A Family Reunion

In the early morning, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Ever since he began cultivating, Zhou Minghu had been filled with abundant energy. Taking advantage of the early hour before the servants and maids would come to disturb him, he sat cross-legged to circulate his Qi and practice his exercises, drawing in the thin worldly Spiritual Qi from all around.

Wisps of misty Qi slowly gathered from all directions. Invisible and intangible, they finally coalesced at the vortex in Zhou Minghu's lower abdomen, condensing into a strand of Spiritual Qi that emitted a faint white glow before merging into the vortex.

He exhaled a mouthful of turbid Qi, a joyful smile spreading across his face.

This time, it had only taken him half a month of effort to condense a single strand of Spiritual Qi. This was truly exhilarating.

The Spiritual Qi within his body now amounted to a total of seven strands. He estimated that with just a few more months of cultivation, he would be able to reach his limit. When that time came, with two Spirit Awakening Realm cultivators guarding the family, his father would no longer be forced to remain trapped in the mountains.

Cultivation in the Spirit Awakening Realm was not inherently difficult, especially after condensing the vortex. From then on, it was simply a matter of refining Spiritual Qi to nurture oneself. Once a cultivator reached their limit, they could attempt to open their spiritual apertures.

This was also why the various families had resolutely wiped out the Liu family upon learning they possessed a cultivation method. They feared that a true Immortal Master would emerge from the Liu family in a few years, making them impossible to contend with.

Zhou Minghu thought to himself, though he also knew that even if he became a Spirit Awakening Realm cultivator, the Spiritual Qi in his body could not actually handle too many mortals.

The Wang and Sun families combined had over a hundred people, including at least forty or fifty able-bodied men. Even including his father and a dozen or so estate guards, even if he and his father could fight ten men each, they would not amount to half of the combined strength of the Wang and Sun families. Furthermore, if a true crisis of life and death arose, whether those estate guards would remain loyal was still a question.

After all, human hearts were fickle, let alone guards who shared no blood relation and were bound only by a sheet of paper.

"Sigh," Zhou Minghu let out a long sigh, a trace of resentment toward Zhou Hong even surfacing in his heart.

Even though he knew his father had done it out of necessity for the sake of the family, why did his uncle's family get to enjoy harmonious bliss together, while his father had to remain trapped in the mountains, unable to reunite with them?

Right at that moment, he suddenly sensed an aura appearing before the gates of the grand estate. His eyes narrowed instantly, and he instinctively circulated his still unfamiliar Golden Light Technique.

This was the most offensive and powerful among the few techniques Zhou Ping had left behind. Its strike was sharp and rapid, capable of shattering wooden shields and cleaving bone like a heavy axe.

"Where did this cultivator come from?" Zhou Minghu's mind raced. He was about to get out of bed to wake the guards when he felt a sense of familiarity from that aura.

"Open the gates, I have returned."

Zhou Ping's voice echoed from the main entrance. Zhou Minghu was instantly overjoyed and rushed toward the gates.

The entire estate was awakened by the call, and the courtyard instantly grew bustling and noisy.

"Second Master has returned!"

Zhou Hong was awoken by the servants. He did not even have time to put on his proper robes, rushing out while merely throwing a thin gauze tunic over his shoulders, shouting excitedly, "Is my brother back?"

Lady Lin naturally followed behind him, completely respectful. After all, the wealth their family now possessed all originated from this brother-in-law.

In one of the rooms, Chen Nianqiu wept with joy as she shook Zhou Xuanya awake from his slumber. "Yao'er, your father has returned."

Ever since Zhou Ping went into seclusion in the mountains, even though Zhou Hong had never shown favoritism, Chen Nianqiu still felt that her branch was lonely and isolated, making her feel slightly inferior whenever she faced the first branch's Lady Lin.

Zhou Xuanya sat up with bleary eyes. Hearing his mother's words, his face showed no joy; instead, there was a hint of fear.

He had seen Zhou Ping too few times, and all of them had been during his ignorant early childhood. This made him extremely unfamiliar with Zhou Ping, to the point of fearing that figure.

Chen Nianqiu hurriedly stood up, dressed Zhou Xuanya, and carried him toward the main gates.

"Old Master, Old Mistress, Second Master has returned," a maid called out in a low voice outside Zhou Dashan and his wife's room.

The two elderly elders were stunned upon waking, but they immediately began to weep as they got up, walking unsteadily toward the main gates. If not for the maids supporting them from the sides, there was no telling what might have happened to them.

On the other side, Zhou Changhe led the daughter of the Sun family excitedly toward the front courtyard. Lady Sun naturally followed half a step behind in an honest and proper manner. Although she had never met Zhou Ping, she had long heard the legends surrounding the Zhou family's Second Master.

In fact, her marriage to Zhou Changhe had been arranged precisely because the Sun family wished to curry favor with the Zhou family.

