Chapter 170: Clan Council

The Clan Head’s Courtyard is located at the foot of Lijing Mountain, nestled closely against it. It was once the Li family's grand compound at the base of the mountain, guarded by two courtyards on either side. The entire residence faces south and is rectangular.

The front courtyard is an open-air area paved with flagstones. Each stone was personally compacted by the four Li family brothers back then: Li Changhu and Li Tongya laid the bricks, while Li Xiangping and Li Chijian sealed the joints. If one observes the seams closely, they might even discern the Sword Immortal's still-tender fingerprints from that time. Their meticulous work, done by family members, was seamless and heartfelt, enduring wind and rain without any flaws to this day.

Li Xiewen, now over thirty, has become a serious and upright middle-aged man. Dressed in plain clothes, he stood in the front courtyard. With Li Xuanxuan in secluded cultivation and Li Yuanxiu managing family affairs, Li Xiewen had taken it upon himself to hand over his duties in the town to his eldest son, Li Pingyi, and came to work at the Clan Head's Courtyard.

Just as Li Yesheng had handed Lijing Town over to him all those years ago, Li Xiewen held Li Pingyi's hand, and they talked through the night by candlelight. They discussed everything from his grandfather Li Yesheng herding ducks on the Meichi River to the current prominence of Li Xiewen's lineage. Holding Li Pingyi's hand, Li Xiewen solemnly said:

"Our lineage has governed Lijing Town for generations. Your grandfather perished with Lord Xiangping in the mountainous Yue region, and I, your father, along with the Patriarch, have spent eighteen years balancing the various families and disciplining disciples in Lijing Town. You must understand that the rise and fall of our lineage rests entirely on the Young Clan Head. Act with utmost caution!"

Li Pingyi was inherently astute. These matters had always been evident to him, even as a child. From a young age, he knew to follow Li Yuanxiu and naturally understood his father's painstaking efforts. Having assisted Li Yuanxiu in managing family affairs for over a year, he had shown no slackness.

Li Xiewen stood in the courtyard. Clan guards passing by bowed and greeted him, and he responded to each of them. After waiting for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he finally saw his eldest son, Li Pingyi, emerge from the courtyard and greet him with cupped hands, saying:

"Inspector, the Clan Head has already descended the mountain. Please follow me."

Both had their respective duties within the Clan Head's Courtyard, and all clan members' eyes were on the father and son. Naturally, they dared not address each other as father and son in the courtyard. Li Pingyi addressed his father by his position, "Inspector," and Li Xiewen, in turn, respectfully said:

"Thank you, sir."

Li Xiewen followed Li Pingyi into the central hall. He saw many clan guards silently standing in the hall, and below them, two people were kneeling. Both were stripped to the waist and being whipped with thorned branches, their blood splattering onto the floor. They gritted their teeth, not daring to make a sound. Grayish-white wooden stakes were inserted near their necks. Li Xiewen took a closer look: one stake read "Harassing a commoner woman," and the other read "Greedily amassing wealth." Seeing that neither seemed to be a member of their own lineage, he immediately let out a sigh of relief.

Bypassing the grim and unlit central hall, the rear hall was much brighter. Windows on both sides let in several rays of sunlight, and there were also glowing lamps lit, seemingly conjured by spiritual power, as there was no sooty smoke.

At the head of the hall sat a youth, appearing sixteen or seventeen years old. His black hair was neatly styled upwards, and he wore a jade crown adorned with emeralds. His sword-like eyebrows were smooth, and his facial contours fluid. His grayish-black eyes turned towards them, and he smiled, saying:

"I heard Uncle Xiewen was looking for me. Yuanxiu immediately came down the mountain in a hurry. I apologize for making Uncle Xiewen wait longer."

"I wouldn't dare! Not at all!"

Li Xiewen saw his genuine expression. Though comforted, he dared not presume, and said solemnly:

"Your subordinate has accepted the post of Inspector, tasked with overseeing the minor branches and affiliated cultivators. I recently received some information and hurried to report it."

"Please speak, Uncle."

Li Yuanxiu nodded slightly. Li Xiewen cupped his hands and continued:

"The Chen family's son has become a disciple of Li Qiuyang. He has also been betrothed to Li Qiuyang's sixth daughter. The Chen family has thus aligned themselves with the Qiuyang lineage. This means..."

