Chapter 678: Population Problem (3)

Chapter 678: Chapter 457: Population Problem (3)

“Many sects within the alliance are happy to accept this. Only a handful of old traditionalists object, believing that too large a population will damage the territory’s Spirit Veins.

There are also some Cultivators who revere the Yellow Emperor’s Skill and believe we shouldn’t interfere too much in the lives and deaths of mortals, that it’s best to let nature take its course.

Beyond that, there’s only some discontent among the commoner groups. They believe the new immigrants are encroaching on their livelihoods. This has led to several serious armed brawls, resulting in a few deaths, but they were quickly suppressed.”

Fang Qingyuan continued to tap his fingers on the table as he analyzed the situation and gave his own opinions:

“There are old traditionalists everywhere; just ignore them. They’ll disappear on their own in a few years. As for the followers of the Yellow Emperor’s Skill, we need to win them over. Show them the actual results. The number of new Immortal Seedlings each year, the sect’s Spirit Field Medicine Gardens, the Magical Artifacts and Talisman Paper produced by our workshops, even the Spirit Stones they use themselves—aren’t all of these increasing every year?

As for the final issue with the commoners, you need to keep an eye on it. Don’t let disputes among mortals affect the Cultivators. As long as Cultivators don’t get involved, the commoners can’t stir up too much trouble.”

Cultivators also come from mortal villages. If the disputes escalate to the point where Cultivators are confronting each other, it means the situation has spiraled out of control and the conflict has become irreconcilable.

“According to the latest summaries submitted from all regions, the total population of the Qingyuan Alliance has now reached eight million. Just ten years ago, that number was only a little over five million.”

Fang Qingyuan was a little surprised. ‘Over two million people flooding in over ten years… that means one in every three people in the Qingyuan Alliance is an immigrant. With such a large population, I have no idea how I’m going to wrangle with the Great Zhou Academy over this.’

‘As for the idea that the Qingyuan Alliance will just obediently send everyone back the moment the Great Zhou Academy says the word? That’s just a dream. Do they really expect me to spit out what’s already in my mouth?’

Of course, while Fang Qingyuan was determined not to hand anyone over, his official stance was naturally that people were free to stay or leave. He couldn’t give anyone leverage over him. But if you actually believed that, it just proved you were still naive.

Does the Great Zhou Academy have any say in the matter?

It does!

But will Fang Qingyuan hand over the people?

He won’t. If they have the guts, they can bring an army to take them. After being worn down by continuous warfare, launching another attack on the Qingyuan Alliance would be a brainless move that not even Spirit Wood or Li Huo would make.

Among the population Fang Qingyuan had accepted, the largest group came from the Pill Alliance, followed by Li Huo, and finally, Spirit Wood.

If you really had to name the biggest loser in all this, it would be the Pill Alliance. However, the Pill Alliance still owes the Qingyuan Sect a considerable sum. They’ll have to settle that war debt first before he’s willing to discuss the matter of the commoners’ repatriation.

“The number of commoners flooding in this year is unusual. It feels like double the rate of previous years. Could there be a problem?”

Although Liu Xun was the Vice Sect Leader, he trusted Fang Qingyuan’s analysis when it came to high-level intelligence on the overall situation, because Fang Qingyuan always had more information, never less.

“It’s been ten years. The fighting should be over by now. Ten years marks a cycle, and we are now at its end. If nothing unexpected happens, White Mountain should see a long-awaited peace this winter.”

Fang Qingyuan’s eyes gazed into the distance, his mind seemingly elsewhere. Hearing this, Liu Xun felt a surge of panic and blurted out:

“Then what about the alliance’s production workshops? If the war stops, we’ll never be able to sell all these Talismans and Magical Artifacts we’re producing.”

“What’s the panic? It’s business as usual. Even if the Pill Alliance, Spirit Wood, and the Li Huo Alliance don’t need as much anymore, isn’t the Beast Taming Sect in the Barbaric Wilderness increasing its procurement everywhere? We’re so close; it makes no sense for the Beast Taming Sect to look far when a source is right here. At worst, we’ll just stockpile everything and use it ourselves in the expansion war thirty years from now. In any case, not a single one of these production lines we worked so hard to establish will be shut down!”

Having convinced Liu Xun, whose perspective was somewhat limited, Fang Qingyuan had no desire to continue the conversation. He stood up and walked toward the back, heading straight for the place where Bear Wind was in seclusion. He sent a voice transmission:

“Brother Xiong, the time has come. The promise we made back then is now due. Cui Dong City of the Illusion Sword Sect has sent word, telling us to fulfill our vow.”

CREAK… Bear Wind, his face calm, walked out of the Quiet Chamber. He tilted his head, looking at Fang Qingyuan. A smile touched the corners of his mouth, revealing his fangs.