Chapter 27

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Chapter 27: The Su Clan in the Small Town

As the sun dipped below the horizon, its golden rays filtered through the tangled branches, casting a warm glow on the stone path of Qing Shi Town. A group of children played and chased each other along the path, their laughter echoing through the air. In their excitement, one of them accidentally bumped into a passerby’s leg.

“Sorry,” the older child apologized with a formal tone.

“It’s alright,” Ming He replied with a dismissive shake of her head, watching as the children scampered off to the other side. She then turned her gaze to survey her surroundings—a few hurried passersby, a row of neat little shops, and a scattering of disorganized stalls.

Cultivators were present, but the majority were ordinary folk who had not yet embarked on the path of cultivation.

This was Qing Shi Town, the birthplace of the Dragon Hero, a remote corner of the world where all stories began. It was also the hometown of the original Su Ming He.

Hometown.

Ming He lingered on the word, her eyes darkening with thought. She retraced the route from her memories, strolling leisurely under the fading sunlight, her steps unhurried and relaxed.

After navigating a narrow, winding alley, she emerged onto a broad stone-paved road. At the end of the road stood a grand courtyard, its imposing presence accentuated by a golden nanmu plaque bearing the characters “Su Clan.”

Though it paled in comparison to the towering palaces and jade columns of Liu Yun Sect, it was still far grander than the modest residences she had passed on her way.

The Su Clan, represented by the “Su” in Su Ming He, was one of the four great families of Qing Shi Town.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Ming He strode confidently toward the entrance, her curiosity piqued.

“Halt! Who goes there? State your business with the Su Clan. Do you have an invitation?” A guard’s voice rang out just as Ming He was about to step through the gates.

The guard, a man in his thirties with a cultivation level at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, stood rigidly in front of the purple gold sandalwood gate. His expression was stern as he blocked her path with an outstretched hand, his voice loud and demanding.

Ming He glanced at him, surprised to find that the original owner’s memories included this man. She remembered him, but he clearly did not recognize her.

How absurd.

A faint, mocking smile tugged at her lips. “I am Ming He,” she declared.

She was the fifth daughter of the Su family, albeit a side branch, yet this mere gate guard didn’t even acknowledge her. How lowly her status must be!

“Ming He? Who’s that?” The guard’s face twisted in confusion, his impatience evident. “I’ve never heard of you. If you don’t have an invitation, step aside. The Su Clan isn’t a place you can just waltz into.”

Unable to sense her cultivation level, the guard assumed she was an ordinary person seeking an audience, his tone devoid of any respect.

“Don’t you know the name of the fifth daughter of the Su Clan?” Ming He was genuinely taken aback. Had the original owner been so insignificant within the clan?

No wonder she had been so determined to distance herself from her family. After being sent back to the clan, her personality had undergone a drastic change, and she had come to view her legitimate older brother, Su Cheng Feng, as a mortal enemy.

“The fifth daughter?” The guard sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “A daughter born to a bed servant doesn’t deserve to be called a lady, does she?” He laughed, but his amusement faltered as he noticed the cold glint in Ming He’s eyes. His voice trembled slightly as he asked, “Are you really the fifth daughter?”

But wasn’t the fifth daughter supposed to be at Liu Yun Sect as an outer sect disciple? What was she doing here?

A flicker of fear crossed his face. Though he had spoken boldly, being overheard by her could spell trouble.

However… The guard scrutinized Ming He and noticed the faint traces of spiritual energy surrounding her. He recalled that while the fifth daughter had been accepted into Liu Yun Sect as an outer sect disciple, she had only reached the first level of Qi Refinement after joining.

Now, five years later, with her mediocre talent, her cultivation level couldn’t be very high—at most, she would be at the third or fourth level of Qi Refinement.

At that level, even he could overpower her.

What did it matter if she was the fifth daughter? A side branch without maternal support—surely the clan leader wouldn’t think much of her. If he humiliated her today, the clan leader’s wife might even reward him.

With this thought, the guard’s fear dissipated, and his usual arrogance returned. “You claim to be the fifth daughter? Do you have any proof?”

