Chapter 97: I Changed My Mind!

When Xu Ziyan finished speaking, everyone in the Main Hall’s faces turned extremely ugly. Almost none of them had ever seen a Fifth-grade Talisman before, but the Aura Pressure released from the talismans was so intense that even a fool could tell these were more powerful than the previous ones. The last time, they were Third-grade Talismans; did that mean these were at least Fourth-grade? Realizing this, their expressions grew even more terrible. They thought, if it weren’t for Xu Haoliang’s unreasonable demand, wouldn’t Xu Ziyan now be working for the Clan? With such a powerful ally, wouldn’t the Clan have an extra layer of protection?

It was important to know that these people were all high-ranking members of the Xu Clan, and their children and grandchildren all lived here. If the Xu Clan was annihilated, their descendants would undoubtedly die as well. When it came to their own vital interests, even those in Xu Haoliang’s faction couldn’t help but feel resentment toward him. Now, everyone only thought about how to win back Xu Ziyan’s heart and make her abandon the idea of leaving the Xu Clan. They were even willing to pay any price, completely forgetting their earlier anger toward Xu Ziyan for daring to disrespect them, her elders, as a mere junior at the First Level of Qi Refining Stage. Instead, they now felt that someone with Xu Ziyan’s abilities deserved such treatment and had every right to stand as their equal.

As the Clan Leader, Xu Haoran felt even more regret, wishing he had stopped Xu Haoliang from the very beginning. He had recognized that the talismans Xu Ziyan released were Top-grade Fifth-rank Talismans—a full thirty of them! With thirty Top-grade Fifth-rank Talismans, one could buy a small clan. With these thirty talismans, Xu Haoran already believed that, relying solely on the strengths of Canglang City and Nanlin City, if the Huayang Sect didn’t intervene, the Xu Clan could already hold an unbeatable position.

Looking at the Top-grade Fifth-rank Talismans slowly revolving around Xu Ziyan, Xu Haoran’s eyes were full of regret. He painfully closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his gaze had calmed. He didn’t speak to Xu Ziyan but turned to face Xu Haoliang, whose expression was shifting rapidly, and asked in a serious tone:

“Ninth Brother, what do you say?”

“I…”

Xu Haoliang’s face also kept changing. He wanted to kill Xu Ziyan but lacked the strength. Moreover, he knew in his heart that even those in his own faction probably wouldn’t follow him in opposing Xu Ziyan now. First, even if they joined him, they might not be a match for Xu Ziyan. Second, at such a critical moment for the Clan, Xu Ziyan was like a savior. Asking them to kill Xu Ziyan, who could potentially save their descendants, while ignoring their own children’s survival—if he were in their shoes, he wouldn’t agree either.

Besides, he also had sons living here; Xu Ziyan was undeniably the Clan’s hope for survival. Thinking of this, Xu Haoliang deeply regretted speaking out. Why did he have to meddle? He should have let the Clan Leader handle the troublesome matters. What was the point of stepping forward? In the end, not only did he end up discredited, but he was also publicly defeated by a junior. Who would follow him after this? How could he compete with his elder brother now? Ah, forget it! He wouldn’t compete anymore! Lifting his head to meet Xu Haoran’s gaze, Xu Haoliang said bitterly:

“I leave it all to Eldest Brother to decide.”

Seeing that Xu Haoliang had lost all fighting spirit, Xu Haoran knew he had given up his ambition for the Clan Leader position, and he felt a secret joy. But on the surface, he maintained a solemn expression and nodded to Xu Haoliang. Then he turned to Xu Ziyan, his face immediately breaking into a warm, spring-like smile, and he said in a slightly reproachful tone:

“Yan’er, when you made your decision, did you consider your parents? Do you want your elderly parents to drift from place to place with you, without a stable home?”

“I can buy a house for my parents and hire some servants to take care of them,” Xu Ziyan replied without hesitation.

“Yes, I believe you have the ability to do that. But what about their safety? When you leave home to train, who will ensure their safety?” Xu Haoran looked directly at Xu Ziyan.

Xu Ziyan fell silent. She knew Xu Haoran was right. In this world, strength was respected. When she wasn’t home, her parents would become easy prey for bandits. If they stayed with the Xu Clan, that wouldn’t happen, and it would truly resolve her worries. As she remained silent, she heard Xu Haoran continue:

“Besides, even if you can solve your parents’ safety issues, will your parents be happy?”

“Yes! Will my parents be happy?” Xu Ziyan’s heart clenched. “Father was forced to leave the Clan at fifteen. Now he has finally returned openly. These past days, the smiles on his face have outnumbered those in the past ten-plus years combined.”

