Chapter 403: Tianlan Immortal City Under New Rule, Lifespan Nears Its End (I)

The director had gone into seclusion to attempt Foundation Establishment, and the news spread across Danxia Peak like wildfire. Within a short time, every cultivator of the Luo Tian Society had heard about it.

Their feelings toward her were rather mixed.

In other organizations, she would have had the position of sect leader or cultivation family head. She was extremely strict, never tolerated laziness or deceit, and was quick to hand out harsh punishments when she caught someone slacking. She placed great emphasis on production and development, to the point where even the warriors of the Battle Hall were sent to work in the fields during their free time. She was also extremely stingy, cutting the generous salaries originally set by the president.

It wasn’t even the first time Sima Huiniang had done this. Back in the days of Dahe Market, she had cut base salaries to the bone without hesitation. It was fair to say that no one in the Luo Tian Society was fond of her methods; most felt only resentment and fear.

Yet everyone could also see that under her direct management, everything was indeed organized. The Luo Tian Society developed rapidly, and no one was left behind. She was generous with rewards for those who made notable contributions, and promotions were frequent for the capable.

Now, the Luo Tian Society ranked among the strongest within a hundred li, surpassing the long-established Geng family and far outpacing the distant Divine Craftsman Sect. Some who disliked Sima Huiniang often gave all the credit to the wise president, but those who truly understood things knew that her contributions were undeniable. Mixed with their resentment and fear, there was always a hint of awe and respect.

With her about to attempt Foundation Establishment, opinions were divided. Some hoped she would fail, fearing that her higher cultivation would make her even more ruthless. Others hoped she would succeed, believing that her success would bring prosperity to the Luo Tian Society. When one thrived, all thrived; when one suffered, all suffered.

Overall, most hoped for the latter.

However, with Sima Huiniang absent, an uneasy atmosphere seemed to hang over Danxia Peak. Their hearts were unsettled. Even the cultivators working the fields had become lazy; they cast spells without focus and didn't pay attention to the plants' growth. It was like a workplace where the boss had gone away for training and the subordinates began to slack off.

Some higher-ups noticed, but their positions made it hard to intervene. Even Duan Feng could only keep order in the Artifact Hall; the other halls seemed powerless.

This couldn’t go on!

It was at this moment that some late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators who had secretly resented Sima Huiniang, realized just how important a role she played in the Luo Tian Society. Those hoping to take her place now found themselves helpless, and all their grand plans collapsed. The reasons were simple: They were not as capable and also lacked the prestige she commanded.

Some people seemed important while they were around, but only when they were gone did others realize they had been even more important than that.

However, this restless atmosphere inside the Luo Tian Society soon disappeared... because Luo Chen arrived!

***

In the Grand Hall of the Luo Tian Society, Luo Chen looked at Murong Qinglian, who had just set aside the merit ledger. Instead of diving straight into reports, he asked with genuine concern, "Sister-in-law, how are you dealing with the injuries?"

It had been over a year since her failed attempt at Foundation Establishment, but she finally seemed to have emerged from that setback.

Murong Qinglian smiled softly and said, "I’m fine now. Honestly, it was thanks to you for saving me right away back then."

Luo Chen shook his head and said, "I don’t dare take credit. It’s Big Brother Qin who’s taken good care of you all this time."

"He’s such a rough man, how could he possibly take care of someone?" Murong Qinglian muttered. Though she was complaining, there was no hiding the warmth in her expression. Over the past year, Qin Liangchen had indeed set aside his masculine pride and devoted himself to her recovery. Even outsiders had been impressed, let alone the Dao companion who was being taken care of.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"These ledgers," she continued, gesturing to the pile beside them, "are summaries of the merit policies before and after the recent adjustments. There’s quite a lot to go through, so it’ll take some time to read everything."

Luo Chen smacked his lips and picked up one of the books, feeling a touch of unfamiliarity. Since handing the director’s position to Sima Huiniang back at the Crescent Moon Valley, he hadn’t reviewed these records at all.

