Xu Mingxian handed over all the money and the silver silk treasure armor he had looted from the bandits on the road to Xu Mingwei.
Bai Jing asked, "Must you leave again?"
Xu Mingxian nodded, "Father is alone out there. I need to go help him."
"Very well. With you there to look after him, Mother can be somewhat at ease. When you see your father, tell him everything at home is well, and I am well too."
"Yunnu, tell Father that Xueji misses him very much."
"I also miss Grandfather." Xu Dezhao, Xu Dejing, and the others also spoke up one after another.
The youngest, Xu Derui and Xu Deheng, had little impression of Xu Chuan, and the same was true for this fifth uncle of theirs. They only stared curiously with their dark, rolling eyes from their mothers' arms.
After staying at home for an hour, Xu Mingxian bid farewell and left.
He handed over the transcribed copies of "True Explanation of Weapon Refinement Fundamentals," "Complete Collection of Spiritual Herbs," "Introduction to Array Dao," "Detailed Explanation of Xuanzhen Array Formations," and "Golden Sword Art" to Xu Mingwei, telling him to store them in the ancestral hall.
After Xu Mingxian traveled some distance from the Xu family, he summoned his flying sword from his storage bag and flew on it, transforming into a golden flash that disappeared into the distant horizon.
Over two hours later.
He returned to the Yuehu Market.
Only late at night did he reach Xu Chuan's room, conveying Bai Jing and the others' words to him.
"Your mother is understanding and righteous. Xueji still has a bit of childish temperament. Rest assured, Yunnu, within three or four years, we will definitely be able to return to the Xu family."
"Just focus on studying array Dao. When you return, it will certainly be of great use."
"This child understands."
The two communicated through divine sense, unafraid of being overheard.
…
Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
The Xu family.
South Mountain Courtyard.
"Whoosh~"
Xu Mingwei stood in the center, his exhalation like thunder.
His entire body's bones and tendons resonated together, his qi and blood surging, as if transforming into a flood dragon and giant elephant, emitting waves of dragon roars and elephant trumpeting.
The instant his eyes opened, two streams of substantial brilliant light burst forth, like two beams of innate qi, capable of penetrating metal and stone.
"My eyes seem to have undergone a change. They seem able to condense sword light, transforming the ethereal into reality, possessing tangible killing power."
"How strange!"
"Among Father's many children, only I have such eyes!"
"Forget it."
Xu Mingwei stopped thinking about it. He had finally broken through to mid grandmaster realm this time, his strength increasing by several more portions.
He turned to look at the Ink Flood Dragon Bow standing on the ground. Just the aura it emanated was enough to drive away ordinary fierce beasts.
He walked over, his five fingers locking onto the bow body like steel clamps. His dantian sank like lead, his spine swayed like a flood dragon's tail, force penetrating through his shoulder wells and coursing through his arms.
Draw the bow!
Bones and tendons thundered as the Ink Flood Dragon Bow bent like a full moon—open!
"Though slightly strenuous, I've done it. Combined with innate true qi to assist, shooting dozens of arrows consecutively is also possible."
At this moment, Xu Mingyuan happened to arrive. Seeing Xu Mingwei's posture, he couldn't help but praise, "What strength, what skill!"
"Eldest brother, this is that Ink Flood Dragon Bow, isn't it?"
Xu Mingwei nodded with a smile, "Indeed. Now that I've broken through to mid grandmaster realm, no one below peak grandmaster realm can stop me. At full power, I'm also confident in killing late grandmaster realm."
"If I use this Ink Flood Dragon Bow..."
The corners of Xu Mingwei's mouth lifted. Caressing the Ink Flood Dragon Bow, his eyebrows danced with color, his eyes bursting with brilliant light, "Even peak grandmaster realm can be killed!"
Xu Mingyuan stared intently at the Ink Flood Dragon Bow, speaking enviously, "Father is truly biased. Last time he gave you a bow, and now he's given you the Ink Flood Dragon Bow."
"By the way, what grade is this bow?"
"Yunnu said it's a middle-grade magical artifact. The nine arrows are low-grade magical artifacts."
