Parentage

Xie Yuan waited quietly in the Ancestral Hall.

He stood before the offering table, gazing slightly upward. His eyes swept across the densely layered spirit tablets, piled like small mountains, and he felt as though those tablets were looking down at him as well.

The Xie Family's Ancestral Hall was incredibly tall, broad, vast, and deep.

Compared to an ordinary ancestral hall, it was more like a gigantic palace.

Otherwise, it could never have held the Heroic Spirit tablets of the Chen Commandery Xie Family's more than four thousand two hundred years of history.

Yet even so, the space on the first floor of this vast main hall was limited.

Only those ancestors who had been the greatest, most renowned, and most accomplished in the family's history could have their spirit tablets placed here.

Xie Yuan had already spotted many familiar names that had once shaken the world.

For instance, Xie An's tablet was not placed very high, but its position was exceptionally conspicuous.

Then there was Xie Xuan, whose tablet stood on the newest and nearest layer.

Though not every person here had been a Great Grandmaster, they accounted for nearly ninety percent of them.

Those weighty names were engraved upon the spirit tablets, looking down from above at Xie Yuan, at this absurdly young family head.

They seemed to be silently judging him.

Xie Yuan felt the Xie Family's four thousand two hundred years of history, along with its countless great predecessors, pressing down upon his shoulders.

He took a deep breath and bowed slightly. Only after a long while did he straighten again.

At that moment, Fifth Ancestor emerged once more from the depths of the Ancestral Hall, carrying a brocade box.

"This is what Xie Yi left for you. You must open it with your own blood, or the box will destroy itself."

Fifth Ancestor's aged voice echoed through the silent Ancestral Hall.

Xie Yuan accepted it with both hands. "Thank you, Fifth Ancestor."

Looking at the exquisite, lightweight box in his hands, he felt inexplicably tense.

What could Second Uncle have left for him here?

And why here?

Xie Yi's actions left Xie Yuan utterly baffled, but he would soon uncover the answer.

Xie Yuan moved a finger, and a drop of blood seeped from his fingertip, soaking into the lock that emitted dim, ghostly glimmers.

The lock trembled. Then, with a flash of light, it silently sprang open.

Xie Yuan gently lifted the lid. Inside lay a letter, along with several old sheets of yellowed paper.

His brows drew together slightly as confusion surfaced in his eyes. He picked up the letter first and unfolded it.

It was indeed Xie Yi's handwriting.

Xie Yuan read the lengthy letter, and his expression gradually changed.

A long time passed.

Far longer than it should have taken to read a letter, Xie Yuan slowly folded it and placed it back.

Though his heart churned like raging waves, aside from the shock he had initially been unable to conceal, his face had already returned to calm.

Xie Yuan then unfolded the yellowed papers, the identification documents, the Household Registration, and the travel papers. After examining them, he returned them one by one and locked the box.

He stood quietly for a moment, cleared his throat, and looked toward Fifth Ancestor by the offering table. "Fifth Ancestor, may I look at the Family Tree?"

The old man, who was dusting the offering table with a feather duster, turned his head and nodded. "You are the family head. Of course you may."

With that, he set down the feather duster and slowly walked back toward the depths of the Ancestral Hall.

Watching that aged, unsteady back, a complicated look surfaced in Xie Yuan's eyes. He murmured, "Family head..."

Before long, Fifth Ancestor handed Xie Yuan the Family Tree, thick as a city-wall brick.

Xie Yuan took it and flipped rapidly toward the back, finding the newest pages. His finger traced the names as his gaze passed over them one by one.

When he reached the branch of Xie Xuan and Xie Yi, his finger stopped on Xie Xuan's name, and he fell silent.

Fifth Ancestor craned his neck and peered through his Hawksbill Glasses. With an oh, he said, "Xie Yi said at the time that your status had yet to be clarified, so he did not add you to the Family Tree for now. Later... something happened, and no one had the time to attend to it."

Xie Yuan's expression remained calm. He closed the Family Tree and returned it to Fifth Ancestor. "So that was it."

