Hyper-Dimensional Player

Chapter 776 - 59: Let All Under Heaven Eat Their Fill! The Rise of the Peasant School (Part 2)

Duncan nodded calmly and said, "How are the gifts prepared?"

Yun Zhike turned around and clapped his hands. Soon, attendants brought forth several boxes, as well as a blood coral worth a fortune, a rare treasure from Meichuan Du.

He respectfully opened a box and said, "It's ready."

Seeing the prepared gifts, the others, including Shanmu, couldn't help but widen their eyes, for the gifts were truly precious.

Even someone as accomplished as Shanmu couldn't help but be tempted.

The first box contained a night pearl as large as a fist, studded with numerous priceless gems. The second box held martial arts manuals, with the top ones being supreme secret techniques like the Everlasting Youth Technique, Blood God Method, Blood Child Undying Body, Heavenly Demon Skill, and even Duncan's own Heavenly Demon Reverie.

These were all supreme secret techniques capable of breaking through to the Dao Entrance Realm. Just a glance at them made Shanmu's heart race, for even techniques like the Vajra Unbreakable Body and Clumsy Hand Technique seemed second-rate by comparison.

If anyone obtained these, they might not necessarily enter the Dao, but becoming a martial arts grandmaster of their time would certainly be within reach.

The third box contained rare treasures from Baoxuan Cave Heaven, most notably a thousand-year-old ginseng and elixirs from Yaowang Valley that enhanced cultivation and prolonged life.

"Let's go then."

Duncan glanced at them and said calmly, "Let us visit the farmer descendant whom Daoist Yun has referred to as someone capable of 'feeding the world.'

The young master's trip here turned out not to be for Zhou Xingfeng?

Shanmu was surprised, pondering to himself, "A farmer descendant?"

"Disciples of the Hundred Schools?"

Duncan's journey to Jingnan was just a bonus regarding Zhou Xingfeng; his real target was someone else.

Shortly after.

Under the guidance of Yun Zhike, the group arrived at the countryside fields. Soon, they saw many bustling farmers, all dressed like ordinary folks. The person they were looking for was in the fields, fiddling with the mud, even pinching a bit of soil to taste it as if discerning the nutrients it contained.

"Master."

Yun Zhike hurried forward, bowing to the farmer working in the fields. At this moment, the experts of the Ming Sect discovered that this person astonishingly had the cultivation of the Innate Realm, no less profound than Shanmu and the others.

The old farmer in the field raised his head. He appeared to be around fifty, with sun-darkened skin and a face full of wrinkles, looking older and more weather-beaten than others, though when he stood up, his hunched back straightened, making him seem taller than ordinary folks.

He seemed to recognize Yun Zhike, looking surprised, then glanced at the esteemed Duncan around whom everyone was gathered.

It had been a long time since anyone showed such respect toward the farming tradition.

After all, they were truly just a group of authentic farmers.

Duncan dismounted personally without employing any martial arts, stepping into the muddy field with mud-soaked feet. He walked off the ridge, coming to the old farmer's side. Though the farmer's martial arts were high, his concealed aura made it hard to discern. Duncan bore no airs of the King of Kings, squatting by the old farmer, observing the rice grains in his hands, with a gentle and slightly respectful tone, inquiring, "Is this the food Yun Wuji speaks of that can feed the world?"

Duncan had once made a promise to let everyone have enough to eat.

The old farmer looked a bit flustered, hurriedly standing up to show respect, but Duncan stopped him. Observing Duncan, squatting there examining grain, the old man's demeanor gradually calmed, and in a low voice, he said, "This is not it."

"This is the rice sowed in the Central Plains."

"The grain Daoist Yun mentioned should be Champa rice, which I retrieved from Wu-Yue."

"However."

"If the two are alternated, they could produce two harvests a year, enough to fill the nation's granaries."

Champa rice.

Duncan, upon hearing this, seemed to recall something faintly, as if he had seen it in another life.

The Song Dynasty population was extremely large, far surpassing that of previous dynasties.

One important factor was Champa rice, an early rice, reputedly named after the Champa Kingdom (modern-day Vietnam).

