Chapter 16

Lingzhou's Canglong Prefecture.

Among the twelve states of Wenxin, Lingzhou ranks fourth in area, tenth in spiritual energy resources, and second in economy. It is located to the south of Wenxin, as remote and eastern as Qiongzhou, but geographically closer to Suoyun Island, forming an important peninsula, the Wuyajiao.

Departing from Wuyajiao, one can sail along the coastline for thirty days to reach Yaihai Kingdom. Yaihai and Wenxin are not connected by land, but can be reached directly by sea. The advantage of the shipping route has made this area a hub for massive maritime trade, thus making Lingzhou one of the most economically significant states in Wenxin. Despite its lack of spiritual energy, its importance cannot be underestimated.

Canglong Prefecture is the capital of Lingzhou and the most prosperous place in the entire state. It has the largest seafaring ships, the most luxurious taverns, the most opulent inns, and the most beautiful courtesans in Wenxin.

On Changsheng Street, a young man was leisurely walking down the street. It was Tang Jie.

He did not follow Xu Muyang's advice to head north but instead turned south immediately after leaving Anyang Prefecture and continued southward.

Xu Muyang had advised him to go north because the Xiyue Academy was there, and he wanted Tang Jie to pursue his studies. However, Tang Jie knew that the Tian Shen Palace would not let him go if they couldn't obtain the Xuanbing Mirror. Traveling alone, his movements were too obvious, so he feinted north and then changed direction, always taking mountain paths and traveling at night.

This strategy was simple but effective.

No one expected a twelve-year-old boy to use such a tactic. Most of those chasing him went north, with very few heading south. Naturally, they could search every inch of Wenxin and still not find him.

Another reason for heading south was that without Xu Muyang's recommendation, Tang Jie would find it difficult to enter the Xiyue Academy.

The Xiyue Academy admits only 1,500 disciples each year, but at least 100,000 people compete for these spots, not including those who can't afford the tuition.

The tuition for the Xiyue Academy is 300 spirit coins per year. Spirit coins are the basic currency used by cultivators. If calculated by official value, one spirit coin is equivalent to one tael of silver, but in reality, it is much harder for ordinary people to obtain, so in private transactions, the actual value of a spirit coin is three to five times higher.

In other words, the Xiyue Academy requires over 1 million RMB in tuition alone each year, and the subsequent expenses are even higher. The entrance fee itself is not profitable, but the various subsequent expenses are another matter, much like the concept of selling merchandise in the modern world.

This is because the Xiyue Academy was established to satisfy the desire of ordinary people to become immortals, adhering to the principle of education for all.

In the early days, major sects selected disciples based on their innate potential.

However, the sects soon discovered many flaws in this method. Cultivation definitely requires potential, but it is not solely dependent on it. Just as success in life requires intelligence but is not solely dependent on it, there are always some people with ordinary potential who achieve remarkable results.

For ordinary people who have not entered the sects, this became the best evidence for the uselessness of potential, leading to dissatisfaction with the selection method based solely on potential. They argued that their inability to cultivate was not their fault but rather the sects' rigidity and adherence to potential. Since there are people who have achieved success despite poor potential, who could say they were not among them?

In reality, such people exist, but they are few and far between, not worth emulating.

However, the ignorant masses always believe that if others can create miracles, they can too.

When the sects refuse them, they inevitably harbor resentment.

To avoid too much controversy with the secular world and maintain their image for easier governance, the sects eventually adopted a compromise, establishing cultivation academies. They claimed that all ordinary people could enter the academy to learn, and those who achieve a certain level could join the sect.

This method had four benefits:

1. It avoided the bias of ordinary people who thought the sects were not giving them a chance.

2. It saved the effort of testing disciples' potential, which required the sect elders to use resources to assess their abilities, a process that was resource-intensive.

3. It provided the sects with additional income. Parents are willing to spend their life savings for their children's cultivation. If you don't accept the money, they might resent you for not giving them a chance. If they fail, it is their own fault, not the sect's, and their parents can give up hope.

4. It also avoided missing out on disciples with insufficient potential but extraordinary talent. Those who achieve the sect's required level, regardless of their potential, have value.

However, some sects believed that this method was too secular. Cultivators are transcendent beings, revered by the world, and should not emulate the secular world by establishing academies.

