Chapter 100: Left Family's Vigor

It was a while after Ji Yuan left before the inhabitants of the Yan family's compound, both those of Zuo family descent and other Yan family members, could no longer maintain their solemn demeanor. They all began to whisper excitedly.

"We saw an immortal!"

"There really are immortals! Swordsman Zuo—no, Grand Master Zuo Li isn't delusional!"

"Yuniang, which one are you going to choose?" "Let the immortal guide us; we can have another Zuo Li!"

"No wonder the sword techniques practiced by the Zuo descendants never reached great heights. It turns out our ancestor was guided by an immortal, so it's no surprise he was unrivaled!"

"Uncle Boran, which one are you choosing~!"

"Youtian, Youxin, what do you two think?"

Everyone spoke at once, bubbling with excitement.

"Ahem... ahem..."

The old master craftsman in the hall coughed heavily a few times, and the surge of his internal energy quelled all the noisy discussions.

"This matter is for the Zuo family to decide. Everyone else, go attend to your own business. You're dismissed!"

The old master craftsman clearly held significant prestige. The moment he spoke, even those who continued to discuss did so in hushed whispers before dispersing. Thanks to years of family rules and unspoken understanding, there was no need to instruct them to keep quiet; no one from the Yan family's compound would speak of this matter outside.

"Uncle Yan, we..."

Zuo Boran had just opened his mouth when the old man raised a hand to stop him before he could finish. The elder then drained his teacup before speaking.

"As I said, this is for you to decide. I won't interfere!"

After saying this, the old man walked to where Ji Yuan had been sitting and picked up the now empty teacup.

"Uh, Grandpa Yan, we can clear the table!" the thirty-year-old man offered.

The old man gave him a glare.

"I'm taking this to offer it as a tribute. An immortal drank from it, you idiot!"

Ignoring what others might think, the old man carefully carried the teacup towards the ancestral hall, leaving the Zuo family members looking at each other in bewilderment.

Outside the hall, the sounds of hammering from the forge continued intermittently. The Zuo family gathered together, while Zuo Yuniang's in-laws did not join them.

Facing a choice that would profoundly alter the Zuo clan's destiny regardless of the option taken, everyone knew they had to be extremely cautious. Time seemed to fly by, and by nightfall, they still hadn't reached a conclusion.

Inside Zuo Boran's family hall, all members of the Zuo lineage were gathered. A lamp burned on the Eight Immortals table, with the elders seated around it. The two children sat quietly with their grandmother in a large armchair, growing sleepy.

"Come, come, the noodles are ready! No one has eaten anything since morning, and even the children only had pastries. Let's all eat something!"

Zuo Yuniang and her two sisters-in-law emerged, carrying three wooden trays. On the trays were bowls of steaming hot noodles, prepared by the eldest sister-in-law: taro and greens simmered in oil and added to the noodles.

"Big Brother, Second Brother, lend a hand!"

"Alright!" "Okay!"

As the bowls of noodles were placed on the table, the two children instantly lost all sleepiness, excitedly jumping down from their grandmother's embrace, one to each side.

"Noodles!" "Great! Mama's oily noodles, ha ha ha!"

The two children squeezed next to their father. Seeing that their grandfather didn't object, they sat on the long bench, one on each side. With Zuo Youtian's help, they picked up their large bowls and chopsticks, happily digging in. The three-year-old, unable to hold chopsticks steadily, simply shoveled the noodles into his mouth, splashing soup everywhere. But today, their parents didn't scold them.

For the two children, they had no idea how important this choice was. It felt just like last year when the family gathered to discuss their aunt's wedding.

"Everyone, please eat something before the noodles get cold!"

Zuo Yuniang noticed that, apart from the two children, no one else had picked up their chopsticks, so she reminded them again.

"Sigh... Even if you don't feel like it, at least have a few bites!" Zuo Boran said.

When Zuo Boran spoke, the others in the family finally picked up their chopsticks, eating somewhat distractedly.

In fact, by the end of the day, the debate over the choice had largely subsided. The main conflict was between father and sons.

Zuo Boran and his wife advocated for the first option: to retain the immortal's decree, ensuring the family's peace and their descendants' protection by their ancestors. However, the two brothers, Youtian and Youxin, preferred the second option: to receive the immortal's teachings. They believed that this would allow them to become the second or third unrivaled Zuo Li in the future, naturally bringing glory to their family name.

Zuo Yuniang remained silent, and although her two sisters-in-law were considered part of the Zuo family by marriage, they had no opinions and dared not speak out.

When the noodles were almost finished, as if renewed with the energy to argue, Zuo Boran spoke again.

"Youtian, Youxin," Zuo Boran began, "I've said this many times today, but I must remind you again: even if you truly sweep across the land and reclaim justice for our Zuo family, what then? After experiencing half of your great-grandfather's glory, will the subsequent decline of the Zuo family repeat itself? And this time, I fear even the Yan family won't be safe; they might even be dragged down with us!"

Zuo Youtian frowned, disagreeing with his father.

"Father," he said, "we learn from our mistakes. Our Zuo family has endured so much; how could we repeat the same errors? Youxin, Yuniang, and I still have potential, and the two children even had the fortune to see an immortal. Back then, there was only Great-Grandfather; now, all of us have this opportunity! The Yan family has helped us for so long; in the future, we will have a chance to repay them!"

