Chapter 14, Clan Leader’s Summons

Translator: Raznick

 

Nine Peaks, Flying Stone Peak.

 

The Flying Stone Peak was rich in Qi and ranked third among the Nine Peaks. It was the place where Zhou  Daoquan, the Third Elder of the Zhou Clan, conducted his cultivation.

 

The Zhou Clan’s library was also built here.

 

One day, after Zhou Chun had completed his duty of guarding the Purification Pavilion, he made his way up to the Flying Stone Peak, intending to head over to the library for some reading.

 

He walked up the carved mountain path, and in no time arrived at the base of a three-story building.

 

His gaze swept over the golden character making the word library hanging on the entrance archway, and Zhou Chun walked in.

 

In the main hall of the first floor, there lay a hairy-faced monkey wearing a gray gown, sleeping soundly on a long table.

 

At this moment, as if sensing something, it subtly twitched his nostrils, waking up with a glance in his direction. It nodded at him slightly before resuming its slumber.

 

Even though it wasn’t the first time he had seen such a sight, Zhou Chun still couldn’t help but feel awe-inspired.

 

There was something special about this green-haired ape. It was once a spirit pet of a Zhou Clan member that had passed away. Back then, it was merely a lesser demon beast known as the Wood Ape.

 

Before his death, that Zhou Clan cultivator released it from their contract, wanting to set it free in the mountains and forests, granting it liberty.

 

But it refused the kind offer and chose to stay, continuing to serve the Zhou Clan.

 

It turned out that more than twenty years after the cultivator passed away, it had evolved from a first-grade demon beast into a second-grade Wood Spirit Ape.

 

At that time, this incident even sparked considerable discussions within the Three Absolute Sect. Several Golden Core Stage cultivators came over to take a look at this green-haired ape.

 

The Golden Core cultivator, Yu Jinghua, after conducting extensive research, concluded that this green ape was likely carrying a latent Wood Spirit Ape bloodline.

 

Then, for some unknown reason, its latent bloodline transformed into a dominant one, elevating its racial tier and breaking the shackles that prevented lesser demons from ascending to second-tier demon beast. It successfully evolved into a second-tier demon beast.

 

Nowadays, this Wood Spirit Ape had already reached the level of a second-grade average demon beast and held a status equivalent to that of a core clan member within the Zhou Clan, earning it the nickname Ape Elder.

 

Even this library, a place of great importance, had been entrusted to it for safekeeping.

 

And although it couldn’t speak human, its wisdom was just like another person’s. It could read and write, communicating just as well.

 

When Zhou Chun first visited the library and saw it, out of curiosity, she even exchanged writings with it.

 

He felt so strange about it and hated not having a phone on him so he could record the ape to post it on TikTok. It was sure to go viral!

 

After eyeing the dozing hairy ape, Zhou Chun moved stealthily towards the row with rows of bookshelves at the back.

 

The rules of Zhou Clan were as follows: the first floor of the library was open to all Zhou Clan cultivators without restriction; access to the second floor was granted only upon application by core clan members; and entry into the third floor was reserved for Elders.

 

But even within a single floor, there were thousands of books stored away, enough for Zhou Chun to read extensively.

 

He didn’t exactly have a lot of spare time to read either.

 

Zhou Chun didn’t read just any book; he prioritized studying various beast-taming records, particularly those summarizing the experiences of Zhou Clan elders and their records of all sorts of strange demon beasts.

 

As Zhou Chun spent more time here and encountered various types of demon beasts, he developed a growing interest in the art of beast-taming.

 

He also wanted to raise a few intelligent spirit pets like Ape Elder, who could not only give him great help in magical combat but also entertain him, play with him, and even cook and wash clothes for him.

 

Of course, relying on that Rock Turtle wouldn’t work; he needed those intelligent and good-looking fluffy pets.

 

…

 

Sun rose and moon setted, spring’s departure and winter’s arrival— Zhou Chun had been in this world for a year already.

 

Since he arrived at Zhou Clan’s Nine Peaks, except for brief periods when he was out on hunting expeditions outside, he spent all his time within the clan.

 

His life was also very regular. After his daily routine of meditation, and guarding the Purification Pavilion, he would do some small tasks, then immerse himself in the library reading and studying.

 

Occasionally, he was also invited by other fellow cultivators of the same lineage to participate in exchanges about cultivating experience and beast control techniques, sharing insights with others.

 

Over the course of a year, he steadily progressed in his cultivation, breaking through three more acupoints.

 

Moreover, the spirit pet he had cultivated for a year, Rock Turtle, had finally grown to the size of a foot and successfully awakened two mystical arts: Stone Skin and Earth Spike, possessing strength equivalent to a Qi Refining period fourth-layer cultivator.

 

Everything was going in the right direction, including the Zhou Clan.

