Sweet Dew Grand Festival

Half an hour later, a herald's call and steady footsteps sounded from outside the hall.

The first to step inside was a tall, broad-shouldered youth of about twenty-three or twenty-four, with an open countenance and bold, sweeping brows. He wore a long brocade robe patterned with cloud motifs, and his stride carried an air of unrestrained vigor.

The man following behind was somewhat leaner, around the same age as Feng Xiu, with a refined, handsome face and fair skin. He held a bamboo-framed folding fan in his hand.

"Jingming, Wenyuan, please take the seats of honor."

Seeing the two arrive, Feng Xiu's face lit up with a smile as he hurried to greet them, then gave an order: "Someone, serve tea at once."

A maidservant quickly brought over chilled sour plum soup, then gently closed the hall door as she withdrew.

Fan Ling, courtesy name Jingming; Lin Che, courtesy name Wenyuan.

The three had studied together under Master Jingzhai in their youth, and with their families engaged in business dealings, their bond was naturally close.

"Wenzheng, your face...?"

But at this moment, both of them were taken aback.

After not seeing him for days, Feng Xiu had completely shed his fair, refined look, his complexion darkened, making him appear far more rugged overall.

"Ah, don't even mention it. It's all from this blasted weather." Feng Xiu let out a feigned sigh.

Lin Che closed his folding fan, a trace of worry crossing his handsome face as he also sighed lightly.

"Brother Wenzheng, my Lin family oversees eleven estates of various sizes. The tenant farmers have petitioned us several times now, and we've paid no small amount in appeasement funds and grain."

"If no water source comes to the rescue, this year's harvest is doomed to fail. At that point, rent waivers and grain handouts won't be enough to pacify them."

"Well said. The River Law Bureau's stance is ambiguous. My father has approached them many times, and all they say is that the heavens' timing is unpredictable. Hmph, a bunch of useless good-for-nothings."

Hearing this, anger flashed across Fan Ling's face. He set his teacup down on the table with a thud and let out a cold snort.

"Let's cut to the chase. Did you call us here today because you have a plan?"

Faced with the same crisis, Fan Ling got straight to the point.

"I do have one, to be honest with you. I've already sent men to Yulin Prefecture to invite a certain Daoist Yellow Dragon, said to possess considerable skill in the Way. He should arrive in a few days. I plan to set up an altar in White Willow Village to pray for rain."

"Pray for rain?"

Fan Jingming's eyes lit up, but he quickly grasped Feng Xiu's intent.

His brows furrowed as he mulled it over carefully in his mind.

Lin Che pondered for a moment, then a glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes. "You mean to use the rain-prayer event to rally the common people?"

"Public sentiment is a fire—use it well, and it's a flame; misuse it, and you'll burn yourself." Lin Che shook his fan slowly, nodding.

"We need to strike the right balance—make the prefectural office unable to sit still, but without leaving any grounds for accusations of inciting unrest."

Fan Ling slapped his thigh. "Exactly, that's the idea. Our three families join forces, widely invite gentry and village elders to observe. Once public opinion boils over, the River Law Bureau will have to give us an answer."

Feng Xiu nodded. For now, this was the only plan he could think of.

Use momentum to pressure the court—force the River Law Bureau to take a stand!

Of course, "pressure" wasn't quite the right word.

In a feudal dynasty with high martial power and the gradual rise of chaos, there was a strong chance Feng Xiu suspected someone had set their sights on Cloud Province's fat prize.

Or rather, on the Golden Ear Wheat.

This crop thrived under ample sunlight, its essence naturally overflowing. Not only could it fill the stomach, but long-term consumption slowly nourished the bones and sinews, making it a hard currency favored by inland martial artists.

The profits from Golden Ear Wheat were enormous. If someone truly wanted to choke Green Rock City's grain supply and force the families to sell their wheat cheaply...

This grand festival, rather than a siege on the authorities, was more of a probe.

He wanted to see who exactly was behind it all, whether they would show themselves, and how much power they truly wielded.

Could he counter them by uniting the families?

As long as he could confirm this notion, he could prepare countermeasures.

Whenever something was hard to understand, thinking more in terms of interests was Feng Xiu's real experience.

Lin Che's tone grew more measured. "Public sentiment is like fire—it can carry a boat or capsize it. Following Wenzheng's idea to gather public will, form a consensus, and pressure those above is sound, but the details need careful deliberation."

"Right. When dealing with the prefectural office, we must handle our attitude precisely—make our presence felt without leaving any pretext for accusations of inciting unrest."

Fan Ling also spoke seriously. All three were heirs carefully groomed by their families, and they knew well the old adage that commoners never fight officials.

But with family power and network ties, they were no ordinary folk, and they naturally understood how to manage the boundary with the authorities.

"Since it's a rain prayer, why not call it the Sweet Dew Grand Festival?" Feng Xiu added.

Then, the three discussed and debated the details thoroughly—the scale of the ceremony, the venue, publicity, and potential risks and responses.

When the topic of resource allocation came up, Fan Ling suddenly spoke. "Wenzheng, you're the one spearheading this festival, so overall coordination naturally falls to you. But when it comes to men, money, and effort, how do we split it three ways?"

Feng Xiu smiled. "Jingming, speak your mind."

"My Fan family puts up thirty percent, your Feng family forty percent, and Wenyuan thirty percent. How about that?" Fan Ling stared at Feng Xiu. "After all, White Willow Village is on your Feng family's turf. If something goes wrong..."

He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear—the forty percent share was already a sufficient statement.

