Chapter 1: Wang Changsheng

In Ningzhou, during the Song Dynasty, Ping'an County was one of the seventy-two counties. Its territory was mostly mountainous and hilly, with a sparse population. Lotus Island was the only island within a lake in Ping'an County.

Lotus Island was named for its resemblance to a blooming lotus flower, and many lotus flowers grew on the island.

Early in the morning, a radiant sun rose from the east. Its rays shone upon Lotus Island, bringing a touch of warmth.

At the center of the island stood a vast courtyard, replete with pavilions, towers, gardens, and winding corridors.

In the middle of the courtyard, there was a small artificial lake. A thick white mist covered the entire lake, making it impossible to see what lay within.

As time passed, the white mist gradually dissipated.

A vast expanse of green lotuses grew in the lake. In the center stood a lotus-shaped stone platform, topped by a two-story green pavilion. Above the entrance of the pavilion hung a ten-foot-long green plaque, upon which the golden characters "Green Lotus Pavilion" were inscribed in a bold, calligraphic style.

Inside a room on the second floor of Green Lotus Pavilion, a young man of eighteen or nineteen, dressed in a blue robe, sat cross-legged on a green meditation cushion.

The blue-robed youth had sword-like brows and delicate features. His black hair cascaded over his shoulders, exuding a serene and pleasant aura.

The blue-robed youth's eyes were slightly closed, and his breathing had a distinct rhythm. As he inhaled and exhaled, tiny blue lights appeared around him, and a faint blue glow enveloped his body.

Time passed slowly, and the blue light particles continuously streamed into his body.

The blue-robed youth opened his eyes, and a sharp gleam shot from them.

“I’ve finally reached the fifth level of Qi Refining.”

Wang Changsheng exhaled softly, and a smile appeared on his lean face.

“Ninth Uncle, breakfast is ready.”

A respectful male voice came from outside.

Wang Changsheng smiled faintly and said, “Qiusheng, please bring breakfast in.”

Wang Changsheng pushed the door open and walked out, heading downstairs.

A young man in his twenties, also in a blue robe, pushed the door open and entered, holding a green tray in his hands.

On the tray were a bowl of white rice, a plate of green vegetables, and a dish of tofu. The enticing aroma was instantly appetite-inducing.

“Ninth Uncle, this is the breakfast Qiuyue prepared for you. Please see if it suits your taste.”

Wang Qiusheng arranged the dishes, then stood to the side, his expression exceedingly respectful.

Wang Changsheng furrowed his brow slightly and said, “Didn't I tell you? We should have breakfast together. Why did you only bring my portion?”

“My father repeatedly instructed me that, as Ninth Uncle is an elder, I must serve you carefully and not show any disrespect. Your grandson would never dare to eat at the same table as Ninth Uncle. I hope Ninth Uncle can understand.”

Wang Qiusheng's face tightened as he explained cautiously.

Wang Changsheng sighed softly and shook his head. He said, “Never mind. Go and have your breakfast. Come back to clear the dishes after you’re done.”

“Your grandson obeys.”

Wang Qiusheng immediately assented. After bowing deeply, he backed out of Green Lotus Pavilion.

Five hundred years ago, the Wang family ancestor, Wang Yuangang, brought his entire family to settle in Changping Prefecture, Ningzhou.

At that time, the Wang family consisted of only seven members. However, under the protection of two Foundation Establishment cultivators, in less than a century, the Wang family's population grew by more than ten times. Although only a few fortunate individuals possessed spirit roots, this laid the foundation for the later development of the Wang family.

Over several centuries of development, the Wang family's population continued to double, and the number of cultivators steadily increased. As of now, the Wang family has 145 cultivators, along with over a hundred thousand clan members who do not possess spirit roots.

The Wang family's ancestral home was on Green Lotus Mountain in Changping Prefecture. Most Wang clan members with spirit roots resided on Green Lotus Mountain.

Green Lotus Mountain originally had a first-tier high-grade spiritual vein. However, through the efforts of generations of Wang family ancestors, this spiritual vein had been cultivated into a second-tier low-grade spiritual vein, which could provide sufficient spiritual energy for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

As for the over one hundred thousand Wang clan members without spirit roots, they were distributed among three counties within Changping Prefecture: Ping'an County, Qingyun County, and Qingzhu County.

The current head of the Wang family was Wang Mingyuan, also Wang Changsheng's father. Wang Mingyuan possessed four spirit roots, and his aptitude was not outstanding. However, he handled matters fairly and treated people with humility, leading most clan members to elect him as the family head, responsible for managing all family affairs.

Wang Yaozong, the Wang family's Foundation Establishment cultivator, rarely appeared in public, spending most of his time in secluded cultivation.

Wang Changsheng's mother, Liu Qing'er, was a rogue cultivator. She had three spirit roots, a slightly better aptitude than Wang Mingyuan.

Back then, Wang Changsheng's grandfather, Wang Yaozu, did not approve of Liu Qing'er joining the family. This was because Wang Yaozu intended for Wang Mingyuan to marry the legitimate daughter of the Zhao family from Guangyang Prefecture, strengthening relations between the two families. The Wang family and the Zhao family were of similar strength, and their Foundation Establishment ancestors were also close friends, making this marriage beneficial to both sides.

