Reading through one of the many report books, Ling Ye smiled with quiet pride at the results he had achieved.
"It's good that both the Turtle Breathing Technique and the Bending Monkey Technique are working so well," he muttered, noting that nearly all the mortals had been successfully taught these two foundational practices.
"The Turtle Breathing Technique helps with focus and strengthens the lungs, while the Bending Monkey Technique increases body flexibility, just like the stories of the Mortal Ancestor described. The only issue is that only a few have reached the second stage of either technique... Does this mean some have a better aptitude for these kinds of techniques, while others struggle more?"
Ling Ye paused and looked down at himself, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
"If that's true, then my theory that every person has some form of talent must be correct... and with how little progress I made in either technique, it just proves my aptitude is even lower than that of an ordinary mortal."
His once-proud eyes dulled with disappointment, the light of ambition flickering for a moment.
"It seems I'm not destined to find success in any form of cultivation... haaa."
Sighing bitterly, Ling Ye closed his eyes, unsure of what to do. After a long pause, he let out another sigh and opened them again.
"It should be about five months now, right?"
Reflecting on the past five months since he'd arrived in the village, Ling Ye realized he had barely left his house, only stepping outside when absolutely necessary. It had already been some time since his last outing.
Yet, rather than dwell on that, he shook his head and redirected his thoughts.
"Li Mo is currently the most successful with the Turtle Breathing Technique, while Feng Wei excels in the Bending Monkey Technique. Both of them have reached the second stage in their respective disciplines. That should mean they're talented. Maybe, just maybe, if either of them reaches the third stage, they'll have a chance to be blessed with a spiritual root. After all, the records say that the Mortal Ancestor reached the third stage before turning fifteen and once he became a cultivator, he immediately advanced to the fourth and final stage."
Ling Ye's thoughts circled back to the Mortal Ancestor, and once again, he found himself puzzled.
Why didn't the clan use these techniques?
He only knew two of them, the ones recorded in the simplified version of the Mortal Ancestor's tales. The other techniques were supposedly less important, at least according to the version he read.
He had never shown much interest in the Mortal Ancestor's full story and had only skimmed the simplified book that summarized everything.
"Ha…" Ling Ye chuckled at the irony, now regretting that he hadn't taken the time to read all of the Mortal Ancestor's writings. They might have been far more useful than he originally thought and maybe, just maybe, they held the answers to why the clan had ignored them for so long.
"Haa, anyway... it doesn't matter. Let's forget about the Ancestor and focus on the present."
With a tired sigh, Ling Ye shifted his attention back to the current affairs of Quiet Spring Village.
He flipped through the latest report, reading about various small matters. Some villagers had submitted requests for his approval on upcoming traditions.
Since it was already spring, the annual Founding Feast was approaching, a celebration held every year to honor the village's origins.
Ling Ye didn't particularly care for such events, and after a moment of thought, simply approved it.
Beyond that, one request stood out, a villager wanted to open a teahouse and was asking to rent one of the properties owned by the village head.
That surprised Ling Ye. He hadn't even realized that the village head owned any land. He had always used the office building as both his home and workplace, never giving much thought to what else the position entitled him to.
Still, he saw no reason to refuse. "A bit of rent money could go a long way toward funding the training of the village children," he thought, and approved the request as well.
There were also a number of petitions asking for tax reductions, but Ling Ye disregarded them. After reading a few lines, it was clear these were just attempts to avoid fair dues. He moved on without a second thought.
Eventually, Zhou Wu entered the room. Ling Ye looked up and saw the familiar figure. This time, Zhou Wu had been sent on a task personally. Ling Ye's cold gaze met his.
"So," Ling Ye asked, voice firm, "what did they say?"
"Hehe, Village Head, after the generous amount of gold you offered, the mercenary group has agreed to help us."
"Good," Ling Ye nodded, satisfied with Zhou Wu's success. Without the mercenaries, how else could they begin building proper roads down the mountain?
"Village Head, it's already been five months… and the Founding Feast is coming up soon, isn't it?"
Hearing that, Ling Ye recalled the event he had approved not long ago and gave another nod.
"So, since you've approved it," Zhou Wu continued, "does that mean you'll be attending as well?"
"Yes," Ling Ye replied flatly, growing a bit puzzled. Isn't that obvious? his eyes seemed to say.
But Zhou Wu's face lit up. "So… you're really going to show your face this time, Village Head? The villagers might faint from shock! hehe, doesn't that sound like the perfect time for an image change?"
"Image change? What nonsense are you talking about, Zhou Wu? Why waste your time with such trivial things?" Ling Ye said with a cold tone. "If you've got time to worry about appearances, then you'd be better off focusing on improving the water sources, remember, the small rivers we discussed last month?"
Zhou Wu sighed but nodded respectfully. "Understood, Village Head."
With a quick salute, Zhou Wu turned and left the house, a faint smile still on his face as he returned to the labor waiting for him, once again, carrying out his duties with quiet diligence.
As the house grew quiet once again, Ling Ye allowed himself a small smile, "So the mercenaries agreed… That means with the gold we've offered, we should have a proper road to the foot of the mountain within two months, maybe a little more."
With a satisfied nod, he wrapped up his thoughts about the incoming mercenaries and turned to the next issue, "Now, about the overpopulation of wild animals… Should I have the mortal youths handle it to gain some combat experience?"
The thought gave him a headache. There were only a handful of hunters in Quiet Spring Village, a surprising fact, especially since past records indicated that wild animals like lions or boars were rare in this region.
Yet now, several travelers had reported dangerous sightings. Something about it felt… off.
"Should I request help from Quiet Peak?" he mused, but then snorted bitterly. The cultivators of Quiet Peak always acted superior, barking orders at him as if he were a servant just because he was a mortal.
Still, Ling Ye exhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down.
"Sigh, If this really is something unusual, something beyond what mortals can handle, then it's the Ling Clan's responsibility to deal with it. I'll send a letter and have them investigate."
With the decision made, Ling Ye picked up his brush and began writing. He described the strange behavior of the animals, his concerns, and requested that someone from the clan evaluate whether the situation required cultivator intervention.
Ling Ye's fingertips were slightly stained with ink, but the letter was finally written, read through, and sealed. He stood up and left his office room, for the first time in quite a while and made his way downstairs to the first floor, where a few workers handled the paperwork and day to day affairs.
After thinking for a moment, Ling Ye smirked slightly and turned his gaze toward one of the two supervisors overseeing the workers.
He opened the door to the supervisor's office. The man inside became startled by the unexpected visit of Ling Ye and quickly stood up in surprise, wanting to greet him.
"V-Village Head, sir? How could this humble and loyal Subordinate help sir?" the supervisor stammered nervously.
Without a word, Ling Ye handed him the sealed letter.
The supervisor froze for a moment, confused, until his eyes fell on the official seal. Realizing the seriousness of the matter, he straightened his posture. As if reading Ling Ye's thoughts, the village head spoke only one sentence, "Deliver this to one of the cultivators at Quiet Peak."
And with that, Ling Ye turned and left, leaving the stunned supervisor alone in the room.
"Q-Quiet Peak?" he muttered to himself, already pale, "Haha… I'm doomed."