From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 174 Offering Gifts
In the desolate mountains.

Xu Zhongyao led the Demon-Subduing Guards and a group of his men to search the vicinity.

"Could it be that the cultivator who committed the tribulation has already escaped from Tonggu County?"

They had previously tracked down a Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator who was lurking nearby.

However, after searching for a long time, they could not find the location of the cultivator.

"Pity."

Xu Zhongyao shook his head regretfully. He had finally encountered a Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator, which was perfect for him to practice on.

"Captain, we've found it!"

Just then, his subordinate brought good news.

"lead the way!"

Guided by his men, Xu Zhongyao arrived at a secluded, dark cave.

As you enter through the narrow cave entrance, a pungent, bloody stench immediately fills the air.

His men lit torches, illuminating the dark cave.

Xu Zhongyao found a mummified corpse deep inside the cave, along with a pool of filthy blood nearby.

He frowned and stepped forward to examine the body closely: "His blood has been drained from his body, his bones are black, and his bone marrow has been extracted... This is probably the work of a demonic cultivator."

“Send him back to the Demon Subduing Bureau.”

Xu Zhongyao gave the instructions.

After the Demon Subduing Division members left, only Xu Zhongyao remained in the cave.

Xu Xiaohou, dressed in black, appeared.

"Sixth Uncle, the calamity cultivator has been found, but unfortunately, all we found was his corpse. His methods are very similar to those of a demonic cultivator."

"Yes, please be careful while you're out there. Return to Baihe Mountain as soon as you're done. This demonic cultivator's origins are unknown, so we need to be wary."

Xu Xiaohou was extremely wary of the "demonic cultivators".

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.

Baihe Village.

The Du family mansion was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and the sound of gongs and drums filled the air.

Today is the joyous occasion of Du Meng's eldest grandson, Du Qisheng's, wedding.

Du Meng is fifty-five years old this year. He married young, at the age of fifteen or sixteen, and had a wife and children. His son also married young.

His eldest grandson also married young, and his eldest grandson has outstanding martial arts talent, possessing innate potential.

"Mr. Du, congratulations!"

Many people from the surrounding villages and towns came to offer their gifts and congratulations.

Today, the Du family owns over a thousand acres of land in Baihe Village, making them the largest landowners and known as "Big Du".

Du Meng, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, greeted the guests at the main gate of the mansion.

"That is?"

He saw a carriage stop in the distance, and two people, one big and one small, got out of it.

After recognizing the person, he quickly stepped forward to greet him.

Those two people were Xu Zhonghuai and Xu Liyuan.

When Du Meng's parents were alive, the Du family and the Xu family had a good relationship.

By the time it came to Du Meng's generation, he and Xu Xiaogou had grown up practicing martial arts together and had a good relationship. Unfortunately, Xu Xiaogou passed away early.

Baihe Mountain is so close to Baihe Village.

Logically and emotionally, the Xu family should send someone to attend the wedding banquet hosted by the Du Meng family.

"Uncle Du Meng, on behalf of my family, I've come to offer my congratulations. Congratulations!"

After congratulating Zhonghuai, he gave a bottle containing ten Qi and Blood Pills as a gift.

"Is this your son, Liyuan? What happened?"

Du Meng noticed Li Yuan standing next to Zhong Huai.

All that could be seen was that Li Yuan's eyes were covered by a black cloth.

"My son suddenly developed an eye disease and is currently receiving treatment."

Zhonghuai casually offered an explanation.

Why did he bring Li Yuan here? It was precisely to let Li Yuan experience the taste of the unseen.

Li Yuan has always been playful, and these past few days, having suddenly gone missing, he's been holed up at home, bored out of his mind. His father suggested taking him out, and although he was afraid, he couldn't bear the loneliness and agreed.

The two were thus invited by Du Meng to become guests at the wedding banquet.

Li Yuan sat beside his father, reaching out to grab his arm, never leaving his side.

