novelapdf Chapter 147 Taking Over as Clan Chief, Clan Meeting
Chapter 147 Taking Over as Clan Chief, Clan Meeting
Qingya Mountain.
The Zhang family compound was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and a ten-mile stretch of red silk stretched from the foot of the mountain all the way to the ancestral hall.
Colorful clouds carried the crane as it circled, scattering melodious sounds, and the entire mountain range was enveloped in a festive atmosphere.
More than three months have passed since the destruction of the Yun and Ming families. The Zhang family has decided to hold a family meeting to celebrate the unification of Yingchuan County.
This event was unprecedented in scale, inviting not only all the Qi Refining Subordinates, but also four generations of the family, from the "Yuan" generation to the "Yuan" generation, all gathered in the square.
"Sister Menghan, have you heard? It's said that Uncle Nineteen will be taking over as clan leader this time."
Zhang Yuanyao was very excited; she had now reached the third level of Qi Refining.
As one of the few talented female cultivators in the family, Zhang Lingyu was too busy lately, so she asked Wang Menghan to cultivate with her.
"Yes, Master already told me."
Having been there for nearly half a year, Wang Menghan has become familiar with the Zhang family's environment. Two months ago, she also embarked on the path of cultivation, and at this moment, she is beaming with joy.
The matter of Zhang Lingyu taking over as clan leader was proposed as early as the Foundation Establishment Ceremony. Now that Zhang Lingyu has unified Yingchuan County, this new clan leader will be quite busy in the future.
"Sister, look! Master and the others are here!"
The girl looked around excitedly, and after a short while, she saw four figures descend from the mountaintop and sit steadily on the high platform above the square.
Unlike previous meetings, Zhang Lingyu was seated in the very center, which confirmed what the two men had said earlier.
"Fellow tribesmen..."
After everyone quieted down, Zhang Yuanlin spoke first, his voice a little hoarse:
"For over three hundred years since our clan was established five hundred years ago, we have fought against the Yun and Ming families. Although we have won today, the road ahead is still long. I hope everyone will do their best to work together to make our clan prosperous and thriving."
Everyone understood that the destruction of the Yun and Ming families was just the beginning. The families were still Foundation Establishment families, and undercurrents were surging in the cultivation world. No one knew whether tomorrow or an accident would come first.
Their current goal is to manage Yingchuan County well and produce a Golden Core cultivator in their clan as soon as possible.
After the old man finished speaking, the next person to stand up was Zhang Xingyao. The clan leader, holding the clan's sacred artifact, the Five Animal Fire Fan, solemnly said:
"Everyone, my family now has four generations living together. The 'Xing' generation is gradually aging, the 'Ling' generation is in its prime, and the 'Yuan' generation has just embarked on the path of cultivation."
"I, Zhang Xingyao, have been in charge of the family for thirty years but have not made any outstanding contributions to the family. Now that things are stable inside and out, I have decided to step down from the position of clan leader and hand over the position to Lingyu."
The handover of the Five Animal Fire Fan to Zhang Lingyu also signifies the transfer of power within the family.
The next second, all the clansmen present, including the three Foundation Establishment cultivators including Zhang Yuanhua, bowed respectfully:
"We pay our respects to the clan chief."
The clansmen had no objections to this young man taking over the family. From contributing to the family to resisting external enemies to personally leading the destruction of two major families, his achievements were unprecedented in the family's history.
They believed that the Zhang family would prosper under the other party's leadership, leading the family to become a Golden Core Immortal Clan, or even a Nascent Soul Immortal Clan.
"Please rise quickly, everyone."
Zhang Lingyu was flattered and quickly helped the three Foundation Establishment cultivators to their feet. At the same time, facing the clansmen below, he assured them:
"Fellow clansmen, I, Zhang Lingyu, hereby pledge that I will build upon the foundation laid by our ancestors and lead the clan to even greater heights."
"Of course, I can't do it all by myself; we all need to work together."
After speaking, he bowed deeply to the crowd below.
"We will certainly not let down the clan leader's trust."
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After the celebration, most of the clansmen returned to their respective territories. The Zhang family's territory had expanded considerably, and there were still many places that needed to be reorganized.
Inside the family hall, after Zhang Lingyu took over as patriarch, he convened a family meeting to discuss the future development of the family.
Zhang Lingyu sat at the head of the table, with Zhang Yuanhua and Zhang Xingyao beside him. Since he had taken over as the clan leader, Zhang Xingyao had also become the clan's elder.
Zhang Yuanhua and Zhang Yuanlin are the Grand Elder and the Second Grand Elder, respectively, while Zhang Yuanyi and the others have not yet changed their positions.
"Second Grandfather, let's begin."
Seeing that most of the people had arrived, Zhang Lingyu directly announced the start of the clan meeting. Since the meeting was to discuss the development of the clan, it was necessary to understand the current situation of the clan.
Zhang Yuanlin has managed the family for many years and recently compiled a list of all kinds of spiritual resources and items from the Yun and Ming families, so he is probably the most knowledgeable about them.
"Yes."
