Morrigan had faced the scorching soul flames of reincarnation an unfathomable number of times and endured the experience of having her memories, knowledge, love, and pain stripped from her. For regular souls, the torturous experience wasn’t remembered, but Origins never forgot. Fragments of their dormant memories were returned to them slowly through the heavens’ whispers, which were actually echoes of their pasts harvested by the heavens during their reincarnations. For the cultivators, the whispers sounded like anguished torments that contained hints of truth, but for every Origin, they did nothing but haunt them.
Except for Morrigan.
As the Origin of the Void, the heavens couldn’t harvest her. It wanted her to leave—to return to where she belonged. She was usually tortured for what felt like an eternity until the heavens’ soul flames ran dry, and she was hurled back into reality with the grace of titan spit. While the other Origins were only haunted by fragments of the past, she remembered each and every moment.
Yet she endured it all because she had no other choice. Robbed of the peace death granted, only the silent void awaited her should she give up. Year after year, century after century, life after life, she kept going, putting one step forward despite knowing nothing but pain and misery awaited her. Her existence was nothing but eternal torture. Which is why, as she faced off against Kaida’s formation by shedding her memories, she felt something she had never experienced before—freedom. Specifically, from her past self.
Until that moment, she had never understood why the heavens refused to harvest her memories and left them intact. Her running theory had been that the heavens didn’t want to introduce the void affinity into reality and therefore kept the heavens’ whispers regarding the void at a minimum. However, now she understood. Her memories had been left intact to crush her under the weight of her past in the hope that she would give up and return to the void.
This realization filled her with nothing but blood-boiling rage.
Why did I suffer for all these eons?! I could have stripped myself of these accursed memories and lived on in ignorant bliss, floating aimlessly in the void for all eternity. That would have been far better than all of this!
Morrigan roared in her mind as her soul continued to boil.
Soon she would go supernova, killing Elaine and her unborn children. With nobody left in the Nine Realms for her to overtake, she would be cast into the void for all eternity—just like the heavens had always wanted. That part enraged Morrigan, but she was done fighting the inevitable.
I just want to be rid of all these memories… I don’t want to fight anymore. I’m tired. So, so tired. Morrigan thought as she continued to cast away the lingering connections to lives she had once lived. Perhaps it was her nature as the void—the innate desire to return to nothingness. She had been cosplaying as an entity with a purpose and dreams for too long.
“Morrigan!” Stella shouted out to her. She didn’t want to listen.
“Stop fighting. You don’t have to be scared anymore. If you work with us, you will never have to fear the void again.”
Morrigan paused, turning her attention to Stella, who was standing defiantly in front of Elaine. The girl’s words… they were simply too laughable.
“Stella, do you forget who—what I am?”
“I’m well aware that you are the void given consciousness,” Stella replied, crossing her arms.
“Exactly,” Morrigan replied. “So what is there to be scared about? I’m simply returning to where I belong.”
Stella snorted. “Out there, in the vast nothingness? Where neither Elaine nor her children can reach you?”
“What does Elaine have to do with this?” Morrigan snapped back. Elaine was nothing but a vessel she had raised—one of many she had nurtured in the past.
Stella narrowed her eyes. “She has everything to do with it. There’s nothing more important than family. A daughter deserves to have her mother around, and her children will ask where their grandmother is. Until now, you have lived for nothing but yourself. Why not try living for others for a change? Trust me, your future will be far brighter for it.”
“Future? There is no future for me here. Whether it’s today or in the next eon, the heavens’ desire to return me to the void will inevitably come to fruition.” Morrigan looked up at the millions of strands still sprouting from her boiling soul. “For the first time, I’m going to take matters into my own hands and end it on my own terms.”
“The heavens’ will is only inevitable if the heavens exist,” Stella countered, causing Morrigan to pause. “Should we topple the heavens, you can be allowed to exist. Until then, let us bind you to our own afterlife to shield you from the heavens’ tyranny. Please, Morrigan,” Stella bowed ninety degrees, her blonde hair falling over her face, “don’t go out like this. Forget the past and enjoy a future with us—with Elaine.”
“Stella is right.”
Morrigan glanced at Maple, the Worldwalker holding her soul in his hand. His deep golden eyes bore into her.
“As the embodiment of the void, you fear the void more than anyone—and for good reason,” Maple continued. “Listen to Stella. Live on here in reality under Ashlock’s canopy. Don’t give in to the void’s call.”
“But…”
“Mom!” Elaine shouted out.
Morrigan slowly shifted to look at her daughter. Elaine’s expression contained no hatred despite having been told she was nothing but a tool. Instead, tears streamed down her face, and for the first time in eons, Morrigan felt those motherly instincts to cradle her distraught child. Was it because she had burned so many tortured memories? Or was this situation revitalizing her empty heart?
“Please don’t go,” Elaine said, collapsing to her knees and pleading. “My children’s lives won’t be the same without you. Can’t you stop this and stay?”
It was you lot who pushed me this far, Morrigan felt like reminding them. While she could understand their desire to protect Elaine’s future from her, if they hadn’t attacked her like this, she wouldn’t be going supernova… nor would she have come to these realizations about her life.
“But fine,” she said, surprising even herself. “I will give in to the formation and let Ashlock capture my soul. It can’t be worse than heaven’s torture or the emptiness of the void.”
Morrigan forfeited to the mighty formation; it didn’t even take a few seconds for it to burn a Soul Anchor to the Grove of Eternal Rebirth deep in her soul in a flash of blinding gold. Over the immense power of the formation, all she managed to see was a glimpse of Elaine’s relieved face before her world was plunged into darkness—as Maple consumed her. In the void of the Worldwalkers’ stomach, her unstoppable supernova reached its completion, and she was obliterated. A spectral form of her soul floated up against her will—an experience that had terrified her the first few times. Without a vessel tying her to reality, the cycle of reincarnation was calling.
Yet the Soul Anchor in her soul activated, and instead of aimlessly drifting away, she was pulled down toward the valley lying between the two great cities of the Ashfallen Sect. The vague barrier between life and death that separated the Eternal Grove of Rebirth from reality warped around her, and she was welcomed by the canopies of nine immense bodhi trees towering in formation with a central space between them. It was this space she was drawn to, and she soon settled on a strange pedestal surrounded by flowing spiritual water that seemed to snake between the trees.
