Putting Down Roots (2)

A full month passed before You Xiaobao, along with his master Cai Qingyun and others, received the spiritual land contract and, led by Zhu Yunsheng, arrived at the pre-arranged First-Tier Lower-Grade Phoenix Forest Mountain.

The reason it took so long was that after getting past Sun Fu, Chongming Sect still needed someone to investigate the background of the family applying for the sacred land.

For someone like You Xiaobao, who came from Chongming City, things were relatively quick. The garrison commander, Jin Shilun, was able to verify the information and send a letter in no time.

Although the other gates in Ping and Jin counties are more troublesome, given Chongming Sect's deep control over the two counties, it won't take much time to verify the facts.

As for cultivators and Lineage outside these two counties, or lone Rogue Cultivator from other states, it is indeed much more troublesome compared to the previous two types of families.

Therefore, Ye Zhengwen, the general affairs elder in charge of this matter, not only dispatched a large number of disciples to various places to inquire, but also bought information from Yan Qingwei.

Fearless Tower hadn't earned enough favors last time, so this time he was quite easy to talk to, except that he added another debt to the already considerable amount of Merit Points owed by Sect Leader Kang Da.

In this way Chongming Sect finally managed to identify twenty or thirty households from the more than three hundred families that had been identified as corrupt and wicked, who were adept at cultivating a good reputation but were actually rife with misdeeds.

Those families who had fooled Sun Fu with lies were in deep trouble. Those who committed heinous crimes were immediately executed along with their entire clan, while those whose crimes were less serious were sent to various newly established shrines to serve as atonement.

As for the remaining three hundred or so households, they are not entirely without fault. However, if the rules established by Sect Leader Kang Da in Ping and Jin counties were followed, it is likely that few people would remain alive in Cold Crow Mountain, which has barely gained any life.

This is how things have been for thousands of years, so Chongming Sect couldn't very well punish someone without first educating them.

Besides, Kang Dabao still needs these Rogue Cultivator cultivators to manage these scattered and worthless spiritual lands properly; how could he possibly kill them all?

It's simply a matter of explaining the rules to them and setting an example for them.

Only after Ye Zhengwen finished dealing with these matters did You Xiaobao receive permission to come to Phoenix Forest Mountain, which he had longed for.

As soon as Cai Qingyun lowered his head, he involuntarily grabbed a handful of spiritual soil and exclaimed, "Dao Ancestor, this fertile spiritual soil is truly ours from now on?"

You Xiaobao could tell from the slightly abnormal flush on his master's face, who was recovering from a serious illness, that the latter must be overjoyed.

Zhu Yunsheng had met many Rogue Cultivator these days, so he wasn't surprised by Cai Qingyun's actions. He simply pointed to the mountaintop and said calmly:

"Fellow Daoist Cai, there's no need to be surprised. There are still a few scattered patches of spirit soil on the mountaintop, which are even more fertile than this place. If we could find a qualified cultivator with a proper lineage to come here, we might even be able to cultivate one or two acres of First-Tier Lower-Grade spirit fields."

"This is no place for cultivation that can be obtained with just a few Spirit Stone! Brother Zhu, rest assured, my unworthy disciple and I will take good care of this spiritual land and even erect a Changsheng tablet for Sect Leader Kang, paying our respects morning and evening!"

Zhu Yunsheng merely smiled faintly upon hearing Cai Qingyun's assurance, "Fellow Daoist, you flatter me."

It was You Xiaobao who signed the contract. After briefly dealing with Cai Qingyun, Zhu Yunsheng turned to the person in charge and said, "Fellow Daoist You, it is my duty to explain some things to you. I hope you won't mind."

You Xiaobao immediately replied respectfully, "I wouldn't dare, Brother Zhu's words are golden, I will certainly listen attentively."

Zhu Yunsheng nodded slightly, the friendly expression on his face gradually fading, and he only said, "Firstly, in the ancestral hall of Fellow Daoist You, a portrait of Lord Shan must be enshrined, and a special person must be assigned to perform morning and evening rituals every day, ensuring that incense is burned continuously."

"Yes."

"Secondly, if any family has unresolved grudges, they must not attack each other privately, but must first report to their respective sects. If, after mediation by a disciple of the sect, all parties are still dissatisfied and a fight is still necessary, then the fighting should only begin under the supervision of a disciple of the sect. Those who disobey orders will be expelled from the country without leniency."

"Yes." Upon hearing this decree again, You Xiaobao felt much more at ease. He knew that this was a method devised by the Chongming Sect to protect small families like theirs, so there was no reason not to support it.

"Thirdly, if any family produces spiritual materials on their spiritual land, and these materials were already there before the arrival of the family, they shall pay 40% of their annual production; if these materials were not there before the arrival of the family, but were obtained through exploration and development, they shall pay 20% of their annual gains. Anyone who conceals or fails to report such materials will have all the produce of their spiritual land confiscated for the first offense, and will be expelled from the country for a second offense."

