Start with a red name

The tightly closed city gate opened again.

Fan Qi and a middle-aged man beside him entered the city.

Seeing "Su Ruiliang" waiting to greet him not far from the city gate, Fan Qi quickly bowed and said:
"Boss Su."

The middle-aged man following beside him also saluted him.

However, Geng Xuan, who immediately focused his attention on this person, knew it.

This person has no awe for himself, but is very curious.

What Geng Xuan was most concerned about was the middle-aged man who was brought into the city by Fan Qi and whose cultivation level was only at the Bone Refining level.

Facing the greetings from the two, Geng Xuan withdrew his gaze from the middle-aged man, looked at Fan Qi, and said with a smile:

"Master Fan, why are you coming to Yuanjing instead of staying in Kangleji?"

Fan Qi shook his head and said:
"I am no longer the headmaster of Kang Le Ji."

"Ah? Why?" Geng Xuan was a little surprised by Fan Qi's answer.

"You forgot that I have already reached the late stage of marrow refining." Fan Qi said.

Geng Xuan was startled when he heard this, then he suddenly realized and nodded slightly.

As his vision became broader and higher, Geng Xuan saw many things more clearly than before.

After choosing to "abandon their own martial arts", all the top forces that could decide the situation in Yuanzhou were unwilling to face the vast number of ordinary people in Yuanzhou.

Because it's a thankless job.

Not only does it cost a lot of money and effort, but whether it is done well or poorly, it will be a matter of great harm to them.

If you do it wrong, it is easy to cause public outrage and directly involve yourself in a lot of unnecessary consequences.

However, if you do it well and gain the support of too many people, you will not only attract a lot of scrutiny and fear, but you may also be forced into a dead end by those below you.

Therefore, the best way is “no contact”.

But they still need to eat, eat meat, wear clothes, drink wine, and have various other resources...

None of this can be created out of thin air.

They all require a lot of manpower, long hours of labor, and are created by pairs of hands covered with thick calluses.

A little bit of sand makes a tower, a little bit of time adds up to a lot, and we can meet their needs in all aspects.

For this reason, an intermediate layer with “markets” as basic units was born.

Everything they need, they don’t need to ask for help from the lower levels, they only need to get it from the “market”, from the guilds rooted in each market.

Because of this demand, they tacitly allowed the "market" to have more room to grow and serve as a residence for a large number of middle and lower-level practitioners.

Only in this way can we ensure that the "market" can continue to draw sufficient "nutrients" from the neighborhoods and vagrant settlements.

However, the growth limit of the "market" is also very clear.

For example, in the market located in Yueluyuan, it is difficult for practitioners to even break through the middle stage of marrow refining.

The resources are relatively more abundant because the strength of the neighborhood below is stronger. To ensure that the "market" has enough power to suppress, the upper limit of the "market" will also be higher, but it will only stop at the middle stage of marrow refining.

When a cultivator grows to the default upper limit of his/her life in the "market", it means that the surrounding resources can only provide him/her with such a height.

It is difficult to meet further demands without taking drastic actions that infringe upon the interests of others.

Moreover, this is also a silent urging——

It's time for you to go.

What will happen if you refuse to leave?

That's a bit ignorant.

Not only will other forces within the "market" gradually develop resentment, but it will also attract the scrutiny and suspicion of Yuanzhou's top forces.

If any unpleasantness arises as a result of this, I won’t be able to leave even if I want to.

However, according to some of the situations Geng Xuan learned, it was rare for someone to be as "impatient" as Fan Qi.

Generally speaking, in a situation like Fan Qi's, it takes one or two years of preparation to allow one's strength to fully match one's cultivation.

By the way, accumulating more assets and making more careful plans for the next step are the default operations.

This is a trend and consensus that has been continuously promoted by the top forces in Yuanzhou and has gradually been widely recognized. There is no specific supervisor who uses a whip to urge him to get on the road quickly.

So, normally speaking, Fan Qi doesn't need to be so anxious.

It has only been half a year since he became the owner of Kangleji.

Geng Xuan thought of Changpingfang and couldn't help asking two more questions:

"So, the current headmaster of Kang Le Ji has changed again?"

Fan Qi nodded and said, "Yes."

"Who?" Geng Xuan asked.

"Zhu Yi." Fan Qi said.

"It's him?"

Geng Xuan was a little surprised, remembering the young man holding a red tasseled spear who had almost always been by Fan Qi's side during the Qingyuan Gathering.

"Did you arrange it?"

