After handing the mysterious snake egg over to Third Elder Zhou Daoquan, the Zhou Family member most proficient in Beast Taming Arts, for study, Zhou Chun put the matter out of his mind.
It would naturally be best if Zhou Daoquan could figure out a way to hatch the egg.
Even if he could not, and the mysterious snake egg was destroyed, Zhou Chun would receive compensation of as much as five hundred Spirit Coins.
No matter how it turned out, he would not lose out.
Over the next half year, Zhou Chun's rhythm of life returned to how it had been before he went to the Mu Family.
It was only that, as more and more Rogue Cultivators came to Nine Peaks Ridge to cultivate, the time that Zhou Family cultivators like them spent guarding the Spirit Cleansing Pavilion decreased.
For many Rogue Cultivators whose cultivation was not high and whose methods of fighting and killing were weak, the safest way to earn Spirit Coins was to guard Spirit Cleansing Pavilions for cultivation sects, lineages, and markets.
Compared to venturing out to fight Demonic Beasts for spiritual objects and resources, guarding a Spirit Cleansing Pavilion was more arduous and less rewarding, but it was safe and stable.
And safe, stable work was sought after by most people in any world.
If they did not need people to supervise these Rogue Cultivators, and if they were not trying to save Spirit Coins, the Zhou Family could even have outsourced the task of guarding the Spirit Cleansing Pavilion entirely to Rogue Cultivators.
It was precisely because these Rogue Cultivators took part in this arduous task that Zhou Family disciples like Zhou Chun had more time to meditate, cultivate, and learn other immortal cultivation arts.
Over these six months, Zhou Chun took a Spring Sun Pill roughly every fifty days. Within the fifty days following each dose, he could open one acupoint.
He could basically be certain that once he had consumed all eight Spring Sun Pills, his cultivation would definitely advance to Level Eight Qi Refining.
Meanwhile, after continuously consuming Beast Spirit Pills, his spirit pet Rock Earth Turtle's cultivation was also rising at a breakneck pace. In another year or so, it might catch up to him, its master.
One day, as Zhou Chun returned from reading in the Book Repository atop Flying Stone Peak, he saw his clansman Zhou Zhengyong waiting outside his courtyard gate.
Upon seeing him return, Zhou Zhengyong immediately rose with delight on his face. "Thirteenth Brother, you're finally back."
"Brother Yong, what do you need from me?"
Zhou Chun looked at Zhou Zhengyong with mild surprise, a trace of puzzlement flashing through his eyes.
Judging by Zhou Zhengyong's manner, he had likely not come over official business.
"It's like this. Yesterday, while I was on duty, I chatted with a Rogue Cultivator and happened to hear him mention that he had once seen groups of Crimson Tail Monkeys somewhere."
"Thirteenth Brother, you also focus on Beast Taming Arts, so you should know that wherever groups of Crimson Tail Monkeys appear, there is a strong chance that something exists there which can purify their bloodlines and raise their cultivation."
"My Crimson Tail Monkey has been stuck at the first-grade mid-tier realm for several years now. It has eaten quite a few Beast Spirit Pills without breaking through, most likely because its bloodline is not pure enough."
"So I want to ask Thirteenth Brother to do me a favor this time. Come with me to that place and see whether we can obtain a spiritual object to help my spirit pet break through!"
Having said this, Zhou Zhengyong looked expectantly at Zhou Chun.
So he had indeed come over for a private matter.
Zhou Chun understood. Then, facing Zhou Zhengyong's expectant gaze, he pondered briefly before nodding. "Since Brother Yong has come to me, given our relationship, there is naturally no reason for me not to help."
After agreeing to the matter, before Zhou Zhengyong could joyfully thank him, he continued, "But you only heard this from another person, Brother Yong. You have not seen it with your own eyes. In my opinion, it would be better to first find out the details and get a clear understanding of that group of Crimson Tail Monkeys before taking action."
As soon as he finished speaking, the delight on Zhou Zhengyong's face faded slightly, and embarrassment and shame could not help surfacing in his eyes.
Huff!
Zhou Zhengyong took a deep breath. He quickly adjusted his mindset and calmed his emotions, then nodded solemnly at Zhou Chun. "Thirteenth Brother, you're right. I came looking for you as soon as I got the news. I was indeed too hasty."
Then he said in a deep voice, "Once I have investigated it clearly, I will come ask Thirteenth Brother for help again."
Zhou Chun sincerely cautioned him, "Brother Yong, be careful too. Among those Rogue Cultivators who have come to cultivate in the Lineage, there may be people who cultivated here before!"
"Thank you for the reminder, Thirteenth Brother. I will be careful."
Zhou Zhengyong nodded and immediately departed.
As he watched Zhou Zhengyong's retreating back, Zhou Chun could not help thinking of his own Rock Earth Turtle.
