Building a long-lasting family lineage starting with genealogy

Chapter 185 Xu Chuan's Gift (Please Subscribe)

"It's rare that you said something right today."

Xu Chuan smiled faintly and looked at Xu Dezhao: "Do you want to be the head of the family?"

"I," Xu Dezhao glanced at his father, Xu Mingwei.

"You don't need to look at your father, just ask yourself if you are ready to take on the heavy responsibility of being the head of the family."

"As the head of the family, you will know everything that happens in the Xu family, big or small, including things that are usually kept from you and the younger generation, or even more secretive things."

If any important matter arises in any branch, the head of the clan must be informed before a council of elders is convened for clan discussion.

"Regardless of which family, the head of the family is one of the most core members of the clan, representing the face of the family."

Xu Dezhao remained silent, seemingly struggling internally, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the table beside him.

The rest of the people remained silent.

After a while.

Xu Dezhao suddenly stood up, and the sunlight from the window shone on his face, making his eyes sparkle with golden light.

He has practiced martial arts since childhood, so he is not thin.

He gives people a sense of security.

His fists were clenched tightly, and his eyes were filled with unwavering determination; he had already made his decision.

"Grandpa, I want to be the head of the family!"

"Please grant my request, sir!"

Xu Chuan smiled slightly, and Xu Mingwei and the other four all wore the same smile.

His smile was tinged with satisfaction.

Xu Deling, on the other hand, was somewhat excited.

Looking at other prominent families, none of them have ever allowed someone under the age of thirty to succeed as the head of the family.

Most of them are in their forties or fifties.

After all, they are cultivators, and it's normal for the previous generation of family heads to hold power until they are eighty or ninety years old.

As for the next head of the family, it will likely be passed on directly to an outstanding person in the generation after that.

"Brother, congratulations on inheriting your father's business," Xu Mingxuan said, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Zhao'er is still very young and needs your uncles to guide her."

“Father, are you really willing to give up the position of family head? At your age of forty, you are probably the youngest among the heads of other aristocratic families.”

A hint of approval flashed in Xu Mingwei's eyes as he smiled and said, "That's true, but don't forget that my Xu family came from the mortal world. I started serving as the head of this family when I was just over twenty."

Now, if you count it up, it's been twenty years already.

As he spoke, he glanced at Xu Chuan and said, "Actually, compared to the aptitude of the family head, our generation of Mingyuan is more suitable."

Thanks to my father's strong support and guidance, and also thanks to Mingyuan's help, I was able to gradually improve and get used to things.

He patted Xu Mingyuan on the shoulder, and Xu Mingyuan replied with a smile: "In ordinary families, life is short, so establishing the eldest son is indeed the best option."

Cultivators can fly and travel underground. The powerful ones can even rival an entire clan. Many clans have also experienced members defecting.

Therefore, to lead them, one must select someone who can be trusted.

"Eldest brother, your character and actions command our respect, and your strength surpasses that of the entire family. Naturally, it will still be you."

“You always have so many things to say to me.” Xu Mingwei smiled and pointed at him, then said to Xu Dezhao, “Your father prefers fighting, but your grandfather requested that I continue to serve as the head of the family.”

Now that I have you, Zhao'er, I can finally lay down my burdens and focus solely on managing my battle hall.

"So, it's me who held you back, isn't it?" Xu Chuan said playfully.

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

"Father, please don't joke around," Xu Mingwei said helplessly.

"Enough with the small talk. It seems everyone here agrees that Zhao'er will succeed as the head of this family."

Everyone nodded.

"He who wins the hearts of the people achieves twice the result with half the effort!" Xu Chuan said with a faint smile, "Don't let down your father and uncles' expectations."

They've all made way for you today.

What you said today, they have already figured out.

“Father, I didn’t,” Xu Mingxian said calmly.

"Don't sabotage me!" Xu Chuan said with a laugh.

