The Brother-in-Law Who Came to Snoop

A month and a half later, Zhang Xuezhou returned to his residence.

The mansion was heavily guarded. Zhang Xuezhou could see that a watchtower, five zhang high, had been erected around the mansion, and people on the watchtower were watching the surrounding area.

This type of watchtower is simple, yet very practical.

Although some of the privacy of their own residence was undoubtedly being observed, compared to the involvement of the Red Empyrean Sword, everything else was insignificant.

The recent turmoil in the court has made many people extremely cautious, fearing that they might cause trouble at this critical juncture.

This is my younger brother!

"Younger brother?"

Most of the people in the mansion were familiar faces, and they all showed up when they learned that Zhang Xuezhou had returned. There were also some new faces that Zhang Xuezhou had never seen before.

Zhang Xuezhou initially thought they were personnel sent by some government office to patrol the area, but after Yi Shuo introduced them and Zhang Xuezhou compared their facial features, he finally confirmed the connection.

"Zongzi, quickly call for help!"

"Sister... Brother-in-law, I was only a thief for five years, I didn't do anything immoral... My name is Yi Zong!"

Perhaps knowing that Zhang Xuezhou was an official in the imperial court, Yi Zong noticed that Zhang Xuezhou's eyes were constantly fixed on him, and when he looked nervous, he stammered and almost revealed all his secrets.

"My father used his connections to send my younger brother to a sect, but after the family incident, they lost contact. After my situation stabilized a bit, I inquired about the situation and heard that Zongzi's sect had been wiped out by the imperial court. I hadn't heard from him for years, and I only saw him this month!"

Yi Shuo pointed to Yi Zong and explained, and Zhang Xuezhou finally understood the origin of this brother-in-law.

"How did you find your way here?" Zhang Xuezhou asked curiously.

"I originally occupied a mountain stronghold as a bandit, but then I heard from a passing merchant that the young master had become a first-class guest elder in Huainan and had even issued a summons to bring everyone from our sect there. That's where I met my fellow disciple Zhang Cigong!"

Yi Zong glanced at Yi Shuo, then at Zhang Xuezhou, and blurted out his words like beans spilling from his mouth.

"Zhang Cigong said there was a mission at the Prince's Palace to spy on the treasured sword of Dongfang Shuo's residence. He told me to accept the mission and come to Chang'an City, so I came here. I never expected to run into my sister here too!"

"Is your young master Su Fei from the Beast Taming Sect?"

"Yes, yes!"

Yi Zong nodded repeatedly, and Zhang Xuezhou had guessed the general outline.

After pondering for a moment, and considering the limited number of first-class retainers in the King of Huainan's Household, and comparing them with the sects that the imperial court had suppressed, he basically guessed Yi Zong's background.

The missions assigned by the King of Huainan's Household are not something one can simply accept at will; one needs to have someone backing them and possess the skills required for the mission.

"Why did Zhang Cigong recommend you to take on this kind of mission?" Zhang Xuezhou asked curiously.

He said I'm incredibly skilled at taming animals, and completing the mission will definitely change my fate, allowing me to become a person of high status!

Yi Zong stroked his short, still somewhat prickly beard, and blurted out all the words in one go, completely unaware that he had become the intermediary for Zhang Cigong to pass on information to Zhang Xuezhou.

The internal relations within the Beast Taming Sect remained as bad as ever; even among a small group, there was infighting and backstabbing.

Even 'Old Tong' was caught, let alone someone of Yi Zong's caliber.

Yi Zong was lucky; after being tricked into coming to Chang'an City by Zhang Cigong, he discovered Yi Shuo, thus avoiding not only theft but also imprisonment.

"What amazing skills do you have?" Zhang Xuezhou asked with interest.

"I keep a bunch of night owls; those guys are really good at stealing things at night," Yi Zong introduced, then added dejectedly, "They just sleep during the day; you can't even call them!"

"Zongzi raised twelve owls," Yi Shuo said. "These owls are good at stealing things at night, but they themselves aren't very capable!"

"He's already quite capable!"

Zhang Xuezhou shook his head, denying Yi Shuo's words.