"Hiss~"
Hearing this, Xu Mingyuan drew in a sharp breath, saying in shock, "A complete set of magical artifact bow and arrows?!"
"This Ink Flood Dragon Bow is actually a middle-grade magical artifact?"
"Why such surprise?"
Xu Mingyuan said, "Eldest brother, you don't know, but I've learned some things about immortal cultivators."
"Magical artifacts are the weapons of immortal cultivators. Only with spirit stones or other equivalent resources needed by immortal cultivators can one possibly trade for them."
"A middle-grade magical artifact, even for a family like the Yang family, a sixth-rank top martial Dao aristocratic family, would require gathering the entire clan's strength and spending twenty to thirty years to possibly gather equivalent immortal cultivation resources."
"Indeed." Xu Mingwei nodded, "Without an immortal cultivator's ability to fly through the sky and burrow underground, those rare spiritual flowers and herbs growing in secluded valleys, or demon beasts deep in mountains or swamps, are extremely difficult to find."
Xu Mingyuan's eyes revealed admiration, "Father has only stepped onto the immortal Dao for a few years, yet he can already trade for middle-grade magical artifacts."
"Otherwise, how could he be the father of us several people!" Xu Mingwei laughed heartily.
After a moment, Xu Mingyuan slapped his forehead, "I almost forgot the important matter. Our people in the commandery city learned news that the Yang family has changed family heads."
"Oh?" Xu Mingwei's face remained expressionless, "When did this happen?"
"Half a month ago."
"I'm aware of this matter." Xu Mingwei said lightly.
"There's also word from there, saying it's rumored that the Yang family's old family head originally wanted your father-in-law to become this family head."
"Hmph, wanting to use my father-in-law to win over our Xu family? But father-in-law actually didn't agree?"
Xu Mingwei felt slightly surprised.
Xu Mingyuan said, "Perhaps because of what happened last time, Uncle Yang has always felt guilty. Though his thinking is keen, he's not one who engages in shadowy schemes. From this we can also see that although the Yang family is large, internally it has already divided, unlike our Xu family which is so stable."
"This matter is worth learning from. Over time, our Xu family in the future may also have difficulty guaranteeing such situations won't occur." Xu Mingwei said thoughtfully.
"Eldest brother is right."
"What other matters?" Xu Mingwei looked at Xu Mingyuan. Seeing he seemed troubled, he smiled lightly, "You and I are brothers. Why hesitate? If there's something, speak directly."
"It's still about the commandery city, but it involves the Chang family. Recently, the Chang family's appetite seems to be growing larger. They're no longer satisfied with that fifty percent profit."
"Greed is human nature." Xu Mingyuan pondered, then said, "What do you plan to do? Refuse?"
"The Chang family is in the commandery city. Their foundation is slightly better than even the Yang family. The clan also has peak grandmaster realm supreme martial Dao experts."
"I cannot act rashly, or it will expose the Xu family's foundation prematurely. We must find a more powerful force in the commandery city that can suppress the Chang family."
"I was thinking the same. If eldest brother has a good solution, then fine. If not, I plan to abandon those surface forces and only keep the hidden ones to monitor movements in the commandery city." Xu Mingwei said.
"The Chang family is a fifth-rank aristocratic family. Those who can intimidate them, even if not fourth-rank families, need to be top fifth-rank families."
Xu Mingwei murmured to himself. Suddenly, his eyes burst with brilliant light.
"That's right, the Zhou family!"
"Previously when Yunnu returned, he told me that Father is now an alchemist, serving as a guest elder at the Zhou Clan's Pill Shop in the Yuehu Market."
Xu Mingyuan was slightly shocked, "Eldest brother, are you talking about the Zhou family that was recently promoted to fourth rank in Yuehu Commandery?!"
"It must be this Zhou family."
"Then we have a way to maneuver, and we can even make the Chang family spit out everything they've eaten from our Xu family these past few years."
Xu Mingyuan smiled coldly, "Fourth-rank aristocratic families can only be achieved by immortal cultivation families, and the clan must have at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Compared to them, fifth-rank families are like clouds and mud."
"Don't expose Father's identity as a Zhou family guest elder." Xu Mingwei reminded.
"That goes without saying."