Wu Long and his companions propose a partnership to the Beastscale Trading House, offering to help them compete with the Thousand Treasures Hall. They suggest reforming the Imperial Army's demonic beast clearing raids to employ local hunters, gaining support through political maneuvering and the influence of Princess Wei Zhenhui. The Beastscale owner and his family are impressed by the proposed strategy and the quality of goods presented, agreeing to the cooperation.
It all began when seven young nobles abruptly realized they were completely expendable and even unwanted by their powerful noble house – the Cin House.
—
There were four primary justifications for noble families in a Boundless Profound World to sire a considerable number of sons, not merely a large quantity of offspring, with some noble clans even maintaining a system of clandestine heirs.
The first reason was straightforward attrition through Heavenly Tribulations.
When their descendants attempted to ascend to the Seven Profound Realms, it was anticipated that as much as a third would succumb to the trial of the Heavenly Daos – and exceptionally unfortunate families might even forfeit up to half.
The second reason was natural attrition.
Life’s unpredictability often led to accidents or other unfortunate incidents claiming the lives of several heirs long before they reached the Mortal Transcendence Realm, or perhaps even more tragically, after they had the good fortune to survive the initial elimination by Heavenly Tribulation.
This also permitted what were termed 'acceptable losses,' as certain heir candidates might become targets of rival noble houses or other adversaries.
Instances also occurred where a noble son might offend an influential figure, leading to early exile from the family, sustaining an injury that bars them from cultivating to higher realms, or simply being born with a condition that disqualifies them as an heir, a fact that becomes apparent either immediately or as they mature.
Naturally, a prominent cause of demise for Young Masters of noble families among this natural elimination was engaging in altercations with individuals they should not have provoked, resulting in death even with a bodyguard present—a trend so pervasive and evident that it did not escape the notice of noble families in general, compelling them to produce sufficient sons to compensate for at least one succumbing to such a fate.
The third reason was deliberate selection.
The Head of a noble family was tasked with identifying which heir possessed the requisite qualities and was thus deemed worthy of succession among those not eliminated by the first two factors. This is why most noble families did not truly commence their succession contests until after the heirs had surpassed their most vulnerable period and attained the Essence Awakening Realm. From that point, Family Heads would begin evaluating their heirs or orchestrating competitions.
These three reasons were common across all noble families universally.
Sons lost to the first two eliminations were typically not even tallied, as the 1st son was simply the eldest among the survivors, the 2nd son the next oldest from the survivors, and so forth. This explains why the Imperial Family’s decision to commence the heir count from the 3rd prince in this succession battle was so contentious – as most would simply restart the count from the 1st.
Even City Lord Ko’s four sons were remnants from the seven he sired, losing two to Heavenly Tribulations and one to an mishap involving a Demonic Beast he attempted to hunt.
However, the fourth and final reason primarily concerned larger and more powerful noble families specifically, although other less prominent houses endeavored to emulate this strategy whenever feasible – they required additional sons because, for noble families, sons served purposes beyond merely succeeding the family headship.
There were crucial key positions throughout the vast territories controlled by noble families that necessitated occupation by family members with close affiliations to the current family head, preferably siblings, to maintain stringent oversight of branch families with more distant blood ties to the main lineage, as well as the various assets, businesses, and spheres of influence a family commanded.
Not to mention, there were so-called talented prospects nurtured with the collective ambition of the entire family in mind – individuals not intended to contend for the Family Head position in the first place but prepared for a grander objective.
These were not even factored into the count for many families, being too vital to be categorized among the numbered sons.
For instance, with the anticipated Generational Wave and the imminent opening of a major Secret Realm, a gifted heir was to be cultivated within the core family to strive for the emergence of a formidable family member who possessed a slight chance of elevating the entire family's standing.
Yet, this occurred not solely during such opportune junctures, as each generation typically produced its own prodigy within the family – the success rate was simply exceedingly slim, with 90% of all such prodigies failing to yield significant outcomes, and an additional 9% producing only modest results far removed from the grand ambition.
