bookbashuk Chapter 57 Freedom
Chapter 57 Freedom
"Ergou." Li Qingshan patted Wang Ergou on the shoulder, his tone carrying the vicissitudes of experience and a hint of barely perceptible concern.
He said boldly, "Don't just stand there! Didn't you want to switch to farming spirit fields? Come on, I'll take you to the External Affairs Hall to inquire about which cultivation towns are still relatively stable, with fertile spirit fields and not too high rents. Choosing a location is quite important!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Ergou's dim eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope: "Ah? Brother Qingshan, really? That's great! Thank you, Brother Qingshan!"
He quickly followed in Li Qingshan's footsteps.
On the other side, Liu Xiaoying naturally took Su Wanqing's arm and said, "Sister Wanqing, shall we go back too?"
Her voice regained its usual lightness.
Su Wanqing smiled and nodded: "Okay, I've just developed a new spiritual tea, let's go and taste it."
The two women have always been close, living in the same lane and visiting each other frequently, sharing a deep friendship.
They walked side by side, exchanging intimate words typical of young women, their charming figures gradually blending into the flow of people in the market.
……
The Foreign Affairs Hall, located in a magnificent building, was now bustling with people, even more crowded and noisy than usual.
The long queue stretched from inside the hall all the way to the bottom of the stone steps outside, and the air was filled with an atmosphere of anxiety, urgency, and repression.
Yang Changsheng was clearly not the only one with inside information.
Many low-ranking fishermen, farmers, and laborers sensed the impending danger of war and flocked to the area.
They either wanted to be relocated away from the waters near the border, or, like Yang Changsheng, wanted to completely break off the spiritual contract and leave the Lu family, this big tree that was about to encounter a storm.
The Lu family cultivators who were in charge of handling affairs inside the hall mostly wore indifference and impatience on their faces.
An elder dressed in steward's robes, with a gloomy face, sat on a high platform. His hawk-like eyes swept over the surging crowd below, and a barely perceptible sneer played on the corner of his mouth.
These opportunists, who cannot stand by each other in times of trouble, are leaving the family today to protect themselves. If the Lu family weathers this storm in the future, their strength will be even greater than before.
Even if these people beg to come back on their knees, they can forget about ever setting foot in the Lu family again!
Family resources are reserved only for those who are loyal.
When Yang Changsheng introduced himself and explained that he wanted to break the spiritual contract between the fishermen and farmers in the waters, the steward in charge of his affairs was clearly taken aback and looked him up and scrutinized him carefully.
This steward was one of the people in charge of assessing Yang Changsheng's promotion to intermediate-level fisherman.
He was quite impressed with this young fisherman who had been promoted for his outstanding work in raising small crystal shrimp. He thought he was a hardworking and promising talent, but he never expected that he would choose to leave at this crucial moment.
A hint of dissatisfaction and disappointment flashed in the deacon's eyes, and his tone hardened as he said, "Yang Changsheng? You also want to dissolve the contract? Have you thought it through? Without the Lu family as your protector, the outside world is turbulent. Your humble Qi Refining Level 4 cultivation might not fare so well!"
"This junior's mind is made up; please grant my request, sir." Yang Changsheng said calmly, bowing with neither servility nor arrogance.
He understood the other party's dissatisfaction, but when it came to his life and fortune, he had no other choice.
The deacon snorted coldly, but did not deliberately make things difficult for the person.
Although the Lu family was dissatisfied with these people's choices, they did not openly set up any obstacles to prevent the termination of the contract. This was also a way for the family to demonstrate its magnanimity and avoid giving others cause for criticism.
He expressionlessly took out a slightly worn animal skin scroll, which was the spirit contract that Yang Changsheng had signed back then.
It clearly records Yang Changsheng's name, place of origin, date of entry into the contract, contract terms, and a special spiritual energy imprint.
After verifying that everything was correct, Yang Changsheng took out the heavy ice silk bag from his storage bag, counted out a total of ninety low-grade spirit stones, and pushed it over.
