“Get up, get up, all of you roll out of bed!”

The clanging sound of bronze gongs shattered the peaceful night.

“Every male in each household must worship at the celestial temple. Depart immediately!”

Local officials beat drums and gongs, lighting torches as they entered the village.

The fire snaked through like a dragon, black smoke billowing.

Suddenly, chickens crowed and dogs barked as the entire village awoke from slumber.

“Why leave now? It’s only the second watch of the night!”

“This is the village’s last plow ox. We can’t take it!”

The low roars of men, the screams of women, the crying of children, and the coughing of the elderly all rose together in the cold, quiet night.

Before long, the officials’ curses and the whistling sound of whips overpowered all other noises.

The final shrill cries were suppressed, leaving only a few plaintive moans.

The earthen house had no lamps lit. Moonlight shone through the paper-covered windows, faint and contorted.

The home was bare, but it had a table and a cabinet, bean paste porridge in the pot, and dried pancakes hanging on the wall.

By village standards, this was considered a prosperous household.

The woman’s eyes were filled with worry: “Father of Little Tiger, why must you travel in the middle of the night to worship at the temple?”

The man closed the door, tucking half a dried pancake into his bosom: “I heard from outside that a new immortal official has arrived in Tiancheng. After I leave…”

“Woof, woof, woof!” Suddenly there was a burst of dog barking.

But they had no dog.

It was the small child on the kang bed who had awakened and was clapping his hands, imitating a dog’s bark: “What immortal official? They’re all dog officials! Dog officials, dog officials!”

The man was shocked and alarmed. Glancing at the shadows moving outside the window and the blazing torches, he strode to the edge of the kang bed and covered the child’s mouth with his hand.

His force was too strong, causing the child pain. The boy struggled vigorously, making muffled sounds.

The woman hurriedly pulled her husband away: “What are you doing!”

The man released his hand but pressed down on the child’s shoulders, speaking in a low, harsh voice: “Little Tiger, who taught you to say this?!”

Little Tiger gasped and wailed: “Everyone sings like this…”

“You must not say such things! If someone hears, you’ll lose your head!” the man said angrily. “Do you understand?!”

The frightened child nodded, and only then did the man let go.

He heaved a sigh, turned around to open the dilapidated wooden cabinet, and took out an object from the very bottom, lifting the white cloth that covered it.

It was a wooden plow, but unlike the straight plows commonly used now, this one had a curved shaft.

Ordinary farmers couldn’t produce their farm tools; they could only pay the local gentry and landlords to rent them.

Before becoming crippled, he had been the most skilled carpenter in the area, often traveling from street to street repairing things for people.

After creating this plow, he had never tested it in the fields. Only with permission from above could it be mass-produced and used.

The soil was becoming increasingly hard, making cultivation more laborious. Without plow oxen, people became the oxen themselves.

If one day, everyone could use this plow to till the land…

The tired eyes of the man brightened slightly.

“What are you doing?!” the woman exclaimed anxiously.

The man gritted his teeth: “When the new immortal official takes office, anyone can present treasures.”

“They want immortal artifacts, who wants a mere plow!” the woman’s expression turned bitter. “Husband, let it go. Five years ago, you also went, and weren’t you just…”

She looked at the man’s crippled leg.

“But what if…” the man didn’t continue, his face turning ashen.

Hope pinned on “what if” wasn’t worth elaborating on.

“What are you dawdling for!” A harsh pounding on the door resounded, accompanied by the official’s curses. “You son of a bitch, get the hell out here!”

The man embraced his wife and child, dragged the wooden plow, opened the door, and walked into the vast night.

Outside, the local officials roared with laughter, shouting:

“Look, Crippled Liu is going to present his treasure again, hahaha!”

“Father!” The child cried out, about to rush through the door.

The woman grabbed him and held him on the kang bed, embracing him: “Go to sleep. When you wake up, your father will be back.”

“I can’t sleep,” Little Tiger’s face was streaked with tears.

“Would you like a mother to tell you a story?”

The woman wiped away his tears and said gently: “A long, long time ago, our village was a beautiful place. There were no black sandstorms, only lush green trees and grass.

“Every year, rain fell from the sky, and every year, the fields yielded good harvests, with grain piled into small mountains. The hills were full of wildflowers and wild fruits, rabbits and pheasants. The river water was so clear you could see your reflection, and it was filled with countless fish!”

Little Tiger closed his eyes: “Could I eat one of those fish?”

“The fish were plump and large, dripping with oil when roasted. You could eat as many as you wanted until your belly burst!”

“Mother, I’m full now.”

Before long, Little Tiger fell fast asleep in his mother’s arms.

His lips smacked a smile on his face, lost in some pleasant dream.

But his mother’s tears flowed down:

“Heavens, please open your eyes and give us a way to survive!”

…

The central city of Qianqu County was called “Tiancheng.”

In the immortal official’s residence, the high tower where the immortal official lived was called the “Cloud Tower.”

Under the protection of formations, Tiancheng gathered the last of the spiritual energy in the county. The streets were paved with smooth bluestone, lined with green trees.

It was built in imitation of the famous Huawei City in the Western Continent, with buildings featuring flying eaves and interlocking brackets, exquisite.

Viewed from above, it looked like a miniature version of Huawei City.

