Yang Guanfeng carried Chen Yang with him wherever he went. This made it convenient to nourish him with spiritual power at all times, so Chen Yang was currently resting safely inside his sleeve.
Elder Yu remained behind to guard the Four-Leaf Spirit-Holding Grass, so he did not make an appearance this time.
Looking out at the crowd kneeling in the courtyard, Chen Yang felt deeply satisfied.
The Yang family's current situation already showed signs of a rising clan.
Although they were still very weak, as long as they planned carefully, their future potential was immense.
"Rise."
Yang Guanfeng's voice rang out, calling everyone to their feet.
His gaze then fell upon the three children standing at the very front of the crowd, and a kind smile instantly touched his face.
These three children were the promising seedlings of the Yang family he had mentioned before.
The entire reason he had risked his life to enter the secret realm was to provide better cultivation conditions for them.
It was true that the Yang family currently had two mid-stage Qi Gathering cultivators-himself and Elder Yu-meaning outsiders did not dare provoke them.
But Yang Guanfeng knew in his heart that the greatest threat to a family's long-term development was a generational gap.
In his generation, only he possessed cultivation aptitude. His two younger brothers were ordinary mortals who could, at most, practice secular martial arts.
This led to the Yang family's current predicament: they had two mid-stage Qi Gathering cultivators, but not a single early-stage Qi Gathering cultivator.
Realizing this, Yang Guanfeng had encouraged all branches of the clan to bear more children ever since he took the seat of Patriarch. Only with an abundance of offspring could they seek quality from quantity and produce descendants with cultivation aptitude.
Thus, the Yang family's core population had doubled from its initial fifty-odd members to nearly a hundred.
"Take your seats, little brothers. Let us begin today's assembly."
"Yes."
The two agreed and began to report on various family matters in turn.
Neither possessed cultivation aptitude, but both were quite skilled in managing the clan.
Yang Feiyun handled internal affairs, while Yang Xiaolei managed external affairs. They kept everything running in perfect order, allowing Yang Guanfeng to focus entirely on his cultivation without distraction.
Half an hour later, the two finished their reports.
From listening in, Chen Yang also grasped the basic situation of the Yang family.
The Yang family owned three streets of shops in Liuye Town, as well as a mineral vein outside the town.
There were ninety-seven core members surnamed Yang. Counting the servants, laborers, and guards, the total population exceeded three hundred.
At this scale, no other family in Liuye Town could rival them.
"Reporting to the Ancestor, this year's dynasty taxes have been settled. The family's remaining funds are sufficient for daily operations, but I fear there will not be any surplus at the end of the year," Yang Feiyun reported.
Hearing this, Chen Yang also grew somewhat curious about the issue.
With such a large population, did the Yang family really have any room left to grow within Liuye Town?
From Yang Feiyun's words, he learned that families settling in towns governed by the mortal dynasty had to pay a head tax in exchange for the dynasty's protection.
Furthermore, if a family had cultivators, not only did the basic population tax multiply, but additional levies were demanded-such as spirit crystals and spiritual materials.
The Yang family was still in its initial stages. Could they truly bear such heavy taxation?
Chen Yang's concerns were not unfounded.
In truth, Yang Guanfeng had long been planning to move the family out of Liuye Town to establish an independent foothold.
But exactly as mentioned earlier, the clan had no other Qi Gathering cultivators besides him and Elder Yu. They simply couldn't handle the endless troubles that would come with establishing an independent territory.
The Yang family was already straining to meet their current tax quota.
If they added three more early-stage Qi Gathering cultivators, their expenditures would undoubtedly exceed their income.
He had originally thought they would have to suffer bitterly for many more years, helplessly wasting the talents of these three children.
Who would have thought that the sudden appearance of the secret realm would bring a turning point?
"Mm, I will find a way to resolve this matter. Both of you have worked hard. Does anyone else have anything to report?"
"Reporting to the Ancestor, there are no further matters."
"Good."
Yang Guanfeng nodded, then looked toward the three children.
"You three stay. The rest are dismissed."
"Yes, Ancestor!"
After the crowd dispersed, only Yang Guanfeng, his two younger brothers, and the three children remained in the assembly hall.
