Arrival

By the time they arrived at the Dark Canal outpost in Dendrobium Village, it was already afternoon; the carriage had been jolting along for quite some time before finally coming to a halt.

The outpost courtyard was vast, though it had been constructed entirely from local stone and timber gathered on-site.

Upon arrival, several master masons were hunched over, skillfully plastering something onto the grey-blue stone walls.

At the entrance to the courtyard, two sturdy, elite men froze for a moment before quickly stepping forward.

"Greetings, Young Master," they said in unison, their voices filled with respect.

Seeing this, another man took the carriage driver toward the backyard to help unload the luggage; his eyes were sharp.

The carriage Young Master Feng had arrived in was riding very low, as if it were carrying something of significant weight.

Feng Xiu nodded. "Where is Xiang Geng?"

"Master Xiang has taken some men out to patrol the front, and he has yet to return," one of the men replied.

He led Feng Xiu further into the courtyard, and as they crossed the threshold, the ground beneath their feet felt slightly uneven.

Some trimmed weeds grew from the brown earth, and near the courtyard walls, eighteen conical granaries stood on both the left and right sides.

Beyond that, the open space was filled with rolled-up reed mats, crossbeams, and five or six women dressed in coarse hemp clothing.

They were helping their husbands—who were skilled in carpentry—roll the mats into cylindrical shapes, securing them with crossbeams and binding them tight with thick ropes.

Several lean men swung iron hammers, driving them into wooden wedges; under the scorching sun, their dark, weathered faces were drenched in sweat.

"Young Master Feng is here!"

Seeing Feng Xiu walk in, a slightly plump woman's face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly tugged at her husband, who had been focused solely on his work.

"Young Master Feng, what brings you here today?"

Among the crowd, a nimble-looking farmer rubbed his hands together, a smile tugging at the wrinkles on his face.

He wanted to walk over, but fearing his dirty clothes might offend Feng Xiu's eyes, he and several others hesitated.

"Auntie, I've come to check on you all. How are things? The Gold Seedling yield is decent, isn't it?"

Feng Xiu noticed their embarrassment and took the initiative to step forward, speaking with a warm laugh.

Dendrobium Village was the first farmstead where Feng Xiu had waived the rent, and he had met this plump auntie once before.

In truth, the female tenants on the farm often shared a similar physique.

This wasn't because they ate particularly well, but rather the result of "overwork obesity" caused by long-term, irregular labor.

"Thanks to your blessing, my family's dozens of acres produced an eighty-percent yield of Gold Seedlings. Since we're free now, I brought the old man over to help out."

The plump auntie's voice carried the booming, hearty tone characteristic of a farm woman.

"That's wonderful to hear. If you have any broken farm tools, pots, or pans at home in the future, just bring them here."

"I'll find someone to help you fix them all," Feng Xiu said with a smile.

The men all laughed as well; some looked grateful, rubbing their hands together, not knowing what to say.

"That's settled then, I thank you, Young Master Feng! Old man, get back to work!"

Seeing the crowd's reaction, the auntie was even more delighted. Just as she was about to offer more words of gratitude, she noticed a group of about twenty people approaching behind Feng Xiu.

After speaking with a laugh, she glared at her husband.

"Young Master."

A deep, resonant voice rang out. Feng Xiu had already heard the commotion behind him.

Hearing the sound, he turned his head.

The man approaching was none other than Xiang Geng, the biological son of Xiang Yuan, one of the five great stewards within the family.

Xiang Yuan, much like Uncle Zheng, possessed immense seniority; he had originally been a village elder and headman from Dendrobium Village. After retiring, he had specifically recommended Xiang Geng for this position.

Xiang Geng was an expert the family was heavily cultivating within their talent pool, and he had already reached the peak of the Body Refining realm before the age of forty.

"You're here. Let's go, to the inner room."

The granary courtyard was not a standard three-section compound; it was primarily dominated by the large central grain courtyard.

