Cultivation Begins From The Desert Chapter 383 - 368: Household Matters [2 Updates Requesting S

Financial resources, companions, thods, and land are the four essentials of cultivation.

Among them, "financial resources" is the most critical for cultivators.

The importance of "financial resources" is not only vital for individual cultivators but also for a cultivation clan and sect.

The strength of the Zhou family lies not only in its population and land but also in its financial inco.

With an annual surplus of tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, such a resourceful cultivation clan is difficult to decline unless faced with a higher level of crushing blow.

When Zhouyang left the clan, he took with him seventy to eighty percent of the Zhou Family Treasure Vault’s Spirit Stones.

But now, after seventeen years, the Zhou Family Treasure Vault has accumulated as many as 250,000 Spirit Stones. This ability to earn and save is unparalleled in the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm.

However, despite the Zhou family’s booming financial inco, there are hidden concerns.

The concern is simple: as dozens of cultivators from the Hundred Arts Hall who have mastered the Hundred Skills of Cultivation produce various Magical Artifacts, Spirit Talismans, and Elixirs year after year, selling them in bulk at low margins, the Red Tiger Mountain Oasis Cultivation Realm and surrounding markets are nearly saturated.

If not for the habit of so small cultivation clans and many cultivators to stockpile Magical Artifacts and Spirit Talismans as backup resources, many of these items might already be unsellable.

In summary, the market is approaching a state where supply exceeds demand.

Through multiple lectures and explanations from Zhouyang, the Finance Hall personnel have gathered considerable macroeconomic knowledge from the financial managent they handle and the information they collect.

Zhou Guangyun ntioned many concerns regarding the Zhou family’s finances and proposed several solutions devised by the Finance Hall.

For instance, temporarily reducing the supply of low-tier Magical Artifacts, Elixirs, and Spirit Talismans, stockpiling them in warehouses, and selling them slowly once market demand recovers.

Another solution is to expand distant trade caravans, letting them take these stockpiled items to farther places for sale.

Although these asures might temporarily reduce Zhou family’s inco, in the long run, they are entirely worthwhile.

A shrinking market is not to be feared; the fear is that the market collapses. Should the market collapse, the cost of establishing a stable market again would be substantial.

"I know the basic situation, and I have a solution, though it doesn’t conflict with your plans, Guangyun. So you can proceed with stockpiling goods and expanding the trade caravans, but the caravans’ task is not to sell goods but to purchase large quantities of Spirit Talismans, Grain Avoidance Pills, Healing Elixirs, and other items!"

In the Council Hall, Zhouyang, after hearing the financial report from Finance Elder Zhou Guangyun, nodded and shared his arrangents after a brief contemplation.

Hearing his words, not only were the laypeople of the Zhou Clan surprised, but even Zhou Guangyun, responsible for finances, frowned deeply and couldn’t help but ask him, "Supre Elder, can you tell us why? Our Zhou family owns thousands of acres of Spirit Fields and breeds thousands of Red Fire Chickens and Fire Rabbits. There’s no need to purchase Grain Avoidance Pills, is there?"

Unexpectedly, the usually open-minded Zhouyang shook his head and said, "I can’t explain the reasons for now. Just follow my instructions. I’ll have Guangxiang take 100,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones from the Inner Treasury for you to buy these items!"

100,000 Spirit Stones!

To hear Zhouyang casually ntion such a huge sum without batting an eye left the Zhou Clan mbers present, except a few Foundation Establishnt Cultivators and Finance Elder Zhou Guangyun, utterly dumbfounded.

The Zhou family is wealthy; these people know it. After all, the Zhou family has spent considerably over the years, and everyone heard the financial reports Zhou Guangyun previously presented.

But for Zhouyang to ntion so effortlessly spending 100,000 Spirit Stones on seemingly insignificant Grain Avoidance Pills and Low-tier Spirit Talismans surprised these people greatly.

Many were amazed and wanted to say sothing.

But before they could speak, Zhou Guangyun, the person in question, had already responded, "I understand, Uncle. I will follow the Supre Elder’s orders!"

Imdiately, those eager to speak bit their lips and swallowed their words.

In the Zhou family, Zhouyang’s orders are seen as law. With even Finance Elder Zhou Guangyun abiding by the order, who would dare oppose? Isn’t that akin to rebellion?

"Does anyone else have suggestions? Speak freely. Any suggestion you think beneficial to the clan or any flaws you see in the clan’s system or other inadequacies, feel free to bring them up now. We can take this opportunity to rectify them!"

Zhouyang, seeing the mbers who hesitated to speak, smiled slightly and invited them to share their opinions.

Encouraging open dialogue and welcoming opinions was Zhouyang’s policy from his first family eting.

He knew very well that, with only his own eyes, he could not possibly see everything happening within the clan, and those family managers he appointed might deceive him for various reasons.

However, during the family etings, those who deceived him, those who deliberately hid matters from him, and the injustices occurring within the clan could all be exposed by an ordinary clan mber.

He used this thod to provide the lower-level cultivators of the clan with an opportunity to "voice their grievances," the most effective channel for complaints.

In the earlier days of the Zhou family, the number of clan mbers was relatively small, and the clan was in a high growth phase, so there were few such unsavory incidents to speak of, and no one would openly tear faces in a family eting and confront a clan mber in court.

