Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 763 The Situation in Snow Valley Town
"However, according to the information we've gathered, disciples from Hidden Sword Mountain have appeared in Snow Valley Town before, and quite a few times!" Yang Chengxian continued.

"Oh!" Yang Zhengshan asked in surprise, "How can you be sure they are disciples of Hidden Sword Mountain?"

Yang Chengxian said, "The disciples of Cangjian Mountain all have one thing in common: they all have two swords. One is displayed in the open, and the other is kept in a sword box. Wherever they go, they will carry the sword box with them."

"The so-called 'hidden sword' might just be a sword hidden in a sword box!"

Hidden Sword Mountain doesn't mean that there are many swords hidden on the mountain, but rather refers to the art of hiding swords.

Yang Zhengshan thought for a moment and said, "They can't completely hide from the world. Xuegu Town is probably their channel for obtaining supplies from the outside world."

"We can't get any information about them openly, but the Cold Cloud Sect should know something about them!"

Escaping the world isn't that easy.

This is not just one person squatting in the mountains, but an entire sect, hundreds or even thousands of people squatting in the mountains.

Basic living needs must be met, and the need for spiritual cultivation is also essential.

Relying on just a few mountains would definitely not be enough to meet the needs of hundreds or thousands of people.

Therefore, Hidden Sword Mountain must have channels for obtaining resources from outside.

This channel should not be from Sword Echo Valley, because Sword Echo Valley is not located around the Cloud Soaring Mountains.

It couldn't be the Hanxiao Sect either, because the Hanxiao Sect couldn't meet the cultivation needs of Hidden Sword Mountain.

It could be one of the three sects of Lingxiu, or it could be a noble family or martial arts family around the Lingxiu Sea.

"We simply have no way of collecting this information right now!" Yang Chengxian said with some shame.

Yang Zhengshan waved his hand and laughed, "It's alright. We didn't come here for Hidden Sword Mountain. It's just that Grandpa is quite interested in it."

"Let's talk about Snow Valley Town. You've been there, haven't you?"

Yang Chengxian said, "I've been there. I went there a few days ago and inquired about renting shops. All the shops in Xuegu Town belong to the Hanxiao Sect, but apart from three shops in good locations, the rest are for rent!"

"However, all the shops in better locations in Snow Valley Town have been rented by martial arts families. If we want to rent a shop, we can only rent those in more remote locations!"

This is normal; the shops in Wuxiu Market are all relatively scarce industries, and there are basically no vacancies.

"Are there any shops selling cigarettes, alcohol, or tea in Xuegu Town?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

“We don’t have cigarettes, but we do have alcohol and tea, and they’re even spirit wine and spirit tea!” Yang Chengxian said.

Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard and thought for a moment before asking, "Which one?"

"The Fan family and the Chen family! The Fan family owns a liquor store and a restaurant in Snow Valley Town. Their Ice Soul Spirit Wine is extremely famous throughout the entire Cold Valley County, and it is said that their Ice Soul Spirit Wine is also sold in the markets of the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty!"

"The Chen family has a kind of Snow Green Tea, which is said to grow on snow-capped mountains and has the spiritual power of ice. Drinking it can clear the mind and strengthen the body!"

"The Chen family owns a teahouse in Snow Valley Town, where they not only serve tea to customers but also sell Snow Green Tea. They also sell Spirit Tea produced in the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty!"

Yang Chengxian explained in detail.

“Spirit tea, spirit wine, hehe, it seems we have quite a few competitors. How does their spirit tea compare to ours?” Yang Zhengshan asked.

"As for spirit wine, the Fan family's Ice Soul Spirit Wine is quite unique. It's refreshingly cool on the palate, but becomes intensely hot once it enters the stomach. Compared to the family's Hundred Herbs Brew and Drunken Immortal Brew, each has its own distinctive characteristics!"

"The Chen family's Xueqing tea is much better than Donglingchun, but not as good as Linglu tea. Its effect of strengthening the body and nourishing the vital energy is far inferior to that of Linglu tea!"

Yang Chengxian said with great certainty.

Tea has been cultivated in Lingyuan for over fifty years.

These tea trees have always been nourished by the spiritual spring water, and now they have become spiritual plants.

However, these tea trees evolved from ordinary varieties, so they are considered relatively low-level among spiritual teas.

In fact, the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty also has several kinds of very rare spiritual teas, which are unique to the three major sects. Those are the truly top-grade spiritual teas.

If we divide spiritual tea into three grades—superior, medium, and inferior—then Donglingchun can only be considered inferior spiritual tea, while Linglu tea, because it is made from the freshest tender buds and has a more complex production process, can be considered medium-grade spiritual tea.

Xueqing tea falls somewhere in between, and could probably be considered a mid-grade spiritual tea.

Compared to Xueqing Tea, Linglu Tea is still very competitive.

As for Lingjiu, Yang Zhengshan is not afraid of any competing products.

