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    Translator: Raznick

     

    “I have completed your instructions and conducted thorough investigations into each individual on the list, compiling relevant records.”

     

    Within the Central Palace, Zhou Chun had finished his own investigation of the last few individuals on his list before presenting all his reports to Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi.

     

    Zhou Daoyi asked: “What have you found? Are there any suspects?”

     

    “I am sorry to say, Clan Leader, that I detected no issues with the responses of any clan members.”

     

    Zhou Chun bowed his head deeply and spoke his honest reply.

     

    He was telling the truth, but it was also a word born of helplessness.

     

    Since the matter of Zhou Jiahui’s disappearance could not be publicly announced, he couldn’t use that as his reason for investigation. As a result, many details remained unsaid and unexplored.

     

    Such limited information didn’t provide him with much guidance.

     

    Under these circumstances, it was only natural that he didn’t accuse any clan member of suspicion, lest it lead to some unintended blunder.

     

    “It seems that you still have a lot of concerns.”

     

    Zhou Daoyi narrowed his eyes as he looked at Zhou Chun, openly stating what was on his mind.

     

    Then, with a slight nod, he added, “That’s understandable. After all, it’s your first time dealing with such matters. To feel cautious is only human, and there’s no fault in that.”

     

    Zhou Chun remained silent, which was almost like an admission.

     

    Zhou Daoyi said, “Leave behind the records of your investigation; I will take some time to review them carefully.”

     

    After speaking, he looked at Zhou Chun with an encouraging expression and said, “Don’t feel too pressured. If nothing comes up, it might be a good thing—perhaps it means there are no traitors within the clan.”

     

    “I shall remember,” Zhou Chun respectfully replied with a nod.

     

    Zhou Daoyi waved his hand and said, “You may go ahead and rest for a couple of days. After that, I will assign some tasks for you.”

     

    “Yes,” Zhou Chun answered.

     

    Upon returning to his residence, Zhou Chun lay on the bed, repeatedly recalling the questioning he had conducted with various members of the Zhou Clan over these days. He was genuinely determined to uncover the truth. His motives were two-fold: not only to seek revenge for Zhou Jiahui, the Nineteenth Aunt, but also to protect the secret behind Touch of Despair.

     

    It seemed that he would have no chance to return to the market anytime soon. However, Touch of Despair, a poison currently in high demand, served as his hallmark achievement. If Spirit Beast Pavilion could establish itself firmly in the market and see its sales surge thanks to this poison, Zhou Chun, as the driving force behind it all, would undoubtedly gain the favor and esteem of many Zhou Clan cultivators and even the clan’s leadership.

     

    Hewas the least inclined person to tolerate any replication of Touch of Despair.

     

    But finding the truth wasn’t going to be easy.

     

    Zhou Chun lay in bed for a while, his head spinning as he tried to make sense of it all. Then, he sensed that the array outside the courtyard had been disturbed.

     

    “Oh, it’s you, Brother Yong. What brings you here?” Zhou Chun said, his face lighting up when he saw who was at the door.

     

    Zhengyong frowned slightly, concern evident in his voice as he asked, “Thirteenth Brother, you look exhausted. Has something happened at the clan? I heard you’ve been busy lately.”

     

    “Nothing’s wrong, Brother Yong. Don’t worry about it,” Zhou Chun replied with a forced smile.

     

    Zhou Chun didn’t want to discuss much with Zhou Zhengyong, so he quickly changed the subject. “Brother Yong, what did you come here for anyway?”

     

    Zhengyong sensed something and refrained from asking further. He merely nodded in agreement with Zhou Chun’s words and said, “To be honest, my visit to you today, Thirteenth Brother, isn’t about anything urgent. It’s mainly out of excitement over the news that your sister-in-law is expecting. My father-in-law and mother-in-law have come all the way to Mist Province to visit her.”

     

    As he spoke this, Zhou Zhengyong cast a concerned glance toward Zhou Chun and continued, “To accommodate them, I prepared some delicacies especially for their visit. That’s why I wanted to invite you to join us for a taste of these treats.”

     

    Zhou Chun appeared slightly surprised before breaking into a heartfelt smile as he looked at him, saying, “Is sister-in-law really pregnant? Congratulations to you and your wife, Brother Yong!”

     

    “Heh, that’s for sure! I pride myself on getting things done efficiently!” Brother Yong grinned smugly, his face lighting up with joy.

     

    Moved by Zhengyong’s genuine expression of happiness, Zhou Chun replied, “Brother Yong, please wait here while I quickly tidy up.”

     

    After a brief delay, Zhou Chun, now freshly groomed and dressed, followed Zhengyong to his home.