If everyone had the chance to cultivate, wouldn't immortals lower their status?

But the facts proved that only by opening up opportunities could they attract talented people, and those who remained rigid and conservative would eventually be eliminated by the times.

The Xiyue Sect, Tian Shen Palace, and the other five major sects became the strongest in the Qixia Realm not only because of their strong foundations but also because they were the first to make changes, ultimately achieving their current dominant position. The rigid and conservative sects, with few disciples and a lack of continuity, gradually faded into obscurity and disappeared from history.

However, over the long evolution, the Xiyue Academy gradually transformed from an academy open to all ordinary people into one controlled by powerful and wealthy families. For poor children, entering the academy is extremely difficult.

Of course, cultivation is not the only path, but if the Xiyue Academy is hard to enter, other sects are not necessarily easier.

For example, Xu Muyang, despite following him for a long time, Tang Jie did not receive any immortal techniques. The immortal masters from the sects almost all swear not to transmit their techniques outside the sect—when heaven opens one door for ordinary people, it often closes another.

As the best and most promising path to cultivation in Wenxin, the Xiyue Academy is also the most competitive and brutal!

In short, poor people study, rich people practice martial arts, and cultivation impoverishes three generations!

The path of cultivation is difficult, and just the process of entering the academy is enough to deter most people.

Speaking of money, Tang Jie did have some.

The green light sword given to him by Xu Muyang was a good magical treasure, valuable, but selling it would expose him. Besides, it was a gift from Xu Muyang, and he was reluctant to sell it. Even if he had the money, he had no way to enter the academy.

Unless he had extraordinary talent, he could be admitted on an exceptional basis.

Therefore, to enter the academy, he needed to find another way.

After following Xu Muyang for half a year, Tang Jie was no longer ignorant about the cultivation world. Before coming, he had a comprehensive plan.

At this moment, strolling down Changsheng Street, Tang Jie saw a bustling tavern nearby. He walked in, sat at a table, and ordered a few small dishes, then began to eat and drink leisurely.

He was not in a hurry, just eating and drinking slowly. After the mealtime passed and the customers gradually decreased, Tang Jie called over a waiter and placed a few copper coins in his hand: "Brother, I have a question to ask."

The waiter smiled and took the coins: "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I am new to Canglong Prefecture and not familiar with many things here. I want to find someone to learn about it."

"What aspects are you interested in?"

"Many things, but most importantly, I want to know which families in Canglong Prefecture have the most status."

"Ah..." The waiter hesitated.

Tang Jie smiled and gave him a few more copper coins: "Don't misunderstand, do I look like a bandit?"

The waiter looked at Tang Jie, seeing his youthful appearance, and indeed, he did not look like a criminal. Real bandits would not likely use this method to gather information, so he relaxed: "There are five major families in Canglong Prefecture: Jin, Zhang, Gu, Wei, and Zhou. They control half of Canglong Prefecture's wealth."

"Tell me more." Tang Jie pointed to the dishes on the table.

Seeing no other customers, the waiter sat down, picked up the chopsticks, and began to eat while speaking: "The Jin family is the largest. They started with shipping and now control six out of ten ships in the harbor. They have over ten cultivators under their employ, making them very powerful. The Zhang family is an official family. The current patriarch was once a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel, a fourth-rank official. He has connections all over the world, and many officials in Canglong Prefecture are from the Zhang family. The current governor of Canglong Prefecture visits the patriarch every year to celebrate his birthday. They own the most land in Canglong Prefecture, especially the spiritual land, which is almost entirely in their hands."

After eating a few bites, the waiter continued: "The Gu family started in the underworld. It is said they once unified the underworld in Canglong Prefecture. The head of the family is a cultivator and has connections with some sects, though the details are unclear. They are known for their ruthlessness and have the worst reputation. They mainly operate security companies, casinos, pawnshops, and loan businesses, and collect protection money from local small gangs, employing many enforcers. The Wei and Zhou families rose to prominence more recently, mainly engaging in street businesses. Many of the large and small shops in Canglong Prefecture belong to these two families. The Wei family mainly operates shipping, cloth stores, taverns, inns, pharmacies, clothing stores, and grain stores, catering to the common people. The Zhou family mainly operates flower shops, jewelry stores, art galleries, and banks, dealing with officials and the wealthy. This tavern is run by a relative of the Wei family."

