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“These locusts are not the strongest; I’ve caught three particularly large locusts. Their strength is greater, and they have even more terrifying rallying power. If these special locusts are merely generals among locusts, then each of these three particularly large locusts could serve as a marshal of a locust corps.”

Qin Niu displayed the three particularly large locusts that he had captured in cages.

“There, there’s even stronger ones!”

The Young Master of the Yan Family took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and began to wipe his sweat.

Merely special locusts had already made Masters Mo and Shi cry out in exhaustion. It was only after Qin Niu was asked to construct a new line of defense in front and specially target those special locusts that they managed to hold the line.

Now, even more powerful locusts had appeared, and their size alone was already terrifying.

The Young Master of the Yan Family knew, even with his toes, that any one of these locusts could probably break through Master Mo’s defenses.

If it weren’t for Qin Niu’s presence here, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He grew even more appreciative of Qin Niu’s insect control abilities.

This Ah Niu, seemingly unremarkable and indifferent to women, turned out to be so powerful.

Actually, this was just the tip of the iceberg of Qin Niu’s strength.

Even Old Master Huang’s Bee General was killed by Qin Niu, which was a Grade Five insect.

Compared to the Bee General, these three particularly large locusts were nothing.

Qin Niu presented the three particularly large locusts, surely to ask the Young Master of the Yan Family for money.

After completing the work, it was only natural to receive payment.

It was now up to the Young Master of the Yan Family to respond.

“These particularly large locusts are truly enormous, fearsome at a glance. Master Qin has successfully intercepted and captured them, commendably preserving our Yan Family’s crops. Would it be acceptable to price these three particularly large locusts at fifty Wen Money apiece?”

The Young Master of the Yan Family’s perspective was ultimately a bit narrow.

He was only willing to pay fifty Wen Money for an enhanced Grade Three locust, which was downright insulting.

After hearing this, Qin Niu calmly said, “These three locusts were indeed exceedingly difficult to capture; consider them a token of gratitude to the Yan Family. I won’t accept any money.”

The furniture given to him by the Yan Family last time was in fact a significant debt of gratitude.

The smallness of the Young Master’s character provided the perfect opportunity for him to repay that debt.

“How could I accept that! Master Qin, you are too courteous. I’ll have Yan Qi send over some fine wine later, as a small token of my appreciation.”

The Young Master thus managed to save on that expense.

“After a night of exhaustion, it’s time for me to head back and rest. I’ve left insects I’ve controlled to guard this place; as long as no more of these particularly large locusts come, they should be able to hold the line.”

Having said this, Qin Niu left with the three particularly large locusts, floating away.

“Yan Qi, have a carriage escort Master Qin!”

“There’s no need to trouble Steward Qi,” Qin Niu declined, “I have some personal matters to attend to, and walking is more convenient.”

He wanted to check on Daoyuan Village.

Having some connection with the Tang Family, and with the locusts exhibiting changes these past few days, the three thousand ducks rented by Daoyuan Village might not hold on.

If Daoyuan Village fell, the now peaceful Shuangfeng Village might once again succumb to the plague.

As he walked along the river leading to Daoyuan Village, he could see many locusts gnawing and wreaking havoc on any plants they could eat. The tender branches of some small trees had been chewed away completely.

Leaves are extremely important to plants.

They are essentially the ‘lungs’ of the plant.

In the sweltering heat of summer, a large tree whose leaves have been completely devoured is likely to wither and die.

When the leaves fall, the roots wither.

The tree roots and leaves nourish and accompany each other, more like inseparable comrades in battle.

The roots supply the tree with water and most of the nutrients, while the leaves help the tree complete the essential process of photosynthesis, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

When all the leaves are gone, the water absorbed by the tree roots cannot be evaporated through the leaves.

It will slowly reduce water absorption, causing the roots to rapidly shrink.

This is also why, when a ring of bark is stripped from a tree, it quickly perishes.

The roots and leaves are interdependent, neither can be without the other.

Many fields by the roadside are now completely barren, the seedlings that were replanted after the floods have been devoured by the locusts.

The years of great disaster have arrived.

The first half of the year had already seen crop failure, and with the inability to replant young crops for the second half, it’s virtually a total loss for the whole year.

With even the wild grass and leaves in the fields eaten by locusts, the starving populace might not even have grass to eat soon.

As Qin Niu witnessed all this, he sighed inwardly, grateful that he had already undergone the initial phase of transformation and was no longer at the very bottom of the peasantry. Certainly, many people were going to starve to death.

In times of great famine in history, people even resorted to swapping children for food.

A single bag of grain could buy a beautiful virgin bride.

Fortunately, upon entering Daoyuan Village, one could see that the defensive line made by those three thousand ducks remained intact.

Having not seen them for a few days, these ducks had grown plump and large, their feathers replete.

Rich in nutritional value, the locusts fed the ducks to satiety daily, promoting their swift growth.

Moreover, their feathers seemed to differ from those of ordinary ducks.

Shining with a lustrous sheen, they faintly displayed a splendid luster.

Since these were no ordinary locusts, it was only natural for the ducks to experience some evolution after consuming them in large quantities over a long duration.

Qin Niu thought to himself that if any duck managed to evolve, he could surely sell it for a pretty penny when sold separately.

