Fire Virtue Bloodline

[Xu Dezhao: Third Generation of the Xu Household]

[Age: One]

[Spiritual Roots: Incomplete Five Elements, no aptitude for immortal cultivation]

[Talent: None]

[Bloodline: False Fire Virtue Bloodline (Ninth Rank)]

[Realm: None]

(Note: The False Fire Virtue Bloodline made Martial Way cultivation twice as effective with half the effort and could increase the power of fire-based martial arts techniques or spells by ten to twenty percent.)

The next day.

Xu Chuan summoned Xu Mingwei and told him that Xu Dezhao possessed the False Fire Virtue Bloodline.

"Fire Virtue Bloodline?"

"Yes. It surprised me too."

Xu Chuan had thought Xu Dezhao would inherit Xu Mingwei's strength and eyes.

He had inherited neither. Instead, he had the Fire Virtue Bloodline.

"Even the False Fire Virtue Bloodline is Ninth Rank. I wonder what rank the true Fire Virtue Bloodline is?"

As Xu Chuan pondered, Xu Mingwei lowered his head and ventured, "Father, do you think it could come from the Xu Household's bloodline?"

Xu Chuan looked up and smiled faintly. "Bloodlines can be passed down to descendants. If the Xu Household truly had one, we wouldn't be so unremarkable. Martial Way experts would have sprung up among us long ago."

"Then it's from the Yang Household?"

"The Yang Household has endured centuries of rises and falls, and nearly every generation has produced a Grandmaster. It's possible."

"I'll go ask Ronghua."

Xu Mingwei hurried back to his bedroom.

Xu Chuan began cultivating the Xiantian Five Elements Creation Art.

When she saw Xu Mingwei return in such a hurry, Yang Ronghua looked up in surprise. "Husband, didn't Father summon you? Why are you back so soon?"

"We finished talking."

Xu Mingwei went to her side and looked at Xu Dezhao in the crib. Seeing that the baby's eyes were open, he made playful "goo-goo" sounds to amuse him.

"Husband, he's looking at you."

"Mm. He has my eyes and your nose, but his face takes after yours overall. He'll certainly grow into a handsome young man. The Yang Household's bloodline really is remarkable."

"You're teasing me, Husband."

"By the way, my wife, the Yang Household has produced Grandmasters in every generation. Does your family have a special bloodline?"

Yang Ronghua gave him a puzzled look. "Husband, why bring up the Yang Household's bloodline all of a sudden?"

"I'm curious about the great Aristocratic Clans of the Commandery Seat."

"I see." Yang Ronghua smiled. "My brother did mention something about that once. He said that if his bloodline were a little purer, he might have entered Xiantian before twenty, like some of the clan's outstanding members."

"A bloodline can do something so extraordinary?" Xu Mingwei asked in surprise.

He wondered whether the others in the Yang Household had the true Fire Virtue Bloodline or the False Fire Virtue Bloodline his father had mentioned.

No, most of them were probably not even a match for Zhao'er!

Father had said this False Fire Virtue Bloodline was Ninth Rank. If every descendant of the Yang Household had a Ninth Rank bloodline, wouldn't they all be able to reach Xiantian, or even become Grandmasters?

Seeing Xu Mingwei deep in thought, Yang Ronghua added, "I don't really know much about it either."

"How about this? I'll write to my father with news of Zhao'er and ask them to find a way to see whether he has the Yang Household's special bloodline."

"Mm."

"Though I think Zhao'er is your son, Husband, so the Xu Household's bloodline should run stronger in him."

"Perhaps."

Xu Mingwei smiled faintly and said no more.

Though he knew the secret of Xu Dezhao's bloodline, he could not explain how he knew.

So he offered no further explanation.

Three days later.

At the Yang Household in Moon Lake Commandery.

Yang Shichang received a letter brought by a servant. The moment he saw the sender's name, he smiled.

"What has made you so happy, Husband?"