Fifth Ancestor accepted it and looked at Xie Yuan. "At the next ancestral rite, do you want to add your own name? It is no solution to keep dragging this out."

"Let's talk about it next time... No rush. I want to wait until Second Uncle wakes up first. This matter should still be handled by an elder," Xie Yuan changed his words.

He cupped his hands to Fifth Ancestor. "Thank you for your trouble, Fifth Ancestor. I'll be going back now."

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned around again. "By the way, who is normally allowed to look at the Family Tree?"

Fifth Ancestor paused, then answered casually, "Other than the family head, only the core elders of the Council of Elders. Naturally, there is also me."

An elder responsible for managing the Ancestral Hall might not wield much actual power, but he presided over the annual ancestral rites and held both high seniority and status. He was considered one of the Xie Family's refined and honored figures.

After hearing this, Xie Yuan cupped his hands again, then turned and left while gripping the box.

Fifth Ancestor watched Xie Yuan's retreating back, a puzzled expression appearing on his face.

Xie Yuan had not gone far after leaving the Ancestral Hall when he suddenly heard someone greet him.

"Greetings, Family Head."

He raised his eyes and only then noticed that Xie Zhi had somehow already approached him. The man greeted him with obvious reluctance.

Xie Yuan nodded slightly. "Elder Zhi."

After saying that, he continued quickly down the path, without showing any expression.

Xie Zhi stared blankly after Xie Yuan, then snorted and said irritably, "Hmph, so becoming a Grandmaster makes him so impressive? He can barely be bothered to respond, and he is still putting on airs as the family head!"

But there was nothing he could do. No matter how unwilling he was, as long as the family head's thumb ring remained on Xie Yuan's hand, he had to yield the way and take the initiative to greet him.

Besides, there truly was not another Grandmaster so young in the entire Xie Family.

Even if Xie Yuan walked with his eyes in the sky and his nostrils turned up at people, what could he do about it?

He would probably never have a chance to sit in the highest seat of Creek Water Hall.

Xie Zhi's heart was sour with envy. With a flick of his sleeve, he continued onward in displeasure.

Yet when he glanced in the direction Xie Yuan had come from, he frowned slightly. "Why did he come from that way?"

There was nothing over there apart from the important grounds of the Ancestral Hall. The family estate was so vast that Xie Yuan generally never came to this side. What had he gone there for?

Xie Yuan returned to his courtyard and nodded faintly at everyone who greeted him, looking no different from usual.

Yet he did not respond to a single greeting. He went straight into his study, even shutting Yun Zhu outside when she wanted to make a report.

After sitting behind his desk, Xie Yuan took out the box again and placed it on the desk, silently staring at it.

After a long while, Xie Yuan suddenly let out a heavy sigh. "Second Uncle... you really have given me a difficult problem."

What sort of mess was this?

Xie Yuan's feelings were incomparably complicated. No matter how he thought it over, he could not make up his mind.

In the end, he simply placed the box deep inside a drawer. Then he rose and left, heading once more to the family head's main residence.

Xie Yi's bedroom.

Cui Pingjun still kept silent vigil beside Xie Yi, while Xie Yi still lay quietly asleep, his vitality surging strong within him.

The two of them seemed to have maintained the same postures all along, as though they had been locked in this place.

Xie Yi was the one lying down, yet Cui Pingjun seemed like the one afflicted with Soul Loss Syndrome.

Xie Yuan was somewhat silent, but Cui Pingjun took the initiative to turn toward him. "You have come to visit your Second Uncle again? He is still the same. There has been no change."

Xie Yuan looked at the haggard Xie Lingyun beside her, then at Cui Pingjun's calm face. Finally, he shifted his gaze to Xie Yi and looked deeply at the handsome man.

Cui Pingjun shook her head. "You need not worry. Your Second Uncle's condition is still quite good..."

Her voice paused, and she suddenly asked, "I have not asked lately—has anything in the family been giving you trouble? Is there anything you need me to advise you on?"

Xie Lingyun instantly raised her head, a trace of delight appearing in her eyes.

Mother is finally starting to care about other things?

