Chapter 65

(Clearing the outline, it got even messier, and I'm also drunk. The writing tonight wasn't smooth, so I'm asking for recommendation votes for comfort and for your collections. I'll stay up all night to continue organizing, as I'm a perfectionist.)

Qing Yu wore a gray Taoist robe, but it looked somewhat worn, with many tears in the sleeves. He was covered in dust, but his demeanor had changed, losing some of his youthful naivety and gaining a more intense air. He also carried a long sword wrapped in black cloth on his back.

"Maotian County, Dachuan Town, ten acres of good land to the north, one acre has been exhausted and turned into sand, nine acres of good land have been reclaimed."

Qing Yu took a deep breath, feeling somewhat tired. He then pulled out a flask of wine from his chest, took two sips, and threw it to Su Qignian, saying, "Take a few sips. The cold is severe today, it will invigorate your blood."

Su Qignian rarely drank alcohol, only a little during festivals in the past. Now, as he received the flask, he stared at it for a moment before taking a full mouthful.

The strong alcohol burned his throat, it was the cheapest and most potent liquor in the market, usually used by the craftsmen of the timber industry to ward off the cold in winter. However, for Su Qignian now, there was no need for such refinement. The alcohol warmed his entire body, making him feel cozy.

"Yunyang County, Qingshan Town, Jiliang Ridge, the Hu family, all nineteen acres of good land have been reclaimed."

"Twenty-nine acres." Qing Yu's eyes lit up.

"Also, Zhangwan County, Huanglong Town, fifteen acres of good land, three acres have become wasteland, thirteen acres have been fully reclaimed."

From a distance, a somewhat playful voice rang out. The fat man, dressed in short clothes, carried a pole with a cloth covering it in one hand and a greasy, plump chicken in the other, slowly stepping into the palace gate.

Qing Yu's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Count it again for me, fifteen acres of good land, three acres wasted, how many acres are left!"

The fat man was taken aback, took the chicken leg out of his mouth, and smiled sheepishly, "Twelve acres, twelve acres. When I was young, my family was poor, and we had to borrow books to copy. I learned a lot of Confucian principles, but I was lacking in mathematics. Each profession has its expertise, so you can't blame me."

Qing Yu lifted the cloth covering the pole and saw dozens of shiny knives and swords.

Su Qignian's gaze swept over them. These knives and swords had natural cloud patterns, and although they were not the finest blades, they were still high-quality iron weapons that had been hammered dozens of times. Such a blade or sword would cost at least ten taels of silver, and it had to be the official silver. With dozens of such weapons, it would be worth hundreds of taels of silver.

"Old debts are hard to settle, so we only managed to get this much weaponry," Qing Ye said with a frown, "When I reviewed the history of Wudang, five hundred years ago, the peaks of Qingyang Palace were emptied, and the one hundred thirty-nine finest blades and twenty-one flawless weapons were all taken away. Even now, if we had one flawless weapon left, Qingyang Palace wouldn't have fallen to this state."

A flawless weapon was something even a master weapon maker could hardly create in a lifetime. It was indestructible and could break anything. In Su Qignian's memory, when someone in Chang'an City sold an ancestral treasure sword, even at a low price, it still fetched ten thousand taels of silver.

Ten thousand taels of silver was equivalent to the annual tax of a typical county.

"The path is walked by people, the glory of our predecessors still exists, why do we need to inherit it," Qing Yu took a deep breath, "The world changes, no legacy lasts forever. Even before the Han Dynasty, in the ancient myths and fragmented historical records, there were many tribes, the earliest origins of humanity, the era after they left the primitive life. The cultivation of that era was far inferior to today. We should build on the past and create a new era of prosperity."

"A nine-story terrace starts from the ground, and only after experiencing the storms do we understand the value of gains and losses, and the warmth and cold of the world. This is also part of cultivating the mind."

Su Qignian said, the principles of the sages are in the heart, and they can only be truly understood through the trials of life.

"I don't understand so much. I only know that when I was young, my parents had no money, so I had to borrow and copy books from the wealthy neighbors. In the cold winter, I lit an oil lamp and trimmed the wick to a tiny size, and it took me two days and two nights to finish copying," the fat man put away his playful smile, his eyes showing a rare seriousness and nostalgia, "The phrase I remember most deeply is 'repaying a drop of water with a spring of water.' I don't have such a grand spirit, but I understand the principle of repaying kindness and avenging wrongs."

