Baixi Grain Convoy

In just a few short days.

Driven by Zhou Ping's forceful push, the three leading families stepped forward. With every household contributing labor and manpower, Baixi Village quickly assembled a forty-five-man team, known as the Baixi Grain Convoy.

Although the Wang family had plenty of complaints, their various branches were currently locked in fierce infighting. Everyone wanted to seize control. Even if they wished to sell the grain themselves, they lacked the united strength to do so, as no branch was willing to hand over their grain to another. Naturally, they had no choice but to let Zhou Ping take the lead.

But for the impoverished villagers of Baixi Village, this was a cause for great rejoicing.

In the past, even if they managed to scrape together surplus grain to sell for silver, they could only peddle it to the four great families, who would mercilessly suppress the price by ten or even thirty percent.

But now, they could sell directly to the Zhou family at a mere half-percent below the market rate. It was incredibly fair. How could they not be overjoyed?

They did not care how fiercely the Zhou family clashed with the others. Whoever allowed them to live a better life would naturally earn their full support.

Outside the Zhou family estate, over a dozen oxcarts were parked in neat rows. Dozens of men were busily hauling heavy sacks of grain onto the carts.

"Hurry up, hurry up! Tie everything down tight. Don't let it spill on the road!" Qian Fangsu shouted sternly, bustling back and forth along the convoy.

He was from a branch of the Qian family, barely in his early twenties, and known to be clever and capable. His particular branch had very few members and was on terribly bad terms with the rest of the Qian family.

It was precisely for this reason that Zhou Ping appointed him as a minor grain chief for the convoy. He did not want any single group to grow too powerful and allow the Qian family to rise again.

For Qian Fangsu, however, this opportunity meant the world. His branch had always been sparse, and even when the Qian family was intact, they were ruthlessly suppressed by the other branches. When the family divided its assets five years ago, the other branches had snatched up every last scrap of fertile land, leaving not a single mu for his branch, while still saddling them with a heavy portion of the clan's debts.

Had the Zhou family not stepped in back then-renting them fields to farm and lending them life-saving rations-Qian Fangsu's family would have starved to death five years ago.

Because of this, Qian Fangsu's family was more loyal than the vast majority of the Zhou family's own estate guards. They wanted nothing more than to see the Zhou family prosper.

Zhou Hong stepped out from the estate and asked warmly, "Fangsu, how are the preparations?"

"Rest assured, Eldest Brother. I have everything properly arranged," Qian Fangsu replied with a bright grin.

"Good." Zhou Hong nodded in satisfaction, then raised his voice. "Gather around!"

Immediately, sturdy men converged from all ends of the convoy.

Four figures stood at the very front: Old Man Chen, Qian Fangsu, Sun Mingcheng, and finally, Wang Feng's eldest son, Wang Yi. The Wang family had squabbled endlessly over the position and had ultimately been forced to send the eldest of their younger generation.

These were the four minor grain chiefs Zhou Ping had carefully selected to balance the four factions, ensuring no single side could seize dominance over the convoy.

The remaining forty men were able-bodied laborers drawn from the rest of Baixi Village. Each of them was promised a few copper coins in wages.

To them, it was just a quick journey that put easy money in their pockets while benefiting their own families. Naturally, they were more than willing.

Zhou Hong stood atop a large boulder and shouted, "Today, we are only making a trial run of three hundred shi. Our journey ends at the market town twenty li away. The Li Family Trading Company will meet us there to receive the goods."

With that, he pulled a money pouch from his sleeve.

"Inside are two hundred copper coins. The Zhou family promises that not a single copper of your wages will be missing."

A wave of cheers erupted from the men below. The four grain chiefs also shared pleased smiles; once the grain convoy established its footing, their own status would naturally rise with the tide.

Zhou Hong briefly patted his chest, feeling the two small vials tucked safely in his robes. These contained the Mountain Clear Qi that Zhou Ping had entrusted to him-the true reason the Li family was willing to do business with the Baixi Grain Convoy.

"Move out!"

At Zhou Hong's command, the dozen oxcarts rumbled forward, marching toward the market town.

Standing atop a nearby hill, Zhou Ping watched the convoy depart into the distance. Below, he could see the silhouette of Zhou Changhe leading Zhou Shi and a few others working in the fields.

He had known from the very beginning that his elder brother lacked the sharp acumen to manage the household. But during those early years, Zhou Ping had been forced to spend months at a time deep in the mountains, collecting Mountain Clear Qi and charting maps of the nearby peaks. He simply had no time. Back then, Zhou Changhe was still a child, so the burden of managing the estate naturally fell to Zhou Hong.

Therefore, starting five years ago, Zhou Changhe began taking over the family's internal affairs piece by piece. Despite his youth, with the assistance of Zhou Shi, Madam Lin, and Madam Chen, he kept the Zhou estate in perfect order. Zhou Hong was left to handle the outside procurement of herbs and mountain goods.

But the grain convoy was a matter of utmost importance. The Zhou family had to send someone with immense prestige to oversee it. As the clan's pillar of strength, Zhou Ping obviously could not ride with the convoy every time. The others were either too young or lacked the necessary standing. Only Zhou Hong could shoulder the responsibility, passing his old procurement duties to Zhou Hu.

To ensure safety, Zhou Ping had negotiated with Li Mu to set the exchange point at Baishi Market Town, twenty li away, where the Li Family Trading Company maintained an outpost.

