Midsummer Calamity Descends

Wu Kuang seemed to want to say something, but stopped himself.

Before Fang Xun could issue an order to see them out, Li Shun took the initiative to excuse himself and leave.

"Tui Zhi, go wait in the side room first," Fang Xun instructed blandly.

No one knew what the two had discussed, but before long, Wu Kuang hurried away again, his face brimming with excitement.

The faint clamor of the yamen's constables assembling could still be heard outside.

Li Shun did not poke his head out to look. He merely watched his nose, his nose watched his heart, and sat quietly in the side room.

Before long, Fang Xun summoned him back to the study.

The Cold Mountain Lord plant he had handed over had already been transplanted into a flowerpot.

It continuously gave off a faint blue glow, adding another measure of tranquility to the already cool study.

Yet because it was constantly releasing its essence into the outside world and suffering some depletion itself, the Cold Mountain Lord looked somewhat listless.

"Tui Zhi, show me that Spirit-Splitting Life-Creation Technique of yours," Fang Xun ordered.

Li Shun nodded and began circulating this farmer family art with practiced ease.

His sixteen-year-old body was at the very peak of youth, far beyond comparison with his former aged body.

Strands of scarlet light drifted from within Li Shun, shrouding the Cold Mountain Lord.

In that instant, the Cold Mountain Lord seemed as though it had been nourished by the radiance of a cold moon.

Its weariness vanished, and it became lively and dewy once more.

Its size had even increased by the slightest bit!

"Hm?" Fang Xun gave Li Shun a somewhat surprised look.

"It seems I truly underestimated you. Tui Zhi, your mastery of this farmer family secret art is indeed rather extraordinary."

Li Shun lowered his head modestly. "I spent an entire lifetime studying only one thing, yet achieved only this much. It is truly shameful."

Fang Xun smiled and did not pursue the subject.

He merely fiddled with the Cold Mountain Lord as though admiring a beloved treasure.

After quite some time, Fang Xun suddenly spoke, looking at Li Shun. "With your current young body, how many Cold Mountain Lords and Cold Mountain Grass plants can you tend each day at most?"

Li Shun's gaze flickered, but he did not hesitate in the slightest. "If it is merely tending mature plants rather than inducing growth, ten Cold Mountain Grass plants and two Cold Mountain Lords should not be a problem."

"If it is inducing the growth of seedlings, then it is hard to say. After all, the expenditure of blood and qi is too great."

"But Tui Zhi can give it his all," Li Shun said in a deep voice.

Fang Xun nodded. What Li Shun had said was more or less in line with what he knew.

After pondering for a moment, Fang Xun slowly spoke again. "Tomorrow, I will arrange a room specifically for these spirit plants. You need only come tend them once each morning. The rest of your time is yours to arrange."

Li Shun bowed. "Tui Zhi understands."

Fang Xun continued, "The Spirit-Splitting Life-Creation Technique consumes blood and qi, after all. I imagine you have not eaten particularly well in ordinary times. From now on, eat at the county yamen together with the runners. It will at least replenish some blood and qi."

"Thank you for your grace, Your Honor!" Li Shun said with great gratitude.

From that day onward, Li Shun could be considered to have obtained an official post at the yamen.

Fang Xun even created a position specifically for him: Cold Mountain Keeper.

Though the monthly stipend was only eight thousand yuan, he had at least entered the ranks of the clerks.

Moreover, whenever Fang Xun inspected the condition of the Cold Mountain Lord, Li Shun accompanied him at his side. He had already become one of those in the county yamen who had more frequent contact with the county magistrate.

Thus, without anyone noticing, Li Shun's status slowly rose as well.

Whenever ordinary constables and runners saw him, they would greet him pleasantly and call out, "Keeper Li."

Whenever Li Shun was not tending the Cold Mountain Lord, he spent his spare time reading all kinds of borrowed books.

For instance, the Great Gan Code.

The Great Gan Code covered every aspect of Great Qian, from top to bottom, and its contents were profound and obscure.

Though Li Shun had regained his youth, he still found it rather difficult to read.

The days passed one by one, and everything appeared calm as usual.

Yet Fang Xun had quietly increased the number of Cold Mountain Grass and Cold Mountain Lord plants in the greenhouse to fifteen and three respectively.

He seemed to have completely forgotten the maximum number Li Shun had previously said he could tend.

"Tui Zhi, you will have to work a little harder these days."

"Once spring arrives next year, you will return to the Sacred Capital with me. Then they will no longer need your care."

Fang Xun spoke earnestly.

Hearing that Fang Xun intended to take him to the Sacred Capital, Li Shun immediately put on an expression of overwhelming gratitude.

"Tui Zhi swears to repay Your Honor's recognition even unto death!"

And fearing that Li Shun might not tend the plants well enough, Fang Xun thoughtfully handed him a scroll.

"This is the original Spirit-Splitting Life-Creation Technique."

"What you learned before was a modified version created by the court for the special need of inducing Cold Mountain Grass growth. Though it is easier for ordinary people to learn, its effects are undoubtedly somewhat inferior."

"You have talent, and your body is at the prime of youth. Study this original version. You may perhaps gain greatly from it," Fang Xun instructed blandly.

"Tui Zhi understands!" Li Shun said, lowering his head as his hand clenched tightly around the book.

In his small courtyard, Li Shun repeatedly read through the Spirit-Splitting Life-Creation Technique Fang Xun had given him.

"Split the essence of living beings to nourish the wondrous things of heaven and earth. The original intent of this art is to gather the strength of all living creatures and cultivate rare treasures of heaven and earth, not to exhaust a single person's essence and blood."

"Though I borrowed two hundred years of lifespan and my blood and qi are abundant beyond measure, the expenditure of tending the spirit plants in the greenhouse is nearly negligible to me. But this cannot continue forever. I need to think of a way..."

"Moreover, from my observations during this period, Fang Xun's degree of importance placed upon the Cold Mountain Lord is truly unusual. He even hoards some of the ordinary offerings like Cold Mountain Grass."

"It seems the reduced production of Cold Mountain Grass may be even more serious than I thought. Perhaps it may even..."

"Go completely extinct in the future!"

Li Shun's consciousness entered the Square Inch Space once more.

The puppet [Li Shun] had not become younger along with his return to youth.

Instead, it still retained its original appearance.

It seemed the puppet's state had always been anchored to the instant it had entered the Square Inch Space.

"If only there were some way to make him return to youth as well."

"With a body fixed at sixteen, when blood and qi are at their peak, the efficiency of cultivating Cold Mountain Grass would likely be more than twice what it is now."

As he thought this, a bold idea suddenly surfaced in Li Shun's mind.

"I can borrow lifespan. Can this puppet borrow lifespan too?"

The moment this thought arose, Li Shun's heart began to pound.

Yet restrained by reason, he temporarily abandoned the attempt.

"The laws of Great Qian are strict. The Twelve Longevity Method is strictly forbidden from being passed on without official permission."

"There must be some method of surveillance. If I borrow lifespan without permission, I may bring disaster upon myself."

"Before I understand how they monitor it, it is best not to act rashly."

Li Shun forcibly suppressed the restless thoughts in his heart.

In the blink of an eye, five months passed, and summer had arrived.

This day was the sixth day of the sixth month.

Li Shun had just finished tending the Cold Mountain Lord and was strolling out of the greenhouse.

Then he suddenly heard the county yamen's alarm bell ring out in a piercing clamor.

At the same time, waves of panicked cries rang out.

"The flood is here! The flood is here!"

Li Shun could not help raising his head to look.

A wall of water that nearly covered half the sky came roaring toward them.