Interception

North of Jiang Prefecture, Green Mountain Lake's forbidden grounds.

After six years of steady development, the Qin Household was already utterly transformed.

The barren slopes on both sides of the lake had been reclaimed into neat terraced fields, rising layer upon layer until they met the distant horizon. Water and sky merged into one line. Viewed from above, they resembled steps leading to the Great Dao. The few scattered earthen houses had also expanded into an entire village, arranged in pleasing disorder beneath curling threads of cooking smoke.

The total number of Agricultural Path Cultivators in the Qin Household had surpassed a hundred, and it was still growing year by year.

Wang Congyun sent people over with increasing frequency. At first, he sent a batch every two or three years, with no fixed date. Later, people were delivered almost every spring, forming what was practically a meticulous transportation route for "Farmers."

Those he rescued were Ninth Grade "Farmers" who had narrowly survived the Daoist Sect's schemes. Most still bore injuries, and some arrived gaunt as skeletons, with barely half a life left in them. Only after his thorough investigation were they transferred here, clinging to life by sheer luck.

Once they reached Green Mountain Lake, nourished by this land of fish and rice, they gradually came back to life and regained a trace of living vigor.

After managing the household for many years, Qin Xian was no longer comparable to the mere country farmwife she had once been. Having occupied a high position for so long, she now carried herself with some of a household head's bearing.

She had also worked out a complete Inheritance Method, deeply understanding the importance of passing things down. She integrated the principles of master-disciple inheritance and implemented a system within the Lineage where veterans taught newcomers and one person instructed many.

Newcomers first studied under experienced farmers, learning basic knowledge step by step—how to distinguish soil, select seeds, and read the seasons. Once their foundation was solid, they were introduced to higher-ranked Field Stewards for further study.

The rules were carried out meticulously and produced remarkable results. The Qin Household now had more than twenty Field Stewards, and their average cultivation growth was more than twice as fast as the early days of leaving people to develop on their own!

Earth Escape could be seen everywhere in the fields around Green Mountain Lake. When plowing, some people directly escaped from one end of a field to the other. During harvest season, several people took turns shifting the soil and turned the furrows upside down. Their efficiency was far beyond that of ordinary farmers; in the realm of supernatural farming, they left everyone else in the dust.

The Qin Household had been completely renewed from top to bottom.

However, only three people in the Lineage had truly reached the limits of Eighth Grade: Qin Xian, Qin Yi, and Xiao Tuyun.

Qin Yi had become far steadier over the years. He spoke less and less, giving people the impression of a silent mountain. Qin Xian, meanwhile, poured most of her energy into managing the Lineage and passing on the Dao, and her cultivation advanced steadily.

The truly exceptional one was still Xiao Tuyun.

Over the past six years, the child had never revealed anything unusual before outsiders to the Lineage. Qin Xian only told others that Tu Yun was her daughter, still young, capable at work, but not yet awakened to cultivation.

Most people in the Lineage believed she was merely an ordinary little girl, perhaps a little quicker with her hands and brighter in the head. No one knew she had already reached Eighth Grade perfection, nor that the Seventh Grade barrier that had trapped her for years was beginning to loosen.

As the Qin Household steadily developed, the Agricultural Path's fortunes at Green Mountain Lake quietly began to change as well.

The trait of Blessing a Region worked silently, and a kind of wondrous object known as a Land Spirit was slowly being born.

The first to emerge among the fields was [Insect Spirit].

While turning the soil at the edge of a field, someone caught a flash of green light among the blades of grass. After considerable effort, they finally caught it and discovered it was a tiny grasshopper, green from head to toe.

Once the news spread, more and more Insect Spirits were captured and bound as masters and servants. Before long, they became the Qin Household's primary means of relaying messages.

Later, someone discovered [Snake Spirit]. It looked like a tiny grass snake three fingers long, dark green all over, gentle by nature, and reluctant to move. It simply liked curling up beside the field ridges to bask in the sun.