He overheard people talking about him and his father behind their backs. "Who is that person? They're so high up!"

“The Xu family member, Zhonghuai.”

"The Xu family? No wonder they're sitting in the main seat."

"Is his son, who was born blind, next to him?"

"You're talking about Lijing, Zhongchao's son. Zhonghuai's son is Liyuan, but why can't he see him either?"

"..."

After Li Yuan discovered that she could not see, her hearing did indeed gradually improve.

In order to perceive the world, he must try his best to hear every sound around him.

The series of footsteps, like ripples on a calm surface of water, wove together into a picture in his ears.

Every unfamiliar sound or footstep approaching made him feel uneasy.

Because he can't see, he doesn't know who is approaching or whether they will hurt him.

After a while.

As the banquet began, Zhonghuai toasted and laughed with others.

As a member of the Xu family, he received many flattering and toasting offers of wine.

Li Yuan felt extremely annoyed by the sounds of people coming and going around him.

Some people even flattered Li Yuan: "Young Master Li Yuan, please tell us what you would like to eat or drink."

"Need not."

Li Yuan shook his head; he dared not eat the food offered to him by a stranger.

Zhonghuai, who was standing next to him, seemed to be "ignoring" him, but in fact his attention was always on him.

Chung-hae was only trying to educate Ye-yeon by letting him experience blindness firsthand; he wasn't actually putting his son in danger. Everything around them was under Chung-hae's observation.

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.

There was also a special guest attending the wedding banquet.

It was Liu Hongzhan.

He mingled in the crowd, pretending to be a villager from a neighboring village.

In recent days, he not only investigated the Xu family's affairs, but also went to the county town to learn about Jiang Hao's situation.

Who does he hate the most in Tonggu County?

It is undoubtedly Jiang Hao.

However, he learned that Jiang Hao had become the county magistrate, possessed the cultivation level of the ninth level of Qi Refining, and occupied Cangwu Mountain, becoming the head of the Jiang family, a family of Qi Refining cultivators.

He wasn't confident he could deal with Jiang Hao.

He originally thought that if he couldn't kill Jiang Hao, he could deal with his children and relatives.

However, Jiang Hao's most cherished son and daughter are both mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators. If they have talismans protecting them, Liu Hongzhan will find it difficult to launch a sneak attack.

Moreover, those two people stayed in Cangwu Mountain year-round, with Jiang Hao.

Liu Hongzhan's attempt to storm Cangwu Mountain is highly likely to fail; it doesn't seem like revenge against Jiang Hao, but rather like he's going to his death.

Besides Jiang Hao, he hated the Du family and the Xu family the most.

Especially the Xu family.

The Xu family rose to power by stepping over the Liu family, who had been wiped out, and quickly became a prominent family in Tonggu County.

According to the information Liu Hongzhan obtained: Xu Xiaoniu, the director of the Demon Subduing Division, is at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

He has a son named Xu Zhongyao, who is at the third level of Qi cultivation.

Besides the two, the rest are at most innate martial artists, and there is also Xu Xiaohou, who is a martial arts grandmaster.

Xu Xiaohou's public identity is that of a martial arts master.

"It's a pity that Zhao Shuai is dead, otherwise I would have skinned him alive!"

"Zhao Shuai has an inextricable relationship with the Xu family. He destroyed my family, so I will destroy his Xu family in return!"

Over the decades, Liu Hongzhan has killed countless people.

Especially after practicing demonic secret techniques, killing innocent rogue cultivators became commonplace for him, without any psychological burden.

His mind was so twisted that he had long since regarded human life as worthless.

Upon learning that his entire family had died, more than a dozen people had perished overnight, including a three-year-old child, he was devastated.

One can imagine the emotions he felt.

Although he knew that the Xu family was not the culprit, but just lucky and happened to get the benefit.

But he didn't care; he just wanted to vent his murderous intent.

(End of this chapter)