"My maternal uncle has already informed me of this matter."

Li Yuanxiu waved his hand, clearly having known about it for a long time, and smiled:

"My maternal uncle and Uncle Qiuyang are both pillars of our family. This matter is of no concern."

Li Xiewen could see that Li Yuanxiu did not wish to delve deeper into the matter. He had intentionally interrupted him. Some words, if spoken, would offend, so he immediately dropped the subject and continued:

"Currently, our Li family's Ye branch has over 6,500 members. The minor branches have 1,200. There are eight cultivators in total. The disciples involved in the conflict among the three external cultivator families have been identified one by one. There are over 600 mortals... and three cultivators."

"Hmm."

Li Yuanxiu frowned slightly. After pondering for a few breaths, he said softly:

"Most of these mortals are related by marriage to external cultivators, so involvement is inevitable... As for the family's cultivators, the minor branches are not isolated entities. They have their own relatives and families, with varying degrees of closeness and preferences, and entangled interests, making it difficult to handle."

He glanced at Li Xiewen below him. Li Yuanxiu said softly:

"Uncle, identify those disciples with good talent and transfer them to Huaqian Mountain to cultivate with my maternal uncle, away from these disputes. The rest are merely those who will be confined to the 'Fetal Breath' stage their entire lives. If they want to fight, let them fight. Ultimately, it will amount to nothing but a handful of dust. Have someone keep a close eye on them. As long as it doesn't get too unsightly, let them be."

"Yes."

Li Xiewen responded solemnly. After relaying some miscellaneous details, he bowed and withdrew. Only then did Li Pingyi, standing nearby, look towards Li Yuanxiu and whisper:

"Clan Head, should our people continue to stir things up...?"

"No need. Pull them back."

Li Yuanxiu gathered the wooden slips on the table. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and replied:

"If it goes on too long and truly flares up, it won't be good. The current intensity is just right, making them grit their teeth in anger yet powerless to act."

"The number of cultivators in the family is growing daily. Cultivators aren't truly detached from worldly affairs. Spiritual rice and spirit stones can make them fight fiercely. Conflict among them is inevitable. With this push, it's clear who is treacherous, who is cunning, who is stable, and who is honest. If something truly happens later, we'll have a reference."

Li Pingyi nodded in agreement. Li Yuanxiu held a brush and drew on the cloth in front of him. His long, slender eyebrow arched, and he whispered:

"However, most of the elders in the family are currently in secluded cultivation, so we should proceed cautiously and avoid disturbing them. You should send a few people to keep a close watch. If something serious happens, warn them in advance. It wouldn't look good if lives were lost."

"Your subordinate understands."

Li Pingyi cupped his hands. After recalling the reports from the past few days, something suddenly came to mind, and Li Pingyi whispered:

"Clan Head, that person from the Tian family has broken through to the fifth level of 'Fetal Breath,' the Jade Capital Wheel. As a result, he developed spiritual consciousness and can clearly perceive all movements around him. Our clan's youngsters were almost discovered by him multiple times. Your subordinate had to order them to withdraw first, to avoid being exposed."

"Cultivators at the fifth level of 'Fetal Breath' have transcended the mortal realm and are difficult to manage. I have also considered this matter."

Li Yuanxiu put down the brush in his hand. He clearly had concerns long before, and said softly:

"When cultivators reach the fifth level of 'Fetal Breath' or its peak, their cultivation makes them superhuman. They are no longer controllable by the Clan Head's Courtyard."

"I am considering submitting a letter to Meichi Peak, to separate cultivators above the fifth level of 'Fetal Breath' from the general population. It would be too much of a waste to have them farm when they possess spiritual consciousness. They can enter the mountains to hunt demonic beasts or create talismans, and will not need to be overseen by those at the foot of the mountain."

Li Yuanxiu paused. After carefully considering his thoughts for a moment, he continued:

"However, there are still too few cultivators with spiritual consciousness in the family. It's difficult to form an organization yet. Once the external cultivators in the family gradually mature, this matter will have to be addressed openly sooner or later."

"The Young Clan Head's considerations are astute."