“If you want me to join the Xu clan, it’s not impossible!” Xu Ziyan said.

Xu Haobo was filled with happiness when he heard that she was willing to join the Xu clan. However, he was still worried that Xu Ziyan would mention the matter with his fourth di. His face showed shame. When Xu Ziyan saw his expression, she naturally knew what he was thinking about. She couldn’t help but smile  in her heart. All she wanted was a good cultivation environment and she she naturally wouldn’t make things diffic`2ult for Xu Haomiao. Even if it was for revenge, she would have to wait until she had enough strength. However, she wouldn’t show her feelings openly on her face. She said: “What benefits does the Xu clan have that is worthy of making me join? Also, I do not want to be restrained of my freedom too much in the clan.”

When Xu Haobo noticed that Xu Ziyan didn’t mention the matter with his fourth di, he felt relief. He smiled sincerely and affectionately said: “Great master, as long as you are willing to join, I can even request the Patriarch to grant you an Keqing Elder position, which will let you use all the benefits of being an Keqing Elder. Not only that, but all you need to do is to make some paper talisman for the clan every month, Of course, once the great master cultivates to a high level, if the clan is in danger, I would like to request the great master to help us. Even now, the clan can send out high-level cultivators to protect you.’

Hearing Xu Haobo say this, Xu Ziyan knew that hen saw her cultivation base and believed it was a little low. However, she would tell that Xu Haobo didn’t give her a lot of restraints. She showed a pondering expression and then nodded: “Good!”

Xu Haobo’s face expressed joy. Without containing his excitement, he hurriedly said: “Great master, let us go to see the Patriarch..”

Under Xu Haobo’s lead, they walked through the courtyard until they finally met the current Patriarch, Xu Haoran. At first, when Xu Haoran saw his second di bringing a girl around 10 something years of age, he slightly furrowed his brows. However, when Xu Haobo  explained the situation to him, his face relaxed and he eventually showed a slight smiling expression. He gaze toward Xu Ziyan also became much more warm. However, the warm gaze still contained a bit of sharpness. As he evaluated Xu Ziyan, she felt as though she was completely exposed of everything under his knowing gaze.

This let Xu Ziyan become extremely uncomfortable. When she felt and overbearing pressure, she felt helpless.

“This is the vast difference in power!”

A thin sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead. A drop of sweat feel from her nose tip to the ground. Just as Xu Ziyan was about to collapse under the pressure, Xu Haoran retracted his gaze. Xu Ziyan immediately felt the pressure lessen. Only after she stumbled a little bit did she regain her balance. Her heart could no help but be aghast: “So this is the power of a strong cultivator!”

However, Xu Ziyan is someone from two lives. She immediately regained her calmness. Xu Haoran, who had been observing the whole time, showed a glimmer of respect in his eyes. He then turned his gaze toward Xu Haobo. His eyes seemed to be asking Xu Haobo whether or not this young and hardly grown-up girl was really able to make talismans.

Xu Haobo immediately understood the his elder brother’s meaning. Without hesitation, he nodded his head. Xu Haoran’s heart became peaceful. Although he was surprised, he felt extremely happy. The girl that stood in front of him was really young. As long as the clan gave her enough help, she would be able to advance very quickly. Just as he was about to say something, the noise of footsteps flooded into the room. When he looked up, Xu Haoran couldn’t help but show a sliver of a bitter smile. The person who entered was Lin Pinghai, the talisman department’s sole Gongfeng Elder. Lin Pinghai was not someone from the Xu clan, rather, he was someone Xu Haoran invited over after spending a large amount of money. Lin Pinghai is the only person in the Xu clan that can make peak first degree talismans. Xu Haobo can only just barely make peak first degree talismans, however the ones that he does make are far lower in quality than real ones. Lin Pinghai is different. He can truly make peak first degree talismans. Therefore, even though Xu Haobo is the talisman department’s leader, it is only because he is Xu clan’s disciple. The only who truly holds the highest position in the talisman department is actually Lin Pinghai.

In the Xu clan, other than the department leader needing to be someone from the Xu clan, the highest position is of an Gongfeng Elder, then an Elder, and finally a Keqing Elder. However, Gongfeng Elder and a normal Elder are Xu clan’s people whether they are surnamed Xu or not. And so, if they leave the Xu clan, that is considered betrayal and they will be chased by the whole clan and killed. However, if you do not betray the clan, then the benefits are very good. Keqing Elder is different. Keqing Elders can leave at any time, but they don’t receive as good of benefits as being a Gongfeng Elder or an Elder.

