Is It Reasonable for Me to Start a Sect at 12?

While Jiang Youfu continued his daily cultivation, he also busied himself with refining his culinary skills, thoroughly enjoying his time. Thanks to the small portion of loot they had acquired from the bandits, the sect now had meat on the table almost every day.

Liu Yunan meticulously managed the accounts, setting aside most of the money for future sect expenses and using the grain as the sect's current food supply.

About seven or eight days ago, the village had already begun harvesting crops. Now, with the Grain in Ear season in full swing, the second round of crops was being planted. Every household in Shuishui Village was busy in the fields. Despite the torrential rains that had persisted for several days earlier, the fields in Shuishui Village seemed unaffected, and the crops were exceptionally bountiful, much to the villagers' delight.

However, the neighboring villages within a ten-mile radius were not as fortunate. Many of them had been impacted by the heavy rains, leading to reduced harvests. Fortunately, the county quickly issued a tax relief policy for the affected areas, which brought some relief to the anxious villagers.

But in Shuishui Village, not only had there been no reduction in crops, but thanks to the ample rainfall during the "Grain Full" period, the harvest had even slightly increased. This abundance led the villagers of Shuishui to boast about their good fortune to those in neighboring villages, much to their pride.

As a result, many people from nearby villages, especially those not part of large or influential families, began considering moving to Shuishui Village, believing its feng shui to be particularly favorable.

As the farming season progressed, so did the activities on Mount Lingxian. The spiritual grain planted in the sect's fields had matured and was harvested by the sect members working together. Since the initial batch of seeds was limited, Lin Dayou strictly prohibited anyone from eating the grain. Every single grain was to be saved for replanting.

Despite the tantalizing aroma of the spiritual grain, the sect members had to satisfy their cravings with the delicious meals prepared by Jiang Youfu. The newly joined Mo Yuanjiao and Mo Que had never tasted spiritual grain before, but seeing everyone else's eager expressions, they, too, became curious and eagerly awaited the day they could try it.

Under Lin Dayou's leadership, the sect's agricultural efforts were in full swing. Everyone was actively engaged in the fields, planting seeds and eagerly anticipating the autumn harvest.

A few days later, on a scorching afternoon, a group of officials on horseback, adorned with festive red flowers, rode into Shuishui Village, accompanied by a crowd of curious villagers. The officials were beating gongs as they made their way into the village.

"Hey, Old Hu! The officials are here to bring good news to your village!" shouted a middle-aged man following the officials, addressing someone under a large tree at the village entrance.

The villagers, puzzled by this unusual sight, wondered what kind of good news the officials were bringing. Some quick-thinking youngsters had already run off to fetch the village head and the clan elders.

As the officials continued their procession, more and more villagers gathered, following at a respectful distance as they made their way into the village. The officials, seated atop tall, majestic horses, nervously beat their gongs, careful not to startle their steeds. These horses had been borrowed from the county magistrate and the local patrol, and the officials were unused to riding such large animals, fearing they might fall off.

But they had no choice. This was the first time in decades that someone from their county had achieved the top rank in the provincial exams, and the county magistrate insisted that the celebration had to be grand.

Sweating profusely under the blazing sun, the officials finally arrived at the open space where village meetings were usually held. There, they dismounted with great care, wiping the sweat from their brows. The village head, Du Liushui, hurried over and greeted the officials with a bow.

"Please forgive us for not welcoming you sooner, officers," the village head said respectfully.

"No need for formalities, Village Head!" one of the leading officials replied, as he clumsily climbed down from his horse. After steadying himself, he pulled out a piece of paper tied with a red ribbon and handed it to the village head.

"Village Head, we're here to deliver some great news for your village. Gather everyone around, and I'll announce it to you all!"

The village head quickly sent people to call the villagers who were still hiding from the sun in their homes. Once a sizable crowd had gathered, surrounding the officials in multiple layers, the lead official cleared his throat and announced loudly:

"Today, a native of Shuishui Village, Sun Yigao, has achieved the top rank in the provincial exams of Hufang Province! In recognition of Shuishui Village's outstanding talents, the county magistrate has decided to exempt your village from this year's miscellaneous taxes!"

At first, many villagers were confused by the announcement, not fully understanding its significance. Sun Yigao had taken some sort of exam and ranked first? They didn't quite get it.

But when they heard the part about being exempt from this year's miscellaneous taxes, everyone understood perfectly!

While they still had to pay their regular taxes, being exempt from the miscellaneous taxes was a significant relief for the impoverished Shuishui Village. For the first time, many of the villagers realized that education really could be useful. Sun Yigao's success had brought them a tangible benefit—exemption from the taxes for the entire village.

Amidst the sweltering summer sun, the villagers erupted into cheers of joy.

At that moment, many of them began to think that perhaps reading and studying might indeed be worthwhile after all.

The people of Lingxian Sect, who had been busy planting crops on the mountain, had heard the commotion in the village below and quickly came down to join in the celebration.

When they learned of Sun Yigao's success in the provincial exams, Lin Xiao was overjoyed. Although passing the provincial exam only granted Sun Yigao the status of a scholar, he was the top scholar of his cohort. Lin Xiao was confident that with Sun Yigao's talent, he would surely excel in the upcoming county and imperial exams as well.