Wang Shan? Robber cultivators?
The robber cultivators are here again?
When Qi Ping heard Old Zhou's words, his brows furrowed involuntarily.
This wasn't the first time robber cultivators had appeared.
In recent years, robber cultivators would occasionally run rampant, specifically targeting Loose Cultivators.
What was even more abnormal was that the Cultivators of Qingyuan Sect seemed blind, only sending people to suppress them when the robber cultivators became particularly fierce.
This was something that would never have happened in the past!
A few years ago, in Qingtian Domain, under the governance of Qingyuan Sect, the entire Qingtian Domain's planting and breeding industries were quite developed, and its trade industry was also quite prosperous.
Qing Shi County, as an administrative region of Qingtian Domain, had Black Little Bees, Golden Feather Chickens, and Yun Ling Fruits as typical representatives of its industries.
The Qingyuan Sect also relied on the prosperous agriculture, animal husbandry, and commercial trade to obtain a large amount of Spirit Stone tax revenue.
When Qi Ping first arrived in the Cultivation World, he was also shocked by the Qingtian Domain under the rule of the Qingyuan Sect.
Prosperous industries, orderly public security!
It was too different from the Cultivation World depicted in many novels!
While it was certainly not easy for low-level Cultivators, their lives were still manageable; by raising Bees or growing fruits, they could live quite well.
Old Zhou had lived most of his life this way, without so many life-and-death struggles, and his life was quite enjoyable.
Unless he encountered epidemics or beast disasters.
When these disasters occurred, not only would the initial investment of ordinary Cultivators be wasted, but they would also have to pay several years of rent; however, these situations were not frequent.
Overall, they could still get by, and if there was a good harvest, they could even make a small profit.
But from two or three years ago, everything seemed to have changed!
Robber cultivators appeared!
As soon as they appeared, they began to plunder the wealth of the low-level Loose Cultivators.
The plundered Loose Cultivators not only lost the wealth they had painstakingly accumulated over many years, but sometimes even their lives!
However, at the beginning of the robber cultivators' appearance, although everyone was worried, they weren't overly concerned.
Everyone believed that Qingyuan Sect would surely capture and kill these robber cultivators and restore public order in Qingtian Domain.
No one believed that Qingyuan Sect would allow robber cultivators to run rampant in its own backyard.
Initially, Qingyuan Sect did indeed do so, dispatching its Disciples to intensify patrols and issuing orders to ensure the public security environment of Qingtian Domain.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at that point.
But that relief didn't last long before the Qingyuan Sect withdrew the Disciples responsible for security patrols!
And this situation has continued for two or three years until now!
Without the protection of the Qingyuan Sect, the robber cultivators gradually became more reckless, appearing and plundering every so often.
However, the rent and taxes that everyone paid to the Qingyuan Sect each year did not decrease; instead, they even increased!
For a time, resentment boiled over, but it had little effect.
No one understood why the Qingyuan Sect acted this way. Was it due to internal problems? Or external pressure?
This was something everyone, as low-level Loose Cultivators, had no way of knowing; they could only accept the situation where they were the fish, and others were the chopping block.
When the Qingyuan Sect was willing to maintain public order and develop industries, Loose Cultivators could follow and eat meat, but when it stopped maintaining them, although everyone was dissatisfied, they dared not say anything.
What could low-strength Loose Cultivators do with their dissatisfaction?
Life still had to go on.
At least compared to the vast number of Loose Cultivators, those who were plundered were ultimately only a small portion, and gradually everyone got used to it.
It just made life more vigilant.
They also gradually began to organize their own Loose Cultivator Alliances to deal with potential dangers together.
Wang Shan, mentioned by Old Zhou, including Old Zhou and Qi Ping, all belonged to a Loose Cultivator Alliance called the Fusheng Society.
The Fusheng Society was not large, with only a dozen or so people, and it had been established decades ago.
This Alliance was formed by several nearby Loose Cultivators who helped each other and banded together for warmth.
The name Fusheng Society also carried the meaning of abundant good fortune and prosperity of livestock, which was an expectation of life for ordinary Loose Cultivators.
The members of the Fusheng Society were basically all friendly and familiar with each other, and they would help each other when needed.
Once, Qi Ping's Black Little Bees absconded, and Qi Ping searched for a long time without finding them; it was only with the help of everyone in the Fusheng Society searching together that they were eventually found.
Wang Shan was a mature and steady elder brother in the Fusheng Society, a master at raising first-order Golden Feather Chickens, with dozens of them.
Qi Ping's impression of him was that he was steady and meticulous in his work, friendly to others, and very amiable; many things within the Fusheng Society were initiated and done by him.
"Don't worry, Old Zhou, you know me, don't you? I won't reveal it to anyone but you."
Facing Old Zhou's admonition, Qi Ping patted his chest and promised not to tell anyone else, so as not to worry Old Zhou.
"Hmm, you are diligent and careful in your work, and usually I don't worry, but there are too many robber cultivators recently, so you must be extra careful!"
"It doesn't matter for an old man like me, who only has ten years of Lifespan left, but Xiao Qi, you are still young; you must live well and carry forward the Beekeeping business."
At this point, Old Zhou's tone gradually relaxed.
"Just relax! Your future wine is guaranteed to be enough, and I haven't even married a wife yet," Qi Ping said with a grin.
"You young people, your minds are only on such things! I won't bother with you; I'm going to sleep. Don't always come and disturb an old man like me when there's nothing to do."
With that, Old Zhou stretched, returning to his lazy and relaxed state.
He turned and slowly walked back to his courtyard with leisurely steps.
The Golden Marrow Honeybees that caused the Black Little Bees' unrest had already been successfully contracted by Qi Ping, so the problem of unrest could naturally be resolved.
How to specifically operate it, Qi Ping could figure out for himself; Old Zhou was too lazy to worry so much.
Moreover, Qi Ping had now contracted the formidable Golden Marrow Honeybees, which could basically ensure his safety.
If he encountered an enemy that even the Golden Marrow Honeybees Swarm couldn't defeat, his old bones would basically be useless.
In Old Zhou's impression, Qi Ping was also quite careful in his work and didn't need him to worry too much; besides, worrying seemed pointless.
So, after realizing this, Old Zhou returned to his carefree state of mind.
Let the robber cultivators be robber cultivators. Life and death are fated. If he lived a little longer, he would enjoy a little more; if a little less, it didn't matter.
After eating a couple of fresh fruits from the table, Old Zhou lay back on his purple bamboo reclining chair.
Before long, a snore quietly began.
Nothing bothered his mind!
Qi Ping looked at Old Zhou's gradually departing, leisurely back and couldn't help but smile wryly.
He had just been so shocked that his jaw nearly dropped, but now he had returned to his carefree state.
To live such a broad-minded life was not bad at all.
"But I'm not at the point of giving up yet!"
Having just undergone the Druid Awakening and contracted the Golden Marrow Honeybees, it was precisely when his spirit was soaring. How could Qi Ping be negligent?
"First, I'll tell the Black Little Bee Swarm that the Golden Marrow Honeybees issue has been resolved, and they no longer need to be afraid. After that, I'll start refining the golden marrow honey to raise my cultivation as quickly as possible...!"