Wonderful! That means she can still pull through... Just as he said, as long as Father's condition remains stable, Mother will eventually recover. It is only a matter of time.

Xie Yuan was quietly delighted as well. This counted as good news. At least Xie Yi's hopeless condition had not yet crushed Cui Pingjun.

Still, he cupped his hands and said, "Aunt, please rest assured. Nothing major has happened in the family lately. It is all the same old matters, and I can still manage them. Please rest a little longer. There is no need for you to worry too much."

Upon hearing this, Cui Pingjun considered it for a moment. She glanced at Xie Yi, then slowly nodded. "Then I will have to trouble you. I... I will help you after waiting a little longer."

"Please rest assured, Aunt. Taking care of Second Uncle comes first. Your nephew can handle everything else."

Xie Yuan stayed with the mother and daughter for a while longer. Before leaving, he looked once more at Xie Yi, then departed.

After seeing him out, Xie Lingyun felt somewhat puzzled. She had the feeling that the way Xie Yuan had looked at Xie Yi today was strange.

She even grew nervous. Could something have happened? No, I am probably overthinking it... I will ask him tomorrow.

She looked at her mother's quiet back. After hesitating for a moment, she ultimately did not chase after him.

Xie Yuan returned to his study and took out the box once more.

He suddenly recalled Xie Yi's final words to him.

"...The Xie Family is now battered by wind and rain, at a moment of utmost peril. If not you, then who?"

Even now, Xie Yuan could recall Xie Yi's resolute, trusting eyes, with even a trace of pleading in them.

Thinking of Xie Yi still lying in bed, thinking of Cui Pingjun and Xie Lingyun enduring such torment, he suddenly sighed. At last, he picked up Xie Yi's letter again and muttered to himself, "Since I have already called you Second Uncle, there is nothing to be done."

Xie Yuan placed the letter back into the box. Then power burst from his palm, and the entire box, along with the letter inside, ignited at once.

Crimson flames enveloped the box and everything within it, yet did not damage the desk beneath in the slightest.

The bright blaze illuminated Xie Yuan's face. He saw that only the final passage of the letter remained amid the flames.

"I originally wished to bury the truth in my heart forever, but on reflection, that would not be fair to you. To someone else, this might have been nothing but a pleasant surprise, but I know you do not care about such things. Xie Yuan, even if you are not my blood nephew, I have long regarded you as my closest kin. In the end, the burden of the Xie Family must still fall upon your shoulders.

"Xie Yuan, if you are willing to bear this burden, then burn this box. No second person in this world will ever know your identity."

Then the flames flickered and swallowed the letter completely. In mere moments, the box, the letter, the Household Registration, and the travel papers had all turned to black ash.

Xie Yuan gently swept the ashes into the wastepaper basket, dusted off his hands, then pulled out the topmost scroll from the pile beside him and began to read through it and review it.

Life returned to calm.

Apart from cultivating and handling family affairs, Xie Yuan regularly visited Xie Yi. His days were highly routine.

One day, during some spare time.

A burly old man arrived at Xie Yuan's courtyard, knocked on the study door, and said politely, "Family Head, you sent for me?"

Unlike the elegance and handsome refinement common among the Xie Family, this old man was exceptionally tall and robust. His arms were especially powerful, their knotted muscles seeming carved from granite.

Xie Tiexin had originally belonged to a distant branch of the Xie Family. However, because he displayed extraordinary talent in forging from a young age, he had been sent to the family estate for training. He later became a master forger, and his cultivation had reached the level of Grandmaster as well. He was the most skilled craftsman in the Xie Family and oversaw the Divine Weapon Hall within the family estate.

"Elder Tiexin, please sit."

Xie Yuan invited Xie Tiexin to sit, then took out the damaged Hundred Transformations Mystic Weapon and handed it to him.

"Elder Tiexin, does this weapon still have a chance of being restored?"

Xie Yuan looked rather expectant.

Xie Tiexin's forging ability was exceedingly high. Not only within the Xie Family, but throughout Great Li, he was among the very best.

