Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 349 Spirit Snake Chamber of Commerce
In just two hours, Jiang Liang appeared to have weathered many storms, his face haggard, and even his usual energy and spirit were greatly diminished.

Li Xiangming said with concern, "If you care about He Jing, you might as well bring him to Xiaolan Valley and visit your sect while you're at it."

A deep sadness appeared in Jiang Liang's eyes: "I do need to go find my senior brother, but I will never go back to Lingwu Sect."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming nodded with satisfaction.

He Jing's return to the mountain will garner the support of a large number of Lingwu Sect disciples.

Aside from his own prestige, it can only be said that Pei Wen was not a qualified sect leader, at least not popular.

If Jiang Liang goes back, he will inevitably face a similar situation to He Jing.

Should he compete for the position of leader of the Lingwu Sect or not?

If we fight, we'll become enemies with Pei Wen.

Pei Wen disregarded past friendships and showed no mercy to his senior brother He Jing, so Jiang Liang may well harbor resentment in his heart.

But the real hurdle he had to overcome was his master, Master Lingwu.

Master Lingwu has the cultivation level of Foundation Establishment, so it is basically impossible for Jiang Liang to seize the position of sect leader by force.

Only by taking things slowly and gaining the trust of Master Lingwu can we defeat Pei Wen and take control of the Lingwu Sect.

However, back then, Jiang Liang was punished by Master Lingwu for a mere youth-preserving pill. Wasn't it because he didn't know how to be patient and please his master?

He had absolutely no confidence in embarking on this thorny path.

But if he didn't fight for it, he would be betraying the trust of his junior brothers who had once been close to and admired him.

They might even misunderstand or resent you.

He Jingzheng couldn't bear the gazes of these disciples, and coupled with his resentment, he became deeply entangled in them and couldn't extricate himself.

The result was tragic.

Jiang Liang didn't have much of an obsession with the position of sect leader. For him, the best option was to avoid the Lingwu Sect.

Understanding this point is not difficult, but putting it into practice is not easy.

This is especially true for someone like Jiang Liang who values ​​relationships highly.

Now that Jiang Liang has made his choice, it not only means that he has given up the fight for the position of sect leader, but also that he has completely severed ties with Lingwu Sect.

Li Xiangming was naturally very pleased with this and said, "It's good that you know what's going on. Take me to see the spirit field."

"Yes!"

The two walked to the other side of Xiaolan Valley. The spiritual fields here were not irrigated by the spiritual spring, and the spiritual plants were growing much worse than those in the Chi family's spiritual fields. However, as far as Li Xiangming could see, there were at least forty acres of spiritual fields, and they were very concentrated.

Jiang Liang took a deep breath and introduced, "Currently, I have forty-six people under my command. Apart from six people who do not engage in production but are responsible for patrolling the surrounding area, the remaining forty can all be called spirit farmers. In the past two years, we have built a total of forty-five acres of spirit fields."

"Forty-five mu?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming nodded in agreement.

The reason why spiritual fields can grow spiritual plants is that the soil contains abundant spiritual energy.

According to this standard, the closer the land is to the spiritual vein, the more suitable it is for developing spiritual fields.

Therefore, in the medieval period, the selection of the site for sacred fields was very particular.

However, with the development of the cultivation world, cultivators have more means to artificially create spiritual lands.

For example, setting up a spirit-gathering array.

The Spirit Gathering Array can gather the spiritual energy in the vicinity.

As long as the local spiritual energy is not excessively scarce, over the years, the spiritual energy contained in the soil within the formation will naturally not be lacking.

However, at this time, the cultivation world had a higher standard for recognizing spiritual fields.

Abundant spiritual energy means that spiritual plants can grow, but they don't necessarily grow quickly.

As a result, various spiritual fertilizers capable of catalyzing spiritual plants were created in the cultivation world.

This creates a phenomenon where even a very ordinary spiritual field, after being nourished by spiritual fertilizer, produces spiritual plants that grow much faster than wild spiritual plants in spiritual vein areas.

