A flicker of thought crossed Mo Tiange's mind. She asked, "Where is your home?"
Ye Zhenji blinked, not quite understanding. "My home?"
Mo Tiange repeated, "Your home in the mortal world."
Though puzzled by what this Ancestral Master wanted, the child answered honestly, "My home is in Tong'an City, Wei State. Have you heard of it, Ancestral Master?"
"Tong'an City, Wei State…" Mo Tiange murmured the name, furrowing her brows. It seemed to be the very one Second Uncle had mentioned. She asked him again, "Do you know the name Ye Cheng?"
Confusion surfaced in Ye Zhenji's eyes. "That… I think the family head grandfather is called that, but I'm not entirely sure…"
Family head grandfather… Second Uncle had moved the Ye Family out of Qingmeng Mountain about twenty years ago. At that time, Ye Cheng, the family head who stayed in the mortal world, was in his forties, possessed only a very feeble Five Spirit Roots. He should be over sixty now.
"Tell me about your family. Let me hear."
A trace of wariness appeared in Ye Zhenji's eyes. "Ancestral Master, what do you want to hear?"
How could Mo Tiange not see that this child was wary of her? She smiled. "Does your family have something I could covet? Just speak freely."
Ye Zhenji thought about it and felt she was right. This Ancestral Master was the personal disciple of a Nascent Soul Ancestral Master. What could his own dilapidated family possibly possess that would catch her eye? He asked, "What does Ancestral Master wish to know?"
"…Just talk about anything. For example, what is your family's situation? Were you also in Kunwu before?"
"Yes." Mentioning his family's past brought a smile to Ye Zhenji's face, and he spoke with pride. "My father said our family was also in Kunwu before. Our ancestors produced many Core Formation cultivators! There was even a granduncle who formed his Golden Core before he was a hundred and fifty! He was famous throughout Western Kunwu at the time!" At this point, a look of regret appeared on his young face. "But, that granduncle also perished over twenty years ago. Our family was never numerous, and those with Spirit Roots were few. So, we declined."
"So, your family has no cultivators left now?"
"Not exactly…" Ye Zhenji tilted his head. "Actually, I'm not sure. My father said there was another granduncle who was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He sent us to the mortal world and then left. But, that granduncle was old, and there's been absolutely no contact for so many years, so we don't know if he's still alive."
"Didn't that granduncle leave any communication talismans?"
"This… I don't know. All this happened before I was born. My father didn't talk about it much."
It was normal for the child not to know such details. Mo Tiange had already formed an idea in her mind. She didn't ask further. Lifting a finger, she forced out a drop of blood and, with a flick of spiritual energy, sent it flying towards the child.
"Ancestral Master, you—" Ye Zhenji cried out in alarm, but the words were only half-spoken. The drop of blood sank into the center of his forehead and vanished.
Mo Tiange felt her essence blood enter his brow, meeting no resistance at all, easily merging as one. This child… was indeed her blood relative.
"Ancestral Master…" Ye Zhenji recovered from his shock, staring at her in horror. "What was that…"
Mo Tiange looked at the child, somewhat surprised herself. Kunwu was so vast, yet a child of the Ye Family had actually come to the Xuanqing Sect.
"That was a bloodline test."
"Ah?" Ye Zhenji was lost. A bloodline test?
"My essence blood merged with yours without any rejection. It means you and I are blood relatives."
Ye Zhenji was completely dumbfounded.
Mo Tiange gazed at him. "I don't know how we should address each other, but the Core Formation granduncle you mentioned, who perished over twenty years ago, should be my father."
"Martial Aunt, you are…" As she walked into the side hall of Shangqing Palace, Xiu Qin, seeing her leading a young boy, was momentarily stunned.
Ever since being taught a lesson by her, the four maidservants—Qin, Qi, Shu, and Hua—had become obedient. The other twelve, hearing of her methods, had also restrained themselves a great deal. They no longer gossiped in front of her, and their speech and manners had regained their respectful politeness.
Mo Tiange swept a cool glance over her. "This is my grandnephew. I've specially brought him to pay respects to Master."
"Grandnephew?" Xiu Qin blinked. This Martial Aunt Mo had just gone to the Meng School and returned with a grandnephew? But she wisely didn't ask further, bowing her head. "Yes. The Ancestral Master is still in the main hall. Martial Aunt may proceed to pay your respects."