Fan Qi smiled and said, "I just made a suggestion. In the end, he will be able to secure the position of the headmaster of Kangleji, or the other heads of the group will be convinced by him and unanimously decide to choose him to support the facade of Kangleji."

Hearing this official-sounding answer, Geng Xuan curled his lips inwardly, but he also felt relieved.

At least, there is no need to worry that the stability of Changpingfang will be affected.

Putting the matter aside, Geng Xuan said, "You came to see me this time, didn't you just want to catch up with me?"

As he said this, he couldn't help but tease:
"Are you also making a living in Yuanjing now? You are well-informed. You knew I was here so quickly."

Upon hearing this, Fan Qi smiled slightly and said:

"It's too dangerous in other states, and I don't like wandering around, so I can only come to Yuanjing."

He seemed to answer Geng Xuan's question, but also seemed not to answer it.

Then, he introduced the man next to him.

"Aren't you looking for someone who can oversee the dredging of the ancient Zhushui River?

I have brought someone to you this time. This person is Guo Zian, the head of the Guo family.

I dare say that there is no one in the whole Yuanzhou who is better at this than him!"

Geng Xuan did not delve into Fan Qi's ambiguous words. He looked at the man in front of him and said suddenly:

"You were the one who spread the word in Yuanjing about my plan to dredge the ancient Zhushui River, right?"

Geng Xuan, however, remembered what Zhao Xinglang had revealed earlier.

It is said that there was a head of the Guo family in Yuanjing who presided over the reconstruction of Yuanjing City. He visited many high-ranking families in Yuanjing to seek some books and pictures recording the hydrology of Zhushui River and Cenling Mountains.

People ask you what you want these for?
He said directly that someone asked him to dredge the ancient Zhushui River. He would confirm the feasibility in advance and then consider whether to agree or not.

Geng Xuan's plan to dredge the ancient Zhushui River was exposed to the eyes of all forces in Yuanjing in a way that he had not expected.

At this moment, upon hearing Geng Xuan mention this matter, the head of the Guo family, named "Guo Zi'an", said with a look of shame:
"Boss Su, I'm sorry... I didn't expect that some careless words would implicate you."

Fan Qi also chimed in:

“This matter is also my fault. At the beginning, I also conveyed this idea to Patriarch Guo through someone else.

At that time, he had no idea that I was the one who contacted him about this matter, and he had no idea that it was you who wanted to do this.

When others asked him, he just answered casually.

I never thought there were so many twists and turns behind this.

After coming to Yuanjing this time, I talked to him about this matter in person, and he now had a more comprehensive understanding.

The head of the Guo family is very impressed by your wise and righteous approach, Boss Su, and has already accepted my invitation.

...Originally, if nothing unexpected happened, I would have personally sent him to Qingyuanji to meet you in the next two days.

But I accidentally heard that you had arrived in Yuanjing and were staying in the Wuyou Palace, so I brought him here to meet you."

Listening to Fan Qi's explanation, Geng Xuan nodded slightly, and his eyes looking at Guo Zian became softer.

Finally, there was even a smile on his face.

When Fan Qi finished speaking, Geng Xuan directly extended his hand to Guo Zian, welcoming him to join.

He also let Geng Xuan learn what professionalism is. After confirming that Geng Xuan had indeed handed over the dredging work of the ancient Zhushui River to him, he said directly:

"Boss Su, I've looked up many atlases of the Zhushui River and the Cenling Mountains.

I found a very important issue.

If you want to dredge that section of the river that has been blocked for three or four hundred years, you can't simply dig through the original ancient Zhushui River. That would only cause a huge disaster, no less terrible than the one when the Zhushui River was blocked."

Geng Xuan had not originally planned to discuss these technical issues with him at this time, but after hearing him say this, he couldn't help but become interested.

"why?"

“Because of the water!”

Patriarch Guo first gave an extremely simple answer, and then, when Geng Xuan looked puzzled, he explained:
"The Zhushui River originates from Cenling and Chiwu Mountain.

At that time, due to the siltation of the ancient Zhushui river channel, the water could no longer flow into the Mangjiang River along the ancient Zhushui river channel.

The waters originating from Cenling Mountain and Chiwu Mountain naturally changed their flow and direction after forming a huge lake.

Then, after winding through the mountains for more than 200 miles, it merged into a new river course.

At this point, Patriarch Guo paused and said:
“That river originally had a flow less than 20% of the Zhushui River.

Now, its flow is even greater than that of the Zhushui River back then... Do you know where this river flows now?"

"Where?" Geng Xuan asked seriously.

His initially nonchalant attitude was now completely subdued. He admitted that he had previously ignored this issue until Patriarch Guo pointed it out.

