Chapter 2 Conflict

  Midnight.

  On the mountain path outside the village, three people were walking quietly in the moonlight, who were exactly Xu Ziyanyan and her family of three. Looking back at the village that was gradually getting farther away, all three of them simultaneously let out a breath, their expressions slightly relaxing.

  Xu Ziyuan had never been this far from home since she was born, and she knew nothing about the world. Now that they were far away from the village, she couldn't help but ask in a soft voice:

  "Dad, where are we going?"

  "We went to Zhongdu City, where is our Xu family's ancestral land, and it is the center of the Xu family."

  "Dad, won't the village head report our escape to the family? If so, aren't we jumping into the net ourselves?" Xǔ Zǐyān asked worriedly.

  "Hehe... " Xu Guang self-deprecatingly chuckled and said: "For small people like us, who would care? Not to mention the village chief, he may not even dare report it up because of this trivial matter. Even if he did report it, no one would pay attention, and maybe they'd even be scolded by their superiors."

  "Why... why are the villagers still enduring the village chief's tyranny and not leaving the village?" Xǔ Zǐyān asked in puzzlement.

  "Alas! Xun'er, you don't understand. Leaving the village is easy, but life after leaving the village will be very difficult. Your mother and I have no special skills, I really don't know how our family can make a living after leaving the village!" Xu Guang's expression suddenly sank, his eyes filled with unspeakable pain.

  "What's next after we arrive at Zhongdu City?" Worry was written all over Mr. Xu's face.

  "Dad, are you familiar with Zhongdu City?" Xu Ziyuan looked at Xu Guang with hope in her eyes.

  "It's still somewhat familiar!" Xu Guang let out a light sigh, and his eyes regained some of their luster as he spoke with nostalgia: "I lived in Zhongdu City for fifteen years. In my family, if you hadn't broken through to the fifth layer of the Heavenly Stage by the age of fifteen, you'd be driven out of the inner halls and sent to the outer halls to do menial work for the family. Those with even poorer talent would be sent to remote villages, left to fend for themselves."

  "Dad?"

  "Dad was only fifteen and hadn't broken through to the fifth layer of Houtian, so... *sigh*..." Seeing that his wife and daughter seemed to be affected by his emotions, Xu Guang forced a smile and said: "It's nothing, I was too young back then and couldn't take others' ridicule, so I gave up on myself and chose this place far away from Zhongdu City. Dad's family still has some status in the clan, your grandfather is also one of the clan's elders, and Dad has some brothers who broke through to the fifth layer of Houtian back then. After all these years, they must have gained some status in the clan by now. When we return to Zhongdu City, I'll go find them."

  As she spoke, Xu Ziyuan saw that Xu Guang's face was unnaturally pale under the moonlight.

  Suddenly a gust of wind blew by, and a figure appeared abruptly in front of the three members of the Xu family. Xu Ziyuan's heart was alarmed, and she was the first to react. She looked up to see that it was indeed the village chief standing in front of her with a mocking expression on his face. Xu Ziyuan couldn't help but let out a light sigh in her heart, thinking that she was still too inexperienced. If she had been more careful, relying on her cultivation at the first layer of the Qi Refining stage, how could she have failed to detect the village chief's presence until he appeared right in front of her?

  At this time, Xu Guang and his wife also saw the village chief. Xu Guang's whole body was tense, and he stepped forward to protect his wife and daughter behind him, staring coldly at the village chief without saying a word. Xu Shi was already frightened, trembling all over like a sieve. Xu Ziyuan suppressed the tension in her heart, quietly bringing her cultivation of the Refining Qi stage to its peak, and the pair of hands behind her back gradually showed ripples of air movement like water waves.

  "Xu Guang, return to the village immediately. Three days later, marry your daughter to my second son, and that will be the end of it. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."

  As soon as the words fell, the aura of the eighth layer burst out. Xu Guang's body leaned back slightly and immediately stood up straight like a pine tree, and the aura on his body also burst out with all its might. Xu Ziyuan's eyes condensed, and she secretly thought to herself:

  "It seems Father hasn't given up on cultivation after all; he's actually reached the seventh layer of post-heavenly cultivation over these years."

  The village chief unexpectedly took a look at Xu Guang, but seeing that Xu Guang only had the cultivation of the seventh layer of the Post-Heaven Realm, his expression relaxed and he sneered.

  "What? You still want to resist?"

  As soon as the words fell, he strode towards Xu Guang with large steps. Xu Guang's expression changed, and he punched out at his opponent, but the village chief burst into a loud laugh and swung a fist to counterattack. Just as Xu Guang stumbled backward, a slender figure flashed past him like the wind, and under the moonlight, a delicate jade hand thrust towards the village chief's throat.

  A "crack" sound came from beside her, and when Xu Ziyuan stopped moving, she saw the village chief covering his throat with both hands, blood gushing out of his mouth, retreating backwards, his eyes releasing an incredulous gaze, gradually losing consciousness, and finally falling to the ground.

  It was equally unbelievable for Xu Guang, who stared blankly at Xu Ziyuan, as if the person in front of him wasn't his own daughter. Suddenly, Xu Guang became excited and trembled all over, with a look of surprise and delight in his eyes, but also a hint of fear, fearing that what was happening before his eyes was just an illusion. Trembling, he took two steps forward and asked softly:

  "Yan'er, have you entered the prenatal stage?"

