Night fell.
In the Lin family courtyard, candlelight flickered. Several figures sat around the table. Though the dishes were not rare delicacies, the spread was extremely generous.
"Brother Ping, let me offer you a toast." Lin Ruohe's face was flushed red. His body swayed unsteadily, thoroughly drunk, yet he still raised his wine cup solemnly toward Zhou Ping.
Zhou Ping downed the cup in one gulp, his own face reddening. He stood and smiled. "Elder Brother is too polite. Come, let me return the toast."
He was a cultivator, after all. His physique was stronger than that of an ordinary mortal, making it harder for him to succumb to the drink. Though he could use Spiritual Qi to force the alcohol from his system, Zhou Ping needed to keep his reserves for self-defense; he naturally wouldn't waste it here.
Lin Ruohe swayed and leaned his entire weight against Zhou Ping, suddenly bursting into loud, wailing sobs. "Your elder brother is just so happy today!"
"My Lin family has had only a single heir for three generations. I am past forty, and I finally had this child. I was afraid of dropping him if I held him in my hands, and afraid of melting him if I held him in my mouth."
"The whole family doted on him, only wishing for him to grow up safely. I never imagined we would suffer such a calamity. My elderly mother was so worried she wept until she went blind."
"Brother Ping, you are the savior of my Lin family."
"From now on, if there is anything you need from me, just say the word. I will march into ten thousand deaths without hesitation."
Beside them, Madam Lin also wept and bowed deeply. "This wife thanks our benefactor."
Zhou Ping held Lin Ruohe's arm and comforted him softly. "It is alright. Things are already getting better."
"However, let Nephew Zhao rest and recuperate for a few more days. Just have him move about a little during the day and bask in the sun."
"Of course, of course," Madam Lin immediately replied.
"Brother Ping, I have nothing grand to offer in thanks." Lin Ruohe was dead drunk, reeking of alcohol, yet he withdrew a piece of yellow paper from his sleeve. "I could only secure you the position of Village Head of Baixi Village. I hope you will be magnanimous, Brother Ping, and not take offense."
Zhou Ping felt a sudden surge of joy, yet he also understood the situation.
Lin Ruohe was merely a Master of Records, a ninth-rank official. It sounded respectable, but Qingshui County also had an Assistant Magistrate. The responsibilities of the Master of Records and the Assistant Magistrate largely overlapped, and since the latter held a higher rank, Lin Ruohe's power had naturally been hollowed out, rendering his position in name only.
No wonder those old cultivators in the city had stood by and watched. It simply wasn't worth the effort.
They lived comfortably in the city; they couldn't exactly throw away half their lives for a Village Head position in some desolate wilderness.
But Zhou Ping was quite pleased. Those old fellows didn't care about being Village Head, but he did.
One must know that while the post of Village Head was small, its authority within the village was absolute. It was responsible for assisting the local government in urging the collection of taxes and corvée labor, as well as supervising whether the villagers obeyed the law. Whoever took the seat of Village Head became the local emperor of the village.
Because the four major surnames of Baixi Village refused to yield to one another, the position of Village Head had remained officially vacant, its duties jointly fulfilled by the four clan patriarchs.
The county naturally paid it no mind. After all, it was a trivial post. As long as the taxes were collected and no trouble broke out, who cared who the Village Head was?
Now that Zhou Ping had done Lin Ruohe such a great favor, the man had naturally pulled strings to secure this position for him.
"Your elder brother is ashamed that he could only arrange such a lowly position for you," Lin Ruohe said, weeping with sorrow.
"How can Elder Brother say that? Though I cultivate the Dao, I am but a commoner. If I were to climb high without understanding government affairs, I would only bring you trouble," Zhou Ping said slowly. "Baixi Village is my home. I am familiar with the neighbors, and the folk are harmonious. Handling matters there will be natural for me, and I won't cause any disputes."
"Brother Ping..." Moved by Zhou Ping's words and overcome by the alcohol, Lin Ruohe grew rowdy, making the banquet lively once more.