“Father, it’s all your own doing, we’re just going along with your wishes,” Xu Mingyuan said with a smile.

"Are you all itching for a beating?"

Everyone laughed.

"At Chenshi (7-9 AM) on the first day after the annual sacrifice, the ancestral hall was opened to offer sacrifices to the ancestors. Mingyuan remembered to pass on this message to the heads of the vassal families, as well as the Chang and Yang families."

"And by the way, I'd like to inform the Zhou family of the change of head of my Xu family."

"I understand."

Liuyun County.

Chen family.

"Hmm, a change of family head? Nephew Dezhao is going to succeed as the family head?"

Chen Daniu looked at the letter in his hand, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. "It seems that there are going to be big changes in the master's household again."

Today, the Chen family is the largest and most prominent family in Liuyun County.

After all, besides Chen Daniu, a late-stage Innate Realm martial artist, there were also three Innate Realm experts.

Two of them are his offspring, and the other is a guard with good martial arts talent whom he recruited, who has now become an elder of the Chen family.

Chen Daniu also arranged for his descendants to marry into other families to improve the quality of Chen's descendants.

The Bai family is the same.

The Li family's roots are in Qingjiang County.

Aside from the Xu family, the Li family is the most prominent family in Qingjiang.

With a mid-stage Grandmaster in charge, one person alone can sweep away an entire powerful family.

However, the Li family started from almost nothing, so their foundation was quite shallow.

The tribe is also small in number.

If Li Er hadn't given birth to seven or eight children in one go, the Li family would probably have become a single-lineage family.

After all, Li Zhi didn't seem to be enthusiastic about this, and he only had one son and one daughter, who were about the same age as Xu Derong and the others.

The Li family's martial arts are still quite good.

Whether it was Li Zhi's sons or his younger siblings, they all had decent aptitude for martial arts.

The two oldest have already entered the Innate Realm.

The others also have a chance.

Most of them married at the age of seventeen or eighteen, with the earliest being sixteen, and all of them had already given birth to children for the Li family.

In this respect, they did not follow Li Zhi's example; each of them had three to five beautiful wives and concubines, and many children.

In ten years, the number of their descendants will likely exceed that of the Xu family.

As for the other families of Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Zhou, they are relatively weak, but they still have one or two innate masters and many peak acquired masters as guards, making them among the top in the county.

The head of the household is one of the core figures of power.

The change of the head of the family signifies a shift in the core of power.

This concerns the future of each family, so they all treat it with great care.

Of course, things will be different from the outside world, but within the Xu family, the changes are not significant.

The head of the family can make decisions on minor matters and matters concerning vassal families, but major matters still need to be approved by the council of elders.

This is a form of checks and balances.

Having shed the heavy burden of being the head of the family, Xu Mingwei seemed much more relaxed, as if his mind had become clearer.

Feeling a sense of urgency, he immediately went into seclusion.

Five or six days later.

Xu Mingwei emerged from seclusion, his cultivation level finally reaching the pinnacle of Qi Refining.

Two days later, after taking the Divine Advancement Pill, his divine sense underwent a transformation, and divine consciousness was born.

Thanks to the Breakthrough Pill, the Zhou family has more than 20 members at the ninth level of Qi Refining, but only six or seven members have reached the perfect ninth level of Qi Refining.

Zhou Shaoyuan was greatly surprised to learn that the position of head of the Xu family was to be changed.

After all, Xu Mingwei is still very young, so it is normal for Xu Chuan to be the head of the family.

But now it is to be passed on to a young man who has just come of age.

"The Xu family's actions are truly unbelievable."

"I remember Xu Dezhao was just a martial artist, right?"

Zhou Shaoyuan frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Someone, go and invite Elder Zhou Sen here."

"Yes, master."

The guards at the gate clasped their hands in a fist salute and then left immediately.

Soon.

Zhou Sen then entered the study and asked, "Master, did you want to see me?"

