That evening, Zhou Ping retreated to a nearby hill to inhale and exhale the breath of heaven and earth, finally recovering his spiritual energy. However, in a place where the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth was so thin, the process was excruciatingly slow. It was fortunate that his body could only accommodate nine strands of Spirit Qi; otherwise, a full recovery would have taken him three to five days and nights.
He also took the opportunity to test his family's innate talent. After all, if they possessed even a modicum of talent, they could draw Qi into their bodies to nourish themselves-prolonging their lives and warding off all ailments, even at an advanced age.
Regrettably, even for the most promising candidate, Zhou Changhe, the spiritual light manifesting above his head was only half an inch high. It fell far short of the one-inch threshold required to embark on cultivation, meaning he was fated to have no connection with the immortal path in this lifetime. The others were in an even worse state, displaying only the faintest glimmers of light.
"The immortal destiny is indeed difficult to find," Zhou Ping sighed softly.
He had previously tried using his Ding Fire to elevate the talent of others, but it proved utterly ineffective, as if the flame could only act upon his own body. Refusing to accept it, he tried again today, but the Ding Fire within him remained completely unchanged-neither increasing nor decreasing.
The next day, the front gate of the Zhou family residence was bustling with noise, packed with a dense, pressing crowd. Zhou Hong stood at the forefront, blocking the entrance like a one-man barrier.
"Don't crowd! It's too early in the morning to be making such a racket."
"Is it true that your family wants to buy land?" an old man in tattered clothes asked loudly. His family owned over ten mu of fields, but since both his sons had perished in the mountains, he could not farm the land alone, and the fields had gradually gone barren. He had been unwilling to sell them for a pittance to the wealthy clans, so he naturally hoped the rumors about the Zhou family were true.
"My younger brother is an immortal master; how could he possibly deceive you?" Zhou Hong shouted in a booming voice, showing no sign of panic.
Last night, Zhou Ping had pulled out dozens of glittering gold ingots for them to see, weighing several jin in total.
Hearing this, the old man's face lit up with joy. He pushed and squeezed his way forward, terrified of being left at the back, worried that by the time the Zhou family reached him, they would have run out of money.
The others were equally unwilling to yield, frantically shoving their way to the front. Their families were dirt poor, and now that someone was finally willing to purchase land at a high price, they could not afford to miss the opportunity. They certainly couldn't sell to the wealthy clans-those heartless foxes would easily devalue mid-grade fields into low-grade ones.
Further away, beneath the eaves of a distant roof, several figures stood watching the commotion at the Zhou residence.
"Elder, are we really just going to stand by and watch the Zhou family buy up all this land?" a man beside Liu Quan couldn't help but ask.
"Are you a fool? Since Zhou Erlang (Zhou Ping's childhood name) wishes to turn enemies into friends and hasn't seized our land, why should we bother going against him?" Liu Quan said irritably. In a large clan, there were always a few whose minds were dull.
What he did not say, however, was that if the Zhou family ever showed signs of decline, he would immediately turn from friend to foe and strike them down without hesitation.
On the other side, the members of the Qian, Wang, and Sun families were also closely monitoring the situation.
The Qian family patriarch, Qian Yuanqing, was an old man with a fat head and large ears. If not for the occasional glint of shrewdness that flickered across his narrowed eyes, one might easily mistake him for a mediocre, incompetent fool.
"Patriarch, how should we deal with the Zhou family going forward?" a young clansman nearby asked.
Qian Yuanqing watched Zhou Hong bustling about in the distance. "Wait. The Zhou family's foundation is thin, and Zhou Erlang (Zhou Ping's childhood name) has not truly attained the Dao. He won't outlive us by many years. Even if they flourish for a time, so what?"
"How can we just wait? What if they grow stronger and stronger?" the young clansman asked anxiously.
"His family only has two male heirs. Even if you give them decades, can their numbers ever match our clan's?" Qian Yuanqing spoke with calm confidence. "Once Zhou Erlang (Zhou Ping's childhood name) grows old and decrepit, the Zhou family will naturally decline."
"But what if he actually attains the Dao?" the young clansman countered. "I've heard that immortal masters who attain the Dao can live for at least a century. We can't let the Zhou family suppress us for a hundred years, can we?"
"The probability of that is pitifully small. If he truly had any hope of breaking through, he wouldn't have returned to our tiny village," Qian Yuanqing chuckled. "Look at those immortal masters in the county town-every single one of them only returned because they had no hope of a breakthrough. A decade has passed, and they are now old and withered. Have you seen any of them succeed?"
"Let him be strong; the clear wind still brushes the mountain ridge."
