Taking Over the Shop

After bidding farewell to his two clan brothers, Zhou Ping and Zhou Yu, Zhou Yang went to the second floor to pay respects to his Twelfth Aunt Qian Hongyu. Only then did he head up to the third floor to visit his Seventh Uncle Zhou Xuanlin, who managed the Jade Spring Tower.

Zhou Xuanlin had only reached Qi Refining Layer Nine when he was nearly ninety, and he looked rather old. When Zhou Yang saw him, he was leisurely sitting on the third floor, sipping tea and listening to music, looking every bit like an old wealthy landlord among mortal folk.

The music was not being sung live by a songstress or performer, but issued from a First-Rank Artifact known as a Sound-Preserving Bead.

"Eh? Little Nine, shouldn't you be cultivating in the Lineage? What brings you to the market?"

Zhou Xuanlin had paid little attention when he heard footsteps ascending the stairs. Yet when he saw that the visitor was Zhou Yang, his expression changed slightly. Somewhat surprised, he set down his teacup and rose from his seat.

He had also taken part in the battle to attack Haoyang Cave, so he naturally knew that Zhou Yang had been in secluded cultivation there for the past few years. Now that Zhou Yang had appeared here without warning, all manner of speculation surfaced in his mind.

"Your nephew Zhou Yang greets Seventh Uncle."

Zhou Yang first respectfully performed a junior's salute, then smiled lightly. "Seventh Uncle, my father has achieved Foundation Establishment. The Lineage is now preparing to hold a Foundation Establishment Celebration, so the Old Clan Leader sent your nephew here to Golden Sand Market to take over your post at Jade Spring Tower. This way, Seventh Uncle, Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, and the other clan members can return to the Lineage and attend the celebration."

"What? Your father achieved Foundation Establishment!"

Zhou Xuanlin's entire body shook. He was stunned by the news Zhou Yang had brought.

Of course, he knew that Zhou Xuanhao had returned to the Lineage to prepare for Foundation Establishment. But he had not thought highly of Zhou Xuanhao's chances of success at all. When he had just seen Zhou Yang, he had even guessed that Zhou Xuanhao might have failed in his attempt and perished, and that the Lineage had sent Zhou Yang to notify him to return home for mourning.

"Who would have thought it? Who would have thought it? Big Brother actually succeeded!"

He muttered to himself in disbelief, his expression impossibly complicated.

Before this, nearly all Zhou family cultivators had believed that Zhou Yang would become the next Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the Zhou family. No one had expected Zhou Xuanhao, who was already nearing a hundred and had seemed almost hopeless in achieving Foundation Establishment, to rise like a dark horse and succeed before his own son.

He had succeeded with only a few percent chance of Foundation Establishment success. Wasn't that luck simply too outrageous?

"Could it be that Earth Origin Spirit Milk not only restores the bodily vitality of Qi Refining Cultivators, but can also raise the success rate of Foundation Establishment?"

Zhou Xuanlin did not believe much in luck. He had only reached Qi Refining Layer Nine at nearly ninety with the aid of medicinal pills, and his cultivation had been earned through bitter cultivation day after day, year after year.

Rather than believing Zhou Xuanhao's successful Foundation Establishment was luck, he preferred to believe that the Tier 3 spiritual item, Earth Origin Spirit Milk, had an unexpected effect and provided a boost to Foundation Establishment.

If that were truly the case, he was only a little over ninety this year. Could he also apply to the Lineage to consume the remaining portion of Earth Origin Spirit Milk and attempt Foundation Establishment?

Yet as soon as the thought emerged, he immediately gave a bitter smile and dismissed it.

So what if Earth Origin Spirit Milk truly enhanced one's chances of Foundation Establishment?

Zhou Xuanhao had dared to risk everything because he possessed Mid-grade Spiritual Root aptitude and had also produced a talented son to carry on his line. Even if he lost the gamble, he could die without regrets.

But what about him, Zhou Xuanlin?

With his Low-grade Spiritual Root aptitude, even after taking a Foundation Establishment Pill, he would have only a thirty percent chance of achieving Foundation Establishment. What did he have to gamble with?

If Zhou Xuanhao lost the gamble, he would not need to worry about the future livelihoods of his wife and children. But if Zhou Xuanlin lost, what would become of his sons and grandsons who lacked Spiritual Root aptitude?

"Everything is fate!"

Zhou Xuanlin sighed deeply, his heart filled with bitterness.

Among mortal folk, there were those who began as beggars and ultimately donned the imperial yellow robe. In the Cultivation World, there were also those with Low-grade Spiritual Root aptitude who ultimately became Great Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators.