"Elder Zhou Sen, the Xu family has sent word that Xu Mingwei is about to step down as head of the family and pass the position to his son, Xu Dezhao. Since the Xu family has informed us, our Zhou family cannot remain silent."

We kindly request Elder Zhou Sen to bring his gifts and make a visit on the first day of the Lunar New Year to attend the ceremony.

According to the letter, the ceremony will take place at Chen Shi (7-9 AM). Elder Zhou Sen, please do not forget the time.

Zhou Sen stroked his long beard and said, "Perfect timing. I'm currently having some trouble refining high-grade Lesser True Essence Pills, so I'll take this opportunity to consult Fellow Daoist Xu Chuan."

"Top-grade?!" Zhou Shaoyuan's face lit up with joy. "Elder Zhou Sen's alchemy skills have improved considerably."

"Although the Lesser True Essence Pill is not as good as the True Essence Pill, it is still a second-grade pill. It has reached the bottleneck of the upper grade, and it is probably catching up with Xu Chuan."

Zhou Sen smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I have made progress, but it will be difficult for me to catch up with Fellow Daoist Xu."

"Even though we can both refine second-grade high-quality pills, Fellow Daoist Xu can probably quickly master almost all second-grade pills and refine high-quality pills. I am far inferior to him."

"Elder Zhou Sen, do not be presumptuous. Once you are able to refine a high-grade pill, you may participate in the test offered by the Pill Hall. If you pass, you can further your alchemy skills in the Pill Hall."

"Didn't Xu Chuan also make rapid progress after going to the Pill Hall?"

"The Pill Hall?" Zhou Sen murmured. "Let's talk about this later."

Zhou Shaoyuan nodded slightly.

The day before the annual memorial service.

A large gathering of the Xu family.

Everyone reported on the achievements of the year.

Wu Mingsheng said, "Elder, Wu Da and Wu Er are already able to refine mid-grade magic weapons, and Wu San is also learning how to refine mid-grade magic weapons."

De Ling is exceptionally gifted; her skill in crafting low-grade magical artifacts far surpasses even my own.

"Excellent. I have bestowed one high-grade Breakthrough Pill upon each of Wu Da, Wu Er, and Wu San. I hope they will continue their efforts."

"Thank you, Elder." Wu Mingsheng said, "It's just that I tried to refine a fine magic weapon twice, but I failed both times and wasted a lot of materials."

Feeling deeply ashamed, I dared not continue.

"I urge the Grand Elder to entrust this task to Deling. I believe that with her talent, she will surely be able to forge exquisite magical artifacts in the future."

Xu Chuan pondered for a moment, then looked at Wu Mingsheng and said, "The matter of crafting exquisite magical artifacts is of great importance. Ling'er certainly has a chance, but it will take too long, and the Xu family cannot afford to wait."

"I will lend you a hand in this matter after the gathering, Elder Wu, please do not be impatient."

Help me?

Wu Mingsheng was puzzled, but since Xu Chuan had spoken, he had no choice but to believe him.

Forging exquisite magical artifacts is a huge hurdle for any artifact refiner. Anyone who can reach such a level of artifact refining skill will be welcomed by all the major foundation-building families in the Great Wei Dynasty, including the royal Cao family.

It even helped him break through the Foundation Establishment stage and devote himself to the research of crafting top-tier magic weapons.

As a rogue cultivator, Wu Mingsheng's ability to reach the bottleneck of high-quality magical artifacts on his own is already remarkable.

He felt deeply ashamed that he had failed to keep the promise he had made to the Xu family.

"How is the Array Hall?"

Xu Mingxian said, "It's alright. With Fellow Daoist Luo joining us, he can be of some help."

Luo Qianshan also said, "I admire Elder Mingxian's array skills. I am grateful to the Grand Elder for giving me this opportunity to follow Elder Mingxian."

Luo felt that in a few more years, his skills in array formations would definitely improve significantly.

