Chapter 139: Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River

Outside the room, Lady Yao heard the argument between her eldest son and daughter inside; hesitating whether to enter and mediate, she was instead pulled directly into the kitchen by Old Lady Hua.

"Eldest daughter-in-law, since neither you nor the eldest son are willing to discipline Ninth Lady, let Eldest Son do it. These past two years, Ninth Lady has increasingly stayed away from home. If you wish to let her continue like this, then go ahead and indulge her."

Second Aunt Hua added, "Yes, Eldest Sister-in-law, Ninth Lady is becoming more and more distant from the family. She conducts affairs outside without even informing us; how is this like a family?"

Due to Hua Dalang's investigation, the entire Hua family now knew that Hua Changxi had opened eleven medicinal halls in Jingcheng and possessed a Fire Spirit Mine in Sancha Medicine Valley.

Regarding this, the reaction throughout the Hua household was intense.

Hearing the words of Old Lady Hua and Second Aunt Hua, Lady Yao felt both helpless and powerless.

That her daughter distrusted her family, even guarding against them, was something she had never anticipated. Previously, she had thought Ninth Lady was merely stubborn, but over these past two years, she increasingly realized she did not truly understand her own daughter.

Opening medicinal halls was one thing, but that mine in Sancha Medicine Valley—she had silently partnered with outsiders to seize it, which completely exceeded Lady Yao's imagination.

After all, Sancha Medicine Valley was imperial territory; with the Fire Spirit Mine located so close, how did Ninth Lady dare to claim it as her own? The fearlessness toward the imperial court that her daughter displayed made Lady Yao's heart pound with alarm.

Lady Yao also knew her daughter needed restraint; otherwise, she truly feared that one day Ninth Lady would commit some earth-shattering, irredeemable act.

Fourth Aunt Hua was genuinely grateful to Hua Ninth Lady from the bottom of her heart. Knowing the family coveted the assets Ninth Lady had earned, she dared not say much, merely stating, "Eldest Sister-in-law, Eldest Son is a person of measure; it would be good for the brother and sister to talk things through properly."

As a married daughter, Third Aunt Hua could not interfere in her natal family's affairs, so she remained silent throughout.

However, regarding her niece Ninth Lady, she truly admired her; silently and without fanfare, she had earned such a vast estate for herself, surpassing even most men.

In the Hua family's main hall, Hua Mingzhe spoke with Old Master Hua and his three brothers, Hua Minghe and the others, with a smile on his face and pleasant words. Whenever a topic faded, he would proactively introduce a new one, ensuring the atmosphere in the room remained harmonious and cheerful.

Hua Hongchen and Hua Hongtao sat silently beside them, watching their father subtly flatter Old Master Hua and the others; both felt uneasy in their hearts.

Because their great-grandfather was a senior elder of the Hua clan, their family had always been the one others eagerly curried favor with and sought to please, but in the last year or two, everything had changed.

Due to the emergence of cultivators, and because only their sister Hua Wanyue possessed spiritual roots while everyone else in their branch did not, their family's status within the clan had plummeted.

In the past, if Grandfather Bin's family wished to meet their grandfather or father, they had to send word in advance, depending entirely on whether their grandfather or father had the time and mood to see them.

But now, because Grandfather Bin's entire family were cultivators, their status within the clan had instantly skyrocketed.

The fact that his whole family were cultivators, once revealed, shocked not only them but every other member of the Hua clan to the point of disbelief.

Yet the truth was that Grandfather Bin's family truly were all cultivators; although more than half were body cultivators practicing physical refinement, body cultivation was still a form of cultivation.

Cultivators with spiritual meridians were, after all, a minority; body cultivation provided a path of cultivation for those without spiritual meridians, and becoming a body cultivator was something many dreamed of achieving.

Because Grandfather Bin had presented a body cultivation technique to the clan, the clan leader had directly appointed him as the twelfth senior elder of the Hua clan.

Hua Silang and others cultivating at the Marquis Manor also rose along with the tide; nowadays, when the Marquis Heir went out to visit friends, he would bring them along, clearly treating them as trusted confidants to be groomed.

Now, it was their own family that had to beg Grandfather Bin's family instead.

Their great-grandfather still retained some face with the Marquis; from the Marquis, he had learned that the body cultivation technique Grandfather Bin presented to the clan was not the best, and that they still possessed superior body cultivation techniques in their possession.

Their father's excessive flattery of Grandfather Bin's family was intended to secure those better body cultivation techniques for them, allowing them to stand out within the clan.

Watching Old Master Hua, who had been flattered until his face glowed and had long forgotten his earlier unpleasantness with Hua Ninth Lady, Hua Hongchen and Hua Hongtao exchanged glances, their eyes filled with self-reproach and guilt.

Their father had sacrificed so much dignity for their sake; they wondered if he could actually achieve his goal?

Inside Hua Changxi's room, facing Hua Dalang's accusations that she did not keep her family in her heart, she initially began to reflect on herself, thinking she might have gone too far, but very soon, she regained her clarity.

