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She was still a bit dumbfounded, not knowing the reason, when she felt a breath blowing past her ear, accompanied by words that made her feel a bit of happiness.
"Ping'er, from now on, you will follow the young master. The young master will never let you suffer again. The young master will teach you swordsmanship, so you won't have to be an ordinary person again."
"Young master..."
For some reason, she felt an indescribable feeling in her heart, as if she wished she could hold the young master tightly.
She felt that at this moment, she was the happiest maid in the world, able to receive such care from her young master.
At this moment, Zhou Yan also felt inexplicably excited.
"Young master, your sword is pressing against me."
The girl spoke, suddenly understanding something, and couldn't help but exclaim, suddenly escaping from Zhou Yan's embrace in fright.
"Mm, my Ping'er is too attractive. The young master only noticed today."
Zhou Yan said with a smile, the strange actions easing much of his various pressures.
"Uh... young master, you, you are bad."
Ping'er blushed with embarrassment.
Zhou Yan said with a teasing grin, "The bad young master or the decent young master, which does Ping'er like more?"
"Young master..."
The girl was somewhat embarrassed, but after a moment of lowering her head, she looked up, sneaking a glance at Zhou Yan, and said shyly, "Ping'er... Ping'er likes the current young master."
"Hahaha, that's more like it. Come, let the young master give you a kiss. It's been a long time since I've felt so carefree."
Zhou Yan couldn't help but feel much better. He knew about his father's situation, but for some reason, he suddenly had great confidence in saving his father and everything about the future, so he didn't let it bother him.
"Young master."
Ping'er didn't hesitate but blushed even more as she lowered her head, obediently walking over, her gentle steps truly endearing.
How had he ignored such a darling? How was she any less than Zhou Lingyi? Just because she was a "lowly" maid?
Zhou Yan didn't understand his previous mindset. Instead, with the memories of a modern grandmaster, he felt that relationships between people should be "equal," and thus he had no "barriers" in treating Ping'er now. How could this thoughtful girl not feel close to the young master?
...
"Well, well, well, truly... like father, like worthless son, even daring to lay hands on a lowly maid, it's really disgusting!"
Before he could embrace Ping'er, a sharp, clear voice came from afar.
Zhou Yan didn't need to look. Hearing the voice, he knew it was Zhou Lingyi!
She had indeed come.
"Isn't it so? His father doesn't know life from death, we're fighting for him with our lives, and he's here indulging himself. A worthless person remains worthless, mud that can't hold up a wall."
Another girl's voice came.
This voice was also filled with sarcasm, and in her words, there seemed to be a vague hatred and jealousy.
Her gaze fixed on Zhou Yan, even containing a hint of resentment.
Zhou Yan ignored them. This woman, Zhou Shuangshuang, he knew her purpose in coming here.
"Sister, I told you, this lowly maid is no good. Look, she dares to be so unrestrained even in such a bright place, she definitely needs a proper lesson!"
Another man's voice spoke.
This person was Zhou Cheng, Zhou Shuangshuang's brother, and it was he who had taken a fancy to Ping'er, a prodigal of the Zhou Family's third generation. His strength had reached the peak state of the First Layer of Sword Beginning.
When he spoke, his gaze didn't fall on Zhou Yan but on Ping'er beside him. That look made the originally intent-on-explaining Ping'er suddenly feel a bit scared.
She instinctively moved a little closer to Zhou Yan, not daring to face these Magic Sword Cultivators.
"Zhou Yan, are you deaf? We're talking to you!"
At this moment, Zhou Xian stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Zhou Yan, with a mix of schadenfreude and satisfaction in his eyes.
Zhou Yan's gaze slightly darkened, and his hand suddenly gripped the sword hilt at his waist. His hand still seemed bloodied from clenching his fist earlier, but the movement was extremely agile!
In that instant, as he went from letting his hand hang down to suddenly gripping the sword hilt, the movement was so fast that no one saw it clearly.
"So, you do get angry. I thought you had exhausted your potential to the point your mind was broken! Now that you get it, be mindful! I am sent by the Great Elder to monitor you so you don't take more cultivation resources from the family. You're a waste and have no right to take anything extra. Have I made myself clear?"
