From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 238 Rules of Celestial Officials
Tonggu County, Baihe Mountain.

Du Wanyun made her way to the vicinity by hiding and concealing herself.

She was unaware that the Demon Suppression Division had revoked her arrest warrant, nor was she aware of the annihilation of the Chu family. Rumors about the Chu family had only just begun to circulate near Mount Ru'an; the gossip had not yet spread.

She looked at the distant Baihe Mountain, her heart filled with hesitation and uncertainty.

These recent events have shown her the cruelty of the cultivation world and completely changed her perspective.

A rogue cultivator without family influence is at the bottom of the cultivation world, completely at the mercy of others, with no dignity whatsoever. Their life is in grave danger, and they could be taken away by the powerful at any time. Even the safety of their family cannot be guaranteed.

She wanted to seek refuge with the Xu family of Baihe Mountain and become dependent on this family.

As a female rogue cultivator, it would be easier for her to join a cultivation family than for a male cultivator.

"I want to rely on the Xu family, and most likely I'll end up marrying a cultivator from the Xu family."

She was well aware of this and did not feel any aversion to it.

She can accept it as long as she has some choice in her future husband.

In fact, if Du Wanyun were given the chance to choose again, she might not have run away from the marriage, but instead married the foolish son of the Chu family patriarch. She would no longer be that simple and willful eighteen-year-old cultivator who followed her own heart.

"What if the Xu family discovers the secret I possess?"

This is where Du Wanyun hesitated.

To this day, she still doesn't know what the Chu family covets about her, or what the effects of her physique are. Is she suitable for alchemy, or as a furnace or cauldron?
This secret concerns her life, which is why she hesitated.

She had heard about the Xu family of Baihe Mountain before: decades ago, the Xu family was an unknown small family, but suddenly they rose to fame and became a well-known Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan in the vicinity.

Rumors suggest that the Xu family has an unclear connection with the Golden Core families in the prefectural city.

Du Wanyun felt that if she were to seek refuge with a family, a family with a strong background would be better.

In the past few days, she made careful inquiries around Tonggu County and learned more about the Xu family's deeds. The Xu family has developed quietly to this day and has a good reputation outside, without any notorious reputation for oppressing the people.

After hesitating for a while, she mustered her courage and headed towards Baihe Mountain.

As Baihe Mountain drew closer, Du Wanyun pondered what words would be more appropriate when she saw a person fly from Baihe Mountain and hover in front of her.

It is Xu Zhongxi, who is at the third level of Foundation Establishment.

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators of Baihe Mountain, Xu Xiaohou and Xu Zhongxi, are responsible for protecting Baihe Mountain. Xu Xiaoniu is not usually at Baihe Mountain.

Xu Zhongxi had just inadvertently discovered a group of unfamiliar rogue cultivators approaching while patrolling near Baihe Mountain.

"Who comes here, and what brings you here?"

She looked down at the nun in front of her.

Du Wanyun bowed and said, "Xiaoxiu Liuyun greets senior. I come from a poor peasant family and suffer from a lack of resources and power. I wish to join your esteemed family and do what I can."

I am skilled in water-based techniques, which allow me to cultivate spiritual plants and water crops.

She made a birthmark-like mark on her face and changed her name.

Casual cultivator?

Have they come seeking refuge?

Xu Zhongxi pondered for a moment and then asked, "What kind of spiritual root aptitude do you have?"

"Reporting to Senior, it is a mixed spiritual root of four elements."

Among independent cultivators, having a mixed spiritual root of four elements is considered a good aptitude.

Since the Xu family became famous, there have indeed been occasional independent cultivators coming to seek refuge, but most of them have been turned away. The resources of the Xu family's Hundred Valleys Mountain do not require the recruitment of outside independent cultivators.

However, Xu Zhongxi considered that there were too few female cultivators, and the Xu family had so many members waiting to get married. Many members of the Xu family were cultivators, and many could only marry mortal women.

Besides, the Xu family is considering moving, as the spiritual land will be large enough to support many cultivators in the future.

"I'll speak frankly..."

