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After Li Ditu finished reading the message Li Qianbao had prepared to pass to the Loose Cultivators, he secretly rejoiced. Thank goodness Li Qianqing's decision had not gone the way he had imagined.

He had been thinking of sparing Li Qianbao's life first, then deciding on the punishment after learning the situation.

Just imagine—if Li Qianqing's decision at the time had truly been like that, if he had not gone for the kill, this message would absolutely have been sent out.

With Li Cunlan gone from Changle Mountain, its ability to fend off enemies had weakened. If Changqing Mountain did not send over a Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivator, quite a few Loose Cultivators in Xiangshui Prefecture would have the ability to plunder Changle Mountain.

This sudden incident, and Li Qianqing's response to it, made Li Ditu feel that Li Qianqing could lead the Li family to become even stronger.

Precisely because Li Qianqing had come to look for him, he had run into the sneaky Li Qianbao. No matter how one thought about it, Li Qianqing was the Li family's future heaven-chosen one.

Cultivators very much believed in the idea of fortune.

Some people with powerful fortune could casually pick up treasures just by stepping out the door. That might have been a little exaggerated, but that was exactly where the strength of fortune lay.

"Second Grandfather, what should we do next?" Li Qianqing had clearly recovered from the terrible news of Li Cunlan's passing. Before one's cultivation reached a certain realm, one's lifespan would always have an end. "Wipe out the Loose Cultivators who have designs on our Li family?"

"It just so happens that this Sound Transmission Talisman of his hasn't been used. Once we're prepared and have laid out an ambush, we can pass the outdated message to them. When the time comes, we'll wipe them all out."

As he spoke the last words, Li Qianqing clenched his fist.

Li Ditu glanced at Li Qianqing.

He had not even made plans yet, but Li Qianqing had already thought of counterattacking.

The mark on this Sound Transmission Talisman had already been set. By using it directly, the message could be delivered to the Loose Cultivators.

Loose Cultivators plundered everywhere, so they had quite a few good things on them as well. If their luck was good, perhaps the resources they had robbed before had not all been used up. Wiping them out would allow the family to obtain a decent sum of resources. Placing them into the Clan Treasury would add a little more foundation to the clan.

Moreover, wiping out Loose Cultivators, whom everyone cried out to beat like rats crossing the street, would benefit the Li family's reputation in the Cultivation World of Xiangshui Prefecture.

This was a good thing that killed two birds with one stone.

"I think it's feasible." Li Ditu nodded. "With what happened this time, the clan will definitely record a great merit for you."

As he spoke, Li Ditu was already thinking about how to maximize Li Qianqing's contribution.

After several years of spending time together, he did not merely see Li Qianqing as his disciple, but also as his own grandson. Recently, he had even come to regard him as the Li family's future hope.

"Many thanks, Second Grandfather. Let's go see how Grand Ancestral Aunt is."

With these words from Li Ditu, once he entered Late-Stage Qi Refining, his entry into the clan's core upper ranks would definitely be even more secure.

And with this contribution, the other clansmen most likely would have no objections to him.

The core upper ranks were different from the upper ranks. Although both were Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivators of the clan, the former influenced the clan's future direction.

But this was still not enough for Li Qianqing.

The decision-making power in matters concerning the clan's survival rested in the Patriarch's hands.

He had to shine during the clan's next great crisis before he could reach the point of influencing the Li family's choice of side in Clear Wind Valley's internal strife more than twenty years later.

So far, everything was within his grasp.

"Wait a moment."

After Li Ditu took the Storage Bag and Sound Transmission Talisman from the corpse, he directly burned Li Qianbao's body clean, leaving not even the tiniest bit behind.

Li Qianqing watched Li Ditu's actions.

The Li Qianbao of his previous life and the current Li Qianbao had ultimately met the same end. The difference was that this time, Li Qianbao had not succeeded in luring the Loose Cultivators over.

"The Li family will just act as if this person never existed. There's no need to leave him a corpse." Li Ditu was telling Li Qianqing that if the Li family ever had another traitor in the future, he should do the same. Leaving the corpse behind would only pollute the Li family.

Li Qianqing nodded, indicating that he understood the meaning within Second Grandfather's words.

"Good. Let's go."

This time, Li Ditu walked at the very front, while Li Qianqing followed closely behind.

When the two of them arrived at the place where Li Cunlan had passed away, Li Lihe was still standing there blankly, his eyes slightly red and swollen. It seemed he still had not recovered from the passing of the person closest to him.

"Second Uncle, Qianqing, you're here." When Li Lihe saw the two of them, he only greeted them, without much of a reaction.

Li Ditu brought Li Qianqing before the deceased Li Cunlan and bowed.

Only then did Li Lihe react.

"Second Uncle and Qianqing came together... Was Qianbao notified properly?"

Li Qianqing was just about to say something, but Li Ditu stopped him with a look.

"It's somewhat inappropriate to speak here. Lihe, come out with me for a bit." Li Ditu felt that saying these things in the place where his little aunt had passed away was somewhat inappropriate.

The old woman had only just left. If they said it here, perhaps she would be angered awake.

"Oh... all right."

Li Lihe was a little at a loss. What could not be said here? Still, he obediently followed Li Ditu out.

Li Qianqing stayed inside to keep watch.

Looking at Li Cunlan's peaceful appearance, in the cruel Cultivation World, being able to pass away naturally already surpassed most cultivators.

Li Cunlan's grandson, Li Lihe, was a Four Spiritual Roots cultivator and was currently at Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

Although in his previous life Li Lihe had died at the hands of Loose Cultivators, now that he had escaped calamity, with the things Li Cunlan had left him, entering Late-Stage Qi Refining in the future and becoming one of the Li family's upper ranks should generally not be a problem.

The Li family's arrangements for clan members' affairs all followed the rules set by their ancestors. After a spiritual root was tested, one would first cultivate peacefully for three years at the ancestral land, Changqing Mountain. While further testing spiritual root talent, understanding one's temperament was also very important. The quick-witted were suited to work in shops, the steady were suited to farming and caring for spiritual herbs...

Even among clan cultivators, if someone had a direct relative in the upper ranks, it was still very difficult to influence the time they would later spend working, as well as the Contribution Points they would obtain.

Simply put, Four Spiritual Roots talent meant more affairs and fewer Contribution Points, while Dual Spiritual Root talent meant fewer affairs and more Contribution Points. This was basically fixed. Only this way could the clan ensure a better distribution of resources and allow the clan to develop further.

Of course, the benefit of having a direct relative in the upper ranks was that they themselves could give you more things.

For example, after Li Cunlan passed away, all of her Contribution Points in the clan would be inherited by Li Lihe. Other things such as magic tools naturally went without saying.

This only applied to relatives who were direct-line cultivators.

Within the relationship chains of clan cultivators, there were not many direct kinship ties.

After those who had no direct relatives who were cultivators passed away, all of their things would enter the Clan Treasury.

Although Li Lihe was only a Four Spiritual Roots cultivator, Li Qianqing still hoped that he could make good use of the resources Li Cunlan had left behind and smoothly enter Late-Stage Qi Refining.

The stronger the clan's cultivators were, the stronger the clan would naturally be.

If he wanted to lead the clan to develop and grow, he could not rely on himself alone.

At present, what made him happiest was still Li Qianyin's progress compared with his previous life. Aside from the early excavation of her Artifact Refining talent, after the last incident, Li Qianyin had cultivated even harder. Before the end of the year, she had hopes of entering Qi Refining Sixth Layer.