From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 191 Uncle and Nephew? (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"From this day forward, you are free. The world is vast, you can go anywhere and live the life you want."

Xu Xiaohou thought that Meng Jiaojiao, having escaped the clutches of the Xue family, would surely run away to a distant place.

"No, I have to go back to Yunze Mountain. I need to get more elixirs, otherwise I only have a few months to live, and I also need to find a way to get rid of this poisonous body."

Meng Jiaojiao's Yuan Sha Gong requires her to regularly take the Xue family's elixirs to detoxify.

When she went out on this mission, the Xue family only gave her one spirit pill. Fortunately, Huang Li and the others also had one spirit pill in their storage pouches, enough for her to last for several months.

"There is another thing I need to do, to save someone who is very important to me."

She knew in her heart that returning to Yunze Mountain to rescue Xu Zhongxi was a matter of life and death, and success was almost impossible.

But she had to go; it was the belief that had kept her alive until now.

She has hovered on the brink of death countless times. Would she be afraid of dying?

At this point, Meng Jiaojiao suddenly turned to look at Xu Xiaohou. If before she only had Xu Zhongxi in her heart, now someone else was vaguely appearing in her heart.

"who?"

Xu Xiaohou asked curiously.

“My friend, my good friend who has kept me alive until now. Twenty years ago, we were brought to Yunze Mountain together from Tonggu County…”

Upon hearing the words "Tonggu County," Xu Xiaohou froze, turned around abruptly, grabbed Meng Jiaojiao's arm, and interrupted her.

"Tonggu County? You just said Tonggu County?!"

Xu Zhongxi has been gone for exactly twenty years, and Meng Jiaojiao also said that she has been in Yunze Mountain for twenty years.

"Yes, yes, why?"

Meng Jiaojiao saw Xu Xiaohou's eyes widen, his expression one of extreme excitement.

"I want to ask you about someone, Xu Zhongxi. She was also taken away from Tonggu County twenty years ago. Do you remember her? She had big eyes, double eyelids, and long, slightly curly hair..."

Xu Xiaohou didn't know if Xiaoxi was still alive; he only hoped to find out her fate from Meng Jiaojiao.

Xu Zhongxi?!

Meng Jiaojiao was extremely surprised: "The niece you're talking about, is it Xiaoxi? You're actually her uncle?"

"You recognize her? Then she..."

"She's still alive, and she's the one I'm going to save."

Upon learning that Xiaoxi was still alive, Xu Xiaohou was overjoyed, as he had previously thought that Xiaoxi was likely dead long ago.

"What happened? Tell me quickly, what happened to her in Yunze Mountain?"

He couldn't wait to know everything that had happened over the years.

Meng Jiaojiao then recounted how Xu Zhongxi, due to her good physique, was trained to be the most special among the girls in her batch.

She also talked about the friendship between the two of them, and how Xu Zhongxi shared resources with her and helped her overcome difficulties time and time again.

"Xiaoxi has lost her memory and is known as Nightmare in Yunze Mountain. I don't know if she can still recognize you."

She once told me about the Xu family in Baihe Village, about the elders who doted on her, and said that her family would definitely do everything they could to save her.

Twenty years later, Meng Jiaojiao encounters Xu Xiaohou, who is trying to save Xiaoxi.

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.

Xu Xiaohou learned of Xiaoxi's situation and pondered how to save her.

The Xue family of Yunze Mountain, a Foundation Establishment and alchemy family, faces an enemy whose power is too great.

If the news of his training of demonic cultivators and his secret kidnapping of a large number of girls from ordinary families is reported to the Demon Subduing Division of Yuanli County, will it attract the attention of the Demon Subduing Division of the county government?
Xu Xiaohou's identity is uncertain.

He wasn't that naive; he knew the sordid and complex side of the world.

Given the Xue family's rampant misconduct in Yuanli County, could the county government really be completely unaware?
Does he have a powerful patron in the prefectural government?

If Xu Xiaohou were to report this to the Demon Subduing Division of the prefectural government, it might not be the Xue family that would be dealt with, but their Xu family instead.

Dealing with the small Xu family is much easier than dealing with the Xue family.

“Xiao Xi is currently at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and is about to reach the peak of Qi Refining. I am worried that she is in danger, and the Xue family must have something to do with her. I will go back to Yunze Mountain and find a way to bring her out.”

This is Meng Jiaojiao's plan.

Previously, she faced numerous difficulties in rescuing Xu Zhongxi on her own.

With Xu Xiaohou's help, her chances of success have increased.

"You're going back? How are you going to explain all this? You came out on a mission, everyone else died, and you're the only one who survived?"

Xu Xiaohou said with concern.

Don't let the sacrifice of Meng Jiaojiao be in vain, since Xiaoxi couldn't be saved.

“Yunze Mountain is very large and the defenses are not that tight. I just need to lure Xiaoxi out before the master can react.”

"This……"

Xu Xiaohou fell into thought.

Sending Meng Jiaojiao on a risky rescue mission is the fastest and most direct way.