Yang Feiyun stepped forward and shot a glance at the three children, who immediately understood.
"Yang Xiaohu."
"Yang Yueqing."
"Yang Mingrui."
"We pay our respects to the Ancestor!"
"Good. Rise."
Facing these three children, a warm smile spread across Yang Guanfeng's face. These three were the absolute treasures of the family.
The three children were of different ages. Yang Xiaohu was the oldest at fourteen, boasting dark skin and a sturdy build.
He was the son of Yang Xiaolei's concubine. From a young age, he had displayed excellent physical constitution, and Elder Yu had later discovered his aptitude for immortal cultivation.
Yang Yueqing was the daughter of Yang Feiyun's primary wife. She was twelve this year, with an ordinary appearance but a well-known precocious nature among her peers; her temperament did not resemble a child's in the slightest.
The last was Yang Mingrui. As the youngest, he had just turned ten a few days ago and still carried an air of childish innocence. Elder Yu had discovered his cultivation aptitude just a few months prior.
He was not the son of any of the three brothers, but hailed from a collateral branch.
Yet among the three, his talent was the highest.
"Feiyun, Xiaolei, you have worked hard toiling for the family all these years."
Yang Guanfeng said, looking at his two younger brothers.
"Eldest Brother, please do not say such things. What does this little bit of effort matter?"
"Exactly. Compared to Eldest Brother risking his life out in the world, what does our work amount to?"
With outsiders gone, the relationship between the three was noticeably closer.
After all, they had grown up together since they were toddlers in split-pants. Yang Feiyun and Yang Xiaolei had been looked after by Yang Guanfeng since childhood.
Now that Yang Guanfeng was the Patriarch, they naturally dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to the family's prosperity.
After a few more pleasantries, Yang Feiyun and Yang Xiaolei took their leave.
Before departing, they instructed their children to cultivate diligently under the Ancestor and never disappoint the family's expectations.
"Follow me."
Yang Guanfeng led the three children through the assembly hall, arriving before the gates of the Restricted Grounds, a place ordinary people could never reach.
The three children curiously tried to peek inside. They had known of the Restricted Grounds since they were little, but had never truly set foot within.
They only knew from the words of their elders that stepping into this place was akin to A Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate-their lives would be completely and permanently transformed.
With a mix of nervous trepidation and eager anticipation, the three children followed Yang Guanfeng into the Restricted Grounds.
The moment they passed through the outer gate, a high wall blocked their view, completely sealing off the scenery within from the outside world.
This wall had been personally constructed by Elder Yu. He had reinforced it with spiritual power and laid down formations, ensuring both immense sturdiness and a perimeter alert system.
Yang Guanfeng grabbed the three children, effortlessly leaping over the wall and into the Restricted Grounds.
Indeed, there was no door into the heart of the Restricted Grounds. To enter, one simply had to vault the high wall.
Doing so would instantly trigger the formation's alert, allowing Elder Yu inside to know of any arrival the very moment it happened.
"Wow!"
"So high, so high!"
"The Ancestor is amazing!"
The three children gasped in awe as they landed, their eyes filled with utter adoration as they looked at Yang Guanfeng.
Seeing this, Yang Guanfeng chuckled. "Do you wish to possess the same abilities as your Ancestor?"
"Yes!"
The three children shouted in unison, their eyes shining with expectation.
Yang Guanfeng raised his hand, gently brushing the tops of their heads.
"You will. Moreover, your future abilities will undoubtedly surpass mine, and the horizons you witness will be far broader than what your Ancestor has seen."
He continued, "But no matter what, you must always remember that you are members of the Yang family. Everything you receive today comes from the clan, and in the future, you must place the family's interests above all else."
Yang Xiaohu and Yang Mingrui nodded, still slightly naive to the true weight of his words.
However, the little girl, Yang Yueqing, paused to ponder Yang Guanfeng's words for a moment. Then, her gaze turned resolute, and she gave a heavy, solemn nod.
Looking for more free chapters? Visit www.skynovelvault.com to read over 5,000 free chapters and continue exploring more stories from SkyNovelVault.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJeTdG99lel
46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxDIcZGq7R
and then Add to home screen.