[Today's divination signs: auspicious. You trained diligently at the Jade-Cold Pool today and gained a fortuitous opportunity.]
"A fortuitous opportunity?"
[Daily Divination] could only divine matters he asked about himself. It had its uses, but it offered him little help at present.
Still, asking every day had steadily strengthened his soul.
Xu Chuan gave it no further thought and began the day's rigorous training.
Before he knew it, it was already the Si Hour.
Suddenly.
An inspired understanding dawned on him, and he sensed the power of heaven and earth around him. Every pore seemed to open and breathe, while the apertures throughout his body ceaselessly drew this power of heaven and earth into him.
Crackle, pop!
Strange sounds rang out from every bone in his body.
Then flecks of black matter seeped out onto his skin.
Cleansing the marrow and tempering the bones!
This was a blessing that came only with the first successful qi induction!
Half an hour later.
Xu Chuan opened his eyes. An azure gleam shone in them, and delight spread across his face.
"Xiantian. I've done it!"
"As expected, lifespan and root bone make an enormous difference."
"Even with three great fate talents, I only broke through to Xiantian as I approached forty. For anyone else who began practicing martial arts at twenty-five or twenty-six, becoming a Third-Rate Martial Artist would already mean they had excellent aptitude."
The younger one was, the easier it was to open the apertures.
After twenty, the difficulty of opening them increased progressively.
Smelling the strange odor on himself, Xu Chuan laughed freely.
He walked to the Jade-Cold Pool, stripped off all his clothes, and set them on a large bluestone rock beside it.
Then he leaped into the pool.
The bone-piercing cold sent a shudder through him. He hurriedly circulated xiantian qi throughout his body, then enjoyed the icy bath as though it were an ordinary soak.
"Let's take a look down below."
A moment later, Xu Chuan drew a deep breath and dove toward the bottom.
But the pool was deeper than he had imagined, and the strain was greater too. In the end, he gave up and surfaced.
"How very strange. Could there really be some rare opportunity or blessing here?"
Xu Chuan pondered briefly, then decided to try again another day.
"I haven't been down the mountain in three months. I wonder how those brats are doing."
A faint smile played at Xu Chuan's lips as he strolled down the mountain with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Household Head!"
"Household Head!"
Along the way, he passed farmland and orchards. The patrolling guards and farmers in the fields all cupped their hands and bowed to him.
Clearly, the Xu Household had won their hearts.
One guard even hurried back to the Xu Household to report that he had come down the mountain.
The Xu Household immediately bustled into action.
When the three brothers, Xu Mingwei, Xu Mingyuan, and Xu Mingxuan, heard the news, they were overjoyed.
Father's come down the mountain. Could he have broken through?!
Xu Mingwei knew better than anyone why Xu Chuan had gone into seclusion on the mountain.
Excitement stirred in his heart.
Our Xu Household has a second Xiantian!
"A Yuan, Charcoal Head, go welcome Father at the main gate first. I'll fetch Mother and your sister-in-law."
"All right, big brother," the two brothers replied with smiles.
"The Household Head is back—"
The cry rang out through courtyard after courtyard, spreading across the entire Xu Residence moments later.
"Ah, Father's come down the mountain."
"Little White, let's go!"
Xu Mingshu immediately stopped practicing her punches, leaped onto the White Tiger's back, and raced toward the gate.
Xu Mingxian followed close behind, his feet riding the wind.
"The Xu Household Head?"
Gu Yiping muttered to himself, then headed toward the main gate as well, his hands clasped behind his back.
Soon afterward, Xu Mingwei came slowly over, supporting Yang Ronghua, with Bai Jing alongside them.
By then, quite a few people stood at the main gate. Servants, maids, and guards filled two rows, while the masters of the Xu Household stood in the middle.
"What a grand reception."
Xu Chuan spotted the dense crowd from afar. The corners of his mouth lifted before he shook his head.
All this fuss just because I've come down a mountain.
When he reached the entrance, Bai Jing walked up with tear-filled eyes. She lowered her head to wipe them, then said, "So you still know to come home."
"Lonely? I'll keep you company tonight." Xu Chuan laughed heartily.
"Still such a smooth talker!" Bai Jing teased with a smile.
Then—
"Father! (x5)"
Xu Mingwei led his siblings forward, and they called out in unison.
Xu Chuan smiled and nodded.
Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian were the first to run to either side of him. Xu Mingxian held back a little, but Xu Mingshu threw her arms around him.
They were still young enough to cling to their father, but the others had already outgrown that age.
"You're making it seem as though we've been apart for years." Xu Chuan did not know whether to laugh or cry.
His eyes brightened when he spotted Gu Yiping in the crowd. He stepped forward with a smile. "You must be Hall Master Gu. I hope we haven't made a spectacle of ourselves."
"How could genuine affection be a spectacle? If anything, it makes me envious."
Seeing the Xu family line the way to welcome Xu Chuan, Gu Yiping was filled with emotion.
He had wandered for half his life and was still alone.
"Everyone, return to your work."
"Yes, Household Head."
The maids and servants bowed respectfully, then began dispersing.
"Let's talk in the main hall," Xu Chuan said.
"Ronghua and I will take a stroll elsewhere," Bai Jing said with a faint smile.
"Mm. Don't let her tire herself out."
"As if I need you to remind me."
With that, Bai Jing and Yang Ronghua returned to the rear residence, while the others went to the Xu Household's main hall.
"Father, your timing is perfect. The Dragon Elephant Martial Hall opens in another fortnight," Xu Mingyuan said with a smile.
"With Hall Master Gu, a great Late Xiantian expert, presiding over it, there should be no problems."
"Shitou, go lend your presence when the time comes. We can't trouble Hall Master Gu to handle everything personally."
"Yes, Father." Xu Mingwei nodded in agreement.
Xu Chuan then turned to Gu Yiping and asked how he had been finding life with the Xu Household, and whether their hospitality had fallen short anywhere.
After chatting for a while, they went to the Martial Training Ground.
Xu Chuan had Xu Mingwei assess his younger siblings one by one.
Overall, Xu Chuan was pleased. They had all taken his words to heart and put genuine effort into the Martial Way.
As for Xu Mingyuan.
"A Yuan, if you don't work harder, Xueji and Yunnu will catch up to you."
"Father, I'm already working very hard."
Xu Mingyuan's face was full of bitterness. He had known he would become the focus of attention.
"I'm not blaming you." Xu Chuan smiled. "You've contributed immensely to everything the Xu Household has today, but you must also make progress in the Martial Way."
"I don't want you to be the only one of the five siblings stuck at Houtian Peak."
"Yes, Father." Xu Mingyuan lowered his brows and hung his head, thoroughly dejected.
Had Qingjiang County's wealthy merchants seen Xu Mingyuan like this, they would scarcely have believed he was that suave, high-spirited "God of Wealth of the Xu Household."
Night fell.
Xu Chuan thoroughly made up for Bai Jing's months of loneliness.
After stirring the clouds and rain.
Bai Jing lay in Xu Chuan's arms, savoring the tranquility of the moment.
"Husband, did you make a major breakthrough while practicing the Martial Way on the mountain?"
Bai Jing traced little circles on Xu Chuan's chest with her finger.
"Didn't you see it for yourself, my wife?"
The corners of Xu Chuan's mouth lifted as he looked down at her, his other hand roaming over her smooth back.
Recalling what had just happened, Bai Jing's face burned red.
She was nearly forty now, yet she had been ravenous as a wolf or tiger. She felt she had let herself go a little too freely.
"Haha, we're husband and wife. What's there to be embarrassed about in sharing our bed?"
"It's all your fault, husband, with all those tricks. I have no idea how you came up with them."
"You seemed quite absorbed in them yourself."
Bai Jing blushed even harder and said with a touch of annoyance, "Keep talking like that, husband, and I'll get angry."
"Hahaha, all right, I'll stop."
Xu Chuan grew serious. "After these months on the mountain, your husband finally broke through to become a Xiantian Martial Artist."
"Ah!"
"Xiantian!"
Naturally, Bai Jing knew what Xiantian meant.
The Xiantian Martial Artists in all of Qingjiang County could be counted on one's fingers.
She stared at Xu Chuan in disbelief. "Husband, didn't you only begin practicing the Martial Way at twenty-six? You could still become a Xiantian Martial Artist?"
"It means your husband is extraordinarily gifted."
Yes, in every respect.
"But there's no need to tell anyone. It's good for the Xu Household to have another hidden card."
"I'm not loose-tongued."
"I know." Xu Chuan kissed her forehead and said, "You're tired tonight. Get some rest."
"We have plenty of days ahead."