Crossing mountain after mountain, from the inner territory to the outer borders of the Ling Clan, Ling Ye sat quietly on the bench inside the carriage. His gaze remained fixed on the window, watching the distant silhouette of a mountain slowly come into view.
That mountain marked the place, the village, where he would soon take over as its head.
Its rise or fall would determine the course of his new life. It could become a disaster he'd rather never witness, or a great fortune, where all the dreams he had desperately clung to over the past five days could finally take root and bloom.
Everything now depended on how his plans would unfold.
Just thinking about it sent a chill through his bones. Ling Ye knew all too well what it felt like to be unable to take even a single step toward the path he had once longed for. That pain… he vowed never to feel it again.
His black eyes narrowed, calm and cold, a far cry from the old Ling Ye, who used to burn with excitement at the mere thought of cultivation.
He had already accepted the bitter and cold truth, that he would never become a cultivator. But that didn't mean he had let go of his true goal, a goal that he wanted to archive since he was young.
Bringing glory and honor to the Ling Clan had always been his dream, just like it was for every other child born into the clan. If he could no longer pursue that dream through cultivation, then he would pursue it another way.
And it would start with this very village that lay ahead.
Ling Ye's thoughts grew calm and collected as he reviewed every detail he knew about the village, carefully planning the steps that would shape his future.
The village wasn't simply called "village." No, its name was Spring Village, once ruled by the Chun Family, which now had only three surviving members, all of them men. Two were often away on clan missions, leaving only one behind to remain in the village with his disciple.
That man was Chun Su, the last cultivator born into the Chun Family. He remained in Spring Village to protect it and, in the meantime, train his disciple, Chun Hua.
Chun Su's name had been given in hope, the hope of reviving the family line. As for his disciple, Chun Hua, his name carried a different meaning: the blossoming of the clan.
The Chun Family lived on Spring Mountain, a place where the spiritual qi of heaven and earth gathered most abundantly. A small spiritual pond, created by the first family head of the Chun family, lay hidden there, a sacred place that had only begun to show its true value after a long time. Aside from this pond, however, the Chun family had no other cultivation resources.
All of this information was marked in red within Ling Ye's notebook, and the section about the spiritual pond was marked in dark red, meaning it was strictly confidential. Only Ling Ye was allowed to know of its existence.
Oddly, there was no information about the mortal side of the Chun Family, only a brief note stating that the family was involved in the trade of mortal medicine and herbs.
That was the extent of the information regarding the Chun family itself. The rest of the notebook focused on the history of Spring Village.
Spring Village had been founded around the time the Chun family was integrated into the Ling Clan. It was formed with immigrants from nearby mortal cities and smaller villages, but after the decline of the Chun clan, a few other small cultivator families had gradually emerged.
Two of these newer families had managed to produce three cultivators each across six generations and could now be considered minor cultivator families.
One of these emerging minor families was called the Lifeng Family, and the other bore the bold and ambitious name, the Tiansheng Family.
Though both had produced three cultivators each, they were still weak, too weak, even if they joined forces, to take control of Spring Village or claim the position of village head. A position that should have been easy for them to seize was now out of reach, simply because Ling Ye had expressed his desire for it, and the Ling Clan had intervened on his behalf.
With the Ling Clan's involvement, no one dared to oppose the decision. After all, these families still lived within the Ling Clan's territory. Resistance was not only futile, it was dangerous.
Reading this for the first time, Ling Ye could easily imagine the frustration burning in the hearts of these two families. They had likely seen the vacant village head position as a perfect opportunity, a stepping stone to dominate the Chun family and rise from local snakes to dragon overlords.
At least, that's what was written in the report.
What surprised Ling Ye most was how detailed the information was. While no personal names were listed, the depth and clarity of the report left him impressed. Ling Bai had given him more than just a casual assignment, he had provided the tools to truly understand the political landscape of Spring Village.
To make the most of this opportunity, Ling Ye knew he couldn't act rashly. He had to move carefully but decisively, rising step by step.
Already, he had identified one of the major problems within the village, but before making any decisions, he needed to see it with his own eyes.
His thoughts swirled endlessly, so much that his head began to ache. He rubbed his temples gently, trying to relieve the pressure. Just as the pain began to ease, the scenery outside the carriage shifted.
Buildings slowly came into view.
This was it, the beginning of the Spring Village.
Spring Village was far from developed in terms of infrastructure. Aside from the residences of the wealthy and powerful families, the common folk lived in simple wooden houses. The roads were poorly maintained, giving the village a rather rustic and disorganized appearance.
The village itself had been unofficially divided by the three prominent families: the Chun, Lifeng, and Tiansheng families. The Chun Family only occupied a small area at the foot of Spring Mountain, the sacred peak that had once symbolized their influence.
The Lifeng Family had laid claim to the busiest street, lined with shops, as well as a portion of the rice fields, a minor mountain, and one of the five mountain peaks located in the region.
Meanwhile, the Tiansheng Family had seized control of the three remaining peaks, the majority of the rice fields, and a small valley formed between two of those mountains. The valley was fertile and naturally well protected, making it one of the more valuable areas in the village.
The commoners' homes clustered near the mountain's base, while all three families had built their residences atop their respective mountains, private estates, inaccessible to outsiders.
Thinking about it all left Ling Ye feeling a wave of frustration. The political web was clearly complicated, with territorial lines deeply drawn. He could already foresee the headaches such a power dynamic would cause.
But there was no turning back. He had chosen this path, and if he wanted to revive Spring Village and secure his own future, he would have to walk it, no matter how difficult.
"Sigh..." Ling Ye let out a bitter breath. "So much to do... but this is the foundation of everything I soon build and archive."
Forcing his thoughts to settle, he looked out the carriage window.
They had arrived.
Spring Village now lay before him and a small group of villagers stood at the entrance, waiting to receive him.
Ling Ye drew a deep breath to calm his nerves, then slowly exhaled. As the carriage came to a full stop, he opened his eyes with renewed focus, stood up from the bench, and opened the door beside him.
As Ling Ye opened the carriage door, a burst of fresh, cold wind brushed against his face.
It was the first true breath of fresh air he'd felt since their last stop to eat. The journey had been long and unending, pushing both man and beast to their limits. Even the beast horses pulling the carriage looked worn from the three day trek. Thankfully, they had managed to endure.
Ling Ye let the breeze wash over him for a moment, then set it aside. His attention shifted to the left, where a young man stood waiting. Dressed in simple green robes and bearing an equally unremarkable face, he looked to be in his mid twenties. From his posture and attire, Ling Ye assumed he was a local attendant or perhaps a junior from one of the families.
But the young man wasn't alone.
Standing beside him were two middle aged men, their presence more striking. One wore rich blue robes embroidered with subtle cloud patterns, while the other was dressed in silken red garments that shimmered faintly under the sunlight.
Both men smiled as Ling Ye stepped down, but their eyes told a different story. Their expressions were polite, even warm, but the smiles didn't reach their eyes. Ling Ye could read it clearly.
It wasn't difficult to guess who they were.
"These two should be the representatives of the Lifeng and Tiansheng families," Ling Ye thought. "And the green robed one must be from the Chun family."
With that, the game of politics had officially begun.
Ling Ye stepped forward with a calm and courteous smile, his voice steady as he greeted them, "Good afternoon. Thank you for receiving me and waiting patiently for my arrival. I am Ling Ye, the newly appointed village head sented by the Ling Clan. I hope we will work well together."