Chapter 3: Establishing the Family (Part 1)

“Feng Er greets Uncle Yan and Uncle Kuumu!” The young man beside Chen Kui stepped forward to pay his respects. He was a senior grand talisman caster, at the same rank as Guo Shier, but since Guo Shier was only thirteen, Yan Long and Kuumu both showed strange expressions.
Kuumu asked in surprise, “You know me?”
Feng Er replied, “Yes, I’ve long known Uncle Kuumu’s famous name.”
Kuumu nodded; he didn’t care much about his reputation and asked, “What’s your name?”
Feng Er replied respectfully, “My surname is Piao, and my given name is Feng.”
Kuumu raised his hand and shot a golden talisman flame, saying, “Hmm, not bad. This is from your uncle.”
Piao Feng happily took it. Chen Kui smiled and said, “You should thank Uncle Kuumu. This is high-quality golden talisman flame that can be directly added to your personal talisman book.”
Yan Long also gave him a talisman. It was always beneficial for juniors to meet their elders. Mo Ni Er felt moved; she took Guo Shier’s hand and flew up. Other things could be ignored, but she cared about Guo Shier—her treasure.
Mo Ni Er said, “Senior Chen, this is our family’s Kuumu’s disciple. Baby, come and meet Uncle Chen.”
Chen Kui’s gaze was fixed on Guo Shier; he was astonished. “A senior grand talisman caster? How old is this child?”
Kuumu replied indifferently, “Oh, he’s only thirteen… Well, he became a junior grand talisman caster at eleven and a senior one at twelve. But he’s too young and is still learning.”
Chen Kui felt helpless. He had just boasted about his disciple, only for someone to introduce one even younger with greater potential. He said with a wry smile, “Thirteen… I…”
Guo Shier flew over cheerfully and said, “Greetings, Uncle Chen. I’m Guo Shier.”
As a Great Sage Master, Chen Kui could easily see how astonishing Guo Shier’s potential was. The boy’s soul was not only powerful but also incredibly resilient. What this meant was unclear to others, but Chen Kui understood it very well. He couldn’t help asking, “Kuumu, where… where did you find this disciple?”
Kuumu replied coolly, “I stole him!”
Guo Shier cried, “Master!”
Mo Ni Er rolled her eyes at Kuumu and scolded, “You idiot!”
Chen Kui smirked maliciously and said, “Oh, stolen… Hehe!”
Kuumu replied coldly, “Don’t even think about it… Hmph. Just because you’re a Great Sage Master doesn’t mean I can’t beat you!”

Chen Kui smiled and said, “Who doesn’t know that you, Kuumu, are a madman? I certainly won’t fight with a madman like you—it’s not worth it… Otherwise, people might say I’m bullying someone weaker than me…”
Kuumu was instantly speechless. Given Chen Kui’s status, such words were entirely justified. Guo Shier looked at Chen Kui without saying a word. After a while, Chen Kui finally realized what was happening and blushed slightly. He took out a talisman and said, “I’ll give you this Talisman Gate Talisman, kid. Don’t waste your potential.”
After thanking him, Guo Shier flew over to Bazhong and said with a smile, “Greetings, Uncle Bazhong.”
Bazhong replied irritably, “Call me Uncle!”
Guo Shier acted innocently and said, “Of course I should call you uncle. You’re not as powerful as my master.” The holy masters of the Chenxiao Sect burst into laughter, embarrassing Bazhong greatly.
Bazhong grumbled, “If you don’t call me uncle, there won’t be a gift.”
Guo Shier smiled, turned around, and flew over to Kuumu before saying to Bazhong, “I didn’t call you that for a gift. I just wanted to pay respects to an elder. Since you refuse to be an elder, then forget it… If you don’t want to be an elder, I don’t mind. Hehe, you’re even more childlike than me.” These words left Bazhong in an awkward situation.
Bazhong’s face turned red with anger. He was extremely frustrated—unable to hit or scold him. Yan Long was surprised and said with a laugh, “Your Uncle Bazhong is just joking with you. Hehe, this kid won’t accept any loss at all.”
Piaofeng looked at Guo Shier curiously, his eyes showing a hint of surprise. He didn’t like such a sharp-tongued kid. He flew over and said, “Younger brother… Hello, I’m Piaofeng.” For some reason, he took the initiative to greet Guo Shier.
Guo Shier was polite and replied, “Hello, Brother Piaofeng. I’m Guo Shier.”
Bazhong breathed a sigh of relief. He was very embarrassed. It was awkward to give a gift now, but it was also awkward not to. Fortunately, Piaofeng stepped in, allowing him to muddle through.
Guo Shier’s soul was extremely powerful. He sensed Piaofeng’s hostility, but he felt no pressure at all. In his eyes, Piaofeng was just a child. Although his appearance was that of a child, his soul was not.
Piaofeng smiled and glared at Guo Shier before flying back to Chen Kui.
Yan Long and Chen Kui discussed briefly. Both sides sent negotiators, agreed on a negotiation location, and left about a dozen experts to guard the Talisman Fire area before everyone dispersed.
Guo Shier opened the Talisman Gate and returned to the Northern Talisman Gate with his master, master’s wife, Uncle Pang, and Yingmo.
…

