Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Chapter 630: Chapter 95: Song Luyun’s Combination Punch (Part 2)

But the clan won’t always have so few members. Its scale will continue to grow, the number of Cultivators will increase, and living conditions will become more and more comfortable.

That is a perfect breeding ground for ants.

Decay always spreads much faster than one might imagine.

A hole dug today, a small burrow drilled tomorrow, and it won’t be long before the entire dam collapses.

If the Song Clan is to endure for millennia, it must rely on strict laws and harsh punishments, nipping all unhealthy trends in the bud!

And Song Qingxing was the very sword Song Changsheng intended to use to keep the clan in line. Only someone like him possessed sufficient deterrent force.

“Does anyone have a more suitable candidate?” Song Changsheng scanned the room. Every face was grim, their brows furrowed in silence.

“Since there are no other suggestions, the matter is settled. Clan Brother Chang’an, remember to handle the transition with Qingxing after the meeting. The two of you should communicate closely.”

The matter was decided in just a few words. Song Changsheng never once asked for Song Qingxing’s opinion, because he knew it would have been pointless.

Song Qingxing nodded silently and sat back down. Though he had no interest in power, since Song Changsheng had given him the task, he would not disappoint him.

“Fifth Uncle, how is the refinement of the Foundation Establishment Pills coming along?” Song Changsheng turned to Song Luzhou.

“This batch yielded six pills. Counting the ones we had left, the clan now has a total of ten in stock,” Song Luzhou quickly reported.

“Ten? Excellent. Of the clan’s current Foundation Establishment Seeds, who has already condensed their Dao Foundation?”

“There are currently seven: Song Qingxi, Song Qinghong, Song Qingxia, Song Qingshi, Song Qinghua, Song Changling, and Song Qingchi.”

“Let’s proceed according to the rules. Distribute the Foundation Establishment Pills to them, and they can choose a date to enter seclusion. As for the remaining three… I recall the clan is holding an auction at the Moon Viewing Marketplace soon, is that not right?”

Song Luyun rose and said, “That is correct. We profited greatly from the last few major battles, and we’ve sorted out a batch of surplus resources to be put up for auction.”

“Is it open to everyone?”

Song Luyun found Song Changsheng’s question a little odd, but she nodded nonetheless.

“Has the announcement been made?”

“The date hasn’t been set, so no announcement has gone out.”

“I have a proposal for everyone to consider.

Ling Province has been ravaged by war in recent years. The major powers have all suffered heavy losses and have yet to recover their Primordial Qi. Compared to the seven great clans of Yang Province, they are far weaker.

As their Sect Leader, we must pay close attention to this phenomenon. We cannot mistreat those who have performed meritorious deeds.

Why don’t we turn this auction into a special sale for the major powers of Ling Province? We can sell this batch of resources to the Wang Clan, the Liuyun Sect, and others at thirty percent below market value, to recognize their contributions during the last great war.

This will not only increase the overall strength of the powers in Ling Province, but it will also win their loyalty for our clan. It’s killing two birds with one stone.

The clan has no immediate use for these three Foundation Establishment Pills, so we can include them in the sale. When our own members need them, we’ll simply refine more. We’ve already gathered most of the materials for a second batch anyway.

What does everyone think?” Song Changsheng asked, his gaze sweeping across the room.

In the past, such a proposal from Song Changsheng would have immediately drawn a crowd of objectors. The Song Clan had been backstabbed by its vassals before, an experience that left most members deeply prejudiced and wary of these subordinate powers.

Song Changsheng, however, saw things differently. It was true that if a vassal grew too strong, it might attempt to usurp its master.

But that was no reason to treat them as enemies of the clan.

They should be a source of strength for the clan. Helping them recover their Primordial Qi was, in effect, strengthening the Song Clan.

As long as the clan remained powerful enough, these vassals could never overturn the heavens. More than that, they would become the clan’s most capable allies.

This view of Song Changsheng’s had been validated in the recent war. Had the Liuyun Sect, the Wang Clan, and the others not mobilized their full strength to aid them, the Song Clan’s victory would not have been certain.

