Chapter 77: Evening Banquet

"Elder Brother, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Xu Mingshu immediately complained, then fiercely slapped the white tiger's foreleg, "Little White, Third Brother is back! What are you roaring about?!"

The white tiger turned its head with an innocent look at Xu Mingshu.

Roar?

Wasn't it you who told me to roar?

Because the horses were startled, Xu Mingxuan and the others could only slowly walk the remaining distance back.

"Father, Mother, Elder Brother, why are you all at the entrance? I was thinking of giving you all a surprise."

Xu Mingxuan dismounted. Bai Jing immediately walked over quickly, tearfully embracing Xu Mingxuan, saying, "My son, you've finally returned."

Hearing this voice, Xu Mingxuan also had misty eyes, his voice choked, "Mother, Tantou has returned."

"Greetings to the family head and old family head."

The other three also paid respects to Xu Mingwei and Xu Chuan.

Xu Mingwei said, "No need for excessive courtesy. Returning from the battlefield is meritorious. The evening banquet is already prepared. Eat here as well. My Xu family will absolutely not shortchange those with merit."

"Thank you, family head."

Xu Chuan smiled, "Alright, everyone go inside. The banquet is getting cold."

At the evening banquet, everyone was curious about life at the border and asked questions one after another.

Xu Mingxuan, Li Zhi, and others briefly described their situations. The others sighed with emotion.

However, when it was mentioned that Xu Mingxuan earned one first-class merit and one second-class merit, and Li Zhi also earned second-class merit, everyone was amazed.

"Father, second-class merit and above can be exchanged for official status and registration, or can exempt permanent taxes. How to use them is for you to decide."

"Second-class merit can permanently exempt family taxes?" Xu Mingwei asked curiously.

"Second-class merit can exempt taxes for over ten thousand acres, first-class merit can exempt over one hundred thousand acres."

"Then we can only use first-class merit to exchange."

Xu Mingyuan chuckled, "Tantou, you haven't been back in a while. Now our family has turned upside down. Farmland and mountain forests added together have long exceeded one hundred thousand acres."

"What?"

Xu Mingxuan was also shocked.

"All of Dongxi Village has already been absorbed by our Xu family. In surrounding villages, we also have large amounts of farmland."

"I've been away for six years, not sixteen or sixty years, right?"

"Hahaha~"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Bai Jing placed food in his bowl and smiled, "You heard correctly. Eat more. You've gotten thinner."

Xu Chuan said, "I need to think more about how to use the military merits. Let's eat first."

After the meal, Li Er, Chen Daniu, Bai Hui and others all received rewards from the Xu family.

Li Er was at peak Postnatal realm, so he was rewarded with ten Qi-Drawing Pills.

Chen Daniu, Bai Hui and the others were all second-rate martial artists, rewarded with ten servings of secret medicinal diet and ten Aperture Opening Pills to help them quickly open acupoints.

…

At Xu Chuan's study.

Xu Mingwei, Xu Mingyuan, and Xu Mingxuan were all here.

"Regarding military merits, including Li Zhi's share, our family has a total of one first-class merit, two second-class merits. The rest are of little use.

Use first-class merit to exempt all taxes on our Xu family's farmland and mountain forests."

"As for second-class merit, use one after Li Zhi breaks through to innate realm to make him county deputy magistrate. Keep the other temporarily. I've heard military merit can also pardon crimes."

Xu Mingwei nodded solemnly, "Father's allocation is very reasonable. Having someone in officialdom makes work easier. We definitely need one."

"I also agree."

"Then I have even less objection."

Xu Mingxuan spread his hands, "Father, people and horses are exhausted from this journey. I'll head back first."

"Shitou, go with him and pass on our Xu family's inherited martial arts. Now our Xu family's second generation legitimate line are all innate realm. We can also arrange for them to do things."

"Inherited martial arts? Our family has this?"

Xu Mingwei smiled, "Let's go to your room. I'll explain in detail."

Xu Mingxuan learned of the Xu family's changes in recent years and was incomparably shocked inside.

Three types of secret medicinal diet plus Aperture Opening Pills could rapidly cultivate large numbers of martial artists. Xu Chuan researched Qi-Drawing Pills, saving vast amounts of silver and could use this to harvest wealth from various county seat aristocratic families and wealthy merchants.

