Immortality: Raising an Ant Queen to Cultivate by increasing stat points

Chapter 465: Chapter 457 The Historian Niu Ascending to the Path_1

Early in the morning, after the family had breakfast, they rode in a carriage into the city.

Along the way, one could still see the traces of the pest infestation. Many trees had their leaves gnawed away, not even sparing the freshly sprouted buds.

Some newly hatched caterpillars clung to the damaged leaf tips like vampires, sucking the sap from the branches.

Ordinarily, apart from cattle and sheep that might graze on them, the ground’s weeds were rarely nibbled by insects.

This year, however, they too suffered greatly.

Not only were the leaves eaten by locusts, leaf insects, and other pests, but even the roots were mostly consumed by pests like mole crickets. This led to the complete death of many weeds.

It is known that weeds are extremely resilient plants; wild fires can’t even burn them to death.

Just as long as spring arrives, their splendor remains unchanged.

Now, with the Black Tiger Gang emerging victorious and the Nine Insect Gang suffering a crushing defeat, the pestilence that had driven everyone to despair lost its mastermind, and it was believed that it would soon subside.

Qin Niu saw the Black Tiger Gang Leader’s strategic genius through this battle that had lasted nearly a year.

At the time, no one was optimistic about the war, with most of the focus on how to deal with the pest infestation.

But the Black Tiger Gang Leader never offered a solution to the pestilence and even seemed to have an air of resignation about him, ignoring the devastation. Even when the people in Black Tiger Gang’s territory suffered crop failures for three consecutive seasons and famines began to emerge, the Gang Leader maintained his composure.

Only now did Qin Niu understand the Gang Leader’s far-sighted strategy.

It was a technique of capturing the ringleaders to defeat the followers.

Lacking powerful Insect Masters, the Black Tiger Gang would surely lose if they contended with the Nine Insect Gang on that front. In the end, the Gang Leader chose to wait patiently and then directly defeated the Nine Insect Gang’s forces on the battlefield.

He even nearly assassinated the Nine Insects Gang Leader.

In this way, there was no need to address the pestilence anymore.

Moreover, the deadlocks of famine, soaring grain prices, and blocked import channels were successfully resolved. By seizing control of the Shennong Sect’s territory, the Black Tiger Gang was no longer afraid of being cut off when buying grain.

The Shennong Sect was an extremely important transportation hub, somewhat like a city that connects nine provinces.

After annexing two-thirds of the Shennong Sect’s territory, the Black Tiger Gang now enjoyed this enviable transportation advantage that many factions coveted.

Surveying the entire war situation, Qin Niu held the Black Tiger Gang Leader in the highest regard.

He also learned many profound strategies.

He learned not to focus on the gains and losses of a single city or place but to look towards the long-term, to play to strengths and avoid weaknesses in the gamble with the enemy. Fighting their own battles in their own way, they ultimately turned the tide of the entire war in one fell swoop.

This ability is something every family head, every Gang Leader, and every Sect Master must learn.

After Qin Niu drove the carriage into the city, he headed straight for the government offices.

He had several matters to tend to in the city that day.

“Oh, Master Qin has arrived! You’re a rare guest, please come inside for some tea,” said the Historian from the government office, immediately coming out to greet him upon seeing Qin Niu.

He greeted Qin Niu with a smile on his face, slightly stooping his shoulders, displaying an extremely submissive posture.

“You’re too kind, Historian Niu! I have several important matters to handle today, I’ll come to bother you another day!”

Qin Niu did not have time to drink tea with him.

In the past, the Historian from the household office was a big official in his eyes. Now that he was a first-class noble with his cultivation advanced to the Dual Innate Realm, the Historian seemed much less significant.

At least, it had to be someone of the level of Vice Gang Leader Bai to be worth noting.

“This is my wife, Mrs. Wang. I bought some good farmland and shops a few days ago and have not yet had the opportunity to transfer ownership. Please help me with the formalities, Historian Niu. Transfer all of them into my wife’s name,” Qin Niu had already planned this before coming.

His wife managing the family wealth was a good option.

“I have seen Mrs. Qin,” Historian Niu immediately greeted Wang Wanyan with a handclasp.

A wife derives her status from her husband.

Qin Niu’s status is prestigious, and with that, Wang Wanyan, his official wife, also sees her status elevated to honor.

“Master Qin is too kind!”

Wang Wanyan returned the courtesy, responding quite appropriately.

She was unlike some women who, relying on their husband’s noble position, would flaunt their power in front of others, putting on airs wherever they went.

If she had been that kind of woman, Qin Niu would never have married her.

Let alone make her his official wife.

The Qin Family needed a virtuous and gentle wife to flourish and thrive.

Just like an empress of a nation must be a paragon of womanhood for all, rather than a scheming woman with just a pretty face.

“Master Qin, these are the original land deeds and house deeds, how long do you think it will take to get them processed?”

The Historian took the documents Qin Niu handed over.

Two thick stacks, housed in a wooden box. He examined them carefully, a look of shock appearing on his face.

“This must be several thousand acres of fertile land, and over a hundred shops, right?”

“Right!”

Qin Niu nodded.

His wife’s beautiful eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

She had thought her husband would at most purchase a few hundred acres of good land; she had not expected Qin Niu to buy thousands of acres — how much money would that be?

And with over a hundred shops, even if one sold for merely a hundred taels of Silver Money, that would already be ten thousand taels.

In reality, any decently located shop wouldn’t sell for less than four hundred taels.

After all, rent was not cheap.

Larger shops in slightly better locations had annual rents that started at least at ten taels of Silver Money and went up from there. The more expensive ones could be as much as forty or fifty taels per shop.

“Master Qin is an esteemed guest of our yamen. I have specially assigned several clerks and accountants to handle your property transfer. At the soonest, I estimate it would take about three to four hours to complete everything,” the Historian considered and then gave a specific completion time.

A subordinate, hearing this, showed a worried expression.

Leaning close to the Historian, he whispered, “Many procedures for influential figures in the city are still pending and haven’t been dealt with! If you prioritize Master Qin’s case, what would those nobles think should they find out?”

“Idiot, who is Master Qin? Now that he’s here, if I don’t prioritize his case, should I give preference to someone else?”

After being scolded, the subordinate immediately bowed his head and fell silent.

Even though the two spoke in hushed tones, Qin Niu, with his Innate Realm cultivation, heard everything clearly.

This Historian was a clever man, well-versed in the ways of bureaucracy.

Although Qin Niu only had the honorary title of a first-class noble, his performance in this war was outstanding. It could be said that the Black Tiger Gang’s great victory owed much to Qin Niu.

Without him breaking the Insect Formation and killing the Mysterious Gu Master, it would have been difficult to say whose hands victory would fall into.

Could the Historian afford to offend such a person?

Prioritizing Qin Niu’s case was the most advantageous choice. By taking the opportunity to connect with Qin Niu, future benefits abounded.

“Wan Yan, you stay here with Xiao Qing to handle the property transfer. I’ll come back to pick you up after I’m done with my tasks.”

“Mm, you go ahead with your work.”

Wang Wanyan nodded in agreement.

“Master Qin, then I entrust this matter to you.”

“Leave it to me, you just go about your business!”

Master Qin patted his chest in assurance.

Qin Niu left, satisfied.