Unknown Intrusion

Chapter 118 The Living Island
"What's wrong? Who made Xiaoyao cry?" The woman stepped gracefully through the door.

"No, it's nothing...it's just my occasional whims."

"It's not good to have a long face. Mommy likes to see you smile..." Her clear eyes reflected the well-behaved and dignified face of the young lady.

“…I’m sorry, Mom.”

Looking at her mother, whose face was pale but who was still smiling gently, Song Qiongyao tried to force a smile, but could only manage a slightly bitter one.

He quickly changed the subject: "You must have had a long journey."

"Yes, I just went to the capital to see your cousin-in-law's family. They hired a skilled appraiser to examine the artifacts excavated from the New Island ruins."

"You can entrust the matter to the butler... You need to rest more; traveling like this is not good for your health."

"I don't trust anyone else. I wiped my tears, but they were about to spill again!"

"Where?" She lowered her head shyly, only to find that there were no tears at all.

“Come on, tell Mom about… that boy named Su Yu.”

"Mother!" Miss Song's face stiffened, and shame and anger appeared in her cat-like eyes.

"Alright, alright, look at the gift I've prepared for you this time."

"what is that?"

Something that can relieve your pain.

The necklace is made entirely of sterling silver and is generally shaped like a female angel's pendant.

The surface is inlaid with a pure white moonstone, surrounded by wisps of water vapor, so thin that they are almost imperceptible.

"New Island, Myron Island...excavated from there?"

His voice trailed off with a hint of excitement, his dark eyes fixed intently on the pendant, especially the moonstone, as if anticipation mingled with a hidden fear.

"Yes, it's a pity, it's already broken." The lady sighed regretfully, her tone filled with heartache as she gazed at the moonstone.

"It was determined that it had fought many life-or-death battles, and even at the last moment, it still tried its best to maintain the healing of its former owner... It is a pure healing type."

"The internal fragmented cracks are the traces of its overexertion, and there is no way to completely repair it."

"No, it's already very good." Song Qiongyao regained some composure: "It's just a ruin, it's good enough to have gained something, we can't be too demanding!"

She was overjoyed and gently took it in her hands. With a soft sigh, a clear white light shimmered in her palm, as if pearl powder had been applied, gradually covering her entire body.

"It works..." The woman secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She relaxed her body slightly, and a faint mist appeared in her eyes.

"The power is pure, and the island is not dead; it still possesses a primordial spirit."

"Only land with elemental spirits can be developed; otherwise, it's a desolate wasteland that will only bring trouble to the kingdom."

"This time, the Song family made the right gamble. Even with joint development, barring any unforeseen circumstances, they could become barons."

Parliament enacted a law in 1753 confirming that the minimum land area for a baron was 800 hectares, for a baron 4000 hectares, for a viscount 6000 hectares, for an earl 12000 hectares, for a marquess 18000 hectares, and for a duke 40000 hectares.

When a nobleman faced financial difficulties, he could sell other properties, but he rarely sold land.

Furthermore, due to the difficulty of development and ownership, ordinary people cannot own a lot of land.

Land became the standard for social class, and many wealthy and powerful emerging families could not acquire land to advance their social standing.

Because land is limited, it can only be cultivated by foreign entities.

However, dead islands are unacceptable; they would only drag the kingdom down.

The confirmation of Myron Island has caused quite a stir.

"What percentage will we get?" Song Qiongyao's eyes lit up.

"You little money-grubber!" the woman scolded lightly, then thought for a moment, "Maybe 5-10%. You know, half might go to the New Island Spirit, and the rest goes to the various parties involved in the development. The royal family will also get a share, as the discoverer and developer. Given the size of the Song family, it's probably around that percentage."

“Even 5-10% of the area of ​​a prefecture isn’t small,” Song Qiongyao calculated. “It might even be enough to become an earl.”

"Daughter, even when developing the land, you still have to grant titles to your own retainers!" The woman chuckled, but a hint of joy also appeared on her face.

Land is not just wealth, but more importantly, power.

Without land, even if the Song family tried, it would be difficult to secure better treatment conditions for Song Qiongyao. But with land, things could be more complicated.

She suddenly remembered the boy named Su Yu. His intervention at a crucial moment helped the Song family retain their rights, which played a significant role.

The night was as dark as ink, and the gas lamp in the room illuminated faces. A document lay open on the table: an introduction to the college's advanced courses and a guide to applying for the skip-grade exam.

Su Yu's fingertips unconsciously traced the surface of the table, just like his inner thoughts at that moment.

Self-preservation is his only and highest priority at present.

In this perilous world, individual strength is ultimately limited; only by relying on a powerful organization can one gain breathing room and room to grow.

Even if there were systems, this was the case in the early stages.

The academy is undoubtedly the most reliable refuge he can find at this stage.

To gain a higher level of protection, one must demonstrate sufficient value, skip a grade, and enter a higher level of study. This will allow the academy to pay more attention to the student and allocate more resources to them. This is currently the safest and most efficient approach.

As for the boss Cai Jiang and his possibly deeper backer Su Er, I am not yet able to defeat them.

Not to mention the mastermind Su Er, even Cai Jiang, born into the Cai family, who are adept at navigating the gray areas, is no ordinary person.

They killed Cai Jiang, a man with a noble background and shady connections who wielded considerable influence in the area.

This contradicts his early strategy of developing in a low-key manner.

Once he takes action, regardless of success or failure, it could drag him into endless trouble, or even expose him completely to forces that he cannot currently contend with.

Su Yu's eyes were cold.

He believed that as long as he upgraded the courtyard system as soon as possible, he would naturally gain the power to fight back.

Furthermore, the Song family will not sit idly by; they will definitely take action.

"Thud..." A heavy knock, and a resolute glint flashed in Su Yu's eyes.

He put the documents away and locked them in his desk drawer.

"system"

"Keep reading!"

The little gray figure picked up the book again.

At the same time, a golden hourglass image appeared in the upper right corner, the dust evaporated, suddenly rose, and then disappeared.

"Current observations suggest that ash is acquired through altering its fate, and its primary function is acceleration."

Simply put, I can accelerate what I can learn on my own.

"Gray crystals are energy; anything involving energy must be filled and completed with them."

"The same applies to copying books. Some books don't have direct power, so I can copy them using ash. Other books have power inherently, so I might consume both ash and ash crystals simultaneously."

"Ash and ash crystals, I've collected quite a bit from this incident. Time to get back to my studies!"

Su Yu's gaze was focused and intense.

To protect ourselves, relying on the academy is the only option after careful consideration.

After all, as long as you buy time and have the system, you can turn the tables.

The next day

Incredibly, the colors of the sky can vary depending on the location.

Su Yu looked up at the sky from the classroom window. What was rare was that it wasn't foggy or hazy, but a pure blue sky that was both ambiguous and profound, an astonishingly clear blue.

Only at the edge of the field of vision, thin, veil-like clouds drifted by.

Turning your gaze forward, you see a diverse crowd moving about among the dense foliage of the courtyard.

The unique characteristics of this school now take on a special meaning in my eyes.

"good afternoon."

The classroom was sparsely populated with students, and the person who greeted me was a male classmate I didn't recognize.

"With black hair and black eyes, around 170 centimeters tall, and a good appearance, you always seem to be deep in thought, which makes you appear rather aloof... You must be Chief Su, right?" the person said confidently.

"I am Su Yu. Excuse me, may I ask who you are...?" The person's words were a bit childish, making Su Yu feel embarrassed.

(End of this chapter)