Lineage Assets

"The Xiang Household?"

Yang Tianyou thought for a moment, then his expression abruptly changed. If it was the Xiang Household, that Nascent Soul power in neighboring Ba Commandery, things would be bad.

"I never would have imagined it, truly never imagined it. That old fellow Zhao Leicong's birth mother was actually a member of the Xiang Household."

Yang Haoyu's expression shifted between light and shadow, the news leaving her deeply shaken.

"It really is that Xiang Household?"

Yang Tianyou's gaze grew grave. The other elders' expressions changed as well, their faces growing heavy.

"Heh, there's no need to worry. Think it over carefully and you'll understand. If Zhao Leicong really had such a close relationship with the Xiang Household, word would have spread far and wide long ago. Why would they have concealed it? So this relationship most likely can't bear the light of day."

Yang Qiongye chuckled and spoke to set them at ease.

Hearing this, the elders finally breathed a small sigh of relief.

Seeing this, Yang Qiongye continued, "But although the relationship can't bear the light of day, it's real enough. Zhao Leicong should be able to use it to establish contact with the Xiang Household.

"Given their blood ties, there's certainly no chance they'd give him a Golden Core Formation Pill for free, but if they only had to sell him one, there's a very good chance!

"So I'm certain that once the Cold Tide has passed, Zhao Leicong will seek an opportunity to go to Ba Commandery and buy a Golden Core Formation Pill from the Xiang Household."

"In that case, we don't have much time left either."

Yang Haoyu murmured, quietly clenching her right hand.

"Within ten years of the Cold Tide's passing, the Zhao Household is certain to make a move. Their inherited White Tiger Seven-Kill Instruction is a Golden Core Cultivation Method, so Zhao Leicong doesn't need to switch methods. He only needs to polish his cultivation to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, and that won't take more than ten years," Yang Qiongye said with certainty.

"Then we'll find an opportunity to intercept and kill him. We can't let him get the Golden Core Formation Pill."

Yang Dangmo was brimming with aggression, as though flames flickered in his eyes, overbearing and intimidating.

"When and where do we intercept him?" Yang Dangxu asked.

"In Ba Commandery, before he reaches the Xiang Household. We also have to prevent that old fellow from breaking through at the Xiang Household itself. Then everything would be lost. So we must kill him before he reaches the Xiang Household's Huai River City!"

As Yang Qiongye said this, he was filled with killing intent. Clearly, he had already made a plan.

"Why must it be in Ba Commandery? Can't we intercept him in Luochuan Commandery?"

Yang Qiongqing asked.

"No. In Luochuan Commandery, word could easily leak out. In Ba Commandery, even if the Zhao Household eventually guesses that our Yang Household did it, without evidence, they can only swallow their anger."

Yang Qiongye had considered every possibility. Faced with the elders' questions, he spoke at length, confident and composed.

Yang Tianyou watched from the side, growing ever more admiring of this eldest paternal uncle he barely knew. He planned far ahead and could secure victory from a thousand miles away. He was a true sage.

In the end, all the elders unanimously agreed to Yang Qiongye's interception plan, and Old Ancestor Yang Haoyu put him fully in charge of the matter.

With the Zhao Household's affairs settled for the time being, Yang Haoyu continued, "The fourth matter is the alliance with the Liu Household of Qianmu Town and the Zhuang Household of Dengzhuang Town!"

"Three years ago, at the Wood-Born Copper Mine, Dang Mo reached an agreement to form an alliance with Liu Changqing, an elder of the Liu Household, and Zhuang Beisheng, the Zhuang Household's Old Ancestor. There are about three years left before the Cold Tide arrives, so it's time to formally settle the details of the alliance with those two Households."

"Qiong Ye, you're the head of the External Affairs Hall, so take some people and make the trip. Dang Mo will go too. After all, you were the one who made the agreement in the first place."

"Your grandson accepts the order!"

"Your nephew accepts the order!"

Yang Qiongye and Yang Dangmo both bowed.

Since the fourth matter had already been settled long ago, there was little discussion of it at the meeting. Old Ancestor Yang Haoyu decided to send Yang Qiongye to negotiate with them.

