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Chapter 203 Private Cultivation
With the participation of cultivators, the joint reclamation progressed extremely quickly.

Driven by the roaring and surging spiritual energy, the nine-toothed iron plow sped across the vast land like lightning, plowing out rolling waves of earth wherever it went, instantly filling the air with the fresh scent of soil, and sending fresh soil flying everywhere.

Officials from Fengzhou Prefecture systematically registered and recorded the reclaimed land, then distributed it to many newcomers, providing them with the high-quality seeds selected last autumn and teaching them how to cultivate it.

Thus, many strange sights appeared in Fengzhou: cultivators plowed the fields in front, and the people followed behind them, sowing seeds, with spiritual energy swirling and boundless all around.

At this moment, a group of men with sharp, hook-like eyes arrived from the border of Fengzhou, covered in dust as they walked and looked around. Their faces were covered in dirt, and they drew their swords and looked around, feeling bewildered.

What they saw at that moment was a scene they had never seen before in their lives.

“Brother Tiexiong, I want to go back to the mountain. If my parents had been born in Fengzhou, they wouldn’t have been forced to their deaths, and I wouldn’t have had to flee to the mountain.”

"Nonsense, come back here!"

“Yes, Barber, now that we’re here, there’s no reason for us to go back.”

"Big brother..."

“Barber, listen to your second brother. What your eldest brother said is right. Although… it’s good, think about our children. Do you really want them to spend their whole lives hiding from us, worrying about being hunted down by the Immortal Sect and the imperial court?”

"Stop arguing. Let's find an inn to stay in first. I'll go and find out what's going on. We'll discuss our next steps and then take action."

Tie Xiong's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he rebuked Barber for speaking. He then led the group toward the city, but before they even reached the inn, they suddenly saw a row of vermilion slogans written on the opposite wall.

I was born between heaven and earth, and I must leave some stories for future generations to read.

After a long silence, Tie Xiong lifted the hem of his robe and drew a long sword from his lower back with a clang, then glanced at his brothers behind him...

Working at sunrise and resting at sunset, the agricultural area of ​​Fengzhou continued to expand, unfolding outwards like a scroll painting.

After each day's work, government offices throughout Fengzhou would prepare large pots of stew at the threshing ground.

Pigs and sheep are slaughtered and slow-cooked in the open air, their aroma wafting in the evening breeze.

Some cultivators often grumble that eating these mundane things will stagnate their cultivation and hinder the clarity of their Dao mind, since appetite is also a kind of desire.

But every time he finishes saying that, he immediately follows up with, "Please save me a leg of lamb."

A few days before the start of spring, the joint reclamation was mostly completed. Iron pots were set up again on the threshing ground in Fengzhou Prefecture, and countless ingredients were rolling in the broth, emitting a rich aroma that wafted in the gentle evening breeze, making everyone's mouths water.

"Give me a leg of lamb."

"I'm so sorry, we're out of lamb legs. Would you like some spare ribs?"

"What's wrong with you? Everyone here knows I love lamb leg the most. Are you new here?"

"He's new."

"What's your name?"

"Tie Xiong".

"Wow, your mutton stew tastes absolutely delicious."

"It's a family recipe, but I haven't made it for many years, so the taste is only about 70-80% of what it used to be."

"Hey, Brother Tie Xiong, you're being too modest. But remember to save the lamb leg for me next time!"

Zhao Ermin was adding water to the pot when he couldn't help but look up at Tie Xiong and ask, "Brother, didn't we agree to come and gather information?"

Tie Xiong stirred the soup in the pot and looked at him: "We were gathering information, and now we've found a place to work?"

Zhao Ermin's lips twitched: "When I saw my elder brother sharpening his knife this morning, I thought he had already turned his heart to ice and was determined to take action after arriving in Fengzhou."

“Those constables were carrying magical artifacts, which means they knew that private cultivators would come, but they still let us pass. That person intentionally wanted to take in private cultivators. We’ve been hiding in the mountains for so many years, it’s good that we can live like human beings.”