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As Morrigan curiously looked around, she was surprised by a voice behind her.
“Lady Morrigan, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Turning to face the voice in her spectral form, she was surprised to see the spectral form of a person she had met once.
“Grand Elder Blightbane, what happened to you?”
The spectral man appraised her with eyes that looked like fading embers. “I’m enjoying an intimate life with the border between life and death and managing this grove. For a devoted practitioner of death and believer in the All-Seeing Eye, I couldn’t enjoy a greater honor than this,” he said, spreading his arms. “Welcome to the Grove of Eternal Rebirth. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
Morrigan slowly nodded. “Thank you… This place certainly seems more preferable than burning in hellfire for a thousand years. So, what now?”
“Well, for everyone else, I would analyze their soul and place it in something compatible, such as a tree or animal. However, you seem to have retained your memories, meaning you are the Origin of the void?”
Morrigan nodded.
“I see, then you’re a special case. As an Origin, you keep your memories after death, meaning you can effectively live on despite residing in a realm of death. However, your cultivation…”
Morrigan looked within herself and verified what she suspected would happen. Her soul—and all the stored Qi inside—was gone. Now in Maple’s stomach, she had returned to square one.
“Can I cultivate to my previous strength?”
Grand Elder Blightbane shifted uncomfortably at the question. “The Eternal Grove of Rebirth is an artificial afterlife sustained on death Qi. There aren’t really other Qi types in here, and cultivating void Qi may harm the ecosystem we have established. However, I don’t see a reason why you would be incapable of returning to your previous strength, although it may not serve you well here. The Grove of Eternal Rebirth is separated from reality, meaning the two realms cannot directly interact with one another.”
Morrigan crossed her arms and stared down at the Grand Elder. “So, what should I do? Accept being stuck in a tree or animal and live out a pointless existence in this prison?”
“This is why keeping your memories is troublesome,” Grand Elder Blightbane said as he stroked his chin.
A portal suddenly rippled into existence, and Stella, Elaine, Kaida, and Khaos stepped through.
“Mom! You’re alive!” Elaine said, running to give her a hug.
Morrigan went to accept the hug, only for Elaine to phase right through as if she were nothing but a cloud of fog. Elaine came to a stop and looked down at her hands in confusion.
“As I said, this is the realm of the dead,” Grand Elder Blightbane reminded them. “Just because you can see and speak with one another does not mean you exist in the same place.”
“Is it possible for Mom to get a new body?” Elaine asked.
Grand Elder Blightbane shrugged. “That I’m unsure but don’t worry, she won’t be going anywhere.”
Morrigan let out a sigh. She didn’t know how to feel about this whole situation. While it’s nice to be able to still interact with people, I’d rather go through torture so I can reincarnate in a vessel. This place is already feeling like a prison. Her gaze focused back on Elaine. But that option is impossible now. I’ll have to make do with this.
From the shadows of the great bodhi tree, Anubis rose. “Elaine, do you still wish to enter the Eternal Realm? Douglas has already entered.”
Elaine reluctantly nodded. “I do, yes. Mom, I have to get going now. See you soon.”
“You’re going in there despite being pregnant?” Morrigan asked, a hint of worry in her tone.
“While there are certainly risks, I wouldn’t worry as General Khaos will be guarding her,”Ashlock reassured her through Anubis.
“Still, is there a reason to send her in there?” Morrigan insisted. Everything she had heard about the previous Mystic Realm made it sound potentially dangerous, and the Eternal Realm was likely on another level.
“With war on the horizon, I need everyone to be in their best form. The Eternal Realm will speed up the pregnancy and hopefully confirm a theory I have that children born in higher layers of creation can cultivate faster.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” Elaine added. “I want this. If I don’t go, I’ll fall further behind everyone. Besides, this way you can meet your cute grandson and granddaughter sooner. A win-win, right?”
Morrigan wasn’t convinced, and she was hardly an impatient person, but she could see the determination on Elaine’s face, so she didn’t press the issue.
“I’ll be off now,” Elaine said, giving her one more ghost hug she was unable to even feel.
“Bye, my… daughter,” Morrigan said, almost stuttering on the last word. It was a term she had called so many in the past, but in the back of her mind, the phrase daughter and son had been synonymous with vessel.
After giving her one last smile, Elaine left with Khaos, leaving Kaida and Stella behind.
“You made the right choice,” Stella said. Snapping her fingers, the void rippled, and one of the four weaker void Ents appeared beside her. “We don’t have any other vessels on standby, but do you want to try taking over this Ent?”
“Sure.” Morrigan floated over and paused before the Ent. Placing a hand on its head, she closed her eyes. To her relief, she still had a solid connection to the void despite being stuck in this death realm. Although she had no cultivation level to speak of, she still retained her past knowledge. Unfortunately, she was unable to enter the Ent’s soul, so the Ent resorted to wearing her like a spectral coat.
“You look suitably horrifying,” Stella said, taking a step back.
“Mhm,” Morrigan hummed in agreement as she flexed the Ent’s claws and wandered around the pedestal. “This isn’t quite what I had in mind.”
“Try and see if you can leave the Eternal Grove like this.”
Morrigan nodded. Pulling on the Ent’s stored Qi reserves, she managed to convince it to use Void Step to the edge of the grove. Stella effortlessly followed in a flash of white flames and watched curiously from the side.
“This should be the border,” Morrigan mused as she reached forward and hesitantly tried to reach beyond. The Ent’s claw passed through without issue, but her hand turned to steam instead. Quickly pulling back, she was relieved to see her hand reform.
“So that didn’t work,” Stella said as she tapped her chin, and Kaida floated down and came to a stop beside her. “Any idea on what we could do, Kaida?”
Kaida appraised Morrigan for a moment, his golden eyes gleaming with interest.
“I can think of a few possibilities, such as wrapping her in a spatial array that effectively allows her to exist in two places at once, but she will need to recover her cultivation for most solutions to work.”
Stella agreed with Kaida. “Yeah, I can also look into crafting a golem body of some kind, but if you have no Qi to work with, it will be difficult.”
“I see,” Morrigan sighed as she detached from the void Ent. Looking beyond the border, she could see thousands of stone houses belonging to Darklight City. Meanwhile, behind her was an immense forest dominated by the canopies of the nine bodhi trees in the distance.
Whether she liked it or not, this was going to be her home from now on—possibly forever if the Ashfallen Sect never managed their nearly impossible goal of toppling the heavens.
