In the blink of an eye, two winters of biting cold had passed.  

It is said that auspicious snow foretells a bountiful year, but this year’s snowfall was absurdly heavy.  

The north wind carried down huge flakes like goose feathers, blanketing the world far and wide. In just a few days, the entire Yunshui County was wrapped in a thick silver coat.  

The land was shrouded in white; the boundaries of houses, fields, and hills blurred into indistinction.  

Ordinary households had long since sealed their doors and windows, using every means to fend off the bone-chilling cold. Yet, even so, countless people in the wild countryside trembled miserably in the storm, struggling in the bitter cold.  

Unlike the bleak wind and snow outside, inside the Li Family Mansion in Peach Blossom Village, it was as warm as spring.  

After years of growth, the Li Family was no longer what it once was.  

The escort agency and martial arts school managed by Li Pingfu had nearly spread across every town and village in Yunshui County. Both lawful and illicit parties showed them respect.  

Li Ping’an moved cautiously and steadily through officialdom, his reputation growing by the day.  

The Li Family’s unique “Pan Tao Preserved Peach” was even sold far beyond the prefectural seat, becoming a favored delicacy among high officials and nobles.  

Most noteworthy was Li Pingcan’s accidental discovery of a grafting method for peach trees. Seedlings cultivated by this method not only had extremely high survival rates but also bore peaches far sweeter and juicier than ordinary ones. The Mu Family quickly took over production and presented them as tribute to the imperial palace.  

From a small rural landlord who fled famine, the family had now settled peacefully and prospered with thriving descendants.  

In the main hall of the mansion, fine silver-threaded charcoal burned warmly, filling the room with comforting heat.  

Madam Qin sat quietly in the seat of honor, listening to reports. Though nearing fifty, time seemed exceptionally kind to her.  

Years of practicing the Breath of the Tree cultivation technique, nourished by the Spirit Gathering Formation and the Mulberry Spirit Tree on the estate, kept her complexion smooth and flawless, giving her the appearance of a gentle woman in her early thirties. Standing beside her daughter-in-law Jiang Ling’er, they looked more like sisters.  

Years of privileged living had refined her with a composure rare among ordinary matriarchs—calm and gentle, yet naturally commanding.  

Qian Decai, the steward who came to report, was recently promoted and known for being shrewd and perceptive.  

He bowed deeply, forcing a sorrowful expression onto his face and choking back his voice as if he had witnessed a human tragedy firsthand.  

“Madam, you haven’t seen it for yourself. The disaster victims outside the city are freezing to the point their lips turn purple, huddled in broken temples, unable even to drink a bowl of warm porridge… Seeing them makes me heartbroken, it’s just too tragic!”  

As he spoke, he wiped the dryness from his eyes vigorously with his sleeve.  

Hearing this, Madam Qin felt a tightening in her chest as images of their own family’s past hardships during famine flashed vividly before her.  

She sighed deeply and said, “The rich can feast for an evening, while the poor struggle to survive for half a year. Back then, we suffered step by step just as they do now. We know the taste of hunger and cold. This heavy snow is a blessing for us but an insurmountable hurdle for the poor… such cruelty.”  

She decisively ordered, “Open the granaries. Set up tents in the county to serve porridge; save as many as possible. Also, send another batch of cotton clothes and bedding.”  

After a pause, she added, “And send someone to check on the village chief’s family. The elder is very old; don’t let him freeze. Also, deliver some rice, flour, and meat to Zhou Enxian, Master Zhou’s family—they practice martial arts and consume a lot. The Li Family’s prosperity today is thanks to the villagers’ help back then. One must never forget their roots.”  

“Madam, your kindness is like a living Bodhisattva descending to earth!”  

Upon hearing this, Qian Decai immediately praised her loudly, his face lighting up with joy and his heart filled with wild delight.  

