Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 343 Change
At the summit of Tailai Peak, inside the Li Clan Ancestral Hall, Li Qianxiong stood solemnly before the ancestral tablets, offering incense and candles one by one.

Behind him, hundreds of Li family cultivators knelt in unison, creating a solemn atmosphere.

"Xiangming, step forward!"

Li Qianxiong's voice echoed inside the ancestral hall.

Li Xiangming quickly stood up, walked briskly to Li Qianxiong's side, and solemnly performed the three kneelings and nine kowtows ceremony on a bright red prayer mat.

As the ceremony concluded, Li Qianxiong's voice rang out: "I, Li Qianxiong, the head of the Li family, respectfully offer this simple feast and fine wine to the spirits of our ancestors. It is said that Heaven rewards diligence, Earth rewards virtue, and humanity rewards sincerity. Our clansman, Li Xiangming, possessed extraordinary talent from a young age and harbored lofty ambitions. Now, blessed by our ancestors and favored by Heaven, he has achieved enlightenment in the path of cultivation, successfully establishing his foundation. This is a blessing for our clan and an honor for our ancestors. All members of our clan should remember our ancestors' virtues and diligently cultivate themselves. May our clan all take Xiangming as their role model, strive for excellence, and jointly contribute to the prosperity of our clan. I hereby report this, hoping that the spirits of our ancestors in Heaven will protect our clan. If we receive their blessings, the rise of our clan will be just around the corner."

Before Li Qianxiong could finish speaking, the members of the Li clan all looked at Li Xiangming, their eyes filled with astonishment.

Yesterday, the clan suddenly issued an emergency summons to convene a clan meeting.

It should be noted that the clan meeting is held every five years, and there are very few exceptions. Moreover, the order was given yesterday that the ancestral hall will be opened today, so many clan members who are away from home will not have time to attend.

But the patriarch and the clan elders ignored this and forcibly convened a clan meeting.

As a result, everyone thought that a major change had occurred in the family.

Unexpectedly, it was Li Xiangming who achieved Foundation Establishment.

Li Xiangming's name had long been known in the Li family. Many people knew that he was hailed as the new generation genius of the Li family, and was on par with Li Xiangren and Li Xiangyu.

Nevertheless, his rapid success in establishing his foundation still surprised everyone.

Generally speaking, after a cultivator advances to the ninth level of Qi Refining, they still need to cultivate enough mana to reach the Great Perfection realm before daring to attempt Foundation Establishment.

Li Xiangming broke through to the ninth level of Qi Refining in less than two years, right?

Although filled with doubts, the Li family had strict rules, and no one dared to make a sound at this time.

However, Li Qianxiong clearly did not want to delay any longer, so he quickly ended the ancestral worship ceremony and then announced the official start of the clan meeting.

Before anyone else could speak, Li Qianting asked first, "Has Xiangming really reached the Foundation Establishment stage?"

"How could there be falsehood before one's ancestors?"

Li Chenglu snorted.

Li Qianting quickly withdrew, not daring to ask any more questions.

The scene gradually became noisy, with the clansmen whispering and discussing among themselves.

Some found it hard to believe, but many more were pleasantly surprised.

"So, including the old man, my Li family has a total of seven Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

"more than!"

Someone excitedly interrupted, "Xiang Yu's Foundation Establishment stage is a done deal! Xiang Ru and Xiang Hua have both reached the ninth level of Qi Refining! Within ten years, our Li family may have more than two palms' worth of Foundation Establishment cultivators!"

These words caused the atmosphere in the ancestral hall to become even more heated.

Although one Foundation Establishment cultivator and ten Foundation Establishment cultivators are both called Foundation Establishment families, it is clear to anyone with discerning eyes that there is a world of difference between the two.

This gap is not only reflected in the current balance of power between the two sides, but also in the future potential of the families.

Take Green Cloud Cave as an example. Green Cloud Fairy is already an outstanding Foundation Establishment cultivator, but Green Cloud Cave has never produced a second Foundation Establishment cultivator in all these years.

When Fairy Green Cloud passed away, Green Cloud Cave immediately fell into ruin.