“I’m going to go insane if I don’t have something to do besides cultivating,” Morrigan murmured. While she had grown lazy in recent centuries, it was because the Voidmind family was well settled in the Blood Lotus Sect, and she didn’t have anything to do besides lounge around all day.
Stella chuckled. “I know the feeling. Do you have any ideas?”
Morrigan crossed her arms and thought deeply as she stared up at the nine bodhi trees. What could she do in her current state?
“The only way to interact with the outside world is through words until I get a body, so I could fill my time by taking up a leadership or teaching position of some kind. Though I’ve spent a lifetime dabbling in pointless politics and wasting my time on trivial matters like city management, which grows dull after the thousandth time,” Morrigan mused aloud. “I want to help protect this place, Elaine, and also defeat Ashfallen’s enemies somehow.” She glanced at the void Ent and then at Stella, and an idea bloomed in her mind. Something she had never done before. “Let me lead Ashfallen’s assassins.”
Stella tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
“You said the Ashfallen Sect is going to war soon? Let me be the first to tell you, once you get to the upper stages of cultivation, nobody wants to fight, and wars are typically fought in meeting rooms or end when the central figures are assassinated,” Morrigan explained as she floated around. “Take Vincent Nightrose, for example. Once he fell, the Blood Lotus Sect fell soon after. The Celestial Empire would be the same. Should you take out the Council, the Empire will fall.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Stella said, nodding to herself. “Alright, if that is what you want, I don’t see an issue. Who were you hoping to join your assassin group?”
“Any void users, including General Khaos, the void Ents, and Elaine, would be ideal. The numbers shouldn’t be too high, as this will be an elite hit squad that Ashfallen can deploy against their enemies to end wars before they start.”
Stella smirked. “I like the sound of it. Did you have a name in mind?”
“Let me think,” Morrigan said, pausing. “What about keeping on the theme of the All-Seeing Eye and calling it the Covenant, as all who join make a deal to wield death for Ashfallen?”
“The Covenant,” Grand Elder Blightbane said as he materialized beside them. “What a suitable name! I’m sure the All-Seeing Eye would approve of your devotion.”
Morrigan smiled in response. While she didn’t mind the Ashfallen Sect and its leaders, her devotion was to the mission.
To topple the heavens.
“I agree, that is a great name,” Stella nodded. “As of today, the Covenant that will be feared throughout the realms is founded with Morrigan as its head.”
HSSB49: The Phoenix Awaiting Nirvana
Yan Zhaoge looked at Feng Yunsheng, smiling lightly, “Have you ever thought that if not for her very existence itself, even having lost your Extreme Yin Physique that year, the Sun Saint Clan would also not have given up on you that easily, rather spending much more time and effort on helping you to recover?”
Feng Yunsheng laughed, “It’s not something that even requires thinking about; rather, it’s a totally obvious fact laid right out there for all to see. Still, it’s got nothing to do with Little Wan herself.”
Yan Zhaoge asked somewhat interestedly, “You being older than Meng Wan, you should have joined the clan earlier than her; I suppose your cultivation must also have been higher than hers?”
“You were the actual prime representative whom the Sacred Sun Clan had actually wanted to send to participate in the Extreme Yin Bout that year?”
Feng Yunsheng nodded her head candidly, “That’s right. When I left the clan, I was already in the Martial Scholar Realm. At that time, Little Wan was still only at the peak of the Body Refinement Realm.”
“She should only have managed to succeed in breaking through to the Martial Scholar realm just right before the first Extreme Yin Bout was held.”
She glanced at Yan Zhaoge, saying impatiently, “I know what you’re thinking, but me accidentally trespassing into Hell, that danger zone, and losing my Extreme Yin Physique as a result-Little Wan had nothing to do with it at all.”
Yan Zhaoge smiled, “Perhaps the relationship between you does indeed run deep, but, her luring me to rescue you this time; isn’t it possible that it stemmed from her sense of guilt as a well as a desire to make it up to you?”
“Or perhaps having benefited so much from the whole thing, she just wanted to show off how virtuous she is, helping you regarding this matter in order to evoke a sense of satisfaction in herself?”
Feng Yunsheng laughed, “I’m just not used to looking at people as though all their actions stem from a desire to do me harm. Still, I cannot deny that the possibilities you mentioned do indeed exist.”
“It’s only; I believe in Little Wan.” Saying this last sentence, Feng Yunsheng’s expression was calm, but her tone was as though it could hack through nails and cut through metal.
Yan Zhaoge smiled, before changing the topic, “Still, she’s so certain that you will never be able to regain your Extreme Yin Physique?”
“She’s so certain that she’s not actually gifting my Broad Creed Mountain with a Maiden of Extreme Yin, who’ll compete with her for the Extreme Yin Crown in the future?”
“That would be equivalent to consorting with the enemy, and why would she do such a thing.”
Feng Yunsheng replied calmly, “Because she has the confidence.”
“Regardless of whether or not the other Sacred Grounds dispatch a few more Maidens of Extreme Yin.”
“Little Wan also has the confidence to win the Extreme Yin Crown back for the Sacred Sun Clan.”
“As such, even if I do manage to recover, she will only feel happy for me, for the me whose position in Broad Creed Mountain will surely rise as a result.”
“However, the Extreme Yin Crown belongs only to her, to her and the Sacred Sun Clan.”
“That is her confidence.”
Hearing her words, within Yan Zhaoge’s mind surfaced the image of that young girl, her features bright and alluring while also delicate, her moving pair of eyes inducing a sense of tenderness within those who saw her.
The one who had secured the eventual victory during the very first Extreme Yin Bout, the very first official owner of the Extreme Yin Crown ever since it had surfaced within this world, was exactly the Sacred Sun Clan’s, Meng Wan!
According to Feng Yunsheng, she should only have barely stepped into the Martial Scholar realm then.
Feng Yunsheng had a faraway look on her face, “Don’t be fooled by that child’s soft and weak outer appearance; in truth, she’s actually also very clever, as well as resilient.”
“Whether it is the power of Extreme Yin she carries or her cultivating potential, she’s definitely a super-genius.”
“Back then, it was only because I had entered the clan earlier and therefore cultivated for longer that I was the prime candidate for representing the clan.”
“Actually, if we had started from the same point, at the same time, I can’t say for sure that I would definitely be able to hold the advantage over her in a fight.”
