And so, Song Changsheng settled down on Lake Heart Island. The thatched cottage was fully furnished, saving him any extra trouble.
The only thing was, the small Spiritual Field to the left of the cottage was still lying fallow, which he felt was a shame. Fortunately, he had brought some seeds for Spirit Flowers and Herbs. He could plant them to earn a little extra income in the future.
For standing guard here, the clan gave him a monthly stipend of twenty pounds of Spirit Rice. Including the fifteen pounds he was entitled to as a minor, he received a total of thirty-five pounds.
His Spirit Rice rations were more than enough, so he didn't need to grow any more. Besides, Spirit Flowers and Herbs were more valuable.
He tilled the Spiritual Field, sowed the seeds, and irrigated them with water from the lake. Finally, he buried three Spirit Stones in the center of the field, and the job was done.
He chose Spirit Plants with short growth cycles that could be harvested about once a year. At harvest time, he could turn them over to the clan in exchange for a nice profit.
After finishing all this, Song Changsheng took out a small boat and began to count the Spirit Fish. They were the core of his duties, so he couldn't afford to be careless.
'There are three schools in total, with three hundred and twenty Spirit Fish. One hundred and twenty of them are already large enough for delivery. The annual quota is only two hundred... it seems this task really isn't very challenging.'
After a full sweep of the lake, Song Changsheng had a clear picture of the fish population in his mind. He estimated that by the end of the year, at least two hundred twenty to two hundred thirty of them would meet the size requirement.
After accounting for the clan's quota and any losses, there would surely be a surplus. This surplus would belong to Song Changsheng personally, and he could do with it as he pleased.
This was a hidden perk of the job. He could choose to trade the surplus to the clan for Contribution Points, eat them himself, or sell them. All of these options were permitted.
Things hadn't been this way over a hundred years ago. Back then, all harvested Spirit Fish belonged to the clan. Anyone who took them for personal use would be severely punished.
This only changed when the previous Clan Leader, Song Yunhan, took her position. At that time, the clan's last Purple Mansion Cultivator, Song Yungui, had just passed away.
Song Yunhan took leadership when the clan was in peril. She mended relations with outside powers, arranged widespread marriage alliances, and established the trade route to Luoxia City, which became the clan's new financial backbone.
Internally, she enacted sweeping reforms. Under her leadership, the clan's rules became stricter, and a strict meritocracy was enforced: the capable would rise, and the mediocre would fall.
The distribution of resources within the clan came to depend entirely on one's aptitude and ability. Whether you were the son of the Clan Leader or the grandson of an Elder, everyone was treated equally.
This caused a massive stir at the time, but Song Yunhan somehow persuaded the Elder Council, and the reforms were successfully implemented, remaining in effect to this day.
But her reforms didn't stop there. One of the most important new rules was a clear distinction between clan and personal property.
This distinction applied to the clan members' assets. No one was allowed to seize another's private property. Furthermore, any gains a Cultivator made outside of clan territory belonged to them alone.
If a Cultivator chose to turn their gains over to the clan, they had to be paid in Contribution Points equal to the market value. If they chose not to, their property could not be forcibly taken. Violators of this rule would be severely punished.
Additionally, for clan duties such as farming and rearing, any surplus produced belonged to the individual Cultivator. Conversely, the Cultivator was also personally responsible for compensating for any shortfalls.
As soon as this policy was announced, it won the widespread support of the clan's Cultivators. They became more meticulous and patient in their duties, and their efficiency increased dramatically.
It was thanks to her sweeping reforms that the clan weathered its most difficult years and was poised to rise once more.
Unfortunately, the war with the Lieyang Sect set the clan back overnight, undoing much of that progress.
But the foundation for a powerful clan had been laid. Its resurgence was only a matter of time.
That was why Song Changsheng paid such close attention to the Spirit Fish; after all, his own interests were at stake...
Life on Lake Heart Island was peaceful and fulfilling, and Song Changsheng's cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds. In less than two months, he broke through to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, less than a year after his previous advancement.
