Longevity: Starting from Refining Gu

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Perhaps they heard the news that I was going to recruit three people for positions in the Spirit Plant Hall, and they came to pledge their service to me.

I am currently lacking strength in numbers, and since they came to offer their service, I must not treat them poorly, lest I lose their loyalty.

Chen Qing walked over, shook his hand, and six middle-grade Spirit Stones appeared in his palm.

He slipped two into each person's hand and said indifferently, "Come see me at the Spirit Plant Hall tomorrow."

The three felt the weight of the Spirit Stones in their hands, exchanged glances, and quickly tucked them into their clothes, saying in unison, "Yes, Hall Master!"

At night, Chen Qing asked Yu Qingshuang to borrow the usual account books of the Spirit Plant Hall to understand the stockpiles of spiritual medicine at Wuyou Mountain.

The types of spiritual medicine being planted were quite varied, but those were stocked to avoid emergencies and weren't very crucial.

The essentials were three types of hard currency: Spirit Ginseng, Sword Heart Grass, and Gu Spirit Grass.

Spirit Ginseng was related to enhancing cultivation, Gu Spirit Grass was needed for the daily sustenance of Gu, and Sword Heart Grass was a common item for the advancement and healing of sword Gu.

Gu Spirit Grass had been previously managed by the Spirit Plant Elder, so there was quite a bit.

The stockpile of Spirit Ginseng was down to just over three hundred pounds, and there was even less Sword Heart Grass, only about ten pounds.

No wonder they value me so much!

The gap in demand for Spirit Ginseng and Sword Heart Grass was too large, requiring constant sourcing from outside.

Early the next morning, upon hearing that the Spirit Plant Elder had gone out early to visit friends, Chen Qing and Yu Qingshuang sat face-to-face at a table.

Chen Qing eyed a slightly strange-looking bowl of noodles in front of him, took a bite, and unexpectedly found the taste quite good.

"Did Senior Sister make this?"

Yu Qingshuang's expression was calm as she ate the noodles, "Grandma and Grandpa went out together to visit friends."

Chen Qing thought to himself: I did not expect that this Senior Sister, who practices swordplay, is also good at cooking, though the appearance is not very appealing.

After changing into the hall master garb freshly sent by the sect, Chen Qing looked at himself in the bronze mirror, feeling a bit more formidable.

When Chen Qing entered the Spirit Plant Hall, the courtyard was already full of people standing around.

All sixteen people from the Spirit Plant Hall were present, and when Chen Qing entered, they took turns saying, "Greetings, Hall Master."

Chen Qing walked to the center of the main hall of the Spirit Plant Hall, glanced at the hall master's main seat, then turned and took the first position on the left side of the hall.

"Be seated."

After everyone was seated, Chen Qing said, "Now that I, Chen Qing, have taken on the sect's task, from now on, this Spirit Plant Hall is under my command."

"Does anyone have any objections?"

The crowd looked at each other, thinking to themselves: The Spirit Plant Hall has no hall master currently, so Chen Qing as the Deputy Hall Master is essentially the same as being the hall master.

Besides, today was Chen Qing's first duty, and the Spirit Plant Elder went out to visit friends.

Incidentally, he brought everyone from his household except his granddaughter, and Chen Qing lives in the Spirit Plant Elder's house.

A lone man and an unmarried woman, who wouldn't understand the Spirit Plant Elder's intentions?

Seeing these people not reacting for a long time, Wang Ye immediately took the lead and said, "Since the Spirit Plant Hall lacks a hall master, naturally we respect the hall master!"

Others chimed in agreement.

Chen Qing scanned them; they were all middle-aged and elderly cultivators. It made sense. Only those without the ability to advance their Gu would take positions within the sect.

Anyone young with some ambition would take jobs outside, hoping for a better future.

This was good; at least they didn't have many thoughts to cause unrest.

"The most urgent matter now is to plant the Spirit Ginseng and Sword Heart Grass so we can have a harvest this year."

"The sect's intention is to open up one hundred acres of Spiritual Ginseng Field and twenty acres of Sword Heart Grass Field."

"In my opinion, that's not enough. We should open up one hundred and twenty acres of Spiritual Ginseng Field."

"Brother Zhou, you frequently come on duty at the Spirit Plant Garden and know the situation here. You will lead seven people to look after the current Spirit Plant Garden."

Zhou Ke smiled at these words, rose, and cupped his hands, saying, "Yes, Hall Master."

