Chapter 7: Old Tree, New Sprouts

Everyone returned to the manor, and Xu Feng went back home.

He came to the hall to report his duties, where his mother and father were waiting.

His mother, of the Li Clan, daughter of the Mountain Barbarians' leader Li Ming, was the legitimate wife of the house. Having only Xu Feng as her son, she adored him particularly.

"Madam, rest assured, Feng'er will be fine," Xu Guangting comforted.

"I don't care, if anything happens to Feng'er, I will fight you to the end," Li Hu said furiously, dissatisfied with her comfortable home being abandoned in favor of so-called 'experience gathering.'

At that moment, Xu Feng came back, his face still smeared with blood.

Li Hu quickly stood up, hurried to her son's side, and looked him over, her heart aching as she said, "Son, what happened to you? Where's Ah Meng?"

"Where's Ah Meng?"

"Ah Meng is dead, Dad! People from the Wei Family ambushed me, and big brother didn't even try to save me!" Xu Feng complained, shifting all the blame onto Xu Xuan and the Wei Family.

"Wei Rong, that old dog, it seems he doesn't want to live any longer," Xu Guangting's eyes flashed with cold light, and then he asked, "What happened with Xu Xuan?"

"He saw me in danger and didn't help..." Xu Feng exaggerated the story, painting his own mistakes as Xu Xuan's intentional act.

"He knew there were people ahead yet deliberately said nothing, making me serve as bait. It's also why Ah Meng died because of this."

Upon hearing these words, Li Hu became enraged, her cheekbones protruding even higher, making her already stern visage even more severe.

"This cursed child, my lord, you must stand up for my son!" she exclaimed.

Xu Guangting frowned but did not punish anyone based solely on Xu Feng's words; nevertheless, someone had to be responsible for Xu Feng's injuries and Ah Meng's death.

Thinking of this, Xu Guangting said, "No matter what, he is still your elder brother. From now on, we will not invite him to family banquets, letting him fend for himself outside. In the future, when you become the family head, you must have the magnanimity to be inclusive of others."

Xu Guangting hinted at completely giving up on Xu Xuan.

Li Hu still seethed with resentment, but seeing that his goal had been achieved, Xu Feng also pretended to be magnanimous.

Afterward, the Xu Family never again called for Xu Xuan to return.

This, in fact, perfectly matched Xu Xuan's own intentions.

Three years later.

Behind Pear Manor.

Roar!

A fierce tiger descended the mountain, howling through the forest.

The roar resonated in the chest, causing birds to flutter and animals to flee.

This white-browed tiger had set its sights on a man in the forest.

The man, dressed in pitch-black hunting gear, was agile and held an ox horn bow with thirty fine steel arrows on his back.

The tiger's eyes revealed a ferocious glint as it pounced towards the man.

Xu Xuan reached behind him and drew three arrows with the opposite hand.

Swish!

He let loose three arrows in quick succession, and the fine steel arrows penetrated deep into the body of the white tiger.

"Roar!"

The white tiger was in pain but not yet dead, dragging its wounded body into the forest.

Swish, swish!

Arrows flew one after another.

Within three breaths, the tiger's head, abdomen, spine, and limbs were all struck.

Xu Xuan was like a human fortress, ceaselessly shooting fine steel arrows, some even embedding themselves into stone.

Soon, thirty arrows had been shot, and the tiger became like a porcupine.

"Collect!"

Xu Xuan was quite satisfied.

Name: Xu Xuan

Lifespan: 22/85

Cultivation Level: Martial Arts Pinnacle.

Cultivation Technique: None

Technique: Mount-breaking Blade Technique (Complete), Squatting Skill (Complete), Eagle Claw Technique (Complete), Li Family's Divine Archery Technique (Complete).

In three years' time, he had achieved complete mastery of these techniques.

His lifespan had increased by about ten years.

His qi and blood had reached the human pinnacle, boasting the strength of eight hundred catties, and had attained the Martial Arts Pinnacle cultivation level.

Now, facing up close an army of thirty men armed with cold weapons, including crossbows, Xu Xuan was not at all afraid.

If it were at a distance, and he had enough arrows, he could even whittle down an army of hundreds to their deaths, little by little.

"I am invincible in street combat," Xu Xuan thought to himself.

Finally, he had acquired the power to protect himself in this world.

Packing up his bow and arrows and taking up his long blade, he skillfully sliced off the valuable parts of the tiger lying before him, like a chef carving up an ox.

Afterwards, Xu Xuan descended the mountain.

Arriving at Pear Manor, along the way, tenant farmers respectfully greeted Xu Xuan.

Since the last time he was injured, Li Hu had gradually stopped managing the manor and the shop affairs, handing them over to the brothers Xu Xuan and Xu Yong to manage.

Inside the house, Xu Xuan toyed with the Corpse Driving Bell, the copper rust mottled bell seeming to contain mysteries.

