"Young Master, we've struck it rich! Thirty thousand taels! Even if you eat a pound of spirit rice every day, it'll only be three thousand taels a year. That's enough to last ten years!" Su Qing'er said happily.
In her eyes, being able to eat spirit rice every day was already the best of days. Spirit rice, as the name suggests, is rice containing a large amount of spiritual energy. In terms of market price, one tael of spirit rice is worth one tael of silver. It is truly reserved for the wealthy, and its effects are naturally excellent. For cultivators, it offers even more benefits.
Hearing this, Lin Yang couldn't help but laugh when he saw Su Qing'er's cheerful expression. Then, he said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, once the imperial decree comes out, we'll eat it every day, every meal. It's just spirit rice, it won't cost much."
However, at the same time, Lin Yang felt that something was amiss. In his Divine Eye of Luck, the box appeared golden. This meant that it should contain a Tier 3 item, and a high-quality one at that, something very beneficial to a Tier 3 expert.
However, at this moment, it was only thirty thousand taels of silver. This amount of money was already a considerable fortune for a second-tier expert. But for a third-tier expert, it was really nothing.
Then, Lin Yang seemed to realize something and carefully felt around the bottom of the box. He quickly discovered something unusual. With a forceful pull, a hidden compartment opened with a click.
Then, a book appeared. It was made of exceptional material; upon touching it, one could feel its luster and solidity. More importantly, the cover bore six large characters—"The Essential Techniques of Peace: The Human Chapter."
"Excellent, excellent, excellent! This is the legendary Taiping Essentials, and it's the Human chapter of the Heaven, Earth, and Human chapters. It's perfect for foundation building. At least, I won't need to change my cultivation method before breaking through to the fourth rank."
"Haha, more importantly, this is a genuine secret manual. Not only does it contain no secret codes, but it also has annotations from a fifth-level expert. It is filled with profound Daoist wisdom. Even an ordinary person can use this manual to cultivate. Qing'er, here you go." With that, Lin Yang directly handed the manual to Su Qing'er.
It's important to understand that the value of a true secret manual is extremely high. It's often one of the foundations of a sect. To create such a manual, the creator must at least have mastered the technique to perfection.
Moreover, each time it is used, the true meaning contained within the manual is consumed. Therefore, this manual of the Essential Techniques of Peace is extremely precious.
It can be said that if Lin Yang were to give the cultivation materials to Su Qing'er, he would have completely offended the Taiping Dao. Moreover, their relationship would be one of irreconcilable enmity.
However, Lin Yang didn't care.
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Chapter Nineteen: Feudal Lords and Buying Peace with Money
"Young Master, this... this is all for me? If I were to cultivate, we would completely offend the Taiping Dao. That's the number one Daoist sect in the North right now, and Zhang Jiao, the leader of the Taiping Dao, is one of the top experts in the world." Su Qing'er said with some worry.
"What's there to worry about? It's just Taiping Dao. In the future, it'll be a one-off event, and it won't be long before it's all wiped out. Just be careful," Lin Yang said nonchalantly.
Zhang Jiao was not just a top-tier expert; to be precise, aside from Emperor Ling, he was the number one expert in the world. At this moment, he might have already broken through to the sixth-tier Celestial Immortal. He was truly the number one Daoist after Zhang Daoling.
Besides, where else could Su Qing'er find the best immortal cultivation techniques to practice in such a short time, besides this manual? What price would Lin Yang have to pay for those aristocratic families to be willing to pass on their most important techniques to an outsider like Su Qing'er?
It's safe to say that the possibility is practically zero. Unless those aristocratic families are on the verge of destruction, why would they pass on their fundamental cultivation techniques? Therefore, it's better to cultivate the Taiping Essentials first.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this. Besides, if all else fails, you can always join the Way of Peace. With your talent, you're far superior to those so-called 'true successors,' so what's there to worry about?" Lin Yang comforted him.
However, I need to make a name for myself by then. Otherwise, isn't the Way of Peace capable of murder and soul-searching?
However, at that very moment, in a secret room of a Taoist temple outside the county town, a young girl suddenly opened her eyes and stood up.