  "Yes, father, I've already reached the first layer of Qi Refining." Xu Ziyuan suppressed the turmoil in her stomach. This was the first time she had killed someone in two lifetimes, and it made her feel very uncomfortable.

  "Really?" Xu Guang stepped forward with big strides, grabbing Xu Ziyuan's shoulders with both hands, and due to his excitement, he grabbed her shoulders so hard that they hurt.

  "Dad, you're hurting me." Xǔ Zǐyān said with a bitter smile.

  Xu Guang was taken aback, and then awkwardly released his hands, but his eyes still stared tightly at Xu Ziyuan, hoping to get another affirmative answer from her mouth. Xu Ziyuan looked at Xu Guang's hesitant gaze, couldn't help but feel amused, and said in a soft voice:

  "Dad, it's true."

  "Show me your kung fu!" Xu Guang said, still uneasy.

  Xu Ziyuan helplessly smiled wryly and stretched out one hand, initiating the first layer of Qi Refining stage cultivation. On that hand, a water pattern shimmered, with ripples undulating. Xu Guang had not broken through to the Innate Stage, but having lived in the family for fifteen years, he still had some basic knowledge and could recognize this as a Water-type technique of the first layer of Qi Refining stage at a glance. Confirming that his daughter possessed a Spiritual Root, Xu Guang could no longer contain the turmoil within him and laughed loudly towards the sky:

  Hahaha...

  This long laugh seemed to have laughed out the suffocation in his heart for decades, and Xu Guang felt an unprecedented ease in his heart. After calming down from the excitement, Xu Guang asked with a questioning gaze:

  "Yan'er, when did you know you had a spiritual root? And where did you learn your skills?"

  Xu Ziyuan slowly said the words she had thought of long ago: "Three months ago, my daughter met a fairy maiden by the river outside the village. She discovered that my daughter has a spiritual root and taught her the exercises."

  "What else did she say to you?" Xu Guang asked anxiously.

  "He didn't say anything else, just said 'let's meet again by fate' and then left on his sword."

  Xu Guang's face revealed disappointment, but immediately became happy again. Smiling and saying:

  "In any case, my daughter is a spiritual root holder and has already broken through her innate talent, so we can return to Zhongdu City with our heads held high."

  "Dad," Xǔ Zǐyān said hesitantly, "I don't want to join the family right away. I'd like to wait until my cultivation is successful before considering this matter."

  Xu Guang was stunned for a moment before asking: "Why?"

  "I don't understand family, I think I'll wait until I have the ability to take care of myself or when I have a better understanding of family."

  "May..."

  "Dad is worried about life after moving to Zhongdu City?"

  Xu Guang had no words, his awkward face already gave it away. Xu Ziyuan smiled lightly and said:

  "Dad, don't worry, that fairy also taught me how to refine pills and make talismans. Although I've only learned a little bit so far, it's still enough to support our family's living expenses and cultivation."

  "Really?" Xu Guang's eyes lit up, his face unable to conceal his excitement.

  "Really, Father." Xu Ziyuan nodded affirmatively.

  At this time, Xu Guang's face was originally filled with worry and unnaturalness, but now it had all been swept away. His back straightened up unconsciously. His voice also became much more pleasant, full of pride and anticipation for the future. With a big wave of his hand, he said:

  "Let's go back to China."

  Zhongdu City

  Xu Guang rented a small room in the poor district of the city for three taels of silver, and there was also a small yard of several square meters around it. Now Xu Guang only had seven taels of silver left in his hands. He had worked hard for decades, but he had only saved up ten taels of silver. After settling down, Xu Ziyuan went out with the five taels of silver given by her father, wanting to visit the pharmacy and the symbol shop to buy some materials for alchemy and talisman-making, which would also improve the family's life.

  She trudged along the street with her head hung low, feeling disheartened. She had walked into many pharmacies and shops selling talismans, only to discover that her five taels of silver were practically worthless. If she were living a normal life, she could buy rice and vegetables to last her for over a year, but when it came to purchasing materials for alchemy or crafting talismans, she couldn't even afford the most basic items - not even a single sheet of talisman paper or a pinch of herbal medicine.

  With her head hung low, she walked aimlessly. Suddenly, she bumped into someone's body, and the person in front of her was very strong. Xǔ Zǐyān stumbled backward, almost falling to the ground on her buttocks. When she finally steadied herself and looked up,

  But saw a young man smiling at himself, wearing a fitted white shirt that set off his well-proportioned figure. Tall and straight, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. The angular features on his face were as clear-cut as if carved by a knife, exuding a bold yet elegant demeanor.

  Xu Ziyuan's eyes lit up involuntarily, oh handsome guy! Absolutely more handsome than those stars on Earth in her previous life!

  The young man gazed at Xu Ziyuan, a flicker of unusual color in his eyes, astonished by Xu Ziyuan's beauty. Although Xu Ziyuan was dressed very simply, she still showed the potential of a beautiful woman. The unusual color in the young man's eyes flashed and then returned to its original state, gazing at Xu Ziyuan lightly.

  Next to the young man stood a younger girl, who was standing with her hands on her hips and shouting at Xu Ziyuan:

  "You're walking without eyes, or are you intentionally bumping into my brother?"

  As soon as the words fell, he saw Xu Ziyuan's beauty and a hint of hostility flashed in his eyes. He took a step forward and slapped an ear slap towards Xu Ziyuan's face.