However, Wang Mingyuan refused, adopting an unyielding stance, insisting he would marry no one but Liu Qing'er. This infuriated Wang Yaozu, who confined Wang Mingyuan for three years.

Liu Qing'er waited patiently for Wang Mingyuan near Green Lotus Mountain for three years. Her persistence moved Wang Yaozu, and only then did he allow Liu Qing'er to visit.

Liu Qing'er had worked as an apprentice artificer in an artifact refining shop for ten years. When Wang Yaozu learned of this, he readily agreed to the marriage.

Wang Changsheng was an only son, ranking ninth among his generation. He possessed three spirit roots: metal, water, and earth, with water as his primary spirit root. His water spirit root's sensitivity reached sixty, making his aptitude average among his peers. He cultivated the Wang family's ancestral Cloud-Rain Art.

This cultivation method was a first-tier Yellow-grade technique that could be cultivated from the first to the ninth level of Qi Refining. Its advantages lay in its stability, fewer bottlenecks, and ease of breakthrough.

At five years old, Wang Changsheng entered the Lecture Hall, where he learned to read and write, and clan elders imparted cultivation knowledge to him.

He began cultivating at eight years old, receiving ten catties of first-tier low-grade spiritual rice each month.

At thirteen, Wang Changsheng advanced to the fourth level of Qi Refining, after which he received three catties of first-tier mid-grade spiritual rice each month.

When Wang Changsheng was sixteen, he was still at the fourth level of Qi Refining. According to clan rules, members were not required to work before eighteen and received resources from the family for cultivation. However, if they failed to reach the fifth level of Qi Refining by eighteen, they would have to contribute to the family in exchange for cultivation resources.

The Wang family was currently operating at a deficit, so Wang Mingyuan had no choice but to ask the younger generation to start working two years early to increase income and reduce expenses.

This decision met with opposition from some clan elders. The elders believed that the younger generation was the family's future and should be allowed to cultivate until they were eighteen. They were even willing to use their monthly stipends to subsidize the younger generation.

Wang Mingyuan, however, believed this was not a solution to the family's difficulties. To persuade the opposing elders, he invited Wang Yaozong to preside over a clan meeting.

As the family head, Wang Mingyuan led by example. He sent his own son to Ping'an County to serve as a Celestial Master for four years.

Ping'an County was the poorest among the three counties controlled by the Wang family. With Wang Mingyuan leading by example and Wang Yaozong's approval, the voices of opposition disappeared.

Because of this matter, Liu Qing'er secretly complained about Wang Mingyuan a great deal, claiming that he only cared about the larger Wang family, not his own small family.

At the age of sixteen, under his mother's reluctant gaze, Wang Changsheng took five catties of spiritual cakes his mother had made overnight and left Green Lotus Mountain to go to Ping'an County.

Ping'an County was relatively barren and sparsely populated. Tens of thousands of Wang clan members resided there, scattered across the county seat and nearby villages and towns.

Wang Changsheng's task was to protect the mortal inhabitants of Ping'an County from harm by evil spirits and monsters.

Although the Wang clan members living in the mortal world did not possess spirit roots, their ancestors did. Therefore, their descendants had a high probability of possessing spirit roots.

For this reason, the Wang family dispatched cultivators to guard all three counties under their control and to regularly test for spirit roots.

Over the centuries, a dozen or so Wang clan members living in the mortal world were found to possess spirit roots. Wang Yaozong's parents were ordinary mortals; only after their spirit roots were detected were they sent to Green Lotus Mountain to cultivate. Under the family's nurturing, they successfully reached Foundation Establishment.

Because of Wang Yaozong's living example, the Wang family placed great importance on clan members living in the mortal world. Naturally, the Wang family also valued other common folk. While the chance of mortals giving birth to descendants with cultivation aptitude was small, the Wang family treated everyone equally. Periodically, the Wang family dispatched people to the mortal world to test newborns for spirit roots, to introduce fresh blood into their ranks.

The magistrate of Ping'an County was appointed by the imperial court. The Wang family did not interfere with the magistrate's handling of governmental affairs. However, if evil spirits or monsters caused trouble, the Wang family would dispatch cultivators to deal with them.

Wang clan members without spirit roots could engage in business or pursue government careers; the Wang family would not interfere. However, if their descendants were born with spirit roots, they had to be sent to Green Lotus Mountain.

Wang Changsheng had been in Ping'an County for three years. He usually resided on Lotus Island and rarely left it.

Lotus Island had no spiritual vein, and its spiritual energy was thin. Cultivating here was very slow; in his three years in Ping'an County, he had only advanced one minor realm. This was despite consuming a considerable amount of spiritual grain. Without the spiritual grain, Wang Changsheng might not have reached the fifth level of Qi Refining even in five years.

Spiritual pills were quite expensive, so Wang Changsheng, being short on funds, chose to consume spiritual grain instead.

He was now in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, suitable for consuming first-tier mid-grade spiritual grain. This type of spiritual grain matured every two to three years, and its price was around one or two spirit stones.

Serving as a Celestial Master in Ping'an County offered almost no opportunities to earn merits. His monthly stipend of one spirit stone could buy only a catty of spiritual grain, which was quickly consumed. With no other option, he had to resort to eating non-spiritual food.