119 — Change of Plans

I stood beside the village head, who held the official scroll in his hand with the termination of the contract for buying the spirit crystals and spirit herbs produced in the village of Taizhou in his hands. The man had had a few minutes to read the contents of the letter as I’d received the news and arrived here. And as it turned out, so had the rest of the village.

I’d expected Elder Yan to do something petty like this, the only thing that surprised me was how long it took him to do it. Despite my anticipation of the event, I did not feel any less angry as I heard the villager’s panicked voices and saw the expression of despair crawl upon their faces.

It was not easy for villages like these to survive on their own, not in proximity to something like this Qi vein and especially not when winter was this close to arriving in full force. Without the protection of the sect, spirit beast activities will increase, and they would be far more susceptible to attacks for bandits looking to lay claim to the resources present here.

The only real solution was to offer the produce to some other sect or clan, yet on the seventh peak the only ones who could were the Lord and the Cloudy Peaks sect. With one of them out of the picture, and the other unlikely to put any further aggression towards the sect, they were caught in between a rock and a hard place.

It would not be unreasonable for the villagers to blame my arrival for the problems, and try to remove me to provide a solution for it. Though I doubt it’d work, even if they did make me leave, I doubt the elder would simply let them have the agreement back that easily. It was a simple tactic, to create trouble for me, especially since they knew they were the one who held authority here. But that didn’t make me any less angry at being on the receiving end of it.

I turned towards the village head, surprised to see the man’s expression remain rather calm. Lines dotted his forehead as the man frowned, but there was no nervousness that I could usually spot in Guo Zou. He stood with his back straight, and calmly talked with the disciple. It was futile, I knew as much, the disciple was at the peak of the second realm and would have no authority, but from the village head’s perspective, it was his only method to understand the situation and he made the best use of it. I could see why the man had done so well in his position as village chief over the years, and it wasn’t just because of Yin’s grandfather’s influence.

“I thank you for coming all the way here to deliver the message, honoured cultivator. Please relay my regrets for events that have turned out this way to the sect,” Guo Zou said to the disciple when nothing came of their talks. The boy nodded once, glancing at me warily. He wasn’t surprised to see me here, so he’d known of my presence. I suppose word had spread around, as it had been bound to. I did cause a huge mess right before I left. After the brief glance, the disciple walked away, making his back to the sect.

Guo Zou turned to face the gathered crowd of villagers looking at him with worried expressions. “It is a difficult time that lies ahead of us,” the man said to the crowd, glancing to observe their faces one by one. “But we’ve faced such things before. Both the wretched beasts, and the wrath of cultivators. And we will do so again, as long as we remain united.”

I saw nods coming from some of the villagers, yet others looked far from satisfied from the man’s words.

“We did so because of the sect’s protection. Even when the elder Guo had founded this village, it had been with the sect’s protection. How in heaven’s name are we going to get money now? Or protection? If the cultivators have forsaken us then this place will soon be overrun by spirit beasts! And without herbs and crystals from the mine to sell… how will any of us eat?” a woman shouted, clutching a young baby in her arms. Similar shouts of protests rose from the crowd, as anxiety and uncertainty rose among the villagers.

“If I may,” I spoke, interjecting the shouting crowd. Though I did not inject any Chi in my voice, they listened to me with rapid attention just the same. “My friends and I are heavily in debt to this village. I know some of you will not agree, but that is how I feel. This village has provided us a home to stay as, and treated us as one of you. It is only right that we give back. No one here will have to worry about the spirit beasts, we will protect and guard the village perimeters,” I said, quieting down some of the protesting voices.

“What about the mines and the herbs? We still won’t have any food to eat if we don’t sell them, and with winter almost here… the children will starve,” a man asked. The village head spoke up in my place.

“I have a treasury stacked away. It has enough to keep us afloat through winter. I will arrange some trade agreements in the meanwhile. The heavens are not merciless. When they close a path, they open another one. This is merely a trial, and it is especially crucial that in these trying times, we support each other,” the village head said, standing straight with his eyes set forward.

One by one, I saw the villagers nod and reply in agreement, their fears calmed for the moment. Eventually, the villagers began to return to their homes to discuss and make plans with their families, while some others remained to discuss with the village head.

I watched them talk, my eyes briefly taking note of Yin, Yan Yun, and Ying Hua standing nearby with varying expressions of concerns and curiosity. Silently, I reached out to Sheldon through my bond, finding the turtle nearby.

“Was Ying Hua involved in this in any way?”

