The Frame Builder

The faster Hoa Van began to operate, the more matters arose each day.

Unlike in the early days, most minor issues no longer required Hao Nhien to appear in person. The mission board had people assigned to manage it. The warehouses already had procedures for receiving and releasing supplies. Patrol shifts were arranged in advance. Construction teams had to report their material needs at the end of each day, while simple disputes were now handled according to established rules by the people responsible for them.

Even so, as both the population and the amount of work increased, another gap gradually became apparent.

Hoa Van still had no one experienced enough to oversee the entire administrative apparatus at once.

Inside the council tent, Hao Nhien looked at the four jade slips that had just been placed before him.

Luu Thanh sat opposite him, the exhaustion on his face even more obvious after a night of patrol duty.

“Three nomadic groups want to move their residential area farther north because their current location is too far from the wells. Two merchant caravans have requested long-term warehouse leases, but both want the same location near the eastern gate. The spirit beast hunting team is asking us to revise the merit calculation because they believe the level of danger differs between routes. And yesterday, the western residential district argued over water-drawing times again.”

He placed another jade slip on the table.

“This is a list of more than sixty people asking to join the guard force.”

Hao Nhien picked up one jade slip, read only a few lines, then put it back down.

“How much of this can you handle?”

“Military affairs, patrols, and defense are no problem.” Luu Thanh gave a bitter smile. “But if Clan Chief wants me to divide land, calculate warehouse rental fees, decide who can move their tents where, and then sit there listening to two merchants argue over which of them registered first... I would rather go outside and fight spirit beasts.”

Hao Nhien laughed.

“So would I.”

Luu Thanh froze for a moment before laughing as well, but when both men looked at the pile of jade slips on the table, the brief sense of relief quickly faded.

Hao Nhien had already noticed the problem several days earlier.

He had sent a message to the Quan Clan while also asking the Tieu Dao Sect to keep an eye out for someone suited to managing a rapidly growing settlement.

The sect had not yet found anyone appropriate, but thanks to the newly established transmission route, the Quan Clan’s reply arrived much faster.

The person recommended by Quan Vo Cuc was Quan Khai.

The elder had previously overseen numerous properties, residential districts, and trade routes belonging to the Quan Clan. The number of people who had once fallen directly or indirectly under his management exceeded the entire current population of Hoa Van.

More importantly, Quan Khai would not be arriving alone.

According to a message from Quan Lam, he would bring with him a small team specializing in accounting, land planning, personnel management, and the handling of ordinary administrative regulations.

Hao Nhien pushed the jade slip across the table toward Luu Thanh.

“Elder Quan Khai will arrive in two days. For the first three months, I want to ask him to serve as Acting Chief Administrator.”

Luu Thanh frowned slightly.

“A member of the Quan Clan?”

“Yes.”

“You plan to hand all affairs in the settlement over to him?”

“I am handing him work, not every decision.”

Hao Nhien stood and walked to the map of Hoa Van hanging behind him, then pointed to several different districts in turn.

“You will continue to oversee the defensive forces, patrols, and security. Quan Khai will handle household registration, land allocation, manpower coordination, and ordinary administrative matters. Hoa Van Treasure Pavilion will be managed by Luu Van within the authority of the branch, but the settlement’s overall commercial policies must still follow Hoa Van’s regulations.

“The medicinal institute and alchemy hall will continue under the system established by Senior Phong Van Tu and Tieu Lan. As for decisions that directly affect individual tribes, representatives of those tribes must participate.”

He paused before making the limits even clearer.

“Quan Khai will not have the authority to alter settlement law on his own, mobilize the military, or change agreements already signed with outside powers. I want him to build an administrative system, not become the man who controls everything.”

Luu Thanh studied the different sections of the map for a long time before slowly nodding.

“That means no single person can control all of Hoa Van.”

“Exactly.”

Hao Nhien turned back toward the pile of jade slips.

“I need someone who can build a system so that everyone else knows what they are supposed to do. If everything still ends with people waiting for me to nod, then having a hundred assistants would not be much different from having only myself.”

