My lord, spare his life!

Farmland near Weiyin County.

The lame man, with a wooden crutch tucked under one arm and a bamboo basket covered with coarse cloth in the other, limped towards his farmland. Upon seeing the familiar figures busy at work from afar, he called out loudly. The woman, hearing the noise, looked up.

The couple sat by the edge of the field.

Farm work is strenuous, so the lame man let the woman eat first.

She ate about 60-70% of it before I ate the rest.

While the women worked the fields, he stayed home doing bamboo weaving, having lost half a leg. He learned this skill from a training course for refugees held by the prefectural government; it provided an extra income for the family and offered shelter from the wind and rain.

After the men finished making the food, the women would take it to the city to sell during the off-season.

We've already saved some money at home.

Man: "There's something I want to discuss with you..."

He wanted the woman to sell this batch first so they could buy a few more chicks for the family. Speaking of this, the man became somewhat dejected. Two families in the village had raised chickens the earliest; no one knew what breed they were, but they were ready for market in just thirty-six days. They grew incredibly fast with minimal feeding, never got sick, and gained weight rapidly, laying an egg every day without fail, occasionally even laying expensive double-yolk eggs.

He thought to himself that his family was poor and they could barely afford to eat half full, so how could they afford to raise these animals? Therefore, he politely declined the low-priced chicks.

Seeing those two families in the village making a fortune from about thirty chickens, with the enticing aroma of meat wafting from their stoves and their children getting an egg every three to five days, he felt envious. Now that chicken and ducklings weren't at those discounted prices, he felt he was losing out big time.

However, it's not too late to take action now.

These are chickens that are ready for market in about thirty days!

The woman asked worriedly, "Can you manage all that?"

The man said, "Look at those two households in the village. They didn't take much care of their chickens, but they've both grown up, haven't they? They're supposedly chicks bred by the prefectural government, so they're not prone to disease. Let's keep raising them. Even if only one survives, our family will still have eggs to eat."

Even if it's not an extra expense, it's still an improvement in life.

The woman nodded, taking stock of her family's meager possessions as she said, "Alright, but the weather is really nice, neither too cold nor too hot. Let's get busy with the farm work first, and then we'll take the produce to town to sell tomorrow."

The man replied, "It's going to rain."

Upon hearing this, the woman looked down at his other leg.

"Didn't they say it hadn't rained for the past few days?"

Even the village's most weather-savvy elder said it wouldn't rain.

The man didn't check the weather; he only checked if his legs hurt: "But they hurt when I was starting the fire."

Upon hearing this, the woman no longer doubted it.

There wasn't much farm work left; they could finish it tomorrow. If it rained this afternoon, the man wouldn't be able to manage alone at home. The couple had just returned home when the woman felt a slightly cool touch on her brow, and immediately exclaimed with delight, "Oh dear, it's raining!"

They hurriedly brought out all the containers in the house that could hold water.

Although there are wells in the village, drawing water is still hard work. In addition, the government has recently issued a notice warning that every household should store water in their homes when it rains. Some families who live in more remote areas will even dig a cellar to store water.

Irrigating the farmland is a struggle, but it's enough for the family's daily drinking water needs.

The couple had two large water vats in their home.

The light drizzle gradually intensified, and children playing outside covered their heads as they ran home. The couple's children also appeared in the rain, calling out to their parents, "The Dragon King is sending rain!"

The lame man nearly stumbled from the impact.

He chuckled and scolded, "You two brats, are the Dragon King's shrimp soldiers and crab generals chasing you? Why are you running so fast?"

"Father, there really is a Dragon King!"

"Yes, yes, Father, there really is a Dragon King!"

The older daughter jumped around gesturing: "The Dragon King just swims around like this, pouring water on our heads—"

When the two children were playing house with the villagers, they actually saw the shadow of a dragon appear and disappear in the clouds! The dragon was blue and huge! And what it carried on its back wasn't dragon scales, but bags of things. It turned out that the raindrops were indeed carried ashore by the Dragon King from the sea!

At that moment, another child pointed to the sky and jumped.

"Look, it's the Dragon King!"

The couple looked up instinctively.

Wow, a thick, dark shadow flashed by, and a beautiful dragon tail could be vaguely seen. As the dragon's body twisted and turned, a huge dragon head could be seen, with two incredibly flowing and beautiful whiskers. The other villagers also noticed this.

Although ghosts roam this world, and wars are fought by the four celestial guardians—Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger—everyone who has been on the battlefield has seen dragons. But no one has ever seen a dragon that summons clouds and rain in the sky; they have only seen dragons charging and fighting on the battlefield. When a dragon flicks its tail, it slams into the Black Tortoise Ghost Shield with a clanging sound, and the shockwave whips up sand and stones.

