Ziwei Immortal Path

Chapter 58 Family Meeting
Two months later.

Dongke Town, Fengwei Village.

Fengqing Branch.

The sun is shining, spring is in full swing, and the flowers are in bud.

In front of the conference hall, two old men were sitting on armchairs. They were Xu Shaoliang and Xu Shaohua.

But the two of them had rosy faces and were smiling from ear to ear.

Xu Boyang and Xu Bozhao stood on the left and right, one white and one black, smiling warmly and looking heroic.

Xu Bozhao glanced at the sky, stepped forward and said loudly, "The auspicious time has arrived! Fire the firecrackers! Please give me the family tree!"

"Crack!"

Firecrackers blasted at the door, and smoke and dust rose up.

Two maids came out in small steps. One of them held a copper tray in both hands, on which was a green-covered booklet and a writing brush and inkstone. The other held four tea bowls on the copper tray and came respectfully to the two elders.

Xu Bozhao said, "Please welcome the two newcomers into the hall!"

As soon as the words fell, a lady who looked to be in her forties walked through the door with Kong Boen and Kong Boxiao, smiling.

The person who came was Xu Shaohua's wife, Kong Bo'en and Kong Boxiao's biological mother, Mrs. Kong.

Bourne and Boxiao held their mother's big hands, wearing bright red clothes, with red lips and white teeth, and full of smiles.

"Go!" Kong shook their little hands and smiled with her head down.

Kong Boen and Kong Boxiao held up the hems of their clothes and knelt in front of the hall in a proper manner.

Xu Bozhao said:
"One bow to heaven, two bows to earth, three bows to ancestors, nine bows to return to the clan!"

Kong Boen and Kong Boxiao did as they were told.

Xu Bozhao continued:
"It's done!"

"Serve tea!"

Kong Boen and Kong Boxiao took the tea bowl and respectfully placed it in front of Xu Shaoliang and Xu Shaohua.

"Xu Boen serves tea to uncle!"

"Xu Boxiao serves tea to his father!"

"well…"

The two old men happily took the tea bowls and took a sip each.

Xu Shaoliang drank the tea offered by Xu Boxiao before he took the green-covered booklet and opened it. He dipped the pen in thick ink and reached out to open the book.

Xu Boyang saw that the outer cover of the green booklet was a little damaged and seemed to be quite old. He had never seen his father take it out before. Out of curiosity, he leaned sideways to take a look.

On the first page, there is a large vertical character written in a vigorous and powerful stroke.

"The Xu family's ancestral genealogy."

Xu Shaoliang flipped the page back, and Xu Boyang's expression suddenly changed. He saw that nearly half of the front of the green-covered booklet had been torn, leaving only a pile of ragged scraps of paper.

Looking at it, I don’t know how many pages have been torn off.

The last remaining page with words.

The first line starts with a "three", and three small characters are written right below it.

Xu Sanshui.

The second line has the word "Shao" written on it, and the names of five people are written right below it.

"Xu Shaoliang, Xu Shaoxue, Xu Shaohua, Xu Shaoqin, Xu Shaoqiong"

The third line has a "Bo" written on it, and only two people's names are written below it.

"Xu Boyang and Xu Bozhao"

Xu Bozhao's name was obviously not added long ago, so there is some difference in color between it and Xu Boyang's name, and there is a blank name between the two.

Xu Shaoliang left a space for another name after "Xu Bozhao" before carefully writing the names of Xu Boen and Xu Boxiao.

"Boyang, Bozhao."

Xu Shaoliang looked up and saw Xu Boyang coming over to look at him, so he said softly:
"You two must remember this: our Xu family is different from other families. As long as they are our own children, regardless of gender, whether married or not, they all have generation names. There is no distinction between males and females, only between the old and the young."

"This is your great-grandfather, my father Xu Sanshui. I heard about this rule from the elders in my family. I heard that our family once had an ancestor who was a heroine. Her appearance shocked the world and made all the men bow down to her. This rule was also established by her."

Xu Boyang and Xu Bozhao secretly took it to heart and nodded in agreement.

"And your descendants have now reached the age of 'Inheriting the Dao, Starting the Fortune, and Forever Consolidating the Original Source.' If you can't remember it, look through this genealogy later."

"Boyang, Dad used to be the eldest, and now you are the eldest too. This 'Genealogy of the Xu Family' will be given to you for safekeeping. You must keep it well."

"I believe that I will see the names of Bo Ming and Bo Qing in my lifetime."

"Yes, Dad."

Xu Boyang took it solemnly with both hands.

"Madam, please take the children down first!"

When Xu Shaohua saw Xu Shaoliang finish speaking, he glanced around, lowered his head, picked up the tea bowl and took a sip. He immediately understood that his elder brother had something to say, so he spoke to Kong in a gentle voice.