"Yes," You Xiaobao replied in a low voice, his mind already calculating. "This rent isn't low at all; Sect Leader Kang really can't afford to buy at a loss."

Fourthly, all families with seedlings of suitable age must travel to Little Ring Mountain on the fifteenth of September each year to participate in the Immortal Ascension Assembly. Those who fail to comply with this order will have their yield from the sacred land doubled.

If a disciple of the Chongming Sect could truly emerge from among the younger generation of his family You Xiaobao would probably be overjoyed. There was no reason for him to refuse, so he immediately replied loudly, "Yes."

"Fifthly, all families in Cold Crow Mountain must remember the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold,' and 'if a household is broken, the hall will be in danger.' This spiritual land is newly opened, and it is inevitable that there will be remnants of advanced-level Demon Beast. The matter of mutual protection among villages and relying on the local security system must not be neglected. Our sect will also rotate elite troops to various key military strongholds to ensure the safety of each family. In the future, if there is any failure to help or concealment of the situation, our sect will punish it severely! Do not make a mistake!"

"Yes!"

Sixth.

After Zhu Yunsheng read through the newly released "Cold Crow New Regulations" of the Double Brightness Alliance in a long and eloquent manner, he considered his mission largely complete.

After handing the scroll bearing the portrait of Lord Yin Shan to You Xiaobao with both hands, Zhu Yunsheng, knowing that this volunteer who had enlisted twice had some connections with his senior brother Yuan Changsheng, didn't mind giving him a few more words of advice:

"The Jia-Chou Military Stronghold has now been renovated, and there is now a branch of the Chongming Pavilion and a Hundred Arts Hall. The Chongming Pavilion branch will continue to be used for business as usual, and as for the Hundred Arts Hall, once it becomes more popular, Fei Household retainers and disciples of our sect will take turns staying here."

At that time, there will be no shortage of alchemy, artifacts, talismans, formations, earthworks, agriculture, cooking, weaponry, and all kinds of crafts. If you need any assistance later, you may wish to inquire here, as it will be more affordable than in the local markets. If you are short of funds for the time being, you can also use the spiritual soil produced in the next few years as collateral.

You Xiaobao didn't react much, but his master Cai Qingyun's eyes lit up. He knew all too well Chongming Sect much this would help small families like theirs to live peacefully here.

To put it bluntly, the reason why those major sects that opened up this place in the past ended up with losses and had to retreat was almost entirely because their leaders were all arrogant and had no sympathy for the Rogue Cultivator they recruited.

"So what if they're dead? We can just hire another batch. There are always some fearless and capable people in this world."

There are very few high-ranking individuals in this world who treat low-level cultivators and mortals as human beings as Sect Leader Kang Da, and even fewer who can consider things so comprehensively.

"May I ask, Brother Zhu, is Master Shangzong Jia already at the Hundred Arts Hall?" Cai Qingyun asked, his eyes burning with concern, as if afraid someone would beat him to it.

Zhu Yunsheng calculated for a moment before replying, "There are still many handover matters to be completed within the sect. It will probably be about ten days before Senior Brother Mo arrives with a group of outer sect disciples."

"Brother Zhu, can my bloodline members move here now?" You Xiaobao asked again.

"That's natural. Oh, I almost forgot. During Fellow Daoist You's commendation ceremony this time, according to custom, the Double Brightness Caravan can relocate your bloodline members free of charge, up to a limit of one thousand."

For numbers exceeding this, the price will be six Spirit Stone per hundred people. If you are willing to add one spirit stone as a guarantee for every hundred people, then our sect will compensate fifty Spirit Stone for any damage during transportation.

After speaking, Zhu Yunsheng handed another silver seal to You Xiaobao. The latter thanked him repeatedly and then started calculating the number of people in both families with Cai Qingyun.

But Zhu Yunsheng had no time to wait any longer, and handed another item to You Xiaobao:

"This map marks the boundaries of each sect. Fellow Daoist, please remember not to cross the boundaries lightly, lest you cause trouble. I have marked these places with a pen; these are the places where the sect first acquired mineral resources, and they are all recruiting. If you have time in the future, you can go and take a look."

After listening to You Xiaobao's heartfelt thanks, Zhu Yunsheng mounted his Cloud-Treading Colt and headed towards Little Ring Mountain.

After settling You Xiaobao and his apprentice in the last place, his mission was complete, and it was time to return to the sect to settle his Merit Points.

After traveling for two or three days, Zhu Yunsheng arrived at the Merit Points Hall.

The current head disciple of the Merit Points Hall is Han Xundao, the former assistant disciple of the Nurturing Qilin Hall. Zhu Yunsheng has a bad impression of this inner disciple who entered the sect later than him but has already suddenly obtained a high position.

However, the latter was highly trusted by his sect elders, so it was beyond his control how an insignificant outer disciple would think.

"Senior Brother Han," Zhu Yunsheng bowed respectfully.

