The End

An hour later, Feng Xiu returned to the Feng Mansion, drenched through.

In the main hall, Feng Ao and Uncle Zheng were discussing something when they saw him carrying an object and both stood up.

"Eldest Young Master, how did it go?" Uncle Zheng approached.

Feng Xiu said nothing, simply throwing the strange fish corpse onto the ground.

The bundle came undone, and Uncle Zheng's pupils instantly contracted.

Feng Ao's expression turned solemn.

"This is..." Uncle Zheng sucked in a sharp breath, his voice hoarse.

Then, Feng Xiu laid out everything—his encounter in the dense forest and the scale he had found.

When he finished, the hall fell into dead silence.

It was a long while before Uncle Zheng spoke, his face pale. "Does something like this really exist in this world?"

Feng Xiu shook his head. "Whether it exists or not isn't important. What matters is that I killed it."

His first battle after cultivating martial arts—though the process had a few bumps.

But the outcome was good. Blood Qi Martial Arts could handle things like this!

Feng Ao was also somewhat shocked, but more than that, he was watching Feng Xiu, a flicker of complex relief in his eyes.

"Father, have you never seen anything like this before?" Feng Xiu asked.

Feng Ao shook his head. "Those of us who train in martial arts have vigorous blood qi and the strongest yang energy. I've heard of wandering spirits and strange ghosts, and I've killed quite a few."

"But this thing—it's my first time seeing it too."

Feng Xiu fell silent.

At that moment, Feng Ao spoke slowly again. "But since it can be killed, there's no need to fear it."

"Since it came looking for Shouzhuo, that doesn't quite add up." Uncle Zheng frowned deeply, also puzzled.

Feng Ao agreed. Now that Feng Xiu had confirmed the chain of evidence existed, to some extent, this matter was already settled.

Su Wantang had only killed the one who knew too much, Liu Wenjun. As for the rest of the Feng Clan, she had merely meted out light punishment.

Su Wantang had spared Feng Shouzhuo. Not only that, she had even helped restore his body.

"If she wanted to kill, she would have done it long ago. Why go through all this trouble?" Feng Ao's tiger-like eyes swept over Feng Xiu.

Neither of them had been present at the fight. The intelligence Feng Xiu relayed through words was far from the reality of the scene.

Uncle Zheng felt the same, his gaze also turning to Feng Xiu. Looking back over this whole affair, Feng Xiu had already proven himself as the eldest son of the clan.

In terms of mental acuity, he was in no way inferior to Feng Ao.

Feng Xiu didn't speak. He deliberated for a long moment before finally opening his mouth to offer a reminder:

"Su Wantang's matter is already over. The one targeting the Feng Clan now isn't her—it's the master of the strange fish man from Tang Reservoir."

"It sees Su Wantang as a possession."

A possession. Someone had touched the master's possession. What had Feng Shouzhuo touched?

For a woman, what is most precious? There was no need to spell it out.

The moment these words left his mouth, the two of them understood instantly. Uncle Zheng's expression was stunned.

Feng Ao was so angry the veins at his temples bulged!

"Unfilial wretch!" Feng Ao roared.

"This..." Uncle Zheng didn't know what to say either, letting out a soft sigh on his wrinkled face.

Just as Feng Xiu had said, Su Wantang's matter was over. Not provoking her, not investigating her—that was the optimal solution.

After all, she had indeed shown her sincerity.

But.

Back then, at the private appreciation gathering in Fragrant Flower Pavilion, Feng Shouzhuo had indeed violated Su Wantang's honor.

Round and round, everything came back to the starting point. Faced with the romantic debts Feng Shouzhuo's lower half had stirred up, Su Wantang didn't pursue it, but someone else wanted him dead!

At this moment, Feng Xiu couldn't describe how he felt. It was utterly ridiculous, and he was almost amused into anger himself.

"So what do we do now?"

At this point, everyone had done all they could. Feng Xiu was out of ideas.

Hearing this, Feng Ao's eyes flickered, and he immediately gave orders. "Uncle Zheng, aside from the account managers at each estate, replace all the household servants and guards."

"Effective immediately, double the patrols within the mansion. Keep an eye on Shouzhuo—don't let him run around. Also, assign people to watch every major drainage channel."

"Third, I'll handle the matter of allying with the grain merchants myself. Keep pressuring the River Law Bureau for a stance. Investigate Su Wantang's matter quietly—don't alert the enemy."