Xu Zhongxi whispered something in Du Wanyun's ear using his spiritual power.

Du Wanyun nodded and said, "I have no objection. Just give me some time to get to know each other."

"You come with me."

What Xu Zhongxi just said was simply that after Du Wanyun sought refuge with the Xu family, she would need to marry into the Xu family.

With so many fine young men in the Xu family, there must be one who can catch Du Wanyun's eye.

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 days flew by.

As a prospective demon-slaying guard of the Demon-Slaying Division, Xu Xiaoniu quickly learned of the Chu family's situation.

The Chu family of Ru'an Mountain was wiped out by Tuoba Hongyang!
This news greatly shocked Xu Xiaoniu.

Rumors circulated among these celestial officials that Tuoba Hongyang had angered the prefect and was impeached by him.

The Chu family, Tuoba Hongyang, and Prefect Nie Tingjun were none of Xu Xiaoniu's business; he was just watching the show.

But he cared about something else: the ownership of the second-tier spiritual land, Ru'an Mountain!
The Xu family is looking for a second-tier spiritual land, and Mount Ru'an is a perfect fit.

Ru'an Mountain is located about four or five hundred miles from Baihe Mountain. It is the second-tier spiritual land closest to Baihe Mountain after the spiritual vein of Qingqiu Mountain was changed.

Moreover, Ru'an Mountain is located in the middle of Baihe Mountain and Yuanli City.

Xu Fugui did not want to give up Baihe Mountain, so the location of Ru'an Mountain was very suitable.

Currently, the prefectural government is still taking stock of the resources of Ru'an Mountain.

Once the inventory was completed, Ru'an Mountain, as an "unclaimed sacred site," was reassessed by the County Forestry Bureau to determine the amount of land occupation tax payable, and a new owner was sought for it.

Xu Xiaoniu brought the news back to the Xu family, and Xu Fugui summoned the clan elders and Xu Zhonghuai, the head of the Xu family, to discuss the matter.

Several people agreed.

After that, it was time to gather spirit stones, find connections, and figure out a way to take over Ru'an Mountain.

Xu Xiaoniu's connection was Baili Wei, whose great-grandfather, Baili Xi, was the deputy director of the Forestry Bureau. After some contact, he learned that the annual tax for occupying the mountain in Ru'an Mountain was more than two thousand spirit stones.

A reserve price will be announced, and then Foundation Establishment families who want to occupy Ru'an Mountain will bid against each other, with the highest bidder taking over Ru'an Mountain.

That's the official rule.

However, in private, there are not many Foundation Establishment families in Yuanli County who are qualified and happen to want to occupy Ru'an Mountain. They just need to negotiate in advance to avoid raising the price of the mountain occupation tax for no reason.

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 selection of celestial officials in Yuanli County began as scheduled.

The initial screening involves the prefectural government selecting the one hundred most qualified individuals from all applicants.

All cultivators aged thirty and under are eligible to apply for the selection of immortal officials, resulting in thousands of people applying in Yuanli County.

The prefectural government, after comprehensively considering each applicant's spiritual roots, age, cultivation level, and other factors, selected the one hundred most outstanding individuals. In this initial screening alone, the prefectural government eliminated over ninety percent of the applicants.

These people don't even have the qualifications to go to Yuanli City.

The selected one hundred people will then travel to Yuanli City to participate in the real selection of celestial officials.

Xu Yiqing was twenty-three years old, possessing true spiritual roots in the metal, wood, and water elements, and had reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. With his aptitude, he easily passed the initial screening and became one of the hundred.

On the day of the selection, he arrived at the prefectural government office accompanied by his father, Xu Liyuan, and his great-grandfather, Xu Xiaoniu.

The county government office of Yuanli County is located in a first-class spiritual land, and its buildings are magnificent and imposing.

One hundred people were qualified to participate in the selection of celestial officials, and along with their relatives and friends, hundreds or even thousands of people came to watch.

There were county soldiers maintaining order at the scene, as well as county officials in charge of the assessment.

"It's so lively!"

