Family Mission

Zhou Minghan had great expectations for Zhou Yang.

Ever since the Jade Spring Zhou Clan's founder, Zhou Yuquan, there had always been a Foundation Establishment Cultivator overseeing the clan. That was how they had grown to their current scale in barely over two hundred years.

But now that they had developed this far, it was as if the Jade Spring Zhou Clan's luck had run dry. For more than a century after Zhou Minghan, no new Foundation Establishment Cultivator had emerged.

This was dangerous.

What a Cultivation Family feared most was a sudden break in the succession of its high-level cultivators.

Once they lost the protection of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the Zhou Clan would not merely be unable to continue expanding. They might not even be able to hold Jade Spring Lake Oasis and Jade Spring Peak, their ancestral land.

Thus, under Zhou Minghan's secret instructions, the Zhou Clan's development had actually come to a halt years ago. He feared that further expansion would attract the covetous eyes of others and bring a Calamity of Clan Annihilation upon the Zhou Clan after his death.

However, this was only a stopgap measure, not a cure for the root cause. The best solution was for the Zhou Clan to produce a new Foundation Establishment Cultivator before he passed away.

As long as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator stood guard, with the Third-Rank formation on Jade Spring Peak, the Myriad Woods Upholding Heaven Formation, and dozens of Qi Refining Stage clansmen to assist, even several Foundation Establishment Cultivators attacking together would be unable to harm the Zhou Clan's foundations.

Originally, Zhou Minghan had placed his hopes on the younger generation bearing the "Xuan" character. He had even made up his mind that if no one in the Zhou Clan reached Foundation Establishment before his death, he would rather offer Jade Spring Lake Oasis and most of the Zhou Clan's revenues to the Yellow Sand Sect in exchange for its protection than let the Zhou Clan be destroyed because others coveted its immense wealth.

But now, Zhou Minghan realized that perhaps he ought to change his mind.

Given the potential Zhou Yang, a junior of the "Yuan" generation, had displayed, if he were given another twenty or thirty years, his hopes of Foundation Establishment might greatly surpass those of the "Xuan" generation.

He carefully examined the youth standing before him. The youth's handsome, elegant appearance and bearing were not what concerned him. What he valued was the youth's neither servile nor overbearing manner before him, and the calm composure with which he faced Zhou Minghan's scrutiny despite knowing full well that he was being assessed.

After looking him over, only one thought remained in his heart.

This child could be entrusted with great responsibility!

Of course, no matter how satisfied and delighted he was as an elder, he could not show too much of it on his face. He could not encourage a young man's arrogance.

Therefore, though he was overjoyed inside, his expression instead returned to calm indifference. Looking at Zhou Yang blandly, he asked, "Do you know why this old man summoned you here?"

"Your grandson does not know," Zhou Yang answered honestly.

"According to clan rules, young cultivators must descend the mountain after turning twenty, gain experience, and serve the clan for a period before they may return to the mountain for secluded cultivation."

"However, your circumstances are unusual. Though you are only seventeen, you have already reached Qi Refining Layer Six. In the past hundred years, no one in the clan has possessed your cultivation when descending the mountain at twenty."

"You have also just relied on Earth Vein Spiritual Qi to make a breakthrough. From now on, you will need at least five years to temper and consolidate your spiritual power. If you remain on the mountain during that time, would that not be a waste of manpower?"

"Therefore, this old man has decided to make a special exception and have you descend the mountain early to serve the clan. This will also temper you, and it will greatly benefit your future cultivation."

Watching Zhou Yang listen with rapt attention, Zhou Minghan's lips curled slightly as he solemnly revealed his arrangements.

Just as he had expected, Zhou Yang's expression changed upon hearing his words. Clearly, he had never imagined that this was why he had been summoned.

Yet what Zhou Minghan did not know was whether to find pleasing or vexing was that after Zhou Yang's expression shifted slightly, he immediately regained his calm. Then he respectfully bowed and said, "Your grandson understands and is willing to obey the clan's arrangements."

Seeing this, he asked in a strange tone, "You do not wish to know where this old man intends to send you?"

"Your grandson believes that no matter how Great-Grandfather arranges things, it will ultimately be for your grandson's good."

Zhou Yang laughed inwardly and directly tossed out the words that left Zhou Minghan speechless for a long while.

After quite some time, Zhou Minghan finally laughed and scolded in irritation, "You truly are a little fox! Xuanhao and his wife are both upright people. How did they produce such a little fox as you?"

Before Zhou Yang could protest his innocence, Zhou Minghan took the initiative to explain his arrangement.

"Your Spiritual Root attribute leans toward metal and fire. You also cultivate the Blazing Sun Fiery Art, a technique that is fierce, overbearing, and full of righteous vigor. Aside from your lack of combat experience, your fighting ability is in fact no weaker than that of any cultivator at the same level."

"It so happens that the cultivator stationed at Qingping Mountain has reached the end of his term. Go there and replace him for five years. After five years, this old man will send someone else to take over for you."

"Furthermore, this old man hopes that during this time, you can spare some time to study Artifact Forging Art, one of the hundred arts of cultivation. The clan currently has no promising talents in artifact forging capable of taking over this old man's duties. If you can achieve something in this field, it will be a great blessing for the entire clan."

After Zhou Minghan finished explaining his arrangements, he waved a hand and tossed a gray Storage Bag and a small silver shield into Zhou Yang's hands.

