Zhao Sheng nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. Since you understand that Coptis is valuable, then you already grasp the key point. This crop has never been easy to grow. In the past, when your grain harvests were barely enough to keep hunger at bay, you would never have dared to waste precious land on something so difficult. But now things are different."
He gestured toward the terraced fields below.
"With scientifically cultivated potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn, and with the assistance of Celestial Fertilizer bestowed by Dao Xuan Tianzun, your staple yields are stable. Your bellies are full. That is precisely when you must begin reclaiming more barren hillsides and planting profitable cash crops like Coptis."
He lifted the agricultural manual in his hand with great ceremony.
"This is the Heavenly Book granted by Dao Xuan Tianzun. With it, you can cultivate Coptis, chili peppers, water shield, and other high-value crops with far greater ease. Prosperity is no longer a distant dream."
The old farmers scratched their heads.
They did not fully understand the technical explanations, and Zhao Sheng's enthusiasm moved faster than their comprehension. Still, they caught the general meaning. After ensuring enough food to survive, they could open new land and plant special crops to earn silver.
Whether this truly led to wealth remained uncertain, but the idea itself was intoxicating.
For men who had spent their entire lives measuring success by the fullness of a rice bowl, the thought of farming for profit felt almost rebellious.
They listened carefully, nodding at intervals, absorbing perhaps half of what was said and trusting the rest on faith.
After a long stretch of instruction, Zhao Sheng finally paused to drink water.
Only then did Li Daoxuan speak.
"Oh, Zhao Sheng. You are doing very well."
Zhao Sheng nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun has descended!"
Li Daoxuan laughed softly. "You have traveled all the way to Wanshou Stronghold in Sichuan. Are you exhausted?"
Zhao Sheng straightened instinctively.
"I am quite alright. My asthma has improved significantly. Even with some activity, I no longer become terribly breathless."
Li Daoxuan felt genuinely pleased. Progress, even in small matters, was worth celebrating.
"That is good to hear. By the way, could you ask Qin Liangyu and Ma Xianglin whether they know of any extraordinary individuals in Sichuan who can communicate with giant pandas?"
Zhao Sheng blinked.
"Giant pandas?"
Li Daoxuan corrected himself, "The Iron-Eating Beast."
Zhao Sheng stared in disbelief. "Communicate with an Iron-Eating Beast? What sort of mystical art would that be? Unless one summons the ancient demon god Chiyou, I fear it cannot be done."
Li Daoxuan spread his hands helplessly.
"It is certainly a specialized skill. However, pandas have lived in Sichuan since ancient times. Perhaps someone keeps one as a pet. One never knows until one investigates. Qin Liangyu and Ma Xianglin hold official authority. Even if their posts are not grand, they possess connections. Ask them to inquire."
It was a decree from Dao Xuan Tianzun. Whether absurd or not, it had to be executed swiftly.
Zhao Sheng immediately broke into a run.
The moment he did so, Li Daoxuan sensed impending disaster.
"Why are you running? Walk slowly."
Zhao Sheng gasped between steps. "Dao Xuan Tianzun… issued… a decree… I must… hurry…"
Li Daoxuan raised an eyebrow. "Did you not just claim your asthma had improved?"
"It has… improved… somewhat… but not entirely…"
Li Daoxuan fell silent.
Meanwhile, Qin Liangyu and Ma Xianglin were speaking cheerfully.
"In recent years," Qin Liangyu said with satisfaction, "Shizhu has enjoyed consecutive bumper harvests. Our granaries are full, the soldiers are well supplied, and the common people no longer starve. It is a rare and precious sight."
Ma Xianglin laughed. "All thanks to Gao Family Village. New crops, Celestial Fertilizer, improved methods. We owe them greatly. I must find time to visit personally."
At that moment, Zhao Sheng arrived, slightly winded, and conveyed the request regarding the Iron-Eating Beast.
He expected ridicule.
Instead, Ma Xianglin nodded thoughtfully.
"I have indeed heard of someone attempting to keep such a beast. Unfortunately, the fool fed it iron, believing the name literally. The creature refused to eat and eventually starved. Perhaps it simply refused captivity. A proud animal."
Li Daoxuan nearly exploded.
"Introduce me to that person. I will personally educate him."
Qin Liangyu interjected calmly. "The name Iron-Eating Beast is likely a misunderstanding. In my youth, elders told me they eat bamboo."
Li Daoxuan felt as though sunlight had burst through heavy clouds.
General Qin was truly a woman of insight.
Qin Liangyu continued, "Since this request comes from Gao Family Village, we shall spare no effort. I will dispatch men to Chengdu to inquire whether anyone keeps such a creature. If so, we shall attempt to acquire it."
Li Daoxuan was overjoyed.
At last, the dream of petting a panda seemed attainable.
Yet a troubling thought struck him. If Qin Liangyu's people searched too aggressively, hunters might capture wild pandas simply to curry favor. That would be unacceptable.
He quickly gave additional instructions through Zhao Sheng.
"The Iron-Eating Beast is an auspicious creature," Zhao Sheng relayed solemnly. "It must never be hunted for our amusement. If someone already keeps one, we may borrow it gently. But under no circumstances are we to capture one from the wild."
Qin Liangyu cupped her fist respectfully.
"Mister Zhao's benevolence does him credit."
At that precise moment, the thunder of hooves shattered the calm.
A rider galloped up the mountain path on a small Sichuan horse, compact and sturdy. It lacked the height and speed of northern steeds, yet on treacherous mountain trails it moved with uncanny confidence.
The rider dismounted hastily and reported, panic written across his face.
"Urgent military intelligence!"
Qin Liangyu's expression sharpened. "Speak."
"The Chuang King has led his forces into Jingxiang, bypassed Yunxiang, crossed through the Shennongjia mountains, and suddenly entered Sichuan!"
Qin Liangyu inhaled sharply.
Zhao Sheng did the same.
Li Daoxuan frowned.
The rider continued breathlessly, "Sichuan Regional Commander Hou Liangzhu engaged the rebels but fell into an ambush at Baiqingba. He has been killed."
"The Regional Commander is dead?" Qin Liangyu asked.
"Yes. The army is leaderless and in chaos. Governor Wang Weizhang and Censor Chen Tingmo are in panic. At present, only General Qin can stabilize the situation."
Silence fell for a few heavy seconds.
Then Qin Liangyu's voice became steel.
"Xianglin. Fengyi. Muster the troops immediately. We intercept the rebels."
Ma Xianglin and Zhang Fengyi saluted.
"As you command."
They departed at once. Moments later, the urgent assembly bell rang across Wanshou Stronghold.
Its sound rolled down the mountain slopes like a summons from fate itself.
Young men laboring in terraced fields dropped their tools without hesitation. They ran home, and when they emerged again, they were transformed. Hemp sandals bound tightly. Uniforms secured. White-shafted spears gripped firmly in hand.
These were the White Pole Soldiers.
They converged along every mountain path, small and large, flowing toward the stronghold like converging streams.
In an astonishingly short span of time, a formidable army stood assembled.
One-Eyed Ma Xianglin positioned himself at the front, white pole spear raised high.
"The rebels have entered Sichuan! We march to battle now. Enough talk. Advance!"
He spurred his horse and vanished down the mountain trail in a flash.
Behind him, the White Pole Soldiers shouted helplessly, "General, wait for us! We do not have horses!"
From the rear, Zhang Fengyi emerged, exasperated yet composed.
"He has gone ahead alone again. Ignore him. Follow me."
The soldiers roared in unison.
The mountains trembled with their answer.