Two days later, Quan Khai arrived at Hoa Van.

He brought no ceremonial escort and no luxurious carriage, only thirteen people.

Among them were three skilled accountants, two experienced in land planning, two who had managed trade routes, one familiar with the laws and regulations of cities in the Eastern Plains, while the others had all previously overseen residential districts or major Quan Clan properties.

Quan Khai appeared to be in his fifties, with silver already showing in his hair. His gray robes carried little decoration.

The moment he met Hao Nhien, he did not immediately discuss his appointment. Instead, he swept his gaze over Hao Nhien once before looking directly at the large map hanging inside the tent.

“I want to see this place first.”

Hao Nhien was slightly surprised.

“Elder does not want to rest for a day?”

“A few days sitting in a carriage will not kill me,” Quan Khai replied naturally. “But if I do not even know what I am supposed to manage, another ten days of rest would be useless.”

Hao Nhien laughed.

“Very well.”

On the first day, Quan Khai walked through almost every part of Hoa Van.

He inspected the residential districts, wells, warehouses, Hoa Van Medicinal Institute, the alchemy hall, Hoa Van Treasure Pavilion, the transmission station, and the newly constructed sections of the wall.

He even personally visited the waste collection area, the site where spirit beast carcasses were processed, and the place outside the settlement where spirit beast manure was gathered.

What Hao Nhien found most interesting was that Quan Khai asked a great many questions, yet most of them were not directed at him.

He asked the well workers how much water could be drawn each day and how far the water level dropped during the dry season.

He asked the warehouse keepers at which stage losses most often occurred.

He asked a nomad why he had chosen to remain in Hoa Van rather than continue wandering.

He asked members of the Hoa Ky Tribe whether they resented having to stand in the same line as outsiders when accepting assignments.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

At Hoa Van Treasure Pavilion, he asked merchants what concerned them most on routes through the Western Wastes: cost, safety, or access to goods.

At the alchemy hall, he asked an alchemy student which steps they could still complete on their own if Phong Van Tu was not standing beside them, and which steps were most likely to go wrong.

Hao Nhien accompanied him throughout the inspection but barely interrupted.

By the afternoon, the two stood atop a low rise overlooking the eastern district.

Hoa Van Treasure Pavilion already had people coming and going. The transport road in front of it was still dusty, but far busier than before.

Quan Khai suddenly asked:

“What do you intend to build Hoa Van into?”

Hao Nhien did not answer immediately.

Quan Khai looked down below before continuing.

“It is not a city belonging to the Quan Clan, nor is it a branch of the Tieu Dao Sect. Thien Bao Pavilion certainly cannot rule this place either. So in the end, who does Hoa Van belong to?”

Hao Nhien looked at the people working below.

“To those whose interests are tied to it.”

Quan Khai narrowed his eyes slightly.

“The Hoa Ky Tribe has interests here, and so do the other tribes. The Quan Clan, the Tieu Dao Sect, and Thien Bao Pavilion have all placed something here already. There may be others in the future.”

Hao Nhien paused.

“If Hoa Van belongs to only one person, killing that person would be enough to make it collapse. If it belongs to only one power, then everyone else will forever remain a guest. But if enough people all have something in Hoa Van worth protecting, then erasing this place becomes far more difficult.”

Quan Khai did not answer immediately.

He looked toward Hoa Van Treasure Pavilion, then the medicinal garden, and finally the crowd gathered before the mission board.

After a while, he said:

“The Quan Clan was once far stronger than it is today.”

Hao Nhien turned toward him.

Quan Khai gave a faint smile.

“Across many generations, the clan tried more than a few ways to change its fortunes. Some relied on trade, some on marriage alliances, some sent younger members into sects, while others spent entire lifetimes gathering resources to nurture a single genius.

“But a clan does not always decline because it lacks one powerful person. Sometimes the old road is simply no longer enough to keep moving forward.”

He looked at Hao Nhien.

