After learning the general situation from Zhao Hanguo, Shen Changchuan fell into a silent contemplation.
'He must have learned of my identity from somewhere.'
Although he was merely an overlooked nobody among the more than fifty children of the Shen Clan Patriarch, Shen Fuxing.
But no matter what,
he was still of the Shen Clan Leader's bloodline,
the son of the Shen Clan Patriarch, Shen Fuxing.
Even if this meant little within the Shen Clan, where everyone knew his true standing,
a servant there might not even treat him as anyone important.
But to outsiders,
he was still a man of noble birth, a person of great status!
At the same time, however,
Shen Changchuan shook his head inwardly.
He felt no sense of pride at the man's reverence.
Shen Changchuan knew this very well.
'The man reveres the Tian Nan Shen Clan, not me.'
'I don't have the power to command such respect on my own.'
'So there's nothing to be proud of.'
"By the way, Brother Zhao, do you know if there's a Cultivator's Workshop anywhere nearby?"
In the middle of their conversation, Shen Changchuan suddenly remembered the hide from the giant wild boar he had killed. He still had it after having consumed all its flesh, which prompted him to ask.
If the boar hide were refined into Leather Armor, it would offer some defensive power, enough to block damage from certain Magic and give a Cultivator an edge in a fight.
If he could sell it, he could get at least ten or twenty Spirit Stones for it.
"A Cultivator's Workshop? Well... the place we're in is quite remote. The nearest Workshop is in Qing City, which is over three hundred miles away."
"Over three hundred miles away?"
Shen Changchuan's expression changed at this.
That was no short distance.
At his current pace, a round trip would take him more than half a month, and that was if he traveled alone.
And that wasn't even accounting for potential accidents along the way, like attacks from Demon Beasts.
If he really made the trip,
it could easily take a full month for the round journey.
What's more, it would be quite dangerous.
This made Shen Changchuan hesitate.
"Then where do you normally trade your Cultivation Resources? Surely you don't travel all the way to Qing City?"
"We don't have to go that far."
"Shortly after the Spirit Grain is harvested, a merchant caravan from Qing City travels through the countryside and the Border Desolate Land. That's when minor figures like us, who can't make long journeys, can trade the Immortal Cultivation Spiritual Objects we've accumulated—things like Spirit Medicine picked from the mountains, materials from slain Demon Beasts, or our harvested Spirit Grain—for the items we need."
"The caravan's nearest stop is the Wu Family Collection, which is sixty miles away. They're expected in about four months."
"Unexpected things can happen on the road, so the caravan might arrive early or be delayed. But there's no need to worry. If they're late, you just have to wait at the Wu Family Collection for a bit. If they arrive early, they'll rest there for a few days and won't leave until after the designated trading period is over."
"If you have need of it, Young Master Shen, I can guide you to the Wu Family Collection in four months."
Zhao Hanguo explained in detail to Shen Changchuan.
"In that case, I'll have to trouble you in four months, Brother Zhao."
Sitting in the seat of honor, Shen Changchuan felt a sense of resignation upon hearing this, but he could only agree.
'It couldn't be helped.'
'I'll just have to go to the Wu Family Collection.'
'Oh well,'
'The Spirit Grain should be harvested in four months anyway. Hopefully, the yield will be better this time so I can trade for some Cultivation Resources at the market.'
At the same time, however,
he couldn't help but grumble to himself.
'I knew Dawan Village was remote,'
'but I never thought it would be this much of a backwater.'
'Forget a Workshop, there isn't even a regular market—just one that comes around every six-plus months.'
'It's so pathetic it leaves you speechless.'
'But then again, that's a good thing. If this place weren't so remote, it wouldn't have been my turn to Garrison it.'
'But from the looks of it,'
'my future Cultivation will probably be even more difficult than I first imagined!'
Shen Changchuan couldn't help but sigh at the thought.
"Not at all, not at all! It's my honor to be of service to you, Young Master Shen."
Zhao Hanguo said, his face beaming with joy.
In the ensuing conversation,
Shen Changchuan learned a great deal from Zhao Hanguo about the distribution of power, local customs, and other news concerning the area around Dawan Village.
「About an hour later.」
Zhao Hanguo, citing the late hour, bid farewell to Shen Changchuan and left.
Shen Changchuan personally saw him off outside the village,
which left the man feeling incredibly flattered.
He left, his face flushed with excitement.
Shen Changchuan watched the man's retreating figure. He stood in silence for a moment, turning back only after the man had vanished completely from view.
He returned to the main hall
and opened the gift Zhao Hanguo had brought, which was carefully placed inside a Jade Box.
Inside was a mountain ginseng that contained a considerable amount of Spiritual Qi.
Judging by its Spiritual Qi content, it would likely be worth around two Spirit Stones in a Workshop.
It would be quite useful for Cultivation.
For a Cultivator at the Qi Introduction Early or Middle Stage, a gift of this value was quite substantial.
Shen Changchuan was lost in thought.
His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table beside him.
From their earlier conversation,
he had a good idea why Zhao Hanguo was so pleased.
Minor Immortal Cultivation Forces like theirs were simply too weak.
In the Immortal Cultivation Realm, they were little different from weeds.
And because they lacked the ability to protect themselves,
they could only pledge allegiance to a larger power, paying an exorbitant Protection Fee each year in exchange for protection in name.
Otherwise, in this lawless world where the strong devour the weak, they would be nothing more than lambs to the slaughter for Tribulation Cultivators.
Shen Changchuan could well imagine,
Without the banner of a major power to hide behind, Tribulation Cultivators would surely travel from village to village each year, stealing the Spirit Grain that the Minor Immortal Cultivation Clans and other small forces had painstakingly grown.
Massacring the people and wiping out entire villages,
was not out of the question.
From what he'd learned in their conversation,
twenty years ago, Zhao Family Village had to hand over at least seventy percent of its annual Spirit Grain harvest to Dawan Village.
Of course, back then, Dawan Village would in turn send sixty percent of the tribute it received from vassal villages like Zhao Family Village on to the Wu Family Collection.
In return, the Wu Family of the Wu Family Collection would dispatch powerful Cultivators to patrol the region during the annual Spirit Grain harvest. They would drive away any Loose Cultivators who entered their sphere of influence, ensuring the harvest proceeded without major incidents and maintaining a degree of order in the area.
Of course, the Wu Family answered to an even greater power,
but that was another matter.
Later, when Dawan Village came under the Shen Clan's control, the tribute from Zhao Family Village and the other nearby villages naturally went to the Shen Family members Garrisoned there.
With the prestige of the Tian Nan Shen Clan,
there was naturally no need to pass the Protection Fee on to the Wu Family Collection.
And so, this portion of extra income,
went directly into the pockets of the Cultivator Garrisoned in Dawan Village.
'I never thought Dawan Village came with this kind of extra benefit.'
'This means the benefits of being posted to Dawan Village are much greater than I imagined!'
At that moment,
Shen Changchuan was once again struck by
how wise his initial decision to escape the Shen Family Mansion and get posted out here had been!
At the same time,
seeing the state of Dawan Village and its surroundings,
an idea sparked in his mind,
and he thought of something else.
'If I were stronger, say, at the Qi Introduction Late Stage or even the Soul Emergence Realm... I could protect a wider area. Wouldn't that mean I could receive even more 'tribute' from the surroundings?'
'It seems there's a lot of potential here!'
However, before Shen Changchuan could ponder it further,
a commotion of shouts and noise erupted outside,
as if something had happened.
'What's going on?'
His train of thought broken, Shen Changchuan frowned. Nevertheless, he had to stand up and walk outside.