But this ti, right after Zhouyang said that everyone could speak freely, a Zhou clan mber stood up imdiately.

A young Zhou family mber in yellow clothing, standing in the back row of the hall, got up directly from the ground, looked at Zhouyang with a face full of respect and expectation, and loudly said, "Supre Elder, please judge clearly, this junior Zhou Tongming has sothing to request your justice!"

Seeing this, Zhouyang’s face flashed with an unusual color, and he couldn’t help but look at this young clan mber, who had only a fourth-layer Qi Cultivation level, and asked, "Upholding justice for clan mbers is the job of the Law Enforcent Elder. Why did you not seek the Law Enforcent Elder but ca to instead?"

Being looked at by such a Purple Mansion Stage cultivator, even though his gaze didn’t contain any oppressive force, the young cultivator Zhou Tongming still tightened his complexion and hurriedly replied, "In response to the Supre Elder, this junior has sought the Law Enforcent Elder, but the Law Enforcent Elder’s disposition was unacceptable to this junior, hence I dare to bring it up today and plead for the Supre Elder to uphold justice!"

Upon hearing this, Zhouyang continued to ask, "Even so, according to the clan’s rules, you can still appeal to the Clan Leader. Is the Clan Leader’s disposition also unsatisfactory to you?"

"Yes, the junior still dares to disagree with the Clan Leader’s disposition!"

Zhou Tongming took a deep breath, ignoring the strange looks from other clan mbers, and loudly answered Zhouyang’s question.

Zhouyang’s curiosity was piqued, and he smiled slightly, "Then tell , what do you want to uphold justice for?"

"This junior is a cultivator from the Fengyue Tower. Although also of Zhou family bloodline, the blood relation with other cultivator clan mbers is untraceable for generations!"

"Though Guang Yin is a Guang generation cultivator, she’s only one year older than and also from the Fengyue Tower. We grew up together and learned together as childhood sweethearts, loving each other deeply, and privately have vowed a life-long commitnt!"

"But after the Law Enforcent Elder and the Clan Leader learned of this relationship between junior and Guang Yin, they forcibly separated us on the grounds of violating human ethics, and sent Guang Yin to the distant Haoyang Cave spirit vein to manage the mountain’s spirit field, preventing us from seeing each other for years, and even strictly prohibiting other clan mbers from forwarding letters between us!"

"This junior knows that the clan has never supported marriage between internal cultivators, but there doesn’t seem to be a rule strictly prohibiting it in the family regulations."

"Besides, the affection between n and won is human nature, and we cultivators advocate following the natural order, so why must we be constrained by those mundane rituals, unable to act as our hearts desire?"

"So this junior boldly advises here, wishing the Supre Elder could set a regulation allowing marriage between clan mbers with blood relations exceeding five generations, thus fulfilling the relationship between this junior and Guang Yin!"

In the council hall, unperturbed by the strange looks from other clan mbers, Zhou Tongming looked directly at Zhouyang, full of excitent, loudly expressing his request.

After finishing, he imdiately fell to the ground with a "thud," his head banging heavily on the floor toward Zhouyang, shouting, "I beg the Supre Elder’s rcy, fulfill this junior’s and Guang Yin’s wishes!"

The sound of kowtowing and shouting echoed through the council hall.

Zhou Tongming seed determined, as if he wouldn’t stop until Zhouyang agreed.

Seeing this, Zhouyang’s brow furrowed, feeling sowhat displeased with Zhou Tongming’s behavior.

Though he knew that the real purpose behind the other party’s actions was to clutch at this last straw for survival.

His change in expression did not escape the observation of Zhou Guangxiang and others in the first two rows of cultivators near him.

Seeing his frown, the Law Enforcent Elder Zhou Guangkun, whose face was already a bit unsightly after Zhou Tongming stepped out, imdiately stood up and shouted heavily at Zhou Tongming, "Enough! Zhou Tongming, what do you intend to do? Are you trying to threaten the Supre Elder to break the rules for you with your life? Do you have any regard for family rules and clan law? Are you trying to rebel?"

And as soon as Zhou Guangkun’s shout fell, Clan Leader Zhou Guangxiang promptly followed, "The romance between uncle and niece violates ethics. Our Zhou family has always maintained respect for hierarchy. You and Guang Yin grew up together in the academy, how could you not know this? Knowing this but still committing such acts, what face do you have to request the Supre Elder to make an exception for you?"

With these two heavyweight figures having spoken, Zhou Family Elder Zhou Guangtai also promptly voiced his agreent, "The Clan Leader is absolutely right. If our Zhou family cultivators don’t even adhere to the most basic ethics and respect for hierarchy, wouldn’t other clans laugh at us? Zhou Tongming, get up imdiately, stop trying to manipulate the Supre Elder’s sense of compassion!"

However, in the face of rebukes from these heavyweight Zhou family figures, Zhou Tongming continued to kowtow on the ground as if he hadn’t heard them, only persistently shouting, "I beg the Supre Elder’s rcy, fulfill this junior’s and Guang Yin’s wishes!"

With continuous hard kowtowing, and no use of magical power for protection, his forehead was already a bloody ss, the handso face entirely stained red with his own blood.

Many clan mbers around the sa age watching this scene had a look of pity on their faces, but due to identity and status, none dared to step forward to speak on his behalf.