The great drought observed by Si Tianjian finally arrived imperceptibly.

The land began to crack, wells ran dry.

Among the common people, the land turned barren for a thousand miles.

The breeding families secretly kept watch on the beam rice, praying this thing would also die from the drought.

Yet the curses against Di Sanmeng among the common people gradually diminished.

After all the other crops in the fields withered and died one after another, only the beam rice still stood tall and proud.

The harsh climate seemed like a test for it. The sun grew increasingly fierce, scorching the earth.

The beam rice grew even shorter, its leaves thick and fleshy, like a cactus, firmly locking in every drop of water.

When water could no longer be drawn even from the distant riverbeds, someone suddenly discovered—the leaves, stalks, and stems of the beam rice were all filled with abundant juice!

The juice was somewhat bitter, slightly astringent on the palate.

But at a time like this, who still had the luxury to care about that?

When everyone was unbearably parched with thirst, they survived by chewing beam rice leaves.

Di Yiqiu became even busier. Si Tianjian’s Foundry Bureau had crafted new well-drilling cones, and he tested the depth wells could be drilled daily.

Several times he returned home with his body so filthy it was unrecognizable. He was also too exhausted to want to speak.

Shangjing also lacked water. Huang Rang simply bought dust-removing magical treasures and cleaned his clothes daily.

He didn’t want to talk, and Huang Rang was too lazy to talk with him either.

So the two often went about their own business without saying a word to each other.

The common people were even more desperate for water. Dead livestock from thirst could be seen everywhere.

To make matters worse, some common people developed severe toxic sores due to heat toxins.

The toxic sores gradually worsened and began to spread, becoming an epidemic.

As the epidemic gradually spread, some heat-clearing and detoxifying medicinal materials began to run short. And because of the great drought, ordinary medicinal materials simply couldn’t be planted.

Miao Yunzhi, who had long remained out of sight, began traveling between the breeding families, hoping everyone could turn to cultivating drought-resistant medicinal materials.

The breeding families, having previously suffered a setback in the beam rice matter, now wanted to use this affair to turn things around.

—Being constantly cursed wasn’t pleasant either.

But just at this moment, that damned Di Sanmeng jumped out again.

—What kind of person was Huang Rang?

Would she let these people take advantage?

Though she had long tired of seeking fame and recognition, she also knew how it was done.

So at this time, Huang Rang jumped out and, through Di Sanmeng’s name, handed over excellent seeds for bitter lotus.

Even if the other breeding families had this intention, who could move as quickly as her?

This bitter lotus was an improved medicinal material. Its parent seedlings—she had begun planting them right after harvesting the beam rice seeds.

Thus, Si Tianjian, representing Master Di Sanmeng, distributed this batch of bitter lotus to medical clinics and Baiguya, with both places jointly brewing medicine to suppress the epidemic.

This bitter lotus was very bitter, but its effectiveness had improved by countless times.

It was also most effective in treating toxic sores.

So the reputation of “Di Sanmeng” gradually resounded throughout the common people. Countless commoners began enshrining longevity tablets for him.

Imagining Old Master Xi gnashing his teeth in rage, Huang Rang was so delighted she would laugh even in her dreams.

And just at this time, Miao Yunzhi came to visit!

The old man didn’t conceal his purpose, directly saying: “I heard you know Master Di Sanmeng.” He properly presented his calling card, saying: “Please convey a message to him for this old man, saying this old man greatly admires his breeding skills. I wish to meet with him in person.”

Miao Yunzhi’s seniority need not be mentioned—he could call Xie Lingbi brother on equal terms.

This word “admires” from him made Huang Rang break out in cold sweat. She said: “This…”

Miao Yunzhi rolled his eyes and scolded: “This old man asks you to inquire with Master Di Sanmeng—are you actually going to make excuses?”

“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.” Huang Rang hurriedly said—it seemed she’d have to play the expert again.

Two days later, “Di Sanmeng” arranged to meet Miao Yunzhi at Di Yiqiu’s fief.

Hearing of this matter, Di Yiqiu specially hurried back, also wanting to see “Master Di Sanmeng” again.

So that evening, the golden-red sunset ignited half the sky in evening clouds.

