Chapter 203: Private Cultivators
With the participation of cultivators, the joint reclamation progressed extremely quickly.
Driven by roaring and surging Spiritual Qi, the nine-toothed iron plow sped across the vast land like lightning, plowing up rolling waves of earth in its wake.
The fresh scent of soil instantly permeated the air, and new earth fell in showers.
Officials from Feng Province State Prefecture systematically registered the reclaimed land, then allocated it to many newly arrived commoners, providing them with the improved seeds selected last autumn and teaching them how to farm.
Thus, many strange sights appeared in Feng Province: cultivators plowed the land in front, while commoners followed closely behind, sowing seeds. All around them, Spiritual Qi roared, boundless and vast.
At this moment, a group of men with sharp, hook-like gazes arrived, dusty and travel-worn, from the Feng Province border. They observed as they walked, their faces covered in earth waves, and drawing their swords, they looked around, feeling a sense of bewilderment.
What they witnessed at this time were scenes they had never encountered in their lives.
“Brother Tie Xiong, I want to go back to the mountains. If my parents had been born in Feng Province back then, they wouldn’t have been forced to their deaths, and I wouldn’t have had to flee to the mountains.”
“Nonsense! Get back here!”
“That’s right, Ba Bo. Since you’re already here, why would you go back?”
“Big Brother—”
“Ba Bo, listen to your Second Brother. Big Brother is right. Although it’s very good, think about our children. Do you really want them to hide from place to place their entire lives, constantly fearing pursuit from Immortal Sects and the imperial court?”
“Stop arguing. Let’s find an inn first. I’ll go gather information. We’ll discuss our next plan, and then we’ll act.”
Tie Xiong’s eyes gleamed fiercely as he reprimanded Ba Bo, then led the group towards the city. However, before they even reached an inn, they suddenly saw a row of vermilion slogans written on a wall opposite them.
“I was born between Heaven and Earth; I must leave some stories for future generations to see.”
After a long silence, Tie Xiong lifted his robe, pulled out a long saber from his lower back, and then glanced at his brothers behind him. As the sun rose and set, Feng Province’s agricultural area continuously expanded, unfolding like a scroll.
And after each day’s labor, the official yamen in various parts of Feng Province would prepare large pot meals in the threshing ground.
Pigs and sheep were slaughtered and slow-cooked in the open air, their aroma wafting on the evening breeze.
Some cultivators often grumbled that eating such mundane things would hinder their cultivation and impede the clarity of their Dao Heart, as appetite is also a form of desire.
But each time, after their complaints, they would immediately add, “Please save a lamb leg for me.”
A few days before the start of spring, most of the joint reclamation had concluded. Iron woks were again set up in the threshing grounds of Feng Province State Prefecture, and countless ingredients simmered in the broth, releasing a rich aroma that wafted on the gentle evening breeze, making everyone’s mouths water.
“Give me a lamb leg.”
“I’m terribly sorry, the lamb legs are gone. Would you like some ribs instead?”
“What’s wrong with you? Everyone here knows I love lamb legs the most. Are you new here?”
“Yes, I’m new.”
“What’s your name?”
“Tie Xiong.”
“Oh, the lamb stew you made, it really tastes excellent.”
“It’s a Family recipe, but I haven’t made it in many years. The taste is only about seventy to eighty percent of what it used to be.”
“Ah, Brother Tie Xiong is too modest! But next time, remember to save the lamb leg for me!”
Zhao Ermin was adding water to the pot at this moment and couldn't help but look up at Tie Xiong: “Big Brother, didn’t we agree to come here to gather information?”
Tie Xiong stirred the soup in the pot and looked at him: “We are gathering information. Haven’t we found a place to work?”
Zhao Ermin’s mouth twitched: “This morning, when I saw Big Brother sharpening his knife, I thought Big Brother’s heart was as cold as ice and he was determined to act after coming to Feng Province.”
“Those constables are holding Spiritual Artifacts, which means they know private cultivators might come, but they still let us cross the border. That person intends to take in private cultivators. For so many years, we’ve been hiding in the mountains; it’s quite good to live like a proper human being.”