“Heh, Madam isn’t kind-hearted for nothing. That would be foolish! This is a golden opportunity for personal gain! You just report a hundred shi of grain, but only use eighty shi mixed with inferior rice to make porridge. The leftover ten shi can be sold for some extra silver! As for the village chief and Master Zhou, a few scraps slipped through the cracks will be enough to keep them quiet! Then, I can buy a big estate and take two concubines—what a life! I was just happily calculating when…”  

At that moment, a chubby figure with chubby short legs staggered over to the Li Family, tugging hard at Madam Qin’s sleeve.  

It was none other than Li Pingcan and Xie Yuan’s son, now already eight years old, Li Pingcan.  

The boy was different from ordinary children. Whether crying or throwing a tantrum, his deep, dark eyes always carried a thoughtful expression beyond his years.  

He often dreamed of a soft green space and a beautiful white jade lotus flower. Countless wondrous points of light would merge into his mind, teaching him to discern right from wrong and see through human hearts.  

Though he did not understand what it was, he instinctively knew it was his greatest secret, one he must never reveal to strangers.  

“Grandma.” Li Mengze raised his small face and spoke in a childish voice.  

“My dear grandson.” Madam Qin lovingly lifted him into her arms.  

Li Mengze leaned close to Madam Qin’s ear, stretched out his chubby little finger, and quietly pointed at Qian Decai, who was bowing and retreating. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he succinctly uttered one word: “Bad.”  

Madam Qin’s smile stiffened slightly. She lowered her gaze to the pure clarity of her grandson’s eyes and felt a sudden pang. She knew her grandson well. Though young, Mengze had never told a lie.  

She subtly signaled to a trusted housekeeper nearby, who understood immediately and quietly slipped out.  

As expected, half an hour later, the housekeeper returned with news: Qian Decai had not gone to the granary but was secretly contacting grain merchants in town, speaking full of words like “passing off substandard goods” and “switching goods.”  

Madam Qin trembled with fury, slamming her palm on the table: “What a traitor who eats from the inside! How dare he set his sights on the disaster relief grain!”  

This scene was just witnessed by the brothers Li Yuanhu and Li Yuanxi who had come to pay respects.  

Li Yuanhu, now ten years old, had made some progress practicing the Five Elements Body Conditioning Technique. His strength far surpassed that of an adult. Growing up hearing stories of his father punishing villains and eliminating evil, he was filled with admiration for heroes and a burning sense of justice.  

Hearing this, he instantly erupted in rage, clenching his little fists with a loud crackling sound. “Grandma, don’t be angry! For such a traitor, I’ll catch him and hand him over to Dad for punishment!”  

Without waiting for Madam Qin’s response, he turned and charged out like a little tiger.  

“Brother, wait for me!”  

Li Yuanxi hurriedly followed. Though not as strong as his brother, he had sharp senses and far above-average spiritual power since childhood, often noticing details others missed.  

At this moment, Qian Decai was humming a tune in his courtyard, directing servants to load sacks of inferior old rice onto a cart, preparing to swap it with the good rice meant for disaster relief.  

“Everyone move faster! Once this deal is done, rewards await!” He was smug, as if the gleaming silver coins were already calling to him.  

Suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps outside the gate, followed by a loud bang as someone kicked the door open from outside!  

Startled, Qian Decai turned to see a sturdy child standing at the gate, glaring fiercely. Who else but the Li Family’s eldest young master, Li Yuanhu?  

Just as he was about to smile and greet him, asking why he was angry to get familiar,  

“Qian Decai! You brazen scoundrel, how dare you embezzle disaster relief grain!” Li Yuanhu’s voice boomed like thunder as he pointed and scolded harshly.  

Qian Decai’s heart skipped, but his face remained calm. He immediately put on an aggrieved and indignant look as if falsely accused.  

He straightened up and scolded Li Yuanhu: “Young Master Yuanhu, how could you say such things! I am loyal to the Li Family and follow Madam’s orders as if they were sacred. How could I do such an evil deed? Don’t listen to slander from villains and wrong an innocent man!”  