Di Sanmeng still wore a loose black robe with a long black gauze veil hat. Di Yiqiu wore purple official robes, while Miao Yunzhi was dressed as a great scholar.

The three found a flat place to sit down.

Di Sanmeng held a dead branch and wrote a sentence: “Why seek me?”

The normally proud and short-tempered Miao Yunzhi, upon seeing Di Sanmeng, seemed to suddenly restrain all his temper. He looked at the hand holding the dead branch—that hand was slender and delicate, clearly belonging to a woman.

Di Sanmeng was actually a woman.

Miao Yunzhi was shocked in his heart. After a long moment, he actually cupped his hands and said: “I have long admired the heroic name of Di Sanmeng. When I received your bitter lotus before, Miao was extremely shocked. These years, Miao has researched bitter lotus for many years, always wanting to enhance its medicinal efficacy. What you have cultivated, sir, is precisely what Miao has dreamed of obtaining. Therefore, Miao has specially come to thank you, sir.”

…This is really unnecessary!

Huang Rang struggled to maintain an appearance of profound mystery, yet her heart was pounding like a drum.

Sitting before her was Miao Yunzhi! Even He Xijin would have to bow to him as a junior.

If Aunt and Uncle knew she was making Miao Yunzhi call her “sir” again and again, they would definitely beat her.

Huang Rang composed her expression, slowed her movements, and wrote word by word: “Duty within my station, no need to worry.”

Facing such a calm and composed mysterious expert, Miao Yunzhi appeared even more respectful—to remain so composed upon meeting him, this was clearly an unparalleled great power.

Could it be one of those Yuhu Xuanzong elders who had hidden from the world for many years?

No, that was also impossible.

That bunch—how could they have Master Di Sanmeng’s breadth of mind and talent?

The colder Huang Rang was, the more devout Miao Yunzhi became. He asked: “Miao wishes to know, how could you, sir, cultivate such bitter lotus?”

—Of course it’s because… outside the dream, you searched everywhere for breeding masters to cultivate bitter lotus and gave us your research findings!

Huang Rang hesitated slightly, then directly plagiarized on the ground the medicinal efficacy analysis Miao Yunzhi had once given her.

She wrote word by word, unhurried and calm, entirely with the demeanor of a senior expert.

As Miao Yunzhi watched, he was greatly shocked: “This, this coincides exactly with Miao’s thoughts. But Miao has practiced medicine for many years and only had this thought late in life. That you, senior, also have this insight—could you also be a great sage of the medical profession?”

“No no no! Don’t doubt it, this is your own work!” Huang Rang panicked inwardly, yet her hands remained steady—after all, having been a sect master’s wife for many years, she wasn’t so easily flustered.

She wrote word by word: “Seeing the drought situation, merely did some research.”

Miao Yunzhi almost knelt before her: “Senior’s talent covers the world, please accept Miao’s bow!”

It cannot be, it cannot be!

Huang Rang hastily extended her hand, waving it slightly to indicate it wasn’t necessary.

—If she dared accept this bow, Qu Manying would truly beat her bottom to pieces.

But even such a refusal was unhurried and unrushed, calm and composed.

Beside them, the Jianzheng said: “Senior Miao is advanced in years after all. Since the master is unwilling to receive his great ceremony, this junior will, on behalf of Senior Miao, bow in gratitude for the master’s life-saving grace.”

As his words fell, the Jianzheng lifted his robes and knelt, without another word kowtowing three times to “Di Sanmeng.”

“…” Master Di Sanmeng sat upright without moving. Yet beneath the veil hat, Huang Rang’s expression was already indescribable.

Heaven protect me, I hope I never get exposed in this lifetime…

Please, I’m begging you.

Before her, Miao Yunzhi asked about improving several more medicinal materials. Huang Rang used the dead branch as a pen, answering slowly yet with incomparable fluency.

—How could it not be fluent?

These medicinal materials—outside the dream, Miao Yunzhi had long ago asked the Huang family to cultivate them many times. Each time there was the slightest lack of understanding, he would certainly scold furiously, and after scolding, her head would be covered with his sprayed spittle.

Ah, how tempting to use this opportunity to spray back at him all the spittle he once sprayed.

But forget it.

—If she got exposed later, wouldn’t Aunt hammer her dog head to pieces?

