Chapter 450: Autumn Departs, Winter Arrives—Time to Face the Emperor

The implementation of the new commoner land system stirred a storm in Qingming, with countless people cheering and even hoping the Witch Clan would launch more attacks to earn additional military merits.

People kept sneaking off to inspect the allotted lands—where they were, what they looked like—and mentally plotting which plots they'd swap for if given the chance.

Yet there were also complaints. Many merchant caravans trading in Qingming grumbled about the ban on selling allotted land, voicing their discontent openly and covertly.

Others attacked the twenty-percent tax rate, claiming farmers under aristocratic patronage paid no taxes to the imperial court, making the twenty percent feel like bone-sucking exploitation.

A few who protested too loudly were caught red-handed by Wei Yuan, who had them bound in the marketplace and whipped one hundred times across the face, leaving their features swollen and bloody. Instantly, the criticism dwindled.

Anyone who dared plead for these men received fifty lashes themselves, finally making the merchants understand exactly whose territory they were operating in.

After the military merit land system took effect, countless tedious and complex tasks followed: how to convert commoners' military merits into land, which plots to assign, how to consolidate scattered plots into contiguous holdings—each detail meant vast, laborious work.

Fortunately, Human Smoke excelled at handling massive, mundane tasks—and even enhanced Dao Base spiritual quality. Since Wei Yuan lifted restrictions on entry into Human Smoke after assigning the girl Yin Yang to oversee the zones, his Manifestation's spiritual quality rose again with the growing human population.

But Bao Yun tried repeatedly and still could not enter.

Most who entered Human Smoke took only the most basic task units; to enhance Dao Base spiritual quality, one had to become a processing node like Cui Yu. Only a handful of Dao Base cultivators were assigned as nodes—either because they had accumulated sufficient merit, or showed exceptional potential, and all had sworn blood oaths of eternal loyalty.

Others seeking to improve their Dao Base quality also needed merit and proof of loyalty, and ultimately had to swear a blood oath to stand any chance. This was the final upward path in Qingming's cultivation system, so Wei Yuan controlled it tightly—only those wholly devoted to Qingming could gain entry.

At last, the Institute of Primordial Creation produced results: a new-generation silk loom!

The loom's principle was simple; its core breakthrough lay in one thing: using a spiritual energy array as the power source to drive its operation.

The commoners of Human Smoke had long grown accustomed to the concept of power; any machine they designed now prioritized power supply. The most mature solution was spiritual energy driven by arrays.

Without spiritual objects, Dao Base cultivators themselves could serve as power sources. Thus, the Institute proposed rapidly cultivating a cohort of Dao Base cultivators with exceptional stamina, capable of sustained, stable magic power output—advising focus on Water, Wood, and Earth paths, with Water being optimal and Wood secondary.

Reading this, Wei Yuan's expression turned slightly odd. His Dao Base warriors, if using the improved Water Blade technique to spin a blade wheel, could power over ten looms and operate continuously for days before needing replenishment.

Yet such work naturally suited those who had shattered the human realm's Dao Base limits; Wei Yuan had already foreseen the scene of newly promoted Dao Base cultivators struggling to find employment, and had no intention of stealing their livelihoods.

Beyond power, the new loom featured many minor improvements: a continuous, automatic silk feed system, a core mechanism allowing pattern changes via interchangeable plates, and more.

The Institute had further plans: replacing fixed plates with adjustable control panels to alter patterns dynamically, and other refinements.

According to the Institute of Primordial Creation's evaluation, the new loom's efficiency was twenty times that of the traditional Ning silk loom, reducing the labor cost of a bolt of Ning silk—from the traditional two taels of immortal silver—to just one tael. Thus, the total cost of a bolt dropped to one tael and six mace, with one tael covering miscellaneous expenses: storage, transport, checkpoint taxes, miscellaneous levies, and losses—expenses that could be drastically reduced in the future.

But in Western Jin, weaving labor and miscellaneous costs could not be lowered; in fact, miscellaneous costs were rising. Months ago, the Prince of Jin, ignoring opposition, imposed an additional one tael of Northern Expedition Tax per bolt of silk.

Combined with soaring silk prices, the total cost of a bolt now reached three taels and three mace, sold at five taels—profit margins were razor-thin; a single checkpoint could turn it into a loss.

Sold to the Witch Clan, however, each bolt fetched roughly fifteen taels when converted into material value.

Wei Yuan was extremely satisfied with the new loom and began secretly mass-producing it. Yet all looms produced were sealed away, unused—for the time was not yet right.

With the new loom successfully developed, Wei Yuan went to seek Master Master Chuhe. The next critical step lay with him.

Master Master Chuhe's residence now stood beside the herb garden, adjacent to a vast spiritual land transformed entirely into his experimental ground. At its center rose a three-foot-square flowerbed, surrounded by intricate arrays. Within it grew four mulberry seedlings, each of a different variety.

Master Master Chuhe led Wei Yuan to the flowerbed and pointed to one seedling: "This is the mulberry seedling I cultivated using the spiritual soil granted by Master Master Huangyun. This one best meets our needs. If we continue breeding in this direction, after two or three generations, it will be usable."