Except the air was dry, and the sand and wind were slightly stronger.

Zhou Xiaoyun optimistically said: “I think this place is quite nice. It’s not as terrible as Senior Brother Song described.”

“He was indeed just scaring us!” Xu Kanshan laughed.

Meng He Ze frowned: “No, something doesn’t feel right to me.”

In front of the immortal official’s residence was an open area like a square, spacious and flat. Ji Chen maneuvered the treasure ship to descend slowly.

Zhao Ren, along with the staff of the immortal official’s residence, had been waiting from morning until noon.

He was eager to meet Song Qian Ji, desperate to leave this place.

As soon as the Seven Wonders treasure ship touched the ground before it had fully stabilized, Zhao Ren rushed onto the deck.

The figures on the ship were scattered; at a glance, there were about a thousand people, most still wearing the Huawei Sect’s outer disciple robes.

Zhao Ren thought to himself, I’ve heard that Song Qian Ji has a handsome appearance and a romantic nature. Having achieved fame at a young age, with his calligraphy and chess skills illuminating the cultivation world, he must be at the height of his vigor. No matter how steady his temperament or how low-key he tries to appear, he must carry some arrogance.

The young man at the front had a high ponytail, wore white fitting clothes with an indigo waistband. His aura was valiant, his spirit as sharp as an unsheathed sword.

To have reached the Foundation Establishment level at just over ten years old truly evoked envy.

He must be Song Qian Ji!

“I’ve long heard of Junior Brother Song’s reputation. Meeting you today, you truly embody ‘heroes emerge from the young’!” Zhao Ren laughed heartily, enthusiastically reaching for the young man’s hands. “Song—”

“Senior Brother Song is behind me,” Meng He Ze nimbly avoided his hand, revealing the person behind him.

Zhao Ren felt extremely awkward, but then his eyes lit up again:

The young man wore a legal robe with eighty-eight layers of water and cloud talismanic symbols, his belt adorned with premium shark king pearls. Under the morning sun, the colors flowed, enveloping him in a faint halo of light.

Not only was he completely adorned in luxury, but he was also accompanied by a pretty, adorable young girl with double buns.

Traveling with a beauty—so this must be Song Qian Ji!

He had heard that the jade slip created from the Star-Plucking Formation had already brought him two hundred thousand spirit stones in rich income. No wonder his appearance was so dazzling—truly enviable!

“I am Zhao Ren, the previous immortal official of Qianqu County. Meeting Junior Brother Song’s elegant demeanor today…” Zhao Ren’s hand turned toward Ji Chen, but once again missed its target.

Ji Chen smiled kindly: “You’ve mistaken me. Senior Brother Song is behind us.”

How can he still be behind? Are you all deliberately toying with me?!

Zhao Ren couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

Then he saw the two young men from before, one valiant and one noble, stepping aside from left and right, both going to support the person behind them:

“Senior Brother Song, we’ve arrived.”

“Brother Song, wake up.”

The person was helped up from a reclining soft cushion as if he had just been napping. He blinked his eyes:

“Immortal Official Zhao, hello.” His voice was light and clear.

He was neither sharp nor luxurious; rather, his temperament was gentle.

Just speaking a sentence with him would create the illusion that he was very easy to deal with.

Zhao Ren’s internal alarm bells rang loudly!

To be able to subdue the entire outer sect of the Huawei Sect, yet not show off—this was truly a formidable character.

He became extremely vigilant: “Junior Brother Song! I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. Let’s go to the celestial temple now! Today, there happens to be an offering ceremony…”

“What for?” Song Qian Ji asked.

This question confused Zhao Ren. If not to the temple, where else would you want to go?

Could it be that he was displeased that his golden statue hadn’t been enshrined in the temple in advance?

He decided to first give Song Qian Ji a little “sweetener” to stabilize him.

“Junior Brother Song may not know, but this is a necessary procedure for the handover between two immortal officials. The Ministers of Agriculture, Ceremonies, and Military are ready to report to you at the temple. The prominent families of Qianqu also come to pay homage and offer treasures. The rules cannot be changed.”

When Song Qian Ji heard “Minister of Agriculture,” he changed his mind: “Very well, let’s follow the rules.”

The way of farming was profound and extensive. He had specific questions to ask the county’s Minister of Agriculture.

The Qianqu County he had traveled through in his previous life was a hundred years in the future.

Things must be quite different now, and he needed to understand the situation before he could better plan land use.

Song Qian Ji took a deep breath and smiled with satisfaction.

It was the scent of wasteland. Since his rebirth, his wish had finally come true.

The pure bottle filled with the Undying Spring in his Violet Palace vibrated resonantly as if responding to his state of mind.

Zhao Ren inwardly sneered—only willing to go when he heard about treasure offerings. This Song Qian Ji truly wouldn’t release his hawk before seeing the rabbit!

But on the surface, he also smiled.

The two immortal officials looked at each other with smiles, each politely yielding as they disembarked.

…

At the temple square, the kneeling crowd felt profoundly sorrowful.

In the distance, they saw smoke rising, the treasure ship landing, and the new immortal official striding forward.

Behind him followed over a thousand cultivators, grand and magnificent.

The display was even grander than when Immortal Official Zhao had arrived, more like immortals descending from heaven.

They feared how difficult he would be to serve.