Zhou Xian's pupils contracted, showing a trace of fear, but Zhou Cheng remained fearless, his gaze audaciously free.
Moreover, his gaze was full of provocation, looking at Zhou Yan's hand on the sword hilt, with even more contempt in his eyes.
That was clearly a provocation, hoping Zhou Yan would make a move so he could reasonably retaliate. In his view, a Magic Sword Cultivator whose basic sword was broken—was that still a cultivator? It was a disgrace!
In the family, only a few looked poorly on Zhou Yan, and this time, they all came together.
With the grandmaster's memories affecting his personality, Zhou Yan didn't take these little brats to heart. His gaze grew cold and determined, scanning the group before finally settling on Zhou Lingyi's face.
Zhou Lingyi frowned, disliking Zhou Yan's equally unabashed gaze, but she held back, neither erupting nor fearing to look Zhou Yan in the eye.
"Fine! I get it, you can leave now!"
"Leave? Leave that lowly maid here! Don't disgrace our Zhou Family!"
Zhou Cheng pressed aggressively.
A flash of coldness disappeared in Zhou Yan's eyes, and his gaze, filled with a sharp aura, fell on Zhou Cheng.
"Ping'er follows me."
At this moment, a young girl in a white gauze dress walked out into the courtyard. Her appearance was also exceptionally beautiful, yet with a hint of sickly pallor, making her seem fragile, as if too weak to bear any hardship.
However, Zhou Cheng did not dare easily oppose her words.
"Young Lady Ning'er, this matter does not concern you. Ping'er is a lowly maid of the Zhou Family. I cannot give you this face—" Zhou Cheng's attitude was extremely firm.
"The Zhou Family... truly... disappointing."
Ning'er looked at Zhou Cheng, then at Zhou Yan, who seemed indifferent and allowed his maid to be bullied. Her eyes were filled with dim disappointment, though veiled.
"Young master... Ping'er is just a servant, lowly in status. With the young master thinking of Ping'er, Ping'er is already content.
Young master, you are Ping'er's most, most, most admired young master. If there is a next life, Ping'er would still follow the young master, serving as the young master's maid for life."
Ping'er cried as she quietly walked out, not wanting to trouble the young master, ready to follow their arrangements.
The girl in white silently watched this scene, no longer stopping them, but her originally spirited beautiful eyes dimmed, losing their luster.
"Sigh—"
Zhou Yan heaved a long sigh, the last shred of old sentiment for the Family Head grandfather dispersed from his heart.
He did not believe that the powerful didn't know what was happening here.
Did they want to take even his last year's resources? To seize the personal maid, the maid who had grown up with him?
"Ping'er, no need for a next life, in this life, just serve the young master well."
Suddenly, Zhou Yan's hand reached out and grabbed Ping'er's now icy hand.
At that moment, he felt Ping'er's body tremble. He also sensed that the white-swathed, sickly girl—Ning'er, who had always comforted and encouraged him, who remained calm and knew not from whence she came—her dim eyes brightened.
"What, reluctant to part?"
Zhou Cheng taunted.
Zhou Xian sneered endlessly.
Zhou Shuangshuang stared at Ping'er with envy and jealousy, without restraining her emotions at all.
And Zhou Lingyi's gaze was so... lofty, as if watching a minor character perform.
"Beat me, count me as incapable, and you take Ping'er away!" Zhou Yan's words were cold.
"Hahaha, you wastrel, daring to boast so shamelessly!" Zhou Cheng laughed arrogantly.
"Young master, don't fight, they're looking for a reason, don't you understand?" Ping'er was anxious, tears streaming.
Zhou Yan said no more, and the sword in his hand suddenly turned into a silver light, covering the sky and the earth with a "whoosh," carrying an ancient vastness.
This sword was just an ordinary Bi Shui Sword Technique, yet it created a wide screen of water-like mood with one stroke, enough to shock anyone.
Zhou Cheng was somewhat surprised. Before he had time to act, that sword, suddenly like a specter or a startling spirit with a "whoosh," broke through his energy field and flicked aside the silver steel sword he had just drawn, piercing through his chest!
"Splat—"
Blood spurted three meters away, and Zhou Cheng flew back in an instant, then crashed hard to the ground.
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