Building a long-lasting family lineage starting with genealogy

Chapter 76 Returning Home
The middle of the first lunar month.

Unwilling to let Wei take away a mine of black iron ore for nothing, the Great Liang launched a decisive battle.

Although this battle was not as devastating as the initial one, it still resulted in enormous casualties.

Soldiers against soldiers, against generals.

Because Xu Mingxuan held back, he was able to escape danger despite being surrounded by more than a dozen people on several occasions.

Afterwards, he encountered Ge Xuanhong, and after both sides were severely injured, he was surrounded and attacked by more than a dozen peak-stage acquired cultivators.

"Captain Ge!"

Xu Mingxuan immediately rushed over, unleashing a dragon's roar powered by his innate true energy, which sounded like thunder and temporarily forced the enemy back, but they did not give up.

After all, the head of a captain is worth a second-class merit.

One after another, spears, knives, and swords were thrust or slashed at the two men.

"Come on!"

Captain Ge knew that for Xu Mingxuan to deal with more than a dozen peak-stage Acquired Realm cultivators at the same time was simply wishful thinking.

"Get out of my way!"

Xu Mingxuan ignored it.

With a single swing of his sword, the pine-green innate true energy erupted, rippling outwards and blasting everyone around him away.

"You've reached the Innate Realm!"

"go!"

Xu Mingxuan grabbed Ge Xuanhong and quickly left.

This is a battlefield. As a martial artist at the early stage of the Innate Realm, he only has the strength to protect himself. He can only take Ge Xuanhong away first.

Ge Xuanhong saved his own life because of a single act of kindness.

Now that his strength had been exposed, Xu Mingxuan stopped pretending and took advantage of the battle to kill a number of acquired martial artists, which added up to a second-class merit.

As for those born in the Innate Realm, the captains are basically at least in the late Innate Realm stage; only a fool would kill them.

Isn't it better to just dominate weaker opponents?

With the battle over, the Wei army officially announced the end of the war.

Once the battle merits are tallied, those who have been conscripted can return home.

The border region was instantly filled with uproar, and thunderous shouts echoed for miles.

Dingzi Battalion, War Merit Statistics Office.

"what is it call?"

"Xu Mingxuan".

"Xu Mingxuan, not bad at all. At such a young age, you've already earned a first-class merit and a second-class merit."

The middle-aged, burly man in charge of statistics on war merits smiled and looked up at Xu Mingxuan, a hint of goodwill in his eyes.

"Are you interested in joining the Great Wei military? You're sure to receive excellent treatment."

"My lord, I have been away from home for six years and miss it dearly. I wish I could sprout wings and arrive in an instant. I can only regret that I cannot live up to your expectations."

The middle-aged strong man sighed and waved his hand, saying, "Never mind, everyone has their own ambitions. This is your certificate of merit. A second-class merit is enough to exchange for a county magistrate or county lieutenant in the county town."

A first-class merit could be exchanged for a registrar or military officer position in the prefectural capital, or a county magistrate position in the county seat, although the latter would be somewhat of a waste of talent.

"Sir, what if there are no longer any official positions in my hometown county or prefecture?"

"If everyone has official status and official registration, then there is nothing that can be done. However, many of them only have official status but are not registered. You can ask about the details yourself when you return to your hometown."

"Okay, don't block the next person."

Xu Mingxuan cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, stepped back, and turned to leave.

He was inexperienced and felt that military merits should lead to more than just an official position, so he went to find Ge Xuanhong.

He has now fully recovered from his injuries.

Because of the life-saving grace, the two became sworn brothers.

Ge Xuanhong is only about twenty-seven years old, the same age as Xu Mingwei. To have the strength of the late-stage innate realm, he must come from a powerful family.

Inside Ge Xuanhong's camp.

"Brother Ge, can military merits only be exchanged for official positions?"

"Usually it's more worthwhile to exchange for official status, but some families have a lot of land, such as tens of thousands of acres. If they get second-class military merit, they might use it to exchange for permanent tax exemption on their family's mountain forests and fields. If it's more than 100,000 acres, they can only use first-class military merit to exchange for it."

"Tax exemption is not bad either," Xu Mingxuan thought to himself.

"Anyway, my dear brother, you can decide for yourself. By the way, after this parting, I'm afraid we won't see each other for a long time. If you have time, you can come to the Ge family in Guangling County to find me."