At first, everyone was startled and drove them away, afraid they would hurt someone. Later, they discovered that wherever a [Snake Spirit] was present, no vermin infested the fields, no rats dug holes in the ground, and even mosquitoes were far fewer. The crops grew peacefully, free of disaster and disease. Yet if the spirits were driven away, the five poisons would instead gather in clusters and miasma would scatter in all directions.

As time passed, everyone in the Qin Household began actively introducing Snake Spirits into the fields, and the entire farmland became clean and peaceful.

The Land Spirits and the Qin Household coexisted and prospered together. Each performed its own duties, living peacefully side by side and supporting the other.

One morning.

Qin Xian was drying medicinal herbs in the courtyard when she suddenly saw Xiao Tuyun standing on a large stone by the lake with her hands clasped behind her back, staring blankly at the water without moving.

Xiao Tuyun was no longer as lively and unruly as she had been in childhood. Her brows and eyes now held a measure of quiet calm. Barefoot, with her long hair simply gathered into a bun, a few strands scattered in the breeze, she looked light and spirited.

"Child, what is it?"

Xiao Tuyun turned back, her eyes clear. "Mother, I can feel the barrier above Field Steward loosening. I want to enter seclusion and break through!"

"Truly?"

"Mhm."

"Good!"

Qin Xian lowered her voice, but she could not hide her excitement.

"You are the greatest trump card our Qin Household has hidden for so many years. If you can truly break through, it will be a blessing beyond measure!"

"Just enter seclusion with peace of mind. I'll tell outsiders that I'm the one attempting a breakthrough, and no one will learn it is you. If you truly succeed in the future, I will be the Agricultural Path's Third Realm expert in the open, while you will be the true strongest one in the shadows!"

Xiao Tuyun nodded, then hesitated before speaking.

"Mother, there is one more matter... Daoist Priest Wang has been sending people more and more frequently lately. I keep worrying that he will draw the Daoist Sect's attention!"

"Our Qin Household now has more than a hundred people. We are no longer the tiny household we once were. Back then, it was enough for the few of us to eat our fill and live peacefully. Now, however, so many lives and futures are involved... If the Daoist Sect discovers us, it may bring a calamity that topples the heavens and crushes the earth. We cannot fail to prepare early!"

"We now have Insect Spirits that can send messages outward. I think... we should try to get in touch with Daoist Priest Wang, learn of developments outside, and not wait until disaster is at our door before reacting."

Qin Xian took her pale jade hand and gently patted it.

"You were such a little troublemaker when you were young, but the older you grow, the heavier your thoughts become... Just focus on breaking through. Leave everything else for Mother to worry about!"

Xiao Tuyun answered and said no more. Turning around, she took a single step and leaped straight into the deep waters of the lake.

Splash! Plop—!

Water sprayed in all directions. Several bubbles rose to the surface with a gurgle, sending ripples spreading outward, before the lake finally settled into complete stillness.

Seeing this, Qin Xian understood. That child had been close to earth, water, and vegetation ever since she was small. Beneath the water, she could better calm her heart and steady her mind.

She looked closely. Brightly colored fish swam and gathered in the emerald lake water, circling around Xiao Tuyun as she sank below, as if protecting her during her cultivation.

Qin Xian did not watch any longer. With a pinch of her fingers, a jade-green Insect Spirit appeared in her palm. Holding it between her fingers, she silently recited several phrases, instilling Wang Congyun's name and rough location into it, then blew a breath of immortal qi upon it.

Whoosh~

Bzzzz.

The Insect Spirit beat its wings into flight, circled twice to determine its direction, then turned into a streak of green light and escaped into the earth.

Qin Xian felt somewhat reassured. She had long made many preparations concerning the use of Insect Spirits for external communication. She had confirmed that these spirits could deliver messages to selected targets outside. So long as they were given a rough location, they could find their own way there. They were not limited to a single region, and their speed was astonishing, able to travel a thousand miles in a day.

And once caught by outsiders, they would immediately disperse into heaven and earth, revealing none of the information hidden within them. It was exceedingly safe and thorough.

Of course, there were problems as well. If the message distance was too great, the spirit would completely lose its trail, sever contact, and never return... And if it completely lost contact or was caught by outsiders and dispersed, it would also cause some loss to the local earth qi.