After Kong, the children, and the servants had left the meeting hall, Xu Boyang and Xu Bozhao sat down, and Xu Shaoliang said:
"Boyang, now that the Kong family has let your father go and retired to his hometown, it's a great joy. Today, Bo'en and Bo Xiao have returned to the family. But what you said about Immortal Ding earlier really made your father and your father terrified and unable to sleep all night. I wonder what you think about this matter? Whether to stay or leave, you must decide as soon as possible!"

Xu Boyang said seriously:

"Father, Father Ji, Bo Zhao, it's truly hard-won that Bo En and Bo Xiao have returned to our family, but with our family in decline, I'm afraid we still can't protect these two children."

"I've been thinking about it over and over again, but I still can't find a perfect plan. I'm staying at the Fei family in Dongke. Although it's safe for now, there's no telling who will come from Loufushan one day. If we want to solve this problem once and for all, Bourne and Boxiao can't stay with me. They have to be sent to Qingshen."

Xu Shaoliang sighed, "But Boyang, have you ever thought about this? Dad has spent most of his life wandering around Qingshen. He hasn't been out and seen the world, but he has seen and experienced the peaceful times of Qingshen."

"When I walked around the streets before, I always heard people say that the outside world is full of strange things. It's not just the human world, there are also many monsters that eat people. Bo'en and Boxiao are still young, and my father, Ji's father, and Bo Zhao are all mortals. I'm afraid relying on you alone is not a perfect plan."

"How about you go to Yuchuan and ask Immortal Ding to find out if there's any other way to stay in Qingshen?"

"Big brother."

Xu Shaohua sighed, looking dejected.
"You've lived in the mortal world for so long that you don't know that the immortal sects are ruthless and the immortals are righteous. They only care about the path to immortality. They don't care about these trivial matters, and they don't bother to care about them."

"In their eyes, blood ties and family ties are merely a means of consolidating power, a signboard to prove one's worth, and a tool for cultivating the Way."

"Brother, I've been in the Kong family for so many years, I know the whole story. What Boyang said is correct, he wasn't exaggerating. If we want to save the child, we must get out, escape the family's control, and stay away from the control of the Immortal Sect. Only then will we have a chance of survival, otherwise all our efforts will be wasted."

"Ah."

Xu Boyang nodded, "Father Ji sees things clearly and what he says makes sense."

"In that case."

Xu Shaoliang slapped the chair, his brows showing a fierceness, and said in a deep voice,
"Boyang, it's better for us to give up Fengqing Town. You should find a way to send our whole family out. We finally gathered all of us together, and now we are forced to separate again. What's the point? Since we want to leave, let's leave together!"

Before Xu Boyang could respond, Xu Shaohua grabbed Xu Shaoliang's hand and advised:
"Brother, you're old, how can you still follow me and these young people to mess around? Our family doesn't know what the situation is like in Zhufenzhiye. If anything goes wrong, Shaohua and I will be blamed!"

"You can't leave. You've worked with the Wang family in Fengqing your entire life. Even if you haven't made any contributions, you've worked hard. Boyang is also highly regarded by Taoist Ding. You have such ready-made wealth and honor, so how can you follow us out and suffer? Besides, if you just leave like this, how can you be worthy of your elder brother?"

Xu Shaohua's words were sharp, using Wang Ming Rulai to frame him. Xu Shaoliang was originally a hot-headed person who valued gratitude and loyalty very much. After hearing this, his face suddenly drooped, and he was in a dilemma. He said tongue-tiedly:
"Then... this... what should I do?"

"Yes, uncle, what Father Ji said makes sense. We don't have to be so pessimistic right now. Brother Boyang is now in charge of Fengqing Town. Although he is not the town governor or the head of the clan, he is already highly regarded by Taoist Ding. If my family wants to go far in the future, this path must not be cut off."

"Brother Boyang mentioned that Daoist Master Ding once said, 'Only by protecting yourself can you protect your family.' Bozhao deeply agrees with this statement. Our family has finally found a brother like Boyang. How can we give him up so easily?"

"When it comes to finding my brother and sister Boqing in the future, I will have to rely on Brother Boyang."

Xu Bozhao had been clever since childhood, and every word he said made sense. He paused and continued:
"Uncle, I grew up in the Zeng family and was influenced by them. What Father Ji said about the ruthlessness of the immortals is an ironclad fact. Don't be so optimistic. There is absolutely no room for this matter to turn around."

"In Qingshen, any Lingxi child must first be chosen by the Immortal Sect, and then by the four major families. If they are not chosen, they can return to the hands of the clan family. But no matter how they choose, our family will not be chosen."

"If Big Brother hadn't tried his best to detain Bo'en and Bo'xiao, it would only be a matter of whether they were surnamed Ling or Zeng. There was absolutely no chance of them being surnamed Xu."

"Take the 'Forget Worry Pill', and your life will be filled with only immortality and longevity."

Xu Bozhao's words made the two old men lower their heads. After a long while, Xu Shaoliang sighed and said:

"Forget it. In the final analysis, mortals like us don't deserve to live, don't deserve to have a name. Boyang, whether to leave or stay, you decide. The family will listen to you. Now the family... can only rely on you..."

