Chapter 855
Implementation Plan
The first rays of dawn had just risen above the eastern horizon, painting the sky a pale golden-red. The city gates of Qingyun City had just opened, and several early-rising vendors were pushing their carts into the city, the wheels creaking on the bluestone pavement.
The guards at the city gate saw Zheng Yi and quickly came to greet him.
"Sir, you're back!"
"Hmm." Zheng Yi dismounted and handed the reins to the guard. "Where is Lord Wang?"
"Lord Wang hasn't slept all night and is waiting for your news at the city lord's mansion."
Zheng Yi strode towards the city lord's mansion.
The gates of the city lord's mansion were wide open, and Wang Tianhai stood anxiously looking around. Upon seeing Zheng Yi, he quickly went to greet him.
"Sir! You're finally back!" His eyes were bloodshot, clearly he hadn't slept all night. "Where are the Li family? Are you alright?"
"It's alright," Zheng Yi said. "I've already dealt with the Li family; they won't be causing trouble again anytime soon."
"Sent away?" Wang Tianhai was taken aback. "How were they sent away?"
"Let's go inside and talk."
The two arrived at the council hall, where Zheng Yi briefly recounted what had happened the previous night.
Wang Tianhai looked surprised after hearing this.
"The Li family actually sent over thirty experts at the Mahayana Realm to ambush you, sir?" he exclaimed. "That's going to be incredibly extravagant!"
"They're after the spiritual vein beneath the north of the city," Zheng Yi said. "The value of a mid-grade spiritual vein far exceeds the cost of those people."
"A spiritual vein?" Wang Tianhai was even more surprised. "There's a spiritual vein underground in the north of the city?"
“It was the Li family who said it,” Zheng Yi said. “They detected the existence of that spiritual vein a long time ago, which is why they’ve been trying every means to seize the land in the north of the city.”
"I see." Wang Tianhai suddenly realized. "No wonder the Li family is so fixated on the Guo family's northern part of the city; it turns out it's for this reason."
“However, this matter still needs verification,” Zheng Yi said. “We can’t completely trust what the Li family says. I plan to go to Hongyun City to personally investigate whether there are any spiritual veins underground in the north of the city.”
When does the gentleman plan to go?
"We'll rest for a bit and then leave," Zheng Yi said. "We'll have to trouble Master Wang to take care of things here in Qingyun City."
"Rest assured, sir, I will protect Qingyun City," Wang Tianhai said. "However, sir, you have traveled a long way; would you like to rest for a few more days before continuing your journey?"
“No need. The matter of the spiritual vein can’t be delayed,” Zheng Yi said. “If there really is a spiritual vein beneath the north of the city, it would be a huge fortune. We must confirm it as soon as possible and find a way to utilize it.”
Zheng Yi rested for two hours at the city lord's mansion, ate something, and then rode his horse toward Hongyun City.
Throughout the journey, he kept thinking about the spiritual veins.
Spiritual veins are places where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converges, making them invaluable to cultivators. If there truly is a mid-grade spiritual vein beneath the north of the city, it would be an immense fortune. However, how to utilize this spiritual vein requires careful consideration.
Spiritual veins are different from ordinary mineral deposits; they cannot be directly mined and sold for money. Their value lies in their ability to continuously generate spiritual energy, providing convenience for cultivators.
The most common way to utilize it is to establish a sect or family base near the spiritual vein, allowing clan members to cultivate there. However, this method can only benefit a few people and cannot maximize the value of the spiritual vein.
"We must think of a better way," Zheng Yi murmured.
The following evening, Zheng Yi returned to Hongyun City.
Guo Tianyou rushed out to greet him upon hearing the news of his return.
"Sir, you're back!" His face lit up with joy. "I heard the Li family has left, is that true?"
“It’s true,” Zheng Yi said. “I’ve foiled the Li family’s ambush; they won’t be causing trouble again anytime soon.”
"That's wonderful!" Guo Tianyou said happily. "Sir, you are truly amazing. I admire you immensely."
"Don't be so happy yet," Zheng Yi said. "I have something important to tell you."
"What's up?"
"Let's go inside and talk."
The two arrived at the council hall of the city lord's mansion, where Zheng Yi told Guo Tianyou about the spiritual vein.
Guo Tianyou looked shocked after hearing this.
"There's a spiritual vein beneath the north of the city?" he said incredulously. "How come I've never known about it?"
"I don't know if what the Li family said is true or false," Zheng Yi said. "I plan to investigate myself."