Including the entire Lingxiu Sea, no spirit wine can compete with the spirit wine of the Lingyuan Land.

Because the best wine in the Land of Spiritual Origin is not Herbal Brew or Drunken Immortal Brew, but Fruit Brew!
The current mixed fruit wine is completely different from the mixed fruit wine of the past. The mixed fruit wine of the past was made from ordinary fruits, but the mixed fruit wine of the present is made from spirit fruits.

The Hundred Fruit Wine, made from more than ten kinds of spiritual fruits and spiritual spring water, is of the highest quality among the best.

The effects of mixed fruit wine are numerous, including strengthening the body's foundation, condensing vital energy, healing injuries, and replenishing essence.

Almost all the effects of the Spirit Fruit can be found in the Hundred Fruit Wine.

Perhaps its other effects are slightly inferior to those of the spiritual fruit, but don't forget the effects that the spiritual spring water itself possesses.

Yang Zhengshan had drunk many spirit wines in the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty, but in terms of efficacy, none of them could compare to the Hundred Fruit Wine.

This Hundred Fruit Wine is comparable to a top-grade elixir in its effects on cultivators.

Of course, other spirit wines also have their own unique characteristics. Herbal Brew has miraculous effects on martial artists below the Innate level, as it can strengthen their physique and improve their cultivation. It also has the effect of strengthening the physique for Innate martial artists.

Drunken Immortal Brew is the favorite drink of alcoholics; it can intoxicate people, and even innate martial artists can get drunk if they drink too much of it.

Yes, An Yuxing's favorite drink is Zui Xian Niang (醉仙酿).

To him, the mixed fruit wine was just a tasteless, bland liquid.

In addition, the Spirit Source Land also has various spiritual wines such as peach blossom wine, apricot blossom wine, plum wine, and Thousand Cups of Intoxication.

There are more than ten kinds of alcoholic beverages.

If needed, Yang Zhengshan could even have hundreds of different kinds of spirit wine brewed.

Therefore, Yang Zhengshan is not afraid of competition among spirit wines at all.

"How powerful is the Fan family?" Yang Zhengshan continued to ask.

“The Fan family has two Heavenly Gang stage martial artists, and the Fan family patriarch is a renowned Heavenly Gang stage expert. Moreover, it is said that the Fan family and the Lian family are related by marriage!” Yang Chengxian said. “The Lian family, the Lian family of the Twelve Families?” Yang Zhengshan raised an eyebrow.

“Well, we don’t yet know exactly how close this marriage relationship is,” Yang Chengxian said.

There are many types of kinship relationships.

If one is related to the direct line by marriage, then the relationship with the Lian family must be considered. If one is related to the older generation of the direct line by marriage, then an even greater consideration is needed.

However, if it is only a marriage relationship with a collateral branch, then only a little caution is needed.

However, there seems to be no need to be too wary of the Lian family now.

First of all, the Lian family ranks last among the twelve great families, which is only slightly better than the Lu family.

Secondly, all three sects and twelve families are currently engaged in a major battle with the Netherworld Sect, so it's estimated that even the Lian family doesn't have the energy to deal with the Fan family's affairs.

Finally, even if the Lian family helps the Fan family, what can they do? Do they expect a Martial God level expert to intervene?
But if it weren't for the intervention of a martial arts master, what would Yang Zhengshan have to worry about?

After thinking it through, Yang Zhengshan smiled and said, "Then let's start with cigarettes and alcohol. As for the spirit tea, we'll wait a bit!"

Since we're new here, we can't be too arrogant and provoke two martial arts families right away!
First, put the drinks out for sale and see the Fan family's reaction. If the Fan family is willing to compete fairly, then there's nothing more to say; we can compete with each other.

However, if the Fan family wanted to resort to force, Yang Zhengshan wouldn't mind taking the Fan family down first to establish his authority.

In the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty, Yang Zhengshan dared not cause trouble, but in this Cold Valley County, he had fewer concerns.

Yang Zhengshan did not stay in Sanshan Village for long, mainly because he was in the way. His identity in the Secret Martial Guard was confidential, and apart from Yang Chengxian and others, no one else could see him, in order to prevent the exposure of his relationship with the Secret Martial Guard.

Therefore, when he was in Sanshan Village, the people in that village could only stay in their houses and could not come out.

Therefore, after obtaining information about Xuegu Town, he took Li Chang and left Sanshan Village.

……

In late autumn, Xuegu Town is swept up by the autumn wind, its desolation tinged with a unique vitality. Nestled against the majestic Yunxiao Mountains, it seems both protected by their imposing presence and threatened by their imposing grandeur at any moment.

Xuegu Town is said to be a market town, but it is quite large, with a population of around 30,000 to 40,000.

Most of them were family members of martial artists who made a living in the mountains, while a smaller number were managers and employees of various factions, as well as some merchant caravans.

In this Snow Valley Town, the density of martial artists is almost terrifying, with more than 80% of the population being martial artists, and innate martial artists accounting for about 30%.

