From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 180 Antidote
When Miao Yingying was twelve years old, she was sold to a wealthy landlord in the same village to work as a maid.

She thought that working at the landlord's house would be just as tiring as working at her own home, but she never expected that her life would be even more miserable.

The landlord's great-grandfather, who was sixty years old, had a perverted fetish and wanted to harass her.

The landlord's old lady was still alive. She cursed her as a vixen and assigned her the hardest and most tiring work, and didn't even give her enough to eat.

Being beaten and scolded was commonplace.

Her family members from the same village never visited her once, nor did they care whether she lived or died.

Three years later, the landlord's old lady saw that she had grown three years older and more developed, so she sold her to a slave trader.

Those human traffickers specialize in providing "new girls" to brothels. The old lady of the landlord's family deliberately sold Miao Yingying to such a human trafficker, and her intentions are self-evident.

Miao Yingying didn't want to end up in that kind of place, so she escaped while the slave traders weren't looking.

After several twists and turns, she escaped to another remote village and sought refuge as a maid in a wealthy family. She had inquired beforehand and learned that the maids in that wealthy family did not have such a miserable life.

After she worked as a maid for another year, that wealthy family, for some unknown reason, was wiped out overnight.

They were lucky to survive as maids and scattered to make a living.

On her way to find her next master, she was kidnapped by human traffickers and sold to a demonic cultivator disguised as a girl of about ten years old.

……

Xu Zhongyao learned about her background and then understood why she said she "had no home".

It's better not to go back to a home like that.

He then learned that Miao Yingying was sixteen years old, but she had suffered from long-term malnutrition and was as thin as a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl.

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 Mountain.

The core area is an underground cave.

Xu Fugui, Xu Xiaoniu, Xu Xiaohou, and Xu Zhongyao gathered together.

Four storage pouches were laid out in front of Xu Xiaoniu: "Father, we've reaped quite a harvest this time. That group of demonic cultivators brought a lot of spirit stones to capture people; the four of them together have a total of over six hundred spirit stones."

Unfortunately, apart from spirit stones, there was nothing in the storage bag, nor anything that could prove his identity.

They were too cautious, afraid of revealing themselves.

Not only did they gain spirit stones, but the storage pouch was also a considerable reward. A storage pouch used by a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator typically has an internal space of three feet square and is worth 300 spirit stones.

"I can still get a reward of over two hundred spirit stones if I send those four demonic cultivators to the Demon Subduing Division of the Prefectural Government. But..."

They found no useful clues, not even why they were abducting girls around ten years old.

They finally managed to catch the demonic cultivator gang by following the lead of the "human traffickers," but they came up empty-handed.

At this rate, when will we be able to find Xiaoxi?

"Father, is Xiaoxi really still alive?"

Xu Xiaohou looked at Xu Fugui. Xiaoxi was only nine years old when she was taken away, and fifteen years have passed since then.

Their whereabouts are unknown, and their fate is uncertain.

It was Xu Fugui who said she was still alive, which gave Xu Xiaohou hope.

"I'm sure Xiaoxi is alive."

Xu Fugui nodded and said firmly. He had a family treasure tree, representing the branches of Xu Zhongxi that had been growing continuously over the years.

"Keep searching, don't give up any hope. Those people may have failed this time, but they'll definitely do it again, and the time after that."

"Da Niu, Liu Zi, your strength is growing, and you're posing a greater threat to those demonic cultivators. They can't hide anymore."

Previously, the Xu family was weak and powerless, and even if they knew that Xu Zhongxi was still alive, they were powerless to do anything about it.

But now, Xu Xiaoniu and Xu Xiaohou have killed four late-stage Qi Refining demonic cultivators!

"Big brother."

Xu Xiaohou turned to Xu Xiaoniu: "Send more people to contact the Demon Subduing Divisions in the nearby counties to see if they have found any trace of human traffickers. If we can't find them in Tonggu County, I'll go look outside."

Their reach is far-reaching; they're not just arresting people in our Tonggu County. Expanding the search area makes it easier to find them.

He must take the initiative and dig out the roots of the demonic cultivators!
"Row!"

Xu Xiaoniu nodded; they were determined to rescue Xiaoxi: "Liu Zi, of these six hundred spirit stones, five hundred will be given to you. I have spirit stones from the county government's reward, which is enough. Use them to improve your strength first."

Their priority right now is to enhance Xu Xiaohou's power.

Xu Xiaohou is talented and resourceful; using spirit stones on him will allow him to unleash even greater combat power.

Xu Xiaohou didn't mince words. He wasn't being selfish; he was using the spirit stones to improve himself and better protect the Xu family. Afterward, Xu Fugui gave each of them a high-grade golden light talisman to replenish their energy.

He still has quite a few top-grade Golden Light Talismans.

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.

the other side.

In Xu Zhongche's alchemy room, he estimated the time: "What is Zhonghuai doing? Liyuan has been blind for more than ten days."

Fearing something might happen, he went to Xu Zhonghuai's residence on his own initiative.

In the courtyard, Xu Liyuan was practicing standing meditation with his eyes closed.

He had been blind for half a month, experiencing various forms of pain and torment, but was gradually adapting. Fortunately, blindness did not affect his standing meditation; he had already mastered the second level of the Five Elements Standing Meditation.

Beside him, his maid Xiao Tao kept her eyes fixed on him, ready to prevent any unexpected situation from happening to him.

Chung-huai sat leisurely in a recliner in the distance, his eyes slightly narrowed.

He was quite satisfied with Li Yuan's performance these days; at least his playful and mischievous nature had been tempered considerably.

"Ok?"

He found a face in front of him.

She quickly stood up: "Brother, when did you arrive?"

"I watched from the sidelines for quite a while. You were so leisurely, letting my nephew practice stances blindly?"

Xu Zhongche's tone was slightly dissatisfied.

He knew his second brother was trying to educate his nephew Liyuan, but the methods were far too harsh.

"I just wanted to give him a few more days of training because he was doing well."

Zhonghuai lowered his voice.

"It's been half a month already. If it's not cured soon, there will be long-term effects."

Xu Zhongche rolled his eyes and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"Then let's treat it now."

Zhonghuai nodded, then said loudly, "Liyuan, your uncle is here. He has a way to cure you!"

"Uncle?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan excitedly hurried over. He was so anxious that he almost tripped and fell.

Xu Zhongche quickly stepped forward and helped him up: "Nephew, come with me."

He led Li Yuan into the room: "This is a pill. After you take it, close your eyes and wait for an hour."

"Ah."

Li Yuan nodded obediently; his eyes were at stake, and he dared not be careless.

He swallowed the pill after being fed by Xu Zhongche, and then lay down on the bed with his eyes closed.

He could feel an invisible energy flowing into his eyes, making them feel as cool as if ice had been applied to them.

"Uncle, it's so cold."

"The cooling effect means it's effective."

After half an incense stick's time had passed, Li Yuan couldn't wait to ask, "Has an hour been up yet?"

"not yet."

Another moment passed.

"Has an hour passed yet?"

"not yet."

"..."

This was the longest hour Li Yuan had ever spent; he didn't even know how many times he had asked the question.

He opened his eyes an hour later.

As light flooded his pupils, he couldn't help but squint, and illusory images overlapped in his pupils and came into view.

He was somewhat afraid of light because he hadn't seen it for so long.

After a while, the faces of Zhongche, Zhonghuai, and Xiaotao became clear in his vision.

(End of this chapter)