Re-entering the Courtyard

As Zhou Yan left, he couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

He was, after all, living at the very bottom of the social ladder; he saw very little of the world's affairs, and was even completely ignorant of most of them.

This was true not only for him but for Ma Yan as well.

Once his cultivation reached a certain level in the future, he could not remain in Shen City forever; he would need to go out, travel, and see the world.

This was not the internet age of his past life, where one could know the affairs of the world without stepping out of the house.

For a practitioner to achieve success, it was not enough to merely toil in cultivation; once they reached a certain realm, they needed to travel and broaden their horizons.

In this way, both their spirit and perspective would expand, which would be more conducive to the progress of their cultivation, preventing them from "building a cart behind closed doors."

Zhou Yan let out a long breath, his eyes regaining their clarity.

The six great millennial families and the like were far too distant from him.

Right now, Zhou Yan only wanted to find an internal martial arts technique to cultivate, one that could compensate for the deficiencies in his physical blood and energy.

Even if he couldn't find a Buddhist internal martial arts technique, using another type of internal technique would suffice.

It was just a pity that internal martial arts techniques were far more precious than he had imagined.

Just as Zhou Yan was preparing to head back, a carriage pulled up in front of him.

He frowned slightly, intending to step aside.

At that moment, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Steward Yue looked at Zhou Yan with a smile: "Young Master Zhou, please, come up and let us have a chat."

Seeing Steward Yue, Zhou Yan felt a sense of surprise.

After learning the man's identity, he had assumed they would never meet again.

Yet now, the man had taken the initiative to seek him out, which confirmed Zhou Yan's suspicions: the previous request for him to go to the villa and subdue the demon had been intentional.

He just didn't know how much poison was mixed into this piece of fat.

He had no desire to be someone who drank poison to quench his thirst.

"What a coincidence, Steward Yue. I have matters to attend to, so I won't trouble you."

Zhou Yan said with a smile, turning to leave.

These wealthy, powerful households were full of messy business; the dramas he had watched in his past life made his skin crawl, let alone being directly involved in one.

It was truly a den of wolves and a nest of tigers, where one could lose their life or end up dead without anyone knowing why.

Just as Zhou Yan turned away, Steward Yue's voice reached his ears.

"Young Master Zhou, I heard you are looking for a Buddhist internal martial arts technique. I happen to have one here; why don't you take a look and see what you think?"

These words struck deep into Zhou Yan's heart, causing him to stop in his tracks instinctively.

Zhou Yan had underestimated the drawbacks of the Yakshas Meditation Method. Even though he hadn't let the Yaksha devour any ghosts recently, that whispering voice had been constantly ringing in his ears, growing increasingly severe.

It appeared every time he practiced the Yakshas Meditation Method.

It was like a fly, buzzing incessantly in his ear.

Although it couldn't affect his sanity, it was incredibly annoying.

Most importantly, practicing a meditation method required absolute focus; this drawback made his spirit easily susceptible to interference, greatly reducing the effectiveness of his practice.

This was the reason why Zhou Yan had stopped.

If he continued like this, not only would his physical body be affected, but his very soul would eventually suffer.

Sometimes, it wasn't that one's own willpower was insufficient, but that the temptation was simply too great!

Zhou Yan fell silent for a moment, then suddenly turned around and said with a smile: "Since an elder has extended an invitation, then I shall respectfully comply."

"Excellent."

Steward Yue wore an expression of appreciation as he spoke.

He had seen a great many people, among them no shortage of heaven-sent talents.

But what the world lacked least were geniuses, and the more gifted a person was, the more prone they were to arrogance and pride. Most of those people either faded into obscurity or vanished without a trace in the end.

On the contrary, it was the mediocre talents who were often able to make it to the end.

Because these people were sufficiently humble, cautious, and knew how to bend and stretch.

The world would not stop turning for any one person; no matter how powerful an individual was, they could never rival the entire world.

At the very least, such an existence had never been seen before.

If Zhou Yan had refused, Steward Yue would not have said anything more and would have left immediately.

In the end, it would have been Zhou Yan who suffered the loss.

Zhou Yan naturally did not know what Steward Yue was thinking, but he understood that sometimes, even the system was not omnipotent.

After boarding the carriage, Zhou Yan didn't know what to say, and Steward Yue also smiled without speaking.

Soon, the carriage returned to the villa.

"Please."

Steward Yue gestured, just as he had before.

Zhou Yan took a light breath, his expression calm as he walked over.

Since he had come this far, there was no reason to hesitate.

This time, the two did not head toward the backyard, but instead entered the inner courtyard.

Zhou Yan understood instantly; he was here to meet the true master of the villa.

Before long, Steward Yue brought Zhou Yan into the main hall.

"Please wait a moment, Young Master Zhou. I shall go and announce your arrival to my mistress." Steward Yue stopped, turned, and spoke to Zhou Yan with courtesy.

Zhou Yan nodded.

After Steward Yue left, a maidservant soon arrived, serving tea and refreshments.

Zhou Yan only had to glance at them to know that these snacks were incredibly expensive and exquisitely crafted.

He stood on no ceremony, picking up the teacup and lifting the lid; a refreshing fragrance immediately wafted toward him.

"Fine tea!"

Zhou Yan's eyes lit up.

He took a sip, immediately feeling his mouth water, a lingering sweetness on his tongue, and an endless aftertaste.

Zhou Yan was not particularly fastidious about food or clothing, but he was quite fond of tea.

He did not understand the intricacies of tea culture; he simply liked the taste of the tea, that hint of sweetness that echoed after the initial slight bitterness.

As expected of a prominent family, the effort shows even in the smallest details, Zhou Yan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This single cup of tea and a few plates of snacks were likely enough to cover his family's expenses for a year, or perhaps even several.

It's a powerful backer, but I still need to assess the situation.

Zhou Yan's eyes flickered as he pondered secretly.

If he could avoid it, he didn't want to endure unnecessary hardship.

If one suffers too much, in the end, there is only endless suffering to be had.

However, he did not want to "sell" himself off easily. Even if he truly intended to sell himself, he first had to choose a good master.

He didn't want to end up dead before he had even tasted a few years of sweetness; at that point, he wouldn't be able to taste anything at all.

Secondly, he had to "sell" himself for a good price.

This was not just for profit, but to raise his own value.

For most people, the cheaper and easier something is to obtain, the less they will cherish it.

Therefore, even if he were to sell his services, he had to make himself expensive so that he wouldn't be easily discarded like a worn-out shoe.

What Zhou Yan lacked most right now was time. As long as he was given enough time, he could continuously improve his strength, gain enough power to protect himself, and perhaps even reach the point where he could fully control his own destiny...