Seeing Li Yuanhu was just a child, he tried to bluff his way through by relying on his steward position: “You’re too young to understand. There is good rice and old rice. Mixing them in porridge prevents the victims from eating too finely and getting sick. This is for their own good and to save money for the family. Madam would praise me for being thrifty!”  

“You’re lying!” Li Yuanhu’s little face flushed with anger, but for a moment he couldn’t counter the twisted logic.  

At this moment, Li Yuanxi, who had been quietly following behind, tugged his brother’s sleeve lightly. His clear voice rang out, each word like a needle piercing Qian Decai’s heart.  

“Steward Qian, you speak so well. But the rice in our granary smells of peachwood, so why does the rice on your cart smell musty and dusty?”  

He wrinkled his small nose and pointed at a corner of a paper lifted by the wind on the stone table inside the yard. “Also, if this porridge is for the disaster victims, why is there a contract with ‘Sihai Grain Company’ on the table? It clearly states to sell seventy shi of ‘top-quality new rice’.”  

Caught red-handed!  

Cold sweat soaked Qian Decai’s back instantly, his mind buzzing blank.  

Impossible! How could a child of four or five be so meticulous and expose everything with one sentence?  

“Who snitched!”  

He had no time to think further. His survival instinct kicked in, and he made the most direct response—escape!  

He shoved a nearby servant aside and scrambled toward the backyard, where a low wall led to a quiet path he had prepared as an escape route.  

Unbeknownst to him, every move was clearly seen by Li Yuanxi.  

“Brother! He’s trying to run through the back wall!” Li Yuanxi’s clear voice rang out.  

“Trying to run? No way!”  

Li Yuanhu shouted, activating his ape-like agility. He leapt onto the wall and with a few bounds landed firmly in front of Qian Decai like a descending god, blocking his escape.  

Qian Decai stared in horror at the child who was a head shorter than him.  

He couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong.  

Why did this Li Family young master track him down so precisely like a phantom?  

He had no idea that what truly brought him down was not a cunning plan, but a three-year-old child’s innocent “bad” word.  

“Surrender!”  

Li Yuanhu was too lazy to argue. He assumed a tiger-style fist stance, radiating a fierce aura far beyond his age.  

Qian Decai’s legs gave way, and with a thud he collapsed onto the cold snow.  

......  

Li Ping’an and Li Pingfu walked side by side out of the county office. The winter wind blew on their faces, but it was nothing compared to the chill in their hearts.  

In the back hall of the county office, Magistrate Liang was describing to the two brothers in a nearly “grieving” tone a bleak picture of “hard lives for the people, an empty county treasury, and the official’s endless worry despite powerless efforts.”  

“Alas, this heavy snowfall pains me to see and hurts me to feel!”  

Holding a teacup, Magistrate Liang sighed deeply, furrowing his brows into a “worried” expression as if all the people’s suffering weighed solely on his shoulders.  

“You Li Family are noble! Taking the initiative to open granaries and provide disaster relief truly sets the standard for Yunshui County’s merchants. I am deeply gratified!”  

His tone shifted to one of “I am also in a difficult position.” “However… this is but a drop in the bucket. The victims still need feeding; the snow disaster shows no sign of ending. Yet the county’s accounts have not a single cent left. As your magistrate, I cannot rest or eat well, ashamed before the emperor and the people!”  

Li Ping’an bowed. “Sir, you serve the nation and people. We are grateful. Do you have any wise plans?”  

“No wise plans, just a desperate measure.”  

Magistrate Liang set down his teacup heavily, his gaze sweeping over the brothers with a hint of authority. “In recent years, many new rich farmers and small landlords have emerged in the city. Thanks to my capable governance, they have made some money. When the country is in crisis, everyone bears responsibility. They too should contribute to Yunshui County and its starving citizens.”  

He said lightly, “From today on, impose an emergency snow disaster tax on all city farmers owning over thirty acres. The rate… shall be thirty percent. This matter will be handled by you two.”  

Li Pingfu’s expression darkened as he was about to speak, but Li Ping’an stopped him with a glance.  

