Chapter 1: The Landlord's Foolish Son?

The month of golden autumn, the warm breeze blowing gently.

Looking out, everything is golden; this is the color of harvest.

A youth sits on the ridge of a field, his posture lazy, a wild grass root hanging from his mouth, squinting his eyes as he watches the farmers working diligently in the fields.

A burst of footsteps startles the youth. He turns his head, sees the person, and a somewhat smug smile appears on his face: "Old Yang, looking at your expression, the harvest must be good! How is it? Are the statistics tallied?"

"Master, this old servant is truly convinced, completely convinced."

Although the newcomer's hair is already white, his complexion is ruddy and his spirit full, especially right now.

"Is that so? Then tell me, how are those fields?"

The youth is noncommittal; before the bet, he had already seen the results.

"Master, those thirty mu of experimental fields of yours, the top-grade fertile land, the minimum yield per mu is over four shi; the medium-grade fields also have three shi, and even the low-grade dry fields have reached two shi."

"The scientific planting method you gave, Master, is truly very effective."

Steward Yang Xing looks at this young master, who is still like a half-grown child, and his heart is very complicated. He is the steward of the Su family and has served the Su family for three generations.

The Su family has only one heir per generation. The previous two masters did not live long; the previous master was just over thirty when he passed away the year before last, leaving behind this young master.

A young master and a suspicious state is not a good thing. The Su family cannot be called a great aristocratic clan, but in Huayin County, they are considered reputable gentry.

From the first master who passed the Scholar examination, to the second and third masters who were both Provincial Graduates—two Provincial Graduates in one family—perhaps this doesn't count for much in places like Jiangnan where academic culture is prevalent.

But in the Xi'an Prefecture area, the status of a Provincial Graduate is already very high.

After all, even the Magistrate of Huayin County is very polite to the Su family.

After three generations of development, the Su family is now a landlord and county magnate with three thousand mu of fertile land. With such a large family business falling into the hands of a mere child, naturally, some people are coveting it in secret.

Although the Su family has only one heir per generation, they do have some close relatives.

However, over the past year, the methods of this young master before him have made Yang Xing's heart surge with excitement. Those close relatives who secretly coveted the Su family's property have all been taught a clear lesson.

Looking at the harmless-looking young master before him, Yang Xing, who prides himself on having lived for decades, can only exclaim that he is a monster.

Of course, right now, his heart is even more excited.

"Four shi?"

Hearing this, the youth pouts, his face appearing somewhat dissatisfied.

"Then let's leave it at that for now! Old Yang, next we can fully implement my scientific planting method. Also, don't forget about animal husbandry."

Su Fan waves his hand and informs him lazily. Steward Yang Xing is still a bit surprised to see this, but seeing this, he does not disturb Su Fan because he has many things to do, so he leaves in a hurry.

"Four shi?" Seeing Yang Xing leave, Su Fan shakes his head. Compared to the thousands of jin in later generations, the current grain yield per mu is still too low.

One shi here is only equivalent to one hundred and twenty jin. Although a jin in the Ming dynasty is slightly heavier than in later generations, it's not much different.

Four shi is less than five hundred jin. This is still with Su Fan's careful care, and much of it follows the planting techniques of later generations. Even so, the yield per mu is just like this.

Of course, Su Fan also understands that it can only be like this; wanting to continue increasing production is very difficult.

Satisfied? He is indeed not very satisfied. Su Fan is a transmigrator, but he is not omnipotent, so it can only be like this. Looking into the distance, he slowly falls into silence.

Unexpectedly transmigrating, Su Fan is truly speechless. On the original Earth, he was considered a happy and fulfilled rich second generation, lacking nothing.

As a result, he spent a night at a bar with friends, and when he woke up the next day, he became the son of a landlord, and his landlord father had just passed away, making him the sole heir.

To say his status isn't bad, it's not much different from his previous life.

But this is a society lacking in everything—lacking entertainment, lacking material goods. For this reason, he spent a full month just barely adapting.

It is also thanks to his status as the son of a landlord; if he had been a farmer, Su Fan estimates he wouldn't have had the courage to live on.

Since he is here, he must be at peace. After adapting, Su Fan slowly accepted this identity and immediately investigated the background of this society so he could live better.

Through the steward, he also knew that he was in Huayin County, Xi'an Prefecture, and the background was the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty.

Regarding the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, Su Fan doesn't know much, except for the one who started with a bowl and ended with a rope, as well as Zhu Di and the Carpenter Emperor.

As for the others, he doesn't know much, not even their names.

He doesn't understand the Hongzhi Emperor.

But this doesn't hinder him from living. After all, he is now just a landlord in a county town; the emperor is too far away from him.

