Chapter Twenty-Five: The Martial Defenses of the Estate

Inside the council hall, Yang Cheng was listening to Lu Baichuan casually recounting strange tales from the world of cultivation. The realm of cultivation was vast and sparsely populated; it was said that no one truly knew its boundaries. Even a powerful cultivator at the Golden Core stage, after spending a lifetime, could never traverse all the lands. Not to mention the endless sea to the east, whose mysteries remained unfathomable. Each region had its own bizarre stories, and even the well-traveled Lu Baichuan could not explain them all.

As Yang Cheng marveled at the tales, Su and Yang, the two stewards, arrived together to report: for this product launch, four hundred and thirty-six companies had joined the franchise, and another one hundred and ninety had paid the initial product franchise fee, bringing the total collected to fifty thousand and eight hundred spirit coins. Now, the treasury held over sixty thousand.

The two grew increasingly excited as they spoke; after all, more than four hundred franchisees meant a daily income of no less than eighteen hundred spirit coins.

Lu Baichuan was even more astonished. This youngster kept surprising him with his remarkable abilities, prompting him to sigh, “I’ve heard that some families owning spirit mines barely extract one or two thousand coins a day. Mining is extremely risky, and transport often falls prey to rival factions and bandits. Yet you earn just as much, and with ease.”

Yang Cheng grinned, “That’s right. My plan is to gradually transfer their spirit mines to us, bit by bit, through mundane affairs.”

“Oh, by the way, Sister Yunxue, have someone build another warehouse by the back mountain. Extract fifty thousand and store it there exclusively for training. Let Brother Lu withdraw and distribute it freely.”

Lu Baichuan said, “That… that’s really too much…”

“Don’t worry, Brother Lu. If you don’t trust me, remember that my ability to make money is quite formidable. You need resources for your cultivation, and it’s easier if you distribute them among the youngsters. It saves me trouble. Besides, more people will need spirit stones for training soon, and I’ll feel better if you manage the allocation. When it’s used up, just let me know,” Yang Cheng interjected.

“In my eyes, Brother Lu, Uncle Yang, Sister Yunxue, and the two little ones are all family. No need to be so formal.”

Hearing this, Su Yunxue’s eyes reddened slightly. She turned away and discreetly wiped her tears.

Lu Baichuan’s lips trembled, but in the end, he said nothing.

Old Yang, on the other hand, was beaming with delight.

Su Yunxue thought for a moment and said, “Given the current situation, it’s only a matter of accumulating time before the young master’s wealth matches that of a mid-tier family. But our strength doesn’t match our fortune. Right now, our business is in areas nobody pays attention to, and we supply from behind the scenes, so we’re unlikely to attract envy. But in time, once someone takes notice, we might not have the strength to cope. I suggest the young master start considering security issues.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Yang Cheng looked at Su Yue’e with admiration. She truly was exceptionally clever—perhaps her recent family upheavals had made her even more thorough in her thinking.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’ve been considering. I wanted to discuss with you all about strengthening our martial force as soon as possible. That’s our most effective safeguard.”

“To be honest, the things I’m working on now and my future plans—soon, we won’t just be earning two thousand a day. We’ll reach ten thousand daily, and then surpassing mid-tier families will be inevitable. Eventually, keeping a low profile won’t be possible, and those coveting us will be everywhere. Our current problem is a serious shortage of manpower.”

Lu Baichuan said, “Brother Yang’s biggest issue is lacking close kin. Even if there are, none are cultivators, so we can only hire outsiders. Martial security can be left to me, but we’ll need to increase the number of trusted guards. Numbers are the greatest strength. Even though I’m at the Golden Core stage, I can’t handle a dozen Fusion stage enemies alone. I’ve suffered plenty from sect gangs during my travels.”

Yang Cheng chuckled, “That’s exactly my thought. When it comes to group fights, never go solo. Survival is always the priority.”

Lu Baichuan shot him a look, disdaining Yang Cheng’s greedy and cautious nature. “But numbers alone aren’t enough—they must be elite. In real conflict, those who fear death can ruin morale.”

Su Yunxue said, “Brother, you’re right. No matter how high one’s cultivation, it’s hard to protect too many people. Large families rely on numbers, but the authorities forbid private armies to prevent private forces from threatening public order. Most families have two forms of martial power: guards and family cultivators. There are limits on guard numbers—not exceeding two hundred. Guards can be bought as slaves from captured warriors or hired at great expense from wandering cultivators. Family cultivators are usually blood relatives or loyal outsiders. But the young master, aside from himself, has no kin, and the authorities strictly control everything. To prevent unrest, family cultivators must be registered, assigned a household, and have fixed incomes. The procedures and monthly quotas are costly.”

She continued, “Because guard slots are limited, families generally hire only those with at least Foundation Establishment level abilities. Qi Training stage is too weak and wastes slots if hired in numbers.”

Yang Cheng pondered this and said, “Here’s my plan: First, quickly hire a batch of guards, so we appear well-defended to outsiders. Second, gradually build up the Yang family’s loyal martial force, selecting trustworthy people and training them into elite soldiers. But this will be a lengthy, selective process.”

“As for guards, hiring wandering cultivators is good, but you never really know their hearts. If they harbor ill intentions and lack stewardship, losses could follow. For now, caution is best. We should mainly buy captured warriors from the manpower market. These people come from all over, some unruly, some cowardly. They’re strictly regulated by law, saving us much trouble. Still, our strength is low—if there’s a rebellion, the consequences would be dire. Brother Lu, I’ll rely on you to manage and train them.”

Lu Baichuan said, “It’s a small matter. But this can’t be rushed; step by step is best. If we hire too many at once, control will be difficult. Let’s start with around fifty, then select reliable ones from among them to manage future hires.”

Yang Cheng nodded, “During this period, I’ll go with Brother Lu to select the first batch of guards to serve as the foundation. Uncle Yang, continue to handle external affairs and supply. Remember to train Da Niu well—he’s honest and dependable, perfect to assist you with transport and supply duties. That way, you’ll have more free time for rest, and perhaps other tasks in the future.”

Old Yang nodded in agreement. Yang Cheng continued, “Sister Yunxue, manage internal affairs and logistics. I trust your abilities completely, and you won’t make mistakes. You can follow the management methods I described to inspire everyone’s creativity. Even if I’m absent, our products will remain abundant. We need diligent workers, but more importantly, creative people. It may seem less strictly managed, but the gains will far exceed the results of squeezing servants for labor hours.”

Su Yunxue nodded, accepting the advice. Now she trusted the young master’s abilities and knew that by applying her own intelligence well, she could support him fully.