The old man didn't mince words; he picked up an account book and said loudly:
"My family currently has a population of over 2.5 million mortals and 253 cultivators, of which 136 are native cultivators and the rest are rogue cultivators who recently joined my family."
"Among these 253 cultivators, there are four Foundation Establishment cultivators, one Foundation Establishment guest elder, two peak Qi Refining cultivators, five Qi Refining level nine cultivators, and seven Qi Refining level eight cultivators..."
"Among them are five first-tier alchemists, three second-tier alchemists, one third-tier alchemist, fifteen first-tier weapon refiners, five second-tier weapon refiners, twenty-six first-tier spirit talisman masters, twelve second-tier spirit talisman masters, twenty-three first-tier spirit plant masters, four second-tier spirit plant masters, and one spirit beast master."
"I didn't expect my family to have so many cultivators."
Zhang Lingyu nodded inwardly. Due to the beast tide, the family had lost some of its own clan members, but fortunately, it was all within an acceptable range.
As for the additional hundred or so independent cultivators, they have joined the family over the past three months, and more independent cultivators will likely join in the future.
Unfortunately, the family's expertise in cultivation and other arts is too weak and needs further improvement.
After Zhang Yuanlin finished reporting the number of cultivators, he began to report on the resources under his family's name:
"Currently, my family has three second-tier high-grade spiritual veins, namely Qingya Mountain, Mingyue Mountain, and Yunjing Mountain; six first-tier high-grade spiritual veins; five first-tier mid-grade spiritual veins; and thirteen low-grade spiritual veins. In addition, there is one Blazing Fire Essence Mine and two Iron Essence Mines that were previously held by the Yun and Ming families."
"My family has five planting areas for spirit rice, including Bishui Town and Pingshui Town. We also have a spirit herb garden, a pill refining hall, a weapon refining hall, a talisman hall, and a spirit beast garden."
"Currently, there are only three shops in Tianyuanfang City."
"I never imagined I'd become so rich all of a sudden!"
The crowd was filled with excitement. These were just the resources the Zhang family controlled. They knew that the family currently had as many as eighteen vassal families under its control, each of which controlled a first-order spiritual vein.
Although the families wouldn't rob them, they still had to make offerings to the families every year.
Zhang Yuanlin continued:
"Now I'll talk about the family's treasury inventory. Currently, the family has one Foundation Establishment Pill, one Foundation Establishment Spiritual Item, over two hundred thousand spirit stones... and over eight hundred low-grade first-tier pills..."
As for the fourth-tier Cloud Dream Glazed Tree, the old man did not mention it.
Once leaked, the Zhang family will inevitably face endless trouble.
The Blood Dragon Stronghold will be the first to be affected. Although the Li family may be able to protect them, they will definitely not be able to protect this spirit tree.
Zhang Lingyu shook his head inwardly after hearing this. These things would have been enough in the past, enough to train a few more Foundation Establishment cultivators, but now that the family is large and prosperous, they are not enough to support the family's daily expenses and cultivation.
Don't be fooled by the fact that we have over 200,000 spirit stones. Once the family's various businesses take off, these will be spent very quickly and we won't be able to hold onto them.
After the old man finished speaking, Zhang Lingyu slowly opened her mouth:
"Elders, although our family is wealthy now, after deducting expenses, our annual income is only a little over ten thousand spirit stones. If we do not reform and develop our industries, our family fortune will soon be exhausted."
"Next, I'll share my opinion, and everyone can take a look and see what I think."
"First, within the family, we will establish the Pill Cauldron Pavilion, the Heavenly Craft Pavilion, the Heavenly Evolution Pavilion, the Divine Talisman Pavilion, the Spirit Beast Pavilion, the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, the Spirit Puppet Pavilion, the Scripture Pavilion, and the Treasure Pavilion."
"In addition, there are the Dust and Fate Hall, the Criminal Law Department, the Inquiry Hall, and the Night Owl Guard."
These institutions may or may not exist within the Zhang family; since we are going to vigorously develop them, we must clearly distinguish them one by one.
The Dan Ding Pavilion is in charge of alchemy, the Tian Gong Pavilion is in charge of weapon crafting, the Tian Yan Pavilion is in charge of array formations, the Shen Fu Pavilion is in charge of talisman drawing, the Ling Shou Pavilion is in charge of spirit beast cultivation, the Bai Cao Pavilion is in charge of planting spiritual herbs, the Ling Kui Pavilion is in charge of puppet crafting, and the Cang Jing Pavilion is in charge of passing on cultivation techniques.
The Treasure Pavilion was originally the Treasure Pavilion, where clan cultivators could exchange contribution points for items for daily cultivation. It also issued tasks for clan members to earn contribution points.
"Chieftain, is this the Night Owl Guard?"
At this point, many clan elders raised their questions. The previous points were understandable: the Dust and Fate Hall and the Criminal Law Department were in charge of ordinary people and the enforcement of laws within the clan, while the Inquiry Hall was a place for clan members who had just embarked on the path of cultivation to study.
Night Owl Guard sounds like a secret department.
Zhang Lingyu smiled and explained:
"The Night Owl Guard's duty is to collect all kinds of intelligence. I will personally select the candidates, and they will not know each other's identities. They will only obey my orders."
