Chapter 771: This Mysterious Realm is Unconventional

The old farmer looked up at Zu An in surprise. "Who is this?"

Jiang Luofu helped with the introduction. "This is Zu An, my friend."

"Oh, so you're Junior Sister Eighth's friend. Hello, hello," the old farmer said, a sincere smile appearing on his face.

From his reaction, it was clear he had never heard Zu An's name before. Far from feeling any dissatisfaction, Zu An felt even more respect for him. Such single-minded dedication to the well-being of the common people meant he paid no attention to external affairs, nor was he aware of the intricate power struggles in the imperial court.

"Ah Zu, this is my Senior Brother Seventh, Wang Shuyang," Jiang Luofu said, secretly sending a message to him. "He is a highly respected elder; please don't try to trick him with the same methods you used on Yin Shi."

She was clearly worried Zu An might resort to his old tricks, so she gave him a preemptive warning.

Zu An chuckled wryly. "Is that really how you see me?" At the same time, he responded to the old farmer, "So it's Senior Wang. I've heard much about you."

Wang Shuyang smiled faintly, clearly not much concerned with compliments like "I've heard much about you." "Young friend, what do you mean by this 'hybrid rice' you just mentioned?"

Zu An replied, "Elder Wang, you just mentioned that current rice cultivation faces two major problems: first, the yield per unit area has hit a ceiling, and second, its resistance to diseases is insufficient."

"Precisely. This problem has plagued me for years. No matter how I select seeds, I've only managed slight improvements, unable to achieve any qualitative change."

Zu An stated, "Actually, solving this problem is both difficult and easy."

"Oh, what profound insights do you have, young friend?" Wang Shuyang asked politely. However, glancing at Zu An's age and clean fingernails, he couldn't help but frown internally. This young man had clearly never engaged in farm labor; the faint calluses on his thumb-index finger web were obviously from years of handling swords. By all appearances, he didn't seem knowledgeable about agriculture.

"Ah Zu!" Jiang Luofu also glared at Zu An, clearly not believing he understood such matters either.

Zu An smiled and said, "Elder Wang, you've traveled extensively over the years, selecting seeds from various places. Have you ever discovered any wild rice in the wilderness?"

"Indeed, I have." Wang Shuyang had expected some profound theory, so hearing just this left him somewhat disappointed. "But those wild rice grains are shriveled and completely unusable as food; they can't be used as seeds."

"The disadvantage of wild rice is that its grains are not plump enough to be food. However, it has its own advantages: its wild growth makes it extremely resilient, highly resistant to various diseases, and more tolerant to cold and heat than domesticated rice."

"Hmm..." Wang Shuyang's heart stirred, and a flash of insight seemed to dart through his mind, but he couldn't quite grasp it.

Zu An continued, "The strengths of wild rice are precisely where domesticated rice is weak, and the weaknesses of wild rice are exactly where domesticated rice excels. If we could hybridize the two types of rice, wouldn't we be able to combine their advantages and compensate for their shortcomings?"

Wang Shuyang's eyes immediately lit up with intense excitement. "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! How could I not have thought of this before, how could I not have thought of this! Hahaha, the people of the world are saved, saved!"

Seeing her Senior Brother Seventh, who usually had a serious and somber expression, suddenly dancing wildly like a child, Jiang Luofu was startled and quickly asked Zu An, "What's wrong with him?"

Zu An smiled slightly. "He's probably just excited." He knew that hybrid rice was the culmination of generations of research by countless scientists worldwide in his previous life, finally perfected by Mr. Yuan Longping. Since Wang Shuyang had dedicated his entire life to agriculture and the people's livelihood, how could he not see its immense value?

Perhaps with anyone else, Zu An might have kept the knowledge to himself, seeking to profit from it. But after just a few minutes with Wang Shuyang, he understood that this man genuinely cared for the country and its people. Entrusting hybrid rice to such a person was truly the best thing for the world's common folk. Moreover, he only knew the general concept. As for how to actually develop hybrid rice... well, if he were that brilliant, he wouldn't have spent his past life spewing insults at other trolls on forums every day.

At that moment, Wang Shuyang finally recovered, excitedly grasping Zu An's hand. "Young friend Zu, no, Mr. Zu, please accept my three bows."

