Chapter 8: Recognition

Several people entered the room. Xu Ziyan saw the Clan Leader and her father’s expressions and knew she could not hide this matter anymore. She closed the door gently with a bitter smile. Xu Haoran looked excitedly at Xu Guang across from him and called out softly:

“Eleventh Brother!”

“Are you really Eleventh Brother?” Xu Haobo beside him also stepped forward excitedly and grabbed Xu Guang’s arm.

Xu Guang smiled bitterly. With his wife, he gave Xu Haoran and Xu Haobo a deep bow and said:

“Eldest Brother!”

Xu Haoran stepped forward and grabbed Xu Guang’s arm. His eyes turned red with emotion, and he said in a trembling voice:

“Haoguang, it really is you!”

“Haoguang? Could it be that Father’s original name was Xu Haoguang?” Xu Ziyan thought to herself.

“Eldest Brother, Second Brother, it’s me.” Xu Haoguang lowered his head, his face full of emotion, his eyes filled with both memories and confusion.

Xu Haoran, Xu Haobo, and Xu Haoguang seemed to have endless words to say and endless sighs to share. Xu Ziyan and her mother sat quietly nearby. Madam Xu’s face showed the fear of someone from a small place facing the unknown, while Xu Ziyan was full of curiosity. She listened carefully to the conversation between her father and his two elder brothers, learning about this world and the clan she would live with in the future through their dialogue.

But as Xu Haoran and the others talked, the atmosphere in the room gradually became heavy. Xu Ziyan gathered from their words that the Xu Clan was currently not peaceful. Externally, the Xiao Family and Wu Family were subtly joining forces to suppress them. Internally, Clan Leader Xu Haoran did not have complete control over the entire clan. In Xu Haoran’s generation, there were twenty-three siblings in total—fifteen men and eight women. Besides the five women who had married out, three women had brought in husbands to live with the clan.

However, the eighteen people who remained in the clan had split into two factions. Clan Leader Xu Haoran led one group, uniting nine brothers and two sisters, holding an absolute advantage. But Xu Haoliang, the ninth brother, had also gathered five brothers and one sister, forming a force that could not be ignored. And that Xu Haoliang was the very one who had mocked Xu Haoguang in the past.

“Haoguang, tell me what position you would like to hold in the clan. Speak up, and I, your eldest brother, can arrange it for you.” After a brief silence in the room, Xu Haoran asked softly.

Xu Haoguang shook his head gently and said calmly, “Eldest Brother, please don’t make things difficult for yourself. My current cultivation level is only at the Postnatal Seventh Layer. If you assign me a position in the clan, I’m afraid we won’t even get past Ninth Brother’s opposition.”

“But Yan’er…”

“Yan’er is Yan’er, and I am I!” Xu Haoguang still shook his head calmly, though a wry smile flickered at the corner of his mouth. He sighed softly and said, “Eldest Brother, I don’t want the clan members to know that I have returned.”

“We can’t hide it!” Xu Haoran shook his head gently. “When Second Brother and I welcomed you at the door earlier, I believe Ninth Brother and his group were watching from a distance. Even if they didn’t recognize you just now, given time, when you meet face to face, it will be impossible for them not to recognize you.”

“But Yan’er is still young. She has just returned to the clan, and her cultivation is weak…” Xu Haoguang’s eyes showed worry.

“So what?” Xu Haoran straightened his chest, and an imposing aura surged from him. He said firmly, “As long as I am here, who would dare to harm Yan’er?” As he spoke, his eyes then showed a hint of apology, and he said to Xu Haoguang in a somewhat helpless tone, “It’s just… Haoguang, Ninth Brother and his followers will probably target you again… And if Ninth Brother finds out that Yan’er is your daughter and has such potential in Talisman Crafting, I’m afraid he will…”

While listening to her father and the others, Xu Ziyan had been deep in thought. She had pondered for a long time but couldn’t come up with a good solution. The only idea she could think of was the tactic of “delaying.” However, she wasn’t sure if it would work, so she softly voiced her plan.

After hearing Xu Ziyan’s words, the room fell into complete silence. Finally, Xu Haoran slapped his thigh and praised:

“Excellent! We just need to arrange Eleventh Brother’s family in Second Brother’s estate. Then we can tell others that Yan’er dislikes being disturbed, preventing Ninth Brother and his group from meeting Haoguang. But…”

Xu Haoran suddenly fell silent again, lost in thought. Xu Haobo beside him also caught on and said slowly:

“But Yan’er will have to work in the Talisman Hall in the future. She will inevitably meet people. Over time, if Ninth Brother and his group insist on paying respects to Yan’er’s parents, Yan’er probably won’t be able to refuse them directly. After all, Ninth Brother holds a high position in the clan, while Yan’er is only a Guest Elder!”

“Then… I won’t go to the Talisman Hall. I can just craft talismans in Second Uncle’s courtyard.” Xu Ziyan thought for a moment and said softly.

“That’s not ideal either!” Xu Haoran shook his head. “Hiding in your Second Uncle’s estate originally wouldn’t be a problem. Everyone knows Talisman Masters can be eccentric; no one would find it strange if you avoid others. But as a clan Guest Elder, you have the right to browse the secret manuals on the first three levels of the clan’s Library Pavilion. If you never leave your Second Uncle’s estate, how will you access the manuals in the Library Pavilion? And if you don’t study the manuals, how will you improve your cultivation? However, if you go to the Library Pavilion, you are bound to run into Ninth Brother and his followers. They won’t miss the chance to try and recruit you; you won’t be able to avoid them.”

