Bloodline Tree

‘She seems to like me. I bet she knows I’m her only way to cultivate immortality in the future.’ Shu Yang thought, poking the cheek of his youngest granddaughter, Xinxiang. She was Tianzheng’s second child, born while Shu Yang was away. She was the one who had been born with trash-grade spirit roots, which had given Shu Yang the push to advance his own spirit roots to the 9th-grade.

“You’re saying Xinjiang and Xinxi have been accepted already? They’ll be able to join the Sword Sect? The most powerful sect of all?” Xiaoshi asked eagerly, seemingly ecstatic at the information Tianyi revealed.

“That’s right. Isn’t it amazing?” Tianyi questioned from Qinayue’s embrace. His wife hadn’t let go of their daughter for a moment since they reunited. It had been a long time since he had seen her so happy.

‘She’s not going to hug her through the night, right?’ Shu Yang thought. He missed his wife too.

“Let me tell you, we were being hunted by these terrible people. They were super strong, and I thought we were done for when ‘whoosh’ a powerful sword intent descended from the sky and destroyed their attack,” Tianyi continued. “I was too scared to speak. But Dad not only got that swordsman to save us from our pursuers; he even got my nieces accepted into the Sword Sect. Not only that, he got him to go buy a flying ship big enough for all of us. When he gets here, we can all leave for the Sword Sect together.”

“Alright, calm down. Don’t let Bian Fenglin hear you talking like that. He simply agreed to my requests because he valued Xinjiang’s and Xinxi’s talent, and because he was righteous enough to admit he owed me a favor,” Shu Yang said.

“He owed you a favor? Why?” Tianzheng asked.

“Wait, we can all go to the Sword Sect?” Xiaoshi asked, “Me too?”

“The girls are so young; if you let them leave on their own, they won’t recognize you in the future,” Shu Yang said with a smile. “What? Are you unwilling?”

“Of course I’m willing,” Xiaoshi said, smiling happily and grabbing Tianhu’s hand.

“What about Xinmo?” Tianhu asked.

“It will be difficult,” Shu Yang answered. “Very difficult. This is the Sword Sect we’re talking about; only the most talented among millions upon millions can be accepted. Xinmo doesn’t even have spirit roots. I’m afraid he won’t be accepted even if he comprehends sword intent before we get there.”

“I see,” Tianhu said, looking a bit disappointed. “That makes sense.”

“It’s not like entering the Sword Sect is a guarantee for success, and you are bound to fail if you can’t enter. I’m sure Xinmo can soar just as high as his sisters in the future; he’ll just have to take another path,” Shu Yang said.

“You’re right,” Tianhu said, smiling slightly.

“Do you…have a way to test spirit roots, Dad?” Tianren asked, “Do you think any of us have it?”

“Only Tianyi, I’m afraid,” Shu Yang answered, dashing the hope that had just formed in most people in the room. “And even for her, it’s trash-grade spirit roots. They don’t even reach the lowest tier.”

“Hey, I still managed to reach the 3rd stage of Qi Refining,” Tianyi interjected. “I don’t care what quality they are. Since I have them, anything is possible.”

Shu Yang hesitated slightly, wondering if he should mention that they all technically had spirit roots. But in the end, he decided not to. It would just give false hope.

“Do you think any of the third generation has them?” Tianan asked.

“Only little Xinxiang here,” Shu Yang said, poking the small child’s face again.

“Really?” Tianzheng asked excitedly.

“Trash-grade. Like Tianyi. But that’s good enough for our Shu Family to do our best to nurture,” Shu Yang said.

“No one else?” Tianan asked to clarify.

“No one else,” Shu Yang confirmed. “Don’t be so obsessed with talent, everyone. Look at Tianhu; he is probably the one with the least talent of all Shu Family members, but he still managed to become the strongest.”

“Thanks?” Tianhu replied, a little unsure.

“Besides, strength isn’t everything. We have strength already. One more slightly talented descendant isn’t going to change much for our family. As long as I’m here, we have a foundation to rely on. If we really need some more manpower for anything, we can hire people. What we really need is a wider variety of expertise. Someone to learn medicine, woodmaking, smithing, alchemy, you name it. It’s all something we lack and something much more valuable than another Innate warrior. There are countless paths for the children to take, not just cultivation.”

“You’re right, Dad.” His children all tuned in.

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“So…Come on, tell us. What exactly is the Land Beyond the Mountains like?” Tianan urged.

“I’ll tell you!” Tianyi hurriedly volunteered and started telling everyone about what she had seen and heard in Yuanchi Immortal Land.

Shu Yang leaned back with his granddaughter and enjoyed listening to his family. It was so full of life once again.

‘Now I just need to get Tianxu back. Or at least find him and tell him about the Sword Sect.’

‘But that can wait for now.’

Only once the night had turned to early morning did his children and in-laws leave.

