Chapter 27 Grace

In the small building deep in the Zhao Mansion, the Seventh Young Master stood between heavy curtains, head lowered, not looking at his wife on the couch, and stood at least ten feet away from the couch.

No one spoke.

The maid standing beside the couch breathed very lightly, and the girls who had been playing ditties in the corner had quietly left long ago.

Apart from the tinkling sound of the jade rings hanging on the curtains when the wind blew them, there was no other sound.

Finally, the lady broke the silence.

"Fan'er, how long has it been since you last came to see me?"

The Seventh Young Master remained silent, neither speaking nor looking up.

"Why are we so distant when we meet? You stand so far away and don't even want to look at your mother?"

The Seventh Young Master raised his head and his eyes fell on his wife's face, but there was no emotion in his eyes.

Although they are mother and son, their faces look like they are of the same generation.

From the outside, the lady looked like a woman in her early twenties, with her hair lazily tied into a bun and a few strands of black hair hanging down at the corners of her raised lips. She looked lazy, and yet, she had a sense of ease as if she was alone.

"What do you want me to do?"

The Seventh Young Master asked.

"I heard that you are very satisfied with the two servants this time? Did they both stay?"

"What's it to you?"

"You are my child and I am your mother. I take everything about you to heart." The lady's face was still full of tenderness, as if she was used to her son's rudeness.

The Seventh Young Master snorted softly.

"I'm very happy. You have been a loner since childhood and you're not close to anyone. It's a blessing for these two book boys to catch your eye this time, and it also relieves a worry for me." The lady continued.

"Thank you for your concern, mother." The sarcasm on the Seventh Young Master's face could hardly be suppressed.

"I know you don't believe me." The lady's eyes were still gentle: "But you are my child after all. I wish I had planted every blade of grass and every tree around you with my own hands. I will also help you to carefully select everyone around you, so that you won't be deceived."

"so what?"

"So I want to ask, why do you value them?"

"We are so compatible." The Seventh Young Master explained simply.

"Really? An ordinary boy who grew up on a farm, the son of a housekeeper, is so attractive to you right away? Fan'er, your standards are not that low."

The Seventh Young Master was silent for a while before he reluctantly said, "Gao Yuan is diligent and honest, and he has also been educated. It would be nice to have him around to do some odd jobs. He will also be a helper for me to manage the family in the future."

"As for Zheng Fa, he is extremely talented in the art of talismans. If I study the art of talismans with him, I will be able to make faster progress in this area."

The lady nodded, seeming to agree with his explanation, but suddenly, she shook her head: "Zheng Fa's talent is indeed good, but it's not your idea to keep Gao Yuan, right?"

“…”

"As a young master, why should you listen to Zheng Fa, a servant boy?"

The Seventh Young Master clenched his fists suddenly, and there was a hint of anger in his eyes as he looked at his wife.

"Yes, Zheng Fa reminded you of yourself." Madam said as if she was not surprised at all: "You still mind that I didn't let you go to Qingmu Sect, but let your sister go instead."

"My sister and I both have dual spiritual roots. According to the rules of the Qingmu Sect, our Zhao family is entitled to two dual spiritual roots..."

The Seventh Young Master's voice was very low.

"But back then, there was only one, the same problem you gave Zheng Fa and the other two."

"There is another one. Is it that there is none, or...was it taken away by my great-grandfather?"

"Fan'er! You have a grudge against me, but I am your mother and I can tolerate you!" Madam stood up from the bed and said, "But your great-grandfather is a Jindan cultivator, how can a junior like you offend him?"

"I dare not." The Seventh Young Master lowered his head.

Madam's tone softened a little: "I am your great-grandfather's least favored grandchild, and I don't have much dignity in front of him. Fan'er, you must never say such things in public."

"I understand, my child. Why did the Jindan cultivator...want to snatch the opportunity to become my Zhao family's apprentice?" The Seventh Young Master's tone softened a little, but the resentment in his words did not diminish in the slightest.

"I only know a rough idea about this matter." The lady showed bitterness for the first time: "According to your great-grandfather, the spiritual energy of the Xuanwei Realm has been slowly decreasing over the past ten thousand years. According to the calculations of the great figures of the Immortal Sect, the spiritual energy will become increasingly thinner and will not be enough to support more cultivators to practice."

"Ten thousand years ago, someone like you with dual spiritual roots could definitely enter the Qingmu Sect, and could even be considered an excellent aptitude within the sect." Madam looked at the Seventh Young Master with a bit of heartache: "But now, if someone with dual spiritual roots wants to join the Qingmu Sect, they have to see if there are vacancies. Only those with single spiritual roots or even better aptitudes are considered geniuses who must be admitted."

"So the number of people from my Zhao family who have entered Qingmu Sect has been decreasing over the past thousand years?"

"That's right. Your great-grandfather was a Jindan cultivator, but he couldn't make every descendant get what they wanted."

"So you're going to sacrifice me?" When the Seventh Young Master heard this, his tone became angry again.

“……” The lady just looked at him and said nothing more.

The Seventh Young Master took two deep breaths and finally suppressed his inner emotions: "Mother, you can't leave two places for admission, but I want to keep these two."

"good."

"Mother?"

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"Since that incident, what haven't I promised you? No matter how much you act, I will tolerate it. Even if you don't live up to your expectations, this Zhao Mansion will be yours in the future..."

The Seventh Young Master lowered his eyes: "It's just that I am unwilling to accept this."

The lady stood up and stretched out her hand, wanting to touch her son who was almost taller than herself.

The Seventh Young Master took a step back, her hands hanging in the air. After a moment of silence, she said, "Both of them can stay with you, but Zheng Fa..."

"What happened to Zheng Fa?"

"I know you like his temperament. Since he has talent, it's okay for him to have some temperament." The lady said in a calm tone with a hint of indifference: "But having temperament is not enough. We have to see if he really has the brains for it."

"Mother!" The Seventh Young Master was a little anxious.

"Don't worry, mother won't harm him. Since the decline of spiritual energy, the cultivation of immortal arts has become more important. Otherwise, why would I let you study the art of talismans? If you are really successful, you may even be able to enter the Qingmu Sect. Since he has this talent, it will also be good for my Zhao family. I will give him more grace."

“Go and get the Spirit Crane Body and give it to Instructor Xu. He knows what to do.” The lady turned and said to the maid beside her.

"'Spiritual Crane Body'? Is this also going to be taught to Zheng Fa?" The Seventh Young Master was a little surprised.

"His mother and sister are both in the manor?" The lady did not answer him. Instead, she thought for a moment and said, "Find a time in the next two days to bring them over and settle them in the mansion."

The Seventh Young Master was speechless.

This is truly a great blessing.

"Fan'er, remember, for a true genius, gratitude and loyalty are the best shackles."

"What if... he is not a person who knows how to repay kindness?"

"So I prepared one last favor for him. Your sister has successfully entered the inner gate and will come back to stay for a while after the New Year."

"elder sister?"

"Your sister has become an inner disciple and can bring two followers into the Qingmu Sect. If Zheng Fa really has the talent to become a talisman master and can practice the Spirit Crane Body, I will give him one of the positions as a follower."

"Mother, he is mine!" The Seventh Young Master refused.

"So, can he understand this?" The lady smiled faintly.

"...Faced with the temptation to enter the Immortal Gate, no one would give up, right?"

"You should have grown up by then..."

She touched the top of the Seventh Young Master's head, and this time, the usually distant son did not hide.

(End of this chapter)