Chapter 485: Mutated Crops

The heavy snow fell thick and fast, soon enveloping Flower Town in a silver blanket, with only the roads remaining clear.

The officials were organizing the serfs who had nothing to do, clearing the snow from the roads, ensuring that all the town's roads were unobstructed.

Meanwhile, some roads were still under construction, using rocks from snowstorm beasts, which were crushed into blocks and paved on the roads. The main road of Flower Town had already been expanded to a width that could accommodate four carriages abreast, and the roads between the villages were also wide enough for two carriages abreast.

While other towns generally had muddy roads, Flower Town had already modernized its transportation.

Because Lord Liszt, the Viscount, always kept in mind the slogan "Build roads first to prosper." Without good roads, the development of Flower Town would always be constrained.

Although infrastructure construction requires significant funds, it is absolutely a catalyst for economic growth.

Liszt even had a plan to cooperate with Tulip Castle to build a gravel highway from Flower Town to Coral City, further shortening the travel time between them. However, this road would be costly, and the Earl might not agree.

At least before Black Horse Island experiences a significant economic boom and steadily increases trade between the two places, this road is unlikely to be built.

The concept of 'infrastructure' is foreign to people in this world.

Whether the serfs walk on gravel roads or muddy roads; whether they tread on green grass or step on sewage. What does it matter to the nobles?

Only Liszt would vigorously invest in infrastructure.

On Black Horse Island, he has already planned multiple future four-lane roads.

There will be a four-lane road between every two towns, and in the future, when Port Town and New Harbor Town develop into cities, a straight six-lane highway will be built.

He believes that Black Horse Island's future industries will need such roads to support them.

...

On this very day.

More good news arrived.

The serf family that found the pea insect grass reported to the administrative office the remarkable changes in their peas—the effect of the pea insect grass allowed the peas to grow even in the autumn and winter seasons, but as the pea insect grass was removed, the remaining peas in their home could no longer grow vigorously.

Now that the pea plants had withered, the serf was preparing to pull out these plants and collect the mature peas as seeds—these peas had developed well and were excellent seeds.

However.

Just as he pulled out the roots of the peas, he discovered that the roots had small, fingernail-sized nodules. The serf remembered hearing Lord Liszt, who came to transplant the insect grass, mention that leguminous plants have root nodules that can increase yield. Excited, he reported his discovery.

The officials in the administrative office had naturally heard Liszt explain the benefits of root nodules to the soil and plants.

Therefore, they immediately reported to the castle, informing Liszt.

"Many nodules the size of fingernails?" Liszt immediately understood that these were the "peas that produce root nodules," a reward from the previous smoke mission.

He immediately led the squire knights to the serf's home and saw these peas.

The roots of the peas were very loose, and indeed had a large number of nodules, not only numerous but also large. They were even more abundant than the root nodules Liszt had seen on artificially inoculated soybeans on Earth.

He immediately ordered the serf to pull out all the peas and found that there were more than twenty pea plants with rich root nodules, while the remaining peas were quite ordinary.

"Collect all these root nodules and preserve them carefully. When planting peas, soybeans, peanuts, etc., next spring, remember to use soil mixed with these nodules. Also, buy all the seeds of these peas as the key cultivation peas next year, planting them near the pea insect grass."

"Yes, Lord." The official hurriedly recorded Liszt's instructions.

The new variety of peas was named "Bacterial Peas" by Liszt, meaning peas that can produce root nodules.

It is believed that with the continuous cultivation of the fungal peas, the rhizobia Liszt is aiming for will be produced in large quantities, increasing the yield of all leguminous plants and improving soil fertility.

"The territory now boasts an increasing number of new crop varieties."

On his way back, it struck him how many new crop varieties had emerged on this land over the past two years.

The first was the black tulip, followed by corn grass, smoked grass (smoked grass likely doesn’t count, since it grows elsewhere, as Liszt knew from a knight’s novel), then the flame mushroom, ice flame mushroom, and then the fast-growing thorns.

The fast-growing thorns started the trend of crop mutation and established Liszt’s unique naming convention.

Suddenly, five new varieties of fast-growing thorns emerged: fast-growing poisonous thorns, fast-growing stinging thorns, fast-growing iron thorns, and fast-growing magic thorns.

The rubber tree formed two new varieties: fruit rubber and fan rubber (a new variety of spirit organism, currently its use is unknown).

Corn grass formed three new varieties: grain-yielding corn, oil-rich corn, and stick-shaped corn.

Now peas have formed a new variety: fungal peas.

In addition, there is the mutated variant of nightshade used as an auxiliary medicine. These new mutated varieties of crops are named by adding "nature" to the "original name," forming new names.

"These names are quite intriguing—distinctive, instantly clear, and succinct." He was very satisfied with his naming ability.

...

The fungal pea is merely a minor episode.

The turmoil from the influx of new serfs quickly subsided, and Liszt did not need to worry about it. He resumed his usual schedule, living a plain but fulfilling life. Recently, the biggest pleasure was training the thorn fairy Jie La, transforming it back into a spirit organism.

Without the smoke task’s hint, Liszt might never have considered how to train the spirit organism.

He would have merely seen the spirit organism as a basic farming implement and would not have thought of "ideological transformation." Reflecting on it, spiritual power shouldn’t be underestimated—it can brainwash humans, boosting work efficiency dramatically, so why not apply it to the spirit organism?

He had prior experience training the blizzard beast.

Therefore, he enjoyed educating Jie La, steadily guiding it, channeling its anger into planting thorns. After five days of training, Jie La fully adapted to the new behavioral pattern, whenever it couldn’t stand other spirit organisms or was provoked.

It would dash to the thorn garden, expend magic power, and spur thorn growth.

"Good job!" Liszt would then offer some affectionate encouragement—a kind word, a gentle pat, or a small treat.

Jie La was immediately delighted.

Then he summoned the smoke task.

"Task complete. Reward: a Thorn Bug."

Unsurprisingly, after spending every day in the thorn garden, the smoke task’s reward materialized there. It was a fast-growing magic thorn that had transformed, with a large tumor sprouting on its branches. Inside, magic power gathered, obviously nurturing a spirit organism.

"It seems that it has been nurtured for quite a few days, not like it was just nurtured, and it doesn’t seem influenced by Jie La?" Liszt was puzzled in his heart.

Thorns are evergreen plants, growing slowly in winter.

Because the magic medicine itself has magic power, Liszt had not noticed the abnormality of this magic medicine before. Now, judging from the degree of its magic power gathering, it has been nurtured for at least half a month.

No matter what.

The Thorn Bug’s arrival was timely, helping to ease the magic medicine shortage.