The clinking of the spirit stones produced a crisp sound, drawing the attention of those queuing around them, their eyes revealing envy or a complex mix of emotions.
After the steward finished counting and confirmed that everything was correct, the slight dissatisfaction on his face seemed to have faded a little, since the spirit stones were real.
He picked up the spirit contract, and with a slight release of spiritual energy from his fingertips, the tough animal hide contract was torn in two with a soft "rip" sound amidst a flash of spiritual light.
The crisp tearing sound seemed to sever the last invisible rope between Yang Changsheng and the Lu family.
"The spiritual contract has been dissolved. Your original water area, Bingyin 73, must immediately hand over the aquatic products you raised," the steward said matter-of-factly.
"I understand," he nodded.
An hour later, Yang Changsheng piloted his familiar six-zhang-long awning boat back to the middle section of Biyue Lake for the last time.
Within the waters, the batch of small arowana fry he had carefully raised were growing at an extraordinary rate under the subtle nourishment of the ancient golden tree. Nine of their scales were already shimmering with a faint light, subtly revealing a spiritual energy.
This has clearly met the standards for entry into the product category ahead of schedule!
Normally, this would be enough for him to receive an extra reward of seven spirit stones and twenty spirit pearls from the Lu family.
The person who came to hand over the items was a young disciple from the External Affairs Hall. When he saw the nine unusually strange little dragonfish, he couldn't hide his surprise and made a note of it.
If you leave midway, the profits from these aquaculture operations will not be settled.
Yang Changsheng remained calm and unperturbed; this was merely a minor, insignificant benefit of the Golden Ancient Tree.
As long as you have your own stable territory, you can spend time making up for it.
The nine lively little dragonfish, shimmering with a jade-like luster, were carefully taken away by the cultivators sent by the Lu family.
The last trace of connection between Yang Changsheng and the Lu family vanished completely, and an unprecedented sense of relief welled up within him, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
From then on, the sky was high and the sea was wide. Although the road ahead was fraught with difficulties, at least their destiny was in their own hands.
Goodbye.
After returning the awning boat and completing all the formalities, he headed straight for the residence in the southern part of the market.
This is also a Lu family business, specializing in the leasing and sale of various properties within the market area.
Compared to the bustling outer hall, the inner hall was relatively more orderly, but there were still quite a few people queuing, mostly cultivators looking for a safe place to stay in the market.
After waiting in line for almost half an hour, it was finally his turn.
Behind the counter was a beautiful, professional-looking female cultivator from the Lu family, dressed in a long skirt.
"Fellow Daoist, are you here to rent a room, renew your lease, or handle other business?"
She said in a clear, crisp voice.
"I need a place to rent in the southwest area, a small, independent courtyard with two rooms," Yang Changsheng said succinctly.
The southwest area is closer to Bichao Lane, where independent cultivators and craftsmen gather. Although the spiritual energy is not as strong as in the core area, it is relatively quiet, the rent is slightly lower, and it is convenient for his subsequent puppet making.
Two rooms are necessary: one for living and cultivation, and the other for a workshop.
The female cultivator skillfully took out a jade tablet, her fingertips flashing with spiritual light. After examining it for a moment, she said, "No. 9527, Tingchao Lane, Southwest District, perfectly matches your requirements, fellow Daoist. It's a secluded courtyard with two rooms and a yard, complete with basic protective restrictions..."
"Monthly rent is 72 low-grade spirit stones, with a deposit of one month's rent and three months' rent paid in advance. Four months' rent must be paid in full at once, totaling 288 low-grade spirit stones."
"Two hundred and eighty-eight yuan!"
Even though Yang Changsheng was mentally prepared, his eyes still twitched slightly when he heard the number.
Liu Xiaoying borrowed spirit stones, and they're about to run out in the blink of an eye!
Adding to the expenses incurred in purchasing Marrow Cleansing Pills, waste pills, and materials, his originally substantial savings have now shrunk dramatically.
For independent cultivators, the hardship of survival is compounded by rent, which is the biggest burden.