A night of good rain.
By morning the rainbow faded and rain ceased, colorful light piercing through the clouds.
Song Qianji diligently swept fallen leaves and withered blossoms from the path into the flower fields, allowing them to slowly decompose and enrich the soil, becoming fertilizer for new leaves on the branches.
After the summer downpour, half-foot-long earthworms emerged from the ground, occupying the path.
"You little creatures usually burrow and loosen the soil for me, improving its quality silently and diligently. Looking at you, I actually feel compassion..."
The old monk he knew in his previous life would constantly speak of compassion, saying "sweeping the ground fears harming the lives of ants, loving moths enough to cover lamps with gauze." Song Qianji had always scoffed at this.
He couldn't help but laugh: "This lifetime, I haven't even met a monk yet, but I'm already speaking like one." Gently picking up the earthworms one by one, he returned them to the flower fields to prevent them from being trampled.
"Go back now, little ones."
Thus when Meng Heze and Ji Chen entered one after another, they happened to see Song Qianji smiling and talking to the earthworms.
Ji Chen's eyes instantly reddened as he murmured to himself: "When we're not around, Brother Song is all alone."
Without a word, Meng Heze set down his sword and tied on an apron, striding toward the kitchen.
While he was out hunting, busy honing combat skills and improving cultivation, Senior Brother Song had nothing to eat or drink and could only chat with earthworms.
"Wait!" Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, Song Qianji stopped him: "What are you doing?"
"Going to make noodles." Meng Heze now took great pride in his noodle-making skills, after all, practice makes perfect.
"Not so fast, I have something to discuss with you." The empty-nest Rogue Cultivator Song Qianji's mind raced to delay the noodle eating. "I want to recruit a Minister of Works."
Meng Heze indeed became curious: "What's a Minister of Works?"
"Thousand Canals has strong winds and dry soil layers. Last night's heavy rain washed away the loess, causing silt accumulation. The river channels need dredging. For future sand control, flood discharge, and irrigation distribution, we can't just start digging blindly—someone needs to design it. After the channels are dug, we'll still need to build bridges and repair roads..." Song Qianji pondered, "The Minister of Works position would oversee construction projects and must understand farming. Like Minister of Agriculture Mr. Liu, they would be my right-hand man."
Meng Heze suddenly understood.
Ji Chen muttered quietly: "I thought Brother Meng and I were Brother Song's right-hand men."
Song Qianji thought to himself, silly child, your farming skills aren't even as good as mine.
"Any cultivation difficulties recently?" Song Qianji asked while subtly untying Meng Heze's apron.
Meng Heze, completely unaware, contemplated: "Before when I wielded my sword, it felt like moving my own arm. Lately I feel the sword technique has been executed, but the sword hasn't arrived yet. It feels uncomfortable, like two friends gradually growing apart."
"It's not your problem—you need to change swords," Song Qianji said.
"Change swords?" Meng Heze was astonished.
"Even an entry-level sword, no matter how carefully you use it or maintain it, will eventually reach its limit. Don't make it suffer anymore."
Meng Heze looked down at his sword, caressing the hilt affectionately: "This is indeed difficult. Where to find one?"
A suitable good sword is like a compatible friend—truly hard to come by.
Ji Chen quietly counted the Spirit Stones in his Storage Bag: "Hire a craftsman with money?"
But Song Qianji said: "Not difficult. Pick an auspicious day, and I'll try opening the furnace."
Ji Chen exclaimed joyfully: "Brother Song understands artifact forging too?"
Song Qianji: "Let's say I understand a little."
In his previous life, his world-traveling Solitary Light Sword, and the Pure Bottle in his Purple Palace that currently contained the Fountain of Immortality—these were all Magical Artifacts he had forged himself.Artificers charge exorbitant fees, and ordinary rogue cultivators cannot afford custom-made magical artifacts. So he learned some skills to barely make a living.
