Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 214: Widely Inviting Guests

Congratulatory gifts were merely the appetizer—quick money that came in a sudden burst but would not flow again.

The true value of declaring the Wang family a Golden Core power lay in the long-term geopolitical benefits. The Qingyuan Sect would be forced to cede territory; they could not expect a Golden Core patriarch to live quietly under their thumb without a proper domain. A buffer zone between powers was a necessity, not a request.

At the very least, the administration of Qingniu Market would inevitably fall entirely into Wang hands. As for the Lei, Zhao, and Cheng families who had recently conspired to squeeze the Wangs out of business? Their days were numbered. They would either flee the region or bend the knee and become vassal clans.

Although Qingniu Market was nominally a joint venture of five families, the lion’s share of the profits had always flowed into the Qingyuan Sect’s coffers. After the Grand Ceremony, the Sect would undoubtedly withdraw its commercial presence as a gesture of respect, surrendering the market’s entire revenue stream to the Wang family.

This shift alone would inject 20,000 to 30,000 Spirit Stones into the family treasury annually—nearly doubling their current income.

If everything went according to plan, the family would secure several more market towns as foundational bases. The Wang family’s growing roster of Foundation Establishment cultivators could then be dispersed to guard these lucrative territories rather than crowding onto a single Spirit Mountain. In that scenario, their thousand-stone annual stipends would be well-earned investments rather than heavy burdens.

Wang Guang’an remained deeply concerned about the family’s cash flow. While the Golden Core Grand Ceremony would bring in resources, the majority of those gifts would be funneled directly into the secret overseas expansion. The remaining assets would take time to yield returns. A family that could not balance its books was a family walking on the edge of a cliff.

As the population exploded, this hidden deficit would only magnify. Even the secret Spirit Stone mine could not fill such a widening abyss.

Furthermore, Wang Guang’an needed to purchase a Dharma Treasure. A Golden Core cultivator without a proper Dharma Treasure was like a tiger without teeth. The family would have to endure a few years of austerity.

“With so many Foundation Establishment cultivators, the pressure of stipends is becoming unsustainable,” Wang Guang’an announced to the three key members of the family. “You cannot easily be the villains to your own kin, so I will play that role. From this day forth, all Foundation Establishment stipends are cut by half. We will revisit this only after the family weathers the current storm.”

“We respectfully obey the Ancestor’s decree!” Wang Yanzhao, Wang Longyou, and Wang Hao responded in unison.

Wang Hao was indifferent to the cut. His personal wealth far exceeded the family’s treasury; he had never relied on the stipend. In fact, he had subsidized the family heavily over the years—he hadn’t asked for a single Spirit Stone in exchange for the priceless Foundation Establishment Pills he provided.

“Good. Go and send out the invitations immediately,” Wang Guang’an commanded, waving his hand. “The spirit vein here is of too low a grade. I cannot cultivate effectively in this environment. Every day I linger here is a waste of time.”

“Yes, Ancestor!”

The Golden Core Grand Ceremony was scheduled for six months later. The Wang family intended to cast a wide net. For nearby powers, Qi Refining clansmen were dispatched as couriers. For distant factions, the Foundation Establishment cultivators had to deliver the invitations personally to ensure they arrived with enough time for the guests to prepare gifts and travel.

Two months later, the news of Wang Guang’an’s advancement to the Golden Core stage had swept through the entire Qingyuan Sect region. Even the border territories controlled by the Blazing Heaven Sect and the Infinite Palace were shaken by the revelation.

The balance of power had shifted.

Countless minor forces began to scramble, establishing backchannels and forming alliances. The vassal families under the Qingyuan Sect were particularly anxious, desperate to gauge both the Wang family’s ambitions and the Sect’s reaction.

However, after distributing the invitations, the Wang family went silent. They had already decided to shift their strategic focus overseas. On the Leizhou Peninsula, they adopted the stance of a dormant lion: If others do not offend us, we will not offend them. There was no need to launch aggressive wars for territory; land would be acquired through negotiation at the Grand Ceremony.

Wang Family Ridge. The Council Hall was once again packed.

The hall had been transformed. Anticipating the arrival of high-status guests for the Grand Ceremony, the Wang family had spent a considerable sum renovating the central complex. It was a matter of “Face.” The architecture now radiated a grandeur befitting a Golden Core clan.