Unfortunately, such people were ultimately only an exceedingly tiny minority. For ninety-nine percent of mortals and cultivators, their fates had actually been decided from the moment of birth.

Mortals born into wealthy households enjoyed fine clothes and rich food throughout their lives without end, while cultivators with High-grade Spiritual Roots would generally achieve Foundation Establishment so long as nothing unexpected occurred.

But ordinary mortals born into common households, and ordinary cultivators with only Low-grade Spiritual Root aptitude, would, barring accidents, remain ordinary commoners and ordinary Qi Refining Stage cultivators their entire lives!

Having lived for more than ninety years, Zhou Xuanlin had long seen through all this. Thus, after laboriously cultivating to Qi Refining Layer Nine, he had essentially given up on his fantasies of Foundation Establishment. He merely wished to properly enjoy the pleasures of life that he had once not dared enjoy during his remaining twenty or thirty years of lifespan, so that his trip through this world would not have been in vain.

Having now recognized reality, he saw Zhou Yang looking at him with a strange expression and only then recalled that the words he had blurted out in surprise seemed somewhat inappropriate. He immediately cried out, "Ah, this old man misspoke just now! Little Nine, don't misunderstand! Big Brother's successful Foundation Establishment truly makes this old man happy from the bottom of his heart. I am happy for the Lineage to gain another Foundation Establishment Cultivator. I absolutely have no intention of slandering Big Brother. This old man dares swear it!"

He was truly anxious, to the point that even words of oath had slipped out.

That was hardly surprising. Zhou Xuanhao had achieved Foundation Establishment and become the second surviving Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the Lineage. His status was now utterly different from before.

As a Lineage elder and Zhou Xuanhao's clan brother, if word spread at this time that he was jealous of and slandering a Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Lineage, Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan would likely be so furious that he would directly strip him of his elder position. The other cultivators of his generation would likely cut off contact with him as well. That would be more unbearable to him than death.

Seeing this, the slight displeasure in Zhou Yang's heart quickly dissipated. His expression relaxed, and he said with a broad smile, "Seventh Uncle, don't get worked up. The Old Clan Leader, my father, and the others all know of your wholehearted loyalty to the Lineage. Our Zhou family cultivators have always been united. Of course I believe you would never slander my father, so please set your mind at ease!"

"Whew! It is good that you understand, Little Nine. Good that you understand."

Zhou Xuanlin studied Zhou Yang carefully. Only after seeing that the smile on his face did not appear false did he finally let out a great sigh of relief and put aside the worry in his heart.

After that, Zhou Yang and Zhou Xuanlin held a long talk that lasted more than half a day. Zhou Xuanlin mainly introduced him to the operating conditions of Jade Spring Tower, the Zhou family's connections in the market, and how to quickly contact the Lineage should an emergency arise.

Essentially, the shopkeeper of Jade Spring Tower was the Zhou family's representative in Golden Sand Market, responsible for handling every Lineage matter the Zhou family had in the market.

Before Zhou Yang, one needed to be at least a Zhou family elder to be qualified to serve as the shopkeeper of Jade Spring Tower.

Before Zhou Xuanlin became a Zhou family elder, he had already spent more than ten years at Jade Spring Tower. Yet the person in charge here had always been Zhou Xuanhao, a Zhou family elder.

After completing the handover of Jade Spring Tower with his Seventh Uncle Zhou Xuanlin, Zhou Yang next paid a visit to the Drunken Immortal Restaurant.

The Drunken Immortal Restaurant had previously been managed by his mother, Lin Yuting. After she accompanied his father back to the Lineage, Zhou Xuanlin's wife, Luo Meiwei, took over as shopkeeper. In addition, three female Zhou family cultivators of the "Yuan" generation—Zhou Yuanchun, Zhou Yuanxia, and Zhou Yuanzhen—served as attendants and cooks.

Among them, Zhou Yuanchun ranked sixth among her generation. She was the only one of the three children born to Zhou Yang's adoptive mother, Zhou Xuanyu, to possess a Spiritual Root. She was also Lin Yuting's disciple and had inherited his mother's unique profession as a wine brewer.

Zhou Yuanxia and Zhou Yuanzhen ranked seventh and twelfth among their generation. For several generations, both women's ancestors had been mortal members of the Zhou family. Like Zhou Yuanchun, they possessed Low-grade Spiritual Roots, and barring accidents, their Dao Paths would stop at the Qi Refining Stage.

Zhou Yang was handsome, of extraordinary birth, and his cultivation far surpassed that of his peers. When he appeared in the Drunken Immortal Restaurant, the beautiful eyes of Zhou Yuanchun and the other two female Zhou family cultivators all lit up.

