Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

"The Embroidered Banner is finished."

Outside Tianlong Peak, an elder from the Hundred Refinements Sect sighed softly.

The Hundred Refinements Sect and the Embroidered Banner have a long-standing business relationship. Since their territories do not border each other, their relationship is usually quite good. This time, with the Black Scale Clan's invasion, Song Jiyuan also sought their help, promising them many benefits.

Before they could decide whether to accept, they received news of the East China Sea Alliance's intervention. They immediately sensed something was wrong, and sure enough, a large family with nearly 10,000 years of history was wiped out.

From then on, a new piece was added to the chessboard of the Great Qian cultivation world.

This stagnant pool has finally been stirred up.

No one knows what role Wanxiang Palace, as the player in this game, plays.

As the protective array of Tianlong Peak slowly activated, the East China Sea Alliance fleet drove straight in and took over Tianlong Peak at the fastest speed.

Because there had been strict orders in place, no one took the opportunity to profit at this time, and the whole process was carried out without any wrongdoing.

The main reason is that the resistance of the [Jinxiuqi] cultivators is not strong, mainly because they have the backing of Song Yuqing, Song Zhexuan and other highly prestigious family elders. Otherwise, the riot of tens of thousands of cultivators on Tianlong Peak would be extremely threatening.

However, some bloodshed was inevitable, and some people would choose to resist. But in the face of the overwhelming trend of submission, their resistance was nothing more than a mayfly trying to shake a tree, and it was quelled in just a few hours.

Many people may be dissatisfied with this result, but under Song Changsheng's pressure, they can only choose to submit and bury all their dissatisfaction deep in their hearts.

Upon learning of the surrender of the Embroidered Banner, Song Qingxi dispatched a group of elite troops from Cangmang Peak as quickly as possible, led by Song Chang'an, Song Luzhou, and others, to Tianlong Peak.

Their duty is to thoroughly clarify the population, territory, and assets of the [Brocade Banner].

In short, the goal is to have complete control over all information.

Although Song Changsheng promised to give them the greatest autonomy, it did not mean that he would let them hide and cause trouble in the dark.

He trusted Song Yuqing, but this trust was not without limits.

The first thing Song Changsheng did after taking over Tianlong Peak was to deal with Song Minghuang, a potential threat.

"Clan leader, this is the place where the Supreme... uh, Song Minghuang is in seclusion."

Song Shouhe pointed respectfully to a tightly closed, pitch-black door in front of him and said.

"The Gate of Space".

After careful examination, Song Changsheng finally determined that this spatial gate did not possess any spatial power, which meant that no one below the Nascent Soul stage could reopen this spatial passage.

Sometimes, he admired Song Minghuang for being able to sit idly by and watch his family fall without doing anything, and for completely severing the connection between the small world and the main world.

This means that he has completely handed his life and death over to others. All someone needs to do is move a finger to destroy the portal in front of him, and he will wander in the boundless void with the small world.

Although they are still alive, in some ways it is more terrifying than death.

"Can't we contact them at all?" Song Changsheng asked again.

He was still quite eager to test his skills against this "veteran." Based on his investigations over the years, Song Taiyi's so-called "criminal" status was entirely due to a misjudgment by the elder of law enforcement.

At that time, Song Minghuang was already the Supreme Elder. He clearly discovered this misjudgment, but he chose to perpetuate the mistake, watching this series of tragedies unfold, and even concealed the truth, deceiving everyone.

Even on the day she passed away, Song Tai felt ashamed, believing herself to be a sinner to her family, and admonished her descendants to atone for their sins no matter what.

To be honest, this put a lot of psychological pressure on Song Xianming's generation. They all worked hard for this goal and complied with the requirements of the "Splendid Banner," voluntarily placing themselves in a very low position.

If they hadn't been driven by a desire to "atone" for their ancestors, they would never have agreed to such absurd conditions, leading to so many tragedies.

A trial, a few words spoken lightly.

It wasn't just Song Taiyi's fate that changed, but the fate of everyone in his lineage.

He really wanted to confront Song Minghuang and ask him why he did this.

Song Zhexuan said with a troubled expression, "I've tried many times, but I really can't get in touch with them."

"Then so be it." Song Changsheng didn't dwell on the issue too much and directly destroyed the spatial portal, completely cutting off Song Minghuang's way back.

Since the other party has chosen to gamble, they must bear the consequences of failure.