The girl, dressed in a Taoist robe, looked aloof and unapproachable, like a fairy, devoid of any human warmth.
"What exactly is going on? Is this just a sudden whim, or a warning from my mind? Since yesterday, I've felt very uneasy. Now, I can't calm down at all. If I force myself to cultivate, I might even suffer a qi deviation. What's wrong with me?"
This woman was Wang Hui, the third daughter of Master Wang. Given the deaths of her parents, it was perfectly normal for her to have some kind of premonition.
With a clang, several ancient coins fell directly into the jade plate. Instantly, Wang Hui's face turned extremely pale.
"This is an extremely ominous sign, and it also indicates misfortune befalling family members. Could it be that something has happened to my parents?"
Then, Wang Hui rang the bell and said, "Someone, hurry back to Dafeng Township and investigate. Take a look..."
"My lord, I have bad news, I..."
"Stop talking nonsense and get to the point," Wang Hui said firmly. If it weren't for the fact that she was at a crucial stage in her cultivation, she would have already gone out to investigate herself.
"Your parents and brother have been killed. The murderers are Lin Yang and Su Qing'er. Here's what happened..."
Listening to her subordinate's explanation, Wang Hui's expression grew increasingly grim. After assessing her own condition, she said with a somber expression, "Fine, although I am a reincarnation and my relationship with them isn't great, they are still my biological parents. Once my memories are fully restored, I will take action myself."
If Lin Yang heard Wang Hui's words, he would be greatly surprised. To be able to reincarnate directly, even if she has only now regained her memories, her cultivation level in her previous life must have been extraordinary.
However, this explains why the Wang family, who are merely local tycoons, own a full 1,500 acres of land without being coveted by anyone.
...
As the sun rises, its light shines brightly. With the sun rising, a new day begins. Just then, an imperial edict, having passed through numerous guards, arrived at the Grand Secretariat from the palace.
"This is His Majesty's decree. The order has been delivered. This is the token. Gentlemen, please check it. If it is not forged, I will return to the palace to report back," Zhao Zhong said disdainfully.
Zhao Zhong, one of the Ten Attendants in history, is currently the second most powerful figure in the inner court and the director of the Eastern Depot. Therefore, his relationship with these civil officials is naturally one of antagonism.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Feng cupped his hands and said, "The token is genuine. Alright, Lord Zhao, you may return to the palace. As for whether this imperial edict will be issued, that is a matter for our cabinet."
“Indeed, Lord Zhao, please return. The contents of the imperial edict are truly astonishing. We need to discuss it carefully. Lord Zhao, you should go back first,” Cai Yong said calmly.
"yes."
"good."
"Please leave."
"Hmph, then I'll head back first. Remember, this is His Majesty's decree," Zhao Zhong said with a smile, before leaving. This time, His Majesty had truly presented the cabinet with a difficult problem.
"Gentlemen, let's discuss this. His Majesty wishes to grant a general amnesty to celebrate the birth of the Chosen Ones. At the same time, he wants to bestow titles and fiefs upon the Chosen Ones. What do you all think?" Yuan Feng said. As the Grand Secretary, he was the first to speak.
Upon hearing this, everyone smiled but remained silent. The first provision—a general amnesty—was nothing unusual. It was an old tradition for the court to grant amnesty to win over the people during major events, such as the emperor's ascension to the throne or the empress dowager's birthday celebrations. The nine Grand Secretaries had no objections to this.
But the second point, feudal lords, would be a fatal blow. What is feudalism? It's the system of enfeoffment!
After the enfeoffment, the chosen ones would possess their own territories and become feudal lords. Even ambitious chosen ones would be satisfied and genuinely grateful to Emperor Ling of Han. Even if they harbored resentment, they had to outwardly feign deep gratitude.
It can be said that after this move, as long as Emperor Ling remained on the throne, these feudal lords would be morally unable to rebel. No one wanted to earn a reputation for ingratitude before becoming emperor.
After all, the emperor has been so good to you, even granting you land. Instead of repaying him properly, you're thinking of rebelling. Who would want to follow someone like that?