“Chirp!” the turtle’s voice echoed over the bond, the underlying intent relaying itself. Apparently not, Sheldon had kept her under his watch for a couple of days and the girl had not done anything terribly suspicious so far. Regardless, I’d need to have a talk with her soon. Too many things to juggle at once.

As I mulled over my plans, the three girls made their way towards me. Yan Yun stood next to me, her fists balled and even without a spirit bond, I could sense her anger as clear as day. “Do you think… no what am I saying. This was most certainly my grandfather’s work.”

“Likely,” I replied, looking ahead at the villagers talking and fretting. “But that does not mean you’re responsible,” I said, turning back to look at Yan Yun.

“How can I not be?” Yan Yun asked, her voice wavering as she looked me in the eye.

“Because I am too. And because your grandfather’s choices are not yours. He has made his decision, and now I will make mine. There is no avoiding this conflict that has begun,” I said, turning to face the village of Taizhou and its residents.

Perhaps there had never been a way to avoid this. If not Li and Lei, then there would’ve been someone else who would’ve stepped on my toes. Sect elders, lords, bandits. There was no end to it. This world was tied in the chase for immortality, that as long as you had power, your actions were justified.

I clenched my fists, letting out a deep exhale. Feeling my anger settled, I looked sideways. For a brief moment, my eyes met Yin’s and I saw a strange pause in her gaze, as if she wanted to say something. But if that was so, then the girl did not seem up to the task, quickly diverting her eyes away instead.

I ignored the action for the moment. “Yan Yun, can you gather Su Lin, Zhang, Granny and everyone else at the village head’s place. We need to discuss some things. There’s been a change of plans.”

Yan Yun nodded, stepping away. Yin looked at me briefly, before running after Yan Yun, and Ying Hua followed the two of them as well. I let out a breath, reaching out to Labby, Zhang and Twilight through my bond.

“Meet me at the village head’s place. We need to talk,” I sent the message, closing the connection.

Stepping to the village, I patted the man’s shoulders. Guo Zou turned towards me, grim wrinkles dotting the corner of his eyes, but the man kept a composed face. “What can I do for you Lu Jie?” the man asked calmly.

“I believe I have some important things to discuss with you. I may have a way out of this problem for all of us,” I said to the man.

Guo Zou looked at me with wide eyes. The man’s composure returned quickly, and he nodded, heading towards his chamber.

I followed behind him, gathering my resolve at the discussions to come. If I succeed, then this would be it. The first step towards a new era.

***

It took half an hour for everyone to gather in the village head’s home. I spend another fifteen minutes working with Zhang to set up a ward, and having Sheldon check it for any gaps. When I was certain that everything was under place, I began to address the gathered group.

“Without too long a startup, I’d just like to say to the village head that all us here think of this place as a home for us. And in parts bear some responsibility for events to have turned out the way they have. So if you would wish that we leave the village, then now would be the time to speak up,” I said, feeling more than a few glances looking at me in surprise.

The village head looked at me, taking a deep breath. “Lu Jie, to be truthful to you, there are people who have expressed such thoughts. They do not dare speak up, because despite how comforting and friendly all of you appear, it is hard to forget the difference between us, when we see you lift boulders with ease,” the village head said, and I tried not to sigh. I’d anticipated as much. Whispers carried on the wind far more than they realised.

“But,” the village head continued. “I would be ashamed to face my father after my death, if I let such a thing come to occur. Quirky a man though he had been, he’d found this place to be a welcoming home to any who arrived here and all of you are a part of this village as much as anyone else.”

I looked at the village, and saw the sincerity in the man’s eyes. Nodding, I glanced around at my friends, seated all around me, before I dug in my pouch and took out the little leather bag filled with Qi crystals. Putting it on the table in front of me, I set it open and took out a crystal for all to see.

“This is a Qi gathering crystal. I’ve been working on a process to develop alchemy pills for a long time. It’s better and cheaper than regular Qi gathering crystals. But that’s not really the thing I’d been working on. The most important aspect of this pill is that it can be made in large quantities by mortals.”

Wide eyes all around, though my friends did not seem too terribly surprised. They’d known I’d been up to something like that. Guo Zou on the other hand, seemed to have forgotten to breathe for a while. I did not wait for the man to recover and simply continued.

“I need the villagers' help to develop the tools to produce the crystals in large amounts. We will be selling these for money and distributing these based on tasks across everyone involved in the process. Most of the villagers can continue to harvest Qi crystals and spirit herbs as they always have, and we will compensate them properly for the tasks. But we will need some people who’re directly involved. And for that purpose, I have these,” I said, taking out another pouch that I slid towards the village head.

