This is the effect of having good luck.

Residing daily with 500 Qi Fortune Value, everything goes smoothly.

If it were an ordinary person, they wouldn't find the source at all, or even know danger is approaching; fifteen days later, they'd rise from the coffin only to be eliminated.

Before the fifteenth of the lunar new year, performing ancestor worship oneself will ensure safety.

An eleven-day deadline, the timing isn't tight.

Thinking about those Demon Men, they probably don't make a big fuss every year when they worship their ancestors.

All I need to do is prepare chickens, ducks, pigs, geese, and various offerings, then train the young blacksmith to be a bit more filial and polite.

Let the old ancestors guarding the manor outside have a happy New Year!

Afterwards, Ning Zheng no longer disturbed Su Yuniang from fishing, the Demon Men's ancestral tomb should be connected to an underground river, but it must be far away.

Su Yuniang won't be fished up from the other side of the well.

The correct way to perform ancestor worship should be to walk from the surface, through this Spirit Manor, to the outskirts.

...

...

The next morning.

Ning Zheng transformed into the old steward and went up the mountain once.

Arriving at the manor, he discovered the layout inside had changed drastically once again.

It was divided into more detailed areas, including an experimental farmland area and a River Demon breeding area.

The field grew a large amount of goosegrass, clearly preparing for mass production of these Mixed Spirit Roots.

And just yesterday, the third batch of Three-Flower Cultivators emerged, significantly more numerous, with twenty or so people.

The Spirit Roots grown were mainly divided into two types.

One type is the Spirit Farmer for Shadow Rice Wine, aimed at the group like the Hairpin Lady and blacksmith who plan to keep living.

The other is goosegrass, intended for Enchanters who are preparing to end their lives.

At this moment.

The Food God boastfully flaunted his wheat-spike hair, swinging his trendy hairstyle, "Am I handsome or what?"

"Is this Spirit Farmer's Wood Spirit Root growing rice flowers?" Shao Chaikun felt it, noticing the rough husk texture.

"It's much more convenient like this, no need for Little Cloud Rain Skill from other novels to irrigate the Spirit Field, just use Magic Coins to water it, diligently washing your hair to irrigate is enough." The blacksmith speaking seemed clearly to be an avid fan of fantasy novels.

Shrimp Catcher said, "Guys, what do you think about using a bit of urea on the head? I think Stanley is fine."

"Get lost." The Food God was furious; as the manor's top chef, he always administered poison, never would anyone drug him.

Shrimp Catcher wasn't angry, pondering, "That's true, the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium fertilizer here might not be suitable; we need to recreate the fertilizer for Spirit Plants."

"Brother, what's your profession? You're so skilled," Shao Chaikun was a bit curious.

"I study farming," Shrimp Catcher chuckled.

Shao Chaikun nodded, saying earnestly, "Even if it's called fertilizer, it'd be more fitting to call it shampoo on the head, adding a bit of surfactant and possibly some oil treatment; for oil extraction, I think the kitchen's 95 Octane gasoline could be tested."

Shrimp Catcher was also impressed, asking, "Buddy, what's your line of work, how come you're also so proficient?"

"I make shampoo."

"Why don't we team up and make shampoo to earn money from the Spirit Farmers?"

"Sure, but I also have to help out in the kitchen sometimes."

The shampoo-making Shao Chaikun and farming student Shrimp Catcher teamed up, ready to embark on a big venture.

The blacksmith beside them was dumbfounded.

In our group, there truly are hidden talents!

Someone didn't understand these fertilizer components, naively only recognizing farm fertilizers, clutching their head and lamenting:

"Only Grandpa Crow was sensible, helping fertilize daily with farm fertilizer on our heads, I wrongfully blamed it, it's a pity it's been chased away."

"Now there's no Crow the Fair, letting these bad guys earn our fertilizing money."

"..."

Passing by, Ning Zheng turned his head frequently, unsure what to say.

However, seeing them so proactive in farming, the future Spirit Rice yield should be greater.

Arriving at the steward's room, he found Jiucai Rong was still a mortal, clearly without time to read, open Three Flowers.

He was dealing with various task reports and documents, utterly worn out, unable to stop.

"Old steward, what brings you here?"

Jiucai Rong quickly stood up.

He's been quite busy lately, really wanting to find time to read, open up a "baby" to let a "shadow clone" help him share the office burden.

Unfortunately, he never finds the time.

Ning Zheng got straight to the point, "Lately, the Lord of the Manor is in closed-door cultivation, coinciding with the New Year period, unable to come out for ancestor worship or tomb-sweeping, so someone is needed to help."

Help with ancestor worship?

Drip-drip tomb-sweeping?

Jiucai Rong was stunned.

Isn't this the recently popular online tomb-sweeping service?

"The specific worship rituals differ somewhat..."

