Ever since Yu Yuan left, Wen Zhong devoted himself wholeheartedly to the improvement of the Linhuan Pass.

Besides teaching children, he used the rest of his time to instruct the people of Linhuan Pass to fell trees from the forest and drag them to the river to construct a giant wooden device.

This device was called: Water Wheel.

The Water Wheel didn't rely on Divine Skills, nor did it require Daoist Skills.

It rotated upon encountering water, ceaselessly day and night.

When the Water Wheel turned, it could draw the waters of the Huai River up onto the bank.

Seeing that the Water Wheel really could draw water, the doubts of the people of Linhuan Pass vanished altogether. On one hand, they continued to build more Water Wheels after the model, on the other hand, following his suggestions, they constructed irrigation canals, dredged the riverbed, piling the silt dug up from the river's shores into the fields.

After the canals and Water Wheels were built, it became the planting season.

Wen Zhong then taught them to plow the fields with animal power, crafting tools such as plows, harrows, and clod crushers out of materials like bronze and wood, and he taught them how to select the best seeds for meticulous farming.

Linhuan Pass, located in the southeast, with its abundant water systems, primarily grew rice and millet.

Before, the people's way of planting was to simply scatter the seeds and leave the rest to fate, their harvest entirely dependent on the whims of heaven.

However, Wen Zhong learned from the encyclopedia that these two types of grains were very delicate and required constant careful attention from the moment of selecting seeds.

Every step including seed selection, seed cultivation, irrigation, planting, weeding, pest control, bird deterrence, and fertilizing was very important.

Especially from pests and birds.

Besides farmlands, the surrounding area of Linhuan Pass was all wilderness and dense forests, inhabited by a great number of birds.

After planting, the sprouting seedlings would soon attract flocks of birds to peck and ravage them.

As for insects, the people could catch some by hand, but they had no means to deal with these birds. Surely, they couldn't stand guard in the fields all the time to chase them away, could they?

Hearing of this, Wen Zhong directly had each household construct a few scarecrows and place them in the fields; the effect was no less than expected.

In just over a month, Linhuan Pass, located in the southeast corner of the Great Shang Dynasty, had transformed in ways unnoticed.

The rice paddies were neat and orderly, with rice and millet growing lush, plant by plant, clump by clump, their roots intertwined, their leaves depending on one another, densely packed together.

The green grain was robust, glistening with dew, and radiantly vibrant.

Stretching beyond where the eye could see!

Mist drifted between the trees in the distant forest.

Several figures of the common people stood on the ridges, looking at the lush seedlings with smiles so wide they could not close their mouths!

They had never imagined that their fields could yield such dense crops.

Although it was not yet the harvest season, they could already foresee an unprecedented bumper harvest this year!

What excited them the most was that all this was not achieved through blessings from the Divine!

It was under the guidance of the Immortal Wen Zhong, obtained through their own hard work and meticulous farming!

Now, the people of Linhuan Pass were deeply aware of the changes Wen Zhong had brought, unanimously praising his great virtue and expressing their gratitude for his great kindness!

Wen Zhong wasn't idle either, continuing to plan the construction of schools, the development of livestock breeding, and improvements in the planting of mulberries and hemp as well as textile production.

The sun rose gently, and the sky was covered with the glow of dawn.

The children of Linhuan Pass left their homes one by one under the watchful eyes of the adults, and they arrived at the small woodland south of the town.

Here, the common people had spontaneously built several straw-roofed cottages to provide shelter from the sun and rain for the Immortal and the children.

Wen Zhong usually stayed here too.

It was not that he pretended to be lofty, but that he had grown accustomed to simple living conditions.

Compared to before, these children had changed completely.

Wealthy families within the town, in order to please Wen Zhong, brought clothes and food, allowing these children to eat well and dress warmly. Their faces were clean, and gradually, their bodies grew fleshed out.

But the biggest change in these children was their eyes!

Once, whether these children were naïve toddlers or adolescents, their eyes seemed covered in a layer of mist, unable to see the light.

The older they got, the less light there was in their eyes.

But now, their eyes were bright and clear, shining with a faint light of clarity.

It was the light of wisdom, and also the light of hope!

Under the careful instruction of the Immortal Wen Zhong, these children had mastered many pieces of knowledge after more than a month of learning.

They understood the patterns of the sunset and the rising stars, were familiar with the changes of the seasons and the climate, and comprehended a great deal of knowledge including hydrology, agriculture, and arithmetic.

Seeing the look in their eyes always filled Wen Zhong's heart with joy, and so he taught even more earnestly.

"Today, we are going to talk about Pi... With the mastery of Pi, one can accurately calculate the circumference and area of a circle, the volume of a sphere, and so on..."

Wen Zhong's voice emanated from the cottage, spreading in all directions.

Not far away in the woods, Long Ji stared with bright eyes, speaking to Yu Yuan very seriously, "Immortal, listen to this, has your disciple been bewitched?"

Yu Yuan's face twitched slightly, saying irritably, "You called me all the way here just for this trivial matter?"

"A trivial matter?"

Long Ji exclaimed in surprise, "How can this be a trivial matter? Look at Wen Zhong, he's always tinkering with all kinds of bizarre things I have never even heard of..."

"Yes, yes, yes, it's not a trivial matter..."

Yu Yuan responded perfunctorily, "I'm aware of this matter now, is there anything else?"

Long Ji shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

Clearly, she could see Yu Yuan's heart wasn't in it and that he didn't welcome her visit.

Indeed, Yu Yuan immediately followed up, saying, "If there's nothing else, then I shall return to Penglai."

Having said that, he summoned the Golden-eyed Five Clouds Camel, ready to leave.

