From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 112 Borrowing a Knife
"No, you're not allowed to get involved in anything related to demonic cultivators. You protect your nephews well; if anything happens to any of them, I'll hold you responsible!"

Xu Fugui refused sternly.

“I agree with Dad.”

"I agree."

"agree."

"..."

Xu Xiaohou's appointment as a demon-slaying guard was unanimously rejected by his father and several older brothers.

"Okay, I won't go."

He helplessly shrugged, and had no choice but to give up the idea.

"By the way, there's one more thing."

Xu Xiaoniu suddenly remembered: "The entire Liu family was wiped out, leaving no one to inherit their land and property. The county government is looking for buyers. It's a total of 800 acres of land; the more you buy, the cheaper it will be."

With the entire family dead and no heirs, the land was ownerless, and therefore no one paid land taxes.

The government office reclaimed the land according to regulations. Selling the land would bring in a sum of money, and people would continue to pay land taxes afterward.

"Tsk, their entire family was wiped out, how tragic."

Xu Xiaoan sighed.

The government confiscated 800 acres of farmland; it's a real shame for the Liu family. Their hard-earned fortune is gone.

The Xu family and the Liu family had no real relationship. Despite their feelings, they still had to buy the land they needed to buy.

"Buy, we must buy! Our farmland can't supply the wineries with the wine they brew, so I need to buy more grain. This time, buy more land and plant it all with sorghum for my wine brewing."

Xu Xiaoyun said.

Ten years ago, his family received 100,000 taels of silver from Jiexiu, and some of it is still left.

The Xu family is now a large household with many descendants, and their expenses extend to everything from food and clothing to housing and transportation. They have also built a new five-courtyard mansion, which has cost an enormous amount of money.

If it weren't for that 100,000 taels of silver, the income from "Yun'an Tavern" alone wouldn't have been enough to support the Xu family's expenses.

"Then buy five or six hundred acres, and leave some for others."

Xu Fugui said.

There are a total of 800 acres of land; his family can't possibly buy them all.

"And that three-courtyard house. It used to belong to the Xu family. Shall we buy it?"

Xu Xiaoniu mentioned the Liu family's three-courtyard house.

"No, no, that's a haunted house. More than a dozen members of the Liu family died tragically inside. It's terrifying to live there."

Xu Xiaoyun shook his head repeatedly.

"Our five-courtyard mansion has just been renovated, and I'm currently furnishing it. We'll be able to move in in a few days."

Xu Xiaoan said.

The others shared similar views.

In the following days, the Xu family bought 600 mu of land from the Liu family.

Including the Xu family's own land, his family owned a total of more than 900 mu of land, making them the largest landlord in Baihe Village.

The Du family bought most of the remaining 200 mu of land belonging to the Liu family.

The Du family also bought the Liu family's three-courtyard haunted house.

Du Meng and Xu Xiaogou are the same age, both forty this year.

He married young and had many children; he now has four sons and two daughters. His eldest son just got married, and one of his daughters is married off.

Seeing that the Du family mansion was too crowded, the money that the family had originally planned to use to build a mansion was used to buy the Liu family's farmland.

Buying land is an investment, while building a house is a consumption.

Therefore, the Du family could only set their sights on the haunted house that no one else wanted to buy. Because it was a haunted house, the county government sold it for an exceptionally low price of only two hundred taels of silver.

Two hundred taels of silver to buy a three-courtyard mansion and attached real estate is very cheap.

Since it was a haunted house, the Du family did not move in immediately. Instead, they renovated and tidied up the house inside and out and even invited a shaman to perform a ritual to exorcise the evil spirits.

The Du family was really short of money after buying land and houses and renovating them. Wang Qian sold all her accumulated jewelry to raise money, but she was still short. She borrowed some money from the Xu family before she could finally raise enough.

If they just save money for a few years, the Du family's life will improve, just like the Xu family in the past.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

A few more days passed.

Xu Xiaogou's family.

"Xiaoxi, I brought you some preserved plums."

Xu Xiaohou offered him some preserved plums that he had bought on the street.

"Thank you, Sixth Uncle."

Xu Zhongxi happily accepted it, picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth, immediately his mouth watered from the sour taste.

"Where's your dad?"

"I went to my maternal grandfather's house."

Xu Xiaogou recently broke through to the Grandmaster realm and has many questions, which he often discusses with Fu Yuanzhen.

As Xu Xiaohou spoke, he walked towards the backyard. He had come to instruct Xu Zhongche.

Nineteen-year-old Xu Zhongche recently completed the third level of stance training and is preparing to break through to the Innate Realm.

