Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

Song Yuqing placed Song Tianyuan's body in the hastily made coffin, then, carrying his identity token, walked heavily past the kneeling crowd to Song Changsheng and asked solemnly, "Master, the Supreme Elder has three questions, which I have asked you to relay."

"If you have any questions, please feel free to ask." Song Changsheng nodded slightly.

"If the Embroidered Banner chooses to submit, can you ensure that there is no indiscriminate killing or implication of others?"

"Although I have promised to only punish the ringleaders, I will absolutely not let go of the immediate family members and loyal followers of Song Daoling and others. They may not have been directly involved, but they are beneficiaries. Since they are the beneficiaries, there is no reason for them to be let go."

I already have a specific list of those to be investigated and punished; truly innocent people will certainly not be implicated.

Upon hearing this, Song Yuqing glanced at Song Shouhe beside her, and then, just in case, said, "Do we really have to kill them all? Many people are innocent. They can be exiled or imprisoned, but their crimes don't warrant death."

Song Changsheng said in a cold tone, "I have a benevolent heart, but I will never leave any hidden dangers because of this. Careful screening and cautious killing are already the greatest mercy I can show in consideration of our kinship. Say no more."

Seeing his firm attitude, Song Yuqing could only reluctantly change the subject, saying, "Then may I ask, if my clan submits to you, can you treat everyone equally?"

"If you can treat me with the same respect, trust, love, unity, brotherly affection, and care for each other as my people do, treating each other's fathers and mothers as your own, prioritizing the interests of the family, and even sacrificing your lives, then I will naturally treat you all equally."

You are probably familiar with the name Song Yulong. Strictly speaking, apart from sharing the same bloodline, he is no different from you. Before Uncle Lu Ke's death, I only saw him twice.

Just as a large army was attacking and the defenses were unstable, he personally led the more than one hundred surviving members of his tribe in a bloody battle, never retreating a single step.

Now, he is the garrison commander of a county in his family, a Purple Mansion cultivator, and his son will be born soon. He has already chosen a name for him: Song Qing'en.

His sister was in charge of the inner treasury, wielding significant financial power over the family.

Besides the brother and sister, more members of the clan will enter the family's decision-making level in the future.

If you can also achieve this level, I will naturally treat you all equally.

You reap what you sow. What kind of system would it be to expect the same treatment without putting in any effort?

Song Yuqing's expression shifted, and she said in a hoarse voice, "I understand what you mean. Since the Embroidered Banner has chosen to submit, it will certainly not have any disloyal intentions. But you should know that this will take time."

"That's a problem you need to solve. I only care about results. Wait until you've achieved those things before you talk to me about equal treatment. You have one last question."

A few beads of cold sweat appeared on Song Yuqing's forehead. She had met Song Changsheng many times, but this time the sense of oppression was particularly strong. Every word he spoke seemed to carry the weight of a mountain.

"One last question, may I ask you, Master, if the [Brocade Banner] accepts your rule, how will you treat us? In other words, how much autonomy are you willing to grant our people?"

Before she knew it, Song Yuqing's palms were sweating. This question was extremely important for the [Splendid Banner].

Those who remained knew that after Song Tianyuan's fall, if things continued as they were, the [Jinxiu Banner] would have no hope. Therefore, they hoped that someone could bring about change, turn the tide, and save the collapsing edifice.

Song Changsheng was their choice; he was powerful and prestigious, and more importantly, they all shared the same blood.

But they were also worried that Song Changsheng would use the same methods Song Daoling had used against the collateral branches to deal with them, continuously draining their blood.

Although the [Jinxiu Banner] is currently the losing side, the two sides are not even on the same level in terms of foundation. Whether it is the territory they control, resources, or various inheritances, they are far ahead of the Wangyue Song Clan. They still have this confidence.

This results in a different kind of strong branches and weak trunk. The fastest way for the main trunk to grow is naturally to directly absorb nutrients from the branches.

Self-sovereignty is too important to them; it concerns the fate of the entire tribe.

His biggest worry was that Song Changsheng would dismantle and reorganize the [Jinxiuqi] and usurp its position.

"The extent of autonomy that the [Splendid Banner] will have in the future does not depend on me, but on your performance."