"It really is the Dragon King!"

Some villagers knelt on the ground in gratitude for the rain. With signs of drought already emerging this year, every drop of rain is precious, meaning we're a little further away from a severe drought. A major drought not only means no harvest but also the potential for locust plagues.

The villagers all knelt down on the ground.

As everyone stood up, more and more people noticed that the Dragon King's attire was strange—the dragon scales looked odd.

That long dragon's body was covered with things?

Or is this what real dragon scales actually look like?

The rain didn't last long, ending in about an hour. The Dragon King only appeared for a quarter of an hour. Every household collected a lot of rainwater, which, after settling, would last them for several days.

The common people of Weiyin County cheered for the rain, unaware that a group of people on the mountain were also silently praying. They truly never expected that their rain-seeking ritual, with such a low success rate, would actually succeed! A success on the first try!

Zhang Yang's face was filled with smugness.

"See? What did I tell you? Trust science!"

As long as the conditions for artificial rainmaking are met, isn't it a piece of cake to have another rain? Xu Jinhao came to his senses after a while, and hurriedly took out his bamboo slips and carving knife to make notes: "Quick, write this down quickly!"

When the Azure Dragon illusion finally couldn't hold on any longer and dispersed back into its seven parts, returning to their respective masters' bodies, all seven simultaneously stopped their cultivation and calmed their breathing. Wang Qi and Du Fang were the first to open their eyes, and their reactions were completely different. Wang Qi felt tired, while Du Fang's eyes shone with barely suppressed joy. The latter hurriedly clasped his hands in greeting: "My lord, this humble general has suddenly had an epiphany and must take leave to return to seclusion."

Having said that, without waiting for Zhang Yang's reply, he leaped down the mountain, not even bothering to take the proper mountain path. He was confident that even if the Prefect blamed him, Xu Jin would smooth things over for him. Xu Jin knew Du Fang's plan, and chuckled as he complained, "Well done, Dong Su. He's usually so composed and proper, why is he in such a hurry this time?"

Zhang Yang said, "The experience bar is full."

Upgrading and breaking through bottlenecks is a big deal.

She looked up at the sky: "You can even gain experience points this way?"

This rainfall plan was very cost-effective.

Zhang Yang then looked at Wang Qi: "Aren't you going to break through your seclusion?"

Wang Qi scoffed dismissively, "How could I be compared to him? His insights wouldn't even fill a gap in my teeth, let alone allow me to break through anything!"

Zhang Yang: "..."

Oh, it looks like the Savage Bro needs more experience to level up.

Hmm, this game's NPC leveling system is quite sophisticated. Wang Qi waited a while but Zhang Yang didn't offer any further words of concern or greeting, and said with dissatisfaction, "Doesn't the Mountain Spirit have anything else to say?"

Zhang Yang: "...What did you say?"

"I've done you a huge favor."

Zhang Yang retorted, "But you're a prisoner, and it's not like I didn't pay you; didn't I whip you all day yesterday?"

Du Guan: "..."

Everyone who heard this turned their heads.

A thought even sprouted in Du Guan's mind—if Shu Yan heard this, wouldn't he be so angry that he'd be in a terrible state?

Wang Qi said, "That's not enough, give me another beating."

Zhang Yang: "..."

Sometimes she really wanted to call the GM to report it, but unfortunately, she was a bug herself, and when she encountered a pervert, she could only suffer in silence.

Xu Jin coughed heavily, breaking the eerie atmosphere.

With everyone's attention on him, he felt considerable pressure: "This...this Prefect, should we announce this law to all the counties?"

According to the Prefect, this rain is all from clouds, meaning the thicker the cloud cover, the greater the possibility of artificial rainmaking. If they don't seize the opportunity while there are clouds in the sky to make it rain heavily, they'll suffer a huge loss once the clouds drift away!

Zhang Yang said, "Of course we should make an announcement."

As she spoke, she recalled another detail.

"By the way, when the county governments prepare for artificial rainmaking, they should send someone to notify the local people at least one or two hours in advance so that their children can make work adjustments. They are physically weak, unlike you who have the protection of star power. If they don't have time to go home or don't have any rain shelter, they might catch a cold or fever." Ordinary people are relatively weaker and more prone to illness, and it is more difficult to treat their illnesses.

Even if there are enough medical resources, there isn't enough money in the family.

Xu Jin hurriedly wrote down all the details, not daring to be negligent.

He said, "The Prefect is indeed very thoughtful."

Advance notice to the public about impending rainfall can reduce panic among residents who see dragon-like shadows in the clouds.

The only downside was that the county clerks were very busy.

Xu Jin thought to himself that the county government's economic situation was relatively good, and that the minor officials who ran errands could be given subsidies as appropriate to reduce complaints.

