The first New Year's Eve in Shuishui City was a delightful surprise for the original villagers of Shuishui, and for the new residents, it was nothing short of astonishing.
Who would have thought that immortals would celebrate the New Year with common folk, even putting so much thought into organizing one event after another?
Shuishui City was now home not only to the original villagers of Shuishui and the surrounding villages but also to newcomers from nearby towns, counties, and even some lower-level rogue cultivators who had come after hearing about Lingxian Sect.
These rogue cultivators were not many in number, and their cultivation levels were low. Some were originally from Pusi Kingdom, while others came from surrounding nations. Many were from families with some distant cultivation lineage or had previously joined a sect but left when they could no longer progress in their cultivation. One way or another, they had heard about this rising sect, Lingxian Sect, and came with hope to give it a try.
Indeed, a few managed to pass the Heart Trial of Lingxian Sect and successfully became disciples of Qingyun Peak, but they were the rare exceptions. Most were rejected by the Heart Trial, which ended their last hope of advancing in cultivation. They decided to settle down, seeing that Lingxian Sect operated differently from other sects.
Thus, the residents of Shuishui City became a diverse group.
Ordinary people made up the vast majority, followed by low-level rogue cultivators and spies from various sects. And now, it seemed there would soon be dozens of sect administrators added to the mix.
Even so, this number of people was insignificant in the vastness of Shuishui City.
If the city was to truly flourish and operate like a bustling metropolis, it would need a far greater population.
This was the next major focus for Lin Yun.
On New Year's Eve, the entire city was swept up in an unprecedented atmosphere of joy and celebration. From the elderly to the children, everyone stayed up past midnight, reluctant to let the festive spirit end before finally falling asleep.
While the residents slept, the newly appointed City Lord, Lin Yun, along with ten Qingyun Peak disciples led by Yuan Jinsheng and Xuanyuan Haoyue, were hard at work in the government hall of the City Lord's Mansion.
They all wished they could split themselves into ten people to handle the immense workload.
With the founding of a new city, the tasks were immense: liaising with Pusi Kingdom's court, drafting population absorption plans, setting up the rules and lease details for the trade district, and managing trade projects. While the general plans had been outlined, every detail needed to be meticulously refined.
The next day, the first day of the New Year.
The city was lively as expected, but the marketplace remained closed.
The City Lord had issued an order suspending all work in Shuishui City.
All shops and stalls were to remain closed.
The City Lord's decree stated clearly that from the first to the third day of the new year, the entire city would be on holiday, with severe penalties for those caught working. From the fourth to the seventh day, although these were still official holidays, urgent matters could resume work.
As a result, some cultivators who hadn't listened carefully to the Lingxian Sect disciples after the auction and didn't catch that business would resume only on the seventh day, rushed to the Trade Office at dawn—only to find the doors closed and a "Resting" sign hanging on them, stating they would reopen at the Hour of Mao (5-7 AM) on the seventh day. They were left dumbfounded.
Though seven days might not seem long for cultivators, the wait felt lengthy when they were anxious to secure their rental shops.
But they had no choice. The sect members of Lingxian and the Li Clan had practically disappeared after New Year's Eve, not showing up at all since, leaving the cultivators with nothing to do but wait.
Little did they know, the Li Clan and Lingxian Sect were busy holding private meetings.
"You're saying that Lingxian Sect wants our Li Clan to send a representative to walk the Heart Trial and become a disciple of Lingxian Sect?" Li Zhanying asked in surprise.
Lin Xiao nodded. "Yes, this is our proposal. It's to strengthen our future collaboration. If one of your Li Clan members were to cultivate within Lingxian Sect, it would make managing trade matters more convenient. What do you think?"
Unlike their dealings with the three major sects of Pusi Kingdom, Li Zhanying was quick to agree. Even if the chosen candidate was the Li Clan's most talented disciple, Li Zeyuan, he was more than willing.
In the past, sending their best disciples to the three major sects only weakened the Li Clan's strength, giving the major sects their finest talents. These disciples would often be brainwashed by the sects, abandoning the Li Clan's interests entirely.
But Lingxian Sect was different.
Not only did Li Zhanying have a good impression of the sect, but from a broader perspective, having a Li Clan disciple cultivate in Lingxian Sect while maintaining close ties with the sect would be a significant advantage. With the trade center in Shuishui City showing great potential, a Li Clan disciple would ensure long-term stability and a prosperous future for the family, benefiting from Lingxian Sect's wealth of resources.
The Li Clan had already made more profit than ever before just from working with the three major sects in Pusi Kingdom.
Now, Lingxian Sect had brought in so many other sects...
Additionally, for the chosen disciple, it was an equally fortunate opportunity.
After all, the progress made by Lingxian Sect's current disciples was nothing short of astonishing. Even though the Li Clan didn't know every detail, they had seen enough. The rapid advancement of Lingxian Sect's disciples was comparable to prodigies by any standard.
Clearly, Lingxian Sect was not only rich in resources but also possessed highly effective cultivation techniques.
So why would Li Zhanying refuse? He could only say yes!
Thus, an agreement was quickly reached.
However, selecting the right candidate from the Li Clan proved a bit tricky.
Lingxian Sect's only requirement was that the candidate must have strong administrative abilities.
But how capable, exactly? Lingxian Sect hadn't provided specific details, but Li Zhanying knew this wasn't something they could take lightly. Any issues that arose would affect the relationship between the Li Clan and Lingxian Sect.
So, this person had to be outstanding in management.
Moreover, Lingxian Sect had stated that to pass the Heart Trial, the candidate must have a tenacious spirit and a strong moral character.
Li Zhanying could boast that all of his clan's disciples were tenacious and excellent, but the Heart Trial would see through such claims, so that was irrelevant.