Chapter Forty-Four: Returning Once More to the Shi Family

The family racked their brains but still couldn't come up with any reasonable ideas. In the end, it was the eldest brother-in-law, He Jianjun, who, with his head propped on his hand, inadvertently brought something up. “We don’t know anyone in the entire cultivation world of China. Now, we can’t even get near it, nor do we know where to start; truly, we have no clue at all! If only we had someone from within that circle, at least we’d know what major events have been happening there lately, and from there, maybe we could deduce something.”

Hearing this, Tang Wei immediately thought of the Shi family in County A. Since the old clan leader Shi was so determined to seek revenge, he must be well-informed about the happenings within the cultivation world of China, likely even having hidden agents in various places. Investigating matters would surely be much faster with his help.

With this in mind, Tang Wei quickly briefed everyone on the situation with the old Shi clan leader, though naturally, she didn’t reveal anything she shouldn’t.

Everyone agreed that seeking out the old Shi was the right move, so they took action that very night. He Jianjun drove to pick up the three Shi siblings, then took Tang Wei and Zixuan to County A, while the other members of the Tang family remained in City Y to continue their search.

Once He Jianjun’s car reached the foot of the mountain, Tang Wei didn’t let him come along further. After all, the fewer people who knew the Shi family’s location, the better for them. Besides, the mountain roads were rough; saving some strength was wise. This had nothing to do with trusting He Jianjun or not.

Obviously, Shi Jinan’s expression showed just how grateful he was for Tang Wei’s decision. No one cared more about the safety of their clan than he did.

This time, their journey was much quicker than before, probably because Shi Jinan was more familiar with the area. In just over two hours, the group had entered the Shi family’s territory.

It was still before dawn. Tang Wei had no intention of waking the old clan leader just yet. Although she felt anxious, it was important to show proper respect when seeking help.

Perhaps from years of reverence, Shi Jinan also felt it only right for Tang Wei to act this way. To him, the clan leader was like the sky itself—nothing could be more important.

By the time Shi Zaiwei awoke, daylight had already broken. Upon learning that Tang Wei had been waiting outside for him for several hours, he was furious, scolding his people for not doing their jobs properly. Hastily pulling himself together, he hurried out to meet her.

From afar, his voice could be heard: “Weiwei, I’m truly sorry. These people are hopeless! You arrived and they didn’t wake me—making you wait outside for so long.”

Tang Wei replied with a smile, “Grandpa Shi, I asked them not to wake you. It’s hard for the elderly to sleep well, and it’s rare to get a good rest. My own grandmother was just the same!”

He sighed. “You’ve been put through so much trouble. Did you come all this way for something important, Weiwei?” The old man was open and straightforward with her; seeing that she’d traveled so late, it must be a serious matter. As he finished speaking, he waved for the others to leave, not even letting Shi Jinan remain.

Zixuan glanced at Tang Wei, realizing there must be something the Shi family didn’t want outsiders to know, and quietly followed Shi Jinan outside.

At this moment, Tang Wei was deeply moved by the clan leader’s attitude. She’d helped them before simply out of mutual need, never expecting them to repay her kindness so generously. In contrast, she felt a twinge of guilt—she had always been rather guarded with the Shi siblings, even if she hadn’t mistreated them. But this was not the time for such thoughts. After explaining the situation to the old clan leader, she quietly waited for his response.

After a moment’s thought, the old man said, “The Shi family does have its own channels for learning about important events among the major cultivation families. Although I don’t know who did this to you, if you’re certain it was the work of cultivators, then it must be connected to the recent disciple recruitment of the Xuanyuan family!” He paused, seeing the anticipation on Tang Wei’s face, and continued, “Every five years, the Xuanyuan family holds a recruitment—open to all knowledgeable within the circle—seeking disciples aged five to ten with spiritual roots. The Xuanyuan family is strict and thorough in their vetting process, forbidding the abduction of children for reward. Yet, some rogue cultivators still find ways to meddle. To gain resources, their methods become ever more cunning and unpredictable.”

Tang Wei nodded inwardly. Noticing the hesitation in the old man’s demeanor, she said, “Grandpa Shi, if you have any questions, just ask.”

“I wanted to ask, Weiwei, about your current cultivation level. If it’s not high, then we should proceed with great caution! The cultivation world in China is small; no one has ever formed a golden core, but each family still has a few at the fasting stage. Though the Xuanyuan clan leader is renowned for his virtue, he’s not easily accessible, and his disciples are notoriously arrogant—they look down on rogue cultivators like you.” The old man quickly explained, “Oh! By rogue cultivator, I mean someone like you—not belonging to any of the three great families or cultivation sects. They’ll treat you as an outsider.”

Tang Wei bit her lower lip, considered for a moment, and said, “Grandpa Shi, I won’t hide it from you. I’m currently at the mid-fasting stage! I—”

Before she could finish, the old man leapt to his feet, grabbed her hand, and stammered, “You… you… you!” He was so overwhelmed, he couldn’t get another word out.

Tang Wei smiled, gently helped him back into his seat, and said, “Grandpa Shi, don’t get excited. My cultivation has progressed quickly, but compared to how much my master has taught me, it’s only a small achievement. My master brings me to his place to train every so often, and with his resources, if I couldn’t reach this level, I’d truly be hopeless. I can’t reveal too much about his situation, but since the Shi family has helped me so much, I’ll find a way to ask my master to let Shi Xiaolin and her brother go there for a period of secluded training.” With that, she quietly stepped aside to let the old man collect himself.

The two of them sat in silence, but in his heart, Shi Zaiwei was as ecstatic as a pauper winning a million-dollar lottery, unable to calm down for a long time.

After all, he had lived over a hundred years, so Shi Zaiwei was eventually able to compose himself. Gratefully, he said to Tang Wei, “Weiwei, I don’t even know how to thank you. I was already deeply grateful for all the pills you gave Jinan to aid his growth, and now you’ll take those two siblings to your master for training—such kindness the Shi family can never repay.” Though his voice was steady, his trembling hands betrayed the intensity of his feelings.

Tang Wei did her best to reassure him, “Grandpa Shi, please don’t say that. This time, it’s you who are helping me. Without you, I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

Seeing the old man had calmed down, she continued, “Grandpa Shi, I have no experience in the cultivation world. What do you think I should do next?”

Shi Zaiwei, pondering her question with his fingers tapping the table, finally looked up and said, “Weiwei, with your current cultivation, you could go straight to the Xuanyuan clan leader and demand your people back. But I think you should consider whether you want to expose your abilities to them just yet.”

Tang Wei was at a loss, so she answered simply, “Grandpa Shi, please be direct. I really don’t know much about this.”

“My advice is to keep your identity hidden for now. Though your cultivation is on par with theirs, you’re no match for those old foxes. There’s nothing they wouldn’t do! For your family’s safety, caution is paramount. The Shi family’s power is too limited to confront them head-on. When you’re out there, not only must you conceal your identity, but you also have to be careful in all dealings with them, lest you fall into a trap without realizing it.” Seeing that Tang Wei truly didn’t understand, the old man spelled everything out and even gave her a few small examples for reference.

Tang Wei listened humbly, and the old man shared all he knew. The two talked at length, discussing possible problems, and only emerged for lunch when the conversation finally wound down.

After the meal, Tang Wei bid the old man farewell and hurried down the mountain with the three Shi siblings. Before she left, the old man gave her the contact information for several of the Shi family’s external agents, telling her to reach out if she needed anything.