Zhou Yan slightly stunned, and the curse I pronounced was interrupted, but he appeared to be full of doubts and puzzles on his face.
The people around them, Zhu's family, were equally filled with doubts and a bit of surprise and unease.
Although Zhu's family considered themselves an offshoot clan with no great standing, everyone there was not foolish, and it was clear to anyone that the expressions of the group that returned were not right.
I maintained a steady expression, standing silently in place.
Zhu Yan's eyes were slightly deep, and through his demeanor, they conveyed a sense of compassion and profound meaning.
Zhou Yan's expression added some gloom.
Soon, the group ran up close.
Zhu Chang stared at me fiercely, while the four Zhou family members quickly blocked Zhou Yan, their expressions of panic unstoppable.
As for Zhu Qiy, his eyes looked extremely evasive and anxious when looking at me.
"Little Qiy, come to your sister." Zhu Yan softly called out.
Zhu Qiy only slightly lowered his head and hid behind Zhu Yan.
"Where's Grandpa? And where's my second brother?" Zhou Yan furrowed his brows, then added, "In such a flustered state, what kind of decorum is this?"
He scolded those few Zhou family members for a while, slightly bowing to Zhu Chang and said, "Zhu Lao, why didn't you let me kill Lu Xian Shen?"
"…" Zhu Changai glared at Zhou Yan and said, "I was saving you!"
At this moment, the other four gathered in front of Zhou Yan and whispered quietly.
They roughly recounted what had happened in Lao Gai Village, about Zhou Kang, and that the Marquis Daoguan was also dead...
While they explained the situation, they looked at me uneasily, as if they had seen a ghost, making me shiver with horror.
And Zhu Qiy and I could see Luo Haian, but to them, it was just Zhou Kang's sudden death, Zhou Ji's broken neck and a bloody hole, and his face turned into pulpy flesh.
Zhou Yan's eyes gradually showed growing anger and anxiety, turning pale white again.
Large beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, his body trembling slightly, and his lips trembling continuously.
"Impossible... this is absolutely impossible!"
"Dark magic! Lu Xian Shen, what dark magic do you know?"
Zhou Yan roared with a hoarse voice, as if he had collapsed mentally!
"Savage? Savagery is better than the poison of your murderous words at the drop of a hat. Compared to that, isn't the Marquis more diabolical?" I replied calmly.
"You!" Zhou Yan stared so intently that his eyeballs seemed to be about to burst out of his sockets!
"Lu Xian Shen, you will die..."
"Snap!"
A slap was delivered to Zhou Yan's face!
The person who delivered the slap was Zhu Changzai!
Five bright red fingerprints appeared on Zhou Yan's face, and Zhu Changzai's expression turned severe.
"Zhou Yan, you can leave now."
"If you ever show up at my Zhu family again and dare to be disrespectful to Lu Xian Shen, I'll cut off your tongue!"
"From today onwards, there will be no further association between the Zhou family and the Zhu family."
Zhu Yan was slightly stunned, but a glimmer of excitement began to appear in her eyes.
Zhu Qiong's forehead also broke out in large beads of sweat. However, he had heard everything the Zhou family members said. The look in his eyes was mostly one of fear, but there was a faint and subtle excitement and surprise, as if he had thought of something.
I understood all at once.
It's disgusting to say, Zhu family is a wind-following son of a bitch. Alternatively, it could be described as throwing away the dark and embracing the light.
Knowing that the strange arts of the Zhou family were useless in front of me, after the death of a Marquis and the second-in-line heir, they decided to cut all ties with the Zhou family and seek my favor.
"Yan, Qiy, take Xian Shen inside to rest. You two have traveled a long distance, so you must be tired."
"Qiong, return the things from the Zhou family. If they don't want to leave, we'll send them off properly."
Zhu Changzai's words were firm and clear, and the order was logical.
"Let's go inside first." Zhu Yan's face was full of joy.
To be honest, I felt much more relieved. Zhu Yan's state of mind must have improved significantly, and as for Zhu Qiy, she no longer had the risk of being forced to marry into the Zhou family.
We entered the Zhu family courtyard and soon arrived at the main hall.
Along the way, there were servants following us. After we entered, someone brought us tea.
After pouring the tea, they hurriedly withdrew.
Zhu Yan originally indicated that I should sit in the most prominent armchair.
I didn't sit in it; I just sat in the first chair on the side.