Aside from that, there was the inner room, the main hall, the front room, and finally the kitchen and the dormitories for the stationed personnel.

Upon entering the inner room, Feng Xiu took the main seat, while Xiang Geng sat to his lower left. After a man poured them some coarse tea and retreated, closing the door behind him, Feng Xiu took a light sip, the bitter taste of the tea lingering on his lips and teeth.

Having grown accustomed to exotic delicacies and potent medicinal tonics, this sudden change left Feng Xiu feeling somewhat unaccustomed.

"Young Master, transporting supplies to this location is quite difficult. Please forgive any lack of hospitality,"

Noticing Feng Xiu's brow furrow slightly, Xiang Geng stood up, cupped his hands toward him, and spoke with an apologetic tone.

"It is nothing. I am not a person pampered from birth."

Though Xiang Geng's build was robust, his eyes were exceptionally sharp; hearing this, he nodded slightly.

He had heard that the Young Master had begun practicing martial arts these days, but he had assumed it was merely a whim of a wealthy young man, something he would abandon within a couple of days.

Yet, it had spread among the guards with such vivid detail that it sounded entirely plausible.

Seeing him today, Feng Xiu's breathing was long and steady, his heartbeat like a beating drum—clearly the signs of reaching the pinnacle of Body Refining. Even he had almost failed to recognize him.

"Tell me, has there been any unusual activity in the Dark Canal?" Feng Xiu asked.

Xiang Geng thought for a moment. "Nothing unusual, though the water in the canal reservoir has been flowing again these past two days, and our men have caught quite a few fish."

Feng Xiu was stunned. "Fish?"

"Yes, all standard Green Carp, but they are exceptionally large."

This immediately made Feng Xiu think of that strange fish from before, and his brows furrowed slightly. "How large, exactly?"

"About this long."

Xiang Geng spread his hands, indicating a length of about a meter.

"With the reservoir having been stagnant for a year, Green Carp over a meter long are quite rare," Xiang Geng added.

Feng Xiu nodded, then pressed further, "Is the breach in the canal large? Were there any other anomalies?"

Xiang Geng shook his head. Though he felt a flicker of doubt in his heart, he still replied.

"It wasn't large; my subordinates and I leveled it out yesterday."

From Feng Ao to Master Zheng and Feng Xiu, the recent decisions made by the three of them had all been quite bizarre.

First, there was the talk of building grain depots at every farmstead. One had to understand that in previous years, tenant farmers would transport their grain to Green Rock City themselves, using donkey carts or rented horse-drawn carriages.

Building grain depots certainly made things easier for the tenants, but it meant the Feng Clan would eventually have to send their own men to collect the grain from those depots.

In doing so, the losses during transport—the cost of men and horses—would fall entirely upon the Feng Clan.

He understood this logic, as did the clan elders and village heads of each estate. Why squander the family's interests for no reason?

If it were merely Feng Xiu being soft-hearted and unable to bear the suffering of the commoners, that would be one thing, but this was clearly Feng Ao's decision.

Furthermore, every grain depot was being built near the Dark Canal, with daily patrols, making it hard not to suspect there was some other motive at play.

"And the fish?"

Seeing Xiang Geng's hesitation, Feng Xiu asked.

Perhaps these Green Carp were simply the strange fish before they had fully transformed?

"Forgive me, Eldest Young Master. My men have sticky fingers; they couldn't resist eating the fish after catching them."

Feng Xiu seemed very concerned about this issue, and Xiang Geng felt a jolt of anxiety, quickly adding.

"You ate them!" Feng Xiu's voice rose, and he stood up abruptly.

Back when Feng Xiu had carried that strange fish home, Feng Ao and Uncle Zheng had deliberated repeatedly, fearing the creature might carry some kind of plague.

They had burned it to ashes, and not only that, but even Feng Xiu had not been spared.

He had been forced to bathe for three days straight, followed by the application of various pungent, stinging, and precious medicinal herbs to scrub away the scent.