These slender chances, however, did not dissuade the noble families from attempting this endeavor with each generation, expending precious resources on cultivating a special chosen one who might possess the potential.
The allure of such ambition proved overwhelmingly potent.Should a descendant, by some stroke of fate or divine intervention, reap immense rewards from a Secret Realm or a grand prodigy competition, they possess the potential to usher their family into an era of unprecedented prosperity. This could be achieved by transcending to a Cultivation Realm far superior to any in their proximity, or by securing an ancient, potent technique that would become a treasured heirloom for generations. Alternatively, distinguishing oneself might lead to entry into a Great Sect or the patronage of a more influential noble family within a Great Dynasty. If such a descendant were to attain a position of authority through these connections, the entire family could ascend in status.
In such scenarios, the family could evolve into a more formidable noble house, potentially even supplanting their ruling Dynasty to claim the status of an Imperial Family. Or, the entire lineage could rise to become esteemed members of a Great Dynasty's nobility. Of course, for a noble family within a Great Dynasty, the ultimate aspiration would be to ascend to a higher Boundless World.
However, even these supplementary roles for the sons of nobles were not without their limitations.
Cultivating talented prospects demanded substantial resources, pooled from the entirety of the family's wealth. Consequently, even the most powerful noble houses could realistically support at most two such prodigies.
Furthermore, the number of significant positions within the family structure was finite, dictated by the affluence of the noble house and the extent of their territorial influence.
Those individuals who navigated the initial two elimination rounds but were deemed unsuitable for the discerning selection of the next Family Head, and who also did not fit the criteria for heir candidates beneficial to the family's progression, were informally branded with the pejorative term 'leftover heirs'.
Perceived as lacking significant utility, they were seen merely as consumers of valuable family resources that could otherwise be allocated to more promising talents.
This pragmatic consideration was precisely why noble families did not arbitrarily determine the number of heir candidates they sought to produce. Instead, they carefully weighed all these factors to mitigate the risk of accumulating an excessive number of 'leftover heirs'.
Noble families maintained a sufficient number of daughters, essential for forging strategic marriage alliances with other noble houses, Sects, or influential figures. If 'leftover heirs' were designated for arranged marriages, they were typically wed into families or organizations disproportionately more powerful than their own, effectively integrating them into that other entity.
With a measure of luck, these individuals might display burgeoning potential, leading to their placement in external roles that maintained ties to their original family. For instance, an heir showing promise might be dispatched to join an Imperial Army, with expectations of reaching a high-ranking position. Alternatively, they could be sent to join a prestigious Sect, contingent on the possibility of them attaining at least the status of an Elder. Such arrangements preserved the family's dignity and offered tangible benefits to the noble house.
Conversely, if such heirs lacked notable talents, they were discouraged from pursuing these paths. No noble family desired the humiliation of a scion, bearing the bloodline of the Family Head, serving as a common foot soldier in the Imperial Army or as a low-ranking Sect Protector in some minor, insignificant Sect. Such an outcome was practically an invitation for mockery from rival noble houses.
In numerous instances, this situation simply equated to banishment from the family, with individuals being advised to forge their own way in life.
However, the ultimate fate awaiting them could be far bleaker, varying significantly based on regional customs and the specific traditions of individual noble families.
Within certain families, the most favorable outcome for those in privileged circumstances was consignment to remote villas, a form of de facto exile or confinement, where they would live out their days. Others faced disownment with varying degrees of severity. Some exceptionally stringent and prideful noble families resorted to crippling their cultivation or severing the bloodline of these 'failures'. In the most extreme cases, they simply vanished without a trace, never to be seen again.
This harshness served not only as a measure to prevent the humiliation of a 'disgrace to the family name' being paraded around but also to preempt potential future conflicts. There were documented instances where 'leftover heirs', harboring deep-seated resentment, had roamed the world, only to later stumble upon an opportunity that empowered them. They might rise through the ranks of an organization, eventually returning to challenge for the position of Family Head. Such internal struggles frequently resulted in a significant erosion of the family's power, and in some devastating cases, led to the complete downfall of the house.
