Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 423 Supervisory Board

After driving Zhou Jing away, Li Xiangming remained standing silently in the same spot.

The traveling merchants were filled with anxiety, wanting to say something but daring not to speak, their faces showing great torment.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Zhiang cautiously spoke up: "Master Li, Zhou Jing is ignorant, and his words do not represent the opinions of all of us."

"That's right!"

Madam Feng quickly chimed in, trying to distance herself from the situation: "Zhou Jing has lost her mind. It has nothing to do with us. We paid our own seating fees and know what we're doing."

Li Xiangming's gaze swept over the two people, then turned to the others, and finally slowly walked up the steps and sat in the main seat.

For a moment, he was indeed very annoyed.

As a family cultivator in a high position, he couldn't always be active in the market, so he thought of building a platform like the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall to allow traveling merchants to thrive under the platform's rules, while he himself could collect a seat fee and get a share of the profits.

To put it bluntly, everything he did was for spirit stones!

Now, someone has their eyes on him, this piece of fat meat.

How could he not be angry?
But after his anger subsided, he had to admit that the seating fee issue had become a rift between him and the association.

Just as Zhou Jing said, he did nothing and took away tens of thousands of spirit stones.

Not to mention Zhou Jing, every single merchant present harbored resentment, including Zhang Zhiang, whom he had personally promoted.

However, most of these people had witnessed his methods and were afraid of his cultivation and status, which is why they held back.

However, Li Xiangming cannot continue to ignore this problem.

Why did he want to reform the guild hall?
That's because Zhao Jindou abused his power to secure his position, only accepting small-time merchants while instigating others to resist outside merchants, especially those medium and large-sized chambers of commerce.

This is completely contrary to Li Xiangming's idea!

He wants more than just the market in the middle section of Puyin Mountain. He also targets the other sections of Puyin Mountain behind Daishan, Meiling, and Hongshigu, whose potential has not yet been fully realized. In fact, the entire Puxian County should submit to the commercial rule of the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall.

To achieve this, itinerant merchants alone are far from sufficient.

Reforming the association, centralizing power, and expanding membership are all preparations for the future.

Of course, he can also collect more seat fees himself.

However, this brings the issue of who owns the seat fees back into the open.

The fact that the itinerant merchants were weak and dared not resist him does not mean that powerful merchant guilds will obediently accept him in the future.

He had to find a way to legally control the seat fees.

Otherwise, the Puyinshan Guild Hall would forever be brewing the idea of ​​"excluding Li".

After a moment's thought, Li Xiangming sighed, "I know what you're all thinking. I've taken all the seat fees these past few years and haven't really helped anyone. Zhou Jing is right about that; I have indeed made mistakes."

"Master Li"

Zhang Zhiang immediately became anxious.

Zhou Jing was a newcomer, so it was one thing to drive her away, but the others were old acquaintances who were not only trustworthy but also played a pivotal role in the guild.

If Li Xiangming seizes this opportunity to make a fuss, it will be a fatal blow to the association. The connections and resources that he, as the president—no, the new head of the association—has painstakingly accumulated will also be greatly diminished.

Before he could offer any advice, Li Xiangming raised his hand to interrupt him, his gaze deep as he said, “Don’t worry, I’m no longer angry. I’m seriously considering this issue. Although I established the guild hall, it’s geared towards a broad range of merchants. Compared to your interests, what are my personal desires and selfishness? I plan to return the membership fees to the guild hall to promote its long-term development.”

The field fell silent for a moment.

The traveling merchants stared in astonishment, mouths agape, as if they had seen a ghost.

Some people can even fit one or two eggs into their mouths.

After a long pause, Old Wu said in a hoarse voice, "Master Li, a gentleman doesn't joke!"

"I always keep my word!"

Li Xiangming looked around at everyone, his expression grave: "From today onwards, the Li family will actively participate in the affairs of the association, and I will gradually reduce the number of times I meet with everyone. It is no longer appropriate for me to retain the privilege of monopolizing the seat fees. I plan to add a supervisory board in addition to the board of directors to be responsible for managing the seat fees."

These words immediately caused a commotion in the arena.

Is the Li family really going to pay the attendance fee?

This isn't just a couple hundred spirit stones, it's tens of thousands of spirit stones!
The traveling merchants were eager to make their move, and some couldn't contain their excitement, asking loudly, "Master Li, what's the deal with this supervisory board?"

Li Xiangming had just come up with this idea. As he refined his thoughts, he slowly said, "The Supervisory Board, as the name suggests, represents the committee in exercising its supervisory functions. Whenever the head of the association or a director intentionally harms the interests of the association or damages the business environment of Puyin Mountain, the Supervisory Board will handle the matter impartially."

"The supervisory board is responsible for convening and supervising the election meeting. If any improper conduct is discovered, the board may remove the elected candidate from office."

