Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 1048: Chapter 724: Lingxi Yang Family (Part 2)

This spirit rice is indeed delicious, even better than the rice produced from the Spirit Source Land. After eating it, you can distinctly feel gentle spiritual energy spreading through your stomach, permeating your internal organs.

The rice produced from the Spirit Source Land also has some effects of Spiritual Spring Water, but it is not spirit rice after all.

"Uncle, there is less than sixty pounds left!" Yang Xiangheng stood beside, looking down and acting cautiously.

"And the Spirit Stones?"

"There are still one hundred and twenty-one Spirit Crystals left." Yang Xiangheng said, feeling a bit embarrassed as he glanced at Yang Zhenshan.

"I see, then what did you rely on to earn Spirit Stones before?" Yang Zhenshan asked.

To the martial families around the Sea of Spirit, Silver Coin is merely vulgar. Earning it is not difficult; Spirit Stones and Spirit Crystals are true symbols of wealth.

A family must have ways to earn Spirit Stones and Spirit Crystals; otherwise, it is difficult to sustain.

"Previously, we had thirty-six acres of spirit fields, planting spirit rice. On average, we could earn about ten Spirit Stones annually. Additionally, we owned a grocery store in the Nanxia workshop, which also brought in seven to eight Spirit Stones each year!" Yang Xiangheng said.

The Nanxia workshop is twenty miles west of Lingxi Mountain, a Martial Cultivator workshop located within Nanxia County’s city.

The fact that the Lingxi Yang family owned a shop in a Martial Cultivator workshop indicates that their ancestors were once prosperous.

"What about now? What sources do we have to earn Spirit Stones?" Yang Zhenshan asked, raising his head.

The past is the past; Yang Zhenshan is more concerned about the present.

"Now... now the family only has six acres of thin fields in the backyard. The rice will be harvested next year, which can be exchanged for six to seven Spirit Stones!" Yang Xiangheng said somewhat awkwardly.

His grandfather passed away just three years ago, and he has already squandered the family’s wealth, causing him both grief and helplessness.

Yang Zhenshan was not surprised by this, as it was anticipated.

He stroked his beard thoughtfully, stood up, and said, "Let’s go. We’ll check the library and storeroom first. Later, gather all the family members so I can meet them!"

"Yes!" Yang Xiangheng sighed with relief and immediately led Yang Zhenshan to the back courtyard.

They first went to the ancestral hall, where densely packed memorial tablets were arranged, with Yang Feng, the ancestor who established the Lingxi Yang family and once reached the Heavenly Gang Stage, positioned at the top.

The roots of the Lingxi Yang family are quite clear. They originated from Le Ping County in the north of Ancient County. Their ancestor Yang Feng was originally a peasant child who fortuitously saved an Outer Sect steward of the Xuanqing Sect and became his disciple, thus joining the Xuanqing Sect’s Outer Sect.

Yang Feng then embarked on the path of martial arts. Initially, with his master’s care, he lived relatively comfortably in the Xuanqing Sect. Unfortunately, his master was killed during a mission outside, causing Yang Feng to lose his resource backing, slowing his cultivation progress. By the age of forty, he had not entered the Innate Realm.

The Xuanqing Sect has a rule that requires Outer Sect disciples to reach the Innate Realm by the age of forty; failing to do so results in expulsion from the sect.

Yang Feng had remarkable talent, which is why the Outer Sect steward valued him. However, without resource support, even the most gifted can become mediocre.

Nevertheless, Yang Feng, having spent over twenty years in the Xuanqing Sect, accumulated a considerable network.

By leveraging his connections from the Xuanqing Sect, he established the Lingxi Yang family on Lingxi Mountain. With the family’s assistance, he gradually gained more resources, eventually reaching the Heavenly Gang Stage.

Unfortunately, after his death, the Lingxi Yang family’s decline began. The descendants failed to live up to expectations and were complacent, and by the time Yang Zhenghai took charge, the decline was irreparable.

Many individuals and families set their sights on the Lingxi Yang family, slowly dividing their assets.

Yang Zhenghai’s son died an untimely death, and Yang Zhenghai himself was fatally wounded in an ambush during a trip three years ago.

Ultimately, the Lingxi Yang family was left with nothing but destitution.

In the ancestral hall, Yang Xiangheng recounted the events with reddened eyes, while Yang Zhenshan listened with a calm expression.