"Then Fellow Daoist Luo should study arrays diligently in the Array Hall. If needed, please spare no effort."

"That's natural," Luo Qianshan said, cupping his hands in greeting. "What's the current situation at the Talisman Hall?" Xu Chuan asked Lu Feng.

Lu Feng clasped his hands and said, "Reporting to the Grand Elder, with the addition of Elder Mingyuan, a genius in talisman making, to the Talisman Hall, the production of talismans has increased considerably, and we should be able to sell them in the market and chamber of commerce."

As for Lu, his cultivation has reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, and his success rate in drawing mid-grade talismans has improved somewhat compared to before.

"Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist Lu. Now that you have reached the peak of the sixth level, there is no need to linger at this level. The clan will bestow upon you two high-grade Breakthrough Pills. You must break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining in one go."

Lu Feng's eyes were filled with joy, and his body trembled slightly with excitement. He immediately clasped his hands and said, "Thank you, Elder!"

Then, Xu Chuan looked at Wu Zhen and asked, "Fellow Daoist Wu, how have you been doing in my Xu family?"

"It was very comfortable, and Mr. Wu was glad that he had chosen the Xu family."

"I heard from Ming Wei that you have been teaching the disciples of the Battle Hall how to fight against the enemy recently. You have really worked hard."

"As the chief instructor of the battle hall, this is Wu's duty."

Xu Chuan nodded slightly, also making a promise, "When Fellow Daoist Wu reaches the ninth level of the bottleneck, he can also receive a pill to break through the bottleneck for free."

"Thank you, Great Elder!"

The rest were some routine matters of the clan. Xu Mingyuan mentioned that many of the clan's guards were stuck at a bottleneck in their martial arts and could not break through.

There was also the matter of the change of head of the family.

Afterwards, Xu Chuan left Wu Mingsheng alone.

"Elder," Wu Mingsheng said, clasping his hands in greeting.

"Let's sit down and talk."

"Yes."

Xu Chuan glanced at him and said indifferently, "Now you are also at the late stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining, not far from the perfection of Qi Refining."

"Thanks to the Xu family for consistently providing high-grade Qi Gathering Pills."

“I don’t know much about weapon crafting, but I know that belief is essential for doing anything. The stronger the belief, the more likely you are to succeed. So Elder Wu, you must strengthen your belief.”

"Yes."

Wu Mingsheng sighed inwardly; this was easier said than done.

"Belief is mysterious and profound. It is not something that can be achieved by saying 'I will succeed' a thousand times or ten thousand times. Rather, it comes from the heart."

Wu Mingsheng listened quietly.

"The way of the mind is equally mysterious, but it is affected by external events and things."

"Just like now, Elder Wu has failed repeatedly and feels sorry for the Xu family. If I let you refine it again now, I am certain that you will fail again, and even the success rate of refining a high-grade magic weapon will be reduced."

Wu Mingsheng nodded slightly.

He was indeed in a bad state at the moment.

"But you will be affected by failure, and your faith will also be greatly strengthened by your own inner strength."

As he spoke, Xu Chuan patted his storage bag, took out a porcelain bottle, and handed it to Wu Mingsheng, saying, "This is a top-grade Divine Sense Pill, and there are three inside."

"A top-grade Divine Mind Pill?!" Wu Mingsheng's eyes widened in surprise.

He had naturally heard of this pill over the years in the Xu family, but it was extremely rare, and very few of the core members of the Xu family had ever taken it.

"Whether it's refining weapons, alchemy, formations, or talisman making, a strong divine sense is very beneficial to improving one's immortal skills."

It can even help when breaking through the bottleneck of foundation building.

These three superior-grade Divine Sense Pills are enough to elevate your divine sense to a level far exceeding the peak of Qi Refining. Beyond that, the only possible advancement would be the transformation of divine sense into divine consciousness.

Wu Mingsheng's eyes gleamed with fervor. "Elder, this..."