"The misappropriation of annual meeting fees, even if it exceeds one hundred spirit stones, requires the approval of the supervisor."

Li Xiangming listed the various functions of the supervisory board, and the traveling merchants became more and more alarmed as they listened.

The Puyinshan Guild Hall was not a commercial organization; it was not for profit. The traveling merchants would never voluntarily share a single penny of their earnings with the guild hall.

But the association still has money because it collects seat fees and annual meeting fees.

Let's not even talk about the seat fees.

The annual fee is actually not much; each person only pays ten spirit stones.

But the guild hall has 146 seats!

Over the course of a year, the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall can collect nearly 1,500 spirit stones in membership fees.

However, the opportunities to use this membership fee are very few and far between.

At most, it's just paying rent for the guild hall building in Monkey Valley.

Of course, the books wouldn't look so neat on paper.

The chairman who controls this money will not save it.

For example, Zhao Jindou would find various reasons every year to spend all his membership fees.

Whether or not the money has truly been spent, everyone knows the answer.

It is precisely because the chairman not only has the power to speak but also real benefits that every traveling merchant is envious and tries every means to sit on this throne that brings both fame and fortune.

But now, the supervisory board that Li Xiangming requested to be established can not only supervise the head of the board and directors in all aspects, but also influence the election of members and restrict the use of annual fees.

Isn't this just like putting a tight rein on the guild hall?
No, the supervisory board also has a large source of revenue from seat fees, and there are countless things it can do.

This is practically Guanyin Bodhisattva herself.

Zhang Zhi'ang, as the head of the association, immediately became restless and whispered, "Master Li, aren't the functions of this supervisory board a bit too many?"

Li Xiangming glanced at him and replied, "If the board of supervisors has too little power, how can I feel comfortable handing over the seat fee? Rather than letting you line your own pockets, it's better to leave the seat fee to me."

Zhang Zhi'ang looked embarrassed, but the traveling merchants around him were anxious, fearing that Li Xiangming would change his mind. They all rushed forward and grabbed Zhang Zhi'ang's arm, saying, "Old Zhang, you're overthinking it! In my opinion, our guild needs supervision."

“That’s right. All mortal organizations have similar oversight systems, so how could our guild not have one?”

"Establishing a board of supervisors is perfectly reasonable. Who would dare to oppose it? Do they have something to hide?"

Zhang Zhi'ang was furious, but unable to refute, he could only stand aside with his hands behind his back. Someone seized the opportunity to push forward and eagerly asked, "May I ask, Master Li, who is in charge of this supervisory board?"

"The supervisory board is responsible for oversight and should not interfere in the specific affairs of the association. Therefore, supervisors cannot be simply selected from within the association. However, if there are no members from the association, it is also unsuitable for them to manage the membership fees."

Li Xiangming rambled on with a lot of vague and ambiguous words, finally concluding, "My intention is to select one person each from the Li family, the Guild's committee, and the Demon Hunter Guild to form a supervisory board. What do you think?"

"The Li family?"

The traveling merchants were discussing the matter extensively, with many expressing opposition.

Li Xiangming immediately stood up, his face stern, and said, "Now that I'm doing as you wish, I'm voluntarily giving up my seat fee just to secure a place for the Li family on the board of supervisors. Is that not appropriate?"

"It's not inappropriate."

Seeing that Li Xiangming was about to get angry, the merchants' words fell flat like grass on a wall.

Someone chuckled and flattered, "Master Li is of noble character, giving up ill-gotten gains. I mean, the unreasonable practice of monopolizing the seat fee. In short, Master Li's actions are truly selfless, and the Li family should rightfully have a place on the board of supervisors."

"That's right!"

Others echoed.

Getting Li Xiangming to pay his attendance fee is already fantastic news. How can he be so ungrateful? He should still be given a supervisory position.

Only Madam Feng swallowed hard: "I agree, but isn't it a bit inappropriate to involve the Demon Hunting Guild? You should know that there are only three supervisors in total."

"This involves another part of the supervisory board's functions."

Li Xiangming took out some notices from his storage bag and made them float in the air for everyone to read.

"Has someone else died out there?"

"Quite a few. Two demon-hunting groups fought over the Wangyuegang camp, and more than ten cultivators died. Tsk tsk..."

"How come a businessman got into trouble too?"

“Banditry has always existed in Puyin Mountain, as you know.”

There were quite a few notices, more than ten in total.

The traveling merchants grew increasingly silent as they watched.

As Li Xiangming observed their expressions, his thoughts became increasingly refined.

These notices are intelligence gathered by the Li family; some are outdated, while others are recent.

Generally speaking, Taibai Restaurant only picks out some outrageous content to post on its signboard to attract attention.

The reason he had so many was that he intended to publicize these deeds to highlight the safety of Monkey Valley and create momentum for selling his cave dwelling.

