Returning to the Clan Part 1 Feeling the situation out

The Blizzard Demon Ape carried the cart along. Full of a few metals and grains for use in the clan. For those, he was training anyway. The Red Wolves walked along the side with the pups playing around the feet.

They were ducking underneath their parents and running around the cart. Xiao Yan walked with a few of the Mitre Clan. Particularly Gu Ni, who had tons of questions regarding Alchemy. Outside the city limits, those of the Xiao Clan that waited for him came over quickly.

Xiao Mei carried herself well with the others following the example. The right amount of care and instruction was given to the young impressionable children. Enough guidance towards family behavior for them to figure things out on their own helped a great deal for personal choices being made.

"Greetings, teacher!" They gave a firm salute, with a respectable tone. The Mitre Family members smiled at this.

Several onlookers didn't know what to say besides a few whispers of ridicule for those who thought him to be the same Xiao Yan still. Egged on by a few jealous elders and those who still disliked him.

"Glad all of you are in good spirits." Xiao Yan nodded as they walked in. Some were messing with the Red Wolves that were enjoying the attention. "Tell me what took place while I was gone."

"Yes," Xiao Mei understood this was for show as most of the information was shared when he projected himself to them each. "besides the Jia Lie clan coming over to broker peace, the security in the town has been tightened further."

Those Duan Jian had met on his search for herbs made it to the town and settled in. Enough forces to help build his family back up anyway if he wanted.

"That is good to hear. Never know when one of the Mercenary Groups or Bandits may rise back up to create a problem." Entering the Xiao Clan area, they moved straight to a spot purchased from the actual clan to set up. "How goes the building of the courtyard to my specifications?"

Xu Er came running over pretty happily. Seeing the gathering of people, only a small mental note was made to ask about them.

"Brother Xiao Yan, your back!" Her hug was pretty strong. She didn't expect him to be gone for so long. "You played out to much!"

Xiao Mei just chuckled along with the rest of the family members. Ya Fei found the girl to be mysterious for some reason. She couldn't see through her even using her cultivation entirely.

'What an unusual girl.' As a member of the Auction House, only those who were strong were difficult to see through. Unless they had some kind of artifact on their person.

"Good you are well, no stalkers bothering you in the clan anymore I take it." He was not really asking as he knew that would not be the case if they valued their lives. 'I don't detect any of her Shadow Guards nearby. So maybe they are out doing something or another.'

The quick sweep still revealed nothing.

"You brought back so much stuff, what's it all for?" Xu Er let him go but didn't move far away.

"Helping those in the clan to become stronger. As well as having some food for the tamed monster beasts." He gestured to Xiao Mei and the others. "Hopefully you can get along with them in the future, they are pretty good members to train against and with."

"Mm!" She didn't give a real comment. Most in the Xiao Family were not in her eyes. Only Xiao Yan was worthy of her attention. She wouldn't really voice that of course.

Securing the grains and metals in a warehouse, Xiao Yan turned to Xiao Mei and the others. A quick probe made him smile as they did not slack off in the least while he was away.

"Congratulations on a job well done. I will have to prepare an adjustment to the reward I was going to give out." Xiao Yan passed out an spatial ring to them each for use. "Inside are a few pills to help with training."

"Thanks!" They said together. Talking with him and receiving a few insights on cultivation before leaving when the patriarch came over. Xiao Mei remained behind talking to Xu Er.

"Do you need me for something, Patriarch Zhao?" His tone of voice was not really warm. Which caused Yao Fei to take notice of the relationship not being to good between them. "Or am I know longer welcome in this.. clan?"

His words were light considering the checks done so far. They didn't really act like a clan and more like a warring Indigenous tribe.

"Can't I visit you after you have been gone for so long?" Xiao Zhan took note of the Magical beasts moving about freely.

"Training to freshen up my Alchemy skills and myself. Just a little more to go before I am done with what I need." Xiao Yan gave him a simple nod. "Has the Yun Lan Sect given any trouble with the Xiao Elders?"

"Nothing I can't handle. As for the Yun Lan Sect, not a single peep from them. The engagement should still be.." The old man shut up about it with the death glare received from Xiao Yan.

"I brought some business to the clan to make up for.. actually to make up for nothing." Gesturing towards Ya Fei and members of the Mitre Family. "Feel free to talk business with them. I have more important matters to attend to."

Xiao Yan, Xiao Mei, and Xu Er moved off to go inside. Ya Fei thought it was a test of her character to see how she would act with the family.

Remembering she needed to do something, Xiao Mei took off without a moment's notice.

'I need to talk to the fool Xiao Ning before it is to late!' Xiao Mei was wanting to save him before he caused harm between himself and the rest of them. 'Our cousin is not to be trifled with now!'

