Chapter 41: Family

Walking through the familiar streets, Ye Qingxuan hesitated before his own family door.

He did not use spiritual power or spiritual sense to probe, but like a mortal with no cultivation, he looked anxiously at the family door just a stone's throw away.

After taking a deep breath, Ye Qingxuan finally summoned the courage to knock on the large door before him.

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

Hearing the knocking, a voice Ye Qingxuan knew better than anyone came from outside the house:

"Who is it?"

Immediately, the large door slowly opened. The moment Ye Qingxuan's mother saw him, she froze. Looking at Ye Qingxuan, who was strange yet carried a familiar aura, she dared not believe and said:

"You... you are... you are Xuan'er?"

Seeing his mother's face gradually aging and her hair turning white, at this moment, Ye Qingxuan could no longer hold back. Suppressing the tears in his eyes, he stepped forward, embraced his mother, and trembled as he said:

"Mother, I am back!"

Hearing Ye Qingxuan's words, Ye Qingxuan's mother looked up, held his face, and looked at him again and again, bursting into tears of joy:

"It is Xuan'er, my Xuan'er is back, my Xuan'er is back!"

She then hurriedly shouted inside the house:

"Old man, Xuan'er is back, Xuan'er is back, come out quickly."

Immediately, a clattering sound came from inside the house. A figure walked out of the room in a hurry, paused upon seeing Ye Qingxuan, and looked somewhat dazed.

Seeing this figure, Ye Qingxuan smiled through his tears and said:

"Father, I am back!"

Hearing Ye Qingxuan's words, Ye Qingxuan's father finally came to his senses and feigned composure as he said:

"Good! Good! It is good that you are back!"

But his hands, hidden behind his back, could not stop trembling!

Noticing this, a hint of a smile appeared in Ye Qingxuan's eyes; Father was still the same Father as before!

He stepped forward and embraced his father, and then, at his mother's invitation, the three of them entered the house together.

Inside the house, Ye Qingxuan listened to his mother's stories and questions.

She spoke of the events that had happened in the family over the past twenty-plus years, and asked about Ye Qingxuan's experiences over the past twenty-plus years.

Occasionally, Ye Qingxuan's father would interject to add a few points, earning a roll of the eyes from his mother.

Ye Qingxuan watched this scene warmly and did not interrupt.

As time passed, the emotions of Ye Qingxuan's father and mother gradually calmed down. After recovering, Ye Qingxuan's father seemed to remember something and looked at Ye Qingxuan with a hint of pride as he said:

"By the way, you now have a younger brother and a younger sister. Your brother is named Ye Qing'ao, twenty years old this year; your sister is named Ye Qingying, sixteen years old this year!"

Seeing Ye Qingxuan's father's proud expression, Ye Qingxuan's mother could not help but hit him.

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingxuan exclaimed with joy:

"Really? Where are my younger brother and sister now?"

Hearing Ye Qingxuan's question, Ye Qingxuan's father said in a slightly annoyed tone:

"Qing'ao went to the library. As for Qingying, that girl plays wildly outside all day and won't return until night."

Speaking of Ye Qingying, Ye Qingxuan's father felt a headache. A girl, acting as a leader of children outside all day? Didn't she see how old she was?

"If only this girl could be as steady as you, I would be content!"

Fortunately, Qing'ao was sensible enough; he usually just went to the library to read books, which was a bit like his eldest son.

Hearing Ye Qingxuan's father's sigh, Ye Qingxuan's mother could not help but glare at him and said, exposing him:

"Isn't it because you, as a father, spoiled Qingying like this?"

Looking at his wife's eyes, Ye Qingxuan's father gave a sheepish smile and said nothing.

Ye Qingxuan chuckled to himself. The next moment, he seemed to remember something and asked:

"Father, Mother, now that we have a younger brother and sister, should we move to a bigger house?"

Ye Qingxuan's family lived in a small courtyard. The rooms were not small, but now that his younger brother and sister had grown up, moving to a bigger house was quite necessary.

Hearing Ye Qingxuan's suggestion, Ye Qingxuan's mother suddenly fell silent. Finally, Ye Qingxuan's father slowly spoke:

"After you left, the family arranged a large mansion for us. However, your mother worried that if we moved, you wouldn't be able to find us upon your return, so we never moved."

Hearing this, Ye Qingxuan was stunned. His nose tingled, and he forced a smile as he said:

"Father, Mother, your son is back. Let's move to the new house tomorrow."

This time, Ye Qingxuan's mother hesitated for a moment, then thought of Ye Qing'ao and Ye Qingying, and finally nodded in agreement.

As evening approached, Ye Qingxuan's father and mother were busy in the kitchen, while Ye Qingxuan sat alone in the small courtyard.

At this moment, the gate of the small courtyard suddenly opened, and a young man walked in from outside, his appearance vaguely resembling Ye Qingxuan.

Seeing Ye Qingxuan sitting in his own small courtyard, the young man hesitated and asked:

"Who are you?"

Looking at the young man before him, Ye Qingxuan already understood and smiled as he said:

"Qing'ao? I am your eldest brother, Ye Qingxuan."

"You are my eldest brother? Eldest brother, you are finally back! Hahaha!"

