In the 128th year of Emperor Longxing's reign during the Great Zhou Dynasty, over thirty southwestern counties suffered severe drought, followed by locust plagues that left the people destitute and holess, with bandits rising everywhere.
The suprely wise, culturally accomplished, militarily skilled, virtuous, immortal, and most sacred Emperor Longxing issued an edict:
Exempting Qingzhou's commoners from taxes for three years, ordering the Ministry of Revenue to prepare one million dan of relief grain to aid disaster victims.
Commanding Qingzhou's governor to comfort victims, resettle displaced people, and thoroughly eliminate all banditry within the territory.
Once the imperial edict was issued and circulated to all regional offices, the people across the land praised the emperor's benevolence.
Officials everywhere submitted morials extolling the suprely wise, culturally accomplished, militarily skilled, virtuous, immortal, and most sacred Emperor Longxing, whose virtuous governance shone like the sun, illuminating all citizens.
Even a young prince petitioned to personally inspect Qingzhou's disaster situation and comfort the victims.
With the emperor's edict proclaid, Ministry of Revenue officials and local governnts acted swiftly without delay.
Ard with imperial authority, they collected over three million dan of relief grain from various regions, confiscating properties from the few disloyal troublemakers who resisted.
Then working day and night, they delivered five hundred thousand dan to Qingzhou for disaster relief.
Qingzhou officials wept with gratitude, imdiately submitting morials thanking the emperor's boundless grace.
Anchang County where Ergouzi lived belonged to Sanyang Commandery under Qingzhou's jurisdiction, one of the worst-hit areas.
Yet he had never heard anything about disaster relief.
Recently during food shortages, governnt granaries had emptied, and even black markets had no grain available.
Supporting several hundred people now, consuming one to two dan of grain daily, he nearly faced complete food depletion.
He could only grind tree bark and roots dug up during land clearing, mixing them with locust powder and minimal grain, barely keeping everyone fed.
With locust swarms growing increasingly severe, he temporarily halted land clearing.
Each person prepared bamboo brooms to hunt locusts around Shexi Village for food.
On average, each person could catch about one sheng of locusts daily - enough for their own consumption.
However, more mutated giant locusts appeared in swarms - these aggressive insects could even attack humans.
Two subordinates had already been fatally bitten.
Additionally, prolonged locust at consumption made people's eyes bloodshot and tempers volatile, with daily fights breaking out.
Ergouzi experinted by adding so gourd-stored locusts to their als.
These villagers couldn't sense spiritual energy - they only found the food tastier.
Over ti, their physiques significantly improved, and violent tendencies diminished.
Stronger subordinates ant better combat ability, fewer casualties, and more efficient future land cultivation.
Henceforth, Ergouzi regularly mixed spiritually-enhanced food into their rations.
Today on Shekou Mountain, another aerial battle between giant geese and locust swarms concluded.
Ergouzi sat on a boulder eating skewered giant locusts.
The five-inch mutated locusts - egg-filled females and fatty males - were exceptionally plump and delicious.
Simply removing wings, twisting heads to extract intestines, then roasting or frying produced mouthwatering aromas.
Shekou Mountain seed targeted by locusts - perhaps coveting the mountain's old ginseng - with swarms attacking every few days.
Each ti the geese routed them, only the strongest escaping.
But survivors stubbornly returned with reinforcents.
While Shekou Mountain bore the brunt, Shexi Village's locust problems unexpectedly decreased.
The daily battles attracted many observing villagers.
People knew poultry ate locusts, but ordinary households kept only one or two chickens/ducks, wealthier families three to five for egg sales.
Villagers couldn't match such numbers, especially since Shekou's geese had grown several tis larger, even carrying Ergouzi aloft.
"How did Master Zhang's geese grow so big?"
"Must be the mountain's immortal energy!"
"Look how Master Zhang beca a martial scholar after just years here."
"I always knew Shekou Mountain was auspicious land."
"Anchang River dried up, but Shekou's spring still flows."
"My grandfather said a thousand-year snake demon's suppressed beneath."
"Huang Laocai, you sold too cheap!"
"Yes, you practically gave away a treasure mountain."
While discussing Shekou's value, villagers inevitably teased Huang Laocai.
No longer the village's richest, he beca fair ga for mockery.
Yet no one ever saw regret on his face.
"Treasure mountains require fortune to enjoy."
"Shekou belonged to my family nearly a century - just barren stone where even trees wouldn't grow."
"Old Stubborn's family tried cultivating it - worked themselves to death, wife remarried, children sold as slaves."
"Elders said seeing Shekou's giant snake ant certain death."
Huang Laocai's words dampened many villagers' budding ideas.
But this only applied to ordinary followers.
Those with determined dao hearts remained unaffected by rumors, steadfastly pursuing their paths.
Regardless of obstacles, broken bones, or even dead fathers - they'd charge forward!
anwhile at Ergouzi's uncle's house, Zhang Youliang and Zhang Youxin argued fiercely behind closed doors.
"You want to try again?!"
"You're insane!" Zhang Youxin slamd the table, glaring.
"You nearly died falling, then got Father killed!"
"Now you'd drag us into madness?"
Bang! Zhang Youliang shattered the table with one palm.
"Rember - Ergouzi killed Father!"
"Without , would we enjoy current comforts?"
"One more breakthrough, and our family rises - establishing a millennium clan is within reach!"
Though becoming a martial scholar brought benefits, compared to established clans, he remained insignificant.