He had countless masterpieces to his name, but there was no need to mention the rest. The Dragon Soul in Xie Yuan's hand had been forged by Xie Tiexin himself.

Having used the Dragon Soul, Xie Yuan knew exactly what level Xie Tiexin possessed.

If even he could not do it, then Xie Yuan would likely have to start searching for a suitable weapon sooner rather than later.

Xie Tiexin accepted the damaged Hundred Transformations Mystic Weapon and examined it carefully for a long while. Gradually, admiration appeared on his face.

"This mystic weapon is truly remarkable! Family Head, if I am not mistaken, when it was whole, it could transform freely and take whatever form its wielder desired?"

"That is right. It has always been one of my favorite weapons. Unfortunately, it was damaged last time."

Xie Yuan sighed.

Xie Tiexin turned the Hundred Transformations Mystic Weapon over and over in his hands, his eyes fixed upon it. "Though this weapon possesses no additional traits, its material is exceedingly fine. To damage it to this extent, I fear no ordinary Grandmaster could have done it."

At this point, Xie Tiexin suddenly froze. Coming back to himself, he hurriedly asked, "Family Head, are you all right?"

Xie Yuan smiled faintly. "Thank you for your concern, Elder Tiexin. Since I am standing here, I am naturally unharmed."

"Oh, good, good."

The burly old man revealed a somewhat embarrassed smile, but inwardly, he was deeply shocked.

The Family Head only recently broke through to Grandmaster, did he not? How could he have faced such an opponent?

Judging by the corrosion marks, it looked very much like the Ghost Gate Path from the Western Regions. The people there employed strange and treacherous methods, making them especially difficult to deal with.

It seemed the Patriarch had recently encountered an expert from the Western Regions?

But with strength he had only just broken through to, how could he have fought one?

Xie Tiexin knew weapons inside and out. From the shattered remains of the Hundred Transformations Mystic Weapon alone, he could discern its durability and, from that, accurately gauge the enemy's strength.

That was precisely why he was so astonished. How could a Grandmaster who had only just broken through possibly be the match of such a powerful Grandmaster?

Perhaps he had help?

The Patriarch had brought other experts, two or three against one?

That would make sense.

Still, it had been far too dangerous for him. This weapon was proof enough.

Xie Tiexin secretly shook his head.

But remonstrating and offering counsel was not his specialty. Within the family, he had always stayed out of disputes and simply forged iron.

He turned the broken blade of the Hundred Transformations Mystic Weapon over and over for a long while. His eyes remained bright, but his brows gradually furrowed.

"This thing is truly ingenious."

"I obtained it from an ancient ruin. Is its craftsmanship very different from that of today?"

Xie Yuan asked.

Xie Tiexin nodded.

"Indeed. The material is unusual, and the techniques are unique—both are things I have never seen before. To repair it, setting aside the craftsmanship, the materials alone..."

Hearing that, Xie Yuan took out the soft gold he had mooched from Situ Qin.

Xie Tiexin took one look and was immediately astonished.

"Such a large piece of soft gold ore? This... I was just saying that even Divine Weapon Hall would not be able to find suitable materials."

He picked up the soft gold and nodded repeatedly.

"This soft gold ore is perfect for patching this thing. It is simply flawless. With such a large piece, the materials are indeed no longer a problem."

Xie Yuan's spirits rose, and he smiled.

"Then how long would Elder Tiexin need to restore it?"

A trace of hesitation immediately appeared on Xie Tiexin's face, and he said awkwardly.

"The materials are not a problem, but there are still some issues with the craftsmanship... Well. Actually, the craftsmanship is not the main issue. Though it is completely unlike modern methods, merely examining it has given me some inspiration. If I study it for a while, I may be able to manage it.

"The main problem is its core formation.

"This mystic weapon can transform freely mainly because of its formation. But its core has already been corroded and destroyed, with only half remaining. I cannot make sense of it for the moment, nor can I be certain that I can restore it. After all, my knowledge of formations is limited to weapon forging. I have never dealt with this kind before."

Xie Yuan understood what Xie Tiexin meant.

He had no confidence in solving the most crucial formation.

