Building a long-lasting family lineage starting with genealogy

Chapter 138: A Becoming Obsession (by Feng'er, Requesting Subscriptions and Votes)

“My lord is joking. Even if I were arrogant, I would not stoop to such a level.”

Wen Jing turned around and looked at Yang Shichang with a faint smile, "However, what Father said is right. The Xu family has indeed developed well in recent years, at least no worse than some seventh-rank families in the county town."

Perhaps they're only lacking a bit of martial arts foundation to be considered a sixth-rank aristocratic family.

"It's good that you know. Don't cause any trouble. You should know that we've come here as refugees."

"Don't worry, my husband. As Ronghua just said, the Xu family has very strict rules. You could be arrested on the spot if you just wander around. With my third-rate martial arts skills, how could I dare to do anything reckless?"

"My brother-in-law was already at the late stage of the Innate Realm ten years ago, and he should have entered the Grandmaster Realm by now," Yang Shichang muttered to himself.

“That’s more talented than Yang Shidao. I heard he’s been stuck at the Grandmaster level recently and hasn’t been able to break through.” Wen Jing said in surprise.

“He’s more than just a little stronger,” Yang Shichang said. “In a battle between people of the same level, my brother-in-law could beat him even with a one-handed hand. He’s a martial arts prodigy who can defeat a person of the peak of the Innate Realm even when he’s in the late stage of the Innate Realm.”

"That's truly remarkable." Wen Jing looked over with slight confusion: "But, husband, why are you so excited?"

"I thought you were talking about yourself."

"You're itching to say something back, aren't you?" Yang Shichang said speechlessly.

Yang Ruifeng and Yang Ruiyao chuckled to themselves.

"You two, stop laughing. Later, your cousins ​​will give you a good beating, and then you'll understand how I feel. It's like the saying, 'Why did Heaven create both Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang?'"

Yang Ruifeng asked blankly, "Father, this proverb doesn't seem to be used like that, does it?"

"You're so much worse than your uncle!"

"Hey, you guys are all exposing my weaknesses, you're really asking for it."

"Chang'er's family is causing trouble again," Madam Yang said sarcastically.

Yang Zhao sighed and said, "He doesn't act like a leader at all. He's such a grown man, yet he can't calm down. He should learn from Ming Wei, who is calm, dignified, and organized."

Look at Dezhao's children, which one doesn't respect their father?

"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Chang'er's family is quite good as it is. They have a warm and lively atmosphere. I don't ask him to bring glory to the family. I'll be content as long as he can enjoy his life in peace," Madam Yang said with a smile.

"A loving mother often loses her son!"

Dinner.

The Xu family has three generations.

The adults sit at one table, and the younger generation sits at another.

Seeing the Xu family's flourishing prosperity, Yang Zhao sighed, "Brother Xu, when I left Qingjiang, Mingwei and Ronghua had just gotten married. Now, you have a house full of children and grandchildren, enjoying the happiness of family life."

"Brother Yang, aren't you the same?"

"No one can be as worry-free as your children, each one of them is a dragon among men."

"No way, look at this girl, she's already twenty-seven this year and still doesn't have a husband. I'm worried about her too, as is Mingxian. Fortunately, their older brothers are less of a worry for me, otherwise if they all followed their example, my Xu family would definitely be depleted."

Madam Yang said in surprise, "I was just curious and thought that Ming Shu's husband and Ming Xian's wife had something to do and couldn't come. It turns out they are not married yet."

"I picked it out." Bai Jing glanced at Xu Mingshu and said with a helpless smile, "Big sister, I've already let fate decide."

“How can a woman not get married? In a few years she will be thirty. Men are okay, at most they will be laughed at, but women will be pointed at and gossiped about.”

Bai Jing gave Xu Chuan a look: See? This is the norm.

Xu Chuan laughed and said, "Sister-in-law is joking. Who would dare to laugh at her? Not to mention her brothers, she herself could break that person's fingers."

“Exactly,” Xu Mingshu said. “Why should we laugh at women because of this?!”

So what if I'm thirty?

"If it's not someone I like, I won't marry them even if they're seventy or eighty years old!"

"Besides, I'm doing just fine on my own!"

When Madam Yang, Wen Jing, and Shen Nianyan heard such remarks for the first time, they seemed to be shocked and slightly stunned.

As for Yang Ronghua, they were already used to it.

“Mother, that’s just how Sister Mingshu is. She’s a remarkable woman, not inferior to any man. We’re used to it.”

Madam Yang blushed slightly, then immediately fell silent about Ming Shu's marriage.

I was originally thinking of giving a proper introduction if I found a suitable one.

However, such a woman with an extraordinary personality is not someone that an ordinary man can handle.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Yang Shidao eventually went to find Xu Mingwei.

As the strongest genius of the Yang family in this generation, his defeat to Xu Mingwei left a shadow in his heart. He has always been unwilling to accept it and hopes to fight again.

More than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and now the opportunity has finally arrived.

In this battle, he only wanted to bring it to a close.