Yunze Mountain has more than one Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Xue family. If we rely on the Xu family to rescue them, it would be like throwing an egg against a rock, a pointless suicide mission.

Reporting to the Demon Suppression Division of the Prefectural Government would take a long time, regardless of whether the Xue family had powerful backers: the Demon Suppression Division would need to mobilize manpower, conduct a thorough investigation, collect evidence, and so on, with a great risk of leaks.

In order to destroy the evidence, the Xue family will likely kill all the demonic cultivators trained by Xu Zhongxi.

In comparison, both situations carry risks, but the risk of Meng Jiaojiao rescuing Xiao Xi is even smaller.

"Let's plan ahead to deal with all possible situations."

Xu Xiaohou finally agreed to let Meng Jiaojiao return to Yunze Mountain.

The two then discussed it all night.

As dawn broke, they remembered that the girls who had been captured from Xieyue Mountain were still imprisoned.

Meng Jiaojiao went to take them away from Xieyue Mountain.

Xu Xiaohou found a secluded cave and a two-foot-long shield appeared in his hand. It was a high-grade defensive magic weapon called "Azure Wood Armor Shield".

The shield was a regular hexagon, made of a material that resembled both wood and gold, with a surface that shimmered and was engraved with dense and complex patterns.

He held it in his hand and examined it from all angles, but couldn't see anything special about it.

After a fierce battle, the Green Wood Shield was struck countless times by the Feather Pattern Flying Sword, but the shield surface remained smooth and new, without the slightest trace of damage.

"Truly indestructible."

He sighed in his heart.

He knew very well the power of the feather-patterned flying sword. Even a tree as thick as several people could hug or a rock several meters thick could be easily pierced by the feather-patterned flying sword, as effortlessly as if it were piercing through thin paper.

"With it, my strength can be enhanced once again."

Xu Xiaohou had previously refined the Feather Pattern Flying Sword and knew how to refine magical artifacts. The Oriole was dead, and the Green Wood Armor Shield was unclaimed, so refining it would be easy.

It took him two days to refine the Green Wood Armor Shield.

"interesting."

He placed his palm against the back of the green wood armor and circulated his spiritual energy. The green wood armor absorbed the spiritual energy, and its patterns emitted a faint light.

The Aoki Armor Shield seemed to be glued to his palm.

He then placed the Green Wood Armor Shield on his left shoulder. The Green Wood Armor Shield was also attracted by his spiritual energy and stuck tightly to his left shoulder to defend the left shoulder area.

"Its defensive capabilities are far superior to the Golden Light Talisman."

The superior Golden Light Talisman actually has very limited defensive power; its strength lies in its ease of activation and its ability to block attacks from all directions.

Xu Xiaohou's feather-patterned flying sword could easily penetrate the protective light shield of a high-grade golden light talisman.

After all, a superior-grade golden light talisman is a standard talisman worth only 9 spirit stones.

As for high-grade defensive magic weapons like the Green Wood Armor Shield, Xu Xiaohou didn't know their price, but he guessed they were much more expensive than the Feather Pattern Flying Sword.

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.

Meanwhile, Meng Jiaojiao used spirit stones to circulate her cultivation technique over the past two days, thus improving her strength.

Without further delay, the two did not postpone their meeting.

Meng Jiaojiao was already several days late in carrying out her mission.

To avoid causing trouble, the two did not travel together, but instead flew one after the other towards Yunze Mountain.

Late at night.

Xu Xiaohou went ahead to a wild mountain called Niutou Mountain, which was two hundred miles away from Yunze Mountain.

An hour later, Meng Jiaojiao arrived, and the two met up.

“I will infiltrate Yunze Mountain tomorrow night. Based on my understanding of the Lord, she rarely goes to that poisonous fog mountain at night, because the poisonous aura there is strongest at night. I have one night to bring Xiaoxi out.”

The "Poisonous Fog Mountain" that Meng Jiaojiao mentioned is the Black Swamp Mountain where the Xue family trained demonic cultivators.

There are two main peaks in Yunze Mountain. One of them is the main peak, "Yunze Peak," which is where the Xue family's ancestral hall is located and is also the place with the most abundant spiritual energy. All members of the Xue family live on Yunze Peak.

The other is Black Swamp Mountain, shrouded in poisonous fog, a place for cultivating demonic cultivators.

The Xue family rarely ventures into Black Swamp Mountain. Furthermore, the demonic cultivators trained by Meng Jiaojiao and others are strictly forbidden from approaching Yunze Peak.

"Okay, let's restore our spiritual energy first and get us to our best condition."

Xu Xiaohou said.

He will not go with Meng Jiaojiao next, but will wait here.

This Niutou Mountain is already very close to Yunze Mountain. If he gets any closer, he worries that it might alert the Xue family. A mysterious Qi Refining Perfection cultivator flying near Yunze Mountain could very well attract their attention.

The two found a secluded cave, where they sat cross-legged to practice their skills and recover the spiritual energy they had consumed during their night's journey.

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.

early morning.

In the valley, Xu Xiaohou was practicing the Five Elements Stance Exercise.