Han Xundao stood inside the tall cabinet, giving a slight nod in return. He didn't seem to value this junior brother, who had entered the inner sect much earlier than him but had no master and therefore couldn't enter, and simply said in a low voice, "Thank you for your instructions, Junior Brother Zhu."

After Zhu Yunsheng and Han Xundao, who also had stern faces, formally exchanged orders and reported their merits, Zhu Yunsheng's sect Merit Points had already reached 150, only 50 short of the Breakthrough Pill.

If he could break through the bottleneck of the Qi Refining Fifth Layer as soon as possible, he wouldn't be much slower than some of his peers who had entered the inner sect. In that sense, Zhu Yunsheng wasn't entirely without the potential to become a True Disciple of Double Brightness.

Having just left the Merit Points Hall, Zhu Yunsheng encountered Mo Ku, who was returning from reporting for duty at the Spirit Plant Hall. Still concerned about the Hundred Arts Hall in Cold Crow Mountain, he naturally went to inquire about it.

"Junior brother sends his regards to Senior Brother Mo."

Mo Ku and said, "Ah, it's Junior Brother Zhu. When did you return from Cold Crow Mountain?"

Zhu Yunsheng replied softly, "I just got back and was just about to ask when you're taking the other disciples to Cold Crow Mountain."

"Oh, that will probably take some time," Mo Ku paused, thought for a moment, and then said, "Senior Brother Rongquan has just completed his Dao Foundation and is still in Seclusion Chamber, converting his Cultivation Method. Therefore, Elder Zhou needs others to help with the handover of the Second Tier spirit fields with the Cold Mountain Sect. He specifically named me and several other fellow disciples, so we will have to wait until later to head to Cold Crow Mountain."

"The Second Tier spirit fields in Hong County must be handed over to the Cold Mountain Sect?!" Zhu Yunsheng was shocked upon hearing this.

"Oh, Junior Brother Zhu didn't know about this?!" Mo Ku was equally surprised, and then said, "It's good that Junior Brother knows. The Sect Leader said earlier that Senior Lu Xingbei of the Cold Mountain Sect died in this battle. As the leader of the alliance, our Chongming Sect should make a gesture."

Therefore, not only those Second Tier spirit fields, but also all the properties that the Cold Mountain Sect elders inherited after Lang Yi's death have been handed over to the sect leader. From now on, my Chongming Sect will only focus on managing Ping and Jin counties and this newly developed spiritual land covering a thousand miles."

Although Zhu Yunsheng held a low rank, he was a highly experienced disciple of the Chongming Sect and knew quite a lot. He then asked, "What will happen to the Moon Fern that the Sect Leader needs for his future cultivation?"

Mo Ku replied, "It seems Elder Zhou has already visited the newly acquired Second-Tier Middle-Grade land called Wild Fox Mountain. He said that in just three to five years, they should be able to cultivate fifty to sixty acres of Second Tier spiritual fields. Based on the Moon Fern that have been stored in the past, it shouldn't take the sect leader too long."

"That's good, but does Elder Zhou still have the energy to cultivate so many Second Tier spirit fields?" Zhu Yunsheng was still a little worried.

Mo Ku, "I've heard that Elder Zhou has made considerable progress in recent years after studying Madam Qi's farming manual, and there are signs that he may break through to become Second Tier farming master. Besides, isn't there Senior Brother Kang? And although our abilities are meager, we cannot sit idly by and watch such an important matter unfold."

"It seems my junior brother is worrying unnecessarily," Zhu Yunsheng said, relieved. He then asked, "Senior Brother Mo, are you heading to the council hall?"

Mo Ku nodded in agreement, "Yes, Senior Brother Wei has rendered meritorious service this time and has been promoted to True Disciple of our sect by the Sect Leader and Elders. Today, the Sect Leader is convening a sect council meeting, True Disciple and Stewards are all allowed to attend and listen. When Senior Brother Wei was promoted to True Disciple, I was still outside, so I didn't have a chance to congratulate him. I'll go and wait for him to come out now."

Zhu Yunsheng exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Brother Wei has been recognized as True Disciple?!"

Mo Ku's expression showed even greater surprise, and he said, "Junior Brother, how come you don't even know about this?"

Zhu Yunsheng also smiled wryly, "I've been so busy helping Uncle Sun these past few days that I haven't had a moment to spare. Heaven knows how many important things I've missed!"

Mo Ku, with a mocking expression, asked again, "Then Junior Brother certainly didn't go to Elder Pei to receive any benefits either?"

"What benefits?!" Zhu Yunsheng's surprise deepened, while Mo Ku smiled and replied, "Elder Pei is very pleased that Senior Brother Kang has successfully established his Dao Foundation. Therefore, all disciples who have been disciples for more than two cycles can go to him to receive a bottle of suitable pills."

"Hey! Junior brother, go wait outside the council hall with your senior brother!"

"Haha, Junior Brother has been delayed for so long, I wonder if Elder Pei still acknowledges his responsibility now."

"Senior brother, stop talking! Let's hurry!"