Bright Moon Pavilion's Outer Disciple, Ten Thousand Miners

The surveillance footage continued playing. As it fast-forwarded, it soon reached the part Lin Ze wanted to see.

The image of the middle-aged man teaching swordsmanship—the one Lin Ze had seen for the first time—appeared on the screen.

"Greetings, Senior Uncle Gao."

The eight newly promoted Inner Sect Disciples who were learning swordsmanship bowed to the middle-aged man.

Senior Uncle Gao, who was teaching swordsmanship, gave a slight nod in return, then spoke without wasting any words:

"Today, we'll continue learning Moonlight Covering the Sky, the sword art every Inner Sect Disciple of Bright Moon Pavilion must learn. Yesterday, we reached the third move, Moon Over the West Tower. Today, we'll study the fourth move, Dawn Wind, Remnant Moon. But before we begin, I'll check how well you've mastered the first three moves."

"If any of you haven't learned them yet, or have forgotten them, you can ask me for guidance at any time..."

Lin Ze watched the swordsmanship lesson. At first, when he saw that they were starting directly with the fourth move, he couldn't help frowning.

But as the instructor checked their progress, the other disciples demonstrated the first three moves one by one, from the sword techniques to the accompanying mental methods and ways of applying force. Only then did Lin Ze's frown relax.

After a pause, Xue Fei continued, "So, when there's a chance to earn money, nobody will pass it up. If the wages you mentioned really do come through, everyone will have money to buy winter clothes and keep warm by the fire. This winter won't be so hard to get through."

After they finished talking about the matsutake, the conversation turned to recruiting miners.

Feng Ping's tone was full of rueful feeling as he spoke.

With the lesson materials, he could learn quickly. He didn't have to spend three whole years learning alongside the Formal Disciples.

All Matsutake had to do was increase the supply of Chicken Essence by three or five times.

"By the way, Martial Scholar, last time you asked me to find out how many people from the villages around Clear River Township wanted to work as miners at your coal mine."

After thinking it over briefly, Matsutake found a possible reason.

Feng Ping went over the accounts for the matsutake and showed Xue Fei the receipt.

It wasn't just silver. It was the hope that their descendants could study and bring glory and prosperity to their Lineage!

After a period of buildup, cheap, long-burning coal had already begun gradually replacing firewood. As time went on, Matsutake was sure coal would come to dominate the fuel market throughout Linze County, just as he had initially predicted.

Matsutake had originally gone to find Li He to discuss how best to settle the ten thousand-plus miners. Now, it seemed there was no need to discuss it after all.

Watching the residents of Linze County use coal, Matsutake suddenly realized something.

He wasn't going to meet Li Yunhua, the County Magistrate's eldest daughter. He was going to see Li He, the County Magistrate, to talk about recruiting miners.

"Thank you, Martial Scholar. Thank you."

To keep himself from letting the secret slip in everyday conversation, Matsutake went along with it and made Zi Yi's name in the Other World the same as Matsutake's name in the Main World.

Seeing a table full of delicacies from the mountains and the sea, Xue Fei felt even more moved.

He then brought up the footage from the other cameras, reconstructing Senior Uncle Gao's sword lesson from every angle. After cutting out the unnecessary talk, he had a complete lesson on Moonlight Covering the Sky.

Although it couldn't match Bright Moon Pavilion's Sect-Protecting Skill in power, once cultivated to the pinnacle, it was still enough to let someone roam the martial world with impunity.

Matsutake had no problem with that.

Matsutake had started buying matsutake because he genuinely wanted his elders to eat it all year round. Later, when there was more of it, someone might have realized it could be used to improve a secret seasoning recipe and asked him to buy it in bulk.

The mountain gate had made enough of its secret seasoning, so they had handed this business over to Matsutake, letting him use it as a way to make money.

At that rate, the profits would be fifty or sixty million. It was something to look forward to.

From that day on, Matsutake became an unofficial disciple of Bright Moon Pavilion. Like a sponge, he began soaking up everything he needed to know about cultivation in Lin Ze.

From mental methods to techniques, and then to the precise ways of applying force.

