"That's a coincidence. But we can use this opportunity to reveal a little about the reservoir."
"Father's methods were a bit too ruthless, after all."
Feng Xiu thought to himself in silence.
Based on Feng Ao's private investigation, it was all but certain that the River Law Bureau knew nothing about this. Everything had been driven by self-interest.
Before that, Feng Ao had also investigated every city chronicle and provincial gazetteer in Green Rock City, along with the engineering plans from that year, hoping to find some clues.
But the results had all seemed perfectly ordinary. At most, Jade Belt Reservoir was a large public works project meant to benefit the people.
Since the River Law Bureau knew nothing, Feng Ao had not treated the matter as a genuine crisis for the Feng Clan. Instead, he considered it a trump card.
After all, none of the other families had a Dark Canal.
According to the information they had, the Feng Clan was the first family—and perhaps the only one—to know about the reservoir.
If played well, this card could completely turn the tide.
Feng Xiu, however, didn't agree with his approach.
A trump card was still a trump card, but if things truly came to the worst, everyone should face it together!
But first, he had to give them a chance to prepare.
Who could possibly accept the sudden news that there were monsters in the water?
As Feng Xiu was thinking, Uncle Zheng returned to the room. "Young Master, it's ready."
"Mm, good." Feng Xiu dispelled his thoughts and nodded.
A moment later, a woman emerged from behind the curtain.
She wore a plain-colored silk dress. Her raven-black hair fell like clouds, adorned only with a single green jade hairpin. She held a pipa in her arms, her fingers long and slender, her steps light.
She walked to the center of the pavilion and curtsied. Her voice was gentle. "I am Su Xin. Greetings, Young Master."
Feng Xiu nodded without speaking.
"Please begin," Uncle Zheng said.
Su Xin sat down and placed the pipa on her lap, lightly plucking its strings.
A string of clear, ringing notes flowed out. She parted her vermilion lips and began to sing.
"A dream of spirit flowers, three lifetimes, yet no awakening..."
Her voice turned and wound like a sob, plaintive and heartrending.
Feng Xiu closed his eyes and listened quietly.
Record of Spirit Flowers told of a romance between a human and a demon: a scholar traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations spent the night at an ancient temple in the wilderness and met a ghostly maiden.
Basically, it was another version of the "A Chinese Ghost Story" tale that scholars simply had to savor.
A little under half an hour later,
the song ended.
Feng Xiu opened his eyes and looked at the woman behind the beaded curtain.
Su Xin lowered her eyes, gently pressing her fingers against the strings, as if she were still immersed in the song.
"How many years have you been singing this piece?"
Su Xin looked up and answered softly, "I've sung it since I was little. It's been fifteen years."
"Have you ever been to Taizhou?"
"My ancestral home is in Taizhou. When I was young, I moved to Qing Province with my master. My master was the one who taught me this piece."
Feng Xiu nodded, then asked, "Have you ever heard of the North Ridge Sect?"
Su Xin froze for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm ignorant and uninformed. I've never heard of it."
Feng Xiu waved a hand. Seeing this, Uncle Zheng took a ten-tael banknote from his sleeve.
Su Xin's face brightened slightly. She accepted it, bowed to Feng Xiu, then withdrew.
"Young Master, did you figure anything out?" Uncle Zheng asked as they opened the door and prepared to leave.
Feng Xiu looked helpless. "No. What could I possibly have figured out?"
That there were ghosts in this world, and Su Wantang might not be human.
That she had taken Feng Shouzhuo's primordial yang, then injured Zhou Gang, only to compensate him afterward?
And that she might be connected to the reservoir's sealed master, who was suspected to be a water-dwelling dragon?
If that guess was right, then the best solution was to keep the reservoir closed.
So even if it was opened and something was released, if disaster struck, the many powers in Green Rock City could step in and contain it.
But that was impossible. Spring planting had ended, and the first shoots of Golden Ear Wheat had already appeared.
