Clan Cultivation: Starting with Building an Island Immortal City

82: All is well at home; commendation to Mr. Lin.Dusk settled, and the city lights began to glow.

In the core compound of the Li Family, the main hall, usually reserved for important Family decisions, was now brightly lit and bustling with people.

Led by the eldest son, Li Qingshan, along with core members managing Family affairs such as Li Qinghe, Uncle Zhong, Lei Heng, and Zhao Zhiyuan, as well as several disciples who had returned home from the overseas Spiritual Vein lands for a visit, including Li Changyun, Li Changyu, and Li Changyue, all stood solemnly in the hall.

Everyone’s face was filled with uncontrollable excitement and anticipation, their gazes fixed on the direction of the hall entrance, holding their breath, so quiet that even the faint rustle of clothing was clearly audible.

Finally, under the admiring gazes of the crowd, steady footsteps approached from the corridor outside.

A dark figure appeared in the fading light.

It was Li Yinglong, who had been away for several months, traveling to the Southern Jungles.

He was travel-worn, his face slightly thinner than when he left, but his eyes were deeper and more reserved. There was no trace of fatigue in his gaze; instead, he exuded a calm and dignified presence, like a hidden Dragon returning to its abyss.

His aura was perfectly balanced, subtly harmonizing with the land that had nurtured him, as if his mere presence was a stabilizing force, the backbone of the Family.

”Father!”

”Clan Chief!”

In an instant, everyone in the hall bowed in unison, their voices choked with emotion and excitement, converging into a warm current that dispelled the previously stagnant atmosphere.

Li Yinglong’s gaze slowly swept over each familiar and excited face.

These faces intertwined and overlapped with the cold calculations of his past life in the business world and the image of his solitary struggle.

A warm current surged from the deepest part of his Soul, comforting his Soul that spanned two lives.

This unreserved reliance and concern, this Bloodline connection and shared destiny, was the greatest motivation and anchor for him to take root and strive forward in this life.

”All of you, rise.”

His voice was gentle, yet carried a reassuring strength, as he made a gesture of support with his hand.

Only then did everyone straighten up, still gazing at him with burning eyes.

”After several months on this journey, I thank you all for your hard work in managing the Family affairs.”

Li Yinglong entered the hall, sat in the main seat, and spoke in a calm tone, without excessive pleasantries for a long-awaited reunion, directly cutting to the chase:

”Qingshan, is the Family doing well recently?”

Li Qingshan took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, stepped forward, bowed, and reported:

”Reporting, Father, thanks to your great fortune, everything in the Family is well. All industries are operating smoothly, the port trade routes are without incident, and both inside and outside Linhai City are peaceful. Your son and all the uncles and brothers have diligently followed the regulations you set before your departure, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.”

His words were concise, only summarizing the general situation, without detailing specific matters or potential minor difficulties.

Because he knew deeply that since his Father had entrusted him with the overall management of the mundane industries, it was a testament to his ability.

Reporting every single detail would only show his own incompetence.

His Father needed overall stability, not trivial reports.

He only needed to consult on critical junctures truly concerning the Family’s destiny, or when encountering major issues he could not decide on his own.

Li Yinglong nodded slightly, quite satisfied with his eldest son’s performance.

Delegating power required complete trust; if you doubt someone, don’t use them; if you use someone, don’t doubt them.

He only needed to grasp the general direction, providing guidance or correction at critical moments, while the specific operations should be left to the new generation to implement freely.

”Hmm, it’s good that all is well. I trust you all with your work.”

He paused briefly, then asked:

”How have the Angry Dragon Clan warriors, Long Tao and the others, who came with me, been arranged for?”

Li Qingshan immediately replied:

”Father, rest assured. Captain Long Tao and the other Clan members have been arranged in the best inn in Linhai City to rest, and all their needs are being met with the highest standards of hospitality. The supplies you promised to the Angry Dragon Clan, such as cloth, salt, iron, tea, and porcelain, have also been gathered from the storeroom and are currently being loaded onto ships by capable hands overnight. They will certainly be fully settled before dawn tomorrow, and will not delay the agreed departure time the day after tomorrow.”

”Very good. The Angry Dragon Clan is our Li Family’s first ally, and also a powerful partner and helper who has assisted me greatly. They must not be treated with the slightest disrespect.”

Li Yinglong nodded, his gaze then turning to an old man with white hair and a gaunt face sitting in the lower seat.

This Elder was Old Sir Lin, the most skilled physician in the Family, and also Lin Xiaowan’s grandfather.

