Incidents in the County

Although cultivation resources were somewhat scarce, the clan could still scrape by for now.

As for the Jade Rock Green Origin Pill, it was primarily consumed by Zhou Ping and Zhou Chengyuan for their cultivation, so it was enough to simply remain self-sufficient.

Although Zhou Minghu and Zhou Chengming also cultivated this method, they were only in the Spirit Awakening Realm, meaning a few spared pills would be more than enough for their needs.

However, for the sake of the future, Zhou Ping still carved a few more openings for the earth fire within the cave.

As his refinement techniques grew increasingly Proficient, tempering two furnaces at once posed no trouble at all. Under his meticulous, hands-on guidance, Zhou Chengyuan also gradually mastered the refinement methods, eventually succeeding in two or three out of every five attempts.

He refused to let Zhou Minghu and the others practice refinement purely for their own safety.

The earth fire alchemy room harbored terrifying dangers. Qi Condensation cultivators could freely manipulate their spiritual power to both guide the medicinal herbs and protect their bodies. Spirit Awakening cultivators, however, were barely stronger than mortals aside from possessing a meager sliver of spiritual power. They simply could not withstand the scorching heat, making them subject to severe limitations during the refinement process.

As for Zhou Qianling, she could only gather and refine Qi. Her cultivation progress was agonizingly slow; it would likely take three to five years before she had any hope of breaking through another minor realm.

Qingshui County City

Within a certain manor, water flowed among the artificial rockeries, and fish swam freely beneath green lotus leaves.

Zhou Chang'an sat in a small pavilion, playing a game of Go with Zhou Chengqian. He occasionally tossed fish food into the pond, causing the fish to churn and splash the water.

Zhou Chengqian placed a piece on the board and offered a faint smile. "Uncle, it is your turn."

Just as Zhou Chang'an turned his head to ponder his next move, a servant hurried over.

"Master, Advisor Bai has come to visit."

"Tell him I am feeling unwell and truly cannot receive him. I will pay him a visit another day." Zhou Chang'an tossed down a white piece and spoke casually.

The servant immediately acknowledged the order and withdrew. Before long, the sound of a sedan chair departing echoed from outside.

"Chengqian, Advisor Bai came to visit today. Your uncle would like to hear your thoughts on the matter," Zhou Chang'an said slowly, looking at his nephew.

Zhou Chengqian was different from the other clan youths. He was the eldest son of the main lineage and had already taken over their merchant firm. In the future, he might very well become the Patriarch who controlled the entire family estate.

Even if he did not ascend to that position, he would certainly become a prominent figure within the clan.

Taking advantage of Zhou Chengqian's time in the county city, he naturally wanted to test the boy. If his nephew proved intelligent and clear-sighted, Zhou Chang'an would throw his support behind him, helping him contend for the Patriarch's seat.

"The man standing behind this advisor is the County Magistrate. I suspect the Magistrate is being backed into a corner by Huang Yuancheng, so he wishes to pull Uncle to his side for support," Zhou Chengqian said with a smile.

He was somewhat aware of the various disputes within the county city. The Huang family held immense power, and that County Marshal was currently riding a wave of absolute authority, having nearly stripped Zhu Zhen of all true influence.

Of course, Zhou Chengqian also felt a degree of resentment toward the Huang family's overbearing strength.

Although he managed the clan's merchant firm impeccably and kept every internal faction perfectly in line, he was constantly forced to yield to the Huang family's merchants in external affairs.

Though it was a forced concession, it felt like an undeniable stain on his record. Not only had he failed to make the family's merchant firm flourish, but their influence had actually waned under the pressure.

"Well said. This is not the first time Zhu Zhen has sought me out," Zhou Chang'an said approvingly. "Huang Yuancheng is backed by the Huang family, while Zhu Zhen relies on the imperial court. We cannot afford to offend either side, so it is best we remain uninvolved and preserve our peace."

Zhou Chengqian felt somewhat unwilling. "Uncle, the County Magistrate is backed by the imperial court. Does he truly have no means of dealing with the Huang family?"

"He naturally has his methods, but he refuses to pay the price. That is why he wants to use me as a stepping stone." Zhou Chang'an let out a cold sneer.

"If our County Magistrate is pushed too far, he can directly petition the prefectural capital. If he does, the Huang family will suffer dearly."

Zhou Chengqian understood immediately. Although Zhu Zhen could report to the prefectural capital and pin the crime of collusion between mortal officials and immortal clans on the Huang family, he would also be branded as incompetent by his superiors. Such a blemish would cripple his chances for promotion. Unless driven to absolute desperation, Zhu Zhen naturally would not play that hand.

