Standing in the air, Wu Tao carefully examined Zhang Heng's mansion and couldn't help but frown.
He clearly found it somewhat rustic and ostentatious.
...
Zhang Heng's face was awkward as he whispered carefully, "Senior, these are the good deeds of the previous county magistrate. It has little to do with me..."
As he spoke, Zhang Heng invited Wu Tao into his mansion.
In such a remote and desolate place as Tianshui County, when had any important figures ever visited...
Moreover, it was a highly influential alchemist like Wu Tao, who was in such a high position.
This was a person who could change his destiny. Opportunity knocks but once...
Facing this sudden windfall that directly fell upon him, Zhang Heng naturally did not want to miss it...
Therefore, he did his utmost to curry favor with Wu Tao.
After entering the mansion, Wu Tao surveyed the situation within.
There was a minor spiritual vein in the mansion, and various items necessary for cultivation, though of inferior quality, were all present.
The decorations and furniture, though simple, were also rather rare and elegant, possessing good taste, not merely vulgar...
Wu Tao nodded, feeling a sense of admiration for this seemingly profligate young master, Zhang Heng.
After all, a person's taste was closely related to their true character. From this, it could be inferred that this young master undoubtedly harbored great ambitions deep within his heart.
Seeing Wu Tao's complex gaze, Zhang Heng quickly stepped forward, picked up the teapot, brewed a cup of spiritual tea, and carefully offered it.
Just as Zhang Heng was trying every means to flatter Wu Tao, on the other side, Old Huang had also taken action.
Old Huang found the Deputy County Magistrate, Park Chan Yeol, and asked, "Your Excellency Deputy Magistrate, how many ordinary farming households are there in Tianshui County?"
Upon hearing this, Deputy County Magistrate Park Chan Yeol visibly relaxed.
Park Chan Yeol tapped his storage pouch, took out a jade household registration book, and after a brief flip, said, "A total of over three million eight hundred and sixty thousand people. Old Huang, you know that our Tianshui County is not a large county, and the resources required for cultivation are extremely scarce."
"Even if we squeeze every last drop from the impoverished farming households in Tianshui County, we won't be able to extract much profit..."
"Moreover, there are several fifth-rank families in Tianshui County. Although they are only the lowest level of aristocratic families, their combined strength is far greater than that of the county government..."
"Therefore, if the County Magistrate intends to snatch food from the tiger's mouth, it will not be easy..."
After hearing Deputy County Magistrate Park Chan Yeol's lament, Old Huang smiled and shook his head, knowing that the man had misunderstood his intention.
Then, Old Huang got straight to the point, explaining the matter of collecting spiritual herbs and medicines to offset taxes and labor services.
Deputy County Magistrate Park Chan Yeol was somewhat surprised, but if it were just such a minor matter, he would not have offended this new County Magistrate with such a powerful background.
It was currently December, the period of spring famine, and most of the common people were idle at home.
On this day, just as Old Huang and Deputy County Magistrate Park Chan Yeol reached a political agreement, teams of people, bearing the county government's order, entered the various townships.
Although these people were all mortals, they were strong, fierce in appearance, capable, and well-organized, all having military backgrounds.
...
These people were naturally the county soldiers under the command of Tianshui County.
As these teams entered the various townships, they beat gongs and drums to attract all the nearby farming households.
However, as the farming households gathered nearby, most of them wore numb and pained expressions.
They had experienced similar situations countless times; it was usually people sent by the Tianshui County government to extort property.
In fact, the common people of the Great Jin Dynasty, no matter how cruelly they were exploited, had no ability to resist.
How could mortals fight against cultivators? It was preposterous!
However, this time, these farmers had guessed wrong.
These county soldiers shouted to the dense crowd, "Now, it is the spring famine, and the new County Magistrate knows that you have no work..."
"Therefore, the County Magistrate has been diligently thinking day and night and has finally devised a policy that can bring you more income!"
"Currently, the county is in great need of spiritual herbs and medicines. The County Magistrate has decided to hire you to search for spiritual herbs and medicines."
"This year's imperial taxes and labor services can be paid with spiritual herbs and medicines. Your lives will be much better in the future..."
He paused, then his voice grew louder.
"In short, as long as you find a large quantity of spiritual herbs and medicines, you will no longer have to fear taxes and labor services from now on..."
As the county soldiers finished speaking, a "boom" erupted as all the farming households began to discuss animatedly with excited expressions.
It was known that for these farmers whose livelihood was agriculture, the taxes of the Great Jin Dynasty were not too much.
This was because the high-ranking officials of the Great Jin Dynasty were cultivators, and cultivators did not consume ordinary grains that contained雜氣 (mixed qi/impurities).