Chen Qing continued, "Brother Wang, your Gu is the Green Bull Gu, which is very effective for opening Spiritual Fields. You will lead seven people to enlist mortals to cultivate the Spiritual Ginseng Field and Sword Heart Grass Field."

Wang Ye immediately stood up and said, "Yes, Hall Master."

Chen Qing continued, "Once, the Spirit Plant Hall was under the management of the Spirit Plant Elder, but, being advanced in age, he struggled to manage effectively, possibly resulting in some leniency in management."

"But today, since I, Chen Qing, have become head of the Spirit Plant Hall, it should indeed be vibrant."

"If this year's tasks are accomplished, I will personally see to it that everyone receives twenty jugs of ginseng wine at the end of the year!"

Previously, everyone thought it was fine, feeling that Chen Qing was relatively reasonable in his actions.

After all, what was newly developed and managed by Chen Qing was his responsibility, and they were usually just overseeing.

But now, the enthusiasm was entirely different. Twenty jugs of ginseng wine, at current market prices, were equivalent to two hundred lower-grade Spirit Stones.

They could only save a little over a hundred lower-grade Spirit Stones in a month from outside jobs, so the twenty jugs of ginseng wine almost equated to two months' salary.

Hearing this, everyone wore smiles; with those twenty jugs of ginseng wine and their salary, it was almost comparable to the disciples taking jobs outside.

Most importantly, the work now was very stable and didn't require them to rush outside to find jobs.

The Spirit Plant Hall's tasks had instantly shifted from a chore into a coveted opportunity.

Seeing everyone smiling, Chen Qing continued, "Let's not head straight home tonight; we'll go to the Bright Moon Tower for drinks."

Everyone expressed their gratitude.

Chen Qing gave Wang Ye and Zhou Ke a look, and they led everyone to leave and begin their duties.

Chen Qing stood up, "Brother Li He, come with me, we're going to find Brother Gongsun Xiu from the Cultivation Hall to discuss some matters."

They hadn't walked far after leaving, and were just on the mountain path when they ran into Gongsun Xiu.

Seeing Chen Qing, Gongsun Xiu laughed and said, "Brother Chen, I was just about to look for you."

Chen Qing asked, "I was about to look for you too, Brother."

Gongsun Xiu extended a hand invitingly, "Then shall we go to my place?"

As they walked along, the smell of alcohol grew stronger and stronger, and by the time they were near the Cultivation Hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of wine.

After sitting in the reception room of the Cultivation Hall, Chen Qing asked, "I wonder what Brother Gongsun wanted to see me for?"

Gongsun Xiu replied, "Brother Chen, your annual salary has already been set at eight thousand six hundred lower-grade Spirit Stones."

"As you've newly assumed the post of hall master, the Mountain Master, thinking of your solitude, has allowed you to draw a year's salary in advance."

"When you want it, come to me to collect."

Chen Qing felt a wave of happiness in his heart; he had been thinking of crediting some Spirit Stones from the sect for expenses, and now it was all settled.

Two hundred lower-grade Spirit Stones more than Ye Yuntian's information.

Chen Qing cupped his hands with a smile and said, "Thank you, Brother."

"I wonder if Brother has any Alcohol Gu here?"

Gongsun Xiu thought for a moment, "Is Brother Chen planning to brew his own wine?"

Chen Qing feigned an irritated expression, "Xiao Zhong humiliated me yesterday, mocking my low cultivation level, so I had this thought."

"Brewing my own wine would indeed make cultivation more convenient."

"Please don't take offense, Brother, I mean no disrespect."

Gongsun Xiu pondered briefly, "Currently, there are three Alcohol Gu left in the Cultivation Hall."

"If anyone else came seeking them, I surely wouldn't give them, but since it is you, Brother Chen, asking, I can't refuse."

Chen Qing knew the reason well; he was about to have access to a large amount of Spirit Ginseng resources, which made the Cultivation Hall green with envy.

Before Chen Qing took over the Spirit Plant Hall, the structure of Wuyou Mountain was quite skewed.

Without a large amount of spiritual medicine, they relied on cooperation between the War Affairs Hall and Shadow Hall to venture outside for resources, selling them afterward to acquire Spirit Ginseng for brewing.

This caused Wuyou Mountain's stockpile to always be low and unstable.

Once Chen Qing could provide a large amount of Spirit Ginseng, the stability of the entire Wuyou Mountain would improve.

Hence, though Chen Qing had low cultivation, his status was not insignificant.

Gongsun Xiu stood up to lead the way, "Come with me, Brother Chen."

Chen Qing opened and closed his fist, almost clapping in joy.

It was done, the Alcohol Gu was in hand!

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