Chapter 7: No Status to Speak Of
Returning to his father's former courtyard, it was already brightly lit.
It appeared that everything had been arranged, and the servants seemed to have been informed of their impending departure. Some were still moving things, while others had almost all left.
In contrast, he himself seemed to be the last to know the true situation.
Zhou Yan gave a wry smile. If this had happened before he received the inheritance, regardless of whether he had indeed exhausted his bodily potential or not, his lack of genius would inevitably serve as a pretext for Zhou Lingyao and her brother to seize his position.
And he, in his youthful ardor, might have either caused a commotion or become all hope lost.
No matter the outcome, it would have been tragic, and he was destined not to have a good ending.
But in reality? He had acquired a new cultivation method, with various abilities not declining but progressing, no longer mediocre and bland. Yet, from beginning to end, the three Elders and Family Head never carefully examined his physical condition before concluding, assuredly, that he was a waste. This clearly warranted scrutiny.
Moreover, they spoke of how a common life could be unexpectedly blissful, claiming that because of incompetence, he wouldn't stray down a shameful path.
To say such things when his father had already departed, whatever their intention, Zhou Yan found it hard to accept.
To an ordinary child, these words were nothing short of adding insult to injury, just like when the Light Saber emitted its soul-stirring energy, no one remembered his pitiful existence.
Even though the Sword Qi's awe-inspiring impact that even Zhou Lingyao and Zhou Lingyi's brother couldn't bear, he endured without anyone showing concern or understanding how he, with his humble realm, possessed such capability and stood firm amidst the formidable Sword Qi.
At that moment, he believed that his strength might bring him at least a sliver of status or hope—but he was disappointed. No one cared if he had the ability, and no one gave him a second glance.
He had long been forgotten by this family.
Or put another way, in the eyes of almost everyone in this family, he was not a genius, but an exceedingly ordinary person. If not for more cultivation resources than others, he might not have even matched the common family offspring.
...
In the courtyard, beneath the ancient pine tree, the clear spring flowed, with gusts of Qingfeng.
Stars dotted the sky, and the lights seemed dreamy and surreal like the Ni Chang dresses.
Standing here, Zhou Yan carefully recalled the earlier scene, filled with many emotions.
But he neither blamed fate nor others, for the Grandmaster's memory was filled with intrigue, betrayal, and ultimate deception. Compared to those, his grievances were insignificant.
He realized that he was only without status and need not dutifully fulfill any responsibilities.
...
"Young master, take good care of yourself in the future; Ping'er is leaving."
At this moment, his personal maid Ping'er's voice reached his ears.
This Ping'er had been with him since childhood, growing up together like childhood sweethearts.
"Are you leaving too?" Zhou Yan asked an ran.
"Young master, Ping'er doesn't want to leave, but the eldest young lady said you must be self-reliant and no longer depend on Ping'er."
Ping'er lowered her head somewhat aggrievedly, and Zhou Yan could see her large eyes were watery, filled with reluctance.
Suddenly, Zhou Yan recalled the times when he was unambitious, and this maid quietly stayed by his side. He was slightly startled, realizing he seemed to have lost himself, becoming more like the person in the Grandmaster's memories after absorbing them.
This change also made Zhou Yan wary, knowing it was because of his limited experience and the profound impact of that person's memories. Although it only affected his attitude and methods, some things, like his memories of this maid, he was unwilling to discard.
He had his own convictions.
This shift in mindset occurred in an instant, and Zhou Yan soon felt an overwhelming sense of 'alignment' in himself.
He vaguely understood that he might have inadvertently escaped the subtle negative influence of the Memory Inheritance.
"You don't need to listen to her because you are not her maid but mine! I have nothing to do with her. Henceforth, you should stay with me!"
"Ah... young master, but she is the eldest young lady!" Ping'er was a little surprised, her teary and rain-washed face showing more emotion.
For the first time, she seemed to realize her young master was capable of speaking so charmingly and resolutely.
