Qin Ming was dead.
Poison Douluo was gravely injured and was now being hunted down by Qian Daoliu.
Zhou Sheng'an had only six disciples in total, making this a matter he couldn't take lightly.
Er Ming shouted, "Those bastards from the Spirit Hall! They actually killed Fourth Brother! And now they're hunting down Eldest Senior Brother! We can't just let this slide! Teacher, let me go out into the world—I want revenge!"
Da Ming pressed Er Ming down with one hand and scolded, "Shut up! Listen to the teacher in all matters! Do you think you have the right to speak here?"
Pinned to the ground, his face pressed against the dirt, Er Ming protested unwillingly, "I just can't accept this! It's infuriating! Why is the Spirit Hall so domineering? Even Auntie was killed by them back then!"
Du Bubai looked extremely awkward, somewhat regretting bringing the news back.
Now, Third Senior Brother was dead set on revenge, causing an uproar.
Zhou Sheng'an sat quietly in his chair, looking at Er Ming. He shook his head and said, "What's done is done. What good will your shouting do? Wait. Once you reach Level 99 and become a Titled Douluo, you may leave the mountain to seek revenge. Otherwise, stay here and cultivate with me."
"Teacher… but Eldest Senior Brother is still out there." Er Ming was unwilling.
Zhou Sheng'an replied indifferently, "He'll be fine."
"But—" Er Ming wanted to argue further.
Da Ming kicked him hard and barked, "Shut up! Do you dare contradict the teacher?"
"That's not what I meant…" Er Ming muttered under his breath, but his eyes flashed with stubborn defiance.
Zhou Sheng'an then turned to Du Bubai and asked, "What's the second matter?"
Du Bubai glanced at Er Ming and chuckled awkwardly, "Maybe we should let Third Senior Brother step out first?"
"Bubai, are you itching for a beating? Stop wasting time!" Er Ming glared at him.
Du Bubai scratched his head awkwardly and explained, "Here's the thing—there's a ceasefire outside. The nations are recuperating. But now, people are saying that the war was caused by famous generals, with Fourth Senior Brother being the main culprit. And, Teacher… they are also…"
Du Bubai trailed off, but everyone understood what he meant.
Back when Qin Ming was at the peak of his fame, he was a true and undisputed master strategist. But now that he had fallen, he had become a scapegoat for all the blame. Naturally, his teacher wouldn't be spared from slander either.
"Those fools! Do they not realize that if it weren't for the Spirit Hall interfering, Fourth Senior Brother would've conquered Star Luo long ago? By then, the world would've been unified—there wouldn't have been any war!"
Er Ming panted heavily, his eyes burning with rage.
Suddenly, Ji Xiang stepped forward and said, "Teacher, can I leave the mountain now? I want to prove to the world that famous generals are not at fault. And you… you didn't just train the greatest general in history. You also trained… me."
Ji Xiang had originally wanted to declare himself the greatest, but he felt too embarrassed to say it outright.
Er Ming's eyes lit up instantly. "Teacher, I think this is a great idea! Little Junior Brother has been learning from you for more than half a year now—he'll definitely be fine! Didn't Fourth Senior Brother rise to the top in about the same time? He became the greatest general in the world…"
Da Ming and the others all turned to look at Zhou Sheng'an.
Zhou Sheng'an shook his head and didn't respond. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the entrance.
"Is Mr. Zhou here?" A crisp female voice rang out.
The next moment, a golden-haired woman walked In—it was Qian Renxue.
"Who are you?" Er Ming asked coldly.
"My name is Bi Xue'er. I've come to seek Mr. Zhou as my teacher. If I can't become his disciple, then I'm willing to cook for him and serve him instead." Qian Renxue smiled sweetly.
Everyone exchanged glances—where had this woman suddenly come from?
And judging by her aura, even a princess might not compare to her!
Yet such a woman was willing to become a mere cook?
Zhou Sheng'an frowned slightly and said, "We don't need a cook here. And I will not take on any more disciples."
Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned, but in the next second, she smiled again. "Mr. Zhou, as long as you are willing to take me in, then when your disciple ventures into the world, I will give him a stage to showcase his talents. How about that?"
She smiled as she looked at Zhou Sheng'an.
Ji Xiang pointed to himself in shock.
Zhou Sheng'an looked deeply at Qian Renxue before nodding. "Alright."
Although he couldn't see through Qian Renxue's identity, his Blue Silver perception told him clearly that she bore no ill intentions. Instead, she radiated goodwill.
Since that was the case, and she was offering Ji Xiang a stage, why would he refuse?
And so, Qian Renxue settled in the cottage.
…
[One year later, the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires had restored their original territories. The period of recuperation had yielded results, but soon hit a bottleneck—commoners barely had enough to survive.]
[The Prime Minister of Heaven Dou issued a new land reform law, allowing land sales and leasing fields to tenant farmers.]
[A large number of landlords emerged in the Heaven Dou Empire, leading to land annexation.]
[The Prime Minister of Heaven Dou introduced various tax policies, indirectly increasing tax revenue, enriching the treasury—but causing the people to suffer.]
[Star Luo Empire followed Heaven Dou's example, imposing similar financial policies. Most commoners were reduced to tenant farmers.]
[After over a year of recuperation, the common folk had yet to fully recover before being thrown into another pit of suffering.]
[On October 13, Year 2026 of the Douluo Calendar, several large-scale peasant uprisings broke out across the Heaven Dou Empire. The unrest spread widely, and the same occurred in Star Luo Empire.]
[The Spirit Hall once again secretly supported various factions, igniting a new war.]
…
In the thatched cottage, Zhou Sheng'an was testing Ji Xiang. Today was also the day Ji Xiang would leave the mountain.
"The Prime Ministers of Heaven Dou and Star Luo are not fools. The reason they've implemented multiple reforms is because they're experimenting with different approaches. However, the results have been minimal. If you were in their position, what would you do?" Zhou Sheng'an asked with a smile.
Ji Xiang pondered for a moment before answering, "My proposal would be to consolidate land taxes, labor levies, and miscellaneous fees into a single tax, collected as silver based on land acreage. I would call this the 'Single Whip Law.'"
Zhou Sheng'an nodded slightly. "Very good. Simplifying the tax system makes it easier to collect revenue. At the same time, it reduces opportunities for local officials to exploit loopholes, thereby increasing state income. This is a remarkable policy—explain further."
Ji Xiang respectfully continued, "First, measure land accurately to expand the tax base and ensure fairness. Second, unify all levies to prevent excessive exploitation and stabilize taxation. Third, require official collection and direct remittance, making the process more systematic."
"Not bad. You've formed your own ideological framework. What you lack is practical experience. However, you must understand one thing—the war has resumed. What is the primary conflict? If you don't address that, you may not even get the chance to act."
Zhou Sheng'an shook his head.
Ji Xiang frowned, deep in thought.
Military matters were not his forte, so he struggled to find a solution.
Zhou Sheng'an sipped his tea leisurely while watching his farmland.
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue rested her chin on her hand, staring at him dreamily.
Er Ming whispered to Da Ming, "I've figured it out—this woman is totally here for Teacher!"