Chapter 158 (Patreon)

“Is this real?” Qianyue asked quietly.

“Is what real?” Shu Yang asked, taking a sip of the wine that Tianan had prepared for the celebration.

“All this,” Qianyue said, gesturing to the large crowd of cultivators seated down below, many of them Shu family members. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. Is this still the same family that we had back in Baishu Village? Are these the same kids that used to go up early in the morning to work in the fields so we would have enough food to eat?”Shu Yang nodded slowly, looking over where Tianhu and Tianyi were seated, now both Foundation cultivators.

Tianyi advanced a few months after Tianhu, breaking through to the Foundation stage with her body cultivation. And just like they had planned, they arranged a joint ceremony for the two children to celebrate at the Shu Sword Hall.

“I know what you mean,” Shu Yang said. Things had certainly changed, and this evening, it was clear just how much things had changed.

The room was packed with important cultivators; the most shocking presence for the people there was definitely Bian Fenglin. Shu Yang had invited him, but he never expected him to actually show up.

The second most important guest was another unexpected visitor, True Person Renmeng, the Master of Xinjiang and Xinxi. Shu Yang hadn’t even thought to invite her, and was completely taken by surprise when she arrived with the twins. 

But despite that, the one who attracted the most attention, mostly from the other Shu members, was Xinmo, seated next to his father. 

He wasn’t the same young boy he had been when he left. He was now 21 years old, and a Core Disciple of the Sword Sect.

Shu Yang had hardly been able to believe it when he went to visit the sect and was told that the boy had been accepted as the disciple of the Xiujian Peak Master. Even now, he couldn’t quite understand it.

Bian Fenglin had explained how it all happened, and Xinmo had told him about his strange sword intent, but it still felt a bit too good to be true.

But true it was, and now the Shu Family not only put on display the strength of Tianhu and Tianyi, but of Xinmo, Xinjiang, and Xinxi as well.

‘It feels like we finally have become a proper cultivation clan.’

“I was there for every step of the way; I saw it all happen. But I don’t think it dawned on me until this moment, just how far we have come,” Qianyue said.

“It’s good, though, right?” Shu Yang asked.

Qianyue was silent for a moment before turning to look at him with a smile. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”“Truly?” Shu Yang asked.

“Truly,” Qianyue said, “Not so much for the status and power, but because we get to live together in peace, with the children being free to pursue their happiness.”“That’s what matters in the end,” Shu Yang said with a nod.

“Now Tianyi just needs to get married, and we will truly have completed our job,” Qianyue said, looking to her youngest daughter.

“There is no rush, is there?” Shu Yang asked carefully.

Tianyi was certainly old enough, but she was still a young girl in Shu Yang’s eyes. Now that she had advanced to the Foundation stage, she still had well over 200 years left to live. Not to mention that she was still making progress in her cultivation; this wasn’t the time to think about starting a family.

Tianyue was different; if she didn’t get married when she did, she might have never had the chance.

“No need to take it slow either,” Qianyue said. “Now that she has become a Foundation stage cultivator, she can have anyone she fancies, right?

“Well, not anyone. But yeah,” Shu Yang said, taking another sip of his wine.

‘It’s just talk. I’ll let her fantasize.’

“Don’t I know what you’re thinking,” Qianyue turned to him and said with a pout, “You just want to wait until the very last moment, always so reluctant to see our daughters married. So what if she has time? So what if she has room to improve? Isn’t it the struggles you go through together that make the bond between two people special? What’s the point of marrying someone just to share in the joys of life?”“Well,” Shu Yang said hesitantly, “If she finds someone she likes, I obviously won’t object.”Qianyue just shook her head with a sigh. “Leave it to that girl? It’s never going to happen. I can’t leave it to you either.”She rose from her seat. “I’ll go around and take a look. I see a few young men who seem quite good. It won’t hurt to have Tianyi talk to them and see if there are any sparks.”“That…” Shu Yang raised his hand.

“What?” Qianyue questioned.

“Nothing,” Shu Yang answered with a sigh, lowering his hand again.

‘I’ll have to trust in Tianyi’s disinterest.’

Shu Yang also rose from his seat and started walking around the hall. He had already greeted everyone as they arrived, but now that they had eaten, he would have to socialize a bit more.

He saw many of his neighbours there, like master Chinu, and stopped to talk for a while. Master Chinu had been gracious enough to give away a Fetus Nourishing Pill as a gift to congratulate Tianhu and Tianyi’s advancement. 