Although this was largely due to the Earth Milk Spiritual Liquid he had consumed, achieving such a level of cultivation at the age of seventeen was still truly remarkable.
In the early morning, Song Changsheng sat cross-legged under the Cyan Plum Tree. After absorbing the morning's Sun Essence Qi, he went through his usual array practice.
Perhaps because he had used an array to fight an enemy, his skill with arrays had also been progressing rapidly. He felt he was already on the verge of reaching the Tier One Top Grade.
"Phew... Setting up a Tier One High-Grade Array is second nature to me now. It looks like it's time I tried my hand at a Top-grade Array," Song Changsheng said with delight as he waved his hand to retract the Array Banners.
He stood up and noticed that the fruit on the Cyan Plum Tree had ripened. Jade-like plums peeked out from between the lush leaves, looking utterly tempting.
With a wave of his sleeve, Song Changsheng plucked a small handful. "After cultivating here for months," he said with a grin, "I finally get to taste these cyan plums."
He popped one into his mouth. A sweet and sour flavor instantly filled his senses, laced with faint wisps of Spiritual Qi. It made his mouth water, and he found he couldn't get enough.
"Mmm, the Spiritual Qi in this fruit is a little weak, but the flavor is fantastic. What a treat!" Grinning with delight, Song Changsheng quickly devoured the small handful.
Savoring the aftertaste, Song Changsheng licked his lips. He finally managed to restrain his eager hands from grabbing more and walked over to the lake shore.
The character for "water" glowed on the back of his left hand. With a light gesture, he gathered a large sphere of water. He flicked his finger, sending the sphere flying toward the nearby Spiritual Field. Just as it was about to land, it split into dozens of smaller globules, each one precisely watering a sprouting Spirit Plant.
This feat looked simple, but it was nearly impossible for a Qi Cultivator. Achieving such fine control would require the skills of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, at the very least.
But thanks to his continuous practice of the Water and Fire Manipulation Technique, Song Changsheng's control over the elements of water and fire was already on par with that of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Just then, a piercing cry of an eagle reached his ears.
Song Changsheng looked up. Sure enough, an iron-gray eagle was diving down from the sky at incredible speed. Its sharp talons glinted coldly in the sunlight, a fearsome sight to behold.
"You vile beast, it's you again!" Song Changsheng was furious. The Iron Claw Eagle had been appearing intermittently ever since his third day on the island.
At first, Song Changsheng had been caught off guard, and in a moment of carelessness, it had snatched away three Spirit Fish, a loss that pained him deeply.
He learned his lesson the hard way and began staking it out day and night, finally managing to catch it in the act.
But this Iron Claw Eagle possessed a Tier One Perfection cultivation, equivalent to a human at the Qi Refining Great Perfection stage, and it also had the ability to fly.
Although Song Changsheng managed to defeat it with the help of his magical artifact, the eagle was as swift as the wind. It was impossible to chase, and he could only watch helplessly as it fled.
It hadn't appeared for a long time after that, and Song Changsheng had assumed it had fled for good after being injured. He never expected it hadn't given up and would actually dare to return.
"My cultivation has improved since we last met. Since you've come, you can stay here for good!" With a shake of his left hand, Song Changsheng sent two Water Dragons bursting from the lake to intercept the Iron Claw Eagle.
The Iron Claw Eagle's cultivation was formidable, however. With a powerful beat of its wings, it instantly dodged the attack. It then dove again, unleashing several Wind Blades that shattered the Water Dragons.
It let out a triumphant, defiant screech. But in the next instant, a red-and-blue gourd materialized behind it and unleashed a torrent of scorching flames. Caught completely by surprise, the Iron Claw Eagle was struck head-on.
The flames engulfed its magnificent plumage and seared its body. It let out a series of pitiful shrieks, stumbling through the air as it tried to flee into the distance.
But it had not flown far from Bright Mirror Lake before it plummeted from the sky like a fallen leaf...