I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

"The remaining three are the teams of independent cultivators." Lin Xuanjing's tone became more serious, and his brows furrowed slightly.

These garrison troops, composed of independent cultivators, were the focus of the power struggle between the two over command.

The city lord's mansion couldn't get involved with the clan-based forces, but they had been infiltrating the independent cultivators' forces.

Independent cultivators are different from clan cultivators.

Clan cultivators have a strong foundation and are supported by their families. They must consider the interests of their families and the consequences when they do things.

However, independent cultivators are free; they are not responsible to anyone but to their own spirit stones.

Whoever provides the most spirit stones can command them.

The city lord's mansion has a natural advantage in this regard.

They control the finances of Chuyang City and can mobilize far more spirit stones than the Lin family.

Lin Xuanjing gave a detailed account of the three groups of independent cultivators.

The first group of independent cultivators consisted mainly of veteran independent cultivators, whose cultivation levels were generally between the late stage of Qi Refining and the early stage of Foundation Establishment. They were experienced and relatively disciplined.

These people value stability and security most. They don't seek great wealth or high status; they only want a stable job, a regular supply of spirit stones, and a place to cultivate.

Lin Xuanjing, through the Lin family's chamber of commerce, provided them with considerable assistance in terms of spirit stones and cultivation resources. Combined with the garrison's salary, their income was more than double what they used to earn by taking on their own missions.

The team has basically stabilized and is cooperating with Lin Xuanjing.

The second group of independent cultivators consisted mainly of young cultivators with varying levels of cultivation, ranging from mid-stage Qi Refining to early-stage Foundation Establishment. They were highly mobile and lacked discipline.

These people are young and impetuous, lack composure, are easily swayed, and are easily driven by self-interest.

The city lord's mansion has already begun infiltrating this team, planting several of its own confidants and winning over many people by distributing extra spirit stone subsidies and promising better cultivation resources.

Lin Xuanjing has noticed this problem and is trying to find a solution.

The third independent cultivator brigade is the newest one, and the members are still getting to know each other. The commander is also newly appointed and is currently under observation.

This was the most fiercely contested battlefield between the two sides.

The city lord's mansion dispatched an experienced mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator as deputy commander, attempting to control the team through him.

Lin Xuanjing, using his position as deputy commander of the garrison, placed several of his personal guards, trained by the Lin family, into the lower ranks of the unit as undercover agents.

"The City Lord's Mansion has been making increasingly big moves lately. They've been spreading rumors among the independent cultivators that the Lin family is nothing more than a nouveau riche with an unstable foundation, and that the resources the Lin family provides to the garrison are just what's left over after skimming off the top, with the real good stuff all being kept by the Lin family themselves."

"Does anyone believe it?" Lin Xuanqi put down his teacup and asked with a frown.

"Some people believe it." Lin Xuanjing sighed.

"Rogue cultivators are different from our clan cultivators. They have no sense of belonging to any power and only believe in spirit stones. The City Lord's Mansion gives them more spirit stones than we do, so they trust the City Lord's Mansion. However..."

He then changed the subject: "There are quite a few people who don't believe it, but the Lin family's reputation in business over the years speaks for itself. They are honest and fair to all, and never default on payments. They are far better than those corrupt stewards in the City Lord's Mansion who demand bribes and kickbacks."

"In addition, I had several managers from the Chamber of Commerce privately leak some information to those independent cultivators, such as how many spirit stones, pills, and spiritual materials the Lin family invests in the garrison every year. The accounts are clear and verifiable, so the rumors from the City Lord's Mansion gradually fell apart on their own."

Lin Che nodded, but did not speak immediately.

He picked up the osmanthus cake on the table, which had cooled down a bit, and chewed it slowly, his gaze falling on the rippling lake outside the window.

He was thinking.

The command of the garrison is not only a power struggle between the Lin family and the city lord's mansion, but also the foundation for the Lin family's foothold in Chuyang City.

The beast tide is still 28 years away. By then, this garrison will be the first line of defense for Chuyang City.

Some things cannot be accomplished by spirit beasts; they require cultivators to complete them.

