Secluded Living in the Mountains

"What exactly are the Wang and Sun families plotting?"

Zhou Ping hid himself deep within the mountain forests, his brows locked in a tight frown.

This time, after safely escorting Zhou Changhe and the others back to the estate, not only did he fail to spot any followers from the Wang and Sun families, but he also learned a startling piece of news from Zhou Hong. The Wang and Sun families had actually sent envoys to express goodwill, openly and covertly hinting at a desire for a marriage alliance.

"Did they discover the flaws in those cultivation methods, and are now showing goodwill to make me lower my guard?"

Zhou Ping carefully weighed the possibilities. He had also received word that someone from the Sun family had died a sudden, violent death, while another was plagued by freezing chills. A member of the Wang family had also suffered unendurable cold, ultimately forcing them to abandon their cultivation.

He truly hadn't expected the Wang and Sun families to produce three people with the aptitude to cultivate. This realization deepened his wariness.

Fortunately, he had kept his wits about him at the time. He had burned a method for gathering the Qi of heaven and earth and discarded the remains for them to scavenge, tricking them into treating it as a true cultivation manual. If they had actually obtained the Liu family's authentic method, how could the Zhou family possibly stand against them?

Moreover, Zhou Ping had deliberately selected the methods for drawing upon the two most overbearing forces of heaven and earth: the essence of the Great Yin Moon and the essence of the Great Sun!

Let alone mortals, even Qi Condensation cultivators would not dare to casually absorb these two types of worldly Qi. Gathering them required an excruciating degree of caution.

Since those individuals managed to sense the energies, they naturally possessed aptitude. However, the fact that it took them over a month proved their talents were pitifully weak. After all, the Great Yin and Great Sun were incredibly potent forces; if it took an entire month just to sense them, how high could their aptitude possibly be?

Conversely, as for the man who was burned alive by the blistering heat, Zhou Ping suspected his aptitude was likely above two cun of spiritual light. It was precisely because of this superior talent that he managed to draw in enough essence of the Great Sun to incinerate himself. Truly, fortune and disaster walked hand in hand.

Yet, regardless of what the two families were scheming, he would not rashly reveal himself. As long as he remained an unseen threat, the Wang and Sun families would not dare to act outrageously.

However, where exactly had the Liu family's cultivation manual gone?

Had someone stumbled upon it? Or was it lying hidden in some sunless, forgotten corner?

Zhou Ping did not wish to dwell on it further. He turned and continued deeper into the mountains.

Over the past few years of exploring the wilderness, he had discovered several secluded locations deep in the old-growth forests, far from Baixi Village. He planned to temporarily settle in these spots, returning to the village only occasionally. This would allow him to secretly guide Zhou Minghu's cultivation while simultaneously maintaining a looming deterrent over the Wang and Sun families.

In any case, he had spent years roaming these mountains; he was well accustomed to the harshness of the wild.

He stood upon a cliff heavily shaded by a dense canopy of trees. Looking due east, he could barely make out the tiny, blurry silhouette of Baixi Village. To the west lay the towering, unbroken ridges of Darong Mountain, radiating a vast and majestic aura.

Between two massive boulders on the cliff face, thick patches of thorny brambles grew wildly. Hidden beneath the thorns was a narrow opening that led into a cave measuring several square zhang.

Golden light continuously burst from Zhou Ping's fingertips, carving and smoothing the rough edges within the cavern. Soon enough, a flat stone bed and several sturdy stone blocks were fashioned, which could serve as a table and chairs in the days to come.

By the time he finished this labor, he slumped weakly to the ground, his face pale and drained.

For a Spirit Awakening Realm cultivator with such abysmal aptitude as Zhou Ping, his body held only a pitiful few strands of Spiritual Qi. Even basic techniques could only be cast six or seven times, and a fierce offensive technique like the Golden Light Technique could only be unleashed four or five times before his reserves ran dry.

That meant if he were swarmed by mortal men, he could majestically slaughter a dozen or so at most. Once his Spiritual Qi was exhausted, he would be hacked to death by mortal blades just like anyone else.

This was exactly why Zhou Ping dared not openly confront the Wang and Sun families. He truly feared they might encircle and kill him. After all, these were ruthless clans willing to butcher an entire household without hesitation.

He sat cross-legged and began to continuously inhale and exhale the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth. Here, deep in the mountain forests atop the cliff, the ambient Spiritual Qi was naturally much richer than down in Baixi Village, allowing him to recover his strength a bit faster.

Within the Zhou Family Estate, a dozen or so robust men clad in gray martial attire were swinging sabers and thrusting spears in unison, letting out deafening, blood-curdling shouts.

A row of wooden stakes and straw dummies in the distance had been hacked to splinters, presenting a sight that made onlookers' hearts palpitate with fear.