The ancient Zhushui River channel was destroyed, but the water at its source did not disappear.

At first, these floods may be a disaster.

But under the power of nature for hundreds of years, it is enough for the water to find a new "way out" and thus form a new and stable ecology.

If he directly dug up the silted section now, the Zhushui River, which had been dry for hundreds of years, would be revitalized.

For the river that has found a new way out and formed a new ecological system as a result, isn't this a natural disaster comparable to the ancient Zhushui River being cut off in half?

"Yueluyuan." said the head of the Guo family.

"Ah? It's Yue Luyuan?!" Geng Xuan was surprised.

Although he had already prepared himself mentally, Geng Xuan still couldn't help but be shocked after hearing the head of the Guo family say the three words "Yueluyuan".

He really didn't expect that the answer was so familiar and was right in front of him.

But if you think about it carefully, this is simply a matter of course.

The Zhushui River, which originates from Chiwu Mountain and Peaks, has reached the southern foot of Peaks when it flows through the silted section.

Unless the water can flow to a higher place, it can only continue to flow south and it is impossible for it to turn around and flow to the north side of the mountain.

The ancient Zhushui River channel is blocked, so if the water wants to continue flowing south, it can only choose to go west or east first.

To the west of the ancient Zhushui River channel is a dry wasteland.

Then there are the "Bei Baji" and "Dong Wuji" markets, which are close to the eastern edge of Chiwu Mountain, as well as a large number of villages and towns surrounding these markets, which rely on hunting for a living and rely on Chiwu Mountain for food.

This clearly doesn't look like there's a large water system passing through.

Then we can only continue to move east for a distance and then "wait for an opportunity" to move south.

And where is it to the east of the ancient Zhushui River?

After passing a dry wasteland and then a relatively barren nomadic settlement, isn’t this the Yueluyuan, which is home to millions of people and has tens of millions of acres of fertile land?
If it was because I dredged the ancient Zhushui River channel, Yueluyuan would become like the wasteland on both sides of the ancient Zhushui River channel.

that--

If we look at it from the perspective of reaping the benefits of good fortune, there is probably no more efficient and brilliant solution than this.

……

“…Yes, it’s Yueluyuan.

According to the information I found, before the ancient Zhushui River dried up, the level of development of Yueluyuan was very low.

The situation then was exactly the opposite of what it is now.

The land on both sides of the Zhushui River is fertile and the population is large, while the Yuelu area is very poor and the population is small.

Today, Yueluyuan is so prosperous, partly because some neighborhoods on both sides of the Zhushui River moved in and developed it on a large scale.

The more important reason is that the diverted Zhushui River provides Yueluyuan with abundant water."

Listening to the story told by the head of the Guo family, Geng Xuan stood there in a daze, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

After a long while, he said with some difficulty:

"So, the ancient Zhushui River channel is no longer suitable for dredging?"

Patriarch Guo shook his head and said:
"No, no, no, on the contrary, it is very far-sighted of you to propose dredging the ancient Zhushui River now, Boss Su."

Geng Xuan glanced sideways at the guy who was becoming increasingly excited.

I thought to myself, am I seeing things? Does this guy also have an extraordinary talent for flattery?
Not knowing what he was thinking, the head of the Guo family had a ruddy complexion and spoke eloquently.

“…However, we cannot simply reopen the river section that was blocked in the past.

Doing this is simply a waste of natural resources!"

"Ah, what should we do then?" Geng Xuan asked.

Patriarch Guo said, "Didn't I just say that, according to the information I found, a huge lake has formed upstream of that silted-up river section.

Before merging with the river channel upstream of Yueluyuan, it flowed for more than 200 miles in Cenling Mountains.

Although a new river channel has gradually formed over the years, it is still far inferior to the natural river channel.

Not only is there severe leakage, but as soon as the rainy season comes, the water will flood both banks.

... To dredge the ancient Zhushui River, we must not only dig out the original silted section, but also take the huge lake and the new river section of more than 200 miles into account.”

As he spoke, the voice of the head of the Guo family involuntarily became louder and louder, his expression became more and more excited, and his eyes stared straight ahead.

It seemed as if the vast territory of Chiwu Mountain, Cenling Mountains, Zhushui River, and Yueluyuan had all appeared in his eyes.

"Boss Su, you may not know that every rainy season, there are heavy rains around Chiwu Mountain that last for several months. This is a huge test for all the rivers that originate from Chiwu Mountain.

The water flow will increase several times, or even dozens of times.

