Legacy of the Spirit Stone

Chapter 43 – Changes in regional situation

Chen Yang slept for three months.

During these three months, the cultivator army of the Eastern Campaign to Suppress Rebellion swept through, eliminating bandits along the way and quickly quelling the disaster.

For the Tiger-Chasing Dynasty, this was naturally a good thing, but for the various local families, it was a matter of personal experience.

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Due to the dynasty's decree, the high-level combat forces of each family's cultivators were dispatched to the eastern frontier to suppress the rebellion.

This caused the strength of many families to decline to varying degrees.

For a small number of powerful families, losing one or two high-realm cultivators wasn't too impactful, as they had others at home who could take their place.

But for most small families struggling at the bottom, this impact was earth-shattering.

Those families that relied on a single cultivator to maintain their status now found themselves no different from other mortal families, losing their previous competitiveness.

Moreover, due to the enmity they had incurred while having a cultivator backing them, they soon faced suppression and encirclement from various hostile forces.

Some small family cultivators, to ensure their descendants retained power, even raised the butcher's knife against their own, conducting a thorough purge before leaving!

They pruned any threatening branches cleanly, which could stabilize the main branch's position, but undoubtedly weakened the family's overall strength, a highly selfish and poor choice.

There were also some families in relatively good situations, where after the family head was dispatched, one or two remained, but they were mostly at the Qi Condensation First or Second Layer, barely able to protect themselves, unable to truly take charge, with greatly reduced influence.

Then there were families with some strength, like the Zhang family of Mulberry Dew Valley. With Zhang Tianqi gone, they still had three cultivators: one at the Qi Condensation Fifth Layer, one at the Third, and one at the Second.

Their strength was still passable.

However, due to Zhang Chen's disappearance, only two remained in the valley.

Zhang Yao, though the eldest son of Zhang Tianqi, found himself unable to control the situation with his father absent, and long-hidden internal conflicts within the Zhang family began to surface.

His uncle, at the Qi Condensation Fifth Layer, seemed to have some unsettling thoughts, and within a month, Mulberry Dew Valley announced its closure, cutting off contact with the outside world.

These family experiences highlight how crucial and valuable unity is for a family.

Fortunately, Yang Guanfeng had noticed this issue over a decade ago and, with Elder Yu's assistance, thoroughly eradicated the family's power struggles.

This allowed the Pine Mountain Yang Clan to remain as stable as a mountain during such turbulent times, unaffected by the chaos.

Whether in production, life, or various businesses, everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

Moreover, while other families were contracting their businesses for self-preservation, the Yang family seized the opportunity to expand and annex.

Now, combining Willow Leaf Town and White Stone Town, the Yang family owned ten streets of shops and had acquired two small mines at low prices from other families.

The population at the foot of the mountain steadily increased, and the situation on the Southern Shore gradually stabilized, with two new villages established.

The Yang family's influence in the entire region was now even greater than when Yang Guanfeng was present.

This situation was created by the numerous Yang family cultivators and Yang Lingqing's excellent management.

Feeling the Yang family's strength, many families sent representatives to visit, hoping to establish connections or seek some protection.

On the day Chen Yang awoke, he happened to encounter the Yang family's routine council meeting.

He projected his consciousness and found that, besides Yang Lingqing, there was a stranger, a Qi Condensation cultivator, present in the Council Hall.

This person's realm was not high, only at the Qi Condensation First Layer, and he was currently conversing with Lingqing.

"Liang Yi, at your service, Patriarch."

"Mr. Liang, no need for formalities, please speak."

"Thank you, Patriarch!"

Liang Yi stood up, and Yang Feiyun led him to sit beside Yang Lingqing.

Yang Lingqing looked at him and asked with a smile, "Mr. Liang, have you considered the conditions I mentioned last time?"

Liang Yi hurriedly nodded.

"My Liang family has no objections to the Patriarch's arrangements!"

"Good, did you bring the family roster?"

"I have it all here, please have a look, Patriarch!"

With that, Liang Yi took a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Yang Lingqing.

After reviewing it, Yang Lingqing passed it to Yang Xiaolei and instructed, "Let them in according to the roster."

"Yes! As you command, Immortal Master Lingqing!"

After making the arrangements, Yang Lingqing turned to Liang Yi and said, "Rest assured, Mr. Liang, the fields, houses, and properties are all ready. The Liang family will join our Yang clan today and can start operating tomorrow."

Liang Yi was deeply moved and stood up to express his gratitude.

The Liang family was originally from Willow Leaf Town, with two cultivators: Liang Yi at the Qi Condensation First Layer and his brother Liang Yuan at the Fourth.

With a mid-Qi Condensation cultivator, the Liang family had some influence in Willow Leaf Town, and after the Yang family moved away, their days improved.

But the good times didn't last long, as the dynasty's decree struck the Liang family like a bolt from the blue.

Liang Yuan had to go east to suppress the rebellion, leaving only Liang Yi, a mere Qi Condensation First Layer, at home.

Looking at their former rivals, who still had Qi Condensation Second Layer cultivators, the situation was dire.

Within just a month of the order, the Liang family's external mines were forcibly taken, and their other businesses faced various degrees of suppression.

Their town shops were vandalized, trade caravans hijacked, and even family juniors went missing when they ventured out.

Having always worked under his brother, Liang Yi was overwhelmed and exhausted within days.

Only then did he regret his arrogance and complacency after reaching Qi Condensation, neglecting his cultivation, thinking everything was fine with his brother around.

But it was too late for regrets; he had to hold on and find a way out for the family.

Then, by chance, he heard about the Yang family.

At that time, the Liang family's situation in Willow Leaf Town was dire, and with a gambler's mindset, he visited the Yang family.

The moment he saw Yang Lingqing, he knew he had made the right choice.

"The Yang family is indeed as powerful as rumored; this young girl, only about fifteen, is already above my realm!"

When he learned that Yang Lingqing was the current head of the Yang family, he was even more shocked and quickly knelt to pay his respects.

In their subsequent conversation, he was increasingly impressed by Yang Lingqing's capabilities.

All the prepared rhetoric he had was effortlessly countered by her.

Without needing to resort to threats, her mere words and demeanor won Liang Yi's complete admiration.

"Compared to her, my household management skills are child's play," Liang Yi thought with a bitter smile.

To his surprise, the Yang family agreed to let his family join them, though they set many conditions.

Liang Yi agreed to them all, as they were nothing compared to the harsh survival conditions in Willow Leaf Town.

After discussing with his family, two months later, they moved the entire family to Pine Mountain.