“Alright, I will accompany you, sir,” Guo Tianyou said.
That evening, Zheng Yi and Guo Tianyou, along with several trusted confidants, quietly arrived in the north of the city.
The night was as dark as ink, and the starlight was dim. The construction site in the north of the city was quiet, with only a few lanterns swaying in the wind, casting a dim yellow light.
Zheng Yi arrived at the center of the north of the city, where there was an undeveloped open space. The open space was overgrown with weeds, and the chirping of insects could be heard from time to time from the grass.
He sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and probed the ground with his divine sense.
Divine consciousness, like invisible tentacles, penetrates the soil and rocks, extending downwards layer by layer.
Ten zhang, twenty zhang, fifty zhang.
When Zheng Yi's divine sense reached a depth of about eighty feet underground, he suddenly felt an unusually rich spiritual energy.
That spiritual energy flowed like a rushing river deep underground. Its aura was gentle and pure, making people feel refreshed and relaxed.
"Found it!" Zheng Yi opened his eyes, a look of surprise on his face.
"Sir, how is it?" Guo Tianyou asked anxiously.
“The Li family wasn’t lying,” Zheng Yi said. “There is indeed a spiritual vein underground in the north of the city, and it’s of very high quality, at least a mid-grade spiritual vein.”
"Really?" Guo Tianyou exclaimed excitedly. "That's wonderful! With this spiritual vein, the strength of our Guo family will definitely increase significantly!"
"Don't be too happy yet," Zheng Yi said. "While spiritual veins are valuable, how to utilize them is another issue. The spiritual vein is located eighty feet underground; directly harnessing its spiritual energy is not easy."
"What are your thoughts, sir?"
Zheng Yi stood up, looked at the ground beneath his feet, and fell into deep thought.
The spiritual veins are located too deep for ordinary people to access. To utilize their spiritual energy, one must find a way to bring it to the surface. However, spiritual energy is difficult to control; unlike water, it cannot be guided through pipes. Bringing spiritual energy from underground to the surface requires special formations and materials.
“I need to study this carefully,” Zheng Yi said. “Young Master Guo, keep this matter confidential for now; don’t let outsiders know.”
“I understand,” Guo Tianyou nodded.
After returning to the city lord's mansion, Zheng Yi locked himself in his room and began to study how to utilize the spiritual veins.
He took out some books and materials from the Sumeru Bracelet and carefully browsed through them. These books were ones he had collected before, containing various formations and cultivation knowledge.
For three days and three nights straight, he barely rested, constantly researching and thinking.
The sunlight outside the window moved from east to west, then disappeared below the horizon. The moon rose and set, and the stars twinkled in the night sky. Zheng Yi was completely oblivious to all of this; his entire focus was on utilizing the spiritual veins.
On the morning of the fourth day, he finally came out of his room.
His eyes were bloodshot and his face was pale, but he was very excited.
"Sir, you're out!" Xiao Tianxing, who was guarding the door, hurriedly came forward. "You haven't eaten for three days and three nights; I was worried sick."
"It's alright, I've thought of a way," Zheng Yi said. "Go and call Young Master Guo here; I have something important to discuss with him."
"Yes."
A short while later, Guo Tianyou rushed over.
"Sir, you were looking for me?" Seeing Zheng Yi's haggard appearance, he asked with concern, "Sir, are you alright? Would you like to rest for a while?"
“No need, let’s get down to business first,” Zheng Yi said. “I’ve come up with a plan for utilizing the spiritual veins.”
"What method?"
Zheng Yi sat down in the chair and gestured for Guo Tianyou to sit down as well.
“The spiritual vein is eighty feet underground, making it difficult to directly utilize its spiritual energy,” he said. “But we can try a different approach—instead of bringing the spiritual energy to the surface, we can send people to the vicinity of it.”
"What the gentleman means is..." Guo Tianyou was somewhat puzzled.
“Build underground cave dwellings near the spiritual veins,” Zheng Yi said. “These cave dwellings can serve as cultivation sites, allowing cultivators to cultivate next to the spiritual veins and directly absorb the spiritual energy emitted by them.”
"An underground cave?" Guo Tianyou's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! Cultivating next to a spiritual vein will definitely be much more effective than cultivating on the surface!"
“That’s right,” Zheng Yi nodded, “but this is only the first step. Building underground cave dwellings requires a lot of money and manpower, and we can’t build many at once. So, my plan is to build a batch of cave dwellings first, and then rent them out.”
"Lease?" Guo Tianyou was taken aback.
