189: Chapter 189 Another Year

Inside the Pei Clan Estate.

Pei Tianrong had received the letter about Pei Qingyun's return.

He was waiting personally at the main gate early on.

For this trip to Jinhuai, Pei Qingyun had been away for over two months, and he had completed a major mission for the Family.

The establishment of the Yuanhang Trade Caravan Jinhuai Branch was a significant boost to the reputation of the Wuyang Pei Clan.

The impact brought about by this was even greater than when he had advanced to Grandmaster.

Perhaps in the near future, the Yuanhang Trade Caravan would also be able to expand beyond Jinhuai Prefecture.

Before long, a carriage pulled by Dragon Scale Horses slowly came to a stop at the main gate of the Pei Clan Estate.

After the expansion, the Pei Clan Estate had not only doubled in size from its original area, but the existing buildings had also undergone renovations.

The entire Pei Clan Estate looked brand new.

Of course, some clan members believed that some of the original buildings should be preserved.

Ancient buildings carried the historical heritage of a Family, but to a certain extent, this was not necessarily a good thing.

If one is immersed in the past, how can one embrace the future?

The Wuyang Pei Clan should be like the rising sun, full of vitality.

Since reform was necessary, it should be done thoroughly from start to finish.

As soon as Pei Qingyun stepped off the carriage, Pei Tianrong and a group of Elders stepped forward to greet him.

Pei Qingyun first greeted Pei Tianrong, and then responded to each of the Grand Elders one by one.

During the two-plus months he was away, the development of the Wuyang Pei Clan had proceeded in an orderly manner.

The first phase of the Yuanhong Trading Market project was nearly one-tenth complete.

Inside the Xiyuan Ranch, the breeding of the Dragon Scale Beasts was also progressing in a positive direction.

During this period, over a dozen mares had given birth to young Dragon Scale Horses, but this breeding speed was clearly insufficient.

With the establishment of the Yuanhang Trade Caravan Jinhuai Branch, the demand for Dragon Scale Horses had increased even further.

Of course, when the numbers were insufficient, he could only use ordinary Dragon-Blood Horses as replacements.

But regardless, the breeding speed clearly could not keep up with the growing needs of the Wuyang Pei Clan.

Furthermore, it would take two years for a young horse to grow up before it could be put into official use.

Thinking of this, Pei Qingyun believed it might be time to order a batch of adult Dragon Scale Horses and Dragon Scale Beasts for breeding.

Just like that, half a month passed in a flash.

Heavy snow fell, drifting for thousands of miles.

At this moment, the mountains, the forests, and indeed the entire thousand-mile expanse of Jinhuai Prefecture were wrapped in a silver coat.

The end of another year was approaching.

This was not the first time Pei Qingyun had witnessed such heavy snow.

However, this year's heavy snow carried a warmth that was not easily perceptible to ordinary people.

Under his promotion, the layout of the Wuyang Pei Clan's major industries was basically complete.

However, what surprised him the most was the establishment of the Jinhuai Branch.

During the time he was returning to Wuyang City, the total family luck had increased by a significant margin, the largest increase in history, growing by a full 1,000 points, and the upper limit of usable family luck had also increased by 200 points.

[Name: Pei Qingyun]

[Lifespan: 38 years, 5 months]

[Cultivation: Six Bowels Realm Middle Stage (400 / 20000)]

[Cultivation Technique: Evergreen Art middle volume Perfection (Mystic Grade Peak), Blazing Sun Fire Art Perfection (Mystic Grade Peak); Yellow Grade Cultivation Techniques hidden]

[Bloodline: Yi Wood 4th Rank Middle Section (20 / 10000), Blazing Fire 3rd Rank High Section (500 / 2000) ...]

[family luck: 70 (1600) (Note: family luck can be restored, 80 points can be naturally restored every day.)]

[Skill: Analysis Technique]

Over these past two months, Pei Qingyun had added all the available family luck to the Blazing Sun Fire Art.

Finally, at the Hour of the Rat last night, his Blazing Sun Fire Art had broken through from Major Achievement to Perfection.