I will give you one hundred years to carry out reforms, during which you will enjoy the highest degree of autonomy.

The presiding elders will personally appoint some of them, while the clan chief and other elders will be elected by you yourselves.

I can leave all of the [Jinxiuqi]'s assets to you, but I can call them up at any time, and you must cooperate fully.

Furthermore, during wartime, your entire clan must obey the orders of the East Sea Garrison Command. This is the bottom line and cannot be compromised.

"I expect you to be coordinated and unified, and to obey orders without question. Otherwise, don't blame me for showing you no mercy," Song Changsheng said coldly.

Comparing the Song family's view of the moon to the "embroidered banner" is like comparing a small snake to an elephant.

As the old saying goes, greed knows no bounds.

Forcibly swallowing will cause your stomach to burst.

It wasn't that he didn't want to dismantle and merge the [Brocade Banner] directly, but the size difference between the two sides was simply too great, with the population ratio almost reaching one to ten or even twenty.

Under such circumstances, the Wangyue Song clan simply could not withstand such an impact, and the clan traditions and family honors they had painstakingly cultivated were likely to be destroyed in an instant.

Even if we don't merge, we still need to find a place to settle these people. There's no reason to give up such a huge force.

However, the cultivation world of the Great Qi was too barren. The ancestral lineage of the Brocade Banner, along with its various branches, had nearly 200,000 cultivators. The Great Qi cultivation world's grand expedition back then only mobilized a few hundred thousand people.

If this group of people were brought to the cultivation world of the Great Qi, it would truly cause an earthquake, as even the most basic cultivation resources would be insufficient.

Moreover, suddenly changing their environment would definitely cause a strong backlash, so maintaining the status quo is the safest approach at present.

Integration takes time, so he gave Song Yuqing a hundred years.

This century was both a transition and a test for Song Yuqing.

For now, he still advocates for a more harmonious approach to achieving this major integration.

But if they don't appreciate his kindness, then he won't hesitate to be ruthless.

With the three questions answered, Song Changsheng's attitude had been clearly stated on behalf of the Wangyue Song Clan, and what awaited was the choice of Song Yuqing and the others.

Actually, there was nothing to hesitate about, because from the moment they chose to stay, they were already bound to Song Changsheng. It was just that they were still a little unwilling to leave without asking some questions clearly.

Of the answers Song Changsheng gave, the first two were somewhat harsh on them, but the last one was surprisingly lenient, which was exactly what they needed most.

Ultimately, those people in Song Daoling's faction had long been abandoned; they were merely bargaining chips at the negotiating table. Compared to the life or death of these "parasites," autonomy was undoubtedly far more important.

Without hesitation, Song Yuqing knelt solemnly before Song Changsheng, holding up Song Tianyuan's identity token high, and said in a deep voice: "I, Song Yuqing, the former guardian elder of the Song Clan of the Great Qian Cultivation World, in accordance with the dying wish of Ancestor Tianyuan, on behalf of tens of thousands of kin from the Tenglong Islands, submit to True Person Zixu."

From this day forward, we shall regard the Song family of Wangyue as our lineage, with Master Zixu as our patriarch. From this day forward, we shall prioritize the interests of the family and have no disloyalty whatsoever!

The elders of the Brocade Banner who had survived the great battle knelt down before Song Changsheng, led by Song Shouhe, and said in unison, "We pay our respects to the clan leader. From now on, we will prioritize the interests of the clan and be of one mind with no intention of betraying him."

Following closely behind, the cultivators on several core islands of the Tenglong Islands also issued declarations of loyalty. Their shouts were like waves, one higher than the next. The [Jinxiuqi] cultivators who were still cleaning up the battlefield on the outskirts were initially confused, but when they heard the content of the shouts, their expressions changed drastically.

The group rushed to the core island as quickly as possible, eager to find out what was going on, but some who had already seen through the situation chose to escape in the chaos.

No matter how far the [Brocade Banner] goes, there will always be some die-hard loyalists.

Song Changsheng's attitude towards these people was to resolutely eliminate them. Zhuang Yuechan, Zhan Tianxia, ​​and others, who had already received instructions, took action and either captured or killed these cultivators who wanted to escape or tip off others.