After all, the longer the journey, the higher the risk of variables. The twenty li stretch from Baixi Village to Baishi Market Town was intimately familiar and safe, minimizing their risk.

As long as the grain convoy firmly took root, the ultimate authority in Baixi Village would rest squarely in the Zhou family's hands. It would subtly mold the villagers' minds, instilling a subconscious obedience toward the Zhou clan.

The convoy might seem like a simple venture, but the potential Return it could bring was unimaginable.

Zhou Ping even harbored plans to train the convoy members in the future. Once the Zhou family officially became an Immortal Cultivation Clan, they could easily transition these men into a proper squad of clan guards.

Only when the convoy entirely vanished from sight did Zhou Ping withdraw his gaze. He turned to Zhou Minghu beside him. "Minghu, today I will teach you the method for collecting Mountain Clear Qi."

Zhou Minghu looked up in confusion. "Father, what is Mountain Clear Qi?"

"Mountain Clear Qi is a form of Heaven and Earth Qi, born within the depths of the forests and peaks," Zhou Ping explained slowly. "There are tens of thousands of different variations of Heaven and Earth Qi. The most visible are the Lunar Essence of Taiyin at night and the True Essence of the Sun by day."

"There is also Yin Malefic Qi, Solitary Cold Qi, as well as the Qi of Dawn and Dusk, River Clear Qi, and Yellow Sand Scorching Qi. Even the frigid frost and morning mist you see upon waking is a manifestation of Heaven and Earth Qi."

"The world also holds special variants, such as Soldier Malefic Qi, Blood Malefic Qi, Mortal Qi, Hearth Fire Qi, and Imperial Qi..."

"Everything in this world harbors Qi. It is merely a question of abundance."

"Furthermore, these various forms of Heaven and Earth Qi can mutually generate or mutually overcome one another. They may share a common origin, or stem from entirely different roots. Cultivation in the Qi Condensation realm is the process of refining these energies. Once a cultivator merges several mutually generating, overcoming, homologous, or disparate types of Heaven and Earth Qi into a Dao Foundation, they advance to the Foundation Establishment realm."

"Your son understands how energies that mutually generate or share an origin can merge," Zhou Minghu said, his brows knitted in thought. "But how can energies that actively conflict and overcome one another coexist?"

"The secret archives of the great Sects are all-encompassing. Naturally, they possess specialized cultivation methods," Zhou Ping said with a faint sigh. "Because the properties of Heaven and Earth Qi are so different, they inevitably leave their mark on the cultivator, altering their temperament and state of mind."

"Demonic and evil cultivators, for instance, absorb Malefic Qi, Blood Qi, or other twisted forms of energy. Their minds become warped, and they inevitably succumb to the allure of raw power."

Zhou Ping's expression turned solemn. "Minghu, your natural aptitude is higher than your father's. Your hopes of breaking through in the future are far greater than mine."

"I have two volumes of Qi Condensation cultivation methods here. One is the Mountain Clear Stream, and the other is the River Wave Torrent. While neither possesses overwhelming offensive might, their advantage lies in their gentle nature. They will scarcely affect your temperament. In the future, you may choose to cultivate either one."

"Mountain Clear Qi and River Clear Qi are among the most common and mildest types of Heaven and Earth Qi. In the cultivation world, countless independent cultivators practice methods reliant on these two energies, making the demand enormous."

"Our family borders the great mountains, so we must firmly grasp this resource. Whether it is to fuel your future breakthroughs or to be sold to build our clan's foundation, it is an invaluable asset."

"Your son understands," Zhou Minghu said, bowing deeply.

"Come, I will teach you the secret collection technique. Remember, every distinct type of Heaven and Earth Qi requires a highly specific set of hand seals and incantations. Even a hair's breadth of error will lead to failure, and the backlash could easily injure you..."

...

Li Manor

Li Mu pinched a small vial between his fingers. Inside, a wisp of pale white mist surged and coiled.

Mountain Clear Qi was not considered overly precious, and its collection methods were widely known. However, it could only be extracted deep within vast mountain forests. Cultivators of his standing were either accustomed to years of comfort or simply unwilling to scale peaks and ford rivers to gather it. Furthermore, they all possessed their own industries and looked down upon such meager profits.

The Zhou family, on the other hand, had rooted themselves in a remote village right on the edge of the towering Darong Mountain range, making this their unique advantage.

Li Mu possessed a trading channel with the Pingyun Huang Clan to the east. This Mountain Clear Qi would naturally serve as an excellent stepping stone to pave his way into their good graces. As for the ordinary grain and mountain goods from Baixi Village, he did not care for them in the slightest; he would simply sell them off to neighboring counties.

Holding the small vial, he muttered to himself, "What excellent fortune."

Through his trading company's informants, he had learned that the Zhou family had produced a second cultivator. Although his Li Manor also employed more than one cultivator, he was the sole cultivator who actually bore the Li surname.

As he felt the inevitable weight of old age bearing down on him, he worried constantly. Once he passed away, what was to stop the two guest retainers he employed from usurping the Li family's properties?

The Zhou family might be suffering in poverty out in the rural countryside, but with the birth of a second cultivator, they had secured another few decades of honor and prosperity for their descendants. His own family, by contrast, had immense wealth-but without the strength to protect it, what use was it?

"Alas..."

Li Mu let out a long, heavy sigh. His efforts to establish ties with the Pingyun Huang Clan were, in truth, nothing more than an attempt to secure a lifeline for his descendants.

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