Chapter Seven Shock

  New book! Treasure, it's very important to me! Friends, don't hide it anymore, give it to me!

  Standing in front of Xu Ziyuan, looking at the talisman on the table with flowing spiritual light, Xu Haoran's heart skipped a beat.

  "This... this is a top-grade paper charm!"

  Xu Haoran suddenly looked up and excitedly said to Xu Ziyuan.

  "What?"

  Lin Pinghai's expression changed, his eyes filled with incredulity, and he strode to Xu Ziyuan's desk. When his gaze fell on the paper talisman on the table, his eyes suddenly became dull. After a long time, he recovered from his trance-like state, knelt silently in front of Xu Ziyuan, and kowtowed three times with a loud "thud". Then, he stood up and quickly walked away, his footsteps swift but slightly stumbling.

  Xu Haoran didn't have time to care about Lin Pinghai's departure, instead he fixed his gaze tightly on Xu Ziyuan, and asked in a slightly tense low voice:

  "Master Xu, would you be willing to stay at our Xu family home? I will immediately appoint you as the revered elder."

  Xu Ziyanyan shook her head slightly and said, "I just arrived in Zhongdu City and don't know much about your family. I'd rather be a guest elder for now. If our cooperation goes well in the future, I won't mind joining the family as an ancestral elder."

  "Good!"

  Although Xu Haoran was somewhat disappointed in his heart, since Xu Ziyu could stay in the family as a guest elder, he had confidence that in the future he would let Xu Ziyuan join his own family and become the ancestral worship elder of the Xu family. As long as he sincerely treated this talented girl in front of him, he would definitely gain her loyalty.

  So, Xu Haoran is now very happy and immediately hires Xu Ziyuan as the guest elder. Then he wants to personally arrange Xu Ziyuan's residence. However, what makes Xu Haoran puzzled is that Xu Ziyuan did not choose a best house, but chose a very secluded courtyard in the mountain villa, and clearly told Xu Haoran that she does not like to be disturbed by others.

  Inform Xu Haoran and the others that she will be going back to pick up her parents. As soon as Xu Ziyuan mentions that she wants to go pick up her parents, Xu Haoran immediately dispatches four Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivators to protect Xu Ziyuan, and also sends six clan disciples to hurry along with a horse carriage to take Xu Ziyuan to pick up her parents. However, Xu Ziyuan does not want her parents to be recognized by the people in the clan. One of the reasons she chose a remote courtyard was that she did not want her parents to be recognized by the people in the clan. From her father's few words, she already knew about the ridicule her father had received from the clan back then. She is afraid that her parents will be ridiculed again by the people in the clan, and she wants to wait until her cultivation improves and becomes a source of pride for her parents before letting them meet with the people in the clan with their heads held high. Therefore, Xu Ziyuan firmly declines the Clan Master's arrangement, and in the end, Xu Haoran has no choice but to agree to Xu Ziyuan's request. However, after Xu Ziyuan leaves, he still secretly dispatches those four Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivators to protect her, as he does not want the talisman master he had just recruited to encounter any accidents.

  Xu Ziyuan walked out of the Xu family's gate, turned her head to look at the magnificent gate, and let out a soft sigh. She never thought that she would come into contact with her own family so soon, and didn't know if her father's identity would be exposed, but she knew it couldn't be hidden for long.

  "Alas! Let's just pretend for as long as we can!"

  The sky was filled with snowflakes, and soon it was a vast expanse of white. Xu Ziyuan walked in the midst of the heavy snow, her body covered with the dancing snowflakes that filled the air.

  From a distance, she saw her parents standing at the door, looking out for her. When they saw her figure, they supported each other and came towards her. Seeing her parents' appearance in the heavy snow, Xu Ziyuan's heart warmed up, but she also felt a little guilty, not knowing what her father would think if he knew that she had become the guest elder of the family.

  The parents walked in front of Xu Ziyuan, and her mother gently brushed off the snow on her body, saying lovingly:

  "Xiao Yan, you're back so late, you must be exhausted from walking all day!"

  As she entered the house amidst her mother's chatter, her father followed quietly by her side. Although there were no words, his eyes were filled with kindness. Looking at her parents' benevolent faces, Xu Ziyuan couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt as she said:

  "Today...... today......"

  Mother smiled and said, "Xun Er, is it not enough money? Don't worry, today I found a job at a garment factory sewing clothes for people. Today, I sewed five pieces of clothing and earned fifteen copper coins! Your father also found a job at the dock and earned twenty copper coins today! Once we save up enough money, Xun Er, you can refine dan medicine and paper charms."

  Xu Ziyuan looked at her parents' beaming faces and spoke with excitement in her eyes, but a hint of bitterness in her heart, forcing a smile as she said:

  "Parents are really good at it, all because their daughter is useless!"

  Xu Guang and his wife were taken aback, then said with a loving expression: "Yan'er, you are our daughter, it's only right for parents to make sacrifices for you. Besides, it's not that you're useless, but rather your father and mother are useless. If we had enough capital at home, would we let Yan'er work so hard?"