Matsutake rode in his carriage. Along the way, he could see shops and homes lining both sides of the street. Quite a few people were cooking or boiling water over coal stoves by the roadside.

"Your original deposit came to 179 taels and 770 coins. After that, you gave me another 1,700 taels of silver, so you still need to pay me 707 taels and 950 wen."

"Fine. When I get back, I'll tell everyone to call it Matsutake instead of Zi Yi."

At the moment, Matsutake was only making it with yellow croaker, and the output was low. Next year, he could add Matsutake to the recipe. Then he could buy even more of it without raising any suspicion. He could collect all the matsutake in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, as well as that from the surrounding mountain ranges.

The literati and wealthy families found the snowy scenery novel, stunning, and beautiful. But poor country folk like them could only pray their houses wouldn't collapse under the snow. If they did, people could really die.

Xue Fei thought it over briefly and came up with a solution.

"Martial Scholar, you may not know this, but once the busy farming season ends, there's little for everyone to do besides grow a few vegetables and chop firewood. Usually, the local elders organize people to repair bridges and roads for the village or do a stint of corvée labor for the county."

Feng Ping arrived with his two sons in an ox cart. He had come to get acquainted with the place and settle the remaining payment for the matsutake.

Matsutake invited Xue Fei to sit down for tea. As they chatted, he had the cook prepare a table of delicious dishes with Chicken Essence to welcome Feng Ping and his two sons.

At the time, Feng Ping had never tasted food that fresh and delicious. Remembering it now made his mouth water.

Meanwhile, the Formal Disciples were just beginning to learn basic knowledge about cultivation and Bright Moon Pavilion's introductory Strengthening the Foundation and Nourishing the Origin and Great Yin Long Fist.

That gave Feng Ping, a countryman seeing such a grand residence for the first time, much less unease and insecurity.

Afterward, Lin Ze watched through roughly the entire lesson.

From things Senior Uncle Gao had casually mentioned while teaching, Lin Ze learned that the sword art was indeed what he'd suspected: a high-grade martial art.

Standing in the front courtyard to welcome Feng Ping, Xue Fei smiled and greeted him.

Matsutake had little interest in this kind of basic knowledge and hadn't paid it much attention before. But now, it seemed he'd have to learn it.

That wasn't just the profit Matsutake had earned. It was nearly all the profit Feng Ping had made from buying matsutake for him this time. The whole family had worked hard for a long time, and this was the reward they deserved.

Feng Ping had diligently helped him buy matsutake, earning him his first pot of gold and soon turning the rest of the matsutake into cash. Matsutake had reached the ranks of the ten-billion-rich. Feng Ping deserved a warm welcome.

Back when he learned Crane Step Tiger Form Fist, Matsutake had systematically studied basic cultivation knowledge, such as meridians, acupoints, and the taboos of martial arts training. So understanding this high-grade martial art wasn't too difficult.

After finishing all this, Xue Fei began planning his next move.

It wasn't just the customers initially contacted by Matsutake's clerk, who was rising fast. There were also new customers he'd found in recent days through the influence of the firewood business.

But that left Matsutake's progress in martial arts stuck.

"Elder, you've been away for a few days. You're still hale and hearty."

Feng Ping helped him buy matsutake, earning him his first pot of gold and soon turning the rest of the matsutake into cash. He deserved Matsutake's warm hospitality.

Having finished everything, Xue Fei began planning his next move.

Not only had he put one camera in place, but he'd set up several to record many lessons at once.

"Tomorrow, I'll make up lessons with Xu Yang, Xu Sheng's son, and start learning from the beginning."

There were hundreds or a couple thousand miners; that wasn't worth worrying about. But if Feng Ping brought over more than nine thousand miners, then added the runners' families, servants, and fellow villagers, there would be over ten thousand able-bodied men gathered together.

As a transmigrator with the wisdom of his previous life awakened, Matsutake had spent more than twenty years studying across both lifetimes. His mind was already mature, and his ability to learn was far beyond that of these unsettled teenagers in their mid-teens.

This kind of matter had to be reported in advance, along with a proper solution. Otherwise, someone with bad intentions might accuse him of plotting a rebellion.