Every rainy season, the huge lake and the new river channel of more than 200 miles would be flooded, turning the surrounding area into a swamp.

If the huge lake could be controlled by manpower, it would become a giant natural reservoir.

Storing water in the rainy season and releasing it in the dry season can not only make better use of the water, but also reduce flooding downstream.

As for the more than 200 miles of new river channel, we can make it straighter, wider and deeper.

...If you trust me and let me take charge of the dredging work of the ancient Zhushui River, I can not only restore the Zhushui River to its original state.

Yueluyuan will not be affected in the slightest."

Having said that, Patriarch Guo gradually came back to his senses.

He looked at Geng Xuan, his eyes filled with strong desire.

It can be seen that after some understanding and research, he now really wants to take the lead in this matter.

In his world, this is a greater achievement than raising one's cultivation to the peak of marrow refining.

It’s a pity that in this world, there are very few opportunities for people like him to realize their ambitions, almost none.

Looking at the eager eyes of Patriarch Guo, Geng Xuan nodded without any hesitation:
"From now on, the dredging of the ancient Zhushui River will be fully entrusted to you!"

Hearing him say this, the expression of the head of the Guo family became a little uneasy.

He looked at Geng Xuan and said carefully, "Boss Su, there's something I need to tell you in advance."

"You say." Geng Xuan said.

"To accomplish this, the manpower, material resources, and financial resources required will far exceed your original expectations...if you originally just wanted to dredge the silted river section." said the head of the Guo family.

Geng Xuan heard his words, but said without hesitation:
"Just go ahead and do it. I'll take care of these things. You don't need to worry about them."

But Guo Zian's expression did not relax at all because of his promise.

Such empty promises are indeed unconvincing to those who do practical things.

Geng Xuan thought for a moment, looked around, and said:
“All the property here can be invested in it.

Not only the gains from the Acropolis, but also the properties belonging to the Wuyou Palace in Yuanjing City, if needed, I can invest in them."

Guo Zian was shocked when he heard this.

As if he doubted whether he had heard it wrong, he stared at Geng Xuan closely.

Geng Xuan hadn't finished speaking yet, and continued:

“Earlier, in the battle of Qingyuanji, I also seized a lot of spoils, including a lot of money and grain.

The largest batch, which many people may not know about now, was more than two million shi of grain.

And a large amount of medicines and cultivation resources of inestimable value.

There are also thousands of practitioners who have practiced the Earth Walking Technique. If you need them, I can arrange for them all to be used by you."

Looking at Guo Zian's gradually growing mouth, Geng Xuan felt inexplicably proud.

There is a sense of pleasure in showing off wealth.

This is really strange. In front of other people, he would never have such emotions and would only feel bored.

So he couldn't help but say:
"I still have more than five million taels of silver, and I've been worrying about how to spend them reasonably.

But I haven't found a suitable method yet. If you need it, I can also put all my efforts into it."

Now, not only Guo Zian opened his mouth wide, but even Fan Qi, Tang Caizhu, Xue Zhiheng, the two elders of the Xu family and others who were listening nearby, all looked at Geng Xuan with strange eyes, as if they were getting to know him all over again.

Do you have too much money and worry about not being able to spend it reasonably?
As long as you have the ability, just build it for me?
This... You are speaking so recklessly now, and it is obvious that the stubborn Guo Zian will really believe it and ask you for money in the future. How will you end up in the future?
Guo Zian did not notice the changes in the expressions of the people around him. He had once again fallen into deep thought.

I saw him muttering and chanting in a low voice, and his right thumb kept pinching the knuckles of the other four fingers quickly.

This is a simple and primitive, yet extremely effective method of fast calculation.

He seems to be calculating something now.

After a long while, he finally came to his senses, looked at Geng Xuan, and said:

"Boss Su, I originally thought that if this matter was to be accomplished, it would take at least several years, or even more than ten years.

But if the situation is as you said, I am confident that the main project can be completed before the next rainy season arrives."

He paused and said:
“I don’t really need to rush the deadline, but for a project of this scale, the rainy season is the biggest enemy.

Once the rainy season arrives, all work will be stopped.

By the time the rainy season is over, it is likely that everything will be destroyed and we will have to start all over again.

This will result in a large amount of repetitive investment.

Therefore, it would be best if the main project could be completed within a rainy season.

But now there is a problem.”

"What's the problem?" Geng Xuan asked.

Geng Xuan agreed with Guo Zian's explanation and felt that if it could be done before the next rainy season, there was no need to delay it until later.

"We are short of people." Guo Zian said. (End of this chapter)