Chapter 29
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Chapter 29: Yang Lingqing
Everyone responded, but they couldn’t suppress their curiosity, quietly lifting their eyes to observe Yang Lingqing.
"She is the daughter of the Master!"
"Now a Master herself, she hasn’t changed much in appearance, but her aura is already beyond ordinary."
The members of the Yang Family thought to themselves.
"Father, Uncle, let’s begin."
"Yes."
Yang Feiyun and Yang Xiaolei replied and stepped forward to report on family matters.
They stood at the lower end as usual, outlining various issues to Yang Lingqing according to their importance and urgency.
In front of their daughter and junior, their expressions were calm, feeling no embarrassment or discomfort.
They had grown up following Yang Guanfeng, witnessing his journey into cultivation and later participating in the restructuring and cleansing of the Yang Family alongside Old Yu.
This experience deepened their understanding of the distinction between the mortal and the immortal.
It was like fish that had reached the shore; it belonged to two entirely different realms.
For mortals, life and death were merely a thought away for cultivators.
After finishing their reports, Yang Lingqing understood the changes within the Yang Family.
The monster tide had caused significant casualties and losses for the Yang Family, but because they had saved the majority of the townspeople, their reputation in the surrounding areas had risen significantly.
During this time, many had come out of admiration, including merchants who originally lived in Baishi Town.
With Baishi Town in ruins and the Yang Family remaining unharmed, it was clear where people should gather.
As a result, the village at the foot of the mountain had rapidly expanded, now housing thousands of residents.
Yang Lingqing nodded slightly and then asked, "What about the situation on the southern bank?"
"Replying to Master Lingqing, the land has been mostly cultivated. Although it’s not as fertile as the northern bank, it is still enough to sustain people," Yang Feiyun answered.
"Alright, let those who come later move to the southern bank; the northern bank will be reserved for the clans who experience the monster tide."
Yang Lingqing raised her hand, and a piece of stone pavement beside her was pushed up by the soil.
The mound of earth rose to her side as if it were alive, crushing the bricks and tiles in its path like tofu.
Seeing this scene unfold, the crowd was both astonished and terrified.
"Truly the methods of an immortal!"
"Marvelous, utterly marvelous!"
Since taking over as the family head, Yang Guanfeng hadn’t demonstrated his cultivation in front of others for a long time. This was because his prestige within the Yang Family was already high enough without needing to reinforce it in such ways.
But Yang Lingqing was different; to the members of the Yang Family, she was a complete stranger.
Many still held their impressions of her as the little girl from over a year ago.
Yang Lingqing was aware of this and knew that no matter how much she explained, it would never be as effective as letting them witness it with their own eyes.
Indeed, when she showcased her cultivation and techniques, the gazes of everyone below were already different from when she had first arrived.
Aside from their original respect, there was now also a hint of fear.
This shift in feeling moved from an abstract understanding of cultivators to a concrete recognition of Yang Lingqing herself.
They realized that, just like Yang Guanfeng, Yang Lingqing could take their lives whenever she wished!
Yang Feiyun and Yang Xiaolei stood to the side, unable to hide their excitement, their hearts filled with great joy.
Yang Lingqing demonstrated a method different from Yang Guanfeng’s powerful techniques.
This meant that the Yang Family had gained another form of inheritance!
Combined with Yang Lingrui’s wind techniques, there were now three forms of inheritance within the family!
At that moment, a half-palm-sized dirt token solidified on top of the mound, inscribed with the character "Qing."
"Father, please use this token to pass down the decree. From now on, the three bridges across the river will be guarded by family soldiers. The people from the southern bank may come to the northern bank for trade, work, and investment, but they must not stay long. The Yang Family has many tasks to accomplish; those from the southern bank who contribute will earn the right to relocate to the northern bank. This is one matter."
By doing so, Yang Lingqing aimed to establish a clear hierarchy among those who came to support the Yang Family, making everyone aware of their standing and the associated benefits.
The Yang Family treated their own members fairly, but that did not mean they would extend kindness to every stray.
Such an arrangement created a clear structure for the Yang Family at the foot of the mountain.
The northern bank consisted of the clans who shared adversity with the Yang Family and were guarded by family soldiers.
The southern bank, on the other hand, was for newcomers who bore the burden of life and death themselves, with the Yang Family remaining uninvolved.