Chicken Essence was a very handy excuse.

After hearing him out, Matsutake brought out a small cash box he had prepared beforehand.

"This year was a little better. You bought matsutake from us, so everyone had a bit of extra money to buy winter clothes and meat. In previous years, it was even harder."

"Other than the able-bodied men from Clear River Township, the young men from the surrounding villages all want to come work at your place. I've made a list of everyone who wants to come. If this hadn't held me up, I would've come to get acquainted with you a few days ago."

"This year, we started collecting matsutake a bit late. Next year, we'll start earlier. We might even collect twice as much Matsutake as we did this year."

Feng Ping opened with the news: more than nine thousand miners.

"Is everything in these accounts correct?"

"The total amount through the last batch of Matsutake was 200,900 jin. At ten wen per jin, that comes to 2,080 taels of silver. Transporting it cost 5,200 coins, or five taels and two qian."

"After winter sets in, everyone stays home to rest. Otherwise, if they wander around outside in thin clothes, they'll freeze to death."

"If your An Family can collect twice as much Zi Yi next year, your annual income will be stable at over a thousand taels. Then you'll be able to support your descendants' studies, and your own living conditions will improve greatly. You won't have to live in poverty anymore."

The cash box held eight fifty-tael silver ingots, one five-tael ingot, and one one-tael ingot.

"It's all thanks to your efforts, Elder."

The money Matsutake handed over was in fine silver ingots. Feng Ping's son helped him take the cash box, and the three of them checked the silver, beaming with delight.

"What will everyone do after the harvest?"

The crowd was enormous, and it couldn't be handled without difficulty. But as long as the coal was sold, the profits would be enough to justify it.

"Thank you, Martial Scholar."

It would be best to give them some work, so they wouldn't gather together for no reason.

"After this, let's work together again next year. I've figured out how to use Matsutake to make a secret seasoning. I'll definitely need more of it next year. You won't have to haul it all the way into the mountains anymore. Just bring it to me by cart."

Matsutake was startled.

"Everyone can save themselves the trouble. It's the secret seasoning you tasted with your meal earlier—the one that made everything taste so fresh and delicious."

After making his decision, Matsutake began repeating the process. In a secluded spot near the classroom where the Formal Disciples were taught, he set up cameras to record their lessons.

"No wonder Bright Moon Pavilion's cultivation methods are different. Their explanations and terms may be unique. Even the same phrase, 'from the sea of qi to the Divine Gate,' might refer to a different method of circulating Inner Breath than the usual one."

"You're bringing in that many people? I thought it'd be great if a few hundred or a thousand came."

"Then, once winter sets in, everyone stays home to rest. Otherwise, if they go wandering around outside in thin clothes, they'll freeze to death."

"It's not just the young men from our Clear River Township. The able-bodied men from all the surrounding villages want to come work for you. I've registered everyone who wants to come. If this hadn't held me up, I'd have come to see you a few days ago."

This wasn't a matter of silver alone. It was the hope that their descendants could study and bring glory to their Lineage!

"I only casually asked around while buying matsutake, but I ended up finding more than nine thousand miners."

"Then, when you get back, tell them all to go report to the White Stone Village Coal Mine in Maple Forest Township whenever they're free. However many come, I'll take them all."

"Such a huge crowd? I thought it'd be great if a few hundred or a thousand came."

Before long, Feng Ping remembered the dishes he'd tasted, so fresh and delicious, and his mouth began to water.

After he'd finished talking, Feng Ping naturally came up with a new explanation.

Matsutake smiled and nodded. "That's right."

"Starting now, for all the high-grade martial arts and other cultivation methods Bright Moon Pavilion teaches, focus on recording them. Put most of your effort into studying Bright Moon Pavilion's basic cultivation knowledge. Only after you've learned it thoroughly should you begin practicing the high-grade martial arts in earnest."

"Then, after the harvest, everyone will be done with work except for growing some vegetables and chopping firewood. Usually, the local elders organize people to repair bridges and roads for the village or do corvée labor for the county government."

"People may not have seen you for a few days, Elder. You're still hale and hearty."