Girls loved handsome men; even cultivators could not escape worldly convention.

Not only was Zhou Yang handsome, he was also a Second-tier High-grade Artifact Forger. Young and wealthy, he was simply the ideal Dao companion for female cultivators. Naturally, Zhou Yuanchun and the others were no exception.

"Hehehe, Little Nine, should I keep calling you Ninth Brother, or should I call you Brother Yang?"

Zhou Yuanchun was the eldest of the three female cultivators. Her mother was Zhou Yang's adoptive mother, and she also had Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan, her direct great-grandfather, supporting her. She was thus among the few cultivators of the Zhou family's "Yuan" generation who did not care much about the change in Zhou Yang's status. After her initial surprise passed, she immediately teased Zhou Yang with a beaming smile.

"Big Sister Yuanchun, please don't tease your little brother. I still prefer Big Sister to call me Little Nine."

Zhou Yang smiled awkwardly, utterly helpless in the face of his Sixth Sister's teasing.

The form of address "Brother Yang" was far too strange. He did not want to be called that.

Then he smiled at Zhou Yuanxia and Zhou Yuanzhen, who were looking at him eagerly from the side. "Greetings, Seventh Sister, and Twelfth Sister as well. It has been many years since we last met. You sisters have only grown more beautiful. I heard Mother say long ago that the number of your admirers in the market now stretches from inside the Drunken Immortal Restaurant all the way to Jade Spring Tower. Your little brother did not believe it before, but now that I have seen you fairy sisters in person, I know Mother's words were not false in the slightest."

Women dressed for those who pleased them. Hearing Zhou Yang's words, the three Zhou family women immediately blossomed with joy.

Zhou Yuanzhen was closest in age to Zhou Yang and the youngest present. She pouted slightly and said coquettishly, "Ninth Brother, you're talking nonsense. Eldest Aunt would never say such things. I don't have any admirers at all. Those people all came for Big Sister Yuanchun and Seventh Sister Yuanxia. It has nothing to do with me."

With the matter laid bare between them, Zhou Yuanxia, who had originally been somewhat shy and reserved, also relaxed. She could not help joining in to tease her. "Well, well, Twelfth Sister. Your skill at telling barefaced lies with your eyes wide open has grown lately. You say it has nothing to do with you, so what is the matter with that uncle from the Liu family? Why does he come to patronize the Drunken Immortal Restaurant several times every month, and why do you accompany him every time?"

"Hmph, Seventh Sister, you have the nerve to talk about me? Wasn't it you who taught me to drink and chat with customers, letting them feel the warmth of home in the Drunken Immortal Restaurant? When I first came here, I was so innocent. You were the one who led me astray!"

Zhou Yuanzhen gave an embarrassed and annoyed little snort, somewhat angered by Zhou Yuanxia's teasing.

Yet as soon as her words fell, Zhou Yuanchun beside her gave a mischievous smile. Looking at a certain person with a face full of embarrassment, she laughed heartily. "Hahaha, Twelfth Sister, then you have wrongly blamed someone. As far as Big Sister knows, all those words you mentioned, including the water-sleeved ru skirt you are wearing now, are Ninth Brother's doing. Even the spirit stones we receive as commissions were only approved as an exception by the Lineage thanks to Ninth Brother's suggestion!"

Zhou Yang's face instantly turned so awkward that he felt like he wanted to burrow into the ground. He did not dare look at the astonished and embarrassed Zhou Yuanxia and Zhou Yuanzhen.

Back then, he had heard his mother Lin Yuting complain that the restaurant's business was not doing well. After asking about the situation, he came up with this crooked idea. And out of trust in her precious son, Lin Yuting had immediately allowed Zhou Yuanchun to give it a try. The results proved remarkably effective.

Thus, all the Zhou family members at the Drunken Immortal Restaurant were later replaced with women. The young, beautiful, and sweet-looking Zhou Yuanzhen had been transferred here as soon as she turned twenty, and she quickly became the restaurant's "gold-medal server."

PS: I do not know whether writing this way will make people say I am padding the word count. I just feel that writing this way is very comfortable. In Family Cultivation, fighting and killing certainly cannot be absent, but in my view, the relationships and interactions among family members are equally important.

Perhaps people like Zhou Yuanchun and the others would not even qualify as supporting characters in a novel expected to exceed two million words, but I feel that since I have made their names appear, I should leave some trace of them behind.

Mm, my skill is limited. Wanting to write a book of flesh and blood is simply too difficult!