. The problem was, fighting up close made it incredibly easy to be tainted by Demonic Qi. If the Demonic Qi invaded their bodies, they would transform into irrational Demon Beastmen.
Ranged weapons, like bows and arrows, could solve this problem.
They could also produce protective gear like armor. After all, the tribe included Beastmen from more physically fragile races.
After An Jin issued a series of commands, the Beastmen began production with great fervor.
"Lord City Lord, the bows and arrows you requested are finished. We have fifty bows and over two thousand arrows in total. Would you like to come and see them?"
The Beastman who had rushed over scratched his head, looking anxious. "We followed your designs, but... we’ve never seen anything like this before. I’m worried that since it’s our first time, they... they might not be what you wanted..."
"If they aren’t made well, we can always fix them. It’s all right. I’ll come with you to take a look," An Jin said with a reassuring smile.
Her health had recovered a little recently. While she still couldn’t walk long distances or engage in strenuous activity, normal walking was no longer much of a problem.
She followed the Beastman to the forge.
The moment she stepped inside, a searing wave of heat hit her. It was supposed to be the end of the damp, cold rainy season, but the air in here was so hot it seemed to shimmer and distort.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG. HUFF, HUFF. The faces of the bare-chested Beastmen hammering the iron were slick with sweat, and their sturdy, bronze muscles gleamed with moisture.
"Thank you for all your hard work." An Jin wiped the sweat from her face. Her skin flushed with an unnatural heat, as if it were being scorched red. ’If I stay in here one more second,’ she thought, ’I feel like I’m going to melt.’
"Lord City Lord, you should get some fresh air! This heat isn’t something a female can withstand. Even we male Beastmen have to step out for a break every once in a while!" the Beastmen all urged with concern.
"Alright, I’ll head out then. But don’t you all overwork yourselves either." An Jin didn’t try to act tough. Her gaze swept over the bows and arrows piled in a corner, and she grabbed a bow and a few arrows on her way out the door.