The Mingyue Tower's martial arts were intricate. A tiny mistake could lead to trouble. At worst, he'd feel sick like he had just now. If he forced himself to continue, he might even drop dead.

"Tomorrow, I'll make up lessons with Xu Yang, Xu Sheng's son, and start learning from the beginning."

Linze County, West Gate, Cloud Mist Lane, Lin Residence.

Matsutake, a transmigrator whose previous-life memories had awakened, had spent more than twenty years studying across both lifetimes. His mind was already mature, and his ability to learn was far beyond that of these unsettled teenagers.

"This time, more than nine thousand miners..."

Matsutake was stunned.

"Elder, when you get back, please let everyone know. They can report to the White Stone Village Coal Mine in Maple Forest Township whenever they're free. However many come, I'll take them all."

"Once winter sets in, everyone stays home to rest. Otherwise, if they wander around outside in thin clothes, they'll freeze to death."

The Main World had enough demand for matsutake that this little bit wouldn't make much of a dent in the market or drive prices down.

"Next year, when we work together again, I'll need even more Matsutake. I've figured out how to use it to make a secret seasoning. There'll be no need to haul it deep into the mountains anymore—just bring it to me by cart."

"Everyone can save themselves the trouble. It's the secret seasoning you tasted with your meal earlier—the one that made everything so fresh and delicious."

After saying this, Feng Ping seemed to feel uneasy about taking so much money.

"The cash box has eight fifty-tael ingots, one five-tael ingot, and one one-tael ingot."

"Is everything in these accounts correct?"

Matsutake nodded. "That's right."

After inviting Feng Ping inside for tea, Matsutake had the cook prepare a table of delicious dishes with Chicken Essence while they chatted.

Although this young man had settled down in the city and now lived in such a grand residence, he hadn't become arrogant in the least. He still treated Feng Ping with the same respect as the first time they met.

Feng Ping had worked diligently to buy matsutake for him. That had earned him his first pot of gold, and soon he would turn the rest of it into cash and join the ranks of the ten-billion-rich. He deserved a warm welcome from Matsutake.

Matsutake had no problem with that.

A few hundred or a couple thousand miners weren't worth worrying about. But if Feng Ping brought over more than nine thousand, then added the runners' families, servants, and fellow villagers, there would be over ten thousand able-bodied men gathered together.

This was the sort of thing he had to report in advance and come up with a proper solution for. Otherwise, someone with bad intentions might accuse him of plotting a rebellion.

"Chicken Essence is a very handy excuse."

Matsutake sat in his carriage and headed toward the county government office.

He wasn't going to meet Li Yunhua, the County Magistrate's eldest daughter. He was going to see Li He, the County Magistrate, to talk about recruiting miners.

"Thank you, Martial Scholar. Thank you."

To keep himself from letting the secret slip in everyday conversation, Matsutake went along with it and made Zi Yi's name in the Other World the same as Matsutake's name in the Main World.

Seeing a table full of delicacies from the mountains and the sea, Xue Fei felt even more moved.

He then brought up the footage from the other cameras, reconstructing Senior Uncle Gao's sword lesson from every angle. After cutting out the unnecessary talk, he had a complete lesson on Moonlight Covering the Sky.

Although it couldn't match Bright Moon Pavilion's Sect-Protecting Skill in power, once cultivated to the pinnacle, it was still enough to let someone roam the martial world with impunity.

Matsutake had no problem with that.

Matsutake had started buying matsutake because he genuinely wanted his elders to eat it all year round. Later, when there was more of it, someone might have realized it could be used to improve a secret seasoning recipe and asked him to buy it in bulk.

The mountain gate had made enough of its secret seasoning, so they had handed this business over to Matsutake, letting him use it as a way to make money.

At that rate, the profits would be fifty or sixty million. It was something to look forward to.

From that day on, Matsutake became an unofficial disciple of Bright Moon Pavilion. Like a sponge, he began soaking up everything he needed to know about cultivation in Lin Ze.

From mental methods to techniques, and then to the precise ways of applying force.

Matsutake rode in his carriage. Along the way, he could see shops and homes lining both sides of the street. Quite a few people were cooking or boiling water over coal stoves by the roadside.