If they only paid taxes to the imperial court, the remaining grain was enough for them to live without worry.
What was truly life-threatening was the labor service.
In the cultivation world of Zi Province, some resource extractions did not require cultivators; ordinary mortals could suffice.
However, these jobs were generally very dangerous, with high mortality rates. Therefore, the people of the Great Jin Dynasty feared labor service the most.
Thus, this decree was undoubtedly the best news for these farmers.
Three months later, the Tianshui County treasury was filled with yellow ginger, he shou wu, ginseng, vermilion fruits, lingzhi mushrooms, snow lotus, poria, white peony root, cinnamon, licorice, and other spiritual herbs and medicines, piled up like small mountains...
Although ninety-nine percent of them were not over a hundred years old, there were still over a hundred spiritual herbs and medicines that had reached several hundred years of age.
Most of these spiritual herbs and medicines were refined by Wu Tao into "Cao Huan Dan" which could enhance the soul, "Hui Qi Yang Ling Dan" which could calm injuries and restore spiritual energy in the shortest possible time, and various internal injury pills such as Duan Xu Hua Tian Dan, Qing Xin Shun Qi Dan, Wu Xing Ling Guang Dan, and so on...
All spiritual herbs and medicines that could be used for healing were taken by Wu Tao for his own use.
For the remaining scraps, Wu Tao refined a batch of Huo Chun Qing Dan and then sent Zhang Heng away.
Zhang Heng was quite pleased upon seeing the spiritual pills.
In summer, early rising farmers tended to their seasonal vegetables in the fields in front of their houses.
The farmers in the townships, apart from salt, iron, porcelain, and cloth, were basically self-sufficient. This was because, in addition to farming, they also grew vegetables and raised domestic animals such as chickens, ducks, pigs, and cattle.
Wu Tao and Zhang Heng found an elderly man with white hair by the roadside. They approached him and asked, "Excuse me, is this Yang Family Town ahead?"
The old man was startled at first, then slowly replied, "This is indeed Yang Family Town. Who are you young ones? What brings you to our town?"
Upon hearing the term "young ones," Wu Tao couldn't help but touch his nose.
He was, after all, a cultivator and appeared young, but in reality, he was over a hundred years old.
It was difficult for him to accept being called "young one" by an eighty-year-old mortal.
Fortunately, Zhang Heng, standing beside him, smiled and replied, "Elder, we are traveling merchants, on our way to the county town, and we happened to pass by your place, just asking for directions."
The old man's eyes widened, and he looked closely. Upon seeing the silk clothes worn by Wu Tao and Zhang Heng, he believed them by about five or six parts.
He waved his hand and said, "This is the outskirts of Yang Family Town. The town center of Yang Family Town is still about ten kilometers further in."
The attire of Wu Tao and Zhang Heng was undoubtedly that of people from wealthy families.
While the young masters of wealthy families were not necessarily good people, they would not stoop to bullying and cheating a little old man.
Why would they risk their reputation?
It was precisely because of this that the old man told them the way.
If they had been dressed shabbily and spoken with a foreign accent, he would not have bothered.
Yang Family Town was the wealthiest town among the thirty-two towns of Tianshui County.
The owner of Yang Family Town was the fifth-rank Yang Family.
Tianshui County had a total of seven fifth-rank families, and the Yang Family was the strongest among them.
Yang Family Town, where the Yang Family was based, not only had three minor spiritual veins but also a rare ice jade vein.
...
It could be said that the Yang Family was the wealthiest power in Tianshui County.
The reason why Wu Tao and Zhang Heng appeared on the outskirts of Yang Family Town was that some changes had occurred between the Yang Family and the other six fifth-rank families.
This had broken the balance that had existed in Tianshui County for hundreds of years. Fearing danger, Zhang Heng shamelessly invited Wu Tao to disguise themselves and come to Yang Family Town to gather information.
Wu Tao, being bored, found the matter interesting and readily agreed.
They followed the main road, inquired about the direction of the Yang Clan's residence, and then proceeded along the way.
The Yang Family was renowned in Tianshui County and was the overlord of Yang Family Town, so its location was easy to find.
Wu Tao and Zhang Heng appeared like two young masters from wealthy families on a journey.
They walked leisurely on the main road, sometimes stopping at pavilions to rest.
Wu Tao, who had been living by the sword for many years, did not dislike this rare experience of tranquility; he even found it somewhat appealing.
Listening to the stories of passersby, Wu Tao felt as if he had returned to his teenage years.
Time flew by. Over the past hundred years, what had he gained more, or lost more, during this period?
He could no longer tell.
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