At this moment, Song Shouhe stepped forward and said obsequiously, "Reporting to the clan leader, I have sealed the space teleportation array and the communication altar in advance. All those who do not wish to submit to your rule have been arrested and are ready to be judged by you at any time."

Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng glanced at him with some surprise.

No wonder the accounts from the core islands are so consistent; they've already been cleared out long ago.

"You can handle it yourselves."

Song Changsheng casually replied, then looked at Song Zhexuan, who was like a walking corpse, and helped him up with his own hands. He said in an encouraging tone, "Elder Zhexuan, I once said that I would let you stay in the Twin Islands. If you had been less stubborn back then, you wouldn't be in this situation today."

Since you've chosen to stay here, you must have already thought it through. I hope you'll diligently assist Yuqing in the future, and that the two of you working together can create a different future for the [Splendid Banner].

Song Zhexuan said listlessly, "I only hope that you can keep your promise."

"I am neither Song Wuji nor Song Daoling." Song Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the crowds surging in from all directions, and said in a calm tone, "Whether there will be more bloodshed is up to you."

The [Jinxiuqi] forces deployed in the East China Sea number in the tens of thousands, comprising more than half of the tribe's elite strength. If these people can be conquered, it means that the [Jinxiuqi] will lose all its maritime territory and the East China Sea fleet, which was built at great expense.

For the Song family or the East China Sea Alliance, this part is the most important. A complete maritime defense line is the key to resisting the sea creatures, and resources are concentrated in this part.

As long as their rear is secure enough, they will have no worries and can focus on building the [Brocade Banner] clan territory.

However, how to subdue this force is a skill, and it can be considered the first test for Song Yuqing and others.

After everyone had gathered, Song Yuqing walked up to them alone.

The lingering aura of blood on his body immediately drew everyone's attention.

"I am Song Yuqing, the former guardian elder of the family. You may not be familiar with me, after all, I have been away from the family for many years as a hostage."

As a hostage, I should not be here today, but my people are in trouble, and I cannot stand idly by.

Today, we have lost many of our kin. Even the Heavenly Origin Ancestor chose to burn his own Golden Core essence in order to buy us time.

Even so, if it weren't for the East Sea Alliance and Master Zixu's righteous intervention despite past grievances, we would probably be gathered in the afterlife by now.

Ladies and gentlemen, you should all know very well that this battle should not have turned out this way.

All of this was caused by the inaction of the family management.

This mighty clan, with a history spanning millennia, found its first support in times of crisis coming from its former enemies.

Faced with the enemy, they became cowardly, choosing to hide and abandon millions of their own people!
This is a betrayal, a blatant betrayal of us, of the Heavenly Ancestor!

Because of these pests, we have made too many meaningless sacrifices.

They only focus their energy on endless infighting, and they will stop at nothing to do it. They don't care about our lives at all.

Tell me, are you going to continue enduring this kind of life?

"I don't want to!"

The first to roar were the majority of the side cultivators, as Song Yuqing's words resonated deeply with them.

Very few of the main lineage cultivators responded; they were undergoing a fierce internal struggle.

Song Yuqing pressed her advantage, saying, "Since that's the case, would you all be willing to join me in tracing back to the source and rebuilding the family's former glory?"

The mere mention of family honor caused even the cultivators of the main lineage to waver.

At this moment, Song Zhexuan stepped forward, gathered his energy in his dantian, and said: "Everyone, without destruction there can be no construction. You should all have seen the chaos that has plagued the family in recent years. This family has long been rotten to the core."

Based on the dying wish of the Heavenly Ancestor and the unanimous decision of the elders present, we have decided to appoint True Man Zixu as the new patriarch of the family.

We don't know if he can lead the family to new heights, but he has at least managed to minimize bloodshed within the family, and in my opinion, that's enough.

Whether you choose to oppose Master Zixu for the sake of those parasites, or follow him to restore order and create a new era of glory, the choice is in your hands.

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

"Song Muyun greets the clan leader."

A strong, resonant voice rang out from the crowd.

This acted like a shot in the arm, prompting more and more people to make their own choices.

"We are here to see the clan leader!"

Ten thousand people chanted together, their voices soaring to the heavens…

...(End of chapter)