In the distant rockeries, several children were playing. Two of them were Zhou Chang'an's children, while the rest were Lin Ruohe's grandchildren. The two men were father-in-law and son-in-law, and since they lived next door to each other, their children had naturally grown close.

"Chengqian, when you return home in a few days, take Chengzhen with you. Let his grandfather and uncles see him."

"I will," Zhou Chengqian agreed.

Zhou Chang'an had two sons and one daughter, but his youngest son, Zhou Chengzhen, had just turned a year old and had yet to be taken back to the mountain.

He harbored his own hopes. If Chengzhen possessed immortal affinity, the boy would stay on the mountain. In the end, it was best for him to foster a bond with his clansmen early on.

Meanwhile, Advisor Bai returned to Zhu Zhen's manor.

"What did Zhou Chang'an say?" Zhu Zhen asked urgently.

Advisor Bai offered a bitter smile. "He refused to even see me."

Zhu Zhen immediately cursed in a fit of anger. "And here I thought he was a refined scholar with some backbone. It turns out he's just a coward who sways with the wind."

Advisor Bai gave Zhu Zhen a strange look. Back when the Magistrate hosted a banquet for Zhou Changhe, his intentions were far from pure. Yet now, he dared to speak so self-righteously.

However, since he was Zhu Zhen's trusted counselor, he naturally could not voice his true thoughts.

"My Lord, the assessment is only half a year away. Given your political achievements, promotion is just around the corner. Why not spend these coming days enjoying yourself instead of agonizing over these frustrating matters?"

Zhu Zhen slumped gloomily into his rocking chair. "You do not understand. If I wish to climb higher, what are these meager achievements worth?"

"If I can just reach the rank of prefectural official, the imperial court will bestow an immortal pill upon me, even if I am but a mortal, allowing me to... Ah, forget it. You wouldn't understand."

The moment he heard the words "immortal pill," Advisor Bai perked up and eagerly awaited the rest of the sentence. However, Zhu Zhen abruptly stopped, merely sitting there and sighing heavily.

Although his curiosity was burning like an itch he could not scratch, Zhu Zhen clearly refused to elaborate, and Advisor Bai naturally did not dare to pry.

Zhu Zhen stared outside, a touch of sorrow in his eyes. Although he had indulged in mortal pleasures over the years, he had never once neglected his duties.

He had suppressed bandits, provided relief to disaster victims, constructed water conservancy projects, and overturned wrongful convictions...

While he had not entirely won the hearts of the commoners, his performance still ranked above average among the county magistrates. If his political record could improve just a bit more, ascending to a prefectural official was not an impossibility.

Once he became a prefectural official, he would have a chance to receive an immortal pill from the imperial court. Then, he too could enjoy a lifespan of over a century, just like a true cultivator!

But to his misfortune, the Huang family was growing stronger by the day. Huang Yuancheng had consolidated all local power into his own hands. Although the man did not openly defy him, the moment Zhu Zhen issued a decree that conflicted with the Huang family's interests, the order would never even make it out of the yamen.

He was already forty-eight years old. If he failed to secure his promotion this time, he likely did not have many good years left to live.

"What did Huang Yuancheng have to say?" Zhu Zhen asked with a heavy sigh.

Advisor Bai shook his head. "The County Marshal did not agree."

"He pushes me too far!" Zhu Zhen stood up and roared. "I have made so many concessions, yet that pockmarked Huang still refuses. Does he truly believe he holds me in the palm of his hand?"

Advisor Bai remained silent off to the side. Truthfully, if he were Huang Yuancheng, he would not have agreed either.

Zhu Zhen spun a beautiful tale, promising to fully support the Huang family once he became a prefectural official, claiming Huang Yuancheng only needed to allow him to build up some political achievements in the meantime.

But any clear-eyed person could see that Zhu Zhen was trying to snatch a wolf with bare hands. Once he secured his position in the prefectural capital, he would likely forget Qingshui County entirely, much less honor an empty promise.

Currently, the Huang family's influence permeated every level of Qingshui County. Officials, merchants, bandits, and commoners alike were all bound to their estate. For Zhu Zhen to forge any political achievements, one of these factions would inevitably have to suffer a loss.

To Huang Yuancheng, sacrificing his own clan's interests to pave the way for another man's promotion-with a high probability of getting absolutely nothing in return-was a severe loss. Unless his mind had gone completely rotten, he would never agree to such a foolish trade.

The urge to petition his superiors flared up in Zhu Zhen's mind, but he hurriedly forced the thought down.

Although his current political record was far from stellar, there was still a sliver of hope. If his superiors branded him as incompetent, his future would truly be dead in the water.

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