Chapter 370: Immortals and Mortals Live Separately

Li Yuanping returned to the town, his heart still burning with anger and pain. With bloodshot eyes, he entered the central hall, where it was dim all around, with only two faint points of light flickering like beans.

He dragged his weary body to the highest seat, pulled out a document, but found himself unable to focus on it. He coughed twice in frustration, swallowing the blood.

Dou Yi rushed in, bustling, and climbed the steps. Li Yuanping murmured:

"Grind the ink."

Dou Yi obediently finished grinding the ink. Li Yuanping waved his hand, and he withdrew. Li Yuanping picked up his brush, slowly calmed down, and thought carefully for a while.

The position of family head requires balancing the interests of non-clan members, managing spiritual fields, and distributing family stipends, affecting almost everyone in the clan, from the Qi-gathering stage to the Qi-refining stage. Since Li Xuanxuan became family head, when the four branches were established, the rule of single succession was set.

Currently, with the main lineage of the Li family unified under the influence of the Talisman Seed, the family can naturally designate the head at will, with the wise ruling and the foolish obeying.

However, once this precedent is set, if the direct descendants influenced by the Talisman Seed become more distant in the future, and with differing backgrounds and competing interests, each supporting a different branch, chaos will surely erupt.

"If that time comes, the position of family head will become a means for a few Talisman-wielding cultivators to compete for power and exploit the family..."

"Moreover..."

Li Yuanping's emotions settled, and his thoughts became sharper. He mused inwardly:

"Looking at Ming'er's demeanor, he is ultimately not fit for great responsibility. If the Li family were entrusted to him, how could he suppress the various non-clan members? How could he control Li Jiman?"

Only Li Yuanping remained, seated high in the dim hall. His gaze lingered on the faint lights, his voice low:

"Ultimately, the family lacks a powerful expert to maintain order. While Foundation Establishment might be achievable, the Purple Mansion realm seems out of reach. Without great fortune, the family is bound to decline or split..."

He stared blankly. The first light of dawn was slowly rising from the front of the hall, and his elder brother, Li Yuanjiao, stood quietly before the hall entrance. Li Yuanping was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed him at all.

As the dawn light slowly crept up the steps of the central hall, Li Yuanping said in a muffled voice:

"The current clan laws were established by our great-grandfather. Back then, the family only had a few Qi-gathering cultivators... How could he have envisioned today's situation? Blindly adhering to the old clan laws is probably not a good idea."

It was then that Li Yuanping noticed Li Yuanjiao standing before him. His eyes gleamed as he softly asked:

"Brother, if I pass away, who should take the lead in the family to suppress the various non-clan members, command the Mountain Yue, manage the clan, and nurture the younger generation?"

Li Yuanjiao paused, then hesitated:

"Currently, only Xi Jun is capable of such a great responsibility. Besides him, Xi Cheng is too kind, and Xi Ming is..."

"The Xiyue generation is already so difficult! Several of them have high talent; none of them should ideally be singled out to manage the family."

Li Yuanping continued:

"What if the Xiyue generation passes by like this, and the Chengming generation produces no strong leader? What then?"

Li Yuanjiao dimly understood something and replied:

"If that were the case, there would be nothing we could do."

"Brother, I want to reform the clan system."

He suddenly stood up and declared:

"The family head's authority is simply too vast; it was established during Lord Xiangping's time. But how many in the clan can truly measure up to him? This method allows for centralized gains, but it is far too difficult to manage."

"It's impossible for every succeeding generation to produce a descendant of the eldest branch with exceptional political acumen and yet low talent. Xi Ming's situation might seem accidental, but in reality, our family can no longer sustain this method of governance. Sooner or later, something is bound to go wrong."

Li Yuanjiao looked at him deeply, said nothing, and after a while, gently responded:

"Go ahead and do it. I'll support you."

Li Yuanping seemed to have completely recovered from his disappointment in his eldest son, though a touch of sadness lingered. He said in a deep voice:

"First, measure the spiritual lands, create registers... and decentralize power!"

For aristocratic families, it was almost impossible to ascertain privately owned spiritual fields. Even the Qingchi Sect could not precisely account for the spiritual fields of the families under its rule, only roughly collecting tribute based on the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

This was because as long as an illusion formation covered it, a small piece of land would be unremarkable amidst the vast mountains and seas. Unless by sheer coincidence, a spiritual scan would reveal nothing.

Although the Qingchi Sect had special secret methods for breaking formations, it was impossible to inspect every inch of land one by one. Thus, they could only estimate based on the earth and spiritual veins.

This was also why many ruins inland still existed after the War of Immortals and Demons; the illusion formations of those sects were far more advanced, making it impossible to find an entrance even if one tried desperately.

However, Li Yuanjiao simply brought out the Dharma Mirror, and with a gentle movement, every inch of land throughout the Li family's territory became clear. Which prominent families had secretly built courtyards and allocated spiritual fields were revealed one by one.

"Indeed..."

This was inevitable; several prominent families under the Li family's rule had secretly developed spiritual fields, covertly enclosing courtyards on the barren lands in the wilderness that the Li family deemed worthless, setting up illusion formations, and privately cultivating spiritual rice.