Zu An was startled. "Senior, you mustn't!" Even Jiang Luofu, standing nearby, looked bewildered. Had her senior brothers taken the wrong medicine today? Were they all going to bow to Zu An like disciples? Yin Shi doing it was one thing; he was usually a bit eccentric. But what was wrong with Senior Brother Seventh? He was always proper and would never mess around like Yin Shi.

Wang Shuyang solemnly declared, "There is no 'mustn't.' I bow on behalf of all the people under heaven. If your concept of hybrid rice succeeds, it will save the lives of hundreds of millions. Let alone three bows, even three hundred, three thousand, thirty thousand... you would still be worthy of them."

Jiang Luofu's face was filled with shock. She hadn't fully grasped the significance of "hybrid rice" when Zu An first mentioned it, but she never imagined its impact would be so immense.

After completing his bows, Wang Shuyang suddenly gestured to her. "Junior Sister Eighth, you come over too and bow with me to thank this great hero who will save hundreds of millions of people."

Jiang Luofu: "???"

Seeing her in a daze, Wang Shuyang, without a word, grabbed her sleeve and pulled her over.

Jiang Luofu remembered how much this senior brother had looked after her when she was younger, and she had always admired his character. Unwilling to refuse him, she pouted and gave a small bow to Zu An.

Rage value from Jiang Luofu +58+58+58...

Zu An broke into a cold sweat. He quickly reached out to help Jiang Luofu. "Sister, you don't have to do this."

Unfortunately, Jiang Luofu's temper flared up at that moment. *If you tell me not to bow, I'll definitely bow. Let's see how you apologize to me later.* Feeling the resentment in her eyes, Zu An also panicked. He quickly said, "Stop bowing, stop bowing! I'll bow back to you!" As he spoke, he bowed to her in return.

At this point, the scene attracted the attention of the farmers in the nearby fields, who were actually Wang Shuyang's students. Watching the unfolding situation, they began to whisper: "Hey, those two seem to be performing a wedding ceremony!" "Is Teacher Wang the officiant?" "Wait, isn't that Teacher Jiang? Who's that pretty boy performing the ceremony with her?"

Jiang Luofu's long legs were incredibly striking; anyone who saw them once would recognize her. The students quickly identified Jiang Luofu, and their gazes towards Zu An filled with envy. Teacher Jiang was beautiful, and her daily array of various stockings and lovely legs had long been etched into the minds of all the students. Coupled with her unique, aloof, and alluring demeanor that kept strangers at bay, countless people dreamed of her at night. Usually, she was indifferent to men, and there were no rumors of her being romantically involved with anyone, which kept everyone's emotions relatively balanced. But today, finding their dream goddess performing a wedding ceremony with another man, how could their composure not shatter?

Rage value from the Imperial Academy students +444+444+444...

Zu An, startled, instinctively looked back and saw a group of male students glaring at him, their eyes practically spitting fire.

Jiang Luofu also straightened up as if she had been burned. She was very embarrassed, realizing they had been so badly misunderstood. But, truthfully, their postures just now did look exactly like a wedding ceremony. *Sigh, what was I even thinking at the time?*

"Nonsense! Quickly come and pay your respects to Mr. Zu!" Wang Shuyang had clearly heard the gossip and glared fiercely at his disciples.

"Mr. Zu?" The students' reaction was identical to that of Yin Shi's disciples earlier.

"His knowledge is enough to be my own teacher; what grievance is there for you fellows to call him 'Mr.'? Bow quickly!" Wang Shuyang was usually quite rigid in character. With his glare, the students dared not retort and, one by one, reluctantly bowed to Zu An. "Greetings, Mr. Zu!"

What is the most painful thing in the world? Of course, it's watching your dream goddess embrace another man right before your eyes. What's even more painful than that? It's having to force a smile and respectfully bow to that very man!

Rage value from the students +666+666+666...

Seeing the series of rage values in his system, Zu An felt a surge of satisfaction. It seemed being near a beautiful woman truly enhanced one's ability to draw aggro.

Wang Shuyang frowned. Though he couldn't perceive the exact rage values, he sensed that his disciples' emotions were amiss. Worried they might offend Zu An, he waved them away before turning to Zu An with an apologetic expression. "It's my fault for not teaching them well. They don't yet understand your greatness."

