Ascension Day

The old servant, Zhou Buyi, hesitated for a moment before speaking the truth. "Two were killed, and one was seriously injured. His wounds are not easy to treat. Another was frightened into a state of madness. We're about to have someone check if his Divine Soul was damaged."

Zhou Qiyun's eye twitched. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling upon the servant. His voice was like the low growl of a fierce tiger. "Killed two? He dared to kill people in my Zhou Family?"

The old servant, Zhou Buyi, bowed even lower.

Zhou Qiyun snorted. "Bu Yi, you've been overthinking things. In the past, when you served by my side, you were diligent and meticulous, never making a single mistake. Now that your status is higher, it's inevitable that you've grown lazy and arrogant. You slighted him, you underestimated him, and as a result, disciples of my Zhou Clan have suffered casualties."

The old servant, Zhou Buyi, trembled and lowered his head. "The Old Ancestor is right."

Zhou Qiyun said, "You had the chance to save those disciples, but you had other ideas. Xu Ying offended you, so you allowed him to kill the Zhou Clan disciples, letting him cause a disaster. This was 'killing with a borrowed knife.' You wanted him to die a mysterious death. In truth, with your abilities, saving them would not have been difficult."

Zhou Buyi dropped to his knees with a THUD, touching his head to the ground.

Zhou Qiyun asked, "You still have children at home, don't you?"

Tears streamed down Zhou Buyi's old face. Wiping them away, he said, "I have two sons, neither of whom are very promising. I sent them to the estate to be tested, but they couldn't become Nuo Masters. My older son's wife is pregnant but hasn't given birth yet. My younger son isn't married, but he took a peasant girl by force. That peasant girl gave birth to a boy, who is already six years old."

Zhou Qiyun said, "Have him marry the peasant girl and give her a proper title. Don't slight her. Send the boy to the estate. Even if he can't become a Nuo Master, the Zhou Family will not treat him poorly. After you return home, arrange your affairs."

Zhou Buyi kowtowed heavily, choking back sobs as he said, "Thank you, Old Ancestor, for your grace!"

He raised his head to look up at Zhou Qiyun, wiped away his tears, and asked, "Old Ancestor, so that I may die with my eyes closed, what punishment will Xu Ying receive?"

Zhou Qiyun closed his eyes, not looking at him, and said flatly, "As long as he is useful, there will be no punishment. If he becomes useless, I will use him as a sacrifice to you. You may go."

Zhou Buyi got up and departed in silence.

Zhou Qiyun closed his eyes to regulate his breathing. After a short while, his aura suddenly fell into slight disarray.

He sighed, opened his eyes, and said in a low voice, "Master of the Mud Pill Palace, I have been waiting for you for a long time. Why have you not come? Are you hiding in the shadows, waiting for my mind to fall into chaos? But while I am waiting, are you not also waiting?"

Over the next few days, the people of the Zhou Family could always see Xu Ying, Yuan Qi, and Da Zhong striking strange poses on the roof of the hall. The fragrance of the flowers grew stronger over these few days, and the three of them practiced even more diligently.

The people were furious. "The Old Ancestor captured him to decipher the Tuo Yu Immortal Book! But this brat is arrogant because of his talent. Not only did he kill several of our Zhou Family members, but he's not even trying to decipher the Immortal Book! He just spends all day on the roof, finding new ways to sunbathe and sun his big snake!"

What was even more infuriating was that Xu Ying, on the roof of the hall, was acting as if he were riding on their heads.

But since the Old Ancestor, Zhou Qiyun, hadn't appeared for the past few days, Xu Ying and Yuan Qi became even more brazen. They only ran out at mealtimes to stuff their faces before disappearing again.

"Did he come here for a spring outing? The Naihe River is right next to us, what spring is there to be found?"

Someone said angrily, "Why aren't Second Sister and Big Brother back yet? When they return, they can teach this kid a lesson and boost our prestige! This is so infuriating!"

Yuan Weiyang, however, knew that the Tuo Yu Immortal Book had likely already been completely deciphered by Xu Ying. Not just the Tuo Yu Immortal Book, but even the Jade Scroll Daoist Scripture that the Zhou Family regarded as a priceless treasure had also been deciphered by Xu Ying.

He could clearly sense the improvement in Xu Ying, Yuan Qi, and the others' cultivation. This rate of progress was terrifyingly fast; not even his own cultivation of the Yuan Family's ancestral "Primordial Dao All Heavens Sensing" was this quick!

He hesitated.

In recent days, he had deciphered more of the Tuo Yu Immortal Book, but had also discovered more of its shortcomings. Not only did it lack any explanation of 'yang,' but it was also vague about certain realms of Qi Refiners, containing significant flaws.

Therefore, the Taiyin Yuan Yu that Xu Ying possessed seemed all the more precious.

'Unfortunately, Uncle Xiao would never allow me to trade the "Primordial Dao All Heavens Sensing" for it. Uncle Xiao wouldn't, and neither would Mother and the others.' He sighed to himself.

Just then, it was time to eat, and Xu Ying, Yuan Qi, and Da Zhong appeared right on schedule.

The dining area was separate from the Immortal Book Hall, requiring a short walk. The Zhou Family dined like nobility, with regular meals that were masterpieces of color, aroma, and flavor. The diet was well-balanced with a suitable mix of meat and vegetables, all prepared by an Imperial Chef brought from the Imperial Palace.

In the past, Xu Ying and Yuan Qi had always been especially eager, always at the very front of the line. This time, although they appeared on schedule, they quickly vanished.

Yuan Weiyang's eyes glinted. 'As the ancients said, if someone isn't eager to eat, something is definitely wrong!'

So he gave up on eating and went to look for Xu Ying and the others. As expected, he found Xu Ying, Yuan Qi, and Da Zhong in the main hall.

"Lord Zhong, I told you this pillar was something special, didn't I? I used my Breaking the Boundary move to strike it twice with my sword, and it didn't even leave a mark."

When Yuan Weiyang peeked inside the hall, he saw Xu Ying, the Big Snake, and Da Zhong whispering around a bronze pillar. The Big Snake was saying, "Let's dig up the pillar, carry it out, and melt it into molten bronze to patch up Lord Zhong. That Palm Seal on Lord Zhong's face still hasn't faded. That female ghost's hand was too heavy."

Yuan Weiyang's heart pounded wildly. 'They're stealing something from the Zhou Family!'

She had never seen such a thing, let alone experienced it!

She peeked in and saw Xu Ying and the Big Snake prying at the base of the pillar. The Big Snake had coiled around the pillar and was trying to drag it out, while Xu Ying used the Dragon and Snake Awakening Skill, mustering his Dragon Python Power to push it from the other side.