Champa rice paired with late-season rice to form double-cropping rice, greatly increasing grain yields.

This was likely the best variant to be found in the current era.

Thus, the saying "When Suzhou and Hu produce abundantly, the world is fed" came about.

This rice strain is "long spike without awn, small grains, grows without choosing the soil," especially suitable for high field (dryland) cultivation, resolving the traditional water rice's dependence on water resources.

It's drought-tolerant, early-maturing, with a maturation period shortened by nearly half compared to traditional rice, highly productive, with yields reaching 300-600 jin per mu (Song Dynasty units), far exceeding the 150 jin of northern millet. Because of its high productivity, it directly allowed the Song Dynasty population to surpass the hundred million mark, indirectly ushering in highly developed artisan industries.

Achievement!

A great achievement!

Upon learning about Champa rice from the farmer grandmaster, Duncan's expression was overjoyed, even breaching the long-unchanged Dao Entrance Realm bottleneck somewhat, his True Yuan spinning rapidly, with an illusion of Five Qi Chaoyuan.

Duncan raised his hand slightly, immediately the attendant behind him presented the prepared gifts.

The King of Kings was always generous.

Yet, facing such extensive gifts, the old farmer remained composed, his wrinkled eyes seeing Duncan as if gazing upon a resilient pine enduring countless storms, speaking slowly: "I once heard from Daoist Yun, you made a promise with a child, to restore peace to the world and ensure everyone has enough to eat."

"I wonder if this is true?"

Duncan, expression serene, nodded slightly and said, "It is true."

Hearing this, the old farmer seemed exceedingly pleased, ignoring the rare treasures, heavenly materials, and unparalleled martial skills at hand, respectfully bowed deeply to Duncan, "The farmers' disciple is willing to serve!"

As he moved, many other masters in farmer attire followed suit, bowing in reverence.

Their farming lineage cultivated unique practices called "Bumper Harvests", corresponding to Five Qi Chaoyuan, aligned with the cycle of seasons, revolving around the twenty-four solar terms, uncommon skills not mastered in three or five years. Their methods were slow to cultivate but solid, each harvest bringing incremental growth in cultivation.

If one could cultivate to the utmost, one could also enter the Dao and achieve enlightenment, albeit not in the realm of the Daoists but a legacy of the Ancient Shennong Clan.

The farmer venerated Xu Xing as their forebear.

In the Pre-Qin Era, Xu Xing had dozens of disciples. They lived extremely austere lives, wearing simple cloth clothing, making a living by weaving straw sandals and mats.

Without land, they led wandering lives.

These people traveled from the State of Chu to the State of Teng, not in pursuit of high office and riches, but hoping to acquire a piece of land to settle and farm.

The farmers had considerable influence then, even causing Confucian disciples Chen Xiang and his brother Chen Xin to forsake Confucianism and become disciples of Xu Xing.

——"The farmer class arose from officers of agriculture, sowing the hundred grains, encouraging farming and mulberry culture to provide clothing and food, thus the eight policies, the first is food, the second is goods. Confucius said, "What matters most is the people's food," this is their forte. And when the base followers do so, thinking it unnecessary to serve a sainted king, wishing for lords and ministers to farm together, disrupting the social order."

The latter part of this passage means that the farmer class believed it was unnecessary to serve sainted kings and wanted the nobles and lords to partake in farming, believing it disrupted the social hierarchies.

Farming philosophy aimed to have the high-ranking nobles till the land, but some thought this would disrupt the social hierarchy.

[Valuing people's food] is the core philosophy of farming.

Simply put, it's about farming diligently, providing ample food and clothing, and ensuring everyone is well-fed.

Duncan helped the old farmer up, smiling, "Please, sir, take on the role of Grand Agriculturist in the future."

"With your assistance, how fortunate the people of the world are."

Not enamored with wealth, not seeking rare skills.

Then this person is a gentleman; discussing righteousness with gentlemen, Duncan shall give them renown, from today's beginning, farming shall be the prominent knowledge of the era.

These individuals are more useful than Zhou Xingfeng because they truly have the ability to feed the world.

......