Posted on November 18, 2016 by therealaphye

I changed from Lianqi layer to the Qi Refining layer to make it easier to remember as there are going to be names for a lot more cultivation layers in the future >.

The group of people entered the room. When Xu Ziyan saw the expressions of the Patriarch and her father, she knew that she couldn’t hide the matter any longer. She bitterly smiled as she lightly closed the door. Xu Haoran excitedly looked at Xu Guang and quietly called: “Eleventh di!”

“You really are eleventh di?” Xu Haobo enthusiastically grabbed Xu Guang’s shoulder.

Xu Guang let out an anguished smile. He respectfully called towards Hu Haoran and Xu Haobo: “Da ge!”

Xu Haoran grabbed Xu Guang arm. He was so excited that his eyes turned red. His voice quavered as he said: “Haoguang, it really is you!”

‘Haoguang?Could it be that father’s original name was Haoguang?’ Xu Ziyan thought.

“Da ge, second ge, it’s me.” Xu Haoguang lowered his head. His face was filled with emotions and his eyes glimmered with memories.

Xu Haoran, Xu Haobo, and Xu Haoguang seemed to have endless words to say. Xu Ziyan and her mother silently stood by the side. Xu Shi’s face had an expression of fear. She had only stayed in a little village and was completely ignorant of the world outside. However, Xu Ziyan’s face was full of amazement. She listened carefully to the dialogue between her father and her two bos. From their dialogue, she familiarized herself with this world and her clan.

However, after the three finished talking, the room’s atmosphere became imposing. From their talk, Xu Ziyan could tell that the Xu clan was not peaceful. They were receiving pressure from the Xiao clan and the Wu clan, while Xu Haoran despite being the Patriarch, was unable to completely control the clan. Xu Haoran had a total of 23 siblings, 15 of which were male and the other 8 were female. Other than the 5 females whom have already been married out of the clan, the remaining three pulled their husbands into the clan.

However, the 18 people left in the clan were split into two main powers. The power with Patriarch Xu Haoran as the lead had 9 brothers and two sisters. The other power, with his ninth di, Xu Haoliang, had 5 brothers and one sister and was a force that could not be ignored. Not only that, but Xu Haoliang was the leader of the people who bullied Xu Haoguang all those years ago.

“Haoguang, which position do you want to be in the clan? Tell me and I’ll help you arrange it.”Xu Haoran softly asked after the brief silence in the room

Xu Haoguang lightly shook his head and said: “Da ge, you are only making trouble for yourself. I’m only at Houtian 7th layer. If you give me a position, then ninth ge wouldn’t let it pa.s.s.

“But Yan’er…”

“Yan’er is Yan’er! I am me!” Xu Haoguang still lightly shook his head, however his mouth showed a sliver of a bitter smile. He sighed: “Da ge, I don’t want the clan members to know that I have returned.”

“You won’t be able to hide it!” Xu Haoran shook his head: “Earlier, second di and I personally came to welcome you in the entrance. That won’t escape ninth di’s notice. Even if they didn’t recognize you then, over time, when you meet, it’s not possible for them not to be able to recognize you.”

“However, Yan’er is still very young. I just came back to the clan and my cultivation base is so weak…” Xu Haoguang’s eyes let off a feeling of trepidation.

“So what?” Xu Haoran puffed out his chest and let out a domineering and awe-inspiring air: “With me here, who dares to do anything to Yan’er?” His gaze was apologetic as he helplessly said to Xu Haoguang: “However…Haoguang, ninth di will probably aim at you…and if he found out that Yan’er is your daughter and that she is so good at making talismans, he might….”

Hearing their words, was in contemplation but could not think of any good solutions. The only one she could think of that was decent was the hold this matter back for as long as possible. However, she didn’t know if it was usable so she quietly said the plan outloud.

When Xu Ziyan finished speaking, the room was filled with silence. Finally, Xu Haoran slapped his leg with approval: “Wonderful! As long as we put eleventh di into second di’s residence, and then tell other people than Yan’er doesn’t like to be disturbed by others, then having Haoguang not meet with ninth di is possible. However…”

Xu Haoran’s expression darkened again. Xu Haobo finally reacted and meekly said: “However since Yan’er will work in the talisman department hall, she has to see people. Over time, if ninth di want’s to see Yan’er parents, Yan’er won’t be able to reject him! Ninth di also has a high position, while Yan’er is only a Keqing Elder!”

Xu Ziyan thought for a while and then said: “Then…I won’t go to the talisman department hall. I’ll just make talismans in second bo’s residence.”

“This won’t work either!” Xu Haoran shook his head: “If you hide in second di’s residence, originally, it wouldn’t matter. Everyone knows that talisman experts are very eccentric. Not going to meet people won’t seem odd at all. However, as a Keqing Elder, you are allowed to see all the skill books in the family library below the 3rd layer. If you hide in second di’s residence, how would you look at the skill books in the library? If you don’t look at skill books, how would you improve your cultivation base? The difficult part of this is that if you go to the library, you will definitely meet ninth di. They would take all opportunities to get you to join them. You won’t be able to avoid them.”

“The family library?” Xu Ziyan’s eyes lit up. She didn’t understand this world very well. The library would give her a good opportunity to recover her lacking knowledge. She also knew that this was a world of cultivators. If she wanted to survive in this world, the best way would be through the power of cultivation. The library also had Xu clan’s precious skill books collected over their thousands of years of existence. This was an opportunity she just couldn’t give up! However she didn’t want to stir up trouble when her cultivation base was so weak, and she she frowned and silently sat there.

