Above the mage

Chapter 258 Volcanic Land

"There's something wrong with Jin Hui Mai," Gao De said thoughtfully, as if he had thought of something.

After a moment, he suddenly said softly, "When Catherine had her accident, Elder Grant, the only one who could help, also had an accident with the Golden Radiance Wheat he was in charge of, leaving him unable to take care of himself. Is it really such a coincidence?"

Because he was flustered and had no time to think about the details, Loych was stunned for a moment when he heard this.

He quickly realized the implication in Gaode's words.

"You mean, this is also part of a conspiracy?!"

"What do you think?" Gao De asked instead of offering his own opinion.

Loich fell into deep thought, then looked up at Gao De and said, "It is indeed too coincidental. One accident is still reasonable, but multiple accidents happening at the same time must be driven by some underlying factors."

"However," Gao De thought for a moment, then added, "You're supposed to be high-ranking hunters of the Snowfield Guardians, don't the Snowfield Guardians have any respect in Phoenix? You just kidnapped Catherine like that?"

This is something that Gaode is very curious about.

According to Baruch, the Snowfield Guardians are one of the oldest cults in the North, existing for countless years.

In addition, over the years, the guardians of the sect have always adhered to the doctrine of protecting the snowfield, which can be considered as doing good deeds and accumulating merit.

Logically speaking, the Snowfield Guardians should be quite prestigious in the North and have some influence among the people of the North.

"The Zhenbing tribe is one of the few tribes in the North that doesn't have to give us Snowfield Guardians much face. In addition, they have lived in Phoenix for a long time, and the sect's guardians have hardly ever had any dealings with them."

The Guardians protect those tribes that are on the verge of collapse, or those people in the North whose lives are in danger due to the destruction of their tribes.

Clearly, this has little to do with the Zhenbing tribe.

"Moreover, the crime of killing a tribal ice-blooded mage is very serious, and even the identity of a hunter who is a guardian of the snowfield is not enough to cover up such a crime."

"If..." Loich paused, hesitated for a moment, but continued, "If Catherine is willing to reveal her true identity as the guardian of the snowfield, then it might be of some use."

"However, Catherine is clearly unwilling to do so."

"His true identity?" Gao De's curiosity was piqued instead.

He could naturally tell that Catherine's identity was not simple.

Whether it was the bronze mask she wore or Loich's subtle demeanor of being led by Catherine.

"It's hard to say. In short, Catherine's identity among the Snowfield Guardians is not simple, but it is precisely because of this identity that she has to be more cautious in her actions," Loich said helplessly, shrugging his shoulders.

"That's alright," since Loich was unwilling to reveal anything, God didn't press the matter further. "Since your sect can't be relied on for the time being, it seems that the only option now is to hope that Elder Grant can resolve his own problems as soon as possible and then find the time to help you, right?"

"That's how it is." Loich looked somewhat dejected.

Clearly, this state of relying on others and facing complete uncertainty is not something he is used to.

"Instead of just waiting, we should take the initiative," Gao De said after thinking for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's find a way to help Elder Grant solve his problem first," Gao De said confidently. "While I may be far inferior to you in combat, I'm a professional when it comes to planting."

They claim to be professionals, but they're not really.

At most, he has some experience in planting herbs at the Seda Herb Garden and has taken a course on magical plant cultivation at the Seres Academy. He is far from being a so-called agricultural expert.

But what he said was indeed true, not just boasting.

Although Gaode lacks extensive experience and knowledge in farming, he has Lady Flora!

When it comes to planting, Flora claims to be number one, and even if Shennong were to be resurrected, he wouldn't dare to disagree.

After all, one relies on knowledge, and the other relies on instinct.

When in doubt, just ask Flora.

"Really?!" Loich looked at God with a mixture of doubt and anticipation.

Grant got home very late again today.

Mrs. Grant had been waiting all this time, and seeing her husband's exhausted face, she couldn't help but ask with concern, "Still haven't found the cause of the golden wheat's death?"

"I can't find it," Grant sighed, utterly exhausted. "There are no pests or diseases, and the soil, temperature, and water are all normal, but the Golden Glory wheat just keeps dying."

"The roots of these dead Golden Glow wheat plants have all turned black, and the root system is much thinner than that of normal Golden Glow wheat. Some roots even have small round lumps. There must be something wrong, but I just can't find the reason."