Disciples like Meng Heze and Ji Chen have long paths ahead in their immortal journeys. In about three years, secret realms in the cultivation world will frequently open, with rare treasures and materials sprouting up like bamboo shoots after rain.
"Exploring secret realms" is like a collective spring outing for disciples of major sects and prominent families.
Those who succeed gain fame in their youth; those who fail simply have their sect elders or family seniors come retrieve them—nothing shameful about it.
It's also a precious opportunity for rogue cultivators and low-level practitioners to accumulate resources.
In his previous life, Song Qianji went in and out of dangerous places like Imprisoned Doom Mountain, Blood River Valley, and the Dead Sea multiple times before accumulating enough capital to turn his life around.
There was nothing to complain about—life and death are fated, wealth and honor determined by heaven. Surviving meant having a tough fate; failing meant lacking capability, deserving death if it came.
He hoped that in this life, Meng Heze and Ji Chen would grow up quickly. Once properly matured, he could release them to wreak havoc—no, to venture through the cultivation world.
Young people always need to go out and make their mark.
If they truly couldn't succeed... well, there'd be nothing to do about it.
Song Qianji resignedly thought, At worst, I'll go fetch them myself. I just hope it won't delay the autumn harvest.
"Senior Brother Song personally lit the furnace to forge a sword for me—I have no way to repay this kindness—"
Meng Heze clasped his hands, moved to tears, then immediately rushed into the kitchen and cooked an enormous pot full of food.
Ji Chen held his bowl, even drinking all the broth, loudly praising its fresh, simple deliciousness.
Song Qianji could only resignedly and earnestly eat, cleaning his bowl completely.
...
After Liu the Carpenter presented the curved shaft plow and became Minister of Agriculture, the Immortal Official Manor posted another notice recruiting a "Minister of Works," causing another sensation:
"The Immortal Official Manor is recruiting a Minister of Works—interested parties should hurry and apply."
"Even mortals, as long as they possess specialized skills and can contribute to Thousand Canals, can become close aides to the Immortal Official."
Countless applicants came forward, hoping to get close to Song Xian Guan like Liu the Carpenter and walk alongside him:
"My ancestors dug canals too! I was just named 'Pioneer Canal Digger' the other day—am I qualified?"
"I know how to predict weather by reading clouds—does that count?"
The Thousand Canals Chicken Delivery Team conducted initial interviews. Anyone who proposed good suggestions for canal construction would receive corresponding rewards, even if they didn't become Minister of Works.
The enthusiasm was so intense and the momentum so massive that it even spread to neighboring Hongfu County.
Even Hongfu's Liu Xianguan heard about Thousand Canals' open auditions for Minister of Works.
Liu Hongshan specifically sent a letter, ostensibly inviting Song Qianji to Hongfu to select talent, but actually trying to trick him into visiting Hongfu County again.
Song Qianji saw through it clearly but went willingly.
Ji Chen refused to come, not wanting to drink "inferior wine and coarse tea" again, so Song Qianji brought Minister of Agriculture Liu the Carpenter, an expert in farming.
In his previous life, Liu Hongshan never broke through to the Nascent Soul stage before being killed by Song Qianji, forever stuck in the awkward position of having one foot across the threshold.
Cultivation is truly this cruel—hope and despair alternating constantly.
Spending decades or even centuries stuck at a bottleneck until lifespan nears its end is commonplace. Once stepping onto the immortal path, few are willing to remain stagnant.
"Brother Song, please use your heavenly vision again to examine me—where exactly are the flaws in my cultivation method?"
Liu Hongshan laid out a feast with fine wine and delicacies, but he no longer played the "Wind and Snow Array Entry Tune."
Song Qianji thought, It's not about having flaws somewhere—you're leaking everywhere like a sieve.
"Don't panic, the time isn't right yet." He smiled peacefully. "I heard that when Hongfu was building dams, someone came forward with blueprints?"Liu Hongshan grasped the implied meaning from the tone and spoke amiably: "What 'sir'? He's just a blacksmith. Claims to have observed the river's flow for thirty years and traveled both banks."
