Earthly Aura Gradually Recovers

Whether Mu Lushi was truly a great demon, Zhou Ping did not dare to investigate. However, when one observed the world with the answer already in mind, certain clues would always reveal themselves.

Through the whispered talk of the servants and Mu Lushi's daily behavior, he felt the likelihood of her being a great demon was exceedingly small. It was far more probable that she was shielded by some special treasure, or had accidentally consumed a Transformation Fruit.

After all, if she were truly a Foundation Establishment demonic beast, there was no need for her to hide within a minor Qi Condensation immortal clan like theirs. She could not possibly be coveting their meager portions of Spirit Rice.

With this conclusion, Zhou Ping finally felt a sense of reassurance.

Although she might be a descendant of the Darong Mountain demon clan, having a hidden danger tucked away inside the home was a vastly different matter from facing an external threat.

As long as Zhou Qianling served as the link and their clan treated her with care, appealing to her through emotion and reason, the demon clan of Darong Mountain might show some regard for their ties. Even if they came seeking her in the future, they would likely refrain from exterminating the Zhou family.

He also counted himself fortunate. Although the great war between the two races over a hundred years ago had left the southern border of Nanyang Prefecture with a thin and barren flow of Spiritual Qi, the Darong Mountain demon clan had suffered devastating losses. They were only spared after swearing an oath to the imperial family never to leave the mountains.

Were it not for that oath, no mortals could have survived in these borderlands between the two races.

Their most urgent task now was to raise the clan's strength as quickly as possible. The stronger the family became, the less the demons in the mountains would dare to stir.

After all, once the Zhou family carried some weight within the Kingdom of Zhao, any attempt by the Darong Mountain demons to massacre them would hand a perfect excuse to the imperial family. The demons would face nothing less than absolute suppression by the high cultivators and great experts of the kingdom.

Zhou Ping hastily ordered a thorough search of their territory, scouring every inch of the eight-li radius, including several small hills behind Baixi Mountain. He wished to gather as many medicinal herbs and spiritual materials as possible to exchange for resources at the grand market fair in a few months.

Though the Spiritual Qi within the Zhou clan's domain was sparse, it was gradually improving. The chaotic earth veins disrupted by the ancient war were slowly recovering.

Because of this, the Zhou family had indeed discovered a few spiritual items over the past few months.

In a forest between East Village and South Village, the dense canopy blocked the sun, leaving the woods exceptionally cool and shaded. Deep within this thicket lay a small fissure a foot wide, from which a clear spring trickled forth, pooling into a small basin.

Zhou Xuanya and Wang Dashi stood on either side of the pool, while Wang Hui watched from nearby with an expectant gaze.

"Fifth Young Master, Dashi, this is the strange little spring that Wang Fu discovered."

Zhou Xuanya crouched down and carefully touched the water. Instantly, a bone-chilling cold seeped from his fingertips and crept up his arm, forcing him to pull back his hand in haste.

"Right, Fifth Young Master? Even in this scorching heat, touching it chills a man to the bone," Wang Hui remarked from the side.

Wang Dashi took a turn to feel the water, recoiling instantly. He tilted his head in thought. "Brother Xuanya, does this resemble the Earth Yin Cold Spring mentioned in the texts?"

Zhou Xuanya shook his head. "The Earth Yin Qi sustaining it is too weak. It has not fully stabilized yet, and the flow could dry up at any moment."

Wang Dashi felt a twinge of disappointment. Though an Earth Yin Cold Spring was not incredibly rare, it was one of the common spiritual waters used for tempering Magical Artifacts and was highly sought after by artifact refiners. A true, stable Earth Yin Cold Spring would mean an endless stream of wealth.

"Though the flow is small now, its quality is not lacking. As long as we do not drain it completely, it will suffer no harm." Zhou Xuanya stood up and surveyed the surroundings. "Uncle Hui, trim the surrounding trees so the sunlight cannot stream in. Also, divert a few small channels from the outer river into the woods; it is a bit dry in here."

An Earth Yin Cold Spring was a special phenomenon formed by the convergence of underground streams and frozen Earth Yin Qi, and the Zhou clan's current strength could do little to alter it directly. However, adjusting the surrounding environment could guide it toward a better development.

Spiritual things of this nature only began to emerge because the earth veins in the southern border of Nanyang Prefecture were recovering. This gradual restoration caused the local Spiritual Qi to grow a fraction denser, which was wondrous news for the immortal clans of the southern region.

"I will organize the villagers to handle it immediately. We will ensure the spring remains unharmed," Wang Hui promised with a wide smile.

Zhou Xuanya nodded. "I will speak with Brother Changhe regarding these arrangements."

Wang Hui's face lit up with joy, and he bowed repeatedly in gratitude.

A few days prior, a household in North Village had discovered a strange insect in their fields. For that alone, they were rewarded with twenty jin of Spirit Rice. Their eldest son was accepted as a clan soldier, and their younger son was appointed as a minor clerk in Zhou Family Town. The family no longer had to scratch a living from the hard dirt.

This had naturally sparked a fervor among the folk of the four villages, sending them into the mountains in search of spiritual treasures. After all, everyone yearned for a better life.

To effectively govern the four villages and single town, Zhou Changhe had begun training formal clan soldiers. They received half a tael of silver as monthly pay, with all room and board provided by the Zhou clan, alongside an annual allowance of one jin of Spirit Rice. The squad leaders, deputy commanders, and commanders received even handsomer treatment.