Xu Chuan even relied on so-called family inherited martial arts to enter the path through martial arts and embark on the immortal cultivation path.

"So our family will be an immortal cultivation aristocratic family in the future?" Xu Mingxuan said blankly.

"How can one immortal cultivator support an immortal cultivation aristocratic family? Moreover, with Father's temperament, he won't expose that the Xu family has embarked on the immortal cultivation path until the Xu family has sufficient strength."

"You must also strictly guard this secret."

"I know." Xu Mingxuan nodded heavily, "However, I really look forward to seeing what heights our Xu family can reach in the future. Can we match the Great Wei imperial clan?"

"Who can say clearly about the future? Let's focus on the present."

"Tomorrow you should also go to Jade Cold Pool and cultivate by Father's side. The heaven and earth spiritual qi there is slightly more concentrated and can speed up cultivation. We'll find you when there are matters."

"Got it, Elder Brother."

…

Jade Cold Pool.

Wu Tao and Shen Qingyi saw Xu Mingxuan and immediately cupped their fists in respect, "Greetings, Third Master."

"I've become a master too?"

Xu Mingxuan scratched his cheek and looked at the two, "Cultivate well. The Xu family won't shortchange you."

"Yes, Third Master."

Only a handful of people in the Xu family knew about them walking the immortal cultivation path.

They had also been instructed not to speak of it to outsiders, not even their parents.

"Third Uncle, you've also come up the mountain." Xu Dezhao performed a proper bow.

Xu Mingxuan rubbed his head, "Yes, sent up by your father."

"What are you going to do?"

"Grandfather has me spend time daily teaching Wu Tao and Shen Qingyi to read and write, until they know all the Thousand Character Classic by heart and can write it."

"Then go ahead."

"Yes, Third Uncle."

Xu Mingxuan felt that at Jade Cold Pool, the heaven and earth spiritual qi was indeed slightly more concentrated than down the mountain. Perhaps it was also related to those large amounts of rare medicinal materials.

Xu Mingxuan, Xu Mingshu, and Xu Mingxian all cultivated nearby. The three often sparred.

In terms of pure true qi refinement, both Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian surpassed Xu Mingxuan, but in actual combat, Xu Mingshu often lost to Xu Mingxuan. However, against Xu Mingxian, Xu Mingxuan had never won once.

Later upon asking, he learned that Xu Mingxian had already broken through to mid innate stage.

"Our Xu family is truly becoming increasingly prosperous. Elder Brother with such talent only reached peak Postnatal realm at eighteen, yet Yunnu is already mid innate stage."

"Innate cultivation is much slower than Postnatal."

Xu Mingshu chuckled, "How could previous martial cultivation resources compare to now?"

"With Father's medicinal diet, even if Xu family descendants are mediocre, they can be built up to innate realm by twenty-five or twenty-six. Those with good talent like Zhao'er can probably become innate martial artists before sixteen, and have hope of late innate or even perfection by twenty."

"However, Yunnu is special. Father said that starting from innate realm, and even after beginning immortal cultivation, is when Yunnu's talent truly comes into play."

"Talent? I've also heard this from Father's mouth several times."

Xu Mingxuan stroked the stubble emerging on his chin, "Xueji, how does Father know our talents? And do we several brothers all have talents?"

"Otherwise how could we all be so outstanding?"

Xu Mingshu looked disgusted after hearing this, "Third Brother, you're really shameless. With your martial aptitude, even among some county seat aristocratic families, you'd only rank above average."

Xu Mingxuan's face showed feigned gloom, his brows slightly furrowed, "This little girl is becoming more unruly. You're becoming less and less respectful of me as your elder brother. Take this!"

Under the Black Iron tree.

The white tiger casually glanced over and yawned listlessly.

It looked at the lush branches and leaves overhead, silently wondering when the next batch of fruits would ripen.

Thinking about it, saliva began dripping from the corners of its mouth.

Two months later.

Li Zhi stepped into the innate realm. After stabilizing, he went to the county office and kicked out County Deputy Magistrate Wang, who only had official status, becoming the new Qingjiang County deputy magistrate.

With military merit, Li Zhi's position was unshakeable by anyone.

As for the Wang family wanting assassination, they'd have to weigh whether they had the capability.

After all, behind Li Zhi was the Xu family.

The Xu family also registered with the government using first-class merit, exempting all farmland and mountain forests from taxes.