CHAPTER 547: 282, SO YOU’RE CALLED XU XING?

「Several days later.」

Buxu Zi and Xu Xing, accompanied by House Elders from the Butian Sect, personally went to Spring and Autumn Mountain to discuss the marriage with Zuoqiu Lin, the Zuoqiu Clan Leader. Thanks to a prior reminder from the Nanhua Sect, and given that Xu Xing was a powerful figure in East Huangzhou, Zuoqiu Lin was overjoyed to hear of Xu Xing’s intention to propose. He immediately agreed to the marriage and had the clan elders prepare a banquet to entertain the entourage from the Butian Sect.

"Ying’er is my niece. Her father had limited aptitude. Sadly, during his attempt to break through to the Dao Pill Realm, his meridians catastrophically reversed, and he perished. Over these years, I, as her uncle, have been the one looking after her..."

At the banquet, Zuoqiu Lin invited Xu Xing to the seat of honor. After they had exchanged toasts for a while, he looked at Xu Xing, his face flushed, and said the above.

After Xu Xing successfully broke the array and won the sword duel against the Zhongtai Dao Monarch, almost all cultivators in East Huangzhou concluded that the next era would be dominated by Xu Xing, the Sect Leader of the Butian Sect.

It could be said that the Zuoqiu Clan was latching onto the great vessel of the Butian Sect, rather than Xu Xing relying on the Zuoqiu Clan. Were it not for the Zuoqiu Clan’s somewhat unique standing within the Nanhua Sect, their own resources would be utterly incomparable to those of the Butian Sect.

As for the connection to their Ancestor... Zuoqiu Lin was well aware of his clan’s situation. The Ancestor was useful in a crisis that threatened the clan’s extinction, but for ordinary matters of development, Elder Zuo Qiu would not favor the Zuoqiu Clan. This was simply because the members of the Zuoqiu Clan were not direct descendants of Elder Zuo Qiu himself, but rather hailed from the mortal bloodline of his worldly brothers.

The stronger a cultivator became, the more difficult it was to produce offspring—this was an accepted truth in the Cultivation World.

"I understand," Xu Xing nodded and smiled. "After Immortal Ying marries into my sect, I will undoubtedly treat her well and ensure she suffers no grievances..."

He knew that Zuoqiu Lin, this uncle, wasn’t necessarily exceptionally good to Zuoqiu Ying. The so-called good treatment was only because Zuoqiu Ying’s aptitude was the best in the Zuoqiu Clan, so she hadn’t been mistreated. Still, one doesn’t hit a smiling face. There was no need to confront Zuoqiu Lin directly at the banquet.

The two continued to converse for a while.

After several courses had been served, Zuoqiu Lin put down his wine cup and sighed, "The Zuoqiu Clan is currently facing a difficulty, and I was wondering if Master Xu could lend a hand... As for remuneration, the Zuoqiu Clan will certainly not disappoint Master Xu..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xing’s eyes flickered a few times, and he smiled, "Since our families will be joined by marriage, and by generation, I should address Chief Zuoqiu as ’Uncle,’ please speak plainly if there is any trouble. There’s no need to discuss remuneration as if we were strangers."

"Since Master Xu has said as much, then I shall speak plainly."

Zuoqiu Lin’s face immediately lit up with joy. Xu Xing is a man of integrity, he thought, and proceeded to explain the clan’s predicament truthfully.

It turned out that a hundred years ago, the Zuoqiu Clan had discovered a Spiritual Ore called ’Rainbow Heart Stone’ in the Bloody Sun Valley, a Spirit Land that belonged to the Lishan Hong Family. This mineral deposit was hidden very deep. The Hong Family, despite garrisoning the area, had never discovered it.

Rainbow Heart Stone was quite valuable, being a Grade Three and Grade Four Spiritual Ore, usable for forging artifacts for cultivators at the Dao Pill and Nascent Soul Realms.

Seizing this opportunity, Zuoqiu Lin quickly devised a pretext, purchased the Spirit Land from the Hong Family, and began excavating the Spiritual Ore.

When the Hong Family learned of this, they refused to swallow their anger. They immediately gathered several families related by marriage and began to contest the Zuoqiu Clan’s claim to the land. The two sides engaged in fierce conflict, and the resulting enmity has persisted to this day, still unresolved.

"In the past hundred years, two Dao Pill Daoists have emerged within the Hong Family. Furthermore, thirty years ago, a clansman who had been traveling abroad returned, having successfully advanced to become a Nascent Soul Daoist Lord..."

"Although the Nascent Soul condensed by Hong Wenren is... far inferior to yours, Master Xu, among us Aristocratic Families, it’s a different matter entirely..."

"Since then, the Lishan Hong Family has repeatedly dispatched clansmen to poach Spiritual Ores... Our clan, wary of Hong Wenren’s strength, can only make concessions..." Zuoqiu Lin said with a worried expression.

Xu Xing listened and nodded; he wasn’t surprised. He had already heard about the Bloody Sun Valley Spiritual Ore from the Butian Sect’s House Elders when he was on Qingzhu Mountain. Before coming to the Zuoqiu Clan, he had already thoroughly investigated them.

The two Dao Pill Daoists the Hong Family had produced weren’t of great concern. The crucial point was the additional Nascent Soul Daoist Lord. This Nascent Soul Daoist Lord was not affiliated with the Nanhua Sect; he belonged exclusively to the Hong Family.

The Zuoqiu Clan and the Hong Family were both subordinate to the Nanhua Sect. Within the Nanhua Sect, there were quite a few True Monarchs and Dao Lords originating from these two families. This was especially true for the Zuoqiu Clan, which not only boasted a Sage Monarch like Elder Zuo Qiu but also had three active Dao Lords.

However—although these three Dao Lords originated from the Zuoqiu Clan, they did not belong to the Zuoqiu Clan itself; they belonged to the Nanhua Sect. In the conflict between the Zuoqiu Clan and the Hong Family, these three Dao Lords had essentially no standing to intervene, or rather, they would choose not to.

Setting aside their connections within the Nanhua Sect, the Zuoqiu Clan was merely a Dao Pill-level family, whereas the Lishan Hong Family had already become a Nascent Soul-level family. The disparity between them was immense, which was precisely why the Zuoqiu Clan was so deeply apprehensive of the Hong Family.

"After this banquet, I will pay a visit to the Hong Family. I trust they will give me some face and refrain from making things difficult for the Zuoqiu Clan..." Xu Xing pondered for a moment before speaking.

"However," Xu Xing began, then paused, tapping the table. His gaze fixed on Zuoqiu Lin, but he didn’t continue speaking.

Zuoqiu Lin understood immediately. A flicker of pain, or perhaps reluctance, crossed his face. "Master Xu is to be the son-in-law of my Zuoqiu Clan. On the matter of the Bloody Sun Valley mine, I will make the decision: half of it shall be given to Master Xu—no, to Ying’er—as part of her dowry."