Xie Tiexin continued.

"If we are lucky, perhaps I can copy the gourd by drawing the same ladle and replicate this formation. But first, the chances are not high. Second, the replacement materials and formation may be far less powerful than the original."

Xie Yuan frowned slightly. In truth, the Hundred Transformations Mystic Weapon's power had already begun to lag behind his current progress. Whether in sturdiness or sharpness, it was not outstanding. It was only its ability to transform that Xie Yuan valued.

If it could not even maintain its original state and had to be further downgraded, then even if it could still transform freely, Xie Yuan feared it would become rather tasteless to use—

Against weak opponents, he did not need this thing at all. But against experts who could be considered formidable even to him at his current stage, they would most likely possess powerful weapons too. The Hundred Transformations Mystic Weapon might snap on the very first clash.

Xie Tiexin could not solve the formation issue, which placed many constraints on the repair. To make the weapon both transform at will and remain exceptionally powerful, he still did not understand enough about its strange transformational core.

There were no masters of this field in the Xie Family either. Perhaps they could find someone to try, but judging by the formation-inscription methods of this ancient weapon, there was likely little hope.

Unless Miss Mu were here...

Xie Yuan sighed. It truly was as Situ Qin had said—perhaps he would have to ask Miss Mu for help.

But even though Xie Yuan wanted Mu Chaoyun by his side, especially lately... he did not know where Mu Chaoyun was now.

She was probably still in Heaven Beyond Heaven? He hoped she would be more careful.

Xie Yuan let out a breath and said to Xie Tiexin.

"Elder Tiexin, I'll have to trouble you to study it for me first."

"Alright."

Xie Tiexin was more than willing. This strange mystic weapon from ancient times held an immense attraction for him. Whether it was the unseen transformation formation or the forging techniques, both fascinated him deeply.

After Xie Tiexin took away the Hundred Transformations Mystic Weapon, Xie Yuan thought, If it truly cannot be repaired, perhaps I will have to wield a sword myself.

Weapons were not much of a problem. As the Xie Family Patriarch, he could pick a top-tier mystic weapon from the clan treasury, or simply have Xie Tiexin forge one tailored to him.

But he would need an axe in addition to a sword. Xie Yuan imagined himself with a spear on his back, a sword at his waist, and an axe hanging from his belt, then shook his head.

Burdened like that, he feared even Fleeting Shadow would not let him run...

Xie Yuan returned to his regular routine.

Until one day, just before summer arrived, Xie Yuan quietly left the Xie Family Clan Land and headed north of Chen Commandery without alerting anyone.

Yu Province, Wei County, North Mountain Village.

Xie Yuan had come here several times, because this was the ancestral home of his adoptive parents and where their graves now lay.

There was a branch of the Xie Family here that was very distantly related to the Chen Commandery Xie, but they were Xies all the same, and not too far from Chen Commandery. Thus, the village was rather prosperous, and most of its people bore the surname Xie.

Within the Xie Family cemetery of North Mountain Village stood a newly built, grand tomb. A separate enclosure had been arranged around it in a fine location. Pines and cypresses stood green and lush, while the tombstone was clean, clearly tended to often.

After all, the two people buried there had raised the current Xie Family Patriarch. Back then, they had accepted their duty in a time of danger, risking their lives for the clan land and performing great services in dispelling its troubles.

After they had been brought back in great splendor, all of North Mountain Village had gained face and benefited enormously.

Xie Yuan stood before the grand tomb, tossing sheets of yellow paper one by one into the fire before him.

Compared with Xie Xuan, of whom he had no memories at all, Xie Yuan retained at least some faint impressions of the owners of this grave.

But they were only hazy childhood silhouettes. A few years after the couple settled in Small Stone Village, they passed away one after another. It had only been Xie Lun who raised him.

He had thought they were his parents, only to discover that they were his adoptive parents.

Then, after thinking they were his adoptive parents, he discovered they had been his parents all along.

Xie Yuan sighed. For the first time, he burned paper here with the state of mind of visiting the graves of his biological parents.