Its density of martial artists even exceeds that of many places in the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty.

The reason for this is quite simple: this place is only suitable for innate martial artists who are willing to venture into the mountains.

Let alone ordinary people, even those who are acquired martial artists can only do odd jobs here. If you want to enter the mountain, without innate cultivation, entering the mountain is tantamount to courting death.

You should know that just ten miles east of Snow Valley Town lies the depths of the Cloud Mountain Range, a place inhabited by strange beasts.

Therefore, almost every household in this area has a martial artist with innate abilities. If not, they should move away as soon as possible, otherwise they won't even be able to get food.

Before arriving in Xuegu Town, Yang Zhengshan brought along all the people he would be using to run his business there.

The shopkeeper was Luo Zhen, the shop assistants were four martial artists at the Qi Sea stage of the Innate Realm, and the shop bodyguards were Liang Shengze, Qu Changkong, and Wu Zheng.

Wu Zheng's cultivation had already reached the Earthly Fiend stage, but he was still some distance away from the Heavenly Gang stage.

This guy has always been a cynical person, and he has never married or had children. He's long been tired of staying in the Spirit Source Land.

Yang Zhengshan needed manpower to open a shop in Xuegu Town, so he volunteered to come along.

This is just the first batch of people, mainly responsible for running the tobacco and liquor shop. As for whether Yang Zhengshan will open other shops later, that depends on the situation.

A group of ten people rode to Snow Valley Town, but their horses had been replaced with ordinary ones, mainly because the beast-level horses were too eye-catching.

Although all three sects and twelve families raise exotic beasts, the domesticated exotic beasts are actually very precious.

Lingxiu has so many martial arts markets, but none of them sell tamed beasts.

The main reason is that exotic beasts reproduce more slowly than ordinary animals. Even the three major sects are not so extravagant as to equip each disciple with an exotic beast.

Upon entering Xuegu Town, Yang Zhengshan and his group did not attract any attention. There were many teams in Xuegu Town that went into the mountains to hunt exotic beasts. These teams ranged from three to five people to more than a dozen people. Groups of innate martial artists would also frequently come to Xuegu Town, hoping to hunt exotic beasts in the mountains.

Upon arriving, Yang Zhengshan did not rush to rent a shop. Instead, he stayed at an inn in Xuegu Town for two days to confirm that the information Yang Chengxian had gathered was accurate before he went to the Hanxiao Sect's headquarters.

This branch is the Hanxiao Sect's administrative body in Xuegu Town, responsible for managing all aspects of Xuegu Town, including household registration, population, shops, and law enforcement.

For the Cold Cloud Sect, Snow Valley Town is a very important source of wealth, so they have deployed a lot of forces there.

Not only were there two Heavenly Gang stage martial artists in charge, but there was also an enforcement team composed of three hundred elite disciples.

The person in charge of managing the shop rentals was a deacon of the Hanxiao Sect at the Earthly Fiend stage, named Ji De'an.

Inside the antique-style main hall, Yang Zhengshan sat upright in the guest seat, calmly observing the room's decorations.

The climate of Hangu County is actually similar to that of Lingxiu Sea, with four distinct seasons. However, probably due to the obstruction of the Yunxiao Mountains, cold air from the north brings a lot of snow in winter. Every winter, Hangu County experiences several heavy snowfalls, and the temperature drops to below minus ten degrees Celsius, hence the name Hangu County.

Due to the climate, most houses in Hangu County are built with brick and stone, and people also have the custom of using heated brick beds and earthen stoves.

The decorating style is also simple and unpretentious, with most of the decorations in the room being made of wood and porcelain.

Yang Zhengshan waited in the main room for about fifteen minutes before Ji De'an finally arrived.

"Junior Ji De'an greets Senior Yang!" Ji De'an looked to be in his forties, with a slender build, a handsome face, and an air of authority.

Although this Steward Ji is only a Di Sha stage martial artist, he is not very old, only in his sixties. Given his age, he will inevitably become a Tian Gang stage martial artist in the future.

The fact that he could serve as a steward in such an important place as Snow Valley Town shows that he held a high position within the Cold Cloud Sect.

At this moment, Ji De'an looked at Yang Zhengshan, feeling quite puzzled.

Yang Zhengshan delivered a visiting card today, but he did so not in the name of the Yang family of Lingxi, but in the name of the Yang family of Lingyuan.

The reason for not using the name of the Lingxi Yang family is twofold: firstly, the name of the Lingxi Yang family is not easy to use and would be of no use; secondly, it is to avoid the Lingxi Yang family attracting too much attention. The Lingxi Yang family is just a small family, and as Yang Zhengshan's foothold in the Lingxiu Sea, it does not need a great reputation.

What puzzled Ji De'an was this Lingyuan Yang family.

Judging from Yang Zhengshan's appearance, he should not be an unknown person, but he had never heard of the Lingyuan Yang family.

(End of this chapter)