At first glance, the pages were densely packed with details and extremely complicated, but he resisted the urge to skim and began reading carefully. This was something that had to be done! If his alchemy was the foundation of his survival, then the Luo Tian Society was the foundation of his standing in the world. Without the Luo Tian Society, his earnings from alchemy would shrink considerably.

Given how far the society had developed, it could almost sustain itself even without him personally refining pills. People like Mi Shuhua and Wang Haichao had thrived comfortably under their factions’ protection despite having no real skills.

The Luo Tian Society did not have as many members as the Poshan Gang or the Dajiang Gang, but every one of them was elite. Alchemists, artifact forgers, formation masters, cultivators skilled in agriculture, and even merchants. Every type of talent was present, and many of them were at the top of their fields. It was fair to say that the Luo Tian Society had become a fully grown beast. And in the absence of its tamer, Sima Huiniang, Luo Chen needed to take the reins himself and steer it in the right direction.

While Luo Chen read the merit ledgers, Murong Qinglian sat quietly at his side. Whenever he had a question, she answered immediately. A year of recuperation didn’t mean she had stopped caring about the world. Any movement in the Merit Hall had been reported to her through file copies from Sima Wenjie and Qin Liangchen. Now that she had returned to the Merit Hall, she was as familiar with its affairs as ever.

With her help, Luo Chen quickly gained a clear picture of the personnel situation within the Luo Tian Society. He had always kept a close eye on the finances, and now, with a clear view of the people as well, he could approach future challenges with confidence and precision.

"The expansion of the Outer Hall has been ongoing," Murong Qinglian reported. "Steward Xu is in charge of it, while Director Sima approves the plans. At present, the number of Outer Hall cultivators has exceeded a hundred, nearly half that of the Inner Hall. Some higher-ups worry this could become uncontrollable and are suggesting we reduce their numbers."

Regarding the Outer Hall, Murong Qinglian appeared cautious. After all, the Luo Tian Society wasn’t a sect and lacked the cohesion that a tradition of succession brought. If the Outer Hall truly became too powerful and threatened the Inner Hall, that would be a serious problem.

But Luo Chen was unconcerned. "As long as I’m here, and with Duan Feng and the others in Foundation Establishment, the Outer Hall won’t be able to cause trouble. There’s no need to follow the model of the major sects. Instead, we should look at how the Poshan Gang manages the issue. Much like the thousands of rogue cultivators who clung to the Poshan Gang back in Dahe Market, most of these cultivators are here to seek shelter under the big tree that we are. I don't think there's any need to suppress Outer Hall cultivators. In fact, as long as we can ensure that the candidates' backgrounds are relatively clean, we should expand recruitment massively."

The moment he mentioned the Poshan Gang, Murong Qinglian understood.

Back then, the core of the Poshan Gang had been its late-stage cultivators from the nine major halls. Early- and mid-stage cultivators were treated like cheap labor, given almost no benefits, and sent to the front lines at the first sign of trouble. And that model could still be applied here. Rogue cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm were the least valued in the cultivation world. If one batch was gone, another would simply grow to take their place.

Tianlan Immortal City was a major hub, drawing rogue cultivators from every direction every day. Those seeking opportunities here were not all fortunate enough to rent a cave residence on Tianlan Peak or settle on Danxia Peak like the cultivators of the Luo Tian Society. They needed a place to train and cultivate. The Luo Tian Society gave them that chance, and of course, they had to pay a price. The more people they recruited, the easier it would be to sustain the society’s elite cultivators.

"Of course," Luo Chen added, "we can’t just exploit them. We have to provide real opportunities for advancement. We need a bridge between the Outer Hall and the Inner Hall so they can see a path forward."

Luo Chen didn’t yet have a concrete plan, but he knew everything had to be clearly laid out before it could be put into motion, and there was also the matter of cohesion.