Chapter 127: Returning to the Ancestral Fold

The Third Elder led Li Su forward. Once the two disciples had departed, he spoke slowly: "Young man, what is your name?"

"Li Su." He did not hide it. Judging by the Third Elder's reaction, he could tell the man was not a villain; furthermore, the way he recognized the blood jade suggested he was even more familiar with its owner.

The Third Elder’s eyes widened in shock. How could this young man be surnamed Li? Was this a coincidence? Wait—could this blood jade belong to him?

Li Su and Yin had known that revealing his true name would trigger a strong reaction from the Third Elder. Since he had already claimed to be from the reclusive Li family, no one else could use the surname "Li" so casually. In the Void Continent, every unique surname represented a different family, a different status, and a different position.

The Third Elder scrutinized the young man before him. This time, it was not the cursory glance from before; he stared intently, examining him from head to toe, left to right, as if he could see straight through the youth named Li Su.

Li Su accepted the Third Elder’s scrutiny with composure. Having returned to the reclusive Li family, he was determined to claim everything he was rightfully owed. He would not let this trip be in vain.

"Li Su? Who is your father?" The Third Elder finally nodded with satisfaction, thinking for a moment before asking.

"My father is Li Jin," Li Su replied respectfully. He smiled and retracted his aura. Just a moment ago, he had released the unique restorative divine power of the Li family specifically to help the Third Elder confirm his identity. Of course, the Third Elder remained unaware of Li Su’s formidable combat strength—that was Li Su’s trump card, not to be revealed easily.

The Third Elder recalled the name and suddenly clapped his hands. "So that’s it! It’s Li Jin’s child! I never expected Li Jin’s son to return! This is truly unexpected! Truly unexpected!"

The Third Elder repeated himself several times, clearly stunned by the news. Li Su realized that the Third Elder not only knew his father well but perhaps held him in high regard. Their relationship must have been quite good.

"You... you knew my father?" Li Su suppressed his inner turmoil and feigned hesitation.

"Of course I knew him! Your father was a fine boy; I was very fond of him! However... however..." The Third Elder looked at Li Su, paused, and his expression turned momentarily sorrowful.

Li Su was no fool and naturally guessed why. He stepped forward, looked into the Third Elder’s eyes, and said word for word: "Third Elder, you must be saddened that my father did not return. Please do not worry; my father is doing well in the Barren Continent. Otherwise, I would never have had the chance to return to the Void Continent."

The Third Elder looked at Li Su for a long moment, then patted his shoulder and sighed. "Yes! Li Su, according to your father’s generation, you should address me as Grandfather."

"Third Grandfather." Li Su could feel the Third Elder’s genuine affection for his father, and he uttered the title with sincere respect, free of any resentment. It was simply a humble term of address for an elder.

"Good child, come, let us go. I will take you to meet the other three grandfathers." The Third Elder took Li Su’s hand and led him through a maze of corridors, seemingly heading toward a more secluded area.

Feeling the dense spiritual energy within the reclusive Li family’s estate, Yin, tucked inside Li Su’s robes, felt a surge of vitality. It was true—to ensure the Li family possessed the strongest restorative powers, the Four Great Families had indeed allocated the most spiritually rich land in the heart of their territory to the reclusive Li family. The rumors were true!

The little white fox in Li Su’s arms shook its body and leaped out, prancing and jumping ahead of them, looking utterly adorable and lively.

The Third Elder, until now preoccupied with Li Su’s identity, finally noticed the small white fox. Seeing it turn back to look at them every few steps, he couldn't help but marvel at how spirited it was! Its dark, beady eyes sparkled with a captivating light, as if one would be involuntarily drawn in after a single glance.

"Ah! How is this little fox so powerful?" The Third Elder shook his head. Just a moment ago, he had been lured by the fox’s eyes and nearly lost his focus to a tiny creature.

Li Su hurried forward to steady the Third Elder. "Grandfather, are you alright?"

"Li Su, what breed is this little fox of yours? I just looked into its eyes for a moment and nearly lost my senses!" The Third Elder rubbed his temples, his mental strength clearly rattled.

The Third Elder did not see the exchange of glances—and the subtle nods—between the "strange fox" and Li Su, who was currently supporting him. Had he seen it, he would have been struck speechless.

"Grandfather, I don’t know either! And I forgot to warn you: never look into this white fox's eyes for too long, or you’ll lose your focus! When I first met it, I nearly lost myself as well! Fortunately, the little fox is injured and cannot exert its full power, otherwise, it would have been a disaster!" Li Su pouted, feigning helplessness.