Now that he has become the clan leader, he no longer needs to hide the origins of those opportunities that he couldn't explain in the past; they can be said to have been obtained by the Night Owl Guards.
"I see."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Intelligence was crucial to the future development of the family. It was precisely because the Zhang family had planted spies in the Yun and Ming families that they were able to escape danger on numerous occasions.
A good, accurate intelligence report can truly save a family from extinction.
Seeing that no one in the clan had any objections, Zhang Lingyu continued:
"Now let's talk about the candidates. The Seventh Elder will serve as the head of the Pill Cauldron Pavilion, the Tenth Elder will serve as the head of the Heavenly Craft Pavilion... the Seventh Aunt will serve as the head of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion... as for the Spirit Puppet Pavilion, let the Tenth Elder take charge for now."
The Zhang family has only just begun to get involved in the art of puppetry, and they don't even have a first-tier spirit puppeteer yet. But that doesn't mean the family doesn't value it. For now, the only option is to let the Heavenly Craft Pavilion manage it for the time being.
Having completed the internal reforms of the family business, the next step is to discuss the industry.
Although these items could be sold in the market, Tianyuan Market was simply too small, and the cultivators coming and going were almost all independent cultivators.
To earn spirit stones, one should look to Yanxing Market and Tianliu City in the neighboring Yanxing County.
Opening a shop in Yanxing Market is relatively easy; there's no pressure at all. But the latter is a different story. Without substantial family wealth and connections, it's impossible to even get in.
Even if they can get in, they still have to consider the pressure from other shops; they don't want anyone to get involved and take a share of the profits.
Especially for a family like the Zhang family, which has little experience, a little manipulation can leave them penniless.
Zhang Yuanhua and the others nodded in agreement. It was too early to open a shop in the inner perimeter of Tianliu City, but they could open one in the outer area, since the main group they were currently dealing with were independent cultivators practicing Qi.
"In that case, let's open a shop in Yanxingfang now."
Having made up her mind, Zhang Lingyu looked at Zhang Xingfu and smiled:
"Fifteenth Uncle, I'll have to trouble you with this matter again."
When it comes to business management, Zhang Xingfu has made great contributions. Over the years, he has worked diligently to manage the shops in Tianyuan Market for the family and has also continuously collected various kinds of intelligence, making significant contributions to the family.
"It's alright."
Zhang Xingfu did not refuse. He wanted to go out and see the world anyway, as staying in one place all the time was not a good thing. He had also trained several outstanding clansmen, enough for them to stand on their own in Tianyuan Market.
Although he readily agreed, he knew the preliminary work would be very difficult. Suddenly remembering something, he said, "Clan leader, do you remember the businesses of the Yun family and the Ming family?"
"We have also taken over their shops in Tianyuanfang Market."
"The Yun family's Tianxiang Pavilion and the Ming family's Tianqiao Pavilion?"
This reminder made Zhang Lingyu almost forget that the two families still had businesses. According to the rules, the shops would be taken back by the market after the family was destroyed. However, Li Yanshan, as one of the market's leaders, directly decided to hand over the two families' businesses to the Zhang family for management.
Otherwise, if the Zhang family wants to acquire the shop, they will have to pay a price and compete with other families in the auction.
Upon hearing the mention of Tianxiang Tower, Zhang Lingyu suddenly remembered another way to earn spirit stones.
They might not be able to snatch a large share of things like pills, talismans, and magical artifacts from others in the early stages, but food is a different story.
Tianxianglou's main products are spirit fish and spirit wine. Although cultivators can abstain from grains after embarking on the path of cultivation, these ingredients contain a lot of spiritual energy, which is widely loved by cultivators for both satisfying their cultivation and their appetite.
Zhang Lingyu then asked:
"Fifteenth Uncle, I remember there's a Qinghua Pond near the Yun family's place where you can feed spirit fish. Do you think it's possible to open another restaurant in Yanxing Market?"
"That's exactly what I was thinking."
Zhang Xingfu replied:
"The Yun family's Tianxiang Restaurant is doing very well, which is one of the reasons why they have survived until now. Most of the spirit fish raised in Qinghua Pond are silver-scaled carp and fire-gold carp, both of which are very popular among cultivators."
"In addition, there are spirit wines, herbal brews, Qingyuan Qiongjiang, and Hantan Xiang, all of which are beneficial to Qi cultivation cultivators."
The Zhang family had tried every means to get their hands on these things, but both families protected them too well. Now that the family has been destroyed, these things have fallen into their hands.
"Elder, Grand Elder, what do you think?" Zhang Lingyu was very excited. If it could be successful, the family would have another way to earn spirit stones.
"I think it's a good idea, but these spirit fish and spirit wine are of too low quality, mostly only suitable for Qi Refining cultivators. I think we need to find some inheritances to make up for these shortcomings." Zhang Xingyao and the others also agreed, and of course, they also offered their own opinions.
"This is also a bit of a headache; you either have to buy the recipe or figure it out yourself, both of which are time-consuming."
The young man was greatly troubled. For now, he could only make use of the Yun family's inheritance. There was still a long time ahead, and he had to take it one step at a time.
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