the Difei Clan

Deep in the dense forests of the Southern Wilderness, Fenglingdu is like a mysterious hub of the earth, quietly controlling the fate of this ancient land. Its existence is not only a transportation hub connecting various places but also a crucial lifeline for the communication between the hundreds of ethnic groups in the Southern Wilderness and the outside world. The boats that board the ferry here can quickly reach the sunny side of Fu Mountain by going downstream. After crossing Fu Mountain, the Mianjiang River is within sight. Walk a few miles along the river, and you can reach the estuary of the Mianjiang River.

The actual controller of Fenglingdu is the mysterious and unique Difei Clan. As an insect - affiliated tribe, they have remarkable appearances: with insect - like heads and human bodies, they are tall, powerful, and possess great strength. The pair of broad wings on their backs endows them with the ability to soar freely in the sky. Crossing the Fu Mountain range is nothing more than an easy and pleasant short - distance journey for them.

For more than two thousand years, the Difei Clan has taken root in Fenglingdu. With perseverance and wisdom, they have built it into an important stronghold in the Southern Wilderness. Legend has it that before Fenglingdu was built, the journey of the hundreds of ethnic groups in the Southern Wilderness to the north was full of hardships and dangers. Seeing this, the chief of the Difei Clan, with a sense of righteousness, resolutely called on the clansmen to devote themselves to a great project. In the next ten - odd years, the young and strong clansmen of the Difei Clan worked day and night without fear of hardships.

They built bridges and roads, dredged rivers and diverted water, cut paths through mountains and built bridges over waters. When the Fenglingdu ferry was finally completed, only about 60% of the young and strong clansmen of the Difei Clan remained due to this long - term labor. When the hundreds of ethnic groups heard about this, they were all deeply moved by the dedication of the Difei Clan and came to visit one after another. Feng Shixing, the leader who led the Difei Clan to complete this great feat, was elected as the common leader of the hundreds of ethnic groups because of his outstanding leadership and selfless dedication. The leaders of the hundreds of ethnic groups respectfully addressed him as "righteous brother". At that time, the Difei Clan was just an inconspicuous small tribe and did not yet have an emblem symbolizing honor. To express their respect, the hundreds of ethnic groups worked together to design an emblem for the Difei Clan.

The emblem, for a tribe, bears supreme honor and dignity. Only when it is unanimously recognized by the hundreds of ethnic groups in the Southern Wilderness does it mean that this tribe has truly established itself in the Southern Wilderness and become a highly respected major tribe. The hundreds of ethnic groups carefully designed the emblem of the Difei Clan into a pair of outstretched wings, with a vivid water pattern below, symbolizing that under the protection of the Difei Clan, Fenglingdu can always prosper and thrive.

Insects have a relatively strong reproductive capacity. After Feng Shixing, the number of the Difei Clan gradually recovered. Although the Difei Clan has a large number of members, most of them are peace - loving. Coupled with the fact that the ethnic group mostly feeds on plant flower nectar, they have a high reputation in the eyes of other tribes. Since the death of Feng Shixing, his descendants have continued to maintain his style of doing things. Fenglingdu ferry has been quiet and peaceful under the control of the Difei Clan.

Feng Buyu, the seventh - generation grandson of Feng Shixing, succeeded as the leader of the Difei Clan. He has a kind personality and is naturally fond of making friends. He often gives generously to help the poor and support those in distress. The tribes around Fenglingdu ferry have all received his kindness. As the only convenient passage from the dense forests of the Southern Wilderness to the North Mountains, the importance of Fenglingdu is self - evident. If you don't pass through here, you must cross the extremely steep Fu Mountain range, which will undoubtedly greatly increase the difficulty and risk of transportation. Therefore, the hundreds of ethnic groups all maintain friendly relations with the Difei Clan. Feng Buyu once said generously, "Fenglingdu is not the ferry of one family but the common wealth of the hundreds of ethnic groups.

The Difei Clan is not talented enough. We are just taking care of this place on behalf of the hundreds of ethnic groups. If there are virtuous and capable tribes that want to take over the responsibilities of the Difei Clan, the Difei Clan will definitely give it up without hesitation." Once these words were spread, the hundreds of ethnic groups all admired his broad - mindedness and pattern. At that time, the Water Centipede Clan, which coveted Fenglingdu, was laughed at by the hundreds of ethnic groups after hearing these words and became a laughingstock in the Southern Wilderness.

The inheritance system of the leader of the Difei Clan is the system of primogeniture inheritance, that is, the position of the leader is only passed on to the eldest son of the direct line. The other children are enfeoffed as elders to assist the leader in handling the affairs of the clan. Since the lifespan limit of the Difei Clan is 300 years, whenever a leader is confirmed, the next - generation leader will also be confirmed accordingly, which is called "Hou" within the clan. Feng Buyu succeeded as the leader of the Difei Clan at the age of 152. Due to his own problems, he had no offspring until the age of 173, and neither his main wife nor his concubines showed any signs of pregnancy. For the Difei Clan, which is mainly based on the patriarchal system, such a thing is the top - priority issue within the clan, and Feng Buyu is also quite troubled.

All the clansmen of the Difei Clan worked together to come up with ideas to solve this thorny problem. Some people went to great lengths to seek ancient prescriptions and good doctors outside the Southern Wilderness, hoping to find a solution, but most of them returned in vain. After years of repeated consultations within the clan, it was finally decided to adopt the son of Feng Buyu's younger brother. Feng Jiao, Feng Buyu's younger brother, was the elder of the Zongrenfu of the Difei Clan at that time, responsible for overall management of all the affairs within the family.