"Mm." Without further delay, Mo Tiange took Ye Zhenji's hand and walked past her.
Ye Zhenji was excited. He looked back at Xiu Qin and, when they were farther away, whispered, "Ancestral Master, you have such face! Last time I saw an uncle from Daojun Jinghe's side come to the Meng School to deliver a message, he didn't even give our supervisor a proper glance!"
Mo Tiange smiled slightly. The Meng School supervisor was just an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could he catch the eye of these women? Having served by a Nascent Soul Ancestral Master's side for so long, they didn't even regard ordinary Core Formation cultivators highly.
Ye Zhenji looked around curiously. Since arriving at the Xuanqing Sect, he had only been to the main peak hall once. The rest of the time was spent in the Meng School. Not to mention a Nascent Soul Ancestral Master's cave abode, he hadn't even seen an ordinary Foundation Establishment uncle's cave abode.
Seeing his innocent, cheerful childlike demeanor, Mo Tiange couldn't help but smile. Since acknowledging their kinship, this child had been constantly excited. Originally thinking he had no backing and was destined to be bullied, he unexpectedly gained an Ancestral Master bound by blood ties in the blink of an eye. Those children who bullied him before couldn't compare. He was so happy he didn't know what to say. Recalling earlier, when she explained the reason to the Meng School managing cultivator, Ye Zhenji had puffed out his chest with pride the whole time, making her both amused and pitying.
"Zhenji, our generational relationship is hard to determine for now. I'm only a little over ten years older than you. Call me Aunt. There's no need to keep calling me Ancestral Master."
"Oh…" Ye Zhenji looked up at her and called softly, "Aunt."
Mo Tiange smiled and patted his head. "No need to be so reserved. We are family. It's different from them."
Hearing this, Ye Zhenji grew a bit bolder. "I understand. Aunt, can I follow you from now on?"
"…Mm, it should be possible. But before that, we need to report to the Ancestral Master." Actually, Mo Tiange wasn't sure either. Her current status was indeed different. Logically, wanting to look after a blood-related junior shouldn't be a big problem. But currently, she lived in Daojun Jinghe's cave abode, and this Master of hers wasn't exactly proper… It really was hard to say.
"Aunt," Ye Zhenji looked up at her, worry in his eyes, "Will this cause trouble for you?"
"Hmm?" Mo Tiange was taken aback. She had only unconsciously frowned just now. Was this child so perceptive?
Ye Zhenji said, "Aunt, if it's difficult for you, it's okay not to mind me. Now they all know you're my granduncle. They won't dare bully me anymore."
Seeing the child's earnest expression, Mo Tiange smiled and answered seriously, "Don't worry. We'll know after meeting the Ancestral Master."
"Mm."
As they spoke, the two arrived at the main hall.
In this Shangqing Palace, aside from Daojun Jinghe himself, there were only the maidservants and her, so there was no need for anyone to announce them.
Leading Ye Zhenji into the hall, Mo Tiange saw Daojun Jinghe still lying on his dragon throne, being attended to by maidservants while flipping through an unknown book and muttering something.
"Master."
Daojun Jinghe didn't even look up. "Oh, you're back. Why'd you bring back a little fellow today?"
Mo Tiange let go of Ye Zhenji's hand and signaled with her eyes. The clever child immediately knelt and kowtowed. "Ye Zhenji pays respects to Ancestral Master."
Mo Tiange said, "Master, this child is my blood relative. I wish to bring him back and personally guide him. I beg Master's permission."
"Hmm?" Daojun Jinghe was surprised and finally turned his head. He casually waved at Ye Zhenji, indicating he should rise, then turned to Mo Tiange. "What's going on? Where did this child come from?"
Mo Tiange patiently reported, "I went to the Meng School today and happened to see this child being bullied by others, so I casually rescued him. Unexpectedly, when we talked, it turned out this child is from my mortal world family."
"Oh? Such a coincidence." Daojun Jinghe had no interest in these trivial details. But seeing Ye Zhenji stand up and immediately shrink behind Mo Tiange, looking timid, he gained some interest. "Little fellow, come here and let Ancestral Master have a look."