Since childhood, Ye Qing'ao had known he had an eldest brother who went out to cultivate. He had always been very eager to cultivate himself, but unfortunately, he had no spiritual root and could only learn about the outside cultivation world through the library.

He never expected that today, his eldest brother, who had embarked on the path of cultivation, would suddenly return. Ye Qing'ao was extremely excited and kept pestering Ye Qingxuan to tell him about the outside cultivation world.

Looking at this younger brother who felt no strangeness toward him, a hint of a smile flashed in Ye Qingxuan's eyes, and he began to tell him about the outside cultivation world.

However, most of the content he told was what Ye Qingxuan had learned from the library of the Xuantian Sect. After all, he had not ventured out himself and had not yet personally experienced the outside cultivation world.

Of course, he would not tell Ye Qing'ao all of this.

Just as he was speaking, a loud and clear voice suddenly came from outside the small courtyard:

"Father, Mother, can we eat dinner now? I'm hungry!"

Immediately following came a sound of cheerful footsteps.

Hearing this voice, Ye Qing'ao immediately covered his face, his expression full of helplessness.

Ye Qingxuan, however, felt somewhat curious; this should be his younger sister, Ye Qingying, right? Her personality, however, seems quite unlike her name!

Soon, Ye Qingying walked into the small courtyard.

Seeing Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qing'ao in the yard, she immediately tilted her small head, her exquisite face full of confusion, and raised a finger to point at Ye Qingxuan:

"Brother, who is he?"

Seeing Ye Qingying point at Ye Qingxuan, Ye Qing'ao's face immediately darkened as he scolded:

"Little sister, do not be rude; this is our eldest brother!"

"Eldest brother?"

Ye Qingying bit her finger with her hand, as if thinking about something. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she extended a hand toward Ye Qingxuan.

Seeing this, Ye Qingxuan was stunned:

"What?"

"Of course, a gift!"

Ye Qingying couldn't help but roll her eyes at Ye Qingxuan; this brother of hers seemed a bit dim, not very smart.

Ye Qingxuan suddenly realized; upon returning this time, besides preparing some elixirs for his parents, he indeed hadn't prepared any other gifts.

After pondering for a moment, Ye Qingxuan looked at Ye Qingying and asked:

"Elixirs, do you want them?"

Upon returning this time, he had prepared quite a few elixirs usable by mortals.

"Elixirs?"

Hearing Ye Qingxuan's words, Ye Qingying's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly asked:

"Do you have any elixirs that make people have diarrhea?"

"Huh?"

Ye Qingxuan was somewhat at a loss; diarrhea? He couldn't quite keep up with his sister's train of thought, so he shook his head with a mix of helplessness and amusement:

"No!"

"Ah! Is that so? Then forget it!"

Hearing there were no diarrhea-causing elixirs, Ye Qingying shook her head in some disappointment.

Seeing this, Ye Qing'ao, standing nearby, looked utterly furious; if you don't want the other elixirs, you could give them to me!

Seeing Ye Qingying's disappointed face, Ye Qingxuan felt a sudden impulse, took out a green elixir:

"Do you want this kind of elixir?"

"What kind of elixir is this?"

Ye Qingying looked at the elixir in Ye Qingxuan's hand with great curiosity.

Ye Qingxuan said nothing; instead, he pinched it. After the elixir shattered, it turned into starlight, merged with the surrounding spiritual energy, and began continuously drawing in spiritual energy, forming even more dazzling light.

This was the Qi-Attracting Pill he had refined many years ago; due to its low price, he had never sold it.

Seeing this, Ye Qingying immediately shouted excitedly:

"Wow, Big Brother, I want this kind of elixir."

Little stars sparkled in Ye Qingying's eyes; she had already begun to imagine in her mind how she would act like a fortune-teller in front of her little friends.

"Hehehe!"

Seeing Ye Qingying start giggling for no reason, Ye Qingxuan stepped forward and tapped her small head:

"What are you thinking about?"

After being tapped by Ye Qingxuan, Ye Qingying came back to her senses, covered her head with both hands, pouted, and stubbornly refused to answer Ye Qingxuan.

Seeing this, Ye Qingxuan raised an eyebrow, took out another green Qi-Attracting Pill, and tossed it up and down in his hand.

As the Qi-Attracting Pill was tossed, Ye Qingying's little eyes couldn't help but look over, staring fixedly at the Qi-Attracting Pill in Ye Qingxuan's hand.

Noticing Ye Qingying's little trick, Ye Qingxuan stopped teasing her, took out all the Qi-Attracting Pills, put them in a cloth bag, and handed it to Ye Qingying.

Ye Qingying eagerly took the Qi-Attracting Pills, hurriedly ran toward her room, and before leaving, didn't forget to say thanks:

"Thank you, Big Brother, hehehe!"

Before her voice even faded, Ye Qingying's small figure had already disappeared.

Afterwards, Ye Qingxuan took out several bottles of elixirs and handed them to the envious Ye Qing'ao standing nearby, saying:

"These are Body-Strengthening Pills; they can gradually improve your physique. Just take one per day."

Ye Qing'ao happily took the Body-Strengthening Pills and exclaimed joyfully:

"Thank you, Big Brother!"

Having a younger brother and a younger sister filled Ye Qingxuan with great joy; unfortunately, his younger brother and sister possessed no spiritual roots!