Chapter 2: Conflict
Chapter 2: Conflict
Midnight.
Three figures moved stealthily along the mountain path outside the village under the moonlight. It was Xu Ziyan and her parents. Looking back at the village gradually vanishing into the distance, all three let out quiet sighs of relief, their expressions lightening slightly.
Xu Ziyan felt a wave of nervousness seeing her father like this. She had never ventured this far since arriving in this world and knew nothing about it. Now safely away from the village, she couldn’t hold back any longer and asked softly,
“Father, where are we heading?”
“We are going to Zhongdu City. That is our Xu Clan’s Ancestral Land, the heart of the Clan.”
“Father, what if the Village Chief reports our escape to the Clan? Wouldn’t that be walking right into a trap?” Xu Ziyan asked worriedly.
“Haha…” Xu Guang let out a self-mocking laugh. “Who would care about small people like us? The Village Chief probably wouldn’t dare report such a minor matter. Even if he did, no one would pay it any mind. He might even get scolded by his superiors.”
“Then… why do the villagers endure the Village Chief’s tyranny without leaving the village?” Xu Ziyan asked, puzzled.
“Ah! Yan’er, you don’t understand. Leaving the village is easy, but life afterwards becomes very hard. Your mother and I have no special skills. I truly don’t know how we would survive outside!” Xu Guang’s spirits visibly sank, a deep pain flickering in his eyes.
“Husband, what will we do once we reach Zhongdu City?” Madam Xu’s face was etched with worry.
“Father, are you familiar with Zhongdu City?” Xu Ziyan looked at Xu Guang with hope.
“Reasonably familiar!” Xu Guang sighed lightly, his eyes regaining a sparkle as memories surfaced. “I lived in Zhongdu City for fifteen years. In the clan, anyone who hadn’t broken through to the Fifth Layer of Houtian by fifteen was expelled from the Inner Hall. They were sent to the Outer Hall to do menial tasks for the clan. Those with worse aptitude were sent to remote villages to fend for themselves.”
“Father?”
“Your father… hadn’t broken through the Fifth Layer of Houtian by fifteen… so… ah…” Seeing his wife and daughter affected by his mood, Xu Guang forced a smile. “It’s fine. I was too young then, couldn’t bear the ridicule, so I gave up. I deliberately chose this place far from Zhongdu City. Our branch of the family was quite influential. Your grandfather was a Clan Elder. I had brothers who did break through the Fifth Layer. So many years have passed, they must hold significant positions in the clan now. Once we get back, I will go find them.”
As he spoke, Xu Ziyan saw a visible, and very awkward, flash of unnaturalness cross Xu Guang’s face in the moonlight.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past, and a figure abruptly appeared before the family of three. Xu Ziyan’s instincts screamed warning, and she reacted first. Lifting her head, she saw the Village Chief standing right in front of them, a mocking expression on his face. Xu Ziyan sighed inwardly; she had been too inexperienced. If she had been more careful, with her cultivation at the First Level of Qi Refining Stage, she should have sensed him long before.
By now, Xu Guang and his wife had also seen the Village Chief. Xu Guang tensed immediately, then stepped forward resolutely, shielding his wife and daughter behind him, staring coldly and silently at the intruder. Madam Xu was trembling uncontrollably, soaked in cold sweat. Xu Ziyan suppressed her own nervousness, surging her First Level Qi Refining Stage cultivation to its peak. Behind her back, her hands gathered layers of shimmering gas, like ripples on water.
“Xu Guang,” the Village Chief sneered, “Return to the village immediately. Marry your daughter to my second son in three days, and all will be forgiven. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
As he finished speaking, the formidable aura of the Eighth Layer of Houtian erupted. Xu Guang only leaned back slightly before straightening like a pine tree, releasing his own aura with full force. Xu Ziyan’s gaze sharpened as she realized with surprise,
So Father never gave up cultivation! Over the years, he’s actually reached the Seventh Layer of Houtian.
The Village Chief gave Xu Guang a look of slight surprise, but seeing the latter’s cultivation only at the Seventh Layer of Houtian, his expression relaxed into one of disdain.
“What? Still thinking of resisting?”
He took a menacing step forward. Xu Guang stiffened momentarily before throwing a desperate punch. The Village Chief roared with laughter and countered with his own fist. As Xu Guang staggered back, a lithe figure shot past him like the wind. Under the moonlight, a slender jade-like hand swiftly aimed for the Village Chief’s throat.
A sickening crack echoed in the air.
As Xu Ziyan came to a stop, she saw the Village Chief staggering backwards, hands clutching his ruined throat, dark blood bubbling from his mouth. His eyes held disbelief that slowly faded into emptiness before he crashed lifelessly to the dusty ground.
Shock mirrored Xu Guang’s expression as he stared dumbfounded at Xu Ziyan, as if she weren’t his daughter. Suddenly, tremors wracked his body. Elation and awe warred in his eyes, mixed with a frightening fear that this might all be a dream. He took two trembling steps forward, his voice barely a whisper.
“Yan’er… have you… have you entered the Innate Realm?”