Ye Zhenji looked up at Mo Tiange. Seeing her nod, he cautiously moved to Daojun Jinghe's side. He had never seen a Nascent Soul Ancestral Master before. So majestic…
"Not bad-looking little fellow. Quite resembles you." Daojun Jinghe said, grabbing Ye Zhenji's wrist. "Aptitude is a bit lacking. Three Spirit Roots. Mm, fortunately, each Spirit Root is decent. Foundation Establishment shouldn't be a problem. With effort, there's hope for Core Formation too."
Ye Zhenji's eyes widened. The Ancestral Master said his aptitude was lacking, but he wasn't sad at all. Disciples who could enter the Xuanqing Sect all had extremely good aptitudes. With only Three Spirit Roots, he barely qualified. But the Ancestral Master said with effort he could achieve Core Formation—this was something he had never dared to imagine!
"Alright, such a small matter, you handle it yourself." Daojun Jinghe released Ye Zhenji's hand and lay back down. "You haven't formed your Core yet, so you don't have the qualification to take a disciple. Keep him by your side for now."
Receiving permission, Mo Tiange was delighted. "Thank you, Master."
"Heh, thank me? You little girl has cursed me behind my back plenty! Forget it!" Daojun Jinghe waved his hand. "Go on."
Exposed in public, Mo Tiange didn't feel embarrassed. After all, it was true this nominal Master of hers didn't act his age. She just performed a final bow and took her leave with Ye Zhenji.
"Zhenji, now that the Ancestral Master has agreed, you'll stay by Aunt's side from now on. I'll do my best to help you, but you must also work hard yourself, understand?"
"Mm!" Ye Zhenji's face flushed with excitement. A Nascent Soul Ancestral Master—he had actually seen a Nascent Soul Ancestral Master! He thought for a moment and asked, "Aunt, do I still need to go to the Meng School from now on?"
"Of course," Mo Tiange said. "You haven't finished learning the Daoist scriptures. You still need to go—what, you don't want to?"
"No, no," Ye Zhenji waved his hands repeatedly, revealing a slightly embarrassed smile as he whispered, "Aunt, actually I want to go. Now that I have an aunt, Ji'an and the others won't dare bully me anymore! I want to go see the looks on their faces!"
Hearing this, Mo Tiange chuckled. Indeed, still a child. Having been bullied before, now he wanted to hold his head high.
She nodded. "Finding satisfaction in settling scores isn't exactly wrong. But don't become too fixated on it, understand?"
"Mm."
Arriving at Mingxin Residence, Mo Tiange opened the restriction. After a moment's thought, she took out a blank jade token, carved an instruction onto it, and handed it to Ye Zhenji. "From now on, use this to open the defensive formation."
Entering Mingxin Residence, a small spirit beast pounced over, chirping loudly, startling Ye Zhenji.
Mo Tiange said to Ye Zhenji, "This is Aunt's spirit beast. Call it Little Fire. It's very intelligent, with cultivation equivalent to an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. If you have any matters in the future, you can call for it." She then crouched down and patted the Fierce Fire Beast's head. "This is Zhenji. He is my nephew. Treat him as you would me from now on, understand?"
The Fierce Fire Beast chirped twice more, affectionately tugging at Ye Zhenji's robe hem until Ye Zhenji also patted its head, then it stopped.
Mo Tiange smiled, took out a jade bottle, poured out a few pills, and gave them to it. "Eat these and go play. You can go to the back mountain if you want."
The Fierce Fire Beast's tongue swept out, swallowing the pills, then nodded to her before darting out of Mingxin Residence, probably heading towards the back mountain spirit beast enclosure.
This Fierce Fire Beast's cultivation increased rapidly. Ever since living in Shangqing Palace, Mo Tiange had allowed it to move freely. It often went to play in the back mountain. Since the cave abode had restrictions, Mo Tiange let it be.
Leading Ye Zhenji into the courtyard, Mo Tiange introduced each area. "This is Aunt's cave abode. This is the alchemy room. This is the artifact refining room. This is the cultivation chamber. As for this room, it's the resting chamber. It's yours from now on. If you need anything, just ask the martial aunts here. They are the Ancestral Master's maidservants. All affairs of Shangqing Palace are managed by them."
"Understood, Aunt." Ye Zhenji stood in the resting chamber, cautiously touching the cold jade bed. The room didn't have many items, but each was exquisite, making him stare wide-eyed.
"Where is your luggage?"
Hearing Mo Tiange's question, Ye Zhenji took the Qiankun Bag from his waist and somewhat embarrassedly poured out its contents.
