Chapter 47

Fuyuan Residence, the Clan Chief gathered all Wang clan disciples in Qingxi Alley.

Wang Rongsheng, Tang Nianqiu, Wang Yulou, Wang Yu’an, and other Wang clan youths employed at Weitou Fang and Fuyuan Residence all assembled before the Clan Chief.

Yulou noticed Bai Lu was absent—the girl had truly been hidden away by Tang Nianqiu, forced into black labor.

The Clan Chief sat at the head, and seeing most had arrived, cleared his throat and spoke.

“You all know Rongsheng—I’ve appointed him as the Wang clan’s overseer in Qingxi Alley; from now on, all Wang clan assets here fall under his management.”

“Nianqiu, you remain chief shopkeeper of Weitou Fang and Fuyuan Residence; the newly established Baibao Pavilion will be under Yulou’s control—daily operations of these shops are your responsibility.”

“Rongsheng’s main duty is cultivation and defense; if any issue arises, he can respond promptly in Qingxi Alley.”

This arrangement owes its existence to Hongmei.

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

The planned Baibao Pavilion could now be built immediately.

Wang Rongsheng, a mediocre Qi Refining cultivator, now had a chance to pursue Foundation Establishment.

All of this thanks to Hongmei’s greed.

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

Had he not been greedy, he would never have targeted Yulou and Yu’an for murder.

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

Hongmei was too greedy—he lost his decisiveness.

He handed the Wang clan all the evidence, yet still clung to the delusion of some compromise.

But Wang Xianmao gave him no chance—he seized his Dao path outright.

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

“Baibao Pavilion? Clan Chief, you mean to open a new shop?”

Tang Nianqiu was startled—this wasn’t surprising; anyone suddenly given a direct superior would be taken aback.

“Yes, Wolong Alley will remain chaotic for a long time; Miaofeng Mountain won’t accept defeat. Their shops are closed—Baibao Pavilion must be prepared swiftly.”

“Bringing Rongsheng here is to align with the clan’s future layout in Qingxi Alley. Baibao Pavilion is being established to the highest Qingxi Alley standard—it requires a Gao Jie Qi Refining cultivator to hold the line.”

“You may all leave. Rongsheng and Yulou, stay.”

Tang Nianqiu departed with heavy thoughts—this independent chief shopkeeper surely resented Wang Xianmao’s arrangement, but he could only obey.

“Rongsheng, you’re just over a hundred, aren’t you?”

The Clan Chief’s words carried weight; Wang Rongsheng suppressed his excitement and replied calmly.

“One hundred and three, Clan Chief.”

One hundred and twenty is the golden cutoff for Qi Refining cultivators to achieve Foundation Establishment; doing so before this age grants three full jiazi of lifespan—minimum 360 years.

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

Immortality—that is immortality.

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

The Clan Chief’s words gave the four-element Wang Rongsheng a glimmer of possibility—he was eager, deeply eager.

“In that case, I’ll allocate you a share of elixirs and other cultivation resources. For the coming years, aside from overseeing the clan’s assets in Qingxi Alley, your main task is cultivation.”

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

Hearing the Clan Chief’s promise, Wang Rongsheng’s heart raced—he fell to his knees with a thud, bowed his head, and choked out:

“Rongsheng will give it his all!”

He was a child raised under Wang Xianmao’s eye—the Clan Chief naturally cherished him dearly.

Gently lifting Rongsheng with spiritual power, the Clan Chief spoke softly:

“The clan will never betray anyone who contributes to it. Rongsheng, cultivate diligently—you have a chance.”

Then he turned to Yulou and said:

“Yulou, learn from your uncle Rongsheng. His talent is poor, he 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 radiated deep care and hope.

The Clan Chief knew Yulou was a brilliant child—he always feared Yulou’s brilliance would wound him.

“I shall remember your teachings, Clan Chief.”

Yulou increasingly sensed the Clan Chief held high expectations for him.

Indeed, the Clan Chief’s fervent hopes would move any listener.

“I’ve discussed Baibao Pavilion with Mu Chunze—he’s worse than Jiang Bao Bian.”

“Jiang Bao Bian was greedy, but still cared about appearances; Mu Chunze doesn’t even pretend—sigh.”

“When you cultivate in Qingxi Alley and encounter Mu Chunze causing trouble, consult me promptly.”