“It’s strange, though. Taking in private cultivators is a great crime in Great Xia.”
Tie Xiong stopped stirring at this point: “Those slogans in the city are for us to see. If there really is a war, that person hopes we can leave some stories for future generations to see.”
Zhao Ermin was silent for a long time, thinking that the reasoning was sound, but perhaps Big Brother was overthinking things. Before he could speak, he felt a sudden weight at his feet and looked down to see a young child.
After a long silence, he opened his mouth wide, a hint of joy appearing in his eyes.
And from the direction the child had run, Ba Bo, who hadn't been seen for several days, was also stepping towards them.
He had thought Ba Bo didn’t want to participate in the action and had left on his own, but only now did he realize that Ba Bo was leading more than a dozen children and several women and elderly, who stood in the night looking at him.
Qiu Zhong was also in the open-air area at this time, walking with Kuang Cheng, watching the three to five young children running around in the threshing ground, and he couldn’t help but ponder.
Ever since Young Master established a Worldly Family in Feng Province, many children dared to walk the streets in places where cultivators frequented, and this year, there had been no news of children starving to death at home.
However, what about Young Master’s Bloodline?
The Ji Family now only had Young Master left. He worried about everything daily but never mentioned continuing his own Bloodline.
Loyal servants are like this; they not only consider matters within the household but also worry about the continuation of the master’s Family.
Although news from Feng Province traveled slowly, Qiu Zhong had vaguely heard that several Young Miss of Worldly Families had taken a liking to Young Master, and he also knew that Young Master hadn’t chosen any of them. This had made Qiu Zhong’s mood heavy for quite some time.
At this moment, he couldn’t help but turn to Kuang Cheng: “Young Master Kuang, you and my Young Master are close friends. You must understand certain things. Old Qiu wants to ask you, does my Young Master dislike women?”
“Uncle Qiu, you don’t need to worry too much. Actually, Brother Ji already has someone in his backyard. She even went to Shengjing during the New Year. I’ve seen her.”
Qiu Zhong opened his mouth: “Whose daughter is she? Why doesn’t he marry her into the Family?”
Kuang Cheng lowered his voice: “A Young Miss from three different families.”
“?”
“And one who is living elsewhere.”
“How can there be one living elsewhere? Young Master really is… why doesn’t he bring her back and give her a proper status?”
“It’s probably difficult to bring her back—”
Qiu Zhong was startled: “Is it very far?”
Kuang Cheng nodded, thinking, “You’re absolutely right. Your ladies are indeed further and further away.”
Thinking of this, his gaze involuntarily shifted to the south side of the open-air threshing ground.
Under the dim night, several Yao Race merchants stood there, observing from the edge. After a brief huddle and exchange, they walked away into the distance, simultaneously pulling out paper and pens from their robes to write and draw.
Qiu Zhong also saw them and couldn’t help but frown slightly.
In fact, ever since he learned that Young Master had been to the Snow Region and returned with his hands nearly beyond saving, he had been very displeased with the Yao Race.
However, the Immortal Supervisor had changed the route to this place, so even if they were displeased, they couldn’t prevent people from crossing the border.
But for some reason, the Yao Race had recently shown great interest in Feng Province, always appearing in various places and being quite polite to people, though their vertical pupils looked strangely eerie.
Kuang Cheng looked at Qiu Zhong at this moment: “Where did Brother Ji go today?”
Qiu Zhong came back to his senses and said: “Several Immortal Villa masters visited today, and Young Master is hosting them in the manor. A few days ago, Young Master also led people to paint slogans, so he’s been very busy these past few days.”
“For Feng Province, of course.”
“But if war truly breaks out, won’t what Young Master did be in vain?”
“Just send your Young Master out.”
“?”
Ji You was currently in the reception hall of Ji Village, facing the masters of the Ju Guang, Tian Yan, and Dong Sheng Immortal Villas, as well as some accompanying venerables and Elders.
Facing a group of old men and women who expressed concern about Medicinal Pills, he smiled faintly, with an unspoken understanding that he shouldn’t reveal, making them flush with excitement.
His identity as a Worldly Family scion was both a privilege and a chain.