The former half-grown Xu Yong had also become a mature and steady youth.

Xu Ling'er was still a food lover, nibbling on pastries while listening to her two older brothers' conversation.

"Currently, our Pear Manor has a total of five thousand acres of land, two pharmacies, two tailors' shops, and two furriers. Five thousand acres of fields. After deducting the tenant farmers, workers, and guards, as well as the medicinal ingredients for you, brother, we have a surplus of one thousand taels each year."

"Do not keep the money idly; spend it all. Get me a few more shops, and make sure there's a grain shop and a blacksmith shop."

Xu Xuan turned and walked to the back, taking out a small box.

Opening the box, inside were ten glittering gold bars.

"Five hundred taels of gold, spare no expense to acquire those shops!"

"This..." Xu Yong, seeing so much money for the first time, said, "I guarantee it will be done!"

"Good! You may leave now."

"Yes!"

The gold was an offering from the people of the Mirror Realm.

In recent years, the Mirror Realm had offered not a few treasures, mostly animal bones and meat, along with some gold and silver treasures.

Some Xu Xuan would not respond to, accumulating to a certain extent before bestowing techniques.

He did not want the other side to feel that he was at their beck and call, but to think of him as capricious; one must gain his favor to reap benefits.

Now, apart from the two Chenzhou Talismans for Corpse Driving, the remaining six had all been awarded, as well as some books on economics, strategy, and business operations.

Now it's time to see the results from their side.

"Pity, we still can't find materials containing spiritual energy for cultivation..."

As long as the other side sourced materials for cultivation, Xu Xuan was determined to send over the final two Chenzhou Secret Techniques for Corpse Driving.

He took out a bronze mirror to observe the situation in the other world.

With time flowing at a ratio of one to ten, thirty years had already passed in that world.

Qingshan Township, Yang Family Village

The original head of Yang Village was no longer there, replaced by the Li Clan of Qingshan.

The Li Clan's former mud house had been transformed into a sprawling estate, surrounded by tall walls, exuding a severe isolation from the world.

Within a hundred miles, the Li Clan was the undisputed overlord, monopolizing all fur and medicinal business and being the most important partner of the Black River Gang.

Inside the Li Clan, Li Qingshi had white frost on his temples and appeared significantly aged.

Standing before him were four young people - his four children: Li Rufeng, Li Ruhuo, Li Rulin, and Li Rushan.

At Li Qingshi's side was Li Qingquan.

Li Qingquan remained unmarried for life, dedicated to the Dao, and he too had aged much.

The eldest son, Li Rufeng, said, "Father, I've found out that the backer behind Black River Gang is a solitary Qi Cultivation Level Cultivator, probably at the early stage. To take down Black River Gang and seize the resources of the Qi Cultivation Level Cultivator is our family's chance to grow."

"Second brother, a Qi Cultivation Level Cultivator can fight ten who are at the Qi Nourishing stage; it's good enough for us to hold our ground, let alone take the offensive. I think it's more urgent to flee." The third brother spoke up.

"Nonsense, are you suggesting we start over?" The second brother retorted.

Li Rufeng's face grew somber as he analyzed the situation:

"The oppression from the Black River Gang grows worse, and in doing business with them, we're even losing money. If this continues, we'll bleed out sooner or later. We must kill them and seize their resources to foster a Qi Cultivation Level Cultivator!!"

Once the family had a high-level Qi Cultivator, they could settle in the county town and become a family of cultivators.

A Qi Cultivation Level Cultivator had a lifespan of three scores of years, which is one hundred and eighty years. With the second uncle's current age, the family could enjoy two scores of prosperity.

The later generations would continue the legacy, ensuring the family's glory and wealth for hundreds of years.

And not to mention the miraculous... mirror.

"We must decide the outcome once and for all. The Black River Gang is increasingly intolerant of us. We must resist, or else face death and the destruction of our clan!" Although Li Qingshi had aged, his sharpness was not diminished, "You may go prepare. Second uncle, stay behind."

"Yes!"

The sons left.

Only the two brothers remained inside the house.

Through thirty years of shared trials and tribulations, the bond between the brothers was incomparable.

"I still feel somewhat insecure. How about it, big brother, shall we send that thing to the Mirror Immortal?" Li Qingquan was not entirely at ease.

"Second brother, that's what you use for your breakthrough. Don't you want to break through anymore?"

Li Qingquan shook his head and replied:

"The risk is too great to fight Qi Cultivation with Qi Nourishment; we can't do without exchanging some powerful techniques. Our foundation lies with the Mirror Immortal; over the years, the offerings have increasingly failed to satisfy the Immortal.

The family's development has thus stalled; it's time to bring out some valuable items. Rufeng has good potential. Even if I can't break through, having Rufeng achieve it would be excellent."

"The family is like a big tree. With too many old branches, it's time to prune them and let new shoots grow."