Chapter 298: Side Story: Peculiarity of the Bei Clan
Dragon Flower Province was at peace, unaware of the brewing conspiracy of the Eastern Sanmu Metropolis. Jasmine and Bei Yingluo stayed in Ten Thousand Flower Valley and did not leave it during the Golden Feather Hunt. Under Chen Wentian's direction, they kept to themselves and did not interfere with the matters of the province that were progressing naturally.
The Bright Moon Kingdom was still the preeminent mortal faction in the province and they were flourishing after a change in leadership. Their strength rapidly revitalized and their reputation was also slowly being repaired. Using the unified military strength of a kingdom, regional banditry and criminal gangs were rounded up and put to death. The province became safer and so did the neighboring regions.
The migrants from the war-torn eastern provinces readily took advantage of this. They settled down all across the land and rebuilt their lives with great enthusiasm and hope. A constant guiding hand for these people was the Zhou Clan. As a result, their opinions of the clan and Zhou Ziyun, in particular, grew beyond respect to adulation.
This was the second faction within the province that was rapidly consolidating. It was not based on royal power but on economy and strength in numbers. The Zhou Clan's businesses expanded at a whirlwind pace, spreading their influence in all directions. Goods and services were traded across the land, binding the common people together under one banner.
The province was peaceful but there were still appearances of demons and deadly beasts across the land. This happened naturally due to the shifting and ephemeral nature of the world and its spiritual energy. These occasional troubles were too minor for Ten Thousand Flower Valley to get involved so they were taken care of by the various mortal sects that existed before Chen Wentian's arrival.
There was no issue with mortal sects operating in the province. Since the immortal valley had such a minuscule recruitment rate, mortal sects had to make up the difference. These various sects formed a rough alliance with each other and became the de-facto third faction, with comparable strength to compete for influence with the Bright Moon Kingdom and the Zhou Clan but without unity or sense of direction.
One unifying force for them came from a surprising source, Wu Qianyu. She was the last survivor of the Green Leaf Sect. Although that sect was not powerful, it was well known and had a good reputation across the land. Her reputation as a righteous warrior for the common people had also spread far and wide.
The mortal sect alliance was united nominally under the banner of the extinct Green Leaf Sect and Wu Qianyu because it was their one tiny connection to Ten Thousand Flower Valley. Her name was placed on a pedestal as their ostensible Green Leaf Alliance Master even though she had no idea any of this was happening.
These events and political maneuverings of mortal factions were all lost on Bei Yingluo. She was the newest disciple and she was also the weakest in terms of cultivation. All she cared about was improving herself and caring for her small family.
She was given abundant cultivation resources but she was still stuck at the 10th level of the Body Refinement Realm without any hint of breaking through. It seemed that she was similar to Lin Qingcheng, with her body having some strange requirements. She could only wait for her master to return to help her figure it out.
Despite this setback, she was in good spirits. Her family and her clan settled down in Dragon River Town and were making a new life for themselves. Everything was provided by the sect without question and it was truly a blessing.
"Sis! Where are you?" A sweet voice called out, cutting through the silence of the forest.
There was a rustling sound, followed by a crashing sound. A few moments later, Bei Yingluo emerged onto the forest path. Two familiar faces greeted her, belonging to her two most dearest people in the world.
Her mother, Bei Rongyin, smiled and waved. She was thin and her age was starting to show. She had suffered greatly during captivity, which led to her premature aging. Still, with the medicine provided by the valley, she recovered greatly in the past months. Even her gray hair was turning back to black.
Bei Mingyu, the younger sister, was a budding girl. She was half a head shorter than Bei Yingluo but growing fast. With a dimpled cheek, round face, and wide eyes; she was fast turning into a beauty. She was bored from being cooped up every day and relished at the opportunity of seeing her elder sister.
"Sis! Finally, we were waiting for hours!" Bei Mingyu chided.
Bei Yingluo laughed and pinched her, "Noisy brat, I was in the middle of cultivating."
"No pinching, Mingyu is a lady now, not a little girl!"
"Fine, fine."
"Sorry, Yingluo. I tried to hold her back but she was too fast." Bei Rongyin said softly. "Did we interrupt you?"
"Mom, it's fine. I haven't made much progress this week, anyway." She shrugged and kicked the dirt, a little embarrassed.
Her mother gave her a comforting hug, "It's alright, just try harder next week. Come, dinner is waiting."
"Mmm, let's go."
The trio walked out of the forest and onto the main road through the valley. It was called the Parade of Blossoms and paved with white stones that were engraved with all types of flowers. No expense was spared for this and it created an eye-catching ivory avenue that twisted through the verdant valley.
On the road was a horse carriage waiting for them, a fancy wooden construction with embroidered silk curtains. It was pulled by four horses and flanked by a couple of female guards.