"It's strange, but harboring unauthorized cultivators is a serious crime in the Great Xia Dynasty."

Tie Xiong stopped stirring at this point: "Those slogans in the city are for us to see. If there really is a war, that person hopes we can leave some stories for future generations to read."

Zhao Ermin remained silent for a long time, thinking that the logic was correct, but he wondered if his elder brother was overthinking things. Before he could speak, he felt a sudden weight on his feet and looked down to see a child.

After a long silence, he opened his mouth wide, a hint of joy in his eyes.

And in the direction the child was running from, Barber, whom he hadn't seen for several days, was also walking towards this place.

He thought Barber didn't want to join the fight and left on his own, but then he realized that Barber was standing in the night with a dozen children and several women and children, looking at him.

Qiu Zhong was also in the open field at this time, walking with Kuang Cheng. He watched the three or five children running around in the threshing ground and couldn't help but think for a while.

Since the young master established his family in Fengzhou, many children have dared to go out in places frequented by cultivators, and there have been no more reports of children starving to death at home this year.

But what about the young master's bloodline?

The Ji family now only has the young master left, worrying about this and that every day, but never mentioning the continuation of his family bloodline.

This is what a faithful servant is like; he not only considers matters within his own household but also worries about the continuation of the Lord's family.

Although news from Fengzhou travels slowly, Qiu Zhong had heard that several young ladies from prominent families had taken a liking to the young master, and that he hadn't chosen any of them. This made Qiu Zhong feel heavy-hearted for quite some time.

At this moment, he couldn't help but turn to look at Kuang Cheng: "Young Master Kuang, you and my young master are close friends, so you must know something. Old Qiu wants to ask you, does my young master not like women?"

"Uncle Qiu, there's no need to worry too much. Actually, Brother Ji already has someone in his backyard. He even went to Shengjing during the New Year. I met him."

Qiu Zhong opened his mouth: "Whose daughter is she? Why don't you marry her into your family?"

Kuang Cheng lowered his voice: "Women from the three families."

"?"

"There's another one who's still living away from home."

"How could someone be left out in the world? Young Master, really, why don't you bring them back and give them a proper status?"

"It's probably difficult to answer..."

Qiu Zhong was taken aback: "Is it very far?"

Kuang Cheng nodded, thinking to himself, "You're absolutely right. Your wives are all living far away."

Thinking of this, his gaze couldn't help but shift to the south side of the open-air threshing ground.

Under the dim night sky, several demon merchants stood at the edge, observing this place. After whispering and exchanging words, they walked away into the distance, taking out paper and pen from their pockets and scribbling.

Qiu Zhong also saw them and couldn't help but frown slightly.

In fact, ever since he learned that the young master had been to the snowy region and almost lost both hands upon his return, he had developed a very negative view of the demon race.

However, since the Imperial Observatory had changed the route to this place, even if they didn't like it, they couldn't refuse people from crossing the border.

For some reason, the demon race has recently become very interested in Fengzhou, always appearing in various places. They are quite polite to people, but their vertical pupils make them look very eerie.

Kuang Cheng then looked at Qiu Zhong and asked, "Brother Ji, where did you go today?"

Qiu Zhong then came to his senses and said, "Several owners of immortal manors came to visit today. Young Master received them at the manor. A few days ago, Young Master also took people to paint slogans. He has been very busy these past few days."

"For Fengzhou, after all."

"But if war really breaks out, wouldn't everything you've done, young master, have been for nothing?"

"Just send your young master away."

"?"

Ji You was in the reception room of Ji Village at this moment, with the heads of the three immortal manors, Juguang, Tianyan, and Dongsheng, as well as some accompanying retainers and elders, sitting in front of him.

Faced with the concern of a group of elderly men and women for the elixir, he smiled faintly, giving them a knowing but unspoken response that made them blush with delight.

Being born into a prestigious family is a blessing, but it is also a shackle.

After being marginalized by their families, their obsession with cultivation level made them extremely greedy, and while this greed is disgusting, it is also easy to exploit.

