Zhou Family Estate.
The moment Zhou Haoyu stepped through the courtyard gates, he was immediately surrounded by his grandfather and a cluster of important clan figures.
"Good, good! Our Zhou family has truly birthed a dragon among men!"
Zhou Xian clapped both of Haoyu's shoulders, his eyes brimming with pride.
Even before leaving for the Ancient Capital, Haoyu's talent and the merits he earned in Hangzhou had already made him a leading figure of his generation—enough for the authorities to appoint him captain of the national team.
But compared to his deeds in the Ancient Capital? Those were truly monumental.
He had saved millions of lives!
With a little publicity, his name could go down in history!
Once his grandfather's emotions had calmed slightly, Zhou Haoyu finally asked:
"Grandfather, I heard that my in-laws were driven out of the Mu Clan. Is that true?"
Before returning, Zhou Haoyu had considered slipping into the prison to "resolve" Mu He himself. With the armor on, no one would have known.
But when he arrived, Mu He was already dead—suicide.
Far more loyal (or brainwashed) to Salan than anyone anticipated.
Unfortunately, his death also caused the treasure chest to vanish.
Slightly regretful.
Zhou Xian sighed. "Xiaoyu... don't blame us for cutting ties publicly. This incident was too sensitive. The family can only help them secretly now."
Haoyu nodded—he understood.
The Zhou Clan was only recently promoted into the ranks of first-class families. Compared to a colossal force like the Mu Clan, they were still small.
Even the Mu Clan needed to protect its own reputation. How could the Zhou family not?
Truthfully, the Zhou Clan had not officially broken the engagement entirely—only for Haoyu's sake.
Zhou Hong looked solemn. "Xiaoyu, now that you're the hero of the Ancient Capital, you have two paths."
"First—you abandon Mu Ningxue. Your future will be bright and smooth."
"Second—you choose to help the Mu Family. With your fame, saving them isn't hard… but you may well be dragged into the mud with them."
As a father, Zhou Hong spoke earnestly—public opinion was a terrible thing, powerful enough to topple Top-level figures.
Zhou Haoyu of course understood all of this.
But in truth… he had decided long ago.
If not for wanting to lend Ningxue a hand, he would never have chosen to risk his life in the Ancient Capital.
Though dangerous, he also gained immensely—four treasure chests, the armor and most importantly, the power of an undead king.
Now that he had such strength, he no longer cared about taking risks.
He no longer needed to calculate every step.
"Grandfather, Father—I actually believe… this is an opportunity."
His tone was resolute.
The elders around were stunned.
"Before this, we and the Mu Clan were considered… reluctant in-laws, correct?"
Everyone nodded.
"Ever since we discovered the B-grade fire vein, the Mu Clan has interfered repeatedly—clearly coveting it. Now is the perfect chance to cut ties with them, decisively."
Haoyu's gaze was sharp. His words showed his absolute determination.
With the armor in hand, if the Mu Clan dared attempt anything… he wouldn't mind sending their Forbidden Curse mage straight into their coffins.
The Mu Clan currently had two Forbidden Curses.
Zhou Haoyu remembered Mu Rong, the Ice Emperor, very clearly.
A puppet kneeling to the Extreme South Emperor.
That man, Zhou Haoyu intended to kill personally.
"What nonsense! Do you not fear infuriating the Mu Clan?!"
A slightly plump middle-aged man snapped.
Zhou Haoyu merely glanced at him. This was his Third Uncle — father of his cousin Zhou Youhong.
Just then Zhou Hong replied lightly: "Third Brother… if I recall correctly, you've been quite close to a certain Mu Clan elder lately."
"…Hmm?"
When Zhou Xian heard this, a trace of displeasure immediately appeared on his face.
The middle-aged man hurriedly waved his hands, explaining hastily, "Father, Big Brother, we only chat about private matters—absolutely nothing involving mission transactions!"
"Better not."
Zhou Xian snorted, then looked back at Zhou Haoyu. "Most of the industries in the Imperial Capital involve the Mu Clan. Once we fall out with them, the losses will be immeasurable."
The Mu Clan was a hegemonic power in Huaxia, and in the Imperial Capital they were even more of an unshakable local tyrant.
Once you offended the Mu Clan, you basically could forget about having a foothold in the Imperial Capital—you would absolutely suffer all-around suppression.
"No need to worry about business."
Zhou Haoyu remained calm and continued, "The Ancient Capital is now in ruins and needs rebuilding. I've already discussed with the head of the Li Clan—he's willing to form a long-term cooperation with us."
Right now the Outer City of the Ancient Capital needed to be rebuilt, and demand was naturally higher.
And the Zhou Family now had a B-class Fire Vein in their hands—just finding a sales channel was enough to feed the entire family.
The Li Clan of the Ancient Capital was perfectly suitable.
Actually, there was an even better choice, the Zhao Clan.
But if they cooperated with the Zhao Clan, it would feel like finding a new backer, so it was ruled out.
"The Li Clan of the Ancient Capital is indeed a very good choice," Zhou Hong agreed.
The Li Clan was the number one clan of the Ancient Capital and incredibly deep-rooted—far beyond the Zhou Family.
"Fine, whatever you want to do, Grandpa will support you," Zhou Xian said.
In his heart he had already regarded Zhou Haoyu as the successor, and what Zhou Haoyu said wasn't without reason.
If they blindly relied on the Mu Clan, the ending surely wouldn't be good.
"Right, Grandpa, this is for you."
Zhou Haoyu took out the Thousand-Year Willow Heart he had gotten from the treasure chest and handed it into Zhou Xian's hands.
"What's this?" Zhou Xian asked with confusion.
"This was something I found in an Ancient King's tomb. According to the records, as long as you orally ingest the inner liquid essence, your cultivation will soar greatly."
Zhou Haoyu had considered keeping the Thousand-Year Willow Heart for himself, but after careful thought, giving it for Grandpa's use was more suitable.
This Thousand-Year Willow Heart's energy was extremely vast—definitely not something he, a High-Tier mage, could absorb.
If Grandpa could use it to boost his cultivation greatly, then the family wouldn't need him to worry so much.
Zhou Xian frowned deeply—he could feel the surging energy contained within the Thousand-Year Willow Heart.
Enough to equal seven or eight Star Ocean Veins worth of energy!
"Why don't we save it for you to use later?"
Zhou Xian was a little reluctant to consume such a heaven-grade treasure—giving it to himself felt like a waste.
"Grandpa, once this thing is taken out it can only be preserved for one week, otherwise the energy will gradually dissipate."
Seeing this, Zhou Haoyu could only tell a lie.
Hearing that, Zhou Xian no longer said anything more and carefully put away the Thousand-Year Willow Heart.
...
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