He had reached the pinnacle of Qi cultivation, and his spiritual power had reached its limit. His path to immortality had reached a bottleneck, with no room for further improvement.

On the contrary, there is still much room for improvement in martial arts cultivation.

The Grandmaster level of "Five Elements Stance Training" has twenty dynamic stances, each of which is extremely difficult. The fists and feet generate wind, and there is a faint burst of energy from the acupoints.

Centered on Xu Xiaohou, the leaves and grass around him fluttered.

He practiced his stance training for an hour and a half as usual, and when he finished, it was already broad daylight.

He turned his head and saw Meng Jiaojiao sitting on a large rock, resting her chin on her hand, blinking her big eyes intently at him.

"when did you come?"

Xu Xiaohou was surprised; he was so focused on practicing his stance training that he hadn't noticed Meng Jiaojiao.

"Just arrived."

In fact, Meng Jiaojiao had been watching from the side for an hour.

She will act tonight, giving the two a short day off.

The two were about to embark on a life-or-death mission, and they were enjoying this rare moment of leisure.

They came to the mountain spring and stream.

Xu Xiaohou sat on a rock beside the stream, soaking his feet and calves in the spring water, letting the clear stream flow by, with small fish swimming around his feet.

Meng Jiaojiao followed his example, taking off her shoes, lifting her skirt to reveal her fair legs, and sitting down beside him. She also dipped her toes into the cool stream.

Xu Xiaohou bent down and splashed the stream water onto Meng Jiaojiao with his hands.

With Meng Jiaojiao's cultivation level, she could have blocked it with spiritual energy, but she didn't use a single bit of spiritual energy, letting the clear stream water wet her hair.

“Disgusting~~”

She scooped up more water with her hand and splashed it at Xu Xiaohou, but Xu Xiaohou dodged it by tilting his head.

"No spilled, hehe."

Xu Xiaohou felt as if he had returned to his childhood, when he and his friends had water fights.

The two of them didn't use any spiritual energy; they were like two ordinary people, or even more like a young couple in the throes of first love, having a water fight by the stream.

Before long, Xu Xiaohou was soaked through, his clothes clinging to his body, revealing his strong physique, which made Meng Jiaojiao's cheeks burn.

However, at this moment, Meng Jiaojiao noticed that the originally lively little fish in the stream were half-dead, and several of them were floating belly up.

She realized something, her expression changed slightly, and she turned and left the stream.

She had been cultivating in a poisonous pool for many years. Although she appeared no different from ordinary people on the surface, she realized that she was a "monster". She deliberately concealed her spiritual energy, but the toxins were deadly to ordinary plants and animals. Even the slightest bit of toxin that was accidentally released was enough to kill small animals such as fish and shrimp.

If you live with ordinary people for a long time, they probably wouldn't be able to withstand this kind of toxin.

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.

"what happened?"

Xu Xiaohou was baffled, not understanding why Meng Jiaojiao's expression had suddenly changed.

Then he noticed the small fish in the stream.

He quickly caught up with Meng Jiaojiao and said softly, "I'll tell you a secret, a secret of my family. I have a nephew, Xiaoxi's older brother, who is a genius alchemist."

He only needs to eat one elixir to taste all the medicinal ingredients in it. He definitely has a way to cure your poison.”

"Really?"

Meng Jiaojiao's eyes lit up.

"Once I rescue Xiaoxi, I will stop practicing martial arts. My poison skills are only good for killing people, so it's better to just be an ordinary person."

"Okay, I'll protect you if you don't practice your skills."

"..."

Time passed and soon night fell.

In the valley of Niutou Mountain, the two stood facing each other.

"Wait for me here. If I don't return in a few days, it means I've failed. Xiaoxi is very important to them. Even if I die, Xiaoxi may still live. Don't give up hope."

Meng Jiaojiao tilted her head slightly, looking into Xu Xiaohou's eyes, two streaks of tears welling up in her eyes, reflecting a luster in the night.

She was a little scared. The Xue family of Yunze Mountain had a large number of late-stage Qi Refining demonic cultivators and Foundation Establishment cultivators.

If her secret is exposed, she will surely die.

Originally, she was not afraid of death; it was this man in front of her who made her crave this world.

"You must come back alive, you must!"

Xu Xiaohou gently embraced Meng Jiaojiao; he himself was also afraid.

He whispered a few words in Meng Jiaojiao's ear, making her blush with embarrassment.

Their lips met, lingered for a moment, and then parted.

Meng Jiaojiao looked back every few steps, reluctant to leave, and ascended into the sky, flying towards Yunze Mountain.

Xu Xiaohou stood there with his head tilted back, gazing intently at Meng Jiaojiao until she disappeared from sight.

"Jiaojiao, Xiaoxi, you must come back."

He prayed silently.

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.

Meng Jiaojiao arrived at the destination, a distance of over two hundred miles, in half an hour.

She approached Yunze Mountain and disappeared into the spiritual mist towards Black Swamp Mountain.

As soon as she approached Mount Kuronuma, someone stopped her.

Although Yunze Mountain is not heavily guarded, it is not so easy for strangers to break in.

(End of this chapter)