“Proof?” Ming He’s lips curved into a faint smile, her tone calm and unreadable. “What kind of proof do you need?”

“Proof that you are indeed the fifth daughter,” the guard snapped, emboldened by her lack of resistance. “If you can’t provide it, step aside and wait for the clan leader or the Young Master to come out.”

He had resolved to leave Ming He standing outside, refusing her entry.

Ming He glanced at him, noticing his smug posture with hands on his hips, and couldn’t help but let out a light laugh. Gripping her sword, she prepared to act.

She wasn’t Su Ming He, but the person standing before him was undeniably herself. Having reached the Spirit Guiding Fourth Level, she wasn’t about to tolerate any insults, especially from someone weaker than her.

How could she let this slide?

“Bang!”

With a swift kick, the guard who had been standing so loftily tumbled to the ground, face-first, his pristine warrior robes now dust-covered and disheveled. He scrambled to his feet, his face smeared with dirt, and roared in fury, “Seize this troublemaker in the Su Clan!”

So what if she was the fifth daughter? If she dared to strike him, he’d make sure she paid for it.

The guard’s face twisted into a vicious snarl as he watched the others encircle Ming He, his delight and malice unmistakable in her eyes.

Ming He leaned casually on her sword and drawled, “I am the fifth daughter of the Su Clan. Do you dare lay a hand on me without considering the consequences?”

“This…” One of the guards hesitated.

“What’s going on here?” A gentle voice called out from within the clan.

Ming He looked up, her smile widening as she recognized the newcomer. She turned to the troublesome guard and lightly smiled, her lips silently forming the words, “You’re done for.”

She wasn’t one to let things go.

“Xiao He, when did you return? I thought you wouldn’t come back to the clan this year.” The warm voice grew closer, tinged with surprise as he caught sight of Ming He.

Then, with a touch of confusion, he added, “Xiao He, why aren’t you coming in? What are you doing standing here? And these people…”

The man approached steadily, dressed in white and exuding the grace of a nobleman—none other than Su Cheng Feng.

“Brother,” Ming He said, her smile shifting to a look of feigned hurt as she met the guard’s horrified gaze. “They wouldn’t let me in and insulted me.”

Su Cheng Feng paused. “What did they do to you?” His voice sharpened with anger.

“Oh, nothing much. Just the usual talk about my background and my mother’s reputation, and they blocked my way,” Ming He replied, twirling a strand of her dark hair with an air of indifference. “But I’ve already dealt with him. If you want to help me, just expel him from the Su Clan.”

“Expel him from the Su Clan?” Su Cheng Feng hesitated, his expression conflicted. “The guards are admitted through trials; it wouldn’t be right to dismiss him without cause.”

He weighed the guard’s connections, trying to defuse the situation. “Xiao He, I’ll discipline him. Let’s just drop this, alright?”

“Drop it?”

Ming He met his gaze, her lips parting slightly as she spoke with unwavering firmness, “No.”

Everyone must face the consequences of their actions. She had both reason and strength on her side, and she wouldn’t back down.

Su Cheng Feng paused, studying her for a long moment before turning to the guard, his tone hardening. “Gather your belongings and leave.”

“Young Master!” the guard protested, his voice tinged with desperation. “I’m a disciple of the Third Elder—”

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Su Cheng Feng interrupted, his voice stern.

“Yes,” the guard muttered, casting a venomous glare at Ming He before removing his sword and vanishing from sight.

Ming He chuckled lightly, stepping past Su Cheng Feng and striding confidently toward the courtyard that felt so familiar, even though it was her first time there. She moved with the ease of someone returning home.

Home?

Ming He scoffed inwardly. She glanced at Su Cheng Feng, who was walking beside her, and asked casually, “Brother, is there something else?”

“Xiao He, I didn’t expect this to happen,” Su Cheng Feng said, his voice tinged with regret. “I wanted you to return because your coming-of-age ceremony is in a few days, marking your eighteenth birthday.”