After being marginalized by his Family, their obsession with the Realm made them quite greedy, and while this greed was repulsive, it was also easily exploitable.
After chatting about Medicinal Pills for a while, Ji You saw them out. He returned to the village late at night and saw Qiu Ru rushing towards him.
The little girl had successfully awakened her Spiritual Qi, and to have made such progress while only thinking about food daily, Pei Ruyi’s only comment about her was, “This girl is extraordinary.”
At this moment, Qiu Ru tugged at Ji You’s sleeve: “Young Master, elbow!”
“Where to?”
“To lead you to steal chicken legs.”
It really was awkward. Ji You looked at her and was silent for a long time: “Ru Ru, do you still not believe this is our Family?”
Qiu Ru showed a surprised expression after hearing this: “?”
Ji You thought to himself that this gluttonous girl was really afraid of poverty, so he led her to the kitchen and slurped up a chicken leg.
The gluttonous girl not only ate one, but also took three.
Ji You looked at her: “Why take so many? You can come back for more if you want to eat.”
“They’re for the Young Miss.”
“?”
Ji You was stunned for a moment, then realized that Kuang Cheng had told them.
The gluttonous girl was quite thoughtful; actually, two would have been enough, but she even took one extra for herself.
After the stealthy eating session ended, Ji You led her back and saw Kuang Cheng engrossed in writing, not knowing what he was writing.
The last time someone wrote so freely here was Gongshu Chou, who directly set a big trap for him, which made Ji You vigilant, but he didn't say much. Instead, he sent Qiu Ru back to her room, then pretended to be casual and glanced out the window.
Kuang Shusheng was indeed writing a book, but it didn't make Ji You serious enough to snatch it and tear it up, because he found that what Kuang Cheng was writing was his own biography, which made Ji You, who had been standing there watching for a long time, blush.
The book praised him too much, making him feel uncomfortable.
Ji You couldn't help but speak softly: “Actually, I don't have any aspirations or ideals for the people's livelihood. What you've written is a bit too grand and not very suitable. If others read it, they might think I'm really a righteous gentleman who has risen above low-level tastes, which is quite embarrassing, like a social death.”
Kuang Cheng looked up: “?”
“Actually, I just did what I could to make the road smoother and make the people around me live as well as possible, that’s all. But no one can say for sure what will happen in the future.”
“Perhaps there will be a war tomorrow, or the foreign Immortal Villas in Feng Province will collectively riot, then everything we are doing now will be meaningless.”
“I used to think that it would be better for Feng Province to maintain the status quo, but in the end, I still did it because some things were truly unbearable. Things like the Retirement Pavilion weren’t that grand; it was entirely to follow my own wishes, unrelated to ideals.”
“You wrote in the book that I am the guardian of Feng Province, but I am not. It's like seeing a child by the roadside; I can give him a copper coin, but I cannot raise him for a lifetime.”
Ji You murmured for a while: “So, don't show this biography to others. I'll just keep it, lest people really think I'm some kind of savior.”
Kuang Cheng looked up at him: “Brother Ji has done enough. Such a Feng Province, whether it exists for one year or three years,”
“The common people will eventually thank you.”
“No need to thank me, lest one day I get carried away and truly want to leave my Dao Heart to illuminate history. I'm not afraid of losing my rotten life,”
“But I'm most afraid of others expecting too much.”
“Brother Ji always says that, but every time he rushes forward more than anyone else.”
After Kuang Cheng finished speaking, he picked up his pen and continued to write.
He wrote about the local customs of Feng Province, the beautiful Yuyang County, and some interesting anecdotes and unofficial histories.
Most of it was written from Ji You’s perspective, for example, Ji You liked the Yuyang County’s Drinking Horse Bridge the most, and he often went for strolls on the bridge.
Also, there was Xiangzi Lake in Dan Shui County, where he improvised a poem when he went to Dan Shui County to recruit students with Cao Instructor.
Ah, lake, you are all water.
The most touching part is that Xiangzi Lake also has a beautiful legend. It is said that if lovers walk around the lake and meet exactly under a locust tree by the lake, they will be together forever, never to be separated for generations.
Cultural exchange is actually very necessary, because these are common things that inspire imagination and longing, and make people feel that such beauty is worth preserving.
