The three members of this small family looked at each other in silence.
But it didn’t last long until everyone smiled deeply at each other, their white teeth revealed as they grinned.
"You two, ambushing this old man like this!" Chunfeng jokingly scolded.
"Grandpa, you’re most skilled at ambushing, but walking by the river, you’re bound to get wet!"
"Yes, Yu’er is right, father you were too careless!" Huiyue agreed and chuckled.
The three joked a bit more before they dispersed to do their own tasks—
Chunfeng went to the Verdant Grove to tend to the trees as per his routine. As for Muyu, he had visited that grove previously and didn’t need to be shown around. In addition, his grandpa was only 96 years old this year, leaving him with at least another 20, possibly 30 or 40 now that he knew he gained some lifespan from the tree.
Most trees live for at least 100 years, and even some rare species live for over 1.000 years, if his grandfather contracted a tree with a second-stage heritage, then he might live even longer.
Spiritual planters were among those that lived for the longest, and since they didn’t fight much, they didn’t have to worry about injuries harming their lifespan.
Muyu walked back to his room, about to meditate and recover his spiritual power and mental power, to start talisman drawing again. With a mature mind, everything about cultivation pulled him deeply—he appreciated the opportunity to cultivate a lot more than those of his age, which was a driving factor for his cultivation at his age, and also a reason why Chunfeng felt that he could put in the future responsibility of the garden onto him.
After the two left, Huiyue took a deep breath.
She had made a choice, but making a choice didn’t mean those who waited for your choice knew of it—you had to go and tell them proper.
Her clan was patient and kind. Whether she would stay or go to the sect, as long as there was no issue with the inheritance of their garden, the rest would be her own independent choice.
Being an ’outer’ lineage of the sect meant that they needed to keep relations close to the sect at all times, else they might be degraded to vassals.
This included sending talented cultivators of the clan to the sect, taking care of its industries outside and fulfilling their missions.
Their Ancestor, the Guardian Ancestor that protected the clan, was actually stationed by the sect outside on various strongholds. The one actually guarding the clan was the Head of the Spiritual Planting Hall.
As she thought of clan contributions, Huiyue knew that because she wouldn’t go to the sect, the clan might have to send a talented member instead of her.
She felt bad for the young generation, but such things were beyond her consideration.
Considering the situation of the clan was the responsibility of the clan head, not that of a mere member. As long as you didn’t harm your clan and supported it in times of need, you performed well. There is no need to sacrifice.
She walked down the hill upon which her lineage’s courtyard was placed, and continued along the paved path to the clan centre.
Their clan, laid on the shores of the Green Glow Lake, was a long and thin shore, with spiritual power waning and waxing. In the south of the lake, the shore reached into the lake like a needle, seemingly piercing a ball. This stretch was the residence of the direct lineage of the Fu Clan, with various hills littered across it.
Although a thin stretch, you still needed to walk for half an hour from the west to the east edge of the stretch and for three hours from the south to the north, which only undermined the size of the lake it laid upon.
This stretch was so wondrous because it directly bathed in the Green Glow of the lake, allowing plants to grow 20% better than at other places, while the shores around the lake had a lower effect, around 10%. Only the three gardens, placed in central positions and small islands on the lake, reached the effect of 30%! As for the hall, the hall cared for the planting across the whole clan land and didn’t focus on high-grade planting like the gardens.
In addition to various benefits, there was a spiritual vein of the second stage low grade flowing through this stretch and sinking into the lake, even sharing the power of the second stage mid grade vein hidden inside the whole lake. Cultivators up to the peak of the second stage can cultivate on this land with the help of formations, those below the second stage can cultivate even on the low lands without troubles, while the hills are branches of the vein and possess the spiritual power of the second stage low grade.
Those non direct lineages, meaning the lineages without a cultivator at the late stage, or new cultivators who have been selected from the mortal territory, reside on the shores around the lake and enjoy an average spiritual power concentration of first stage high grade. Once they reach the late stage and contribute to the clan, they can enter the direct lineage and move to the green needle vein’s territory.
Huiyue’s eyes brightened as she took in the view of the whole Fu Clan territory.
Indeed. Her son was right.
If she was merely a disciple or a weak elder, then what she would control would be a small peak. Maybe the spiritual power would be better... but could it compare to this place?
She heard her ancestor was an inner disciple and a disciple of an elder of the main lineage, which is why he secured such a prime spot and was registered as an outer lineage of the sect instead of becoming a vassal like many others.
Now it turns out, even the disciples of those main lineages might fare better than weak elders...
Shaking her head, her choice only hardened.