From then on, the selection and expansion of spiritual fields no longer troubled cultivators.

For example, the spiritual fields of the Li family were not carefully selected from piecemeal plots, but were transformed from ordinary fields on the edge of the central courtyard.

Although initially, these ordinary fields did not meet the standards for spiritual fields at all.

However, the Li family set up a spirit-gathering array nearby and continuously nourished the land with spirit fertilizer, and within a few years they harvested a large area of ​​spirit fields.

The Chi family of Xiaolan Valley cannot afford to set up a large-scale spirit-gathering array.

Their spiritual fields are irrigated with spiritual spring water and supplemented with spiritual fertilizer.

As for Jiang Liang's side, it was even simpler. He directly purchased spiritual soil from Pushui Market through the Li family's caravan, then mixed it with the existing soil and piled it up as spiritual fertilizer to form a spiritual field.

Only by using this method could forty-five acres of sacred fields be built within two years.

However, the spiritual fields cultivated in this convenient way can only grow some ordinary spiritual rice and spiritual herbs.

To cultivate those medicinal herbs that take decades or even centuries to mature, you need to tailor-make the medicinal field according to their habits, which is another matter entirely.

Li Xiangming did not aspire to grow precious spiritual herbs in Xiaolan Valley. His requirement for Jiang Liang was to expand the spiritual fields by one hundred acres as quickly as possible.

Now, Jiang Liang has completed nearly half of this goal.

How much did it cost?

Li Xiangming continued to ask.

Jiang Liang replied, “Last year, we recruited 15 people from the Service Institute and built 15 mu of spirit fields. This year, we recruited another 25 people and built 30 mu of spirit fields. Each person’s monthly salary is 2 spirit stones. The total spirit farmer salary for the two years is 1320 spirit stones. In addition, we specially recruited 6 guards this year, with a monthly salary of 3 spirit stones. My own monthly salary is 50 spirit stones, which adds up to 316 spirit stones. The spirit soil cost 300 spirit stones, the spirit fertilizer and various medicines and spirit liquids cost nearly 200 spirit stones, and some miscellaneous things added up to about 100 spirit stones, for a total of 2236 spirit stones.”

"Sigh~"

Li Xiangming gasped.

In just two years, more than two thousand spirit stones were spent.
It should be noted that Jiang Liang and the others were recruited by him on his own, without going through his family.

All the expenses during this period were covered by him alone.

He was able to obtain this spirit stone thanks to the contribution of the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall.

When Li Xiangming established the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall, he stipulated that each member should pay a membership fee of 100 spirit stones.

Originally, Li Xiangming planned to share this profit with his family.

But not long after, he implemented reforms to the Beast-Catching House, allowing its members to operate as a demon-hunting group in Puyin Mountain.

This move indirectly strengthened the Li family's control over Puyin Mountain.

However, the Li family's public power has almost completely disappeared, and their seats in the Puyinshan Guild Hall are now merely nominal.

The family knew little about the Puyinshan Association and was unable to provide any practical assistance to it, nor did they invest anything from the beginning.

Li Xiangming simply pocketed this portion of the profits.

It should be noted that when Li Xiangming held his second merchant gathering in Puyin Mountain, only fifteen people joined the guild hall.

Today, the Puyinshan Guild Hall has nearly sixty seats, which include not only itinerant and stationary merchants representing themselves, but also caravans and chambers of commerce participating as a group.

In other words, Li Xiangming has collected nearly 4500 spirit stones in seat fees alone over the past few years.

However, the spirit stones were not in Li Xiangming's hands.

Since leaving Puyin Mountain, Li Xiangfeng and Li Xiangting have been in charge of the beast-catching facility and the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall, and naturally, they are also responsible for collecting the money. To reassure them, Li Xiangming specially gave each of them 10% of the profits and instructed them to send 500 spirit stones to Xiaolan Valley, where Jiang Liang lives, every six months.

Two years' worth of 2000 spirit stones should have been enough for Jiang Liang.

I never expected that Jiang Liang would have to pay out of his own pocket.

"And the profits?"