Wei Yuan examined it closely: the leaves and branches carried a faint chill, the twigs tinged pale blue. Touching the leaves, they felt cool.

Master Master Chuhe carefully plucked a leaf and fed it to a plump silkworm in the nearby insect garden. The worm consumed it, and a trace of coldness entered its body—subtle, yet clearly perceptible to Wei Yuan's senses. Master Master Chuhe said: "This mulberry is naturally yin and cold, bordering on a spiritual plant. Feeding its leaves to the worms produces silk with a faint chill and greater resilience. We call it Ice Silk—superior to current mulberry silk. Once we promote this new mulberry to farmers, they will naturally switch."

Since this new mulberry carries a hint of spiritual plant essence, it alters its surrounding environment upon planting. From my observations, it gradually transforms the soil into sandy-gravel terrain, allowing roots to penetrate deeper. In less than three years, this land will no longer suit grain cultivation."

Wei Yuan said: "Good. But new mulberry seedlings take time to grow. Farmers won't cut down mature trees to replant seedlings, will they?"

Master Master Chuhe chuckled, stroking his beard: "Such a minor matter? How could it stump Jianmu Hall? We need not plant new seedlings—just cut a fresh branch, graft it into a slit on the existing tree. Only initial care is needed: a Dao Base cultivator of the Wood path must nurture it for several days with Dao energy to ensure survival."

Once grafted successfully, the ordinary mulberry has no chance against it. Within a year, it will fully transform into Ice Mulberry. But Ice Mulberry cannot be planted too densely—we must cut down some ordinary mulberries."

Wei Yuan nodded slowly: "For ordinary farmers, even one Ice Mulberry in their field becomes a family treasure. Yes, convincing wealthy landowners to switch should be easier. Let's visit the Yao family first."

Master Master Chuhe plucked a strand of silk from the insect garden and handed it to Wei Yuan: "This is the new Ice Silk. Its quality still lags slightly—once all worms are fed exclusively on Ice Mulberry leaves, quality will rise further."

Wei Yuan took the Ice Silk. It felt faintly cool to the touch; when pulled, it proved significantly stronger than ordinary mulberry silk.

Master Master Chuhe chuckled: "Clothing woven from Ice Silk naturally cools the body. Nobles, wealthy families—they won't miss this. Once finished, we simply present a batch to the Prince of Jin…"

Wei Yuan had to admit: aside from possessing too many immortal swords, Master Master Chuhe was truly a rare talent.

!.

Ice Silk was an unexpected bonus. Wei Yuan's original intent was merely to find a improved mulberry tree that, after years of cultivation, would render land unsuitable for grain—thus severing the path for the Seven Commanderies of Ningxi to revert from mulberry back to grain. With Qingming's current expansion rate, it could eventually fill the grain deficit in those seven commanderies, securing Wei Yuan's invincibility.

The emergence of Ice Mulberry and grafting techniques not only fully met Wei Yuan's needs but also introduced the possibility of Ice Silk brocade sweeping through Western Jin. From experiences in the outside world, when the wealthy and powerful had too much silver to spend, they poured it into such so-called luxuries.

Though Wei Yuan struggled to comprehend the outside world's obsession with luxury goods, watching the Grand Tang nobles fiddle with coral, jade, and emeralds, he began to understand.

Most of them had reached the end of their cultivation path, with no hope of advancement; those still capable of ascending were buried in cultivation, valuing spiritual objects and elixirs.

But how many cultivators in Grand Tang still had a chance to ascend? The vast majority were blocked. For them, the difference between early and late Dao Base stages meant little—better to enjoy life.

At that moment, Wei Yuan praised: "This grafting technique is truly divine!"

Master Master Chuhe humbly replied: "Heh, it's nothing much. This was originally Jianmu Hall's method for cultivating rare spiritual plants—applied to mundane trees, it works flawlessly. The only issue is we lack enough Dao Base cultivators to perform the technique. I've devised a shortcut to rapidly attain Dao Base—among the next cohort promoted, we must select a group to specialize in this Dao Base."

Wei Yuan immediately agreed.

Master Master Chuhe's new Dao Base is called the Supreme Primordial Heavenly Tree. Cultivating a single new branch bud is as difficult as the Great Radiant Subdue Demon Sword.

Wei Yuan instantly saw its advantages.

Its Dao energy is dense and enduring, with rapid recovery. Even without grafting Ice Mulberry, it can tend other spiritual plants—or, at the very least, operate looms with ease. Though unsuited for combat, it has no shortage of work.

Its future potential surpasses even the Immortal Sword Pseudo-Sun. A cultivator of the Pseudo-Sun Sword, if not burning fire or fighting, can only serve as a guard.

Thus, Wei Yuan immediately decided to vigorously promote the new Dao Base.

At this moment, a new chapter was slowly unfolding. Autumn deepened; snow fell heavily in the north, and winter arrived in an instant. The New Year came—and with it, the time for Wei Yuan to journey to the capital and face the Emperor.

(End of Chapter)