Zhou Changxi held the hand of the half-grown Zhou Chang'an, following behind his older brother. They felt extremely distant and fearful toward this uncle. Even Zhou Changxi, who had grown up in the inner courtyards and possessed a delicate temperament, was distant from Zhou Ping, let alone a young child like Zhou Chang'an, who had barely seen Zhou Ping a handful of times.

Even though the Zhou family had only reached its third generation, divisions and differences in closeness had already emerged. Not only between the first and second branches, but even among Zhou Changhe and his two younger brothers, a rift had formed.

Zhou Changhe now managed a portion of the Zhou family's properties and had already established his own household. Even when he had spare time, he carefully watched over his own two brothers, Zhou Minghu and the others. This resulted in his relationship with his two younger brothers being not very close.

The heavy gates swung wide open. Standing before the entrance, Zhou Ping beheld a dense crowd of people. Even though more than half of them were maids and estate guards, he still laughed with deep gratification.

The Zhou family had successors!

"My son, you have suffered in the mountains," Lady Huang stepped forward, her hunched body embracing Zhou Ping as she wept uncontrollably.

Zhou Ping gently patted Lady Huang's back, comforting her softly, "Mother, your son is fine. Have I not returned now?"

To the side, Zhou Dashan merely let his old tears flow freely, not stepping forward to cry like Lady Huang. He was like a silent mountain boulder, only able to express his emotions through quiet presence.

On the day of the extermination, he had guarded the night alongside his eldest son. He frequently called the two grandsons, Xuanya and Minghu, to his knees, not wanting them to feel too much desolation...

Zhou Ping calmed his emotions and looked toward Zhou Hong, whose temples had turned gray. "Eldest Brother, I am back, and I will not leave again."

"It is good that you are not leaving, it is good!" Zhou Hong wiped away his tears of joy. Over the years, how much guilt and hardship had he carried in his heart? He had managed the family property diligently, never daring to slacken for a single day, deeply terrified of failing his younger brother.

Behind them, the crowd of maids and estate guards kept their heads bowed, not daring to stare, yet each entertained their own thoughts.

If the Second Master had returned to the household, then the second branch would surely rise in status. As servants, they relied on their respective masters to make a living, so they naturally wished for a better life.

If they could serve under the second branch in the future, perhaps their reward money would be much more substantial.

Quite a few servants had already decided to seek out Zhou Shi and Hui'xiang later. One was the head steward, and the other was the manager of the female servants in the inner courtyard. By offering some coins to smooth things over, they might be assigned to serve the right master.

Such arrangements were naturally a product of Zhou Hong's balancing methods. Hui'xiang was Zhou Hu's wife; assigning her this role showed that the family valued them, ensuring Zhou Hu's loyalty. Meanwhile, Zhou Shi's wife, Chunlan, was put in charge of the female servants in the front courtyard, precisely to prevent any single faction from growing too dominant.

"Uncle, we should head inside first. The wind at the gates is strong, and it is easy to catch a cold," Zhou Changhe stepped forward and said.

Zhou Minghu's eyes were moist as he spoke to Zhou Ping, "Yes, Father, there is no reason to stand at the main gates. It will be warmer inside the house, which would be much better."

Only then did Zhou Ping notice that most of his family members were only wearing thin undergarments, having rushed out in a hurry to welcome him. A wave of guilt washed over his heart.

"Let us go in." Supporting Lady Huang, he walked toward the inner rooms. "Mother, go and put on another coat quickly, do not catch a chill."

Zhou Changhe turned to Chunlan and instructed, "Sister Lan, go and prepare a few more dishes so we can have a proper celebration later."

"Understood, Eldest Young Master," a woman in her twenties replied before stepping down.

Halfway inside, Zhou Ping noticed a limping old man standing among the burly estate guards. He bowed slightly and said, "Old Uncle Xu, you have worked hard."

"Second Master, you flatter this old man. If not for Second Master, this old man would not have been able to live a life free of worries for food and clothing before entering the grave." The old veteran smiled so widely his eyes crinkled. Being treated with such respect by the master of the house naturally filled him with joy.

He was the old soldier Zhou Ping had hired five years ago to teach the estate guards martial arts and combat skills. Even the children of the Zhou family had practiced under him to some extent.

"Where is Old Uncle Zheng?" Zhou Ping asked in confusion.

"A schoolhouse is being built in the village, so Old Uncle Zheng went there to teach," Zhou Changhe explained.

Zhou Ping nodded without saying anything further. Then, his gaze fell upon Chen Nianqiu and the tiny figure who kept shrinking back behind her.

When their eyes met, Lady Chen's face instantly became drenched in tears, and she sobbed uncontrollably.

No matter how much resentment or grievance she might have held, she was ultimately just an ordinary woman; how could she not ache for and miss her husband?

Zhou Ping stepped forward and took Lady Chen's hand. He reached out to pat Zhou Xuanya, who was beside her, but the boy shrank away in fear, leaving Zhou Ping's heart filled with a complex, bittersweet ache.

"Come, let us go home. I am not leaving again."

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