Ning Zheng explained the details and finally said, "I see you all mentioning filial piety daily, so it should suit you well, hence recommending you to the Lord of the Manor."

Jiucai Rong listened, drenched in sweat.

You're being foolish, old steward!

What's so fitting about it?

Our filial piety is different from the traditional one you're referring to!

The old steward is just too straightforward.

"This... we can do it!!" Jiucai Rong immediately expressed his confidence, there's no task he can't handle.

Get the suona team ready.

Professional in mourning, calling out "father".

After all, this is the old steward's main quest.

Is it possible to abandon the quest?

Absolutely not.

Last time, the main quest reward was a choice between two options, so isn't it fair for it to be the same this time?

Ning Zheng nodded, "However, the offerings must be plentiful, so I plan to let merchants from Pingchang City come for transactions in advance to procure a lot of offerings for worship. Get ready mentally."

Jiucai Rong felt a twinge in his heart, "Merchants, may I ask when?"

"Tomorrow." Ning Zheng had no intention of delaying, "Can it be done?"

"A man can't say no."

Jiucai Rong clenched his fist, digging it into his flesh, and said with determination:

"Steward! We need to let the city see our manor's products; they'll surely become a citywide sensation, with cultivators rushing to buy! Frenzied purchases, reservations! Then we make them queue up for limited sales, playing them like monkeys!"

Ning Zheng didn't quite understand these future business models, but seeing the ambitious look, he still felt it was trustworthy.

After all, without a conscience, earning more...

made Ning Zheng feel a little sour inside.

After handing over duties, Ning Zheng went straight down the mountain.

As for Jiucai Rong, he thought about it and felt it was a good thing too.

Although the merchants are coming quickly, if utilized well, development will be faster!

For example, Su Yuniang's dungeon instances these days.

Because there's no equipment, it's impossible to go far.

If this time they manage it, obtaining a large amount of materials, equipment upgrades, the dungeon adventure strategy progress will certainly accelerate.

Before long.

"The main quest is updating."

Jiucai Rong then walked out of the steward's room and placed a sign at the manor entrance.

[Official Announcement: This "Sword Casting Competition" will undergo a major update without going offline, version 0.2 update log is as follows.]

[Main storyline DLC to be opened: New Year Market Merchants.]

[I believe most blacksmiths have been waiting for the Pingchang City merchants mentioned by the old steward for a long time, right? They're finally coming tomorrow, please prepare in advance.]

[This trade is of great significance, allowing for the exchange of many commodities, and then setting up stalls at the new year market downhill, reselling them to villagers for a profit.]

[Villagers downhill have no money, we can have them exchange labor for compensation, sewing, weaving, collecting various materials for us, like goosegrass, fruit seeds... work for wages.]

[Please get your products ready, curb your strong silly demeanor, and treat guests with courtesy.]

...

The manor exploded at that moment.

[Medical Fairy]: "Hehehe, merchants! Merchants~ My clinic is lacking many things, I wonder if my first version River Demon sleeping bags will sell? I believe cultivators in the city will like my style, bright pearls will never gather dust."

[Food God]: "My Five-Colored Dried Crow Meat has a unique flavor, everyone who tasted it said it's good, it should sell, I also need to buy some ingredients, like breeding pigs, breeding chickens."

[Su Yuniang]: "Hahaha, buying things from here, then reselling downhill. After all, our weapons are hard to sell, might as well get a batch of must-have products to set up a stall in the village."

Everyone was very happy, looking ahead.

As they were discussing, they saw Jiucai Rong come out and took out a second sign.

Crack.

Inserted into the ground.

The crowd gathered around again.

[This major update also optimizes the following items.]

[1. Minor adjustments to the manor layout, adding a demon beast farm and spiritual root planting fields outside the trading post, with daily corresponding tasks available.]

[2. Fixed a few bugs.]

[3. Optimized several known issues.]

[4. Added a new demon beast group map, River Demon.]

[5. Added a new lifestyle profession, Fisherman, which will be launched soon, stay tuned.]

[6. Added new social favorability systems [Master-Disciple System] and [Family System], allowing players to establish mentor-pupil, father-son, grandparent-child relationships with NPCs, increasing favorability.]

[7. To ensure the festive spirit of the manor, besides [New Year Stall] and [New Year Merchant], a third New Year activity will be launched—New Year Tomb Sweeping.]

Task details: As the Lord of the Manor is still in seclusion and can't leave, only blacksmiths can be appointed for tomb sweeping.

Please be ready for suona enthusiasts, those good at pleasing elders, and blacksmiths who are skilled in recognizing fathers.

Note 1, this will be the first trial of the [Family System], if you miss this, it will reopen at random in the future.

Note 2, please be polite and filial.

Note 3, it is most likely Embers will go out to pay respects, with a small chance of the person going out. Therefore, please expedite the production of Embers before the event to prevent accidents.

Note 4, the final interpretation right belongs to the Manor Council.