"Greetings, Mistress Bei!" The guards saluted when they saw Bei Yingluo.
She was the immortal's disciple and thus one of the highest-ranking figures within the sect. Guards and servants all had to bow in her presence. This was the status that Chen Wentian brought her but she felt uncomfortable for being so weak. All of the guards had higher cultivation than her and even some of the servants. The only comforting thought was that Zhou Ziyun picked these people well and they were rigorously trained and conditioned.
Guards, servants, and workers were all subordinates. There was a fundamental difference in status that could not be crossed. Subordinates knew their place and did not step out of their bounds. Something like physical strength was inconsequential. As an immortal disciple, Bei Yingluo would never be mistreated by her subordinates and neither would her family.
"Thank you, we can go." She replied after her family got in the carriage.
The procession set off, with the guards in the lead. They headed down the valley towards Dragon River Town. It was the end of the week, the one evening of leisure that Chen Wentian allowed her away from cultivation and with her family.
They soon arrived and stopped at a manor in the outskirts. This manor was built right next to the riverbank and the largest in town. It was surrounded by red brick and cement walls three meters tall. The complex had multiple buildings, hundreds of rooms, and a main residence three stories tall that overlooked the town, river, and valley.
"Greetings, Madam Bei!"
They entered the manor and were greeted by several servants.
"Has everyone gathered?" Bei Rongyin asked.
"Yes, madam. The family members are all here. The guest party has arrived as well."
"Good, prepare to serve dinner."
"Yes!"
The trio entered the main hall and were greeted by the ten Bei clan members. Since they were a small number and the only remnants of the clan, they all lived in the manor. There was enough space to house ten times their number so there was no rush to find their own residences.
After an initial round of greetings, everyone sat down in their places. Bei Yingluo sat at the front of the room by herself because of her special status. Her mother and sister sat to either side on either side of her, facing each other. The other clan members also sat facing each other, forming two lines that extended away from Bei Yingluo.
Another separate group sat facing Bei Yingluo on the other side. These were not the clan members but special guests. Together, they formed a roughly triangular seating arrangement.
There was one man who sat at the very front of the visitors. He had a warrior's body and gave off a heroic aura. He had a mane of long black hair and a thick beard. There was a scar across his cheek but it did not take away from his manliness.
"Let's begin." Bei Rongyin spoke first, "Welcome to the Bei Manor of Dragon River Town, Red Saber Sun Di and his entourage. Today we are gathered to celebrate a fortunate event. Sir Sun, please."
"Thank you, Madam Bei." Sun Di stood up and bowed.
His voice was deep and magnetic. It was quite attractive to all the women present. He gave a short speech professing his honest intentions and proposed marriage to Bei Jixiang, one of the ten Bei Clan members. After he was done, Bei Jixiang rose to declare her assent as well as highlighting his fame across the land as a slayer of bandits and evildoers.
"Clan Head," They spoke together towards Bei Yingluo, "We truly wish to marry, please grant us your permission!"
Bei Yingluo considered the match only briefly before giving them a wide smile. Her decision had already been made days before and this ceremony was just a formality as well as a happy celebration.
"I, Bei Yingluo, accept this engagement. Serve the wine!"
"Thank you, Clan Head!"
A gaggle of servants emerged from all directions and walked around the room, placing porcelain bottles and cups on the small tables that were in front of each person. More speeches followed, from other Bei Clan members as well as Sun Di's friends and family. This was followed by a continuous stream of rich and expensive dishes as the banquet went into full swing.
During the evening of festivities, Sun Di showed his soon-to-be wife the utmost respect and reverence. This was not just true love but also because of the Bei Clan's peculiar matriarchal family structure.
In Bei Yingluo's clan, the female side always being the dominant side. Men had to marry into the clan instead of the other way around. Any offspring would continue to bear the Bei surname.
This was naturally not very popular back in their original home in Drifting Sand City of the Great Desert Province. The Bei Clan was always small as a consequence and their status in the city was not high. Female members often had difficulty finding husbands and often resorted to simply getting pregnant with random men without being married.
In Dragon River Town, this was no longer required. Their fortune had completely changed. Countless men were willing to marry into a family related to an immortal disciple. They came from all walks of life, all eager to marry into power and wealth.
Sun Di was strong but he was a loose cultivator with no affiliation. Becoming related to an immortal sect had no downsides, only benefits.
His was already the second engagement within the clan and more would soon follow. The women were eager to put their suffering days behind them and start a new life and find new love.
As a result, the Bei Manor was constantly occupied with matchmaking meetings, engagement parties, and preparations for weddings... and Bei Yingluo's heart was bursting with happiness.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Kirbyisgreen
Kirbyisgreen This should have been 295 but I forgot to post.
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