Yan Zhaoge laughed out loud, “Flipping this sentence around, wouldn’t you also be saying that Meng Wan would actually also not be able to defeat you for certain?”
Feng Yunsheng raised her brows, “While I will not have an excessively high opinion of myself, I will not speak of myself excessively lowly either.”
Yan Zhaoge said simply, “A pity, though, that she failed the second time around.”
During the second Extreme Yin Bout, Meng Wan had still lost eventually, the Extreme Yin Crown falling into the hands of a disciple of the Water Domain’s Sacred Ground, the Jade Sea City.
Feng Yunsheng said without a change in her expression, “I have also heard about this matter. That was because not long before the Bout, Little Wan had just utilised the Extreme Yin Crown while fighting directly against a Flame Devil King in the Eastern Sea.”
“During the second Bout, she was participating while injured.”
“When the time comes for the third Extreme Yin Bout, she will let the entire world know that as long as nothing is wrong with her, the Extreme Yin Crown will fall to no one else.”
“Also, the Phoenix which has experienced Nirvana, will only be more dazzling.”
Feng Yunsheng’s tone was totally natural, as though she was only laying out a perfectly simple fact which could not be any more obvious.
As he looked at her, a hint of a smile was revealed on Yan Zhaoge’s face, “This saying can be used for Meng Wan; but, doesn’t it apply to you yourself as well?”
Feng Yunsheng said candidly, “Even if Senior Brother Yan really does have a way to let me regain my Extreme Yin Physique, my starting point would now, conversely, be lagging behind Little Wan’s by far too much.”
“I do not dare to say that I would definitely be able to catch up with Little Wan. However, I would definitely grab hold of such a precious opportunity with all my might.”
“Broad Creed Mountain accepting me in my darkest hour; regardless of their reason for doing so, this debt of gratitude, I will repay with my very life.”
“Words are needless; only death will seal the debt.”
Whatever the reason he had done it, when she had been placed under threat by the Sacred Sun Clan disciples, Yan Zhaoge, in beating Xiao Shen as well as Chao Yuanlong till their faces were all sooty and muddied, had undoubtedly already expressed his stance on this matter.
As for whether or not Yan Zhaoge could personally stand for Broad Creed Mountain, Feng Yunsheng had no need to think about it now. She simply needed to follow Yan Zhaoge’s instructions.
Yan Zhaoge, on the other hand, was in a pretty good mood. Regarding Feng Yunsheng’s Extreme Yin Physique, while more planning still had to be done, he had already had some thoughts on how to recover it.
Although they would have offended the Sacred Sun Clan a step further, to Broad Creed Mountain, the addition of a Maiden of Extreme Yin would undoubtedly be a huge gain.
If it all worked out as planned, having rendered a huge service to the clan, it would be a great help to Yan Zhaoge as well as his father, Yan Di.
Yan Zhaoge looked at the sky, “Let’s go.”
They all set off, as Yan Zhaoge continuously began passing down orders, a few black-clothed Martial Scholars nodding their heads as, by his command, they dispersed for the delivering of some letters.
While he had already decided on things for himself, there were some people that Yan Zhaoge still had to inform about this matter as soon as possible, such as his own father, as well as the one currently in charge of the East Heaven Region, Broad Creed Mountain’s one and only East Elder.
With this matter not a minor one, far from being able to compare with his previous beating of Chao Yuanlong and the others in the Sealing Dragon Abyss, the Sacred Sun Clan’s reaction to it would undoubtedly be a much more intense one.
Xiao Shen and the others having escaped, there would definitely be more things following. The faster Broad Creed Mountain received the news, the more advantageous it would be for their handling of this matter.
Other than that, Yan Zhaoge had also intentionally only touched on the reason for Feng Yunsheng having lost her Extreme Yin Physique briefly, while getting his subordinates to find some way to inform the other Sacred Ground, Jade Sea City, about this matter.
Amongst the Sacred Grounds, Jade Sea City’s relationship with the Sacred Sun Clan was exceptionally terrible.
Based on the principle of the enemy of an enemy being a friend, they had instead formed a rather harmonious relationship with Broad Creed Mountain; the two were almost as close as allies.
Jade Sea City’s Maiden of Extreme Yin was the victor of the second Extreme Yin Bout, and also Meng Wan’s greatest competitor in the third and upcoming Bout.
The methods with which the various Sacred Grounds had used to covertly deal with one another’s Maidens of Extreme Yin had never stopped all these years.
Having never trusted in the Sacred Sun Clan’s moral calibre, Yan Zhaoge naturally had to send Jade Sea City a gentle reminder, lest they were unknowingly cheated.
As they traversed though the mountain range, Yan Zhaoge suddenly looked towards the distance as he seemed to have detected something.
While the heavy, torrential sound of the nearby waterfall could be heard, it still couldn’t drown out the conversing voices of a group of people.
Looking over from far, Yan Zhaoge saw a crowd of people standing by the waterfall. They were divided into two small groups standing on opposing sides, as if currently having a confrontation.
“Is it Zhao Yuan’s group?”
Zhao Yuan was the oldest son of the King of the Eastern Tang Kingdom, and was also very familiar with Yan Zhaoge.
Along with him was the Third Prince Zhao Sheng. This person, however, was somewhat closer to the Eastern Tang’s Principal Elder Yan Xu.
Still, whether it was Zhao Yuan or Zhao Sheng, they were both currently staring at a youth with unfriendly expressions on their faces.
That youth seemed to be around sixteen or seventeen years of age, looking somewhat similar to the two Zhao brothers as he too was adorned in the garb of royalty, though appearing much plainer in comparison.
HSSB50: The Eastern Tang’s Sixteenth Prince
Yan Zhaoge could tell that that youth was probably another of Zhao Yuan’s brothers and also a prince, just one that he had not previously seen before.
Yan Zhaoge watched the ongoing scene somewhat interestedly.
The First Prince, like his father, leaned towards Broad Creed Mountain’s Yan Di’s faction.
Zhao Yuan himself also had some ties with the original owner of Yan Zhaoge’s current body.
And not being able to compete with Zhao Yuan in this area, the Third Prince Zhao Sheng had naturally chosen to walk closer to Yan Zhaoge’s second apprentice-uncle’s faction instead.