Inside Daoyuan Village, though the crops suffered some damage from the pests, compared to the barrenness outside, it was like entering a vibrant green world full of life.

The three thousand ducks rented to Daoyuan Village, together with some more they managed to gather on their own, indeed had a good effect in pest control.

“Master Qin!”

From afar, Tang Fang spotted Qin Niu and immediately quickened his pace to greet him.

“I happened to pass by and wanted to check on your village’s pest situation. Is everything all right?”

Qin Niu asked with concern.

“Thanks to your blessing, with the three thousand ducks you lent us and the defensive lines constructed, we have barely managed to control the pestilence. Other villages have suffered misfortunes, though, with many having their crops completely devoured by locusts. Alas, when will this plague finally end!”

Tang Fang lamented.

“Master Qin, come to my house for tea! Haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? I haven’t either, so if you don’t mind, come eat at my place!”

“No, no, I have things to do in a bit.”

Qin Niu politely declined.

As they were talking, someone received the news, probably to report to the village head.

The old Tang Family Patriarch came over, leaning on a walking stick.

Accompanying him was Tang Cai Xian, whom he hadn’t seen in many days.

She seemed to have become thinner, yet somehow grew even more charming and captivating. Observing the way she walked—lighter than before—

He assumed she had been cultivating at home all these days.

“Qin Niu!”

She called out crisply, her expressive eyes fixed on him.

But there was a deep, unyielding affection and yearning in her gaze.

“You’ve lost weight! Did you receive the pork I sent you?”

Seeing her slimmer figure stirred a feeling of pity in Qin Niu.

“Mhm, thank you for the pork you sent. They were quite special and greatly beneficial to me.”

She gave a slight nod, her face filled with gratitude and a hint of sweetness.

Qin Niu had sent her several batches of prime pork.

“Master Qin rarely visits Daoyuan Village, and I see Cai Xian is really fond of you. Why not come to our house for a visit, have a chat?”

The Tang Family Patriarch was quite astute.

Noticing the young man and woman exchanging glances, he promptly tried to matchmake, giving them an opportunity to talk of love.

“I’ll come by some other day! Not today, though. I see Daoyuan Village’s pest control is holding up, but recently some particularly fierce locusts have appeared, so you still need to remain vigilant and be careful. You can make hand nets to manually catch them.”

Qin Niu gave a suggestion, then looked toward Tang Cai Xian.

“Cai Xian, join me for a walk around Daoyuan Village.”

“Okay!”

She happily agreed.

Tang Family Patriarch and Tang Fang, among others, all showed understanding smiles, leaving the two to their private time.

“This river was my favorite place to play as a child. I used to pick wildflowers by the riverbank, watching the boys catch fish, and wanting to join in the fun. Once, when stepping down the riverbank, I accidentally tumbled down. It was fortunate that there were adults around to quickly pull me out of the water…”

She shared stories of her childhood, both fun and embarrassing moments.

After listening, Qin Niu found this girl to be quite down-to-earth.

The faint fragrance wafting from her was enough to stir his senses.

Yet, whether the two of them would ultimately find themselves together remained an uncertainty.

In a world where everyone could cultivate, one could choose mediocrity, to live as an ordinary person, or strive in cultivation, seeking every chance to enhance one’s strength.

Qin Niu always harbored a distant goal in his heart; he aspired for eternal life, to exist forever like the heavens and the earth.

For he felt that the mere decades of a mortal life were no different from a single season of flora.

Having come into this world, he wanted to live significantly, to roam freely between heaven and earth, to be a carefree traveler.

Because his aspirations were so lofty, finding a companion who only desired a simple life would make it difficult for them to be together.

Falling in love with someone is easy, but forgetting them is hard.

He didn’t want to bear the sorrow and pain of parting.

“When I was a kid, I was much naughtier than you. However, Old Man Liu, who took me in, never scolded me. He only prepared a thick branch of thorns and told me if I dared to misbehave again, he’d whip me with it. Despite being scared, the thrill of playing often overpowered my fear. Old Man Liu raised that branch many times, but it never once touched me.”

Speaking of the deceased Old Man Liu, his heart was still filled with endless sorrow.

Regrettably, he was too weak and young back then, barely thirteen years old, and didn’t even have the means to bury Old Man Liu, who died of illness. It was the villagers who helped bury him.

Qin Niu had bowed to each of those helpful villagers.

He always remembered their kindness.

His reluctance to fight over land with his neighbors was for this very reason.

The kinship with fellow villagers mattered, not a life-and-death struggle, unless someone like Xie Laizi acted foolishly, with no sense of right and wrong, in which case, he’d have no choice but to send him to meet Buddha.

“How fortunate for you to have been adopted by Old Man Liu, who was so caring. Now that you’ve become successful, I believe Old Man Liu would smile from the netherworld. If ever you’re unhappy or wish to confide in someone, you can always come to me. I might not be good at comforting people, but I will be a good listener.”

She could sense the sadness emanating from Qin Niu.

Yet, she didn’t know quite how to console him.

After all, their relationship hadn’t even begun, and in these times of strict etiquette, girls were very reserved.

Aside from their husband, they did not engage in intimate contact with others.

“Thank you!”

Qin Niu could feel her kindness.

“By the way, how is your cultivation going?”