Chapter 401: Chapter 393: A Letter from Tang Yan_1

“Hmm, it’s good that they didn’t get wet! My father told me that if clothes get wet, you must change them in time, otherwise when you get old, you’ll suffer from aches here and there. Go wash your hands and let’s eat, Yu Qiu and the others have already prepared the food.”

Wang Wanyan naturally took off the basket Qin Niu was carrying on his back.

“Ah Niu, my father came to our home today.”

Tang Cai Xian kept by his right side.

She waited until Wang Wanyan had finished speaking before she interjected.

“Did the old father-in-law come? Did you ask him to stay for a meal?”

Qin Niu had a good impression of both his fathers-in-law.

Neither were the type to sell their daughters for money, their principles were upright.

Since their daughter got married and came over, they never asked for anything from Qin Niu, nor did they swagger around outside using their son-in-law’s name as leverage.

“Wan Yan and I both asked him to stay, but he refused to eat! He sat for a while and then left. Daoyuan Village is now pushing him to become the village head, and the Tang Family is also preparing to have him as the clan leader. He came over this time to ask for your opinion.”

Tang Cai Xian explained to her father’s purpose.

In this household, she was, after all, a concubine, her status lower than Wang Wanyan’s.

So she made a point to mention that Wang Wanyan also insisted her father stay for a meal.

“If your father came to ask me, that means he wants to be the clan leader and village head. This isn’t a bad thing, I definitely support it fully. However, there’s one condition, he must be advised to keep a low profile and not show off unnecessarily, and be even more careful not to be used by others with ulterior motives. Once he becomes the village head and clan leader of the Tang Family, he should consult with Tang Yan on any matters as much as possible.

Also, have your brother work with him in handling affairs.

Once your brother has developed the ability, he can take over the positions of clan leader and village head.”

Qin Niu made some strategic plans for Tang Cai Xian’s maternal family.

In terms of wisdom and great intelligence, he was certainly far superior to Tang Cai Xian’s father and brother.

By loving one’s own, he wholeheartedly supported his wives’ and concubines’ families’ rise to power, which greatly benefited him personally as well.

Having Daoyuan Village under the control of Tang Cai Xian’s maternal family and Shuangfeng Village effectively under Qin Niu’s control, in addition to the largest local landlord, the Yan Family, being on good terms with Qin Niu, he was like a large tree, planting his roots deep into the soil and spreading them out.

What is a large tree with deep roots?

This is it.

If there were any issues in the future, Qin Niu, like a local emperor, would not be greatly affected regardless of regime changes.

“Alright, I’ll visit my maternal home tomorrow!”

Hearing Qin Niu’s full support for the development of her maternal family, Tang Cai Xian’s face showed a happy smile.

Now that she was living a good life, she naturally wanted her family to live a prosperous life too.

“Don’t go empty-handed, take some food and other things with you. Xiao Qing, you take a maidservant with you to accompany Sister Cai Xian.”

Qin Niu, not worried about food and clothing, was extremely considerate towards Tang Cai Xian’s maternal family.

Tang Cai Xian becoming his concubine had been somewhat of a concession on her part, so Qin Niu naturally provided some compensation.

However, Wang Wanyan was a woman of substantial forbearance; she actually never treated Tang Cai Xian as a concubine, but rather as an equal co-wife.

“By the way, this is a letter that Uncle Tang Yan sent for you.”

Tang Cai Xian handed Qin Niu a letter sealed with lacquer.

Tang Yan was cautious in his affairs, worrying that someone might peek at the contents of the letter, so he sealed it with lacquer.

“Let’s sit down for a meal!”

Qin Niu, holding the letter, entered the study.

With three additional maidservants in the house, some sensitive matters certainly could not be overheard by them.

He opened the letter and read it carefully.

The letter mentioned several matters.

The first matter Qin Niu attended to was to secretly direct Tang Yan to investigate the courtyard where Old Master Huang had stayed. Upon inspection, it turned out that the Nine Insect Gang had indeed planted spies there.