He wasn’t the only one who was generous; basically everyone who attended had figured out that the Shu Family was on the rise, and wanted to take the opportunity to forge a closer bond.

‘I don’t think Tianyi is ready to get married, but some of these grandkids should be ready to settle down. Hopefully, they can meet someone they like here.’

The people who attended were a lot more talented than the students of the Shu Sword Hall that his grandchildren usually associated with, so he would be glad to see a few matches.

Shu Yang looked over to the other end of the hall. Xinyang was there with his wife Duo Mingyi, and their children Jiyang, Jiduo and Jiming. They were talking with Duo Mingyi’s parents and Duo Wengze. Next to them was Duo Gurei, the representative that the Duo Family had sent over, a Peak Foundation cultivator.

The Duo Clan weren’t the only ones who had sent someone of such a high status. The Zhi and Hong had also sent an important Elder to attend. 

Shu Yang didn’t know if it was because of Bian Fenglin’s presence, or if Xinmo's recent leap in status led them to make an appearance.

Either way, the Shu Clan had now been truly noticed by the three Golden Clans of Jinli Immortal City.

“Things are looking promising for the Shu Clan,” Bian Fenglin commented as Shu Yang walked up to him.

“Very. I guess we all have you to thank for it,” Shu Yang said.

“Then I would have to be indebted for my Golden Core,” Bian Fenglin said with a smile. “How about we just call it even? I really don’t like feeling indebted.”“Fair enough,” Shu Yang said with a laugh.

“I noticed your daughter has reached the 6th stage of Qi-Refining,” Bian Fenglin commented, looking out over the room to where Tianyi was sitting.

He didn’t ask any question outright, but Shu Yang could tell what he was getting at. How did his daughter with trash-grade spirit roots suddenly increase her pace of cultivation so much?

Shu Yang hesitated for a while, but decided to reveal the truth. It would give an explanation, and he felt he could trust Bian Fenglin.

“She has 7th-grade spirit roots now,” Shu Yang said. He then went on to explain his encounter with Hanzhu in a little more detail than the first time Bian Fenglin had asked about it five years ago.

“And you still say you don’t have any relationship with him?” Bian Fenglin questioned with a stunned look on his face. “Not even I can get my hands on a pill like that, you know.”“It’s the truth,” Shu Yang said with a shrug.

“Whatever, I’ll never understand you,” Bian Fenglin said, shaking his head. 

“Any news about the Winged Tiger Clan, by the way?” Shu Yang asked. 

“Still nothing. The Sect Master still hasn’t returned,” Bian Fenglin answered.

“Still? It’s been months, right?” Shu Yang asked.

“It might take years. It’s the Winged Tiger Clan we’re talking about,” Bian Fenglin answered with a shrug. “But no one has spotted anything suspicious since Xinmo fought one, so it’s probably nothing to worry about.”“That’s good,” Shu Yang said, nodding. “How’s the kid doing? Is he able to keep up?”Shu Yang had, of course, talked with Xinmo about it, but that child had never been one to share his burdens easily. 

“Well,” Bian Fenglin hesitated slightly, “It’s only been a month or two, but so far things should be going well. I’m afraid my contact with him is a bit limited now that he has joined Xiujian Peak, so you probably know more than me.”“Isn’t it all the Sword Sect? Even you can’t go wherever you like?” Shu Yang asked.

“Especially I can’t go anywhere I like,” Bian Fenglin answered with a laugh. “I’m afraid I’ve never gotten along well with the people from Xijiuan Peak. They think we of Rongyu Peak are a bit too righteous.”“Is that something you can complain about?” Shu Yang asked, stunned.

Bian Fenglin laughed and shook his head, “I suppose I’m a bit partial. You'll have to rely on Xinmo to give you a more nuanced picture of the situation in the future. Either way, you should be aware that your grandson and I have been placed in different factions, and I probably can’t guide him as I used to.”Shu Yang frowned slightly. He had been very busy arranging this ceremony, and had just talked with Xinmo a couple of times to gain an understanding of what had happened, but apparently there was a lot more to dig into.

‘Too righteous? What does that even mean?’

‘Whatever, it’s just Bian Fenglin’s opinion. In the end, they’re all part of the Sword Sect.’

Shu Yang said goodbye to Bian Fenglin and continued walking around to talk to the guests. He saw both children and grandchildren socializing with the cultivators there, and he couldn’t help but smile.

‘Yeah. I think today is the day we finally became a true and proper Family Clan.’