Some clothes, a few Daoist scriptures and cultivation methods, some children's toys, three spirit stones, and several jade bottles with worn exteriors. Mo Tiange opened them to look. There were healing pills and Qi Nourishing Pills, but only two or three of each. One of the Qi Nourishing Pills even seemed half-eaten.
Ye Zhenji seemed to feel his things were too shabby. Blushing, he said, "Aunt, when I left home, the family had almost no accumulated stores left. Only these things remained, and the family head grandfather gave them all to me to bring."
Mo Tiange smiled. It seemed those in the Ye Family with feeble Spirit Roots were still unwilling to give up. Though staying in the mortal world, they still practiced cultivation. Moreover, most valuable items were with Second Uncle, so there wasn't much of value to begin with. It was normal that not much remained after twenty years.
She thought for a moment and pulled out seven or eight jade bottles from her Qiankun Bag. "These two bottles are Qi Nourishing Pills, one hundred pills each. You should know how to use them. These are Qi Gathering Pills, also pills for consolidating foundation and cultivating essence. Their efficacy is over ten times better than Qi Nourishing Pills, but it's best you take them after your cultivation increases a bit. The medicinal effect is too strong, and your current cultivation is too low. These are Cleansing Spirit Pills. After taking ten Qi Nourishing Pills, take one to expel pill toxins. These are Icy Clarity Pills for detoxification. They should be able to cure any poison you're likely to encounter at your level. These are Spirit Replenishing Pills. If your spiritual energy is exhausted during a Dharma Combat, taking one can recover quite a bit. These are Clear Heart Pills for calming the spirit. If your mind is unsettled, take one."
Seeing Ye Zhenji's hands trembling as he held the jade bottles, Mo Tiange smiled gently and took out a small cloth pouch. "Here are two hundred spirit stones. I know new disciples who haven't left the Meng School can't receive their disciple stipends yet. Take these for cultivation purposes first."
He only had two spirit stones in total, saved for a long time and reluctant to to use. Now suddenly receiving two hundred spirit stones, Ye Zhenji was completely stunned.
But it wasn't over. Mo Tiange thought for a moment and took out the Greenwood Sword and Spirit Gathering Pearl she no longer used. Stroking these two items, she sighed softly. The Spirit Gathering Pearl wasn't anything extraordinary, but it was left by her father, and it had guided her onto the path of immortal cultivation. After some thought, she put it away again and replaced it with a Spirit Gathering Formation she had made herself.
"This is the Greenwood Sword, passed down to me by my Second Uncle. Now I pass it to you. This item has been refined by a Core Formation cultivator. It's far superior to ordinary spiritual artifacts. Use it well. As for this Spirit Gathering Formation, set it up around you when you cultivate. It can increase the concentration of spiritual energy."
Ye Zhenji almost numbly accepted these things. Although he was just a new disciple, having entered the Xuanqing Sect, he had gained some knowledge. He had seen spiritual artifacts in the hands of fellow disciples. But before leaving the Meng School, the sect wouldn't issue spiritual artifacts. Those who had them all had backing. A junior disciple like him, coming from the mortal world, could only watch enviously. And this Greenwood Sword was clearly a high-grade spiritual artifact, much better than any he had seen before!
"Aunt, this… it's so much…"
"Since you are my family, I will naturally give you the best." After saying this gently, Mo Tiange's expression turned serious. "However, you must also remember that the path of immortal cultivation can only be walked by yourself. If you become complacent and stagnant, then no amount of treasures will be of use!"
Having received many things first, then being sternly admonished by Mo Tiange, Ye Zhenji jumped in surprise, came to his senses, and bowed his head honestly. "I understand. I will work hard in my cultivation and not disappoint Aunt's expectations."
Seeing the child so receptive to teaching made Mo Tiange very satisfied. She patted his head. "Alright, Aunt is going to cultivate. You can cultivate too, or familiarize yourself with things first. If anything comes up, call for me outside the cultivation chamber."
"Yes."
Mo Tiange turned to leave, but Ye Zhenji hurriedly called out, "Aunt!"
Mo Tiange stopped and saw Ye Zhenji looking at her, his face reddening as he whispered, "I'm hungry."
She was taken aback, couldn't help but knock her own head, and smiled at him. "Aunt hasn't touched mortal food for a long time. I forgot you still need to eat. Wait a moment. I'll have someone bring you food."
