Free Web NovelChapter 386: Chapter 303: Sect’s Change in Direction
Inside the meeting hall, Fang Qingyuan sat in the head seat, with Mao Cheng to his left. Besides these two, there were five other Late-stage Qi Cultivation Disciples in the hall.
Four of them were founding members who had followed Fang Qingyuan to establish the Qingyuan Sect. The fifth was a war orphan who had been rescued. Now, seventeen or eighteen years later, these cultivators, who had originally been in the Early to Mid-stage of Qi Cultivation, had all reached the Late-stage of Qi Cultivation with the sect’s full support.
Aside from Chen Huicheng, who was away seeking a Foundation Establishment Opportunity, and Shen Wancheng, who was in charge of the Transport Beast teams, all the remaining Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators of the Qingyuan Sect were present.
For a sect with fewer than sixty members in total, having eight Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators was quite impressive, especially since nearly twenty of those members were children who had not yet come of age.
Among the war orphans rescued back then, some were bent on revenge, people like Shen Wancheng. They harbored immense hatred and conviction, making them stricter with themselves and others. Yet, some had no interest in such matters, wanting only to live their current lives well.
The joys and sorrows of people are not always shared, and these two groups could not understand each other at all. As a result, the latter group had married and had children early, living stable lives within the Qingyuan Sect.
Several of the newly born Immortal Seedlings were descendants of these war orphans. The remaining Immortal Seedlings were either children of the founding members or descendants of the Primordial Spirit who had migrated with Jiang Wanqin.
For a matter as important as discussing the sect’s development over the next few decades, Jiang Wanqin, as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, should have been present. But Fang Qingyuan knew she disliked such affairs, so he simply didn’t call for her. Besides, even if she did attend, she would only remain silent and make the situation awkward.
Skipping the pleasantries, Fang Qingyuan went straight to the point. He announced his intention to open a route between the Qingyuan Sect and the Barbaric Border. Upon hearing this, some of those present grew excited, others fell into deep thought, but none were afraid.
First, the Qingyuan Sect had deep roots and was backed by the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect, and their own Sect Leader possessed overwhelming combat strength. Second, the sects they would be facing were simply not worth mentioning and lacked any powerful experts.
Only Mao Cheng, the steady and prudent Vice Sect Leader, raised an objection:
"Our Qingyuan Sect is a noble sect established by investiture. Are we really going to tarnish our own reputation for the sake of these benefits? You must understand that if we take the initiative to attack other sects, we will not be under the protection of the Great Zhou Academy when they retaliate."
As soon as he said this, the expressions of the disciples below varied. Fang Qingyuan said casually:
"Tianfang, why don’t you share your thoughts."
Jiang Tianfang, a Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, was just over thirty years old. He was one of the more outstanding individuals among the war orphans. Perhaps because he had witnessed bloody scenes from a young age, his personality and actions were somewhat extreme. Fortunately, under the Qingyuan Sect’s guidance, this extremism hadn’t become too severe.
Two years ago, he had gone to train with the Far East Alliance. After returning, he broke through to the Late-stage of Qi Cultivation in one go. Now, hearing Fang Qingyuan call on him to speak, he first bowed before sharing his views:
"It’s just the law of the jungle. In White Mountain, we must abide by the rules of White Mountain. All these years, we haven’t fought or competed, living our days in peace. But in the end, we’ve found that farming Spirit Fields and running transport caravans alone can’t support everyone in the sect, young and old. The caravans even have to rely on the Sect Leader’s Companion Beast. If it weren’t for Senior Yinbao, our lives would be even worse than they are now.
"I’ve come to understand that if we want to live well in White Mountain, we must take the initiative to adapt, not follow the ways of Qi Yun. The Qi Yun Territory is prosperous and rich in resources, but in a poor and remote place like ours, we can..."
"Alright, that’s enough. Tianfang, you may step back for now."
After dismissing Jiang Tianfang with a rebuke, Fang Qingyuan spoke slowly:
"Tianfang has a point. We are not in Qi Yun, after all, nor are we in the Southern Border. The Southern Border has been developed for three hundred years and can be considered cultivated land. White Mountain itself is not prosperous, let alone this remote corner of the Far East. If the sect wants to grow stronger, relying on just the few hundred acres of Spirit Fields within our gates is not enough. The number of new Immortal Seedlings will only increase in the future, and sooner or later, our expenses will exceed our income. Opening up a path now is better than leaving the hardship for future generations."
Faced with Fang Qingyuan’s clear stance, everyone else understood his determination. Only Mao Cheng, who had grown more timid with age, was still reluctant to agree. Left with no choice, Fang Qingyuan tried to persuade him further:
"Not all of those seven or eight sects will refuse. We only need to deal with one or two of them. The sect must develop. Otherwise, the next generation will have to go out and work themselves to the bone for other sects. Is that a situation you wish to see?"
After Fang Qingyuan put it that way, Mao Cheng quickly said he wouldn’t dare object. With that, a consensus was reached. From now on, the Qingyuan Sect’s focus would be entirely on forging a path and securing a "’gateway to the sea’" from the Qingyuan Sect to the Barbaric Wilderness.
With the general direction set, the remaining issue was execution. They needed to gather detailed intelligence on these sects beforehand. Then, based on each sect’s situation, they would decide whether to bribe them or use force. If they were to bribe them, what would the other party even value? And if they were to use force, to what extent should they go?
Fang Qingyuan left all these details for the others to discuss among themselves. This was the first time the Qingyuan Sect had concentrated its efforts on a major undertaking. Even if they performed poorly, Fang Qingyuan could accept it. He decided not to get too involved—at least, not to micromanage everything. He just needed to be there to pick up the pieces at critical moments. ’As long as no Golden Core cultivators show up,’ he thought, ’I’m confident no one in this little pond is a match for me.’
Once everyone had finished their discussions, they each received their assignments and went their separate ways. Fang Qingyuan also had an important task: he first needed to get in touch with the leaders of the Far East Alliance and secure their approval. Only then could they proceed smoothly.
Before that, however, Fang Qingyuan thought it would be better to find an intelligence dealer in the Black Market and buy some information. ’I don’t actually have much faith in these honest and simple disciples of mine,’ he thought. ’What kind of useful intelligence could they possibly dig up?’
So, Fang Qingyuan found his way to the nearest Black Market. There, he took out the Token that Xiqi Leopard had given him years ago and was immediately received with great hospitality by the person in charge of the market.