"Is that so..." Tang Jie thought for a moment and asked, "If I want to seek patronage, which family do you think would be the best?"

The waiter smiled, looking deeply at Tang Jie with a "I knew it" expression, and replied: "It's not easy to seek patronage. The first three families have been around for over a hundred years, and their servants are passed down from generation to generation. The son of a manager becomes a manager, and the son of a gatekeeper becomes a gatekeeper. They are very loyal, and it's hard for outsiders to get in!"

"What about the Wei and Zhou families?"

"They do accept outsiders, but only those with a clean background."

"Clean background..." Tang Jie murmured.

His background was not exactly clean.

After asking the waiter more questions and understanding the general situation, Tang Jie left.

In the following days, Tang Jie wandered around Canglong Prefecture for over ten days, then disappeared again...

---

Before they knew it, winter arrived.

This year's winter in Canglong Prefecture seemed particularly cold, with a heavy snowfall overnight.

In the early morning, Old Wu saw the street covered in white and his yard filled with thick snow.

Shaking his head, the old man went out to clear the snow from the yard.

After finishing the work, Old Wu bent his aching back and sighed, "Ah, I'm really old and useless. My body is getting worse this year."

He coughed a few times.

A hoarse voice came from inside the house: "Old man, don't forget to clear the snow in front of the door."

"I know, old woman," Old Wu replied irritably.

Just as he was about to start clearing, he felt something under his foot.

Looking down, Old Wu's face changed: "Oh no, old woman, someone... someone is dead in front of our door!"

"What?"

The next moment, an old lady ran out of the house and saw a person lying in front of the door, covered in snow. If Old Wu hadn't kicked him, they might not have noticed.

The old lady quickly knelt down and examined the person, whispering, "Oh my, it's just a child, how did he die?"

"What a sin!" Old Wu sighed.

He could now see that the person lying in front of their door was a young boy.

At that moment, the body on the ground suddenly moved, and both old people jumped in fright. But then the old lady called out, "He's still alive!"

"Quick! Carry him inside!" Both old people worked together to carry the young boy into the house. Despite their age, they were used to hard work, and the boy was light, so they managed to carry him.

Once he was on the bed, Old Wu shouted, "Quick, old woman, make some ginger soup for him, we can't be careless!"

The old lady hurried to make the ginger soup.

After drinking the ginger soup, the young boy seemed to regain some strength, and his eyes gradually opened.

"He's awake! He's awake!" The old lady exclaimed excitedly.

The old couple both sighed in relief, and Old Wu nodded and smiled, "It's good he's awake. I never thought I could save a life in my old age, and it's the same as last time, ha ha."

The old lady gave him a disapproving look, "Look at you, so proud. If Xing'er finds out, he'll laugh at you."

But she was also very happy.

The young boy, now awake, looked around and seemed to realize something.

Suddenly, he sat up, knelt down, and said, "Thank you, elders, for saving my life. I will repay your kindness with my life, even if it means breaking my body into pieces!"

"Get up, get up, why say such things." The old lady quickly helped the young boy up and then asked why he had fainted in front of their door.

The young boy explained that he had fled from the Wild Valley Plain, where bandits were rampant, often causing entire families to be wiped out. Although the immortals tried to suppress them, the bandits were like weeds, always growing back after being cut down.

The young boy had been a victim of the bandits, leading to the destruction of his family. He had fled and eventually arrived in Canglong Prefecture, but due to lack of food and shelter, he nearly froze to death in front of the Wu family's door.

The old lady, seeing the young boy's frail appearance, felt a surge of pity and said, "This child has suffered so much, coming from so far away and encountering the first heavy snow of winter, almost losing his life. If he were left outside, homeless, he would surely freeze to death on the street."

She looked at Old Wu, and though she said nothing, he understood her meaning.

"This... Xing'er is not here, and there are only the two of us. It might not be appropriate..." The old man hesitated.

The old lady patted his head and scolded, "What are you thinking? A lonely child, are you going to let him starve and freeze to death on the street? Save him completely!"

"But his background is unknown..."

"What unknown background? Are you some wealthy family that