That is the control formation, relying on the formation to form a defensive array.

In recent years, defensive formations have been gradually constructed around the Chuyang City area.

Led by Chuyang City and the Lin family, various families and forces contributed funds.

In order to survive here, all parties have cooperated fairly actively.

That is the first line of defense against the beast tide.

If this defensive line is in the hands of the City Lord's Mansion, the Lin family will be in a very passive position.

Therefore, it is essential to keep the garrison force under our own control.

But how do we catch them? That's the question.

Forcing it won't work. With Yan Shuming, a Golden Core cultivator, in charge of the City Lord's Mansion, it's still the legitimate authority of Chuyang City on the surface. The Lin family only holds a deputy position in command of the garrison and cannot overstep their bounds.

But even a soft approach won't work; the city lord's mansion is giving spirit stones, and the Lin family is also giving spirit stones.

The city lord's mansion provides resources, and the Lin family also provides resources.

The investment both sides have made in the rogue cultivators has almost cornered Lin Xuanjing.

"You did a good job with the matters concerning the rogue cultivators." Lin Che put down the pastries in his hand, looked at Lin Xuanjing, and spoke with a hint of approval in his tone.

"Rogue cultivators are different from clan cultivators. They don't care about personal relationships, only about interests. The more benefits you give them, the more loyal they will be. You understand this principle, and the City Lord's Mansion understands it too. So the problem now is not who gives more, but who gives for longer."

Lin Xuanjing was slightly taken aback, then nodded thoughtfully.

"The City Lord's Mansion can only receive a limited amount of funding from the sect each year. Although Yan Shuming is a Golden Core cultivator, he still has the sect above him. The sect will not give him unlimited resources. Moreover, he has to support so many subordinates, which is quite an expense."

"The Lin family is different. Our resources are earned by ourselves. The Chamber of Commerce, the Spirit Beast Garden, and the Spirit Herb Valley are all our own businesses. We don't need to depend on anyone else. In the short term, we might not be able to compete with the City Lord's Mansion, as their inventory is larger than ours. But in the long term, they can't afford to lose. Once the Black Tooth Swamp is in production and the Green Wood Chamber of Commerce has established a firm foothold in Burning Bone City, spirit stones will no longer be a problem for us!"

Lin Xuanjing's eyes lit up, as if he had vaguely grasped something.

"So what you need to do is not to compete with them on who gives more, but to show them that there is a future with the Lin family, while the deal with the City Lord's Mansion is just a one-off transaction."

Lin Che stood up, put his hands behind his back, walked to the window, and looked at the shimmering lake.

"Random cultivators are also human beings; they have families and aspirations."

"They pledge allegiance to the City Lord's Mansion today for a few more spirit stones, but what about tomorrow? The day after? Can the City Lord's Mansion keep giving them so many spirit stones? The sect's funding will change, and Yan Shuming's expression will change, but the Lin family won't."

He turned around, his gaze falling on Lin Xuanjing's face. In his deep eyes, there was scrutiny as well as expectation.

"You need to show them that following the Lin family isn't just about getting more spirit stones, but about having a stable future. Spirit stones are gone once they're spent, but once the foundation is established, it can't be uprooted."

Lin Xuanjing remained silent for a moment, then slowly stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed.

"Father, I understand."

Lin Che nodded and gestured for him to sit down.

"However, we can't completely ignore the situation at the City Lord's Mansion."

Lin Che sat back down in his chair: "I know Yan Shuming. He won't give up easily, nor will he easily break off relations."

"He's a smart man. He knows what he should fight for and what he shouldn't. He won't easily give up command of the garrison, but he also won't completely turn against the Lin family for the sake of the garrison."

"After all, the garrison was established for the purpose of defending against the beast tide. Defending against the beast tide is the top priority. He wants to defend Chuyang City more than anyone else. So what you need to do is to wear him down until he feels it's not worth it and until he takes the initiative to back down."

Lin Xuanjing nodded, carefully remembering and pondering every word his father said.

I have a general idea of ​​what to do next.

……