Huiyue was sent back and Peilan returned to the ancestral hall.
The hall was shaped like a courtyard and had several buildings—the front hall was where the ancestors met people, while the halls behind were their residence. Behind the hall was a small stretch, only a few acres long, but it was the tip of the needle.
Spiritual power and wood elemental power entrenched those acres into a paradise for plants, and plants planted here grew 50% better than elsewhere.
This was the ancestor’s garden, with several second stage plants and even one plant with the potential of reaching the third stage, their first ancestor’s innate plant!
When Peilan stepped into the front hall, there were already two people—the clan head, Fu Deqin and the third elder Fu Dehua. They were both his children, Deqin his son and Dehua his daughter.
"Father," Deqin walked up and cupped his hands, only to see Peilan shake his head.
"She will remain in the clan." Peilan said, with some emotions. Actually... he hoped she could choose to leave the clan. There was no resentment involved, but... her talent was too strong. If she remained, the clan would favour her, regardless of personal sentiment. This also meant that his two children would have no chance to get the Foundation Building Pill sponsored through the clan.
Even if he wanted to change the rules, and with his power he could, but he wouldn’t. He still remembered when the first ancestor was alive and he was still a Qi Refining cultivator—didn’t the ancestor have his favourites? Didn’t the guardian have children?
But the First Ancestor made it clear: his favourites would only get personal resources, after reaching a certain age they relied on themselves, and core resources are controlled by the clan. Foundation Building Pills were too important, they could absolutely not become personal property when purchased with clan funds.
Either you are extremely talented, or you have made contributions equalling a Foundation Building cultivator, that was the rule.
And... it was only because of this rule that he could cultivate. He was born from the mortal world of the Fu Clan, several generations away from the First Ancestor, with no direct relation and not even being favoured. Even the second ancestor’s children had better resources than he did. And... he still got the pill! Among descendants and favourites, it was he who got the pill.
Since then, he had made a personal rule for himself: Clan Laws are the foundation of a clan’s prosperity, and going against them would be tantamount to drinking poison!
Still, looking at his children, he sighed.
Deqin looked extremely unwilling. He opened his mouth several times, but didn’t say anything in the end. He wanted the pill! He needed it! Why? Why did this have to be? He of course knew the rules, but he didn’t want them! This was his cultivation path!
As for his father getting him a pill? At most, he would get one pill... and that pill would end up in his sister’s hands. Her talent was strong, she was a vice hall master of the planting hall, and her planting ability was also good. Although she was over seventy now, her qi and blood were strong, and Foundation Building was still possible.
Meanwhile... even if he reached the Foundation Building stage, he would only be a second guardian ancestor.
Guardian Ancestor sounded nice but it was actually a Wild Cultivator.
Among cultivators, there are four categories: Wild Cultivators, Creation Cultivation, Battle Cultivators and True Cultivators.
Wild Cultivators were cultivating casually, with neither skill nor prowess, only relying on initial talent to reach higher stages, quite useless in all aspects. Creation and Battle cultivators had their own strengths and were of equal value—one would generate resources, the other would protect the clan. True Cultivators were those that mastered both creation and battle arts, being at the top of the cultivation world.
Huiyue... had the spirit of a True Cultivator. His sister had the spirit of a Creation Cultivator. He? He was a wild cultivator, and he would never get the pill without his father’s support!
"Deqin," Peilan called out, his voice soft but carrying an undeniable authority, "In five years, you will put down your post as the clan head and go into seclusion. I will give you a Foundation Building item and hope you can take this chance. You can leave for now."
Deqin bowed deeply and thanked him, but his thoughts were known only to him.
Once he left, Dehua stepped forward and was about to speak, when Peilan stopped her, "Dehua, my daughter, do you think I’m cruel?"
"No, father is only upholding clan rules and ensuring the prosperity of the clan!" Dehua denied it directly, and she truly felt like that. As a planter, how could she not know the principle of sowing good seeds and abandoning bad seeds? She was also sentimental, but she wouldn’t be foolish as to ask her father to reconsider. She just wanted to ask him to not be mad.
"Dehua, although we are a clan, we are ultimately cultivators. A cultivator will have the selfishness of their path, and only those who have abandoned their path can become true clans members, whom we give real positions. Your vice head position was given even though you haven’t reached the stage of abandoning your path, which is already a grey zone. But the clan sees your talent and they won’t complain—Deqin..." he shook his head and said no more.
Making him the clan head was already enough. Years had passed but Deqin still hadn’t entered the path of either creation nor battle.
Was creation and battle only about superficial fighting and crafting? Raising cultivators and leading a clan were also among them. But instead of learning those arts, Deqin had focused on earning resources for himself and neglecting several duties. Many elders were unhappy and if he didn’t put him down, they would vote him out of his position, making him leave in disgrace.