Changes in Regional Situation

Chen Yang slept for three months.

During these three months, the cultivators on the eastern expedition to quell the rebellion swept through everything, eliminating all the bandits along the way and quickly pacifying the disaster.

For the Tiger Chasing Dynasty, this was naturally a good thing, but for the various families, it was a matter of their own fortunes.

Because of the Dynasty's decree, the high-level combat power of the cultivators from each family was drawn to the eastern border to quell the rebellion.

This caused the strength of many families to decline to varying degrees.

For the small number of powerful families, the departure of one or two high-level cultivators did not have a significant impact, as they had others who could take their place.

However, for the majority of small families still struggling at the bottom, the impact was earth-shattering.

Those families that relied on a single cultivator to maintain their facade were now no different from ordinary mortal families once that person left, losing all their previous competitiveness.

Furthermore, due to various actions taken when they had a cultivator backing them, they had made many enemies. Before long, they faced suppression and encirclement from their rival forces.

Some cultivators from small families, in order to protect the power of their descendants, even turned their blades on their own kin, carrying out a great purge before leaving!

They meticulously pruned away any branches that posed a threat, a move that could stabilize the main lineage's position but undoubtedly greatly weakened the family's overall strength, a selfish and suboptimal choice.

There were also some families whose situations were still somewhat manageable. After the Patriarch was transferred, one or two people remained, but they were mostly at the First or Second Level of Qi Gathering, barely enough for self-preservation, unable to truly take charge, and their influence greatly diminished.

Then there were some with more substantial strength, like the Zhang Family of Sanglu Valley. With Zhang Tianqi gone, there should still be three cultivators: one at the Fifth Level of Qi Gathering, one at the Third Level, and one at the Second Level.

Their strength was still considerable.

However, due to Zhang Chen's disappearance, only two people were actually left in the valley.

Although Zhang Yao was Zhang Tianqi's eldest son, with his father absent and no one to keep order, he couldn't control the situation. The hidden conflicts within the Zhang Family began to surface.

His uncle, who was at the Fifth Level of Qi Gathering, seemed to have developed some unstable thoughts. Less than a month later, Sanglu Valley surprisingly announced its closure, ceasing all external communication.

The experiences of these families highlighted how important and precious unity was to a family.

Fortunately, Yang Guanfeng had noticed this more than a decade ago and, with Elder Yu's assistance, had thoroughly purged the family of the persistent problem of power struggles.

This allowed the Songshan Yang Family to remain as stable as a mountain during this period of intense upheaval, completely unaffected.

Both production and daily life, as well as all business operations, proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Not only that, while other families were doing their best to consolidate their assets and protect themselves, the Yang Family seized this opportunity to carry out a wave of mergers and expansions.

Currently, across Willow Leaf Town and White Stone Town combined, the Yang Family owned shops on ten streets and had acquired two small mines from other families at low prices.

The population below the mountain steadily increased, and the situation on the South Bank gradually moved towards normalization, with two new villages established.

The Yang Family's influence in the entire region was now even greater than when Yang Guanfeng was present.

The reasons for this situation were twofold: firstly, the Yang Family had many cultivators, and secondly, Yang Lingqing's skillful management of the family.

Sensing the Yang Family's strength, many families sent envoys to visit, seeking to establish ties with the Yang Family or hoping to find some form of protection.

The day Chen Yang awoke coincided with the Yang Family's regular council meeting.

He projected his consciousness down and discovered that in the council hall, besides Yang Lingqing, there was also an unfamiliar Qi Gathering cultivator.

This person's cultivation was not high, only at the First Level of Qi Gathering, and he was currently conversing with Lingqing.

"Liang Yi pays his respects to the Patriarch."

"Mr. Liang, there's no need for such formality. Please rise."

"Thank you, Patriarch!"

Liang Yi rose, and Yang Feiyun led him to sit beside Yang Lingqing.

Yang Lingqing looked at him and asked with a smile, "Mr. Liang, how have you considered the conditions I mentioned last time?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Yi quickly nodded emphatically.

"My Liang Family has no objections to the arrangements made by the Patriarch!"

"Good, have you brought the roster of family members?"

"I have brought it all. Please, Patriarch, take a look!"

With that, Liang Yi took out a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Yang Lingqing.

After Yang Lingqing reviewed it, she handed it to Yang Xiaolei and instructed, "Release the people according to the roster."

"Yes! As per the decree of Immortal Master Lingqing!"

After making the arrangements, Yang Lingqing turned to Liang Yi and said, "Mr. Liang, rest assured, the land, housing, and businesses have all been prepared. The Liang Family members will join our Yang Family clan today and can begin their operations tomorrow."

Liang Yi was deeply moved and rose again to express his gratitude.

The Liang Family was originally a family in Willow Leaf Town. The family had two cultivators: Liang Yi, at the First Level of Qi Gathering, and his elder brother, Liang Yuan, at the Fourth Level.

With a Qi Gathering Mid-stage cultivator in their midst, the Liang Family had always had some standing in Willow Leaf Town, and their lives had become even better after the Yang Family moved away.

However, good times did not last. The Dynasty's decree fell upon the Liang Family like a bolt from the blue.

Liang Yuan had to go to the east to quell the rebellion, leaving only him, a mere First Level of Qi Gathering cultivator, behind.

Looking at their former rivals, some families still had cultivators at the Second Level of Qi Gathering to support them.

Barely a month after the mobilization order was issued, the Liang Family's external mines were forcibly occupied, and their other businesses were suppressed to varying degrees.

The town's shops were vandalized for no reason, merchant caravans were hijacked, and later, even younger members of the family began to go missing.

Liang Yi, who had always worked behind his elder brother, couldn't handle all this. Within a few days, he was overwhelmed and exhausted.

Only then did he begin to regret his arrogance and complacency after achieving Qi Gathering, slacking off on his cultivation, and believing that with his brother around, everything would be fine.

But with things having reached this point, more words were useless. He could only brace himself and try to find a way out for the family.

Then, by chance, he heard news of the Yang Family.

At that time, the Liang Family's situation in Willow Leaf Town was already very difficult. With a gamble in mind, he went to visit the Yang Family.

The first glance he got of Yang Lingqing told him he had come to the right place.

"The Yang Family is indeed as powerful as the rumors say. This young girl, only around fifteen years old, is already at a higher cultivation level than me!"

Later, he learned that Yang Lingqing was the current Patriarch of the Yang Family, which shocked him even more. He quickly knelt down to pay his respects.

During their subsequent conversation, he increasingly felt the effectiveness of Yang Lingqing's methods.

All the prepared speeches he had rehearsed were effortlessly diffused by her.

Without even resorting to threats of force, her mere demeanor and words convinced Liang Yi.

"Compared to her, my ability to manage the family is like a child's play," Liang Yi thought with a wry smile.

To his pleasant surprise, the Yang Family agreed to let him bring his family to join them, but they also laid out many conditions.

Liang Yi agreed to them one by one. Compared to the harsh living conditions in Willow Leaf Town, these conditions were nothing.

He then returned home to discuss with his clansmen. Two months later, the entire family relocated to Songshan.