Lin Bufan

The Lu Clan now had countless things waiting to be rebuilt, but Lu Qingshan and the other three were full of drive.

The clan leader, Lu Qingshan, was especially excited, his whole being in a state of exhilaration.

"Qingshan, I'll leave the entire Lu Clan under your management. I trust your abilities, so go ahead and do what needs to be done. If anything happens, your ancestor will help shoulder it."

Those were the ancestor's own words to him.

Since the ancestor had said so, what did he still have to worry about?

"Still, even with the ancestor here, given the Lu Clan's current state, I'm afraid it will take a long period of accumulation to recover the strength it had back in his day."

Lu Qingshan frowned deeply.

With the ancestor around, the Lu Clan lacked no resources, but the main problem was that it had too few people now, only a hundred or so. After all, they were a clan; they couldn't just recruit a great crowd of outsiders, could they?

The most urgent task was to solve the population problem first.

Lu Qingshan then summoned the second elder, Lu Mutong, to discuss the issue.

"Second elder, I'll leave the population problem to you. You must make sure the clansmen actively marry and have children, so our clan can grow strong as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Lu Mutong's expression turned solemn. "Rest assured, clan leader. I'll attend to it at once."

He too understood that this was unquestionably the most important problem facing the Lu Clan.

After all, with so few people in a clan, even rising to prominence would be difficult.

Before long, important news spread throughout the Lu Clan.

Any clansman capable of normal reproduction would receive a generous reward from the clan for taking a concubine or marrying a spouse into the family.

And if they had a child, the reward would be doubled.

A series of childbirth support policies followed, making the Lu clansmen's eyes shine with golden light.

Of course, it was also announced that Lu Clan women were absolutely forbidden from marrying out; they could only marry men into the clan.

Lu Qingshan nodded in satisfaction as he looked over the series of plans. He believed that before long, the clan's population would grow rapidly.

After all, the Lu Clan was now the most powerful force in all of White Cloud City. The women who wanted to marry into it could probably line up from the east end of the city to the west, too many to count.

"That leaves the matter of the clan's overall strength."

Although Ancestor Tianyan had just forcibly awakened the bloodline power of the entire clan, significantly increasing its strength, it was still a little lacking when measured against all of Qingzhou.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Qingshan summoned the third elder, Lu Chen.

"Third elder, select some promising talents from the clan and form a Lu Clan Guard dedicated to protecting the clan's safety."

"Remember, better to have too few than accept the unfit."

"Our Lu Clan is no longer some bottom-tier force."

Lu Qingshan spoke to the third elder earnestly.

Lu Chen nodded. "Rest assured, clan leader. Leave this to me."

After the third elder left, Lu Qingshan began pacing on the spot.

A short while later, the first elder, Lu Guangyao, arrived.

"Clan leader."

The first elder, Lu Guangyao, cupped his fists at Lu Qingshan.

Looking at the Lu Clan's first elder before him, Lu Qingshan smiled faintly. "Intelligence is also especially important to a power. First elder, I hope you can establish a dedicated intelligence organization within the clan, one responsible for gathering information from across the world, so that our Lu Clan can know the affairs of the world like the back of its hand."

Hearing this, Lu Guangyao's eyes lit up, only to dim again soon afterward.

After a moment of silence, Lu Guangyao gave a bitter smile. "Clan leader, I haven't the slightest idea where to start with this. Am I really up to the task?"

Seeing Lu Guangyao's lack of confidence, Lu Qingshan patted him on the shoulder and chuckled. "You don't need to worry about that. Just take it slowly."

"Besides, isn't Ancestor Tianyan still here? You can ask the ancestor for advice."

Ancestor Tianyan?

Lu Guangyao paused, then immediately understood.

That's right. I almost forgot what this ancestor does best: the art of deduction.

So that was the clan leader's real intention.

Having understood, Lu Guangyao looked at Lu Qingshan a little differently. "Clan leader, I'll give it a try, then."

"Mm, go on."

Inside an inconspicuous little house in the Lu Clan.

The clansman Lu Fan sat cross-legged on the ground, cultivating with a calm mind.

Just then, the door suddenly opened without warning.