“According to clan rules, the coming-of-age ceremony is typically conducted by family members, which is why I hope you return to the clan.”

The coming-of-age ceremony.

Ming He paused, recalling that when she first arrived, the original body was only seventeen. Consumed by jealousy and a sense of inequality, she had refused Su Cheng Feng’s invitation to return to the clan. While cultivating in the outer sect courtyard of the Liu Yun Sect, she had succumbed to a cultivation deviation and died.

It dawned on her that she had been in this world for nearly a year.

A year, eighteen years old, Spirit Guiding Fourth Level.

Ming He looked up at the sky, still vast and clear with drifting clouds. In the cultivation world, there were no mundane customs like the capping ceremony for men at twenty or the hair-pinning ceremony for women at fifteen. Instead, both genders underwent their coming-of-age ceremony at eighteen.

Having the ceremony meant she was considered an adult.

In many ways, adulthood severed ties with the family, especially for someone like the original body, who was a concubine’s child.

“Is that so?” Ming He replied with a calm, slightly amused smile. “So, has the clan prepared the ceremony for me?”

A concubine’s coming-of-age ceremony would typically warrant little preparation, but now she was the inherited disciple of the Liu Yun Sect’s Sect Master. She doubted Su Cheng Feng would have kept this from the clan.

Moreover, judging by Su Cheng Feng’s demeanor, he was clearly trying to win her over.

So who said the Dragon Hero’s father was ordinary? Perhaps limited by talent and cultivation, he might not reach great heights, but his position as the clan’s Young Master was undoubtedly secure.

Her half-sister, who was once mediocre and indifferent, had never suppressed her, and now that her half-sister had risen, she showed no jealousy or inferiority. It was no wonder the Su Clan had become the foremost among the four great families of Qing Shi Town in just a few decades.

However, Qing Shi Town was too small, and she had no desire to linger, not even for a moment.

So she would continue to keep her distance.

Like the original body, she preferred to maintain a lukewarm relationship, and she thought that was just fine.

“Not yet,” Su Cheng Feng replied, walking beside her. “But I issued orders to prepare it the day I returned to the clan.”

“I’ve already informed Father, and the other three clans will send representatives to attend your ceremony. I’m sure Xiao He will have a satisfactory coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Oh.” Ming He nodded in acknowledgment. “Then, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go rest for now.”

“Alright.” Su Cheng Feng watched her, suddenly feeling a sense of estrangement, as if his sister had become someone else at some point.

But whether she had changed or not was of little concern to him. What mattered was how her current identity and cultivation could benefit the family.

Su Cheng Feng’s eyes gleamed with calculation as he watched the girl’s retreating figure. He was now at the Spirit Guiding Seventh Level, having only broken through two minor realms in a year. Yet Su Ming He had leaped from Qi Refinement to Spirit Guiding. Someone like her, with the blood of the Su Clan running through her veins, had to be kept and made to contribute to the family.

Ming He paid no attention to Su Cheng Feng’s thoughts. After speaking, she pushed the door open and entered the courtyard, closing it behind her.

The building’s layout was simple. The original body’s memories of broken tables and old furnishings had been replaced with brand-new, dust-free wooden items. The fallen leaves had been swept away, and the dust had been wiped clean—it was clear someone had tidied up before her arrival.

As for who had given the orders? Ming He didn’t need to think to know the answer: Su Cheng Feng.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t thorough enough.

Ming He placed her hand on the table, where a porcelain vase sat as decoration. As she suspected, she felt a thin layer of dust on the side of the vase.

She smiled, brushing off the dust before sitting cross-legged. Ignoring these trivial matters unrelated to cultivation, she pulled out several storage rings from her pocket and began counting her treasures, her eyes narrowing with delight.

The first ring belonged to the Bloodhand Butcher. She opened the storage ring and probed it with her spiritual sense, nearly blinded by the glittering spirit stones inside.

There were so many!

The girl in blue couldn’t help but smile, genuinely happy. She was finally rich, no longer a pauper.

Ming He steadied her heartbeat, forcing her gaze away from the mountain of spirit stones to look elsewhere. That was when she spotted a piece of… tattered cloth?

