118: Chapter 118 Rumors Spread

Tie Shan paused for two seconds, then slapped his thigh hard: "Brilliant! Isn't this just connecting the latrine and the stove together!"

"The meaning... is correct." Wan'er appeared somewhat embarrassed.

Talking about eating and excreting together was not very elegant.

But the young Summoner had already turned around and pressed against the tree trunk, unable to wait.

The communication this time was quick; when he opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth were upturned: "Little Jianmu says it's possible. It can isolate a sealed space near the root system to serve as a biogas digester, connected to the treehouse via thin branch pipes. The pipe openings can grow structures similar to valves, which can be twisted open to vent gas and twisted shut to seal it."

Cheers erupted.

The fire problem was solved, and along with it, the excretion problem that had plagued everyone also found a solution—no need to dig dry latrines anymore; they could be poured directly into Little Jianmu's biogas digester, serving as both fuel and fertilizer.

"Wait, wait."

Tie Shan suddenly quieted down.

He squatted at the base of the giant tree, his rough fingers touching the root system bulging from the soil, his eyes becoming exceptionally focused.

Everyone who knew him knew that when Tie Shan wore this expression, he was thinking about engineering matters.

"Pipes... pipes..." he muttered, then suddenly stood up abruptly and grabbed the young Summoner's arm, "Kid, you just said Little Jianmu can grow pipes inside to transport water and gas, right?"

"Right."

"Then what about its root system?" Tie Shan's speech speed became faster and faster, "Are the roots of these trees connected underground? If pipes can also grow between the root systems, then clean water and sewage can circulate between different treehouses via an underground pipe network—clean water comes from the reservoir direction, sewage flows from each household to the biogas digester..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the young Summoner had already understood.

Communicate again.

This time when the young Summoner opened his eyes, his voice was trembling: "Minister Tie, Little Jianmu says... their root systems are interconnected in the first place. Information perceived by one tree can be received by all trees. If needed, building a water transport pipe network between the root systems is not difficult for them."

Tie Shan stood frozen, his lips trembling several times, but what came out was a sentence no one expected:

"Then, as the Minister of the Tiangong Department, should I change my profession to planting trees?"

Roars of laughter.

The laughter traveled from the fields to the distance, then back again, echoing among the crowns of the giant trees.

Zhou Yun stood on the periphery of the crowd the entire time without interjecting.

He watched the city residents going in and out, inspecting their new treehouses, watched the Summoners running around busily, sweating profusely yet smiling from ear to ear, and watched Tie Shan pulling the young Summoner to squat on the ground, drawing sketches of the underground pipe network with tree branches.

The sunset shone obliquely through the gaps in the tree canopy, casting patches of light and shadow on his face.

He reached into his pocket, his fingertips rubbing the old copper key with the faded red string, and smiled silently.

...

Qing City. City Lord's study.

Wang Shuai sat behind the desk, a cup of still-steaming tea placed beside his hand.

He wore a dark robe with an exquisite cut, and the jade pendant at his waist was of excellent quality, making his whole person look imposing and noble.

Calming incense was lit in the study, smoke curling upwards, and everything seemed leisurely.

Old Dao knelt on one knee three steps away, head lowered.

"Get up and speak." Wang Shuai raised his hand, his tone gentle, "It's not an interrogation."

Old Dao stood up and stood with his hands down.

"Recently, there have been some rumors in the city about Flower City," Wang Shuai picked up the teacup and blew on it gently, his gaze not looking at Old Dao, as if chatting about a trivial matter, "Have you noticed?"

Old Dao was silent for a moment, not avoiding: "This subordinate knows."

"Oh?" Wang Shuai took a sip of tea, "What do you think?"

"It is this subordinate's lack of strict discipline," Old Dao's voice sank, and he dropped to one knee again, "The loose lips led to rumors spreading everywhere. Please punish me, City Lord."

Wang Shuai put down the teacup, stood up, walked around the desk to Old Dao.

He did not let Old Dao get up, but looked down at him for a moment, then bent over and personally helped Old Dao up from the ground.

"I know your character." Wang Shuai patted Old Dao's shoulder, the force neither light nor heavy, "Although you failed to complete the task I entrusted to you, I believe you must have had your reasons. The day you returned, I didn't ask much; that was the reason."

Old Dao's Adam's apple bobbed: "Thank you for your trust, City Lord."

"But since the rumors have spread, there must be a source." Wang Shuai let go and took a step back, his tone still calm, "I want to know what you actually saw during those two days in Flower City."

He paused, as if weighing his words.

"Or rather... did anyone in Flower City come into contact with you? After your people returned, was there anything different about them?"

Old Dao's spine tightened.

Wang Shuai saw it in his eyes, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and he continued: "You know, I have always been magnanimous. But magnanimity... does not mean there is no bottom line."

"Absolutely not!" Old Dao suddenly raised his head, his voice rising sharply, "My people are all loyal and devoted, without divided loyalties! This subordinate is willing to stake his life as a guarantee—"

"You didn't answer my question."

Wang Shuai interrupted him, his tone unchanged, but his eyes turned cold.

"I asked what you saw in Flower City."

The study was quiet for a few breaths. Old Dao lowered his head, his lips moved, but no sound came out.

It wasn't that he didn't dare to say it; it was that he didn't know how to say it.

Everything in Flower City was too absurd.

Eating spirit rice as a meal, Gold Rank Demonic Beast meat distributed by weight, moving stones could increase cultivation, no execution line, and Cultivation Technique free for the whole city.

Any one of these things alone sounded like making up stories, let alone the fact that they were all true.

If he said it, could this young man opposite him bear it?

Wang Shuai watched Old Dao's silence, his fingers clenched into fists by his side, then slowly relaxed.

He knew very well that Old Dao was the strongest and most prestigious among the Professionals in Qing City, and he couldn't use force.

"If you are unwilling to speak, I will not force you." Wang Shuai turned around, walked back to sit behind the desk, and picked up the teacup again, "How about this, I ask, you answer."

Old Dao pursed his lips tightly.

"How many Professionals are in Flower City? You should have been able to figure this out."

Silence.

Old Dao's Adam's apple bobbed again.

"Si... sixty thousand."

Wang Shuai's hand holding the teacup paused.

"Are you sure?"

Old Dao took a deep breath, as if having made some kind of decision: "Sure. Only more, not less."

Wang Shuai's expression didn't change much, just the action of putting down the teacup was a bit slower than before.

"What strength?"

"Almost all are Black Iron Rank." Old Dao answered quickly, as if eager to give a less terrifying answer, "There are Silver Rank, but very few."

Wang Shuai nodded slightly, his shoulders seeming to relax a bit.

Black Iron Rank, that's all; quantity does not mean high quality, Qing City's elite could completely—

"What about grain reserves?"

Old Dao lowered his head, not looking into Wang Shuai's eyes.

"Extremely large."

"How much is 'extremely large'?"

...