"Hmm, and it’s the highest rank; when the Emperor sees it, he must return the courtesy," Wuu Anguo explained to Shamoke, noting that during this era, the Han Marquises still held considerable influence.

"You said he can increase the crop yield?" Shamoke also realized at this point that he’d likely offended someone, especially the one whose cow had been killed—he could only pretend he hadn’t seen it.

"With your farming methods, even with cultivated soil, you can only yield one bushel per mu. I can make it yield three bushels," Qu Qi leaned out and said.

Those untrained Shanyue recruits behind Shamoke couldn’t help but whisper at Qu Qi’s words. After all, nothing is more reliable than growing grain; yielding one bushel per mu, minus seeds and no taxes, fifty mu would be enough for food, clothing, and necessities. Yielding three bushels, the Shanyue recruits couldn’t even imagine how prosperous they would be.

Qu Qi, on his way here, had already understood the soil quality of this place quite well. The reason he paid special attention to the soil of that wild paddy before was more to see if the soil was the cause of so many issues with the paddy.

"Someone, get this trouble-stirring fellow cooked for me." Shamoke, who initially feared the opponent’s Marquis status, immediately turned hostile and unrecognizing; he had farmed before. This land still in the process of being reclaimed, although Jiangnan’s climate is not bad, yet for three bushels—that kind of yield only comes from very fertile upper fields.

Qu Qi was downright baffled, never seen such a jerk, and immediately got angry, "Wait until I see Sunx Bofu, I’ll have him cook you!" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Sunx Ce’s deterrence wasn’t bad; it instantly intimidated Shamoke, and beside him, the Shanyue people also felt slightly restless. Anyway, for them, this land, even if it barely qualifies as cultivated soil, no matter how you plant it, it can only yield one bushel.

For these Shanyue people, as they can only yield one bushel by themselves anyway, they might as well listen to this guy boasting. Maybe a little more harvest, even one bushel more, is also profitable.

Hence a group of Shanyue people actually didn’t have much thought of cooking Qu Qi, especially since Shamoke wasn’t the true leader of the Shanyue. Although they had surrendered to Sunx Bofu, Zhou Yu appeased the Shanyue people without getting a Han Chief; yet letting Yan Yu, the Shanyue leader, continue wasn’t possible, so they compromised by bringing in Shamoke.

Therefore, Yan Yu went to the Wu Creek Barbarians to become the new boss. Although both brought quite a lot of subordinates, just by their political capability, it was impossible to thoroughly win over those under them in such a short time.

Although the Shanyue people showed face and recognized Shamoke as the boss as per Sunx Ce’s intention due to his combat power, that’s under normal circumstances, and cooking a Marquis—this Shanyue hadn’t gone that crazy, not even Sunx Ce could bear such a mess.

Thus seeing things were amiss, the Shanyue people decisively restrained Shamoke.

"Cough cough cough, leader, this person is a Han Marquise nonetheless, and he claims he can make cultivated soil yield three bushels; let’s give it a try. If it doesn’t work, he’s just a fraud, then cook him." The Shanyue small chief quickly advised Shamoke.

"You bunch of guys, haven’t you suffered enough? How could there be such a person in this world?" Shamoke said unpleasantly, then turned towards Qu Qi, "That Han over there, sure you dare make a written pledge with me; if you can’t achieve it, I’ll cook you."

"Oh, alright." Qu Qi spoke with a calm face; his focus had already shifted away from Shamoke as he had just found another rather strange weed.

"Marquis Cang, did you understand what he said?" Wuu Anguo furiously transmitted his voice.

"Oh, nothing important; as long as they follow instructions, I’ll have the Shanyue people cook that guy across," Qu Qi nonchalantly responded.

What happened afterwards was entirely beyond Shamoke’s understanding, as Qu Qi led the Shanyue people around fetching humus soil. Anyway, the two sides had signed a document, and the Shanyue people didn’t have much else to do apart from farming, so they began with the mindset of potentially harvesting more.

