Judgments

Feng Xiu felt that his reasoning might have gone in the wrong direction. The Thousand Sect sought wealth through steady, gradual gains or by making one big score.

It was rare for them to drain someone's vitality to the point of exhaustion in just a few days.

At that moment, while Feng Xiu was deep in thought, Feng Shouzhuo murmured in his sleep.

"Wantang, Wantang, where are you? I miss you so much. Don't go~"

With that foolish smile on his pale face, the sight was downright chilling.

"..."

"Wake him," Feng Xiu said calmly.

The maid quickly obeyed, reaching out to shake Feng Shouzhuo's arm. "Second Young Master, wake up."

Feng Shouzhuo slowly opened his eyes. His dream of reuniting with his wife had not yet faded when he saw Feng Xiu, his expression dark, in the room.

"B-Big Brother?"

Feng Shouzhuo's eyes cleared at once. He sat up, his lips trembling as he spoke.

"Are you awake?" Feng Xiu asked evenly, his tone betraying no joy or anger.

"I am."

Feng Shouzhuo struggled to sit upright, but his body went limp. He had no choice but to prop himself up on the soft pillow with his arm, unease showing on his face.

Feng Xiu gazed at him for a long while before finally speaking. "Feng Shouzhuo, what am I supposed to do with you?"

"You've let a courtesan bewitch you into this state. Second Brother, have I been too lenient with you?"

Feng Xiu's tone was not harsh, yet the room fell silent in an instant.

"She isn't a courtesan. Wantang is different."

"Wantang is cultured and well-mannered, and she's had a tragic life. Her feelings for me are true!"

Defiance showed on Feng Shouzhuo's face. He swayed a little, but still lifted his chin, his cheeks flushing as he argued his case.

Then he broke into a violent fit of coughing.

Uncle Zheng looked up at the two brothers facing off, then finally let out a sigh.

"Different, you say? Heh." Feng Xiu gave a laugh and cut him off.

"Is this what you call true love? You're lying in bed, drained of your vital essence and blood, making me worry about you. You're determined to defy Father, disgrace the family, and marry a woman of unknown origins?"

"Must I put aside the drought in our farmsteads to deal with your sordid romantic affairs?"

Feng Xiu's voice remained calm as he changed tack and fired off a string of questions.

"Fine. You say she's cultured and well-mannered. Then tell me, has she ever written you a love letter? What style of calligraphy did she use? Which tune does she most like to play? And apart from you, has she been intimate with any other men?"

Feng Shouzhuo froze. He did not seem to catch the hidden meaning in those words, and for a moment his eyes went blank. "Her... her hands were very cold, and her handwriting was graceful... The tune... I can't remember. I think it was Record of Spirit Flowers, from Taizhou. Just hearing it put my heart at ease."

Before he could finish, Feng Shouzhuo broke into another violent coughing fit. His face flushed a sickly red, and he looked up at Feng Xiu again.

"Big Brother, I truly love her. She... she's a good person."

Seeing that he could get nothing more out of him, Feng Xiu's tone cooled, though he did manage to calm him down. "We'll discuss this later. Get well first. If she truly wants to marry into the Feng Clan, I'll speak to Father."

Feng Shouzhuo's face lit up with joy. He struggled to sit up, his excitement surging through him as he grabbed Feng Xiu's arm.

The grip through Feng Shouzhuo's sleeve was astonishingly strong, and his emotions ran high.

Feng Xiu almost thought he was having a burst of energy before death.

"Big Brother, y-you mean it?!"

Then Feng Xiu patted his bony hand.

"Of course I do."

At those words, Feng Shouzhuo could no longer hold back the happiness surging within him.

His face flushed, and he gasped for breath. His eyes rolled back, and he promptly fainted.

"Second Young Master!" the maid cried out.

Feng Xiu pried Feng Shouzhuo's arm away, relieved, and rubbed the red marks on his own forearm.

Then he turned to Uncle Zheng. "Let's go."

Feng Xiu was in a foul mood. He turned to the maid as well. "Look after him carefully. If he mutters anything in his sleep again, write down every word."

"Yes, yes." The maid faltered, stumbling over her words.

Then he and Uncle Zheng left the room together.

The afternoon sunlight in the courtyard was glaring.

Feng Xiu shook his head, utterly defeated. How could there be hopeless romantics in another world, too?

Judging by Feng Shouzhuo's state, he was probably truly in love.

Wasn't this just asking for trouble?

He treated a mere stage performer like a priceless treasure.

If word got out, the blame for failing to keep the family in line would fall on them. The Feng Clan would lose face before eight generations of ancestors!

Feng Xiu shook his head.

"First Young Master, Second Young Master has merely lost some yang energy. I had a physician examine him, and he needs only a few days of rest," Uncle Zheng said, noticing Feng Xiu's changing expression.

The second young master had been bewitched by a woman and blinded to reason. With enough persuasion, he might come around. But his illness was the most urgent matter.

"Lost yang energy?"