”Brother Lin,”

Li Yinglong’s tone carried respect:

”Regarding Little Wan, I need to explain to you: on this trip to the Southern Jungles, by a stroke of Opportunity, Little Wan voluntarily offered to temporarily stay at Angry Dragon Stockade to follow Elder Long Yun, the Clan’s medicine shaman, and deeply study the cultivation of spiritual plants and the medicinal arts of the Southern Jungles.”

Old Sir Lin’s eyes flashed with surprise upon hearing this, which then turned into relief and understanding.

Li Yinglong looked around at everyone, his voice rising a few points:

”Today, taking this Opportunity, I also have something to say, which I hope you will all listen to quietly.”

The hall immediately fell silent.

”Xunzi once said: ’Pampas grass grows among hemp, and it straightens without support; white sand in mud, and it becomes black with it.’ While environment is important, what is more valuable for a person’s growth is to have a ’self-straightening’ heart! When I teach the Dao, I never like my disciples to be merely conventional and follow blindly. I would rather see you all like unpolished jade, refined by worldly affairs, developing your own spiritual insight and edges!”

His gaze was sharp, as if it could pierce through people’s hearts:

”Lin Xiaowan’s actions this time truly please me! She does not cling to the protection of the Family’s wings, nor is she confined by the comfort before her eyes. She can discern her own innate talents, dares to seize Opportunity, stays far away in a foreign land, and seeks unknown knowledge! This is not rebellion, but responsibility! It is for the long-term benefit of the Family, wishing to solidify our Li Family’s future foundation with a specialized skill! Such vision, courage, and public-mindedness are the spirit that our Li Family disciples should possess!”

”In the future, whether in cultivation, management, or even in dealing with people, you should all be like this! You need to have an independent spirit and free thought! Think more, ask more, and act more in everything you do. Do not become mere puppets who only know how to follow orders and lack the drive to improve! The future of the Family lies in innovation, in pioneering, and in whether you can surpass your predecessors!”

These words, like a morning bell and an evening drum, resonated in everyone’s hearts.

Li Changyu’s eyes sparkled, as if in deep thought; Li Changyun clenched his fists, as if he had gained some enlightenment; even women like Li Changyue and Li Changxue felt their minds suddenly broaden.

The Clan Chief’s discourse undoubtedly opened a whole new window for them, showing a broader potential for growth beyond daily cultivation and Family tasks.

”Clan Chief’s teachings, we will engrave them in our hearts!”

Everyone responded in unison, their voices filled with unprecedented excitement.

Li Yinglong nodded slightly, his gaze once again turning to Old Sir Lin, his tone becoming solemn and approving:

”Lin Xiaowan’s actions are a model of selflessness and dedication to the Family! To commend her merits, and to demonstrate the Family’s clear rewards and punishments and its merit-based system, I have decided: from today onwards, the Lin Family line will no longer be a vassal of the Li Family, but will be elevated to a sworn brother Family of the Li Bloodline, with status equivalent to a collateral branch of the main Family, sharing both fortune and misfortune, honor and disgrace!”

Upon hearing this, the entire hall was astonished, then erupted in soft murmurs and heartfelt praise.

Old Sir Lin trembled with excitement, tears streaming down his face, and he rose to perform a grand bow, but Li Yinglong held him back with a gentle surge of Qi from a distance.

”Brother Lin, there is no need for this; this is what Little Wan and the Lin Family deserve.”

Li Yinglong continued:

”Furthermore, the Lin Family will be rewarded as follows: one hundred East Sea Pearls, one thousand taels of red gold, one three-courtyard residence in a bustling area within Linhai City, and one hundred mu of fertile land outside the city. In addition, a handwritten copy of the Family’s ’Compendium of A Hundred Herbs,’ five bottles of low-grade ’Qi Nurturing Pills,’ and ten doses of ’Detoxification Powder’ will all be bestowed, to assist the Lin Family in diligently studying the Dao of medicine and nurturing future talents. In the future, when the Family establishes medicine gardens and alchemy rooms, Lin Family disciples will have priority in selection, and resources will be tilted in their favor!”

The generosity of the rewards, especially the latter involving the tilting of cultivation resources, once again astonished everyone, and at the same time, further clarified the Clan Chief’s determination—as long as one contributed to the Family, regardless of their name, they could receive unimaginable returns!

Those external stewards and guard leaders, such as Lei Heng and Zhao Zhiyuan, watched with burning eyes and pounding hearts, their sense of belonging to the Family and their loyalty reaching its peak.

”Thank... thank you, Clan Chief, for your heavenly grace! The Lin Family will serve you for generations and never fail you!”

Old Sir Lin choked back tears and prostrated himself, and this time, Li Yinglong accepted his bow.

After this period of inspiring people and setting an example, the atmosphere in the hall became even more fervent.