Wu Kuang hesitated, clearly wanting to speak but holding himself back.
Before Fang Xun could issue a dismissal, Li Shun took the initiative to excuse himself and leave.
“Tui Zhi, wait in the side room for now,” Fang Xun instructed calmly.
No one knew what the two discussed, but not long after, Wu Kuang hurried off again, his expression brimming with excitement.
Faintly, the sound of constables gathering within the yamen could be heard in the distance.
Li Shun did not step out to take a look. Instead, he lowered his gaze, steadied his breathing, and sat quietly in meditation within the side room.
Before long, he was summoned once more to the study.
The Lengshan Lord plant he had submitted had already been transplanted into a flowerpot.
It emitted a faint blue glow from time to time, adding an extra layer of tranquility to the already cool and quiet study.
However, as it continuously released its essence outward and suffered some depletion, the plant appeared somewhat listless.
“Tui Zhi, demonstrate that Spirit Division and Life Transformation technique for me,” Fang Xun ordered.
Li Shun nodded and began circulating the familiar agricultural art with practiced ease.
At sixteen, his body was at its physical peak, far superior to the frail, aging form he once had.
Threads of crimson light drifted out from his body, enveloping the Lengshan Lord.
In that instant, the plant seemed as though it had been nourished by the radiance of a cold moon.
All traces of fatigue vanished. It became lively and vibrant once more.
Even its size grew ever so slightly.
“Oh?” Fang Xun glanced at Li Shun in mild surprise.
“It seems I underestimated you. Tui Zhi, your mastery of this agricultural secret art is truly exceptional.”
Li Shun lowered his head modestly. “I have spent my entire life focusing on this single craft. To achieve only this much is rather shameful.”
Fang Xun smiled faintly and did not pursue the matter further.
Instead, he handled the Lengshan Lord with the care one might show a cherished treasure.
After a long while, he suddenly spoke again, looking at Li Shun.
“With your current youthful body, how many Lengshan Lords and Lengshan Grass can you tend to each day?”
Li Shun’s eyes flickered slightly, but he answered without hesitation.
“If it is merely maintaining mature plants and not accelerating their growth, ten stalks of Lengshan Grass and two Lengshan Lords should not be a problem.”
“If it involves nurturing seedlings, then it is harder to say. The consumption of blood and vitality would be far too great.”
“However, Tui Zhi is willing to give it his utmost effort,” Li Shun said in a steady voice.
Fang Xun nodded. What Li Shun said aligned closely with his own understanding.
After a moment of thought, he continued, “Tomorrow, I will arrange a dedicated room to house these spirit plants. You only need to come each morning to tend to them. The rest of your time is yours to manage.”
Li Shun bowed. “Tui Zhi understands.”
Fang Xun added, “The Spirit Division technique consumes blood and vitality. I assume your usual diet is not particularly good. From now on, you will dine here at the county yamen with the staff. It should help replenish your vitality.”
“Many thanks for your grace, Magistrate!” Li Shun replied with sincere gratitude.
From that day onward, Li Shun officially held a position within the yamen.
Fang Xun even created a specific post for him: Keeper of Lengshan.
Although his monthly salary was only eight thousand yuan, he had at least entered the ranks of minor officials.
Furthermore, whenever Fang Xun inspected the condition of the Lengshan Lord, Li Shun would accompany him.
Among the county yamen staff, he had already become one of the few who frequently interacted with the magistrate.
As a result, his status began to rise subtly.
Ordinary constables and clerks greeted him politely upon meeting him, addressing him respectfully as “Steward Li.”
Each day, aside from tending to the Lengshan Lord, Li Shun spent his spare time reading various borrowed books.
One such example was the Great Qian Code.
The laws of Great Qian encompassed every aspect of the dynasty, dense and difficult to comprehend.
Even after regaining his youth, Li Shun still found them challenging to read.
Days passed one after another, and on the surface, everything appeared calm and uneventful.
However, Fang Xun had already, without a word, increased the number of Lengshan Grass and Lengshan Lords within the greenhouse to fifteen stalks and three specimens respectively.
It was as if he had completely forgotten Li Shun’s earlier claim about the maximum number he could manage.
“Tui Zhi, you’ll have to trouble yourself a bit more these next few days.”
“When spring begins tomorrow, you will return with this official to the Sacred Capital. At that point, you won’t need to tend to them anymore.”
Fang Xun spoke earnestly, his tone heavy with meaning.
The moment he heard that Fang Xun intended to bring him to the Sacred Capital, Li Shun immediately put on a deeply moved expression, as though overwhelmed with gratitude.
“Tui Zhi swears to repay my lord’s recognition with his life!”
Fearing that Li Shun might not manage the task well, Fang Xun even thoughtfully handed him a scroll.
“This is the original version of the Spirit Division and Life Transformation technique.”
“What you learned before was a modified version created by the court to better suit the mass cultivation of Lengshan Grass. While easier for the common folk to grasp, its effectiveness is undoubtedly inferior.”
“You have talent, and your body is in its prime. You may study this original version. Perhaps you will gain much from it.”
Fang Xun gave his instructions calmly.
“Tui Zhi understands!” Li Shun replied, lowering his head as he gripped the book tightly in his hands.
Back in his small courtyard, Li Shun repeatedly studied the Spirit Division and Life Transformation technique Fang Xun had given him.
“Divide the essence of living beings to nurture the wonders of heaven and earth. The true intent of this method is to gather the strength of countless lives to cultivate rare treasures, not to exhaust a single person’s blood and vitality.”
“Although I have borrowed two hundred years of lifespan, and my blood and vitality are exceedingly abundant, the consumption required to tend the spiritual plants in the greenhouse is negligible to me. Still, I cannot continue like this indefinitely. I must find another way…”
“And from my observations during this time, Fang Xun places an unusual level of importance on the Lengshan Lord. He even secretly keeps some of the Lengshan Grass, despite it being nothing more than a common offering.”
“It seems the decline in Lengshan Grass production may be far more severe than I anticipated. Perhaps…”
“It may even go completely extinct in the future!”
Li Shun’s consciousness once again flowed into the Fangcun space.
The puppet ‘Li Shun’ had not grown younger along with his regained youth.
Instead, it remained exactly as it had been before.
It seemed the state of the puppet was forever fixed at the moment it was taken into the Fangcun space.
“If only there were a way to restore its youth as well.”
“If it could maintain the body of a sixteen-year-old, at the peak of its blood and vitality, its efficiency in cultivating Lengshan Grass would likely be more than double what it is now.”
As this thought surfaced, a bold idea suddenly emerged in Li Shun’s mind.
“I can borrow lifespan… but can the puppet do the same?”
The moment this thought appeared, his heart began to race.
Yet restrained by reason, he ultimately abandoned the idea for now.
“The laws of Great Qian are strict. The Twelvefold Longevity Methods are strictly forbidden from being passed on without official authorization.”
“There must be some form of surveillance in place. If I attempt to borrow lifespan without permission, it could bring disaster upon me.”
“Until I understand how they monitor it, it’s best not to act rashly.”
Li Shun forcefully suppressed the restless thoughts in his heart.
In the blink of an eye, five months passed, and summer arrived.
On this day, the sixth day of the sixth month.
After tending to the Lengshan Lord, Li Shun strolled out of the greenhouse.
Suddenly, the alarm bell of the county yamen rang out, its piercing sound echoing through the air.
At the same time, panicked shouts erupted one after another.
“The flood is coming! The flood is coming!”
Li Shun instinctively looked up.
What he saw was a towering wall of water, nearly covering half the sky, roaring toward them.