"Well, Xu Er, you look well." Xiao Yan sat in a chair with a few of the Red Wolf pups running around his feet. "Had fun playing with those guards of yours?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Playing it off, she felt he was only stronger in presence than before. Only emitting the strength of a Dou Practitioner. "Who is the girl that stood by your side so closely."

"A new student." Seeing the small look of jealousy, he was going to take care of that little nonsense right now. A decent enough time passed for her to develop an understanding of the change. 'I could always put the wife in her body? But then again.. she might not like that in the least. The pretending docile actions of the Gu girl is not good at all.'

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Blushing from the intense stare, the scion of the Gu family was the same as any other girl in his presence.

"Do you like me, little girl?" Xiao Yan had already spread his Astral Sense out to make sure they were alone. The pups by his feet didn't count, of course. "Answer me now, I don't have the luxury of childish games."

"Of course I like you."

"Do you love me like a female loves a male?" He was hoping it was just infatuation from childhood. 'In every version of the series, it was kind of at this point really. Rather keep it clean before a misunderstanding develops.'

"This is not a funny game." Xu Er did not likes this and thought he was teasing her. A little gold flickered in her eyes, as the true colors of the Gu clan appeared briefly.

"I am not laughing, so answer the question already." Xiao Yan's eyes flared, staring at her. "I do not have time for certain problems."

".." Xu Er fiddled about as she was put on the spot. But her duty as the Gu heir came to mind. "I love you like a brother."

"That is good." He stood up to stand in front of her directly. "Then I will always be your older brother. Gu Xun Er, become strong to not end up used by your family. Lots of trouble is coming in the future. You don't want to be swallowed up in it."

Xu Er couldn't believe he knew she was from the Gu Family. She was shocked even more by this than the conversation a few minutes before.

"You need to train and get stronger more than you have now, unless you want to be a puppet that is. I can't iterate that more than now." The Red Wolf pups followed as he moved. Feeling the weird Beast Dou Qi emitted by the Beast Divine Spark. "Surround yourself with people you can trust before it is to late."

Sitting down in a room that was prepped, the pups sat around him quietly. Xu Er followed just to see what was going to happen. The room was immediately bathed with flames that the wolves devoured.

"Consider this a type of Purification Flame, you can bathe in it if you want." His eyes were closed as he started to cultivate the pups further. The fur was turning a brighter white on their backs, with the teeth turning sharper. "It won't hurt.."

"Awuu wuu." One of the pups whined a little.

"..well.. much anyway." Helping current growth was paramount to the beasts surviving after all. Having recovered enough, he pulled out a sword in several pieces. "This pain in the ass sword is gonna take forever to fix if I wait to long."

*Woosh!* Rich energy swirled in the room from the sword pieces. Enough that Xu Er felt a sense of threat and immediately went on guard. Even the smallest piece exuded the strength of one at the Dou Ancestor Realm.

The turbulent energy, by all accounts, shouldn't be able to stay stable in his hands. But the little girl of the Gu Clan watched unblinking as he messed with without a care in the world for danger.

The Myriad Ancestor Sword was a part of him the same as the Thundergod Meteorite Sword. It was just more damaged than the other Sword in every way. An impression of a figure could be seen every now and then around the pieces.

'I will find some metal to offer you my son to recover, don't worry.' With a soft expression, the shifting flames became even more peaceful to match Xiao Yan. 'It will take many years for you to turn stable without it.'

Connecting to pieces together, he started to mend the pieces together. The effect produces sharp Dou-Qi in the room in the images of swords. Under Xiao Yan's cheekbones, new Rune marks appeared.

*Sching!* The sound of clashing swords gained momentum slowly. Sword Attainment recovered as the Red Wolf pups started to comprehend the way of the Sword. Claws and fangs not just mimicking it in theory.

'I can't miss this chance.' Not expecting to have so much happen, Xu Er sat down to cultivate. 'Brother Xiao Yan has grown even stronger than before and is even more splendid!' Her heart was all a flutter, but she thought a little about the words he said to her and had decisions to make.

.

Elders-

.

Not everyone enjoyed the meeting of the members of the Mitre Family. Trying to gain favor while trying to figure out what they were up to coming to the Xiao Family with Xiao Yan. Just unable to believe he could have offered them anything of note.

Xiao Zhan himself thinks it odd and erring on the side of caution. If his son was with the Action House the last few months, did that mean he sold off the items from the wedding engagement breakoff?

"What do you think of our proposal?" Gu Ni was ready to get the ball rolling. Quite bored of the back and forth the Xiao family was doing. "Is it that hard to work with the other families to have a united front?"