Seeing the spatial portal turn into dust, everyone present felt as if their hearts had been squeezed by an invisible hand. A small world, along with a Supreme Elder at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core realm, was gone just like that.

"Besides the Wangyue and Jinxiuqi branches, how many other branches does the Song family have now?" Song Changsheng asked Song Shouhe, who was standing to the side.

As the leader of the collateral branch elders, he is the most appropriate person to ask this question.

"Reporting to the clan leader, there are currently thirteen registered collateral branches. Among them, nine branches have produced Purple Mansion cultivators, and the remaining four branches have all produced Purple Mansion cultivators in the past two hundred years. However, some failed to break through and passed away, while others sacrificed themselves for the family. The population is still very prosperous."

There are only seven branches located in the Great Qian Cultivation World. Six of these branches are within the territory of the Brocade Banner, while the other branch is rooted in the East Sea.

The rest are distributed in several cultivation worlds around Daqian, such as the Song Clan of Huangqiu, where I am located, which is in the Daming cultivation world.

"Currently, these collateral branches of the family all hold positions in the elders' council, just like me, and I've actually met most of the patriarchs before," Song Shouhe said respectfully.

"No wonder the [Brocade Banner]'s vitality can recover so quickly." Song Changsheng sneered. These branches are like blood bags that can produce their own blood. They only need to draw blood when needed, so it would be strange if they didn't recover quickly.

These branches alone could provide the Embroidered Banner with at least tens of thousands of low-level cultivators to manage its industries and wage wars abroad.

"Besides the Embroidered Banner, how many Purple Mansion cultivators are there in these side branches? Don't try to fool me, I need the exact number."

Upon hearing this, Song Shouhe sighed and said, "Reporting to the clan leader, according to the information I have, there should be thirty-two Purple Mansion cultivators, more than half of whom serve in the Brocade Banner. In this great battle, six of them perished."

In the battle of Tenglong Islands, the Song family suffered over ten thousand casualties, including the loss of twelve Purple Mansion cultivators, most of whom came from collateral branches.

Only a few decades have passed since the last great war, and their strength has not yet fully recovered. The loss of so many elite troops has shaken their very foundation.

Whenever he thinks about these things, Song Shouhe feels a sharp pain in his heart.

Their ancestors from these collateral branches all left the [Jinxiu Banner] for various reasons. Over the years, some have fared well, while others have faced considerable difficulties.

However, without a Golden Core cultivator to oversee them, they are inferior to others no matter where they are.

Therefore, when the messengers of the Embroidered Banner came to their door, they were actually very happy, since it's good to have a powerful backer.

They did indeed benefit a lot at the beginning.

The messengers of the Splendid Banner brought resources, traditions, and a comprehensive training system, solving many of their potential problems.

He even provided the [Golden Core] to help his great-uncle break through to the Golden Core stage.

Unfortunately, all of this was merely to gain their trust. From the moment they officially began supplying talent to the Embroidered Banner and obeying their orders, they were like leeks, to be harvested at regular intervals.

With constant sacrifices and relentless exploitation, over the past three hundred years, the areas requiring their efforts have increased while the resources allocated to them have decreased. Forget about improvement; even maintaining the status quo has become a luxury.

Previously, there was a Golden Core cultivator from a collateral branch who stood up for them and fought for their rights, but he died in the East Sea not long after, and his body was never recovered.

They had long wanted to escape this sea of ​​suffering, but they were too deeply bound to break free.

Thus, they, who were initially disorganized, united to fight for a voice in the council of elders.

They hoped to support an elder whose interests aligned with theirs to rise to power and change their current situation, but unfortunately, they were betrayed every time.

Song Changsheng was their last bet. They hoped that this young but highly prestigious and promising clan leader could lead them to glory, rather than treating them as bloodsucking bags.

If they make the wrong bet again this time, they will be completely swallowed up by the quagmire.

Song Changsheng saw the doubts hidden in their hearts and said in a deep voice: "Now that the Brocade Banner has submitted, it represents the formal unification of our people. This is a historic moment."

Therefore, there are several important things that must be done.

"Please give your instructions, clan leader."

"The first thing is to pay tribute to our kinsmen who perished in the battle of Tenglong Islands, so that their souls may rest in peace."

The second thing was to convene a large clan council to reward and punish merits and demerits, which all elders and heads of collateral branches had to attend.

The Tenglong Islands' great victory over the Blackscale Clan was entirely due to the bravery of the clan members, and they deserve severe compensation and rewards. You all need to compile a list as quickly as possible and submit it to me before the Grand Clan Council.