"Eldest Brother, everyone must take responsibility for their own life; do not push the burdens you ought to bear onto me."

"One should only eat as much as one's capacity allows."

"The prosperity of the Hua family relies on every member of the Hua family, not on me alone. I ask myself: have I not contributed enough to this household?"

"I dare say that every person in this family has benefited because of me. Do not keep picking at me alone; if you have the ability, go urge the other brothers and sisters in the family to strive for improvement."

"As for the dangers encountered in these turbulent times, there is nothing to be done; everything I possess now was not gained out of thin air. I, too, am risking my life to struggle."

Hua Dalang looked at Hua Changxi in disbelief: "Father and Mother dote on you so much, yet they have indulged you into becoming so selfish, thinking only of yourself; you are simply..."

Before Hua Dalang could finish his angry words, the door creaked open as Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang forcibly pushed it open.

"It's time to eat."

"Eldest Brother, Brother-in-law and the others are still in the main hall; Grandfather wants you to go keep the guests company." Hua Sanlang firmly dragged Hua Dalang out of the room and gave Hua Liulang a meaningful glance.

After the two left, Hua Liulang walked over to Hua Changxi and sat down: "Eldest Brother is just like this; he always loves to preach. I find him quite annoying too."

Speaking while watching Hua Changxi, and seeing she remained silent, Hua Liulang added, "Eldest Brother's mouth can be somewhat annoying, but he is a good person at heart; he genuinely wishes the best for our family."

Hua Changxi looked at him: "If Eldest Brother wishes the best for the family, then let him do so; I have never stopped him. But he should not demand that I be exactly like him."

Hearing this, Hua Liulang asked weakly, "Ninth Lady, do you not wish for our family to prosper?"

Hua Changxi replied, "Have I not done good for this family? Can you not see what I have done for this household? Must I sacrifice everything before it counts as doing good for the family?"

She paused for a moment.

"Eldest Brother plans wholeheartedly for the family because he is the one who will inherit this home in the future. But what about me? I am not within the line of inheritance, yet you expect me to devote all my strength to this family. On what grounds?"

Hua Liulang scratched his balding head, at a loss for how to respond: "...But surely you cannot let relations with the family become completely estranged?"

Hua Changxi said, "I never intended to estrange ourselves. Whatever the family members wish to do, I do not interfere; whatever I do, the family should not interfere either. I desire mutual peace, but it is Grandfather and Eldest Brother who are unwilling; they insist that I act according to their wishes."

As she spoke, exhaustion showed on her face.

"Sixth Brother, every time I return home, I feel utterly weary. Clearly, it is the family who has become greedy, yet they act as though I am the one who has done wrong. If this continues, I truly do not wish to return anymore."

Hua Liulang panicked: "Don't! If you don't come back, Father and Mother will be heartbroken."

Hua Changxi's face showed bitterness: "The storage bag I gave to Father, Father gave to Eldest Brother. I gave him the storage bag to provide him with extra protection because I worried for his safety; that was my affection and concern for him. Yet he simply handed my sentiment away to someone else."

Hua Liulang said dryly, "Eldest Brother is in the Demon-Suppressing Army; his duties are relatively dangerous, which is why Father gave the storage bag to him."

Hua Changxi knew her family would offer such explanations; she no longer wished to speak.

Hua Liulang's head throbbed; he did not know how to persuade her, fearing that one wrong word would make the relationship between his sister and the family even more strained, so he could only awkwardly change the subject.

"By the way, Grandfather is now the twelfth elder of the Hua clan; nowadays, the clan values our family highly."

Hua Changxi was indeed distracted, asking in surprise, "How did Grandfather become a clan elder?"

Hua Liulang's expression stiffened; he felt like slapping himself. How had he chosen such a topic?

Hua Changxi observed his reaction, pondered briefly, and asked, "Did Grandfather give the body cultivation technique to the clan?"

Hua Liulang's face trembled: "You know?"

Hua Changxi's expression remained calm: "Given our family's situation, is it really hard to guess what it would take to secure an elder's position?"

Hua Liulang studied Hua Changxi's face: "Ninth Sister, you aren't angry, are you?"

Hua Changxi said nothing; she did not mind the Qihuang Body Refining Technique spreading outward. In her understanding, the treasures within the Qihuang Hall were always meant to be shared with everyone.

What bothered her was that the family had used the resources she brought back yet continued to demand more, which truly made her feel somewhat weary.

Just then, the voice of Fourth Aunt Hua rang out from the courtyard.

"Fifth Sister, Third Master, what brings you here?"

"Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival; I accompanied Fifth Sister and the child to celebrate with everyone."

Hua Changxi and Hua Liulang looked toward the courtyard to see Fifth Sister Hua holding a child, standing beside Third Master He, followed by several maids carrying generous gifts.

"Is this Third Master He's first visit to our home? He is truly a rare guest."