Zu An also felt a bit embarrassed. "Senior Wang, you're too kind. Just call me Ah Zu. In my opinion, it's practical people like you who deserve respect. I merely spout off some theories."

Wang Shuyang shook his head. "There are many practical people in the world, but the higher one goes, the more lost they become. Many strive their entire lives only to accomplish nothing useful. Conversely, if someone can point out the correct path, it's more beneficial than countless practical people groping in the dark."

Zu An felt a little abashed. "Hybrid rice isn't something I researched. I merely stumbled upon it in an ancient book by chance. And I only know the concept; I don't understand the specifics of how to crossbreed and select the most suitable varieties. That will all depend on your experience and experimentation."

"Sir, you can rest assured. If, after your guidance, I still cannot develop suitable hybrid rice, then I would have lived my life in vain," Wang Shuyang said with a hint of pride in his voice, clearly bolstered by his years of dedication in the field.

Zu An secretly scoffed internally, *Reality will slap you in the face later. On Earth in my previous life, countless scientists spent immeasurable effort and time to accidentally develop hybrid rice. It probably won't be that simple for you alone.*

At this point, Wang Shuyang laughed again. "Haha, Sir, you are young yet not arrogant about your achievements; that's truly a rare quality. Junior Sister Eighth, you really didn't misjudge him."

Jiang Luofu, standing nearby, looked speechless. *Did you misunderstand something?*

Wang Shuyang cupped his hands and said, "I must go and research how to hybridize rice. I won't bother you any longer. Next time there's an opportunity, I'll seek your guidance again, Sir." After speaking, he left in a state of wild joy, clutching a handful of rice seedlings. With each step, he covered dozens of yards, which greatly impressed Zu An. He had assumed Wang was just an ordinary old farmer, but he possessed such cultivation. Indeed, the Grand Libationer's direct disciples were truly extraordinary.

Jiang Luofu continued leading him further inside. Along the way, she finally couldn't hold back. "What in the world is going on? Why do you know about 'hybrid rice'?"

Zu An chuckled. "Didn't I just say? I stumbled upon it in an ancient book by chance. The author seemed to be surnamed Yuan."

Seeing that he spoke convincingly, Jiang Luofu no longer doubted him and couldn't help but exclaim, "It seems ancient civilizations were truly advanced! I also found these stockings and dresses by chance in a secret realm. Later, I copied some of their designs. Seeing such beautiful clothing, I'm really curious about what kind of civilization it was."

Zu An's face was eager. "Can you describe the secret realm you saw back then? What kind of things were there?"

Jiang Luofu fell into thought. "That was a secret realm I stumbled into years ago. I remember, besides these outfits, there were also some human models. They were made so realistically, even down to the..." She suddenly blushed midway through her sentence and changed her words. "And there were also some strange things that looked like human skin."

"Human skin?" Zu An was startled.

Jiang Luofu nodded. "Those 'human skins' were odd. They seemed to have special openings. When air was pumped into them, they took on human forms and could even make strange sounds... It felt a bit like puppetry, but there wasn't the slightest trace of primal energy fluctuation on them."

Zu An's expression became strange. *Why does this sound so much like inflatable... * "Do you still have those 'human skins'?" Zu An quickly asked. He wanted to confirm if the items in her secret realm were from his own world, to see if there was any connection between this world and his past life on Earth.

Jiang Luofu shook her head. "No, they're gone. There were other people in the secret realm back then, and we accidentally burst those 'human skins' during a fight."

Zu An: "..."

"Were there any other things?"

Jiang Luofu nodded. "We found a few 'meat ganoderma' back then."

"'Meat ganoderma'?" Zu An was stunned. *What in the world is that? Did we have such things in my time?*

Jiang Luofu hummed in affirmation. "They looked somewhat like ganoderma, but their texture was very meat-like, similar to human skin, yet not quite. I asked many people, but no one knew what material they were made of."

"Can you describe their general shape?" Zu An's tone grew increasingly peculiar.

"Oh, they seemed to be cylindrical, roughly like this..." Jiang Luofu said, gesturing as she spoke.