If Li Xiangming hadn't gone to Hengyue Sect to take Zhang Min and the others away, they would most likely have blended into Yingyue Market and become nameless, low-level rogue cultivators.

The name Green Cloud Cave will only appear in the memories of some people.

In contrast, the Li family also suffered a devastating disaster, but after recuperating briefly in Longyuan Prefecture, a Foundation Establishment cultivator with exceptional talent, Li Huinan, immediately emerged.

Even though the Li family lost three of their four Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Battle of Nanbin, new Foundation Establishment cultivators such as Li Chengkang and Li Qianxiong took over.

This is the Li family's profound heritage!

The concept of "foundation" is not as simple as just two words. It involves many aspects, such as historical heritage, family rules and precepts, cultural accumulation, martial arts techniques and unique skills, education system, as well as economic strength and distribution system.

Even external factors such as family reputation and political status cannot be ignored.

These things cannot be obtained overnight.

The Li family of Danggui Mountain today is nothing more than a piece of their tail that they cut off to escape when they tried to survive back then.

The foundation of this branch of the family is naturally incomparable to that of the former Li family of Tianzhu Mountain. It is already quite remarkable that they have been able to produce Foundation Establishment cultivators one after another.

But now, the Li family seems to be experiencing a boom.

In just a few years, three Foundation Establishment cultivators were born.

If the Li family can successfully produce ten Foundation Establishment cultivators, it will mean that the Li family has firmly established itself at the Foundation Establishment level and is expected to restore the glory of its ancestors.

How could this not be exciting?
"The Li family is blessed with good fortune!"

Several elderly people of the Cheng generation had tears in their eyes.

At this moment, Li Qianxiong spoke up: "Besides announcing the good news of Xiangming's Foundation Establishment at this clan gathering, there are a few other important matters to tell everyone. First of all, the family plans to hold a Foundation Establishment ceremony for Xiangming in two months. Unless there is something urgent, you should all attend!"

The Foundation Establishment Ceremony is not only a festival to celebrate the advancement of one's cultivation level, but also the best way to enhance the family's reputation and expand its influence.

When Li Xiangren laid the foundation, a grand foundation-laying ceremony should have been held.

However, because Li Xiangren brought Ye Yun home, his marriage to Min Ning fell through.

The Li family appeared very happy.

It's inevitable that this will offend Xuanli Zhenren.

Therefore, the Li family did not choose to make a fuss about Li Xiangren.

When Li Qianxiao reached the Foundation Establishment stage, the Mountain Moving Sect launched a major attack on the Maojing Mine. The Li family, wanting to conceal Li Qianxiao's strength, let the matter drop.

Now that Li Xiangming has returned from his foundation-building journey, barring any special circumstances, a foundation-building ceremony will naturally be held.

Moreover, according to Li Qianxiong's wishes, not only should it be held, but it should be held on a grand scale.

The reason is simple: when Li Xiangming got married, the Li family used a grand wedding to showcase him as the family's representative.

Currently, almost everyone in the Pudong area has heard of Li Xiangming.

In just two years, the Li family once again announced the news that Li Xiangming had achieved foundational status.

This will surely make the name resound throughout Pudong, and even the entire Puxian County.

As a result, the Li family will gain a great deal of prestige, leaving a deep impression in the minds of countless people that the Li family is about to rise to power.

This decision is entirely beneficial to the Li family.

All everyone had to do was show their support, so naturally no one objected.

Soon after, Li Qianxiong announced his second major initiative: reforming the family's organizational structure, which immediately caused a huge uproar.

Li Qianxiong had anticipated this and gave several clan elders a meaningful look.

The clan elders spoke up one after another, and the scene quickly quieted down.

Li Qianxiong looked around and continued, “I know everyone doesn’t like making a fuss, but currently the Li family has more and more organizations, but there is no distinction between primary and secondary ones. Some organizations have a large number of people, while others only have one or two people, but their status is equal. When the hall masters and managers ask for funds, the more the better. This inevitably causes trouble for the family. If we give them all the same amount, the family can’t afford it. If we give them different amounts, it will easily cause resentment. After discussing with the elders, we have decided to redefine the functions and status of the halls, branches, and other organizations.”

