Persuasion, Zhang Family Ancestor?

[You made up a casual excuse, saying you heard about it by chance while in Jinzhou City.]

[Your grandfather didn't press further and began explaining to you: "This Blood Demon Sect is not a force from Jinzhou County, nor does it even belong to Lin Prefecture."]

["My good grandson should know that our Lin Prefecture has eleven county governments, and the Jinzhou County we're in is one of them."]

[You nod, indicating you understand.]

[Your grandfather strokes his beard and continues: "This Blood Demon Sect is a Golden Core-level force. It's said they have two Golden Core True Persons sitting in charge, and they use blood as their consumable material, cultivating a demonic blood path technique!"]

[You're greatly shocked. Although you could tell from the name alone that the Blood Demon Sect was nothing good, hearing from your grandfather that it's a demon sect still startles you.]

[Your grandfather goes on to tell you about the dangers of the Blood Demon Sect and specifically warns you never to collude with any of its members.]

[You nod in response, reassuring your grandfather.]

[Your grandfather gives you a bottle of pills, which are precisely Yellow Grade High Rank Spirit Replenishing Pills.]

[You obtain Yellow Grade High Rank Spirit Replenishing Pills.]

[You accept them gratefully, then take your leave.]

[Back in your own room, you reflect again. You now know the Blood Demon Sect is a demonic force not belonging to Lin Prefecture. So why did that old man who looked like the Fire Cloud Evil God appear in the secret realm?]

[And there's another doubt: with the Fire Cloud Evil God's Golden Core Stage strength, he could have dealt with your grandfather in no time. So why didn't he just leave the secret realm to chase and kill them? Did he think it unnecessary? Or could he not leave the secret realm?]

[Thinking this far, you feel as if you've discovered something. If that old man can't leave the secret realm, then wouldn't stopping your grandfather from exploring it change his fate?]

[You also know that it was the Wang Family Ancestor who specifically invited your grandfather to the secret realm. That means the Wang Family Ancestor must be in cahoots with that old man.]

[If you can keep your grandfather and the Zhang Family Ancestor from going to the secret realm, then with them around, you wouldn't need to fear the Wang Family—as long as that Golden Core Stage Fire Cloud Evil God doesn't leave the secret realm.]

[Thinking this, you make a certain resolve.]

[One month later, in March of the second year, you cultivate diligently and smoothly refine the Spirit Replenishing Pills your grandfather gave you. You feel you've taken another step closer to the ninth layer of Qi Cultivation.]

[In October of the third year, you sense the bottleneck of the ninth layer of Qi Cultivation. You attempt to break through, but ultimately fail.]

[That same month, you learn that your grandfather has been invited by the Wang Family Ancestor to explore the secret realm.]

[Through your persuasion, your grandfather ultimately decides to give up on it.]

[You also tell your grandfather, hoping he can persuade the Zhang Family Ancestor not to go to the secret realm either.]

[Your grandfather says this will be difficult, since the relationship between your Mu Family and the Zhang Family is only so-so, but he'll still do his best to help you.]

[You say that when the time comes to visit the Zhang Family, you must be brought along.]

[You want to personally try persuading the Zhang Family Ancestor and test whether your guess is correct.]

[A few days later, your Fifth Sister finds you and wants to invite you to explore a secret realm.]

[You immediately refuse and tell your Fifth Sister that there's a Golden Core Stage demonic cultivator in that secret realm. Going there would just be delivering yourselves as prey.]

[Your Fifth Sister doesn't believe you at first, but when you accurately describe the entrance to the secret realm, she has no choice but to trust your words and gives up her excited plans for adventure.]

[At the end of the month, your grandfather takes you to the Zhang Family.]

[The Zhang Family is located at Crescent Moon Lake on the west side of Jinzhou County. Their compound is built around the lake.]

[You arrive at Crescent Moon Lake and find the spiritual energy here abundant, not at all inferior to your Muye Mountain.]

[You sigh with emotion, thinking this must be a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Vein. You only know that Muye Mountain's spiritual vein is a Mid-grade Spirit Tier vein.]

[Where there's a spiritual vein, it can continuously nurture Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy. The higher the grade of the spiritual vein, the purer the spiritual energy it nurtures. The purer the spiritual energy, the greater the benefits for a cultivator's training—for example, faster cultivation speed, a higher chance of breaking through bottlenecks, and so on.]

[Your grandfather's arrival naturally draws the attention of the Zhang Family Ancestor.]

[The Zhang Family Ancestor specially sends an elder out to receive you.]

[You and your grandfather are brought to the Zhang Family Hall.]

[You meet the Zhang Family Ancestor—a white-haired old woman who looks even older than your grandfather. But her sharp gaze forces you to stay on guard. You faintly sense a flash of purple light in her eyes. Anyone who can become a family's ancestor is definitely not simple.]

[The Zhang Family Ancestor doesn't choose to sit in the highest seat of honor. Instead, she sits in the first seat on the right, leaving the high seat empty—clearly a sign of respect for your grandfather, since they're both Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.]

[After your grandfather sits down, you stand behind him.]

[Behind the Zhang Family Ancestor sit five elders of varying bearing. They must be the Zhang Family's Four Great Elders and the family head.]

[The Zhang Family Ancestor asks your grandfather what business he has.]

[Your grandfather glances at you, intending for you to explain.]

[All the Zhang Family elders and the Zhang Family Ancestor turn to look at you, making you feel a bit uncomfortable.]

[Suppressing your nervousness, you get straight to the point: "Junior hopes that Ancestor Zhang will not go to the secret realm with the Wang Family Ancestor."]

[Hearing this, the Zhang Family Ancestor takes an interest and asks why you say so.]

[You explain that given the Wang Family Ancestor's character, if he discovered a secret realm and still specially invited others to go, that alone shows he must have some ulterior motive.]

[The Zhang Family Ancestor merely nods. You know this alone won't be enough to convince her.]

[The Zhang Family Ancestor raises a hand to stop you from continuing your explanation. Instead, she fixes her gaze on you and says: "Youngster, for someone so young to have reached the eighth layer of Qi Cultivation—that actually makes me more interested."]

[You're greatly shocked. You clearly didn't see this old woman use any spiritual power, so how could she see through your cultivation level?]

[Fortunately, your grandfather quietly explained to you at this moment: "The Zhang Family has a secret Pupil Technique, so don't be surprised."]

[Only then did you realize that the flash of purple light you had sensed in the Zhang Family Ancestor's eyes was actually a Pupil Technique!]

[Pupil Techniques are extremely rare—at least, the Mu Family doesn't have one.]

[You made up a casual excuse: "This junior merely has a bit of fortune; it's hardly worth your attention."]

[The Zhang Family Ancestor naturally didn't believe you, but she didn't press further. Instead, she said with interest: "If you can agree to one request of mine, then I suppose I can agree to yours."]

[Seeing that there was a chance, your eyes lit up, but hearing that the Zhang Family Ancestor had a request, you hesitated. Knowing this opportunity was rare, you had no choice but to steel yourself and say: "Senior, please speak plainly."]

[The Zhang Family Ancestor set down her teacup and spoke unhurriedly: "I hope you will form a marriage alliance with our Zhang Family..."]