The man jerked back, looking down at the bag in front of him with an expression of wonder. I motioned to Guo Zou to open the pouch and he did, slowly picking up one of the glass beads like pills from inside.

“Wh… what may this be?” he asked in a quivering voice, holding the pill up.

I smiled a kind smile, as I replied. “Celestial Dew. Eating one can turn a mortal into a cultivator.”

I’d never seen a man’s soul leave his body before, yet the pale deathly shade that fell upon Guo Zou could not be described in any other manner. I heard Su Lin chuckle quietly on the side.

I glanced towards the door of the chamber, my smile fading slightly as I sensed someone standing outside. A moment later, I figured out the identity of the person and sent a pulse of Chi carrying a message to them.

“You can come in, you know? There’s a ward on the door so you won’t be able to hear anything from the outside.”

I heard Yin stumble back in surprise, before she picked herself up and hesitantly opened the door. Her face was bright red at having been caught and I tried my best not to laugh at it.

“You have a terrible habit boy,” Granny Lang scolded me, and I ducked my head in embarrassment at her words. I could not deny my joy at surprising people with the things I did or planned.

Coughing, to retain some measure of seriousness in the conversation as Yin took a seat near her father, I turned back to Guo Zou, who had seemed to have enough time to calm down.

“There are three pills inside that pouch. I am leaving it to your discretion to use them to select five people who you think I can trust with a task like this. You can eat them too, give them to your son and daughter, or do with them as you please. The choice is entirely yours.”

“I…” Guo Zou looked down at the pouch with shaking hands. “Why would you entrust such a task to a man such as me?”

I glanced at Yin for a moment. The girl looked around hesitantly, before giving me a quiet nod.

“Because you know the people of this village better than any of us do. And because it was Yin’s grandfather, your father’s work which helped me create these Qi crystals.”

“My… father?” the man said, glancing towards Yin. “Did you always know of this?”

Yin, looking guilty, glanced down, before nodding. “Grandfather had always told me stories of his home. You know he’d occasionally say strange things, especially when drunk. Well, one day I asked him about them, and he began to tell me so many different things. At the end, he left a book with me, telling me to keep it with myself, till someone who knew of his home came around.”

Guo Zou turned to look at me in disbelief, before he leaned back. “Father… did such a thing. I never knew,” the man muttered.

“He was a greater man than people had thought,” I replied, glancing around. “It is in part, my trust in the man to have raised a son I could trust that I extend this responsibility towards you.”

Guo Zou looked down at the pouch in front of him, before he looked up and met my eyes. “I accept the task with honour.”

I smiled, nodding. “Zhang, you will be incharge of training the three villagers in combat training. We will be clearing out the Qi vein to establish a production base inside. It’s the ideal location and will help keep the work hidden as well.”

“With pleasure brother,” Zhang replied.

“Sii!” Silverlight, or as Zhang had named her, Little Yin whistled as well.

“Granny Lang, I’ll share the methods for the Qi crystals. I’ll need you to supervise the production to make sure things are working fine, and the crystals are being produced.”

Granny Lang snorted. “What’d you do without me boy?” she said, and I flashed a smile back at the old woman. I turned to look at Yan Yun.

“Yan Yun, I will need your help to guide the new cultivators through the basics. You’re the only one here who’s received a proper education in such matters,” I said.

After a moment of consideration, Yan Yun nodded. “I’d be happy to.”

“Su Lin, your job is the same. Scout the market, make sure Silver Fang is not hounding our tail. You’ll also need to go with me to meet the Lord to discuss our plans. I also need someone from the village for the same,” I said, looking at the village head.

“I’d like to do it!” Yin exclaimed, catching everyone’s attention.

“Yin’er, you can’t just visit the lord. It has to be the head,” Guo Zou said, looking at his daughter with a concerned expression.

“Father, you have to stay here during these trying times. The villagers will be looking at you for support, and until this plan has begun, we still need to figure things out to get through the coming winter. And brother is… not suited to meeting a lord, that you know as well. I can represent you with the Lord. Please father,” Yin said.

Guo Zou looked at his daughter’s expression, before letting out a long sigh. “Very well then. Go with them.”

Yin leaned in to hug her father, and I smiled at the sight. “Then it is settled. We leave in three days for Seventh Peak city.” I said to the room, feeling a storm of emotions stirring up in my gut.

Many faces looked at me, some with respect, others with anticipation. One way or another, the dream that I’d seen upon waking up, of a world of magic so rich and advanced was starting to take shape.