After chatting about the elixir for a while, Ji You saw them off at the door and returned to the village in the dead of night, where he saw Qiu Ru running towards him.

The little girl has now successfully awakened her spirit. Considering that she only thinks about eating every day, she has made such progress. Pei Ruyi's only evaluation of her is: This girl is extraordinary.

At this moment, Qiu Ru tugged at Ji You's sleeve: "Young Master, elbow!"

"where to?"

"I'll lead you to steal a chicken leg." That's really something. Ji You looked at her silently for a long time: "Ruru, do you still not believe this is our home?"

Qiu Ru looked surprised after hearing this: "?"

Ji worried that this greedy girl was really afraid of being poor, so he led her to the kitchen and slurped up a chicken leg.

The greedy girl didn't just eat one; she took three.

Ji You looked at her and said, "Why bring so much? You can always come back for more if you want."

"It's for the young mistress."

"?"

Ji You was stunned for a moment, then realized that it was Kuang Cheng who told them.

That gluttonous girl is quite cunning; actually, two would have been enough, but she took one extra for herself.

After the sneaky meal was over, Ji You led him back and saw Kuang Cheng engrossed in writing, seemingly writing something.

The last time Ji You wrote so skillfully here was when Gongshu Chou planted a huge landmine for himself, which made Ji You wary.

However, he didn't say much, but instead escorted Qiu Ru back to her room, and then pretended to look out the window as if nothing had happened.

Kuang Shusheng was indeed writing a book, but Ji You didn't take it so seriously that he snatched it and tore it up. He discovered that Kuang Cheng was writing his own biography, which made Ji You, who had been watching from the side for a long time, blush.

The book praised him too much, which made him feel uncomfortable.

Ji You couldn't help but speak softly: "Actually, I don't have any ambition or ideal for living or serving the people. What you wrote is a bit too grand and inappropriate. If others read it, they might think I'm a virtuous gentleman who has transcended vulgar tastes. It's embarrassing and gives me a sense of social death."

Kuang Cheng looked up: "?"

"Actually, I only did what I could to make the road a little smoother and to make life a little better for the people around me. That's all. But no one can predict what the future holds."

"Maybe war will break out tomorrow, or maybe the outsider villages in Fengzhou will riot. Then everything we're doing now will be meaningless."

"That's what I thought before, and I felt that it would be better to maintain the status quo in Fengzhou, but in the end I still did it because there were some things I really couldn't stand. The retirement pavilion and such weren't that great; it was just to follow my own wishes, and had nothing to do with ideals."

“You wrote in the book that I was the guardian of Fengzhou, but that’s not true. It’s like seeing a child on the roadside; I can give him a copper coin, but I can’t support him for a lifetime.”

Ji You murmured, "So you shouldn't let anyone else see this biography. I'll just keep it as a keepsake, lest people actually think I'm some kind of savior."

Kuang Cheng looked up at him and said, "Brother Ji, you have done enough. Whether Fengzhou exists for a year or three, the people will eventually thank you."

"No need to thank me, lest one day I get carried away and really want to leave my loyal heart to shine in history. I'm not afraid of my worthless life, but I'm most afraid of people having too high expectations of me."

"Brother Ji always says that, yet he always charges ahead of everyone else."

After speaking, Kuang Cheng picked up his pen and continued writing.

It describes the local customs and culture of Fengzhou, the beautiful Yuyang County, and some interesting anecdotes and unofficial histories.

Most of the stories are written from Ji You's perspective. For example, Ji You's favorite place is Yinma Bridge in Yuyang County, and he used to stroll on the bridge often.

There is also Xiangzi Lake in Danshui County. I once wrote an impromptu poem when I went to Danshui County with Instructor Cao to recruit students.

Ah, lake, you are all water.

The most touching thing is that Xiangzi Lake also has a beautiful legend. It is said that if lovers walk around the lake and meet under a locust tree by the lake, they will be able to stay together for all eternity.

Cultural exchange is actually very necessary because these are shared elements that inspire imagination and aspiration, and make people feel that such beauty is worth preserving.

Looking at the bright moon in the night, Ji You couldn't help but ask softly, "When will you finish writing this book?"

