Soon, Liu Yunan met with Village Chief Du in the guest room of the Lingxian Academy.
"Village Chief, please have a seat. Why didn't you use a sound transmission talisman to contact me directly?" Liu Yunan asked, somewhat surprised, pointing to a seat nearby.
To prevent any issues with contacting them, the Miscellaneous Hall had always ensured that Village Chief Du had at least five sound transmission talismans that could reach Liu Yunan directly.
Village Chief Du sat down and smiled at him:
"Those talismans are precious, and it's not easy for you to make them. I thought I'd save a bit, so you wouldn't have to give me more every time I use them up."
Hearing this, knowing the old man was thinking of their convenience, Liu Yunan just smiled and didn't say more. He quickly got to the main topic:
"Village Chief, is there something specific you need to discuss by ringing the bell?"
Village Chief Du then explained:
"Here's the thing. Over the past few years, our village has seen a growing number of visitors, and many have settled here. Our village's population and household numbers are now far beyond those of other nearby villages. I was thinking, could we consider expanding the village?"
In fact, the local government also had similar thoughts.
In recent years, the population submitted by Xiushui Village had been rapidly increasing, and the number of permanent residents even exceeded that of many towns.
Generally, managing such a scale with just a village chief is insufficient; administrative units must be upgraded.
Because Xiushui Village is backed by the Lingxian Sect, few dare to cause trouble here. Village Chief Du himself has been diligent, and the people of Xiushui Village are quite united. This is why, after a few years, there haven't been any major issues.
But obviously, this isn't a long-term solution.
Recently, the local government had also contacted Village Chief Du to discuss upgrading Xiushui Village to a town.
However, both the government and Village Chief Du knew that upgrading Xiushui Village would require the approval of the Lingxian Sect. Thus, the task of contacting the Lingxian Sect fell to Village Chief Du.
After explaining the government's intentions, Liu Yunan was stunned for a moment before his face lit up with joy:
"So, does this mean Xiushui Village will soon become Xiushui Town?"
Village Chief Du nodded with a smile:
"If the Lingxian Sect agrees, it should be settled."
"That's wonderful! This is excellent news! Brother Xiaojun and the others will definitely agree!" Liu Yunan was overjoyed, nodding repeatedly. He immediately used his lock ring to contact Lin Xiao and the others to inform them of the news.
As expected, everyone from Xiushui Village was thrilled to hear this news.
Although they were mostly cultivating on the mountain now and rarely returned to the village, Xiushui Village was where they grew up. Hearing that their village could be upgraded to a town was truly joyous news.
Village Chief Du looked at Liu Yunan, who could communicate so smoothly with a small white jade ring, even more convenient than the sound transmission talismans, and couldn't help but feel envious. He somewhat regretted not participating in the Lingxian Sect's recruitment of disciples.
But it was just a fleeting emotion. Compared to cultivating immortality, he still preferred living in the village, enjoying his old age with his grandchildren and savoring the sunset years.
If things change in the future… he would think about it then.
Returning to the matter at hand, Village Chief Du continued:
"If the village is upgraded to a town, the government has promised a construction grant. However, the grant amount is limited, and if we want better construction, we'll have to find ways to make up the difference ourselves."
"I was thinking, since everyone in the village works together and with the support of the Lingxian Sect, things will definitely get better. Now that it's a town, who knows, we might be able to advance further in the future. Since we're taking this step in construction, if we lay a good foundation now, it will be much easier in the future."
"So, I discussed it with the clan leaders in the village and came to ask if the Lingxian Sect could lend us some funds for construction? We'll draft the terms and pay back a portion from the village's annual income."
"This..." Liu Yunan was about to agree directly, but having managed affairs for several years, he knew to pause and said:
"Village Chief, please wait. The person in charge of finances in our sect is Jiang He. I need to consult him."
Saying this, he opened the lock ring to contact Qin Jianghe.
For convenience, he kept the lock ring open, allowing Qin Jianghe to speak directly with Village Chief Du.
Upon hearing that Village Chief Du wanted to borrow money for village construction, Qin Jianghe immediately stated that there was no need for a loan. The Lingxian Sect would directly support the village's construction funds.
The sect's current expenditure on material resources was relatively low, and with frequent gifts of gold and silver from the court, the sect's financial income far exceeded its expenses.
Given the village's needs, there was no need for a loan.
Brother Xiaojun had previously stated that if there was anything the village needed help with, the sect would try to assist.
However, Village Chief Du had declined this offer.
"Why is that?"
Facing Liu Yunan's and Qin Jianghe's confusion, Village Chief Du smiled and explained:
"I appreciate your good intentions, but as the saying goes, 'a favor for a grain of rice can lead to enmity.' If we accept direct money from you for upgrading the village to a town, what if in the future the village wants to become a county or even a city? Are we supposed to ask you for money every time?"
Qin Jianghe, on the other end of the lock ring, flipped through the financial ledger, thinking it was not impossible.
After all, the sect had no significant consumption of funds, and holding more money might take up space.
Such matters were not difficult for the Lingxian Sect. In fact, Qin Jianghe could make the decision on his own without needing a meeting.
However, he understood the village chief's point.
"How about this? Our sect will lend a portion and then also provide a subsidy. Additionally, if there are any labor shortages during the construction, the village can ask us for help. How does that sound?"
Understanding their goodwill, Village Chief Du did not refuse and agreed with a smile.
Thus, the three of them discussed some details. Village Chief Du first explained the specifics of the construction needs, such as the major buildings, required materials, administrative institutions, and initial operating funds, which had been discussed with the government and planned by the clan elders.
The reason the government did not approach the Lingxian Sect immediately after their initial discussions was that Village Chief Du needed to clarify these details first.