Feng Jiao had two sons, and the younger son had just hatched and was not yet one - month - old. So, when Feng Buyu was 180 years old, Feng Jiao adopted his younger son to Feng Buyu. Feng Buyu regarded this adopted son as his own and doted on him. Since he had no biological children, all the wives and concubines in Feng Buyu's harem loved and cared for this child. On the day when the child was one - month - old, Feng Buyu gave him the name "Feng Xiti" with great expectation, which was taken from "A gentleman is diligent all day long and is vigilant at night as if facing danger, and there will be no disasters", implying that he hoped he could always be vigilant, constantly strive for self - improvement, and keep making progress. Subsequently, Feng Xiti was established as the "Hou" of the Difei Clan. When the news spread, the whole Difei Clan celebrated, and the hundreds of ethnic groups who came to the ceremony also sent their most sincere blessings, jointly witnessing this important moment.

When Feng Xiti was a child, he was extremely fond of learning and was well - versed in the classics of various schools. Feng Xiti often played with other children in the clan when he was young. Seeing that the fruit trees beside the ancestral road in the clan were full of fruits and the branches were bent, the other children rushed to pick them, but only Xiti did not move. When the clansmen asked him, Feng Xiti replied, "The tree is beside the road and has many fruits. These must be bitter fruits." They picked them and it was indeed so. Everyone was surprised, and his intelligence in childhood could be seen from this small incident.

After Feng Xiti reached adulthood, he began to actively assist Feng Buyu in managing the affairs of the clan, big and small. In order to temper his abilities, Feng Buyu carefully assigned him to multiple departments for comprehensive training. In the Zongrenfu, he studied hard how to handle the complex affairs within the clan; in the Law Enforcement Department, he delved into how to handle the cases within the clan fairly and justly; in the Tian Gongfang, he worked hard to study the skills and mysteries of building and manufacturing; in the Finance Management Department, he earnestly learned the management and operation skills of business and money; in the Military and Political Department, he seriously studied government affairs and military concepts to cultivate his strategic vision; in the Taixuefu, he served as the Jijiu, recruited talented people widely, and cultivated his own team to make full preparations for succeeding as the leader in the future; in the Foreign Affairs Academy, he actively learned to handle foreign relations and established extensive and good contacts with the hundreds of ethnic groups. During the process of holding these official positions, Feng Xiti always maintained a rigorous and serious attitude and never made any mistakes. With his wisdom, diligence, and hard work, he won the unanimous praise and respect of his colleagues, superiors, and subordinates, became the ideal candidate for the leader in the hearts of the elders of the clan, and also became a glorious example for the young and middle - aged clansmen to learn from.

Feng Xiti is also well - known among the hundreds of ethnic groups. Because he once held positions in the Foreign Affairs Academy and the Tian Gongfang, Feng Xiti had an experience of traveling outside for a period of time. During his stay outside, he learned the advantages of the hundreds of ethnic groups, learned from others' strengths to offset his weaknesses, and got to know many famous people. At the same time, Feng Xiti presided over the construction of the second - phase project of Fenglingdu. Originally, although Fenglingdu could reach Fu Mountain, there was still a certain distance from Fushan. Moreover, since Fenglingdu was artificially built, sometimes due to seasonal reasons, the journey to Fu Mountain would be blocked halfway, and the remaining journey could only be completed on foot. If it rained, Fenglingdu would be in danger of being washed away by mountain torrents due to excessive rainfall and the overly rapid upstream water flow.

Feng Xiti planned for many years, personally measured the upstream and downstream river channels on foot, calculated the weather conditions, and finally launched the second - phase plan of Fenglingdu. He widened and deepened the river channels, increased the transportation efficiency and safety. The silt dug out from the river channels was covered near the river channels, and many trees with thick roots were planted on both sides of the river channels to protect them. He also set up multiple flood - receiving dams in the upstream and downstream. They were opened during the rainy season to protect Fenglingdu and the downstream areas, and closed during the dry season to increase the river flow and ensure the normal operation of the business in Fenglingdu. After the completion of the second - phase plan of Fenglingdu, the previous flood problems no longer occurred. The ancestral lands of other tribes downstream of Fenglingdu were preserved, and the transportation efficiency was greatly improved. For a time, the hundreds of ethnic groups admired him and praised him for having the legacy of Feng Shixing.

Feng Xiti made friends with the hundreds of ethnic groups externally and built the second - phase project of Fenglingdu ferry, which was praised by the hundreds of ethnic groups; internally, he was fair in rewards and punishments, set an example, and was called "capable" within the clan. Feng Xiti not only showed great respect for himself and the elders but also promoted many young and strong clansmen. He took care of everything, big and small, by himself. Feng Buyu was even more delighted to see that his successor was so excellent. For a time, he delegated most of his power to Feng Xiti and retreated to the background, looking like a supreme leader. After Feng Xiti determined his main wife, Feng Buyu took several more concubines and began to enjoy his old age.

Normally speaking, such a talented person is a blessing for the ethnic group for thousands of years. Feng Xiti will lead the ethnic group to glory and bring the Difei Clan to another height. Unfortunately, it seems that God played a joke on Feng Buyu and Feng Xiti.

In the eighth year of Tianyu, according to the clan chronicle of the Difei Clan, Feng Buyu was 225 years old. Feng Buyu's main wife gave birth to a male offspring. Feng Buyu named him: Daokun.