The Beast Taming Sect's cultivation method is quite unique. While the sect's Realm Technique are generally ordinary, their practice involves mental energy methods.

Although these spiritual methods are not as advanced as the Heart Sutra of the Western Sect, they belong to a very small number of schools of thought in the Southern Jambudvipa Continent that have derived spiritual power methods.

Yi Zong's cultivation level was average, but his spiritual power was extremely impressive. He must have had to practice diligently because his skills were limited, which eventually led him to acquire the ability to control various kinds of beasts.

This kind of repetitive practice is an effective way to enter the realm of spiritual power, and continuous and long-term practice is like the mark of Nagok, which will inevitably lead to transformation after perseverance.

However, the Beast Taming Sect's trump card, the Soul-Stirring Beast Control Technique, requires far more mental strength than Realm Technique.

Although Yi Zong's cultivation level seemed insufficient at over thirty years old, he had inadvertently found himself to be a perfect match for the true needs of the Beast Taming Sect's cultivation.

"Brother-in-law, I didn't expect you to be from the Beast Taming Sect too!"

After Zhang Xuezhou's explanation, he mentioned that he could teach the Technique Method of the Beast Taming Sect, which made Yi Zong exclaim in surprise, feeling that Zhang Xuezhou knew much more about beast taming than he did.

"I'm not a member of the Beast Taming Sect," Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand and said, "This technique originated from the Beast Taming Sect, and was combined with the Beast Taming Manual compiled by Su Fei, which is why I learned this art. This art has no taboos and is quite suitable for you. You can study it seriously in the future!"

"Young Master Su Fei even showed my brother-in-law the Beast Taming Manual! You two have such a good relationship!"

Yi Zong sighed enviously, but when he saw Zhang Xuezhou's slightly strange expression, he realized he had guessed wrong.

"Su Fei is a very interesting person, it's a pity he didn't come to Chang'an City!"

Thinking of Su Fei, who possessed the ability to sense luck, Zhang Xuezhou smiled slightly.

If it were Su Fei who came to steal the Red Empyrean Sword, he would like to deal with him to avoid any potential future accidents.

With the addition of Yi Zong to the mansion, Zhang Xuezhou had to give the necessary instructions to prevent Yi Zong from betraying the family or inadvertently revealing information. He also provided relevant Technique Method to ensure that Yi Zong would not need to return to the King of Huainan's Household in the future.

If Yi Zong wants to become an official in the imperial court, he has connections there.

Zhang Xuezhou's financial power was far inferior to that of the King of Huainan's Household, and he could easily provide for one person on his own.

While it may not change Yi Zong's fate, this treatment should be better than what the King of Huainan's Household provides, which will save Yi Shuo from worrying.

"Brother-in-law, you really are my brother-in-law! With these arrangements, I don't even want to go back to the Prince's Mansion!"

The Beast Taming Sect has disbanded, and its binding rules are almost non-existent. Yi Zong doesn't meet the standards for a high-ranking guest of the King of Huainan's Household, so he doesn't have the trouble of breaking free from the mansion's constraints.

Yi Zong was overjoyed, feeling as if he had already changed his life before he had even done anything.

Most cultivators have simple pursuits throughout their lives: one is to improve their cultivation, and the other is to use their cultivation to make a profit. Yi Zong is no exception.

Zhang Xuezhou provided cultivation Technique Method and also had connections to recommend him for official positions. Yi Zong felt that his dreams had been fulfilled in a very short time.

"Show off your skills after dark. If your night owl skills are useful, you'll definitely become an official in the future!"

Zhang Xuezhou patted Yi Zong on the shoulder.

The palace area is extremely well-protected during the day, but less so at night.

Without the Empress Dowager's divine presence to patrol the area, Sima Tan and others' ability to see and hear the heavens was severely inadequate in their investigations.

The addition of Yi Zong can make up for the deficiencies to some extent. If the number of owls that Yi Zong can tame increases, or if he tames high-quality owls, or even demon birds, his role will be greatly enhanced.

These birds, adept at flying in the dark, possess a vision far exceeding that of cultivators at night, and their flight speed is extremely fast.

If used properly, Yi Zong could play a very good role in resisting the retaliation of Dao Jun and Zhu Jiuyin.