Shawn Irwin's words were, on one hand, reproaching Isaac Hall for his laziness, and on the other, testing him. In her view, ever since she had declared her willingness to marry into Goguryeo in exchange for reinforcements, Isaac Hall had been unable to muster any enthusiasm for work. Although Isaac Hall possessed supernatural abilities, he was alone—without soldiers, courage, or territory—and was far from being a candidate for The Third Princess Irwin to consider. However, at this moment, in order to win over Isaac Hall and also to clarify their relationship, she bravely pierced the veil between them and demanded to know: what should she do in the future to satisfy him.

“What?” Isaac Hall's response was absent-minded.

Shawn Irwin gritted her teeth, took several deep breaths, and then tried to speak as calmly as possible: “The wood the attendants have chopped down is already piled up on the beach... They asked me to check with you: why did you choose such thick logs to build the raft? Just splitting these logs will take several months—how can we afford to waste so much time?”

“No time to waste”—only this phrase echoed in Isaac Hall's mind, like a hundred great drums pounding by his ears. He suddenly snapped awake and muttered to himself, “What’s wrong with me? Bread won’t fall from the sky just by lamenting; everything must be fought for by oneself.”

“Rather than lamenting your fate, it’s better to believe in your own strength!” Isaac Hall slowly stood up, gave a self-mocking smile, and said, “Life is always so helpless; we are always driven forward by the need to survive. Perhaps, this is how history is made... Gather everyone at my cabin.”

After speaking, Isaac Hall waved his large hand and strode down the cliff with his head held high, leaving only Shawn Irwin standing dazed atop the cliff—stunned by his sudden change.

A moment later, Shawn Irwin smiled silently, like a lily blooming in a lonely valley.

She walked lightly to the edge of the cliff, leaned over to look down, and stuck out her little fragrant tongue. Looking back, she saw Isaac Hall's figure flickering through the grass, heading down the slope without once turning back.

This time, she laughed out loud, letting out a crisp “ge” sound.

“Ben, Shawn, Zane, Zack, the four of you will stop chopping wood tomorrow. Split into pairs and search the surrounding area.” At some point, Isaac Hall had taken over the authority to command the attendants from Shawn Irwin. It all happened so naturally that even Shawn Irwin herself didn’t find it abrupt. While Isaac Hall was assigning tasks inside the cabin, the The Third Princess Irwin was sitting cross-legged behind him, her eyelids lowered, looking every bit the demure little wife.

“I remember there should be a fishing village nearby. I’ll give you ten days to find the villagers and bring them here. I also need iron tools to make nails—bring me any ironware you find,” Isaac Hall continued instructing Ben, Shawn, Zane, and Zack: “Remember, we are not here to plunder; we are here to rule. So, if there are fishermen unwilling to come, you may use your fists, but not blades—I don’t want to see blood.”

Ben, Shawn, Zane, and Zack bowed low but made no move to leave. Isaac Hall grew furious, snorted through his nose, and was about to lose his temper when, behind him, Shawn Irwin gave a subtle nod. Ben, Shawn, Zane, and Zack scrambled out of the cabin in a panic and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“Julian Irwin, Hank Irwin, and, hmm, Frank Irwin—the three of you are less seriously injured. I’ll give you a month. Take provisions, cross the mountains, and search the old lands of the The Irwin Clan for scattered clansmen. Remember, find as many people as you can. If you encounter a large group, go around them; if it’s a small group, capture them directly. Also, try to bring back more Han people, as well as livestock and horses.”

After Isaac Hall finished speaking, he seemed to notice Shawn Irwin's subtle gesture. He turned to her and gave a perfunctory salute, saying, “I want to build a small sampan, which will take about a month. During this time, I’ll need enough manpower. Once we have the strength to defend ourselves here, I’ll send people to escort you to Goguryeo.

I believe that no matter what you ask of Goguryeo, you must have enough strength. You need to let the Goguryeo people see the opportunity for profit before they’ll be willing to invest. So, I hope you’ll be patient. Do you understand what I mean?

Also, regardless of whether Goguryeo supports you or how much support they give, your road to restoring your country will be long in the face of the powerful Murong Xianbei. I will do my utmost to help you. But this is not unconditional—I require that all captured Han people be handed over to me for management. This is my only condition. They will be my property, and neither you nor the future The Irwin Regime may interfere.”

“Is that all?” Shawn Irwin widened her eyes in disbelief. In her impression, Han slaves could only be used for farming, while true military strength had to come from their own warriors. Isaac Hall only asked for all the Han people to be given to him—though a bit greedy, it was not unacceptable. In the past, captured Han people were also distributed among the clan’s nobles as servants. If Isaac Hall could lead the destitute The Irwin Tribe to rise again, such a reward would be well deserved.