Xu Ziyan knew how important the Clan was in her father’s heart. He had always yearned to return to the Clan openly. Now, because of her, he could finally hold his head high back in the Clan, where no one dared to look down on him anymore. Moreover, since returning and resolving his inner conflicts, his Cultivation Level had been rising faster. If she wanted to leave the Xu Clan, would her father agree? Even if he did, would he be happy in the future?

“Yan’er, stay. What happened earlier was just a misunderstanding. After all, he is your Ninth Uncle, sharing the same Xu Clan Bloodline. Do you really want to hold a grudge against your elder? Your parents will be well taken care of in the Clan. You’ve seen how happy and joyful they are now! Do you want to shatter their happiness with your own hands? Besides, the Clan can also offer you help. No matter what situation you face in the future, the Xu Clan will stand behind you!”

Xu Ziyan sighed softly in her heart, knowing she had been persuaded by Xu Haoran. Because of her concerns for her parents, unless absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to sever ties with the Xu Clan completely. Now, seeing Xu Haoran’s earnest words, and Xu Haoliang over there having lost his momentum, standing dejectedly like a defeated rooster, while the remaining Clan elders all looked at her with eager hope.

“Alright! I’ll stay!”

Xu Ziyan clasped her hands together and withdrew the talismans surrounding her back into her Storage Pouch. She looked calmly at Xu Haoran. Hearing that Xu Ziyan was finally willing to stay, everyone collectively let out a sigh of relief. A unified “Huu~~” sound echoed through the Main Hall.

“But…” Xu Ziyan said coldly, “I will only be a Guest Elder of the Xu Clan. I won’t become a Disciple of the Xu Clan for now. I will live with my parents, not in the Xu Clan’s Inner Hall, nor will I go to your Xu Clan’s Library Pavilion. Of course, in return for your Xu Clan taking care of my parents, I will help your Xu Clan resist external enemies.”

“What about the method of Talisman Crafting?” Xu Haoran naturally didn’t bring up the Cultivation Method again, but hearing that Xu Ziyan hadn’t mentioned the Art of Talisman Crafting she promised earlier, he grew anxious.

“That belongs to me. Why should I give it to your Xu Clan?” Xu Ziyan said coldly.

“But… you agreed earlier!”

Xu Ziyan stared intently at Xu Haoran, thinking to herself, how dare you bring that up now? After a long while, until Xu Haoran began to feel uneasy, she finally said coldly:

“I changed my mind!”

Seeing Xu Haoran about to say more, Xu Ziyan coldly cut him off, sweeping her gaze over the crowd as she said:

“I think our most urgent task now is how to deal with the external enemies. Let’s discuss this matter instead!”

“Alright then!”

Xu Haoran knew in his heart that he couldn’t force anything on Xu Ziyan now; he could only slowly influence her over time. Everyone rearranged the scattered chairs and sat down. Xu Ziyan also took her seat in her own chair.

“Yan’er, you probably don’t fully understand the Clan’s current detailed situation. Let me explain it to you again.”

With that, Xu Haoran detailed the Clan’s current predicament and its strength to Xu Ziyan, then also explained the plan everyone had discussed. Finally, he asked:

“Yan’er, do you have any good ideas?”

Xu Ziyan thought for a moment. Since she had decided to stay with the Xu Clan, and from the Clan Leader down, everyone had shown her goodwill—including Xu Haoliang, who no longer spoke out—she naturally had to respond. So she said seriously:

“Eldest Uncle, I can’t help you with those major aspects, but I can assist the Clan in my own way.”

“What way?” Xu Haoran’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Xu Ziyan with hope.

Xu Ziyan took out those sixty Top-grade Fifth-rank Talismans from her Storage Pouch, stood up, walked to Xu Haoran, and handed them to him with both hands, saying:

“These talismans were given to me by the Female Immortal who taught me the Cultivation Method. Here are sixty of them. I hope they can help the Clan!”

“This is wonderful! Yan’er, this is a tremendous help to the Clan!”

Xu Haoran excitedly took the talismans from Xu Ziyan’s hands. How could he not be excited? Top-grade Fifth-rank Talismans—it wasn’t that the Xu Clan had none, but they only had a mere five, passed down as family heirlooms. Earlier, when he saw Xu Ziyan reveal thirty Top-grade Fifth-rank Talismans during her confrontation with Xu Haoliang, his heart was filled with shock and excitement, thinking how much strength these thirty talismans would bring if Xu Ziyan gave them to the Clan. Now, seeing Xu Ziyan not only hand over Fifth-grade talismans to the Clan but present sixty at once, how could Xu Haoran’s heart not be stirred? He stood up directly and said loudly:

“Everyone, I have something to say…”