Five Years

Time passed like a fleeting shadow, and five years slipped away in the blink of an eye. The four southern commanderies flourished; the mortals lived and worked in peace, and the market towns bustled with prosperity. Cultivators appeared in greater numbers, making the four southern commanderies increasingly prosperous.

Although the Huang family no longer sold Green Jade Pills to Rogue Cultivators, they relied on the resources of numerous cultivation clans and sold their Pills to the Li and Song families. Thus, they still made a staggering profit, and their clan grew stronger day by day.

The other seven established cultivation clans relied on their respective advantages to secure varying degrees of profit, expanding their strength considerably.

Only the newly risen cultivation clans indebted to the Huang family suffered. Lacking any unique advantages or specialties while burdened with massive debts, they found it difficult to accumulate any resources even after five years, let alone dream of exchanging for any of the hundred auxiliary arts inheritances.

Under the Zhou Clan's Rule

Baixi Mountain stood tall upon the earth. To its east, eight medium-sized villages lay scattered, while a sizable town rested at the foot of the mountain. Wisps of cooking smoke rose from these settlements. Children gathered in groups of three or five, running joyfully between the villages to play. Farmhands tilled the fields, women wove cloth and sewed garments at home, and elderly folk sat in circles beneath the shade of trees, peacefully enjoying their twilight years.

Although the Zhou family were not paragons of virtue, they were by no means wicked, and naturally did not oppress the commoners under their rule.

Over these five years, as the population swelled, the land tax had been adjusted several times. Zhou Changhe ultimately set it at thirty-five percent, with land leased to households based on the number of family members.

For instance, a family of four, including both the young and the elderly, would lease a total of six mu according to the rule of three mu for a man, two mu for a woman, and one mu for an elder-enough to feed the entire household.

While such a method could not make these commoners wealthy, as long as they farmed diligently, they could store grain during bountiful harvests and avoid starvation during lean years.

If the population ever completely exceeded the land's capacity to support them, the Zhou family would have no choice but to migrate them outward.

Having been busy with official duties all day, Zhou Changhe finally stepped out of his manor to clear his mind. Zhou Ba followed closely behind him.

"First Master."

"First Master, may you be well."

Wherever he walked, passing townspeople would respectfully greet Zhou Changhe, their eyes filled with deep reverence.

As the Zhou family's rule grew increasingly stable, coupled with the deepening prestige of a cultivation clan, the constant praise woven into local tales, and most importantly, the ability to live securely with full bellies and warm clothes, the villagers' affection for the Zhou family deepened by the day.

Zhou Family Town was not large. Zhou Changhe had not walked far before he reached the edge of the settlement, looking out over the vast rice paddies. In the fields, a group of people was managing the water and clearing pests, carefully tending to the growing rice stalks.

Among them was Zhou Changhe's second son, Zhou Chengyang, who ranked second in the Cheng generation and was now eighteen years old.

Under the continuous education and guidance of the clan school, Zhou Chengqian's generation had gradually shed the rustic air of Zhou Changhe's contemporaries. Although they each still possessed flaws in temperament, they could all distinguish right from wrong, possessed wisdom and propriety, and showed a promising trend toward establishing a scholarly legacy.

Zhou Chengyang happened to look up and spotted Zhou Changhe at the edge of the town. He immediately trotted over in delight, presenting a rather plump ear of rice for Zhou Changhe to inspect.

"Father, this is a special ear of rice that my younger brothers and I discovered. The grains it produces are a full thirty percent more than ordinary stalks. If we can cultivate it successfully, it should be able to feed many more people."

"I want to try and see if I can propagate more of these superior stalks."

Zhou Changhe looked at Zhou Chengyang with a faint smile. "I support you in this. The ten mu of land east of the town will be handed over to you to manage."

Over the years, he had fathered as many as sixteen children, yet not a single one possessed immortal destiny. Zhou Changhe had gradually come to terms with it and was no longer overly fixated, hoping instead that his mortal children could become accomplished in their own right.