This was still acceptable. In recent years, the number of non-clan cultivators had slowly increased, and they had also learned many cultivation methods from rogue cultivators. Not all spirit-aperture children were sent to the Li family, and some non-clan cultivators even left to seek opportunities, never to return.

Li Yuanjiao's gaze swept across, noting that even some minor cultivators of the Xiyue generation were involved. He simply sighed in silence.

"Though this land is somewhat barren, it's acquired for free! After all, no matter how good the clan's fields are, most of the produce still has to be submitted. There's no satisfaction like planting and harvesting your own."

These spiritual fields had been inspected twice by the family, and the remaining ones were within the allowed parameters. Li Yuanjiao slowly finished drawing the detailed maps and returned to the hall, where Li Yuanping had been writing furiously for a long time.

Seeing Li Yuanjiao return, Li Yuanping took the completed maps from his hand, circled several immortal mountains, pondered for a moment, and then softly said:

"Brother, I've carefully studied the approaches of Lixia County back then and the Yuan family now. Please take a look at my method."

Li Yuanjiao lowered his gaze to see, and at the beginning were several large characters:

"Dual Clan System, Peaks Restrain Each Other."

Li Yuanping's face was pale, but his eyes sparkled with determination as he explained:

"As the number of cultivators in our family grows, I intend to separate the clan system from the family system. The 'clan' will be above, and the 'family' below, with immortals and mortals living separately. Cultivators will enter the peaks to be part of the 'clan', while mortals will remain below as the 'family'. Unless dispatched for demon-extermination, cultivators may not descend the mountains."

"Once non-clan members or ordinary family members awaken their spirit apertures, they will be sent to the main peak, Lijing Mountain, for cultivation, meticulously guided by our cultivators. Those with high aptitude will continue their cultivation, while those with lower aptitude will be sent to other peaks."

"Each immortal mountain will establish its own manor, dispersing disciples from the four branches into them, and appointing peak masters, inspectors, and clan rectifiers... All spiritual fields below the mountains will no longer be assigned individually but dispatched by their respective immortal mountains."

Li Yuanping said softly:

"Cultivators from each immortal mountain will be assigned and rotated. Spiritual materials collected will be directly sent to Lijing, and then to Meichi Mountain Grotto-Mansion. As for the family head... their role will primarily be promotions and transfers. Clan rectifiers will oversee clan affairs. With the Dharma Mirror in the family, most instances of corruption involving spiritual materials are bound to be exposed!"

His eyes gleaming, he continued:

"In contrast, today, many non-clan members and branch cultivators steal spiritual rice, search for treasures, transport spiritual materials, and seek enlightenment elsewhere simply because there is no other path for them in our family besides cultivating spiritual rice. Without room for advancement, they naturally lack a sense of belonging."

"This new method will not only spare our family the arduous task of finding a brilliant direct descendant, whose cultivation might be hopeless, to govern and maintain stability, but it will also create various ranks of power, attracting these individuals to our family..."

Li Yuanjiao finished reading the detailed regulations in his hand. Naturally, it contained more than just the few points Li Yuanping had mentioned, including numerous oversight mechanisms, various cultivation restrictions, all designed to curb corruption and rebellion.

"If this is the case, the number of personnel in the Clan Rectifier's Office for oversight will have to increase severalfold, and various positions of authority will require clan stipends to prevent corruption..."

Li Yuanjiao frowned as he read. Li Yuanping's method could indeed win over most cultivators, but it would also significantly increase the Li family's governance costs. He was uncertain whether the benefits or the losses would be greater, and remained silent for a long time.

Li Yuanping, however, smiled confidently:

"Cultivating immortality and seeking the Dao is inherently the most avaricious pursuit in the world. Our family will soon be able to produce elixirs. As long as these are tied to positions of power, countless people will flock to us! Moreover, the lust for power is one of the Nine Tribulations. With both approaches, how many can resist?"

He said in a low voice:

"As long as non-clan members and collateral branches are focused on climbing the ranks of power, they can be utilized by us. We won't need a hero in every generation to suppress and command them; even ordinary individuals will suffice."

"Even on ordinary days, we can simply promote individuals from the lists submitted by the Clan Rectifier's Office, allowing us to manage the family even during our cultivation breaks."

Li Yuanjiao's expression gradually showed signs of agreement, and he picked up the conversation:

"This way, our family won't have to constantly monitor non-clan members. As long as we keep an eye on a few outstanding individuals, marry them to clan women, and use the Xuanjian for suppression, we can securely rule from the immortal mountains..."

"Exactly."

Li Yuanping said:

"What if we distribute a bit more in clan stipends? Brother is about to achieve Foundation Establishment, and by then, the family will certainly be vastly different."

Li Yuanjiao finally nodded in agreement, responding:

"But in the end, it's a sign of our unworthiness as descendants that we cannot centralize power and must decentralize authority and benefits to achieve stability. I wonder... how we will face our ancestors."

Li Yuanping also nodded silently, then offered comfort:

"Maximum benefit doesn't always mean maximum stability. As our family gradually expands in the future, power will have to be decentralized sooner or later; it can't always be concentrated in one person... Our family cannot afford to lose."