The room was very quiet, so quiet that the sound of wind rushing by could be heard. The snowflakes outside slowly floated downwards toward the ground. Suddenly Xu Ziyan said: “Da bo, is there a lot of people that know I’ve become a Keqing Elder?”

“En. Basically everyone with a high position in the clan knows.” Xu Haoran confusedly looked at Xu Ziyan. He didn’t know what she meant by asking that question.

“Is there a lot of people who have seen me?”

“Not a lot. Those who’ve seen you close up isn’t a lot. Only your second bo and I, as well as Lin Pinghai and some disciples have seen you.”

Xu Ziyan’s face shone with determination as she quietly said: “Da bo, I want to know if I used a clan disciple’s ident.i.ty, would I still be able to view the skill books in the library?

Xu Haoran froze, and somewhat understood Xu Ziyan’s intention but not fully, but he still explained:  “There are three levels of clan disciples. The ones below 15 years old that have not broken through the Houtian 5th layer all practice within the inst.i.tute. The inst.i.tute naturally has teachers to help them cultivate.  If they still haven’t broken through the Houtian 5th layer once they are 15, then they will be removed from the inst.i.tute and leave the clan to do tasks.”

Xu Haoran paused and then looked at looked at Xu Haoguang awkwardly. Xu Haoguang’s expression was unnatural and his eyes refused to meet Xu Haoran’s. Xu Haoran retracted his gaze and then continued to say to Xu Ziyan: “ If one breaks through Houtian 5th layer, they will be able to enter the outer court. An outer court disciple has the privilege of viewing the first floor. Once they go from Houtian into the Xiantian realm, they way enter the inner court. Inner disciples are already the clan’s elites. Disciples from the first level of the Qi Refining layer to the 4th level can enter the second floor.  Those at the fifth level to the eighth level of the Qi Refining layer can enter the 3rd floor. The 9th to 12th levels of the Qi Refining layer disciples can read the skill books on the 4th floor. As for the highest floor, the fifth floor, only those with a  Foundation Establishment cultivation base can enter it. Having a Foundation Establishment cultivation base is already incredible within the earthly clans. Our Xu clan only has five Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

“Da bo, who are these five seniors?” Xu Ziyan asked in amazement.

“Three of them are my ancestors. One of them is our Xu clan’s founder. He normally is in secluded cultivation in the mountains. n.o.body knows what his cultivation base is currently. One of the two is my father, the other is your ninth bo’s father. All are in secluded cultivation. And the last two are your ninth bo and I. I’m at the 3rd level of the Qi Refining layer, while your ninth bo is at the 2nd level of the Qi Refining layer and is slightly weaker than me.”

“Da bo, then the previous Patriarch is you father?” Xu Ziyan asked.

“Yes!” Xu Haoran looked at Xu Ziyan with a bit of pride glowing in his eyes.

Xu Ziyan couldn’t help but lightly sigh. It seemed like da bo’s family and ninth bo’s family were always fighting for power. Da bo’s family could always restrain ninth bo’s family as their cultivation bases were higher. On this world, the ones with high cultivation bases could control everything. She solidified her beliefs. She perused her thoughts before then solemnly saying: “Da bo, I want to use the disciple’s ident.i.ty to enter the family library. As for my background, then I’ll have to ask da bo to help.”

“Then what do you do about your Keqing Elder ident.i.ty?” Xu Haoran had a hesitant expression on his face.

“Just say that I’m unwilling to see outsiders. Besides, there is second bo to protect against any troubling situations. And there will be no one who dares to enter his residence without his consent. As for the talismans I have to make every month, I’ll just secretly give them to second bo.”

Xu Haoran carefully looked at Xu Ziyan, but in the end he still shook his head and said: “Hiding your true ident.i.ty is easy.  I can even sent the disciples who know your true ident.i.ty to some place far away from the clan, which can make sure that no one will be able to recognize you. As for the ones who have seen you from a distance, they haven’t seen you closely so just as long as you slightly change your attire, no one will recognize you. However, if a person at the first level of the Qi Refining layer suddenly joins the clan, it might raise some suspicions.”

Glossary:

Di – younger brother

Da – means ‘big’, or in the context of being in front of ‘ge’ or ‘bo’, the eldest of the brothers, or the eldest of the bo’s. Notice that da can only be used in front of t.i.tles for and older person, for example ‘ge’, ‘jie’, and ‘bo’, but not ‘di’ or ‘mei’.

Ge – elder brother

Bo – father’s elder brother

Characters:

Xu Ziyan – the female MC | Currently at the first level of the Qi Refining layer

Xu Haoguang/ Xu Guang – Xu Ziyan’s father | Currently at the 7th Houtian layer

Xu Shi – Xu Ziyan’s mother | Cultivation unknown (presumably none)

Xu Haobo – Xu Ziyan’s second bo, or Xu Haoguang’s second eldest brother; the leader of the talisman department of the Xu clan | Cultivation unknown (presumably somewhere in the Qi Refining layer

Xu Haoran – the Xu clan Patriarch; Xu Ziyan’s eldest bo, or Xu Haoguang’s eldest brother | Currently at the 3rd level of the Foundation Establishment layer

Xu Haoliang – Xu Ziyan’s ninth bo or Xu Haoguang’s ninth eldest brother; leader of the other power vying for the position of Xu clan Patriarch | Currently at the 2nd level of the Foundation Establishment layer

Lin Pinghai – previously the best talisman expert within the clan (can make superior first degree talismans) and is also a Gongfeng Elder | Cultivation unknown

Other Information: