Longevity: Starting from Refining Gu
Chapter 521: 292: Wen Country's Reform, Re-entering the Death Realm

Chapter 521: Chapter 292: Wen Country’s Reform, Re-entering the Death Realm

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Late at night, Chen Qing sat upon the throne, listening to the discussions of Xuan Mang, Su Yi, Li Changqing, Qitian Feng, and Ting Yun.

Xuan Mang said, “Our Mystic Gate Army is unmatched across all nations, yet handing out salaries would be an enormous expenditure.”

“Even if each person only received five Spiritual Pearls a month, we would need to distribute nearly twenty thousand Spiritual Pearls monthly!”

“And that’s just the number for one month!”

“Now, the military has a total of two thousand while there are over twelve hundred civil officials, none of whom are involved in production nor generate any output.”

“There are only a little over four hundred production sect cultivators, who are responsible for supporting nearly four thousand people, which is simply impossible!”

“The financial resources required are astronomical!”

“Furthermore, the Fighting System uses a lot of spirit Gu, but the Production System does not have many. If there were Production Systems’ spirit Gu, perhaps this situation could be somewhat alleviated.”

Su Yi furrowed her brows and asked, “Left National Master, with our current production of Spiritual Medicine, how many people can we support?”

Li Changqing took out the ledger, “Currently, we have nearly three thousand production sect cultivators under our command, including four hundred and twelve in the Mystic Gate Realm and two thousand five hundred and twenty-six in the Foundation Establishment.”

“These were all trained while the king was still in the Death Realm, utilizing the potential of the Death Realm to develop production sect Mystic Gate Realm cultivators.”

“In the future, it will become less and less. Even if Wen Country can steadily cultivate a few production sect Mystic Gate Realm cultivators each year, it remains a drop in the bucket.”

“Moreover, we are severely lacking in land, in Cave Heaven Blessed Land.”

“With our current production, at most, we can steadily ensure the support of about a thousand Mystic Gate Realm cultivators.”

Chen Qing asked curiously, “Then how did we manage to support ourselves in past years?”

Su Yi replied, “In those years prior, the salaries distributed were less than other countries because we might acquire the territory of the Water Country. The soldiers could still wait, so there was not much discontent.”

“If the news that there will be no fiefs is released, it might cause the military’s morale to collapse.”

“Furthermore, after decades of war in the Death Realm, we finally emerged victorious, obtaining a massive stockpile of spirit Gu.”

“For these years, we have sustained the administration by selling spirit Gu.”

Chen Qing also realized the difficulty of the situation, “Is that so?”

Ting Yun, after listening for a while, also understood what Chen Qing intended.

Chen Qing did not want a model similar to other Great Sects or various countries.

Other Great Sects relied on granting land out, and then several tribal sects supported the royal family.

This was a system with no outflow.

When personnel were needed, they were drawn from the large tribes, which did not resent it since it could close the relationship with the royal family.

In future disputes, the royal family would favor due to ties.

However, Chen Qing’s thinking was entirely different. He did not want to confer lands; he wanted a nation self-sufficient and complete.

This was a system with both inflow and outflow.

Since he wanted people to work, then it was necessary to issue salaries for them to see a glimmer of hope in ascending to the Sky-reaching Realm.

For those below the Mystic Gate Realm, there was no need to worry too much. There were still many production sect Foundation Establishment cultivators, fully sustainable.

The biggest problem now was how these nearly four thousand Mystic Gate Realm individuals could endure such a massive salary distribution.

Chen Qing rubbed his head, understanding the problem.

It wasn’t that other royal families didn’t wish for centralized power; it was just that the financial resources required for centralized power were immense.

In the past, because the Death Realm was an extremely chaotic place, production sect cultivators entering it were unlikely to survive, making production sect Mystic Gate cultivators highly precious.

The various countries simply could not support numerous Mystic Gate Realm members, so they conferred them out.

Now that Chen Qing controlled the Death Realm, securing the safety of production sect cultivators entering it and their cultivation needs, greatly relieved the pressure.

But it only alleviated it to some extent.

Take Wen Country with the most production sect cultivators as an example, they only had over four hundred production sect cultivators.

So the biggest issue now is that there are too many Mystic Gate Realm warriors, but in reality, there are no everlasting wars.

These warriors have nowhere to use their talents to earn Spirit Stones.

Currently, Wen Country is still fine, as everyone knows that the land of the Water Country will very likely be granted to Wen Country by the Miao God.

This time, with Water Country’s removal, Wen Country must send troops, and the warriors are secretly gathering strength and training, waiting for an extinction war.

Chen Qing said, “Now there are still nearly ten years until the attack on the Water Country. Adjust the quotas for entering the Death Realm to focus entirely on production sect cultivators.”

“Additionally, let the civil officials shift towards the production sect and contract production sect spirit Gu.”

“Officials shifting towards the production system may promise a family offspring an academy quota.”

“Moreover, for Mystic Gate Realm shifting to production sect with Gu Butterfly Transformation, open the twelve volumes of the spirit Gu chapter of the Gu Book for his family’s academy disciples to study.”

“Fully cultivate alchemists, to refine large quantities of Elixirs, besides meeting our own needs, take out a portion to sell at high prices to the world, in exchange for Spirit Stones and Spiritual Medicine.”

“Elixirs for the Mystic Gate Realm’s ascension to the Sky-reaching Realm, strictly prohibited from external sales.”

“Moreover, set the salaries for high court officials, who can participate in court discussions, as Pill Salaries, distributing Elixirs for Mystic Gate Realm cultivation as salaries.”

“The specific number, according to the pace of one Sky-reaching Realm every hundred years.”

“In other words, upon becoming an official able to participate in court discussions, after serving for a hundred years, one can become a Sky-reaching Realm cultivator.”

“Let everyone see the hope of becoming a Sky-reaching Realm.”

“This is our distinction from other countries.”

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