Chapter 571: Chapter 571: Xander Family Head

Before Scarlett Jennings enrolled in the Taoism Academy in Sea City, no one in the entire Taoism Academy dared to provoke Gregory Xander at will.

Usually, it was only him who taught others a lesson, and no one bullied him.

At least when it came to Scarlett Jennings, she never had to worry about it.

Over on that side, Gregory Xander and the middle-aged man sat in the back seat of the car, silent all the way.

Until the car stopped in front of a residence, just before entering, the middle-aged man suddenly spoke,

“When you see your father, soften your attitude a bit, don’t clash with him again.”

Gregory Xander glanced at him but did not respond, entering directly.

Walking past the shadow wall into an old-fashioned Chinese courtyard, clearly, it was winter, yet there was no trace of fallen leaves in the yard, every spot was meticulously cleaned.

Just like the master of this home.

Gregory Xander went all the way to the Central Hall, where the Xander Family Head, Preston Xander, sat upright before the hall, in his fifties, with the same rigid hardness on his face as Gregory Xander.

Seeing him come in, he merely lifted his eyelids slightly.

“You finally came back?”

Gregory Xander remained expressionless, giving Preston Xander a slight nod as a greeting, then straightforwardly said,

“I came back to retrieve my Peach Wood Sword.”

Gregory Xander had his own Peach Wood Sword, which his father had passed on to him when he was fifteen.

However, he didn’t take it with him when he first went to Sea City.

Since then, he’d been using an ordinary Peach Wood Sword.

The last couple of times he saw Scarlett Jennings using it to kill Evil Ghosts and Shadow Ghosts from the Ghost Realm, he realized he was at a disadvantage being barehanded each time.

So on this trip to the Capital, he had already planned to come back and retrieve his sword.

He had to show his junior brothers and sisters his true strength.

When Preston Xander heard he came back just to retrieve the sword, he frowned,

“It’s just an academy tournament, do you really need to use the Peach Wood Sword?”

Their Mountain First Sect was best at Talismanic Magic and martial arts.

Using a Magic Artifact just for an academy tournament, Preston Xander felt he was making a big fuss over nothing.

“Did you go to Sea City and abandon the other magic of Mountain First Sect?”

“No, but I want my sword, and I believe I don’t need too many reasons.”

Gregory Xander said, suddenly looking at his father with a slight darkening of his expression,

“But since father doesn’t want me to take my sword away… is it because you’ve given my things to someone else again without permission?”

When he said this, there was no visible anger on his face, but his words were full of mockery.

Preston Xander paused, then slammed the table,

“What are you saying?! As the rightful heir of the Xander Family, is this all the magnanimity you have?!”

Such a small matter, yet he remembered it for so long.

It’s like he’s living his life backward.

“Your Peach Wood Sword is perfectly fine! No one touched it. If you don’t believe me, you can see for yourself!”

What Preston Xander said was out of anger.

But he didn’t expect Gregory Xander would really turn and leave.

That attitude clearly showed he didn’t believe him.

Preston Xander’s face turned dark with rage, yet he couldn’t do anything about it.

The Xander Family had a dedicated place to consecrate Magic Artifacts, even though Gregory Xander hadn’t returned for three years, he was still familiar with the Xander Family’s layout.

Familiar with the way in, he found his Peach Wood Sword at a glance.

Just as Preston Xander said, his sword was perfectly fine, just like before.

However, on the platform that consecrated his Peach Wood Sword, there was also another Peach Wood Sword made of Thunderstruck Wood.

Gregory Xander almost didn’t need to think to know whose it was.

He couldn’t help but inwardly mock himself.

Yes, indeed, no one touched his sword because he had already prepared a better one for that person.

From childhood to adulthood, what he had, Elysia Xander would also have.

What he didn’t have, Elysia would still have.

He should have been used to it by now.

Smoothing out the bit of dissatisfaction in his heart, Gregory Xander put away his Peach Wood Sword with a slight disapproval.

If there wasn’t anything better at the moment, he wouldn’t want this one that was given to him.

But then he thought, it’s an heirloom, not Preston Xander’s, so why shouldn’t he take it?

So, feeling justified, he put away the Peach Wood Sword and returned to the original Central Hall to bid farewell to Preston Xander.

Just as he reached the hall’s entrance, he saw a girl in a Capital Taoist Academy robe walking out from inside.

The girl was Elysia Xander.

She was tall with a blend of cold beauty and ancient charm, and the academy robe seemed to carry an air of elegance on her.

Seeing him approach, she paused slightly, stopping in front of the hall, her eyes landing on the Peach Wood Sword in his hand, with an aloof arrogance in her gaze.

Gregory Xander gave her a cold nod, about to pass by, when he heard her suddenly speak,

“I won’t steal your things, nor am I interested in doing so. Don’t always think everyone is coveting your belongings; it only makes you look very childish.”

Gregory Xander’s footsteps suddenly halted, turning to look at Elysia Xander, meeting her cold and proud eyes, with the hint of ridicule in them,

“Saying such things doesn’t make you look noble; it only makes me find it laughable.”

Elysia Xander frowned at his words, turning to look at him,

“I’m laughable? From the orthodox family in the Capital to run off to a place like Sea City, aren’t you laughable?

Obviously, you are orthodox, yet you learn some crude ghost-catching tricks online to gain attention; you are disgracing the Xander Family’s heritage and also embarrassing the Family Head.”

“You…”

“Even though I am from a branch, I’ve learned all the orthodox mountain gate Taoist teachings from the Family Head since I was young, and everything I have now is what I deserve.”

Elysia Xander interrupted Gregory Xander, her expression growing more aloof,

“Whatever I can take from you means that it never belonged to you. Perhaps you can get many things just because of your birth, but everything I own is earned through my strength.”

Though raised by Preston Xander, she never felt she was living under someone else’s roof, nor would she ever humble herself just because of the Xander Family’s nurturing.

She had her pride and her value.

Elysia Xander always believed she was different from people like Gregory Xander, who could get everything just by their birth.

Gregory Xander was initially very angry at her overbearing attitude, but hearing her repeatedly emphasize her strength, he instead calmed his temper.

No matter how much they argued, it wouldn’t compare to a real fight.

“Whether your strength is great, saying so alone doesn’t count; win in the tournament and then speak.”

Pausing, he added,

“Otherwise, if you lose after saying so much, you’d just end up with impotent rage.”

He’d learned this latter phrase from someone online.

Elysia Xander was surprised at first, then a trace of anger flashed across her face, quickly restrained as she resumed her cold stance,

“I look forward to facing you in the tournament.”

With that, she turned and walked away without caring how Gregory Xander would react.

Gregory Xander watched as she disappeared into the back courtyard, not saying a word, re-entering the Central Hall.

Preston Xander naturally heard their argument outside but didn’t take it seriously.

For the younger generation, it’s good to have competition.

However, upon hearing Gregory Xander say he was leaving, he couldn’t help but frown again,

“You’ve been gone for so long, finally back in the Capital, and instead of staying at your own home, you’re staying out. What does that look like?”

Seeing it would be another joke.

Gregory Xander seemed to have anticipated his reaction, and with an unchanged expression, he looked at him steadily,

“You want me to stay, but what about Elysia Xander?”

Preston Xander frowned, “What does this have to do with Elysia?!”

“We represent two different academies; with the tournament ahead, do you think it appropriate for us to live under the same roof?”

Preston Xander: …

Gregory Xander knew he hadn’t thought this through.

“Since you can’t bear to let her stay at the academy, then don’t say anything about wanting me to stay either.”

That would only make him find it laughable.