"Your original deposit came to 179 taels and 770 coins. After that, you gave me another 1,700 taels of silver, so you still need to pay me 707 taels and 950 wen."

"Fine. When I get back, I'll tell everyone to call it Matsutake instead of Zi Yi."

At the moment, Matsutake was only making it with yellow croaker, and the output was low. Next year, he could add Matsutake to the recipe. Then he could buy even more of it without raising any suspicion. He could collect all the matsutake in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, as well as that from the surrounding mountain ranges.

The literati and wealthy families found the snowy scenery novel, stunning, and beautiful. But poor country folk like them could only pray their houses wouldn't collapse under the snow. If they did, people could really die.

Xue Fei thought it over briefly and came up with a solution.

"Martial Scholar, you may not know this, but once the busy farming season ends, there's little for everyone to do besides grow a few vegetables and chop firewood. Usually, the local elders organize people to repair bridges and roads for the village or do a stint of corvée labor for the county."

Feng Ping arrived with his two sons in an ox cart. He had come to get acquainted with the place and settle the remaining payment for the matsutake.

Matsutake invited Xue Fei to sit down for tea. As they chatted, he had the cook prepare a table of delicious dishes with Chicken Essence to welcome Feng Ping and his two sons.

At the time, Feng Ping had never tasted food that fresh and delicious. Remembering it now made his mouth water.

Meanwhile, the Formal Disciples were just beginning to learn basic knowledge about cultivation and Bright Moon Pavilion's introductory Strengthening the Foundation and Nourishing the Origin and Great Yin Long Fist.

That gave Feng Ping, a countryman seeing such a grand residence for the first time, much less unease and insecurity.

Afterward, Lin Ze watched through roughly the entire lesson.

From things Senior Uncle Gao had casually mentioned while teaching, Lin Ze learned that the sword art was indeed what he'd suspected: a high-grade martial art.

Standing in the front courtyard to welcome Feng Ping, Xue Fei smiled and greeted him.

Matsutake had little interest in this kind of basic knowledge and hadn't paid it much attention before. But now, it seemed he'd have to learn it.

That wasn't just the profit Matsutake had earned. It was nearly all the profit Feng Ping had made from buying matsutake for him this time. The whole family had worked hard for a long time, and this was the reward they deserved.

Feng Ping had diligently helped him buy matsutake, earning him his first pot of gold and soon turning the rest of the matsutake into cash. Matsutake had reached the ranks of the ten-billion-rich. Feng Ping deserved a warm welcome.

Back when he learned Crane Step Tiger Form Fist, Matsutake had systematically studied basic cultivation knowledge, such as meridians, acupoints, and the taboos of martial arts training. So understanding this high-grade martial art wasn't too difficult.

After finishing all this, Xue Fei began planning his next move.

It wasn't just the customers initially contacted by Matsutake's clerk, who was rising fast. There were also new customers he'd found in recent days through the influence of the firewood business.

But that left Matsutake's progress in martial arts stuck.

"Elder, you've been away for a few days. You're still hale and hearty."

Feng Ping helped him buy matsutake, earning him his first pot of gold and soon turning the rest of the matsutake into cash. He deserved Matsutake's warm hospitality.

Having finished everything, Xue Fei began planning his next move.

Not only had he put one camera in place, but he'd set up several to record many lessons at once.

"Tomorrow, I'll make up lessons with Xu Yang, Xu Sheng's son, and start learning from the beginning."

There were hundreds or a couple thousand miners; that wasn't worth worrying about. But if Feng Ping brought over more than nine thousand miners, then added the runners' families, servants, and fellow villagers, there would be over ten thousand able-bodied men gathered together.

As a transmigrator with the wisdom of his previous life awakened, Matsutake had spent more than twenty years studying across both lifetimes. His mind was already mature, and his ability to learn was far beyond that of these unsettled teenagers in their mid-teens.

This kind of matter had to be reported in advance, along with a proper solution. Otherwise, someone with bad intentions might accuse him of plotting a rebellion.

Chicken Essence was a very handy excuse.

After hearing him out, Matsutake brought out a small cash box he had prepared beforehand.

