Shanyang Small Spirit Seed (Seeking PP)

"What is so good about the Shanyin Liu Clan?" the old lady muttered incessantly. "Every one of them holds their nose in the air, and they are full of underhanded schemes. If you ask me..."

The Shanyin Liu Clan and the Shanyang Gongsun Clan were separated only by Dragon Ridge Mountain. Since the mountain was rich in resources and mineral deposits, the two families frequently clashed, and their relationship could hardly be called harmonious.

"Enough! You old woman, how can you speak so recklessly about the marriage alliance between the Wang Clan and the Liu Clan?" Gongsun Mo could no longer sit still; he stood up abruptly and roared, "Gongsun Qiang, take your mother back to rest. I still have words for Shouzhe."

Gongsun Qiang hurriedly helped his still-muttering mother away, while Gongsun Hui added, "Zhe'er, have a good chat with your grandfather. I will go speak with Mother for a while."

Gongsun Hui had already achieved her goal of acting as a go-between today. Given her status, it would be inappropriate for her to participate in the conversation between Gongsun Mo and Wang Shouzhe, so she took Wang Luojing's small hand and left.

Once everyone had departed, Wang Shouzhe bowed to Gongsun Mo. "Shouzhe pays his respects to Grandfather."

"Zhe'er, no need for such formalities. Come, come, taste the spirit tea your grandfather grew himself." Gongsun Mo had been well-prepared for Wang Shouzhe's arrival and immediately ordered spirit tea and fruit to be served.

Spirit tea and fruit were luxuries in any Profound Martial Aristocratic Clan, requiring spirit fields to cultivate—and spirit fields were vital strategic resources for every family. Gongsun Mo only possessed a few mu of such land, which he used exclusively to entertain honored guests.

As for the Ping'an Wang Clan, they currently only had enough spirit fields to grow White Jade Spirit Rice, which was barely enough for the clan members' own consumption; naturally, they would not waste land on spirit tea and fruit, which had a lower economic return.

"Many thanks, Grandfather." With spirit tea and fruit to enjoy, Wang Shouzhe did not stand on ceremony and sat down to partake.

Inside the jade-carved teacup, the tea was a ruddy red, its fragrance so intoxicating that the mere scent was refreshing. He took a sip, and a slight bitterness filled his mouth, but the next instant, a cool sensation surged straight to his brain. Wang Shouzhe felt instantly invigorated, and any lingering feelings of gloom or obscurity were swept away.

"Excellent tea," Wang Shouzhe couldn't help but praise. "This spirit tea is mellow and fragrant, with a long-lasting aftertaste. It also helps to calm the mind and wash away distracting thoughts."

"Haha, I didn't expect Zhe'er to be a connoisseur of tea as well." Gongsun Mo was deeply gratified, feeling that his pearls had not been cast before swine. He proudly introduced, "This tea is called Shanyang Small Spirit Seed. I discovered the wild tea seeds deep in Dragon Ridge Mountain when I was young. After decades of careful cultivation, I can now steadily produce over a catty every year. Even the two ancestors of our family are quite fond of it. Tell you what, I will spare you one tael every year."

When he mentioned sparing a tael, the corner of Gongsun Mo's mouth twitched imperceptibly; he was clearly pained by the loss. It was no wonder—growing spirit tea was not like growing White Jade Spirit Rice, nor was it like common tea on Earth that could be planted densely.

Often, a single mu of spirit field could only support a few tea plants, and constant, meticulous care and maintenance were essential. The processes of picking, rolling, and fermenting were also extremely demanding.

Therefore, the cost of even a single tael of spirit tea was incredibly high.

"Many thanks, Grandfather. Shouzhe will not decline." Wang Shouzhe knew that Gongsun Mo intended to support him, so he naturally would not refuse.

In the current Wang Clan, only he, Wang Shouzhe, was worth Gongsun Mo's investment, much like how Gongsun Mo had once married his daughter to Wang Dingyue as a second wife. If one day Wang Shouzhe could advance to the Spirit Platform Realm, he would surely remember this favor.

More importantly, both Gongsun Mo and his wife doted on Gongsun Hui. Since Wang Shouzhe was Gongsun Hui's legitimate son and could be considered her future reliance within the Wang Clan, Gongsun Mo would find ways to squeeze out resources to support his grandson-in-law for his daughter's sake.

Of course, all of this was predicated on Wang Shouzhe having decent potential and a filial relationship with Gongsun Hui.

If Wang Shouzhe were an ungrateful wretch who didn't know his place, Gongsun Mo would naturally ignore him. If the Wang Clan were to collapse entirely, he would simply bring his daughter and granddaughter back to the Gongsun Clan.

After some pleasantries, the two moved on to the main topic.

