The Countermeasure

After leaving Wu Clan Manor, Feng Xiu didn't get into his own carriage. He went straight to Lin Residence with Lin Che.

Neither of them spoke along the way.

Only after they entered Lin Che's study and shut the door did Lin Che finally lose patience.

"Wen Zheng, what exactly does Fan Ling mean by this?"

Lin Che paced back and forth, gripping the fan in his hand tightly. His brows alternately relaxed and furrowed.

"The three of us studied under Master Jingzhai from childhood. We all got rapped on the knuckles by his ruler,

"snuck out to drink together, and went to hunt Black Fighting Yaks together. How could Fan Ling... how could he..."

Lin Che murmured, memories churning through his mind, vivid yet bewildering.

After a long while, he finally looked up at Feng Xiu, his voice hoarse. "Tell me, had he already been in cahoots with the River Law Bureau for a long time?"

Lin Che couldn't understand Fan Ling. In his heart, he still regarded him as a friend.

"Yes. Today's performance was clearly meant for us to see." Feng Xiu fell silent, then spoke slowly.

When all was said and done, Fan Ling had been driven by self-interest.

If he could cling to a powerful backer in these chaotic times, Feng Xiu would have acted even more ruthlessly than him.

Unfortunately, Feng Xiu was now a thorn in the River Law Bureau's side, a target for everyone.

Earlier, when discussing the Eastern Army with Uncle Zheng, Feng Xiu had considered switching allegiance to the Eastern Army or the River Law Bureau.

But his earlier actions had already thoroughly offended the River Law Bureau.

Besides, the Feng Clan had no decent token of allegiance to offer.

"If he'd already sided with the River Law Bureau, why didn't he simply refuse back when the Sweet Dew Grand Festival was being held?"

"Why did he go through all that trouble with us? And now he shows up with Qin Huan in tow, leaving us out in the cold. What's that supposed to mean?"

Then Lin Che spoke again, deep disappointment hidden in his eyes.

Fan Ling had cut ties so completely that even now, Lin Che still found it unbelievable.

As he spoke, Lin Che's voice faltered, and a keen glint flashed in his eyes.

"Wen Zheng, did Fan Ling find out something?"

Lin Che had calmed down. "Qin Huan's appearance today sends the wrong signal. They say it's about releasing water, but who knows what they're plotting behind the scenes? Fan Ling switched sides ahead of time, so he must have gotten some kind of news."

Feng Xiu was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"Wenyuan." Lin Che froze and looked at him.

Feng Xiu said, "We should prepare in advance."

Lin Che's expression shifted, and he hurriedly pressed him. "Wen Zheng, what do you mean? What do you know?"

"If possible, distribute the family's grain stores." Feng Xiu didn't answer directly. Instead, he changed the subject.

"What?" Lin Che stared at him, stunned.

Seeing that he still hadn't caught on, Feng Xiu spelled it out. "I mean exactly what I said. Like the Feng Clan, open porridge kitchens and distribute grain to the refugees."

Lin Che's brows knitted tightly.

"Wen Zheng, teach me."

Lin Che had begun to grasp the idea, but he was still somewhat confused. He asked solemnly.

"The Eastern Army will be here soon."

Feng Xiu kept it brief. Sooner or later, this secret intelligence would get out.

By revealing it now, he could also spread out some of the risk the Feng Clan would otherwise bear.

The moment he heard this, Lin Che understood.

Once Jin Province fell into chaos, the Eastern Army would certainly move to seize Cloud Province's grain. It was a plateau, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

When an army arrived, the first thing it would do was requisition grain.

And Feng Xiu was opening porridge kitchens and distributing grain. On the surface, it was to aid the refugees, but in truth...?

Suddenly, Lin Che's heart tightened.

"Brother Wen Zheng, are you thinking..." Lin Che steadied himself. "If we distribute the grain, the Eastern Army won't be able to requisition it?"

"Not entirely."

Feng Xiu replied calmly, "If they can't get grain from us, they'll have to turn to the River Law Bureau and the Grain Constitution Bureau."

"The River Law Bureau refused to open the sluice gates before, putting us under such pressure. Now that the Eastern Army is here, what will they use to answer for it?"

Lin Che's eyes lit up at once.

This move was ruthless.

