Lineage Assignments

In the mountains, time passed unnoticed; after all was said and done, no one knew how many years had gone by. Three months were no more than the flick of a finger.

During this time, Chen Heng cultivated diligently while refining artifacts to earn spirit stones, and his days had been quite fulfilling.

But before long, this peace was shattered.

As the saying went: the tree wished to be still, but the wind would not cease.

Inside the Lineage Affairs Hall halfway up Jade Spring Mountain, Chen Heng had gathered with more than a dozen clansmen his own age.

Without exception, everyone wore puzzled expressions, having no idea why the Lineage's message had summoned them here.

No one present had yet reached eighteen. According to the Chen Lineage's rules, they were not currently required to undertake Lineage affairs.

Moreover, there was only a little over a year left until the Azure Profound Sect opened its gates to recruit disciples.

Like Chen Heng, many of them had been burying themselves in cultivation, hoping to pass the Azure Profound Sect's assessment.

In this regard, the Chen Lineage was quite open-minded. So long as one wished to go, they generally would not stop them.

However, the Chen Lineage had always produced very few successful candidates, and the vast majority possessed spiritual roots of fifth grade or above.

In other words, had Chen Heng not obtained the Azure Profound Golden Token, his chances of passing the Azure Profound Sect's entrance examination would have been slim.

As for Chen Minghao and Chen Mingyue, neither was here. Not long ago, they had already returned to the Azure Profound Sect with Chen Xingyun after her leave had ended.

"Hey, Chen Heng, do you know why they gathered us this time?"

"Is it good news or bad news?"

A somewhat skinny youth with sharp, clever-looking eyes nudged Chen Heng with his elbow.

Upon hearing this, the people around them immediately turned their eyes toward Chen Heng.

After all, everyone knew that Chen Heng had received the Azure Profound Golden Token bestowed by Elder Xingyun. Before long, he would be able to enter the Azure Profound Sect directly.

With how highly the Lineage valued him, surely he had some inside information?

Chen Heng's expression remained unchanged. He shook his head and said calmly, "Like all of you, I came here after receiving the message. I do not know the specific reason either."

The moment he said this, everyone's curiosity swelled, and they began chattering all at once.

Chen Heng listened for a while. At first, their discussion was fairly normal, but it gradually became more and more outrageous.

Before even more absurd conjectures could emerge, he hurriedly retreated to one side.

Just then, someone suddenly shouted, "The Great Elder has arrived!"

The hall, which had been incomparably noisy moments ago, instantly fell silent, and everyone turned their gaze toward the entrance.

They saw a bald middle-aged man with a tall, burly frame, clad in a black Jade Spring Water-Pattern Robe trimmed in white. His eyes shone brightly as he strode in with the bearing of a great swordmaster.

The newcomer was Chen Xingzhou, the Great Elder who oversaw all matters large and small within the Lineage.

He was usually extremely busy. Whenever he appeared in person, it meant this matter would certainly not be simple.

For example, the battle for supremacy between the Chen Lineage and the Luo Family.

For a time, everyone grew somewhat nervous.

Still, Chen Heng and the others did not forget their salute. They cupped their hands and said in unison, "Greetings, Great Elder!"

"No need for such ceremony!"

Chen Xingzhou's voice was somewhat aged, yet full of authority.

As soon as his words fell, he swept his gaze across the crowd, lingering for an instant on Chen Heng's face before getting straight to the point.

"Originally, according to Lineage rules, your group should have been able to cultivate peacefully on the mountain for a while longer. However, the Lineage is currently short-handed, and many positions in our external businesses remain vacant."

"Therefore, after deliberation by the council of elders and the household head, it has been decided that you will descend the mountain early to undertake Lineage affairs."

"Rest assured, if any among you intend to participate in the Azure Profound Sect's entrance trial, the Lineage will not stop you when the time comes."

"As for your monthly allowances, they will naturally increase as well. The Lineage will additionally issue ten jin of Spirit Rice, five jin of demon beast meat, and two Jade Spirit Pills every month."