“Library Pavilion?” A glint flashed in Xu Ziyan’s eyes, and her heart stirred. Ever since arriving in this world, her understanding of it had been very limited. The Library Pavilion undoubtedly offered her an opportunity to learn about this world. Moreover, Xu Ziyan understood that this was a world of cultivators. To survive here, martial power was the best guarantee. The Library Pavilion contained the Xu Clan’s collection of treasures accumulated over a thousand years. Therefore, she definitely would not give up the chance to read in the Library Pavilion. However, she didn’t want to attract trouble while her cultivation was still weak. So she slightly furrowed her brows and sat there silently.

The room was very quiet, so quiet you could hear the restless sounds in the air. Outside the window, snowflakes began to drift down again, dancing in the wind. Suddenly, an idea struck Xu Ziyan:

“Eldest Uncle, are there many people who know that I’ve become a clan Guest Elder?”

“Hmm, at the very least, the high-ranking members of the clan should know by now.” Xu Haoran looked at Xu Ziyan, puzzled, not understanding why she asked.

“And how many people have seen me up close?”

“That’s actually not many. Very few people have seen you up close. Only myself, your Second Uncle, Lin Pinghai, and a few disciples.”

Hearing Xu Haoran’s words, Xu Ziyan’s expression became resolute. She said softly, “Eldest Uncle, I would like to know, if I were to assume the identity of a regular clan disciple, would I be allowed to read the secret manuals in the Library Pavilion?”

Xu Haoran was taken aback by her question. He seemed to vaguely grasp her meaning but wasn’t entirely sure. Nevertheless, he explained to Xu Ziyan:

“Clan disciples are divided into three tiers. Those under fifteen who haven’t broken through to the Postnatal Fifth Layer all train within the clan academy. Naturally, they have teachers there to instruct them in cultivation. If by age fifteen they still haven’t broken through to the Postnatal Fifth Layer, the clan orders them to leave the academy and go out to perform tasks for the clan within their capabilities.”

At this point, Xu Haoran paused, glancing somewhat awkwardly at Xu Haoguang. Xu Haoguang’s expression also became uneasy, and he averted his gaze from his eldest brother’s stare. Xu Haoran withdrew his gaze and looked back at Xu Ziyan, continuing:

“If they break through the Postnatal Fifth Layer, they enter the clan’s Outer Hall. Disciples of the Outer Hall are permitted to read the secret manuals on the first level of the Library Pavilion. Once they break through the Postnatal realm and reach the Innate Realm, they can enter the clan’s Inner Hall. Inner Hall disciples are already considered the elites of the clan. Disciples at Qi Refining Stage Levels 1 to 4 can read the manuals on the second level of the Library Pavilion. Disciples at Qi Refining Stage Levels 5 to 8 can read the manuals on the third level. Disciples at Qi Refining Stage Levels 9 to 12 can read the manuals on the fourth level. As for the highest level, the Fifth Level, one must have Foundation Building Stage cultivation to access those manuals. In worldly clans, the Foundation Building Stage is already considered high-level cultivation. Our Xu Clan only has five individuals at the Foundation Building Stage.”

“Oh, Eldest Uncle, who are these five Seniors?” Xu Ziyan asked curiously.

“Three of them are elders from my father’s generation. One is our Xu Clan’s Ancestral Grandfather, who stays in closed-door cultivation at the Rear Mountain year-round. Nobody knows exactly what his current cultivation level is now. The other two elders are my father and Ninth Uncle’s father; they also practice closed-door cultivation at the Rear Mountain permanently. The remaining two are myself and your Ninth Uncle. I am currently at the early phase of Foundation Building Stage Third Layer, while your Ninth Uncle is at the late phase of Foundation Building Stage Second Layer, slightly weaker than me.”

“Eldest Uncle, was the previous Clan Leader your father?” Xu Ziyan asked softly.

“Yes!” Xu Haoran looked at Xu Ziyan, his gaze showing a hint of admiration.

Xu Ziyan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It seemed the families of Eldest Uncle and Ninth Uncle had been locked in constant struggle. Eldest Uncle’s family had always managed to stay a step ahead of Ninth Uncle’s family precisely because they surpassed them in cultivation level. It appeared that in this world, the level of one’s cultivation could determine everything. This further solidified her decision. So, she organized her thoughts and said seriously to Xu Haoran:

“Eldest Uncle, I would like to go to the Library Pavilion using the identity of a regular clan disciple. As for my background, I’ll have to trouble you, Eldest Uncle, to handle that.”

“But what about your status as a Guest Elder?” Xu Haoran’s expression showed some hesitation.

“We can just say that I dislike meeting outsiders. Anyway, with Second Uncle keeping people at bay, no one would dare to force their way into his residence. Meanwhile, I need you, Eldest Uncle, to fabricate an identity for me and find me a place to live, posing as an ordinary disciple. As for the monthly paper talismans, I will secretly deliver them to Second Uncle.”

Xu Haoran looked carefully at Xu Ziyan, but ultimately still shook his head and said, “Hiding your identity is actually simple. We can just say you are the distant niece of one of my subordinates. The disciples who know your true identity can be immediately sent far away from the clan, ensuring no one in Zhongdu City would recognize you. Those who saw you from a distance when you arrived and know who you are didn’t get a clear look at you. If you just change your attire slightly, no one will recognize you. However, suddenly having someone with cultivation at the First Level of Qi Refining Stage join the clan will probably arouse suspicion from others.”