Pure Yang!

Chapter 463 Zhang Fan's Relative! Grandma Hu (5k-word chapter)

The river waves surge in layers, and the ebb and flow of the tides change the world.

Sixty years ago!

About sixty years ago...

Many things happened that year.

Chu Chaoran of Zhenwu Mountain stepped into the Pure Yang Limitless Realm and, at the summit of Dongyue, killed the former number one expert in the world, the Three Corpse Daoist, thus establishing his invincible reputation for sixty years.

That year...

A Taoist priest left the White Crane Temple, entered the "temple" of the capital, established state affairs, offered sacrifices to Heaven, founded the Taoist Alliance General Association, set up Taoist Alliance branches in various parts of the world, took charge of all Taoist affairs, and supervised the Xuanmen (mysterious sects) of the world.

That Taoist priest was named Jiang Wansui.

That year...

Zhang Tiansheng, a descendant of the Southern Zhang lineage, came to Tianjin to welcome his bride. The Dragon Tiger Great Law was established in the Water Palace, and all the Taoist sects from the North came to pay homage. Mountain and sea demons and ghosts cleared the way, and spirits from all directions offered their congratulations. The scale of the event was the greatest in Tianjin in the past hundred years.

"Sixty years...sixty years...a cycle of sixty years has passed in the human world, and the landscape has changed drastically..."

Zhang Fan stood at the bow of the boat, watching the undulating waves in the night and gazing at the faintly visible water palace, his eyes slightly unfocused.

Sixty years have passed, and who still remembers the glory days of yesteryear?

The river carp stretched for miles like a red-clad paving road, the mountains were in full bloom like clusters of flowers, and there were Taoist masters, mountain and sea demons, monsters from all directions, hermits from the deep mountains... Among the guests, there were even hidden Wuwei disciples.

People from all walks of life, a motley crew, so incompatible, yet so incredible.

In the whole world, perhaps only a man like Zhang Tiansheng could bring these people together.

"I'm afraid such a scene will never happen again," Lin Jianyue murmured softly.

She learned a little about these details, buried in the dust of time, from the older generation in Tianjin.

Such a grand wedding has never been seen before, and will never be seen again.

There will never be another person like Zhang Tiansheng in this world.

"Didn't your family mention it to you?" Lin Jianyue couldn't help but ask.

Zhang Fan remained silent, only shaking his head.

I watched him build a tall building, I watched him entertain guests, and I watched his building collapse.

These past glories and achievements have long since lost their former splendor and meaning with the demise of Nan Zhang.

Zhang Lingzong suffered a great tragedy in his youth, becoming displaced and losing his family.

He carried the deep-seated hatred of the Nan Zhang clan on his shoulders. As the last embers of that lineage, the slightest misstep could lead to the destruction of his family and clan. Out of caution, how could he casually bring up these past events?
“My father lived a turbulent life in his youth, constantly on the brink of death. He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring,” Zhang Fan said calmly.

"For him, he is a person who only has the present, no past, and no future."

This life of hiding and running away tempered him, trained him, and shaped him.

Until he met Li Linglong...

“He was with my mother, gave birth to me, and lived a peaceful life for twelve years.” Zhang Fan looked at the surging river with a calm gaze.

Twelve years... perhaps hiding for twelve years is the limit.

Therefore, ten years ago, Zhang Lingzong and Li Linglong faked their deaths at the foot of Longhu Mountain to avoid disaster, thus gaining another ten years of peace through the art of escaping unscathed.

“After that day, I actually slept for ten years.” Zhang Fan clenched his hands slightly.

For ten years, he lived in darkness, his primordial spirit split apart, his cultivation regressed, and he even forgot everything.

To ordinary people, the calamity of gods and demons has begun, and the night is dark; he has wasted ten years of his life.

but……

Zhang Fan didn't think so.

Over the course of ten years, his body and his primordial spirit must have undergone some unpredictable changes.

Otherwise, in less than two years since he began his tribulation at Zhenwu Mountain last year, he has actually gone from an ordinary person to the Zhaishou realm, with a second-grade inner core.

Such speed cannot be described as merely astonishing.

This has never happened before, and it never will happen again.

No other internal alchemy method in the world can achieve this.

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation.

Especially after establishing himself as a divine king, Zhang Fan became even more sensitive to the unseen guidance of the universe.

Those ten years of unconsciousness seemed not to have been wasted.

“Speaking of which, the Xu family of Chunyang should be your grandmother’s maternal family,” Lin Jianyue said with a light laugh.