However, she also feared that her young master might face trouble from the eldest young lady for this.
"Eldest young lady?" Zhou Yan snickered, continuing, "What of it? I said don't worry, just stay with me.
You have no family. Where could you go upon leaving? Wouldn't you be defiled by the scoundrels in the family coveting your beauty? Stick with me, and there will be good days ahead for you."
Zhou Yan spoke bluntly, not to scare Ping'er but stating facts.
Ping'er clearly knew her young master spoke the truth, and hearing it, she seemed flustered and lost.
Without family, a maid leaving her young master would appear exceptionally base no matter where she went.
Ping'er understood this but was more afraid to defy the words of the eldest young miss, Zhou Lingyi, the Zhou Family's first genius. She wasn't afraid; she was concerned that the incident might implicate her young master.
"Young master..."
Zhou Yan's words deeply moved Ping'er, igniting a determination to follow him regardless of the cost. But because Zhou Yan was good to her, she feared upsetting Zhou Lingyi, the eldest young miss.
"You've been with me for so many years; would I not understand you? I said that since we are already leaving the Zhou Family, what does she Zhou Lingyi have to do with it? If I, the young master, can't even protect you, a maid, how could I face anyone else?"
Zhou Yan's words were somewhat assertive, and his demeanor was somewhat Cold and Determined, such words and attitude were not something the maid Ping'er had adjusted to just yet.
However, she quickly adapted, her young yet pretty face showing the moving expression of a young girl, both touched and frail.
This young girl seemed to have endured much more hardship than he had imagined.
Perhaps he was too naive before, not realizing how many times this girl wanted to speak but held back because she had already suffered much.
She was just a naive girl with bright eyes and white teeth, unfamiliar with the world's ways. "They say, 'Even beating a dog requires looking at its owner,' yet these people would not spare his maid. Has he ever held any status in this family?"
At this moment, didn't Zhou Yan know it was because Zhou Shuangshuang, who had a good relationship with Zhou Lingyi, said something in Zhou Lingyi's ear, leading her brother Zhou Cheng to take Ping'er as an object and ruin her?
As he thought this, slightly heavy footsteps could be heard coming from the other side.
Someone was coming.
Among them, one had power roughly at the Sword Beginning First Layer realm, as the depth of his strength could still not be discerned from his footsteps.
Who could it be visiting at this time? It wouldn't be the Preaching Elder coming hastily to send him away, so it must be those from the third generation.
Zhou Yan disregarded these concerns, dismissing them from his mind.
Understanding the hardships Ping'er endured under his protection made him feel a pang of unexplained heartache when he saw this young girl with a tear-stained face.
This person was truly one of his. How indifferent had he been that his people suffered unknown grievances beside him?
His gaze fell upon the maiden's face, a youthful, alabaster face astonishingly beautiful, her simple appearance unable to hide her pure and unique, captivating aura.
Her flawless countenance looked like a picture painted with elegance, exuding a serene beauty.
As Zhou Yan's gaze lingered on Ping'er, she sensed it. But being observed in such a manner by her young master for the first time, she felt a mix of joy and apprehension, an unfamiliar, youthful crush-like feeling causing her heart to flutter.
She felt her face burning, her body tingling with a strange, inexplicable sensation.
At this moment, Zhou Yan's gaze shifted from her face to a significant, already prominent place, instinctively feeling that the cute little maid rabbit from his memories, who always liked to cry and complain, had unknowingly grown so 'big.'
He couldn't help but feel a strange, unexplained warmth rising in his heart.
His throat moved, but he didn't speak directly. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the girl's subtle fragrance in the air, feeling an indescribable sense of intoxication.
He took a few steps, standing before the young Ping'er, gently wiping away the tears on her lovely face, softly drawing her into his embrace.
Ping'er involuntarily moved, her delicate figure tense, trembling. It felt like a dream.
She could hardly believe that the young master, focused solely on cultivation and seemingly obsessed with the eldest young miss, had gently embraced her with such warmth and tenderness.