“Yes, Father. I have reached the First Level of Qi Refining Stage.” Xu Ziyan suppressed the sickening surge in her stomach – this was the first time she had killed anyone in either of her lives.
“Truly?” Xu Guang rushed forward, gripping Xu Ziyan’s shoulders so tightly it hurt, his excitement overwhelming.
“Father, you’re hurting me,” Xu Ziyan said with a pained smile.
Xu Guang froze, releasing her sheepishly, but his eyes remained fixed intently on her face, desperately seeking confirmation. Seeing his anxious, searching look, Xu Ziyan couldn’t help but feel a little amused. She spoke softly,
“It’s true, Father.”
“Show me your power!” Xu Guang insisted, still skeptical.
With an inward sigh, Xu Ziyan extended one hand. She channeled her Qi Refining Stage cultivation. Immediately, shimmering waves like water ripples shimmered across her hand. Though Xu Guang had never broken through to the Innate Realm himself, fifteen years in the clan afforded him basic knowledge. He instantly recognized this as the signature of a Water Element Technique at the First Level of Qi Refining Stage.
The confirmation that his daughter possessed a Spiritual Root shattered the dam. Xu Guang threw his head back and roared with laughter.
“HAHAHAHA!”
It was a laugh filled with decades of pent-up frustration and defeat, releasing a sense of profound ease he’d never known. When his euphoria subsided, a questioning look replaced the joy in his eyes.
“Yan’er, when did you discover your Spiritual Root? Where did you learn this Cultivation Method?”
Xu Ziyan recounted the story she had prepared months ago: “Three months ago, by the river outside the village, I met a Female Immortal. She discovered my Spiritual Root and imparted this Cultivation Method to me.”
“And what else did she say?” Xu Guang asked urgently.
“Nothing much. She just said we might meet again if fate allows. Then she departed by Sword Flight.”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Xu Guang’s face, but was quickly replaced by renewed joy. He beamed.
“Regardless! My daughter possesses a Spiritual Root! And she has already reached the Innate Realm! We can return to Zhongdu City openly and proudly!”
“Father,” Xu Ziyan hesitated, then continued, “I don’t want to join the Clan immediately. I’d prefer to wait until I’ve achieved more in my Cultivation before considering it.”
Xu Guang was taken aback. “Why?”
“I don’t know the Clan well. I want to gain the power to protect myself first, or at least understand them better before committing.”
“But—”
“Is Father concerned about how we’ll live once we reach Zhongdu City?”
Xu Guang fell silent, the awkwardness already written plainly on his face. Xu Ziyan gave a light chuckle.
“Father needn’t worry. The Female Immortal also taught me Alchemy and Talisman Crafting. While I’ve only mastered the basics so far, it should be enough to sustain our family’s livelihood and my Cultivation.”
“Truly?” Xu Guang’s eyes lit up, his excitement barely contained.
“Truly, Father,” Xu Ziyan confirmed with a nod.
Instantly, the worry and awkwardness disappeared from Xu Guang’s face. His spine seemed to straighten unconsciously. His voice turned hearty, brimming with newfound pride and hope for the future. He gestured expansively.
“Come! We return to Zhongdu!”
Zhongdu City.
In the city’s slums, Xu Guang spent three taels of silver to rent a small room with an attached yard only a few square meters large. That left him with a mere seven taels. Decades of toil had saved him only ten taels total.
Once settled, Xu Ziyan took the five taels her father gave her and ventured out. She planned to visit medicine shops and talisman stores to purchase materials for Alchemy and Talisman Crafting, hoping to improve the family’s situation.
After nearly a morning searching, Xu Ziyan trudged down the street, her head drooping in pure frustration. She had gone to countless medicine shops and talisman stores, only to realize that her five taels were utterly worthless. For food, it could buy rice and vegetables to last a year. But for Alchemy or Talisman Crafting materials? She couldn’t afford even a single sheet of Talisman Paper or the most common Medicinal Herb.
Head down, she walked aimlessly.
Thud.
She collided headlong with someone. The other person was strong, and Xu Ziyan staggered backwards, nearly landing flat on her back. Regaining her balance, she looked up.
A young man stood there, amusement dancing in his eyes as he looked at her. He wore a perfectly fitted white robe that set off a tall, sturdy build. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. His features were chiseled like a knife’s cut, radiating an air of boldness tinged with effortless grace.
Xu Ziyan’s eyes involuntarily widened. Handsome! Far superior to any star she remembered from Earth in her past life.
The young man’s gaze swept over Xu Ziyan, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes at her beauty, evident even in her plain clothes. The surprise vanished quickly, replaced by a cool detachment as he regarded her.
Standing beside him was a slightly younger girl. Hands planted firmly on her hips, she yelled at Xu Ziyan,
“Were you born without eyes, or did you bump into Brother Lin on purpose?”
As she spoke, her eyes fell on Xu Ziyan’s face. A flash of hostility sparked within them. She took a step forward and abruptly swung her hand, aiming a fierce slap at Xu Ziyan’s cheek.