It wasn't until late into the night, when Madam Lin helped the dead-drunk Lin Ruohe back to their room, that Zhou Ping could finally retire to the guest room.
Once inside, however, Zhou Ping felt little sleepiness. Aside from a flush on his face, he showed no signs of intoxication. In his hands, he held several items.
The first was the appointment letter for Village Head. The second was several thin gold leaves. The last was a small porcelain bottle that emanated a chilling aura.
Looking at the thin gold leaves, Zhou Ping could not help but chuckle. He had made some easy money for nothing.
He had naturally accepted these gold leaves from that servant-this was hush money from those cultivation families.
Of course, they could hardly be considered true cultivation families. Aside from those few Spirit Awakening Realm cultivators, the rest were mere mortals; they could only be counted as wealthy local landowners.
Only when a new spiritually gifted child was born among their descendants and the inheritance was successfully passed down could they truly call themselves a cultivation family.
But while cultivation techniques were common, a spiritually gifted child was hard to find!
Even Zhou Ping had prepared a decent Qi-induction method and some techniques for his descendants, but if no one in the next generation possessed spiritual aptitude, all of it would be in vain.
At this thought, Zhou Ping could not help but feel a touch of melancholy. He quickly dispelled the distracting thoughts from his mind.
Though the gold leaves were light in weight, if exchanged for silver, they would amount to over a dozen taels-enough to buy two or three mu of farmland.
"Quite generous," Zhou Ping smiled, tucking the gold leaves into his robes. There were five old cultivators in the city, meaning each had coughed up three or four taels.
Still, Zhou Ping didn't feel looked down upon. After all, who would complain about having too much money? His family still needed to buy land, build houses, purchase livestock, and establish an estate-every step required silver.
He had reaped these benefits without uttering a single word, and he had gained favors from both sides. Why wouldn't he be happy?
Zhou Ping then picked up the small porcelain bottle. Waves of icy coldness continuously invaded his body, but his brow furrowed slightly.
He could sense that the already thin Yin Malefic Qi inside was slowly dissipating. Though the rate was slow, it was undeniably leaking.
"Sigh."
This small porcelain bottle was ultimately an ordinary object, incapable of sealing the Yin Malefic Qi. If it were a jade bottle, it would provide better insulation and keep the Yin Malefic Qi from dispersing.
'It seems I need to sell it quickly. The longer I wait, the worse the price will be.'
From the moment he recognized the Yin Malefic Qi, Zhou Ping had planned to collect and sell it.
Qi Condensation Realm cultivation required refining the Qi of heaven and earth, and Yin Malefic Qi was naturally highly sought after by certain cultivators.
Zhou Ping had gathered Yin Malefic Qi in the past, so he naturally knew that top-quality Yin Malefic Qi was worth two Spirit Stones. The wisp before him, however, was of inferior quality, and it was continuously leaking. He would be lucky to sell it for half a Spirit Stone.
If he waited too long, he wouldn't even be able to get half a stone for it.
'But who should I sell it to?' Zhou Ping couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Having just returned to this place, he had no connections. As for seeking out the Pingyun Huang Clan of Qingshui County, never mind the long journey-he simply lacked the courage.
The Pingyun Huang Clan resided in the eastern part of Qingshui County, dwelling at the foot of a mountain rich in spiritual energy. Their clan numbered in the thousands, and they boasted two or three Qi Condensation cultivators-they were a true cultivation clan.
He was merely a lowly Spirit Awakening Realm cultivator. If they killed him and stole his goods, he wouldn't even have a place to seek justice.
As for why Lin Ruohe hadn't sought help from the Pingyun Huang Clan in the first place, it was simply because he was too poor to afford their price. The Pingyun Huang Clan was practically independent of Qingshui County; Lin Ruohe couldn't coerce them even if he tried.
Then, a thought suddenly struck Zhou Ping. He didn't have connections, but he could seek out those old cultivators in the county seat. They had been rooted there for decades; they were bound to know some avenues.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8Gse8tmQg
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