Li Ping’an clearly understood the hidden meaning behind Magistrate Liang’s words.  

This was no relief measure. It was a pretext to shake down the wealthy, fill the official’s coffers, and suppress the rising influence of the Li Family.  

Most of those so-called new rich farmers and small landlords had prospered through the Li Family’s martial arts school and escort agency or by adopting new agricultural techniques spread by the Li Family. This blow, though seemingly aimed at them, cut right at the Li Family’s foundation.  

It was an open conspiracy.  

“Sir,” Li Ping’an spoke with difficulty, trying to reason, “Isn’t this a bit too hasty? During this snow disaster, the people are already suffering. Increasing taxes will likely incite resentment.”  

“Resentment?” Magistrate Liang sneered, a flash of paranoid agitation in his eyes. “What? Clerk Li, do you think my decision is wrong, or do you believe that your Li Family’s reputation in Yunshui County has grown strong enough to sway public opinion?”  

An oppressive stormy tension instantly filled the back hall.  

Li Pingfu’s fists clenched white.  

“Big brother!” Li Ping’an whispered sharply, shaking his head at Li Pingfu.  

He took a deep breath, bowed again, and lowered his head even more. “Sir, please calm your anger. It was my fault. I… obey your order.”  

“That’s better.”  

Magistrate Liang nodded with satisfaction and waved his hand. “Go. Remember, I want results. If you fail, you know the consequences.”  

After exiting the back hall, the brothers exchanged no words, but each bore a heavy stone on their hearts.  

“Outrageous bullying!” Li Pingfu finally spat through clenched teeth after a long walk.  

“He’s just testing our limits.”  

Li Ping’an’s eyes darkened. “Though we keep a low profile, we have developed too fast these years, making him feel threatened. And for some reason, lately he’s been paranoid, often scolding the County Captain and Deputy. Could he have gone mad from cultivation?”  

They walked through the wind and snow, their silhouettes heavy with burden.  

Compromise could only buy temporary peace. Magistrate Liang’s suspicion and greed were like a sword hanging overhead, ready to fall at any moment.  

..........  

Spirit Mountain Cave Residence.  

Li Pingcan looked at the panel.  

[You have successfully cultivated 40,000 seedlings. Druid level has increased to LV9!]  

[You have acquired a new skill: Plant Growth.]  

Seeing this long-awaited upgrade notification, Li Pingcan finally relaxed a little. Three years—three whole years—of planting these 40,000 trees had been squeezed out of a busy schedule. It was no easy feat!  

Luckily, the reward was worthwhile.  

He turned his gaze to the new skill, his favorite Druid ability!  

[Plant Growth: You can infuse pure natural energy into a plant, greatly accelerating its growth in a short time. There is also a chance to awaken its latent superior traits or even induce mutation, transforming it into a spiritual plant.]  

“Directed acceleration with possible spiritual plant mutation?” Li Pingcan’s eyes lit up instantly.  

Ordinary spiritual plant cultivators required ten or even several decades of painstaking effort and careful nurturing, depending on favorable time and place.  

He, however, with enough mana, could theoretically mass-produce spiritual plants in a production-line fashion!  

A thought surged up from his heart.  

“This seed, like a white coal ball!”  

He focused his mind and went to the Mulberry Spirit Tree, holding a mysterious black seed bought on the black market.  

For three years, no matter how he blessed it with Divine Blessing of Nature or nurtured it with the Spirit Tree’s life energy, this thing was like a stone in a dung heap—stubbornly foul, never sprouting even a single bud.  

Li Pingcan had once thought he sensed wrong and bought junk. But today, he decided to give it one last chance.  

He crouched down, extended his finger, and lightly touched the soil where the seed lay, unleashing all his natural mana without reservation.  

“Plant Growth!”  

A dense, almost tangible emerald-green light surged from his fingertip, like a spring of life, instantly enveloping the soil.  

This time, there was finally a reaction!  

The black seed trembled violently upon contact with the pure life energy, as if a soul that had slumbered for a thousand years was suddenly awakened.