In the backyard, Xu Zhongche was already waiting. "Sixth Uncle, I have mastered the Ten Forms of Innate Stance. Can you show me again?"

When he saw Xu Xiaohou arrive, he began practicing stance training.

The standing meditation session was completed in a short time.

Xu Xiaohou nodded: "That's good, you can break through now. First, adjust your breathing and get into the best state."

The first breakthrough is crucial; if you can't break through on the first try, each subsequent breakthrough will be more difficult.

"Ah."

Xu Zhongche calmed himself down and adjusted his state after a moment.

Take out the Qi and Blood Pill and the Five Elements Pill that you prepared in advance, swallow them, and perform the innate dynamic stance of the Five Elements Stance.

To avoid disturbing him, Xu Xiaohou remained completely silent, as if he were not present.

Once, twice...

After several rounds of standing meditation, Xu Zhongche successfully developed internal strength in the final stage when the effects of the Qi-Blood Pill and the Five Elements Pill were waning, barely breaking through to the next level.

"Phew, that was close, we almost failed."

Xu Zhongche wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a sigh of relief. He could easily refine pills, but his talent in martial arts wasn't that outstanding.

Despite being only nineteen years old and having broken through to the Innate Realm at such a young age, he has never lacked Five Elements Pills and Qi and Blood Pills since childhood.

Qi and Blood Pills are an extremely luxurious resource for practicing Qigong.

The Five Elements Pill complements the Five Elements Standing Posture Exercise, enhancing the progress of the exercise.

"Good, it's good that you broke through. You are our family's alchemist, we don't expect you to be very strong, as long as your realm keeps up."

Xu Xiaohou patted him on the shoulder and added, "Try to go back to the village when you have some free time. I have something important to tell you."

"Yes, Sixth Uncle."

Xu Zhongche casually replied, unaware of how important the secret he was about to learn was.

Among the generation with the character "忠" (loyalty), he was the oldest and the first to break through to the Innate Realm.

After washing up, he saw that it was still early and hurried to his master Tao Shiyuan's courtyard.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Master~~"

Xu Zhongche walked into the courtyard and called out.

Tao Shiyuan walked out of the room: "Why are you late today? Oh, you've reached the pre-heaven stage?"

He noticed that Xu Zhongche's innate qi and blood were not stable.

Ten years have passed, and a few strands of white have appeared in his once black hair, and wrinkles have appeared on his face.

No matter how well he uses pills to maintain his health, he can't stop the ruthlessness of time.

"Yes, Master. What are the benefits of a pharmacist breaking through to the Innate Realm? For example, being able to use some profound alchemy techniques?"

Xu Zhongche asked curiously.

"Of course, some techniques can only be performed with the aid of innate internal energy. I'll teach you today. By the way, what realm is your father at now?"

Tao Shiyuan asked the question seemingly casually.

"My dad reached the Grandmaster realm recently."

Xu Zhongche's tone was slightly smug. A forty-year-old grandmaster was a big shot in Tonggu County.

"Isn't your sixth uncle quite impressive? He was quite famous when he was young."

"Yes, my sixth uncle is more capable than my father. He was born with the innate talent at the age of fourteen."

"..."

Tao Shiyuan seemed to be deep in thought.

He would chat with Xu Zhongche and occasionally ask him indirectly about his family situation.

The Xu family has produced many talented individuals, each with considerable abilities.

Furthermore, the Xu family is very united, and the brothers have an excellent relationship.

Tao Shiyuan had been living in seclusion here for over twenty years, thinking he would never have a chance to take revenge, until he met Xu Zhongche and came up with a plan.

After a ten-year wait, the Xu family has thankfully developed smoothly and grown stronger.

"Zhongche, come here. Today, your master will teach you a few special skills and a prescription."

Inside the room, Tao Shiyuan imparted all the knowledge and skills of his Tao family's pharmacist tradition.

This family of pharmacists, whose lineage has been passed down for countless years, knows far more than just "antidote pills."

He only sold antidote pills to make a living.

The antidote pills had low profit margins and limited uses, barely enough to make a living.

Otherwise, a pharmacist like him, without any influence to live here, would surely attract the covetousness of others or the enmity of his peers if he sold highly profitable pills such as Qi and Blood Pills.

"Is this a Qi and Blood Pill?"

Xu Zhongche smelled the newly refined pills and recognized that they were 90% similar in smell to the Qi and Blood Pills sold in Tonggu County.

He looked at his master in surprise, wondering how much Tao Shiyuan actually knew.

He had long realized that his master was unfathomable and unlike an ordinary pharmacist.

(End of this chapter)