The walls were adorned with jade lamps crafted from First Rank spiritual materials, casting a soft, opulent glow. The ordinary wooden furniture had been replaced with sets carved from fresh Spirit Wood.

Wang Guang’an’s promotion had to be formally addressed within the family before the external world arrived. This meeting was to align the clan’s middle and upper management and prepare them for the new era.

Wang Guang’an had already slashed the Foundation Establishment stipends; now, he turned his gaze to the rest of the clan. The old policies were built for a Foundation Establishment family. They were no longer suitable.

Nine Foundation Establishment cultivators, 19 Qi Refining Ninth Layer Elders, and over 20 Hall Managers gathered in the hall. Upon learning of the Ancestor’s breakthrough, the atmosphere had shifted from familial warmth to awe and terrified respect.

Wang Guang’an sat upon a lotus throne carved from warm jade, positioned on a dais overlooking the room. He did not smile.

“I have summoned you all today for a brief family council to arrange our future course,” he began, his voice low but resonating in every corner of the hall.

“I know you all hold important positions. Therefore, I will not waste time listening to reports on trivial affairs. We will go straight to the critical issues.”

Wang Guang’an didn’t mince words. “The first matter is debt. My advancement to the Golden Core was not without cost. The family has incurred a massive debt of approximately 400,000 Spirit Stones.”

He deliberately inflated the figure, lumping the secret costs of the overseas island lease into his personal advancement debt. The majority of the Qi Refining clansmen did not need to know about the overseas base yet; they knew people were leaving, but not where they were going. It was safer to let them believe the money was spent on the Ancestor.

“400,000. Our treasury is nearly empty,” Wang Guang’an said, letting the number hang in the air like a guillotine. “We must increase revenue and cut costs. The Foundation Establishment cultivators have already accepted a fifty percent pay cut. Now, we must determine a protocol for you Qi Refining Elders and Managers.”

The room went deathly still.

“The second matter,” he continued, his gaze sharpening. “The Wang family is now a Golden Core clan. The old rules are obsolete. Look around you. There are nearly 20 Qi Refining Elders in this room. As our population grows, will we eventually have 50? 100? Does it make sense for every cultivator who reaches the Ninth Layer to automatically become an Elder?”

He didn’t wait for an answer.

“The third matter is the family ethos.”

Suddenly, an invisible weight descended upon the hall. It was the Pressure of a Golden Core cultivator. It wasn’t just heavy; it was visceral, a primal force that squeezed the air from their lungs and made their souls tremble.

“Wang Hao has spent years reforming this family,” Wang Guang’an said, his voice cold. “He raised your stipends. He created incentive policies. He increased your income fivefold, sixfold. And what was the result?”

He leaned forward, his eyes boring into the older members of the crowd.

“Bad habits have taken root. I do not blame Wang Hao; his heart was in the right place. The mistake lies not with him, but with those of you who are lazy, ungrateful, and impure of heart.”

“Some of you have let success go to your heads,” he spat the words out. “You take the family’s generosity for granted and offer nothing in return.”

“The Grand Ceremony is approaching. Do you intend to air our dirty laundry for the entire cultivation world to see?”

“From this day forward, you will conduct a strict internal review. Self-correction is mandatory. Any clansman found guilty of corruption or negligence will be punished without mercy. We will re-establish a family ethos of diligence, frugality, and integrity.”

Silence reigned. It was a suffocating, fearful silence.

The Wang family had grown too fast, and Wang Hao, for all his genius, was inexperienced in managing large populations. His generous welfare state had bred corruption and entitlement. Human nature was greedy; when fed too well, some people stopped hunting.

Several faces in the crowd turned ashen. They knew exactly who the Ancestor was talking about.

Most of the promising young talents had already reached Foundation Establishment. The remaining Qi Refining Elders were mostly the older generation—men and women who had plateaued, holding onto the title of “Elder” and collecting fat checks while doing little real work.

Wang Guang’an’s first swing of the blade was aimed squarely at their necks.

After letting the terror settle for a moment, Wang Guang’an spoke again, his tone slightly less oppressive but no less firm.

“The debt problem ultimately comes down to revenue. Open source, cut costs. You have discussed this before, so I will not belabor the point.”