The entire ordeal had nearly stripped a layer of skin off him.

"Yes," Xiang Geng said with a sheepish laugh, scratching his head.

"How many are left?"

Even with Xiang Geng's formidable strength, he felt his scalp tingle under Feng Xiu's intense questioning, and he cautiously held up one finger.

"One?"

"Cough, no, there isn't a single one left," Xiang Geng said, biting the bullet.

Feng Xiu looked helpless; he wondered if the man's guts were made of iron.

However, considering Xiang Geng had been unaware of the situation, he didn't reprimand him too harshly.

Seeing Feng Xiu's expression soften slightly, Xiang Geng breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Eldest Young Master, it's a strange coincidence—after our men ate those Green Carp, their bodies felt incredibly hot and their strength increased significantly."

"Some of them even broke through to the Tough Blood realm directly, though their nosebleeds wouldn't stop."

Feng Xiu looked astonished. "There's such a thing?"

Having practiced martial arts for over a month, he naturally knew what the Tough Blood realm entailed.

Tough Blood occurred when one sensed their own vital energy and blood; unconscious breathing would accelerate the circulation of that energy, making the skin and flesh tougher.

Basically, once one reached Tough Blood, barring any accidents, they were guaranteed to reach the pinnacle of Body Refining.

Did these fish really have such an effect?

"Indeed. I found it suspicious myself, so I couldn't help but taste one. The essence and blood energy contained in these fish are no worse than a century-old ginseng," Xiang Geng remarked with a sigh.

Feng Xiu remained silent. If even the untransformed Green Carp had such effects, then if that original strange fish hadn't been destroyed...

He estimated that consuming it would have been no less effective than a Blood Returning Pill.

Of course, thoughts were just thoughts. Even if he could go back to that time, Feng Xiu wouldn't regret his actions.

Under the circumstances back then, no one could have possibly foreseen this.

Even if it were truly edible, Feng Xiu would still consider the possibilities of parasites or being possessed.

"Alright, let's leave it at that. I will accompany you tomorrow; you all will have to endure some hardship for this period of time."

Feng Xiu's expression turned solemn as he issued his orders with composure.

Xiang Geng wanted to speak but hesitated; even though his doubts grew, he dared not ask anything at this moment.

Feng Xiu must have his reasons for doing this.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind: could it be that there was something else inside the Dark Canal?

Thinking of this, Xiang Geng shook his head violently, deciding to make another trip to the Dark Canal to reinforce the water inlet.

"This subordinate obeys."

Before long, Xiang Geng arranged for two guards to move the luggage into a small room.

"This place is crude; I have wronged the Eldest Young Master."

After placing the wooden chest in the corner of the room, Xiang Geng bowed and spoke politely.

This had originally been his living quarters, but now that Feng Xiu had arrived, he had no choice but to squeeze in with the guards.

Feng Xiu surveyed the room: a bed, a wooden table, and two bamboo chairs—the furnishings were quite simple.

"You have worked hard," Feng Xiu said with a gentle smile.

"You are too kind. You came here yourself in this sweltering heat to attend to the affairs of the Grain Courtyard; that is the true hardship."

Xiang Geng smiled, his eyes flickering with a hint of probing.

Feng Xiu did not expose him; the Reservoir Flood Dragon was a trump card of the Feng Clan, and since it was a trump card, the fewer people who knew about it, the better.

Even for a subordinate like Xiang Geng, whom Feng Ao frequently praised.

"Right, find me a large tub for medicinal baths, and a secluded place to practice."

Feng Xiu took the initiative to change the subject, leaving Xiang Geng feeling somewhat disappointed and looking troubled.

"Eldest Young Master, the medicinal tub is easy to resolve, but as for a secluded place, there is an old bamboo forest three miles to the west of the main courtyard. The environment is elegant; do you think that would be suitable?"

Feng Xiu nodded, "That will do."