Chapter 334: The New Patriarch

Hearing Song Qingyu ask this, Song Qingming was slightly stunned, then shook his head and said: "Qingyu, let's talk about this after your cultivation breaks through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Your strength is not yet strong enough, and I am truly worried about you going on a long journey alone."

"You said yourself that one needs to go out and gain experience to quickly improve one's strength. I didn't manage to go to the Lu Kingdom last time either. Look at me, my cultivation progress while staying on the mountain is not even as fast as yours was back then!" Song Qingyu muttered with a hint of desolation.

"It doesn't matter if cultivation is a bit slower for now; being too anxious is of no use. Look at me, haven't I also stayed honestly on the mountain all these years? I have faced life-and-death situations many times while outside, and I truly don't want you to take such risks right now.

I promised you that once you break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, I will let you go out for experience. You don't need to be too anxious about this; perhaps I can go to the Heavenly Elixir Pavilion again and see if I can find a breakthrough elixir for you."

Regarding Song Qingyu's recent desire to go on a long journey for experience, she had been pestering Song Qingming for nearly a year. For the sake of her safety, Song Qingming had thought it over repeatedly but still did not relent.

Originally, after Song Qingming returned from the Lu Kingdom, it should have been the Song family's turn to send Foundation Establishment cultivators to the front line again four years later. However, three years after Song Qingming returned, because the Southern Sea Clan demonic beasts suddenly invaded, the Heavenly Sea Alliance had to actively stop the battle against the Lu Kingdom and recall their main forces to deal with the demonic beast invasion.

After the cultivators on both sides ceased fighting, the Xiaoyao Sect also withdrew the cultivators who were supporting the Lu Kingdom back to the Wei Kingdom. At that time, Song Qingming had already promised Song Qingyu that he would let her go the second time, but this sudden ceasefire meant the matter had to be dropped.

Over these ten years, although the Wei Kingdom's cultivation world where Song Qingming resided had remained relatively calm, the surrounding countries were not stable. Although the Lu Kingdom in the south had temporarily ended its battle with the Heavenly Sea Alliance, that was only temporary, and the two sides might start fighting again at any time.

The Zheng Kingdom in the east had fallen into civil strife again in recent years. Not only were the two Golden Core sects constantly bickering, but it was said that another force had intervened this time, making it even more chaotic than before. At this time, Song Qingming was still somewhat worried about Song Qingyu going on a long journey for experience, but he also knew that he could not stop her idea of going out for experience forever. He could only try to delay it until Song Qingyu broke through to the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment.

Facing Song Qingming's intentional protection, Song Qingyu was naturally very clear about it. Under Song Qingming's protection all these years, other than experiencing the Qinghe Market crisis once, she had never fought against a strong enemy.

This was also a shortcoming for her. For a cultivator to only hide on the mountain and never come out was definitely not the way. It was just that Song Qingming wanted to give them as much protection as possible while he had the ability. This was a good thing for Song Qingyu, but also something that often worried her.

As someone who cultivated the Dao, Song Qingyu also yearned for the outside world in her bones. Although she knew it was very dangerous, so many people in the cultivation world still continued to rush forward toward this goal.

A majestic eagle must always spread its wings and fly high. Song Qingming also looked forward to this matter in his heart, but before that, what he could do was to protect them as much as possible, allowing them to better face these things.

After Song Qingyu left, Song Qingming, who was preparing to go out tomorrow, invited his elder brother Song Qingshi over. After asking about the recent situation of the family, he told him about his plan to go to Yangshan Market.

In ten years, the Song family had also undergone great changes.

First was that the patriarch Song Changfeng had already passed away in his cave dwelling eight years ago. Perhaps because of his failure to establish his foundation back then, Song Changfeng's lifespan was significantly shorter than other clansmen of his generation, to the point that he even passed away before his fifth aunt, Song Changling, who was older than him.

Fortunately, their generation had basically witnessed the rapid development of the Song family over these years. In just thirty years since Song Qingming established his foundation, the Song family had gone from a tiny Qi Condensation family to a Foundation Establishment family possessing two Foundation Establishment cultivators. Seeing the Song family so strong, even when Song Changfeng, this Song family patriarch, finally left, there was a hint of gratified smile on the corners of his mouth.

After Song Changfeng passed away, Song Qingming automatically became the new patriarch of the Song family, receiving from his hands the thumb ring representing the identity of the Song family patriarch and the family genealogy—the two most important items passed down through generations of the Song family.

Among the 'Chang'-generation cultivators, except for the fifteenth aunt Song Changyue, the remaining few had all passed the age of one hundred and reached the stage of enjoying their twilight years. The transfer of power for family management had also successfully transitioned to the 'Qing'-generation.

Elder brother Song Qingshi managed the family's general affairs, and he basically participated in all matters, big and small. Over these years, his prestige in the family was second only to the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, and he could already compare to the sixth uncle, Song Changfeng, before he passed away.

With the help of the healing elixirs Song Qingming had spent these years searching for, his second sister, Song Qingwan, recovered from her injuries and soon returned to Qinghefang to take back full control of her original responsibilities. Over these past few years, the family's businesses in Qinghefang had finally begun to slowly recover with the return of Song Qingwan, the family's original manager of the market.

On the law enforcement team side, although the thirteenth uncle, Song Zhangxiong, had reached the age of one hundred, his personality had always been unable to stay idle. Even at this age, he often took the younger family members out to hunt demonic beasts, educating those young cultivators who had just started out.

However, Song Zhangxiong had already selected his successor for the position of law enforcement elder after he stepped down: Song Xintang, who ranked eighth in the 'Xin'-generation. Although this child was a four-spiritual-root cultivator, he was very diligent in his cultivation.

Still young and only in his early thirties, his cultivation had recently broken through to the seventh layer of Qi Condensation. Now, with Song Zhangxiong's personal guidance, there would be no major problem for him to fully take over the law enforcement team's affairs in the future.

Ninth uncle Song Changxin had already handed over the affairs at Mount Duanliu to his eighth younger brother, Song Qingchen, and returned to the family to enjoy his retirement. Shi Chun had returned to continue managing the industry at Mount Fengtou. Having always been good at dealing with people while stationed at Mount Fengtou in his early years, he had even married a female Qi Condensation cultivator from the Wang family.

One must know that for a small Qi Condensation family like the Wang family, every cultivator was very important to them. To be able to get them to agree to marry off a female cultivator, Shi Chun had indeed put in a lot of effort in this regard.

In order to get the Wang family to fulfill this matter, Shi Chun not only begged Song Qingming to help act as a matchmaker but also actively helped the Wang family with many things before they finally relented.

Shi Chun was someone Song Qingming had actively invited back then. Over these years, he had also been working diligently in the Song family and helped Song Qingming with many things. Seeing that Shi Chun, who had come to the Song family alone, not only had a cultivator wife but also had the spare time to take a few concubines from the mortal world, Song Qingming felt quite gratified.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 335 =====