While the King of the Eastern Tang Kingdom himself leaned towards Yan Di, as Broad Creed Mountain’s Principal Elder in the Eastern Tang, Yan Xu, was still from the opposing faction, Yan Sheng’s days were still passed smoothly.’
If the competition for the position of Broad Creed Mountain’s next Clan Chief ended up with Yan Zhaoge’s second apprentice-uncle’s eventual victory, there might then be more to the story of who would be the future King of the Eastern Tang Kingdom.
Still, on the whole, the fight for the Eastern Tang’s yet undecided Crown Prince position basically just comprised of the battle for supremacy between Zhao Yuan and Zhao Sheng.
Not having liked the sight of the other for a long time, the two had all along been clashing head-to-head.
Both standing together in targeting another prince like this; such a thing had not happened in a long time.
“By Royal Father’s decree, I and my men were to accompany Royal Uncle Jin in entering the mountain to capture the wanted outlaws.”
Now Zhao Sheng’s voice sounded from afar, “The people in question were surrounded by my and Eldest Brother’s guards within this very mountain, and also beaten to the point of suffering serious injuries by the two of us. If not for that, do you think you could have dealt with them that easily?”
“Now, having easily picked off their remnants, you are even intending to withhold all the information and keep it to yourself. Sixteenth Brother, don’t you think that you’re just being too much?”
Zhao Yuan also said in a low voice, “Sixteenth Brother, it’s fine if you take some of that credit. Still, you shouldn’t keep that person’s testimony to yourself. If there any leads, we should make good use of this time to continue the investigation further.”
“The other party and Ghost Hatchet Elder having had something to do with the abnormalities in the Sealing Dragon Abyss is not something that can be taken lightly. If this is delayed, we will not be able to properly answer to Royal Father and our merit will also become a demerit.”
Hearing the names Ghost Hatchet Elder and Sealing Dragon Abyss being mentioned, Yan Zhaoge got even more interested, “Oh, looks interesting. Let’s go over.”
Walking to the front, Yan Zhaoge saw the youth who was currently being surrounded laugh unconcernedly, “What I should do, I know well within my heart. I do not require the guidance of my two Royal Brothers; once we’ve returned to the capital and reported this matter to Royal Father, all will naturally be known.”
At his tone which was really quite uncourteous, Zhao Yuan and Zhao Sheng were both slightly incensed.
Still, as Yan Zhaoge made his appearance, the two hurriedly suppressed their fury, ignoring that youth to first pay their greetings to him.
“Zhaoge, what a coincidence; you’re also in this region?”
“Young Master Yan.”
Of the martial practitioners of the Eastern Tang Kingdom accompanying the two Princes, the Martial Scholars cupped their fists while the Martial Artists bowed as they all exclaimed in unison, “Greetings to the Broad Creed Young Master!”
In recent days, Yan Zhaoge’s name had resounded more splendidly and shone ever brighter within the lands of the Eastern Tang.
While news of his battle with Xiao Shen and Chao Yuanlong not long ago within the Luliao Mountains had still not gotten out yet, merely his previous overwhelming victory over the Sacred Sun Clan’s Chao Yuanlong in the Sealing Dragon Abyss and his competition with Xiao Shen in Overlooking Abyss City which had ended with him repelling the latter had already caused his fame to rise up to a whole new level.
It didn’t even have to be mentioned that Broad Creed Mountain was a huge organisation that the Eastern Tang Kingdom was completely unable to compare with.
As princes, Zhao Yuan and Zhao Sheng had been painstakingly groomed by the royal family, a huge amount of resources having been invested in them. With that, they were already two of the most prominent figures amongst the Eastern Tang Kingdom’s younger generation.
Both of them had already reached the Martial Scholar level. Still, when stepping into the Martial Scholar realm, they had both already been past the age of twenty-five.
Meanwhile, when the Yan Zhaoge before them had stepped into the Martial Scholar realm, he had been younger than even the Zhao Hao of now……
Yan Zhaoge smiled slightly, “The two of you, long time no see.”
“Earlier, when I passed the Eastern Tang capital, I only stopped momentarily to meet Uncle, and did not meet up with the two of you to talk about old times.”
“I never thought that I’d meet up with you in these Luliao Mountains instead.”
Zhao Yuan said, “The abnormalities in the Sealing Dragon Abyss are no trivial matter. Thus, Royal Father sent me over to personally take charge.”
“I still have to thank you, Zhaoge, for having discovered that the Ghost Hatchet Elder had had something to do with this matter. Having further investigated into the matter, I discovered that he had not actually been acting alone.”
“Behind the Ghost Hatchet Elder very possibly exists some hidden organisation. He should be one of the top experts of that organisation, which should also have some mid and low-tier members as well as outer ring underlings.”
“Entering the Luliao Mountains this time was to chase down and arrest a few members of this organisation. To us, whilst being a mission, it is also a form of tempering.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded his head. To Zhao Yuan and Zhao Sheng, this was also a chance for them to render some merits and thus gain some face in front of the ministers of the Eastern Tang.
In the end, however, it was like someone had plucked the peach before them, picking up some easy credit. No wonder the two Zhao brothers were both so unhappy with him.
Zhao Sheng looked back, his gaze sweeping over that youth as he asked dissatisfiedly, “Sixteenth Brother, are you not going to say your greetings?”
That youth looked at Yan Zhaoge calmly, before saying mildly, “Greetings.”
Looking at him, the corners of Yan Zhaoge’s mouth twitched slightly.
“If I didn’t see wrongly, I actually saw some arrogance and disdain within his gaze?” Yan Zhaoge was rendered a bit speechless as he appraised the youth before him all over.
At around seventeen years of age, he had a cultivation of the mid qi-directing Body Refinement realm, where the qi ocean within the dantian was opened up.
As someone who did not hail from a Sacred Ground, having such a cultivation base at this age was rarely seen, and could already be considered extremely outstanding.
This was even more so considering the garb of this youth. Although he was a prince, he obviously didn’t look like he was valued much; the amount of resources being allocated to him should most likely be somewhat limited.
Still, however one looked at it, whether it was in the area of personal ability or personal background, he completely couldn’t compare with Yan Zhaoge.
Still, within his eyes, Yan Zhaoge had truly glimpsed a passing flash of disdain.
And his attitude towards Yan Zhaoge had already passed the point of being not humble while also not being haughty, having clearly reached the point of being arrogant and rude.