“Finally alone,” Shu Yang said, wrapping his arm around Qianyue’s waist.

“I missed you,” Qianyue said, giving him a long kiss.

“And I you,” Shu Yang said, breaking the kiss.

“Thank you for bringing our daughter back,” Qianyue said.

“It was only natural,” Shu Yang said, stroking her hair.

“It sounded dangerous,” Qianyue said.

“Well, a bit, I suppose. But I had it under control,” Shu Yang said with a carefree smile.

“No, you didn’t. Do you think I don’t know you?” Qianyue asked with a laugh. “Do you really think the Sword Sect is suitable for our family?”

“Are you worried there will be danger?” Shu Yang asked.

“I’m worried it will be…well, not our home, I suppose. I can see Tianhu and Xiaoshi fitting in there; their eyes burned with eagerness when you mentioned it. It will be good for Xinjiang, Xinxi, and Xinmo too, I believe. But what about the others? Do you really see Tianan fitting in that world? He likes to be with his children, playing around without worries. He likes talking with his neighbors, and at times gamble and have a drink. He likes…taking wives.”

Qinayue smiled slightly and then shook her head. “But he doesn’t like striving for what is out of his reach. He’s not made for that kind of place. You know that.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Shu Yang said with a sigh. It was a bit strange, really. Besides Tianyue, who never really got into martial arts, Tianan was the weakest of his children. Even after all the effort he put in, and all the time that had passed, he was still only a 1st-grade martial warrior.

But despite that, Shu Yang believed Tianan was the happiest and most satisfied of all his children. It was like he never worried or was anxious. It was just like Qianyue said; he had quite simple pleasures, and he had always been following them, not ever looking for anything more.

“I guess I’ll still ask him, but I won’t try to convince him if he wants to stay,” Shu Yang said.

“What about Tianyue? Tianren? Tianzheng? They aren’t much different,” Qianyue said.

“I’ll leave it up to them too; I won’t force anyone to come along,” Shu Yang said. “Either way, they don’t have to decide right away; there is still plenty of time.”

Qianyue pouted slightly. “So the family will be split apart? Just as we are about to all be together again?”

“Probably,” Shu Yang said with a nod. He stroked his wife on the back. “I’m afraid that’s how it will have to be, or some of our children will never be happy. You know Tianhu can’t stay. Now that it is good for his children to leave too, no one can stop him. And Tianyi, she has grown up in that world. She is a part of it, and I know she can’t just leave it all behind and stay here for the rest of hr life.”

Qianyue sighed, “Sometimes I wish we could have remained ordinary. Remained as farmers in Baishu Village and lived out our lives in peace there.”

“Qian’er-” Shu Yang began but was interrupted.

“Oh, I know. I don’t actually wish for that. Even if I did, it would have been impossible; we would have just starved or ended up as refugees in the end. It’s just something I like to think about at times.”

“It’s a nice thought,” Shu Yang said, “But it’s like you say, it’s not something you can have without strength to protect it. And to have strength, you need ambition. And…well, ambition for strength is hard to rein in once you’ve started.”

Qinayue smiled, “You don’t need to rein yourself in. Don’t worry, I know who you are. You have never been at peace with your place in the world, and I don’t want you to. But I’m…a bit different. I’m old, for one thing.”

“You’re not old,” Shu Yang said.

Qianyue kissed him on the cheek with a smile. “It’s fine. I have such a dashing husband; what does it matter if I’ve aged a bit?”

“I’m dashing, am I?” Shu Yang asked with a smirk.

Qianyue rolled her eyes. “You are. I’m sure you will charm a lot of beautiful women in the future.”

“You know I-” Shu Yang began to protest but was once again interrupted.

“I’m staying,” Qianyue said, her face no longer smiling. “I wish I could be with you and the children, and if we really all went together, I would come too. But the truth is that we are a family of two separate paths. As much as I dislike it, I can’t deny it. And I’m one of those whose paths will remain here. Someone needs to make sure Tianan doesn’t keep taking wives, right?”

Qianyue looked up at Shu Yang with a smile, but he saw tears gathering in her eyes.

“Absolutely not,” Shu Yang said firmly.

“Not what?” Qianyue asked.

“You’re coming with me. I said I’d let the kids decide for themselves; I never said you got to decide,” Shu Yang said stubbornly.

“Husband, I-” Qianyue began, but this time Shu Yang didn’t let her talk.

“I have to go and settle the ones who are leaving. I’m too afraid of leaving them on their own out there. So you have to come with me. Didn’t I always say I’d take you on an adventure? Well, the time has come.”

“But-”

“Once we’ve settled them, we’ll come back,” Shu Yang continued. “We’ll come back; we’ll settle down. We’ll build a house close to the other children, and we’ll watch the grandchildren grow up. We’ll grow old in peace, right here. But first, we’ll see the world together.”