Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 428 The First Discussion on the Alliance

"Your concerns are valid. Among these people, there will indeed be those who harbor resentment, those who outwardly submit, and those who are waiting for an opportunity to act."

Chen Anran paused, then looked away and at everyone present.

"But have you ever considered why they harbor resentment?"

Master Tianbao opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

"They are in Qingyang Valley, as inner disciples, Golden Core elders, and Nascent Soul Valley Masters," Chen Anran said. "Disciples in the Qi Refining stage can be ordered around at will, Golden Core elders can monopolize resources, and Nascent Soul sect masters can decide life and death with a single word. They are used to looking down on others, used to treating mortals as ants, and used to thinking, 'What I want should be mine.'"

He stood up and walked to the window.

"Now, they stand on that land at the foot of the mountain, watching those mortals walk with their backs straight, watching those cultivators and mortals sit together to eat, watching those they once looked down on live more freely than they do."

"They'll be angry, resentful, and bitter." Chen Anran turned around, her gaze slowly sweeping across the faces of the crowd. "But so what?"

His gaze was calm, yet it made everyone present subconsciously hold their breath.

"Their spiritual power has been sealed, their magical artifacts have been confiscated, and their backer has fallen," Chen Anran said. "The only ones who can give them a way out are us."

He walked back to the head of the table and sat down again.

"As for those who harbor resentment, let them go down the mountain to work. Carry water, chop wood, move bricks, and farm. Work ten hours a day until they're so tired they fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. See if they still have the heart to harbor resentment then?"

Master Tianbao was stunned.

Feng Wenzheng's eyes slowly brightened.

A smile returned to Jiang Yan's chubby face.

"Master Chen's move is brilliant!" Jiang Yan slapped his thigh, his small eyes narrowing into slits. "Make them work! Make them work alongside the mortals! Those who do well get food; those who don't get nothing; and those who cause trouble, kick them out!"

Huiming clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha. Master Chen's actions not only solved the urgent problem of manpower shortage, but also allowed us to observe their actions and understand their hearts. Let them shed their arrogance through labor and learn respect through interaction. After a period of time, it will be clear who is usable and who is not."

"That's exactly the point," Chen Anran said.

Feng Wenzheng pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Master Chen's considerations are thorough; we have been overthinking it. However, regarding the word 'work,' how exactly should it be arranged? Who will be in charge? And how will it be managed?"

Chen Anran looked at Qi Lan.

Qi Lan leaned against the window, a slight smile playing on her lips. She met Chen Anran's gaze and raised an eyebrow.

"Shall I do it?" she asked.

Chen Anran nodded.

"Okay." Qi Lan didn't refuse. She straightened up, a playful glint in her amber vertical pupils. "I'm bored anyway, let's find something to do."

She walked to the center of the hall and glanced at everyone present.

"What kind of work would be suitable for those Golden Core stage elders and Nascent Soul stage valley masters?"

Master Tianbao blurted out, "Let them chop wood! I've never liked that Lei Xiaozi. Let him chop wood for three months and see if he's still so arrogant!"

Jiang Yan shook his head: "Chopping firewood is too easy. In my opinion, let them carry bricks. Isn't there an expansion project at the foot of the mountain? Let them carry soil, mix mud, and build walls—the hardest work."

Feng Wenzheng pondered, "Xuanzhenzi is, after all, a Nascent Soul cultivator who has lived for nearly a thousand years. To make him do manual labor... isn't that going too far?"

Qi Lan said, "So what if they're Nascent Soul cultivators? They're all the same here."

Master Tianbao stroked his beard, but a hint of doubt remained on his face: "That's true, but can you really make someone obedient just by working hard and tempering their character? It's not that I don't believe in Qi Lan's methods, it's just..."

He paused, carefully choosing his words, "Among these people, some are elders who have been in Qingyang Valley for hundreds of years, and some are inner disciples who have been treated as geniuses since childhood. They are willing to carry water and chop wood because their spiritual power is sealed and they have no choice but to do so. But can they truly quell the resentment in their hearts?"

Feng Wenzheng nodded in agreement, "Fellow Daoist Tianbao is right. When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head, but bowing your head doesn't mean you're truly loyal. What we need isn't a group of laborers forced to work, but disciples who can truly become members of their respective families."