Still, Yan Zhaoge could clearly feel that the other party really didn’t put him in his eyes at all. It was not a lack of fear brought about by ignorance, but rather a heartfelt disdain stemming from his own arrogance as well as self-confidence.
As this youth himself saw it, this was a totally natural thing.
…Just like how a Martial Saint, or a Martial Grandmaster would look at Martial Scholars and Martial Artists.
A weird feeling rose up within Yan Zhaoge’s heart.
From a corner, Zhao Yuan’s face darkened as he suppressed his voice with his aura-qi and sent Yan Zhaoge a sound transmission, “Zhaoge, don’t lower yourself to the same level as him.”
“This is my Sixteenth Brother, Zhao Hao.”
“In the past, he wasn’t like this, rather being a submissive yes-man and an otherwise completely unordinary character. However, half a year ago, he seemed to have suddenly seen the light, his cultivation beginning to improve by leaps and bounds, one day a thousand li.”
“Still, his personality also became rather arrogant and rude as a result.” Zhao Yuan said half bemusedly, half angrily, “The outlaws that we captured this time were surrounded within the mountain and also heavily injured by us, but it ended with him claiming all the easy pickings for himself.”
“Even having done so, having interrogated and obtained the useful testimonies, he just directly killed the captives off. When asked what he knew, he just refused to tell.”
Yan Zhaoge also couldn’t really get his head around it as he commented, “…weird.”
Still, Yan Zhaoge had no intention of interfering in this matter. While he was familiar with Zhao Yuan, no matter what one said, Zhao Hao was also similarly a son of the Eastern Tang monarch.
As for the news which Zhao Hao had concealed, he would naturally not be able to hide it any longer when face-to-face with his own father. Through the King of the Eastern Tang Kingdom, Yan Zhaoge would also be informed.
It was Zhao Hao’s rudeness and arrogance, on the contrary, that gave Yan Zhaoge a weird feeling inside.
Unless the other party was a madman.
If he wasn’t, where did that boldness of his stem from?
Boasting a non-existent power and really having something to back him up-those were two very different things indeed.
Yan Zhaoge pondered within his heart, his expression indifferent as it expressed that he wouldn’t lower himself down to Zhao Hao’s level and bicker with him.
Zhao Hao raised his brows. At Yan Zhaoge’s total disregard of him, other than disdain, some ridicule could now also be seen within his gaze.
Zhao Sheng, however, was slightly disappointed at Yan Zhaoge’s lack of reaction.
However, his attention very quickly fell on Zhao Hao again, as he laughed coldly, “Sixteenth Brother, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit.”
“They didn’t have an exact count,” Feroy replied, “but there should be somewhere around twenty of their family members living there in total. Mostly women, children and the elderly, with a few men who had stayed back to protect them from any wild beasts while the rest of them had come to raid us.” He shrugged, “When I asked them to tell us their location, they balked at that, thinking we wanted to kill their families in revenge, even though I explained that we would be willing to provide them food and shelter in return for anyone who is physically capable doing a suitable job in the village.”
Hudan frowned. “Did they even believe that? I wouldn’t trust any noble making promises to feed my family in return for giving them their location like that.”
Feroy snorted. “Neither would I, but these men know that without any outside help their families would likely die in the future anyway – either by starvation or by wild beasts attacking their encampment – since most of their able-bodied men are either dead or sitting in our jail. For now they haven’t had any chance to talk with the other villagers since they have been kept locked in the jail, but I’m sure they might come around in a couple of days if we allow the recent immigrants to talk to them there.”
Kivamus nodded. “Good idea. Tell the farmers who had come from Kirnos as well as the limestone cutters to meet with these people, but don’t let any of them leave the jail yet. It’s not like we can send out our men to escort their families here anyway, with Torhan’s raid coming soon in the future. If they do give us their encampment’s location, we’ll see what we can do for their families after the raid. Well, you both can return now. Tell the guards who had gone to patrol in the night to take some good rest for today. They deserve it. We have more than enough guards here right now to rotate the watch duties easily to give these men some rest.”
“Of course, I’ll make sure of it,” Hudan replied. “I’m also putting double guards on the watchtowers from today in each shift – one woman guard along with an older village watchman – until we have dealt with Torhan. Last night we were lucky that there was enough moonlight to spot the bandits early, but the moon is in a waning phase right now, and a moonless night will come within a week, so we need all the help we can get to spot any approaching bandits in the nights.”
“That’s good thinking,” Kivamus praised him, when he remembered something and looked at the majordomo. “Has the plowing of the fields been completed by now?”
Duvas nodded. “I met with Pinoto last evening, and he told me that they needed another day to plow the remaining fields. You also haven’t told the loggers to stop cutting trees, so they keep expanding the farm area every day, even if by a small amount, which means more land to plow.
“That’s true but don’t tell them to stop until we complete the sowing to maximise the area we are farming. In any case, I think we can start a trial run of sowing today. Pinoto can leave the remaining plowing to the workers who will know how to finish it by now.”
Kivamus gazed at the sunlight coming through the open window. “I think the time is an hour after noon right now, so let’s tell some servants to take out a couple of the seed drills and a pair of wheat sacks and take them to the south. Pinoto can select the best farmers after their lunch hour, and we can let them give the seed drills a try and explain to them how it works. We might not get much done today, since they will need to learn how to use it properly, but from tomorrow they can start doing it at a full scale.”
Duvas stood up from his chair. “Let me tell them right now so we can leave soon.”
Hudan walked to the outer door as well before looking at Kivamus. “I’ll get the guards ready to escort you. We just can’t take any chances with your safety these days. Who knows if Torhan already has scouts here…”
“Sure,” Kivamus nodded, letting both of them leave. He looked at the ex-mercenary. “You should just go and get some sleep now. I know that you aren’t going to stop scouting the hills at night, so you need to get rest whenever you can.”
Feroy snorted. “Trust me, milord, after living in the forests for more than a decade, my body has adapted to work on very low sleep, so I’ll be fine. Still, since a raid might be coming any day, I’ll take a short nap for now.”
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“Good. We need everyone to be at their best to deal with this.”