Xu Yiqing arrived accompanied by two elders. He had never seen so many powerful cultivators gathered together before.

Foundation Establishment cultivators, who are rarely seen in normal times, can be found everywhere here.

However, regardless of their cultivation level, Foundation Establishment cultivators would descend from the sky and approach the county government office from a great distance.

The three members of the Xu family landed with the others and headed towards the government compound.

The crowd surged. Xu Yiqing observed his surroundings with great interest, and he discovered that he could discern the family background of the people who came with the candidates.

For example, he was accompanied by two elders: his father was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and Xu Xiaoniu was at the third level of Foundation Establishment.

Some of the candidates have family members whose strongest members are Qi Refining cultivators.

There is another type of candidate: ordinary people.

A man was accompanied by a group of ordinary relatives, dressed in clean coarse linen clothes, who had traveled a long way by oxcart or horse-drawn carriage to the prefectural government office.

Xu Yiqing noticed that on the way to the prefectural government office, these people automatically split into two factions.

One faction consists of immortals, while the other consists of mortals.

It's unclear whether those born into the immortal race avoid ordinary people, or ordinary people avoid immortals.

In short, two distinct streams of people formed on the wide road.

One was an immortal, light as a swallow, lightly touching the ground with his toes as he floated towards the prefectural government office. The other was an ordinary person, driving a horse-drawn carriage, clattering along the road.

Those of ordinary birth make up about 30%.

Without a doubt, it is easier for members of the Immortal Clan to be born with three types of true spiritual roots.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao Niu~~!"

Calls came from behind the three members of the Xu family.

Xu Xiaoniu turned around and saw Jiang Hao quickly catching up: "Fellow Daoist Jiang Hao? What's this?"

He found it strange because he didn't remember any children with three true spiritual roots being born in Jiang Hao's family over the years.

The Jiang family has indeed grown quite a few members in recent years, but only a few have spiritual roots, let alone three-element true spiritual roots.

Jiang Hao laughed and said, "I'm just here to join in the fun of the once-in-a-decade selection of celestial officials. Your Yiqing is really confident this time, so I'm offering my congratulations in advance."

Xu Yiqing bowed politely: "Greetings, Senior Jiang. I am honored by your kind words."

The group continued their journey to the prefectural government office while chatting.

Looking at the ordinary people hurrying along the other side, Jiang Hao couldn't help but sigh, "Back then, I was also a celestial official who came from a mortal background, and I participated in the selection process in the same way."

The scene was still vivid in his mind, and the emotions he felt were unforgettable. Compared to the immortals around him, he couldn't help but feel inferior.

He participated in the selection of celestial officials when he was a teenager. Because he was born a mortal and had no resources, he was only at the first level of Qi Refining at that time. Accompanying him to participate in the selection were his grandfather, his father, and his brother.

Because of his youth and good comprehension of the cultivation techniques, he was fortunate enough to be selected as a celestial official.

He wasn't initially assigned to Tonggu County. Instead, he worked in the county government for over twenty years, earning a salary. It wasn't until he finally reached the fourth level of Qi Refining that he was sent to Tonggu County.

Now, he is a Foundation Establishment Level 2 Immortal Official, and he has finally let go of his past inferiority and timidity. Many of those Immortal Officials who came from the Immortal Clan did not reach the Foundation Establishment stage; they either died of old age or in various accidents.

However, Jiang Hao was still filled with envy and jealousy towards those members of the Immortal Clan. Once one reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, family power was just as important.

Look at how difficult it is for him to get by in the county government, just because he has no family influence and lacks resources.

In contrast, Xu Xiaoniu is now at the third level of Foundation Establishment, surpassing him. Keep in mind that when he was a celestial official in Tonggu County, Xu Xiaoniu was just a young farmer in a village.

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 government compound.

The crowd lined up and entered one by one.

The Foundation Establishment Immortal Official in charge of guarding the gate said: "Each candidate is allowed to be accompanied by a maximum of three family members. Those who are not accompanied should wait outside."

It was Xu Yiqing's turn.

"What is your name, and what is your serial number?"

