The imperial court had specifically set up a post station at the foot of Shushui Village, near the mountain, to facilitate communication for Lingxian Sect. This was something Lingxian Sect had requested from the court.
While most of the time, they used sound transmission talismans and lock rings for communication, the sect had recently welcomed over a hundred new disciples. These new disciples, naturally, had family and friends, but since they couldn't leave the sect freely, it was essential to provide them with a convenient and fast way to communicate with their loved ones.
For now, Lingxian Sect was only using this post station temporarily.
The sect was currently short on spirit stones and manpower, but once the sect's population increased, Liu Yunan planned to arrange for a few spirit boats to handle the delivery of letters and items for the disciples. However, with the current shortage of spirit stones, this plan had to be put on hold, and they were relying on the traditional post station for now.
When the post station at Shushui Village received sealed letters stamped with Lingxian Sect's official wax seal, they immediately upgraded its priority to the highest level, delivering it swiftly to Qinghe Sect in the south and Niutou City.
Every time the post station received a letter from Lingxian Sect, it would burst into activity as if it had received a surge of energy.
One reason was that they were handling correspondence from cultivators, which was an exciting prospect.
The other, more practical reason, was that for every letter they delivered for Lingxian Sect, the local government would provide them with an extra bonus.
Although Lingxian Sect had taken in over a hundred new disciples, many of them had no close family to communicate with. Some of them had family nearby who visited regularly, making sending letters unnecessary.
As a result, only a few dozen people actually used the post station to send letters.
As for communication with the court, that was another matter altogether. Whenever there was important business with the capital, Lingxian Sect would contact Emperor Li Zhouxuan directly via sound transmission talisman. Similarly, if they needed to contact the local magistrate, Tong Shuzheng, they used the same method. The post station wasn't needed for these communications.
Therefore, on most days, the post station mainly handled the business of travelers visiting or settling in Shushui Village.
Although the station workers' salaries were secure, their income wasn't substantial. Fortunately, with Shushui Village becoming a tourist hotspot, the post station saw a steady flow of visitors, ensuring it remained busy and profitable.
It wasn't just Han Weishu and Tong Jialiang who had these thoughts. Yuan Jinsheng was also considering whether to send a letter to Zhao Yunzong, the ruler of Huanyou Kingdom, whom he had once served.
However, these plans from the disciples of Qingyun Peak were unknown to Lin Xiao and the others for the time being.
Qin Jianghe and Liu Yunan drafted a preliminary plan and quickly contacted Lin Xiao, arranging to meet him in the sect's grand hall.
As soon as they arrived at the hall and saw Lin Xiao, Liu Yunan immediately handed over the plan they had written.
"Brother Xiao, the plan has changed. Building a town won't be enough—we need to build a city!"
Lin Xiao hadn't even opened the plan yet when he heard Liu Yunan's statement. He raised his head and looked at the two of them.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Qin Jianghe, standing beside him, explained, "Brother Xiao, we've analyzed the situation. If we establish a trading center, Shushui Village will naturally fall within its scope. Rather than building just a town, we should consider transforming the entire Shushui Village into a city and include the trading center within it."
Liu Yunan added, "As more cultivators come and go, traffic will increase significantly. As our trading center's reputation grows and stabilizes, there will inevitably be merchant caravans forming. At first, most visitors will likely come individually due to uncertainty, but once the trade route is established, sects or nations from farther away will start organizing merchant teams to make regular purchases. Additionally, considering the number of sects and countries in the mortal realm, even just counting the nations surrounding Pusi Kingdom, the numbers aren't small. We'll need a large enough space to accommodate so many cultivators."
He then smiled proudly and continued, "Brother Xiao, I think I've figured out why you accepted the land grant and immediately thought of setting up a trading center."
Seeing his confident expression, Lin Xiao chuckled and said, "Oh? Then tell me, why?"
Liu Yunan cleared his throat dramatically and waved his sleeve before continuing, "By tying Shushui Village and the trading center together, it essentially becomes independent of Pusi Kingdom."
"This way, the villagers of Shushui Village will become the residents and managers of this new city. They will no longer be mere 'village farmers' without upward mobility but will have more choices in life."
"Brother Xiao, you once told me that no matter what job one does, as long as they live with purpose, they are no less than anyone else. But living without choices can be an immense hardship, not just in terms of food and clothing, but in spirit."
"By building the trading center and incorporating Shushui Village into it, the villagers will be freed from the constraints of their old lives. Farming will remain an option, but those who no longer wish to farm will have new paths available to them."
Clearly, this was something Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe had discussed while drafting the plan, so Qin Jianghe wasn't surprised by Liu Yunan's words. He followed up with Lin Xiao, saying, "We didn't fully understand what you meant back then, but today it suddenly became clear. We grew up here, and the villagers watched us grow up. Now that we have the ability, it's only right that we give something back. Simply giving them money or goods isn't real help—it might even foster laziness or greed. Expanding their future possibilities, that's true assistance."
"Hahaha! Well said, my good brothers!" Lin Xiao laughed heartily.
These two were the backbone of the sect's development and management.
Now that they understood his intentions, they would be able to help shoulder even more responsibilities in the future, and their decision-making would become sharper.
This was excellent news for the future of Lingxian Sect.
If Lin Xiao had a habit of drinking, this would certainly be a moment for a celebratory toast.
He looked at the two of them with eyes full of joy and said, "You both understand my goals. Our Lingxian Sect will ultimately walk a completely unique path. The mortal realm is bound to change rapidly in the future. The people will need to find their own ways to thrive. Relying on our protection alone isn't a sustainable way of life."
"If Lingxian Sect is to develop rapidly, our roots must grow stronger alongside it."