Zhou Yang's Dazzling Display

In life, who isn't selfish?

When an elder who had dedicated over a hundred years of his life to the family stood before him, tears streaming down his face, begging a junior of the same generation as his grandson, disregarding his elder's dignity, Zhou Yang found it impossible to refuse the old man's somewhat selfish request.

It was only natural for an old man, on the verge of death, to want to leave a substantial inheritance for his descendants.

Even the harshest individuals couldn't fault him for that.

Especially since the elder wasn't using his position to embezzle family wealth to support his descendants. He merely wanted his rightful rewards to be distributed "normally."

"Third Grandfather, rest assured. If we truly discover a new ore vein, as long as I, Zhou Yang, am alive, I will ensure your share of the dividends is passed on to your second brother, Zhou Bao, in full. However, I must make it clear: if I perish midway, or if your second brother Zhou Bao eventually passes away, your share of the dividends must still be truthfully submitted to the family!"

Zhou Yang looked at the elder before him, who was now weeping profusely, and solemnly made his promise.

He didn't ask for the extra twenty percent dividend the elder offered. He couldn't accept that money. Agreeing to the elder's terms was already pushing the boundaries of the clan rules. If he took this money, it would truly be "harming the public for private gain."

"Thank you, Little Nine, thank you so much. Whether this endeavor succeeds or not, Third Grandfather will remember your kindness, and your second brother Zhou Bao will remember your great kindness for his entire life!" The elder, overcome with emotion, tightly grasped Zhou Yang's arm, his voice choked with sobs.

For Elder Zhou Quan, whose lifespan was nearing its end, his greatest concern was the survival of his descendants after his passing. Over the years, with his care, even those without Spiritual Root aptitude had managed to live quite well within the Zhou Family.

But once he was gone, without the sustenance provided by the family's offerings, the quality of life for his descendants would likely plummet. Within a generation or two, they would probably be no different from ordinary commoners, a fate he did not wish to see.

Now, with Zhou Yang's guarantee, even after he passed away, his descendants could rely on these ore vein dividends to ensure they wouldn't be too destitute for at least the next few decades.

If, in the coming decades, any of his descendants were to possess a Spiritual Root, that would be even better.

Therefore, Elder Zhou Quan was truly immensely grateful to Zhou Yang, which was why he had become so emotional.

Zhou Yang understood the elder's excitement, but the elder's actions made him feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. He gently pulled his hands away from the elder's grasp and said in a low, helpless tone, "Third Grandfather, please calm down. If you want to express your gratitude, shouldn't we wait until we've actually found that ore vein? It would be quite embarrassing if we went through all this trouble only to end up disappointed."

Hearing this, the elder's old face flushed, and he sheepishly tugged at his beard, chuckling, "Hehehe, Little Nine, you're right. I've lost my composure."

Zhou Yang thought to himself that the elder had done more than just lose his composure, but he kept a poker face and didn't press the matter. Instead, he proactively asked, "Third Grandfather, you are experienced and knowledgeable. What are your thoughts on searching for that potential ore vein?"

"In my opinion, instead of the two of us blindly searching like headless flies in this Boundless Sea of Sand, it would be better to employ a 'waiting by the stump' strategy. We'll wait for that [Gold-Eating Rat] to appear again. Once it does, I'll use the [Blood Spirit Mark] to place a tag on it. Then, we'll injure it, let it escape back to its lair, and then track it back to its lair using the tag's signal."

"As you know, the lairs of rat-like Demonic Beasts are usually located deep underground. Once injured outside, they will generally hide in their lairs to recover. As long as we keep pursuing the [Gold-Eating Rat], it won't be able to hide in the Fine Iron Ore vein and will habitually flee back to its original lair to recuperate. At that point, won't we be able to find the location?"

Elder Zhou Quan, as expected of someone with his experience, immediately came up with a plan that made Zhou Yang clap his hands in admiration.

"Brilliant! The older the ginger, the spicier it is. Third Grandfather's plan is excellent. Let's do just that!" he exclaimed joyfully, clapping his hands and giving his full endorsement to the elder's method.

As the elder had said, the sea of sand was vast and boundless. If it were just the two of them, the chances of finding an unknown ore vein would be too slim.

If the ore vein where the [Gold-Eating Rat] originally hid was so easy to find, the Zhou Family ancestors who discovered the Qingping Mountain Fine Iron Ore would have surely found it long ago.

"Since you approve of my plan, let's go back and prepare. I estimate that it will take at least a month or two for that beast to recover from its injuries. This period is more than enough time for me to make a round trip to the family. When the time comes, to track that beast in the sea of sand without getting lost, we'll need to bring along a [Sand Camel Beast]!"

Seeing that Zhou Yang did not object to his proposed method, Elder Zhou Quan immediately outlined the next steps.

The [Sand Camel Beast] was a First-tier high-grade Demonic Beast domesticated by the Zhou Family. This Demonic Beast was said to have evolved from ordinary camels but possessed ten times the strength and endurance. It was the best companion for low-level cultivators traveling in deserts and the main transport for the trading caravans of cultivator families like the Zhou Family.

The [Sand Camel Beast] also had a particularly powerful ability: it could remember the route it had traveled within 30 days and return along the same path. This ability was practically a divine skill in the desert.