"Put your backs into it! Did the master not feed you enough?" A lame veteran soldier sat to the side, cursing furiously. He wielded a long, slender bamboo pole, mercilessly whacking the men to correct their stances.

Observing from afar, Zhou Hong couldn't help but feel a flicker of apprehension. However, as the current head of the Zhou family, he naturally could not display any cowardice before his retainers.

A master had to maintain strict authority and keep a measured distance; only then would the servants harbor true reverence.

"Changhe, what do you make of Old Xu?" Zhou Hong asked slowly, resting a hand on Zhou Changhe's shoulder.

"Old Xu has been utterly alone his whole life, and he crippled his leg on the battlefield. Uncle took pity on his frail state at the market and brought him back to teach martial arts to the estate guards," Zhou Changhe replied. "At least for now, he seems honorable. But drawing a tiger's skin is easier than drawing its bones, and a man's heart is hidden behind his ribs. We cannot let our guard down."

Zhou Hong nodded in profound satisfaction.

"It is good that you can see this clearly. You must remember: aside from our own flesh and blood, you must never lay your heart bare to outsiders. Always keep a watchful eye on everything."

"I have already appointed Zhou Shi and Zhou Hu to oversee the family's internal and external affairs. But at the end of the day, they do not share our bloodline. I can never be entirely at ease."

"You are growing older now. It is time you tried your hand at managing the clan's affairs."

"Starting tomorrow, you will follow Zhou Shi and learn the ropes. Do not slack off."

Zhou Changhe bowed his head respectfully. "Yes, Father."

"There is no need to be afraid. Your mother and your aunt will be there as well. If there is anything you do not understand, you can ask them."

Zhou Hong offered these comforting words, sensing the nervousness and trepidation in Zhou Changhe's demeanor.

He took no joy in forcing Changhe to shoulder the family's burdens at such a tender age, but he had no other choice.

The Zhou family simply had too few members. Zhou Dashan and Madam Huang had grown incredibly frail with age, requiring servants to attend to their daily needs. Zhou Ping was forced into secluded living in the mountains to guard against the Wang and Sun families. That left only Zhou Hong, Madam Lin, and Chen Nianqiu to manage their sprawling estate.

The Zhou family's two hundred mu of fertile land was not merely a matter of leasing it out and collecting rent. There was the one-tenth land tax to exact, the endless bickering and gossip among the tenant farmers, and a myriad of other trivial disputes.

Furthermore, there was the lucrative medicinal herb trade. Zhou Hu led teams deep into the mountains to forage, and the Zhou family purchased their harvest. The countless intricacies and hidden tricks of this business required someone with enough weight and authority to suppress any scheming from the various gathering parties.

Then there was his position as Village Head, which demanded that he pressure the villagers to pay their imperial taxes and fulfill their corvée labor, along with arbitrating village conflicts.

Zhou Hong neither wished nor dared to leave any single one of these pillars entirely in the hands of an outsider, terrified that the family's wealth would be covertly siphoned or outright stolen.

He had no choice but to personally manage the herb trade and his duties as Village Head. The farmland was entrusted to Zhou Shi, Madam Lin, and Madam Chen, with Zhou Changhe slowly stepping in to learn the ropes.

The Zhou estate now housed over a dozen guards and several maidservants. It was rapidly becoming a precarious situation of a weak master ruling over strong servants. If this imbalance were allowed to continue unchecked, the retainers might one day usurp the estate itself. How could he not be anxious? How could he not be consumed by dread?

"And do you believe the practice of martial arts to be useful?" Zhou Hong asked softly, his gaze fixed on the men running their drills.

Zhou Changhe's mind immediately flashed back to his childhood, when Liu Da had violently kicked him aside. He remembered the life-threatening peril of being cornered by Zhou Yuan and his thugs just days ago. If he possessed martial arts to defend himself, he would not have been forced into such desperate straits time and time again.

"To practice martial arts is naturally a superb thing. With such skills protecting us, even without these estate guards, we could still hold our own grounds."

"Then, starting tomorrow, you shall join them to temper your body and study martial arts."

"Good. Spoken like my true son," Zhou Hong said, a pleased smile gracing his lips. "We have medicinal herbs in the storehouse. Tomorrow, I will seek out the physician for a few prescriptions to invigorate the blood, soothe bruises, and fortify your bones. Be careful not to cause permanent harm to your body."

"From now on, bring Changxi and Minghu along as well. Even if they cannot master peerless martial skills, forging a robust physique is always a blessing."

Although Zhou Minghu possessed the aptitude to cultivate the Dao, Zhou Hong dared not single him out for special treatment, lest it draw unwanted eyes. Even the boy's daily cultivation sessions were strictly supervised by Zhou Hong from within the locked room, ensuring that no outsiders caught wind of their secret.

"I understand, Father."

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