"Now, the head of the third branch of the Xu family, [Xu Xuanxiao], should be considered yours..."

"Uncle!?"

"Forehead……"

Zhang Fan pursed his lips, unsure of what to say.

When he was a child, he didn't have many relatives. Especially during holidays, while other families would be bustling and lively with their whole families gathered together, his family would be cold and quiet.

Now that I'm older, I've realized that I still have a group of relatives I've never met.

“My grandmother was from the third branch of the Xu family.” Zhang Fan said thoughtfully, “Who else is in the third branch?”

“The third branch of the Xu family has the fewest members. The only elders of the generation are Xu Xuanxiao, Xu Xuanguan, and Xu Wenjun, the three siblings,” Lin Jianyue said solemnly.

Xu Xuanguan left the Xu family when he was young and has not returned for many years, which means he has lost contact with them.

After marrying into the Nan Zhang clan, Xu Wenjun passed away before the clan was wiped out.

"Xu Xuanxiao had only one son, who was the only second-generation disciple of the third branch of the family, named Xu Qiaosheng."

As she spoke, Lin Jianyue looked at Zhang Fan.

In terms of seniority, Zhang Fan should address Xu Qiaosheng as "cousin-uncle".

“Xu Qiaosheng has a son and a daughter,” Lin Jianyue continued.

"My daughter's name is Xu Jiuzhi, and she's the best friend I'm going to introduce to you later."

"As for the son..." Lin Jianyue's expression became somewhat unnatural.

"Xu Jiuliu!"

"This is the only male heir in the third branch of the Xu family, and I've heard he's not very promising."

"His name is Xu Jiuliu!?" Lin Jianyue sighed.

"Xu Jiuliu!?"

Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment, and the image of the Xu family youth he had met that day at Xiling Mountain immediately came to mind.

"So it was him!?" Zhang Fan thought to himself.

"What's wrong?" Lin Jianyue couldn't help but ask.

"It's nothing." Zhang Fan shook his head, marveling at the mystery of fate and the wonder of destiny.

It turns out that Xu Jiuliu is the only male member of the third branch of the family. According to seniority, he should be considered Zhang Fan's distant cousin.

“Zhizhi’s younger brother is indeed useless. The Xu family’s third branch is already small, and I’m afraid it will be even worse when it comes to him…” Lin Jianyue couldn’t help but shake her head and sigh softly.

"That's not necessarily true," Zhang Fan said casually.

Rumble…

Suddenly, a strong river wind arose, and in the hazy night, a large ship slowly sailed in from afar.

The large ship had an ancient design, its entire body seemingly made of vines and large trees. It was surrounded by a dim, yellowish firelight, as if it were a ghost that had broken free from the dust of time.

At this time, there were still many cargo ships coming and going at the confluence of the three rivers, but it seemed that no one could see the strange ship.

The Taoist Xuanmen method is to cultivate truth through illusion, and to recreate the true self amidst the illusory world of mortals.

Such methods are impossible for ordinary people to detect with their five senses; they cannot be seen, heard, or touched... just like that [Water Palace].

Only by using one's primordial spirit to perceive beyond the five senses can one distinguish truth from falsehood.

For this reason, there have been many strange legends about the nine rivers of Tianjin since ancient times.

"Mom, there's a big wooden boat on the river, and there's a fire!"

Just then, on the riverbank, a child being held pointed at the river and suddenly shouted excitedly.

"Where is this big wooden boat from? Don't talk nonsense." The woman holding the child became nervous.

"It's right there! There are people walking on the boat!" the child exclaimed excitedly, gesturing wildly.

"Go back quickly, the Ghost Festival is coming soon. I've told you not to wander around at night, but you insisted on coming out. What's so great about strolling along the river? People drown every year, don't you know?"

At this moment, the man next to her also looked off, muttering to himself, and pulled the woman back.

"The child is not yet completely tainted by the mortal world, and his primordial spirit has not yet fully fallen asleep," Zhang Fan said with a light laugh, watching the scene unfold on the shore.

As a result, many people are able to see things that adults cannot see at a very young age.

So much so that the Tao Te Ching says that the essence of cultivation is to be like an infant, extremely gentle and still.

"Your best friend is really flashy," Zhang Fan couldn't help but say.

"This large ship is made of [Yin Ghost Wood]. It will not sink when it enters the water, and it can sail as smoothly as if it were flat ground, no matter how big the wind and waves are," Lin Jianyue introduced.

"This is worth far more than any yacht. If you had one, wouldn't you flaunt it?"