In a month at most, the River Law Bureau would carry out its first summer irrigation.
Unless it rained again—a torrential downpour that covered the entire river-valley basin!
And after that, was he really supposed to expect Daoist Yellow Dragon to stake his life on it?
When they left Brocade Cloud Pavilion, dusk was approaching.
"Young Master, where to next?"
Feng Xiu looked up at the sky and pondered. "I'm going to check on the Dark Canal outpost in Dendrobium Village."
"It would certainly be good for you to go there now, Young Master. But as for Shou Zhuo, if Su Wantang refuses to let the matter rest, I'm afraid..." Uncle Zheng trailed off, shaking his head almost imperceptibly.
"She won't. The reservoir's master certainly won't make a big fuss. As for the other small tricks, Han Che and the guards are strong enough to handle them. There's no need to worry."
Feng Xiu waved his hand. Green Rock City was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with experts everywhere. If things truly came to a head, he still had one move: Heaven and Earth Longevity!
Did they really think the title of Benevolent Master Feng had come for free?
Uncle Zheng considered Feng Xiu's words, then decided they made some sense.
"In that case, be very careful, Young Master."
At present, according to the response plan Feng Ao and Zhou Gang had drawn up to guard against the possible appearance of more Demonic Strange Fish,
they had established outposts in White Willow, Dendrobium, and Hundred Dou Villages.
They claimed the outposts were for the convenience of grain collection, disguising them as granary courtyards.
As it happened, the three courtyards formed a slanted triangle across the terrain.
If anything did happen, they would be able to respond quickly.
As for investigating Su Wantang, that could only be done in secret. They couldn't make it public.
After all, she had already spared the Feng Clan. If they made a spectacle of the investigation, they might provoke her resentment.
This is a miserable feeling, Feng Xin sighed inwardly.
The reservoir's master had held back and had not sent anyone to kill Feng Shouzhuo again.
Feng Xiu suspected that Su Wantang might have had a hand in it.
Whether it was speculation or wishful thinking, in the end, it was the uncertainty surrounding the whole affair that made it so unsettling.
"What kind of taste is that? It was only a bit of fun, and you really fell in love with her?"
After that thought, Feng Xiu immediately gave an order. "Uncle Zheng, turn back to the mansion. Get the things I need for cultivation, and pack some changes of clothes as well. I plan to stay in Dendrobium Village for a while."
Uncle Zheng nodded. This was one of the plans Feng Ao had made earlier: to keep a close watch on the farm.
Until now, Uncle Zheng had always managed this matter, reporting the Dark Canal's situation every day.
Now that Feng Xiu had reached a modest level in martial arts and could protect himself to some extent, it was time to settle who would remain there long-term.
"Also, make arrangements with the household stewards and have them keep an eye on the house."
The Feng Clan had enjoyed a month of calm, but no one dared let their guard down. The reservoir's master was a threat, but they still had a business to run. Feng Ao had already purchased a large quantity of Golden Ear Wheat, and leaving it piled up in the warehouse wasn't an option.
Just two days earlier, the two of them had set out to transport grain. Their destination was Jin Province.
Jin Province was plagued by war and uprisings, and the demand for Golden Ear Wheat was astonishingly high.
Given their abilities, Feng Xiu wasn't too worried about them.
"Understood."
The carriage turned around and soon returned to Feng Mansion. Feng Xiu waited in the carriage for a while.
Before long, two young guards carried a large wooden chest into the carriage. Then someone came over and passed Feng Xiu, through the carriage curtain, a silvery-white iron baton.
"Young Master, Master Zheng told me to give you this," the guard said.
"Uncle Zheng had it made so quickly?"
Feng Xiu was somewhat surprised. He took it and tested its weight in his hand. It was heavy—probably around forty catties.
The men bowed to Feng Xiu, then turned and left.
The carriage rolled along, left the inner city, and headed toward Dendrobium Village.
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