"I wonder how the head of the family intends to determine this?"

Someone couldn't help but ask.

Li Qianxiong glanced at him: "In the past, the halls and rooms were of the same level, but due to their different sizes, many small rooms were created that were miscellaneous and useless. After the establishment of the inner and outer halls, this phenomenon has improved a lot, but there are still many rooms that are independent outside the halls, such as the increasingly large animal breeding room. Some people have suggested changing the animal breeding room into the animal breeding hall, while others believe that the animal breeding room should not stand alongside the inner and outer halls. What do you think?"

"This"

The crowd whispered amongst themselves, but no one stepped forward to offer any explanation. In terms of scale, the Animal Breeding House had long surpassed the level of a mere "house," and even most "halls" couldn't compare to it.

However, the Inner Affairs Hall was in charge of the family's internal affairs, while the Outer Affairs Hall was in charge of the family's external affairs.

Even if the animal breeding room is converted into a hall, it still seems to fall short compared to the inner and outer halls.

"Your hesitation shows that the current situation is unreasonable. Our Li family has been established in Danggui Mountain for more than ten years and is no longer in a precarious situation. It's time for a change!"

Li Qianxiong stared sharply at everyone.

Everyone who was being watched felt uneasy.

With this organizational change, countless people will lose their current positions and power.

Some of the managers of the smaller rooms were even more anxious and uneasy.

They strained their eyes, staring intently at the top of their own house, hoping to get some clue.

But at this moment, the elders all closed their eyes and remained unmoved.

This means that the head of the family's decision was actually approved by the clan elders.

I'm saying this now simply to inform everyone.

Unless there is widespread opposition from the tribe, this resolution is a done deal.

In the end, these people lowered their heads in dejection.

The stewards of the inner and outer halls, however, did not seem nervous. Li Qianting stepped forward again, cupped his hands, and said, "Please give your instructions, Patriarch."

Li Qianxiong nodded and said in a deep voice, "The family has decided to establish an Imperial Household Department, which will oversee five departments: Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Garrison, Guangfeng, and the Imperial Clan. Each department will have several offices, forming a three-tiered decision-making body consisting of the department, offices, and offices."

These words immediately caused a commotion in the arena.

Everyone is discussing the rationale behind this architecture.

Many people know perfectly well that Li Qianxiong has long wanted to reform the family's internal system.

This can be seen from the establishment of the inner and outer halls.

What we are doing now is simply continuing the topics discussed at the clan meeting two years ago.

But everyone still felt caught off guard.

Li Qianting asked, "The Clan Court has existed since ancient times. The Inner and Outer Courts and the Guardian Court are also indispensable and important institutions of the family. May I ask what the details are about this Guangfeng Court?"

Li Qianxiong explained, "Guangfeng Hall is a newly established institution, responsible for sharing some of the duties of the Inner Affairs Hall, managing all the family's internal industries and income and expenditure. The existing land reclamation, mining, alchemy, talisman array, animal breeding, and medicinal cuisine departments will all be incorporated into it. At the same time, an accounting department will be established to record and calculate the family's industries and resources; and a treasury department will be set up to manage the inflow and outflow of funds."

After a long while, everyone finally understood the focus of this reform: Guangfengtang.
The Imperial Household Department was merely an empty shell, directly controlled by the head of the household.

The five branches under its jurisdiction, including the inner branch, the outer branch, and the guard branch, have remained almost unchanged.

The Imperial Clan Court has been expanded, with its original functions reorganized into the Imperial Clan Office, and new offices for salary and reflection have been established. Even the Green Seedling Institute has been brought under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Clan Court.

But compared to Guangfengtang, it's nothing.

The original farm building was not only responsible for expanding the spiritual fields, but also for cultivating, planting and maintaining spiritual plants. It was a large organization in itself, no less than a regular temple.

The Mining Administration Office is responsible for the development, transportation, and smelting of mineral resources. Originally a small organization, it rapidly expanded after the Maojing Mine fell into the hands of the Li family and is now a large organization.

Not to mention traditional institutions specializing in alchemy, talisman arrays, and medicinal cuisine; although they are not large, they are not insignificant either.