—
The Cin House, among the seven young nobles under consideration, found itself in a 'fortunate' position. Seventeen of the Patriarch's twenty-one sons successfully passed the initial two elimination stages – an unexpectedly high survival rate, both from Heavenly Tribulations and natural attrition, far exceeding the family's projections.
Two of these survivors exhibited sufficient promise to be recognized as exceptional talents of their generation.
This still left an unfortunately and unanticipated surplus of fifteen eligible sons, excluding the two prodigies.
The Cin Family had realistically anticipated this number to be around half that size, as they could realistically accommodate only five heir candidates for this generation. This left a staggering ten 'leftover heirs'.
By this point, the more astute and swift heirs had already secured their places among the top five. Consequently, the remaining ten were clearly identified.
From these ten, only three demonstrated sufficient aptitude to be dispatched into the wider world. One was assigned to the Imperial Army, another to the Seven Extreme Swords Sect, and one, displaying a talent for Alchemy, earned a prestigious nomination to the Pill Tower.
This left seven individuals who suddenly grasped the gravity of their predicament, as the Cin Family adhered to rather stringent customs. Two of them, opting to flee their fate, attempted to escape the city. This was not an unforeseen turn of events for the Cin Family; both were apprehended swiftly, as the city possessed only a single point of entry and exit—the sky port.
A third chose to pursue a path of demonstrated utility, mirroring the three heirs destined for external assignments. He aimed to leverage the dwindling time before the succession battle concluded to showcase his capabilities and prove his value to the family.
The fourth heir resigned himself to his fate. Given his mother's status as the First Wife, his outcome was relatively peaceful and fortunate: a confined exile in a remote mountain villa or a similar location.
The fifth and sixth heirs adopted the strategy of the third, albeit with unfortunate consequences.
One decided to venture into commerce, establishing a luxury merchant company that quickly foundered, drowning in debt and tarnishing the family name.
The other's business, while successful in its own right, was deemed lowly by the family, as its clientele consisted of mortals rather than cultivators.
The seventh son, named Cin Shengqi, pursued a path resembling the first two, but in a manner his family had not anticipated. He chose to flee, not from the city, but by attempting to blend in with the common populace. He succeeded remarkably well, effectively vanishing within the city's confines, becoming as elusive as a sentient needle hiding within a constantly shifting, massive haystack.
Cin Shengqi eventually found employment with the Beastscale Trading House, or more accurately, he identified an opportunity there.
He was familiar with the establishment from his days as a carefree Young Master, enjoying hunting excursions with fellow young nobles.
Coincidentally, the Beastscale Trading House required a clerk for an administrative role. This position involved simple number crunching, tucked away in the backrooms, unseen by clients or most outsiders. The previous occupant, a relative from a branch family of the owning Liu Family, had died without heirs, and other branch family members were either occupied or unsuitable.
It presented an ideal sanctuary. Beyond the secluded nature of the job, employees of the Trading House resided on the premises and were provided with sustenance and other necessities, eliminating the need to venture outside and minimizing any risk of being discovered.
Cin Shengqi resolved to weather the storm there for a decade, perhaps even a century, before quietly departing the city once he was no longer actively sought.
The complication arose when the third of the seven remaining heir brothers, Cin Shengsan, actually discovered a method to prove his worth to the family. Or rather, their father—the Family Head—granted him an unusual assignment. To demonstrate his capabilities, he was tasked with locating the other remaining heirs.
Cin Shengsan was required, discreetly from the First Wife, to persuade the fourth remaining heir to attempt an escape from the city, thereby preventing his intended quiet exile and saving the family the expense of perpetual guard duty. He also needed to find a way to completely dismantle the businesses of the fifth and sixth heirs, who refused to relinquish their ventures. Finally, he had to locate and apprehend the seventh heir, Cin Shengqi.
The primary stipulation was that he must accomplish all these tasks without relying on the family's influence, utilizing only his self-established connections and a relatively modest budget.