The armchair in the front is the position of the family head, and since this is the Zhu family's territory, I can't possibly be too disrespectful.
Zhu Qiy kept her head down and kept her fingers intertwined, as if she were a child who had done something wrong.
"Qiy, you nearly caused a huge mess for us. Luckily, Yan and I were already planning to return home. If you had come back on your own and entered the Zhou family again, what would have happened to you? You would have been humiliated for the rest of your life."
Zhu Yan was not blaming her, but her tone carried a sense of pain and concern.
"I'm sorry... sister." Zhu Qiy still kept her head down, tears streaming down her face.
She didn't look at me but trembled slightly and said, "I want to go to my room for a while."
Zhu Yan slightly frowned and softly comforted Zhu Qiy for a moment, implying that she wasn't blaming her and knew that she had good intentions. However, some things didn't require sacrificing herself.
Zhu Qiy didn't respond, wiping away her tears as she left the hall room.
"Qiy is a stubborn person, don't be angry with her." Zhu Yan apologized to me as I watched her leave the direction of the hall room.
"How could I possibly be angry?" I smiled and picked up my teacup, taking a sip.
Zhu Yan's demeanor relaxed significantly.
She looked towards the main gate again, her face showing a smile.
"Although grandpa acted like a fence-sitter, it's really quite shameful, but I'm still very happy."
I remained silent for a moment before saying, "Relying on the Zhou family is indeed not a good choice, but now, I also don't have the... "
"Nonsense," Zhu Yan said playfully at first, and then her smile blossomed like a flower.
"Have you heard of the saying, 'One should not deceive an old man with white hair, but not to deceive a poor young man'? You are the only disciple of Mr. Qin and a disciple of Mr. Yin, and your future is boundless."
"I feel honored to be with you." I was at a loss for words, yet I felt warm and content in my heart.
No matter when, Zhu Yan always had confidence in me.
Taking a deep breath, I nodded and said, "I will, and Zhu family will also be fine because, after all, this is the place where you grew up."
My demeanor was serious, and my tone was resolute.
Zhu Yan's smile became sweeter and more contented.
…
It was about ten minutes before a crowd of people, dark and numerous, entered the hall.
In the lead, it was Zhu Changzai and Zhu Qiong, and beside Zhu Qiong was Zhu Yan's mother.
Behind them were the rest of the Zhu family members.
Those Zhu family members had some awkwardness, but beyond that, they also showed curious glances.
Zhu Changzai and Zhu Qiong exchanged a glance, both becoming resolute.
"Zhongshan Bajiang," Zhu Qiong said in a low voice, "Actually, it was given to us by the Zhou family, but it's not a favor they've given us. It's the wedding gift for our alliance between the Zhu and the Chan families over the years."
"However, a woman grown should leave home, Lu Xian Shen, you truly have the ability to replace the Zhou family and protect our Zhu family."
Zhu Qiong's words made me feel a bit more relaxed.
Because, his words preserved the dignity of the Zhu family; it didn't sound like someone would beg for mercy in the face of a powerful person.
That's true. It would make communication more difficult.
"Ahem," Zhu Qiong continued, "In fact, if you had revealed your abilities earlier and had Yan and us communicate properly, we wouldn't have had so many misunderstandings."
Zhu Changzai brushed his sleeves and sat in the armchair.
"Indeed, if you had mentioned that the strange arts of the Zhou family were just a joke in your presence, and that the Marquis could not curse you to death, we wouldn't have treated you like this out of consideration for our relationship with the Zhou family," Zhu Changzai said with a sigh.
In this way, the overall atmosphere of the Zhu family seemed to be relaxed.
Zhu Yan didn't sit but stood behind me, and her face was filled with joyful smiles.
"Grandpa is enlightened, and dad is reasonable. Xian Shen is not a petty person," she said softly.
I nodded and rose to my feet, slightly bowing and raising my hand in a gesture of respect, expressing my attitude.
Zhu Changzai's expression was serious, but his eyelids still twitched slightly.
"Xian Shen, young as he is, has unmeasurable strength. It's natural for him to have an air of dignity."
"However, the Zhu family still needs to make some gesture. Matters concerning young people should be decided by young people themselves. Qiong, go get the Zhongshan Bajiang. It's a token of greeting from me to Xian Shen's grandson!" Zhu Changzai flicked his sleeve slightly, his words and demeanor exuding great magnanimity!
Zhu Qiong nodded, a wince passing over his face, but he still hurriedly walked towards the outside.