"What business does Brother Shidao have with me?" Xu Mingwei asked calmly.

"I would like to challenge Brother Xu to a duel."

"Fight me? Why?" Xu Mingwei suddenly chuckled.

"Years ago, I was defeated by you, but I refused to believe that my martial arts talent was inferior to that of a peer from a remote county. So I trained hard day and night, but this also caused me to develop a mental obsession. Now I am stuck at the gate of the Grandmaster and can never enter."

"Is that so? Then it is I who was in the wrong?"

“No, it is because I, Yang, am too arrogant. Although I am gradually letting go of my pride, I still want to make a clean break. Please grant my request, Brother Mingwei.” Yang Shidao said sincerely, bowing his head.

Xu Mingwei tapped his knuckles lightly on the desk and fell into thought.

After a long pause, he said, "Since Brother Shidao has made such a request, how could I, Xu, refuse? Let's move to the training ground then."

"Thank you for your help, Brother Mingwei."

Martial arts training ground.

Xu Mingwei and Yang Shidao were about to have a sparring match, which attracted many onlookers.

"I've heard that the person competing against our patriarch is a martial arts genius from a prominent family in the county. I'll set up a betting pool; everyone can place their bets on who will win this battle."

The rest of them stared at him like idiots.

The guard gave an awkward smile, scratched his head, and said, "Haha, I misspoke. I meant to bet that Young Master Yang will be defeated in a few moves."

This matter also reached the West Wing.

Yang Shichang became interested and immediately had someone take him to the training ground.

Yang Zhao and Yang Ruifeng followed.

Then they heard the gossip of the guards who were on leave that day.

"Grandpa, do you think the world is really as bad as they say?" Yang Ruifeng asked Yang Zhao.

More than one person in the Yang family had told him that Yang Shidao was the most outstanding genius of the previous generation of the Yang family, far superior to his father Yang Shichang and his ilk.

Yang Zhao remained silent, his eyes calmly fixed on the two people in the training ground.

Yang Shichang said, "Feng'er, those guards are probably right. Your uncle is indeed not as good as your uncle-in-law. As for how many moves it took him to lose, it's hard to say. Maybe three moves, maybe five moves."

Yang Ruifeng felt ashamed and thought to himself: Father, sometimes I really feel that you are not like a member of the Yang family, but more like a member of the Xu family.

"Don't say anything more, just watch," Yang Zhao said irritably.

The setting sun cast long shadows on the bluestone pavement.

Yang Shidao was dressed in a black outfit, with a resolute look between his brows. His aura was astonishing, causing his robes to flutter loudly.

Xu Mingwei, dressed in a flowing blue robe, stood like an ancient pine tree, rooted firmly in the ground, unmoving.

He exuded no imposing aura whatsoever, conveying a sense of returning to simplicity and authenticity.

"Brother Shidao, please make your move." "Brother Mingwei, please use your full strength."

After speaking, Yang Shidao's innate true energy surged, and his right palm glowed with a crimson light.

In an instant.

A crimson palm print, half a meter tall, condensed and took shape.

Then, he suddenly burst forth with his toes, and his whole body shot towards Xu Mingwei like an arrow released from a bow.

Even as the overwhelming palm force struck his chest, Xu Mingwei's expression remained unchanged. He clenched his right fist as if it were a bud and threw a simple punch at the crimson palm print.

"break!"

The sound was like a thunderclap.

next moment.

The extremely violent crimson true energy palm print was directly pierced through by a single punch, and countless true energies turned into specks of crimson light and dissipated into the air.

The force of the punches was like a violent storm, howling as it arrived.

Not only was her hair-binding jade crown blown in two by the wind, but her entire body was also swept away by an unparalleled force.

Yang Zhao, Yang Shichang, Yang Ruifeng, and their guards all looked horrified.

What was surprising was that he defeated Yang Shidao in one move, but that he was able to defeat him without using his innate true energy.

That would require an incredible amount of force!
Yang Shidao suddenly coughed up blood, slowly got up, and there was no disappointment in his eyes, but rather relief.

Suddenly he burst into laughter, flicked his sleeves, and bowed deeply to Xu Mingwei.

A short while later, he left calmly.

The entire process was conducted in silence, without uttering a single word.

Yang Zhao stroked his beard and smiled faintly, "My Yang family will soon have another grandmaster."

"Father, how did you know? Do you have the ability to foresee the future?" Yang Shichang looked at his father in surprise.

"I'm too lazy to talk to you anymore, go back."

"Father, I also want to stay and spar with my brother-in-law."

"You? What makes you think you can spar with Mingwei? Is it because you're stubborn?" Yang Zhao turned and left.

Yang Ruifeng was also shocked by this battle, and wondered to himself: Just how strong has my uncle become now?
It gave him the feeling that he was even more powerful than the Yang family's eldest elder.

"No, impossible. The Grand Elder is a late-stage Grandmaster. My uncle is a year younger than my father, only thirty-six this year. How could he possibly have reached the late-stage Grandmaster realm?"