Humus, plant ash, compost; ultimately resulting in the scene before them...

"Add some more pepper and spices, cook with high heat..." Qu Qi had now become the boss among the Shanyue; the previous boss, Shamoke, was now being thrown into the bronze cauldron, with spices added and cooked. Of course, it was Shamoke’s own request.

Qu Qi knew from an immortal’s advice regarding Inner Qi Manifestation, which is an abnormal life form, so he didn’t act as Shamoke thought—where he would yield, and then be released.

Qu Qi decisively had Shamoke cooked, while various Shanyue chiefs, along with a large group of subordinates, helped keep the fire going, in short, tossing Shamoke into the cauldron; still, it was useless. The water was boiling, and the spices released flavor, but Shamoke, in there, acted like he was bathing without any issue.

"The hide is so thick." Qu Qi said, looking at the boiling water in the bronze cauldron and curled his lip; Shamoke chuckled awkwardly, now aware that the young man in front was someone not to be messed with.

"Already cooked; no point continuing this, that’s enough." Qu Qi, too lazy to argue with Shamoke, waved him away, indicating he should leave and stop bothering him.

Had it not been Shamoke dragging the bronze cauldron over himself saying he must fulfill the document’s agreement, Qu Qi might have forgotten about it.

When he heard it at the time, Qu Qi was somewhat puzzled; the talk of cooking was initially meant as a joke, but the other really wanted to cook himself—this was a man. Qu Qi immediately attempted to stop it, but then two immortals transmitted their voices saying Inner Qi Manifestation was thick-skinned not fearing cooking.

Suddenly Qu Qi was displeased, and would rather annoy Shamoke than let him go, so he called people to prepare things, add water and spices, starting to cook.

And the result was this—a non-sealed Inner Qi Manifestation, utterly unfazed by cooking, proving Inner Qi Manifestation beings had changed in life level.

"Thanks, Marquis Cang, for your forgiveness," Shamoke said with a chuckle, now fully aware his earlier schemes had long been seen through.

"Alright, alright, you guys are done watching the show, now hurry up and farm. I’ve looked at what you’ve planted; it can be replanted for another crop next year, start earlier next time." Qu Qi began driving out the Shanyue chiefs, who all escaped laughingly.

Now Qu Qi held higher prestige in Shanyue than any previous Shanyue leader; they even built a temple for him, adjusting to such scenarios long ago. However, what he wasn’t used to was that Shanyue people revered him as part of their sacrifices, his primary duty being to offer sacrifices to Qu Qi himself...

After all, solving the grain issue made Qu Qi lord here; the Shanyue people even quietly abducted a pretty aristocratic girl to gift to Qu Qi.

"Qu Hanmo, I’ve come to see you!" Just as Qu Qi was pondering where to find another experimental material, outside the residence, a girl’s voice was heard.

"You pesky girl, why are you here again?" Qu Qi leaned out from the central court, looking at Ji Xue asking; she was the pretty girl seized by Shanyue for Qu Qi previously.

"Nothing much at home, I’ve brought you some things." Ji Xue said with a crescent-moon-eye smile.

Qu Qi glanced at her and silently walked away; his childhood sweetheart had long passed away, making him indifferent, otherwise perhaps he wouldn’t be so old without wives and concubines.

The Ji family of Eastern Wu, as Qu Qi noted was indeed a small world; this girl was none other than the daughter of Ji Xiang’s brother, thus Ji Xiang’s niece.

After Qu Qi left the Xu Family’s realm, the Ji Family head brought their legitimate daughter to await his passing, but within three months, even the slow-reacting Ji Family realized Qu Qi was gone...

The Ji family was thoroughly panicked at that time, promptly dispatching people to find Qu Qi, but to no avail, for their legitimate daughter also disappeared.

The Shanyue already treated Qu Qi as a lord by then; none were blind, after all. Actually, even during crop growth, it was visible, but such an obvious point during fruiting.

Hence by the time, those Shanyue chiefs had deliberated, ready to snatch some maids and warming girls for Qu Qi.