Having acquired the devastated Mount Huaqian, the Li family's craftsmen and laborers, idle for several years, finally had an outlet for their energies. The surplus populations of the various towns also found a destination, bringing a sudden surge of vitality. Swarms of artisans flooded into the foot of the ruined mountain, beginning construction and repairs one after another.
The entire Qingwu ore vein had fallen into the Li family's domain. They continued to use the formation discs left behind by the Lu family, but without the meddlesome interference of Lu cultivators and no longer needing to support an idle cohort of freeloaders indulging in food and drink, efficiency had increased considerably.
The Lu family had cared nothing for the people's livelihoods; the villages beneath Mount Huaqian had been plunged into wretched misery. When word reached the other settlements, the residents of the various towns sighed in deep sympathy. Troupe performers in the town adapted several accounts into ballads and plays. The pear garden theater was packed to the brim with not an empty seat in sight; even Li Xuanxuan quietly attended half a show, departing with an amused shake of his head.
With this contrast laid bare, the comfortable life in the four towns, which the townsfolk had grown weary of, suddenly regained its flavor. With wages tucked into their pockets, the men spoke with renewed confidence, every trade flourished, and everything was progressing toward brighter days.
The territory across the two mountains now held just over a hundred thousand townspeople, yielding a little over a thousand infants each year. Among them, one or two would be found possessing spirit apertures. However, most of these children had mediocre aptitude, unable to compare with the Li bloodline that had absorbed people with spirit apertures for several decades. Most were integrated into the Li clan and dispatched to watch over the spirit fields in the various towns.
Freshly fallen snow blanketed the entire mountain. Carrying a sack of spirit rice, Li Xuanxuan made his way up the mountain in high spirits, quickening his steps into the courtyard. Waiting until Li Tongya finished drawing the talisman in his hand, he approached with a broad smile and said respectfully,
"Second Uncle, this is the first batch of yellow jade spirit rice this year—seventy jin in total."
Yellow jade spirit rice was a newly added tribute demanded of the Li family after they became a Qi Refinement clan. Its price was four to five times that of ordinary spirit rice, and cultivating it was far more troublesome: not only did it require frequent spirit rain, but the earth veins had to be unblocked and nurtured from time to time. If cultivators were only at the first layer of Embryonic Breathing, the Xuanjing Wheel, it would likely take five or six of them working together to manage a single spirit field. Only a cultivator at the fifth layer of Embryonic Breathing, the Yujing Wheel, could cultivate one alone.
"Not bad."
Li Tongya nodded, taking the sack and looking inside. Each grain of spirit rice glistened with a jade-like golden sheen, rich with spiritual energy. He could not help but smile. "As expected of cultivation sustenance for Qi Refinement cultivators. The spiritual energy is truly abundant."
"Every five years, our Li family must deliver a full three hundred jin of yellow jade spirit rice and two thousand jin of ordinary spirit rice. The miscellaneous secondary materials for alchemy are easy enough—we can just send a few low-level Embryonic Breathing cultivators to grow them. But you must manage these two types of spirit rice properly!"
"Rest assured, Second Uncle!"
Li Xuanxuan cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Now that we have Mount Huaqian, I have already dispatched people to cultivate it. Our Li family can now yield four hundred and fifty jin of yellow jade spirit rice and over three thousand jin of ordinary spirit rice every five years, which is more than enough."
Li Tongya drew another sheet of talisman paper. After pondering for several breaths, he replied, "There is just one thing to keep in mind: try to have those Embryonic Breathing cultivators with poorer talent and lower cultivation work together on the spirit rice. Do not let cultivators of the Yujing Wheel spend any more time farming. Have them learn talisman arts... or strive to break through to Qi Refinement. You must gauge the balance carefully—do not make everyone feel it is too unfair, but do not make it overly fair either."
"I understand."
Li Xuanxuan nodded and leaned in slightly, saying in a low voice, "Your nephew has managed the household for many years now. Cultivators of ordinary talent using mediocre Embryonic Breathing arts will never break through to Yujing in their lifetimes. I know how to arrange them."
"Mm."
Li Tongya put away the finished talisman and asked, "Where is Feng'er?"
"He took his savings to the commandery capital to forge a magical artifact. He left three days ago and has not returned yet."
After Li Xuanxuan answered, Li Tongya smiled and said softly, "Being cooped up in seclusion for so long must have stifled him. Let him enjoy himself a bit."
