Still, after he finished speaking, Uncle Zheng said, "Chief Escort Zhou has been taking people out early every morning these past few days. He said he was looking around the city for suitable shops and courtyards to serve as the escort agency's future headquarters."
Feng Xiu understood. Over the past few days, Zhou Gang had only had a handful of chances to instruct him.
Since he was working with the Feng Clan, it was only natural that he couldn't stay at the estate indefinitely.
"So be it." Feng Xiu was just about to say they could discuss it another day when Uncle Zheng took a letter sealed with red wax from inside his robe.
"Eldest Young Master, there's also a letter from Master Black."
Feng Xiu took it and tore it open to read.
The letter was brief and had been written by someone Master Black had hired. It said that he had already reached Yellow Flower Temple in Yulin Prefecture and met with its abbot, Daoist Yellow Dragon.
It also mentioned that Yellow Flower Temple was in a terrible state of disrepair and had fallen into decline.
Daoist Yellow Dragon also had a young granddaughter, and their livelihood was quite difficult.
Basically, he hoped Feng Xiu would contribute some money to renovate the temple, using this act of kindness to persuade Daoist Yellow Dragon to make the journey.
"Master Black really knows how to handle people." Feng Xiu folded the letter.
Compared with simply hiring someone for silver, donating money for incense and oil really did make it harder for them to refuse.
"Uncle Zheng, withdraw two hundred taels in banknotes from the accounts office and send them to Master Black at once. Tell him to treat Daoist Yellow Dragon with the utmost respect and bring him here as soon as possible," Feng Xiu instructed.
"Also, ask Master Black whether he knows anyone called Su Wantang in the city."
For now, Feng Xiu still intended to stick to the theory that Feng Shouzhuo had been set up.
Perhaps he would add the possibility that Feng Shouzhuo had been bewitched, hypnotized, or even cursed.
Since the other party dared to provoke a whole family, they must have some kind of trump card.
Master Black could get along with anyone in Green Rock City and had his ear to the ground. If Su Wantang had accomplices, Master Black's reach should let him uncover something suspicious.
"Uncle Zheng, with the reservoir closed and the drought so severe, do you think we could use the Dark Canal directly to irrigate the farms?"
At that moment, a thought crossed Feng Xiu's mind, and he asked.
To his surprise, Uncle Zheng's expression changed. He hurriedly urged him, "Eldest Young Master, you absolutely mustn't."
"You don't know the full story about the reservoir's Dark Canals. Jade Belt Reservoir connects to dozens of large and small tributaries. When it was built, some of the smaller, more remote channels weren't recorded in the River Law registers."
"Only the Feng Clan in all of Green Rock City has three such Dark Canals. Every year, after the autumn harvest, they're used for winter irrigation, and can barely moisten a hundred or so mu of land. They've long since fallen into disrepair and can't be used anymore."
Feng Xiu furrowed his brow. He knew about this, but he still couldn't give up.
Uncle Zheng sighed. "Eldest Young Master, these Dark Canals carry very little water. Every year, the Feng Clan pays the fee for the River Law Seal on time to secure the right to draw water from the main channels.
"If we open a Dark Canal without permission now and the River Law Bureau catches us, we might not even be allowed to use the main channels in the future."
"I understand. Pray for rain, pray for rain. Hopefully Master Black can bring me some good news." Feng Xiu sighed softly again.
An old Daoist whose temple was so run-down that it couldn't even draw worshippers—how much real ability could he have?
Rather than pinning his hopes on that, he might as well think about how to get the reservoir opened.
Half an hour later.
The Feng Clan's carriage traveled slowly along the highway.
Jade Belt Reservoir was no natural lake. A hundred years ago, the imperial court had conscripted laborers to connect the Jade Belt Mountains through a valley surrounded on three sides by mountains, then built a massive dam to hold back the water.
The embankment was built of blue stone, with a broad road atop it for carriages and horses.
It was like a city wall rising from the water, locking the vast, jade-green waters securely inside the valley.
The River Law Seal symbolized water rights and served as the essential credential for entering Jade Belt Reservoir. As heir to the Feng Clan, Feng Xiu carried it with him as well.
With the River Law Seal in hand, they passed through without obstruction.
Uncle Zheng drove the carriage. Feng Xiu suppressed his unease, lifted the curtain, and looked down from above.
Before him stretched a seemingly endless expanse of deep water, emerald green and glittering beneath the blazing sun.
At the very center of the lake stood a colossal stone measuring rod that reached from heaven to earth, its surface marked with water levels.
On the reservoir's right side was a huge, Bagua-shaped basin.
He climbed down from the carriage.
The hot wind carried a heavy mist of water as it rushed toward them. A middle-aged man with a fair complexion, dressed in a blue official's uniform, had been waiting for some time.
"Your subordinate, Wang Yong, reservoir supervisor, pays his respects to Young Master Feng. May I ask if you have important business here today?"
Wang Yong wore a perfectly practiced, respectful smile as he sized them both up.
"Supervisor Wang, there's no need for formalities. This year's drought has left the tenant farmers frantic. Since the Feng Clan holds the River Law Seal, we naturally have a duty to care about the water supply."
"How far have the River Law Bureau and the various families gotten in their discussions about this year's reservoir release?"
Feng Xiu stood with his hands behind his back, looking out over the vast waters below as he spoke in an easygoing tone.
