Chapter 13, Three Reforms

Translator: Raznick

 

Nine Peaks, Zhou Clan’s Ancestral Hall.

 

In front of the vast majority of Zhou Clan members, Zhou Wende, the Grand Elder of the Zhou Clan, solemnly announced the various regulations for the Zhou Clan’s reforms.

 

As he said, since Zhou Clan was now formally continuing as a cultivation lineage, from now on, it should follow suit with other major cultivator lineages in carrying on their heritage.

 

Therefore, the first major change was to arrange the order of seniority and alter the terms of address.

 

‘Heaven and Earth at order, respect Dao and protect home, with a sound mind and purpose’ was devised through discussions between Zhou Wende and the Clan Leader as well as Elders of the Zhou Clan.

 

From now on, starting with Zhou Wende and extending to all newborn children, their names would be chosen according to the twelve-character making up this saying.

 

But since the ages of Zhou Clan cultivators varied, specifically regarding which generation they belonged to, it started from Zhou Wende’s ancestors and down, dividing into generations every fifty years.

 

According to this classification, there were two individuals from Zhou Clan in the Ming generation: Grand Elder Zhou Mingde and High Elder Zhou Mingshan.

 

Of the Chong generation, there was one: Zhou Chongshan, the Second Elder.

 

Two individuals surnamed Dao: Third Elder Zhou Daoquan and Clan Head Zhou Daoyi.

 

The Shou generation include three individuals, all members of the Zhou Clan who were over a hundred years old.

 

In the Jia generation, there were sixty-seven individuals.

 

Zheng generation cultivators numbered thirty-three, and this generational title was expected to remain in use for another decade.

 

Following this sorting method, Zhou Chun, Zhou Yong, and their peers who were of similar age, along with a 35-year-old Zhou Jingwen, formed the Zheng generation.

 

As for Zhou Fei, someone Zhou Chun had previously met, he ranked under Jia.

 

In regards to Ganoderma Peak, Zhou He was also listed under the category marked with the character Jia.

 

After their generation order was set, when relatives within three generations addressed each other afterward, they must refer to each other as grandfather and grandmother, uncle and aunt, brother and sister.

 

Among peers, age determined seniority.

 

In this case, Zhou Chun was ranked thirteenth among his peers in the Zheng generation, slightly older than most of them.

 

To help every Zhou cultivator keep track of their seniors and juniors within the same generation, a handbook was distributed at the event. This handbook provided a detailed list of all current Zhou Clan cultivators, including their generational titles and their ranking among peers.

 

Those who did not attend would also receive the same distribution subsequently.

 

It was quite clear that this system of arranging generations and changing titles was intended to unite all Zhou Clan cultivators, both within the clan and without, and to enhance their sense of identification with the clan and with fellow clansmen.

 

By using bloodline and clan ties as bonds, and relatives as links, all Zhou Clan cultivators were connected together, truly recognizing the Zhou Clan as a big clan.

 

Zhou Mingde and those senior figures from the Zhou Clan had put a lot of thought into it.

 

Since Zhou Mingde and other senior members of the Zhou Clan had led by example in changing their names, even though some Zhou cultivators felt uneasy about the sudden appearance of additional senior figures, they could only endure it silently without daring to voice opposition.

 

Of course, to ease the discomfort of Zhou Clan cultivators, Zhou Mingde had already solemnly declared on the spot that no Zhou Clan members would be allowed to abuse their higher status or age to bully those of lower generations.

 

Moreover, considering that some individuals’ names might not sound pleasant or catchy when appended with their generation’s characters, it was permissible for today’s Zhou Clan cultivators to still use their original names when addressing themselves externally.

 

In summary, the system of generational titles was created to unite the Zhou Clan cultivators and must not be allowed to become an obstacle to their unity.

 

In the line of succession, Zhou Mingde soon announced another major reform.

 

Based on the cultivation level, merit, and talent as Zhou Clan cultivators, they would be ranked and allocated within the existing Zhou Clan hierarchy.

 

The highest rank was Grand Elder, followed by Clan Leader, and then Elder.

 

Below Elder, there were core clan members, elite clan members, and ordinary clan members, divided into three ranks.

 

Hereafter, whether it was the annual welfare offerings distributed each year or the usage rights to exchange certain clan resources, as well as the practice rights for cultivation methods and secret arts techniques, all would be graded according to the status level of each member of the Zhou Clan.

 

Even when conflicts arose among clanspeople in later years, making it difficult to determine who was right or wrong, when Clan Leader and Elders judge the matter, they would tend to favor the side with higher social status.