Guo Shier set the coordinates of the Talisman Gate inside Xijianju, and the group appeared directly in the courtyard of Xijianju. Aunt Lan happened to be entering the courtyard when she saw Guo Shier and the others coming out of a door emitting a faint glow; she covered her mouth in shock. Guo Shier smiled and said, “Aunt Lan, is everyone here?”
“Shier, where did you come from?”
After all, Aunt Lan was an ordinary person who had never seen a Talisman Gate before. Guo Shier replied with a smile, “We’re back from the Yanhu Secret Realm. Who’s at home?”
Aunt Lan said, “Master Luo is here. I’ll go call him.” By Master Luo, she meant Luo Zhan. He was another follower of Guo Shier. This time, he wasn’t taken to the Yanhu Secret Realm but was left at home to wait.
Guo Shier said, “Aunt Lan, are you all ready? We’ll be leaving soon.”
Aunt Lan nodded, “Everything is ready.” She showed a hint of nervousness.
Guo Shier smiled and said, “Aunt Lan, there’s no need to worry. The conditions at Chenxiao Sect are better than here. Just focus on managing the household; don’t worry about anything else.” He felt deep affection for Aunt Lan. Remembering that it had been Aunt Lan who took care of him when he first entered the Northern Talisman Gate, he would never abandon her.
Aunt Lan nodded and said, “I’ll go call Master Luo.”
Luo Zhan arrived quickly. Everyone was already seated in the living room. He said, “Shier, the people going to Chenxiao Sect this time have been arranged. There are over four hundred of them in total.”
Guo Shier was surprised and asked, “How can there be that many?”
Luo Zhan replied, “Among them are some disciples from the inner sect, as well as Master Luo’s family and friends.”
Guo Shier glanced at Kumu. He hadn’t expected there to be so many people. With so many people, traveling to Chenxiao Sect would be a hassle. To reach the continent where Chenxiao Sect was located, they had to pass through a secret realm, which required the support of the sect.
Kumu said, “We can add a few more spots. Well, let’s set it at a thousand.”
Guo Shier was astonished, “Can we take that many?”
Kumu nodded, “It’s not worthwhile if there are too few people. The larger the number of people used by a major Talisman Gate, the better. In fact, Chenxiao Sect prefers as many people as possible. Chenxiao Sect has a vast territory, but its population is far too small—a major flaw for such a large sect. Relying on capturing people also has problems, as those people often harbor hatred. It’s the people who come in through this kind of quasi-immigration method that the sect prefers the most.”

As long as the lower-level continents are not invaded, their population will only increase with normal development. The continent where the Chenxiao Sect is located has experienced too many battles, resulting in a huge loss of population. Those captured residents are usually settled on the periphery of the Chenxiao Sect; once war breaks out, they will be among the first to die.

Those who follow Guo Shier are different—they can rely on him. Guo Shier already holds a certain status in the Chenxiao Sect, thanks to the support of Kumu and Monier. Once these people enter the sect, ordinary people can live near it, while professionals can enter directly.

Luo Zhan said cheerfully, “Great! There are many more who want to come, but I had to turn them down due to limited spots. Well, I’ll go see the sect leader.” He stood up and left.

Guo Shier said, “A thousand people… Master, how can we accommodate them? There are too many!”

Kumu shook his head slightly and said, “Shier, it’s not too many—it’s too few. If you want to establish your own family and make friends, you need substantial resources, which depend on the strength of your family. Otherwise… you won’t go far.”

Guo Shier retorted, “Master, but don’t you also have no family? Yet you’re still very powerful!”

Kumu replied, “My temperament and personality aren’t suited for building a family, and I’m too lazy to deal with all those complicated matters… You’re different. You’re still young and have the chance to build a large family. The opportunities now are better than when I was young. You could build a family of around a hundred thousand people.”

Guo Shier was stunned. In his past life, he had been a regiment commander, leading thousands of people, and knew how difficult it was. Not to mention that everyone had their own ideas—just supplying supplies was a headache. He said with a wry smile, “Master, I’m too lazy to deal with these things anyway. And I’m often away from home. What’s the use of having a large family?”

A faint smile appeared on Kumu’s stiff face. To Guo Shier, it seemed like he was mocking him. Kumu said, “You haven’t realized the benefits of a family yet. Once you establish one, you’ll understand. It will be of great help to you… really great.”

Guo Shier’s eyes darted around as he thought deeply. There must be a reason why his master placed such importance on it. He wasn’t a child and wouldn’t act recklessly. After much consideration, he said, “Let me start by building a small family first. A large family… I can’t afford it. A small family might work. Hmm, I’ll create a family of professionals.”

Withered Tree nodded and said, “Whether it’s a large family or a small one, you should establish one first.” He really didn’t care what kind of family Guo Shieru would build, as long as he agreed to establish one.