Xu Nian, who had been so warm and welcoming, suddenly stopped smiling.

She glanced at the crumpled wooden board, her voice turning cold, "Pick it up."

The man looked at her disdainfully and burst into laughter.

"Are you talking to me? Do you even know who I am?!"

As he spoke, the man deliberately patted the table in front of Xu Nian, intending to show off his strength.

Gu Zhan could no longer restrain himself and drew his sword to attack, but Xu Nian stopped him.

Seeing the fleeting anger in her eyes, Gu Zhan understood and withdrew his hand.

"Oh ho, you want to fight now, huh!"

The man, however, didn't take Gu Zhan seriously at all. He looked Gu Zhan up and down and clicked his tongue, saying, "You think you can fight me?"

Gu Zhan ignored it and silently wiped the scabbard.

This guy's words are so infuriating, I'm speechless.

[Don't rush, the streamer has already stopped the general, he definitely wants to do it himself!]

Yes, I'm waiting to see!

Xu Nian did indeed want to do it herself.

She took a few steps forward, her voice cold and clear, "This is your last chance. Pick it up."

The man was inexplicably intimidated by this aura, but with everyone around him staring wide-eyed, how could he back down?

The man then escalated his shouting, "No matter how many times you say it, it's the same!"

He stomped hard on the wooden plank on the ground again.

"Get out of here! Don't bother me while I'm hiring!"

Seeing this, Xu Nian slowly smiled faintly and lightly tapped the air with her fingertips.

Under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, a golden light flashed past and entered the arrogant and domineering man's body.

The man panicked and quickly checked himself over, finding nothing amiss.

So he spat dismissively, "I thought you were so capable, but it turns out you're just putting on airs!"

Xu Nian snapped her fingers slowly and deliberately.

Instantly, the arrogant man turned pale and struggled to the ground.

"ah!"

He screamed in agony, crying out in terror, "What did you do to me? Why does my body hurt so much!"

Right now, the man felt as if his whole body was being bitten by reptiles. He kept scratching it with his hands, but to no avail; instead, it became even more red and swollen.

"My God!" The surrounding onlookers were terrified and screamed in hushed tones.

Xu Nian watched coldly and said indifferently, "I've given you chances, more than once."

As she spoke, she picked up the broken planks from the ground, quickly pieced them back together, and placed them on the table.

Looking around, all he saw were people who were terrified and panicked.

The scene before them truly shocked them.

Seeing this, Xu Nian didn't hold back either, and kicked the man rolling on the ground.

“Both of us are recruiting workers. I pay more, so it’s only natural that they come to me.”

Hearing Xu Nian's words, the man gritted his teeth and roared, "I am acting on the orders of the City Lord..."

Before he could finish speaking, another sharp pain shot through him, forcing him to shut his mouth in agony and writhe his body around.

The excruciating pain was so intense that the man immediately found it difficult to breathe.

Seeing that he was almost unconscious, Xu Nian snapped her fingers again to stop the spell.

Wow, what new trick is this from the streamer?!

[This feels different from anything I've seen before; it was so enjoyable to watch today!]

[But his screams were still a bit scary.]

Xu Nian glanced at the comments, remaining calm and composed.

She doesn't use this spell often; her master repeatedly warned her not to misuse it when teaching it to her.

Therefore, Xu Nian lived for almost twenty years without ever using it.

But the man from before was truly hateful. She had given him more than one chance, but he remained adamant.

Therefore, Xu Nian did not regret it; this was a bloody lesson for the extremely wicked.

Gu Zhan watched Xu Nian's actions closely, seeing how easily she subdued the arrogant man, a thoughtful look flashing across his brows.

To be honest, the spells and incantations the little girl possessed were indeed quite impressive.

He grew up in a military camp and had heard older generations talk about such abilities, but he had never seen them with his own eyes.

The two men who came with the man were already so frightened that their legs went weak, and they were trembling as they tried to run away.

But Xu Nian had already been watching their movements and raised her hand to cast a talisman.

The two people were instantly paralyzed, frozen in place, their faces filled with terror.

Xu Nian saw these two people when she arrived.

However, considering that they had not participated in any wrongdoing, Xu Nian only restricted their actions and words, without punishing them.

With the matter settled, Xu Nian breathed a sigh of relief.

"Very impressive." Gu Zhan's voice rang out from behind.

Xu Nian turned her head slightly and found Gu Zhan right behind her, embracing her in a rather intimate manner.

His lips curved into a slight smile, and his eyes and brows were full of praise.

Her ears immediately turned red, and she coughed, "It's not that bad."

Xu Nian took a step forward subtly, but Gu Zhan stayed close by, his expression natural.

Seeing this, Xu Nian clicked her tongue lightly, too lazy to pay him any attention, and turned to look at the people.

Everyone watched Xu Nian's actions with a panic, and no one dared to say anything.

Xu Nian noticed their panic and softened her voice, "Don't worry, it's ten copper coins a day, and that won't change."

Upon hearing this, the people exchanged glances and then breathed a sigh of relief.

Some of the bolder people stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Can we all go?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the man who had fainted on the ground and couldn't help but shudder.

Seeing the panic among the crowd, Xu Nian continued to assure them, "Don't worry, I will ensure your safety. As long as you work for me, I will never shortchange you on your money."

As if to prove the credibility of this statement, Gu Zhan took out the money bag that Xu Nian had given him in advance from his pocket and spread it out for everyone to see.

The crowd swarmed in, their eyes wide with amazement at the sight of the room overflowing with silver.

"I'll do it!"

"I want to come too!"

The recruitment process went exceptionally smoothly, and Xu Nian was very satisfied. After instructing them on the location for their next meeting, she returned to where Chen Mo was.

By this time, Chen Mo was already quite familiar with the water source and was patiently filling the container to prepare to take it back.

Is everything ready?

Xu Nian stepped forward, looked around, and asked softly.

Chen Mo, who was filling a container with water, paused for a moment, then nodded happily and said, "Everything is ready. We can finally have water to drink every day from now on."

For Chen Mo and the villagers, having enough to eat and wear each day is already a great satisfaction; they don't ask for anything else.

But for Xu Nian, all of this is far from enough.

Everything she did was carefully considered.

The real show is just beginning...