 

According to this regulation, every Peak Head of the Nine Peaks, except for Pagoda Peak, would automatically become core clan members of the clan.

 

When they reached late Qi Refining, clan members would automatically become elite clan members; otherwise, they were considered ordinary clan members.

 

Within the next decade, this set of identity tier validation criteria would remain valid.

 

That meant Zhou Chun and others like him, ordinary clan members, could automatically be promoted to elite status within ten years if they managed to cultivate up to the late Qi Refining.

 

Of course, if a regular clan member performed exceptionally well and established significant merits for the clan, or possessed excellent talent, even if their cultivation hadn’t reached late Qi Refining Stage, they could be promoted to elite clan member, and perhaps even core clan member.

 

It was clear that, compared to just hearing about lineage rankings in name only, it was the actual benefit of determining one’s status and rank that really mattered.

 

The classification here was somewhat similar to the elite disciples, inner sect disciples, and outer sect disciples within the sects; it’s just a matter of renaming.

 

With this tiered rank system in place, common clan members and elites would inevitably strive to enhance their cultivation and accumulate achievements to seek better treatment and gain more resources for their cultivation practice, aspiring to become core clan members.

 

This extraordinarily motivating reform was immediately and unanimously accepted by all Zhou Clan cultivators.

 

Then, Zhou Mingde also proposed the third reform.

 

This change pertained to regulations concerning the integration into sects and marriage arrangements for cultivators from the Zhou Clan.

 

The Zhou Clan did not obstruct their descendants from joining other sects in the future; on the contrary, they offered assistance and some financial support.

 

But these were not without cost.

 

If a cultivator from the Zhou Clan joined a sect, received subsidies from the Zhou Clan, but failed to reach Foundation Establishment before turning sixty and did not become an inner sect disciple within the sect, they must return to the clan and thereafter serve it faithfully or reimburse the clan for the provided subsidies.

 

At the same time, if Zhou Clan cultivators wished to leave their clans due to personal marital reasons, they must compensate the clan for various resources spent on them over the years and may not privately disseminate clan secrets.

 

On the other hand, if it’s due to personal marriage reasons, the clan would gain an external relative cultivator, there would be a reward issued by the clan.

 

From this third reform, it could be seen that Zhou Clan was still very enlightened. At least Zhou Mingde and those senior were all sharp.

 

Zhou Chun could put himself in their shoes. If he were to join a sect or leave his clan for the sake of a beloved woman, such an enlightened approach from the clan would fill him with gratitude and leave a deep impression.

 

Of course, he would never do something like that.

 

As for these cultivation sects, even if they weren’t as desirable as some others, once you joined them unless one possessed extraordinary talent, the treatment received was not necessarily better than what one would get at Zhou Clan. In fact, one might even face more exploitation and constraints.

 

After announcing these three major reforms, Zhou Mingde proceeded to introduce a number of new clan rules.

 

For example, one must strictly avoid provoking or disturbing major sects like the Green Lotus Monastery, which were protected by Nascent Soul cultivators and Golden Core practitioners, as well as prominent clans. Similarly, one must not provoke forces in Jing Kingdom that were guarded by Violet Palace cultivators. Additionally, it was forbidden to impersonate the Zhou Clan for fraudulent activities, such as killing others for treasure or damaging the Zhou Clan’s reputation.

 

In exchange, they lifted the restriction that Zhou Clan cultivators could not leave the Nine Peaks.

 

From now on, any Zhou Clan cultivator wishing to leave Nine Peaks must provide a legitimate reason and submit an application to the Clan Leader in advance. Approval from the Clan Leader was required before they were allowed to leave.

 

Afterward, they stayed in the Ancestral Hall for over an hour. Grand Elder Zhou Mingde explained and announced all sorts of reforms and clan regulations. Only then were Zhou Chun and the other Zhou Clan cultivators allowed to leave after the meeting ended.

 

The clan meeting held within the Ancestral Hall, and the matters announced therein, naturally sparked intense discussion among all cultivators of the clan.

 

Even when Zhou Chun was stationed at the Purification Spirit Pavilion, he would hear his uncles and brothers discussing this matter.

 

He also expressed some of his own opinions, mostly in agreement and support.

 

Without order, there could be no unity—this was Zhou Chun’s belief. In his view, the reforms being carried out by Zhou Mingde and other senior figures within the Zhou Clan were positive in nature, bringing more benefits than drawbacks.

 

Now, Zhou Clan cultivators were buzzing with talk; they were merely not accustomed to these reform measures yet.

 

Once they got used to it, they wouldn’t care anymore.