Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather Chapter 1305 - 847: Taking Charge of Yang Family Town, Grand Entrance

"Can merits truly be converted into Spirit Stones?" Yang Xiangheng asked, a look of disbelief crossing his face.

"That is possible, though I wouldn't recommend trading merits for them," Li Chang advised.

Wide-eyed with astonishment, Yang Xiangheng blurted out, "Does that mean my annual compensation effectively equals nine hundred and sixty Spirit Stones?"

"Well, you aren't wrong!" Li Chang replied with a nod.

If one were to exchange every merit earned for Spirit Stones, Yang Xiangheng would indeed net a total of nine hundred and sixty for the year.

"This is..." Yang Xiangheng was rendered utterly speechless.

Currently, the entire annual revenue of the Lingxi Yang family barely exceeded a thousand Spirit Stones. The realization that he could earn nearly that much as his own salary left him feeling as though he were in a trance.

Yang Xiangdong and Yang Xiangxi were busy calculating their own earnings as well. As third-class stewards at the Earth Evil Stage, they were entitled to one hundred ninety-two Spirit Stones plus one hundred ninety-two merits annually; if fully converted, that amounted to seven hundred sixty-eight Spirit Stones each.

The trio stood frozen, dumbfounded.

Was this number not excessive?

Did they truly deserve such a hefty sum?

In the Sea of Spirit, such a salary would be unthinkable.

There, a Loose Cultivator at the Heavenly Gang Stage might only pull in three to four hundred Spirit Stones a year, let alone someone stuck at the Earth Evil Stage.

However, the Spirit Source Land operated under different rules. Here, Spirit Stones and merits circulated internally, keeping the wealth contained, which resulted in a unique local economy that differed significantly from the outside world.

Basic necessities, such as meat, Spiritual Wine, Spirit Rice, and low-level Spirit Pills, were priced about thirty percent higher than in the Sea of Spirit. Conversely, high-end resources like the Jade Marrow Pill, Hundred Fruit Brew, and Spiritual Dew Tea were far more affordable when purchased with merits.

This policy purposefully inflated the cost of low-end goods to ensure the lower-ranking members could sustain themselves, while simultaneously subsidizing high-end items to incentivize everyone to exchange their merits for resources that would accelerate their Cultivation.

Consequently, many residents in the Spirit Source Land drew remarkably high salaries.

At present, the Spirit Source Land had no shortage of wealth, with eighty thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones already locked away in the Clan Hall. Its true need lay in obtaining Second-Order materials—ores, Spiritual Medicine, and spiritual fruits.

While the land featured vast spirit fields suitable for cultivation, many Second-Order resources required three to five hundred years of growth to achieve maturity.

Since the Spirit Source Land had only existed for a little over seven decades, it naturally lacked the capacity to produce these advanced items locally. Most current stocks were transplanted from the Ancient Relic Array, which, while rich in resources, did not contain every species imaginable.

Lost in thought, Yang Xiangheng accompanied Yang Mingzhi toward Yang Family Town to formally assume his new duties.

The transition of control went smoothly. The official handling the handover was Shi Pingshan, representing the Beishi family.

The Beishi family had been tasked with overseeing the Lian family's assets after they were the ones to unmask the betrayal. After Yang Zhenshan had slain the ancestor of the Lian family, he left the body in Cloud Abyss Valley; the Beishi forces soon discovered it while securing the area, leading to the public denouncement of the Lian family as traitors.

Moreover, the Wuxiang Sect had suffered such heavy losses that they had no appetite for meddling with the Lian family’s remnants or engaging in disputes with the Illusion Moon Sect and Xuanqing Sect.

This allowed the Illusion Moon Sect to easily elevate the Lingyuan Yang family to one of the twelve great families, while the Beishi family secured the lucrative job of confiscating the assets through their connections with the Xuanqing Sect.

By this time, Lian Family Town was a hollow shell. The original occupants had either been slaughtered or expelled, leaving the sprawling town guarded by only a hundred Beishi soldiers, creating an eerie, desolate atmosphere.

The surrounding spirit fields suffered a similar fate, abandoned now that the original cultivators were gone. Yet, the Spirit Rice remained, alongside a vast Spirit Fruit Garden that the Beishi family had fortunately chosen not to uproot.

The location would henceforth be known as Yang Family Town, as the reinforcements from the Yang family had finally arrived.

A procession of over three hundred people moved quickly along the main road, soon appearing at the gates.

"Identify yourselves!" the Beishi guards shouted, stepping forward to block their path.

"Yang Mingzhi of the Lingxi Yang family!" Yang Mingzhi announced, urging his Green Wolf forward.

The guards surveyed the arriving party with clear expressions of shock.

The force clearly hailed from the Spirit Source Land. Among them were two hundred members of the Guardian Army, clad in spirit armor and armed with spiritual weapons, riding Red Cloud Horses with the disciplined, lethal aura of seasoned soldiers. The remaining hundred included a small dozen from the Lingxi Yang family, all Innate Martial Artists provided with horses by Yang Mingzhi, along with the future staff for the Spiritual Beauty Hall and other departments.

Given that Yang Family Town would serve as their primary stronghold in the region, the Commerce Department and Secret Martial Guards intended to establish local offices immediately.

In the center of the convoy sat a lavishly decorated carriage. Its sandalwood frame was accented with gilded gold leaf, catching the sunlight with a soft glimmer. The mahogany wheels featured intricate cloud carvings and brass decorative trim, and the spokes were engraved with 'Stable Run' glyphs, ensuring a silent transit. Crimson silk drapes hung at each corner, accented by four white jade bells etched with the character 'Peace,' which released a crisp, melodic chime with every slight motion.