     

    Upon arriving at Zhou Zhengyong’s home, Zhou Chun first greeted and paid his respects to Sun Lianzhong, who had come as a guest. He then raised his hand to pat the storage bag strapped to his waist, from which he produced a silken box and handed it to Zhou Zhengyong’s Dao companion, Sun Yujiao. Smiling, he said, “I heard that you are expecting, and I am truly delighted. This box contains seven spiritual dates; I offer them to you for your long health. Please do accept them.”

     

    Sun Yujiao was slightly taken aback and couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Zhengyong.

     

    Zhou Zhengyong smiled and nodded, saying, “Since it is brother’s gift, go ahead, Yujiao.”

     

    Sun Yujiao hesitated no longer. She said with a smile, “Then, for the sake of the child, I thank you, Younger Brother.”

     

    She took the box without looking at it and placed it inside her storage bag. She then invited Zhou Chun to sit down alongside her.

     

    To entertain his seldom-visiting in-laws, Zhou Zhengyong had certainly spared no effort. On the dining table, there were numerous ingredients that were rich spiritual items—usually only used during special banquets hosted by the Zhou Clan.

     

    This meal might only provide a small boost to one’s cultivation, but the quality of the food was unquestionable. Zhou Chun could see that Sun Lianzhong had initially complained about his daughter’s extravagance before the meal, but once eating began, his mood clearly brightened.

     

    After the meal, Zhou Zhengyong brought out a pot of spiritual tea with a look of pride. He poured two cups of fragrant, pale green tea and respectfully presented them to Sun Lianzhong and his wife.

     

    “Respected father-in-law and mother-in-law,” he said, “please try this specialty tea from the Zhou Clan. It’s a rare delicacy that’s nearly extinct in our clan now. I went to great lengths to obtain this single vial from an elder to present to you both as a token of my respect.”

     

    The aroma of the tea had already captured Sun Lianzhong and his wife’s attention, and upon hearing Zhou Zhengyong’s words, their eyes sparkled with approval.

     

    “Alright then,” they replied with a laugh, “we won’t be polite.”

     

    Sun Lianzhong chuckled softly and took the tea, sipping it slowly. Closing his eyes for a moment, he seemed to savor the flavor deeply. After some time, he opened his eyes with satisfaction and praised, “Good tea! Truly excellent tea!”

     

    He couldn’t resist taking another sip. Zhou Zhengyong noticed this and smiled happily. He quickly fetched another cup, filled it, and offered it to Zhou Chun, saying, “Thirteenth Brother, have a cup too. I bet you haven’t had Honey Flower Tea in a while.”

     

    “This aroma…” Zhou Chun stared at the teacup Zhou Zhengyong was offering, hesitant to take it. Instead, he seemed lost in thought, closing his eyes briefly as memories perhaps flooded his mind.

     

    This performance left Zhou Zhengyong completely puzzled. He immediately asked aloud, “Thirteenth Brother, Thirteenth Brother, what’s wrong with you? Is there something wrong with the tea?”

     

    “No, it’s not the tea. I just suddenly thought of something related to this Honey Flower Tea.”

     

    Zhou Chun opened his eyes, shook his head slightly, and then reached out to take Zhou Zhengyong’s teapot, taking a small sip.

     

    It truly was excellent tea! This was Zhou Chun’s first time drinking Honey Flower Tea since arriving in this world. The flavor was indeed unmatched—it surpassed the several types of spiritual tea he had previously tasted and was equally effective.

     

    But now was not the time to sip tea.

     

    After just a brief aftertaste, Zhou Chun fixated his gaze on Zhou Zhengyong and asked, “Brother Yong, where did you get this Honey Flower Tea from? I thought after our clan split, the Zhou Clan should have stopped producing it.”

     

    Zhou Zhengyong sighed and replied, “That’s right. Without the Jade Spirit Bee and the Vibrant Tea Tree, we can no longer make this Honey Flower Tea ourselves. Only a few of the clan’s elders still have some stock left, keeping it as prized possessions!”

     

    “Speaking of,” he frankly admitted his shortcomings without any hesitation, “I obtained today’s portion of Honey Flower Tea through the favor of my deceased father. It was no easy task—I had to appeal to my Ninth Uncle with heartfelt persuasion, even mentioning the unborn child in Yujiao’s womb to move him!”

     

    “Child… you are truly thoughtful!!”

     

    Upon hearing Zhou Zhengyong’s words, Sun Lianzhong’s expression softened, and his gaze towards his daughter’s husband was filled with affection.

     

    Meanwhile, Zhou Chun remained absorbed in his own thoughts. After listening to Zhou Zhengyong’s explanation, a contemplative look came over him as he muttered to himself, “So it stands to reason that for a precious spiritual item like the Honey Flower Tea, even a senior member of the clan like Ninth Uncle wouldn’t be able to drink it regularly anymore.”

     

    “How could he drink it regularly!”

