Establishing a Clan in the Eastern Wilderness: A Daily Divination, Cultivating Longevity in a Grotto

"Register them and add them to the clan treasury. In addition, my son wants to establish two shrines."

Which two?

"The Hall of Merit and the Hall of Missions." Li Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth in the hall. "Clan members gain merit by accepting missions, and then exchange merit for resources. It's no longer the unconditional supply as before. The more you work, the more you earn; labor brings rewards. For the clan to develop, there must be rules."

Li Shouyi put down his pen, pondered for a moment, and nodded repeatedly:

"This is a good idea. The old system of communal meals can easily breed laziness over time. With the Merit Hall, clan members will have something to strive for and be motivated. The clan and the individual will complement each other, forming a virtuous cycle, instead of the clan subsidizing the individual's spiritual practice."

"However," he changed the subject, "those under the age of thirteen are not yet adults and should receive the clan's basic supplies. After the age of thirteen, they will begin to take on clan tasks and serve the clan."

Li Changsheng agreed: "Father has considered everything carefully. The Hall of Merit will be managed by Father. The Hall of Missions..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Let my eldest cousin, Li Changming, take charge."

Li Shouyi paused for a moment, then hesitated, saying, "Changsheng, your eldest cousin isn't from our ninth branch. His branch, after all, is the direct line of the eldest son, and they had absolute authority back in Li Family Fortress. Aren't you afraid of entrusting the mission hall to him...?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear—he feared that Li Changming might develop disloyal intentions if he gained power.

Li Changsheng smiled and said, "Father, don't worry, my brother-in-law has another mission. I plan to set up a training hall so that he can select members of our clan for training. Firstly, to prepare for the upcoming beast tides; secondly, because once the Eastern Wilderness tribes recover, bandits will rise again; and thirdly, our Li family also needs a fighting force to deter outsiders."

He paused, his gaze deep: "As for my eldest cousin... his spiritual root aptitude is quite good. Such a genius needs to be tamed by my son, not pushed to the opposite side. Entrusting the mission hall to him is both a sign of trust and a test."

Li Shouyi looked at his son for a long time, then nodded, his eyes full of satisfaction.

"Chang Sheng, since you became the clan leader, you have become more and more farsighted."

……

The Li family's eldest son's house.

As dusk settled, Li Changming's family was having dinner. Several home-style dishes were laid out on the table, not as lavish as the spiritual meals served at the patriarch's mansion, but still quite substantial.

Sister-in-law Qin picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, chewed it, but her gaze drifted to the window. From the direction of the head of the household's mansion, lights shone brightly, and the faint sounds of laughter and chatter could be heard. She put down her chopsticks and said sourly:

"Changming, you said that our eldest branch is the true legitimate line. Back in Lijiabao, which branch didn't have to look up to us? Now look at us, the ninth branch is in charge and has completely driven us out of the center of power."

Li Changming paused for a moment while picking up food, but did not respond.

Qin continued, "The clan leader and the others went into the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave and probably reaped countless benefits. But look at us, the eldest branch of the family, did they get even a tiny bit? Not even a hair."

"Snapped!"

Li Changming slammed his chopsticks on the table, his face ashen. He got up and walked to the courtyard gate, peering out to make sure no one was around before closing it. Turning to his wife, he glared at her and said in a low voice:

"You're not allowed to say things like that again!"

Qin was startled by his sudden outburst of anger, and shrank back, but still remained defiant: "I didn't say anything wrong..."

"You're still not wrong?" Li Changming gritted his teeth. "The clan leader and the others went into the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death! Fifteen aristocratic families went in, and only six came out alive! The clan leader even won first place; that was earned with his life! You only saw the glory, not the danger?"

Qin opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Li Changming took a deep breath, his tone softening slightly: "I know you're upset. Back in Li Family Fort, you were the eldest son's wife, used to being flattered. Now that the ninth branch is in charge, you feel a sense of loss. But think about it, how has the clan leader treated our eldest branch? The Spirit Testing Platform was built, and we've been generous with cultivation resources. What more do you want?"

Qin lowered her head and remained silent. But she was still resentful. She felt that the clan leader's family must have obtained many good things after entering the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave, but they hadn't shared them with the clan members, especially their eldest son's branch, which hadn't received anything.