Even in the county town, I have never heard of a Grandmaster-level expert of such a young age.

I wonder if there are any cultivation families that possess resources for mastering martial arts?

Yang Ruifeng had no idea.

"Brother-in-law, you've become even stronger! How about we have a friendly spar?" Yang Shichang said heartily.

Xu Mingwei was somewhat taken aback, then shook his head slightly and said, "Brother-in-law, let's forget it. I still have many matters to attend to."

"Then why did you spar with Yang Shidao?"

"Brother Shidao's invitation is sincere, fulfilling his long-held wish. How could I refuse?"

"Actually, I've had this obsession for years, really, brother-in-law, don't you want to hear it? Don't you really want to?"

Xu Mingwei shook his head and chuckled, already walking further and further away.

“Father, I’m not trying to be mean, but if you have this kind of energy, you might as well focus on practicing for three more hours every day,” Yang Ruifeng said.

"Three hours?!" Yang Shichang looked as if he thought the man was joking and said, "Then should your father get some rest?"

"I only sleep five hours a day."

Yang Ruifeng's lips twitched slightly, and he then left the training ground.

As for the guards...

"Ah, I should have known that the patriarch was selfless. I was even thinking that he would give him a hand or two and show him some face, considering his status as a guest from the county town."

"Yes, what a huge loss! My fifty coins!"

"I'm the one who should be crying, I bet two hundred coins!"

"Hehe, the losers have all paid up, so don't try to renege, or you'll be sleeping in my house tonight!"

"Get the hell out of here!"

The duel between Xu Mingwei and Yang Shidao made Yang Ruifeng eager to join in.

When she went with Wen Jing and Yang Shichang to find her aunt Yang Ronghua, she took the opportunity to ask Xu Dezhao for a friendly sparring match.

However, he did not speak. Instead, Xu Dewen said, "Cousin Ruifeng, let me have a match with you."

"You? Devon, you're three years younger than me. You'd better not be reckless, or you might hurt yourself."

"It's alright. I also practice the Fire Element Technique. I wonder how much better Cousin Ruifeng is at practicing the Fire Element Technique than I am."

Wen Jing smiled and said, "Although Feng'er's talent is only average, he is much more diligent than his father. He trains in the coldest winter and hottest summer without interruption."

He has already reached the level of a first-class martial artist some time ago, and is expected to become a Xiantian martial artist before he turns twenty.

"Ronghua, let Dezhao play instead. Dewen is still a bit too young."

Yang Ronghua smiled faintly, "Since Wen'er wants to compete, let Wen'er spar with Feng'er. Wen'er is not weak either."

"Mother, please let me have a match with my cousin Dewen. But if I am lucky enough to win even a move, please let me see my cousin Dezhao's strength."

Yang Ronghua looked at Xu Dewen thoughtfully, her fighting spirit blazing, and said, "Alright, your aunt agrees."

However, although she did not know Xu Dezhao's exact strength, she guessed that he was at least in the mid-to-late stage of the Innate Realm.

With the assistance of Xu Chuan's alchemy, the strength of the Xu family members has improved very rapidly in recent years.

Xu Dezhao and Xu Deling are among the best of the younger generation.

The number of spectators for this battle between the younger generation was even greater than that for the previous battle between Xu Mingwei and Yang Shidao.

This represents the heritage of the younger generation of the Xu and Yang families, and also their future.

Not only were all the younger generation present, but Xu Mingyuan, Xu Mingxuan, and Bai Jing also came to the training ground upon hearing the news.

The Yang family members had also arrived.

“I will host this competition,” Xu Mingshu volunteered.

The two are evenly matched, and this arrangement was made to avoid accidental injury to either of them.

“Father, I’m on Feng’er’s side this time,” Yang Shichang said. “After all, age is a factor. For martial artists, every year under twenty is crucial.”

Even a one-year age difference can make a significant difference, let alone a three-year difference.

He looked at Yang Shidao and then asked, "Brother Shidao, what do you think?"

“What my cousin says makes sense. However, in the art of martial arts, it is not only about the age difference, but also about the difference in talent. I have heard that Xu Dezhao and Dewen are both of pure blood from my Yang family.”

The Fire Element Technique is a martial art created specifically for the Yang family bloodline. The higher the purity of the bloodline, the stronger the martial art, and it can even be used to fight opponents of higher levels.

If the two players are evenly matched, the outcome is unpredictable.

"It can't be that bad, sister. What kind of strength does Devon have now?"

Wen Jing, Shen Nianyan, and the others also looked over curiously.

Yang Ronghua smiled and said, "I don't know about that. The child's martial arts are not under my jurisdiction. I only occasionally heard about it from my husband. Last year, I heard that he had already entered the second-rate martial artist stage, but I don't know about him now."

Yang Shichang smiled slightly and said, "Then I'm relieved. The number of acupoints opened by a second-rate to first-rate martial artist far exceeds that of other realms. Even with the help of medicinal diets and qi-blood pills, it still takes three to four years."

(End of this chapter)