Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Giethoorn, Sun's Teahouse.

It was already dark, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the street.

Mrs. Sun was busy tidying up the tables and chairs and wiping the teacups.

Zhou Qingfeng arrived alone, stood at the door and smiled slightly: "Are you closing the door?"

Upon seeing Zhou Qingfeng's arrival, Madam Sun's face lit up with joy. She dropped the rag and rushed forward to greet him: "Chief Zhou, what brings you here? Is there news of my younger brother, Sun Haoyu?"

Zhou Qingfeng nodded slightly: "Yes."

Upon seeing this, Madam Sun quickly pulled Zhou Qingfeng to enter the teahouse and take a seat.

Zhou Qingfeng shook his head slightly, pushed away Sun's hand, and politely declined, saying, "I won't go in. I just came to say a few words to you. Your younger brother, Sun Haoyu, has been sent to the One-Eyed Buddha of the Renxin Sect as a raw material for the Human Elixir."

The incident was recorded in detail in the diaries of Feng and Yun.

Zhou Qingfeng certainly knew where the materials for the elixir were transported to and who they ended up in.

"Excuse my bluntness, but he is dead. I hope you can let go and start a new life."

Upon hearing this, Madam Sun stood still, a look of sadness and pain appearing on her face. However, what followed was a greater sense of relief. Even knowing the news of her brother's death was better than waiting indefinitely.

"Thank you, thank you for coming all this way to tell me." Mrs. Sun wiped away her tears and bravely bowed to express her gratitude.

"Please accept my condolences." Zhou Qingfeng bowed slightly, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and then turned and left.

Once things are handled properly, there's no need to stay overnight.

I will return to the city lord's mansion tonight and begin a new round of cultivation tomorrow, making sure to complete the Thunderfire Refining Hall as soon as possible.

Sun stood there silently wiping away her tears, remaining there for a long time.

Suddenly, she burst into tears, crying her heart out.

Her younger brother was her only family member. Three years ago, she lost her beloved brother due to a moment of carelessness, and her life was forever frozen at the age of eighteen.

For many years, she has been preparing, she has been preparing all along.

Now, upon hearing of his younger brother's death, he wonders who his enemy was.

She closed the teahouse, tied up her beautiful hair, wiped away her tears, found the weapons and equipment she had prepared beforehand, and showed an unwavering determination and hatred on her face.

"Ghost-Eyed Buddha, you killed my brother. No matter what, I will make sure you die."

Living in this turbid and evil world, the longer one lives, the more ugliness one will witness.

The despair and pain that accumulated in one's heart is unimaginable to a normal person.

Blood relatives are their only bond with the world and their only emotional support.

When this sole link is severed, people often quickly become frantic and out of control.

So no matter what dangers lie ahead, even if she is shattered to pieces and turned into a demon, she will still take revenge on her enemies.

That year, she was twenty-one years old. Alone and filled with hatred, she embarked on a journey and plunged headlong into a wicked world.

……

The following day, at the City Lord's Mansion, in the Hall of Merit and Kindness.

Zhou Qingfeng, led by Steward Qiu, came to receive his reward.

Butler Qiu also specially introduced Zhou Qingfeng to the head of the Jiangshan Hall.

"Qingfeng, this is Master Jiang of Jiangshan Hall. He is a close friend of mine. You can call him Uncle Jiang in private."

“Old Jiang, this is the new disciple that Madam has assigned to me, Zhou Qingfeng.” At this point, Butler Qiu added, “Although he is only a newly accepted disciple, I treat him like my own son or nephew.”

Upon hearing this, Hall Master Jiang looked surprised and stared at Zhou Qingfeng, seriously doubting that he had misheard.

The lady designated Qiu Chengde as her disciple.

Qiu Chengde even publicly said that he treated him like a son or nephew, which carries considerable weight.

Who is Qiu Chengde? He is the number one lackey of the lady of the house, the steward of the first household, and in charge of all matters in the outer courtyard.

To put it bluntly, the entire Sword Tower is the first.

Qiu Chengde could ask about anything he wanted; his power and status were extraordinary.

This son was appreciated by his wife and loved by Qiu Chengde.

This favor is so great that you won't find another like it even if you search the entire Sword Tower.

It's safe to say that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, one day in the future, the first family will have a fourth young master.

Besides Young Master Ma and Young Master Mao, these two adopted sons...

The lady had a biological daughter, the third among her children, named First Red Leaf. Unfortunately, she had an entanglement with a mortal in her early years and dared to disobey the lady, resulting in her being imprisoned. Let's not talk about that.

Thinking of this, Hall Master Jiang warmly went up and hugged Zhou Qingfeng, pinching the muscles on Zhou Qingfeng's arm, full of praise: "Not bad, not bad, a handsome man, clearly a dragon among men!"

Zhou Qingfeng clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Qingfeng greets Uncle Jiang."

Master Jiang grinned, flipped his hand and took out a piece of black jade, handing it over: "Since it's our first meeting, I'm giving you a little trinket. Take it."

Zhou Qingfeng looked at Steward Qiu and, after receiving Steward Qiu's approval, steadily accepted the jade pendant and expressed his gratitude.

Butler Qiu smiled and said, "This is the Evil Corpse Jade, which is classified as Turbid. This item can help you cultivate faster and recover your mana quickly. In the long run, it is more practical than pills. Your Uncle Jiang is very thoughtful."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng quickly thanked him again.

Hall Master Jiang smiled slightly. It wasn't that he was stingy, but rather that one could only use certain things depending on their cultivation level. Giving items to those in the Food Calamity Realm or Food Fiend Realm would be unusable, so it was better to give them a Turbid-grade magic weapon that could aid in cultivation.

The most expensive gift is not necessarily the best; rather, it should be appropriate to the occasion.

For example, right now, since Zhou Qingfeng's cultivation level is low, it would be perfect to give him some small items that can help with his cultivation.

Steward Qiu chatted with Hall Master Jiang for a while, while Zhou Qingfeng waited quietly on the side. After the two exchanged pleasantries, Hall Master Jiang took out a deed to a mansion in Sword Tower City and a 10-coin note, and handed them both to Zhou Qingfeng.

The gifts bestowed by the lady were all stored in the new residence beforehand, just waiting for Zhou Qingfeng to inspect them.

After leaving the charity hall, Zhou Qingfeng presented the money and land deeds, saying, "Uncle De, without your help, I wouldn't be where I am today. Please accept these gifts as a token of my respect."

Butler Qiu looked at Zhou Qingfeng and patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "Take it back. What Madam gave you is yours. Uncle De doesn't need your small token of respect. Uncle De is very happy that you have this thought."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng silently withdrew his gift, but still decided to find time to hold a formal apprenticeship banquet.

The proper apprenticeship gift must be given in full, and it must be a generous one.

Because I come from the Zhou family, and the family also teaches Zhou Family Kung Fu, many people who come to learn from me will pay a lot of money to become my apprentices. I have seen a lot of people like this.

Having been assigned to Steward Qiu as an apprentice, their relationship had indeed become closer. However, the closer the relationship, the more filial piety should be shown. One could not accept the position empty-handed and feel at ease.

Since a master you become an apprentice to halfway through your life is ultimately just a master, and you weren't personally raised by Steward Qiu, there's no question of a father-son relationship or selfless devotion. Therefore, you still need to put effort into maintaining the relationship.

"Uncle De, I'd like to hold a small apprenticeship ceremony, what do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Butler Qiu smiled and nodded, "Alright, now that you've become my apprentice, you should address me as such. You can make the arrangements."

"Yes, Uncle De."