The emergence of yet another Qi Gathering cultivator within the Yang family sent shockwaves straight through the entirety of Liuye Town.

"Another cultivator? And he is but a child? Is this true?"

"Sigh... those two mid-stage Qi Gathering cultivators were already pressing down on us until we could scarce breathe. Now, they have added a young, rising talent..."

"Liuye Town is only so large. If the Yang family continues to expand at this rate, what room will be left for the rest of us to survive?"

The other local factions within the town felt not a shred of joy upon receiving the news.

Though filled with deep anxiety, they had no choice but to attend the celebration since the invitation had been hand-delivered to their doorsteps.

That evening, amidst the grand banquet, Yang Guanfeng engaged in a highly animated and pleasant conversation with the town chief.

Later, before the eyes of every prominent family in Liuye Town, he stepped forward and handed over the full tax payment required for adding a new Qi Gathering cultivator this year.

Seeing this, the hearts of the other faction leaders sank instantly.

"Good heavens, the funds have already been paid in full? They are absolutely determined to entrench themselves in Liuye Town!"

Several among them even began calculating their own retreat paths in their minds.

Yet, at that precise moment, to everyone's absolute astonishment, Yang Guanfeng publicly announced that the Yang family was preparing to relocate.

"What?"

"The Yang family is leaving?"

"Did I hear that correctly?"

Disbelief rippled through the hall.

However, upon careful reflection, if they placed themselves in Yang Guanfeng's position, relocation was indeed the most logical course of action for the Yang family.

Remaining in Liuye Town as the sole hegemon sounded grand, but the town's territory was limited. To sustain a massive clan, fund the resource consumption of three distinct cultivators, and still pay exorbitant imperial taxes-once everything was tallied, the Yang family would be left with very little surplus each year.

As the realization dawned on the crowd, they rose one after another, their faces blooming with smiles as they offered their enthusiastic congratulations to the Yang family.

With the Yang family moving out, there was no longer any need to fear their own local interests being devoured. From their perspective, this was an unmitigated blessing.

Once the banquet concluded, Yang Guanfeng formally invited the town chief to the Council Hall.

Seated alongside them were his two younger brothers, Elder Yu, and Yang Lingrui, who had just successfully entered the Qi Gathering realm.

Xu Guang, the town chief of Liuye Town, originated from a collateral branch of a prominent clan located in the northern regions of the Zhuhu Wangchao.

Having been marginalized within his own clan due to his mediocre latent talent, he had taken the initiative to pledge his services directly to the dynasty, eventually securing the post of town chief in this small border town.

"I see Patriarch Yang's aura has grown even more profound. I imagine you are not far from the sixth level of Qi Gathering?" Xu Guang remarked smoothly.

Yang Guanfeng offered a faint smile and replied, "Easier said than done. Town Chief, you know as well as I do that the further along the immortal path one progresses, the more stubborn the bottlenecks become. Without a sudden spark of insight or the perfect opportunity, breaking through is truly difficult."

Xu Guang nodded in agreement. He and Yang Guanfeng were both at the peak of the fifth level of Qi Gathering, neither yet able to cross into the sixth.

However, his circumstances differed from Yang Guanfeng's.

Xu Guang had reached the peak of the fifth level several years prior and had fully prepared himself for the breakthrough.

Unfortunately, the dynasty had yet to grant him a Promotion Permit, leaving him with no choice but to languish at this realm.

This restriction stemmed from an ancient compact forged between the mortal dynasties below and the immortal sects above.

Sect cultivators were strictly forbidden from attacking towns under the dynasty's jurisdiction or engaging in open conflict within municipal borders. Furthermore, when descending to recruit disciples, the sects were required to pay a designated Headcount Fee to the dynasty.

In return, the dynasty maintained a rigid ceiling over the total number and precise cultivation realms of the cultivators within its administrative system.

This was not a unilateral decree by either side, but rather the mechanism of mutual checks and balances established after centuries of friction and compromise, designed specifically to avert catastrophic friction.

The agreement had stood for several hundred years, containing countless intricate clauses that did not need detailing here.

Even so, while rules remained static, human beings were adaptable.

Should an emergency arise-such as the sudden appearance of a powerful Demon Beast-dynasty cultivators were fully permitted to break through their realms to defend the city and repel the threat.

Conversely, if a dynasty cultivator colluded with Demonic Cultivators to slaughter innocent commoners, the immortal sects retained the right to step in and execute them.

And, naturally, there existed one final exception.

If one's background was Heaven Connecting, or if one's personal cultivation reached Heaven Connecting heights, then all these mundane restrictions could simply be ignored.

But for the present Xu Guang and the current Yang family, these laws were an unyielding reality that had to be obeyed.

Upon entering the Council Hall, Xu Guang's gaze was immediately drawn to Yang Lingrui, who sat quietly beside Elder Yu.

"What an immaculate, otherworldly temperament! This child's future achievements will certainly be extraordinary!"

As a thoroughly seasoned politician, a single glance was all Xu Guang needed to form a definitive judgment.

Simultaneously, the weight of the Yang family in his internal estimations shifted significantly.

