Chapter 9: Gathering Stormclouds
The next morning started quiet. Too quiet.
No bird songs. No buzzing insects. Even the spirit frogs down in the rice terrace weren't croaking like usual.
Alex stood by the fields, chewing on a stalk of spirit grass. His eyes was half-lidded, but his senses was wide awake.
"Something wrong?" Meilin asked, walking up behind him.
"Yeah," he said. "Nature's gone silent."
That was always the first sign.
He knelt and pressed his palm to the soil.
Warm. But the qi inside the land was… trembling.
"System Alert: External pressure detected. Sky-bound qi streams disrupted. Origin: 10 kilometers south. Energy signatures match Hollow Eye Sect tracking formation."
"They're close," he muttered.
"Estimated time to arrival: 3 days at current pace."
Meilin tightened her jaw. "So they're taking their time. Means they're bringing others."
Alex nodded slowly. "Probably a full squad."
"Maybe more. They know now you're no common farmer."
He didn't answer. Instead, he looked out over the hill. The crops swayed gently in the breeze. His villagers—his friends—were laughing and sharing food below. They didn't know yet.
And he didn't want them to.
Not until it was necessary.
Later that afternoon, Alex called a quiet meeting in the shrine beside the field. Only a few came—Meilin, the village elder, Liuna, and two hunters who'd once served in a border militia.
He laid it out simply.
"Hollow Eye Sect is coming."
The elder frowned. "Are they the ones… from the stories?"
"Yes," Meilin said. "Cruel. Powerful. And greedy. They'll want the farm, the qi well, and they'll take anyone who gets in their way."
The elder rubbed his face. "We can't fight sect cultivators."
"You don't have to," Alex said. "I'll handle it. But I need you all to prepare."
"For war?" one of the hunters asked.
"No," Alex said. "For survival. Just in case."
He pulled out a scroll and unrolled it on the table. It showed the hill and the surrounding valley, but now—with glowing marks—the system had added defense zones, evacuation tunnels, and barrier lines.
"This," he said, "is a peaceful farm. But it's also a fortress if I tell it to be."
The hunters whistled low.
The elder leaned closer. "You planned this?"
"Didn't plan," Alex said. "Just… hoped I wouldn't need it."
That night, he stood alone at the spirit well, watching the glowing waters ripple.
He spoke softly.
"To the one I used to be… and the one I am now. Please don't make me turn back."
"Host stability: 84%. Emotional conflict detected. Recommend meditation or tea."
He chuckled. "Yeah. Maybe both."
Then the system gave him something new.
"Optional Mission: Prepare 'Non-Lethal Defense Field: Tier 4'. Reward: Barrier upgrade + Cloaking expansion."
Alex tapped his chin. "Non-lethal, huh? Fine. Let's do it."
"Accepted."
In that moment, spirit lines began glowing faintly all around the farm. Under the soil. In the trees. Even beneath the porch.
Alex wasn't going to fight back with swords.
He was going to fight back with roots, light, and patience.
Meanwhile… far to the south…
A masked figure in black knelt before a man in dark gold robes inside a crimson temple.
"He's awakened," said the masked man. "The blade sleeps behind the plow, but he's sharp still."
The man in gold narrowed his eyes. "Then we go ourselves. No more pawns."
A storm was gathering.
But on Still Wind Hill, the farmer sharpened not his sword… but his will.
And the crops kept growing.