Today, Lin Pinhai just heard that an extremely young girl was coming to meet the Patriarch and that she could make first degree talismans. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He immediately went to Yishi chamber*. His eyes landed on Xu Ziyan. It was inevitable that he would do so as she was the only young girl in the Yishi chamber. Seeing that the girl was only around 15 to 16 years old and that her cultivation base was only at the first layer of the Lingqi level, Lin Pinghai’s eyes turned cold. In and angry and mocking tone, he called out: “You are which family’s daughter? I can’t believe you actually dare to come here to trick the Patriarch! Do you think that the Xu clan has no people?” He walked forward to stand directly in front of Xu Ziyan. He pointed at her and with the att.i.tude of an Elder, he bluntly said: “You are so young yet you didn’t learn well. You have actually dared to trick all the way to the Xu clan! Do you even know how the word ‘death’ is written?**”

The expressions of the people in the Yishi chamber were all different. Xu Haoran showed a wistful expression. He actually really wanted to see Xu Ziyan’s skill and see if she was really able to make first degree talismans. Xu Haobo, on the other hand, had a helpless expression. He knew that because Lin Pinghai was Xu clan’s best talisman expert, he was normally very arrogant. There were times when he even didn’t give Xu Haoran any face.He didn’t want to lose Xu Ziyan, this talent, due to Lin Pinghai. However, he knew that with Lin Pinghai’s personality, when he got mad, he would give no one face. Xu Haobo, though, also felt as though he wanted to see Lin Pinghai’s reaction after seeing Xu Ziyan’s skill. As he thought about it, he couldn’t help but feel a little happy.

Xu Ziyan didn’t know Lin Pinghai’s ident.i.ty within the clan, but she was sure that he was indeed a talisman expert and that his skill was low, otherwise, he wouldn’t have such a reaction. However, his tone of voice made her feel irritated – extremely irritated. If anyone were to have someone else point at their nose and then scolded, they would also feel extremely uncomfortable. Not only that, Xu Ziyan had only just become a Keqing Elder. She couldn’t help but feel anger, and so, she moved toward the side and ignored Lin Pinghai. She looked at Xu Haoran. Her eyes were clearly saying: “Who is this? Who knew that the Xu clan would have a person that would yell at a guest in the Yishi chamber!”

Of course, Xu Haoran immediately understood the meaning of her gaze. His face showed a sliver of embarra.s.sment and he gave Xu Ziyan a different evaluation. He would have never imagined that someone so young like Xu Ziyan would be able to grasp the situation so well. She didn’t even pay any attention to Lin Pinghai and even shifted her gaze to Xu Haoran. While Lin Pinghai had been scolding her, if Xu Ziyan had given an explanation or had even erupted in anger, her imposing manner would have weakened. But because she had so simply just looked away from Lin Pinghai, she shifted the problem onto Xu Haoran, had not revealed her ident.i.ty, and even displayed a little bit of arrogance. Xu Haoran then had no choice but to say: “Lin gongfeng, this person…”

“Patriarch, don’t be tricked by her! I’ll expose her lies right now!”

This Lin Pinghai actually hadn’t given Xu Haoran any face at all. He had interrupted Xu Haoran when he was in the middle of talking. Lin Pinghai angrily stared at Xu Ziyan. He normally was someone who did know his own limits and wouldn’t interrupt the Patriarch. It was all because of Xu Ziyan’s actions earlier. He was Xu clan’s best talisman expert, but he had actually been ignored by a little girl! He didn’t think his att.i.tude was bad at all. In front of a trickster, is there any need to be polite? Not only that, but he was also attempting to protect the clan’s benefits from going to a trickster. As he thought for a while about the Patriarch’s grateful as well as guilty look once he exposed Xu Ziyan’s little ploy, he couldn’t help but feel a little proud.

Xu Haoran was forced to choke back his words because of Lin Pinghai. He felt a little depressed. He didn’t like Lin Pinghai’s behavior. However, he didn’t want to blame Lin Pinghai, after all, he hadn’t actually seen Xu Ziyan’s skills yet. His hopeful gaze turned towards Xu Ziyan.

*Yishi chamber – the name of the place where they are all gathered, in a way, it is like the main hall in the clan

** Do you know how the word ‘death’ is written? – basically mocking someone that they don’t know the graveness of their actions