Jiang Yan rubbed his fingers together, his small eyes darting around, and suddenly spoke up: "What Master Chen just said—that only those with upright character can be allowed to begin their cultivation—is a good method, but the problem is—who will teach them? And what standards will be used to measure them?"

He paused, then continued, "Each of our families has its own traditions. The Maoshan Sect has its rules, the Feng family has its precepts, and the Jiang family has its skills. These surrendered cultivators originally learned the ways of the Qingyang Valley and the Hehuan Sect. How can they not feel resentful when they switch allegiance?"

A brief silence fell over the hall.

Huiming, fingering his prayer beads, slowly began to speak: "What you all have said is absolutely correct. To temper their arrogance through labor, and to observe their words and actions over time, is indeed the right way to win their hearts. However…"

He raised his head, his gaze calm. "People's hearts are like flowing water; it's better to guide than to block. Relying solely on 'having no choice' is ultimately a poor approach. The best approach is to gain their genuine acceptance of us and make them feel that following us is better than before."

"Master Huiming is right," Daoist Tianbao slapped his thigh. "But the problem is, how do we get them to 'agree from the bottom of their hearts'? We can't possibly go and talk to each of them individually, can we?"

Qi Lan leaned against the window and suddenly chuckled.

The laughter was soft, yet it drew everyone's attention to her.

"A heart-to-heart talk?" She raised an eyebrow. "What's the use of a heart-to-heart talk? If you tell them 'all beings are equal,' will they believe you? If you tell them 'cultivators should also respect mortals,' will they listen?"

Master Tianbao was speechless when asked the question.

Qi Lan withdrew her gaze and looked at Chen Anran: "The best way to get them to accept it is to let them see and experience it for themselves. Let them see that those ordinary people are living better here than the ordinary people they used to protect, and experience what it feels like to be genuinely treated. Over time, they will naturally understand."

Feng Wenzheng pondered and said, "Fellow Daoist Qi is right. But this will take time, at least three to five years, and at most ten to eight years. Right now we are short of manpower, but we need to take over the territory immediately, so we can't wait that long."

"Then let's use them and see," Chen Anran finally spoke. "Let them do the work, both to temper their character and to test their hearts. Those who work hard, don't shirk their duties, and can get along well with ordinary people can be used first. Those who complain all day long, slack off, and still hold onto their old airs, should continue to do the hardest work until their rough edges are smoothed out."

He spoke calmly, yet he gave everyone present a sense of reassurance.

Master Tianbao nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, that's the plan. The classic quote from 'Senior Sister, Stop Working, Go Home for Dinner' is frequently used to find resonance. Let them go lay bricks; I'll personally supervise!"

Jiang Yan laughed too, his usual smile returning to his chubby face: "What about the female disciples of the Hehuan Sect? Are they going to do manual labor too?"

"Aren't Bell and Stone catching pets everywhere lately?" Qi Lan said, "Let's ask them to go into the mountains and help catch some."

As everyone was talking, Feng Wenzheng suddenly raised his hand and made a gesture to wait a moment.

He frowned slightly, as if deep in thought. After a moment, he raised his head, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces before finally settling on Chen Anran.

"Master Chen, fellow Daoists, I have an idea."

Everyone looked at him.

Feng Wenzheng slowly said, "What we were discussing just now was how to subdue these surrendered cultivators and how to make them truly submit. Fellow Daoist Qi is right; it takes time, and they need to see and experience it firsthand. But I'm wondering—besides 'seeing' and 'experiencing,' isn't something else missing?"

Master Tianbao scratched his head: "What are you lacking? Food? Clothes? You don't lack any of those."

"No, that's not it." Feng Wenzheng shook his head. "It's the sense of belonging in people's hearts."

He paused, then continued, "I come from a prominent family. I've known since I was a child that wherever a member of the Feng family goes, they are a member of the Feng family. It's not just because of the surname Feng, but because I've always known where I belong, who's backing me up, and that everything I do affects the reputation of the entire family."

Jiang Yan's eyes lit up, as if she were deep in thought.

Feng Wenzheng continued, "These surrendered cultivators originally had a sense of belonging in Qingyang Valley, Hehuan Sect, and Zidian Sect. Those were their sects, their homes. Now that their sects are gone, their homes are gone, and they've become rootless duckweed. We make them work, give them food, and provide them with shelter, but do they truly feel like they belong to us?"

Huiming paused, his hand still holding the prayer beads, and said in a low voice, "Does Benefactor Feng mean... that they feel they have a new 'home'?"