Hearing her description, the expression on Zu An's face grew increasingly bizarre. *Why does this secret realm sound more and more indecent the more I hear about it? Did she stumble into an adult novelty store from my previous life? No wonder her outfits resemble those worn by Japanese 'teachers' in certain videos... Bah, bah, bah, those 'teachers' are a world apart from her.* He decided, *Never let her know what those things really were, or she might not be able to handle it.*

Zu An had originally intended to inquire more about the secret realm, but at that moment, laughter drifted from nearby. "Haha, you lost again!" "Teacher, how could I possibly beat you?" "It's fine, I just like to bully you for fun." "Teacher, is it too late for me to switch to another subject now?"

Hearing one of the voices sound familiar, they turned around. Not far away, in a pavilion, two men were playing a game. The younger one, with refined features and even a somewhat feminine appearance, was none other than Xie Xiu. He currently held a chess piece, frowning, and was hesitant to make his move.

The middle-aged man opposite him, however, looked much more relaxed. He wore a black and white checkered robe, and faint streaks of grey were visible in his hair, though overall he didn't appear old at all. With his gaunt face, wide sleeves, and a long robe that dragged on the ground, his entire demeanor was ethereal; he must have been a handsome man in his youth. Even now, he likely held a strong attraction for many women.

Zu An stared at his robe dragging on the ground, thinking, *I've only ever seen such attire in old TV dramas. With a robe that long, isn't he essentially sweeping the floor? How filthy must the hem of that robe get?*

"This is my Senior Brother Fifth, Hei Baizi," Jiang Luofu whispered, introducing him to Zu An. "Xie Xiu is his disciple."

Zu An thought, *This Xie Xiu fellow was so secretive before, claiming the Xie family had little influence in the capital and that for a mere son of a prefect to be directly admitted to the Imperial Academy was already the limit, let alone entering the back mountain upon arrival. It seems the Xie family's background isn't simple at all.*

At that moment, Xie Xiu also noticed them and instantly breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had found his savior. "Teacher Jiang, Ah Zu!"

Jiang Luofu nodded slightly to him, then stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Senior Brother Fifth."

"Oh, it's Junior Sister Eighth," Hei Baizi said, glancing back at the two. He responded casually, then his gaze fell upon Zu An, his eyes suddenly flashing with intense light. "Are you Zu An from the Eastern Palace, the one who invented Gomoku?"

Zu An instinctively nodded. "Just a small game, hardly worth mentioning."

Hei Baizi stroked the goatee on his chin and said gravely, "How can this be called a small game? To reinvent a new way to play Go, and significantly lower the entry barrier—such an accomplishment can only be achieved by a grandmaster of chess. For years, I've prided myself on being a chess sage, yet I've never conceived of inventing a new game myself. Your Gomoku, though seemingly simple, has complete rules and hidden depths. I truly admire you."

Zu An gave an awkward laugh. "You flatter me, you flatter me." *Damn it, I only introduced Gomoku because I don't know how to play Go! How could I be arrogant in front of a true chess master?*

Hei Baizi seized the opportunity to grasp Zu An's hand and pull him to the table. "Come, come, let's play a game. Xie Xiu, you useless fellow, move aside and watch how a true master plays."

Zu An's heart tightened. Although he hadn't been particularly guarded, the fact that the opponent instantly seized his hand showed that his timing and speed were top-notch. This person's cultivation level was absolutely not to be underestimated.

Hearing this, Xie Xiu wasn't displeased; instead, he excitedly made way. "Brother Zu, please sit here quickly." Finally, someone had come to rescue him from his torment. Although he wasn't proficient in cultivation, he had put a great deal of effort into niche skills like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to impress girls. His chess skills in Brightmoon City might not be ranked first, but they were definitely among the top five, or even top three. Unfortunately, in recent days, Hei Baizi had been dragging him into games. At first, he was delighted, thinking he could showcase his abilities to his teacher and earn his high regard. But who knew that even after giving him a few handicap stones, Hei Baizi still effortlessly routed him, leaving him completely defeated. Losing to the renowned Chess Sage wasn't a big deal; it was entirely expected. But he couldn't stand the fact that the opponent kept pulling him into games, tormenting him in different ways each time, to the point where he questioned his very existence. Now, just seeing chess pieces triggered a kind of post-traumatic stress disorder. When someone finally came to save him from his misery, how could he not be happy?

At that moment, Hei Baizi glared fiercely at him. "How disrespectful! Your teacher is treating him as an equal. Quickly correct yourself and call him 'Uncle'."

Xie Xiu: "???"