"Thank you, Miss Liana."
Aksai offered a slight bow to the young girl as he spoke. "I am only good at Spirit farming, so it is only natural for me to do my best."
Despite being able to sell the additional produce he had cultivated in his Spirit farm to third-party buyers, Aksai decided against it.
Instead, he chose to sell everything he had cultivated in the rental farm to the Lakir family itself. He did this to avoid getting drafted into the family militia.
The fight for resources inside the inheritance ground had only intensified over the last two years. With the revelation of precious resources within the ground, other forces in the region joined the fray.
Even the Purple River Sect, the absolute authority in the Rokur kingdom, had shown interest in the inheritance ground.
While the sect hadn't involved any Foundation Building elders, they had sent some of their inner disciples to explore the opportunities within.
However, opportunities in the cultivation world often came hand in hand with dangers. The inheritance ground was no exception. It contained various traps, illusion formations, killer puppets, and 1st order demon beasts. Rumors even spoke of 2nd order demon beasts lurking in its depths, capable of battling human Foundation Building Experts.
The killings and robberies had become rampant during these times. Those who managed to obtain something significant from the inheritance ground often fell victim to organized bandits, who robbed and killed them shortly after they left the safe zones.
For these robbers, plundering was the easiest way to accumulate wealth without risking exploration of the inheritance ground themselves.
With such conditions prevailing, it was natural for the Lakir family to face a shortage of manpower to maintain order in its territory. It also needed some men protecting its interests on the inheritance ground.
Although the family had secured a region for itself inside the inheritance ground, the people inside kept dying or went missing for one reason or the other. Plus, its initial cooperation agreement with the Wilben clan was also on the verge of breaking up after consistent conflicts between the individuals representing both sides.
As such, the Lakir family began promoting Spirit farmers to higher positions, pressuring them to join the frontline. Although it offered more resources to those who joined it, the drafted cultivators were nothing but disposable pawns in the family's eyes.
Aksai, however, preferred to stay out of such dangerous situations. Over the past two years, he had kept to himself, avoiding many troubles. Why would he willingly become part of the Lakir family's militia when danger lurked all around?
With the Enchanted Everwood farm and neural link fabric aiding his steady growth as a versatile cultivator, Aksai saw no need to risk his life fighting for the Lakir family, especially for meager resources.
He knew that no matter how much he fought and proved his loyalty, the family would always prioritize its own blood, leaving outsiders like him with only scraps.
Therefore, Aksai increased his sales to the Lakir family, subtly signaling that he was better suited as a Spirit farmer than a frontline fighter. He was confident that his message would be understood by the profit-driven cultivators of the Lakir family just fine.
A smile graced Liana's lips as she listened to Aksai's polite response. She felt his breath before commenting.
"Your cultivation level seems adequate for your age, Aksai. However, you're unlikely to reach the late stage of the 1st realm before your prime passes.
Therefore, I offer you an opportunity to join my family's force. The compensation we provide is rather generous.
You would receive a fixed sum of spirit stones every month, roughly equivalent to your current biannual income as a Spirit farmer. Additionally, we would supply you with standard weapons and artifacts in exchange for contribution points earned by completing assigned tasks.
Your cultivation speed would undoubtedly increase from its current state as a Spirit farmer if you decide to accept this proposal. While there are risks involved, one must step out of their comfort zone to achieve significant success.
What do you say? Would you like to join my Lakir family's militia and try your luck in the inheritance ground?" Liana asked curiously as she observed Aksai's expressions.
Originally, Liana had been instructed by her elders in the Lakir family to enlist all able-bodied Spirit farmers who had reached the 5th stage of Spirit refining. She could have directly asked Aksai to join the family militia.
However, after noticing his dedication as a Spirit farmer, she decided to turn the mandatory enlistment into optional recruitment.
The proposal she offered Aksai was both generous and sincere. She wanted to see if he could be swayed by the prospects of increased cultivation resources and accelerated progress in his realm. If he agreed, she would enroll him directly into the family's militia and terminate his Spirit farming agreement.
"I'm sorry, Miss Liana. But I'm not particularly comfortable fighting for resources," Aksai sighed and shook his head. In his mind, he was relieved that his tactic had succeeded.
He had witnessed many Spirit farmers being enlisted in the family militia without being given a choice. The fact that Liana had offered him one indicated that his efforts to cultivate two Spirit farms simultaneously had paid off.
"Very well. But since you wish to continue working as a Spirit farmer on our land, you'll be required to produce more and pay higher taxes."
Liana said with a shrug. It was within her authority to manage matters related to hiring Spirit farmers employed by the Lakir family. Since Aksai had declined, she could always enlist or coerce someone less talented than him as a replacement, fulfilling the quota of hired candidates by the task's deadline.
"I... I have no objection," Aksai agreed to Liana's revised conditions with some difficulty. He wanted Liana to see that he was not completely okay with the demand but agreed to it anyway.
Although the additional burden would consume more of his time on the rental farm, it would allow Aksai to maintain his lifestyle. Given the current circumstances in Wuyum County, it was already the best-case scenario for him.