Unfortunately, [Sand Camel Beasts] were difficult to breed, and because they frequently carried heavy loads through the desert, their lifespans were generally shorter than normal First-tier Demonic Beasts. Even after more than two hundred years of breeding, the Zhou Family's [Sand Camel Beast] herd, including young and old, numbered only 34.

These [Sand Camel Beasts] were part of the Zhou Family's foundation, and ordinary Zhou Family disciples could not borrow them for private use. It was only because Elder Zhou Quan held the position of an Elder in the family and was the only Second-tier Beast Tamer that he had the confidence to request their use.

With the plan settled, Elder Zhou Quan immediately set off back to the Jade Spring Lake Oasis. Zhou Yang, meanwhile, calmed the agitated miners, appointed a new steward, and organized personnel to resume mining operations.

Since Elder Zhou Quan said the [Gold-Eating Rat]'s injuries would take at least a month or two to heal, the mining of Fine Iron Ore could not stop during this period.

As for the miners, they had already prepared for death when they chose to become miners. Moreover, the Zhou Family had always provided generous compensation for deceased miners.

Therefore, after "Immortal Master" Zhou Yang personally explained that the Demonic Beast had been driven away, the miners' emotions quickly stabilized, and they gradually resumed their work.

A little over a month later, Elder Zhou Quan, having returned from the family, arrived at Qingping Mountain again with two [Sand Camel Beasts]. Accompanying him was Zhou Yang's clan brother, Zhou Bao, who was also Elder Zhou Quan's grandson.

"I figured that once you and I leave the Qingping Mountain area to chase that beast, there would be no family cultivators stationed here. If anything were to happen, it would be very detrimental to your future evaluations. Coincidentally, your second brother is currently on his rotation, so I had him come over to help you cover your duties."

Seeing Zhou Yang looking at them with a puzzled expression, Elder Zhou Quan explained the reason with a smile, then gently kicked his grandson, giving him a suggestive look.

Zhou Bao ranked second among the "Yuan" generation and was already in his thirties or forties. He had a slightly dull appearance, with dark, rough skin, like an old farmer from the fields, and a simple, honest demeanor. His cultivation was only at Qi Refining Layer Four.

Although they were both of the "Yuan" generation, due to the significant age difference and Zhou Bao's years spent running with the family caravans since he was twenty, Zhou Yang had met this clan brother fewer than ten times in his life and had never had any interaction with him.

Seeing him like this now, Zhou Yang understood the elder's painstaking efforts even more. If the elder didn't leave behind a solid foundation for his descendants during his lifetime, with his clan brother's appearance, it would truly be impossible for Third Grandfather's large family to live a good life in the future.

At this moment, Zhou Bao, receiving a hint from his grandfather, quickly chimed in, "Ninth Brother, Grandpa has told me everything. If this matter is successful, you will be the great benefactor of our family. Although my cultivation is low, I can still run errands. If you ever need anything in the future, Ninth Brother, you can just send a message to Second Brother."

After saying this, he lowered his head, not daring to look at Zhou Yang's handsome face.

Zhou Yang was simply too dazzling!

Even though he was almost twice Zhou Yang's age, and even though he had been away from home for years, Zhou Bao often heard about this Ninth Brother from elders and peers.

He began cultivating at four, reached Qi Refining at seven, Qi Refining Layer Four at twelve, Qi Refining Layer Five at fifteen, Qi Refining Layer Six at seventeen, and became a First-Rank Artifact Forger at twenty...

Every time the elders discussed Zhou Yang, they would praise him highly and then inevitably use him to admonish their own juniors, telling them to learn from this genius descendant of the Zhou Family.

Heaven knows how desperate and helpless Zhou Bao felt every time he heard the elders speak like this.

He wanted to work hard too, but his Spiritual Root aptitude was only low-grade, and his comprehension was average. Even with the abundant care from his grandfather Zhou Quan, he had only managed to break through to Qi Refining Layer Four. For the rest of his life, let alone Foundation Establishment, it was uncertain whether he could even reach Qi Refining Layer Nine.

Under these circumstances, he didn't even dare to compete with his Ninth Brother Zhou Yang. Even looking at this Ninth Brother on equal footing was something he had no confidence in.

The cultivation world was ultimately a place where strength was paramount. Even among cultivators of the same generation within the same family, if the difference in strength was too great, no cultivator would truly believe that their seniority allowed them to converse as equals with a clansman whose cultivation far surpassed their own.

Especially since Zhou Bao had long followed merchant caravans outside the family, he had witnessed the cruelty of the cultivation world and understood reverence, reverence for the strong.

And Zhou Yang, who could be described by the Old Clan Leader himself as a "Prodigy of the Zhou Family" and whom his grandfather praised incessantly, was undoubtedly someone Zhou Bao needed to revere in his eyes.

In fact, it wasn't just Zhou Bao. Among the "Yuan" generation cultivators of the Zhou Family, except for a few who were relatively familiar with Zhou Yang, almost everyone else now had a psychological shadow cast by this "Ninth Brother" or "Ninth Brother." No one dared to treat him as an equal anymore.

This generation was destined to live their entire lives under the shadow named "Zhou Yang."

Seeking recommendation tickets, seeking to invest in new books, seeking to add to reading lists!