14: Chapter 14 The Strong Clan Plan

Since he couldn't plunder for the time being, the plan to cultivate his clansmen could be moved forward.

Consequently, Pei Qingyun instructed the housekeeper to call Pei Tianrong over.

The prerequisite for cultivating clansmen was to have a detailed understanding of all aspects of the Family, including the character, talent, and loyalty of the clansmen.

These were all part of the consideration.

Even though he, the Old Ancestor, still made the final call on major matters.

He was, after all, getting old, and his energy was not what it used to be. Since Pei Tianrong took over as the Family Head, his knowledge of various aspects of the Family had remained stuck ten years in the past.

This time, he summoned Pei Tianrong not only to understand the situation of the clansmen but also as a test for Pei Tianrong.

If the head of a clan did not even understand his own Family's situation, that would be a dereliction of duty.

On the other side, after receiving the housekeeper's notice, Pei Tianrong didn't even have time for breakfast and rushed to the ancestral house without stopping.

Upon seeing Pei Qingyun, Pei Tianrong gave a greeting salutation and then spoke.

"You summoned me, what are your instructions?"

"It's still early, have some breakfast first. After you're done, we'll talk," Pei Qingyun said indifferently, pointing to the Medicinal Meal on the side.

"Yes." Pei Tianrong was somewhat puzzled, but he did not decline.

For a Divine Strength Martial Artist like him, ordinary food was already hard-pressed to satisfy their blood Qi consumption. To maintain their Realm without regression, one Medicinal Meal a day was the bare minimum.

If one wanted to progress further, at least three Medicinal Meals a day were required.

Before long, Pei Tianrong finished his meal.

At this time, Pei Qingyun, who was on the side, slowly spoke, asking Pei Tianrong about the Family businesses and the living conditions of the clansmen.

In terms of Family business, the Pei Family's properties were spread throughout Wuyang County, and there were even a few properties in the commandery city. However, the base of these properties was mainly within Wuyang County.

Among them, mines were the Pei Family's most important industry, accounting for fifty percent of the Pei Family's quarterly revenue. Next was the livestock industry at thirty percent, followed by the pharmaceutical industry at about ten percent, and the remaining portion of revenue was much more complex.

There were many industries such as shops, restaurants, and grain stores.

After listening to Pei Tianrong's introduction, Pei Qingyun had a basic idea in his mind.

The mines went without saying; they were the pillar industry of the Pei Family.

Nearly one-third of the Pei Family's Elders were stationed in several large mines, responsible for the daily operation and security of the mines.

However, the personnel stationed at the mines followed a rotation system, rotating once every three months.

The reason for the rotation system was, firstly, that the living conditions at the mines were harsh, and being in such an environment for a long time would undoubtedly be a blow to one's willpower.

Appropriate tempering was beneficial for the cohesion of Family members, but excessive tempering would have the opposite effect.

Secondly, the danger at the mines was not low, and battles frequently occurred. Among them, battles with exotic beasts were the most frequent, followed by those from Demons.

Of course, the treatment for working at the mines was also the highest. At the same time, the Pei Family did not forbid those clansmen who voluntarily applied to stay on.

As for the livestock industry, it naturally didn't involve raising ordinary livestock, but exotic beasts with powerful reproductive capabilities that had been researched and domesticated by multiple generations of the Pei Family.

The main purpose of these exotic beasts was to produce meat. The meat of these exotic beasts not only tasted better but could also more effectively replenish a Martial Artist's blood Qi consumption.

It was precisely because of these two major industries that the Pei Family could stand firm for a hundred years.

After understanding the Family businesses, Pei Qingyun asked about the clansmen's situation.

Compared to the industries, the clansmen's situation was much more complex. Even as the Family Head, Pei Tianrong focused more of his attention on those around him.

After all, the Pei Family's Direct Line, Collateral Lines, and Branch Lines added up to several hundred people. How could he have the time to understand them one by one?

Seeing this, Pei Qingyun knew that there was no point in questioning further.

Before heading to the Evil Suppression Bureau, he happened to have two days of free time.

Seeing is believing; rather than listening to others' opinions, it was better to take a trip personally.

On the other side, after leaving the ancestral house, Pei Tianrong pondered the Old Ancestor's intentions.

Although the Old Ancestor didn't explain the reason, Pei Tianrong could still feel that something big was about to happen in the Family.

Whether this change was good or bad remained to be seen.

"What am I thinking? How can I fathom the Old Ancestor's thoughts?" Pei Tianrong shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

After leaving the ancestral house, once Pei Qingyun learned the location of No. 1 Mine, he ordered someone to arrange a carriage and several attendants.

For this trip, he planned to start from No. 1 Mine and visit all of the Pei Family's industries.

Of course, in terms of time, it was definitely not enough.

But if one day wasn't enough, then two days. After he freed up time from his actions at the Evil Suppression Bureau, he would complete this plan.

No. 1 Mine was not within Wuyang County's town; it was located in a mountain forest northeast of Wuyang County, about sixty li away from the Pei Family's ancestral land.

Sixty li—this distance wasn't considered very far.

With Pei Qingyun's physical fitness in the Five Viscera Realm, he could completely make a round trip within two hours.

But for the sake of traveling low-profile, Pei Qingyun chose to take an ordinary carriage.

Although the speed would be slower, it was more comfortable.

Additionally, it wasn't peaceful outside Wuyang County's town. Bandit robberies often occurred.

Some merchant caravans traveling between towns and the county, in order to ensure the safety of their property and themselves, would often hire security bureaus or a group of guards.

Of course, there were always people willing to take risks. Some small caravans simply couldn't afford to hire people and could only gamble on their luck.

As one of the three major clans within Wuyang County, the Pei Family's reputation and influence were naturally not something these caravans could compare to.

Most bandits would not rob the caravans of the three major families. But even so, a few bandits still dared to snatch food from the tiger's mouth.

The strength of these bandits might not be as great as the Pei Family's, but as long as they dove into the deep mountains, even if the Pei Family wanted to find them, it wouldn't be an easy task.

It just so happened that Pei Qingyun was going to No. 1 Mine. If he encountered any blind bandits, he could just clean them up along the way.

Leaving Wuyang City, the rumbling carriage slowly drove into the mountain forest.

Compared to the roads inside the city, the roads outside were significantly more bumpy. Inside the carriage, Pei Qingyun, who was closing his eyes to rest, was suddenly jolted awake and couldn't help but pull back the curtain.

"Are we out of the city?" Looking at the mountain scenery, Pei Qingyun asked the guard on horseback.

"Reporting to the Master, we have already left the city," the guard replied.

"How much longer until we reach No. 1 Mine?"

"Reporting to the Master, this place is still forty-five li away from No. 1 Mine. If the journey is smooth, we should be able to arrive in an hour," the guard said truthfully after a moment of thought.

"An hour?" Pei Qingyun murmured.

This speed was quite a bit slower than he had anticipated, but considering the ruggedness of the mountain roads, it wasn't considered slow either.