Wang Mountain? Tribulation Cultivator?
Tribulation Cultivator again?
Upon hearing Old Man Zhou's words, Qi Ping couldn't help but furrow his brows.
This wasn't the first appearance of the Tribulation Cultivator.
In recent years, Tribulation Cultivators have occasionally rampaged, specifically targeting Loose Cultivators.
What was even more unusual was that the cultivators of the Cyan Origin Sect acted as if they were blind, only occasionally sending people to suppress them when the Tribulation Cultivators caused severe trouble.
This was something that could never have happened in the past!
Years ago in the Qingtian Realm, under the governance of the Cyan Origin Sect, the entire region's agriculture and animal husbandry were quite developed, and trade was also thriving.
As the jurisdiction of the Qingtian Realm, Qingshi County was home to industries like Black Little Bees, Golden Feather Chickens, and Spirit-Storage Fruits.
The Cyan Origin Sect also relied on the prosperous agricultural and commercial trades to obtain a large amount of Spirit Stone tax revenue.
When Qi Ping first entered the Immortal Cultivation Realm, he was also shocked by the governance of the Qingtian Realm by the Cyan Origin Sect.
Industrial prosperity, orderly governance!
It was vastly different from the depiction of the Immortal Cultivation Realm in many novels!
The ordinary cultivators, though living a hard life, could still get by. By keeping bees and growing fruits, they could lead a decent life.
Old Man Zhou spent most of his life this way, without much life-and-death strife, living a fairly flavorful life.
Unless they encountered things like plagues or beast catastrophes.
Facing these disasters, the initial investment of ordinary cultivators would be wasted, along with several years of rent, but these situations didn't happen frequently.
Overall, life could still continue, and if there was a good harvest, they could also earn a small profit.
But starting two or three years ago, everything seemed to have changed!
Tribulation Cultivators appeared!
Once they appeared, they began plundering the wealth of the bottom-tier Loose Cultivators.
The wealth of those hardworking Loose Cultivators, accumulated over many years, was plundered at once, sometimes even costing their lives!
However, when Tribulation Cultivators first appeared, everyone, though worried, was not overly concerned.
Everyone believed that the Cyan Origin Sect would definitely apprehend and kill these Tribulation Cultivators to restore the order in the Qingtian Realm.
No one believed that the Cyan Origin Sect would allow Tribulation Cultivators to run rampant in their own backyard.
Initially, the Cyan Origin Sect did indeed do just that, starting to send disciples to patrol more frequently, ordering them to ensure the security of the Qingtian Realm.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief back then.
But before they could fully relax, the Cyan Origin Sect withdrew the disciples responsible for security patrols!
And this situation persisted for two or three years until now!
Without the protection of the Cyan Origin Sect, the Tribulation Cultivators became increasingly unrestrained, appearing and plundering every now and then.
However, the rent and taxes everyone paid annually to the Cyan Origin Sect did not decrease but instead increased!
In an instant, public resentment boiled over, yet it did little good.
No one understood why the Cyan Origin Sect acted this way. Was it due to internal issues? Or external pressure?
No one knew. As bottom-tier Loose Cultivators, they could only accept their fate as fish on a chopping board.
When the Cyan Origin Sect was willing to maintain security and develop the industry, Loose Cultivators could share in the benefits; but when they didn't, although dissatisfied, everyone dared not speak out.
For low-powered Loose Cultivators, what could dissatisfaction achieve?
Life had to go on.
At least compared to the vast number of Loose Cultivators, those plundered were only a small portion. Slowly, everyone got used to it.
They just lived more cautiously.
They also started to gradually organize their own Loose Cultivator Alliances to face potential dangers together.
Like Wang Mountain mentioned by Old Man Zhou, both Old Man Zhou and Qi Ping belong to a Loose Cultivator Alliance called the Fusheng Association.
The Fusheng Association is not large, with only a dozen or so members, and it was founded decades ago.
This alliance was established by several nearby Loose Cultivators to help and support each other, offering warmth in numbers.
The name Fusheng Association signifies a wish for a lucky fate and prosperity of livestock, reflecting an ordinary Loose Cultivator's hope for life.
Internally, the Fusheng Association consists mostly of friends and familiar faces who help each other as needed.
When Qi Ping's Black Little Bees got lost, he searched for a long time in vain until the people from the Fusheng Association helped him find them after much searching.
Wang Mountain is a mature and steady elder brother within the Fusheng Association, an expert at raising Tier One Golden Feather Chickens, with several dozen in his flock.
Qi Ping's impression of him is that he does things steadily and meticulously, is friendly and approachable, and leads many internal matters within the Fusheng Association.
...
"Don't worry, Old Man Zhou, you know me, right? I won't tell anyone else but you..."
Facing Old Man Zhou's urging, Qi Ping patted his chest, assuring that he wouldn't tell others to ease Old Man Zhou's concerns.
"Hmm, you do things steadily and carefully, usually I wouldn't worry, but with so many Tribulation Cultivators lately, we must be extra cautious!"
"This old man doesn't care much with only ten years of lifespan remaining, but Qi, you are still young. You must live well and carry forward the bee-keeping business..."
As he said this, Old Man Zhou's tone gradually lightened.
"Relax! I'll make sure you have enough wine, and besides, I haven't married yet..." Qi Ping grinned.
"You young people only think about such things! I won't bother with you; I'm off to sleep. Don't come bothering this old man for no reason..."
With that, Old Man Zhou stretched lazily and returned to his laid-back demeanor.
Turning around, he leisurely strolled back to his courtyard.
The Golden Marrow Bees that had agitated the Black Little Bees had already been successfully contracted by Qi Ping, so the problem naturally resolved.
How to handle them specifically was up to Qi Ping to figure out; Old Man Zhou wasn't concerned about so many things.
Moreover, now that Qi Ping had contracted the formidable Golden Marrow Bees, he could essentially ensure his own safety.
If they encountered an enemy even the Golden Marrow Bee swarm couldn't defeat, these old bones of his wouldn't be much use anyway.
In Old Man Zhou's impression, Qi Ping was quite meticulous in his actions, so there wasn't much need for him to worry, nor would it be any use.
Once he thought this through, Old Man Zhou returned to his relaxed and carefree demeanor.
Let the Tribulation Cultivators be. Life and death are destined. Live longer, enjoy more; live shorter, that's just it.
After munching on some fresh fruit from the table, Old Man Zhou lay back on the Purple Bamboo Lounge Chair.
Soon enough, the sound of snoring quietly filled the air.
Nothing bothers the heart!
...
Qi Ping watched Old Man Zhou's leisurely departing back, feeling a bit at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
Just moments ago, Old Man Zhou was shocked enough to almost drop his jaw, but now he was back to his calm and leisurely state.
To live life with such ease is not too bad at all.
"But I have not yet reached the age of complacency!"
Having just awakened the Druid class and contracted the Golden Marrow Bee, Qi Ping was poised for action and couldn't afford to slack off.
"First, inform the Black Little Bee swarm that the Golden Marrow Bee issue has been resolved so they no longer need to fear; afterward, start refining the Golden Marrow Honey to quickly enhance my cultivation...!"