Chapter 58: Rain at the Hour of Wu, Continuous Downpour for Ten Days

"Don't be reckless. Remember to keep a low profile."

"Don't display all your strength in front of others."

"Trust your instincts."

"Come back alive to see me, to see your mother, to see your brothers and sisters."

Xu Chuan placed his hand on his shoulder. In such a scene, even he couldn't help but become somewhat long-winded.

Bai Jing stepped forward and grasped Xu Mingxuan's hand, tears welling in the corners of her eyes as she said, "Write home often. Remember, preserving your life is most important. Learn more from your father, endure when you should endure, and keep a low profile when you should keep a low profile."

"Third Brother, come back alive."

Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian spoke in unison, their eyes also full of reluctance.

"Tantou, come back alive."

Xu Mingxuan nodded heavily. His eyes also became moist with tears. He wiped the corners of his eyes and grinned, "I didn't want to cry because it's inauspicious, but now that you've all said this, I can barely hold it in."

After a pause, he continued, "Elder Brother, Second Brother, I'm entrusting the Xu family to you. Oh, Second Brother, I hope when I return, I'll be able to see a nephew or niece."

"When you return, I'll definitely let you hold one," Xu Mingyuan said.

"Xueji, Yunnu, cultivate well. Third Brother hopes that when he returns, you'll both already be innate martial artists!"

"Father, Mother, take good care of yourselves."

Scenes of parting occurred in every corner before the city gate.

It wasn't until the army's horn sounded and the troops departed that everyone returned home.

"You all heard that, right?" Xu Chuan watched as the army gradually disappeared into the distance and said calmly, "When Tantou returns, we must show him a completely new and powerful Xu family."

"Yes, Father."

This parting would span years, with no certain date of return yet the Xu family still had to operate normally.

One month later.

The small lake project in Dongxi Village was completed.

No one with immortal cultivation aptitude was discovered within the Xu family. The testing crystal was temporarily sealed away. However, those who were tested didn't know what purpose this served.

The main family had given such instructions, and they simply followed them.

Another two days passed.

The second day of the second month, when the dragon raises its head.

[Today's divination: Auspicious. Today at the hour of wu, sweet rain will fall from heaven]

"Finally, it's raining!"

"A whole year."

"This spring rain is truly worth its weight in gold!"

Heavy rain fell from the sky right on time.

"It's raining!"

"Heaven is sending rain!"

"We can survive!"

Whether in villages or the county seat, countless people came out of their homes, singing and dancing in the rain, celebrating loudly.

Cheers of joy stretched for thousands of miles.

In the following days, heavy rain came intermittently, at least six or seven hours each day.

It was as if heaven wanted to return everything that had evaporated from this land of Yuehu Commandery.

Xu Chuan had people prepare flood prevention measures, diverting water from farmland and orchards to prevent fields from being submerged.

The water in the small lake continuously rose.

Ten days later, the rain finally stopped completely.

After the great drought, most farmland and mountain forests had no crops, so there wouldn't be any further losses.

The Xu family diverted water in time, so there was no damage either.

As for the subsequent handling of submerged fields, it would just take some time and wouldn't affect the upcoming busy farming season.

Xu Chuan began having Xu Mingwei collect large quantities of translucent white cloth to experiment with greenhouse cultivation, increasing rice yields and achieving two-season planting.

All the rice paddies on the east side of Dongxi Village belonged to the Xu family, connected as one piece, occupying seventy percent of the land.

The remaining thirty percent on the west side belonged to the other common people.

This was only temporary. Perhaps before long, all of Dongxi would belong entirely to the Xu family.

In the surrounding villages, large amounts of rice paddies and farmland also belonged to the Xu family.

For convenience, the Xu family purchased land in connected pieces.

Rice paddies, farmland, mountain forests, when all this land was added together, it totaled tens of thousands of acres.

The Xu family had previously recruited quite a few refugees returning home. Later, during the small lake project, quite a few were also chosen by the Xu family to stay.

Therefore, there wasn't a shortage of manpower.

People have reputations, just as trees have shadows.

The Xu family had an excellent reputation and had safely weathered the drought, so many common people aspired to join them. However, the Xu family didn't accept just anyone.

They accepted those skilled in farming, those skilled in management and commerce, those with martial skills, and those with specialized talents.

Furthermore, everyone had to undergo character evaluation.

