Clan Cultivation: Starting from Beast Taming

Chapter 81: Chapter 77: Heir, Humiliation [3 more requests for subscription]

Zhou Chun was left within the family clan to assist in the investigation into the potential traitor.

Zhou Daoyi clearly had a special intention in doing so.

At least in Zhou Daoquan’s view, he was intentionally cultivating Zhou Chun’s ability to manage the clan members.

Therefore, after Zhou Chun and Zhou Jiahe had left, leaving only the two of them in the hall, he did not hesitate to look at Zhou Daoyi and asked, “Clan Leader, are you planning to train Zhengchun as your successor by having him stay to investigate the traitor?”

And faced with such a direct question, Zhou Daoyi didn’t hesitate at all before nodding and saying, “Indeed, I am considering something along those lines.”

“But isn’t this a bit premature? I’m not saying the kid can’t handle it, it’s just that he is still too young and his cultivation is far too lacking. By pushing him out into the open now, are you sure it’s for his own good?”

Zhou Daoquan looked directly at Zhou Daoyi, voicing his concerns openly.

However, after hearing this, Zhou Daoyi slightly shook his head and said, “There are advantages in starting early, letting him learn these things sooner, so we can find out whether he is truly capable.”

After saying this, he waved his hand and added, “I have made my calculations on this matter, rest assured.”

Seeing this, Zhou Daoquan had no choice but to nod and replied, “Alright, since you have it all figured out, I won’t say any more.”

Because the message was kept in strict confidence, the disappearance of Zhou Jiahui did not cause any ripples within the Zhou Family of Jiufeng Ridge.

Her husband Shen Xin and her children had all been consoled and warned by Zhou Daoyi. Despite being overwhelmed with grief, they had to endure the pain outwardly and weep silently at home in order to find the perpetrator.

As the designated assistant investigator into the traitor, Zhou Chun soon obtained from Zhou Daoyi the records of the core clan members’ outings over the past three months as well as the data on their direct relatives up to three generations.

Then, cross-referencing the information in hand, he began to analyze and investigate each member one by one.

In his heart, Zhou Chun also felt that the disappearance of Zhou Jiahui was likely related to Spirit Beast Manor and was probably due to a traitor within the clan.

The Zhou Family had relocated to Jingguo Country for only a few years, and the only real enemies were the now-disbanded “Qiyun Alliance” and some loose cultivators.

Putting aside those loose cultivators who harbored hatred and sought revenge against the Zhou Family,

it was very difficult for them to acquire information about Zhou Jiahui leaving the clan.

Even if they acquired the information, silently taking out Zhou Jiahui would not be an easy task.

Moreover, if those loose cultivators really wanted to take revenge on the Zhou Family, they would have no need to choose Spirit Beast Manor as their target for instigation, because the Zhou Family, no matter how angry, wouldn’t actively seek revenge against Spirit Beast Manor, where a Golden Core Stage cultivator was stationed.

Therefore, from start to finish, Zhou Chun always believed that it was Spirit Beast Manor behind Zhou Jiahui’s disappearance.

Only an entity like Spirit Beast Manor, with its intricate connections to the Zhou Family, could more easily learn about the existence of the Heart-Linking Grub and more easily bribe a Zhou Family cultivator to provide information.

Therefore, at this moment in his investigation, Zhou Chun focused on whether those clan members listed had senior relatives in Spirit Beast Manor.

Not only did he base his investigations on written information, but he also made overt and covert visits to some clan members to see if they exhibited a sudden increase in their cultivation level or unexpectedly came into wealth following an outing.

After investigating within the clan for more than ten days, Zhou Chun had interacted with most of the clan members on the list, leaving only a few with special identities for last.

At this time, looking at the last few names on the list, his gaze finally landed on the name of a peer cultivator—none other than Zhou Zhengkang, the Zhou Family’s Foundation Establishment Seed.

Zhou Zhengkang appeared on the list because he happened to have applied for leave on the same day Zhou Jiahui left the clan.

Though his status was extraordinary, Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi, being known for his fairness and strictness, naturally would not deliberately omit the record of his outing.

Looking at the name Zhou Zhengkang on the list, Zhou Chun couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “This lucky fellow, thanks to the incident with the nineteenth aunt, I forgot to bring the complaint letter from the sixteenth uncle. I hope he can be a bit more sensible this time!”

But would Zhou Zhengkang truly be sensible?

Zhou Chun did not believe he would be.

Therefore, when he went to visit, he prepared himself sufficiently.

As a Foundation Establishment Seed of the Zhou Family, Zhou Zhengkang resided at the foot of Pagoda Peak, where he usually went to the summit for cultivation.

When Zhou Chun arrived at the gate of his residence and activated the exterior formation, Zhou Zhengkang, upon seeing that the visitor was Zhou Chun, immediately revealed a flicker of unnatural expression in his eyes.

He had heard about Zhou Chun’s inquiries around the clan these past few days.

So, upon seeing Zhou Chun visiting, his guilty conscience made him quite startled and angry.

Consequently, his tone was naturally very discourteous.

“What are you doing here? Is this a place you’re supposed to come to?”

His nostrils were practically flaring towards the sky, his eyes filled with disdain as he looked at Zhou Chun, as if a master was regarding a servant.

Despite having braced himself for the encounter in advance, Zhou Chun was still infuriated by his attitude.