Yet, his words only piqued the Third Elder’s curiosity. He was determined to see what this injured little fox was capable of that could so easily ensnare a man’s mind.

"Injured? Tell you what: after you have been officially recognized as a member of the clan, I will personally study this strange little fox!" The Third Elder stroked his smooth chin and nodded slightly.

Yin, in the form of a white fox, was overjoyed to hear this. Things would be much simpler now! Once he transformed into human form tonight, he would explain his purpose for coming here. He hoped that with the influence his father held in this world, getting the reclusive Li family to provide some assistance would not be too difficult.

Li Su broke into a delighted smile. "Grandfather, are you serious?! I’ve been studying it for so long and couldn’t find a way! With the help of you and the other grandfathers, perhaps we can soon figure out why it’s like this!"

"Alright, alright, let's go! When those old men realize whose descendant you are, their jaws will drop! I’m looking forward to it!" The Third Elder laughed. He had just scanned the little fox from a distance and found nothing unusual. It seemed it really did warrant a thorough study.

"Old Third! Where have you been? I heard you rushed out as soon as you saw a blood jade! Who exactly were you going to fetch?" Before they even reached the grand ancestral hall, a hearty voice echoed from nearby.

"Old Second! Take a guess!" The Third Elder dragged out his words, deliberately keeping them in suspense.

"Old Third, stop playing games! Tell me, who is it, that you’d be so eager?" The hearty voice grew closer, and as they turned a corner, a plump, white-haired elder with a kind and benevolent face appeared.

The Third Elder chuckled and led Li Su forward. "Look, didn’t I bring him? See for yourself!"

With that, he pushed Li Su forward, and Li Su appeared before the group.

The Second Elder was momentarily dazed upon seeing Li Su, as if he didn't know what had come over him. Those behind him, seeing his stillness, grew curious and stepped out; upon seeing the Second Elder’s stunned expression, they looked forward, and they, too, reacted in exactly the same way.

Li Su touched his own face. Could he really look that much like his father? That didn't seem right! He remembered clearly that he resembled his father by at most thirty percent. What was wrong with these grandfathers?

"Hey, what’s wrong with all of you? Surprised, are you? Didn’t you recognize him?" The Third Elder smiled triumphantly.

As the three men regained their senses, they exchanged glances, seeing in each other’s eyes exactly what they needed. They nodded slightly, and something was communicated in silence.

Of all the people present, perhaps only the lively white fox knew what was happening. However, at this moment, its mental state seemed poor, and it walked with a swaying gait, like a drunken fox. It looked as if it might collapse at any second.

Li Su noticed the fox’s strangeness and quickly squatted down to scoop it up. He tried to communicate with Yin in his mind, but Yin did not respond, filling him with a fear he could not mitigate, so he simply held the fox tightly.

"Cough, cough. Brother, who is this young man?" An elder who looked like a sage smiled and pointed at Li Su.

"Big Brother, I thought you would have recognized him! So you didn't? How disappointing! Seeing how the three of you were acting just now, I really thought you’d recognized him at a glance!" The Third Elder frowned, though his mood remained good.

The Great Elder was confused. He had encountered a complication the moment he stepped out and hadn't had a chance to see whom the Third Elder had brought back—and he had even brought him straight to the ancestral hall! It seemed this person’s identity was no small matter. However, he didn't quite recognize the young man, though he did seem somewhat familiar!

Shaking his head, the Great Elder admitted he couldn't identify the youth. But the Fourth Elder, who had remained silent, spoke up hesitantly: "Why does this child look so familiar? He looks a bit like Li Jin!"

Hearing this, the Third Elder did not reply immediately, simply offering a smile.

The Fourth Elder’s words provided a clear path for the still-bewildered Great and Second Elders.

"Jin's child?!"

"Could he be Jin's descendant?!"

"Haha, Brother, it seems you aren't as observant as Old Fourth! Old Fourth is quick to react! This child is indeed Li Jin's son. I was in such a rush to meet him because he brought Jin's blood jade!" The Third Elder patted Li Su’s shoulder vigorously, laughing heartily.

"It really is Jin's child! Good child, I never imagined that someone from our Li family would find a way to return from the Barren Continent. It couldn't have been easy!" The Great Elder looked at him with tenderness.

"It was alright. I had the help of friends, so it wasn't overly difficult," Li Su replied with a smile, bowing slightly.

"Alright, let's go back to the ancestral hall and talk properly!" The Fourth Elder beckoned for everyone to return to the hall.

"Child, you must be officially recognized by the clan!"

"How is your father doing?"

...