Chapter 47

Fuyuan Manor, the clan head gathered all Wang Shi disciples in Qing Xi Fang.

Wang Rongsheng, Tang Nianqiu, Wang Yulou, Wang Yuan, and other Wang Shi youths employed at Zhiwei Fang and Fuyuan Manor all assembled before the clan head.

Yulou noticed Bai Lu had not come—this girl had truly been hidden away by Tang Nianqiu, working outright as black labor.

The clan head sat at the head of the hall; seeing most had arrived, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"You all know Rongsheng—I've appointed him as the Wang Shi overseer in Qing Xi Fang; from now on, all Wang Shi assets in Qing Xi Fang fall under his control."

Nianqiu, you remain chief shopkeeper of Zhiwei Fang and Fuyuan Manor; the newly established Bao Bao Pavilion will be under Yulou's command—daily operations of these shops are your responsibility."

Rongsheng's primary duty is cultivation and defense; if any issue arises, he can respond promptly in Qing Xi Fang."

This arrangement owes its existence to Master Master Hongmei.

Master Master Hongmei raided Jin Guang Pavilion, amassed enough foundation-establishment resources for himself, only to be instantly assimilated by Wang Xianmao.

The planned Bao Bao Pavilion can now be built immediately.

Wang Rongsheng, this mediocre-quality veteran Qi Condensation cultivator, now has a chance to pursue Foundation Establishment.

All of this thanks to Master Master Hongmei's greed.

Had he not been greedy, how would he have dared raid Jin Guang Pavilion?

Had he not been greedy, he would not have targeted Yulou and Yuan for murder.

Had he not been greedy, he would never have given Wang Xianmao the opportunity.

Master Master Hongmei was too greedy—he lost his decisiveness.

He handed the Wang Shi all the evidence, yet still clung to the hope of some compromise.

But Wang Xianmao gave him no chance—he directly seized Master Master Hongmei's Dao path.

In the end, he was left stranded, utterly drained.

"Bao Bao Pavilion? Clan Head, are you planning to open a new shop?"

Tang Nianqiu was startled—this wasn't surprising; anyone suddenly given a direct superior would be shocked.

"Yes. Wo Long Fang will remain chaotic for a long time; Miao Feng Mountain won't accept this. Their shops are closed; Bao Bao Pavilion must be prepared swiftly."

Bringing Rongsheng here is to support the family's future layout in Qing Xi Fang. Bao Bao Pavilion is being established to the highest Qing Xi Fang standard—it requires a high-level Qi Condensation cultivator to hold the position."

"You may all leave. Rongsheng and Yulou, stay."

Tang Nianqiu departed, burdened with worries—this independent chief shopkeeper surely resented Wang Xianmao's arrangement, but he could only obey.

"Rongsheng, you're just over a hundred years old, right?"

The clan head's words carried weight; Wang Rongsheng suppressed his inner excitement and replied calmly.

"One hundred and three, Clan Head."

One hundred and twenty is the golden age for Qi Condensation cultivators to establish the Foundation; achieving it before this age grants three full jiazi of lifespan—minimum 360 years.

With a unique cultivation method, proper care, and no injuries, living to four hundred is possible.

Immortality—that is immortality.

But after one hundred and twenty, essence loss becomes irreversible; the lifespan gained from cultivation advancement diminishes.

The clan head's words gave Wang Rongsheng, a four-element cultivator, a glimmer of possibility—he was eager, deeply eager.

"In that case, I'll allocate you some pill quotas and other necessary resources; over the coming years, besides overseeing the family's assets in Qing Xi Fang, your main task is cultivation."

"If you reach Qi Condensation peak before one hundred and fifteen, the family will grant you one chance at Foundation Establishment and half the required resources—a reward for your service."

Hearing the clan head's promise, Wang Rongsheng's heart pounded wildly; he fell to his knees with a thud, bowed his head, and choked out:

"Rongsheng will give his all!"

He was a child raised under Wang Xianmao's watch—the clan head naturally cherished him deeply.

Gently lifting Rongsheng with spiritual power, the clan head spoke softly:

"The family will never neglect anyone who contributes to it. Rongsheng, cultivate diligently—you have a chance."

With that, he turned to Yulou and said:

"Yulou, learn from your uncle Rongsheng—he has mediocre talent, wasted many years, yet never abandoned cultivation."

A cultivator's fate is unpredictable; no matter how great the hardship you face in the future, never give up."

Wang Xianmao's earnest teaching carried deep affection and expectation.

The clan head knew Yulou was a very intelligent child—he always feared Yulou's brilliance would bring him harm.

"I shall remember the clan head's teachings."

Yulou increasingly realized the clan head held high expectations for him.

One could say, the clan head's fervent hopes would move anyone who heard them.

"I've discussed Bao Bao Pavilion with Mu Chunze—he's worse than Jiang Baobian."

Jiang Baobian was greedy, but still cared about appearances; Mu Chunze doesn't even pretend—sigh."

When you cultivate in Qing Xi Fang and encounter Mu Chunze causing trouble, consult me immediately."