"Then why don't our families join forces to eliminate him now? That way, we won't have to live under the Zhou family's shadow."
As soon as the young clansman spoke those words, Qian Yuanqing's expression changed drastically.
"You utterly foolish cretin!"
"He may not have attained the Dao, but that does not mean he lacks methods. Yesterday, several men from the Liu family were severely injured by him in an instant. Do you possess such capability?"
"But I've heard that cultivators who haven't attained the Dao aren't that formidable," the youth muttered back.
Qian Yuanqing sneered. "They may not be overwhelmingly powerful, but they are still far stronger than us mortals. If we truly engage in a feud, how many lives are you prepared to sacrifice? Ten? Or twenty?"
"If he grows desperate and decides to drag one of our families down to the grave with him, wouldn't that simply benefit the others?"
"Our Qian family only consists of a few dozen members. Do you wish to bury us all?"
"I warn you, if you dare utter such nonsense again, I will personally send you on your way to ensure you don't embroil me in your ruin."
Because of Zhou Ping's presence, the wealthy clans were all wary, terrified that pushing him too hard would result in him dragging them down with him in his final moments. Fortunately, the lifespan of a Spirit Awakening Realm cultivator was no different from that of a mortal, perhaps only slightly longer.
Once Zhou Ping passed away, could the Zhou family's population ever compete with theirs? Furthermore, their own clans were large and would branch out further, producing descendants who would study literature and practice martial arts. If a high official or a true cultivator emerged from their lineages in the future, what would they have to fear from the Zhous?
The larger a family grew, the less willing they were to take unnecessary risks.
At that moment, several yamen runners appeared at the village entrance, accompanying a middle-aged man adorned in an official robe, making their way toward the Zhou residence.
"Lord Lin has arrived!"
As the yamen runner's shout echoed like a clap of thunder from a clear sky, the noisy, chaotic crowd fell instantly silent. Everyone knelt on the ground in unison.
"It's the Master of Records!"
The ordinary citizens only knew that a high official had arrived, but they had no idea who he was. However, the patriarchs of the wealthy clans changed expression slightly, recognizing the man as Lin Ruohe, the Master of Records of Qingshui County.
They hurriedly emerged from their properties and knelt along the sides of the road, not daring to show the slightest negligence.
Although the Master of Records was not a high-ranking official, he was still far beyond their ability to offend. Moreover, he was responsible for tax collection. If they incurred his grievance, their future days would be filled with misery.
Yet, Lin Ruohe paid them no heed whatsoever, walking unhurriedly toward the Zhou residence. Deep within his eyes, a flicker of joy emerged.
"My child, there is hope for you."
Hearing the commotion, Zhou Ping emerged from the house. Seeing an official arrive, he couldn't help but feel a sudden pang of doubt.
Logically speaking, the transfer of land deeds only required ordinary clerks to handle the registration. Why had an actual official been drawn here? Could the Liu family be playing some underhanded trick?
Zhou Ping, after all, had not yet become a true immortal master. When face-to-face with a court official, he naturally had to offer his respects, though he had no need to perform a full kowtow like the commoners.
Just as he was about to bow with clasped hands, Lin Ruohe quickened his pace, stepping forward to firmly grasp Zhou Ping's arm. "Are you Immortal Master Zhou?"
"You flatter me, Lord Lin. Zhou is merely a man who has returned home after failing to find his destiny," Zhou Ping replied, surprised. Minor cultivators like him who failed to enter the true path were not entirely rare; there were several in the county town. It shouldn't warrant such immense courtesy from an official.
One had to remember that the dynasties of this world were established by great cultivators. Though Lin Ruohe was a minor official, he could easily fabricate a charge against a mortal family, and the imperial court would dispatch powerful cultivators to suppress them.
"Ah, not at all, not at all!" Lin Ruohe waved his hand. "Immortal Master, your path ahead is vast and bright. You are merely facing a temporary bottleneck. How can you say you lack destiny?"
Though it was mere flattery, the words still brought a sense of gratification to Zhou Ping's heart.
"I heard from the villagers that there was a major transaction of land occurring here, and that an immortal master had descended upon the village. Thus, I came personally to oversee the matter and to catch a glimpse of your esteemed countenance," Lin Ruohe said with a smile.
However, Zhou Ping did not believe for a second that an official would come solely for a land transaction. There had to be an underlying motive.
Just as he was about to probe further, Lin Ruohe preempted him, speaking to the kneeling crowd. "All of you, rise."
"Who wishes to transfer their land? State your business to this official immediately."
Zhou Hong was entirely bewildered by the turn of events, but he could only steel himself and step forward. "My Lord, it is this lowly grassroot who wishes to purchase the land."
