No matter how lively it is outside, it all has nothing to do with the third branch of the family.
The third branch was very calm.
The husband and wife both went into seclusion.
Before going into seclusion, Xie Shen pulled Xie Jiuniang aside and whispered, "My daughter, your grandfather says there are some strangers in the city with somewhat suspicious behavior, and there might be something brewing. Don't go out for fun when it's not necessary, and if there's anything, wait for your mother and me to come out of seclusion, understood?"
"Understood. I wish you success in achieving Foundation Establishment soon," Xie Jiuniang said obediently, nodding her head, which eased Xie Shen's mind a great deal.
Therefore, during the days her parents were in seclusion, Xie Jiuniang activated the formation every day and did not set foot outside the house.
However, she did meet Xie Siniang in secret a few times.
Xie Jiuniang gave her all the Qi Nourishing Pills she didn't need and also urged her to diligently practice cultivation, hoping she would join a Great Sect this year.
Xie Siniang did not take too much advantage of her and gave her a big handful of Spirit Talismans.
Some were drawn by herself, and some by her father.
After thinking it over, Xie Jiuniang decided to accept the Spirit Talismans. It wasn't that she was short of talismans, but she knew that Xie Siniang would feel relieved only if she accepted them.
At the same time, the arrival of Xie Siniang also brought with it the latest gossip about Xie Ying.
Nowadays, Xie Ying had people following her wherever she went, and many people were trying to curry favor with her. Additionally, Xie Ying had made some new friends, reportedly from large cultivation families.
Xie Jiuniang pondered thoughtfully.
Had those people already started to approach Xie Ying?
In fact, it would be best to leave Yunmu City now to avoid some people's prying eyes. However, being young and leaving a note to depart on her own would undoubtedly worry her parents.
Better to wait for her parents to leave seclusion before discussing it.
Even if she didn't leave now.
When the various sects start recruiting disciples, she'll have to leave anyway.
Knowing that her time in the clan wouldn't be long, Xie Jiuniang set her sights on the Xie Family's library. An ancient family naturally had its exceptional aspects.
Arriving in front of the library, she presented the family's Disciple Token, and the Elder guarding it checked it before letting her through.
The rules of the library stated that the books inside could only be read and memorized, not copied or taken out. In the Qi Cultivation Stage, one was only allowed to borrow books from the first floor. Xie Jiuniang had no objections to this, as the collection of books on the first floor alone numbered in the tens of thousands.
The library was rich in books, with a variety of categories.
Most of them were centered on Cultivation Techniques and Techniques, with the four arts of alchemy, instruments, formations, and talismans as supplements, in addition to various miscellaneous studies, such as planting, treasure appraisal, beast taming, Gu insects, puppetry, and mechanical techniques, and so on.
Xie Jiuniang browsed through them briefly, and surprisingly, there was even a book on Corpse Refinement. After opening and reading it, she learned it was about refining beast corpses, similar to puppetry technique.
There were also many books on medicine and poison.
Even Star Divination was included!
She couldn't help but pick up a book introducing star divination and began to read it seriously. She didn't intend to learn it but only wanted to understand it first to know how to prevent others from divining her fate.
For several days in a row.
Xie Jiuniang did not leave the library, and whenever she was hungry, she would take a Fasting Pill.
"Jiuniang!"
Xie Ying exclaimed in surprise.
Xie Jiuniang's elegant brows furrowed slightly as she reminded, "Elder sister, mind the surroundings."
Xie Ying seemed to realize the inappropriateness and showed an apologetic expression on her cool face. She walked up to Xie Jiuniang, spoke softly, "I'm sorry, I was just too surprised to see Jiuniang. I went to see you several times before, and He Xiang said you were in seclusion."
Xie Jiuniang did not want to deal with her.
There were other clan members on the first floor, but no one would speak openly to avoid disturbing others.
Xie Jiuniang transmitted her voice directly using Divine Sense, "If elder sister has something to say, please speak frankly."