"Yes. The physician examined him and said he has lost his primordial yang." Uncle Zheng paused. "But I don't think this time he was simply blinded by a woman. I fear he's fallen victim to a scheme."

"A scheme, Uncle Zheng? Are you talking about cultivation through energy absorption?"

Feng Xiu frowned. He had heard the household guards talk about skilled, roving rapists who practiced techniques for absorbing yin to replenish yang, or yang to replenish yin.

At the time, Feng Xiu had not taken it seriously, listening only as though it were a story.

Uncle Zheng shook his head. "I can't say for sure. But cultivation through energy absorption is a heretical practice in the martial world. The moment it's exposed, its practitioner becomes a public enemy of the martial world. It's rare for a woman to take a man's primordial yang."

Uncle Zheng had little evidence to support his suspicion, and he did not dare jump to conclusions.

Feng Xiu said nothing. After hearing Uncle Zheng's explanation, it did seem possible.

Then his thoughts drifted away, and he sighed. "Whatever the case, we should investigate first."

Uncle Zheng nodded.

"Uncle Zheng, I think I'd feel more at ease if I had a little strength in my body," Feng Xiu said, suddenly turning serious.

What if it had not been Shou Zhuo lying in that bed today, but him?

The thought flashed through his mind, and Feng Xiu turned to Uncle Zheng.

Uncle Zheng was surprised by what he heard. "If you're willing to learn martial arts, it won't be difficult. But Cloud Province lies on a plateau. Your bones have already set, so if you want to learn martial arts, you'll have to work several times as hard—perhaps even ten times as hard. Young Master, are you certain?"

If Feng Xiu had been going to learn martial arts, he should have started at the age of three.

As the future head of the family, it was not that Feng Xiu lacked the aptitude.

Rather, Feng Ao's overall strategy for the clan was to have one scholar and one warrior, complementing each other.

"It's fine. As long as I can learn, that's enough. It's hard to watch Shou Zhuo in this state."

"In that case, First Young Master, you can start by training your body with the escort team. Chief Escort Zhou's team is at the estate."

Feng Xiu nodded, but then something struck him as odd.

"Isn't Uncle Zhou out escorting a shipment?"

It seemed that the team was not there solely to help suppress the unruly tenant farmers.

Uncle Zheng explained, "First Young Master, there's something you may not know. The family head intends to get involved in the martial arts trade. Jin Province is in turmoil, full of refugees and bandits, so our goods are bound to suffer losses."

The Feng Clan had dabbled in gray-market business in its early years, and now it had allied with the Zhou Family Escort Team.

It was always good for Feng Xiu to know a few moves. That was the family head's intention, too.

Feng Xiu had not yet reached the point where he would take over the family's business, so he knew little about it. After hearing Uncle Zheng's explanation, he understood at once.

The Great Liang Dynasty had not yet run out of strength, but uprisings were springing up everywhere.

Only the unique terrain of the Cloud Ridge Plateau had kept Cloud Province peaceful and preserved some semblance of order. Otherwise, the land would have long been engulfed in smoke and fire.

After they talked, Feng Xiu asked a few more questions about the specifics of their cooperation with the Zhou Family.

When all was said and done, it was still a grain business.

Golden Ear Wheat brought astonishing profits. Transporting it from Cloud Province to the inland regions and back again could net them at least several thousand taels.

Back at the estate, Feng Xiu forced himself to stay alert and quickly dealt with several urgent matters concerning the farmsteads.

He also had the accountants check the quantity of Golden Ear Seeds, then ordered them to count the plows and other farming tools needed for spring plowing, as well as the amount of fertilizer pills they needed to buy.

"Send all this broken equipment to Zhao's Ironworks. Repair what can be repaired, and replace what needs replacing."

Spring plowing began in June, and the harvest came in November. The timing was just right. Golden Ear Wheat grew extremely quickly, so spring sowing was the family's top priority.

As he gave orders, Feng Xiu unconsciously looked up at the dazzling, scorching blue sky outside the window.

This weather did not look like rain was coming anytime soon.

"We'll follow your orders, First Young Master."

Feng Xiu's mind wandered a little.

Thinking of this, he remembered his father's plan to seek out respectable tenant farmers and sighed inwardly.

"Also, make a count of the able-bodied men on the White Willow, Dendrobium, and Hundred Dou farmsteads. Pay special attention to whether any have martial backgrounds or fierce temperaments."

They could not count on the water in Tang Reservoir, and Feng Ao's actions were strange. At this point, Feng Xiu had no better solution.

He could only focus on picking out tenant farmers who seemed inclined to make trouble.

Then Master Black—or rather, he himself—would step in.

"If all else fails, I'll waive the rent. You can't let the living be stifled to death by a little piss!"

The old accountant looked puzzled, but still nodded in agreement.

As soon as Feng Xiu left the accounts room, Uncle Zheng was already waiting nearby. His expression was solemn as he said, "First Young Master, the men from the Zhou Family Escort Team are training in the west courtyard. The family head told me to take you there."

Feng Xiu set aside his lingering thoughts and nodded.