Once arrogant, now humble, when more than half of a family dies, when a family is on the verge of collapse, when members of a family begin to leave one another.

It's like a ship that's half-leaking. Some people leave for better sailing, while others jump ship because they can't bear the threat. What's left for the remaining people is an uncertain future.

“I’m not even dead yet and people are already leaving day and night. I don’t even dare to think about what the Mu family will be like if I die.”

Looking at the latest personnel and asset list in her hand, Mu Hongdie was furious. At its peak, the family had more than 5,000 members, but now, including those from the peripheral forces, there were only about 2,000 left, and those with the original family name numbered less than 600. Too many people had died, far too many.

"Those thieves burned, killed, and looted. Of our twelve kinds of flesh field demons, six were stolen. Of our twenty kinds of flesh field demons, only eight remain. As for the demon plants, apart from a sapling that an elder risked his life to protect and three kinds that were protected by Master Cheng at the mine, all the others are gone."

The half-demon resources have been reduced by more than half, and other martial arts resources have been reduced to only 30%. After healing you, the Third Ancestor, and Lord Cheng, even daily martial arts resources are becoming increasingly scarce. And the library..."

The Mu family had largely consolidated their assets in the center of their clan's territory in anticipation of an attack, but who would have thought that those people would be so mad as to come to their doorstep even at the risk of another upheaval?

Two Fifth-Level Refinement cultivators and one Meat Master broke through the Mu family's formation. Their troops looted extensively. If Dao Chengyi hadn't come to the rescue with the defecting city defense troops at the last moment, the remaining resources wouldn't have been enough to save Dao Chengyi.

Other losses are even more immeasurable, especially the library which was burned down, resulting in the loss of countless rare books, which were a precious part of the collection!

"The meat fields and meat seeds are fine. We've killed quite a few martial artists, and we can replenish them by using their corpses as catalysts."

"Just ask your relatives in the library to make copies, and ask for some resources along the way. Don't be shy about asking. I'm not dead yet; it's all just a matter of personal relationships."

"The biggest trouble is still with our main family and the Mighty Bull Demon Sect..."

The family has factions, and so do the people who are sent out to be independent. What is giving Mu Hongdie a headache is that the Mu family has suffered too much loss and lost the piece of meat that has been sacrificed for hundreds of years.

Given the gravity of this offense, will the geniuses who were sent away now bring trouble from the Mu family members with their own interests and their rival factions?

Martial artists have long lifespans, and their lineage of martial lords is still alive, but with such heavy losses, other factions have an excuse to come over.

It's terrible... terrible. The worst part is that the family is now scattered. A disadvantageous battle has shattered the backbone of those kids and even the sense of belonging of some martial arts elders. People are running away every day. If this continues, the Qingmang Mu family lineage will probably be dead in name only.

"Meeting! Meeting! Call everyone else who has a voice!"

Despite being the patriarch, Mu Hongdie was not good at strategy, so she simply gathered everyone together to think and seek an answer.

Fortunately, all the members of the Mu family were present and could be summoned quickly. Soon, this temporary hall was filled with all the current leaders of the Mu family.

There are only ten martial arts masters, two of whom are external retainers, and the rest are mostly older elders who are responsible for education, medicine, and clan rules. Among them, Qi Qingshu, as a newly promoted elder, stands out.

He stood silently in the crowd. He had been like this ever since Dao Chengyi severed his roots from the martial arts school and restored him to human form. Silent and wooden.

Everyone gathered together to express their opinions on the situation. Putting aside resources and foundations, they discussed how to rebuild family cohesion and how to deal with other factions usurping their territory.

"Why not loosen the requirements for learning martial arts manuals? This would improve our combat skills and attract others to join us."

"That's not a good idea. What if they learn it and then run away? We don't have the strength to hunt them down and blockade them right now!"

"How about another match? Let's go to Niu and Liao's house and have them set up a duel? With Qing Shu here, our chances of winning are very high!"

"Come on! What if they've hidden their power again? Besides, we've lost our sacred statue, so they look down on us!"

"Why not turn to the government? Use their power to temporarily ease the situation, then improve treatment, encourage childbirth, and implement a reward system? If possible, relax the three-bedroom policy and give priority to the capable?"

"You're changing the ways of our ancestors! You're digging up the roots!"

...

After much discussion, Mu Hongdie finally discerned a few interesting solutions from among a group of suggestions, namely the methods of Mu Dingshan, the martial arts school master; Mu Dinglan, the tenth elder of the first branch; and Mu Qingluo, the acting head of the family.

The third elder, Mou Dingshan, felt that the reason the clan was disheartened was simply because they felt they had suffered a major defeat and the Mou family could not stand alone. He suggested that they should take some concrete action and seize the benefits while the government was being ambiguous. They should also go and challenge the martial arts schools to prove that the Mou family was still powerful!

"One of my eight disciples is a brother with the potential to be an unparalleled warrior. He is born with superhuman strength, has skin of copper and bones of iron, and strong ribs and tendons. He is invincible among the warriors of the Qingmang."

Mu Dingshan did not die in this disaster. At this moment, as the master of Dao Chengyi, who is at the height of his fame, and Qi Qingshu, one of the three martial arts masters, along with other martial arts school disciples, he is already a force that the Mu family cannot ignore in terms of power.

"But Liu Guan from the Red Thread Snake Martial Arts School is still around. Qing Shu has also mentioned his strength. He is an old martial artist who has broken through the martial master barrier. What if he joins the fight?"

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