"This is not a free gift. As you know, this pill is very precious. Even with the current resources of my Xu family, we only have enough spiritual herbs to make a few batches."

Therefore, if you accept this, you will be required to craft three exquisite magical artifacts free of charge.

"I," Wu Mingsheng hesitated for a moment, but thinking of the benefits it would bring him, he gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

"There is also the first part of the Nine Flames Technique and the Weapon Control Technique, which are not usually passed on to outsiders. I will now bestow them upon Elder Wu to help you reach a higher level in the art of weapon crafting."

Wu Mingsheng flipped through it and was immediately pleasantly surprised.

The former enhances the control of divine thought, enabling one to focus on one thought at a time. When combined with a high-grade divine thought pill, it is like adding wings to a tiger.

The latter allows one to manipulate objects more easily. Although it is not as effective as the "Nine Flames Technique," it is still quite useful for weapon refiners.

"Elder Wu must swear an oath to never reveal these two things to anyone, or he will die with his soul shattered."

Wu Mingsheng did not hesitate and immediately made an oath.

When choosing cultivation techniques and secret arts, everyone in the Xu Family Taoist Scripture Pavilion must swear an oath.

Therefore, he had no obstacles in his mind.

In other words, Xu Chuan's bestowal of this gift can be considered a great favor to him.

"Once Elder Wu has memorized it, let's burn all these copies, just in case."

"Yes, Great Elder."

"Once Elder Wu has reached the peak of Qi Refining, his divine sense has greatly increased, and he possesses two great secret techniques, I think you should be confident in refining exquisite magic weapons."

Wu Mingsheng bowed and said, "I will never let the Grand Elder down!"

The two of them immediately left the council hall and flew towards the Hall of Immortal Arts.

New Year's Day.

For dozens of miles along Dongxi, every household is adorned with colorful decorations, and the streets and alleys are filled with fragrance.

Children frolic in the fields, old men chat under the eaves, drums and music resound, and sacrificial rites are solemn.

On the mountain.

The Xu family residence hosted a banquet for four generations.

The older members of the younger generation, such as Xu Derong and Xu Dejin, were teasing the younger children, including Xu Deyue, Xu Deqian, Xu Chonghui, and Xu Chongming.

Xu Dejun, Xu Deheng, Xu Derui, and others talked to each other, asking about their progress in martial arts.

Later, Xu Dezhao, Xu Dejing, and Xu Dewen also joined in the evaluation.

Xu Mingwei and other elders either accompanied their wives or chatted with others, commenting on the martial arts of the younger generation.

Xu Chuan and Bai Jing watched these scenes silently, their eyes filled with smiles.

Not long after.

The sound of firecrackers echoed throughout every inch of Dongxi.

The white tiger looked up at the colorful night sky, feeling utterly helpless.

Humans are so boring.

It's released every year on this day.

It kept the tiger awake all night.

After glancing at the tigress, I decided to fight until dawn.

late at night.

"My lady, you have been a member of the Xu family for forty-four years, and your contributions have been invaluable. Today, I present you with a gift to mark the anniversary of your marriage." Xu Chuan produced a small jade box, about the size of a palm.

"Why did you suddenly think of giving me a gift? Did you forget my birthday and are trying to make up for it?"

Xu Chuan laughed and said, "Let's just say that."

Bai Jing smiled as she accepted the exquisite jade box. Her temples were already frosted with snow, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes were layered like folding fans.

Xu Chuan stood in front of him, his face as smooth and clean as a newly made inkstone.

One resembles a chrysanthemum about to wither on a branch in late autumn, the other a peach blossom just beginning to bloom on a treetop in March.

They don't seem like a couple, but more like a mother and son.

She opened it and found a bluish-white pill inside.

Its surface has blue patterns that shine like rosy clouds. The moment the jade box is opened, a fragrance of cinnabar fills the entire hall.

It is invigorating to hear.

