Chapter One: The Xia Family

  As night falls, the summer evening breeze carries a sultry breath over the purple tung flowers, and wave after wave of intoxicating fragrance spreads through the air. In the vast backyard of the Xia family in Yushui City, a small courtyard that is easily overlooked occasionally emits a series of 'slap' 'slap' 'slap' sounds.

  The sound is sometimes urgent, sometimes slow. In the yard, a 14 or 15-year-old boy is standing in front of a wooden stake, striking it with force. The sweat constantly flowing down his forehead shows that he has been maintaining this striking action for a long time. The solid wooden stake forms a small amplitude vibration in the continuous striking, but will not break due to such striking.

  A young man with a strong and unyielding spirit, his eyes clear and transparent, yet firm and unwavering. His handsome face had a pale complexion, perhaps due to prolonged intense exercise, and his breathing was slightly rapid. The blue long gown on his body was already drenched in sweat and stuck to his back.

  Time flies, and the young man seems to feel nothing at all. Gradually, the moon has climbed up to the treetops. Every time his limbs strike the wooden stake, the young man will slightly furrow his brow, and his palms, due to the forceful striking of the hard tree trunk, are covered with a deep red color.

  Bang Bang...

  The boy seemed like a tireless machine, repeatedly striking his limbs against the sturdy tree trunk.

  Suddenly, the boy's ears moved slightly, and he heard what sounded like footsteps outside the courtyard gate. The boy involuntarily stopped his actions, perked up his ears to listen carefully, and indeed, those almost inaudible footsteps were gradually approaching this place.

  In an instant, a figure appeared at the already dilapidated gate. The young man's face revealed a hint of joy that was hard to detect when he saw this person. Usually, no one from his clan would come to this small courtyard, which could be said to have been abandoned, except for the person who now stood before him.

  Appearing at the gate was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a black velvet jacket. When he saw the young man, a faint smile also appeared on the middle-aged man's face.

  "Xia Yan, it's so late, and you're still practicing?" The middle-aged man's voice was warm.

  The young man who had been hitting the tree stump was named Xia Yan. The middle-aged man was one of the nine elders of the Xia family, named Xia Changhe, and also Xia Yan's third grandfather, Xia Yan's father's third uncle. After Xia Yan's father died, Xia Yan grew up under his mother's care alone, but when Xia Yan was eight years old, his mother also left Xia Yan and passed away, since then in this world, only this third grandfather had been the kindest to Xia Yan.

  If it weren't for Third Grandfather, Xia Yan might have been driven out of the Xia family's mansion and become homeless! Even now that he can still stay in the Xia family, Xia Yan can only live in this abandoned small courtyard. However, Xia Yan did not become disheartened and depressed because of this. It is precisely because of this that Third Grandfather has always taken good care of Xia Yan.

  Seeing San Ye, Xia Yan's entangled emotions seemed to improve a bit. He ran two steps forward and said in a firm tone: "San Ye, I must open up all the meridians and become a true martial artist like my father!"

  When Xia Yan said this, Xia Changhe couldn't help but sigh silently, and the smile on his face became even more pronounced. Xia Yan was born with a relatively poor physique, and in martial arts, it could almost be determined that he would not have too great an achievement. However, Xia Yan never gave up, persisting in his diligent cultivation.

  It's been ten years, and to say that Xia Yan has only slightly improved physically, but in other aspects, he has made almost no progress. For example, Xia Yan's 108 meridians of martial arts have not been opened up even a single one until now. This phenomenon is almost impossible to occur in large families, yet it happened on Xia Yan's body.

  Xia Changhe pondered for a moment, then looked straight at Xia Yan with a smile on his face and said: "Xia Yan, at tomorrow's elder meeting, the great elder has already promised to help me speak. If we have the great elder's help, it is possible to place your mother's spirit tablet in the Xia family ancestral hall."

  Xia Yan heard this and suddenly jumped up excitedly, hugging Xia Changhe with surprise: "Third Grandfather, did Grandfather really agree to it? Haha, Mother's spirit tablet can really enter the ancestral hall?"

  Xia Yan's eyes sparkled with excitement, and the thrill in her heart couldn't be expressed in words. At this moment, Xia Yan wished she could share this news with every member of the Xia family.

  It has been six years since Xiaoyan's mother passed away, but her spirit tablet has yet to be placed in the ancestral hall of the Xia family. This has become a constant thorn in Xiaoyan's heart!

  After Xia Yan was born, his father's body was brought back from the Forest of Evil when he was less than a year old. From then on, his mother was often cursed and scolded by people with venomous words. Everyone thought that it was because of her arrival that his father died in the Forest of Evil. However, his mother never fought back against those who cursed her, but only endured silently. Yet, only when Xia Yan was alone with her would a smile appear on her cold and frosty face.