After understanding the social background, Su Fan also temporarily set his mind at ease. As long as it's not the Hongwu or the end of the Ming Dynasty, his life as a landlord is relatively safe.

After familiarizing himself with the surroundings, he began to slowly reform the Su family. As for those relatives on his mother's side who coveted the Su family's business, sorry, although his body is that of a ten-year-old child, his soul is that of a young man in his twenties.

Those relatives are not powerful figures either. With the sentiment left by his deceased father, a little education was enough to send them away.

The Su family was then completely taken over by him.

Originally, his plan for the next step was to study and then pass the imperial examinations. Su Fan didn't plan on becoming a Presented Scholar, but he felt that with the knowledge from his two lives, it wouldn't be a big problem to pass the Provincial Graduate examination in a few years.

And once he passes the Provincial Graduate examination, the Su family will no longer be in any danger. After all, the Su family is not a great aristocratic clan; one Provincial Graduate is enough to deter others.

Moreover, Su Fan has no other ambitions. As for ruling the world, this is not the end of the Ming Dynasty. Even if he is not proficient in history, he knows that there is almost no chance of rebellion right now.

Passing the Provincial Graduate examination and then becoming a small landlord, life can be quite carefree.

That was the original plan. Even after dealing with the eccentric relatives in the family, Su Fan found an old Scholar to teach him.

But an unexpected piece of news disrupted many of his original plans.

This news made him very surprised and also very excited.

The Huashan Sect—there is a Huashan Sect on the Huashan Mountain next to them, and at the same time, in the martial arts world, there are Wudang, Shaolin, the Five Mountains Sword Sects, and the Sun Moon Holy Cult.

Isn't this the martial arts world of *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*?

When Su Fan learned this information, the first thing that appeared in his mind was the *Smiling, Proud Wanderer* he watched in his previous life, where that actress played Dongfang Bubai with such domineering flair.

Of course, as he continued to inquire about news, Su Fan knew that the Sect Leader of the Huashan Sect was not the familiar Gentleman Sword Yue Buqun, but a person named Ning Qingyu.

Gradually, Su Fan also knew that this was not *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, but its prequel, because the Huashan Sect had not yet experienced the Sword-Qi Conflict; it was still a top-tier sect in the martial arts world and the leader of the Five Mountains.

Of course, Su Fan doesn't care about these. Whether it's the later *Smiling, Proud Wanderer* or the current one, Su Fan only thinks of one thing: learning martial arts and becoming a martial arts expert.

A green robe, a jade flute, and wandering the world with a sword—this was something Su Fan longed for in his previous life.

Unexpectedly, he couldn't complete it in his previous life, but he has the opportunity in this life, so he gradually stopped complaining about being forced to transmigrate.

Although he is often not used to the nights without bright lights and nightlife, thinking about the future where he can wander the world with a sword and punish evil, a smile appears on Su Fan's face.

"Soon, in three months, it will be the Huashan Sect's triennial disciple recruitment season."

Su Zhe looks toward the direction of Huashan and mutters to himself.

The current Huashan Sect is famous in the martial arts world. Sect Leader Ning Qingyu is a top-tier expert in the martial arts world, and the new generation's Huashan Sword Saint is also rising in fame.

These are all things Su Fan sent people to inquire about. It can be said that the current Huashan Sect is in the limelight, even above Shaolin and Wudang.

As for how the later Huashan Sect became a few small cats and dogs, Su Fan doesn't want to delve into it for now, because that's not something he can study right now.

Right now, he only thinks about joining the Huashan Sect, becoming a disciple of the Huashan Sect, and practicing martial arts. Everything else can be put aside for now.

As for why he doesn't go to other sects, knowing that the Huashan Sect will have a Sword-Qi Conflict and is very dangerous.

But after Su Zhe thought about it, plus the news he sent people to inquire about, he could only join the Huashan Sect.

The martial arts of Shaolin and Wudang, needless to say, and their strength has always been top-tier, but he is too far away from there. Even if he goes to apprentice, it is very difficult to be accepted into the sect.

In this day and age, apprenticing is not that easy.

Every sect's recruitment of disciples is very strict, especially entering the inner sect, which requires examination, examination, and more examination.

With Su Fan's background, Shaolin and Wudang would absolutely not accept him into the inner sect. You are a landlord's son from the Huashan area; why don't you apprentice at Huashan but run to us? What's the meaning of this? Wanting to plant a spy?

Any sect would think so.

Why do many people in martial arts novels like orphans? Because their background is clean and they have no ties.

Therefore, every sect will first investigate the background when recruiting disciples.

So if he wants to practice high-level martial arts, Su Fan has no other way but to join Huashan. ===== CHAPTER 2 =====