166: Chapter 166 The Book of Changes

The wheels rolled over the last stretch of gravel road and finally reached the official highway.

The field of vision suddenly opened up; in the distance, the outline of a grayish-black city lay crouched at the end of the plain like a giant beast.

The city walls were towering, built from the local specialty blue-black rock, glinting with a cold, hard luster under the afternoon sun. This was Qingyan City, where the Zhou Family resided.

The tense atmosphere that had gripped the caravan for many days visibly relaxed.

Wang Laowu belted out a mountain song in a rough, out-of-tune voice, while Zhao Tiezhu grinned, boasting to those beside him about his prowess during that punch at Hugang Mountain.

Even though he had nearly wet his pants in fear at the time.

Chen Zilong sat atop his horse, squinting at the city.

Ten years...

It was all going to start from here.

Entering the city was no trouble; the soldiers at the gate clearly recognized the Zhou Family's banner and respectfully let them through.

Qingyan City was more prosperous than Chen Zilong had imagined. The streets were quite wide, lined with shops on both sides, with pedestrians and vendors weaving through.

Although it couldn't compare to the legendary giant cities of the Central Region, it had its own bustling atmosphere.

The caravan passed through several main streets and finally stopped in front of an expansive manor.

Vermilion gates, bright copper rings, and the words "Zhou Residence" hanging on the lintel in bold, gold-leafed characters.

However, Chen Zilong keenly sensed that while the manor was grand, it faintly exuded an air of...

Decay.

The servants at the door had shifting gazes. Seeing the caravan return, their surprise was mixed with relief, along with an indescribable complexity.

"We're finally here!"

Zhou Xiao stepped down from the carriage, her face showing the fatigue of a long journey, but her eyes remained clear and bright.

She glanced at Chen Zilong. "Guard Chen, thank you for your hard work on the road. Settle in with the others first and unload the goods into the warehouse. Later this evening, I will take you to see my father."

"Yes, Miss." Chen Zilong cupped his fists in response, his expression calm.

Unloading was manual labor.

Boxes of medicinal herbs, ores, and rare items purchased from elsewhere were heavy.

Chen Zilong didn't put on any airs of a former Soul Transformation expert. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

His physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary people. Carrying the heaviest boxes was like child's play to him, making the nearby Zhou Residence Guards stare in disbelief, muttering privately that this newcomer was a monster.

By the time they finished, the sun was already sinking in the west.

Chen Zilong had just splashed his face with well water when Zhou Xiao came looking for him.

She had changed into a pale yellow everyday dress, losing some of the travel-worn dust and gaining a bit of a young lady's gentleness, though that hint of coldness remained between her brows.

"Guard Chen, follow me." Her voice wasn't loud.

Chen Zilong dried his hands and silently followed.

Passing through several courtyards, the further in they went, the more tranquil the environment became. The passing servants were increasingly well-behaved, bowing their heads and walking softly.

Finally, they arrived outside a study, the scent of sandalwood wafting through the cracks in the door.

"Father, your daughter has returned," Zhou Xiao reported softly outside the door.

"Come in." A slightly tired but still steady middle-aged male voice came from inside.

Pushing the door open, the study was large, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on all four sides, packed with scrolls and jade slips.

A middle-aged man in a dark green robe sat behind a wide desk, just putting down his brush.

He shared fifty or sixty percent of his features with Zhou Xiao, but he appeared more majestic, with deep lines at the corners of his eyes and an unhealthy pallor to his face; his aura also seemed somewhat unstable.

This was the head of the Zhou Family, Zhou Yi.

"Xiao'er is back. Was the journey smooth?" Zhou Yi smiled upon seeing his daughter, his gaze then falling on Chen Zilong behind her, filled with scrutiny.

"Father, the trip was quite smooth. All the medicinal herbs have been procured."

Zhou Xiao paused and stepped aside to introduce him. "This is Chen Zilong, Guard Chen. On the road... it was thanks to him."

"Oh?"

Zhou Yi's brow quirked slightly. He naturally caught the unspoken meaning in his daughter's words. "Guard Chen, thank you for escorting my daughter all this way."

"According to what Xiao'er mentioned in her letter, you were the one who dealt with that beast at Hugang Mountain?"

Chen Zilong took a step forward, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Replying to the Family Head, it was merely luck. That tiger demon was careless, allowing me to find a weakness."

"Luck?"

Zhou Yi smiled, but there was something else in his smile. "Being able to kill a transformed tiger demon at the Nascent Soul Early Stage with a single punch is not something that 'luck' can explain. Guard Chen has great skill."

His gaze was like lightning as it swept over Chen Zilong, seemingly trying to see through him.

But in the end, he only saw a calm as deep as an abyss.

"I wonder who Guard Chen's master is? Such Body-tempering cultivation is not common."

"I am but a wandering cultivator from the mountains, not worth mentioning. I had some fortuitous encounters in my early years and practiced some moves haphazardly." Chen Zilong's answer was airtight.

Zhou Yi nodded and didn't press further.

Everyone had their secrets; as long as he was harmless to the Zhou Family, Zhou Yi was happy to play dumb.

"In that case, Guard Chen, please settle into the manor. I'll have to trouble you to look after Xiao'er's safety. The Zhou Family will not mistreat those who have contributed."

These words were both an affirmation and a warning.

"It is my duty." Chen Zilong cupped his hands.

After a few more brief words, Zhou Xiao led Chen Zilong out.

Once out of the study, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief and led Chen Zilong toward the west side of the inner residence.

There was a row of independent wing rooms there, the environment quiet, neither too far nor too close to her Embroidery Tower.

It was convenient for a Guard but not so close as to be intrusive.

"You will stay in this room."

Zhou Xiao pointed to a sun-facing room. "I will have the maidservants bring your daily necessities on time."

"There are many rules in the manor. Try to... move around as little as possible, especially deep within the inner residence. Do not disturb the female members of the family."

She gave the instructions carefully, but her voice was a bit airy, and her eyes didn't look directly at Chen Zilong as they usually did.

"Thank you, Miss. Zilong understands."

Chen Zilong replied, but a hint of strangeness flashed in his heart. Was this eldest Miss Zhou a bit preoccupied?

Zhou Xiao said no more, nodded, and turned to leave, her back appearing somewhat slender and lonely.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Chen Zilong lay in the unfamiliar bed, unable to sleep.

The Zhou Residence was very quiet, but beneath this silence, he always felt something was flowing.

Was it oppression?

Was it surveillance?

He couldn't say.

Since his Primordial Spirit was damaged, his intuition for danger had also dulled.

But his years of experience rolling on the edge of life and death remained.

He rose soundlessly, slipping out of the door like a shadow.

The Zhou Residence was large, with pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and water features, leaving only blurred outlines in the night.

He avoided the patrolling servants, his figure moving quickly through the shadows, finally reaching the northwest corner of the estate.

This was near the perimeter wall, where there was a neglected small garden overgrown with weeds, its rockeries half-collapsed; usually, no one came here.