There are rewards and punishments; those parasites that split the family must be judged by the family law.

Those arrested so far are only a very small fraction; the rest must all be brought to justice before the clan council and given the trial they deserve.

During this process, anyone who dares to resist law enforcement will be killed without mercy!

"I entrust this task to the two of you. Don't let me down." Song Changsheng turned his gaze to Song Zhexuan and Song Shouhedao.

"Yes, sir!" Song Shouhe quickly replied.

This is a job that is easy to offend people, and others would avoid it like the plague, but for him it is an excellent opportunity to show loyalty and draw a line.

Since they've already become traitors in the eyes of the Jinxiu Banner cultivators, they might as well go all the way and cling tightly to Song Changsheng's coattails.

“My lord, I found this item on Song Jiyuan’s body.”

At this moment, Zhuang Yuechan handed him an exquisite spatial ring.

Song Changsheng opened it, sneered, and tossed it into Song Zhexuan's hands, saying, "Take a good look at it."

Song Zhexuan's expression changed drastically after just one glance: "Why are all the treasures in the treasury here?"

"You all know better than I do who this ring belongs to. While you were still hesitating, he had already looted the entire treasure trove."

It's utterly ridiculous that such a person could become the head of a clan.

Hearing the sarcasm in Song Changsheng's words, the accompanying elder of the Brocade Banner felt as if he had been slapped across the face, the pain burning intensely.

"Since you have failed to properly safeguard these items, then hand them over to the clan treasury for unified allocation."

As soon as he finished speaking, he gestured to Zhuang Yuechan with his eyes to take the ring back.

Originally, considering that forcibly confiscating the treasures would cause dissatisfaction, he did not intend to touch the Jinxiu Banner Treasury, but would at most take a small portion.

As a result, Song Jiyuan actually delivered the package directly to my door, so naturally, there was no reason for me to let it go.

Although he had only glanced at it briefly, there were quite a few treasures inside, no less than, and perhaps even more than, the treasures left behind by the Chen family of Dongtian.

Faced with this act of petty theft, Song Zhexuan and the others felt somewhat helpless, but they had nothing to say.

As the defeated party, Song Changsheng had already been magnanimous and merciful enough towards them.

"A grand clan council will be held in fifteen days. Go and prepare."

"May I ask, clan chief, where is the clan council held?"

Song Youfu couldn't help but roll his eyes and said, "Nonsense, of course it's Cangmang Peak. Don't you know this rule?"

"From now on, all clan council meetings will be held at Cangmang Peak. Let's not break the rules."

After saying that, Song Changsheng turned and left the underground chamber.

In terms of resource abundance, Daqi is definitely inferior to Daqian, and Cangmang Peak is far inferior to Tianlong Peak.

But Song Changsheng had no intention of taking over. No matter how good this place was, it was just a false prosperity. A place without roots could not last long.

No matter how many flaws Daqi has, it is still their place of origin.

He won't, and can't, start that.

If he moves the Song family’s central headquarters to Tianlong Peak this time, will the Song family have to move again when they cross the Tianshan Mountains in the future?
If this continues, their descendants will not even know where their "roots" are, which is a very dangerous thing.

The worst thing a person can do is forget their roots.

He even considered including this in the clan precepts.

Just then, Song Luzhou hurriedly walked in and whispered, "Clan leader, two Golden Core cultivators who claim to be elders of the Myriad Manifestations Palace have come to visit from outside the mountain. Do you think we should go and meet them?"

"Elder of the Myriad Manifestations Palace, is Sword Heart Immortal accompanying you?"

"They are two men, whose strength is unfathomable, but their attitude seems rather friendly, not like they are here to interrogate someone."

“If there were to be a culprit, this wouldn’t be the time.”

After scanning the visitor with his divine sense and confirming the visitor's identity, Song Changsheng couldn't help but smile. He looked at Zhuang Yuechan beside him and said, "An old friend has come to visit. My wife, come with me to see him."

"it is good."

The two returned to the surface hand in hand, and from afar they bowed to the two familiar figures outside the mountain: "Fellow Daoist Lingxiao, Fellow Daoist Yunxuan, how have you been since we last met?"

Ling Xiao smiled slightly and said, "We have been doing well lately, but the commotion you've caused here is too great. The Palace Master has ordered us to come and invite you to Wanxiang Palace."

...(End of chapter)