I Can See Your Combat Power - Chapter 357
Chapter 357: Chapter Three Hundred and Fifty-Three: The Young Clan Leader
Translator: 549690339
Compared with Tang Siyuan’s strong opposition, Tang Zhi saw something deeper. He asked Tang Luo with a solemn voice, “Does holding the position of tribute mean you can’t serve in the clan, and you’re okay with that?”
Whether a person’s action has a deeper meaning depends on whether they understand the consequences of their actions. However, most of the advice in this world stays at the part where people think they know better.
The main manifestation of this behavior is the subconscious judgment that the other party does not know the consequences of his actions, and the way to persuade is to remind him, as they assume they’re the wise one who has already seen the consequences of such actions, but the other party only sees the benefits. This is the fundamental reason why such advice cannot be effective.
With Tang Zhi’s wisdom, he would naturally not make such arbitrary judgments. All of Tang Luo’s past performances would subconsciously make people think that he was a mature decision-maker. Such a person should be very familiar with the various departments and ranks of the Tang Clan. So, Tang Zhi just wanted to confirm once more whether Tang Luo really understood the implications of holding the position of tribute.
Hearing the clan leader’s words, the Great Elder Tang Siyuan also reacted. He fixed his gaze on Tang Luo’s face, waiting for his answer.
“Of course, I understand clearly what the position of tribute represents,” Tang Luo responded calmly, nodding in agreement.
Hearing this firm answer, a flicker of surprise crossed Tang Zhi’s eyes, making him thoughtful.
“Since you know, why are you insisting on this position?” Tang Siyuan was particularly puzzled. Tang Luo, although a prodigy, was still young. Why would he make such an unwise choice?
“Does the Great Elder think that if I have the position of tribute, I will be separate from the clan, living a carefree life, no longer serving the family?” Tang Luo asked with a smile.
The biggest concern was directly spoken out; Tang Siyuan candidly nodded, “Yes, once you have the status of the tribute, you can no longer intervene in any clan divisions. Without the support of all division, how can you serve the clan?”
If you consider the discovery of Ji Fu, Fierce Realm strongmen sent more than thirty people. Furthermore, the First Head of the Martial Hall, the Head of the Dark Thunder Hall, the clan leader, and the mountain leader mobilized the entire high-end martial force of the Tang Clan for this. They worked together, and the result was achieved. If Tang Luo held the tribute’s status, the moment the news was sent back to the clan, it would be taken over by the mountain or clan leader, and what happened later would have nothing to do with him. This was the difference.
Once the position of tribute was placed onto Tang Luo, he would not be able to hold any position in the clan in the future. He would have to start building power from scratch. It might not be a big deal for those elderly who have been operating for a lifetime, but for Tang Luo, the pressure was immense. After all, how could the personal power built from scratch compare with the Tang family that has been developing for thousands of years.
Of course, Tang Luo was clear about how the two of them saw this matter, but he had his reasons.
“On this matter, I have a different view from the two of you,” Tang Luo, looking at the thoughtful look in Tang Zhi’s eyes, said, “In my view, the tribute system was a reluctant compromise made by the clan leader and the Elder Council of the Tang Clan at the time. Its root is not with those who are reluctant to surrender their position!”
This was not the first time he had questioned the rules of the Tang Clan. The only difference from last time when he abolished the ban on cultivation was that this time, despite the clear displeasure on his face, the Great Elder Tang Siyuan was still patiently listening to Tang Luo.
“In the final analysis, the resources of the Tang Clan are just too scarce! It’s not just because the capable people are too power-hungry, but also because more than a hundred Fierce Realm strongmen are crowded in half of Xiling. How can they fulfill their ambitions?” Tang Luo’s eyes were filled with sorrow, “But even so, they still do not want to leave the Tang family in Xiling to seek other opportunities. It’s not just because of ancestral loyalty, or because their roots are here, it’s also because they worry that their departure would take away the vitality of the Tang Clan. As a result, if the great war between the Tang and the Mi Clans takes place, it will plunge the clan into crisis.”
A clan is never one person’s clan, but rather a group created by countless people of the same root and surname. In which family doesn’t everyone fiercely desire talent, but can’t find it? Only the Tang Clan, this kind of abnormal power who, due to talents staying in positions for too long, young talents cannot fulfill their aspirations, and so they remove them.
The clan leader has a term of twenty years, the mountain leader has a term of thirty years, the bureau head has a term of fifty years, the sect has a term of fifty years, the sect head has a term of fifty years, the pavilion elder has a term of eighty years, the elders have a term of a hundred years, and the sect elders have a term of a hundred years, only tributes can serve until death.
Even though these people who have stepped down still have ambitions that are yet to be fulfilled, and research that is unfinished, they must reluctantly step down to make way for the next generation. In essence, it’s because the territory of the Tang Clan is too small. Even including the new city, it’s no more than a hundred miles wide, controlling less than a million people, and a few dozen villages and counties. The only large city, Xiling, is still governed separately by the Mi Clan along the river.
For a thousand years, every clan leader of the Tang Clan has done everything possible to suppress or drive away the Mi Clan. But it seems like the powers at be are counteracting it from above, the strengths of the two clans have reached a strange balance in a continuous climb, leading to a thousand years passing, and the Tang and Mi Clans are still opposed to each other without giving in.
Although there are few collisions between the two clans in Xiling, once you leave Xiling City, you don’t know how many bandits and thieves are disguised by the strongmen of the two clans. This kind of probing has never stopped.
The thousand-year struggle between the two clans finally gained clarity after the supplies from the minor spiritual realm quietly entered the arsenal. Hundreds of secret arts and techniques are being selected in the Secret Arts Pavilion, thousands of sets of ancient spiritual armors are being re-refined, not to mention countless supplies. Even if the existing members of the Tang Clan are strengthened completely, crushing the Mi Clan might not be possible, but they can definitely win the fight.
Since dominating Xiling is already a sure thing, we must begin to focus on the future!
“With the enhancement of the Han Family’s treasury, after the Tang Clan dominates Xiling, we will definitely start attacking cities on both sides of the Lingjiang River. Clan leader, at that time, do you think that the clan rule of ‘tributes not allowed to hold official positions’ will still be necessary?”
As Tang Luo continued his narration, Tang Siyuan’s face grew darker and darker, but Tang Zhi’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.
The young clan leader Tang Zhi appreciated the boy in front of him more and more. One who doesn’t plan for the long term isn’t suitable for the immediate future, and one who doesn’t plan for the whole isn’t suitable for a local area.
At this moment, he truly felt that he and Tang Luo were the same kind of person. “The issue of the tribute position involves a lot. Even if it has to be changed, that’s not something we can do at present.”
Tang Zhi, his eyes full of admiration, asked Tang Luo again, “But the position of the young clan leader of the Tang Clan has been vacant for two years. What does Sect Elder Luo think?”
In a powerful household like the Tang Clan, they would usually select an exceptionally outstanding member from the younger generation to prepare as the next clan head. After that, the Elder Council would assign many tasks as a test for the young clan leader. If they could pass the Elder Council’s examination, they would become the official clan leader candidate.
Usually, the Sect, mountain leader, and clan leader each nominated one person, and they competed based on their abilities. However, it was strange that during the past two years, it seemed that there were no impressive talents in governance in the Tang Clan, causing the position of the young clan leader to remain vacant. Now that it was suddenly brought up, it was the clan leader Tang Zhi throwing an olive branch at Tang Luo.