"Xu Yiqing, number 35."

How many people are accompanying you?

"Two people."

Jiang Hao, who came to watch the spectacle, was originally a celestial official in the county government who worked on paperwork, and was therefore qualified to go in and observe.

The group entered.

The spacious courtyard, covering dozens of acres, has designated areas along its edges for people to sit and drink tea.

The group found an empty seat and sat down.

After all one hundred candidates had arrived, several powerful auras flew in from afar and landed directly inside the prefectural government compound.

Without a word, everyone present stood up. The visitors were Nie Tingjun and several high-ranking officials from the prefectural government.

"Greetings, Your Excellencies!"

someone shouted.

Others echoed, "Greetings, Your Excellencies!"

Nie Tingjun waved his hand: "Now that everyone is here, let's begin."

After he finished speaking, he sat down in the main seat, and the others sat down in turn.

The selection of celestial officials, held once every ten years, was a major event in Yuanli County. Nie Tingjun, as the county governor, was the chief examiner, and several other high-ranking officials were also present to supervise. In the end, it was Nie Tingjun who decided on the final selection of celestial officials.

An examiner stepped forward and bowed, and the examination began at Nie Tingjun's signal.

"Let me explain the rules to everyone."

To prevent cheating and misrepresentation, each of the one hundred participants will draw lots to select two examiners from the five examiners. The examiners will then use their spiritual energy to examine the participants' bodies and determine their spiritual roots, cultivation levels, etc.

There were five examiners present, all of whom were at the fifth or sixth level of the Foundation Establishment stage.

The initial screening eliminated over 90% of the applicants, leaving only one hundred. However, this does not mean that the information of these one hundred people is accurate, as it has not yet been verified.

The examiners used their spiritual power to examine people on the spot to prevent them from making false reports and falsely claiming that they had five-element pseudo-spiritual roots or four-element mixed spiritual roots as true spiritual roots.

The consequences of providing false information are severe, but that cannot stop some audacious rogue cultivators from deceiving the public for the sake of a position as an immortal official.

One hundred people stepped forward to draw lots, and then began to be examined by the examiners.

The selection process involved random drawing of lots, followed by checks by two examiners to prevent candidates from knowing the examiners and thus engaging in cheating.

"Liu Jingyu, 28 years old, bone age confirmed. True spiritual roots of metal, earth, and fire elements confirmed, Qi Refining level 5 cultivation confirmed..."

In Yuanli County, the selection of celestial officials is based on the overall qualifications of the participants, with twenty to thirty celestial officials chosen each time.

Of these one hundred people, about forty have three true spiritual roots, and sixty have four mixed spiritual roots.

Those selected from the four mixed spiritual roots are all high-level cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining.

Xu Yiqing stepped forward in line.

Ahead of him was a candidate with prematurely gray hair.

"Zhao Fengyi, age eighteen, bone age test results are correct. True spiritual roots of wood, water, and earth are correct, Qi Refining level eight cultivation is correct. Hmm?"

An eighteen-year-old at the eighth level of Qi Refining, even with three types of true spiritual roots, is enough to attract attention.

The examiner examined it several more times and felt that something was vaguely wrong, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The second examiner also sensed something was amiss.

"I'm not sure about this. Please have examiner Zhang take a look."

That "Examiner Zhang" was the oldest among the examiners present. He had a Foundation Establishment Level 6 cultivation and had served as an examiner for the selection of immortal officials many times, so he was very experienced.

Examiner Zhang grasped Zhao Fengyi's wrist and used his spiritual power to conduct a subtle examination of his body.

"Heh, interesting."

He thought to himself that he already knew what was going on.

Zhao Fengyi's face was stiff, and it was hard to tell whether he was nervous or scared.

The examiner turned around and bowed to Nie Tingjun, saying, "Your Excellency, this person's spiritual root is not right. Please have the Demon Subduing Division send someone to investigate."

Demon Extermination Bureau?
Nie Tingjun's expression remained unchanged as he glanced at Tuoba Hongyang sitting to the side: "Chief Tuoba, you may come."

(End of this chapter)