Xie Ying transmitted back using the same method, "Jiuniang, I'm going to the sect earlier than planned. Tianxu Sect specially sent someone, and we'll be departing tomorrow. Fortunately, I got to see you before leaving; I've always wanted to bid you farewell in person."
"Oh, congratulations," Xie Jiuniang offered her congratulations indifferently.
Xie Ying pursed her lips and chuckled lightly, "All this, thanks to Jiuniang's blessing."
"It's good that you know."
"Uh? ...How are we supposed to have a conversation like this?"
Xie Ying had left.
Knowing that there were outsiders in the residence, Xie Jiuniang was even less willing to leave the library.
The library was protected by a powerful formation, inaccessible to non-clan disciples. In there, she didn't have to worry about being investigated by outsiders.
...
Three months later.
An inconspicuous carriage left Yunmu City.
The driver was Xie Shen in disguise.
In the carriage were Mo Lan and her daughter Xie Jiuniang, dressed in ordinary people's clothes, concealing their cultivators' aura. This was thanks to the top-quality Breath Concealment Talisman that Xie Jiuniang had drawn.
Xie Shen had become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Mo Lan was still at the Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation; after taking Marrow Cleansing Pills, her cultivation had greatly improved.
After taking the Marrow Cleansing Pill, Xie Jiuniang's cultivation had risen to the Sixth Level of Qi Cultivation, and she hardly cultivated thereafter, soaking herself in the library almost day and night, focusing on taking notes.
In three months, she had almost finished reading all the books on the first floor.
In the meantime, she took advantage of the newly acquired knowledge to secretly craft various items—mixing new with old—including a rusty Broken Sword, damaged Beast Skin, a lantern with broken horns, beads, Stone Elephants, and more. Some clearly shone with the light of treasures, while others seemed mundane.
She properly stored all these items.
They might come in handy at any moment.
That is until her parents emerged from closed-door cultivation.
Xie Jiuniang had expressed a desire to depart early, not wanting to travel with the clan's people.
There was still half a year until the Sect started recruiting disciples.
In this life, after deep consideration, she had chosen to go to Tianxu Sect again.
One of the reasons was that Xie Ying was in Tianxu Sect.
According to Star Divination she understood, highly cultivated individuals often chose to avoid direct divination and instead approached it obliquely—not calculating for the person of interest directly, but deducing the broader scope from smaller concerns.
For example, merely divining the general direction of the Child of Destiny. If it weren't for Tianxu Sect's location, wouldn't it be informing others that the Child of Destiny wasn't Xie Ying, but someone else?
Moreover, choosing other Great Sects wouldn't help avoid the situation.
For instance, Wu Yu was with Minghua Sect, and the Gongsun Family was in Chiyang Sect, so it made more sense to go to a familiar place like Tianxu Sect.
Of course, most importantly, she knew of several opportunities that she must go to Tianxu Sect to obtain.
After discussing with her husband, they immediately decided to accompany their daughter on her departure, fantasizing about which Sect their daughter would join and then settling in that Sect's Fangshi to live and do some small business.
This way, they wouldn't have to be apart from their daughter and could even see her often.
Xie Jiuniang was naturally happy about this.
She too didn't want to be separated from her parents, and once she secured those opportunities, she would help her parents improve their Spirit Roots and aptitude. Thus, her parents wouldn't leave her early as they had in her previous life.
The carriage gradually distanced itself from Yunmu City.
The family of three was unaware that there was someone on the city wall watching them depart.
People were still watching the Xie Family in Yunmu City, and although they thought they were being discreet, the upper echelons of the Xie Family had long been aware.
If the enemy doesn't move, I don't move.
The Clan Leader of the Xie Family watched for a long time, unable to discern the purpose of these people, who each belonged to forces the Xie Family could not afford to provoke.
It was so troubling that he had lost several hairs over it.
Thus, when the family of three proposed to leave quietly, the Xie Clan Leader did not stop them and even actively helped cover for them.
When clan members inquired, the response was that they were simply going to visit their maternal relatives.