After a brief conversation with him, Li Yuanjiao felt a heavy weight in his heart. He then headed towards Wutu Mountain, preparing to cultivate for a period to stabilize his cultivation before entering seclusion to achieve Foundation Establishment.

Yuting Mountain.

The snow on Yuting Mountain remained pristine and dazzling. Li Xijun opened his eyes, exhaling a plume of white breath that struck the longsword in his hand, forming a thin layer of frost.

"The 'Cold Pine Dew Snow Art' is, after all, a third-grade cultivation method, allowing one to manifest dew-like snow on the body and tread on chilling winds."

His white robes fluttered. His cultivation had reached the first layer of Qi Refining and was now stable, his true essence pure as frost, swirling around him. Coupled with the Qingfeng sword in his hand, he appeared ethereal and untainted.

In just over two short years, three members of the Xiyue generation had successively broken through, adding three direct-line Qi Refining cultivators to the Li family.

Li Yuanjiao and Li Qinghong had successively entered seclusion. Both the direct lineage and non-clan members within the family had made significant progress. There were few minor clans in the Yuanqing generation, but the number of minor clan cultivators in the Li family only increased with the Xiyue generation, primarily from the elder and younger brother branches, who gradually began to take charge of the spiritual fields.

According to the Li family's clan laws, most descendants of Li Mutian's illegitimate brothers had gradually diminished from minor clans to collateral branches due to the scarcity of spiritual apertures, thus exiting the historical stage.

Due to the two major clans of the Xuanjing generation, Li Xuanling and Li Xuanfeng, practicing birth control, the four minor clans of the Li family only began to flourish in the third generation. These minor clans, primarily formed by the illegitimate sons of Li Xuanxuan and Li Yuanyun, took over the authority of the previous generation.

Of course, from Li Xijun's perspective, this was excellent. It meant that he wouldn't have hundreds of mortal elders of his father's generation above him. The clan relationship, previously distant from the center of power, became closer by a layer, and many conflicts could be resolved.

"Young Master."

An Siming, wearing his sword, approached him, cupped his hands, and respectfully asked a question.

Li Xijun, having been in seclusion for a year and a half, suddenly noticed a change in An Siming's demeanor. He seemed to have a new purpose in life, appearing particularly diligent, and immediately laughed:

"Have you taken a wife?"

An Siming was momentarily stunned, then waved his hands repeatedly and continued:

"You jest, Young Master. Young Master Xi Cheng is already waiting at the foot of the mountain."

Li Xijun drifted down to the foot of the mountain on the wind. His elder brother, Li Xicheng, had been waiting for a long time, clad in light armor, looking more mature at twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.

Li Xicheng was also a Qi Refining cultivator, practicing the "River One Qi Art." He had married a woman from the Tian clan, and most of his concubines were chosen from the An clan, resulting in numerous children, most of whom were two or three years old.

As a father, Li Xicheng had grown a beard, wore armor, and tied his hair back, possessing a dignified air. He greeted his brother with a smile, saying:

"It's been a long time, little brother."

Li Xijun nodded slightly and landed beside him. A nearby Heavy Sable Horse snorted, watching him warily.

Li Xijun's spiritual sense swept across, revealing cultivators standing on both sides, mostly his illegitimate brothers and non-clan members from humble backgrounds, all standing respectfully.

In his youth, Li Xicheng had been most protective of his clan brothers and befriended cultivators. Having received his favor in the past, they now flocked around him.

Li Xicheng waved his broad hand, and the crowd dispersed. The two men strolled along the bluestone path, Li Xicheng's voice gentle as he chuckled:

"While you and Xi Ming were in seclusion cultivating this year, significant changes occurred in the family. The family head reformed the clan system, and things are no longer as they were."

He then recounted the events of the past year and a half one by one. Li Xijun frowned as he listened to the entire account. Li Xicheng continued:

"Now, this matter has been easily accomplished. Several immortal mountains have reformed their systems, grand palaces have been constructed, and all cultivators are cooperating very well... contributing their own money and effort..."

"Of course, they're cooperating!"

Li Xijun's mind quickly processed the information, and he understood everything clearly. His expression was not pleased as he coldly stated:

"The clan has given them positions of power and stipends. None of them are fools, so of course they are very happy!"

As Li Xijun spoke, he mused inwardly:

'No wonder the spiritual energy on Yuting Mountain has decreased considerably; it turns out cultivators have entered the mountain! The family should start building spirit-gathering formations... so as not to hinder the cultivation of the direct lineage.'

Li Xicheng quickly smiled and tried to smooth things over:

"It's not like they're getting something for nothing. The clan has assigned various general duties, and they usually run around outside anyway. Now they can even help the family earn some subsidies, so it won't..."

Seeing that he still didn't understand, and observing that no one was around, Li Xijun sighed directly:

"Brother, the elders have reluctantly relinquished some of their power. As descendants, we should feel ashamed..."

As the Li family gradually expanded, its slow political transformation would also sow and unleash hidden dangers.

(End of Chapter)