Chapter 52
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Chapter 52: The Landlord’s Plan
"I haven’t seen my brother since he was born. This time I came back not only to take care of some matters but also to see my brother," Yun Ye said with a smile as he walked into the house with Shuzhu.
Now, the Yang Family had become quite wealthy, making thousands of copper coins each month and certainly not living in poverty.
Shuzhu served a plate of fruits and pastries; although they didn’t have any special effects, they were delicious. This world was filled with spirit energy, so even without any improved varieties, the taste was still quite good.
While eating, Yun Ye listened to Shuzhu share some recent interesting stories.
The most important news, of course, was the birth of Yun Ye’s brother.
According to Shuzhu, she found giving birth to be surprisingly easy this time.
With five servants to assist and Yun Ye’s orders ensuring everything was well prepared, along with plenty of recovery Talismans, there was hardly any danger, and she safely delivered the baby.
Moreover, the next day, she had already regained most of her strength, a stark contrast to her first experience giving birth to Yun Ye.
For this reason, Yang Shu decided to name the second son "An," wishing health and safety for the whole family.
Yang An was a chubby little guy with a bright spirit.
As his older brother, Yun Ye naturally felt a connection to this little one and could directly check his panel.
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Yang Family Second Son: Yang An
Region: Baishi Town
Lifespan: 1/92
Fate: C
Physique: D
Spirit Sense: C
Comprehension: C
Spiritual Roots: D
Dao Tools: 0
Strength: E－
Description: Second son of the Yang Family, born into wealth, intelligent by nature, but the water Spiritual Roots hidden within him are not strong, making it difficult for him to achieve greatness. Without family support, it would be hard for him to establish himself in Baishi Town.
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Yun Ye furrowed his brows.
As for talent, that could be left to chance. But this Fate level seemed too low, didn’t it?
With the Yang Family’s current financial strength, they should be comparable to the distinguished families in Baishi Town, and the Fate level should be just below them, so why was it only C level?
Yun Ye stared intensely at the Fate level.
The originally colorless Fate transformed into a strange hue, half blue and half black, with lines of text appearing.
"Catastrophic Fate: Great Disaster approaches, helplessness ensues, and the future of great wealth and nobility comes to a sudden halt."
“What? Great Disaster?”
Yun Ye’s pupils contracted.
Could it be that he had failed? Had he been judged by the distinguished families?
That couldn’t be; if he wanted to eliminate Tong Yuan, he would definitely arrange for his family to leave Baishi Town first.
How could Yang An be affected by this?
For a moment, Yun Ye felt uneasy and wanted to know more information.
He called forth the Rebirth Book, flipped to his page, and checked his Fate…
But unfortunately, the Fate wouldn’t update in real time; it was fixed at the moment of birth.
Even Yun Ye had very little understanding of Fate and didn’t know if changing his Fate would cause him to revert to his original path due to the power of destiny.
At least for now, Yun Ye hadn’t felt any particularly strange obstruction; everything was steadily moving forward.
“Ah, Shi’er, why are you so tense since you came back? I know it’s not easy to protect the family business, but don’t overexert yourself. Even if we earn a little less, it’s fine; safety is what matters most.”
Shuzhu noticed Yun Ye’s worries as she peeled fruit for him while advising him.
“Mother, I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry; it’s just a small issue.”
Yun Ye masked his emotions and smiled.
“I hope so.”
Shuzhu shook her head, well aware of her son’s character.
Next, Shuzhu took Yun Ye to see the family’s hired servants.
As their business grew, they needed to develop strength.
Even though this strength might not mean much in the eyes of Spiritual Law masters, it was useful to deal with some troublemakers.
Most of these servants were still young, as loyalty was the main concern.
Training them from a young age could ensure their devotion to the family head.
Among them was a young boy, Ning Xiao, with a determined expression.
Having come from the Academy, Ning Xiao had a much stronger foundation than the other children; even grown men couldn’t last long against him.
“I’ve met the young master! I’ve met the lady!”
Ning Xiao shouted the loudest. He was very grateful to Yun Ye for taking him in and giving him the chance to continue practicing the Qi Cultivation Technique.
In this era, where class was strictly enforced, Ning Xiao saw Yun Ye not as just a classmate but as a "noble" from a completely different tier, naturally entitled to command servants.
“Work hard! If you awaken your Spiritual Roots, I’ll get you the corresponding Spiritual Law. I won’t treat you poorly!”
Yun Ye encouraged him, and Ning Xiao almost knelt down in excitement, his character genuinely a bit naïve.
But this was just surface-level; Yun Ye wouldn’t easily trust him. Necessary precautions still had to be taken.
Power in others’ hands would never compare to power in one’s own hands!
Without strength, Yang Shu and his wife could not ensure that nothing would go wrong.
Yun Ye had been helpless before, given that Yang Shu and his wife were getting older and cultivating seemed to be a wasted effort.
However, with Spirit-level superior food, everything could be resolved; it was just a matter of eating for a few more days!
…
“Buy land?” Yang Shu looked at Yun Ye in surprise, slowly shaking his head. “That… is basically impossible.”
“Impossible? Why?” Yun Ye asked.
“Land is the lifeblood of distinguished families. The amount of grain produced represents the number of cultivators they have. They only acquire land, they would never sell it. This is why Baishi Town always has seven great families; it’s because they have land, which is the foundation for the distinguished families.” Yang Shu explained.
“Wouldn’t it work to offer them more money?” Yun Ye continued.
“No negotiation,” Yang Shu replied. “Currently, the Spiritual Law families in Baishi Town can only do small businesses to earn a little money. The big profits are still controlled by the distinguished families; otherwise, they wouldn’t allow you to exist.”
“We’re selling this sauce, and while the price wasn’t high at first, hasn’t it risen now? These distinguished families hold the key, making it unnecessary for them to constantly use force against us.”
Yun Ye’s business was done with his classmate Zhang Cao, who was backed by a Spiritual Law family; however, they were nowhere near the level of the distinguished families, so they could only pay for security.
Even established Spiritual Law families with five generations couldn’t find opportunities to buy land; let alone Yun Ye, who was just starting out?
Unless a pie fell from the sky or the sun rose from the west!
“That makes things difficult. If we don’t buy land, many things cannot proceed…”
Yun Ye said.
“Uh… actually, there is a way; it’s just too dangerous. One misstep could mean complete failure.”
Yang Shu took a deep breath.
“What method? Please tell me; I’ll think it over.”
Yun Ye urged.
“Very simple: develop new land. If you are willing to take the risk of being attacked by monsters to expand into new territory at the borders, you could bypass the distinguished families and directly obtain land.”
“But take note, this is a last resort. Many Spiritual Law families have attempted it before but ultimately collapsed! Although I don’t understand why, it’s the truth. Many people have followed others to the borders to make a living, but none have returned!”
Yang Shu spoke solemnly.
