Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 584: Chapter 500 Cui Xia Valley, Martial Artists Gather Together

”The elders of Sanshan Valley shall receive two Three Yellow Plums annually instead of three, with an increase of three True Essence Pills!”

”Other Innate Martial Artists shall each receive one Three Yellow Plum and one Zhenyuan Pill annually!”

”Not only shall they be granted salaries, but also official ranks. I have thought of the titles: Royal Offerings, equating to First Rank. What does Your Majesty think?”

Yang Zhenshan looked at Emperor Yanping with a beaming smile.

Royal Offerings!

Equivalent to First Rank!

Then from now on, all Innate Martial Artists in the world would become the Emperor’s subjects!

If anyone disobeys the Imperial Decree, the Emperor could charge them with grave irreverence!

It’s just a title, seemingly without any binding power!

But sometimes, status is very important.

Justice resides in the governing principles. If the name is not proper, the words will not carry, and if the words do not carry, things will not be accomplished.

Everyone and every force must have a legitimate reason for their actions.

Sometimes, the restraint of status is even more useful than shackles.

Of course, this is not to say that status can bind everyone, but as long as it makes most of the Innate Martial Artists acknowledge and accept the restraint brought about by this status, it will be enough for the court.

Moreover, granting salaries to the Innate Martial Artists is akin to binding them to the court, making them a community of interests with the court.

Even though the benefits they receive are significantly less than what they would get from acting alone, acting alone comes at a price, which may cost them their lives.

”This is a good suggestion!” Zhang Luan was the first to agree with Yang Zhenshan’s proposal.

Emperor Yanping also nodded slightly, a faint smile on his face, ”Royal Offerings, equating to First Rank! In my opinion, this is feasible!”

As the Emperor, obviously, he wasn’t interested in Spirit Fruits and Elixirs.

He wasn’t a Martial Artist. Even if he monopolized the Three Yellow Plums and Star Origin Fruits, he would never become an Innate Martial Artist in his lifetime.

Compared to Spirit Fruits and Elixirs, he cared more about the power in his hands.

And the suggestion by Yang Zhenshan undoubtedly increased his power.

Soon, with just one command from him, all the Innate Martial Artists in the world would serve him.

”Let my beloved subject handle this matter, are you willing?” Emperor Yanping looked at Yang Zhenshan approvingly.

Yang Zhenshan bowed slightly and said: ”Your subject requires the support of several esteemed elders.”

To accomplish this, both kindness and authority must be applied.

In Da Rong’s worldly society, there are more than twenty Innate Martial Artists; even if only a few show up, it wouldn’t be something Yang Zhenshan could handle alone.

”I will personally invite them!” Emperor Yanping said with a smile.

Yang Zhenshan continued: ”Your subject also requires a military force to be stationed at Cui Xia Valley in the future.”

Emperor Yanping pondered for a moment, ”For now, have the Yao Wu and the Training Camps be stationed there, and later on, we will rebuild a new force to be stationed there.”

Something as important as a Spirit Plant should naturally be guarded by the personal army, the Twelve Guards, but it is not advisable to mobilize the Twelve Guards at the moment. Temporarily, the imperial guard, the Twelve Camps, could be stationed there.

”This subject obeys the order!” Yang Zhenshan accepted the task.

The reason he took on this task was not that he was too diligent and wanted things to do. Rather, he wanted to have a look at that Star Origin Fruit Tree, and if possible, he hoped to find an opportunity to discreetly take a couple of Star Origin Fruits for planting.

...

Outside Cui Xia Valley.

Wu Zheng arrived at full gallop with a team of guards

Cui Xia Valley was located deep in Wanshan Ridge, but there were routes around.

There is a main road at the opening to the east of Cui Xia Valley. Sited on rugged terrain, this road serves as one of the key passages connecting Shuntian Prefecture to Jiangnan.

Cui Xia Valley is located on the west side of this main road. Standing by the opening on the road and gazing westward, one can see dense vegetation within the valley, lush like a lake. When twilight comes and the sky is filled with sunset clouds, the light reflecting on the greenery in the woods gives the valley an extraordinary hue, hence the name Cui Xia Valley.

Cui Xia Valley is vast, encircled by more than a dozen interlocking peaks. At a glance, one cannot see the end, only layers of rolling hills.

Although this place is known as Cui Xia Valley, in reality, no one has defined its boundaries. One could say that the valley is on this side of that mountain, or that it still extends beyond ten mountains.

Moreover, there were no civilians living around Cui Xia Valley, aside from the merchants and passersby on the road, few people used to pass through here.

However, today is clearly different. When Wu Zheng and his men arrived, they were surprised to find the surrounding woods abuzz with human activity and faint smoke from cooking fires, bustling with extraordinary liveliness.

Groups of people in the woods, either together or alone, at first glance, Wu Zheng saw no less than a hundred people.

You should know, he was only standing at the entrance of the valley and had not ventured deep into it.

And while they were observing, another group of people arrived.

A dozen Martial Artists in green tunic and long swords at their waists rode swiftly, halting outside the valley opening. Among them, a middle-aged man in his forties glanced at Wu Zheng and his companions, then looked into the valley.

Upon seeing the crowd within, his expression immediately turned sour.

”Damn! Why are there so many people?” The man couldn’t help but curse.

Then he looked at Wu Zheng and the others again and asked, ”Which Sect do you belong to?”

Wu Zheng looked at him with an indifferent expression, ”Identify yourself first!”

”West Building Sword Sect’s Pei Du! A meeting is a twist of fate, let’s be friends!” Pei Du gripped his reins tightly, and his square face held a hint of amusement.

Wu Zheng didn’t reject him outright and replied, ”Marquis Jing’an Mansion’s Wu Zheng!”

He himself was originally a Jianghu Martial Artist. Over the years in the Capital City, he also made many acquaintances among Jianghu Martial Artists and was even respectfully referred to as Lord Wu by many. He had a certain prominence within Shuntian Prefecture.