After everyone finished reading, Li Xiangming took down the notice and said with great emotion, "Puyin Mountain has never been safe, especially around Monkey Valley, where all sorts of people mingle. And your area of ​​activity happens to be Monkey Valley."

"Who can guarantee they'll never leave their house?"

"Who thinks they won't be targeted by the bandits?"

“It’s one thing if some valuables are lost, but the Jie Xiu is unreasonable. If he gets agitated and hurts any of you, it will be a loss for our guild.”

“I don’t want to see this situation happen, and I believe you do too. Therefore, in addition to providing you with a platform to showcase your skills, the Puyinshan Association must also have its own armed force to protect your safety.”

The traveling merchants, already in agreement, began to stir even before Li Xiangming finished speaking.

Is what Hall Master Li said true?

"They should have protected us a long time ago!"

"To be honest, I am always terrified whenever I enter or leave Puyin Mountain."

"Me too"

Seeing the strong reaction from the crowd, Li Xiangming immediately smiled.

Puyin Mountain is crowded with people and posed a great risk. Not only do demon hunters want a safe and secure cave dwelling, but traveling merchants also need strong guards to ensure their safety.

In the past, Zhao Jindou had hired several late-stage Qi Refining cultivators to accompany him on his travels.

But not every traveling merchant is as wealthy as Zhao Jindou.

"I understand your needs."

Li Xiangming smiled faintly, but then changed the subject: "To establish a dedicated organization composed of cultivators to protect the hall, we would need at least thirty to fifty people. Let's take the middle value and calculate with forty people. If each person is paid only 5 spirit stones per month, that would be 2,400 spirit stones per year."

"But there's one thing we must consider: late-stage Qi Refining cultivators won't accept this price. Even a monthly stipend of 20 spirit stones might not sway them, and these are precisely the people who can protect our main force. Add to that the pills, talismans, and magical artifacts we need to buy for them, and it'll cost at least..."

As he spoke, Li Xiangming held up four fingers.

"Sigh~"

The traveling merchants present all gasped in shock.

Four thousand spirit stones a year is not enough, even if you add up the seat fee and annual membership fee.

If this organization is established, they will inevitably have to raise their own money to fill the gap.

Upon thinking of this, the traveling merchants all shook their heads.

Even the person who had previously said they were terrified awkwardly changed their tune, saying, "Actually, being careful isn't a big deal; after all, everyone goes through this."

A bunch of money-grubbing idiots who don't value their lives!
Li Xiangming cursed under his breath, but on the surface he agreed, "I also think it's too expensive! But I have a compromise, which is to have the supervisory board cooperate with the demon hunter guild."

“We pay a membership fee every year to win the support of the Demon Hunter Guild. When anyone makes a request, they can ask the Supervisory Board to request the Demon Hunter Guild to send demon hunters for protection. If there is no request, then nothing will happen. In this way, we do not need to spend huge sums of money to cultivate a large military organization, but we can still get the security we deserve.”

"Of course, the seat fees are limited and cannot meet everyone's needs at all times. Junior members only have one opportunity to ask the Demon Hunting Guild for help per year, intermediate members have three, senior members have five, and committee members, directors, and the head of the guild each have ten. Once they have used up their quota, they will have to find their own way."

"good idea!"

The traveling merchants were excited.

First of all, this seat fee originally belonged to Li Xiangming. They couldn't get any of it before. Although they still can't get a share now, they have gained the right to apply for guards from the Demon Hunting Guild several times. Isn't that getting a share of the pie?
You know, hiring cultivators as bodyguards isn't cheap!

However, some more level-headed individuals questioned, "Can the Demon Hunter Guild really send out elite demon hunters to protect us?"

Li Xiangming said calmly, "Money makes the world go round. Our Puyin Mountain Guild and the Demon Hunting Guild are closely related. Perhaps some demon hunters will call us profiteers, but no one will turn down spirit stones. Besides, we let the core members of the Demon Hunting Guild join the board of supervisors precisely to coordinate this."

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized what was going on.

No wonder Li Tang wanted to bring in members of the Demon Hunter Guild.

People from the Demon Hunter Guild are naturally more objective and fair in their view of the Puyin Mountain Guild's affairs, and are better able to perform their supervisory function. In turn, this person can influence the Demon Hunter Guild's decisions and provide convenience for protecting the traveling merchants.

After racking their brains for a long time, the traveling merchants still couldn't figure out what was wrong.

The three seats on the supervisory board were thus decided.

In the following days, under Li Xiangming's urging and follow-up, the reform of Puyinshan Guild Hall went very smoothly, and of course the board of supervisors made the fastest progress.

Before the committee and board of directors had even completed their elections, the supervisory board already had a specific list of members: Li Xiangguang representing the Li family, Long Yang representing the Demon Hunter Guild, and Jiang Liang, a newly appointed member representing the Puyin Mountain Guild.

(End of this chapter)