Yin Gui Mu is a strange type of wood that usually grows in mass graves. Over time, it absorbs the earth's energy and is nourished by decaying corpses, taking a hundred years to mature.

It is said that this kind of wood has an extremely strong yin energy, and no matter how strong the wind and waves are, it will not sink into the water, but will always be supported by the strong yin energy.

In the past, this kind of wood was not uncommon, especially during times of war and chaos, when ghost wood was most abundant. But now, where are mass burial grounds left? Cremation has been promoted nationwide, and even a burial plot for the dead is hard to find.

As a result, "Yin Gui Mu" (a type of wood) has almost disappeared. Even if it exists, the yield is extremely low, and it would be difficult to even make a stool.

The ghostly wooden boat before us is the property of the third branch of the Xu family, passed down from their ancestors.

Such a treasure ship is comparable in value to the Azure Feather Magic Treasure.

"Let's go."

Lin Jianyue's yacht approached, and the two boarded the treasure ship.

As soon as I boarded the ship, a faint fragrance wafted around it. With a gentle inhale, my blood and energy began to flow smoothly.

"The Yin Wood nourished by corpses can actually sustain human Yang energy!?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but marvel.

"This is the method of the Xu family of Chunyang," Lin Jianyue said with a light laugh.

This wasn't her first time on this treasure ship.

"Yueyue..."

Just then, a pleasant and refreshing sound came from inside.

Zhang Fan looked up and saw a woman walk out of the cabin. Her thin face was perfectly framed by a few strands of loose hair. Her eyebrows were sharp and her eyes were slightly upturned. She looked like she was in her thirties and still had a bit of Zhi Xia's features, but her temperament was more capable and dashing.

"Zhizhi!" Lin Jianyue hurriedly went to greet her.

Zhang Fan knew that the woman in front of him was Xu Jiuzhi from the third branch of the Xu family...

His distant cousin.

"I should have come to you yesterday, but..."

"Okay, I know, good sisters don't need to say more." Lin Jianyue said, holding the other person's hand.

"Who is this……"

Just then, Xu Jiuzhi's gaze finally fell on Zhang Fan.

“He is my friend…” Lin Jianyue said vaguely.

"Friends!?" Xu Jiuzhi's tone became somewhat ambiguous.

“A business friend,” Lin Jianyue said casually.

"My name is Zhao Jiexuan!" Zhang Fan did not reveal his identity.

"Hello, Xu Jiuzhi."

Upon hearing this, Xu Jiuzhi greeted him politely but didn't pay much attention to it.

Lin Jianyue's business is quite large, so it's not surprising that she has a few friends.

"Perfect timing, I also have a friend I'd like to introduce to you today."

As she spoke, Xu Jiuzhi pulled Lin Jianyue toward the cabin.

Just then, a woman walked out of the cabin and stepped into the moonlight, and Zhang Fan's eyes lit up.

The woman had a mesmerizing face, with fair skin, a delicate nose, and full, red lips. Her bright, round eyes shimmered with an innocent clarity, and as her eyelashes fluttered, that clarity seemed to be tinged with an ambiguous dampness, like spring water overflowing peach blossoms, silently seeping into her purity with a captivating allure.

"Um!?"

Such a beautiful woman even made Lin Jianyue stop and stare intently.

"Let me introduce you. This is Lin Jianyue, my best friend."

"This is Hu Sanniang!" Xu Jiuzhi introduced.

She wasn't familiar with Zhang Fan, and since today was her day, she automatically ignored him.

"Grandma Hu San Tai!?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Jianyue's eyes suddenly lit up.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan couldn't help but glance at Hu San Niang a few more times.

In the area of ​​the Changbai Mountains and Heilongjiang River in Northeast China, there have been five immortals since ancient times. They are mountain spirits with profound cultivation, who have attained Taoist power and passed down their lineage of incense and Dharma. They are also known as the "Fox, Weasel, White Fox, Willow, and Ash".

Hu Xian, also known as the fox in the mountains.

The one with the deepest cultivation will inherit the title of "Grandma Hu San".

Mountain spirits, once they reach a certain level of cultivation, can seize human bodies and transform from spirits into demons.

The next level can only be spirits or monsters who cultivate by relying on humans; these are the so-called "shamans" or "household spirits."

Such a spirit cannot possess a human body. Even if it does, it will cause a strong rejection reaction, and the human body may even destroy its primordial spirit.