Zuo Youxin immediately followed.

"Yes, Father," he added, "you always tell us how glorious our Zuo family was in the past. My brother and I never saw it, but we've felt the anger about it since childhood. You must be unwilling to let it go too. We've been bullied for so long, we're even losing our surname. Are we to always be called Yan and never Zuo again? What would our ancestors, knowing all, think of us descendants?"

Zuo Youxin's last remark was quite impactful for Zuo Boran. Zuo Yuniang, seated beside them, couldn't help but kick her second brother under the table.

The argument once again reached a stalemate.

The next day, at dawn, some early risers in the Yan family compound looked towards Zuo Boran's house and noticed that light still shone from the hall windows.

"Uncle Boran and the others didn't sleep all night..."

"I wouldn't be able to sleep either. I wonder what they chose."

While outsiders wondered, the Zuo family members inside felt restless. The immortal had only said he would return the next day, not whether it would be morning or evening.

Except for the two children, none of the adults had slept all night, yet no one seemed weary. As dawn broke, they all appeared slightly agitated.

It was an overcast day, and sometime after lunch, faint thunder began to rumble in the sky.

Ji Yuan returned to the Yan family compound in the afternoon. As expected, they were fully prepared, having even set up a table with a lavish feast near the ancestral hall, ready to serve immediately should the immortal desire it.

It was the same hall as yesterday, but with almost no onlookers. Old Master Yan must have given orders, so only the Zuo family members were inside, along with Ji Yuan and Old Master Yan, the two outsiders.

The Zuo family members stood in a row in the hall. Ji Yuan and Old Master Yan sat on the elevated platform. On the table next to the grand armchair, there were not only teacups but also prepared brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone.

Ji Yuan looked at the Zuo family, old and young. Their eyes were visibly bloodshot, but their spirits remained strong.

"So, have you, the descendants of the Zuo clan, reached a decision?"

Zuo Boran stepped forward and bowed to Ji Yuan.

"To answer your question, Master, we have not yet decided!"

"Boran, you all!" Old Master Yan, standing nearby, immediately flared up. Zuo Boran quickly interjected, "Uncle Yan, please don't be angry. We'll decide very soon..."

At this point, Zuo Boran turned to Ji Yuan and respectfully asked, "Mr. Ji, may I ask you a question to help us make our decision?"

"Ask away."

Ji Yuan's expression was calm. It wouldn't be an issue if they needed a few more days to consider, as this was indeed an extraordinary matter for the Zuo clan.

"I wish to ask, regarding Great-Grandfather's martial arts skills, was it primarily your guidance, Master, or was Great-Grandfather's own talent more significant?"

Ji Yuan's expression remained unchanged as he replied in a very calm voice.

"Zuo Li was a martial arts genius. Naturally, his own talent contributed the most!"

Hearing this answer, Zuo Boran glanced at his two sons, then cupped his hands and spoke to Ji Yuan.

"As long as a descendant of our Zuo clan remembers that their surname should be 'Zuo,' we will one day reclaim it! Master, we choose the first option!"

Ji Yuan smiled. He saw that the two young men, who had initially harbored some reluctance, no longer hesitated once their father spoke those words. Zuo Yuniang wore a similar expression.

"Good... the edge has returned!"

Ji Yuan's praise seemed inexplicable, yet it carried a profound meaning.

Standing up, Ji Yuan took the brush from the table, dipped it lightly in ink, and then wrote down the decree on the Xuan paper. As he exerted his power, his long hair floated slightly, dancing in the air.

"Peace and well-being, protected from all evils, clear-minded and striving, efforts not in vain! Given by Yuan to the descendants of the Zuo clan!"

The sixteen large characters and the small signature on the Xuan paper were written almost in a single stroke. When the brush ran low on ink mid-stroke, droplets of ink miraculously flew from the inkstone to replenish it, filling the onlookers with excitement.

As the decree was completed, a flash of light visible to all emanated from the paper and vanished. Ji Yuan felt a moment of dizziness and nearly lost his footing. He exhaled softly before turning to face the group of people straining their necks to watch.

"This decree is bestowed upon the descendants of the Zuo clan. Should anyone else seize it, it will be ineffective. If the Zuo bloodline ceases to exist, the decree will destroy itself!"

Rumble...

Faint thunder rumbled overhead, seemingly from dark, rain-laden clouds.

However, Ji Yuan, in high spirits, had not yet finished his gifts for the day.

"Heh heh heh... Zuo family, watch closely!"

Ji Yuan set down the brush, stepped out like a wisp of smoke to the open area outside the hall, and with a wave of his hand, the Green Vine Sword flew out and landed in his palm.

"Don't blink!"

With a laugh, Ji Yuan transformed into a graceful, soaring dragon, moving with his sword in the courtyard.

His form was elusive, like a dream, his movements appearing both drunk and sober. The Green Vine longsword, like a flowing emerald ribbon in Ji Yuan's hand, extended streams of sword light.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

A light rain began to fall, yet the raindrops around Ji Yuan's body swirled and danced like dragons, following the flow of his sword light.

With one movement, "Soaring Dragon Delivers Rain," a swirling water dragon danced forth, soaring diagonally into the sky...

Inside the hall, the Zuo family members and Old Master Yan stood rigid, staring intently at the immortal dancing with his sword in the rain, not daring to blink. Their excitement and awe were beyond control!