While Li Fusheng and Sara were looking around at the crops everywhere, in the Loulan conference room, the ministers were also secretly probing Saya.
First, they needed to confirm whether she had been controlled by genjutsu.
The result was no result. Queen Saya looked completely normal, but the ministers had never actually encountered genjutsu before, so they dared not guarantee what difference there really was between a person who was controlled and one who was not.
To be safe, it was better to invite some shinobi adults over to help check.
After the meeting ended, several ministers exchanged glances before leaving one by one.
Saya was completely oblivious to this. Although she noticed that today those few people kept wandering off-topic mid-sentence, followed by reminiscing and sighing over past events, she simply assumed it was caused by An Lushan's rebellion.
She never dreamed that they were worried she had been controlled by genjutsu and were conducting a series of probings.
On the other side, led by Sara, Li Fusheng came to another peasant's home.
What was planted here was no longer sweet potatoes, but a crop he did not recognize. It was said that the sap of this plant had certain hemostatic properties, while the dried branches and leaves also had certain detoxifying effects.
It could be sold as medicinal herbs to Sunagakure.
However, similarly, the yield was low, and they usually only sold once every two or three years' accumulated harvest.
Although Li Fusheng did not recognize this plant, he could still use his beginner-level Earth Release Technique to sense the situation a distance underground.
He found that this crop's root system went much deeper underground than other crops, indicating that it had a higher demand for moisture.
The reason for the low yield was most likely still insufficient water.
This could not be changed for the time being, but he was not completely out of ideas. After returning to his quarters, Li Fusheng neither sat cross-legged to absorb Spiritual Energy nor chanted the Calm Heart Incantation to refine his mind. Instead, he began familiarizing himself with another spell he remembered in his mind.
He had originally planned to wait until his Earth Release Technique reached small success before cultivating other family spells, but now, to improve Loulan's crop growing environment, the plan needed to be brought forward somewhat.
His family had possessed this spell since the Qin Dynasty. Through continuous improvements later on, the cultivation requirements for the spell became lower and lower, while its effects improved significantly. The original name of the spell could no longer keep up with the times.
Thus, an ancestor in the last dynasty before the Dharma Ending Age very decisively borrowed (plagiarized) the name of a Daoist divine power, calling it [Calling Wind].
Matched with it were [Rain Summoning], [Riding Clouds], and [Driving Mist].
However, these spells progressed step by step; if the preceding ones were not mastered, the subsequent ones could not be used either.
Only with enough wind could the moisture in the environment be gathered as much as possible, which, combined with the effect of spiritual power, summoned rain to descend. With enough water, an appropriate amount of moisture could then evaporate to condense into clouds and fog.
This was not only metaphysical but also matched science.
According to family records, to learn the spell Calling Wind, the spiritual power within one's body had to reach twice that of someone just entering Qi Condensation.
Through his cultivation during this period, the amount of Spiritual Energy was fully sufficient, but he had previously spent all his time on the Earth Release Technique, which was the easiest spell for self-preservation.
While Li Fusheng cultivated the new spell, Sara ran off to tell Saya what she had seen and heard today.
The bragging component probably made up the majority of it. After all, her fiancé understood so many things; if she didn't brag a bit, it would feel terribly stifling inside.
After listening to Sara's narration, Saya grew even more curious about Li Fusheng's true identity.
One had to know that whether they were samurai from the Land of Iron or shinobi from various Shinobi Villages, anyone with even a sliver of strength would never put their energy and thoughts into farming.
Even if common people starved to death, these people would never lack food.
Yet Li Fusheng not only possessed decent strength, but he was also actually proficient in farming. This was simply too strange.
Li Fusheng's "half-baked" theory was, in Saya's view, nothing short of mastery.
"Perhaps he really can improve Loulan's current situation."
Although Loulan's common people were not starving to death right now, they were not eating very well either. This was likewise a situation intentionally controlled by the surrounding nations to deprive you of the energy and physical stamina to cultivate.
Putting aside whether they would need to resist various nations in the future, at least ensuring that civilians could eat their fill and eat well was also her responsibility as queen.
Saya's thoughts drifted far away. Sara was still waiting to hear her mother praise her fiancé, only to find that she had begun spacing out.
She curled her lips, chose not to disturb her, and quietly left the study.
Three days later, Sunagakure, the Shinobi Village closest to Loulan, suddenly received a plea for help from Loulan.
The Third Kazekage immediately summoned Chiyo and other Sunagakure elders to a meeting for discussion.
Unlike missions in other places, because of the existence of the Dragon Vein, Loulan could not tolerate the slightest carelessness.
"Loulan Queen Saya is suspected of being controlled by someone using genjutsu? Kazekage, is the source of the news reliable? Could it be those fellows from other villages intentionally spreading false information?" Chiyo asked with some suspicion.
Such a thing was something both A of Kumogakure and Ohnoki of Iwagakure were capable of doing.
They would send someone to investigate Loulan, then use that as an excuse to frame the investigating village for harboring malicious intentions toward Loulan, and subsequently dispatch troops.
Perhaps their target was Konohagakure, and by some twist of fate, this plea for help had been sent to Sunagakure.
"Elder Chiyo makes sense, but it's also possible that some minister truly noticed the Queen fell victim to a genjutsu and deliberately sent this plea for help. Therefore, we must send people to investigate and get to the bottom of the truth."
If it were the former, they should resolutely flee and turtle up inside the village; presumably, neither Kumogakure nor Iwagakure would come to attack. If it were the latter, and they chose not to investigate out of fear that it was a conspiracy, once discovered, it would instead become a pretext for other villages to attack.
Hearing this, Chiyo also understood that someone had to be sent. But who should be sent?
Someone too weak wouldn't do; since there might possibly exist a shinobi proficient in genjutsu, sending a Genjin or even a Chunin would be serving themselves up on a platter and might instead become part of the other party's plan.
Yet sending a Jonin to lead a team—the village itself was already short-handed.
"Send Rasa," the Third Kazekage said after a moment of thought.
Rasa was his disciple and also one of the candidates for the next Kazekage. It was time for him to start learning about the Dragon Vein as well.
Moreover, Rasa's strength was quite good, and he could perform exceptionally well in the desert, worth a whole Jonin-led squad by himself.
"As for Rasa, his strength is fine, but he's currently researching a ninjutsu and specifically asked for leave beforehand," Ebizo chimed in from the side, interrupting the conversation.
Jonin in the village normally needed to take on missions too. If they genuinely had personal matters, they had to request leave in advance so they wouldn't be assigned missions.
Rasa had a recent flash of insight and was in the midst of developing his own Kekkei Genkai ninjutsu, so he had specifically requested half a month of leave.
Although this mission was very important, the Third Kazekage certainly was unwilling to disrupt his disciple's cultivation either. He thought for another moment and stated another name.