Li Xiangming asked unwillingly.

Jiang Liang glanced at him and shook his head: "There is no profit. Currently, only fifteen acres of spirit fields are planted with spirit plants, and the remaining thirty acres of spirit fields are accumulating fertilizer. Moreover, the new fields are not like the Chi family's spirit fields, where we can directly plant Qingxian rice and evening primrose. What we are currently planting is the most common Yuquan rice. Even if we harvest it and sell it successfully, it will only be worth about 250 spirit stones."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming felt even more distressed.

Exchanging over 2000 spirit stones for only 250? Who can accept that?
In fact, planting Yuquan rice doesn't require many Lingnong (spirit farmers).

After all, Jade Spring Rice is one of the most common spiritual plants.

Normally, an experienced spirit farmer is capable of taking care of three to four acres of spirit fields.

Fifteen mu of Yuquan rice paddies are more than enough to support five skilled farmers.

So their combined salary would be 120 spirit stones.

Even if the spirit rice only sells for 250 spirit stones, Li Xiangming will still make a huge profit.

However, Jiang Liang's main task was to cultivate spirit fields, and the spirit farmers under his command were mainly engaged in this area. The Jade Spring Rice was just planted casually.

Although the spirit fields are not picky about location now, they require much more time and effort than before.

The composting process alone requires dozens of repetitions to cultivate truly fertile soil.

If Li Xiangming wants to build a large area of ​​spiritual fields, the initial labor costs will be indispensable.

Once he understood this, Li Xiangming had no choice but to accept it. After all, he had decided to reclaim the land in Xiaolan Valley in the first place.

At this moment, Jiang Liang comforted him, saying, "By this time next year, we should have added at least forty acres of spirit fields. If we recruit some more people, I guarantee we can expand to more than a hundred acres of spirit fields."

"A hundred acres is enough!"

Li Xiangming hurriedly said.

Xiaolan Valley is far from the Li family and has no protective mountain formation, so how could he dare to invest too much here?

Without Li Xiangming's support, Jiang Liang gave a regretful "Oh".

However, he quickly changed the subject and asked, "What will Xiaolan Valley grow in the future? Similar to the Chi family?"

Li Xiangming hesitated for a moment before replying, "Perhaps we should wait for professionals to plan this out."

"Professionals?"

Jiang Liang was very curious.

Li Xiangming didn't hide anything and frankly said, "Originally, I wanted to develop Xiaolan Valley into my own base, grow some spiritual herbs to earn spirit stones, and support myself. As you know, I come from the Li family, so finding a few sales channels won't be a problem. But now, I have a new idea. I plan to rent out the spiritual fields in Xiaolan Valley to others!"

"Rent it out?"

Jiang Liang frowned instantly.

He had worked hard in Xiaolan Valley for two years and had just adapted to life there when Li Xiangming was about to rent out the spirit fields. So, what identity would he and his spirit farmers have?
"Don't worry, I've already made arrangements for you."

Li Xiangming glanced at him and said sincerely, "I originally sent you to Xiaolan Valley as a temporary measure. With your talent, it would be a waste for you to stay here and farm. I saw that there are caravans operating in the valley, and Youyan said that you organized them. This shows that you are quite knowledgeable about commerce. My purpose in visiting Xiaolan Valley this time is twofold: first, to see the spiritual fields here, and second, to hire you to manage the merchant guild."

"Chamber of Commerce?"

Jiang Liang was taken aback: "Doesn't your Li family already own the Shijin House? Why do you need to run a chamber of commerce?"

"need!"

Li Xiangming's gaze was profound: "Many shops in Shijinfang are located outside, and the various caravans are also extremely chaotic, relying entirely on the stewards to assign manpower to manage them. The manager, who is located on Tailai Peak, is unaware of this. I have reorganized Shijinfang and established the Danggui Chamber of Commerce to manage the businesses under my control. But I am not here to find you for the Danggui Chamber of Commerce, but rather I hope that you will join me in establishing a new chamber of commerce."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liang was even more surprised: "You and I together? Without going through the Li family?"