  Xu Ziyuan's lonely heart suddenly surged, and she couldn't help but throw herself into her mother's arms. She felt that in her two lifetimes, she had never been as happy as she was now. Xu Shi hugged Xu Ziyuan tightly in her arms, feeling both joy and satisfaction in her heart.

  After a long time, Mrs. Xu gently stroked Xuziyan's hair and said softly: "Yan'er, are you hungry? Go sit down quickly, Mom will serve you rice."

  After dinner, Xu Ziyuan told her parents about the events of the day in detail. When they first heard that Xu Ziyuan had become the Guest Elder of the family, Mr. and Mrs. Xu were very happy, but when they heard that Xu Ziyuan was going to move into the family residence, Mr. Xu's expression became somewhat hesitant and he said:

  "Yan'er, return to the family... I'm afraid we can't deceive the patriarch and my second brother, they will recognize me."

  Xu Ziyanyan smiled bitterly and said: "There's no other way, it's impossible not to live in the family residence. If the patriarch and Second Uncle recognize Father, then we'll just have to admit it."

  At night, Xu Ziyuan lay in bed listening to the sound of her parents tossing and turning in the next room, unable to sleep. She let out a soft sigh, unsure of what situation she would face when she returned to her clan. Lost in thought, she didn't fall asleep until midnight. What she didn't know was that outside her house, four high-ranking cultivators from different families had been guarding her all along.

  The next day, Xu Ziyuan and his parents set out for the ancestral home after breakfast. The three of them originally had no family property, only a bundle that was carried by Xu Guang, walking towards the ancestral home on foot.

  Behind them, the masters of the four families looked at Xu Ziyuan's family with a dejected appearance, and their eyes flashed with a hint of surprise. They really couldn't understand how a top-notch first-rate seal master could end up so miserable. One of them nodded to the other three, and then disappeared in an instant, rushing towards the direction of his family to report to the patriarch that Xu Ziyuan had arrived at his own family.

  Xu Haoran still attaches great importance to Xu Ziyuan, not only because of her identity as a top-level artifact refiner, but also because of her age. Think about it, a 15-year-old girl has already reached the level of a top-level artifact refiner, which is a realm that many people can't reach in their lifetime! Five years later, ten years later, what kind of realm will Xu Ziyuan be in? This makes Xu Haoran's heart very excited and eager! Last night, he calculated for a whole night, thinking about how to tie Xu Ziyuan firmly to his family's interests, and how to make her truly join his family.

  As soon as the sky brightened, Xu Haoran got up from bed and hastily ate breakfast before sitting anxiously in his study waiting. Once he received news that Xu Ziyuan had set out, he immediately instructed his family to wait at the door and report to him as soon as Xu Ziyuan appeared.

  So, as soon as Xu Ziyuan's figure appeared on the street, Xu Haoran had already received the news and immediately came to the gate with his second brother Xu Haobo. At this time, Xu Ziyuan and her family of three also happened to arrive at the door.

  Xu Haoran and Xu Haobo laughed as they walked towards Xu Ziyuan, Xu Haoran's gaze quickly swept over Mr. and Mrs. Xu. From the report, he knew that these two people were Xu Ziyuan's parents, and in his heart, he felt that since Xu Ziyuan was a first-rate seal master, her parents must be extraordinary too. However, when his gaze passed over Mr. Xu's face, his footsteps paused involuntarily, the smile on his face froze, and his eyes flashed with doubt, and he couldn't help but ask:

  "You are..."

  Xu Guang's face revealed a bitter smile, he knew he had been recognized by his elder brother, and said in a low voice:

  "Let's go in and talk about it!"

  Xu Haoran, after all, was the eldest of the family, and after a slight pause, he immediately returned to normal, smiling and walking with Xu Ziyuan towards her residence. However, in his heart, he was churning with emotions:

  "Xu Ziyuan's father is his own eleventh brother? The good-for-nothing who left home has come back! And he brought his genius daughter with him! Ah, since Xu Ziyuan is the daughter of the eleventh brother, that means she's a member of our Xu family, haha..."

  Xu Haoran felt a surge of joy in his heart and burst out laughing happily. But immediately he slightly furrowed his brow:

  "But why doesn't Xu Ziyuan admit that she is a member of the family? Is it to avenge his father's injustice? Then... what should I do? If I reuse the eleventh brother, I'm afraid the people in the family will also be dissatisfied. Sigh! Let's try to arrange a good position for the eleventh brother!"

  Before long, the group arrived at Xu Ziyuan's residence. As soon as Xu Guangyi saw that Xu Ziyuan had chosen such a remote place to live, he understood her intentions. However, all that was left in his heart now was a bitter smile. He hadn't expected his elder brother to attach so much importance to Xu Ziyuan and personally come to welcome him. As a result, everything Xu Ziyuan had done became useless.