Lin Che fanned himself without speaking, but his gaze also fell on Feng Xiu.

Feng Xiu was taken aback; Fan Ling's words had truly caught him off guard.

His original self had been extremely close to Fan Ling—even some of the illicit picture books Feng Xiu kept hidden in the Baihui Chronicles had been gifts from him.

After a moment's thought, Feng Xiu understood in his heart: friends were friends, but once family interests were involved, that bond would naturally be cast aside.

Feng Xiu was silent for a moment, then let out a laugh. "Fine, it's settled."

"But there's one condition," Feng Xiu said, his smile fading. "If this succeeds and the River Law Bureau relents to open the reservoirs, my Feng family farms must be first in line for the water release."

Fan Ling and Lin Che exchanged a glance and nodded in unison. "Deal."

Half an hour later, the details were finalized.

It was ultimately decided that Feng Xiu would take overall command and coordination, while the Fan and Lin families would contribute personnel, funds, and resources as agreed, ensuring a grand spectacle in one fell swoop.

With the official matters settled, the two didn't linger—preparations for the sacrificial livestock and vessels, Daoist scripture recitations, and gong-and-drum processions all needed handling.

As they were about to leave, Feng Xiu seemed to think of something else and said to Fan Ling with a smile, "Jingming, I have one more personal favor to ask. I hear the Fan family's brokerage has the most reliable information."

"I was wondering if there's any estate in the inner city up for sale—a courtyard with some space, preferably a compound with three or more front-to-back sections."

Fan Ling raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What, is the Feng manor looking to acquire new property now?"

"Not at all. I have a distant relative who wants to open an escort agency in the city, but he's short on funds. If you could help a little with this, it would be a small gesture of goodwill."

"Easy enough. I'll get back to you," Fan Ling agreed readily.

Then the two rose and left.

After seeing them off, Feng Xiu immediately summoned Uncle Zheng and pulled several sharp and capable stewards from the family staff, putting them in charge of the Sweet Dew Grand Festival.

Over the next three days, the weather in Green Rock City remained scorching hot.

Despite the grain prices having skyrocketed, it still couldn't stem the surging tide of panic.

On top of that, rumors that the ponds and reservoirs wouldn't open and that the dam sluice gates were damaged grew louder.

Just then, word gradually spread that the Feng, Fan, and Lin families would jointly host a grand Sweet Dew Grand Festival, pleading on behalf of the people for heaven to send down blessed rain.

With the trio's precise control, the buzz steadily rose, spreading through every street and alley like an injection of adrenaline into the stifling atmosphere.

Alongside this, Feng Xiu had people chant the slogan: "Daoist Yellow Dragon, his Dao arts fathom the mysteries; praying for rain to save the world, bestowing grace upon the mortal realm."

Daoist Yellow Dragon likely never imagined that before even reaching Green Rock City, he would already have such a fearsome reputation.

All sorts of wild rumors spread with vivid detail—some said he was a reincarnated immortal, others that he had attained the Dao eight hundred years ago in the mortal world. The hype was unprecedented, known to all.

With this kind of public sentiment backing him, whether he could actually summon rain...

To the three of them, it no longer mattered.

In the afternoon, inside the training hall.

Two figures flashed past rapidly, fists and feet clashing fiercely, gusts of wind striking the face.

Thanks to days of taking White Deer Pills, the medicinal power had melted into his bones, tendons, and blood. Feng Xiu's internal qi and blood gradually grew stronger and more condensed, the surging sound faintly audible.

Facing Han Che, whose daily sparring moves were bizarre and ruthless, he could now exchange thirty to forty moves without losing ground.

His Five Force Fist techniques were no longer rigidly bound to set patterns; his movements carried a hint of fluidity.

"Chi!"

Han Che's hand knife shot out like a viper's tongue, again aiming for Feng Xiu's eyes with lightning speed. Feng Xiu didn't panic or retreat; he sank his shoulder, twisted his waist, and raised his left arm like a drawn bow to block.

At the same time, he unleashed a half-variant of "Tired Tiger Returns to the Forest" combined with a "Black Tiger Steals the Heart" thrust.

"Bang!"

Feng Xiu's arm shuddered violently, but his lower stance held firm. Instead, Han Che felt as if he had chopped against a taut stone rod, jolted back by a surge of qi and blood, his attack momentarily stalling.

A flicker of barely concealed surprise flashed in his eyes. He withdrew half a step and gave Feng Xiu a thorough once-over.

"Young Master Feng," Han Che's voice remained flat, but his tone had shifted slightly. "Your progress in skill is faster than expected. That last move—your qi and blood instinctively tensed to protect your body. You've already begun to touch the Tough Blood realm."

Feng Xiu smiled faintly. "Brother Han flatters me."

[Life: 10]

[Spirit: 3]

[Strength: 3]

[Agility: 2]

[Skill Record: Eight Sections Vajra Skill (Perfected: Life +2, Spirit +2) Cannot be upgraded]

[Five Force Fist (Minor Achievement: Strength +2, Agility +1)]

[Synth: Not yet perfected, cannot be obtained]

On the skill record, the progress of the Eight Sections Vajra Skill had finally reached its limit. With Life intensity hitting 10 points, his qi and blood grew even more vigorous.

The Five Force Fist was the same—it had broken through the minor achievement realm, greatly increasing his strength. Manifested in his techniques, even Han Che couldn't easily overcome him for the moment.

And after the Vajra Skill entered the perfected realm, the [Synth] option below had grown increasingly vivid in color.