After the ex-mercenary exited the hall, Kivamus stood up and stretched his arms above his head. Finally, it was time to surprise the farmers with the advantages of technology. The seed drills were the only reason they could even continue mining coal at the same time with their limited workforce, otherwise they might have had to stop mining completely to finish the sowing in time. But with a dozen seed drills ready now, they only need enough horses and a couple of men with each drill to lift the sacks and load the drills with seeds. Maybe a few more men to load and drive a wagon to transport the wheat sacks from the manor hall to the farms in the south. This meant they only needed less than thirty men in total at this rate, instead of more than a hundred farmers which they might have needed otherwise if they did it manually, like in the rest of Reslinor Kingdom.
He walked outside the manor hall as well, looking at the servants stacking up two seed drills on a wagon, along with some wheat sacks. There were only a pair of horses remaining in the stable today though. They would be enough to pull the single wagon, but he and the others would have to walk to the farms on foot for today.
Before long, the guard captain walked towards him with a dozen armed men in tow, apart from a pair of crossbow-women. All the guards were wearing well-used leather armour over their tunics along with leather boots and gauntlets. Each of the men had their hands ready near their swords, with their shields tied behind their backs, while half of them were also holding a spear in their free hand, in case they had to deal with a wild beast like an adzee.
Both of the women had their crossbows hanging on their waist, with their strings already nocked – although without a bolt for now to prevent any accidents, apart from having a long dagger in their sheaths tied on their other waists. By now, nearly all of these guards had seen some combat or blood shed in front of them – both of enemies and friends – and they all looked ready to fight to the death to protect their village.
“Whoa…” Kivamus raised his eyebrows at the guard captain. “You look like you are going to attack a neighbouring kingdom with them.”
Hudan laughed heartily. “Better safe than sorry, milord. I wanted to take even more of them, and every single guard had already volunteered for this when they found out that I wanted men to escort you – even those who were supposed to be resting in their off duty time – but Feroy said that too many men could also become a problem if we needed to take you away from the farms in a hurry. Although we can still use a horse to bring you to within the village walls quickly in case there is any danger to your life.”
Kivamus grinned. “Well, I don’t think even an adzee will want to come close to us today.”
Soon, Duvas walked towards them, and pointed at a wagon which was being hitched to the horses. “The servants have already loaded the wagon. We are ready to go.”
Kivamus looked up at the gentle sunshine and the mild weather of the early spring. “Looks like a perfect day for a walk. Let’s go.”
*****
Kivamus was standing at the area where the newly created fields started, along with Duvas and Pinoto. Hudan was standing nearby with a few other men, while the rest of the guards had spread around to make a loose protective circle around him. A pair of them had also been given horns and told to walk further away to spot any approaching danger quickly as their scouts.
Once the lunch hour was over, most of the ex-farmers – no, current farmers as of today – who had been resting nearby had left to continue plowing the fields but Kivamus had told the southern foremen Pinoto to hold back a few of them. Then he told them to start unloading the seed drills and the wheat sacks from the wagon, and before long, the first seed drill had been put at the start of the plowed area, and the farmers began to hitch a horse to it as pointed out by Kivamus.
Pinoto looked at the machine dubiously. “Is this iron and wood contraption really going to do the task of dozens of farmers? I know that I was present when you gave it a trial in the manor after these were built, but we just checked if the machine moved properly at that time.”
Kivamus chuckled. “Don’t worry, you will be surprised. I’ve already checked the seeding mechanism along with the carpenter Darora, and it worked fine – at least in the manor.”
Pinoto shook his head in wonder while glancing at the drill, before he looked at the vast amount of plowed land in front of them, at the far end of which some labourers were still plowing the remaining land with the help of horses. It had taken nearly two weeks to plow all that land, which had given enough time to the farmers to do the required irrigating and the initial weeding of the fields.
A small group of people was also visible far ahead of them in the south, being busy in cutting more trees and transporting them away using the log-mover. “This farm is big,” the ex-farmer began, “but I have worked on even bigger farms in the past, so I have a good idea of how many people it takes to work a field this size. You had told me that the village needed 110 hectares of farmland to feed the village for the next year, right?”
Kivamus nodded at Pinoto. “Yeah, but 110 hectares were needed just for the estimated village population of under 350 residents at that time, which was before we had started taking in immigrants or even those stonecutters. For the current population of Tiranat, which is over 400 already, we will need 130 to 140 hectares of farmland. I also plan to keep taking in more immigrants throughout the year, so we are certainly going to fall short of the amount of wheat we’ll need to feed everyone by the time this crop is ready to harvest, but whatever we can grow here is grain that we don’t have to spend gold on buying from Cinran.”
Duvas nodded, “Still, we haven’t stopped clearing the forest even now, and won’t stop it until the sowing is complete. It’s hard to be sure without measuring it, but I think there should be somewhere around 125 to 130 hectares of land cleared as of today. More by the time we complete the sowing.”
“That’s still only one part of what we need,” Kivamus scratched the back of his head. “It doesn’t matter how much cleared land we have if we don’t have seeds to sow there. Ah well, let’s see what can be done about that.”
“Forgive me milord, but how much will that be in terms of acres?” Pinoto asked.
Kivamus did some mental calculations. “Above three hundred acres for sure.”
Pinoto looked at the fields which were ready to sow. “Three hundred, huh?”
“If I was working a field this size in the previous farm where I worked in the past,” the ex-farmer continued, “then even at a rough estimate we would need more than a hundred farmers just to sow the seeds. But you told me that just around two dozen men would be enough, even if they didn’t have any experience in farming?”
Kivamus grinned. “Yup, although we’ll still need the farmers for weeding, irrigating the plants and such things. This machine can’t do any of that. It will be you and the other farmers who’ll have to check how the plants are growing and put in more water or fertiliser… uh, manure as needed. That’s why I told you to only bring experienced farmers to learn how to use this machine.”
Pinoto nodded. “I’m just glad I already have a few dozen people here who have already done farming near Kirnos. It’d have been too difficult for me to manage everything by myself.”
Kivamus nodded. “All those farmers are yours to use wherever needed.” He looked at the farmers nearby who had finished hitching the new machine to a horse they’d brought with them. “Now let’s give this seed drill a try. You and the other farmers helping here can learn everything about how it works today, so from tomorrow morning you should bring all the dozen seed drills here to start sowing at a larger scale.”
Pinoto nodded, and called up one of the farmers. “Bring a sack of wheat and unload it into that… uh…” He glanced at Kivamus. “hopper, right?”
Kivamus nodded and pointed at the hopper. “Yup. Put the seeds in there.”