"Exactly." Feng Wenzheng nodded. "This isn't a place where you 'work for food,' but a place that truly belongs to them. There are rules, traditions, status, and opportunities for advancement. We want them to know that as long as they work hard, they can become one of us and have their own chance to succeed."

Master Tianbao stroked his beard, seemingly lost in thought: "That's true. When I was learning martial arts at the Maoshan Sect, my master said the same thing. He said that once you enter the Maoshan Sect, you become a member of the Maoshan Sect, and wherever you go in the future, never forget who you are."

Jiang Yan's small eyes darted around, then he suddenly slapped his thigh: "Brother Feng's words have reminded me! Each of our sects has its own traditions and its own rules. But what these surrendered cultivators originally learned—can it be compatible with our traditions? If it's not compatible, even if they join our sect, they won't be able to learn our things, so aren't they still outsiders?"

"Therefore, unification is necessary," Feng Wenzheng said. "Unified rules, unified standards, unified uniforms, unified... affiliation."

He looked up at Chen Anran, his eyes shining.

"Master Chen, I'm wondering if we could establish an organization, something similar to that so-called Immortal Alliance?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was taken aback.

Master Tianbao gaped, "Build...build an organization? Like the Immortal Alliance?"

Feng Wenzheng shook his head, "It's similar, but we're not like them, high and mighty."

He stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and his gaze slowly swept across the faces of the crowd.

"Think about it, everyone. We come from three thousand years in the future. We are from the Feng family, the Jiang family, the Maoshan sect, the Jingang Temple, and Longhu Mountain. We each have our own traditions and our own rules, but we have one thing in common: we all came to this place three thousand years ago with Master Chen."

Jiang Yan nodded repeatedly, his smile growing even wider on his chubby face.

Feng Wenzheng continued, "But what about those cultivators who surrendered? They weren't on our side. They were newcomers, the conquered. We made them work, and they did; we let them stay, and they stayed. But in their hearts, there was always a barrier."

"I'm wondering how to remove this layer?"

He paused, then raised his voice a few decibels.

"Give them an identity, an identity they can accept. Not 'Qingyang Valley Surrenderers,' not 'Hehuan Sect Prisoners,' but members of our organization."

"This organization, led by the Cloud Hidden Sect, has unified rules, unified rewards and punishments, and a unified path to advancement. Once you join this organization, you're one of us. From now on, regardless of whether you were originally from the Azure Sun Valley, the Joyful Union Sect, or the Purple Lightning Sect, you'll all share a common identity."

Master Tianbao's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and he even forgot to move his hand that was stroking his beard.

Jiang Yan rubbed his fingers together, his small eyes sparkling with excitement.

Huiming clasped his hands together, murmured a Buddhist chant, and a smile appeared on his lips.

Qi Lan leaned against the window, her amber vertical pupils slightly narrowed, and the smile on her lips deepened.

After Feng Wenzheng finished speaking, he looked at Chen Anran.

"Master Chen, what do you think of my idea?"

Chen Anran sat in the main seat, his gaze fixed on Feng Wenzheng's face, and remained silent for a moment.

He did not answer immediately, but instead gazed at the gradually brightening sky outside the hall.

Down the mountain, the settlement had fully awakened. Smoke curled from chimneys, and the sounds of people could be heard faintly; the mortals had begun their day's work. The surrendered cultivators were probably standing by their windows, gazing at this unfamiliar land, contemplating their future.

"It's feasible," Chen Anran finally said.

Feng Wenzheng's eyes lit up.

Chen Anran stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the increasingly lively scene below the mountain.

"What's the name of this organization?"

Everyone looked at each other.

Master Tianbao scratched his head: "What should we call it? Cloud Hidden Alliance? No, no, that sounds too much like a Celestial Alliance. We can't follow that nonsense."

Jiang Yan's small eyes darted around: "How about calling it 'Cloud Hidden Society'? It sounds too ordinary."

Huiming pondered for a moment and said, "In Buddhism, there's a saying 'group practice,' so how about calling it 'group practice society'?"

Qi Lan scoffed, "Monk, your name sounds like a scholar's society."

Feng Wenzheng thought for a moment and tentatively said, "How about calling it 'Cloud Hidden Sect Alliance'? It's straightforward, but it's too long."

Everyone started discussing it, but no conclusion was reached.