Kuang Cheng then dipped his brush in ink and said, "Judging from the progress, it will probably take two days."

"There's a mistake here."

"Ok?"

Ji You pointed to a line in the book: "After establishing a family in Fengzhou, the next thing to do is to go to the Snow Region to meet the Demon Emperor. Why did you only write one poem and then jump to spring plowing?"

Kuang Cheng lowered his head and looked at it carefully: "This part doesn't need to be written. Just write about everyone's reaction when you come back."

Ji You glanced at him, and after thinking for a while, she thought to herself that he was right.

While celebrity biographies may be less serious than historical records, they still need to be factual and verifiable.

Kuang Cheng had never been to the snowy region, nor had he witnessed how the demon general had beaten him to a pulp with his bare hands in the snowy plains, nor had he witnessed himself killing the demon general. It would be difficult to write the story truthfully based solely on hearsay, so it was right not to write it for the sake of seriousness.

Look at this, what is professional ethics?

This is called professional ethics.

Ji You couldn't help but think of the part where Gongshu Chou filled in the ending with his imagination, and he felt an urge to curse. He really hadn't expected that Gongshu Chou would be a novelist.

"I'm going to sleep now, don't stay up too late."

"Yes, Brother Ji."

Kuang Cheng dipped his brush in ink and continued to write with flowing strokes.

After a while, Ji You reappeared in the courtyard in front of the room, holding a cup of tea, and handed it to Kuang Cheng through the window.

The next morning at noon, the last piece of farmland jointly reclaimed was registered.

He Zhang from Fengzhou Prefecture came from afar to inquire whether cultivators were needed to participate in the sowing process.

Ji You pondered for a while, then shook his head.

He wanted to see what would happen if there were no taxes.

So early the next morning, large-scale sowing began, and the fields were filled with people.

However, not long after, the cultivators who had previously participated in the joint reclamation also appeared. Although they were only half of the original number, they still significantly increased the speed of planting.

Ji You stood on the edge of the ground watching this scene and thought it was quite harmonious.

Just then, a yawn brought him back to his senses. He turned around and saw that Kuang Cheng looked exhausted.

He's not a cultivator; he still needs to rely on sleep to replenish his energy. This state is clearly due to staying up too late for too long.

"Is the biography finished?"

"It's finished."

"Actually, it doesn't matter if it's a few days later. Besides, I'm not a big shot. If I write a biography, people might laugh at me. But since it's finished, I thank you, Brother Kuang."

Humans are vain, and even Ji You is no exception; this is common.

He had been looking forward to this for the past few days, wanting to see himself from a different perspective, and so he reached out his hand.

The scholar couldn't help but cough when he saw his hand: "I have finished writing it, but what Brother Ji doesn't know is that I lost my biography as soon as I finished it."

A hint of surprise flashed in Ji You's eyes: "Lost?"

"Yes, it's lost."

"Where did you lose it?"

"I lost it when I went out this morning, and when I went back to look for it, I couldn't find it. Someone must have picked it up."

"Give me directions, I'll go ask around. What if someone else picks up this kind of trash?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji You heard the sound of a carriage speeding by. He turned around and saw that it was a caravan of the demon race passing through the area and returning home, heading straight north.

They didn't use horses to pull their carts, but rather unintelligent demonic beasts. These beasts ran extremely fast, their hooves making a loud rumbling sound, making them hard to miss.

Upon seeing this, he couldn't help but frown slightly.

This demon caravan arrived a few days ago, specifically to purchase the items they needed. It's said that half of the items on the list were still missing this morning, so they shouldn't be in such a hurry to go back.

And this is too hasty; what if he bumped into a child?

One of the carriages hadn't even had time to raise its flag yet; the more you looked at it, the more it seemed like someone had found something good at the door that morning, opened it, was overjoyed, and then hurriedly wanted to take it home.

Ji You knew this feeling all too well. He had felt the same way when he accidentally picked up two precious swords while fighting the unarmed demon general in the snowy region.

(End of this chapter)