"Where are the others?"

"Same here, I can't find the problem, so what can they possibly find?"

"We Northerners have never had the habit of farming. I've been in charge of planting Golden Wheat for many years, so I have some experience that I've figured out on my own. The others are just amateurs; they haven't even mastered the basics."

"What should we do then?"

"If we still can't find the problem in another day or two, we'll have to report the news to higher authorities."

"But once it's reported, you'll be punished," Mrs. Grant said with concern.

"Although we will be punished, Golden Wheat is one of the most important resources for the tribe, and we can't afford to delay," Grant said with a sigh of relief.

"To be honest, although you've been in charge of Golden Glory wheat cultivation for many years and have some experience, you're not a professional after all. No one taught you, and you've learned everything on your own. When you encounter such a tricky problem, trying to solve it on your own is just making things difficult for yourself, isn't it?"

Mrs. Grant stepped forward and gently pressed her husband's temples, whispering words of comfort:

"I think we need to find a master who is an expert in planting to handle this matter."

"Expert? Where is the expert? In our Northern Territory, it's easy to find an expert who is skilled in hunting and herding, but to find an expert who is skilled in farming is harder to find than a three-legged snow wolf!" Elder Grant said, irritated and melancholy.

"Three-legged snow wolves aren't hard to find. Just catch a snow wolf and break one of its legs, and you'll get a three-legged snow wolf, right?" Mrs. Grant chuckled, then her expression turned serious. "Your guest came to see you again today."

"You've come to me because of the Saintess, haven't you?" Grant shook his head helplessly upon hearing this. "It's not that I'm unwilling to help. After all, if it weren't for the Saintess's intervention, I would have lost my life on the snowfield. I, Grant, am not an ungrateful person."

"The problem is, if the matter of Jin Huimai isn't resolved, I won't even be able to keep my own position as an elder, so how can I help them?"

"No," Mrs. Grant shook her head, "they didn't come to ask for your help this time, but to offer you a favor."

"Help me out?" Grant, who had been slumped weakly in his chair, sat up slightly upon hearing this and asked, "What do you mean?"

"That Loich hunter brought a stranger with him, claiming that the stranger is an expert in planting and might be able to help you find the problem with the Golden Radiance Wheat."

"Outsiders are skilled in farming; they are far more professional than I am in this area." Upon hearing his wife's words, Grant's previously listless eyes gradually brightened.

"But..." Mrs. Grant hesitated for a moment, looking at her agitated husband, before finally speaking, "That stranger seems a bit..."

She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Isn't that a bit too young?"

"Young?" Elder Grant frowned.

Planting obviously requires experience. Can someone who is too young, even if they are from out of town, really be much more professional than him?

"But we've come this far, and we can't solve this on our own anyway, so why not give it a shot?" Mrs. Grant advised again.

After hearing this, Elder Grant's expectations had diminished considerably, but he still felt there was some truth to it:

"It's worth a try. Let's invite them over to help tomorrow morning."

Mrs. Grant stopped talking and carefully massaged Elder Grant's temples.

Early the next morning.

There was no rooster crowing at dawn.

Although many families in Phoenix keep snow pheasants, these snowfield chickens do not seem to be diligent and do not have the habit of crowing at dawn.

It seems that chickens are similar to humans; when the temperature drops, they want to stay in bed.

Gao Decai had just gotten up when there was a knock on the door.

Before he could even act, the even more diligent Loich had already opened the door.

Standing outside the door was Elder Grant.

"Elder?"

"Please forgive my visit so early in the morning." Elder Grant's expression clearly showed some anxiety, but he still managed to control his emotions.

"No need to be polite, Elder, please speak freely." Both the timing of the visit and Elder Grant's expression made Loich understand his urgency, so he stopped being polite and asked directly.

This was exactly what Elder Grant wanted to do, so he quickly said, "My wife told me that you brought a stranger to visit yesterday, saying he was an expert in agriculture and might be able to help me find the problem with the Golden Glory Wheat?"

"That's right," Loich nodded.

"Could you please introduce me to this expert? It's only been one night, and another patch of golden wheat in the field has withered and died." Elder Grant was extremely distressed.

"Take me to see him." While the two were talking, Gao De quickly dressed, left the room and came to the door. He happened to hear Elder Grant's words and took the opportunity to speak.

"You are...?" Elder Grant's mind went blank for a moment when he saw God, then his eyes widened. "You're that master?!"

