Chapter 648: Side Story: Clan Election

Chapter 648: Side Story: Clan Election

Today was a special day for River East City. All morning, many important guests from far-flung provinces entered the city walls with large entourages. As parades of luxurious horse carriages and powerful guards made their way through the streets, the citizens peeked out of their windows to satisfy their curiosity. Something big like this hadnt happened in many months, if not over a year.

Ever since Thousand Flower City was established further upriver and closer to Ten Thousand Flower Valley, the status and prestige of River East City in the region quickly fell off. There was no way they could compete. That was the new capital of the province. The economic opportunities there were simply unmatched.

However, there was still one thing that kept River East City going. Every resident was clear about what it was the Zhou Clan.

After Zhou Ziyun left to join the immortal lord, the Zhou Clan prospered and rapidly expanded. Their old rivals and enemies could only watch and lament their misfortune as the clan became the strongest and wealthiest in the city. Even the city lord was just a figurehead that had no power.

And obviously, today was all about the Zhou Clan, a special event known to outsiders only as the clan election.

It was something that didnt exist before, something that Zhou Ziyun had recently implemented to drive her clan toward the future. While she had started calling her clan a branch sect, they still did not behave like one. They were still a business entity focused on profits and not cultivation. They had elders that managed various economic departments but they didnt have anyone focused on cultivation.

Whether it was obtaining and curating cultivation arts and martial arts, sourcing medicinal ingredients and creating medicine, dealing with weapons and armor, or other matters the goal of this clan election was to choose new elders that would focus on these aspects. The goal was to turn the clan into a true cultivation clan with a long future.

The carriages that stopped in front of the Zhou Clan manor didnt seem to end. While the clan had spread across several provinces in recent years, River East City was still their origin. It was where their ancestral hall was located and tradition dictated that important matters had to be conducted here.

Within the hall, the senior members were already gathered at the front. Zhou Ziyun sat in the foremost position as she was the official clan head. Her father, Zhou Tong, sat to one side of her. He could be considered the retired clan head and still retained a large amount of power when she was absent. Although he preferred to spend his time drinking tea and collecting various artworks these days, she relied on him during important times.

Her other side was occupied by Zhou Lai. He was her granduncle. He was only second to her father in effective rank. He was very old and frail-looking but he was still filled with energy.

In other places such as Red Bamboo Province, the competition was even stronger. This province was the first one the clan expanded to and they had the greatest number of people aside from their home in Dragon Flower Province. They were involved in all kinds of businesses such as the trade of medicinal herbs, spiritual crystals, and other spiritual resources. It was also the most profitable out of the rest.

When noon arrived, the ancestral hall was a sea of faces. Zhou Ziyun had invited over a hundred names to this clan election and they had all shown up without a single one missing. They all stared up eagerly at this young woman who still carried a hint of immaturity in her cheeks. Regardless of what they thought of her, she was their undisputed leader.

Zhou Ziyun stood up and her voice rang through the hall, Members of the Zhou Clan, welcome to our clan election. In past, such events were held occasionally to fill one or two senior positions. They were attended only by the clan head and the elders. Today, I have invited not only elders and senior members but also those from younger generations that have contributed greatly to the clan.

The clan will continue to expand. My master has already informed me that he needs our presence in the southeast region in the aftermath of the demon attack. We will all the help we can get regardless of age. As long as you are capable, as long as you are loyal to Ten Thousand Flower Valley and the Zhou Clan, everyone has an opportunity to grow and achieve great things.

Today, we will be electing eight new elders to focus on cultivation matters. Each person present will have one vote. I will still have the final say for each position but I will not reject the majoritys choice unless I can give you all a satisfactory explanation. Understood? Good, then lets begin!

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