"The last matter is an accounting of our assets and plans for development. Our Yang Household hasn't conducted a detailed accounting of its assets in nearly ten years. This time, Dang Kai will report the figures to the elders so everyone knows where we stand."

"Your nephew obeys!"

Hearing this, Yang Dangkai stood, took out an account book, and began his report.

"Our Yang Household currently owns eighteen shops of various kinds.

"Five of them are in Yellowstone Market. There is one Purple Moon Pavilion, which buys and sells pills, formations, artifacts, talismans, spirit medicines, spirit gold, and other resources.

"There is one Rare Delicacies Pavilion, a restaurant that specializes in selling our Yang Household's specialty Spirit Cuisine and Spirit Wine.

"There is one Array and Artifact Pavilion, one Spirit Talisman Pavilion, and one Spirit Pill Pavilion. These three shops have a narrower focus, specializing in selling the various pills, formations, artifacts, and talismans made by our Yang Household.

"Besides Yellowstone Market, our Yang Household also has shops in Purple Moon Town, Dengzhuang Town, Qianmu Town, Qingyun Town, Spirit Crane Town, and other towns.

"Besides the shops, our Yang Household also has several hundred mu of spirit fields, thirty mu of which are second-tier spirit fields. Most of the latter are used to grow spirit medicines, while most of the former are used to grow Spirit Grain, with a small portion used for spirit medicines.

"As for ore veins, our Yang Household is rather lacking. We have only four first-tier spirit ore veins, two first-tier superior-grade and two first-tier middle-grade.

"In addition, our Yang Household has two fish ponds for raising spirit fish, three pastures for grazing Spirit Beasts, and two forestry plots for cultivating spirit wood.

"The Lineage also has the Hundred Crafts Pavilion, which contains numerous first-tier alchemists, Artifact Refining Masters, Talisman Makers, Formation Masters, and others.

"These fixed enterprises earn our Yang Household an average of about eighteen thousand Spirit Stones a year.

"As for cultivators, our Yang Household has 116 household cultivators, of whom three are at Foundation Establishment, thirty-eight at Late Qi Refinement, fifty-nine at Middle Qi Refinement, and forty-six at Early Qi Refining. There are also forty-five affiliated cultivators.

"These cultivators cost fourteen thousand Spirit Stones a year in annual allowances or salaries.

"In other words, our Yang Household's annual net profit should be around four thousand Spirit Stones. That doesn't include the yearly maintenance costs for the Clan-Guarding Array, Scripture Repository, Spirit Medicine Garden, and other places. Once those are included, the Lineage has a surplus of only around two thousand Spirit Stones a year.

"The Clan Treasury has around fifty thousand Spirit Stones in liquid assets. However, now that we've inherited the assets left behind by the Dragon Valley Sect, the Lineage's finances have already improved noticeably.

"With money, we can open up new sources of income and make even more money. Once the Lineage has a few more Foundation Establishment Cultivators, we'll also be able to secure a greater share of the benefits.

"So, by my estimate, as long as the Lineage loses no more than thirty percent of its strength during the Cold Tide, not only will it recover quickly afterward, it will have more than enough strength to reach the peak it was at twelve years ago."

Having finished, Yang Dangkai put away the account book and sat back down.

The elders in the hall wore varied expressions after listening, though most showed a trace of delight.

Yang Qiongqing even said with a smile, "It seems the Lineage has recovered quite a bit of its vitality these past few years. It's all thanks to Ninth Uncle's skill in managing the Household!"

"That's right. Ninth Brother has indeed worked hard these past few years, rushing about and managing the Lineage. Otherwise, it couldn't have recovered to this point."

Yang Dangmo also spoke up, his words full of praise for Yang Dangkai, the Household head.

The other elders nodded in agreement and bowed to Household head Yang Dangkai. He hurriedly returned the gesture and said, "This is the result of all our people working together. How would I dare claim the credit?"

Even so, he broke into a happy smile as he spoke. With so many elders acknowledging him, his years of hard work had finally paid off.