     

    Zhou Zhengyong sighed deeply, shaking his head. “Not just him—probably not even Clan Leader or Grand Elder themselves would have the chance to drink it whenever. It’s likely reserved for entertaining important guests or on their birthdays, just a small amount to reminisce about.”

     

    “Hmm… is that so?”

     

    Zhou Chun pondered aloud before suddenly raising his hands in a gesture of respect towards Zhou Zhengyong and bowing slightly. “Please forgive me, Brother Yong. I have urgent matters to attend to and must immediately seek an audience with Clan Leader. I must take my leave now.”

     

    After saying that, he bowed to Sun Lianzhong and his wife and said, “Uncle Sun, Aunt Lin, please enjoy your meal.”

     

    Zhou Chun quickly left Zhou Zhengyong’s home in the stunned and puzzled eyes of Zhou Zhengyong’s family.

     

    After staring at Zhou Chun’s departing back for a long time, Zhou Zhengyong came back to his senses and quickly explained to Sun Lianzhong and his wife, “Father-in-law, please forgive me. Thirteenth Brother has always been steady and polite. This time he must have encountered an important matter and he is definitely not neglecting you two.”

     

    Sun Lianzhong heard this and immediately waved his hand and said, “Zhengyong, don’t say more. We all saw what happened just now. Nephew Zhengchun must have something important to do. Let’s not disturb him.”

     

    “Thank you for understanding, father-in-law!”

     

    Zhou Zhengyong breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly picked up the teapot to refill the tea for the two elders and served them diligently.

     

    Zhou Chun jumped on his flying artifact and went straight for Pagoda Peak.

     

    When he met Zhou Daoyi in the Central Palace, he immediately bowed and said: “Clan leader, I just found an important clue and would like to ask you to solve my doubts.”

     

    “Ah, you want to ask something?”

     

    Zhou Daoyi looked at him in surprise and was immediately drawn into his words.

     

    “I humbly asks Clan Leader’s guidance. Given your status and that of Grand Elder’s, do you still often have access to such a rare spiritual tea as the Honey Flower Tea?”

     

    Zhou Chun regarded Zhou Daoyi with a serious expression and posed the question that had been on his mind.

     

    “That’s definitely not possible. Even back in Feng Kingdom, I and Grand Elder could only allocate three or five vials of tea pellets each year, and from those, some would be set aside as gifts for Fellow Daoists outside the sect, others to bestow upon younger disciples, and still more reserved for entertaining distinguished guests.”

     

    Zhou Daoyi shook his head slightly and answered Zhou Chun’s query in elaborate detail.

     

    “Honestly speaking, the number of times one can enjoy Honey Flower Tea all to oneself in a year is quite limited!”

     

    Then, a flicker of doubt passed over Zhou Daoyi’s eyes as he looked at Zhou Chun with a puzzled expression: “Zhengchun, why the odd question? Have you discovered some crucial clue related to the Honey Flower Tea?”

     

    Zhou Chun listened to his response and became even more confident in her suspicions. At that moment, hearing him ask this, Zhou Chun took a deep breath and spoke in a serious tone: “Clan Leader, I believe I know who betrayed the clan and orchestrated the murder of Nineteenth Aunt.”

     

    “Who? Tell me!”

     

    Zhou Daoyi’s expression darkened as he stared at Zhou Chun, his voice cold.

     

    “In my previous report, there was one detail I overlooked. When I questioned my Seventh Brother in his study, I happened to open the teapot on his desk. It still carried a faint aroma of Honey Flower Tea.

     

    “But since I hadn’t drunk it in so long, I didn’t recognize it at the time. It wasn’t until today, thanks to Brother Zhengyong’s hospitality, that I realized where that scent was coming from!

     

    “Clan Leader, as you said, even someone of our Zhou Clan with Foundation Establishment cultivation like yourself couldn’t often enjoy Honey Flower Tea back in Feng Kingdom. So how is it possible for my Seventh Brother to have access to it now, especially in his study? Where did he get the Honey Flower Tea from?

     

    “Considering that Seventh Brother left home on the same day Nineteenth Aunt departed from the clan, and he happened to be out as well, I dare say these two events are related!

     

    “Heavens, there’s more! I personally saw Seventh Brother exit Spirit Beast Edifice while wandering through the market. I even asked Sixteenth Uncle about it, who can confirm that Seventh Brother did not visit Spirit Beast Pavilion that day. That seems a bit suspicious, doesn’t it?”

     

    Zhou Chun looked at Zhou Daoyi with a solemn expression and spoke in a low tone about his discoveries and speculations.

     

    Though he hadn’t come out and said it outright, his words clearly implied who he suspected.

     

    Now it was up to Zhou Daoyi to decide how he felt about this line of thinking.

     

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