I AM JUST A FARMER NOT A GOD

Chapter 14: Echoes in the Soil

Even in his absence, Li Yuan's presence lingered like the roots beneath the field.

Green Mist Village breathed in quiet rhythms—routines resumed, crops harvested, stories shared under the lantern trees. But something had shifted. The villagers could feel it: a divine current pulsing through the earth itself. The Seedbuds stood like silent sentinels at the four corners of the village, ever-watchful, their golden eyes closed unless needed.

Children dared each other to touch them. None did.

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A Sudden Stirring

One morning, Granny Xue rose with her usual pot of herbal tea only to find the air shimmering faintly.

A soft vibration rolled through the soil—like the earth exhaling.

> [System Alert: External Entity Detected — Boundary Breach Level 1]

A red ribbon of smoke slithered toward the eastern gate, unseen by most but not by the Seedbuds. Instantly, three of them opened their eyes and stepped forward, arms unfolding like branches. The air thickened. Leaves spiraled from nowhere.

The smoke screeched and twisted back—but not fast enough.

A single Seedbud raised its hand.

Roots exploded from the ground, binding the entity mid-air.

It wailed and shattered into mist.

The villagers stared in stunned silence.

Mei Lin tugged at her father's sleeve.

> "Will they always protect us like this?"

Her father nodded.

> "As long as he lives. Maybe even beyond."

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Dream of the Farmer

That night, many dreamed.

Not ordinary dreams, but echoes of Li Yuan.

They saw him kneeling before ancient shrines. Facing trials not of strength, but of spirit. They saw a mountain of broken weapons and a tree growing from its heart. They saw him bleeding golden light.

They saw... hope.

Even Granny Xue, long past the age where dreams meant anything, wept as she woke.

> "He's still planting, even now."

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A Message in the Earth

Near the central well, a new flower bloomed. None had planted it.

It was shaped like a crescent hoe, its petals green-gold.

Underneath it, carved into stone:

> "Keep the soil alive, and I will always return."

The village gathered in reverent silence.

Though no words were spoken, a collective vow was felt: they would guard what he left behind. And in doing so, they became part of his cultivation, part of the growth he sowed beyond divine power.

As night fell, the Seedbuds closed their eyes again.

The wind calmed.

And the soil—listened.

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