Guangling County borders your Yuehu County, and the distance isn't far.

"I'll remember that," Xu Mingxuan said with a fist and palm salute.

He waited for the other members of the Xu family to join him at the entrance of Dingziying.

Twenty or thirty people went to the battlefield, but only seven survived: Li Zhi, Chen Daniu, and Bai Hui.

Li Zhi received a second-class merit, Chen Daniu and Bai Hui received fourth-class merits, and the others received fifth-class merits, which is the lowest level.

"Third Young Master!" Li Zhi and Chen Daniu rode up, and soon Bai Hui and the others also arrived.

"Everyone, let's go home together!"

"go home!"

All seven were eager to return home and embarked on their journey.

------------

[Today's divination: Auspicious. Your third son, Xu Mingxuan, will arrive home at 5 PM with a first-class merit and a second-class merit.]

"First-class merit and second-class merit?"

Xu Chuan usually uses the Water Hexagram to predict the fortune of his family, and the result is most likely a neutral hexagram.

But now a lucky divination has come out, revealing that his three sons will soon return, which is quite surprising.

But a smile quickly appeared on his lips. "Good lad, I told him to keep a low profile, but I didn't expect him to be so discreet. Anyway, it's good that he's back! It's good that he's back!"

His eyes were filled with longing.

He immediately ordered someone to call Xu Mingyuan back from outside, saying that a grand banquet would be held that evening.

They also invited the Chen, Bai, and Li families.

Bai Jing was very surprised. "Husband, is there some great joy tonight?"

"I'll keep you in suspense for now, my husband. I'll give you a surprise later."

"surprise?"

Today isn't my birthday!
"Then I will wait for my husband's surprise."

Xu Mingwei and Xu Mingyuan were also puzzled, wondering what Xu Chuan was up to.

“Even if it’s a family banquet, there’s no need to invite the Chen and Li families. Wait a minute…” Xu Mingyuan seemed to have guessed something, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his eyes revealed joy. “Big brother, could it be that Tan Tou and the others are coming back?!”

"possible!"

Xu Mingwei's eyes flashed with surprise, but he didn't show much of a reaction, having gradually developed the skill of not showing his emotions.

The authority of the head of the household grew increasingly heavy.

"Impossible!" Xu Mingyuan immediately denied it himself. "The border is thousands of miles away. How could Father know that Tantou would return today and make it to the banquet?"

If that's true, then it's the power of prophecy.

“If Father were an ordinary man, how could he have brought the Xu family to such a scale in just over twenty years?”

Xu Mingwei said calmly, "Although the Xu family is now managed by the two of us, it is still my father who supports us behind the scenes. Without my father, the Xu family would only have one-tenth of its current assets."

That's true.

Xu Mingyuan's eyes began to show a look of longing. "I do hope that Tantou will come back. It's been six years. I really miss that kid. He's twenty-one now."

“If he comes back, Mother won’t keep nagging me.”

Xu Mingwei turned to look at Xu Mingyuan, his eyes seeming to say: I thought you were going to say something sentimental about brotherhood, but this is all?

You really are Charcoal Head's good second brother!
----------

Youshi.

The setting sun stained the western sky like blood.

Seven men rode up on the gray-blue official road, kicking up clouds of dust.

They were still in their armor, and the scabbards at their waists swayed up and down with the riders on horseback, heralding the approaching dusk.

The Xu family mansion.

in the hall.

The banquet had been prepared long ago.

"That's enough, everyone come with me to the door."

A group of people arrived at the gate of the Xu family mansion for no apparent reason. Soon after, the sound of "Giddy up" came from afar.

"Who dares to be so insolent in front of my Xu family's gate!"

Xu Mingshu snapped and immediately said, "Xiao Bai, give a shout!"

"Ho ho ho~"

A deafening tiger's roar erupted, the sound waves rolling forward.

The horses were all startled and became difficult to control.

Xu Mingwei, with his excellent eyesight, immediately spotted the group of people hundreds of meters away. After his initial surprise, he smiled faintly and said, "Xueji, are you trying to keep your third brother out of the house?"

"Third brother?!"

"It really is charcoal?!"

Everyone's expression changed slightly, then they revealed wild joy.

"Yes, Charcoal Head is back?!"

Bai Jing's eyes seemed to sparkle with joy, and she immediately burst into tears.

(End of this chapter)