The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

Xu Changqing remained seated, neither moving nor getting up to see him off.

Only after Zhang Fu's figure completely disappeared outside the courtyard gate did he gently lower the hand holding the teacup.

The Zhang family came in too much of a hurry this time.

If they really only wanted to kick someone when they were down, they could have waited until the end of the month when the Xu family couldn't pay their annual tribute before buying their properties at a low price.

Their eagerness to probe for information clearly stems from a guilty conscience; they want to swallow the Xu family's spoils beforehand to avoid any unforeseen complications.

The fish plague came about strangely, and now it seems that the Zhang family is definitely involved.

......

Ling'ao Island, Zhang Family Council Hall.

The warm pavilion is like spring all year round, and the carved beams and painted rafters exude an air of wealth and luxury.

On the table sat a burner of precious "calming incense," its smoke curling upwards and its fragrance filling the air.

Zhang Fu stood below the hall with his hands hanging down, his face full of indignation: "That Xu Changqing is really courting death, saying he has his own way of raising the annual tribute."

An elderly man, dressed in a dark red brocade robe, sat at the head of the table. He held a translucent jade cup in his hand and gently blew away the tea foam floating on the surface.

This man was none other than Zhang Shichang, the second elder of the Zhang family.

"I'm just putting on a brave face."

Zhang Shichang's eyelids drooped as he took a sip of tea, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips:

"That fish plague is... Hmph, let him frolic for a few more days. If he can't pay his tribute by the end of the month, it won't matter if he begs me on his knees."

Zhang Fu hesitated for a moment, recalling Xu Changqing's confident demeanor, and his heart still pounded with apprehension.

"Second Elder, do you think it's possible they really did catch some spirit fish in the Great Swamp? What if they actually managed to collect them all..."

"With the Great Swamp frozen, how can the Xu family rely on those old, weak, sick, and disabled people? That's just courting death. I know the Xu family's situation best. Apart from Old Lady Xu who's still alive, only that good-for-nothing Xu Dayou can actually do anything."

Zhang Shichang chuckled, put down the jade cup, and made a crisp "ding" sound.

"Ignore it. When the envoy from the upper sect arrives, I'll see what he has to say. At that time, Cangwu Island will be my Zhang family's possession."

……

Cangwu Island, Xu Family Spirit Fish Pond.

Xu Changqing stood by the pond, his brows furrowed.

On the water's surface, several more blue-skinned fish floated belly-up, clearly dead.

This fish plague is spreading rapidly.

The deductions of the Tongtianjian will take more than four days.

At the current rate of death, by the time a solution is found, all the adult fish in these ponds will likely be wiped out.

It's alright if the adult fish died, since the golden-scaled fish came to the rescue this time, ensuring that the annual tribute is not a problem.

But if even those hundreds of fry that haven't grown up yet die, the Xu family will really run out of food next year, which would be a disaster that would wipe out their lineage.

We can't just wait around.

Xu Changqing made a quick decision, turning to the several worried-looking clansmen behind him and giving them instructions:

"Go and clean out the two spare ponds, and take out all the remaining breeding fish and fry. Keep them in separate ponds for temporary rearing. Be gentle and don't hurt the fish."

Although they are away from this large pond full of spiritual energy, the fish fry will definitely lose weight and even suffer damage to their vitality in the next few days.

But as long as they can hold on, the Xu family will still have the resources to turn things around next spring.

The tribespeople dared not delay, and rolled up their trousers, disregarding the icy cold of the pool water, and jumped in to begin casting their nets.

After a flurry of activity, by the time the last bucket of fish fry was released into the small pond, the sun was already high in the sky.

Xu Changqing wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up at the sky.

Judging by the time, Xu Dayou, who went to the market to sell golden scale fish, should be back by now.

Just then, an excited shout suddenly came from afar.

"Chieftain! Chieftain!"

Xu Changqing looked in the direction of the sound.

Xu Dayou rushed into the courtyard, looking travel-worn. The hem of his old monk's robe was covered in snow and mud, and his hair was disheveled.

But that old face, which was usually full of bitterness, was now glowing with health.

In the past, Xu Dayou would often return from the market with a worried look on his face, either because the price of his spiritual items had been lowered or because he had been given the cold shoulder by outsiders.

Today, however, he stood tall and straight, walked with a brisk pace, and his feet crunched on the snow, exuding a triumphant air.

The younger generation who were shoveling snow all turned their heads and looked at their usually cautious and meticulous uncle with surprise.

Xu Changqing went to greet him, but before he could speak, Xu Dayou grabbed his arm and pulled him into the house.

"Chieftain, please come inside! Please come inside!"

Inside the main hall.

Xu Dayou closed the door behind him, glanced out the window again, then turned around and carefully took out a heavy coarse cloth bag from the innermost pocket of his clothes.

With a "whoosh".

The bag was untied, and a pile of crystal-clear spirit stones, radiating a soft glow, rolled onto the table.

"A total of one hundred and twenty low-grade spirit stones! Not a single one less!"

Xu Dayou grinned from ear to ear.

"Those golden scale fish are so popular! I had to sell them all at three different shops. If they were all sold in one place, the price would probably go up even further."

Xu Changqing reached out and picked up a spirit stone, feeling its warm spiritual energy, and felt reassured.

The Xu family originally only had a few dozen spirit stones left in their accounts, which was not even enough to buy Qi-inducing powder for the younger generation.

That doubled the price.

With this money, I feel much more confident in dealing with unexpected events these past few days.

The Xu family now consists of 63 people.

Fifty-four of them were ordinary people and their relatives, who depended on their families for survival and were responsible for chores such as farming, feeding fish, and repairing houses.

Only twelve cultivators truly possessed spiritual roots.

Of these twelve people, very few could be considered to have any real fighting ability.

He was at the fourth level of Qi Refining, having just broken through to the mid-stage. His aptitude was decent, but he couldn't be considered a genius.

My uncle, Xu Dayou, is at the fifth level of Qi Refining. His aptitude is average; he only reached that level through years of hard work. His combat skills are mediocre.

Then there's the Third Elder, Xu Dayou's elderly mother, who is at the seventh level of Qi Refining. She is the last elder of the Xu family.

Unfortunately, the old lady is old and frail. She suffered a serious injury years ago and has been in seclusion, barely clinging to life, so she cannot easily take action.

The remaining nine cultivators were all fourteen or fifteen-year-old juniors of the "Yan" generation, most of whom had just begun to sense Qi and had only reached the first or second level of Qi Refining.

Back in the heyday of the Xu family, there were five branches, one legitimate and one illegitimate, and several cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refining.

After that Blackwater Demon Tide, almost all of the direct lineage's fighting force was wiped out, leaving only Xu Changqing as the sole survivor.

Nowadays, most of the remaining branches are collateral branches. Although they are called several houses, they have long since banded together for warmth and are no longer further subdivided.

"A dozen or so low-level cultivators, protecting over sixty mortals, on the edge of this great swamp..."

Xu Changqing closed the roster and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a soft tapping sound.

It's still too weak.

The reason the Zhang family dared to so openly come to their door to demand repayment is ultimately because they believe the Xu family is a toothless tiger.

This fish plague serves as a wake-up call.

Once we get through this ordeal, we must find a way to improve the family's strength, especially by cultivating new talents. If we don't produce a few capable fighters, the Xu family will be wiped out sooner or later.