“Our Wang clan stands behind the Mangxiang Ancestor’s lineage—we’ve finally seen light after hardship. Even if he’s a direct heir of Hongdengzhao, you need not fear.”

Yulou paused, then replied with pointed meaning:

“Clan Chief, Miaofeng Mountain’s Qi Refining disciples are fleeing in droves, but other Hongdengzhao vassal sects aren’t faring much better.”

“Our Wang clan is preparing multiple Qi Refining cultivators to attempt Foundation Establishment—future circumstances will likely be harsh.”

Resources in the world are finite; Hongdengzhao has cut and cut, nearly exhausting the roots of its vassal sects and families.

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

Yulou worried the clan’s expansion might stumble due to overreach.

The logic is simple: as Wang clan Foundation Establishment cultivators increase, so do those of other families and sects—relative power remains unchanged.

But the competitive landscape shifts—how will the Wang clan sustain these new Foundation Establishment cultivators?

Wang Xianmao fell silent for a long while, then sighed:

“I hadn’t considered these things. Yulou, you truly are the Wang clan’s qilin child.”

“Rongsheng, from now on, watch over Yulou—don’t let him go wandering with Hongmei again.”

The Clan Chief understood Yulou’s warning, yet he had no choice.

Mangxiang Ancestor was Xuanduan True Person’s master—the de facto controller of the Wang clan’s thousand-year-aligned faction.

He sought to attain Golden Core—could the Wang clan refuse to support him?

They must support him—no alternative existed.

Mangxiang’s vassals were numerous; every other family gave their utmost.

If the Wang clan were stingy—offering people but not resources—do you think the True Person keeps no ledger?

Thus, even seeing the danger, Wang Xianmao had no choice.

The Immortal Alliance suppresses the Ten Sects; the Ten Sects suppress their vassals—this rule is a cage, but the weak must obey.

Beneath this tightly woven net of control, the Wang clan was merely a slightly larger ant.

Yulou understood this well—so he conceived another plan.

“Clan Chief, I have a small, unpolished idea.”

Wang Rongsheng glanced at this audacious clan youth in surprise—he couldn’t fathom why Yulou so loved showing off before the Clan Chief.

You’re just a Qi Refining Level Five cultivator—why so much to say?

“Speak!”

Wang Xianmao eagerly awaited Yulou’s “unpolished idea.”

The reason? Yulou had already given him many surprises, repeatedly proven himself.

The new business in Fuyuan’s small room was one example; detecting Hongmei’s murderous intent and handling it afterward was another.

Now, Wang Xianmao no longer saw Yulou as a child—he eagerly awaited more surprises.

“Hongdengzhao pressures vassal sects and families like us to supply Mangxiang Ancestor with resources, but this pressure is layered—now the hardest hit are the lone cultivators.”

“Under these conditions, lone cultivators either sever their Dao path or become bandit cultivators; only a few can continue cultivating.”

“Our Wang clan’s expansion must not merely increase the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators—it must also absorb outsider cultivators to strengthen our foundation.”

“Only then can we gain greater initiative in the future.”

“With more lone cultivators absorbed, we could even organize hunting squads to raid beasts in the Western Seas.”

“Our Wang clan still has skill in spirit-bone crafting—more hunting squads mean beast bones for magic treasure forging, hides for talismans, and meat for elixir refining.”

Wang Xianmao nodded repeatedly, fully endorsing Yulou’s suggestion.

Beside him, Wang Rongsheng looked at Yulou with new respect—he had never seen such an outstanding clan youth.

Yulou’s suggestions and observations weren’t unique—even clever they weren’t.

But in this world, they held real practical value.

After all, the cultivation world had no dialectical education, no understanding of universal and particular connections.

In a world where power resides solely in the individual, methodological and epistemological philosophical innovation is pathetically crude.

After all, no matter how advanced your methodology or epistemology, it’s no match for a high-level cultivator’s flying sword.

Demand determines value—no demand, no value, thus no development.

But Wang Xianmao thought long, then murmured:

“Good suggestion—but wait. You’re both Wang Shizi—I have no reason to hide this from you.”

“Tie Qinhe and Rong Jiang are both in seclusion for Foundation Establishment. Wait until they emerge before we consider absorbing lone cultivators!”