82: Chapter 82 Conscription

No sooner had he finished speaking,

Ye Jing walked toward the main hall, followed by a skipping Ye Tianyao, with the two Snowballs tugging at the corners of Ye Jing's clothes.

They followed behind him on their short little legs, one on each side.

Before even entering the hall, the sound of "bang bang" spiritual power collisions could be heard from within, mingled with the shouts of Ye Xuan and Ye Tianhao.

Ye Jing pushed the door open and entered, seeing Ye Xuan and Ye Tianhao standing opposite each other in the open space in the middle of the hall, faint fluctuations of spiritual power swirling around them.

The father and son used no weapons, only trading blows with their fists and feet.

Ye Xuan was already at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivation level, his spiritual power steady and thick; his moves were broad and powerful, carrying the simple strength of a farmer yet also containing the agility of a Cultivator.

On the other side, Ye Tianhao was only fifteen, yet by relying on the Cultivation Technique and resources given by Ye Jing, he had also cultivated to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, one layer higher than Ye Tianyao.

At this moment, Ye Tianhao's movements were agile as he shifted and dodged to avoid his father's attacks, occasionally seizing an opportunity to counterattack, his face full of stubbornness and focus.

"Dad! This move of yours is too slow!" Tian Hao was the one with the highest cultivation in the family; his footwork was unpredictable, and his body moved like a civet cat as he dodged the palm Ye Xuan swung at him.

At the same time, he condensed spiritual power in his right hand and lightly struck toward Ye Xuan's side, his strength controlled perfectly to avoid injury while still achieving a counterattack.

Seeing this, Ye Xuan laughed heartily and did not dodge. Instead, a flash of spiritual power at his waist formed a thin shield; while blocking Ye Tianhao's palm, his left hand reached out and grabbed Ye Tianhao's wrist.

"Stinking brat, you dare to be so arrogant just because your cultivation has improved a bit? Your attacks look fancy, but they lack follow-through. If you really encountered an enemy, this amount of strength wouldn't be enough!"

Having said that, Ye Xuan exerted a little force to pull Ye Tianhao in front of him and casually rubbed his hair.

Ye Tianhao broke free from his father's hand and wiped the sweat from his face, looking somewhat unconvinced.

"Dad! I was just afraid of hurting you! If we really got serious, I wouldn't necessarily lose!"

"Oh? So confident?" At that moment, Ye Jing's voice came from the doorway, carrying a hint of amusement.

Ye Xuan and Ye Tianhao turned their heads at the sound and, seeing it was Ye Jing, immediately stepped forward.

Ye Xuan smiled and said, "Dad, you're back? I was just accompanying Haoer in a sparring session."

On the side, Ye Tianhao lowered his head somewhat awkwardly and only whispered, "Grandpa."

Ye Jing stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, and he nodded in praise, "Not bad, Xuaner, your spiritual power is becoming increasingly steady. And Tian Hao's movement techniques are also good; you've both cultivated to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer now!"

Hearing Ye Jing's praise, the father and son were also very happy.

At this moment, Wu Guiyun walked in from the back kitchen with some flour still on her hands. Seeing Ye Jing was back, she said with a smile, "Dad! I stewed some Mountain Delicacy Chicken and stir-fried several side dishes. Let's have a good family meal!"

"Alright, thank you for your hard work, Gui Yun."

At dinner time, Ye Yi, who had been busy outside, also returned.

A large table was covered with dishes, ranging from ordinary home-cooked food to delicacies made from meat that nourished one's Qi and blood.

The rich aroma made the two little ones drool.

The whole family sat together, and Ye Tianyao chirped away about interesting things in the village, mentioning which matchmaker had come to the door again and how she had been rebuffed by her words.

Ye Tianhao spoke about the difficulties he encountered while he Cultivate, while Ye Xuan and Ye Yi gave him some pointers. Wu Guiyun and Liu Xianglan kept serving food to the others, urging them to eat more.

After three rounds of wine, Ye Yi put down his glass and said to Ye Jing, "Dad, did you know? The Yan State has lost a battle and a large amount of territory."

