When my vicious stepmother mistakenly married me to the Immortal Lord

"Brother, resigning from the title, this... this is not possible!" Mr. Xie said hurriedly, his face full of anxiety.

Third Master Xie also quickly agreed: "Yes, big brother, the title is the symbol of my Xie family's century-old foundation. Once it is lost, the family's status will be greatly affected."

Fourth Master Xie was also getting nervous. "Brother, isn't this too radical? The title is a legacy from our ancestors and a symbol of our Xie family's glory. Giving it up easily would go against our ancestors' wishes and would also unsettle the rest of the clan."

Xie Guangting raised his hand slightly, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"My fellow clansmen, I know what you are thinking. Yesterday, on the Queen Mother's birthday, it was made clear that if a title is passed down through three generations without merit, the court intends to reform it and reduce the number of hereditary titles in order to reward those who have truly made contributions to the country."

His eyes were deep, as if he was recalling the past.

"Back in the day, our Xie family's ancestors were awarded titles for their outstanding military exploits. What a glorious and glorious time that was. However, today, no one in the Xie family has achieved great success on the battlefield and continued our ancestors' fame."

"My Xie family has inherited the title for a hundred years and enjoyed all the glory. We should be content. If we continue to cling to the title, I'm afraid it will become a chronic disease for the court and bring disaster to our family."

"Furthermore, although the title is good, it is also a constraint. It makes us overly dependent on the court and neglects the improvement of our own abilities."

"The current situation is unpredictable, and the court's policies change from time to time. If my Xie family cannot keep pace with the times and only relies on a title to maintain its appearance, it will sooner or later decline."

Xie Guangting's voice was steady and powerful, and every word he said was like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of everyone present.

Xie Erye was still unwilling to give up. "Brother, Taizu is benevolent and virtuous. Anyone who has made contributions to the court can be granted a title and the title will be passed down to his descendants."

"There are many people like my Xie family who have inherited the title throughout the Taixi government. If we voluntarily resign, won't we become an outlier? Will the other noble families laugh at my Xie family for being ignorant of the times and cutting off our own strength?"

"Second brother, you are wrong. The rise and fall of an aristocratic family does not depend solely on a title. What truly allows a family to stand firm is the family's heritage, the talents of its children, and the family's cohesion."

"Indeed, during the reign of Emperor Taizu, many were granted titles for their merits. However, after so many dynasties, how many aristocratic families can still thrive today? Those families that relied solely on titles to maintain their respectability have long since been lost to history."

"If my Xie family wants to continue to prosper in the years to come, we must break away from our reliance on titles and rely on our own strength to carve out a niche in business, officialdom, and even spiritual cultivation."

Xie Guangting's words made everyone present fall into deep thought.

"But, big brother, once you resign this title, it will be difficult to get it back. We need to think about this matter carefully." Mr. Xie hesitated.

"Without the title, my Xie family will become a common family. I'm afraid we will be looked down upon both in the court and in the martial arts world." Fourth Master Xie also expressed his concerns.

Xie Guangting's eyes were sharp, "But the current situation is like this. Instead of waiting for the court to take it away, why not give it up on our own initiative? We can also earn a good reputation for being sensible.

"I have made up my mind on this matter. There is no need to discuss it further. I will personally submit a letter to the court, stating my family's intention to resign the title."

The hall fell silent again. Everyone knew that Xie Guangting had a strong character and once he made a decision, it would be difficult to change it.

However, having enjoyed the glory and privileges brought by the title for a long time, it was difficult for them to accept this sudden change.

Xie Guangting looked around and saw that no one had any objections, so he slowly stood up and announced the adjournment of the meeting.

At the family banquet that followed, despite all the delicious food, everyone seemed a little absent-minded and the atmosphere was quite dull.

Jiang Song sat next to Chu Jinghong, feeling deeply moved.

She admired Xie Guangting's courage. Being able to make such a major decision to resign at such a moment undoubtedly required great courage and foresight.

To give up when you should give up is great wisdom.

After the banquet, Jiang Song and Xie Changyu walked side by side on the way back to the courtyard.

"Changyu, congratulations."

"Sister-in-law, thank you."

"Ok?"

"You saved the Xie family. There are more than 130 people in the entire Xie family."

Xie Changyu stopped and turned to look at Jiang Song.

"No, I'm also a member of the Xie family. Those are things I should do."

*

As the night deepens, a bright moon hangs high in the sky, casting a soft silver glow.

When Jiang Song entered Yun Miao's Immortal Mansion, Yun Miao was still dozing on the rattan chair in the pavilion.

He was dressed in white clothes as white as clouds and snow, with black hair hanging down and fluttering in the wind. Even in his sleep, his face was cool and handsome.

Jiang Song did not disturb his sweet dream. He went to the flat open space outside the cave and began to practice the new sword skills he had learned recently.

The sword shines like a rainbow, and the body is agile. Every time he swings the sword, it causes the surrounding spiritual energy to fluctuate, forming tiny whirlwinds.

After an unknown amount of time, she felt a little tired, so she sheathed her sword and turned to walk towards the cave.

Just as he reached the cave entrance, he heard Yun Miao's voice coming from afar, "Your swordsmanship is passable, but your state of mind is not good enough."

Jiang Song was stunned and looked back, only to see that Yun Miao had woken up at some point and was leaning on the railing of the pavilion, looking at her indifferently.

"State of mind? Please enlighten me, Senior."

Yun Miao landed lightly and walked in front of her. "The way of swordsmanship lies in the unity of mind and sword. Although you practiced swordsmanship today and your moves were proficient, you had too many distracting thoughts in your mind and couldn't concentrate on it."

Jiang Song lowered her head in thought. She knew Yun Miao was right. While practicing sword skills today, she had indeed been thinking about the Xie family, and her mind was not pure enough.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior. Ah Song will keep it in mind and will be more focused when practicing sword in the future."

Yun Miao nodded slightly, "Keep telling me your story. I brewed some new spiritual tea and want to share it with you."

Jiang Song smiled slightly and followed Yun Miao into the cave.

The two sat opposite each other, and Yun Miao poured her a cup of spiritual tea. The fragrance of the tea was refreshing.

"Where did we leave off last time?" Yun Miao asked.

"Ji Chang rescued Daji and brought in Daji." Jiang Song recalled.

"Then go on."

"The two generals fought fiercely under the city of Jizhou. Unbeknownst to Su Quanzhong, Chong Heihu worshipped Jiejiao's Immortal as his disciple since childhood. He secretly taught him a gourd that he carried on his back, which gave him infinite magical powers..."

As Jiang Song continued to tell his story, Yun Miao gradually entered a state of meditation, and a mysterious aura emanated from his body.

After three rounds of tea, the story reached its climax. Seeing that Yun Miao seemed to be listening attentively, Jiang Song felt quite proud.

"...Su Quanzhong was captured, and Jizhou City was in imminent danger. At this time, Daji decided to personally take action to lift the siege of Jizhou."

Having said this, she paused deliberately, picked up the teacup and took a sip, leaving the audience in suspense.

Yun Miao's interest was piqued. "Oh? How is Daji going to get out of this predicament?"

Jiang Song put down his teacup and continued, "Daji is a nine-tailed fox demon with endless transformations. She transformed into a gust of evil wind and headed straight for Jizhou City..."

"The siege of Jizhou City was lifted. Su Hu, grateful for Daji's life-saving grace, treated her as a distinguished guest. Daji also took this opportunity to seek another suitable opportunity in Jizhou City to complete the mission assigned to her by the Goddess Nuwa."

The story ends here for now.