Li Xuanxuan paused, suddenly recalling something, and lowered his voice. "Second Uncle, word came from the Chen clan. Elder Chen Erniu of the Chen family passed away last night!"
Li Tongya froze slightly. The teacup he had just lifted never reached his lips before he set it back on the table. With a dejected sigh, he replied, "It was inevitable... The old elder was a pillar of the village decades ago. He handled matters flawlessly and kept his household upright. Truly a rare man. He is related to our family by marriage as well. Come with me to pay our respects."
Seeing Li Xuanxuan nod, Li Tongya showed a complex expression and sighed under his breath. Unnoticed, the older generation had withered away—Li Mutian, Liu Linfeng, Li Chengfu, Chen Erniu... He was practically becoming the highest in seniority now.
* * *
The whistling chill of the wind rushed along the mountain's ridges into Lijing Town, driving bright white snowflakes into people's faces. It left the cheeks of the children playing in the streets flushed red with cold, yet their mouths still chattered in eager debate.
"Cousin Pingyi, Uncle Xiewen is the head of a town. Most of the clan's cultivators went to Mount Huaqian last month. Did your father tell you what happened?"
This group of children, all surnamed Li or Ye, or hailing from families tied by marriage, were bundled in padded cotton coats as they crowded around the boy in the center, craning their necks to look at him. In the middle, Li Pingyi glanced left and right at the crowd before declaring loudly:
"My father said so! Beneath Mount Huaqian are three villages, with a population barely over five thousand. Now they have received orders from the mountain to each establish a town, and our clan went to gather and survey the spirit fields!"
Li Pingyi was the eldest son of Li Xiewen's principal wife and the eldest legitimate grandson of Li Yesheng. He looked quite clever. With the Yuan generation not yet grown, and Li Yuanxiu being a well-behaved boy who disliked rowdiness, Li Pingyi had become the king of the neighborhood children, thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Then what about... Ah! It's the people from the clan rector's office!"
Before the children could ask more, two squads of clan soldiers charged out from both sides in unison, trampling the snowdrifts in the street to pieces. Spotting the children, one of the soldiers turned back to report.
Terrified, the children shrieked and scattered in all directions. Shoved from all sides in the middle of the crowd, Li Pingyi tumbled onto his knees with a thud, the impact making him see stars. He muttered grumpily:
"Don't run! Don't run! Your fathers and uncles have taught you all the wrong things... Ouch, stop pushing! They're only arresting lazy bums and bullies... We're just kids, what are you running for!"
Before Li Pingyi could finish speaking, the street was already deserted. As he scrambled back up to find the road empty, his gaze fell upon a pair of brown animal-hide boots that had appeared before him. Without even thinking, he cupped his hands and blurted,
"My father is Li Xiewen! Might I ask who—"
To his surprise, the surroundings were deathly quiet. The nearby clan soldiers were all suppressing chuckles. Li Pingyi slowly raised his head, only to be met with Li Xiewen's dumbfounded, furious glare. Utterly panicked, he wailed,
"Father! How did you find me here?!"
Li Xiewen shot him a fierce glare. Although he found it hilarious inside, he kept his face stern and feigned fury, cursing,
"Damn it! Flashing my name around outside for this sort of nonsense—I'll settle the score with you when we get home! Now come with me at once."
Li Xiewen appeared harsh on the surface, but deep down he was immensely pleased with this boy. After all, when he was that age, he had been far duller, making Li Yesheng curse in anger all day long. If not for his brothers being even more foolish than him, he might not have been the one serving at Li Xuanxuan's side today.
Li Yesheng had accompanied Li Xiangping into the lands of the Shanyue, sharing life and death with him, while Li Xiewen assisted Li Xuanxuan in managing the affairs of the four towns and two mountains. Though he had married a woman with a spirit aperture, testing had revealed the previous year that this boy had none. In his heart, Li Xiewen had already mapped out Li Pingyi's future path: naturally, following Li Yuanxiu and carrying on the legacy of his grandfather and father...
From the ground, Li Pingyi scrambled up and followed behind him. Nervously eyeing the white mourning robes on his father, his eyes darted around as he whispered,
"Who died to cause such a huge commotion?"
Li Xiewen nodded approvingly, very pleased with the boy's sharpness. Straightening his expression, he said solemnly,
"An elder of the Chen family, the earliest town mayor, and someone connected to those venerable masters on the mountain. Keep your posture solemn; this is a grand funeral. Don't go embarrassing me."
Chapter 147