Chapter 7: Shock

Standing before Xu Ziyan, staring at the paper talisman glowing with spiritual light on the table, Xu Haoran’s heart pounded rapidly.

“This…this is a top-tier Grade One paper talisman!”

Xu Haoran abruptly lifted his head. He looked at Xu Ziyan and spoke with excitement.

“What?”

Lin Pinghai stiffened, his eyes full of disbelief. He strode up to Xu Ziyan’s table. When his gaze landed on the paper talisman, his eyes instantly turned vacant. Only after a long while did he recover from his dazed state. Without a word, he knelt before Xu Ziyan. Thump! Thump! Thump! He kowtowed three loud times. Then he stood up and quickly walked towards the exit. Though his steps were fast, he clearly staggered slightly.

Xu Haoran had no time right now to pay attention to the departing Lin Pinghai. Instead, he fixed his gaze tightly on Xu Ziyan. His voice carried a slight nervousness as he softly asked:

“Master Xu, are you willing to stay with our Xu Clan? I will immediately appoint you as an Offering Elder.”

Xu Ziyan faintly shook her head. “I just arrived in Zhongdu City. I do not know your clan well. I would rather serve first as a Guest Elder. If our future cooperation goes well, I wouldn’t mind joining the clan formally as an Offering Elder.”

“Fine!”

Though he felt a bit disappointed inside, Xu Haoran reasoned that since Xu Ziyan agreed to stay as a Guest Elder, he would have the chance to persuade her to join the Xu Clan as an Offering Elder later. As long as he treated this girl, bursting with limitless potential, with absolute sincerity, surely he would earn her loyalty.

Therefore, Xu Haoran was quite pleased now. He promptly appointed Xu Ziyan as a Guest Elder. He then prepared to personally arrange her accommodation. Yet something puzzled Xu Haoran – Xu Ziyan didn’t choose the best villa. Instead, she selected a very remote courtyard within the estate. She clearly told Xu Haoran she disliked being disturbed.

She informed Xu Haoran she needed to fetch her parents. Upon hearing this, Xu Haoran instantly dispatched four cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage Level Four to protect Xu Ziyan. He also sent six clan disciples with a carriage to transport Xu Ziyan and her parents back. Xu Ziyan, however, did not want her parents recognized by the clan. Part of the reason she chose such a remote courtyard was precisely to avoid this. From her father’s sparse words, she knew the mockery he’d endured years ago. She feared her parents would be ridiculed again. She wanted to wait until her own cultivation level improved, becoming her parents’ pride, before letting them lift their heads proudly among the clan members. So, Xu Ziyan firmly declined the clan leader’s arrangements. Finally, Xu Haoran reluctantly agreed. But after Xu Ziyan departed, he secretly instructed those four Qi Refining Stage Level Four clansmen to protect her discreetly. He absolutely couldn’t afford to lose this hard-won Talisman Master to any accident.

Xu Ziyan walked out of the Xu Clan’s main gate. She looked back at the grand entrance and softly sighed. She never expected reuniting with her clan to happen so quickly. She worried about her father’s identity being exposed, suspecting it couldn’t stay hidden for long.

“Ah! Just hide it for as long as possible!”

Snowflakes began to fall, soon blanketing everything in white. Xu Ziyan walked through the heavy snow; swirling flakes covered her clothes.

From a distance, she saw her parents standing at their doorway, eagerly watching for her. Spotting her figure, they supported each other as they hurried towards her. Seeing them standing in the thick snow warmed Xu Ziyan’s heart, yet also filled her with guilt. She wondered what her father’s reaction would be upon learning she’d become a Guest Elder for the clan.

When they reached her, her mother lovingly brushed the snow off her clothes, speaking with affection:

“Yan’er, you’re back so late? Walking all day, you must be exhausted!”

They entered the house amid her mother’s chatter. Her father followed silently beside her. Though quiet, his eyes were full of tenderness. Looking at her gentle parents, Xu Ziyan felt a pang of guilt.

“Today… today…”

Her mother smiled gently. “Yan’er, did the coppers run out? Don’t worry. Today I found work sewing clothes at a tailor’s shop. I made five pieces just today and earned a full fifteen coppers! Your father also found work at the docks. He earned twenty coppers today! Once we save enough, Yan’er, you can start making elixirs and paper talismans.”

Seeing her parents’ beaming faces and their excited expressions as they spoke, Xu Ziyan’s heart ached. She forced a smile.

“Mother, Father, you’re both so capable. Your daughter is useless!”

Xu Guang and his wife were startled. Then, filled with fondness, they said, “Yan’er, you are our daughter. It’s right for parents to give for you. And it’s not that you lack ability, but that we are useless. If only we had enough money at home, Yan’er wouldn’t have to suffer like this.”

