bookbashuk Chapter 39 Ning Fengzhi's Visit
Chapter 39 Ning Fengzhi's Visit
Ning Fengzhi sat upright in the study of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the glazed light from the window illuminating his gentle, jade-like face, which couldn't hide his shock. The thin letter in his hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. This was the third time he had read Yan Zu's reply, and each time, the breadth of vision and magnanimity beyond his years revealed in the words stirred his heart, making it difficult for him to contain himself.
"This is not for my own personal glory and fortune, but for the well-being of all living beings on the Douluo Continent," Ning Fengzhi murmured, a complex light flickering in his eyes. As the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he had dedicated his life to the prosperity of his sect and knew all too well the difficulties a support-type sect faced in the Douluo Continent, a land where strength reigned supreme.
They had to navigate between the two great empires and the Spirit Hall, maintaining a detached position and good relations with all sides, while simultaneously avoiding excessive ostentation that might arouse the Spirit Hall's suspicion. This balance was like dancing on a knife's edge; the slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin.
Yan Zu's letter seemed to have opened a completely new door for him. People's livelihood!
These two words exploded in his mind like a thunderclap. Yes, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was incredibly wealthy and influential, but it was always limited to high-end resource exchanges and political maneuvering among the Soul Master class.
If resources could be directed towards the broader world of ordinary people and towards the most basic food production, it would undoubtedly create a "safe zone" that the Spirit Hall would not easily interfere with, and might even welcome.
If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School takes the lead in promoting high-yield crops and soul-guided farming tools, benefiting hundreds of millions of ordinary people, it will not only greatly enhance the sect's reputation and win the support of the common people, but also consolidate and expand the sect's influence in a completely non-aggressive way, and even in line with some of the Spirit Hall's ideals.
This move can be described as achieving multiple benefits: for the sect, it brings prestige, opens up new avenues, and solidifies its foundation; for the mainland, it benefits the common people and promotes civilization; and in terms of overall strategy, it avoids direct confrontation and plans for the long term.
"This young man's talent is not something to be confined to a small pond. It is truly a blessing for the sect that Rongrong has been able to meet such a person!" Ning Fengzhi made his decision without further hesitation.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin stood with his hands behind his back, his sword leaning against the ground, its cold light concealed. Seeing Ning Fengzhi remain silent for a long time, he raised an eyebrow: "Sect Master, how did Ancestor Yan respond? One hundred thousand gold soul coins plus the title of Elder—even veteran Soul Guidance Masters would flock to such treatment. He didn't agree?"
Bone Douluo Gu Rong also came over, his face showing some curiosity: "That kid is exceptionally talented and on good terms with Rongrong, so there's no reason for him to refuse. Could it be that he thinks the offer is too low?"
Ning Fengzhi slowly raised his head, his eyes still filled with shock. He handed the letter to the two of them, his voice carrying a barely perceptible sigh: "See for yourselves. This child's vision is far beyond what we could have imagined."
Chenxin and Gurong received the letter and read it side by side, the only sound in the hall being the soft rustling of pages turning. As they read deeper, their expressions gradually changed, from initial doubt to solemnity, and finally even a touch of admiration.
"This is not for my own personal glory and fortune, but for the well-being of countless people on the Douluo Continent..." Chen Xin repeated the words from the letter in a low voice, the Seven Kill Sword in his hand trembling slightly. "Such a magnanimous heart, actually coming from the mouth of a ten-year-old boy?"
Gu Rong stroked his beard and sighed, "High-yield crops, soul-guided farming tools... What he wanted to do was to make soul-guided techniques benefit the people, not just for sect rivalries. His intentions were much purer than those of us old folks."
"We can't wait any longer." Ning Fengzhi stood up, his eyes filled with determination. "Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, come with me to Notting City."
Several days later, Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong quietly arrived in Notting City without alerting the academy, and went directly to Yan Zu's home. Although Yan Zu was somewhat surprised by Ning Fengzhi's personal arrival, he admired the sect leader's decisiveness and foresight even more.
"Sect Leader Ning, Senior Jian, Senior Gu, please forgive my humble abode and lack of hospitality."
Ning Fengzhi waved his hand and said with a smile, "Young friend Yan, there's no need for you to be so polite. It's our presumption to visit you. It's just that the blueprint you described in your letter is so amazing that it has kept me up at night, so I had to come and verify it in person."
Yan Zu understood immediately and smiled, "Sect Master, please follow me."
Yan Zu led the three into the courtyard.
Ning Rongrong was chasing Xiaoyu around in the yard when she suddenly sensed something and looked up in surprise: "Daddy! Grandpa Sword! Grandpa Bone!"
She pounced like a pink butterfly, first gently caught by Ning Fengzhi, then her hair was gently ruffled by Sword Douluo, and finally she was lifted up and spun around by Bone Douluo using his soul power.
"Girl, you've grown taller." Chen Xin's usually cold and stern eyes softened.
Ning Rongrong was both surprised and delighted by the sudden arrival of her father and Grandpa Gu.
Ning Rongrong threw herself into Ning Fengzhi's arms, "Daddy! Grandpa Sword! Grandpa Bone! Why are you here? Did you miss Rongrong?"
Ning Fengzhi stroked Ning Rongrong's hair, "Yes, Dad missed Rongrong, so he came to see her."
"By the way, I have an important matter to discuss with young friend Yan Zu." Ning Fengzhi turned his gaze to Yan Zu with a hint of admiration. "I have received young friend Yan Zu's letter. Every word is precious and I have benefited greatly from it."
