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墨書 Inktalez
By the waterwheel, every rotating wheel always had someone strenuously pedaling. Just as one weary individual finished their turn, another would immediately step in to continue, hardly allowing the waterwheel a moment's rest. Each time the pedals moved, water was scooped up from the Hutuo River, rushing into the main ditch and eventually flowing through the smaller channels, nourishing every inch of land.
Zhu Ji cleared his throat a few times to draw attention, then spoke loudly: "Everyone follow me; I’m going to ask the Zhao Family for clarification." As soon as his words left his mouth, the crowd nodded in agreement and closely followed him toward the waterwheel.
However, before they could reach it, two members of the Zhao Family had already blocked their path. "Where do you come from?" one of the Zhao Family members inquired.
Zhu Ji stepped forward a few paces, revealing a gentle smile as he replied, "Where do we come from? I am the Chu Clan Leader of Xinghua Village. This is my friend, Xiahou Family Head Xiahou Xing, and behind us are the Qing Ren of Xinghua Village’s Chu Family and Xiahou Family."
Upon hearing "Xinghua Village," the two guards furrowed their brows, clearly having heard of it before. However, considering that the two villages were at least ten miles apart, their personal visit must have a significant reason behind it.
This time, Xinghua Village had dispatched around six young men, nearly all of their able-bodied youth. Each one wore a serious expression and appeared exceptionally formidable, with weapons in hand. Such an intimidating display made it hard not to be on guard.
Realizing that the visitors might not have good intentions, the two exchanged glances to signal each other. One Zhao Family villager understood his companion's meaning and quickly bowed to retreat, heading back into the village to report. His intention was not to flee but to promptly inform the clan leader about this situation since it clearly required his personal handling.
The remaining guard took a deep breath, maintaining his composure as he firmly stood in front of these visitors from Xinghua Village. His only task was to delay until the clan leader and other family members arrived. As for his own safety, that concern had long been cast aside; even if he were injured or lost limbs, as long as he could return alive and request some milk from Clan Leader Zhao Li for treatment, he could recover swiftly.
"Ah, it is indeed the renowned Zhu and Xia families from Xinghua Village. I am Zhao Can, at your service," said one Zhao Family member with a bow. "However, I do not understand why you have brought so many people to our village today."
Zhu Ji and Xiahou Xing exchanged a glance, both appreciating the saying that although the Zhao Family was small, it produced heroes. The fact that a single Zhuang Min could hold off several armed individuals was indeed remarkable.
"Are you Zhao Can?" Zhu Ji asked, turning the tables and posing a question in response to Zhao Can's inquiry.
Zhao Can respectfully replied, "Yes, I am Zhao Can. I am just an inconspicuous person from my family's village."
Zhu Ji contemplated for a moment before nodding in acknowledgment. "I will remember your name. However, our purpose is quite simple; we merely wish to take a look by the Hutuo River. I wonder if Zhao Can would allow us passage?"
"To the riverside? It’s that simple?" At that moment, the weight pressing on Zhao Can's heart seemed to lighten considerably.
Zhao Can quickly exhaled in relief, but then he recalled that the Hutuo River was not solely theirs to claim; Xinghua Village also had a stretch of river nearby. Why had they chosen this location as their destination? Perhaps there were deeper considerations at play? A series of questions flooded Zhao Can's mind, but he understood that until the family head arrived, he could not easily agree to let anyone cross this final line of defense.
If these words were not genuine and he agreed hastily, they might suddenly change direction, causing significant repercussions.
Therefore, until he confirmed the accuracy of their intentions, he could not allow them to have their way.
Zhao Can shook his head firmly and said, "I'm sorry, but I cannot let you pass."
Zhu Ji's gaze locked onto Zhao Can. "Aren't you afraid of all the people behind us?"
Zhao Can nodded candidly. "Of course I am afraid; I am just an ordinary person after all. But this concerns my responsibility, so I cannot let you go through. If you're not in a hurry, my cousin has already gone to summon our clan leader. You can wait for him to arrive and discuss this matter with him."
"You two prominent families from Xinghua Village wouldn't bully someone like me, would you?"
Zhu Ji looked at Zhao Can with admiration. In the face of crisis, he remained calm and composed—a truly rare talent.
Although their goal was indeed to seize the water, this matter was not urgent. Moreover, what Zhao Can said made sense. The Hutuo River was not a still body of water; it was a flowing river. No matter how fiercely they fought over it, the current would not change according to human will. Therefore, even if they wanted to take the water source from the Zhao Family, they ultimately needed the approval and agreement of the Zhao Clan Leader and most of the villagers. Otherwise, if Shang Yan's Zhao Family were to cut off the flow of water from time to time, they would have no one to blame but themselves. Unless they exterminated them completely.
But would the court stand by and do nothing? The Zhao Family would certainly not surrender easily either. Even if they could achieve victory, both the Chu Family and Xiahou Family would suffer tremendous losses, potentially leading to a decline in their power from which they might never recover. Thus, negotiation was the best solution. However, if talks failed, he would not hesitate to use force to compel the Zhao Family to agree to their terms. Water was a resource they could not afford to give up under any circumstances. In the worst-case scenario, they could only increase their defenses and send people to patrol daily.
In Zhao Family Village, an assassin was currently in Zhao An's home. Zhao Feng hurried over and asked, "Father, why did you summon me back?"
Zhao An glanced at his son and replied, "Are all those waterwheels ready?"
Everything is ready, with ten waterwheels fully equipped. We can now efficiently utilize the endless water source bestowed by the gods from all angles.
Zhao Feng nodded with a smile, his face filled with pride. "I’m not trying to boast, but from now on, our village will no longer fear a lack of water."
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