"Replying to Young Master Feng, opening the reservoir and releasing water is a matter of great importance to the people. Everything must be considered by Lord Qin, who will determine the regulations for all," Wang Yong replied with a smile, bowing slightly.
"Your subordinate holds a lowly post and dares not presume to discuss the arrangements of his superiors."
Feng Xiu glanced at him and casually asked, "Oh? What about the other families, the Lin Family and the Fan Family? Have they come to the reservoir recently? With a drought like this, I imagine they can't sit still either."
"Well..." Wang Yong hesitated at the question. "How could your subordinate presume to inquire into the affairs of the various family heads? But the reservoir has been quiet these past few days. Apart from Young Master Feng, perhaps the other family heads are all busy waiving rents."
Waiving rents? Is he taking a jab at me?
Wang Yong's answer was airtight, yet he'd still managed to slip in a dig at Feng Xiu.
Feng Xiu's heart sank slightly, so he tried a different angle.
"Have you heard anything unusual lately? Just now, on the way here, I seemed to hear some farmers muttering that they occasionally hear strange noises coming from the reservoir at night."
Feng Xiu gestured toward the thick stone bricks underfoot and the towering sluice gate in the distance.
It was a lie, a pure bluff to test him.
"Absolutely not. This is a critical reservoir, and people keep watch over every little disturbance. It's the lifeblood of the city. Perhaps the farmers mistook the howling mountain wind for something else."
Wang Yong's face changed slightly, but he immediately answered with firm conviction.
Seeing both of Feng Xiu's attempts brushed aside with ease, the atmosphere grew somewhat tense.
At that moment, Uncle Zheng, who had been standing half a step behind Feng Xiu, cupped his hands with a touch of the streetwise charm of a martial man.
"Supervisor Wang, please don't take offense. Our young master is simply worried about the crops. Spring planting can't be delayed, so it's only natural he asked a few extra questions. Please don't hold it against him."
Wang Yong hastily returned the salute. "You're too kind, Elder Zheng. It's part of my duty. There's no need to thank me for the trouble."
Then Uncle Zheng slipped a bulging silk pouch from his sleeve and discreetly handed it over.
"A little something to buy the supervisor and the brothers a bowl of cold tea to beat the heat."
Wang Yong's expression stiffened. His fingers brushed the pouch, and he quickly glanced around before tucking it into his sleeve.
Yet even with Uncle Zheng personally stepping in, Wang Yong remained as unyielding as ever, responding to their questions with little more than idle chatter.
Feng Xiu wore a helpless expression, unable to get a word in. Yet out of the corner of his eye, he glanced behind Wang Yong.
In the shadow near the base of the parapet, a small patch of blue bricks looked as if it had recently been soaked with water, stark against the dry wall around it.
At the edge of the wet mark lay a small object.
It was inconspicuous, but his martial training had sharpened his eyesight. If he hadn't been looking carefully, he might not have noticed it at all.
Feng Xiu's brow twitched. While the other two were still talking, he brushed his hand over the rough stonework, deliberately keeping his gaze on the shimmering water.
While they were still speaking, he took a couple of steps, bent down, and picked the object up.
The instant it touched his hand, a bone-deep chill seized him, and he nearly dropped it.
"Then we'll take our leave for today, Supervisor Wang." Uncle Zheng smiled and cupped his hands toward Wang Yong.
"Elder Zheng, take care."
Wang Yong replied courteously.
Having learned little from Wang Yong, Uncle Zheng didn't linger. He drove the carriage along the embankment road and away from the reservoir.
"Back to the estate."
Wang Yong bowed beside the carriage to see them off.
Inside the carriage, Feng Xiu leaned against the soft cushions and studied the object in his hand. It was about the size of an adult's palm, perfectly fan-shaped, and tinged blue all over.
It was icy to the touch. Though it had clearly been exposed to the blazing sun for a long time, that bone-chilling cold still crept from his fingertips up his arm, making the hairs on his forearm stand on end.
"Strange." Feng Xiu furrowed his brow.
The scallop-shaped scale had no hairs on it, yet it felt exceedingly soft and smooth, with a fine, bristly texture.
The image of a tiger came to mind. A tiger's tongue looked smooth, but it was covered in hidden rows of backward-pointing barbs.
The comparison wasn't quite exact, but it really did feel similar.
Then Feng Xiu placed the scale on his palm and stroked it in one direction. Once again, he felt the smooth, flowing texture of those tiny bristles.
He fell into thought again. Judging by this one scale, how large would the creature that bore something the size of an adult's hand have to be?
It had to be at least as tall as two people.
It also swam extremely fast underwater and seemed to have incredible jumping ability, enough to clear the embankment.
Following that line of thought, it seemed... it could also walk on land, and had recently come out of the water.
A sudden chill ran through Feng Xiu. He tried to push the thought aside, but it had taken root and refused to let go.
"A water monster!?"
The idea defied common sense, but it fit the facts.
"Is this the real reason the River Law Bureau won't open the reservoir? Is there a water monster in there?"
"No, that's not right!"
Feng Xiu shook his head at once.
Jade Belt Reservoir served Green Rock City and the many villages and farms downstream. The interests tied to it were worth well over a million.
If it got in the way of making money, what did it matter if there was a water ghost in the water?
Even if you were the Dragon King of the East Sea, they'd still fish you out.
But the problem was, none of the city's major interests had made a move.
Feng Xiu's expression remained blank. He suppressed his unease and slowly rubbed the scale again and again, until his fingertips went numb with cold. Only then did he toss it out of the carriage.
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