"Wait a moment…" Long Ji called out to him, hesitating slightly before speaking: "Actually, there is one more thing for which I'd like to ask for the Immortal's help."

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly.

He was not keen on having too much contact with this princess of the Heavenly Court.

Because her father, that is, the Emperor of Heaven, was no simple figure; if Yu Yuan had too close a contact with his daughter, he might end up being used by him!

However, since Long Ji had previously assisted in protecting Wen Zhong for him, if she truly sought his help, it would be somewhat improper for him to refuse.

"What exactly is it? Go ahead and tell me."

"I myself only have a partial understanding…"

Long Ji spoke falteringly: "A few days ago, while I was in meditative cultivation at Qingluan Douque on Phoenix Mountain, I was startled by a loud noise. When I sent out my Primordial Spirit to check, I saw a three-eyed youth with a likeness to Wen Zhong battling against a three-headed immortal Jiao.

At first I didn't think much of it, but that three-eyed youth claimed to be the son of my Aunt Yun Hua and also said that my Aunt Yun Hua was being suppressed beneath Peach Mountain..."

Yu Yuan's heart stirred, and he asked, "Is that three-eyed youth attempting to split the mountain to save his mother?"

"That's exactly right!" Long Ji nodded repeatedly, then added with a hint of curiosity: "How did the Immortal come to know of this?"

Yu Yuan did not answer and continued to inquire: "Has he managed to split open Peach Mountain?"

"No."

Long Ji shook her head and said: "After defeating the three-headed immortal Jiao, he left and did not split the mountain."

Yu Yuan nodded slightly and looked at her, asking, "So what help do you want from me?"

Long Ji appeared hesitant but finally steeled her resolve to say: "I haven't seen Aunt Yun Hua for a long time, and I want to know if that three-eyed youth is really Aunt Yun Hua's son?

And… is Aunt Yun Hua truly suppressed beneath Peach Mountain by my Imperial Father?"

Yu Yuan's brows furrowed slightly as he demurred: "If you want to know the answer to this question, shouldn't you ask the Emperor of Heaven or the Golden Mother directly?"

"I've asked, but they wouldn't tell me."

Long Ji shook her head with a bitter smile: "After that three-eyed youth left, I immediately used the Sound Transmission Treasure Pearl to inquire with my mother, but she only told me not to worry and then severed the connection..."

As she spoke, she sighed softly: "I originally did not believe it, but my mother's reaction has made me suspicious.

It's just that I can't find anyone else I can trust, so I had no choice but to seek the Immortal's help to investigate."

"Just to investigate the matter?"

Yu Yuan arched an eyebrow; if that was all, he could tell her the answer right now.

Though the Emperor of Heaven had kept the matter very secretive, it could not escape the attention of someone as diligent as him.

From the very first time he met Yang Jian, he had Bai Ling dispatch people to gather information.

He had almost every piece of information about Yang Jian at his fingertips, so of course, he could confirm that indeed, beneath Peach Mountain, the sister of the Heavenly Emperor—Immortal Yun Hua—was being suppressed!

"I... I don't know..." Long Ji shook her head, her expression brimming with sadness: "Aunt treated me very well, often taking me to travel the Three Realms, and always bringing back many Spirit Fruits for me on each outing… How could my Imperial Father suppress her beneath Peach Mountain?"

Yu Yuan could tell from her words that it wasn't as simple as just having suspicions; she seemed to already believe the matter to be true.

This princess of the Heavenly Court was very clever; she most likely had obtained the concrete information from the Golden Mother but just did not want to believe it.

Her coming to seek Yu Yuan might just be to confide in someone.

Like she said, there weren't many people she could trust... in fact, pitifully few.

With that in mind, Yu Yuan chose not to say much.

He put away the Golden-eyed Five Clouds Camel, summoned a Treasure Hall to settle amidst the woods, and then invited Long Ji inside to drink tea, listening to her prattle on about old times with Immortal Yun Hua.

Of course, the tea was just ordinary Spiritual Tea.

Sunset turned to starry night and the night turned again to dawn.

The night hurried by.

The two did not chat all night long.

After all, Long Ji was still young and not so melancholy or sentimental, and she quickly stepped out of her sad state of mind.

So Yu Yuan brought out a chessboard and invited her to play.

They played until the daylight brightened, each winning and losing in turn.

"Huh~"

Long Ji stood up, stretched lazily without a care for her image, and smiled: "Thank you, Immortal, for your consolation; I feel much more at ease now."

Yu Yuan shook his head; in fact, he had done nothing.

Just talked a little and played some chess with her.

It was at this moment that a voice filled with panic rang out.

"Terrible disaster!"

"The flood is coming, everyone run for your lives!"

Yu Yuan's eyebrows lifted slightly; he recognized the voice as that of Shi Dadan, who Wen Zhong had appointed as the new Water God.

With a thought, he split into a double taking the form of Wen Zhong and appeared before Shi Dadan, barking sternly: "Do not panic, explain clearly what happened?"

Shi Dadan revered Wen Zhong as a divine being and dared not conceal anything, hurriedly saying: "Last night, many water demons fled from the upper reaches of the Huai River, and I intercepted them to inquire.

I heard that last night, someone with three eyes transformed into a giant, brazenly lifted Gui Mountain, and from beneath it took out a giant axe...

Then that Water Ape Great Saint, Wu Zhiqi, rushed out and engaged in a fierce battle with the three-eyed giant, causing the mountains to collapse and the Huai River to surge violently.

Those water demons all say that Wu Zhiqi is turning the entire lower region of the Huai River into a wetland!

Immortal, we must flee at once!"

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