Ji You looked at the bright moon that night and couldn't help but ask softly: “When will you finish this book?”
Kuang Cheng dipped his brush in ink at this moment: “Judging by the progress, it will probably take two days.”
“This part is wrong.”
“Hmm?”
Ji You pointed to a line of text in the book: “After establishing the Worldly Family in Feng Province, you went to the Snow Region to meet the Yao Emperor. Why did you only write a poem and then jump to spring plowing?”
Kuang Cheng lowered his head and looked carefully: “This part doesn't need to be written. You only need to write about everyone's reaction when you returned.”
Li You glanced at him, thought for a long time, and then thought that he was right.
Although celebrity biographies are less serious than historical records, they still need to be factual and verifiable.
Kuang Cheng had never been to the Snow Region, nor had he seen how he was beaten all over with saber wounds by that Yao General with bare hands in the snow plain, nor had he seen himself counter-killing that Yao General. It's hard to write things truthfully based on hearsay alone, so it's right not to write it for the sake of seriousness.
See, see, what is professional ethics?
This is professional ethics.
Ji You couldn't help but think of Gongshu Chou writing the tail section based on his imagination, and he had an urge to curse. He really hadn't expected Gongshu Chou to be a novelist.
“I'm going to sleep first. Don't stay up too late.”
“Okay, Brother Ji.”
Kuang Cheng dipped his brush in ink and continued to write freely.
After a while, Ji You's figure appeared again in the small courtyard in front of the wing room, holding a cup of tea, which he handed to Kuang Cheng through the window.
At noon the next morning, the last jointly cultivated agricultural area was registered.
He Zhang from Feng Province came from outside and asked Ji You whether cultivators needed to participate in the sowing.
Ji You thought for a while, then shook his head.
He wanted to see what would happen without tax offerings.
So, early the next morning, large-scale sowing began, and at this time, the fields were filled with the figures of common people everywhere.
However, not long after, the cultivators who had previously participated in the joint reclamation also appeared. Although only half of them came, it significantly increased the speed of sowing.
Ji You stood at the edge of the field, watching this scene, and found it quite harmonious.
Just then, a yawn brought him back to his senses. He turned to look and saw Kuang Cheng looking exhausted.
He was not a cultivator and still needed sleep to replenish his energy. This state clearly indicated that he had been staying up too late.
“Is the biography finished?”
“It's finished.”
“Actually, it wouldn't have mattered if it was a few days later. Besides, I'm not a big shot, and writing a biography might make people laugh. But since it's finished, then thank you, Brother Kuang.”
Everyone has vanity, and even Ji You was no exception; this was common.
He had also been looking forward to it these past few days, wanting to see himself from a different perspective, so he extended his hand to him at this moment.
The scholar couldn't help but cough when he saw his hand: “It's finished, but what Brother Ji doesn't know is that my biography was lost as soon as I finished writing it.”
A hint of surprise flashed in Ji You's eyes: “Lost?”
“Yes, lost.”
“Where did it get lost?”
“I lost it this morning when I went out. When I went back to look for it, I couldn't find it. Someone must have picked it up.”
“Point me in a direction, and I'll go ask. What if something so socially embarrassing is picked up by someone else?”
As soon as the words fell, Ji You heard the sound of a carriage speeding by. He turned to look and saw that it was a Yao Race caravan passing through here on its way back, whistling straight towards the north.
They used unawakened Yao Beasts instead of horses to pull their carriages. These Yao Beasts ran extremely fast, making a rumbling sound when they galloped, making them hard to miss.
Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but frown slightly.
This Yao Race caravan had only arrived a few days ago, specifically responsible for purchasing the items they needed. It was said that half of the item list for this morning had not yet been collected, so they shouldn't have been in such a hurry to return.
And they were too flustered. What if they hit a child?
One of the carriages hadn't even had time to raise its flag, looking more and more like someone had found something good at the entrance that morning,
and after opening it, they were immediately overjoyed and then rushed to take it home.
Ji You understood this feeling too well; he felt the same way when he accidentally picked up two treasured sabers while fighting that bare-handed Yao General in the Snow Region.