For this very reason, no one showed any resistance when Song Changsheng proposed bolstering their vassals in Ling Province.

Only Song Luzhou felt that a thirty percent discount was a little steep. But then he considered that these items were all spoils of war to begin with, so he said nothing more.

After a moment of careful thought, Song Luyun looked at Song Changsheng and said, “Clan Leader, I don’t believe this is enough. We should be making full use of these subordinate powers, tying them even more closely to the clan.”

“Oh? Do you have an idea, Aunt?” Song Changsheng’s eyes lit up.

Song Luyun smiled faintly. “Clan Leader, you previously awarded Contribution Points to the powers who distinguished themselves in battle, allowing them to redeem resources from our Clan Treasure Vault. The reception was excellent. In fact, Clan Leader Wang was just asking me the other day if there were other ways to earn Clan Contribution Points.

He even offered to trade Spirit Stones for them.

In my view, this presents a golden opportunity.

We could establish a system where they can accept tasks from us. They contribute their labor to the clan, and we compensate them with Contribution Points.

If need be, we could even allow them to exchange Spirit Stones for Contribution Points.”

Her final statement was undeniably insidious. Within the Song Clan, one could exchange Contribution Points for Spirit Stones at a one-to-one ratio, but exchanging Spirit Stones *for* Contribution Points was at a two-to-one rate.

Although Contribution Points had greater purchasing power, they were ultimately just a string of numbers. Outside the Song Clan, they were worthless. If anything were to happen to the Song Clan, those so-called Contribution Points would become utterly useless.

Spirit Stones, however, were tangible, hard currency.

“But… would they really trade Spirit Stones for Contribution Points?” Song Changxuan asked with hesitation.

“Of course they will. In theory, Spirit Stones can buy anything, but you’re all overlooking one crucial fact.

Without access to the right channels, all the Spirit Stones in the world are useless. Different resources circulate within different circles, and entry into those circles requires a ticket.

Contribution Points are that ticket—a purchasing channel provided by our clan that allows them to acquire resources that don’t circulate in their own circles.

Tell me, how could they possibly resist such a temptation?

After all, the number of Contribution Points they can earn from tasks is limited. To get more, they’ll have to exchange Spirit Stones.

You might not exchange, but others will, and they’ll get ahead of you.

Therefore, even if they’re aware of the inherent risks, they won’t pass up the opportunity. At most, they’ll limit the amount they exchange to avoid being left holding a worthless pile of points.

But that’s not a problem either. When the time is right, we can use a few little tricks to make them *want* to hoard Contribution Points.

For example, we could set up a separate Treasure Vault just for them, stocking it with rare resources like Foundation Establishment Pills, Spiritual Artifacts, Dragon Ascending Pills, Stalactite Spiritual Liquid, and so on.

We’ll control the supply, rotate the available items periodically, and sell a catalog of the upcoming inventory before each rotation.

If the catalog lists a resource they need, they will naturally start hoarding Contribution Points in advance, because if they’re too late, someone else will redeem it.

Furthermore, we can make the Spirit Stone-to-Contribution Point exchange a special, limited-time offer rather than a standard practice. That will also compel them to hoard points—if you don’t stock up when you can, you won’t have the chance when you actually need them.

Over time, they’ll develop the habit of hoarding Contribution Points. The more they hoard, the more loyal they will become to the clan!

At a critical juncture, this becomes a powerful means of control over them.

Of course, this can’t be achieved overnight. We will need to invest a great deal of time into managing this system, building up our clan’s reputation and credibility.

After all, trust is the foundation of this entire enterprise.

Clan Leader, I have finished.” Song Luyun gave Song Changsheng a slight bow, concluding her speech.

At this, the way Song Changsheng looked at Song Luyun changed.

‘Using a string of numbers to fleece subordinate powers of their Spirit Stones and exploit their labor.’

This combination play from Song Luyun gave Song Changsheng a whiff of something familiar…