  The reason for this result is that Xia Yan's mother was not a person from the Dragon Continent, but rather from the Dark Night Continent. More than ten years ago, Xia Yan's father had entered the Forest of Sin and unexpectedly brought back Xia Yan's mother. It should be known that people from the Dragon Continent and the Dark Night Continent are eternal enemies. Xia Yan's father bringing back a woman from the Dark Night Continent was met with opposition from his family members. However, Xia Yan's father did not care about others' opinions, and despite almost everyone's disapproval, he married Xia Yan's mother and later gave birth to Xia Yan.

  After Xia Yan was born, all the rumors and slanders gradually disappeared. However, just one year after Xia Yan's birth, his father never came back alive from a trip to the Forest of Sin.

  From then on, Xia Yan and her mother never had a good day again. No one gave them a kind face anymore. Some even wanted to kill Xia Yan and her mother. Fortunately, the third grandfather in the family, Xia Changhe, always protected Xia Yan and her mother, which allowed them to stay in the Xia family. However, their life in the Xia family was not as good as that of ordinary servants.

  After Xia Yan's mother died, her spirit tablet was also not allowed to enter the Xia family ancestral hall.

  "Xia Yan, when you grow up, you must become a man who stands tall and proud like your father..."

  "Mother said that in this life, she has two wishes. The first wish is for you to live a good life, the second...the second wish is to be with your father after death..."

  Before Xia Yan's mother passed away, Xia Yan was by her side, listening to her say these words one by one, and tears could not be controlled.

  Every time Xiaoyan recalls the words her mother said before she died, she can't help but clench her fists and feel a surge of emotions. Her father's memorial tablet is in the ancestral hall, but her mother's is not allowed to be placed inside. Xiaoyan has always wanted to put her mother's memorial tablet in the ancestral hall with her father.

  "Hehe, Xia Yan, although the Great Elder promised to help at the Council of Elders, things haven't been settled yet. We can only decide after tomorrow's council meeting." Xia Chang He saw Xia Yan's excited and joyful appearance, and couldn't help but sigh again in his heart. For these six years, he had been trying hard to persuade the Clan Leader and the Council of Elders to allow Xia Yan's mother's spirit tablet to be placed in the Xia Family Ancestral Hall. Until today, Great Elder Xia Lei finally agreed to help Xia Chang He speak at the council meeting after being promised a huge benefit."

  Great Elder Xia Lei is one generation higher than Xia Changhe in the Xia family hierarchy, and even if he is the head of the clan, he must carefully consider Xia Lei's opinion. So if Xia Lei helps to speak at the elder meeting, things will be much easier.

  Looking at Xia Yan now, Xia Changhe couldn't help but recall Xia Yan's father. Xia Yan's father, Xia Dongsheng, was the most outstanding disciple of the younger generation of the Xia family. At just eighteen years old, he had already opened up all 108 main meridians of his body and reached the realm of washing his marrow in his martial arts cultivation. If not for that unexpected accident more than ten years ago, it's possible that he would have become a spiritual master by now.

  What a pity...

  Xia Dongsheng was also the most popular candidate for the next head of the clan. If Xia Dongsheng hadn't died, Xia Yan's position would have undergone a drastic change as well.

  Alas, life is full of many unpredictable changes!

  "Third Grandfather, I will definitely work hard to cultivate and won't let you down!" Xia Yan said excitedly, then quickly calmed down and spoke firmly to Xia Changhe.

  Xia Changhe shook his head and said, "Xia Yan, maybe you can also make a name for yourself through literature. Look at me, my martial arts skills are actually only at the physical training stage."

  This was not the first time that Xia Changhe had tried to persuade Xia Yan to give up his martial arts training, but Xia Yan never accepted his advice. Among the nine elders of the Xia family, three did not follow the path of martial arts, and Xia Changhe was one of them.

  Xia Yan knew that San Ye was doing it for his own good, so he wouldn't get angry with Xia Changhe saying this.

  This time, Xia Yan was silent for a while. In fact, he also knew that San Ye's suggestion might be the right one for him.

  "Third Grandfather, Mother hopes I can cultivate martial arts and become a strong man like Father!"

  As soon as Xia Yan said that, Xia Changhe stopped talking. He knew that Xia Yan might never change his mind for the rest of his life.

  He patted Xia Yan's shoulder and said with a kind gaze, "Practice well, I believe you will succeed, Xia Yan!"

  Xia Yan nodded heavily, and a hint of confidence flashed in his eyes. His black pupils shone like stars in the night sky, bright and spirited. In Xia Yan's heart, there had always been a voice calling out to him, urging him never to give up. Whenever he thought of his mother in the still of the night, Xia Yan's entire body would fill with strength.

  On the second day, in the morning, Xia Yan ate two baked buns and then sat in the shabby room to practice writing. Although he devoted himself to martial arts training, Xia Yan never neglected reading and writing.

  Just as Xia Yan had written the eighty-seventh character on the rice paper, a faint rustling sound came from the courtyard, and Xia Yan involuntarily raised his head to look towards the door, seeing that it was a maid named Xiao Cui who served the family's patriarch.