"Pills?" Bai Jing asked doubtfully, "I haven't had any illnesses lately, so I don't need any pills to treat me."

"This pill is extremely precious. You don't need to ask any further questions. If you wish to spend more time with me, my children, and my grandchildren, then take this pill."

After a moment of silence, Bai Jing finally nodded slightly.

She has very few worldly attachments left. The Bai family is thriving and has become a prominent family, which is a fitting tribute to her ancestors.

What remains are her husband, her child, and her grandchildren, including her newborn great-grandchildren.

"I eat."

Bai Jing opened her mouth and swallowed it. Xu Chuan flicked his sleeve, and her whole body went limp, and she lost consciousness.

Xu Chuan moved it to the bed.

This elixir contains the immense power of life, which is beyond the capacity of ordinary people to bear and digest.

Therefore, Xu Chuan had no choice but to personally help her refine the medicinal power, and to prevent her from feeling uncomfortable, he put her into a deep sleep.

After spending half the night, Xu Chuan used the age-preserving technique he created from his research on the "withering, flourishing, birth, and death" to make Bai Jing rejuvenate and regain her youthful appearance.

If you perform this once every ten years thereafter, you can maintain your youth forever.

The next morning.

When Bai Jing woke up, she felt lighter than ever before.

Turning around, I saw that Xu Chuan was not there.

She was used to it.

"Ali."

She called out softly, and immediately felt that her voice sounded a little off, but she didn't pay much attention to it.

Until the middle-aged woman named Ali came in carrying water for washing her face.

There was a "clang" sound.

The basin fell to the ground, leaving a puddle of water.

Bai Jing turned her head and looked at him, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "What's wrong, Ali? Why were you so careless today? Chenshi is the day Zhao'er takes over as the head of the family. We can't delay it."

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost. Aren't you going to let someone come and clean it up?"

"Madam, what is your appearance?"

What's wrong with my appearance?

"You've become exactly the same as when Ali first met you."

"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm over sixty years old. No matter how sweet my words are, I'll still be punished if I do something wrong."

"No, Madam, what Ali said is true."

Bai Jing stepped forward, about to reprimand Ali, but saw that the reflection in the puddle of water on the ground was a completely different appearance from her usual one.

It is her lost youth!
Bai Jing was somewhat incredulous, but then she remembered the pills Xu Chuan had given her the night before.

So this is the gift my husband gave me.

Is the ability of cultivators to bring back lost youth?
"Don't be surprised. My Xu family is a family of cultivators. It's not surprising that we have some techniques to restore youthful appearance. Servants are forbidden from talking about this. Anyone who dares to leak it will be executed."

"Yes, old lady."

"Come and help me with my makeup and dressing. Have the servants clean up this mess."

"Yes."

Bai Jing's appearance caused quite a stir.

However, the sound was quickly suppressed.

Chenshi.

"Open the ancestral hall and offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth!" Xu Chuan's deep voice rang out.

The ancestral hall gate slowly opened.

The Xu clan members lined up neatly and entered the ancestral hall to burn incense and offer sacrifices.

after the end.

"Begin the patriarchal succession ceremony!"

"Dezhao, come here and kneel down."

Xu Dezhao stepped out from the crowd and knelt on the prayer mat in the center.

Xu Chuan read aloud: "The Xu family has a son named Dezhao, who possessed spiritual talent from a young age and was insightful from childhood. He embarked on the path of immortality at the age of twenty and has gained a thorough understanding of worldly affairs in the past twenty years."

"Paying respects to one's parents morning and evening is a matter of filial piety; showing brotherly love and care for one's siblings is a testament to true brotherly affection."

at the same time.

Xu Dezhao held three sticks of incense above his head and bowed three times to the ancestral tablets.

"Before the Lingjian Hall, three sticks of incense are offered to uphold the ancestral teachings; beneath the Qingyun Steps, a mysterious seal is issued to usher in a new era. We request the patriarch to sign it!"

(End of this chapter)