Returning to the cultivation chamber, Mo Tiange first sent a communication talisman to Xiu Qin, instructing her to have someone deliver meals daily. Then she set up her formation and entered the Xu Heaven Realm.
Standing within the Xu Heaven Realm, feeling the gentle breeze, she let out a breath but didn't immediately enter the small hut to cultivate. Instead, she sat down by the stream.
To think she would actually encounter someone from the Ye Family…
She had never grown up in the Ye Family, so it only existed in her imagination. But before Second Uncle passed away, he had always instructed her that if she ever gained ability, she should look after the Ye Family a little. Now she had actually encountered a child of the Ye Family. Naturally, she couldn't ignore him.
This child told her that the Ye Family was doing very well in the mortal world. There were still a few cultivators in the family, though their cultivation was low and insignificant in Kunwu, they were Immortal Masters in the eyes of mortals. Relying on this, the Ye Family quickly established a foothold in Wei State. Currently wealthy and peaceful, they had even become the Marquis of Changning in Wei State.
Hearing this, Mo Tiange felt relieved. Back then, the Ye Family was forced to move to the mortal world because, aside from Second Uncle, there wasn't a single true cultivator. Even those with Spirit Roots had extremely feeble Five Spirit Roots. With pills, they could only barely cultivate to the second or third level of Qi Refining. But that was enough for living in the mortal world. Far from the bloody storms of the cultivation world, they could still enjoy wealth and honor in the mortal world. What more could they ask for? Even Daojun Jinghe's mortal world family, which produced a Nascent Soul cultivator and a Core Formation cultivator, was just an ordinary wealthy family.
Originally, those of the Ye Family had given up hope. But ten years ago, Ye Zhenji was born and was actually tested to have Three Spirit Roots. The Ye Family was overjoyed. Later, when Xuanqing Sect disciples were handling affairs in the mortal world, the Ye Family head entertained them lavishly. That was how Ye Zhenji was able to return to Kunwu and even enter a prestigious sect.
These matters were trivial, so even the Qingquan Peak Duty Hall didn't know Ye Zhenji's identity and origins. Thus, it wasn't reported to Daojun Jinghe or Guardian Jing, and Mo Tiange naturally had no way of knowing. If not for the coincidence—Daojun Jinghe making things difficult for her, Luo Fengxue sending her to the Meng School—she probably wouldn't have known of Ye Zhenji's existence until after she formed her Core and went to the mortal world Ye Family to fulfill Second Uncle's wish. By then, if Ye Zhenji lacked good fortune, he might already be old and frail.
The Ye Family exhausted their efforts to send Ye Zhenji to the Xuanqing Sect, firstly not wanting to waste his talent, and secondly probably harboring thoughts of family revival.
However, Ye Zhenji's Spirit Roots were only average. Being able to enter a major sect was already extremely lucky. The Ye Family people didn't have any wild delusions. But because of this, Mo Tiange had an additional thought. The Ye Family had only left Kunwu a few years ago. Clearly, they still wanted to return to Kunwu. If they learned of her existence, they would likely start having ideas.
Thinking of this, Mo Tiange made a decision. In that case, she wasn't prepared to let the Ye Family know of her existence for now. If they knew, it would inevitably lead to some troublesome matters. Of course, she didn't intend to keep it hidden forever. When the time was right, she would return to the Ye Family and settle Second Uncle's last wishes.
But that would inevitably require warning the Ye Family: without sufficient high-level cultivators, don't think about returning to Kunwu. Haven't enough small cultivation families been exterminated in Kunwu? That Yu Family of the Danding Sect had several Foundation Establishment cultivators. One disaster, and they declined just like that. Who knows if they survived? It would be better to enjoy wealth and honor peacefully in the mortal world. If descendants with decent Spirit Roots emerged, she would naturally lend a hand.
Shaking her head, she pushed these matters to the back of her mind. Mo Tiange stood up, returned to the small hut in the Xu Heaven Realm, and prepared to cultivate.
Ye Zhenji hadn't even finished reciting the Daoist scriptures yet. The road ahead was long. Later, she would give him more pills and ask Master for help. Foundation Establishment shouldn't be a problem. There was even hope for Core Formation. That would can be considered be worthy to the Ye Family.
Having decided this, Mo Tiange sat down, sank her Qi into her dantian, and began today's cultivation.