Chapter 91: Outside the Purple Mist Gate

Xu Ziyan took a step back and slightly furrowed her brows. She now recognized the people in front of her as the wife and sons of the Village Chief from the village where she had first arrived in this world, especially the fool who stood out glaringly.

By then, the disciples of the Xu Clan had recognized Xu Ziyan and hurriedly blocked the Village Chief’s wife and sons outside, scolding them loudly. Yet, the woman still clawed and flailed, trying to rush toward Xu Ziyan, while her two sons pulled short knives from their robes, attempting to bypass the guards and strike at Xu Ziyan.

It turned out that after the Village Chief chased after Xu Ziyan’s family through the night and never returned, his wife and sons eventually found his body in the mountains. After weeping bitterly, instead of reflecting on their own family’s tyranny, they placed all their resentment squarely on Xu Ziyan’s family.

After reporting the matter to the higher-level family administrators, the family paid no attention to such trivial affairs, simply assigning a new Village Chief and stripping their family of the benefits that came with the position. This woman was fierce enough to refuse to leave her home, leading the new Village Chief to forcibly drive her out. As a result, she blamed all of it on Xu Ziyan’s family, harboring a deep, burning hatred. Decisively, she took her family straight to Zhongdu City, intending to wail and make a scene at the Xu Clan’s Ancestral Land.

Xu Ziyan rolled her eyes. She had already guessed the reason for the commotion and felt nothing but disgust for this family. Flicking her sleeves, she strode through the main gate, unwilling to spare them another glance.

“You stop…”

The woman managed only three words before freezing in place, her face first showing shock and then fear. She realized that Xu Ziyan had walked directly through the Clan’s main gate, and the guards at the gate even saluted her respectfully. As a small person, she had her own kind of wisdom. Her husband, though only a small Village Chief, had been able to bully others in the village, and she herself had been fiercely domineering, able to make anyone kneel if she wished.

But her husband had never set foot inside the Clan’s main gate. Seeing Xu Ziyan enter so casually suggested that her status within the Clan must be quite high. If so, crushing them would be as easy as squashing an ant. Remembering how her husband, with his limited power, had acted recklessly and disregarded lives in the village, she stared at Xu Ziyan’s retreating back, her heart filled with terror.

She tugged at her sons, turning to leave, but the Outer Hall manager’s stern shout halted her steps.

“Stop! The Xu Clan is not a place you can come and go as you please!”

“We recognized the wrong person, we came to the wrong place!”

The woman mumbled in a low voice, her feet shifting uneasily. The manager was furious. Seeing their completely changed demeanor only deepened his disgust. These troublemakers had caused a scene at the Clan’s gate for no reason, and passersby on the street had seen everything clearly. With the Clan’s higher-ups already in a foul mood, the Outer Hall manager had no intention of letting those who added to his troubles go. He waved his hand and barked at the disciples at the gate,

“Arrest them! Throw them into the prison!”

“We’re wronged! Master, we won’t dare again, Master…”

The woman clung desperately to her sons, raising her voice in a fierce cry once more. The manager’s face turned livid with anger as he snapped at his subordinates,

“What are you waiting for? Do you expect me to do it myself?”

Hearing the manager’s angry command, the disciples swarmed forward. Seeing the woman and her sons resisting wildly, they knocked them unconscious, then seized them and headed toward the Clan’s prison.

By then, Xu Ziyan had returned to her parents’ residence. After letting them know she was safe, she hurried back to her own quarters in the Outer Hall. She felt that her Cultivation Level had been rising continuously, but her Realm was very unstable, and the True Essence inside her was already becoming restless. Therefore, she did not go to see the Clan Leader, nor did she stay to chat longer with her parents. Instead, she rushed back to her residence, hung a “Closed-Door Cultivation” sign outside her door, and began her Cultivation.

Xu Haoran and the others were the first to receive news of Xu Ziyan’s return. Their gloomy hearts finally saw a glimmer of light. The group abruptly stood up and, rather than sending someone to summon Xu Ziyan, hurried to the entrance of her residence themselves. As they walked toward Xu Ziyan’s quarters, they thought to themselves,

“With Yan’er back, she can create top-grade Talismans for the Clan. According to Xu Wenli and Xu Yundong, she can even arrange Talismans into Formations, multiplying their power several times over. This way, the Xu Clan gains another means of self-protection.”

When they arrived outside Xu Ziyan’s residence and saw the “Closed-Door Cultivation” sign on her door, Xu Haoran’s heart clenched. He thought,

“Could Yan’er be injured? This child, if she’s hurt, she should tell me! The Clan could give her better Elixirs for treatment!”

Meanwhile, Xu Ziyan’s parents, also worried about their daughter, came to her residence. From a distance, they saw their elder brother and several other relatives standing outside their daughter’s door, and their hearts sank, fearing something had happened to Xu Ziyan. They hurried over to Xu Haoran and asked anxiously,

“Elder Brother, is something wrong with Yan’er?”

Xu Haoran turned and saw Xu Haoguang. He asked urgently, “After Yan’er returned, did she go to see Eleventh Brother?”

Xu Haoguang nodded and replied, “Yes, she came back briefly to see us, then said she needed to return for Closed-Door Cultivation.”

“Was she injured?” Xu Haoran asked seriously.

“No!” Xu Haoguang shook his head.

“That’s good then!” Xu Haoran let out a long sigh of relief. “Could it be that Yan’er is about to break through?”

Just as they were speaking, they noticed the Outer Hall manager hesitantly approaching. He seemed about to speak but then closed his mouth. Xu Haoran glared at him and snapped impatiently,

“What is it? Out with it.”

The Outer Hall manager quickly took two steps forward, bowed, and said, “Clan Leader, I just apprehended four people at the gate. After questioning them, I learned they are from the same village as Xu Ziyan.”

As he said this, he sneakily glanced at Xu Haoguang and his wife. Xu Haoran slightly frowned and looked at Xu Haoguang with a questioning expression.

Xu Haoguang was also taken aback, unaware that someone from the village had come to the Clan. He turned and asked,

“Did they say who they are?”