The animal breeding house was a key focus of the Li family, second only to the farmland reclamation house in terms of the number of people it housed, and the one that received the most resources.

They were originally important institutions independent of the main hall, but now they have all been incorporated into Guangfeng Hall.

It is no exaggeration to say that Guangfengtang controls the family's economic lifeline, and the power of its head is unparalleled among all the other halls.

Who will take charge of Guangfengtang?
The ancestral hall became noisy again.

Li Qianxiong didn't keep them in suspense and announced directly: "I intend to appoint Qianyou as the head of Guangfeng Hall."

"But isn't Qianyou the head of the Foreign Affairs Hall?"

Some people were confused.

Li Qianxiong patiently explained, "Xiang Ming will be in charge of the Foreign Affairs Hall."

"Resonance?"

Now, the situation became even more chaotic.

The person who spoke earlier directly questioned, "Xiangming is so young, isn't he qualified enough to be the head of the hall?"

Li Qianxiong glanced at him: "Is Xiangming's experience not good enough for you?"

"This"

The man was speechless.

Li Xiangming successively served as the head of the Accounting Office and the Animal Catching Office, and also concurrently as the head of the Animal Breeding Office. In every position he held, he performed exceptionally well, securing substantial benefits for the Li family.

Now he serves as the deputy head of the Foreign Affairs Department, and has done nothing wrong.

Judging from his resume, Li Xiangming's experience is perfect, and it was only a matter of time before he became the head of the hall.

He was simply too surprised and couldn't help but refute.

But in terms of seniority, he is not as good as Li Xiangming.

The others realized what was happening, looked at each other, and didn't dare to say anything more.

After all, Li Xiangming was standing right in front of him, and he had just entered the Foundation Establishment stage, a time when he was full of vigor and ambition.

Anyone who opposes him at this time would be asking for trouble.

Seeing that everyone was silent, a hint of surprise flashed in Li Qianxiong's eyes.

I thought Li Xiangming's appointment would require some persuasion, but it went so smoothly.

This also proves that Li Xiangming's abilities have been recognized by most people.

Li Qianxiong felt slightly relieved and then issued several more appointments.

The positions of head and deputy head of the Internal Affairs Hall will continue to be held by Li Qianxing and Li Qianting, respectively.

The position of deputy head of the Foreign Affairs Hall was concurrently held by Li Qianju, the former head of the Jin Fang Market. By the way, the deputy head, Li Qianhe, was promoted to head of the Accounting Office of Guangfeng Hall and thus left Pushui Market.

The head and deputy head of the Shouyu Hall remain unchanged, still Li Xiangyu and Li Xianghua.

The position of deputy head of Guangfeng Hall was given to Li Xiangru, who had been idle for several years.

Finally, the head of the Zongren Hall was Li Chengdian, and the deputy head was Li Chengsu.

Not only were there changes in the positions of the hall master and deputy hall master, but promotions and transfers among the various managers and deputy managers were also commonplace. In just half a day, the Li family seemed to have undergone a complete transformation.

Everyone was immersed in this sudden change.

But Li Qianxiong has much more to announce than just these.

"Gentlemen, since its establishment, the Service Institute has achieved remarkable results. Every year alone, no fewer than a hundred cultivators are employed by the Li family, opening up a large number of spiritual fields for our Li family. This shows that the system is successful."

"However, the members of my Li family are ashamed to associate with rogue cultivators and are unwilling to enter the Service Academy. Even if they do enter, they are merely filling in the ranks, and will leave in a hurry after a few years. What kind of behavior is this?"

At this point, Li Qianxiong's face was full of anger: "The Service Bureau is an institution of my Li family. Serving the Service Bureau is serving the family. Your negligence in your own affairs is simply laughable to outsiders!"

Li Qianxiong has served as the head of the family for many years, and his reputation has grown. Many young people are terrified when they see him angry.

Li Qianxiong coldly looked at everyone: "From today onwards, all tasks in the household will be issued in the form of bounty orders in the Department of Service. If you want to earn merits, don't count on the Examination Room."

(End of this chapter)