Feng Ao's tone was grave as he laid out the plan: eliminate the eyes and ears, probe the River Law Bureau, and protect Shou Zhuo.

The series of arrangements was clear and methodical; Uncle Zheng nodded solemnly.

Feng Xiu had just finished listening and was a bit slow on the uptake. Realizing Feng Ao hadn't mentioned himself at all, he pressed, "What about me?"

"You? Wen Zheng, just focus on your training and keep playing the part of the great philanthropist."

"Fine."

Feng Xiu didn't argue. In truth, these matters were always Feng Ao's responsibility; he had just been forcing the burden onto himself.

Now that he said it, Feng Xiu actually felt a sense of relief.

"Also, Uncle Zheng, go to the secret chamber and fetch a box of Blood Returning Pills."

Originally, Feng Ao had only intended for his son to train his muscles and strengthen his body. Since he now had the resolve to walk this path, there could be no stinginess.

When he saw the strange fish corpse earlier, Feng Ao had broken out in a cold sweat as well.

"Within three months, you must break through to Body Refining!" he then said in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on Uncle Zheng.

The latter's face showed surprise, but he nodded in acknowledgment.

"Blood Returning Pills?" Feng Xiu was stunned.

"Young Master, these Blood Returning Pills are worth a fortune. Back then, the family head relied on them to gather strength, condense qi, and break through to the Divine Steel Realm."

Seeing Feng Xiu's confusion, Uncle Zheng explained.

Hearing this, Feng Xiu couldn't help but feel a stir of excitement. Anything treasured by Feng Ao was no ordinary thing.

Then, steadying his mind, he brought the topic back. "Father, in your opinion, does the River Law Bureau know about this or not?"

Feng Ao fell into a long silence after hearing this.

"Hard to say, but it's best if they don't. My Feng Clan holds the River Law Seal, ah—"

Before he finished, Feng Ao let out a rare sigh, and Uncle Zheng took the opportunity to bring up an old matter.

"Young Master may not know this, but the River Law Seal was obtained by the family head after years of scheming and pulling countless connections. If even the family head doesn't know..."

He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.

Either the River Law Bureau had hidden it too well, or they truly didn't know.

"Regardless, the subsequent irrigation still requires the Tang Reservoir to open its sluice gates. We'll see then." Feng Ao let out a long breath and couldn't help rubbing his temples.

The complete success of the Sweet Dew Grand Festival put an end to the scorching weather, and the common people cheered in joy.

Every household praised Young Master Feng's benevolence and Daoist Yellow Dragon's profound Dao arts, the fervor showing no signs of fading.

Even the rising grain prices dropped. After the Sweet Dew Grand Festival, it seemed to seamlessly connect with the spring planting. The people had hope, and every family was at peace.

But behind the scenes, the grain merchant families led by the Feng Clan had no intention of letting the River Law Bureau off.

Four days later.

Feng Ao united the Lin, Zhou, Zhao, Wang, and other families, large and small, to pressure the River Law Bureau. Their reasoning was simple.

If the Sweet Dew Grand Festival had failed to bring rain, the people's agitation would have been no less than the spark for a full-blown uprising.

The families' demand was also simple: the River Law Bureau had to explain its refusal to open the Tang Reservoir and set a concrete plan.

The River Law Seal was the voucher for releasing water, and every family paid for it every year. The Bureau's actions now were no different from turning it into a worthless scrap of paper.

Faced with the heads of these major families, the River Law Bureau's response was quite flustered.

Feng Ao's handling was just right; he didn't push too hard. After striking a tough stance, he gradually softened his attitude.

He said he would focus on the farmstead matters and would not appear too much afterward.

Then he arranged for the Feng Clan's family guards and the elite members of the Zhou Family Escort Team.

To patrol the hidden channels within the three major farmsteads day and night, guarding against the possible appearance of the strange fish creatures.

On the other side.

After waking up, Zhou Gang listened to Feng Xiu recount the events of these days and the speculations, then fell silent for a long time.

He also voluntarily joined Feng Ao's ranks, mobilizing underworld contacts to conduct a private investigation into Su Wantang and the North Ridge Sect.

With Feng Ao taking over the family affairs, Feng Xiu's training time increased significantly.

At this stage, both Feng Ao and Zhou Gang wanted Feng Xiu to improve his strength as much as possible.

Thus, Feng Xiu enjoyed Zhou Gang's comprehensive guidance and the immense benefits of the family's resources being tilted to the highest degree.

He trained with even greater diligence.