“You passed through the Quan Clan’s Inner Secret Realm, then entered the Tieu Dao Sect before coming to the Western Wastes. More and more news concerning you has reached the clan, but before coming here, I still thought perhaps you had simply encountered more fortunate opportunities than most.”

Quan Khai looked down at the unfinished roads.

“I no longer think that.”

Hao Nhien frowned slightly.

“Elder believes Hoa Van can help the Quan Clan?”

“I do not yet know how far Hoa Van can go,” Quan Khai replied directly. “One day is not enough for me to say that the Quan Clan should place its future here. But one day is enough for me to know this place is more than words.”

He turned toward Hao Nhien.

“At the very least, it is worth three months of my time to remain here and look carefully. If after three months Hoa Van is still moving forward, then the Quan Clan can consider placing a portion of its future here.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

That answer made him trust Quan Khai more than any overly quick declaration would have.

The elder had not come to flatter him, nor was he rushing to believe that Hoa Van was certain to succeed.

He had simply seen a road worth testing.

Quan Khai continued:

“Tomorrow I will meet with the tribal representatives. After that, I want to review military affairs, the warehouses, and the distribution routes. In three days, I will give you a preliminary administrative framework.”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“Then I will trouble Elder.”

Quan Khai shook his head.

“If Hoa Van truly succeeds, you will not be the only one who benefits.”

Over the next three days, Quan Khai barely rested.

He met with tribal representatives to learn where disputes most commonly arose. He worked with Luu Thanh to clearly separate military affairs from civilian matters, then reviewed all warehouse records and merit-accounting procedures with Luu Tan.

On the third day, he placed a thick roll of paper before Hao Nhien.

“The current framework is not bad, but too many things still rely on memory and spoken promises.”

Quan Khai opened the plan.

“When the population is small, someone will still remember who promised what. But if the population increases fivefold or tenfold, no one will be able to remember where everyone lives, which plot of land has been assigned to whom, who is responsible for which warehouse, or whether a particular merit award has already been verified.”

He pointed to each section on the paper.

“First, we establish household registration. After that, residential districts must be divided into clearly defined units.

“At this stage, land should only record usage rights. It should not casually become permanent private property.

“The guard force, construction crews, warehouses, medicinal institute, and commercial district must each maintain separate records, while every major merit award should require confirmation from at least two people.”

Quan Khai tapped the final section lightly with one finger.

“Most importantly, authority must be divided into levels. A problem that can be resolved within a residential district should never be sent to the center. A matter the center has authority to handle should never be sent to the person at the top. The person at the top should deal only with things capable of changing the entire settlement.”

The corner of Hao Nhien’s mouth lifted slightly.

“That is exactly what I want.”

“Then leave it to this old man?”

“I will.”

Quan Khai raised an eyebrow.

“That decisive?”

“Would Elder prefer that I hesitate?”

“No.” He laughed. “I merely wanted to know whether you were afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“I am from the Quan Clan, and I brought an entire group of Quan Clan people with me. If I control household registration, land, and most administrative work, are you not afraid that three months from now Hoa Van will gradually become a property of the Quan Clan?”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“I am giving Elder responsibilities, not complete decision-making authority. Elder oversees administration. Luu Thanh controls military affairs. Thien Bao Pavilion manages only its own domain. The tribes have representatives who can supervise decisions that concern them, while both warehouse supplies and merit records are kept in ledgers that can be cross-checked.”

He smiled faintly.

“Elder also cannot alter settlement law or agreements with outside powers on your own. If under a system like that, Elder can still single-handedly turn Hoa Van into Quan Clan property, then the fault would first be mine for building such a terrible system.”

Quan Khai stared at him for several breaths before bursting into laughter.

“Excellent.”

He rolled up the plan.

“Give me three months. I will not promise to turn Hoa Van into Thanh Van City, but after three months, this place must at least know how many people live here, how much land is in use, what exists in each warehouse, who is responsible for every task, and who takes over when someone leaves their position.”

Hao Nhien stood and bowed deeply with cupped hands.