Xu Ziyan’s lonely heart suddenly surged. She couldn’t help herself and flung herself into her mother’s arms. She felt that despite two lifetimes, she had never felt such happiness as she did now. Madam Xu held her daughter in her arms, her heart filled with both joy and contentment.

After a long moment, Madam Xu gently stroked Xu Ziyan’s hair. “Yan’er, hungry? Go sit down. Mama will serve your food.”

After the meal, Xu Ziyan told her parents everything that happened that day. When they first heard she’d become a Guest Elder for the clan, Xu Guang and his wife were overjoyed. But when Xu Ziyan said they needed to move into the clan estate, Xu Guang hesitated.

“Yan’er, going to the clan… the Clan Leader will likely find out. And my Second Brother. They will recognize me.”

Xu Ziyan gave a bitter smile. “There’s no way around that. Avoiding living at the clan is impossible. If the Clan Leader and Second Uncle recognize you, Father, we’ll just have to admit it.”

That night, lying in bed, Xu Ziyan heard her parents tossing and turning in the next room. She sighed softly. She didn’t know what situation they would face upon returning to the clan. Preoccupied by thoughts, she drifted into a fitful sleep only around midnight. She didn’t realize that outside her small house, four Qi Refining Stage Level Four clan experts stood guard throughout the night.

The next morning, after the three of them had breakfast, Xu Ziyan and her parents set off for the clan estate. Possessing little in the way of worldly goods, they simply bundled up their few belongings. Xu Guang carried the bundle on his back as they walked towards the clan.

Behind them, the four clan experts watched the impoverished state of Xu Ziyan’s family. A flicker of surprise passed through their eyes. They genuinely couldn’t understand how a top-tier Grade One Talisman Master could live in such miserable conditions. One of them nodded to the others, then vanished from sight in a flash. He sped off towards the clan estate to report to the Clan Leader that Xu Ziyan was on her way.

Xu Haoran held Xu Ziyan in very high regard. His esteem wasn’t just for her status as a top-tier Grade One Talisman Master, but even more for her age. Just imagine! A mere fifteen-year-old girl possessing the skill level of a top-tier Grade One Talisman Master! That was a realm many could never reach in a lifetime. What level would Xu Ziyan attain in five years? In ten years? This thought made Xu Haoran’s heart surge with excitement and anticipation! He’d strategized all through the night – how to firmly bind Xu Ziyan to the Xu Clan’s interests, how to make her genuinely join their lineage!

As soon as day broke, Xu Haoran got out of bed. After a hurried breakfast, he sat fidgeting anxiously in his study. When the news arrived that Xu Ziyan was on her way, he immediately ordered servants to wait at the entrance. They were to summon him the moment Xu Ziyan appeared.

Therefore, the instant Xu Ziyan’s figure emerged at the end of the street, Xu Haoran received word. He promptly went to the main gate with his second brother, Xu Haobo. Just as they arrived, Xu Ziyan and her parents also reached the entrance.

Xu Haoran and Xu Haobo strode forward with hearty laughs to greet Xu Ziyan. Xu Haoran’s gaze quickly swept over Xu Guang and his wife. He knew from the report that they were Xu Ziyan’s parents. In his mind, since Xu Ziyan was a Grade One Talisman Master, her parents must surely be extraordinary. But when his gaze swept across Xu Guang’s face, his steps faltered. His smile froze. A question flashed in his eyes, and the words slipped out before he could stop them:

“You are…”

A bitter smile appeared on Xu Guang’s face. He knew his elder brother had recognized him. He lowered his voice:

“Let’s talk about it inside.”

Xu Haoran was, after all, a Clan Leader. After a brief pause, he quickly regained his composure. Smiling, he led Xu Ziyan and her parents towards her assigned quarters. Inside, however, his thoughts churned:

‘Xu Ziyan’s father is my Eleventh Brother? That “talentless one” who left the clan years ago is back! And he’s brought his genius daughter home with him! Right! If Xu Ziyan is the daughter of Eleventh Brother, then she is a member of our Xu Family Clan. Hah!..’

Xu Haoran felt a surge of joy, laughing heartily in his mind. But then, his brow furrowed slightly:

‘But why didn’t Xu Ziyan claim her clan heritage? Is she trying to make up for the unfairness endured by her father? Then… what should I do? If I give Eleventh Brother a significant role, others in the clan will likely oppose it. Ah! I’ll just have to arrange the best position I can manage for him!’

Soon, the group reached Xu Ziyan’s courtyard. When Xu Guang saw how remote the chosen residence was, he instantly understood Xu Ziyan’s intention. Yet, all he felt now was bitter resignation. He never imagined his elder brother would hold Xu Ziyan in such high regard that he would greet them personally. Because of this, all Xu Ziyan’s careful preparations had been for nothing.