On a lush green mountain stood a quiet village, hidden from the world by the mountain's towering height and the smaller peaks surrounding it. Scattered across the hillside were houses of all sizes, home to the mortals who lived their simple, busy lives.
Among the few better constructed homes, a young man in his mid twenties made his way toward one of the larger houses. His robe was plain but freshly cleaned, and his face bore no remarkable features, forgettable at a glance.
He reached the front door and entered without hesitation. Passing through the small entry hall, he climbed the staircase leading to the second floor. There, he stopped at a door on the right and gently pushed it open.
Inside sat a youth, though only fifteen, yet bearing the quiet authority of a man twice his age.
Unlike the young man, this youth wore a dark blue robe of finer make. His long black hair fell to his shoulders, and his dark eyes were shadowed with heavy circles. He sat at a desk, staring wearily at a report book in his hands.
The young man smiled faintly at the sight of him and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Village Head. I take it you didn't sleep again?"
Ling Ye looked up slowly at the familiar voice. His tired, hollow eyes met the young man's face. He gave a small nod, wordless and cold.
Ling Ye closed the report book in his hands and set it down beside a tall stack of others on his desk. He sighed, thinking carefully about what to say.
The young man remained silent, patiently awaiting instructions.
After a pause, Ling Ye finally spoke, his voice cold and direct. "Zhou Wu, go to the farmers and check whether they've truly understood and implemented what I wrote. If they've made mistakes or don't understand something, bring one of the scholars to assist them."
Zhou Wu, already accustomed to Ling Ye's tone, simply nodded and turned to leave, closing the door behind him.
Alone again, Ling Ye leaned back in his wooden chair and turned his gaze to the window. From this vantage, the whole village stretched out before him, a peaceful and beautiful view.
This village had become his responsibility, a choice he had made willingly. But as he stared out at the quiet rooftops and winding paths, his mind drifted to the difficult days that had brought him here.
Days of struggle and bitter realization, ever since the moment he had learned he was not blessed with a spiritual root.
"Tsk." He clicked his tongue in irritation and looked away from the window. His eyes fell back on the pile of report books. Reaching for the one on top, he opened it.
There was nothing unusual written inside, nothing he hadn't read a dozen times before. Still, he combed through it line by line. Even the smallest oversight could slow his plans. But seeing everything in order, a cold smile curled on his lips.
"Everything is going as I thought…" he muttered quietly.
Nodding his head in satisfaction, Ling Ye felt a rare sense of pride in the hard work and planning he had done over the past two weeks since becoming the village head.
Much had changed since the day of the failed blessing.
Because he hadn't been granted a spiritual root, he lost his right and status as a young master of the Ling Clan. No elder, not even his own father, had spoken in his defense. Without cultivation potential, he was swiftly cast out, after all, mortals were not allowed to live within the outer regions of the Ling Clan's domain.
Though banished, the blood of the Ling Clan still ran through his veins. For that reason, he was permitted to choose his path within the mortal world, offered a small token of support from the clan.
After some reflection, deep and bitter, Ling Ye understood why he had been so easily discarded. And so, he made his decision, to become the head of a mortal village.
His request was quickly approved. Everyone in the clan knew of his endless hours reading in the Library Courtyard, his vast knowledge across many subjects. They assumed he would live out a quiet life among mortals.
But what they didn't realize was that this, this humble village, would be the starting point of his rise.
"Hehe," Ling Ye chuckled coldly to himself. "Now that I've begun improving the environment for the children here, they'll surely have a better chance of being blessed with spiritual roots."
His plan was simple but bold: raise the talents of mortal youths, and through them, gradually rebuild his standing within the Ling Clan.
"Even without a spiritual root or cultivation base," Ling Ye muttered, "I can still live far longer than a typical mortal. I was raised on special herbs since birth, meant to prepare my body for cultivation. According to the books, I should have a lifespan of around 150 years."
He leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming with resolve.
"Most mortals live no more than eighty years. That gives me twice as long. And if I'm lucky enough to find rare longevity herbs… I could extend my life even further."
Ling Ye thought about his future, and his mind drifted back to a time when Wang Xin had once spoken to him about rare herbs, those elusive treasures that, when found, could change a cultivator's fate.
She had even given him books detailing stories of cultivators who became wealthy by selling such herbs to smaller clans.
But the moment he thought of Wang Xin, his mood darkened. A bitter taste filled his mouth, and He clicked his tongue, the bitterness practically audible.
"To think I once called that wench my older sister... Ha! So much for loyalty! it ends where usefulness does."
Shaking his head in frustration, Ling Ye tried to push the memory away. Yet no matter how hard he tried, her betrayal lingered like a wound that refused to close. She had hurt him more deeply than anyone else in the clan ever could.
It was only now that Ling Ye truly saw through her.
"She stayed close to me not out of loyalty... but ambition," he muttered coldly. "She hoped I'd rise through the clan ranks after becoming a true young master. And once I had the clan's support and cultivation resources, she'd ride that wave with me. A wife, a concubine, a servant of status, it didn't matter. Through me, she saw her own path to power."
That bitter realization hardened something in him. He had changed. Not just in spirit, but in the way he saw the world and he knew it.
"I was too ignorant," he admitted to himself, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
Suddenly his eyes stung with fatigue. They grew heavier by the second, but he refused to rest. Gritting his teeth, he kept his eyes open, even as they began to redden with strain.
He didn't care.
Instead, he pushed forward, turning his attention back to the report books. After skimming through the last of them, he set the pile aside and retrieved a different book, a half written one, penned by his own hand.
Opening it carefully, Ling Ye dipped his brush into ink and continued to write, his mind sharper and colder than ever.
He began to write, carefully recording every idea swirling in his mind. His focus was clear, to find a better way to produce more food so the mortals in the village could eat well and grow strong. This was his first goal, improving the village's agriculture and ensuring no one went hungry.
Fortunately, the village itself was fertile and productive. It had even produced a few cultivators over the past few centuries. Overall, it was considered well off by mortal standards.
The previous village head had died a few years ago, and since then, no new leader had been appointed. The villagers simply continued with their daily routines, managing things themselves, but over time, small issues began to emerge.
At first, these problems were minor, easily ignored, but left unattended, they had grown into something far more serious.
One such issue stemmed from the farmers. With low taxes and enough food for their own families, many had grown complacent. They began limiting how much they worked, which led to shortages.
Others in the village often went without bread or basic necessities, not out of poverty, but due to laziness and lack of structure.
But this was a problem Ling Ye knew he could fix. With proper planning and effort, he estimated he could solve it within a month. Not only would he restore balance, but he could likely triple the village's food production, ensuring that everyone, from children to elders, had more than enough to eat.
"After the food problem is completely resolved, I should build a school for all the children, teach them the basics of the world and train their bodies in the best way possible..." Ling Ye muttered to himself, outlining his next steps.
The idea of a school wasn't final, but it was one of the strongest plans he had so far.
"But before that, I need to focus on the first batch of mortals. I should gather them under my guidance and begin training their bodies properly…" As he thought more about it, Ling Ye's expression became firm.
He had made his decision.
For now, he would concentrate on the current generation of mortal youths, those who still carried the hope of one day being blessed by the heavens.