The farmers immediately began doing as ordered, and before long, with the horse already hitched to the machine, they were ready to go.
“That’s good,” Kivamus said while pointing at a part of the machine. “Now pull that lever to allow the seeds to start dropping from the hopper, then start walking the horse forward.”
The farmers did as ordered, and soon the seeding was underway. Looking carefully, it was easy to see that the level of stored seeds in the hopper had started to go down very slowly. The field had already been plowed recently, so the ground was soft enough for the four sharpened iron-made ground openers in the front of the machine to open four narrow furrows, into which four primitive wooden tubes going downwards from the hopper were putting down seeds in a periodic way, before a loose plank tied behind the machine with ropes was flattening the ground once again which covered the seeds.
Once the drill had moved a dozen meters or so away, Pinoto looked dubiously at Kivamus. “Is it really working?”
Kivamus grinned. “Why don’t you check it?”
“I better…” Pinoto muttered as he walked towards the start of the field, and used a small trowel to dig at a place where the machine had already passed. He removed the soil from that newly dug hole and peered carefully into it for a while in the afternoon sunlight, while moving his hand around in it. Before long, he seemed to have found what he was looking for, and kept staring at his palm for a while. Eventually, he shook his head and moving a short distance away, he repeated the process and once again he paused to look into the ground for some time. He did it a few more times, before telling another farmer to flatten the ground once again, and walked back to Kivamus and the others.
Duvas was still staring at the drill being pulled by the horse which only needed a single farmer to keep an eye on it, although right now the other farmers had gathered around the machine in curiosity and were moving along with it at the same speed.
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Pinoto looked at the seed drill which had moved further away by now, while shaking his head in awe. “This… this is insane! It is even sowing the seeds at the same distance again and again, which would be impossible if broadcasting the seeds by hand! If I still tried to do it by myself, it would have taken me half an hour to do what this machine has done in… in moments! Not to mention all the waste of seeds it is preventing! We usually have to weed out any plants if they have grown too close together, but it just won’t happen anymore!”
Kivamus nodded with a grin, “That is just a small example of the kind of wonders which better technology can provide. So what do you think about it? You are the farmer here. The drill is working well enough but is it sowing the seeds properly?”
Pinoto glanced back at the ground where he had just checked it. “The depth at which the machine is putting seeds in, is decent enough. Although I think the seeds are being put a little too far apart. This is the first time any farming is being done on this land, so we can grow more plants per acre here then we could have on a regularly sown field. I just wish we could have tested this earlier, since you don’t have time to make new machines to change it now.”
Kivamus grinned. “We don’t need to build it again at all. I’ll show you all the parts and levers when the farmers come back with the drill, but a machine doesn’t mean something which is forever fixed in its working. I designed it in a way so we can modify whatever we need to. If you want, you can easily change the depth at which the drill is putting seeds in, for example when you are sowing something other than wheat, and you can just as easily change the distance between the seeds by just moving another lever a little bit.”
“You don’t have to build a new machine for that?” Pinoto asked in awe. “That’s… I didn’t expect that! If it can really do that, then I want to change it to sow the seeds a little deeper too.”
“Of course, once those farmers return I will tell you how to do everything yourself.”
One of the villagers who had helped in loading the seeds into the hopper and had been listening from nearby, hesitantly walked closer. ?Milord, this… this drill wouldn’t attack us or something, right?”
Kivamus was way too surprised after hearing it to give a proper reply. “Uh, what…?”
The labourer looked uneasily at the machine which was now coming closer to them, while sowing seeds in four rows parallel to the first four ones which were already sown. “I mean… that is a big… machine and it looks powerful. It also has sharp iron points and such. What if it suddenly decided that it didn’t want to be tamed anymore and turned on us? And attacked us like an adzee? None of us would survive then!”
Duvas was now frowning at the drill, while Pinoto took a step away from the machine, which had been stopped nearby by the farmers.
“Now that I think about it…” Pinoto muttered, “I am not sure either if these machines are safe enough…”
It was only now that Kivamus understood that for these medieval people who had never seen any real machines in their lives or even heard about it, some weird new contraption which could easily do the work of a man might seem like something which also had a mind and a life of its own. Of course, living in the 21st century on earth, he had heard more than enough stories and seen enough movies of machines turning on humans and taking over the world or something, but he hadn’t expected to see a similar reaction here, even though it made sense from the labourers’ perspective.
Not wanting to laugh at them, since their ignorance was not their fault in any way, he took a moment to compose himself before explaining, “There is nothing like that. This seed drill – or any other machine which is built in Tiranat – is not dangerous by itself. Just like a knife or a sword can’t kill a bandit by themselves. So this seed drill will do exactly what you make it do, and nothing more.” He shrugged. “Of course, just like falling on your own knife would kill you just as easily as a bandit stabbing you with it, so you do have to make sure you don’t stand in the path of this seed drill when it is being pulled by a horse to prevent any injuries.”
Pinoto and the other labourers listened carefully as he continued, “Even so, this machine does not hold a mind of its own, and it simply cannot even move a single step without a horse pulling it. You saw how we had to carry it on a wagon earlier, right? It didn’t walk here on its own.”
Once others nodded, he added, “You all know the carpenter Darora, don’t you? He and his apprentices built this seed drill by their own hands with the help of the parts which the blacksmith Cedoron provided. If we remove the nails holding this machine together, it will become nothing more than a bunch of wooden sticks and some iron. That is all it is. So don’t worry, it is never going to attack you.”
The labourers looked doubtfully at the machine before they nodded, while some of them started whispering to each other, but now with smiles on their faces.
Pinoto stared at the seed drill for a moment. “I believe you, milord. As little as it makes sense for something like this to be created by human hands, I don’t think anything built by you can ever harm the villagers.”
The other men and women listening from nearby nodded at that, while some of them spoke openly in support.
“Yes! Lord Kivamus made it. It’ll never hurt us!”
“That’s true!”
Kivamus smiled at them, pleased that they didn’t think the machine was a demon from the hell coming to kill them anymore. He looked at Pinoto and the other farmers. “Well, let me show you all how to adjust the drill to make it sow the seeds at different distances and depths. Other farmers are plowing the fields right now, but you all can explain it to them tomorrow so we can start sowing at full scale.”
With that he walked towards the seed drill to describe its primitive but effective controls to the farmers. It was time to show them the marvels of technology.