Chapter 12: Isn’t It Normal to Bear a Grudge?

Xie Jiuniang held the spatial ring in her hand, loosening and tightening her grip repeatedly. Her eyes, red from crying, looked as pitiful as a little rabbit.

“Daughter, this is compensation given by your grandfather out of guilt. Don’t overthink it; just boldly accept it,” Xie Shen said, his heart aching for his daughter. He raised his large hand and gently patted her little head.

Xie Jiuniang handed the spatial ring back to Xie Shen and said, “Father, you should claim ownership and see what’s inside.”

“No, this is what you deserve, daughter. I won’t take advantage of you.” Xie Shen firmly refused, insisting that good things should be for his own daughter.

Xie Jiuniang then handed it to Mo Lan and said earnestly, “Then Mother should keep it. It’s too conspicuous for a little Qi Refining cultivator like me to use a spatial ring.”

Mo Lan and Xie Shen exchanged glances. Their daughter had a point. Without matching abilities, it was easy to invite trouble.

Mo Lan took it and said, “I’ll keep it for you for now and give it back to you later.”

“Mm-hmm, we’ll talk about it then.” Xie Jiuniang wasn’t too concerned. The family might be poor now, with few possessions, but they would have everything in the future.

After all, she was the beloved daughter of the Heavenly Dao! And one with ‘cheats’ enabled.

“Father, Mother, this is a Foundation Establishment Pill. Who will use it first?” Xie Jiuniang took out a small jade bottle.

Xie Shen immediately said, “Give it to your mother! I’ll ask your grandfather for my Foundation Establishment Pill. After all, he’s my old man.”

It wasn’t too much for a son to ask his father for some things, right?

Xie Jiuniang looked at her father’s honest appearance. This deceptive appearance was quite strong.

Mo Lan took ownership of the spatial ring, and the items inside became clear at a glance. She said with a laugh, “There’s no need to concede. There are more Foundation Establishment Pills inside the ring.”

She then took out a delicate blue and white porcelain pill bottle and poured out two Foundation Establishment Pills.

Now that was great! Everyone got a share.

Mo Lan took out another pill bottle containing three top-grade Marrow Cleansing Pills^[1]Marrow Cleansing Pill: A medicinal pill that purifies the cultivator’s body, cleansing impurities from the marrow and improving their overall cultivation base., one for each person, just the right amount.

In addition, there were 500,000 spirit stones.

The couple had never seen so many spirit stones in their entire lives of hard work.

“That old miser, it turns out Grandfather isn’t poor at all,” Xie Jiuniang remarked.

Only the Third Branch was poor! Damn!

Her understanding from her previous life wasn’t necessarily correct; this served as a wake-up call for her.

Subsequently, Xie Jiuniang realized another overlooked fact.

Her mother had the four spiritual roots of metal, earth, wood, and water, while her father had the five-element spiritual roots. Those with poor aptitude could only become stronger by relying on resources.

For someone with five spiritual roots like her father, it was not easy for an ordinary person to reach the mid-stage of Qi cultivation in their lifetime. Yet, her father had reached the peak of Qi Refining in his thirties, which was somewhat unusual.

She hadn’t thought much of it in her previous life, but today, seeing how easily her father got benefits from her grandfather, she understood that her grandfather must have been subsidizing them privately which benefited her mother as well.

Did her stingy Eldest Uncle know about this?

Her father didn’t fall out with him, not because he was afraid or weak, but because grandfather had given them too much behind the scenes!

Xie Jiuniang wore a strange expression.

Xie Shen and his wife had returned two days ago, and upon seeing their daughter in seclusion, they didn’t disturb her. Xie Shen, upon learning of his daughter’s grievances, went to find the Patriarch immediately; while Mo Lan, feeling heartbroken, waited outside for her daughter to finish her seclusion.

The family of three gathered together, each sharing what had happened during the three years they were apart.

In the evening, someone from the Main Branch came with a message, saying that a family banquet was being held tonight and that they should attend on time.

Xie Jiuniang’s little face darkened, and she said, “I don’t want to go. Father, Mother, you go ahead.”

Mo Lan thought her daughter was reminded of the opportunity that was taken from her and felt distressed. “I won’t go either. I don’t want to see Chen Wan’s smug face.”

“Then I won’t go either,” Xie Shen stated his position.

Xie Jiuniang looked at the worried expressions of her parents and couldn’t help but smile, feeling warmth in her heart.

This is what family is—those who can advance and retreat together.

Xie Jiuniang didn’t say that her refusal to attend the banquet had nothing to do with the grudge against the Main Branch.

The Spirit Cleansing herb was something she had picked from Yunmu Mountain, and there was also Lin Wangchen who knew about it.

At the Immortal’s Abode, Lin Wangchen had doubted whether Xie Ying was the child of destiny. So, the person he initially suspected might have been her. The result of the divination by the person from Tianji Pavillion had temporarily shifted his attention, but she was not so optimistic.

After all, in her previous life, Xie Ying was equally glorious, but in the end, didn’t those people still find her?

Xie Jiuniang didn’t tell her parents about this.

There were too many enemies, very powerful ones at that, with numerous means. The more people who knew about her situation, the more risk each person would have to bear.

What was most important now was to minimize the attention of outsiders on herself and be a good ‘invisible’ person.

As someone whose opportunity had been taken away, it wasn’t wrong for her not to attend the Main Branch’s banquet, right?

Thus, the three members of the Third Branch unanimously missed tonight’s family banquet, which infuriated Eldest Master Xie greatly.

“Father, it seems Third Brother bore a grudge against me,” Eldest Master Xie complained.

Patriarch Xie picked up his wine cup and took a sip. “Isn’t it normal to bear a grudge?”

“I mean…” Eldest Master Xie choked on his words.

This… There was simply no way to continue this conversation!

Second Master Xie laughed, his voice laced with hidden sarcasm, “I say, big brother, everything should be done in moderation. This banquet has been held over and over again; aren’t you tired of it? I’m fed up with eating here.”

Every time the Main Branch held a banquet, it was equivalent to stabbing the Third Branch in the heart. Wasn’t it to be expected that they wouldn’t show up?

The atmosphere at the elders’ table was strange.

It was equally quiet on the younger generation’s side with Xie Haozhi, Xie Yue, and others all present.

Someone took advantage of Xie Ying’s absence to quietly ask Xie Siniang, “Fourth Sister, why hasn’t Xiao Jiu come yet? I heard she came out of seclusion today.”

“Come for what? With banquets being held every few days, have you ever seen Xiao Jiu attend?” Xie Siniang rolled her eyes at the person who asked.

That person wanted to say something else but was silenced by Xie Siniang’s angry glare.

Xiao Jiu was right not to come; why come here just to be upset? Afterall, the glory of the Main Branch was built on her sacrifice.

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