 

Within this year, although Zhou Chun had not ventured out once, he had never slackened his observation of the senior members’ movements and changes within the Zhou Clan.

 

Based on his comprehensive observation and verification, Zhou’s leadership had been traveling frequently over the past year, likely paying visits to various factions in Mist Province and the surrounding provinces of Jing Kingdom, working on dismantling hostilities and suspicions among these groups and securing their recognition of Zhou’s future role as a part of the nation.

 

From changes within the Zhou Clan, it appeared that the efforts of the leadership had achieved certain results.

 

In the past six months, some Jing Kingdom cultivators had been invited by Zhou Clan’s management to visit Nine Peaks.

 

On this day, Zhou Chun was on his way to guard the Purification Pavilion on Ganoderma Peak as usual when he received another piece of good news from Zhou Jiahe, who was in charge of the peak alongside him.

 

After a year of establishing themselves at the Nine Peaks, finally, a few bold cultivators dared to come to the Zhou Clan to rent a meditation room for their practice.

 

Renting cultivation rooms for outsides to train was a fairly lucrative business venture for the revered cultivation clans and sects.

 

The fact that there were now rogue cultivators willing to come to the Zhou Clan for training suggests that the Zhou Clan’s reputation for seizing the Nine Peaks was gradually fading.

 

At least some of the rogue cultivators were willing to believe that the Zhou Clan would not persecute those who come to train as rogue cultivators.

 

This was really good news.

 

Because if there were enough rogue cultivators coming to Zhou Clan for cultivation, then not only would it bring endless spirit coins income to Zhou Clan when that time comes, the Zhou Clan could also reverse this by tempting some rogue cultivators with free training to participate in the work of guarding the Purification Pavilion.

 

It would free some Zhou Clan cultivators, allowing them time to venture out and pursue their own desires.

 

And the good news din’t stop there.

 

Two days later, Zhou Chun was reading in the library when a brilliantly feathered blue macaw suddenly flew in. Speaking with human words, it called out to him: “Brother Chun, Clan Leader has summoned you to Pagoda Peak.”

 

Zhou Chun, upon seeing this, first tightened his expression and then lightly nodded as he replied, “I understand. Blue, go back and inform the Clan Leader that I’m heading over to Pagoda Peak to pay my respects to him.”

 

“Understood, Brother Chun, take care.”

 

The blue macaw gave a single cry and, with a flap of its wings, flew out of the library.

 

This blue macaw, a spirit pet especially trained and conditioned by Zhou Daoyi, the Clan Leader of the Zhou Clan, was kept to facilitate internal clan affairs during office hours.

 

It was merely a first-grade demon beast of average potential, but exceptionally intelligent. It had mastered the art of mimicry and could recognize over a hundred Zhou Clan cultivators, enabling it to easily locate a specific one within the mountains. This allowed for swift communication of Zhou Daoyi’s orders.

 

There were many Zhou Clan cultivators who trained low demon beasts to help with their duties.

 

Without any delay, Zhou Chun quickly returned the books he was holding to their original place after the blue macaw had departed. He then left the library at a brisk pace, heading straight for Pagoda Peak.

 

When Zhou Chun arrived at the Central Palace, he discovered that not only himself, but also two other Zheng generation Zhou Clan cultivators—one male and one female—had been summoned here as well.

 

At this point, upon seeing him arrive, Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi spoke up, addressing the three of them: “I urgently summoned you three today because there’s a task that needs to be carried out. Do you dare undertake it?”

 

Upon hearing these words, Zhou Chun and his companions exchanged glances. The eldest among them, a young man from the Zhou Clan, promptly responded with respect: “May I inquire what task it is, Clan Leader?”

 

Zhou Daoyi immediately said, “The task is not difficult. It’s about Zhou Clan and three clans from Jing Kingdom reaching an agreement. They wish for three willing Zhou Clan cultivators who are proficient in beast taming to stay at their clans for three years, to train some clan members in the art of beast taming.”

 

After speaking, he looked deeply at all three of them and said faintly, “I have looked into each of you. With your knowledge and cultivation, you are fully capable of handling this task.”

 

“And what about safety? When we go to other clans alone, will they ensure our safety?”

 

The girl among them also whispered her own concern.

 

“It goes without saying that they will treat you as honored guests; no one will harm a single hair on your head.”

 

Zhou Daoyi nodded without hesitation, speaking with full certainty.

 

The female cultivator, upon hearing this, immediately expressed her agreement: “If that’s the case, I am willing to follow my clan’s arrangements and serve our clan.”

 

“I am also willing to serve my clan.”

 

Zhou Chun and another young man also responded.

 

“Very good, then you may return and make preparations. The specifics of the task have already been compiled into a document, so you can read through it to get a clear understanding.”

 

Zhou Daoyi was satisfied and nodded. He immediately waved his sleeves, sending three handbooks into their hands.