...

Half an hour later, the three of them pooled their silver.

"In total, we have more than four hundred taels of silver, plus the old mountain ginseng, which is enough for five or six Kai Tian Dan," Qing Yu frowned, "But the peak disciples must reach the eighth level of the Turtle Snake Technique before they can lay the foundation."

This was the decree of the Great Yuan Immortal in the past. Although the fat man looked unhappy, he did not complain.

Although among the more than a thousand disciples in the outer courtyard, only a few dozen had reached the eighth level of the Turtle Snake Technique, there were still a few among the peak disciples who had once reached the eighth level. Thus, as peak disciples, the Great Yuan Immortal's requirements were not too high.

"Winter Solstice is coming soon. After the Winter Solstice, it will be the twelfth month, and the annual festival competition will begin." Qing Yu suddenly said.

Annual festival competition!

Su Qignian raised an eyebrow. This seemed to be a competition held by Wudang every year before the festival, where the outer courtyard and the various peaks and branches would compete. The winners would receive rewards from the elders, including various elixirs, weapons, and martial arts manuals.

Of course, this annual festival competition was just a small one. There was also a larger one, held every three years, where the various peaks and branches, except for the Tianzhu Peak, would compete. The winners would receive even more valuable rewards, which Su Qignian could not yet know.

"Not going!"

Qing Ye shook his head, "Zengzi said, 'Ten eyes see, ten hands point, how severe it is!' We cannot easily lose now. We must hide our light and bide our time, accumulating strength to break through to the eighth level of the Turtle Snake Technique. Once we lay the foundation and open the heavens, we will have a solid foundation."

"Agreed, at least not this year!" Qing Yu nodded, "Qingyang Peak has not yet re-established its gate, and according to the rules, it does not count as rekindling the Dao fire, so it cannot be listed among the other twenty-seven peaks. Moreover, the three of us have not yet laid the foundation, and the annual festival competition is also an outer courtyard competition. Winning is not a big deal, but losing would tarnish our status as peak disciples."

In the following days, the three of them stayed in Qingyang Palace, practicing martial arts daily. There was still some time before the half-month examination agreed upon by the three young Taoists in the Yuan Shen world. All three were working hard, especially Qing Yu, whose sword practice in Qingyang Palace was continuous. Although they chose to practice separately, Su Qignian was secretly amazed by the speed of his sword strikes, which had reached an astonishing level.

The day before the Winter Solstice.

The Taoist in charge of the miscellaneous tasks placed a bamboo basket filled with bear meat soup at the palace gate as usual. He looked up at the broken gate, and the sky was filled with heavy snow, making the palace even more desolate.

"One peak, one branch, how can three people support it? Various cleaning, miscellaneous tasks, repairs, weapons, incense, and statues, all require people and money," the Taoist, who was just over thirty, shook his head, "But I heard that in this year's outer courtyard competition, the winner who has not yet laid the foundation will receive a lightness skill, the 'Qingyun Ladder,' which is said to be a lost skill of Qingyang Peak, known as 'ascending to the sky in a single step,' ranking as a second-class superior skill. There is also the True Intent Seed, which has only one last chance for enlightenment."

After the Taoist's figure disappeared, the three of them stepped through the snow to the palace gate.

"Even if the tree wants to be still, the wind will not stop."

Qing Yu mused, "The miscellaneous tasks room is not peaceful either. It seems that some people's hands have reached too far, and there are storms both inside and outside Wudang."

"Whether it's a hidden or overt plot, they are targeting us three."

Su Qignian's eyes were cold. The 'Qingyun Ladder' lightness skill did not appear earlier, but now it has become the reward for the outer courtyard champion during the annual festival competition. And the True Intent Seed has only one last chance for transmission.

"Eighteen days left. Once the twelfth month begins, after drinking the Laba porridge, the annual festival competition will start."

Qing Ye said, and the fat man gritted his teeth. This was clearly a well-calculated plan to lure them into a trap. (Clearing the outline, it got even messier, and I'm also drunk. The writing tonight wasn't smooth, so I'm asking for recommendation votes for comfort and for your collections. I'll stay up all night to continue organizing, as I'm a perfectionist.)