What is that?

Ming He pulled out the tattered cloth, her eyes filled with curiosity. She spread the cloth flat and carefully examined it, noticing some blurred ink stains where she could faintly make out a few characters—was that the Breath Control Technique?

Breath Control Technique.

Seeing these three characters, Ming He couldn’t help but touch the jade pendant around her neck. The pendant was an ordinary jade carving, rough in craftsmanship and with a vague pattern, yet it was said, as Qin Chu Yi mentioned, to be undetectable by spiritual senses.

After returning to Liu Yun Sect, she had gone to the library to investigate and found the answer in an ancient, damaged page: the material of the jade pendant should be Spirit Gathering Stone.

As the name implies, Spirit Gathering Stone is used to conceal one’s presence and evade spiritual senses. Historical records state that it is an extremely rare crafting material from ancient times.

The jade pendant around her neck was not entirely made of Spirit Gathering Stone, but even using corner scraps could suffice to evade the detection of Qin Chu Yi and the ancient fierce beast, Kui.

The pendant accepted her as its master, likely during the three months she spent in Liu Yun Mountains, where blood from her face dripped onto the pendant while she was being hunted by a beast after harvesting the Sword-shaped Herb.

Ming He pondered, looking at the tattered cloth. The Breath Control Technique has three levels: the first level is Breath Control, the second level is Closing the Acupoints, and the third level is Shadow Evaporation.

Following the blurry characters downwards, Ming He noticed the words “Upper Volume” in the bottom right corner.

Upper Volume of the Breath Control Technique—so are there Middle and Lower Volumes?

She chuckled softly, tucked the cloth away, and began to attempt cultivation. Breath Control involved concealing one’s presence; she wasn’t sure if it was due to the jade pendant’s aid or her exceptional comprehension, but as she mentally reviewed it just once and opened her eyes, she had already grasped the first level. In an instant, her presence became calm, gradually disappearing into the air.

If relying solely on a cultivator’s instinct, perhaps no one would notice there was still a person in the room at that moment.

However, there should be some cultivation restrictions; the higher the opponent’s cultivation, the less effective her Breath Control Technique would be.

It stands to reason that the Bloodhand Butcher could repeatedly evade searches and attacks from the elders of the sect due to the effects of the Breath Control Technique.

Second Level of the Breath Control Technique: Closing the Acupoints.

Ming He looked at the description on the cloth and immediately recalled the black cat she encountered with Qin Chu Yi in the cave. The moment it simply called out, she felt bound and unable to move; that sensation affected her soul and influenced her through sound.

So later, she temporarily closed her hearing to avoid its influence and managed to catch the black cat.

Even though the black cat was later rescued by someone else.

She had searched through all the records in the Liu Yun Sect’s scripture repository regarding that sound, knowing nothing about it—whether it was a secret technique or the black cat’s innate supernatural ability was beyond her understanding.

But she had to enter the cave again and had promised Qin Chu Yi that she would retrieve that star-shaped spiritual artifact, and she would inevitably have to confront the black cat.

Even though she had previously defeated the black cat once, she didn’t have confidence she could do it again.

Because the time for closing her hearing couldn’t be too long, and that method was rather passive—it could only be used once.

Now, the arrival of the Breath Control Technique perfectly solved her worries.

By closing acupoints and using special spiritual energy to block six acupoints, she could maintain this for a long time and also surprise her opponents, relieving her concerns about the black cat’s call.

Sure enough, danger and opportunity always arrive together.

Ming He lightly sighed and closed her eyes, ready to begin her cultivation.

“Knock, knock, knock—” A series of knocks came from outside the room.

Ming He frowned, thought for a moment, and still got up to open the door.

“Fifth Miss, Young Master asked me to inquire if there’s anything you need or any task you would like me to handle. I can assist with anything.” The visitor wore a black robe and appeared respectful.

“No, thank you. You may leave.” Ming He didn’t feel she needed anything from the Su Clan; what she wanted, she could obtain through her own strength.

