63: Chapter 63: A Daily Lesson for the Clan Council, the Mistress Establishes New Rules for the Household

Having suffered losses in the procurement of young Spirit Beasts, the Chen Family Trading Firm found their overt methods ineffective and resorted to far more insidious tactics.

Early the next morning, a new rumor quietly began to circulate throughout the market in Qingshi Town:

"Have you heard? The eldest son of the Li Family is born with the ability to soothe Spirit Beasts, but the Li Family is now using the child as a tool, making him Face those beasts every single day. This is damaging the child's Foundation!"

The rumor was spread with such vivid detail and sounded so tragic, as if Li Changqing had already been tormented until he was sallow and emaciated, on the verge of being drained dry.

Some of the Elders in the Family, who held the heirs' Foundations in the highest regard, could not sit still after hearing these whispers.

In the outer hall of the New Courtyard, three Clan Elders sat with dark expressions. Leading them was the Seventh Elder, who was in charge of Family rules. He was usually the most rigid, and his gaze toward Li Qingfeng was filled with scrutiny.

"Qingfeng, it is not that we do not trust you." The Seventh Elder's voice was deep, carrying an unquestionable pressure, "But Changqing is your eldest son after all, and he is the first direct descendant in our Li Family to manifest a talent. Whether it be Spiritual Plants or Spirit Beasts, they are all external objects. Letting the child come into contact with these every day—if his Origin is damaged, who can bear that responsibility?"

Another Clan Elder sitting nearby chimed in: "Indeed, it has spread all over the place. Our Li Family cannot destroy a child's future for the sake of these immediate industrial profits."

Li Qingfeng poured tea for the Elders. His Face remained expressionless, but his mind was as clear as a mirror.

This news came neither too early nor too late; it arrived just after the Chen Family's attempt to intercept goods had failed and the beast-calming pill had proven effective. It was clearly aimed at the very roots of his Spirit Beast Garden.

Just as he was about to speak to explain that the New Courtyard had its own sense of propriety, Su Qingyue, who had been sitting quietly behind the beaded curtain in the inner hall, slowly stood up.

She was wearing a pale green loungewear dress today, and her figure, having recovered excellently after childbirth, appeared both gentle and curvaceous. She did not speak; she simply placed a thick daily logbook, bound with high-quality silk thread, onto the table in front of the Seventh Elder.

On the cover of the booklet were four characters written in her own elegant small regular script: Changqing's Daily Log.

The Seventh Elder frowned and opened the first page.

Immediately, his expression changed from scrutiny to astonishment.

The booklet was densely recorded, detailed to an infuriating degree.

"At the third quarter of the Chen hour (08:45 AM), Changqing woke up and drank half a cup of Spirit Spring Water. He was in high spirits."

"At the first quarter of the Si hour (09:15 AM), beside the Seedling Spirit Pond, he came into contact with three pots of Low Grade green leaf grass. Distance: three feet. Duration: half a quarter of an hour. During this time, Changqing did not cry or make a fuss; he reached out to touch the leaves twice and looked curious."

"At the first quarter and a half of the Si hour (09:22 AM), he returned to the inner room. His complexion was checked to be rosy, there was no cold sweat on his forehead, and his breathing was steady. Lunch: food intake was on par with yesterday."

"At the second quarter of the Wei hour (01:30 PM), outside the fence of the Spirit Beast Garden, he observed the White-Eared Spirit Rabbit from ten feet away. Duration: less than a quarter of an hour. During this time, the Spirit Rabbit's mood shifted from restless to calm. Changqing's demeanor was stable and he was not startled."

"At the third quarter of the Wei hour (01:45 PM), he returned to the inner room. A female pharmacist checked him and confirmed that the Life Qi in his body was stable, with no signs of leaking or deficiency."

One page, two pages, three pages...

The more the Seventh Elder read, the tighter his brows furrowed, but the anger on his Face gradually dissipated, replaced by a shock that bordered on the absurd.

This was not just raising a child; this was the meticulous effort one would use to cultivate a Peerless Grade Spirit Medicine, all to raise the future of a Family.

Su Qingyue then spoke slowly, her voice still soft but carrying an unquestionable steadiness: "Clan Uncles, I have recorded how long Changqing comes into contact with Spiritual Plants every day, how far away he stays, and how his complexion is afterward. Every day's record is signed and stamped by both the internal affairs manager and the female pharmacist. It cannot be faked."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the Clan Elders, and continued: "The child is the talented seedling of the Li Family, and even more so, a piece of flesh that fell from my own body. Everyone wants him to do well, and I, as his mother, want it even more than you do."