The River Law Bureau had used Tang Reservoir to keep the various families in line. This plan could not only turn the tables on them, but also drive a wedge between the Eastern Army and the River Law Bureau.

Besides, the authorities had done absolutely nothing about the surge of refugees in the city.

Putting the grain to practical use by feeding refugees could also win them a fine reputation.

"But what if the Eastern Army forces our hand?"

The plan was good, but Lin Che still hesitated.

"What if they issue an ultimatum, giving us a few days to gather grain? What do we do then?"

"Then we tell them we're out of grain. The accounts for the porridge kitchens will be right there in black and white. We gave it all to the refugees. Are they going to kill the refugees and make them cough the grain back up?"

Feng Xiu paused, then added, "Besides, don't forget: Cloud Province isn't like the other provinces. Even if the Eastern Army wants the land, in the end, they'll still need us to farm it!"

Seeing Lin Che still deep in thought, Feng Xiu added one more thing.

"Besides, we're not some grain merchants without backing."

"If you think it'll be difficult, you can let the other grain families know. The more families involved, the more secure we'll be."

Feng Xiu had never hidden what he really thought: if they had to bear the burden, they would bear it together!

If trouble came, none of them would escape.

And when the Eastern Army arrived, faced with resistance from so many grain merchants, it would have only two possible choices!

"Stability, at any cost!"

Or, "Violence, destroy everything!"

Lin Che fell silent for a while. The various families weren't fools.

They all knew what the River Law Bureau was scheming by keeping Tang Reservoir shut.

They had simply held out hope, thinking things might not come to that.

Now Feng Xiu had laid out a path. Whether they followed it was up to them.

If a family could still stomach the River Law Bureau repeatedly breaking the rules, then Lin Che would have to admire them.

At that thought, Lin Che's mind stalled. He remembered the Fan Family, which had sided with the River Law Bureau.

He didn't believe the head of the Fan Family hadn't been involved in making the decision.

"Wen Zheng," Lin Che asked suddenly, "do you think the Eastern Army is really coming this time just to requisition grain and seize land?"

Feng Xiu shook his head. "No."

"What do you mean?"

Feng Xiu sighed softly, then explained in full.

"The martial artists of Cloud Province are different from those elsewhere."

Lin Che froze.

Feng Xiu continued, "We're used to living in Cloud Province, so we don't notice it. But the moment we descend to the plains, our blood and qi become like wild horses that have broken free of their reins—far more powerful than they are on the plateau."

Feng Xiu had worked this out for himself.

When he had first transmigrated, he hadn't thought Cloud Province was anything special, especially after learning that it lay on a plateau.

Aside from the outrageous growing cycle of Golden Ear Wheat, he hadn't felt the effects of altitude sickness or noticed any other obvious regional differences.

But it was only after he began practicing martial arts that he seriously considered the matter.

Then he reached a conclusion: altitude sickness was real, and everyone experienced it. They had simply adapted to it.

Put in terms of martial arts, the way martial artists in Cloud Province circulated their blood and qi was heavier than the martial arts methods described in books.

Not slower, but weightier—heavier!

In other words, every martial artist in Cloud Province who had achieved some success in cultivation

had essentially been training with weights on!

It was even more intense than the breathless, oxygen-starved feeling of running on a plateau!

Their heart and lung capacity was remarkable—in fact, astonishingly powerful!

Once they reached the plains, martial artists wouldn't experience any symptoms from too much oxygen. The circulation of blood and qi developed through martial arts cultivation would erupt in an instant!

Feng Xiu had never been to the inland regions, but he knew exactly what kind of power martial arts could be.

If he went inland now, he was certain he'd break through Blood Burning without the slightest resistance and see his strength skyrocket!

So the Eastern Army wasn't coming just for grain.

They might very well want people too!

In the room, Lin Che said nothing for a long time after hearing Feng Xiu's explanation.

He understood now that the renewed vigor he'd noticed in Feng Xiu after their repeated meetings wasn't simply the result of working in the fields, as Feng Xiu had claimed.

"Wen Zheng, I understand."

Feng Xiu nodded. He didn't linger, but stood and headed for the door.

At the door, Lin Che called out to him.

"Wen Zheng, how much grain should we set aside for the porridge kitchens?"

"All of it."

Lin Che froze.

"Put all of it out." Feng Xiu looked at him, his voice calm but firm.

"Not a single grain left."