“Do not disturb me before the coming-of-age ceremony.” Her purpose for returning to the clan was simply to check if there were any unfinished matters from the original body that might cause her trouble—now it seemed there were none.

Distant and unfamiliar, far away and indifferent; she liked this kind of family relationship.

“Yes.” The person respectfully acknowledged and turned to leave the courtyard.

Ming He watched the departing figure, closed the courtyard gate, and returned to her previous quiet room, sitting cross-legged again.

“Knock, knock, knock!” A short and powerful knock resounded again, this time carrying a sense of urgency.

Ming He furrowed her brows and opened the door again, lifting her eyes to see several young girls in fine clothing. The one leading wore a pink dress with a hairpin, her elegant appearance at the average level in the cultivation world, but her presence was tainted with a murky aura; her cultivation was merely at Qi Refining Second Level.

The others following her were likely the same; their cultivation was mediocre, yet their momentum was overwhelming.

“Su Ming He, I heard that you’ve been accepted as an inherited disciple by that Liu Yun Sect Sect Master?” Her voice was crisp, carrying an unmistakable hint of sourness and jealousy.

Ming He understood; they had come to pick a fight.

Tsk, tsk, they really were pitifully foolish.

The original body was foolish, Su Cheng Feng was foolish, and the people before her were just as foolish. In such a small place as Qing Shi Town, she had no respect for those in the original body’s circle, nor did she see any appeal in them.

“Yes, Second Sister,” Ming He replied calmly, glancing at the others behind her with indifferent eyes, as if looking at strangers.

“You…” The leading girl paused, confused by her indifferent attitude. Su Ming He usually rarely returned to the clan and when she did, she was always overbearing.

She remembered the last time she saw Su Ming He was when she had returned home after being qualified to leave the Liu Yun Sect for a year, shining with arrogance and gloating—a true manifestation of a petty person taking pleasure in their newfound status.

Thus, upon learning that she returned to the clan, she had brought along others to regain her pride. If she could stir up trouble as her mother suggested, then everything else would naturally be sorted out later.

Although they were all concubines, the blood flowing in their veins was Su blood. Even if Su Ming He had a distinguished status now, injuring them would not end well for her in the family.

The pink-dressed girl had mediocre talent, even lacking the qualification to join the Liu Yun Sect, and naturally did not recognize how significant the Liu Yun Sect Sect Master was to the Su Clan or understand that Ming He held an extraordinary status—one that even the family’s Young Master, Su Cheng Feng, needed to ingratiate himself with.

Including her so-called mother, the current matriarch of the Su Clan and Su Cheng Feng’s biological mother.

“If Second Sister has no other matters, I have business with my brother, so I will take my leave.” Ming He knew too many distractions were present in the Su Clan, making it unsuitable for focused cultivation.

Having been interrupted, she decided to ask Su Cheng Feng when the coming-of-age ceremony would be; the sooner it was done, the sooner she could return to the sect.

After accepting the task to hunt the Bloodhand Butcher, she would have earned five hundred contribution points. Coupled with her previous four hundred and the extra one hundred for being an inherited disciple this month, she would have exactly one thousand contribution points, enough to exchange for the Nebula Sword Art, which was said to help her truly comprehend the sword intent of heaven and earth.

Moreover, she had also taken on tasks to harvest the spirit herb, Guixuan Wood, and to kill the fire beast for its inner core and the Xuan Winged Beast for its spirit feathers; she could take a detour through Liu Yun Mountains on her way back to the sect for an extra four hundred contribution points.

Ming He thought about the upcoming contribution points, feeling quite pleased, and realized the young people before her were not entirely without merit. At the very least, they solidified her desire to return to the sect sooner.

There were still three months before the cave opened, and it had been nearly a month since she had gone to find the Bloodhand Butcher and returned to the clan, leaving her with more than two months—she needed to find ways to increase her strength.

With this thought, Ming He confidently strode past the group of would-be troublemakers, heading towards Su Cheng Feng’s courtyard from her memories, leaving them with a stylish and indifferent back.