Yang Shichang had married Wen Jing, the Wen Household's eldest daughter, a few months earlier.

She was now pregnant.

"My sister wrote to me," Yang Shichang said with a smile.

"Sister Ronghua? What a pity I didn't get to meet her at our wedding. I've heard her beauty could shame the moon and make flowers hide their faces."

Yang Shichang merely smiled and said nothing.

Wen Jing went on, "I also heard that Sister Ronghua was originally meant to marry my second brother. How did she end up marrying into a Household in such a small place?"

At those words, some of the joy faded from Yang Shichang's face.

Their marriage was an alliance, and there had never been much affection between them.

Wen Jing also brought up her Wen Household every few sentences, which grated on him.

If she had not been heavily pregnant, Yang Shichang might have rebuked her outright.

"Your Wen Household was too late. Before our two families arranged their alliance, my sister had already been promised to someone. They had exchanged names, confirmed the auspicious match, and delivered the betrothal gifts. All that remained was to choose a date and fetch the bride."

"The Yang Household has its dignity. It isn't as though we had no one else to marry off. We could hardly break the engagement."

Wen Jing smiled faintly and stroked her belly. "Don't take it to heart, Husband. I was merely curious and asked in passing."

"Mm." Yang Shichang nodded coolly. "You're not in the best of health. Go rest in your room. I'm going to see Mother."

With that, he took the letter to Madam Yang's room.

Madam Yang was delighted to see the letter too, and tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

She wiped them away and opened the envelope. As she read, she smiled and said, "Your sister says she's given birth to a son. His name is Xu Dezhao."

"The same 'Zhao' as Father's name?"

"Yes."

"What else did she say?"

"She says she's very happy in the Xu Household, and she and her husband get along well. She asks how we're doing and says she misses us terribly."

"I miss my sister too." Nostalgia showed on Yang Shichang's face.

Yang Zhao had only one son and one daughter, and the siblings had been close since childhood.

Suddenly, he noticed a change in his mother's expression and asked, "What is it? Is there trouble at the Xu Household?"

"No. Hua'er is asking whether there's a way to test your nephew's bloodline."

"Test his bloodline?" Yang Shichang was surprised, but then he said, "Of course. Dezhao is half Yang. He might have inherited the Yang Household's special bloodline. It wouldn't be the first time a Martial Way prodigy with our bloodline was born to a family related to us by marriage."

Madam Yang thought for a moment. "Let's ask your father what he thinks when he returns tonight."

"All right, Mother," Yang Shichang replied.

That night.

Yang Zhao read the letter and beamed when he saw Xu Dezhao's name.

But when he reached the request to test the boy's bloodline, he fell into thought.

"Hua'er is far away in Qingjiang County. We can't look after her from here."

"Now that she's asked, I must do what I can for her as her father. I'll visit the household head tomorrow. Given my standing with him, I expect he'll lend me a Bloodline Stone.

"If Dezhao's bloodline is pure enough, we may be able to apply for permission for him to cultivate the Yang Household's Inherited Martial Art."

With that, he turned to Yang Shichang. "Chang'er, once I've obtained the Bloodline Stone, make a trip to Qingjiang County."

"Yes, Father."

The next day, Yang Zhao borrowed a Bloodline Stone.

After making arrangements for Wen Jing, Yang Shichang set out for Qingjiang County on horseback early on the third morning.

Two days later.

He arrived at Dongxi Village.

Seeing someone ride up, a guard at the entrance stepped forward and called out, "Who goes there? This is a private Xu Household residence. Trespassers are not allowed."

"It's Young Master Yang." Another guard, who had seen Yang Shichang many times, recognized him at once and hurriedly said with a smile, "Please forgive him, Young Master Yang. He was only hired recently and hasn't met you before."

Yang Shichang nodded and dismounted.

Another household servant led him to the South Mountain Courtyard, where Xu Mingwei was.