In terms of potential, the Rock Earth Turtle was clearly stronger and more outstanding than Zhou Zhengyong's Crimson Tail Monkey.
As long as it was properly raised and he was willing to invest the resources, it would not be impossible for it to advance into a First-grade High-tier Demonic Beast within five years.
But by then, the Rock Earth Turtle's bloodline potential would have reached its limit.
If he wanted the Rock Earth Turtle to advance to the second rank in the future, then like Zhou Zhengyong, he would have no choice but to rack his brains seeking spiritual objects that could purify or mutate its bloodline.
However, that was something to consider only after he achieved Foundation Establishment himself. There was no need to think too much about it now.
Zhou Zhengyong was undoubtedly a man of action. The very next day, Zhou Chun heard that he had taken leave and departed from the Lineage.
Then, seven days later, less than a day after Zhou Zhengyong returned from outside, he came to Zhou Chun's residence again.
"Thirteenth Brother, I personally went to scout the place. I confirmed that there is indeed a group of Crimson Tail Monkeys there, around twelve or thirteen in number. The Monkey King is a First-grade High-tier Demonic Beast, while the rest are First-grade Mid-tier Demonic Beasts and First-grade low-tier Demonic Beasts."
"And I also saw clearly that Exotic Fruit really does grow in the valley where the monkey group lives. If I did not mistake it, it should be Vermillion Sun Fruit."
After Zhou Chun welcomed Zhou Zhengyong into the sitting room, Zhou Zhengyong had barely settled onto his seat before hurriedly recounting what he had discovered over the past few days, not even bothering to drink tea.
Zhou Chun found his impatient temperament rather speechless.
But on second thought, it seemed perfectly normal.
Cultivators who generally focused on Beast Taming Arts often had personalities somewhat similar to those of their spirit pets.
Since Zhou Zhengyong had chosen the hot-tempered Crimson Tail Monkey as his spirit pet, his personality was likely similar to its.
As for Zhou Chun, whether it had been his former spirit pet, the Wind Shadow Leopard, or his current spirit pet, the Rock Earth Turtle, both seemed suited to his cautious and steady temperament.
Suppressing the words of persuasion in his heart, Zhou Chun followed Zhou Zhengyong's words and said, "According to what you've said, Brother Yong, the two of us alone are likely insufficient to handle so many Crimson Tail Monkeys. I'm afraid we will need to invite a powerful elder to hold the line!"
Hearing this, Zhou Zhengyong also furrowed his brow and could not help sighing softly. "Yes, we need an elder at the late Qi Refining Stage to come with us and hold the line if we want to ensure our safety!"
"But which elder should we invite?"
He frowned, considering the Zhou Family elders with whom he had a reasonably good relationship.
For something like asking someone for help with a private matter, he could only invite someone with whom he had a close relationship.
That way, not only would it be easier to discuss compensation, but conflicts would be less likely to arise during the operation.
Thus, after lowering his head and thinking it over from every angle for a full two quarters of an hour, Zhou Zhengyong finally looked up at Zhou Chun, who had been quietly waiting for him. "How about Twenty-seventh Uncle Zhou Jiapeng? His spirit pet is the flying Demonic Beast Iron Feather Eagle. It has already been raised to first-grade high-tier and can carry one person in flight. With him holding the line, this trip will surely be safe beyond all doubt."
Zhou Chun immediately nodded. "If it is Twenty-seventh Uncle, then naturally there will be no problem."
Twenty-seventh Uncle Zhou Jiapeng was also considered a fairly well-known figure among the cultivators of the "Jia" generation.
His own cultivation was not particularly outstanding; he was currently only at Layer 10 Qi Refining. But the Iron Feather Eagle he had raised was a rare kind of spirit pet capable of carrying people in flight, and its combat ability was also extremely good.
With this Iron Feather Eagle spirit pet by his side, so long as he was not ambushed, there were almost no one in the Qi Refining Stage who could keep him behind.
After all, even with flying artifacts in hand, a Qi Refining cultivator's mana and artifact-controlling flight speed were far inferior to flying Demonic Beasts like the Iron Feather Eagle.
That Zhou Zhengyong was actually capable of inviting this clansman elder to help surprised Zhou Chun greatly.
But when he recalled Zhou Zhengyong's background, he seemed to understand why.
Unlike Zhou Chun, whose ancestors had been mortals for several generations, Zhou Zhengyong's father had also been a Zhou Family immortal cultivator. He had merely died unexpectedly while carrying out a mission outside.
If his father were still alive, he would also have been a cultivator of the "Jia" generation, and perhaps he had formed a friendship with Twenty-seventh Uncle Zhou Jiapeng back then.
Of course, there was no need for Zhou Chun to dig to the root of the matter and investigate these things.
Once they had settled their plan, Zhou Zhengyong immediately went to seek out Twenty-seventh Uncle Zhou Jiapeng, while Zhou Chun began preparing the things he would need for the journey.
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