"This year was a little better. You bought matsutake from us, so everyone had a bit of extra money to buy winter clothes and meat. In previous years, it was even harder."

"Other than the able-bodied men from Clear River Township, the young men from the surrounding villages all want to come work at your place. I've made a list of everyone who wants to come. If this hadn't held me up, I would've come to get acquainted with you a few days ago."

"This year, we started collecting matsutake a bit late. Next year, we'll start earlier. We might even collect twice as much Matsutake as we did this year."

Feng Ping opened with the news: more than nine thousand miners.

"Is everything in these accounts correct?"

"The total amount through the last batch of Matsutake was 200,900 jin. At ten wen per jin, that comes to 2,080 taels of silver. Transporting it cost 5,200 coins, or five taels and two qian."

"After winter sets in, everyone stays home to rest. Otherwise, if they wander around outside in thin clothes, they'll freeze to death."

"If your An Family can collect twice as much Zi Yi next year, your annual income will be stable at over a thousand taels. Then you'll be able to support your descendants' studies, and your own living conditions will improve greatly. You won't have to live in poverty anymore."

The cash box held eight fifty-tael silver ingots, one five-tael ingot, and one one-tael ingot.

"It's all thanks to your efforts, Elder."

The money Matsutake handed over was in fine silver ingots. Feng Ping's son helped him take the cash box, and the three of them checked the silver, beaming with delight.

"What will everyone do after the harvest?"

The crowd was enormous, and it couldn't be handled without difficulty. But as long as the coal was sold, the profits would be enough to justify it.

"Thank you, Martial Scholar."

It would be best to give them some work, so they wouldn't gather together for no reason.

"After this, let's work together again next year. I've figured out how to use Matsutake to make a secret seasoning. I'll definitely need more of it next year. You won't have to haul it all the way into the mountains anymore. Just bring it to me by cart."

Matsutake was startled.

"Everyone can save themselves the trouble. It's the secret seasoning you tasted with your meal earlier—the one that made everything taste so fresh and delicious."

After making his decision, Matsutake began repeating the process. In a secluded spot near the classroom where the Formal Disciples were taught, he set up cameras to record their lessons.

"No wonder Bright Moon Pavilion's cultivation methods are different. Their explanations and terms may be unique. Even the same phrase, 'from the sea of qi to the Divine Gate,' might refer to a different method of circulating Inner Breath than the usual one."

"You're bringing in that many people? I thought it'd be great if a few hundred or a thousand came."

"Then, once winter sets in, everyone stays home to rest. Otherwise, if they go wandering around outside in thin clothes, they'll freeze to death."

"It's not just the young men from our Clear River Township. The able-bodied men from all the surrounding villages want to come work for you. I've registered everyone who wants to come. If this hadn't held me up, I'd have come to see you a few days ago."

This wasn't a matter of silver alone. It was the hope that their descendants could study and bring glory to their Lineage!

"I only casually asked around while buying matsutake, but I ended up finding more than nine thousand miners."

"Then, when you get back, tell them all to go report to the White Stone Village Coal Mine in Maple Forest Township whenever they're free. However many come, I'll take them all."

"Such a huge crowd? I thought it'd be great if a few hundred or a thousand came."

Before long, Feng Ping remembered the dishes he'd tasted, so fresh and delicious, and his mouth began to water.

After he'd finished talking, Feng Ping naturally came up with a new explanation.

Matsutake smiled and nodded. "That's right."

"Starting now, for all the high-grade martial arts and other cultivation methods Bright Moon Pavilion teaches, focus on recording them. Put most of your effort into studying Bright Moon Pavilion's basic cultivation knowledge. Only after you've learned it thoroughly should you begin practicing the high-grade martial arts in earnest."

"Then, after the harvest, everyone will be done with work except for growing some vegetables and chopping firewood. Usually, the local elders organize people to repair bridges and roads for the village or do corvée labor for the county government."

"People may not have seen you for a few days, Elder. You're still hale and hearty."

The Bright Moon Pavilion's martial arts were intricate. A tiny mistake could lead to trouble. At worst, he'd feel sick like he had just now. If he forced himself to continue, he might even drop dead.