“My thanks, Elder.”

“Do not thank me yet.” Quan Khai waved a hand. “For the next three days, you are not allowed to interfere in routine affairs.”

Hao Nhien paused.

“Elder wants to test the system?”

“Not just the system. You as well.”

Quan Khai pointed toward the table covered in jade slips.

“If every time you hear an argument you rush over, and every time someone moves a little slowly you solve the problem yourself, then it will not matter how many layers of administrators we create. You will spend the rest of your life sitting behind that desk.”

Hao Nhien looked at the pile of jade slips, then nodded.

“Very well.”

The next three days were more uncomfortable for him than he expected.

On the first morning, two groups of residents argued over water-drawing times at a western well. Hao Nhien had just started walking toward them when Quan Khai stopped him.

The residential administrator brought out the water-flow records, summoned representatives from both groups, then reassigned time slots according to population and actual need.

That afternoon, a merchant caravan objected to its warehouse fees.

Luu Tan and the people of Hoa Van Treasure Pavilion checked the agreement, confirmed the type of goods and the length of warehouse occupation, then issued their own decision.

On the second day, a group of residents requested additional manpower to build houses before the season of stronger sandstorms arrived.

The request was transferred to the mission board, the required materials were calculated, and a new assignment was opened without involving Hao Nhien.

None of these matters needed him.

By the third day, after dozens of large and small issues, only two matters were actually brought before him.

The first was a proposal to expand the northern residential district closer to the main defensive formation, which could affect Hoa Van’s overall security layout.

The second concerned a tribe of more than one hundred people that wanted to relocate entirely to Hoa Van and requested long-term residency rights, residential land, access to the mission board, and a representative position in meetings directly affecting their community.

These were no longer ordinary disputes.

Either decision could alter the structure of the entire settlement, which was why Hao Nhien needed to decide them personally.

On the evening of the third day, Quan Khai handed him a summary.

“More than seventy matters arose.”

Hao Nhien looked down at it.

“And only two required me?”

“Correct.”

He placed the jade slip down, feeling strangely unsettled.

In the past, there were mornings when more than two matters had already reached him before noon.

Quan Khai looked at him.

“What do you intend to do now?”

“Cultivate.”

The elder laughed.

“You finally remembered you are a cultivator?”

Hao Nhien laughed as well.

“I never forgot. I simply have not had much time lately to prove it.”

Before leaving Hoa Van, he reached an agreement with Quan Khai that a summary report would be sent through the communication jade token once every three days.

The emergency route would only be used for matters directly involving the safety of the entire settlement, major changes to law, warfare, or relations with outside powers.

Tieu Lan also began transferring the medicinal garden’s ordinary daily operations to Tran Moc and the people previously selected for those duties.

The common herb plots, watering schedules, soil inspections, and medicinal material sorting could all follow written procedures, but rare species, experimental areas, and any changes involving cultivation methods still had to be reported to her.

Hao Nhien also prepared his own affairs.

Inside his storage ring, the jade slip marking the route toward Hac Phong remained exactly where it had been.

He had postponed that journey long enough because Hoa Van had entered its most critical stage of development.

But now that the system had begun learning to stand on its own, he could finally leave without having to turn around and look back every day.

The following morning, Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan departed from Hoa Van.

The three-day trial had shown that the new administrative structure could at least function over a short period, but Hao Nhien understood that three days proved very little.

This time, he would be gone longer.

If he returned fifteen days later and Hoa Van had continued developing without needing to summon him through the emergency line, only then could he truly believe that the foundation had been placed correctly.

Standing beside him, Tieu Lan asked softly:

“Young Master, shall we go?”

Hao Nhien looked back at Hoa Van one last time before withdrawing his gaze.

“Mm.”

Tieu Dao Sword transformed into a streak of sword light and lifted the two of them from the ground.

Behind them, Hoa Van continued to function.

Ahead stretched the vast Western Wastes, with long black mountain ranges lying beneath the horizon.

And somewhere deep among them, Hac Phong was still waiting for him.