"I may not be a master, but I should be able to find out the problem with Jin Huimai," Gao De said honestly.

To be honest, when Elder Grant saw Gao De, most of his expectations had already vanished.

The reason is simple: Gaode is just too young, and he doesn't seem to be skilled in farming at all.

But since I'm already here and have already said what I wanted to say, and I really have no other choice, I have to give it a try, both morally and logically.

Elder Grant stopped thinking about it and said, "Then come with me."

The two left home, locked the door, and followed Elder Grant through the city toward Mount Wescare.

Phoenix was built on the slopes of Mount Wescal.

The majestic Wescal Mountains shielded Phoenix from the biting winds from behind.

Behind Mount Weskar, there is actually a small volcano.

It's just completely hidden by the majestic Weskar Mountains and can't be seen from the front.

This small volcano is called Castella, and it is a dormant volcano that has been dormant for a long time.

Due to its long period of dormancy, the volcanic ash and lava in the surrounding soil have stabilized, making the land exceptionally fertile.

In fact, extinct volcano areas have always been extremely suitable for agricultural development.

This was true not only in the North, but also in the previous life of God, where it was not uncommon to develop agriculture around extinct volcanoes.

The most famous are Pompeii in Italy and Bali in Indonesia.

However, the significance of volcanic land in the North goes far beyond that. For the people of the North, volcanic land can even be considered one of the most important "strategic resources".

Because of the harsh climate in the North, which is extremely cold, conventional crops cannot be grown under such conditions.

Only on volcanic soil can various food crops miraculously grow.

Volcanic soil typically contains abundant minerals, including potassium, calcium, and magnesium, which are highly beneficial for plant growth.

Furthermore, volcanic soils produce excellent results, with good water retention and aeration, which are also important for crop growth.

Of course, most importantly, because the volcanic land is adjacent to the volcano, the surrounding temperature is no longer the extremely low temperature common in the North, but rather a rare temperature above zero.

This fulfilled the basic conditions for crop growth, making this volcanic land Phoenix's only "granary".

Following Elder Grant, Gao De left Phoenix and traveled along the mountain road of the Wescarene Mountains. After rounding a bend, Gao De could clearly feel that the temperature had warmed up considerably.

The air was filled with a warm and humid atmosphere, quite different from the cold and dry air common in the North.

The Kastra volcano and volcanic land are just ahead.

The view before me was breathtaking.

The Kastra volcano stands silently before us. Although it has been dormant for a long time, with its magma nearly exhausted and now calm, no longer gushing and surging, it is still surrounded by flames and billowing smoke, glowing red.

In the predominantly white northern landscape, it stands out so strikingly, like a burning heart embedded in the very center of the snowfield.

Under the sunlight, the flames and smoke from the crater intertwine, creating a magnificent scene.

The hillsides surrounding the Castella crater are volcanic soil.

The color of the volcanic soil contrasts sharply with the surrounding snow-covered plains.

The soil of volcanic land is dark brown and rich in traces of volcanic ash, with a slightly glossy surface, a sign of fertility.

In the reclaimed volcanic land, one can see many green wheat seedlings with a touch of gold.

That's Jinhui Wheat Seedlings.

These wheat seedlings, bathed in sunlight, are a vibrant green tinged with gold.

The golden part shimmered with a dazzling light, but it was obvious that large patches of wheat seedlings looked wilted and listless.

Seven or eight people from the Zhenbing tribe were moving back and forth in the fields, checking the condition of the golden wheat seedlings.

Upon seeing Elder Grant's arrival, two armored Iceborn from the Zhenbing tribe came forward to greet him.

"Elder."

Such an important place is naturally guarded by Icefolk for a long time.

Elder Grant wasn't in the mood for pleasantries; he simply nodded to the two men and then led God and Loich toward the fields.

The two Iceborns naturally didn't mind, but they glanced at Gao De, who was clearly an outsider, with slight surprise, wondering why Elder Grant would bring an outsider to such an important place in the tribe.

Having arrived at the scene, Elder Grant seemed even more anxious and impatient, his steps quickening unconsciously.

Gaode also took it very seriously and followed suit.

Soon, they crossed the crisscrossing paths between the fields and arrived at one of the plots of land.

"This is the field where the wheat seedlings were first found to have withered," Elder Grant said.

(End of this chapter)