"If you want to see the accounts, you may do so at any time. But if you want to change the rules of my New Courtyard based on a few rumors from outside, that will not happen."

She said the last sentence very softly, yet it made the entire outer hall go silent.

Li Qingfeng looked at his wife, who was usually as gentle as water, now like a soft sword hidden in its sheath—she did not act unless necessary, but once she did, she struck directly at the vital point.

He felt both amused and proud.

The Grand Elder also walked out from the back hall at this moment. He picked up the "Changqing's Daily Log," flipped through a few pages, then placed it heavily on the table and said in a deep voice to the Clan Elders: "Have you all seen clearly? If the Li Family could raise every child with this level of meticulousness, there would be no need to worry about the Family not prospering!"

He turned to Li Qingfeng, his tone unquestionable: "Qingfeng, make a copy of this daily log procedure and send it to the Clan School! From now on, all core descendants of the Li Family who manifest talent will follow this rule! Whoever dares to treat a child's Foundation as a joke, whether they are inside or outside the Family, will be dealt with according to Family law!"

An internal crisis caused by external rumors was thus lightly suppressed by Su Qingyue's daily log, and it even turned into a new rule formally established by the Li Family.

That night, Wang Qingluan sent news: the few Loose Cultivators who spread the rumors had all been in contact with the manager of the Chen Family Trading Firm in the Outer Town.

Li Qingfeng did not choose to retaliate with the same methods. Instead, he had Wang Qingluan "accidentally leak" a summary of the New Courtyard's "Heir Cultivation Procedures," along with the extremely low attrition rate of the Spirit Beast Garden's cubs, through the Wang Family's trade routes.

The trend of public opinion in the market changed quickly.

"The Li Family raises their children even more meticulously than we raise Spirit Medicine. I'm afraid the Chen Family's rumors were just out of jealousy, right?"

"Exactly, they even keep accounts of how many pots of grass he looks at a day and for how long. How can that be called damaging his Foundation?"

The Chen Family's first round of dirty public opinion not only failed to stain them but instead provided free publicity for the Li Family's "model courtyard."

Deep in the night, in the bedroom of the New Courtyard.

Su Qingyue was regulating her breath under the lamp. Although she had been firm during the day, her mental exertion had not been small.

Li Qingfeng sat behind her, his palms pressed against her back, using the gentlest Azure Wood Spiritual Power to help her smooth out her Meridians.

Su Qingyue leaned into his embrace, feeling that familiar warmth. Her body, which had been tense all day, finally relaxed. She whispered: "Was I too harsh today? Did I make the Clan Elders lose Face?"

"Not too harsh." Li Qingfeng lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "My wife's imposing manner was just right. From now on, the internal affairs of this New Courtyard are yours to decide."

Su Qingyue's ear felt ticklish from his warm breath, but her heart was sweet. Having suppressed the Clan Elders today, her self-awareness and confidence as a Mistress were clearer than ever before. With her mind settled, the Water and Wood Spiritual Power in her body, which had already been at the Peak of Qi Refining Stage 8, actually followed the Azure Wood Qi that Li Qingfeng was channeling into her and boomed, breaking through the Bottleneck!

A breath far more rounded and profound than before emanated from her body.

Peak of Qi Refining Stage 8—achieved!

Almost at the same time, the System's notification sound rang crisply in Li Qingfeng's mind.

[Ding! The Host has successfully assisted his Dao Companion in establishing prestige and establishing the Core Heir Protection Procedures. The order of Family Bloodline cultivation has been improved!]

[Rewards: Cultivation Infusion (Small Amount); Basic Talisman Experience; Pattern for [Tier 1 Child-Protecting Calming Talisman].]

[Current Talisman Proficiency: Beginner Talisman Apprentice · Latter Stage.]

Li Qingfeng looked at the newly appeared Talisman pattern, his heart stirred slightly. This Talisman could soothe a child's spirit and isolate Evil Qi; it could be used perfectly in the twins' bedroom and the buffer zone of the Spirit Beast Garden.

But just then, Wang Qingluan, who had just returned from outside, handed over a note with a grave expression.

"The Chen Family has made another move. They found out you are going to draw Child-Protecting Talismans and are preparing to clear out all the usable 'Calming Talisman Paper' in the town."