The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

West side of the Xu family's residence.

Several sections of the formation here have been in disrepair for years. They may look fine on ordinary days, but if someone with expertise were to encounter them, two spells could easily blast open a gap in the formation.

Xu Changqing held a piece of Gengjin sand in his hand and was pointing at several young men of the "Yan" generation to repair the array patterns.

Besides Xu Yanfeng and his group, Xu Yanzhen was also included.

"Gengjin sand must be ground finely, and the process of mixing it with pine resin must be quick. Once it solidifies, the spiritual energy cannot pass through."

Xu Changqing hasn't been spending his days wandering around those stinking fishponds. Instead, he bought these spiritual materials to repair the great formation and led a group of teenagers to tinker and build things here.

Xu Yanfeng was impatient and often made mistakes when inscribing array patterns. He had been scolded by Xu Changqing twice and was hanging his head in silence.

Xu Yanzhen, however, in the corner, although he had difficulty moving and could only sit sideways on a tattered futon, his hands were surprisingly steady.

The arm strength he had developed from using crutches was now being used to inscribe the array patterns.

In his hands, the carving knife was used with such precision that whether he lifted, pulled, turned, or folded it, the depth of the carving was almost identical, and the lines he produced were extremely smooth.

Xu Changqing saw this and handed him another piece of fine, century-old peach wood core, signaling him to continue.

Xu Yanzhen took the wooden core, his pale face expressionless, but his movements became increasingly meticulous.

Although this child's legs are crippled, his skill and temperament make him a promising candidate for studying formations or talismans.

As long as you can sit on the sidelines and endure the cold, there's always a way to make a living in this world of cultivation.

"good."

When Xu Yanzhen finished the work, Xu Changqing rarely praised him.

Xu Yanzhen stiffened, lowered his head to pick up his cane, and a barely perceptible glint flashed in his eyes.

The other teenagers who had been waiting to see the joke fall silent, looking somewhat embarrassed as they gazed at the perfect array patterns.

Although the chieftain and everyone were working enthusiastically, the atmosphere on the island was far from relaxed.

With the nourishment of meat and elixirs these past two days, the clan's low morale has improved somewhat, but the unease still lingers in the shadows.

Instead of dealing with the fish, the clan chief built a grand formation. Could it be that he plans to abandon the fishpond and use this formation to stay on the island like a turtle?

No one was sure what to do.

By the third day, Xu Dayou finally couldn't sit still any longer.

Those large ponds were the lifeblood of the Xu family. Even after the fish fry were removed, the mortality rate of the remaining adult fish did not decrease.

"Chief! We can't delay any longer!"

Early in the morning, Xu Dayou rushed into the study in a great hurry.

"I heard that there's a top-grade first-level spiritual plant expert at 'Hundred Herbs Hall,' who's best at controlling soil and pest problems. Shall we chip in and ask him to take a look?"

Xu Changqing was flipping through ancient books when he heard this, and simply shook his head:

"With our current financial situation, we can't afford the patronage of Baicaotang. Besides, given the Xu family's current state, bringing outsiders to the island could bring unpredictable fortune or misfortune."

Xu Dayou opened his mouth, not knowing how to refute, so he could only stomp his foot and leave.

At noon, Xu Dayou came again.

This time, he had clearly given it much thought, his face resolute: "Chieftain, how about... we catch the rest of the fish! While they're still not completely dead, we can quickly pickle them into salted fish. Although the price will be low, at least we can sell them to mortals for some food. It's better than letting them rot in the pond!"

Xu Changqing didn't even look up this time: "There's still a chance; we can't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs."

Xu Dayou was furious.

What turning point?

With all the fish about to die, are we really going to wait for a turnaround?

All day long, Xu Dayou walked around the yard, tamping down the snow on the ground.

It wasn't until evening that Xu Dayou pushed open the study door for the third time.

This time he didn't say anything, just stood there, glaring at Xu Changqing, as if to say, "I'm not leaving until you give me an explanation."

Xu Changqing put down his pen, looked at his uncle who was scratching his head in frustration, and smiled helplessly.

He got up, poured Xu Dayou a cup of hot tea, and pushed it towards him.

"Uncle, please have a seat."

Xu Dayou couldn't sit still any longer. He slammed his teacup on the table and said, "Clan leader, just tell me the truth, is this fish... still salvageable?"

Xu Changqing wasn't annoyed. He picked up his teacup, blew on it, and asked softly:

"Uncle, if you were the head of the Zhang family, and you saw our Xu family's fishpond in chaos, with everyone in a state of panic, what would you do?"

Xu Dayou paused for a moment, then subconsciously replied:

"Is that even a question? They're taking advantage of our misfortune, forcing us to sign those indentures, or they might just send people to cause trouble."

Xu Changqing nodded: "That's right, but apart from sending a steward to annoy us these past few days, why hasn't the Zhang family made any major moves?"

Xu Dayou scratched his head: "This..."

Xu Changqing tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"If we panic now, seek medical help everywhere, and even start selling dead fish at rock-bottom prices, that would be telling the Zhang family that the Xu family has run out of options."

"On the contrary, the calmer I am, the less I care about the fishpond, and the more I adopt a posture of 'I have a backup plan, just waiting to close the door and beat the dog,' the more suspicious they become, and the less they dare to make any rash moves."

Xu Dayou was stunned, his mouth agape.

That makes sense... it does sound plausible.

So the clan chief is playing the empty city stratagem?

Could it be that the clan leader really has some backup plan?

Xu Dayou was completely bewildered by these words, feeling that his nephew was now unfathomable. He dared not mention the salted fish again and left in a daze.

Seeing the door close, Xu Changqing's inscrutable expression vanished instantly, and he exhaled a soft breath.

This is what it means to bully honest people.

What empty city strategy? What psychological warfare?

They were simply waiting for the cooldown time of the Heavenly Mirror.

……

Day five, noon.

In the quiet room, the sandalwood incense had burned out.

Xu Changqing sat cross-legged, and a tremor came from the depths of his mind.

The Tongtian Mirror, which had been silent for several days, finally dispelled the last wisp of mist, and its mirror surface shone brightly.

Lines of small text appeared.

[The simulation is complete]

[The root cause of the disaster: poisoning by the Zhang family.]

[Poison Name: Rotten Spirit Vine Sap (Tier 1, Medium-Grade Poisonous Herb, Colorless and Odorless, Dissolves Instantly in Water).]

[Poisoning method: Soak dried red-tailed worms in vine juice. The toxins seep into the feed, and through long-term feeding, the toxins accumulate in the fish's body, eventually causing an outbreak.]

[Remedy: Burn "Yangyuan Grass" to ashes, mix the ashes with water, and sprinkle the mixture into the pond. The remedy should be effective within a day.]

Poisoning.

It was indeed a man-made disaster.

Dried red-tailed worms are the main ingredient used by the Xu family to feed their spirit fish. They have always been stored in the family storeroom, and outsiders have never had the opportunity to come into contact with them.

Only the tribespeople responsible for purchasing bait and feeding the animals on a daily shift had the opportunity to tamper with it.

Xu Changqing did not rush to get up, but sat on the futon, tapping his knees with his fingers intermittently.

The Zhang family has really gone all out.

A bottle of mid-grade first-tier Corrupted Spirit Vine Juice would cost at least fifty spirit stones, almost half the value of those dead fish.

These bastards are really willing to go to great lengths to bring down the Xu family.