Song Qianji: "Could you invite him here?"
"Easily done!" Liu Hongshan casually instructed the master of ceremonies, "Go fetch Tie Sanniu. Hah, this simpleton's getting lucky this time."
Soon, a sturdy dark-faced man followed the master of ceremonies into the hall, bowing deeply with his head lowered as he presented a stack of drawings.
He was clearly not presenting diagrams for the first time, yet still appeared apprehensive: "Honored Immortal Officials, I have meticulously recorded water level changes, studied the soil and geology of both banks, drafted forty hydraulic diagrams, compiled three volumes of insights, and one handbook titled 'Notes on Hydrology'..."
Song Qianji flipped through them casually, growing more delighted with each page. He handed the drawings to Liu the Carpenter to admire while rising to his feet: "Esteemed sir, would you consider returning to Thousand Canals with me as Director of Works?"
Tie Sanniu stood dumbfounded: "You'd truly choose me?"
Song Qianji bowed in courtesy.
Tie Sanniu felt overwhelmed by the honor: "I dare not accept such respect."
Song Qianji still insisted: "The accomplished deserve reverence."
While one maintained courtesy and the other reacted with excitement, only Liu Hongshan's expression gradually cooled.
Since when did cultivators bow to mortals?
After Liu the Carpenter led Tie Sanniu out of the hall to pack their belongings, Liu Hongshan meaningfully reminded Song Qianji about the distinction between immortals and mortals:
"As an Immortal Official, you cannot be too kind to mortals, or they will lose their awe of you. Once awe is lost, the altar tables in God Temples will collapse."
"And if the altar tables collapse?" Song Qianji continued browsing the diagrams with keen interest.
Liu Hongshan glared, urgently responding: "If altar tables collapse, the heavens will fall! If everyone ceases making offerings at God Temples, what would become of this world?!"
Song Qianji smiled indifferently.
Liu Hongshan, still hoping Song Qianji would open the Heavenly Eye, had no choice but to swallow his anger.
In Song Qianji's eyes, his own crude skill of crafting watering cans for irrigation barely qualified as "early Qi Refinement" in farming.
Liu the Carpenter, who created the Curved Shaft Plow and was currently improving other farm tools, ranked as a "Nascent Soul expert."
Meanwhile, this Tie Sanniu actually possessed complete concepts for river channel water storage, diversion, and terrain-based farmland irrigation, making him a veritable "Transformation Stage master" in agriculture—naturally deserving enthusiastic welcome.
Once Thousand Canals' climate and rainfall gradually recovered, transforming hundreds of barren mountains into terraced fields would no longer be a dream.
Boarding the Seven Wonders treasure ship, Tie Sanniu still felt unreal, constantly pinching his own thigh.
Liu the Carpenter assessed his new colleague: "Thousand Canals isn't as prosperous as Hongfu. Old brother, you must be prepared."
Previously, people from Thousand Canals risked their lives to "sneak into" Hongfu. This man was the first in sixty years to voluntarily go from Hongfu to Thousand Canals, truly pioneering a new path.
Facing Liu the Carpenter, Tie Sanniu was less restrained than in the great hall, waving heartily: "I'm not afraid of hardship."
He had long prepared himself for barren land and suffering.
"My home was by the river, and Hongfu suffered annual floods..." He looked up and sighed deeply: "Though I'm a blacksmith, I've also studied reading and writing, nurturing aspirations. I've devoted half my life to water conservancy, presented diagrams six times without success—a pearl cast before swine. Now leaving my homeland, I only seek to validate my knowledge, apply my skills where they're needed, and serve a wise lord."
Liu the Carpenter felt his heart surge with emotion.
This man truly was educated from Hongfu Prefecture—phrases like "a pearl cast before swine" and "serve a wise lord" sounded so refined.He also wanted to say something, so he opened his mouth and shouted:
"Me too!"
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