In his letter, Xie Yi had laid everything bare before Xie Yuan and presented all the evidence he had personally gathered.

After Xie Yi brought Xie Yuan back to the clan land for a blood drop kinship test, he had learned that Xie Yuan was not truly his nephew, nor his elder brother's child.

Afterward, because the matter was of great importance, Xie Yi investigated in secret and even acted personally. Following the trail of Xie Yuan's parents all the way, he finally uncovered the truth after employing many secret arts.

Xie Yuan was actually the biological son of this couple.

As for the other "Xie Yuan," Xie Xuan's biological son, the couple had handed him over to another trustworthy family.

Then came war and chaos, and his whereabouts became unknown.

Xie Yuan and Xie Xuan's son shared the same birth date and time. Perhaps that was why the earliest members of the Xie Family had brought the two children over together. As for what had been arranged back then, no one knew.

And whether Xie Yuan's parents had wanted to steal the sky and change the day, using their own son as bait to protect "Xie Yuan," or had staged a plum tree dying in place of a peach tree, a wildcat swapped for the Crown Prince... no one knew.

Yet years later, at least the "Xie Yuan" of that time had indeed escaped danger, while Xie Yuan had truly become the son of the former Patriarch's predecessor, heir to the Patriarch's position, and eventually Patriarch himself.

Xie Yi admitted that he had sent trusted subordinates to search for his biological nephew, but found nothing. In the end, he gave up, assuming that the boy was living an ordinary, peaceful life somewhere.

And Xie Yuan naturally accepted the glory, wealth, and heavy burden without any lingering worries.

Xie Yuan burned another stack of yellow paper.

No wonder Xie Yi had said that, from birth, bone-reading had revealed Xie Yuan to be extraordinarily gifted—a martial arts prodigy—while he himself had initially been merely of middling talent, far inferior to Xie Lun.

It was because he had never been the child of a Great Grandmaster at all. He had simply been the child of an elderly village couple.

If the Azure Fruit had not improved his constitution and turned him into a martial arts prodigy forged after birth, Xie Yi would probably have sensed something was wrong from the very beginning.

"I thought this burden would no longer be mine, but..."

Xie Yuan shook his head. Over this period, countless names had passed through his mind, yet in the end, he felt that if he handed over the ring, the situation would likely take a sharp turn for the worse.

Instead, it was this false Xie Yuan sitting in this position who could best balance every side and achieve the outcome Xie Yi had hoped for.

Even after learning he was merely an impostor, Xie Yi had shown him neither prejudice nor blame. He had continued to spare no effort and give much of himself.

Looking back on it now, Xie Yuan still felt warmth in his heart. He even wondered whether Xie Yi had long anticipated this day and acted that way because of it.

But after thinking it over, he did not believe Xie Yi was that sort of person.

He truly treated me like a second uncle.

"I've already called him Second Uncle... so it can only be this way."

Xie Yuan sighed, tossed in the final sheets of yellow paper, and brushed off his hands.

Then he straightened and stared into the forest behind him.

"How much longer are you going to watch?"

His voice carried out, but the woods remained silent, with no response.

Yet a moment later.

The sound of branches and leaves stirring arose in the forest.

A young man with shoulder-length black hair and loose robes stepped out.

He looked at Xie Yuan and said blandly.

"It seems your perception is not bad either."

Xie Yuan stared at the man, Sha Qi rising in his eyes.

"Ji Xuan, you truly are like a maggot clinging to the bone."

Ji Xuan's expression remained calm as he walked toward Xie Yuan step by step.

"You are someone I must kill. When I decide to kill someone, how could I wait long? Xie Yuan, unless you have helpers to save you again, prepare to die today.

"Still, no matter how many helpers you have, there will always be a time when you are alone. What will you do then?"

After saying that, Xie Yuan merely looked at him with a cold sneer and made no move.

Suddenly, Ji Xuan's hair blew forward.

Xie Yuan appeared behind him like a shadow, saying coldly.

"Rest assured, there will not be a next time."

Before his words had finished, Xie Yuan threw a punch at the back of Ji Xuan's head.