Payday (1)

Although Lin Xiao still didn't know whether cultivation could extend one's life in this world, or by how much.

He was certain it could.

After all, the information in the system said "Qi Refining."

Since the cultivation system's ranks were the same as the ones he knew, surely it still had the ability to extend one's lifespan too?

Otherwise, who could achieve the ultimate goal of cultivation within an ordinary human lifespan?

Hearing Lin Xiao say this, everyone at the table, including the usually quiet Lin Yan and Lin Ying, had thoughts of their own.

Eldest Uncle Lin's Wife immediately spoke to Lin Xiao:

"Sanlang, what about your eldest cousin..."

Lin Lei, the eldest grandson of the Lin Household, who was the same age as Lin Yun, involuntarily squeezed the half a bun in his hand out of shape. He immediately interrupted his mother:

"Mother, I'm not cultivating. I'm staying home to work."

Eldest Uncle Lin's Wife grew anxious:

"What future do you have working at home? Look at Sanlang. He cultivated for a few days, learned a Law Technique, and earned three taels of silver with one trip to town!"

Seeing this, Lin Xiao hurriedly cut in to stop the argument:

"Hold on, hold on, hold on. Eldest Aunt, Eldest Cousin, look, you both mean well for each other, right? There's no need to turn those good intentions into an argument that weighs on everyone's hearts. Whatever you're thinking, just say why and lay everything out clearly, one thing at a time. Talk it over properly instead of getting angry and butting heads, turning a good thing into a bad one. Don't you agree?"

Eldest Uncle Lin's Wife and Lin Lei, who had been ready for a heated debate, both blushed and swallowed the anger that had been about to burst forth.

Old Master Lin nodded from the side:

"Sanlang's right. You two can discuss this in private and tell us once you've settled it. Don't argue in front of the whole family."

Lin Xiao then said to everyone:

"Once you've talked it over, anyone who wants to cultivate with me can come. Don't let your thoughts run wild and worry." He turned to the two elders of the Lin Household. "That includes you, Grandpa and Grandma. If you two want to come, you're welcome anytime! Please don't feel awkward about it."

With those words from Lin Xiao, those in the Lin Household who had been considering it began to mull it over.

After dinner.

How everyone would discuss it remained to be seen.

Lin Dayou took Lin Yun home.

On the way, Lin Xiao repeatedly asked Lin Dayou:

"Dad, are you really not going to cultivate with me? It can prolong your life! Don't make me and Big Brother sad later! Dad, let me tell you, in cultivation, there's this thing called a heart demon. If you don't cultivate with me and Big Brother, and we have to watch you pass away early, that might become our heart demon. It could hold back our cultivation progress..."

"Pah, pah, pah!" Lin Dayou raised his hand and smacked Lin Xiao on the back of the head. "Why are you cursing your dad?!"

Lin Xiao clutched his head, which hurt like the dickens from the slap, and said aggrievedly:

"I'm telling the truth. I'm not fooling you, Dad..."

Lin Dayou turned his head and flatly refused:

"I'm not listening! Shut your mouth!"

Lin Xiao sighed.

What a stubborn middle-aged man.

Though his father was only thirty-two.

Once home, Lin Xiao immediately asked Lin Dayou for the money he had earned that day.

Unable to stand the sight of his money-grubbing son, Lin Dayou tossed the whole money pouch into his arms with great disdain.

Lin Xiao happily carried the armful of copper coins into the room, fetched some straw rope, and restrung them into seven strings of a hundred coins each.

Then he put one of the strings into his private stash.

That was his salary for the month!

That was right.

Lin Xiao was paying out salaries.

He planned to give each of the sect's current members a salary of a hundred copper coins from then on, except for Xiaoluan, who probably didn't need money.

With the remaining money, he planned to buy some grain from the village's well-off households and store it on the mountain to cover everyone's meals there.

Otherwise, everyone would have to bring their own provisions up the mountain to cultivate every day, which didn't seem much like a sect.

Although he still couldn't let everyone live up there, at least the sect could provide meals now. That counted as progress!

Lin Xiao was quite optimistic about the sect's prospects.

Night fell.

A few lights flickered on here and there in Xiushui Village.

No matter how busy the villagers had been outside, they were all beginning to head home by now.

At this hour, Lin Xiao was probably the only person in all of Xiushui Village heading out.

With a Storage Bag stuffed full of copper coins tucked against his chest, he was going to pay his sect members.

Although none of them knew they actually had a salary.

But who in this world didn't love payday?

Putting himself in their shoes, Lin Xiao imagined that if it were him, getting paid a second earlier would mean an extra second of happiness!

So he decided then and there not to leave the copper coins until tomorrow.

These were fresh copper coins earned today. If they sat overnight, they wouldn't be fresh anymore.

So once he had strung them, he immediately headed out into the night.

It was time to pay everyone!

Lin Xiao's first stop was, of course, his brother Lin Yun's room.

Lin Xiao crept to Lin Yun's door like a thief, gently pushed it open, and walked in.

There was nothing to be done about it. His family generally didn't bolt their doors before going to bed, so he could simply push his way in.

Seeing him sneak in so furtively, Lin Yun couldn't help asking in puzzlement:

"Erlang, what are you doing?" At home, Lin Yun usually called Lin Xiao Erlang. Only at the old house did he follow the ranking there and call him Sanlang.

Lin Xiao walked over to Lin Yun, who was making his bed, and took one of his hands. He pulled a string of copper coins out of his Storage Bag and slapped it into his hand:

"Big Brother, this is your sect salary for the month!"

When Lin Yun saw the long string of copper coins in his hand, he jumped in surprise and tried to stuff it back into Lin Xiao's hands:

"This! Erlang, take it back. Didn't you say you were saving the money you earned today to build up our sect?"

Lin Xiao immediately dodged and said:

"That's right! Paying everyone in the sect is part of building it up too! Big Brother, put it away. Everyone gets one, so there's no reason to leave out my own brother. Come on, put it away. I'm off!"

Before he had finished speaking, Lin Xiao had already darted out of the room and left the house.

Lin Yun wanted to return the money to Lin Xiao, but the difference in their cultivation was overwhelming. He simply couldn't catch him!

So Lin Yun had no choice but to return to his room and continue cultivating.

He had to catch up to his younger brother as soon as possible! At the very least, next time he wouldn't be unable to so much as touch the hem of his clothes!

The second stop on Lin Xiao's salary-paying journey was Tietou's home in the middle of the village.

There was nothing to be done about it. Of the entire sect, only he and Lin Yun lived at the eastern end of the village.

Hu was the largest clan in the village and had lived in Xiushui Village the longest, so most of its members lived in the middle of the village.

Tietou, Hu Liang, was also a close relative of Hu Deli, the Hu clan leader, within three degrees of kinship. By seniority, he had to address Clan Leader Hu as his grandfather's cousin.