Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

The profits from a marketplace are enormous. The rent alone provides a very considerable annual income, but after splitting that income six ways, there isn’t much left over.

The Song Clan was currently in a period of rapid development, and its finances had always been extremely tight. Cutting expenses was no longer an option; increasing revenue was imperative.

A marketplace was undoubtedly the perfect solution. The Song Clan had previously chosen to join forces with several other families to establish Liuyun Marketplace only because they lacked the manpower to run one alone.

But after these years of rest and recuperation, the Song Clan’s strength had recovered significantly. They were now strong enough to maintain a marketplace on their own.

Now, they were just waiting for Song Chang’an and the others to achieve their breakthroughs. Once they did, establishing their own marketplace could be put on the agenda.

”That matter is simple. Fifth Uncle can certainly arrange it perfectly. It’s the Earth Fire Sect that makes me uneasy.” Song Changsheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his worried gaze fixed on the Liuyun Mountain Range.

Song Xianyun’s brow furrowed slightly. ”Are you worried about Chang Wudao?”

”I am. Liu Hongye and his people have already fought their way to Baiyun Peak, yet Chang Wudao hasn’t shown his face. That’s not his style, and it gives me a bad feeling.”

”It is strange, far too strange. Not long after you killed Cheng Yufei, Chang Wudao announced he was entering secluded cultivation. It’s been two years, and he hasn’t been seen since.

’Is he trying to break through to the Purple Mansion realm? But that doesn’t make sense. Didn’t you take away the Tier Three legacy that was so compatible with him?

’Using an incompatible Heart Method to break through to the Purple Mansion realm has an extremely low chance of success. Given Chang Wudao’s cautious, self-preserving nature, he would never choose that path unless it was his absolute last resort.’

Song Xianyun shook his head. He knew his old rival too well. This wasn’t a move Chang Wudao would make.

”Let’s hope I’m just worrying over nothing,” Song Changsheng said, nodding lightly. But the trace of anxiety in his eyes refused to fade...

「The next few days.」

All sides were licking the wounds inflicted by the great war, and an unnatural calm fell over Ling Province.

But this was only on the surface. In the shadows, the various powers were constantly on the move.

Take Liu Hongye, for example. After repelling the attack from Du Huating and his allies, he began gathering his surviving sect members. Including those returned by the Song Clan, he barely managed to assemble a force of over one hundred people.

Then, these people set about a single task: grabbing people. Literally.

They forcibly relocated large numbers of Mortal Clan Members from the Qiu and Li Clans to the Marketplace. Some of the smaller families living in the Liuyun Mountain Range also met with disaster, getting swallowed whole.

Liu Hongye’s actions were hardly a secret; they couldn’t possibly be hidden from Li Siyang and Qiu Tianyang. To their despair, however, they discovered that knowing was useless. They were powerless to stop him and could only watch as their Mortal Clan Members were abducted.

A later tally revealed that over half of the Li Clan’s more than 200,000 Mortal Clan Members had been taken. Most of those who remained were the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled. Upon learning this, Li Siyang coughed up blood and collapsed amidst his clan’s ruins.

The Qiu Clan didn’t fare much better; over a hundred thousand of their people were taken, in addition to those from the absorbed smaller families.

In a few short days, they had rounded up nearly 300,000 mortals and over two hundred Qi Cultivators for Liuyun Marketplace.

Looking at the terrified faces before him, Liu Hongye revealed a satisfied smile. ’Mortals may be lowly,’ he thought, ’but they are the bedrock of any power.’

The Liu Family had once possessed several hundred thousand Mortal Clan Members as well, but he had abandoned them all when he decided to flee.

If he had decided to become an Independent Cultivator, mortals would have been nothing but a burden. But he refused to accept such a fate. He would restore his family’s glory.

But a very real problem lay before him: the Liu Clan’s surviving members numbered only thirty-odd people, all told. Relying on them alone, it would take at least a century to re-establish the clan.

The pace was far too slow to satisfy Liu Hongye. Moreover, he also had two Foundation Establishment Independent Cultivators under his command, and their needs had to be considered as well.

In the end, he decided to transform his family into a Sect.

Thus began the scene of mass abductions.

There’s a saying that a melon plucked by force isn’t sweet, but at least it can quench one’s thirst. Although the mortals before him were filled with fear and resentment, Liu Hongye didn’t care.

In his eyes, these people were little more than breeding stock. Their attitudes toward him were unimportant; all that mattered was that their descendants would be loyal to him.

”Hongyan, have those people made their decision?” Liu Hongye asked, turning his gaze to his younger clan brother beside him.

Liu Hongyan smiled. ”The moment they heard we wanted to recruit them, they agreed without a second thought. Only a few stubborn old fools tried to resist, and I’ve already taken care of them.”

”In this world, Qi Refining Families live from one day to the next, never knowing what tomorrow brings. It’s their good fortune to be recruited by us. If we weren’t so short-staffed, I wouldn’t give these people a second glance,” Liu Hongye said dismissively.

”There are actually a few promising talents among them.”

”You handle it. The promising ones can be selectively admitted into the Inner Sect for cultivation. Just remember, their loyalty must be guaranteed,” Liu Hongye said, waving his hand nonchalantly.

”I understand.”

”Good. I trust you to handle things. We can also put the celebration on the agenda now. Go and make the preparations.”

Liu Hongyan’s eyes lit up. He cupped his fist in excitement. ”As you command!”

「Soon after.」

A piece of news began to spread throughout Ling Province.

The contents were simple: Liu Hongye was establishing the ”Liuyun Sect” on the former site of Liuyun Marketplace. He would be its first Sect Leader, and a grand ceremony would be held in one month, to which all the powers of Ling Province were invited.