Zhou Shu asked again with a serious expression, "Are you sure you can't? If you insist on caring about the Yan family and putting shackles on yourself, then things will be difficult."
Yan Yue's expression became much more solemn. "I'm sorry, Junior Brother, I really can't do it. Alas, perhaps this is the ordeal that the Yan family must go through. No matter what, I must make sure the Yan family survives. Junior Brother, thank you for your kindness, I understand, but let me bear the rest alone."
Zhou Shu nodded slightly, "Family fate..."
He came here through time and space, without many ties. In the past, Zhou Shu's parents were killed by bandits. After he took revenge, the grudge was settled. Apart from the grudge with the Wuwang Sect, he had no sense of belonging to this world.
Unlike Yan Yue, who was born into a family, everything he did was for the family, even his cultivation.
"Fate..."
Yan Yue pondered for a moment, her eyes growing more resolute. "Junior brother, you're absolutely right. This is my fate."
Yang Mei grimaced. "What are you talking about? I don't understand. Is it that Senior Brother won't help me anymore?"
Yan Yue gently stroked her hair. "It's not that Senior Brother won't help me, it's that I won't let him."
"Why not, Senior Sister? Senior Brother is incredibly capable. He can even draw a thunderstorm talisman and slay a second-tier monster!" Yang Mei was a little unconvinced. "It'll definitely be okay this time too!"
She always seemed confident in Zhou Shu.
Regarding the talisman, no matter how obvious Zhou Shu's actions were, others, due to their limited knowledge, wouldn't believe it was Zhou Shu's work. But she, on the other hand, never doubted it wasn't him.
Zhou Shu couldn't help but smile at Yang Mei's words.
"Yes, Senior Brother is incredibly capable, a genius. I believe he'll become a leader in the world of immortal cultivation in the future." Yan Yue agreed wholeheartedly. Zhou Shu looked only sixteen, and his cultivation wasn't high, but he accomplished things that even experienced Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't achieve.
She glanced at Zhou Shu and said gently, "Junior Brother, don't overthink it. I can handle it myself."
Zhou Shu shook his head gently, a hint of admiration in his heart. It was truly not easy for a woman like her to shoulder so much responsibility. The most remarkable thing was her persistence and stubbornness. He was actually the same way.
"In that case, then we have no choice but to choose the third option."
"The third option?" Yan Yue's eyes lit up. "Any other options?"
Yang Mei's eyes widened. "What's the second option?"
Zhou Shu said calmly. "The second option is to kill Yan Mengchu. Kill him, and all the problems will be solved. But I believe Senior Sister Yan won't choose that. If Senior Sister Yan really wanted to kill Yan Mengchu, he wouldn't be alive today, let alone causing trouble."
Yan Yue's expression darkened slightly, and she nodded slowly. "He is my second uncle after all. The Yan family rules prohibit family members from killing each other. No matter how wrong he is, the most he can do is be expelled from the family, but killing him is out of the question."
"Family is trouble," Zhou Shu shrugged with feigned helplessness. "The third option is to find a way to obtain the Patriarch's decree. It's difficult, but it's the only way right now."
"How do we get it?"
Yan Yue frowned. "I've thought about that. The Patriarch's Token is a valuable token of the Yan family, and we must get it back. But Yan Mengchu is now in the Liuchu Sect. Even if I went, I wouldn't be able to defeat him. Besides, the Heyin Sect has strict rules. Disciples can't go to other sects to provoke conflicts for personal matters, especially inner disciples."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister, I'll go with you!" Yang Mei raised her hand.
"No need to go to the Liuchu Sect."
Zhou Shu shook her head. "I don't think Yan Mengchu has joined the Liuchu Sect yet. Even if he's stupid, he wouldn't be that foolish. If he joins the Liuchu Sect now, he'll be helping the Liuchu Sect to seize the Yan family shop, and he won't gain anything himself. Hey, although the Liuchu Sect will definitely abandon him in the future, we still have to put in the effort now. He and the Liuchu Sect are probably in a cooperative relationship. To seize the shop at any time, he's likely living near the market town, or even in the market town."
"Really?"
Zhou Shu nodded affirmatively. "It's almost certain."
A glint flashed in Yan Yue's eyes. "Okay, then. I'll find him and get the Patriarch's Token back."