Ye Jing listened and remained silent for a moment before saying, "I heard about this from Zhao Yuanyi. The enemy state sent a very powerful Cultivator who used a large saber to beat the Yan State's Cultivators until they had no power to fight back."

"So powerful? Then that Cultivator must be at a high level, right?" Ye Tianhao couldn't help but exclaim.

Ye Yi also sighed, "Yes, it's said that this Cultivator is extremely bloodthirsty and goes by the title of Immortal Master Mad Blade, with a Qi Refining Level 8 cultivation. Furthermore, I heard from my master that the court will soon be conscripting."

He was currently at the Qi Refining Level 2 cultivation level and spent the whole year managing the Ye family's business outside, so he knew more about the situation in the Yan State.

As Ye Yi's voice fell, the originally lively dinner table instantly fell silent, and even Ye Tianyao stopped her chirping.

"Conscription? Is it going to be a forced draft?" Ye Xuan was the first to break the silence, his tone heavy.

Counting Ye Jing, their family had four males; if there were to be a conscription, their family would naturally be on the list.

Ye Yi sighed, "It's very likely. That Immortal Master Mad Blade is too powerful, and the Yan State's Cultivators are no match for him. Most of the cities have been lost, so the court urgently needs to replenish its Cultivator forces to fight again."

After the meal, everyone in the family was a bit somber.

Ye Xuan and Ye Yi followed Ye Jing into the study, and the three of them discussed the conscription for a long time, only returning to their rooms to rest late at night.

In the following days, the atmosphere in the village also began to grow tense. Rumors about the conscription grew more frequent, and many young men were in a state of panic.

In the town and the village, conscription notices were posted, stating that all able-bodied men between the ages of sixteen and fifty must enlist.

Once this notice came out, there was constant wailing in the village, the town, and the city.

Cries, curses, and sighs intertwined, permeating the air over the entire town.

There were newly married young men weeping as they held their wives, elderly parents clutching their sons' hands and refusing to let go, and some wealthy families already planning to bribe the conscription officials just to let the males in their family escape this ordeal.

But this time, the imperial conscription was extremely harsh; every household had its household register on hand, and the males from every family were dragged out, with no room for maneuver whatsoever.

After the members of the Ye family naturally learned the contents of the notice, the atmosphere reached a breaking point.

"Dad, what should our family do in this situation?" Ye Xuan looked at Ye Jing, his tone heavy.

There were four males in the family; Ye Jing was of advanced age and could be exempted, but Ye Xuan and Ye Yi were in their early thirties and would definitely be on the conscription list.

Therefore, the two sons in the family were certainly to be conscripted.

Ye Jing's fingertips tapped the tabletop, and after a long silence, he finally spoke slowly, "Avoiding it is impossible. The court is in dire need of people, so bribing officials won't work. If it's discovered later, it will be a huge trouble."

On the side, Ye Yi sighed, "Dad is right. In my years of running business outside, I've heard of families whose homes were confiscated for evading conscription. We shouldn't take that troublesome path. Only... Dad, Xianglan, and the others, as well as Tianhui and Tianyao... I really can't let go."

At this time, as the eldest sister-in-law, Wu Guiyun wiped her tears and forced herself to stay calm, "Yier, you don't need to worry about this. Xianglan and I will look after the house, the fields, and the shops. You just take care of yourselves out there and make sure to return safely!"

Ye Xuan looked at his wife, who had been working hard to manage the household, and felt a pang of heartache, "Gui Yun, it's been hard on you!"

Wu Guiyun forced a slight smile, "What nonsense! We are a family, and guarding this home is what I should do. You two brothers must look out for each other in the army camp. Don't try to be heroes; safety is more important than anything!"

Beside them, Liu Xianglan was already sobbing uncontrollably as she tightly gripped Ye Yi's sleeve, "Brother Yi, I... I'll wait for you to come back. You must be well. With the eldest sister-in-law and me helping out at home, don't... worry!"

Ye Yi gently patted Liu Xianglan's thin hand, his eyes reddening, "I know. You have a weak constitution, so don't overwork yourself. Take care of yourself and the children, and wait for me to return!"

Seeing his family like this, Ye Jing also felt quite heartbroken. He then said, "In that case, Xuaner, Yier, come with me for a moment."