Therefore, they resort to a less desirable method, euphemistically called "going out as a medium" or "protecting the home," but in reality, they use the human's cultivation to slowly nurture that human body into a vessel for possession. In this way, over time, there will naturally be no more rejection reactions.

This can be considered a shortcut for spirits to transform into demons, similar to a gifted student in a high school.

Those spirits who "come out as mediums" are worshipped by Hu Xian as "Hu San Tai Nai".

In the past, these kinds of spirits were very popular in the rural areas around Tianjin. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, all kinds of evil spirits were eliminated, which deprived them of their breeding ground and caused them to disappear.

"Miss Lin has a good eye." Hu San Niang's voice was as gentle as water.

"I never expected to run into the leader of the Hu Clan today." Lin Jianyue's expression turned slightly serious.

She knew that this alluring woman in front of her, who looked only in her early thirties, was actually probably over a hundred years old, a true fox spirit.

"Just like Zhizhi, you can call me Third Sister," Hu San Niang said with a light laugh.

"It was I who asked Zhizhi to invite you here today."

"I wonder what instructions Third Sister has?" Lin Jianyue asked, her heart stirred slightly.

"Your instructions are too serious," Hu Sanniang waved her hand and said, "Today I want to discuss a business deal with Miss Lin."

"Hmm? You're interested in my little business, Third Sister?" Lin Jianyue smiled.

She works in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. Xu Jiuzhi is both her best friend and business partner. Xu Jiuzhi manages all her business in the Beijing area.

If Hu San Niang wanted to invest, it wouldn't be impossible.

“Miss Lin has misunderstood. It’s not appropriate for me to interfere in your business with Zhizhi,” Hu Sanniang said, shaking her head.

“I want to invest in your medicinal herb business in Northeast China.”

Hu San Niang's sudden change of tone caused Lin Jian Yue's expression to change instantly.

Her business relies on her "external alchemy" method, and 70% of the medicinal materials are imported from the Northeast China region. Lin Jianyue has put in a lot of effort to open up this route, and even used the connections and resources of the Wuwei Sect.

This intervention is tantamount to strangling her, and more importantly, it also involves her cultivation and the clandestine interests of the Wuwei Sect.

"Third Sister!?"

Just then, Xu Jiuzhi spoke up. She frowned slightly and looked at Hu Sanniang. This was different from what they had said before.

"Zhizhi, you've organized this gathering today, so I'll give you face." Hu Sanniang chuckled, "Miss Lin can go back and think it over carefully; we can discuss the terms slowly."

"No need, I can tell you right now that this matter cannot be discussed." Lin Jianyue shook her head.

She could never entrust her life to someone else; this Hu San Niang had far too much ambition.

There is nothing in this world that cannot be discussed.

Hu San Niang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a playful smile.

"I also have some connections and influence in the Northeast region."

"What? You still want to use force?" Lin Jianyue said with a slightly dark expression.

"Yueyue..." Xu Jiuzhi saw that things were not going well and quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Business is business. If we can't reach an agreement, there are naturally many other ways." Hu Sanniang remained noncommittal.

"To be honest, I only came to greet Miss Lin today because of Zhizhi. It would be best if we could talk."

"Harmony brings wealth, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Lin Jianyue said coldly.

"In the end, the righteous are respected in this world." Hu Sanniang still had a smile on her face, and her eyes were still full of absolute confidence.

Her gaze shifted and landed on Lin Jianyue.

“Miss Lin, believe it or not, if it weren’t for Zhizhi here today, you wouldn’t even be able to get off this ship.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Jianyue's expression changed drastically, and a cold glint appeared in her eyes.

"enough."

Just then, Xu Jiuzhi shouted, interrupting their conversation.

"Third Sister, if I had known you were coming here today to say these things, we wouldn't have met," Xu Jiuzhi said coldly.

"The relationship between your Hu family and my Xu family is not something that just started today. What you're doing today is a bit too much."

"Oh dear, Zhizhi, why are you still angry? I was just joking with Miss Lin." Hu Sanniang quickly took Xu Jiuzhi's hand and comforted her with a smile.

"Look, Miss Lin is perfectly fine, isn't she? I was a bit harsh just now, I'll punish myself with three drinks later."

As she spoke, Hu San Niang looked at Lin Jian Yue, the confidence in her beautiful eyes never fading.

"Miss Lin, shall we go inside and talk?"

"There's no need to talk anymore."

Suddenly, a slow, cold voice rang out in front of the cabin.

"Who did you just say couldn't get off this ship today?"

Just then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhang Fan slowly walked out and stood in front of Lin Jianyue.

(End of this chapter)