This defined system of hierarchy was clear.
"The second matter is from Master Lingqing, relayed by the two Elders. Uncle, please count the number of children aged ten to fourteen from each clan on the northern bank."
"Yes, I will obey Master Lingqing’s decree!"
Yang Lingqing didn’t explicitly state the reason for the count, but any clever person present could infer its significance.
When Old Yu selected the three children from the Yang Family, they were of this age group.
Now that another count was to be done, did it mean another selection test was about to occur?
These two matters seemed separate but were actually part of the same plan, highlighting the advantages of the northern bank even more.
Once news spread, the clans on the northern bank would strive to have more offspring, hoping to produce a gifted child who could rise swiftly to success.
Seeing the benefits enjoyed by the northern bank, the outsiders on the southern bank would also be inclined to lean towards the Yang Family to secure their own opportunities, thus working even harder.
"Is there any other important matter to discuss?"
"Replying to Master Lingqing, there is nothing else."
"Alright, you may disperse."
After everyone left, only three people remained in the meeting hall.
"Uncle, you have worked hard all this time, and I will need you to take care of more matters in the future," Yang Lingqing said as she stood up.
"There’s no need to say that, it’s just my duty," Yang Xiaolei replied, waving his hand. He hesitated and then asked cautiously, "Lingqing, about my child…"
Hearing this, Yang Lingqing smiled and said, "Linghu has already completed his cultivation and is currently out with the Elders. You don’t have to worry."
"Ah! Good news, good news!"
Yang Xiaolei was overjoyed and, after expressing his thanks, went to make arrangements for counting the children.
"Father."
"Qing’er."
They called out to each other, but the father and daughter fell into silence.
Having lost her mother early, Yang Lingqing understood things well from a young age and usually spoke very little.
Yang Feiyun was busy all day, so the two didn’t have many chances to talk.
Later, after Old Yu discovered her cultivation potential, she was taken to the forbidden area before long, and that continued until now.
It was fine in front of others, but now, in private with just the two of them, Yang Feiyun realized he couldn’t find a topic to discuss with his daughter.
"Qing’er, managing a household is not easy. You must pay attention to everything while staying by the Elder’s side and learn more."
After thinking for a while, Yang Feiyun finally spoke.
But as soon as he said it, he regretted it a bit.
After such a long time apart, he had started with this kind of lecturing tone.
"Father’s teachings, Lingqing understands."
Yang Lingqing replied and then looked up at her father.
Yang Feiyun had only just entered middle age, yet most of his hair was already gray, a clear sign of how much he had worked for the Yang Family.
"You work hard for the family, but you must pay attention to your health."
"Ai, what you said is right, Qing’er. I will remember it."
After exchanging those simple words, another silence fell between them.
Noticing that his daughter was looking at him, Yang Feiyun also met her gaze.
In that shared moment, he suddenly felt a pang in his heart, a deep sense of guilt.
"You don’t need to worry, Lingqing understands everything in her heart."
"Yes, Qing’er has always been sensible."
"Father, I actually just want to know one thing."
"What is it? What do you want to say, Qing’er?"
"On that day, when I was taken to the forbidden area for cultivation by the Elder, did you feel proud of me?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Yang Feiyun stood frozen in place, stunned.
After a moment of shock, he finally came to his senses and saw the glimmer of tears in Yang Lingqing’s eyes.
His lips trembled, and he wanted to say something several times but stopped himself. Finally, he stamped his foot and exclaimed, "It’s my fault! Qing’er, you don’t know this, but I’ve always, always! You have always been my pride! Whether or not you were chosen by the Elder, you are still my most treasured daughter!"
Upon saying this, tears streamed down Yang Feiyun’s face.
He stepped forward to take Yang Lingqing’s hand, but suddenly realized that she was now a Master and hesitated, stuck between moving forward or stepping back.
"Father."
Yang Lingqing reached out to hold the hand that Yang Feiyun had paused with. He trembled slightly at her touch, and then lifted his other hand to gently pat the back of her hand.
"Father, that is enough."
After saying this, Yang Lingqing withdrew her hand and turned, quickly leaving the meeting hall.
Yang Feiyun was left standing there in a daze for a long time. After a long sigh, he tightly held the token that his daughter had given him and stepped outside.