"The Storage Bag contains some low-grade artifact-forging materials. It also holds some of this old man's insights into Artifact Forging Art, along with a copy of the clan's collection, the True Understanding of Artifact Refining. Guard these items well, and under no circumstances may you pass them on to outsiders."

"As for this Silver Gang Shield artifact, it is one of the finest among the many Second-tier Artifacts this old man has refined. Consider it this old man's compensation for having you descend the mountain ahead of time."

"That is all. If you have no other business, you may withdraw. It would be best to complete your journey to Qingping Mountain within one month."

Zhou Yang was left utterly stunned by Zhou Minghan's stream of words and actions. By the end, he almost instinctively clutched the items in his hands and replied, "Then your grandson will take his leave first."

Only after walking out of the cave dwelling and hearing its gates close behind him did his whole body jolt as he came to his senses and understood what had happened.

Recalling what Zhou Minghan had instructed within the cave dwelling, he muttered in confusion, "What happened to me just now? How did I become so absent-minded that I did not even react at all? That is not like me!"

Before his voice had faded, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a bold guess emerged in his mind.

Could it be that the Old Clan Leader cast some spell on me?

The next instant, he immediately stopped himself from pursuing that dangerous thought.

Even if the Old Clan Leader had used some spell on him, it must have merely been a joke. There was no need to overthink it. Letting his imagination run wild would only harm himself.

With that thought, he looked at the Storage Bag and artifact in his hands, carefully put them away, then greeted Seventh Grandfather Zhou Yun, who was drinking tea alone beneath a tree nearby. He asked him to help open the formation and send him down the mountain.

Before finally stepping out of the formation, Zhou Yang turned back for one more look toward the mountaintop. Seventh Grandfather Zhou Yun was standing beneath the tree, smiling as he watched him depart.

"That boy seems to have noticed something. It seems I cannot use such little tricks to tease him again in the future, lest it cause an unpleasant misunderstanding."

Within the cave dwelling atop the mountain, Zhou Minghan observed the changes in Zhou Yang's expression after he departed through his divine sense. Somewhat awkwardly, he tugged at his beard, a trace of regret flashing across his face.

Earlier, while speaking, he had indeed secretly used a soul-capturing spell he had acquired in his youth to influence Zhou Yang's state of mind.

It was not because he feared Zhou Yang would resist his arrangements. He simply could not stand the youth's overly mature manner and had wanted to tease him a little.

It was like how adults among mortals would deliberately give a child a sip of strong liquor to tease him, then burst into laughter as they watched the child, who had been pretending to be grown-up, choke until snot and tears streamed down his face.

Such teasing would certainly give elders a sense of pride at having succeeded in the moment. But once they discovered that their teasing had made the younger generation resent them inwardly, they would regret it deeply.

Zhou Minghan was in precisely that situation now.

Fortunately, Zhou Yang was genuinely mature at heart rather than merely pretending to be so. He did not truly develop resentment toward this old man, who had devoted himself wholeheartedly to the clan, over such a small joke.

After descending from the summit, he soon returned to his pavilion halfway up the mountain and shut himself inside to sort through today's gains.

First was the Storage Bag the Old Clan Leader had given him. This type of storage artifact, made from the hide of a Spirit Void Rat, was something nearly every cultivator possessed. Even the poorest Rogue Cultivator would rack his brains to obtain one for himself.

Of course, Storage Bags also came in different sizes and grades. The kind generally used by Qi Refining Stage Rogue Cultivators usually contained only three cubic feet of space, barely enough for several changes of clothes and a few miscellaneous items.

But for a Cultivation Family like the Jade Spring Zhou Clan, every clansman who reached the Qi Refining Stage could receive a five-cubic-foot Storage Bag from the clan for free. Because Zhou Yang had a good father, the Storage Bag he normally used was an even larger one, with a space of one cubic zhang.

But now, his Storage Bag had been upgraded again.

The drab gray Storage Bag given by the Old Clan Leader actually contained three cubic zhang of space. Besides an artifact-forging cauldron and several artifact-forging manuals, it was filled with low-grade artifact-forging materials such as Dark Iron, Red Copper, and Hundred-Year Ironwood.

Zhou Yang made a rough calculation. If he only refined artifacts such as swords and sabers, which used relatively little material, these supplies would be enough for him to forge artifacts at least several hundred times.

"Ordinary clansmen learning Artifact Forging Art can also receive free materials from the clan for practice, but at most they are given around a hundred chances. The Old Clan Leader gave me so many materials that even the stupidest person should be able to succeed two or three times, right?"

Looking at the Storage Bag packed full of materials, Zhou Yang would have been lying if he said he was not moved.

He knew that the Old Clan Leader had always distinguished clearly between public and private matters. Even though Zhou Yang possessed outstanding talent, he would not make an exception for him in this regard.

Then there was only one reason he could use so many materials for practice now: the Old Clan Leader had used his personal savings to exchange for these materials from the clan treasury.

"It seems the Old Clan Leader truly wants me to inherit his Artifact Forging Art. As the clan's only Third-Rank Artifact Forger, he must have seen something. Perhaps I really do possess decent talent in artifact forging as well."

Thinking of the Blazing Sun Fiery Art his family cultivated, Zhou Yang suddenly seemed to understand. A knowing smile appeared on his face.

Then he carefully put away the Storage Bag and shifted his gaze to the other item the Old Clan Leader had given him: the Second-tier Artifact, the Silver Gang Shield.