A figure appeared in the entryway immediately afterward.

Lu Fan slowly opened his eyes and saw who it was.

The first elder, Lu Guangyao.

At this moment, Lu Guangyao's gaze no longer held its usual approachability as he looked at Lu Fan. Instead, it carried a trace of unfamiliarity.

"Lin Bufan, our ancestor wants to see you."

Lu Guangyao got straight to the point.

Lu Fan's expression remained unchanged at these words, but he sighed inwardly.

Have I been discovered after all?

Still, this wasn't entirely unexpected. If that person couldn't see even that much, he wouldn't be worthy of the name Tianyan.

Lu Fan slowly rose to his feet and said softly, "Let's go."

Along the way, Lu Guangyao walked beside Lu Fan, glancing at him from time to time.

He was somewhat shocked.

This young Lu clansman who had suddenly distinguished himself recently was actually someone who had been reincarnated.

If the ancestor hadn't told him, he would never have guessed it, even if he were beaten to death.

At the same time, he felt somewhat saddened.

He hadn't expected that the Lu Clan's only presentable young talent wasn't even a true member of the clan.

Lu Fan's parents had died in battle when he was young, and he had grown up eating from a hundred families' bowls. As the first elder, Lu Guangyao had often looked after him as well.

He had thought Lu Fan would remain ordinary all his life, but a year ago, Lu Fan had suddenly become a genius, as if something had clicked.

In just one year, he had gone from the Qi Condensation Realm to the Spirit Control Realm, causing quite a stir within the Lu Clan.

And only now did Lu Guangyao know why.

Lu Fan had awakened the memories of his previous life.

He just didn't know how strong Lu Fan had been in that life.

Before long, the two arrived in front of the Lu Clan's ancestral hall.

Sensing a presence inside the hall that could not be ignored, Lu Fan hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.

What was bound to come would come; there was no hiding from it.

Watching Lu Fan's departing figure, Lu Guangyao stopped where he was and chose to wait.

Inside the ancestral hall.

Lu Fan had reached the main hall.

Looking at the old man sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, Lu Fan wore a complicated expression.

At that moment, the old man slowly opened his cloudy eyes, and a barely perceptible trace of killing intent emerged.

"What was your purpose in entering my Lu Clan?"

The calm words contained an extremely dangerous air.

Lu Fan knew that if his answer failed to satisfy the other party, he would not leave this ancestral hall today.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Fan said somewhat helplessly, "Senior, may I say that my reincarnation into your Lu Clan was an accident?"

Sage Tianyan looked at Lu Fan without speaking.

Lu Fan continued, "Back then, I was only at the Early Sage Realm. I was able to reincarnate only thanks to a heaven-defying opportunity. How could I possibly have had the ability to choose where I reincarnated?"

"Besides, forgive my bluntness, but before you emerged, what did your Lu Clan have that could have attracted me?"

If Sage Tianyan had emerged even a few days later, the Lu Clan would probably have already been wiped out, and Lu Fan would have fled.

It had to be said that Lu Fan's words made a great deal of sense.

The killing intent in Sage Tianyan's eyes gradually faded.

After a moment of silence, Sage Tianyan nevertheless gave Lu Fan a warning.

"You should be glad that my Lu Clan is currently in need of people. Otherwise, you would have died the moment I emerged."

"However, since you were reincarnated into my Lu Clan, there is a bond between us. In that case, I'll acknowledge you as a member of the Lu Clan."

Sage Tianyan changed tack, directly acknowledging Lu Fan as a member of the Lu Clan.

This surprised Lu Fan, while also leaving him somewhat helpless.

Sage Tianyan was forcibly tying him to the Lu Clan.

How could Sage Tianyan refuse free labor?

Lu Fan wasn't even in a position to refuse. Never mind now-even at his peak, he probably wouldn't have amounted to much before this man.

Since that was the case, he could only accept it.

Besides, there were benefits to becoming a member of the Lu Clan.

After all, this was a power with a Sage King Realm expert!

Thinking of this, Lu Fan hesitated no longer.

"This junior, Lu Fan, pays his respects to the ancestor."

Lu Fan knelt on the ground and chose to follow his heart.