“Yes, leasing,” Zheng Yi said. “We can divide the cave dwellings into different levels and price them according to their distance from the core of the spiritual vein. The closer to the spiritual vein, the denser the spiritual energy, and the higher the price.”
"Those who want to cultivate in the cave need to pay rent. In this way, we can not only recoup the cost of building the cave, but also generate continuous profits."
After listening, Guo Tianyou nodded thoughtfully.
“Sir, your idea is very novel,” he said, “but I have a question. If we rent out our cave dwelling, wouldn’t that allow outsiders to use our spiritual veins? Wouldn’t that benefit them?”
“Of course, some outsiders will try to take advantage of it,” Zheng Yi said, “but that’s exactly the effect I want.”
"What's the meaning?"
"Think about it," Zheng Yi said, looking at Guo Tianyou, "who are the people who can afford to pay such high rents for cultivation caves? They must be wealthy and powerful, and their cultivation levels must be quite high. For such people to come to Hongyun City and stay in our caves is essentially helping us bolster our reputation."
"If anyone tries to cause trouble, these tenants are our first line of defense. After all, they paid a high price to rent the cave dwellings, and if they are destroyed, they will suffer significant losses. To protect their own interests, they will definitely help us guard the cave dwellings."
"This way, we can not only make money, but also essentially hire a group of security guards for free."
After listening, Guo Tianyou suddenly understood.
"Brilliant, sir!" he clapped his hands in approval. "This method is ingenious! It makes money, strengthens defenses, and attracts more people to Hongyun City—a triple win!"
“However, implementing this plan requires a great deal of preparation,” Zheng Yi said. “First, we need to find a group of craftsmen skilled in civil engineering to excavate the underground cave dwellings. Second, we need to set up some spirit-gathering arrays to guide the spiritual energy emanating from the spiritual veins into the various cave dwellings. Finally, we also need to establish a comprehensive management system to ensure the safety and order of the cave dwellings.”
"I can arrange all of these things," Guo Tianyou said. "The Guo family has some skilled craftsmen who are proficient in civil engineering and can be responsible for excavating the cave dwelling. As for the spirit-gathering array, I can hire some array masters to help."
“Very good.” Zheng Yi nodded. “There’s one more important point. This spiritual vein is our secret; we can’t let outsiders know about it before the cave dwelling is built. Otherwise, someone will definitely come and cause trouble.”
“I understand,” Guo Tianyou said. “I will keep this strictly confidential.”
After the discussion, Zheng Yi returned to his room to rest.
He's been too tired these past few days and needs to recover his energy.
He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind constantly sketching out the blueprint for the cave dwelling.
The spiritual vein runs east-west, about two hundred zhang long and fifty zhang wide. Around the spiritual vein, dozens of caves of varying sizes can be carved out.
The location closest to the core of the spiritual vein has the densest spiritual energy, making it suitable for carving out several top-tier cave dwellings. These cave dwellings are only rented to the most powerful cultivators, and are therefore the most expensive.
In slightly more distant locations, some intermediate-level cave dwellings can be carved out. These cave dwellings have slightly weaker spiritual energy, but they are also relatively cheaper, which can attract more people to rent them.
In the outermost area, some low-level cave dwellings can be carved out. These cave dwellings have the weakest spiritual energy, but they are numerous enough to meet the needs of ordinary cultivators.
In addition to the rented cave dwellings, some cave dwellings must be reserved for the use of their own people. These cave dwellings are not to be rented out and are exclusively for the cultivation of the Guo family and the core members of Qingyun City.
"That's what we'll do," Zheng Yi murmured, and gradually drifted off to sleep.
In the days that followed, Zheng Yi began to put his plan into action.
He first summoned the Guo family's craftsmen and explained the contents of the task to them.
“I need you to excavate a series of cave dwellings underground in the north of the city,” he told the craftsmen. “These cave dwellings will be used for cultivation; they must be sturdy, durable, and well-ventilated.”
The craftsmen all looked surprised after hearing this.
"An underground cave?" an old craftsman asked. "Sir, excavating an underground cave is no easy task. It requires a great deal of manpower and resources, and the risks are substantial."
“I know,” Zheng Yi said, “so I will provide you with sufficient resources and rewards. As long as you complete the task according to my requirements, everyone will receive a generous reward.”
"Furthermore, this matter must be kept secret," he continued. "No outsiders are allowed to know about it until the cave dwelling is completed. Anyone who leaks the information will face the consequences." (End of Chapter)