Chapter 9 Strategic Planning, Family Development
"Elder, what should the De Molinos family do next?"
Simon, typically composed, was now at a loss. He approached Arius respectfully, cupping his hands as he inquired.
As Simon spoke, the eyes of the gathered De Molinos family members turned toward Arius.
The De Molinos family no longer had any path of retreat. Confronted with the immense power and deep foundations of the Ashfell family from Purple River City, unease filled the hearts of everyone present.
"Why are you panicking?"
"Bring all of Ashfell's carriages back to the family estate…"
Arius's tone was calm as he reassured the nervous crowd.
His eyes suddenly fell on the ferocious giant tiger beast, which was lying on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
The tiger beast stood nearly two meters tall, with a body length of five to six meters. Its fur was jet black and glossy.
Although it had yet to officially reach the rank of a demonic beast, it was only one small step away from entering the Skin Tempering Realm of demonic cultivation.
After a brief moment of thought, Arius decided to tame the tiger beast.
He took out a leaf from the century-old Spirit Tempering Herb and addressed the tiger beast in a half-threatening, half-coaxing tone:
"I know you understand human speech."
"Now, I'll give you two choices: submit to me, or die!"
"If you choose to submit, this leaf of the century-old Spirit Tempering Herb will be yours…"
"But before that, you must drink this bottle of Abolishing Spirit Powder."
"Once you officially break through to the Skin Tempering Realm and form a spirit beast contract with me, I will provide you with the antidote."
As Arius spoke, his tone carried an undertone of killing intent. His overwhelming aura surged forth like a mountain, bearing down on the tiger beast.
The only reason Arius didn't simply kill the tiger beast and turn it into a pot of spiritual food was that it showed promise and the De Molinos family severely lacked cultivators.
Faced with Arius's terrifying presence, the tiger beast cowered, bowing its head repeatedly in submission.
It did not want to die.
To it, survival mattered more than whether it served the Ashfell family's Third Elder or became Arius's spirit pet.
Seeing the tiger beast's submissive attitude, Arius's expression softened slightly. He tossed the bottle of Abolishing Spirit Powder and the herb leaf to the beast.
A single leaf from the century-old Spirit Tempering Herb was enough to push the tiger beast into the Skin Tempering Realm.
As for the Abolishing Spirit Powder, it was a special poison concocted by the Albigensians Sect.
Anyone below Level 1 Realm who ingested it would die within seven days unless they received the antidote.
In the Albigensians Sect, the Abolishing Spirit Powder was considered a common poison, and its antidote could be easily purchased at the sect's market.
However, outside the sect, the Abolishing Spirit Powder was effectively a deadly and incurable toxin.
Arius made the tiger beast ingest the poison to prevent it from fleeing after consuming the herb leaf.
Until the beast broke through to the Skin Tempering Realm and formed a spirit beast contract, Arius needed a safeguard to ensure its loyalty.
Once the contract was formed, the tiger beast's life would be entirely under Arius's control, making betrayal impossible.
Faced with the jade bottle containing the Abolishing Spirit Powder, the tiger beast hesitated only briefly before decisively consuming the entire contents.
"Good…"
Arius nodded in satisfaction at the beast's cooperation.
The next moment, he took a step forward and firmly seated himself atop the tiger beast's broad back.
Having such a ferocious tiger beast as a mount wasn't a bad addition at all.
Sitting cross-legged on the tiger beast's muscular back, Arius began issuing orders to restructure the De Molinos family.
He started with the De Molinos family's armored guards, many of whom were old, weak, or unfit for duty.
Arius decisively ordered that these guards be dismissed or reassigned.
As for the younger generation of the family, Arius instructed his clansmen to prepare for an evaluation and selection process to better cultivate their potential.
Among the younger generation of the De Molinos family, those who excelled at calculation and organization were assigned to the accounting office to learn bookkeeping and financial management.
Those with a knack for commerce were sent to manage and train at the family's various shops.
Those with talents for strategic planning and coordination were given opportunities to handle independent tasks.
For the De Molinos family to grow quickly, they would need more capable individuals in the future.
The family's future would ultimately depend on the younger generation to carry it forward.
Arius also directed efforts to cultivate and integrate the villages surrounding Nezier Town and the younger townsfolk, aiming to bring them fully into the De Molinos family's fold as loyal supporters.
If the De Molinos family was to grow stronger, the entire structure of the family needed a comprehensive overhaul.
Arius had already begun planning for after the external threat of the Ashfell family was resolved.
He intended to search the area within a thousand-mile radius of Purple River City to identify babies or children with spiritual roots. These children would then be brought into the family and nurtured from a young age.
In this world, those who could manipulate the winds of fate and dictate the course of events were always cultivators.
The true strength of a power structure lay in the number of cultivators it could produce.
That said, mortals were not without value.
On the contrary, the sheer number of mortals in a territory was crucial. The more mortals under a family's domain, the greater the likelihood of producing children with spiritual roots.
In fact, many major cultivation sects and factions fought for territory not just for the land, but for the population of mortals it contained.
As a cultivation family, the De Molinos family would also need to encourage its members to have more children.
Only by producing more cultivators from within the family could the De Molinos family maintain long-term stability and prosperity.
Furthermore, the expansion of influence wasn't just about fighting and killing.
More importantly, it was about influence and infiltration. Subjugating and destroying others was one method, but marriages of alliance, political infiltration, and bloodline integration were far more stable and effective means of family expansion.
Sitting atop the tiger beast, Arius shared his plans for the De Molinos family's future with Simon. He laid out a clear strategic vision in simple and comprehensible terms.
As the family elder, Arius didn't intend to personally handle every detail.
As a cultivator, his focus remained on the pursuit of personal strength and cultivation.
When the family's systems were fully operational, his role would be to oversee its general direction and long-term goals.
The finer details of family management would be entrusted to Simon and the rest of the De Molinos family
Hearing Arius's grand plans, Simon was overwhelmed with awe.
In that moment, it felt as though the doors to an entirely new world had been opened to him.
Since becoming the De Molinos family patriarch, Simon had always prided himself on being a highly capable and even exemplary leader.
During his leadership, the family's economy and population had doubled.
However, Simon's aspirations had always been limited to expanding the De Molinos family's businesses into Purple River City or slightly enlarging its territorial influence during his lifetime.
By comparison, Arius's vision aimed to transform the De Molinos family into a major force, dominating the region.
Simon had never dared to dream of such long-term, ambitious goals.
At that moment, he began to understand why Arius had dared to directly confront the Ashfell family.
Under the weight of Arius's grand ambitions, the so-called Ashfell family of Purple River City was perhaps nothing more than a temporary obstacle to the De Molinos family's rise.