The Blazing Sun Fire Art at the level of Perfection had caused his Blazing Fire Bloodline to also break through from the 3rd Rank Middle Section to the 3rd Rank High Section.

The Breakthrough in his Blazing Fire Bloodline Power had also significantly improved his Alchemy Aptitude.

The 2nd Rank Medicinal Pill that he had previously been just one step away from refining had been completed a few days ago, thanks to the improvement in his Aptitude.

If it were not for the fact that he had been practicing Alchemy for too short a time and had only mastered the refining of one type of 2nd Rank Medicinal Pill, he would have already been a 2nd Rank Alchemist by now.

At the same time, because of the Perfection of the Blazing Sun Fire Art, his combat power had also increased by approximately twenty percent.

Six Bowels Realm Middle Stage, two Mystic Grade Peak Cultivation Techniques at Perfection.

It was not Pei Qingyun boasting, but even some old Grandmasters who had been immersed in the Six Bowels Realm Middle Stage for decades would likely be unable to achieve this.

However, combat was not entirely about comparing numerical values.

But given his fundamental conditions, he dared not speak of distant places, but within the several prefectures surrounding Jinhuai, no Grandmaster could compare to him.

"Another year has passed. Next, it is time to go all out and push for the Six Bowels Realm Late Stage." Stepping out of the ancestral house, Pei Qingyun gazed at the snowflakes falling from the sky and sighed.

At this moment, in Wuyang City, people were coming and going.

The falling snow could not stop the figures of the common people from working.

Many commoners had started sweeping the snow from their own doorsteps early in the morning.

As for the wealthy families, they had arranged for servants to clear it away even earlier.

Compared to the cold winters of previous years, the most significant change in the major districts of Wuyang City was that there were far fewer beggars frozen to death.

Every year at this time, it was often the most difficult days for poor families.

Whether it was a prefecture city or a provincial capital, it was the same.

It was just that the more prosperous a place was, the lower the proportion of people freezing to death.

Because of the rapid development of the Wuyang Pei Clan and their extensive development within Wuyang County, many commoners had earned silver.

Wuyang County was originally an important grain production area, and with money in their pockets, the commoners' food and clothing problems were naturally solved.

Besides this, the Pei Clan had also set up a designated spot for distributing porridge.

For the poor, this benevolent act by the Pei Clan undoubtedly won them a good reputation.

Of course, many other families scoffed at the Pei Clan's actions.

We all know who we are, what games are they playing!

What are they pretending to be!

Weren't the interests of these Great Families all obtained by exploiting the common people?

But they ignored one point: the common people were the cornerstone that maintained their interests.

Furthermore, the Wuyang Pei Clan also needed a vast amount of reputation to boost their family luck.

On Shiming Street, vendors were shouting their wares energetically, with hot steam rising into the air.

Even on a snowy day, there were no shortage of people working.

Who wouldn't want to have a bowl on such a cold day.

Inside a carriage engraved with the Pei Clan's emblem, two people were sitting opposite each other.

One of them was around thirteen or fourteen years old, with red lips and white teeth, looking like a delicate pretty boy.

One look and it was clear he was a young master of a Great Family who had not experienced much hardship.

The other was a man who looked to be around thirty, dressed in a green robe, with the aura of someone in a high position showing between his brows.

The youth was named Pei Siyi, and the man was Pei Tianming.

Since the establishment of the Yuanhang Trade Caravan, Pei Qingyun had transferred Pei Tianming's position from the No. 1 Mine to become the person in charge of specific affairs for the Yuanhang Trade Caravan in each county.

"Dad, haven't you been in charge of the No. 1 Mine? How do you have the time to come to Longnan Prefecture to pick me up this time?" Pei Siyi asked curiously.

"That is a long story. The mine has already been handed over to your Uncle Tianhai. Your father is now specifically responsible for managing the Family's trade caravans in each county. There was just a business matter involving Longnan Prefecture, so I thought I would pick you up on the way back," Pei Tianming explained.

Pei Siyi said with a wronged expression, "I knew it, you wouldn't have come specifically to pick me up. You don't love me at all."

Seeing Pei Siyi like this, he just knew his precious son was up to no good.