But those were merely minor flaws. They were not much of a problem!

What she did not know was that the Insect Spirit had originally been traveling properly. Yet halfway there, for some unknown reason, it was drawn away and changed direction, heading straight for Xiaopei County—

Xiaopei County, Locust Tree Village.

The rear hall of the Jiang Residence.

Little Jiang Liu, the Straw Figure incarnation, was squatting in the courtyard playing with mud. He looked six years old, with a fair, clean little face and large round eyes, though his gaze was always somewhat dull.

With pursed lips, he focused intently on kneading the mud into all sorts of shapes. Every now and then, he looked up and gave a foolish grin, radiating rustic innocence.

Big Household Zhou, past sixty and white-haired, sat in a bamboo chair beneath the veranda, watching his little grandson with a face full of worry.

"This child... He is already six years old, yet he cannot even call his father properly. All he does every day is play with mud. I hired several teachers to instruct him, but after they taught him for half the day, he just grinned foolishly at them. He angered those teachers so badly their beards stood on end, and they wanted to smack his palms!"

"Son-in-law, aren't you worried? Ning E doesn't seem worried either! Are the two of you even this child's parents?"

Jiang Tu was calmly drinking tea from his bowl. Hearing this, his expression did not change. "What is there to worry about? He is still young."

"Six is still young? When I was six, I had already begun my schooling! Could this child be..." The words reached his lips, but he swallowed them back down, afraid to say anything inauspicious.

Jiang Tu nearly failed to hold back his laughter and took a tactical sip of tea to conceal it.

In truth, Big Household Zhou's concerns were not unreasonable. The little fellow really was several beats slower than children his age. He walked steadily enough and had no problems running or jumping, but the moment it came to speaking or recognizing characters, he became muddleheaded. Teach him ten times, and he forgot nine.

What gave everyone an even greater headache was that it seemed deeply dissatisfied with being a boy and wholeheartedly wanted to become a little girl.

Jiang Tu and his wife had gone through great trouble to mold one for it, but two days later it would shrink back on its own. No matter how they molded it, it would not stay. Once, Big Household Zhou took it to the latrine to pee, glanced down, and nearly fainted from fright—!

It was clearly a boy, but the treasure it ought to have was gone?

Fortunately, Zhou Ning'e stepped in to save the situation. She immediately snatched the child away and said the old man had seen wrongly—the treasure was perfectly fine, right where it should be!

"Husband," Zhou Ning'e came out from the rear hall with her arms folded across her chest. Leaning close to Jiang Tu's ear, she whispered, "Your son is good in every way. He is pretty and lovable, but he is far too stupid, not bright at all. What part of him resembles your brains or mine? And he only wants to be a little girl. Shrinking his yang into his belly is one thing, but he also likes wearing little girls' clothes and flower accessories. At this rate, he will expose himself sooner or later!"

How had they never noticed before that the little Straw Figure was such a cross-dressing master?!

Jiang Tu smiled faintly.

"It is fine. In a few more years, it will be better."

He was calculating as well. Before long, he would be able to break through to Seventh Grade. By then, the Straw Figure he wove would certainly be more intelligent than Luo Jin's! When the time came, he could steal the sky and exchange the sun, seamlessly replacing it, and would no longer need to live in constant fear as he did now.

Just as he was thinking.

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something moving at the edge of the table. He saw only a tiny grasshopper, green from head to toe, that had somehow landed on the table's rim. Its antennae swayed gently. It sat quietly, neither flying away nor hiding, completely unafraid of people.

Jiang Tu's eyelid twitched. He instantly recognized it as the messenger Insect Spirit that had appeared during the evolution!

But how could an Insect Spirit have appeared here?

These Earthborn Guardian Spirits existed only in places where the Agricultural Path gathered. Green Mountain Lake was more than a thousand miles from Xiaopei County!

Without betraying anything, he reached out and enclosed the Insect Spirit in his palm, growing even more puzzled.

During the evolution, this thing had been extremely afraid of people. Only the first person who went to great lengths to capture it could become its master. So why did this one seem to have delivered itself right to his door?

Something was wrong. Nine parts out of ten, something was very wrong.