Chapter 250: Extremely Simple

“In this world, save for the Immortal Palace, no one understands the Spirit Well better than our Witch Clan!”

Yue Hanzhuang finally answered as she looked at Fang Cun, who was sitting opposite her with great seriousness. Yet, it seemed she spoke partly out of pique. Instead of directly revealing the third strategy, she started from the beginning: “Different places have different names for the Spirit Well. In your Great Xia, it’s called the Spirit Well. But we witches call it the Soul Source. Elsewhere, it’s known as the Spirit Pearl, or Dragon Pearl. The reason is, the Spirit Well and the Dragon Vein complement each other, mutually influencing and supporting…”

“A Dragon Vein occupies a region. Its path through the land splits into countless branches, interweaving and flowing together, ultimately forming the Spirit Well. These Wells nourish the world’s Spiritual Veins, providing Qi Refiners with the foundation to cultivate and improve. When a Spirit Well dries up, it signifies the thinning of the world’s spiritual energy. Even parts of the Dragon Vein itself begin to falter…”

“So, Old Master Fan was not exaggerating or alarming anyone about this matter!”

“Beneath the Divine Palace, the Prefects guard their territories and slay demons for the people. That is just the appearance. Their most crucial duty? To help the Divine Palace maintain the Spirit Wells. And why does the Divine Palace manage these Wells across the land? To aid the Great Xia Immortal Court in sustaining the Dragon Vein! If a Spirit Well here falters… forget Old Master Fan the Prefect, even the Divine King’s own son would likely feel the axe fall!”

“…”

Fang Cun listened quietly. Meng Zhixue, standing beside him, didn’t dare interrupt these revelations.

Of course, worldly Qi Refiners knew of the Spirit Well. But the intricate relationship between the Well, the Dragon Vein, the Divine Palace, and the Immortal Palace? That was knowledge held by few.

After a moment of deep thought, Fang Cun asked, “How bad is the Spirit Well in Qingjiang Prefecture right now?”

“A mere half-step from total collapse!”

Yue Hanzhuang’s answer was simple. Yet, it made Fang Cun and Meng Zhixue both pale.

Fang Cun had heard Old Master Fan mention the Spirit Well issue before. Even then, it was presented as one of three major problems alongside the Demon Hound and the Ghost Official. The sheer severity of the Well’s exhaustion… had never been made so starkly clear.

“Then… what is this remedy of yours?” he finally asked, voicing the crucial question.

“The first strategy is simple. Many know it, even without us witches coming,” Yue Hanzhuang stated matter-of-factly. “Steal the living energy from the populace and pour it into the Spirit Well. The Well is born of the Dragon Vein, and the Vein nourishes all living beings. Naturally, the reverse is also true: the populace can nourish the Dragon Vein. If Old Master Fan truly has the nerve? He could imitate the previous Prefect. Set up a grand formation, siphon life force from the people, and constantly channel it into the Spirit Well. That could easily… ‘solve’ the problem.”

“What?” Meng Zhixue, standing behind Fang Cun, turned deathly pale upon hearing this.

Yue Hanzhuang didn’t even glance at her reaction. She merely gave a light, cold chuckle. “But of course… after Immortal Master Fang Chi, your esteemed elder brother, exposed this very practice, it caused an enormous scandal. In today’s Great Xia? Few dare use this method anymore. Especially not in Qingjiang Prefecture – the very place your brother cultivated in. Old Master Fan likely lacks the courage for this old trick. Otherwise, why fetch me?”

Fang Cun only fell silent again. “And the second?”

“Naturally, Dragon Stone,” Yue Hanzhuang answered softly. “Born of the Dragon Vein? Channeling it back into the Spirit Well is inherently the perfect solution. But even with the highest skill, the best utilization… it likely only buys temporary relief. The tenacity depends entirely on how much Dragon Stone you pour in. When the stones run out? The Spirit Well dries up anyway. Faster, perhaps…”

“So he begged the Seven Clans… begged my Fang Family… for Dragon Stone… just for that temporary fix?” Fang Cun murmured, lifting his gaze to meet Yue Hanzhuang’s. He was waiting. Waiting for the third strategy.

“How did you guess there was a third?” Yue Hanzhuang asked before revealing it, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

“Because I already knew the first two,” Fang Cun explained. “And knowing them… made me realize: if those were the only ways to treat the Spirit Well, then the Well itself wouldn’t be the Immortal Palace’s cornerstone, but merely a ticking hazard…” He looked directly at Yue Hanzhuang. “You may speak.”

“Exactly right,” Yue Hanzhuang whispered. “The Spirit Well? It’s the single most immature arrangement ever made by the Immortal Palace!” Meng Zhixue blinked, stunned. She couldn’t grasp how anyone could associate the Great Xia Immortal Palace with the word ‘immature’.

“The Spirit Well comes from the Dragon Vein. In essence? It’s a Soul Treasure,” Yue Hanzhuang sighed softly. “And this treasure? It was stolen and forged by the Great Xia Immortal Palace from our Southern Borderlands Witch Clan! Before our clan was shattered… this treasure was our ritual vessel. Generation after generation, we worshiped it. In return, it radiated power, protecting our tribe. The more sincere the worship? The stronger the vessel became…”

“Indeed…” Fang Cun silently thought, a wave of suppressed understanding washing over him. His guess had been right.

