Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 78

Perhaps because he sprays enough bug spray, Ye Zhou finally gets a good night’s sleep. However, he sprays on so much that he can no longer smell it on himself. All he can do now is stroll around in the woods and wait for that choking fragrance to dissipate on its own.

During the day, he occasionally uses a telescope to observe the slaves.

Contrary to what he imagines, he expects the slaves to cheer, but with the telescope in hand, all he sees are confused expressions on their faces.

For a moment, Ye Zhou thinks he misunderstands.

But soon, he figures it out.

He doesn’t believe that people are born with a “slave nature”—no one is born to be a slave. People are just afraid of change.

Zhou Wen and his people have lived in a village for generations. If not for natural disasters, they would never leave the land they know so well because it is there that they know how to survive.

The slaves are no different. They know only one way to live, and being free, not a slave, is the start of an unknown life for them.

Ye Zhou himself has jumped from modern times into the Daliang Dynasty, and he is terrified. He doesn’t know what awaits him. He is afraid every day, and at one point, he even considers staying in the supermarket and waiting for death.

So, he understands their fear.

For the slaves, the most important thing is having a way to survive.

After all, he is capable enough, with sufficient funds and resources, and he is willing to help them.

If it works, great. If not, at least he won’t have any regrets in this world.

“Seeds and farm tools need to be brought here when the time comes,” Ye Zhou discusses with Chen Shu. “But there are no roads here, so transporting them by car is unlikely.”

There are cars available in the system’s store, and Ye Zhou knows how to drive—but the road conditions here simply won’t allow it.

Chen Shu asks curiously, “The system hasn’t unlocked transport tools for you yet?”

It’s the first time Ye Zhou has heard of that. He quickly asks with interest, “What are transport tools?”

Chen Shu explains, “To facilitate transportation, the system has a dimensional box. Goods can be placed directly in a dimensional space, meaning you only need to carry one box. I remember it’s unlocked quite early, usually in the first plane.”

Ye Zhou blinks, surprised. “Really?”

Chen Shu can’t help but ask, “Boss, have you even checked your unlock menu?”

Ye Zhou quickly defends himself, “Of course I have! Otherwise, how would I have unlocked the protective shield?”

Chen Shu thinks for a moment. “Well, I don’t know. Let’s go back and check. How long will we stay here?”

“We’ll head back tomorrow,” Ye Zhou says. “I’ll figure out how to transport the supplies when we return. But tonight, I need to have a proper talk with that guy named Kurt.”

Kurt is a speculator—shrewd and cunning—but not entirely without respect for the gods. Used well, someone like that makes a perfect mouthpiece.

Ye Zhou finally understands why many emperors favor eunuchs and treacherous ministers. Compared to loyal ones, these people are better at discerning his intentions and enforcing his commands, sometimes strictly or even harshly.

Once the emperor achieves his goal, he can dispose of such people and maintain his image as a wise ruler.

There are many emperors who do this. Even Wu Zetian appoints cruel officials early in her reign, and once her position is secure, she promptly gets rid of them.

The same is true for Zhao Gao and others.

Everyone knows he is bad, so why does the emperor use him?

Because, in some situations, he is more useful than good people, and much more effective. And there would be no resistance to getting rid of him later—it would be no great loss.

Ye Zhou just hopes he hasn’t misjudged Kurt, that Kurt really can serve as his “treacherous official.”

“This is fine wine from the merchants in the capital,” Karl says respectfully, pouring a glass of bright red wine for Kurt.

Kurt has never seen or tasted this wine before, but he doesn’t want to appear ignorant. So, he immediately says, “The temple has fine wine as well, and I’ve had enough.”

With a wave of his hand, Kurt signals that he isn’t interested in the wine.

Karl glances at Lord Ryan, who gives him a look. Karl then withdraws with the wine jug.

“I won’t lie to you either,” Ryan says, looking at Kurt. “I don’t have much. I have some cheap gems, and some gold. I don’t know if Lord Moon God would like these things, and there’s only wine. See if there’s anything among them that’s worthy of offering to the Lord.”

Kurt answers grandly, “Everything you have should be offered to the Moon God!” His tone sharpens. “You need to understand—even you belong to the Moon God. So of course all your possessions do too. Whether the Moon God wants them is one thing—whether you’re willing to give them is another.”

Ryan’s eyes widen in realization, and he nods. “You’re right.”

He has already offered his land to the Moon God. There is no need to keep anything else. Compared to eternal life, these things are too “cheap”—they don’t even matter.

Kurt smiles. “When the Moon God returns to the moon, he might take you with him. Even if the Lord Moon God doesn’t take you with him, it won’t be hard for you to become a duke with the gifts he has given you.”