If they couldn't pass this requirement, even first-rate martial artists wouldn't be retained or employed.

Additionally, during busy farming seasons, the Xu family would also hire common people as temporary workers, temporarily relieving the livelihood concerns of many ordinary commoners.

…

With time, commerce in Qingjiang County gradually began to recover, showing vigorous vitality.

The Xu family had prepared early.

Shops like Zuiyun Residence, Qianjin Workshop, Tianyi Pavilion, Cloud Fragrance Pavilion, and Hundred Herbs Pavilion were all extremely popular.

Their goods were complete.

Other families hadn't fully recovered yet and often had shortages.

Dragon Elephant Martial Hall reopened for business, and the sound of reading aloud once again came from the Xu family school in Dongxi Village.

Both Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian remained at home to cultivate on their own, no longer going to the martial hall.

They practiced day and night without rest.

All because of Xu Mingxuan's one statement, "I hope when I return to see you've already reached the innate realm."

Over three months passed in a flash.

The Xu family had already begun cultivating seedlings for late rice.

In mid-to-late July, they would need to begin harvesting early rice and transplanting late rice seedlings.

Xu Mingwei practiced daily and handled family affairs.

Xu Mingyuan managed the Xu family's various properties daily, planning and arranging them, and practiced in his spare time.

As for Xu Chuan, he finally completed his research on the "Five Elements Returning to Origin" medicinal diet in October. This was a unique innate-level medicinal diet belonging exclusively to the Xu family, developed in conjunction with the "Innate Five Elements Creation Art."

It could increase cultivation speed by nearly twofold.

According to Xu Chuan's estimates, cultivating the "Innate Five Elements Creation Art" to perfection would have taken him twelve or thirteen years. Now, within five or six years, he could hope to complete all five elements.

As for purifying spiritual roots, as long as one continued practicing this cultivation method, one could reach true spiritual root aptitude. However, if one switched to the immortal cultivation path prematurely, one would lose the effect of purifying spiritual roots.

Unless one's immortal cultivation aptitude was already above true spiritual root to begin with, it would be a losing proposition.

Although Xu Mingwei had stepped into the innate realm one step ahead of him, in Xu Chuan's estimation, he would be slightly slower, since he didn't have talent abilities to assist in cultivation.

"Father, could this Five Elements Returning to Origin medicinal diet be..."

Looking at the medicinal diet formula Xu Chuan gave him, Xu Mingwei immediately thought of the "Innate Five Elements Creation Art."

"Exactly as you think," Xu Chuan said calmly. "This is medicinal diet specially coordinated with the 'Innate Five Elements Creation Art.' One serving per day, and each serving of ingredients costs fifty taels."

"Hiss~"

Xu Mingwei drew in a sharp breath, "This consumption is truly not small. We father and son together would spend three thousand taels a month. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Even great families in the commandery capital probably only support a few people."

"I've reclaimed another thirty acres of medicinal fields at Jade Cold Pool, all used to grow the needed medicinal materials. Once these mature, it'll be easy. We can be self-sufficient."

"Later, I'll research some ordinary innate medicinal diet and grandmaster medicinal diet, allowing the family to continuously produce innate and grandmaster martial artists."

"Thank you for your efforts, Father."

During this period, he had spent almost all his time at Jade Cold Pool, only returning at night.

He had also discovered that his own presence seemed to affect the growth speed of surrounding trees and medicinal herbs, increasing it by at least ten percent.

Xu Chuan speculated this might be due to the influence of his two talent abilities, [Divine Farmer's Hundred Herbs] and [Heaven Rewards Diligence].

"If a [Green Emperor Wood Sovereign] talent appeared in the future, what kind of effects would it have?"

Xu Chuan shook his head with a smile. Then, remembering something, he looked at Xu Mingwei and asked, "The day after tomorrow is Ahyuan's wedding day. How has that boy been lately?"

"Ahyuan? I think he's a bit nervous," Xu Mingwei thought for a moment and chuckled softly.

"After all, he's only met Miss Wu once."

An image of him looking nervous floated up in Xu Chuan's mind, and he also laughed, "After she's married into the family, they'll get along gradually. There will eventually be feelings."

"However, the Wu family's appetite is truly large. They actually want fifty percent of Zuiyun Residence's profits for ten years," Xu Mingwei said with some displeasure.

"Let the Wu family be happy for now."

"In five years, Qingjiang will definitely be the Xu family's domain."