"Was it the work of the Nanqing Xiang family?"

Yang Zhenshan inquired.

The man who guided them yesterday mentioned the Nanqing Xiang family.

Yang Xiangheng’s eyes filled with hate. "It was them!"

"What is the strength of the Nanqing Xiang family?" Yang Zhenshan asked.

Yang Xiangheng lowered his gaze slightly. "The ancestor of the Nanqing Xiang family reached the Earth Evil Stage martial artist stage fifty years ago!"

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly. Just an Earth Evil Stage martial artist; he should be able to handle it.

If it were a Heavenly Gang Stage martial artist, he might have to pack up and run.

He looked at Yang Feng’s tablet at the top, thought for a moment, and decided to offer three incense sticks to this elder.

Afterward, the two proceeded to the storage room and library, where they found that there was nothing valuable left in the storeroom. The valuable items had been converted into funds by Yang Xiangheng, who used them as bribes.

Yang Xiangheng had made considerable efforts to preserve the Yang family, but those efforts ended in vain.

Lingxi Mountain is located in the eastern part of Nanxia County, Ancient County, at the border of the Dazhao Dynasty. The Lingxi Yang family belongs to Dazhao’s subjects, under Nanxia County’s jurisdiction.

In the past, Ancient County was managed by the royal family of Dazhao, with officials from the prefectural governor to the county magistrate being royal family offspring.

Following Yang Zhenghai’s death, Yang Xiangheng resorted to spending most of the family’s wealth as bribes to the county magistrate of Nanxia County, known for his greed. Seeing Yang Xiangheng’s understanding, he was willing to protect the Yang family.

But Dazhao’s fall led the Ancient County’s royal family members to be either killed or flee incognito from the county.

The county magistrate was killed by the Lu family from Tianque a year ago, rendering Yang Xiangheng’s vast bribes worthless.

Now, the only thing in Yang family’s storeroom that can be exchanged for Spirit Crystals is the less than thirty pounds of spirit rice.

Looking at the impoverished storeroom, Yang Zhenshan shook his head and then turned to the neighboring library.

The library is a two-story loft, with the first floor containing ordinary books and the second floor housing the cultivation techniques of the Lingxi Yang family. Yang Zhenghe was there with a young man guarding the second floor.

The greatest wealth of the Lingxi Yang family now resides in the cultivation techniques on the second floor of the library.

"Brother!" Yang Zhenghe greeted tremulously, cupping his hands in salute as Yang Zhenshan arrived.

This old man seems to have understood life, not embarrassed at all to call him brother.

In fact, Yang Zhenshan is actually several years younger than him; Yang Zhenshan is eighty-seven this year, while Yang Zhenghe is already ninety-three.

But Yang Zhenshan didn’t mention it, and they didn’t know exactly how old he was.

"May I look at these techniques?" Yang Zhenshan nodded and asked.

Yang Zhenghe’s aged face displayed a faint smile. "Since Brother will manage the family, you may freely dispose of all within the Yang family!"

If Yang Xiangheng could see clearly, Yang Zhenghe could see even more clearly.

If Yang Zhenshan wanted to leave, Yang Zhenghe would probably cling to his leg, refusing to let him go.

Yang Zhenshan was direct, immediately stepping forward to peruse the cultivation techniques on the shelves.

The cultivation techniques here weren’t many, roughly only over a hundred volumes, with most being below the Innate level. Above the Innate, only three Energy Introduction Skills for the Earth Evil Stage were present.

They were "Cave Spring Energy Introduction Method," "Mountain Snow Energy Introduction Method," and "River Refining Qi Skill."

A broken ship still has three pounds of nails; even if the Lingxi Yang family is declining, it is still a martial arts family.

Yang Zhenshan went through the three Energy Introduction Skills. They were all quite ordinary, with the "River Refining Qi Skill" likely having successive techniques, although only the Earth Evil Stage ones were here.

Now Yang Zhenshan roughly understood the naming pattern of cultivation techniques. Those named with "Energy Introduction Method" are specific spiritual energy introduction methods for Earth Evil Stage or Heavenly Gang Stage alone. In contrast, if a technique is named with "Skill," it encompasses a set of techniques, possibly including Earth Evil Stage and Heavenly Gang Stage techniques, even those before Innate.

For instance, "Green Wood Longevity Skill" has Heavenly Gang Stage techniques later and possibly techniques before Innate earlier.