"Father, don't get excited."

Xu Boyang said softly,
"Bo Zhao is right. There's no need to be so pessimistic right now. As far as I know, the Qingshen border blockade is due to a war between the Immortal Sect and outside forces. Of course, I don't know what the war is, but I believe that sooner or later, this war will end."

"By then, the war will be over and peace will reign. How could the Immortal Sect cling to its own seclusion? By then, coming and going from home, I'm afraid there won't be many obstacles anymore."

"Besides, this time, we only took Bowen and Boxiao out, which violated the rules of the Immortal Sect. In the future, if a mortal from our family goes out, or if I go out alone, I guess the Immortal Sect will not be so lenient after the war is over."

"So, Father, Father Ji, and Bo Zhao, what I'm saying is that you all stay together at home. I'll take Bo En and Bo Xiao with me. We'll discuss the situation when I get back."

The three of them were shocked and blurted out: "No way!"

Xu Shaoliang said anxiously, "Boyang, what are you thinking? Bo'en is only ten, and Boxiao is only eight. If you leave these two children out there, if something goes wrong, the family won't know. What if something happens to them? How can you do this?"

Xu Shaohua sighed, "Boyang, don't blame Father Ji for speaking bluntly. It's not that Father Ji doesn't trust you. I'm relieved to leave Bo'en and Bo Xiao in your care, but how can I bear to let just the two of them go?"

"I would have died in the Tangchuan River a long time ago, but you saved Father Ji. You should let Father Ji go out with you, otherwise I... I..."

"Brother Boyang, I don't agree with this either. Of course, I understand your concerns. We mortals are like ants, unable to fly or burrow underground. We are a burden wherever we go."

"But don't forget, big brother. Mortals are like ants, but they have the advantage of being numerous. As long as there are mountains and land, mortals can live and reproduce. Monks are high and mighty, but they also want mortals to serve them. Even the weakest monks have to practice. They would rather die than do mortal things every day. I don't believe that there is not a single mortal in this vast Zhufen Wilderness!"

"As long as other mortals can live, we can live too."

Xu Bozhao also followed suit and spoke in a very firm tone.

The two old men quickly agreed, "Yes, yes! Bo Zhao is absolutely right! It makes sense, it makes sense!"

Xu Boyang smiled bitterly and shook his head:
"Dad, Father Ji, Bo Zhao, I know what you are saying, and I understand how you feel!"

"But things aren't what you imagine. Don't worry! Listen to me. Just as Bo Zhao said, there can't be no mortals in this vast Zhufen Plain. Yes, I dare not deny that, but from what I know, there may really be no mortals in this place."

"This 'Zhu Fen Wilderness' is an ancient name, just like our Qingshen. It's a name left over from ancient times. It refers to the fact that this place is full of rivers and lakes. There is no complete land, only thousands of islands and isolated peaks, scattered across the rivers and lakes."

"And the core of the Zhufen Wilderness is called 'Thousand Stars and Ten Thousand Islands Lake,' which means exactly this."

"The vast majority of these islands are controlled by a single faction, each operating independently. This faction encompasses all the families in the country. It's not limited to us, but there are still quite a few places with people."

"Father, Father Ji, Bo Zhao, Bo Yang is not a cold-blooded person. He has asked and inquired about this matter. Although this matter is a bit helpless, it is not as bad as imagined."

Xu Boyang rubbed his hands and whispered:
"This matter! In Qingshen, we are not the only family that does this. There are precedents a long time ago, and there are quite a few of them."

"what?"

When these words came out, it was like a bolt from the blue. The three of them were stunned, and felt surprised and happy in their hearts. Could it be that Xu Boyang already had a way?

"I see! No wonder Big Brother is so confident!"

Xu Bozhao clapped his hands and laughed, "Big brother is really amazing!"

Xu Shaohua quickly asked in a low voice: "Boyang, since you know what's going on, Ji's father and your father will naturally believe you. Tell us what's going on."

Xu Boyang hummed and said softly:
"Father Ji, I have a friend in the Fei family named Fei Wenyu. He has a friend named Sun Gewei, who is a 'ghost head' who travels back and forth between Baima Wubi City and Qingshen Nanhuai County. He does all the second-hand business, and most of it is shady."

"I've already met this person a month ago. I just told him about it, and he understood everything. I learned from him that this is a common practice among the various families in Qingshen. It's not uncommon on the Thousand Stars and Ten Thousand Islands Lake. In fact, every few years, a certain number of Lingxi seeds are sent out from Qingshen!"

Xu Bozhao was inexplicably surprised when he heard this. He whispered, "How could this actually happen? Doesn't the Immortal Sect know about this?"

Thanks to book friends 1642, Yingshi Tianxian Kuangzuile, and Zhuli Jushi for their monthly tickets! Thank you everyone!

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(End of this chapter)