"It's not that easy to get it. It's very likely that we can't even find the person."
Zhou Shu pondered, "The Liuchu Sect must have made a lot of preparations to reach out to the market this time. There must be a lot of arrangements and spies, and you can't leave the shop. If you are not there, they may come to cause trouble at any time. Once Yan Mengchu enters the shop, the market will have no way to control the Yan family's affairs, and it will be impossible for you to get it back."
Yan Yue frowned, "Then what should we do?"
Zhou Shu said in a serious voice, "I will find a way to get the family head's order. You don't have to worry about it. Just guard the shop well during this time."
"How can you go to get it?"
Yan Yue waved his hands repeatedly, and stopped him anxiously, "Yan Mengchu has been stuck in the fifth level of Qi Refining Realm for a long time. His cultivation is much higher than yours, and he also has the family head's order. It is a first-level magic weapon that the Yan family has worked hard to refine. It has strong attack power. You can't beat him."
Zhou Shu thought for a while, "I can try."
"No." Yan Yue just shook his head.
"It's settled,"
Zhou Shu said confidently, tapping the table twice. "Senior Sister, you just keep the shop safe and close it for now. You also need to buy a few good defensive formations capable of defending against cultivators at the tenth level of Qi Refining."
"But..."
Yan Yue's expression grew slightly graver, and she gazed at Zhou Shu
intently, her concern evident. Zhou Shu feigned a casual air. "Don't worry, I won't do anything beyond my capabilities."
Yang Mei, however, grew displeased, raising her hand and shouting, "Senior Brother, what should I do then?"
Zhou Shu smiled at her. "You return to the sect."
"No, I want to help too." Yang Mei pouted, glaring at Zhou Shu with disapproval.
"Junior Sister, you haven't finished your sect chores for this month, have you?" Yan Yue asked, taking her hand and smiling.
Yang Mei shook her head and said angrily, "No... My task this month is to feed the spirit beasts. Why don't you let me take care of the medicine garden? It's so annoying." She looked at Yan Yue, her eyes full of envy, "Senior Sister is so lucky. As an inner sect disciple, I don't have to worry about any chores. I can do whatever I want, woo woo."
"It'll be fine later. I'm sure you'll be able to enter the inner gate,"
Yan Yue consoled. "It's getting late now. I'll take you back later. I don't think the Six Out Sect will come again today."
She glanced at Zhou Shu inquiringly, seeking his confirmation.
"Okay, let's do that. Be careful on the road."
Disregarding Yang Mei's disapproval, Zhou Shu nodded. "By the way, Senior Sister Yan, do you have any spirit stones? Good defensive formations aren't cheap. I have a hundred mid-grade ones here. Take them first."
He pulled out his storage bag and piled the spirit stones on the table.
"That's really not enough, Junior Brother. I won't be polite with you. I'll return them later." Yan Yue, unfazed, reached for the spirit stones.
Suddenly, a dark figure emerged from Zhou Shu's body and pounced directly onto the spirit stones, rolling into a ball and motionless.
Yan Yue and Yang Mei were stunned.
Zhou Shu pinched his nose, a little embarrassed, "This..."
He quickly grabbed the small ball and, with considerable effort, finally pried the spirit stones from its embrace.
"It's so ugly, what is this, senior brother?" Yang Mei stared at it curiously.
"Spirit insect... Well, it's probably a kind of spirit insect." Zhou Shu knocked it twice.
Xiao Gun shook his horns in dissatisfaction and danced with joy.
Yan Yue looked at it for a while, and said thoughtfully, "I seem to have seen this kind of spirit insect in a book. It should be called an ox horn shovel, but the horns are not so big, and the belly doesn't seem to be so round..."
"It should be the spirit insect that senior sister said. Don't worry about the details," Zhou Shu asked, "What is the use of this ox horn shovel?"
Yan Yue thought for a while, "The book didn't say in detail. It seems that it can identify the level of spirit fields or something. I can't say for sure."
"Well, it's really useless..."
Zhou Shu sighed and stuffed Xiao Gun back into his arms, "But as my lucky insect, I will continue to feed you, a foodie."
"What lucky insect?" Yang Mei shook her head.
Zhou Shu pretended to be mysterious, "You can't say."
"Huh."