Because Zhou Chengqian was skilled at managing the household, Zhou Changhe had placed him in the merchant firms to continuously gain experience, intending for him to govern the clan's mundane affairs in the future.

Since Zhou Chengyang had a passion for agriculture, Zhou Changhe naturally gave his utmost support. If he could cultivate better crops, it would be a great benefit to the common people.

Furthermore, Zhou Chengyan loved learning, Zhou Chenghua favored the zither, Zhou Qianshu excelled at embroidery...

This was actually the Zhou family's approach to education. The clan school only taught them to read, write, distinguish right from wrong, love the family, respect their elders, and manage the household. As for their personal interests, the clan did not interfere too much.

After all, for a cultivation clan to prosper, the most critical factor was an unbroken lineage of cultivators. It was naturally best if the remaining mortal kinsmen achieved something, but it did not truly matter if they did not.

Zhou Changhe looked back at Baixi Mountain in the distance, then smiled and began his ascent.

Following five years of continuous development, the four peaks of Baixi Mountain had also undergone significant changes.

Ming Peak was the tallest. The number of residences and buildings on its slopes had increased, steadily extending down toward the base. At the summit, many tall, thick trees had grown, their canopies completely shading the peak and spreading downward.

Jing Peak was lush and verdant, planted with many precious flora and trees, with more than ten spirit fields of various sizes scattered across it.

Because the Huang family sought to suppress the Zhou family, the Zhou clan's official quota for cultivating White Marrow Grass had been reduced considerably. Thanks to this, Qing Peak had gradually recovered its vitality, with only a quarter of the terrain remaining barren.

Of course, while the Zhou family cultivated less White Marrow Grass on the surface, they did not reduce their yield by a single stalk in secret, using the excess to secure cultivation resources.

Only Chi Peak appeared exceptionally solemn and cold. A majestic hall stood atop it-the ancestral hall of the Zhou family.

Although the spiritual vein itself had not changed much over the years, the Spiritual Qi on Baixi Mountain had grown considerably richer. This, in turn, had expanded the spirit fields to twelve mu and three-tenths, and the yield per mu had also increased.

Golden Vine Pool

Zhou Chengyuan continuously channeled his pearl Magical Artifacts, smashing numerous spirit fruits into a fine pulp as juices splattered everywhere.

"Grandfather, how much longer do I have to pound this?"

Zhou Ping lay on a wooden lounge chair to the side, taking things easy. "This is barely the beginning. Keep at it."

Although Zhou Chengyuan had grown into a sturdy, tall young man, his temperament remained lazy and cheerful. Hearing those words, his face instantly fell, but the speed of his hands did not slacken in the slightest.

Sixteen treasure pearls spun rapidly like a grinding mill, pulverizing countless spirit fruits and Spirit Grass.

If other cultivation clans knew that Zhou Chengyuan was using two Magical Artifacts just to mash fruit, there was no telling what they would think.

To the side, Zhou Qianling continuously packed the crushed spirit fruits into wine jars, then cast spiritual arts to seal and ferment them.

Over these past five years, although the Zhou family had saved up several hundred Spirit Stones, acquiring the inheritance for any of the four arts-alchemy, arrays, talismans, or artifact forging-required thousands of contribution points.

To add a new stream of revenue and exchange for the four arts as soon as possible, Zhou Ping spent one hundred and thirty Spirit Stones three years ago to purchase a first-tier spirit wine inheritance.

With this craft, coupled with the mystical effects of his wine gourd, the Zhou family's spirit wine became an exceptional vintage, earning considerable fame throughout Zhaoping Commandery.

The Zhou family of Baixi was viewed by outsiders as a small, mediocre clan, but their fine wine was renowned far and wide.

Zhou Ping looked at his grandson, who was gradually shedding his childishness, and a trace of melancholy welled up within him. He could not help but ponder whether he should send Zhou Chengyuan to the Baishan Sect.

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