However, they only managed to catch two minor “fish.”

Based on the official interrogation of the two Nine Insect Gang disciples, it was inferred that a high-ranking member of the Nine Insect Gang had resided in the house for some time. Unfortunately, after leaving one evening, that high-ranking member never returned.

From the gathered information, the authorities suspected that the absconding high-ranking member of the Nine Insect Gang might very well be Elder Mei.

Qin Niu chuckled to himself; Elder Mei had already become fertilizer for the Ancient Banyan Tree and was likely never to return.

It actually worked out in Tang Yan’s favor, who, thanks to the report, was credited with a merit.

The second matter concerned the ongoing pest infestation within the Black Tiger Gang’s territory. The Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect amassed a significant force, preparing to attack the Black Tiger Gang head-on, with a major battle imminent.

Many landlords and wealthy farmers, upon hearing the news, rushed to sell their fields.

This led to a drastic plunge in land prices.

At the moment, the price of an acre of good farmland peaked at nine taels and five coins of silver, with the lowest going for around eight taels.

Now, it was a matter of who could act fastest, for only by holding silver money in hand could one feel secure.

But the buyers weren’t fools either; with such a poor overall environment and a selling frenzy in full swing, there were very few who dared to take over.

Many potential buyers were still watching and waiting, hoping to make a purchase when the land prices hit rock bottom.

They were also worried about the Black Tiger Gang facing defeat.

If the Black Tiger Gang were to be wiped out and the new authorities didn’t acknowledge the purchased fields, the spent silver would be wasted.

Furthermore, with the Nine Insect Gang’s notorious reputation, if the Black Tiger Gang’s territory fell under their control, then any person with even modest means would contemplate fleeing the area. The fields held in hand would become worthless.

Qin Niu believed that the price of the land would fall further.

The Nine Insect Gang had already lost two elders; they had to directly challenge the Black Tiger Gang to give an explanation to their members.

The battle was inevitable.

It was just a matter of when would be most advantageous for the Nine Insect Gang to launch a full-scale attack, and they would choose that time to strike.

By then, the price of the land would truly hit rock bottom.

If Qin Niu swooped in and bought around five thousand acres then, he was certain to make a huge profit.

The third matter, based on reliable information, was that the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was soon to hold the Water and Land Dharma Assembly in Elixir City, with some people already heading there.

Entering an Immortal Sect is the ultimate dream of every cultivator.

Even some independent cultivators who had reached the level of an Immortal Master still aspired to join an Immortal Sect.

Because the top-tier cultivation resources were almost entirely concentrated in the hands of the Immortal Sects.

The Cultivation Techniques, Spells, magical treasures, Immortal Pills, and cultivation experiences were extremely hard to come by in the outside world.

Becoming an immortal should be the dream of every mortal.

Only by becoming an immortal would one have the possibility to explore higher realms, seek eternal life, and roam freely between heaven and earth.

“Those people are rushing to Elixir City, surely hoping to seize an early advantage. With my current situation, it’s impossible for me to enter an Immortal Sect, so rushing there would be pointless. It’s better to stay in Shuangfeng Village and focus on my cultivation,” Qin Niu thought.

The news about the Water and Land Dharma Assembly was what Qin Niu cared about the most.

Though he was only sixteen now, even if he waited another ten years, he still had the chance to enter an Immortal Sect.

However, entering an Immortal Sect at the age of sixteen and at twenty-six meant completely different treatments.

He had heard that cultivation resources in Immortal Sects were limited and the competition between various Immortal Sects was extremely fierce.

The Immortal Sects would definitely prefer to concentrate a large amount of resources on disciples with more exceptional potential.

Therefore, he would definitely attend this Water and Land Dharma Assembly.

Whether he could enter the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect or not, at least he could bravely strive for it. Even if he failed, he would gain experience for the next Water and Land Dharma Assembly.