Thinking about it, he wrote this down as well.

Once everything is organized, the prefectural government can stamp it and distribute it to the various counties.

Wang Qi poured cold water on her enthusiasm.

"The Seven Azure Dragon Constellations are hard to gather. Even if you do, can those oddballs match my strength? The effect is incomparable."

So, you can see how good he is, right?

For once, Zhang Yang's mind was quick, and he replied without hesitation, "A generous reward will surely bring forth brave men! If one group of seven isn't enough, then we'll gather two groups. Neighboring counties can also integrate and borrow personnel resources from each other; we can definitely get the job done."

Tianyue County is indeed a rural area, but it has absorbed a lot of refugees in recent months, and the counties are gradually recovering from the major disaster caused by the disruption of the four seasons. Everyone is working together to overcome the difficulties.

Xu Jin looked troubled: "This temporary transfer... I'm afraid it will require the Prefect to coordinate and allocate resources, as each county has been minding its own business."

If no one with sufficient prestige steps in, this matter could drag on for years, by which time it will be too late.

Zhang Yang nodded: "That's easy."

She stared at the drifting clouds in the sky and said, "Later, set up an observation post on the highest mountain in each county to specifically monitor these clouds. Also, set up posts near the reopened reservoirs; shoot down any clouds drifting in that direction!"

We can't let these clouds benefit other counties! We'll slowly fill the reservoir later, and then Tianyue County won't have a problem with its drinking water.

Wang Qi: "You're really greedy."

Zhang Yang: "What is unclaimed should be acquired by the capable!"

Not only should the reservoir be restarted, but its size should also be expanded!

Wang Qi chuckled, "That's what you say, but if other places suffer from severe drought and locust plagues, won't they just fly over here?"

Zhang Yang's attention was drawn: "Locust plague?"

Wang Qi casually replied, "They're just countless locusts."

Zhang Yang: "..."

She only considered solving the local water problem, but overlooked the fact that some disasters have legs, and locust plagues have wings.

Zhang Yang said thoughtfully, "This is indeed a big problem."

She read some at the survivor base library.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yang said confidently, "Since we need to plan ahead, this matter should also be put on the agenda. Jiu Si, find a eloquent and meticulous clerk and assign him a task to find out where locust plagues are likely to occur and where there are many locusts."

"May I ask, Your Excellency, why do you inquire about this?"

Locust plagues are usually recorded in local county chronicles.

Zhang Yang said, "Isn't this simple? A locust plague definitely requires locusts, and locusts definitely develop from eggs. Where there are many locusts, it means that locusts prefer to lay their eggs there. In places where many eggs are laid, we should build water conservancy projects."

They kicked away the locusts' nest.

To fundamentally eliminate their reproductive conditions.

Xu Jin's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly used a carving knife to make a record. At this time, it was still raining, so the brush pen, which was more convenient for making records, was not easy to use.

Du Guan pondered for a moment and said, "Following your idea, sir, could we also encourage areas with a high number of locust eggs to raise more chickens and ducks? Although we can't completely eradicate locusts, we can at least curb their population growth, which would be beneficial for locust control."

Targeted resource adjustments were made.

This is clearly more effective than casting a wide net.

Zhang Yang had a "you're teachable" expression on his face.

"Yuan Yi, that's exactly the point."

To collect more accurate data, two more artificial rainmaking operations were conducted over the next three days. Both were successful; one brought a considerable amount of rainfall, while the other was less than satisfactory, producing only a light drizzle for a short while, presumably due to insufficient cloud cover.

Wang Qi was beaten by Zhang Yang again.

It's a pity, it's just a pity that they didn't break the person's bones.

Fan Shuyan had reservations about this move.

As the saying goes, "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me." His lord should associate less with such people and more with those who uphold integrity and righteousness.

Wang Qi was not unaware that Fan You had a problem with him.

But so what?

He met Fan You again and saw that the other's eyes were cold and stern. He only provoked him by casually brushing his fingertips across the whip marks. When he looked at Fan You again, the latter's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Don't push me too far."

Wang Qi could choose not to tell the old man about Tianyue's plan to attack the mountain prefectures, but he could also tell him. Once the old man found out, even if he didn't turn against him, Yuan Xie, who had fallen into his hands, would suffer!

Fan You: "..."

When can we send this pervert back?!

Yuan Xie is the same; he wants hostages but not a single person with a sound mind!

Unlike Fan You's distress, Lü Yuan has been in high spirits these past few days, looking quite pleased with himself.

Her godfather asked her why she was so happy.

Lu Yuan said, "I received a gift the other day."

A gift that truly touched her heart.

??(σ???)σ..:*☆

Fan You: "Why don't you want He Ning, who's got a normal brain?"

Guan Zong: "Is that right?"