After drinking a cup of tea, Gongsun Mo's expression grew serious. "Zhe'er, after receiving the letter you sent this morning, I initially had some doubts. It was only after I personally went to the farm to inspect it and consulted with the veteran farmers in the clan that I finally confirmed it. As you said, a Honey Insect plague is indeed likely, and I fear it may reduce our harvest by over sixty percent compared to last year. Zhe'er, here, on behalf of the Gongsun Clan..."

"Grandfather, there is no need for such distant words," Wang Shouzhe interrupted. "Even if I hadn't issued a warning, given the speed at which the Honey Insects have been erupting over the past two days, every family would have become aware of it, sooner or later."

The signs of aphids were not obvious at first, and every year there was always some reduction in yield due to them. Thus, farmers were accustomed to seeing a few at the start. But once the outbreak began, the aphid eggs buried in the soil would hatch in a very short time, catching everyone off guard.

"That is not entirely true," Gongsun Mo shook his head. "My Shanyang Gongsun Clan has sixteen thousand mu of fertile land. Based on a harvest of fifteen large copper coins per mu this winter, that is two hundred and forty thousand large copper coins, or two thousand four hundred Qian Gold. We are currently in the early stages of the Honey Insect outbreak; even if we reduce the loss by twenty percent, that is still four or five hundred Qian Gold saved. Furthermore, I followed your instructions to send clan members and family guards into the mountains early to capture Lacewing Insects and Nine-Star Insects."

Lacewing Insects and Nine-Star Insects, even the Insect Kings, were ultimately just common creatures, not even reaching the level of first-grade spirit insects, so no one usually paid them any mind. At least some could still be gathered in the deep mountains around Shanyang.

As they spoke, a family guard came to report that the first batch of Lacewing and Nine-Star Insects had been brought back.

"In that case, let us not delay. Grandfather, please send your trusted guards to accompany us," Wang Shouzhe said, standing up. "Disaster relief is like fighting a fire; we cannot afford a moment's delay."

Soon, a maidservant called Gongsun Hui and Wang Luojing back, and they rode horses together to the Gongsun Clan's largest farm—a massive estate with seven thousand mu of fertile land.

It was clear that the foundation of the Shanyang Gongsun Clan far exceeded that of the Ping'an Wang Clan.

The tenant farmers across the entire estate were already working frantically, using traditional wood ash lye mixed with a double dose of Pest-Exterminating Powder to combat the insects. The operation was actually quite effective; if they had enough powder, they might have been able to contain the outbreak.

Unfortunately, the Gongsun Clan had only stockpiled a small amount of the powder, which was like trying to put out a burning cart of firewood with a single cup of water.

"Fourth Brother~" Wang Luojing had spent over an hour taming three Lacewing Insect Kings and one Nine-Star Insect King, and she looked mentally exhausted. "Because the time was too short, these Insect Kings can only be simply tamed. I can barely command them to act, so the guards can release the wild Lacewing and Nine-Star Insects."

"Luojing, you have worked hard." Wang Shouzhe stroked her head with a touch of pity and took out the spirit fruit he had just grabbed. "Refresh yourself first; disaster relief cannot be delayed."

"Don't worry, Fourth Brother." Wang Luojing nodded obediently, her strength recovering significantly after eating the spirit fruit. "As long as I can control the Insect Kings, those Lacewing and Nine-Star Insects won't run off. But I can't make them go out to gather the smaller insects and fly back on their own."

Following that, Wang Luojing did as she had been taught, barely managing to command the Insect Kings and their swarms into the thousands of mu of wheat fields. By the time they finished, the sky had already turned dark.

At this time, Gongsun Mo arrived at the scene in person, bringing a cook and plenty of spirit food to prepare dinner on-site. They cleared out a room in the farmhouse, with the Clan Leader, the Young Clan Leader, and a clansman named Gongsun Zhong and his wife, Wang Liuyu, keeping them company.

Wang Liuyu was a member of the Wang Clan. She must have been forty years old by now, but because she was well-maintained, she looked only in her early thirties, and her attire suggested she lived a comfortable life.

"Shouzhe pays his respects to Third Aunt and Third Uncle." Wang Shouzhe bowed first.

"This, this, Shouzhe, no need for such formalities." Gongsun Zhong was dark-skinned and rugged; it was said he managed operations in the Gongsun family's mines. He held a high position among the direct-line clansmen, but he was simple, honest, and not very good at socializing.

Wang Liuyu also returned the bow repeatedly, appearing very respectful toward Wang Shouzhe. Although she was a generation older than him, Wang Shouzhe was of the direct line and the Clan Leader of the Wangs.

Wang Luojing, however, threw herself into Wang Liuyu's arms, calling out sweetly, "Auntie."

In terms of blood relations, Wang Liuyu was the second daughter of the Fourth Grand-Uncle, Wang Xiaozhi. She was Wang Luojing's actual aunt, so they were naturally close.