“That’s right. The Danggui Chamber of Commerce is called a chamber of commerce, but it’s more like a family organization with its own responsibilities. For example, it will prioritize selling the Li family’s products. Our chamber of commerce, on the other hand, is closer to what the public knows about chambers of commerce, with the goal of making a profit.”

Jiang Liang's brows furrowed even deeper as he paced back and forth.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled and said, "What's in it for me?"

Li Xiangming smiled and said, "Your current salary will remain unchanged at 50 spirit stones per month. I will cover all the expenses for setting up the chamber of commerce and its initial operation. After we make a profit, I will split it 80% and you 20%. Don't think it's too little. In the future, there may be outsiders joining, so we have to leave some benefits for them."

Jiang Liang fell into deep thought.

Li Xiangming continued, "You've already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, it's time to consider Foundation Establishment. Do you think you can save enough spirit stones in Xiaolan Valley to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills? Or, are you confident that you can achieve Foundation Establishment on your own?"

Jiang Liang gave a wry smile and shook his head.

Having just passed the Foundation Establishment stage, Li Xiangming naturally understood its difficulties. He patted the other man on the shoulder and advised, "Since you don't plan to return to Lingwu Sect to retire anyway, why not come with me and make something of ourselves?"

Mentioning Lingwu Sect, Jiang Liang sighed softly and asked, "What if the Chamber of Commerce is poorly managed?"

"We each bear the risks."

Li Xiangming answered without hesitation, then smiled and said, "But at worst, you'll only waste a year or two, while I'll have to throw away tens of thousands of spirit stones."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liang finally made up his mind: "If you trust me, I will go with you."

"Haha, you won't regret this decision."

Li Xiangming was very happy. Before coming, he was not actually confident that he could persuade Jiang Liang.

Jiang Liang is very opinionated and intelligent, unlike Tang Xueyan who can be easily fooled.

Two people, starting from scratch, built a business association with no foundation and traveled all over the cultivation world.

This kind of thing sounds unreliable, and given Jiang Liang's steady personality, he would most likely refuse.

That's why Li Xiangming thought of revealing the internal strife within the Lingwu Sect to provoke Jiang Liang, and the effect was unexpectedly outstanding.

Jiang Liang was deeply sentimental. Hearing that his eldest and second senior brothers, who were once as close as brothers, had become enemies, and that even their master, Lingwu Shangren, was involved, he was heartbroken and dared not even return to Lingwu Sect.

As long as Jiang Liang doesn't want to return to Lingwu Sect, he has very few options left, all by himself.

Following Li Xiangming would provide him with at least 50 spirit stones per month, which might be his best option.

"What is the chamber of commerce called? How does it operate?"

After agreeing, Jiang Liang quickly got into the zone.

Li Xiangming touched the black water snake in his sleeve and replied, "Let's call it the Spirit Snake Merchant Guild. You will be the guild leader. I have already prepared the first caravan for you. It is currently located in Changyang Valley. After you arrive, lead them along the Dai River to Pushui Market and find a shop called Baicaofang to buy spirit herbs. Remember to have a big appetite and don't be afraid to spend spirit stones until you have acquired this kind of spirit herb."

As he spoke, Li Xiangming took out a jade slip and handed it to Jiang Liang.

Jiang Liang probed his divine sense and saw a short-term plan for the chamber of commerce, as well as a model of a spiritual herb.

He frowned, looking at Li Xiangming with suspicion: "Is this your purpose in establishing the Chamber of Commerce?"

"of course not."

Li Xiangming chuckled lightly: "Trust me, the Spirit Serpent Merchant Guild won't collapse as long as I'm here. As for this, just consider it a trial. Anyway, here are 2000 spirit stones, take them first."

Jiang Liang was conflicted when he saw the storage bag in Li Xiangming's hand.

Li Xiangming clearly had ulterior motives; the Chamber of Commerce was merely a front.

But the spirit stone before him couldn't be faked. He hesitated for a moment, then accepted it: "I hope you're not playing a trick on me."

(End of this chapter)