Family Management Game In Immortal Continent Chapter 777: The ‘Greater Picture’

A Dark Crow from Merit City descended, perching upon the shoulder of Li Xinnian.

A freezing glint erupted in Li Xinnian’s eyes as he processed the report from the Hall of Heavenly Principle. Though his gaze sharpened, he quickly masked his emotions, moving toward the Ancestral Hall with heavy, deliberate steps.

The Ancestral Hall housed a sanctuary for the clan's life tablets. Before each tablet burned a candle; a flickering flame that, once extinguished, signaled the passing of a soul.

Among the hundreds of tablets belonging to the family disciples, the candle designated for [Li Qiukong] had indeed gone dark long ago.

"Ai." Li Xinnian exhaled a weary sigh.

Throughout his lengthy tenure as Family Head, Li Qiukong marked the second descendant to fall. The first had been a child of the 'Jian' generation, whose life was claimed during a merchant expedition.

The road of Cultivation is arduous and long, and the destinies of those in this world are frequently marred by tragedy.

While one might survive the whims of nature, the man-made disasters faced by cultivators are far more ruthless than any celestial tribulation.

"Xinnian!" Nangong Qingya called out, approaching from the rear.

Her expression shifted with worry as she saw Li Xinnian standing motionless, lost in a trance. The last time he had been in such a state, her husband had remained rooted to that spot for seven days.

"Xinnian, has some misfortune befallen the clan..." The question died in her throat.

"Mm." Li Xinnian offered a pained smile.

It was only during these moments that he truly understood why the clan Elders avoided the role of Family Head as if it were a curse.

Drawing a deep breath, he spoke, "It is one of our own bloodline—Qiukong of the 'Qiu' generation. Go to Heng’er; he is likely overwhelmed and unsure of how to proceed."

"Then what of you..." Nangong Qingya’s complexion drained of color.

She was the one who had arranged for young Qiukong to be sent to the Great Ming King Temple.

"I am the Family Head," Li Xinnian stated, letting out a heavy breath.

"The stability of the two prefectures rests on my shoulders. The culprits behind my descendant’s death are the Xianhe branch of the Zhao Clan; this matter demands a calculated response from every perspective."

"I understand."

Nangong Qingya clenched her teeth and began to withdraw, but Li Xinnian’s voice halted her once more.

"Qingya, retrieve a Dark Crow from the Shadow Nest and relay a message to Big Brother. If his schedule permits, ask him to return home for a visit."

"Alright."

Once Nangong Qingya had left, Li Xinnian emerged from the Ancestral Hall to find Huang Xiujin waiting for him.

Noticing the bloodshot state of Li Xinnian’s eyes, Huang Xiujin’s brow furrowed in concern.

"Family Head, Immortal Master Qi Yue of the Ethereal Immortal Sect has arrived. He carries a significant tribute on behalf of his Sect.

However... considering it comes without warning or explanation, this offering from the Ethereal Immortal Sect feels uncomfortably heavy."

As the estate’s veteran steward and a man who was practically a mentor to Li Xinnian, he had already pieced together the situation from these few signs.

Li Xinnian had served as Family Head for many years and often shared his burdens with old Mister Huang.

This was due to the fact that many clan Elders were constantly away:

Elder Li Yunbing was far too ruthless, acting with a decisiveness that ignored all fallout.

Elder Kuangren was excessively overbearing.

His grandfather, Chang’an, possessed a deep understanding of people but was far too much of a gentleman;

And his Great-Grandfather Changsheng, though cunning, was plagued by cowardice.

"It was Qiukong of my own line who perished at the hands of the Immortal Zhao Clan."

Li Xinnian asked with a casual tone, "If the Elders were presiding over this, how would they react?"

Huang Xiujin fell into silent thought for a moment.

"That is hard to determine. The strength of blood ties naturally shifts from one generation to the next.

However, I am certain of one thing: justice lives within the heart of this clan.

So long as that justice endures, should the sky collapse, the strongest among us will stand to hold it up.

And if the heavens cannot be held, then even if we must retreat into the earth, a day will come when we raise the sky once more."

"Family Head, if the hearts of the people are divided, a home ceases to be a home, and a clan is no longer a clan. When that happens, the 'greater picture' becomes meaningless."

Upon hearing this, Li Xinnian let out a long, relieved breath. A faint, weary smile finally touched his lips.

"Listening to your counsel, Grandfather Huang, is like receiving cooling rain during a drought."

...

Within the main hall.

Immortal Master Qi Yue wore a grim expression.

Years prior, he had been the one tasked with rejecting Su Chen’s marriage proposal.

Now, the Li family's Li Qiukong had met a gruesome end upon his Sect’s very own Spirit Mountain.

He had barely finished purging several traitors from the Immortal Sect before the Sect dispatched him here yet again.

The atmosphere in the hall was as oppressive as the darkened sky over Merit City, prompting him to mutter bitterly,

"Supreme Elder, oh Supreme Elder, we have no old or new grudges, so why must you..."

His voice trailed off as footsteps approached the entrance. Immortal Master Qi Yue stood up abruptly.

His face paled as he recognized the figure entering the room.

The newcomer was a woman clad in wide-sleeved black robes. While not conventionally stunning, she possessed a pleasant appearance.

However, her phoenix eyes held a trace of irritation, the kind born from a life spent managing endless, grueling tasks.

It was Li Changyao of the Li family.

If there was one person Immortal Master Qi Yue wished to avoid following this disaster, it was Li Changyao.

For years, the Hall of Heavenly Principle had been taking out contracts across the Azure Dynasty.

Rumors whispered that they successfully hunted experts above the Nascent Soul stage, a feat that had launched the Hall of Heavenly Principle into the ranks of the Dynasty's top ten assassin organizations.

As the Vice Head of the Shadow Division, Li Changyao was notoriously prominent.

Decades ago, she had carved a path through the Azure Cloud and Duravia Trade Prefectures with nothing but a pink longbow.

In recent years, she had even begun dueling Divinity Transformation experts, and anyone struck by her arrows faced a grim fate.

Most infamously, Li Changyao possessed a volatile temper and an absolute refusal to listen to reason.

A Li family junior had been killed, and he had come to negotiate, only to find himself facing this irrational assassin commander.

Immortal Master Qi Yue realized immediately that he was unlikely to leave this meeting with any dignity intact.

"I was wondering who the Ethereal Immortal Sect would send; I didn't expect to see you again, Little Yueyue."

Li Changyao took the seat of honor in the hall without a word.

She reached for a pastry and began eating, completely ignoring Immortal Master Qi Yue.

With her mouth full, she mumbled, "Out with it. What message did that old fossil from your sect order you to deliver?"

As she spoke, Li Changyao gave a nod to the maid who had provided the food.

"Sister, these treats are quite good. Tell the chef to make sure there are more available whenever I am working in the future."

"As you wish, Young Miss."

As the servant left, the expression on Immortal Master Qi Yue’s face darkened further.

Those defeated by Li Changyao never fared well, and he was among their number.

Yet today, it appeared that in Li Changyao’s eyes, he, an Immortal Master, was less noteworthy than a maid or a cook.

Immortal Master Qi Yue cursed under his breath, "Just what kind of catastrophe has the Supreme Elder dumped on me this time?"