Looking at his wife's expression, Li Changming knew she hadn't listened. He gritted his teeth and said harshly, "Let me tell you, if I ever hear you complaining about the clan leader, complaining about the ninth branch of the family, or hear you gossiping about others again, I will divorce you immediately! Go back to your parents' home!"

Qin's face turned deathly pale, her lips trembled, and she dared not speak again.

She felt wronged. When she married into the Li family, she brought her own dowry and was treated as a superior being. Who could have imagined that the Li family would produce an immortal ancestor who suddenly received a fiefdom and rose to prominence? Her former high position was now completely stripped of its advantages, and she herself only possessed a lower-grade spiritual root aptitude. This disparity filled her with resentment.

But since her husband had said all that, she had no choice but to swallow her anger.

……

Back in her room, Madam Qin sat on the edge of the bed, sulking. Her personal maid, Granny Qin, brought in a cup of tea, carefully placed it on the table, and tentatively asked, "Young Madam, what did the Master say?"

Qin said irritably, "It's all your fault for coming up with this terrible idea! You told me to complain to my husband about the clan chief, and he ended up giving me a good scolding!"

Granny Qin quickly flattered her, massaging Qin's shoulders and back, coaxing, "Young Madam, please calm down. Master is only doing this for the good of the family. Besides, if the clan head really benefits, he won't forget the eldest branch. After all, the eldest branch is the legitimate line, and the clan head needs their support to secure his position, doesn't he?"

Qin felt a little better after being coaxed, and snorted, "You're so good at talking."

Granny Qin smiled and continued to massage her shoulders, but a barely perceptible glint flashed in her eyes.

Her real name wasn't Qin Mama. Several months ago, Qin Shi was attacked by a monster while traveling, and she "happened" to pass by and "happened" to save Qin Shi's life. Qin Shi was extremely grateful and brought her up the mountain, treating her as an honored guest. From then on, she stayed in the Li family and became Qin Shi's most trusted confidante.

No one knew that she was a spy planted in the Li family by another force.

Her tasks were twofold: first, to gather intelligence on the Li family and transmit it through clandestine channels every two weeks; and second, to subtly sow discord within the Li family, especially between the eldest and ninth branches.

Her words tonight were the result of her deliberate manipulation. Although Li Changming didn't fall for it, Qin's dissatisfaction had been stirred up. It was bound to erupt eventually.

She tucked the blanket around Madam Qin and said softly, "Young Madam, please rest early. Tomorrow you will be learning weaving from the Old Madam."

Madam Qin hummed in agreement and closed her eyes.

Granny Qin blew out the candles and left. In the darkness, a slight smile played on her lips.

……

The next day.

Just as Li Changming finished breakfast, a clansman came to deliver a message: the clan chief requests your presence.

He straightened his robes and strode towards the council hall. He felt uneasy the whole way. His wife had said those things last night, and although he hadn't agreed with them, he wondered if the clan leader had heard anything about it.

Inside the council hall, Li Changsheng was discussing clan affairs with Li Shouyi. Seeing Li Changming enter, Li Changsheng smiled and waved, "Elder cousin, you've come at the perfect time."

Li Changming stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "Clan Chief."

Li Changsheng pushed a document in front of him: "The family wants to establish a Hall of Merit and a Hall of Duties. The Hall of Merit will be managed by Father, and the Hall of Duties—I want to hand it over to my eldest cousin."

Li Changming was stunned.

The Mission Hall, in charge of issuing clan missions, verifying merits, and exchanging resources, is a truly powerful department. He had assumed the clan leader would give this position to someone from the Ninth Branch, since the Ninth Branch was the clan leader's direct subordinate. Unexpectedly, the clan leader gave it to him.

"Clan leader, this..." Li Changming hesitated, "Am I capable of bearing this responsibility?"

Li Changsheng patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "Eldest cousin is the direct descendant of the eldest branch of the family and has a third-grade spiritual root. In terms of seniority and ability, he is qualified for the position. Do a good job and don't let me down."

A warm feeling welled up in Li Changming's heart. He accepted the document, solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "Rest assured, Clan Chief, Changming will certainly live up to your expectations!"

He walked out of the council hall; the sun was shining brightly.

All the subtle resentment in his heart vanished in that moment. The clan leader trusted him, and he had to live up to that trust.

He was glad he hadn't listened to his wife's whispers last night; otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten such a good job.

Loyalty: 60/100 → 70/100