“So… the method to treat the Spirit Well is extraordinarily simple…” Yue Hanzhuang continued, her voice softening further, laced with icy mockery. “Just… govern the land well. Let the people live in peace. Maintain a clear, just world. The water in the Spirit Well will naturally swell and strengthen. But… if injustice fills the land? If the people cry out in bitterness? Naturally, the Well withers. Demons and ghosts breed… Hah! Qi Refiners capture the Dragon Vein, nurture it within the mortal realm. Because the Vein exists, the governed populace becomes more vibrant, more spiritually potent. Generation after generation, their natural talent increases. Is that very act… the surging tide of vibrant spiritual essence… not the finest nourishment for the Dragon Vein itself?”

“What?” Meng Zhixue heard this and froze. “Just that simple?”

Upon hearing this answer, Fang Cun couldn’t help but wear a helpless smile. “This… absurd?”

For a moment, they both recalled the same past event.

Back in the White Xiang Academy of Willow Lake City, when the Five Sects came to select disciples, Elder Ge of the Nine Immortals Sect had lectured them. He first praised the righteous deeds of the Academy Dean and the City Governor, then spoke on the concept of national fortune:

“When the people live in security, free from hunger and cold, receive proper teaching, and understand reason; their spirit and vitality steadily flourish, nourishing the Dragon Vein. As the Dragon Vein strengthens, the people of Great Xia become more robust, their Innate Qi grows increasingly potent. Generation after generation, talents improve; naturally, we cultivate ever more exceptional geniuses…

“Prosperity and peace among the populace build a thicker national foundation. A thicker foundation brings greater prosperity to Great Xia… leading back to more peace and security…”

“…”

Back then, Fang Cun thought, along with probably most students, it was just empty talk. Official jargon. Easily dismissed.

Who could have known… it was true?

The Dragon Vein nourishes the people. The people, in turn, nourish the Dragon Vein. Such a breathtakingly simple principle?

Yet… a principle so simple… how could it come to… this?

Fang Cun’s heart churned. He scarcely knew whether to laugh wildly or rage. He understood the core problem with shocking clarity: “When the Great Xia Immortal Emperor seized the Spirit Well and subdued the Dragon Vein… it was a world-shattering, brilliant move! There truly wasn’t a steadier plan. The Vein feeds the people, the people feed the Vein. A secure cycle. An elementary solution! With such logic, how could Great Xia not thrive, dominating the wilds?”

“But… such a simple cycle has one layer standing within it!”

“And that layer… is mankind.”

“To truly harness the Dragon Vein’s power, to bestow blessings upon the people and strengthen the nation? Naturally simple. But? Someone stands in the middle! They are greedy! They intercept the flowing Dragon Qi, diverting it away from the people! Consequently, the people only grow poorer. Mumbled complaints rise. The Dragon Vein itself weakens further. The Spirit Well symbolizing it dries closer to collapse. Then… when crisis looms? Those middlemen again seek to steal raw life energy and fortune from the very people… pour it into the Well… barely holding it together… before restarting that vicious spiral…”

“To achieve the intended cycle? Force those in the middle… not to be greedy…”

“But in reality? Forget stopping their greed… even persuading them to take less… is impossible.”

“Old Master Fan… could he truly be ignorant of this?”

“Old Master Fan… he is, after all, a renowned scholar of the Classic of Documents. Those very principles Elder Ge lectured us on? They were simply annotations written by this Old Scholar himself! He knows! But knowing… changes nothing!”

“A problem like this… who could possibly solve it?”

“…”

Fang Cun picked up his teacup and drank it dry. His head felt ready to split.

Yue Hanzhuang seemed to have expected this reaction. It matched the shock she’d seen on the faces of countless Great Xia Qi Refiners upon first hearing this truth. She sat quietly across the small table, calmly watching both individuals.

Beside her, Meng Zhixue clenched her slender fingers tightly—a knot of frustration trapped within her, seeking no outlet.

Both sat silently before the table for an exceedingly long time.

Fang Cun finally sighed softly and stood up. “Lu Xiao… were actually right.”

Meng Zhixue jerked her head toward him, eyes filled with unspoken arguments. It took her a moment to say, “…He wasn’t right!”

Her thought process now was simple. The solution seemed so utterly straightforward! If the Spirit Well could be healed this easily, why make things so complex? If someone had the resolve to harshly punish the Seven Clans, cleanse the land, erase the grievances of Qingjiang’s people? Then the Spirit Well would surge, the Dragon Vein strengthen. Wouldn’t the Qi Refiners of the Six Sects rejoice? With the Well full and Qingjiang thriving, wouldn’t Old Master Fan as Prefect also be gladdened? If everyone stands to benefit… why is change impossible?

But… she wasn’t truly naive. Upon careful reflection, realization dawned quickly. And with it came despair.

Fang Cun remained seated silently for a while longer. Then, abruptly, he stood.

He released a low sigh, turning towards the side hall. His voice, strangely distant, drifted back: “Tell Old Master Fan. I’ll help him.”