Chapter 101: Deep Water Produces Big Fish

He Chunhua nodded. "Old Mo is taking care of it." The village had just harvested its wheat, piling it into small mounds behind the village. It seemed they wouldn't be short on food for a while, so providing some hot food for them wouldn't be a problem.

Madam Ying looked at the flatbread on the table. Although freshly baked and still retaining a hint of wheat aroma, the bread was too thick, slightly burnt at the edges, and pale in the center. Clearly, the hostess hadn't put much effort into making it.

Moreover, the bread had nothing added – no sesame, no scallions, not even oil.

It seemed the uninvited guests were not welcome.

Madam Ying smiled and said to the host, "You haven't had dinner yet, have you? We won't use your family's food provisions; just some hot water would be fine."

The man stood up and went to the back kitchen. "I'll get the water."

The water in the kettle was hot, and the man was about to pour it into cups, but Old Mo, the butler, stopped him. "Pour it out and reboil it, and wash the kettle thoroughly." With that, he took out a small string of copper coins. "We'll also borrow your kitchen."

The man paused, then complied. After all, a normal villager wouldn't refuse money.

Old Mo immediately followed, scooping water from his vat, filling the kettle, and placing it over the fire, monitoring the entire process without blinking.

Mother Qian, who was also with the entourage, came in carrying a bag. "I asked the hostess, and she gave us some fruits and vegetables."

She was an older maid brought by Madam Ying from her maiden home, responsible for managing the daily life of the He family. Although her title suggested she was old, she was actually only in her early forties.

She used the man's kitchen to wash rice and cook, seemingly preparing several dishes, a pot of hot soup, and even sweet fermented rice dumplings!

The rice, oil, dried fruits, and dried meat were all brought from Blackwater City. The fermented rice was bought from a large restaurant in the last city they visited, said to be very famous locally. As it cooked, the entire room filled with the sweet aroma of rice wine.

The man watched, dumbfounded. "My goodness, do officials eat and drink so elaborately?" (Thinking: *Damn officials!*)

"Of course!" Mother Qian simply replied.

The man waited for more, but receiving no further information, he finally asked, "So, where are you going?"

Mother Qian opened her mouth to speak, but Old Mo gently nudged her with his elbow, and she closed her mouth.

Unable to intervene, the man returned to the main room, preoccupied, and was startled to find no guests there. "Where are they?"

The woman stammered, "They... they wanted to go out for a walk."

The village houses were too small, and all four members of the He family were adults. One house couldn't accommodate them all, so the He brothers were assigned to another farmhouse.

After dinner, He Yue strolled to the lakeside and stretched. "We've never had such a vast expanse of water where we come from. It's truly refreshing."

After being cramped in the narrow carriage for most of the day, standing by the vast, boundless lake made one's spirit feel expansive.

He Lingchuan picked up a stone from the ground and skipped it across the lake surface.

The stone bounced once, twice, three times...

He Yue also felt playful, grabbed a stone, and blew on it.

He Lingchuan laughed at him. "You can't do it! This little bookworm has never played any outdoor games."

He Yue glanced at him, then flicked his wrist and threw the stone.

The stone skimmed close to the water, bouncing four times.

He Lingchuan's smile faltered slightly. "You got lucky."

"That's not luck," He Yue said, picking up another stone, weighing it in his hand, and throwing it.

This time, it actually skipped six times.

Not only was He Yue surprised, but He Lingchuan was also dumbfounded. "When did you secretly practice that?"

"A trivial trick, does it even need practice?" He Yue's smile held a hint of smugness. "Just pick some flat stones and skim them close to the water."

He Lingchuan shrugged. "You're right. It's no fun. I'm not playing anymore."

His older brother always got annoyed when he lost. Just as He Yue was about to retort, the lake water suddenly rippled with a splashing sound, creating a wave of ripples.

There was most likely a large fish underneath.

Both brothers were startled, then exchanged smiles.

He Lingchuan suddenly threw two stones towards the bushes on the bank.

Two cries of "Ouch!" were heard, and then two or three people emerged from behind the bushes.

He Yue's smile faded. "What are you doing?"

"Relieving ourselves," one of the three men, who were dressed as villagers, said, pulling up his trousers. "What are *you* doing here?"

He Lingchuan looked at them and said, "I thought you were hiding here, listening to us talk."

"What's so interesting about your talk?" The men scoffed a few times and strolled past the He brothers.

The village chief agreed to Butler Old Mo's request for the village women to prepare hot food for the army. Of course, the village wouldn't normally have provisions for three to four hundred people, so the He family's guards volunteered to move wheat from the warehouse and mill it into flour.

Therefore, there were many people by the lake at this time.

He Lingchuan watched their retreating figures and slowly said, "Those fellows have shifty eyes; they look like they're up to no good."

He Yue laughed. "They're just villagers, brother. You think no one is a good person."

"Who the hell pees in the lake where we're drawing water for cooking?" He Lingchuan sneered. "These people look like they came around the lake from downstream. Why would they choose to enter Immortal Spirit Village in the middle of the night?"

"Maybe they're just returning late," He Yue said, frowning at the lake water. "Now that you mention it, I don't want to drink this water either."

At that moment, He Chunhua and his wife strolled over from the opposite side, with several guards following close behind.

His father was indeed cautious in a foreign land, never forgetting to protect himself. He Lingchuan went to greet them. "Father, do you two have such leisure?"

"Dinner isn't ready yet, so we came out for some fresh air." With no villagers nearby, Madam Ying could finally speak freely. "The house smells quite strong; the bedding probably hasn't been washed or aired out in days."

"Dinner?" He Yue subconsciously looked at the lake. Was the food made with water from *this* lake? He didn't want to eat.

Under the bright moonlight, something dark seemed to surface on the lake.

Before he could get a closer look, the object submerged again.

Madam Ying also saw it and asked, surprised, "What was that?"

"Large fish come from deep water," He Chunhua said with a laugh. "Immortal Spirit Lake has existed for so long, it's not surprising for large spiritual creatures to live in it."

He looked at his two sons. "Do you know that Emperor Yuan Gaozu, our founding ancestor, raised his army right here by Immortal Spirit Lake, and step by step, established his achievements, which led to the vast territory of the Yuan Kingdom today?"

Of his two sons, one nodded, saying he knew, while the other exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, is it right here?"

"It was by the lake, but not *here*," someone nearby chimed in. The He family turned to see it was Lu Han, the village chief's nephew.

The muscular man was very enthusiastic. "If the esteemed officials are interested, I can lead the way. The scenery there is uniquely beautiful, with a 'Double Moon' phenomenon, and scholars often visit."

"Double Moon?" Madam Ying showed some interest. He Chunhua looked around. "Where's the village chief?"

"He caught a cold and isn't feeling well. He instructed me to properly host all of you," the burly man replied, gesturing behind him. "This way."

"No, thank you. The dinner inside will be ready soon, and it's getting late. We can visit tomorrow morning just as well," He Chunhua said, shaking his head. "I find that Mr. Lu speaks articulately; he doesn't seem like a villager."