Yang Guanfeng had invited Xu Guang here specifically to iron out the logistics of the relocation and the post-move arrangements.

According to imperial law, clans residing within towns were taxed based on their registered household population.

If the Yang family relocated their primary residence outward but still retained three streets worth of commercial shops within the town, how would the treasury account for it?

Faced with this query, Xu Guang adopted a measured tone. "In principle, no exemptions can be made. The taxes must be levied exactly as before."

Hearing this, a knowing smile touched Yang Guanfeng's lips.

"In principle, it cannot" meant that in practice, it certainly could.

Xu Guang's specific phrasing signaled that the matter was open to negotiation.

Following a brief round of deliberate bargaining, the two parties ultimately settled on a forty-sixty split.

The Yang family's commercial properties within the town would be taxed at the flat rate of ordinary, non-cultivator households. However, Xu Guang would personally receive forty percent of the shops' net revenues.

This concession was slightly higher than Yang Guanfeng had originally anticipated, yet it remained entirely acceptable.

Even after relinquishing forty percent of the profits, the removal of the crushing cultivator tax burden meant the Yang family's net income would still far exceed their previous earnings.

For Xu Guang, the taxes the Yang family paid directly to the dynasty provided him with zero personal benefit. Now, by simply facilitating this arrangement, he could pocket forty percent of the revenue for himself. He was more than willing to ensure this mutually beneficial outcome.

As for the Yang family's mining veins outside the town-previously, when the Yang family resided within Liuye Town, the municipal government dispatched regular soldiers to guard the site.

If they moved into the wilderness, any further military protection would require the family to pay a standard hiring fee to fund the troops.

Yang Guanfeng conceded to this point as well. Finally, they arrived at the immediate logistics of the move itself.

At this juncture, Xu Guang magnanimously declared that since the Yang family had already cleared their remaining tax duties for the year, he would order his garrisoned troops to assist with the heavy labor of the physical relocation.

With every terms smoothly settled, the gathering dissolved on excellent terms.

Once Xu Guang had departed, Yang Guanfeng turned his gaze toward Yang Lingrui and asked, "What is your assessment of that man?"

Yang Lingrui fell into silent contemplation.

Having successfully stepped into the Qi Gathering realm, his physical body had undergone the cleansing baptism of heaven-and-earth spiritual Qi. His cognitive faculties were far sharper than before, allowing him to perceive the underlying core of complex matters with ease.

Following a brief silence, he offered a concise, four-word verdict.

"Bound by mutual profit."

Yang Guanfeng nodded in deep satisfaction.

"Precisely. Right now, the Yang family is on a rising trajectory, so he is happy to offer his aid and alignment. Should the day ever come that our fortunes wane, he will instantly detach himself and watch from the sidelines without raising a finger."

"Therefore, to forge fine iron, one's own hammer must be strong. Absolute strength remains the foundation of all things... isn't that right, Ancestor?"

"That is the absolute truth."

Three days later, construction officially commenced on the Yang family's new estate outside the town.

Beyond the garrison troops dispatched by Xu Guang, the various local factions of the town also contributed funds and manpower as an explicit gesture of goodwill.

With such coordinated assistance, the sprawling new Yang Family Compound was completely erected in just under half a month.

During this period, Chen Yang's active 'working hours' decreased significantly. Most of his time was spent resting comfortably inside Old Yang's sleeve, contentedly absorbing free spiritual power.

Over the past weeks, Chen Yang's internal monologues had evolved; he now casually referred to Yang Guanfeng as 'Old Yang' and Elder Yu as 'the Old Man.'

"Old Yang certainly has an eye for geography. Nestled against the mountain ridges with a river wrapping around it-the environment here is truly premium."

Chen Yang had accompanied Yang Guanfeng to inspect the new site on several occasions.

The natural scenery was indeed exceptional, and it boasted vast expanses of flat, fertile land perfectly suited for developing large-scale agriculture and spirit farming in the future.

This specific region was known as Little Pine Mountain, situated dead center in the borderlands separating Liuye Town from Baishi Town to the east.

This strategic placement meant the Yang family would no longer be restricted to the market of a single town, granting them the freedom to expand their commercial footprint much further.

"The family lineage and the servants have all completed their transfer. I suppose tonight is when the true VIP makes its move, right?"

The 'VIP' Chen Yang was referring to was none other than the Four-Leaf Spirit-Holding Grass rooted within the Restricted Grounds.

Up to this point, the existence of this precious spiritual plant remained a classified secret shared exclusively between Yang Guanfeng and Elder Yu, representing the absolute highest tier of security within the Yang family.

As expected, precisely as Chen Yang had anticipated, Yang Guanfeng slipped back into the vacant Liuye Town Restricted Grounds alone under the cover of darkness. He carefully transferred the Four-Leaf Spirit-Holding Grass into a specialized containment box.

Before departing, he systematically overturned the entire Spirit Field, thoroughly eradicating every physical trace of the spiritual plant's cultivation.

From that night onward, the Yang Family Estate of Liuye Town ceased to be. In its place, the new Yang Family of Little Pine Mountain had officially begun its rise.