Huang Rang’s thoughts wandered chaotically, yet her face remained unmoved as a mountain.

The more Miao Yunzhi conversed with her, the more he felt they’d met too late. In the end, it was Huang Rang who indicated the meeting was over, and Di Yiqiu almost forcibly dragged him away.

Alas, playing an expert wasn’t easy.

Especially an expert who paid out of her own pocket.

Huang Rang thought of the expenses for the bitter lotus parent seeds and her face filled with sorrow.

By the time this drought ended and the toxic sore epidemic was also controlled, when the first heavy rain moistened the earth, Di Sanmeng had already been “deified.”

Miao Yunzhi’s admiration for him made all the common people believe this was absolutely a transcendent expert with the world in his heart and astonishing talent.

But Old Master Xi, seeing his plan fall through, simply thought of an even more despicable method.

This day, rumors began circulating faintly among the common people, claiming that Master Di Sanmeng was actually Old Master Xi of the Xi family.

These rumors spread more and more convincingly.

Moreover, at just this juncture, Old Master Xi “inadvertently” let circulate the parent seeds of beam rice.

—He was, after all, the world’s most outstanding breeding master of the current era, with rich breeding experience. Mere beam rice—having seen the excellent seeds, couldn’t he cultivate parent seeds?

When the common people analyzed it, they felt this matter was quite possible.

First, Master Di Sanmeng’s old residence was in Shangjing. The Xi family was also in Shangjing.

Second, the excellent seeds Master Di Sanmeng cultivated had never failed. If not for many years of breeding, how could things proceed so smoothly?

Thus, everyone’s attention converged on the Xi family again.

Old Master Xi already had extensive experience with such matters. He neither admitted nor denied.

Anyway, Di Sanmeng never appeared—who was who, what difference did it make?

On this day, Old Master Xi’s eldest son, Xi Feng, swaggered to the old residence of Master Di Sanmeng in Shangjing.

He went and said nothing, only entering the inner room to examine the excellent seeds inside. Then without a word, he left directly.

When Di Yiqiu and Huang Rang rushed over upon hearing the news, he’d long since left.

On the long street, the matter of Di Sanmeng being Old Master Xi seemed to have been confirmed.

The common people, unaware of the truth, began expressing gratitude toward Old Master Xi one after another.

“This move is truly brilliant. Stealing the beams and replacing the pillars, making the false become true.” Huang Rang murmured: “This young lady has never seen such a thick-faced and shameless person.”

The Jianzheng, who had kowtowed three times to Master Di Sanmeng, stood at the old residence’s entrance. After quite a while, he laughed once.

“Truly a blessing falling from heaven.” The Jianzheng turned to look at Huang Rang. Huang Rang was baffled by his gaze: “What is it?”

Di Yiqiu said: “Since Master Di Sanmeng has been confirmed to be Old Master Xi, then the rent Master Di Sanmeng owes this seat can probably be collected.”

It took Huang Rang quite a while to understand his words: “I was wrong, you’re far more thick-faced and shameless than Old Master Xi…”

The Jianzheng reminded her: “In all these years, has the master not had any expenses difficult to bear?”

“There are simply too many!” Huang Rang’s eyes flashed with a strange brilliance, happily rubbing her hands together: “I’ll organize them for the master right away!!”

That afternoon, the Jianzheng organized all of Di Sanmeng’s expenses and expenditures over the years and went directly to the Xi family.

At the same time, Si Tianjian released word to the outside world.

Stating that because Master Di Sanmeng had always refused to show his true face, all expenses had been advanced by the court.

“Since Master Di Sanmeng has now been confirmed to be Old Master Xi, then please settle these accounts, Old Master Xi.” The Jianzheng stood at the Xi family’s entrance, before the watching crowd of common people, smiling as clear as a bright moon, as refreshing as a spring breeze.

He said loudly: “Master Di Sanmeng has the common people in his heart, Old Master Xi is virtuous and respected. This seat truly admires him immensely. This account statement has even been discounted by twenty percent. Please examine it, Old Master Xi.”

After speaking, the Jianzheng bowed deeply to the ground, waiting for the Xi family to take the account statement.

Old Master Xi received this account statement and nearly fainted from anger.