Brother-in-Law Ma Yan

The next day, Zhou Yan went cart pulling as usual, but his mind was entirely on the Profound Yin Corpse Refining Technique, and he drifted off from time to time.

By afternoon, he returned the cart early and went home.

But to Zhou Yan's surprise, there were actually guests at home today.

"Big Sister, Brother-in-Law, you're here?" Zhou Yan hurriedly greeted them.

His eldest sister, Zhou Li, was a year older than Zhou Yan. The two siblings had been very close when they were young, and even after she married, their relationship remained excellent.

His brother-in-law, Ma Yan, was four years older than Zhou Li. Their marriage had been arranged since childhood, so the couple's relationship was very good.

The Ma Family had originally made their living through hard labor as well. But later, by a stroke of fate, Ma Yan's father latched onto an important figure and transformed overnight from a laborer into a constable. Their days immediately grew much better.

Even after Ma Yan's father retired due to injury, Ma Yan, as the eldest son, took over his position, and their lives improved with every passing day.

Yet after the Ma Family prospered, they did not look down on the Zhou Family.

On the contrary, after Father Zhou passed away, they had helped them in countless ways.

Ma Yan had also contributed greatly to Zhou Yan's ability to enter the cart line at thirteen and hold up the household.

In this day and age, a job that could put food on the table—or even support a family—was a sweet pastry everyone fought over.

If not for Ma Yan's recommendation as a constable, Zhou Yan, at his age and with his slight build back then, truly would not have been able to work in the cart line.

"Second Brother."

Zhou Li was not bad-looking to begin with, and having lived happily since joining the Ma Family, she appeared youthful and radiant, with a hint of a married woman's soft fullness.

"How is your health? Why do you look so much thinner, and so much darker too? You must have suffered a great deal..."

A bitter smile appeared on Zhou Yan's face as he let Zhou Li fuss over him.

Compared with when Zhou Li had married three years ago, the family's life was already much better.

But Zhou Li and Zhou Yan shared a deep bond. In her eyes, Zhou Yan was probably still that small, skinny figure from back then.

Ma Yan doted on his wife as well. Watching his wife and brother-in-law, he smiled from the side.

After a while, he finally stepped forward and said, "All right, Ah Li. Go help Mother cook. Ah Yan and I have something to discuss."

Zhou Li shot Ma Yan a look, but obediently headed to the kitchen to help Mother Zhou prepare dinner.

Ma Yan said to Zhou Yan, "Let's take a walk."

Zhou Yan's expression shifted slightly, and he nodded. "All right."

The two walked outside and soon reached the place where Zhou Yan usually practiced. Few people ever lingered here.

"Time really flies. Back then, you were still so small. Who would have thought that in just a few short years, you would grow up like this?" Ma Yan looked at Zhou Yan, his expression tinged with emotion.

He was also very satisfied with this brother-in-law.

When he had married Zhou Li, he knew something of the Zhou Family's circumstances and had prepared himself to support poor relatives.

But what Ma Yan had not expected was that Zhou Yan had only asked him for a job.

Then, over these three years, Zhou Yan had stubbornly supported the entire family through his own efforts.

In Zhou Yan, Ma Yan seemed to see his former self.

After his father had been injured and forced into retirement, he too had resolutely taken up the family's burden, and their life had steadily improved.

Over these three years, Ma Yan and Zhou Li had returned more and more often.

Zhou Yan smiled faintly. "As the eldest son of the family, I naturally have to shoulder everything."

He was not being modest, nor did he need to conceal it.

Compared to that, Zhou Yan and Ma Yan were more like a pair of brothers.

If either of them encountered trouble, the other would take on the burden of both families.

Neither Zhou Yan nor Ma Yan had spoken of this, but both understood it in their hearts.

"Ah Yan, I came this time because there's something I want to ask you." Ma Yan's expression suddenly turned grave.

Zhou Yan was initially confused, but quickly realized. "It's about Li Deyou."

Ma Yan's eyes flashed, and his face showed shock. "That expert who subdued the Zombie at Li Mansion last night... was that really you?"

They were both intelligent men. One sentence was enough for them to understand what the other wanted to know.

Zhou Yan did not hide it and nodded. "It was me."

Then he added, "I happened to pass by last night just as the Zombie appeared. I had no choice but to destroy it."

Light blossomed in Ma Yan's eyes as he looked Zhou Yan up and down. Unable to help himself, he shook his head. "I never expected you to possess such skill. Then why hadn't you shown it before?"

The words reached Zhou Yan's lips, yet changed shape when he spoke. "My cultivation hasn't been completed yet. Dealing with that Zombie took every ounce of my strength, and I used some methods besides. I only succeeded by luck."

Ma Yan did not doubt him in the slightest and nodded repeatedly. "That Master Ma is a somewhat renowned master himself, yet hadn't he still failed when dealing with the Zombie? If Ah Yan hadn't happened to pass by, everyone in Li Mansion would likely have met with disaster... I heard that Zombie was extremely formidable, that even firearms couldn't deal with it?"

"Zombies are impervious to blades and bullets. Firearms truly have little effect," Zhou Yan said.

Ma Yan hesitated inwardly, but still could not help asking, "When did you learn these abilities?"

"I can't really say I learned them. I've only been feeling my way through it. When I was young, I took a master, but he only taught me for a time, then gave me a cultivation manual and left. So I've been crossing the river by feeling the stones myself," Zhou Yan said.

Just now, he had already made up his mind to cultivate the Profound Yin Corpse Refining Technique.

If he wanted to turn his life around, how could he do so without paying some price?

Besides, with the system in his possession, he was absolutely certain that he could succeed in cultivation.

As for some side effects, he could no longer afford to care about them. He would think of a way to resolve them in the future.

Ma Yan opened his mouth, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

Zhou Yan knew what he was thinking and directly tossed the Profound Yin Corpse Refining Technique to him. "This is my sect's cultivation method, but it has some side effects. Once you enter the path, yin energy will invade your body, affecting your health and lifespan."

Ma Yan had originally been delighted, but upon hearing Zhou Yan's words, it was as if he had grabbed a red-hot coal. He immediately tossed it back.

Only then did he recall that he had met Taoist Ma, as well as some spirit mediums and charlatans. Not only had they all been surrounded by foul miasma, they were also mumbling nonsense and looked grotesque in all manner of ways.

Clearly, cultivating such things did not come without a price.

"Then you..." Ma Yan began to ask.

Zhou Yan said calmly, "I haven't entered the path yet, so the effects aren't severe."

Ma Yan fell silent. He could hear the determination in Zhou Yan's words.

After a long while, he asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Clearly, he was asking how Zhou Yan intended to walk the road ahead.

Zhou Yan stroked the cover of the Profound Yin Corpse Refining Technique and said calmly, "Since word has already gotten out, I can only face it head-on."

That was also why he had chosen to cultivate it.

In these chaotic times, there was simply not much room to choose...