The Jade Spirit Pill was a first-grade mid-tier pill produced by the Chen Lineage itself. It could improve the efficiency of refining spiritual energy, and to those present, it was a rare and precious elixir.

Great Elder Chen Xingzhou's words had essentially taken every concern into account.

No one present showed any dissatisfaction.

Quite a few even wore delighted expressions. Most of them possessed merely average, or even poor, aptitude.

Not to mention Foundation Establishment, even breaking through to late Qi Refining might be an extravagant hope in this lifetime. They might as well descend the mountain early and serve the Lineage.

Cultivators needed to accumulate resources in order to marry as well.

What was more, if they someday produced one or two children of good aptitude, those children would require resources to cultivate too.

Chen Heng, however, was considering what kind of Lineage duty would not affect his own cultivation.

Chen Xingzhou took in everyone's expressions. Deep down, he was quite satisfied; no one present had shown any displeasure.

This showed that the Chen Lineage's everyday instruction had been carried out rather well.

Yet the expression on his face did not change in the slightest, and he remained as stern as ever.

A moment later.

After everyone had digested the news, Chen Xingzhou said in a deep voice, "To ensure fairness, each person's Lineage duty will be determined by drawing lots. Whatever you draw is what you get."

"If you wish to exchange with someone else, negotiate it yourselves afterward."

"Ming Heng, draw the first lot!"

Chen Heng curled his lip, inexplicably recalling the battle for supremacy, but he did not hesitate. He walked straight up to the tall, burly Chen Xingzhou.

He drew a bamboo slip from the lot cylinder. Written clearly upon it were the words: Market Artifact Refining.

Hmm!?

Chen Heng raised a brow. This Lineage duty suited him quite well. So-called market artifact refining meant going to Southern Foothills Market and serving as an artifact refiner or artifact refining apprentice at one of the Lineage's shops.

Southern Foothills Market was a marketplace jointly established by the Moon Gazing Mountain Range's three great Foundation Establishment Families—the Chen, Wu, and Luo Families—along with several Qi Refining families. It was located beside the Li River.

Under normal circumstances, at least three Foundation Establishment true cultivators were stationed there, so safety was certainly nothing to worry about.

Furthermore, the market stood atop a second-grade mid-tier spirit vein jointly cultivated by the various families. Its spiritual energy was fairly abundant, so there was no need to worry about it affecting cultivation.

Shortly afterward, Chen Heng directly handed the bamboo slip in his hand to Great Elder Chen Xingzhou. For him, there was no need to exchange this Lineage duty with anyone else, nor was there any need to wait for the others to draw lots.

Chen Xingzhou said nothing more as he accepted the bamboo slip, then told him warmly, "In three days, you will descend the mountain with Elder Xingjiang. He happens to be going to the market as well."

Chen Heng nodded slightly, then retreated to one side.

He did not leave immediately. Instead, he waited until everyone had finished drawing their lots and settled matters with Great Elder Chen Xingzhou before returning to Green Bamboo Lodge.

To Chen Xingzhou, this conduct was quite pleasing and satisfying.

After all, the old Chen Heng had held quite a few grievances against the Lineage. Now that the Lineage had invested a substantial amount of real resources in him, he had come to value the Lineage more and more.

After Chen Heng returned to Green Bamboo Lodge, he informed the old servant. Neither of them had much to pack.

However, life below the mountain differed from life on it; all kinds of accidents could occur, and certain things needed to be prepared in advance.

Thus.

Chen Heng had his old servant, Uncle Fu, take his identity token to the Contribution Hall atop the mountain and exchange his last three hundred merit points entirely for cultivation resources.

These consisted of several precious materials with water and fire attributes, several bottles of pills for restoring true essence, advancing cultivation, and even detoxifying poison, as well as three first-grade high-tier protective talismans.

Among them, the water- and fire-attributed precious materials were meant to refine a special artifact.

After all, Chen Heng currently had only one artifact to protect himself with. That was still far too unsafe.

He had cultivated on the mountain before, but now he was heading for the market below; the two situations could not be mentioned in the same breath.

Three days were enough for him to refine another first-grade mid-tier artifact.