Yan Zu knew what was going on. He led Ning Fengzhi and Sword Bone Douluo to an experimental field he had cleared in his backyard. The experimental field was about half an acre in size, and the crops planted in it were completely different from the grains commonly seen in the Douluo Continent—the stalks were thick and strong, the leaves were emerald green, and the rice ears were full and heavy, bending over with their weight. At a glance, the crops were growing very well.
"This is the high-yield crop I was talking about, called rice," Yan Zu said, pointing to the crop in the field. "This crop is highly adaptable, and its yield per mu can be more than three times that of ordinary grains. It also tastes better and is more nutritious. I have been planting it for three months, and it is now in the grain-filling stage. It will be ready for harvest in another month."
Ning Fengzhi bent down, carefully observing the growth of the rice. His fingertips gently touched the plump ears of rice, his eyes filled with astonishment. He had grown up in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and had seen many rare crops, but he had never seen such superior grains. Ordinary rice ears were small and sparsely packed, but the rice before him had ears as long as a palm, with plump, densely packed grains. Even with the naked eye, it was clear that the yield far exceeded that of ordinary crops.
"This...this is really true?" Ning Fengzhi's tone was tinged with disbelief. He turned to look at Yan Zu, "Three times the yield per mu? Young friend Yan Zu, do you know what this means? If this can be widely implemented, there will be no more famine in the world!"
Gu Rong also came closer, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes: "Such a miraculous thing is truly unheard of. Young friend Yan Zu, how did you cultivate this crop?"
"This is a legacy I obtained by chance, called 'The Hundred Grains Manual,' which records the cultivation methods for various high-yield crops." Yan Zu did not reveal the existence of the system, but responded according to his previous statement, "In addition to rice, there are also crops such as wheat and corn, all of which can greatly increase yields. I have already begun to cultivate seedlings."
Next, Yan Zu took out several simple drawings, which depicted the prototypes of some cleverly structured farm tools such as plows, harrows, and water-drawing devices that seemed to be driven by weak soul power. "These are the initial concepts of soul-guided farm tools. The core is to lower the barrier to entry, so that soul warriors below level ten, and even physically strong ordinary people, can operate them after simple training, which can greatly save manpower and improve farming efficiency."
Ning Fengzhi took the blueprints. Although he wasn't an expert in soul tool manufacturing, his keen business sense and soul master knowledge allowed him to immediately recognize their immense value. This wasn't just a tool; it was a revolution in productivity!
"Good! Good! Good!" Ning Fengzhi said three times, grasping Yan Zu's hand tightly. "Young friend Yan, I was judging you by my own petty standards before. I only thought you were a genius, but I didn't know you harbored a heart for saving the world! My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is willing to devote the entire strength of the sect to walking this new path of civilization with you! Please feel free to mention the specific details of the cooperation!"
Yan Zu nodded calmly: "Sect Leader Ning is too kind. Even with the technology, it is difficult for me to benefit everyone on my own. Therefore, I hope to use the power of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to promote it."
Sword Douluo suddenly spoke up: "If the Spirit Hall intervenes midway, or demands to share technology..."
"Then let's share it," Yan Zu said calmly. "What we want is to improve people's livelihoods, not to monopolize technology. If the Spirit Hall can help, more people will benefit—moreover, the more deeply they participate, the less they will see it as a 'threat'."
Ning Fengzhi's admiration deepened: "Young friend, you have a deep understanding of people's hearts and are also well-versed in the general trend of the times."
The subsequent negotiations went exceptionally smoothly. Both parties quickly finalized the cooperation framework:
Yan Zu provides complete high-yield crop cultivation technology (including a full set of methods such as selection, hybridization, and seedling raising) and core design drawings for soul-guided agricultural tools;
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was responsible for investing resources to establish a secret breeding base, mobilizing artisan resources to research and produce soul-guided agricultural tools, and using its vast commercial network to conduct small-scale pilot projects in the early stages and large-scale promotion in the later stages.
In terms of profit distribution, Yan Zu only symbolically requested 10%, with the remainder going to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School for continued investment and expansion. His only insistence was that prices must be affordable for the common people to ensure that the benefits truly reach the masses.
Ning Fengzhi readily agreed and took the initiative to name the cooperative project "Project Dawn," symbolizing the dawn of civilization. He also presented Yan Zu with a higher-level "Glassy Token," granting him the authority to mobilize some of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's resources, as a sign of absolute trust.
At the same time, a Soul Saint and three Soul Emperors were arranged to protect the Yan family in secret.
With the cooperation settled, Ning Fengzhi acted swiftly and decisively, sending a message back to his clan through special channels that very day to mobilize the most core and reliable personnel and resources to immediately launch "Project Dawn".
He knew that optimizing grain varieties, mass-producing guided agricultural tools, establishing distribution channels, and training personnel were all interconnected and required time. Grain varieties, in particular, required accumulating a sufficient number of seeds for widespread distribution and adapting them to the climate and soil of different regions, which was not something that could be accomplished overnight.
As he left Yan Zu's house, Ning Fengzhi said softly to his daughter who was seeing him off, "Rongrong, study hard with Yan Zu and don't worry about the sect. Your father is going back to sow the seeds of hope for you, for the sect, and for this continent. It will probably take at least another year or two for the effects to be fully realized, but it's all worth the wait."
Ning Rongrong nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with pride and anticipation.
Ning Fengzhi stood beside the carriage, taking one last look at the ordinary courtyard, his heart filled with boundless pride. He seemed to already see golden waves of rice sweeping across the continent in the future, convenient soul-guided farming tools roaring in the fields, and the reputation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School reaching an unprecedented peak because of this meritorious deed that benefits all living beings. And all of this began with his collaboration with a young man today.