Lacking resources and wealth, consuming one or two Peiyuan Gutben Pills monthly would make passing the provincial martial exam easy.
"Shekou Mountain definitely holds treasures."
"That pig-feeding woodcutter Ergouzi - what rit lets him keep such riches?"
At this, Zhang Youxin's eyes glead green - not just greed, but envy!
Strangers' wealth and power rarely provoked envy.
But when a once-despised "horse" they rode daily now equaled or surpassed them - that stung.
Seeing Ergouzi's success made them furious - how dare he?
Imagining him flaunting provincial martial scholar status soday made them want to die.
Whether obtaining Shekou's treasures or not, they couldn't let Ergouzi benefit.
Thus the brothers reached consensus - one more attempt.
"This ti we plan carefully, proceed steadily..."
......
Unaware of fresh conspiracies against Shekou Mountain, Ergouzi remained peacefully secluded there.
Huang Fugui and Qiuyue led daily locust-hunting for self-sufficiency, requiring no supervision.
Recently focused solely on cultivation, he hadn't descended for days.
Watering crops, feeding geese, studying, and practicing cultivation filled his contented days.
The mountain's jujube and persimmon trees had matured, bearing abundant fruit.
With regular watering, they produced harvests nearly monthly.
Overflowing yields forced him to dry and store surpluses - his gourd already held many dried dates and persimmons.
Additionally, daily locust carcasses were similarly preserved.
Though no longer food-insecure, his childhood starvation left him incapable of wasting even one grain.
Finishing cultivation practice today, standing up, geese imdiately surrounded him, honking excitedly.
Smiling, Ergouzi produced a Peiyuan Gutben Pill bottle from his gourd.
"Line up!"
"No pills for disorderly geese."
Remarkably, the geese ford an orderly queue, necks outstretched.
One impatient goose cutting in was viciously pecked into proper line.
Satisfied, Ergouzi fed each goose one pill while stroking their heads.
Each pill-swallowing goose strutted proudly aside.
Perhaps from consuming spiritual substances, these geese grew not only stronger but smarter.
Now understanding simple commands, they exhibited faint energy resembling martial artists' true qi.
Was this the "demon energy" ntioned in texts?
Whether they'd beco full demons remained unclear, but strengthening them now proved wise - locust swarms increasingly featured dangerous five-to-six-inch giants requiring capable geese.
Just after feeding, clamoring arose below.
"Dang dang dang..."
"Zhang Ergou!"
"Scholar Zhang!"
"Master Zhang..."
Peering over the cliff, he saw villagers gathered below surrounding a scarlet-robed official - the county's third-rank constable, a second-layer Qi Condensation expert nad Wang.
"Constable Wang honors us with his presence!" Ergouzi called down, descending slowly via vine.
"This official seeks you."
"Seems important."
"We brought him."
Villagers eagerly explained as if performing great service, though rely tagging along for excitent and face-ti with authority.
"Scholar Zhang's mountaintop residence reflects refined tastes!" Constable Wang eyed the cliffs behind Ergouzi.
"You flatter . Poverty forces this windswept, dew-drinking existence."
"Honored guest deserves better hospitality, but please accept humble tea to quench thirst."
Ergouzi invited him into the brick-tiled house - but never up the mountain.
Seated on a bench, Wang surveyed the bare main room: one wooden table, four benches, crude teapot and cups - utter destitution.
Following Great Zhou's basic hospitality etiquette, Ergouzi served everyone equally from the poorest villager to the constable - rembering his own past humiliations.
Initially repulsed by the coarse pottery and inferior tea, Wang - a seasoned official - concealed displeasure at receiving identical treatnt to peasants.
Accepting a cup, he set it aside untouched.
Villagers, astonished by receiving scholar's tea, gulped it gratefully outside.
"Master Zhang's tea tastes amazing!"
"So fragrant and sweet - best I've ever drunk!"
Hearing such praise, Wang inwardly sneered - these bumpkins had likely never tasted proper tea.
The watery brew looked even less appealing now.
"Odd - my headache's gone after drinking!"
"I feel energized too!"
"My backache and leg pain vanished!"
"Master Zhang, what miraculous tea is this?"
As claims grew increasingly outrageous, Wang nearly berated them - but decided to taste first.
Lifting the cup delicately, he sipped.
"Hmm!"
Surprisingly sweet and llow, comparable to premium teas, with faint spiritual energy detectable by cultivators.
Gulping noisily, Wang drained the cup.
"Truly excellent tea!"
Refilled five tis until the pot emptied, Wang's belly visibly distended.
Villagers hoping for seconds resented his hogging - even officials could be uncouth.
"Brother Zhang, might I inquire about this tea?"
"Just mountain spring water with so dried dates." Ergouzi showed the pot's soaked remains.
"Might I take these leftovers for my children?" Wang shalessly requested.
Obliging, Ergouzi wrapped them in leaves tied with grass.
"Ha! Many thanks!" Wang departed cheerfully with his prize, drawing villagers' silent curses - who'd ever seen an official so shaless as to fight peasants for tea dregs?
"Constable Wang's purpose for visiting?"
Now tea-drunk, Ergouzi inquired directly.
"As you know, Qingzhou's drought continues with locusts and rebellious bandits exploiting chaos."
"As martial scholars, we must serve the court in its hour of need!"
"The magistrate issued orders summoning all county martial scholars under forty to combat locusts and suppress banditry."
Producing the vermilion-sealed docunt, Wang announced urgent mobilization for noon tomorrow at the county office.
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