Such terms naturally caused the villagers of the four villages to flock to the recruitment in droves.

Yet, Zhou Changhe did not recruit indiscriminately. Utilizing the family's trusted guards as the core, he selected choice men from each of the four villages to assemble an eighty-man force.

Furthermore, he established two deputy steward positions in each village, ensuring three individuals held authority over each locality, with at least one bearing the Zhou surname.

Numerous administrative posts were also created within Zhou Family Town, drawing from the capable men among the ordinary farming households of the four villages.

With the clan soldiers providing the martial might and the stewards managing civil affairs, these two structured ladders of promotion meant that any villager wishing to prosper under the Zhou clan's domain had to follow the channels Zhou Changhe had laid down.

Once the system took root, it meant the four villages and one town were thoroughly bound to the Zhou clan's rule.

Wang Hui naturally recognized this reality. That was why he sought to entrench his family beneath the great shade of the Zhou clan; even absorbing a few dropped drops of nourishment would allow his household to flourish.

This Earth Yin Cold Spring was something his kinsmen had found only after thoroughly combing the surrounding two to three li, an effort that had nearly sparked a violent dispute with East Village.

Three days later, a member of the Wang clan was indeed promoted by Zhou Changhe to serve as a steward of Zhou Family Town, taking charge of the grain collection across the entire domain-a position of immense weight.

This news sent waves of excitement through the four villages. Terrified of inviting jealousy that might drive rivals to sabotage the spring, Wang Hui hastily sent men to seal off the forest.

Though such a malicious act was unlikely, it was best to avoid any risk.

On the mountainside of Ming Peak,

Zhou Ping had just finished guiding Zhou Chengyuan and his companion in their cultivation when Zhou Minghu and Zhou Xuanya approached him.

"Father, this year's Spirit Rice has been completely harvested, yielding a total of two thousand six hundred and thirty-seven jin," Zhou Minghu reported in a measured tone. "I intend to divide six hundred jin into two batches and send them to Pingyun Market to stock our shop. The remainder will be moved into the main warehouse."

Zhou Ping paused briefly before answering, "From now on, deliver our required tribute directly to Pingyun Market in batches. The Huang clan seems to have secured recognition from the Immortals' Directorate. Yesterday, an envoy from the Directorate sent word that we may pay our dues at the market, needing only an additional hundred jin to cover the arrangement."

Zhou Minghu's face brightened as he grasped the underlying reason.

The Huang clan's establishment of the market had effectively drawn several immortal clans to one location. If everyone paid their tribute there, the Immortals' Directorate would be spared the exhausting task of traveling to each individual clan.

Though the total collection was technically slightly less, and it seemed the Directorate was losing out, they actually gained from the arrangement.

The Immortals' Directorate had many cultivators, but they were stretched thin across such a vast territory, leaving their traveling envoys perpetually exhausted by long journeys.

Moreover, there were always reckless, desperate fools bold enough to ambush these envoys, which inevitably led to casualties. Compared to a few hundred jin of Spirit Rice, the lives of these cultivators were far more precious.

With Pingyun Market established, the Directorate only needed to dispatch a single powerful contingent to secure all the tribute at once.

Furthermore, the immortal clans were not too distant from the market. By establishing secure trade routes and moving the Spirit Rice in small, discreet batches, they would not draw the covetous eyes of bandits. It was a beneficial arrangement for both sides.

"We also have sixteen thousand sheets of talisman paper in the warehouse. I plan to have the merchant caravan transport them over the coming days to trade for some treasures."

"Take that mountain goat along as well; it serves no purpose here anyway. And fill a few casks with water from the Earth Yin Cold Spring," Zhou Ping added in a rambling stream. "That Golden-edged Ground Beetle is nearing its laying cycle. Acquire some earth-attribute spiritual items to aid its reproduction."

"Bring the majority of our spiritual fruits too, if only to dress up the storefront. We cannot afford to look too meager."

Hearing this, Zhou Minghu bit his lip to suppress his laughter, while Zhou Xuanya's face flushed red as he lowered his head.

Two months ago, Zhou Xuanya and Wang Dashi had ventured to Baixi Village in the mountains to search for spiritual resources. They found that the excavated Baixi Lake had grown to a fair size, resembling a proper small lake where fish and shrimp swam and multiplied.

While exploring the abandoned houses, they stumbled upon a mountain goat that had awakened its spiritual intelligence. Caught entirely off guard, Zhou Xuanya had been headbutted so hard he fell face-first into the mud.

Fortunately, the creature was merely an ordinary awakened beast. The two spent a considerable amount of effort capturing it and bringing it back to Baixi Mountain to be raised. However, the tale of Zhou Xuanya being sent flying had become an embarrassing joke within the clan, and he was frequently teased for it.

As for the Golden-edged Ground Beetle, it was the small insect discovered by the North Village farmer. It was a rare creature possessing remarkable healing properties and could be used to refine specific spiritual treasures.

Moreover, it was a female beetle carrying eggs. If nurtured properly, it could form the foundation of a lasting clan industry.

That was precisely why Zhou Changhe had bestowed such a grand reward. It was done both to inspire others through a display of extreme generosity and because the family genuinely deserved it.

"Rest assured, Father, I have properly arranged all these matters. In a few days, Dashi and I will set out for the market ahead of schedule to familiarize ourselves with the layout."

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