Ryan smiles as well, but his ambitions don’t stop at being a duke. If he earns the favor of God, why can’t he be the one sitting on the throne?

“Go pack it up,” Ryan says to Karl, who is waiting nearby. “Tell the illiterate servants to pack everything dedicated to the Moon God and move it to the mountain to see if the Moon God will visit tonight.”

Karl nods in agreement.

“Have you seen the face of the Moon God?” After Karl leaves, Ryan asks Kurt with some curiosity.

Kurt pauses.

He hasn’t actually seen the Moon God’s face, but as a “messenger of God,” it would be too outrageous to admit that he hasn’t.

“Lord Moon God has more than one body and appearance,” Kurt quickly spins a tale based on myths and rumors. “When he is in the temple, Lord Moon God has one form, but when he comes here, he may have another. I never dare look directly at the Lord’s face. But no matter which form they are in, the Moon God is always beautiful.”

The Moon God is also a goddess of beauty.

Ryan says with longing, “I hope Lord Moon God understands my piety.”

Kurt nods, “As long as you are loyal, he will understand.”

Meanwhile, Ira lies on the grass, gazing at the sky. For the first time in his life, he sees how beautiful the blue sky and white clouds can be. He feels an unprecedented sense of happiness, basking in the sunlight.

From this day on, he is a free man. He no longer has to work like a beast, nor endure the lash of a whip. He no longer has to drink muddy water like livestock. He is a person!

“Why aren’t you worried at all?” Some of the other slaves who have become freemen can’t understand Ira. They mutter to each other, “How do we become freemen? What does it even mean to be a freeman? Once we’re free, where will our food come from?”

“Is it really good to be a freeman?”

Ira listens to their complaints and says calmly, “Of course it’s good to be a freeman.”

The slaves, however, have their own views. “But slaves don’t have to pay taxes. Rich used to be a freeman. His family became slaves because they couldn’t afford to pay the taxes.”

Rich is a big-nosed man. When he realizes everyone is looking at him, he sighs and adds, “The taxes are very high every year. We have to pay them after the harvest. If the remaining grain after paying the taxes isn’t enough to last until the next harvest, we have to borrow grain from the lord. But next year, the taxes will be higher,” he continues. “If we can’t repay the borrowed grain, we just borrow more.”

They fall into an endless cycle of debt, eventually becoming slaves.

After hearing this, the other slaves start to feel that being a freeman might not be such a great idea.

After all, they are destined to become slaves eventually, so why even struggle?

Ira thinks they are being foolish, so he patiently explains, “Although we are free people, we are also slaves of Lord Moon God! Since we are slaves of the Moon God, how can we still be slaves of the lord? Slaves can only have one master.”

Once he explains it, the slaves understand immediately.

“So that’s how it is.”

“That’s good. The Moon God will make us work in the future.”

“I wonder if the Moon God will whip us like the lord does.”

“The Moon God is a kind god! As long as you don’t make mistakes, the Moon God won’t punish you.”

The slaves begin to look forward to their future lives. They will still have work to do, but the Moon God will take care of them, feed them, and not whip them. If they have a roof over their heads to protect them from the rain, that would be great!

“I heard that the Moon God has black hair and black eyes,” one slave whispers. “They say they saw him.”

Other slaves are curious. “Is that true? I’ve seen people with black hair, but I’ve never seen anyone with black eyes.”

“I heard he looks different from us.” They speak excitedly, all hoping that when Lord Moon God comes, their lives will improve.

Even though this “good life” still means they will remain slaves.

“I haven’t worked the last two days,” one slave says anxiously. “Will we still have food today?”

Though they have all hidden some black bread, if the lord doesn’t provide food, the bread won’t last long.

“It should be fine,” Ira says, though he is uncertain. “If we starve to death, the lord won’t be able to explain it to the Moon God.”

But even Ira doesn’t fully believe it.

The lord, as a human, doesn’t care about their lives—how could a god like the Moon God care?

Still, they can only comfort themselves by thinking that they are now slaves of the Moon God, and the lord won’t dare starve them to death.

“It would be great if Kane were still alive,” one of them says suddenly. “He always wanted to be a freeman.”

Ira freezes. Many slaves don’t have names, but Kane does.

He doesn’t know Kane’s past, but he knows that Kane is different from the others.

If Kane is here, he wouldn’t panic about becoming a freeman. He knows how to survive in that situation.

“I really hope the Moon God stays here forever.”

“In that case, I, my children, and my grandchildren could all be slaves of the Moon God forever.”

“That would be wonderful!”

They aren’t asking for much—just a stable life and enough to eat.

They can’t rely on people; they can only rely on God.