Our Wang Shi stands behind Master Mangxiang's lineage—we've finally seen better days; even if he's a true heir of Hong Deng Zhao, you need not fear him."

Yulou thought for a moment, then replied with implied meaning:

"Clan Head, Miao Feng Mountain's Qi Condensation disciples are fleeing in large numbers, but other Hong Deng Zhao vassal sects aren't faring much better."

During this expansion, our Wang Shi is preparing multiple Qi Condensation cultivators to attempt Foundation Establishment—future circumstances will likely be extremely difficult."

Resources in the world are finite; Hong Deng Zhao has cut and cut, nearly uprooting the leeks of its vassal sects and families.

Those items exchanged from the Merit Hall are catalysts—in the coming decades, Foundation Establishment cultivators will surge in number.

Yulou feared Wang Shi's expansion might stumble due to excessive haste.

The logic is simple: as Wang Shi gains more Foundation Establishment cultivators, so too will other families and sects—relative strength remains unchanged.

But the competitive landscape has shifted—how will Wang Shi sustain these new Foundation Establishment cultivators?

Wang Xianmao was stunned for a long time, sighing, "I never thought of these things. Yulou, you are truly the Qing Qilin of the Wang Shi."

"Rongsheng, you must watch Yulou closely from now on; do not let him go out with Master Master Hongmei so easily again."

The Clan Leader understood Yulou's warning, but he actually had no choice.

Master Mangxiang is the master of True Person Xuanzhuan and the actual controller of the faction subordinated to the Wang Shi for a thousand years.

If he wishes to verify the Dao and form a Jin Dan, how could the Wang Shi not support him?

They must support him; there is no choice.

Master Mangxiang's lineage has so many subordinates; other families are doing their utmost to support him.

If the Wang Shi were to act stingily, providing people but not effort, do you think the True Person does not keep a private ledger?

Therefore, even seeing the danger, Wang Xianmao had no other choice!

The Xian Alliance suppresses the Shi Sect, and the Shi Sect suppresses numerous subordinates; this rule is like a cage, but those with weak power can only obey.

Under this tight web of control, the Wang Shi is merely a larger ant.

Yulou naturally understood this principle, so he thought of another method.

"Clan Leader, I actually have a small, immature idea."

Wang Rongsheng looked at this arrogant clan member with surprise; he did not quite understand why Yulou liked to show off so much before the Clan Leader.

You are just a small cultivator at the fifth layer of Qi Refining; how can you have so much to say?

You are merely a minor cultivator at the fifth layer of Qi Refining; why do you have so many words?

Wang Xianmao was very eager to hear Yulou's 'small, immature idea'.

The reason was nothing else; Yulou had already given him many surprises and proved himself multiple times.

The new business in the small room of Fuyuan Ju was one example; the capture of Master Master Hongmei's killing intent and the subsequent handling was another.

Now, Wang Xianmao did not treat Yulou as a child at all; he was very eager for Yulou to give him other surprises.

"The Red Lantern Press suppresses subordinate sects and families like ours to provide resources for Master Mangxiang, but this oppression is transmitted layer by layer; right now, the loose cultivators are suffering the most.

Under these circumstances, loose cultivators must either cut off their Dao path or become bandit cultivators; only a few existences can continue to cultivate.

Our Wang Shi's expansion cannot focus solely on increasing the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators; we must also timely absorb non-surname cultivators to increase our Wang Shi's foundation.

Only then can we occupy more initiative in the future.

If we absorb many loose cultivators, we can even organize teams to go directly to the West Sea to hunt demons.

Our Wang Shi has some skill in crafting with spirit bones; we can set up many demon-hunting teams: beast bones for refining magical artifacts, beast hides for making talismans, and demon beast meat for refining spirit pills."

Wang Xianmao nodded repeatedly, fully approving of Yulou's suggestion.

Wang Rongsheng, standing nearby, looked at Yulou with new respect; this was the first time he had seen such an outstanding clan member.

Yulou's suggestions and observations were not special; they were not even considered brilliant.

But in this world, they were suggestions with very practical value.

Ultimately, the Cultivation World has no education in dialectics, nor does it understand the universality and particularity of connections.

In a world where great power belongs to the individual, methodological and epistemological philosophical innovations are pitifully crude.

After all, no matter how brilliant your methodology and epistemology are updated, they are not as powerful as a high-level cultivator's flying sword.

Demand determines value; without demand, there is no value, and naturally, there will be no development.

But Wang Xianmao thought for a long time, and finally said softly, "Good suggestion. Just wait a while; you are all Wang Shizi, so there is nothing to hide from you.

Tie Qinhe and Rongjiang are both in seclusion to form a Foundation Establishment; when they emerge from their seclusion, we will consider whether to absorb loose cultivators!"

"Good suggestion, but wait a moment. You are all Wang Shizi, so there is nothing to hide from you.

Tie Qinhe and Rong Jiang are both in seclusion for Foundation Establishment; once they emerge from their seclusion, we will consider whether to absorb the scattered cultivators!"