Qin Ming suddenly realized something and teased Zhou Xingdou a couple of times:
"You kid, you're not afraid that the old man will scold you for not returning for so many years, so you've been stopping and starting along the way and haven't dared to enter the core of the Zhou family."
These words immediately struck Zhou Xingdou as if his secret had been exposed. His eyes twitched and his face turned ashen, but he still stubbornly insisted:
"Are you kidding me? Why would I be afraid? Is the old man going to eat me?"
Seeing Zhou Xing's expression, Qin Ming knew he had guessed correctly, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his lips as he said:
"Let's go then, stop dawdling."
But Zhou Xingdou, who had been so stubborn just moments before, hesitated now.
Feeling apprehensive as one gets closer to home is inevitable.
In fact, he has not only been away from home for five years, but also for twenty years in his previous life, meaning he has not returned to the Zhou family for twenty-five years.
It was alright with Qin Ming, after all, Qin Ming was both his teacher and friend. Although he was an elder, there was not much of a distance between them, and they were very close.
But to go see Zhou Wuji, it would be absolutely impossible not to feel a trace of something in one's heart.
At least his grandfather, Zhou Wuji, was not as down-to-earth as he described in his letter to himself.
Zhou Wuji was an extremely dignified person. Whether he exuded it unintentionally or intentionally, his dignified aura made people tremble.
Even though he was Zhou Wuji's beloved grandson, and despite their close relationship, Zhou Xingdou was still somewhat afraid of Zhou Wuji deep down.
Few members of the Zhou family were not afraid of Zhou Wuji.
Whether it was Zhou Xingdou's four uncles or Qin Ming, the guest elder, they were all terrified of Zhou Wuji.
Zhou Xingdou is already considered one of the better ones. His third uncle, a towering nine-foot-tall man who has slain countless demons, was so frightened by Zhou Wuji's shout that his legs went weak and he sat down on the ground.
Even when Qin Ming and Zhou Wuji were talking, if Zhou Wuji said anything even slightly off, Qin Ming would break out in a cold sweat.
However, it wouldn't be accurate to say that Zhou Wuji was too harsh on Zhou Xingdou.
After all, the word "doting" is sufficient to describe how Zhou Wuji treats his grandson Zhou Xingdou; he has never even said a harsh word to him.
Otherwise, given Zhou Xingdou's stubborn and eccentric personality in his previous life, he probably would have run away long ago, and wouldn't have waited until five years ago.
Zhou Xingdou let out a long breath, calming his complex emotions before saying:
"Let's go!"
As soon as Zhou Xingdou finished speaking, the scene before him shifted dramatically, and he was instantly transported to the heart of the Zhou family's territory.
Looking at the familiar scene before him, Zhou Xingdou was stunned for a long time, and a sense of vicissitude rose in his heart.
The divine palaces and celestial halls stand like towering mountains, filled with countless priceless spiritual roots and divine plants, with endless radiance drifting and clouds swirling, making one feel as if they are in a celestial palace.
Before Zhou Xingdou stood a palace exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
It wasn't particularly magnificent, but it possessed a profound and solid presence, as reassuring as Mount Tai.
Qin Ming looked at the stunned Zhou Xingdou and slowly said:
"The old man has left the ancestral land in his true form today and is waiting for you inside."
Zhou Xingdou was also startled by Qin Ming's words, and frowned, asking in surprise:
"Did Grandpa leave the ancestral land today?"
You should know that since Zhou Xingdou was born, his grandfather Zhou Wuji has only stepped out of the Zhou family ancestral land a handful of times. When he was young, most of the time he saw his grandfather Zhou Wuji was in the Ziwei Taihuang Pagoda.
When it occasionally appears, it is always in the form of a projection; its true form appears only a handful of times.
Although Zhou Xingdou didn't know the reason, Zhou Wuji had always acted this way, and the Zhou family seemed to take it for granted, with no one questioning why.
Only Zhou Xingdou knew nothing, except that when he was young he had guessed that there was some great terror in his ancestral land, and that if Zhou Wuji did not suppress it, it would bring chaos to the world.
This speculation made Stephen Chow even more determined to leave the Chow family.
Qin Ming nodded and said:
"With the Purple Emperor Pagoda suppressing him, as long as the old man doesn't leave the Zhou family, there won't be any problems for the time being."
Zhou Xingdou didn't ask any further questions. After all, he had figured out the routine by now, and there were some things he couldn't know even if he asked. Instead, he was intrigued by the riddle.
When you need to know for yourself, you can easily find out the whole picture without asking too many questions.
Zhou Xingdou gripped Luo Hanyi's hand tightly, exchanged a glance, and then walked towards the ancient and mysterious palace.
Yuan Tian and Fahai immediately wanted to follow, and Yuan Tian was especially excited. After all, as a member of the Zhou family's affiliated forces, he would have no regrets if he could witness Zhou Wuji's true face.
Unfortunately, Qin Ming ruthlessly shattered Yuan Tian's illusions. After stopping the two, he glanced indifferently at Yuan Tian and Fahai with his weathered eyes and said:
"You two don't need to go in. Come with me."
Zhou Xingdou and Luo Hanyi slowly stepped into the palace.
The moment they stepped inside, both Zhou Xingdou and Luo Hanyi felt an overwhelming divine power that could crush the heavens and the earth.
Looking up, in the solemn hall, a tall and imposing old man with a face that bore a striking resemblance to Zhou Xingdou sat upright on his throne, his eyes slightly closed as if taking a nap.
Countless Daos flowed around him, the Great Dao resonated around him, and his entire body was shrouded in endless ancient and mysterious runes. Even when he was resting, with each breath he exhaled, the entire universe seemed to tremble because of him.
The moment Zhou Xingdou saw the imposing old man, his silvery-white eyes, filled with a purple aura, instantly reddened. He knelt on the ground with a thud, tears welling up in his eyes, his voice choked with emotion:
"Your unfilial grandson, Zhou Xingdou, pays his respects to his grandfather."
Luo Hanyi also recovered from her shock and knelt down with Zhou Xingdou, respectfully saying:
"Luo Hanyi pays respects to Elder Zhou."
As soon as the words were spoken, the endless laws and great principles of this place seemed to revive and stir with excitement.
Zhou Wuji slowly opened his eyes, and endless Dao runes flowed in them, as if the true spirit of the Dao flashed in them.
But when he spoke, there was no terrifying power; instead, his words were as gentle as a spring breeze.
A gentle smile appeared on that ancient, unchanging, cold and majestic face:
"You've finally decided to come back?"
Zhou Xingdou and Luo Hanyi, who were kneeling on the ground, were suddenly enveloped by an immense power. However, the power did not evoke any fear; instead, it brought endless warmth, as if they were in a warm pool, which slowly lifted them up.
Hearing Zhou Wuji's gentle and kind words, Zhou Xingdou's nose tingled, and his legs, which had never bent, knelt down again and kowtowed three times to Zhou Wuji:
"Your unfilial grandson Zhou Xingdou has been causing trouble outside, trying to cloud your judgment, and is now a fool and incompetent man who has disappointed his grandfather. Please, grandfather, punish him according to family rules!"
At this moment, Zhou Xingdou was so ashamed that he buried his face in the ground. Recalling his previous life, he felt that he could not atone for his sins. He burst into tears and could not calm down for a long time.
Luo Hanyi was at a loss for what to do. The figure that had just been lifted up by Wei Li was once again pulled down by Zhou Xingdou.
But she didn't know what to say, so she could only kowtow three times like Stephen Chow and then bury her face in the ground.
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