"Whose land do you intend to buy?" Lin Ruohe asked, adopting a businesslike tone.
"Me! It's me!" The old man from before immediately pushed past the crowd and shouted.
"Very well," Lin Ruohe declared, pointing to one of the yamen runners. "Accompany him to measure the plots. Ensure there is absolutely no fraud or deception."
The entire measurement process proceeded with great efficiency. For any villager who attempted to misrepresent their land or whose claims didn't align with the original deeds, Lin Ruohe would correct the discrepancies on the spot and record them into the fish-scale register.
As the yamen runners went out one after another, Zhou Ping's mood grew increasingly heavy.
He was merely a minor cultivator at the Spirit Awakening Realm, someone who hadn't even set foot on the true path of cultivation. Yet, this Master of Records was acting with such uncharacteristic diligence, personally managing a simple land trade. The favor he intended to ask must be monumental.
As time passed, the sun gradually climbed to its zenith. Zhou Hong now held more than a dozen brand-new land deeds in his hands, yet he couldn't bring himself to smile. The papers felt like a hot potato in his grip.
"A total of eighty-three mu! This includes six mu of high-grade fields, eighteen mu of mid-grade fields, and fifty-nine mu of low-grade fields," a yamen runner reported, bowing to Lin Ruohe.
Adding their original six mu, the Zhou family now possessed eighty-nine mu of land. For a family of six, this was more than enough to close their gates and live comfortably as landlords.
The wealthy clans watching from afar were green with envy. Although each of their families owned several hundred mu of land, they also had far more mouths to feed.
Furthermore, it was obvious that the ordinary villagers had mostly sold off their low-grade fields. Those who parted with high- or mid-grade fields had only done so out of absolute, desperate necessity.
"Go and verify everything once more. There must be no errors whatsoever. Once we return to the county, I shall treat you all to tea," Lin Ruohe commanded solemnly.
"Yes, my Lord." The yamen runners had been working hard all morning and were thoroughly exhausted, especially since they hadn't been able to skim any extra perks from the poor villagers. They naturally harbored some silent complaints, but Lin Ruohe was no fool and knew how to dispense small favors.
To "treat them to tea" was simply a euphemism for giving these runners a monetary reward.
The fields had already been verified twice; there was no way an error existed. This extra check was merely a performance staged for the Zhou family to witness.
Once the yamen runners returned and confirmed that everything was correct, Lin Ruohe turned to Zhou Hong and spoke with great solemnity. "The land has been thoroughly verified without error. Next year, ensure that you sow the grain early. Though the land tax may seem minor, it accumulates over time."
Zhou Ping's expression shifted drastically. On the surface, Lin Ruohe appeared to be earnestly advising them not to let the fields go to waste, but in reality, it was a subtle, veiled threat.
It seemed that whatever the official required of them, the Zhou family would have no choice but to comply. Otherwise, their future in this region would be incredibly difficult.
"Brother, should we pack up and flee?" Zhou Hong muttered in a low, serious voice as he stepped up behind Zhou Ping. "At worst, we can just hide out in the mountains."
He was terrified-terrified that this official's involvement would bring harm to his younger brother. He was fully prepared to abandon everything and retreat into the wilderness.
A wave of warmth surged through Zhou Ping's heart. He gently patted the back of his brother's hand, soothing his anxious mind.
"As long as I am here, nothing will go wrong."
"Old Zhou, you can just sit back and enjoy a life of blessing from now on!" an old villager teased Zhou Dashan, causing the latter to beam with joy. He had never been so happy in his entire life; even the deep wrinkles on his weathered face seemed to overflow with newfound vitality.
Mother Huang was also surrounded by a group of village women. Though a trace of anxiety lingered between her brows, it was quickly drowned out by the overwhelming tide of congratulations.
"You truly have a blessed life to have given birth to such a wonderful son."
"Has your Erlang taken a wife yet? What do you think of my daughter?"
...
Zhou Ping gazed at the joyful smiles of his parents, only to suddenly feel something wrapping around his leg. Looking down, he saw his nephew, Changhe, clutching his calf and looking up at him with a wide, innocent grin.
"Uncle, hold me!"
Zhou Ping let out a soft laugh and scooped Changhe into his arms, holding him tight. Was this peaceful, joyous scene not exactly what he had been striving to protect?
When the soldiers arrive, we shall deploy generals to block them; when the water rises, we shall use earth to dam it. Since Lin Ruohe had a request to make, it was highly unlikely to be something entirely beyond his current capability.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPLdVq8VaL
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDcoGDiYL2
→ Request update
and then Add to home screen.