That evening.
To celebrate the end of their troubles, Zhou An, despite his serious injuries, busied himself preparing a lavish dinner.
This table wasn't about refinement or presentation; it was about being 'hearty'.
Braised pig's head, braised ox head, braised lamb's head.
The main point was that it was hearty enough!
"My Zhou Family suffered a great calamity, and it's all thanks to Second Uncle rushing back from so far away to save the Zhou Family from peril."
Zhou An stood up, leaning on the table, "Here, your nephew thanks Second Uncle once again."
Zhou You waved his hand, his eyes fixed on the three heads on the table without blinking.
He wasn't particularly hungry to begin with, but as soon as he smelled the braised dishes, he immediately felt three-tenths hungrier.
Zhou An then cupped his hands to Li Wanji, "Thank you, Guniang, for speaking up for justice."
Li Wanji stood up, "You're too kind, Senior; I actually didn't do anything."
Zhou An smiled, "Second Uncle, would you like to say a few words?"
Zhou You was startled; there were only four people at the entire table.
Who was he supposed to speak to?
Besides, what was he supposed to say? He didn't understand this etiquette at all.
Zhou Chen timely rescued Zhou You, leading the applause, "Second Master spoke well. We will definitely listen to your teachings and strive forward in the future."
Zhou You returned a smile; this girl was truly sensible.
Li Wanji was very confused. Why was this Zhou Guniang so attentive to this not-so-impressive Second Master?
Although he was Second Master, their ages were similar.
Could it be…
Li Wanji was secretly startled. No wonder they said geniuses all had some eccentricities.
This Zhou Chen was indeed extraordinarily talented and exceptionally strong.
But it seemed she had an unusual affection for this elder.
It was precisely because of the existence of this twisted emotion that she was willing to hide her strength and humbly serve him in front of Zhou You.
"Oh my goodness."
Li Wanji's heart stirred, and she secretly pondered, "What kind of strange relationship do these two have? Zhou Chen Guniang treats me so well; I can't let her fall into a misconception. Moreover, this kind of emotion must never be allowed; it goes against moral principles. No, I must take you away. I believe that in endless battles, you will definitely be able to find your proper place."
In her opinion, Zhou Chen's attitude towards Zhou You was simply incomprehensibly good.
It was a feeling more intimate than with her own father.
How could Zhou You know Li Wanji's thoughts? He simply greeted everyone, "Then let's not just sit there; let's eat. Li Guniang, please don't be shy; make yourself at home."
Li Wanji smiled. Being tall and strong, she directly took the ox head tray and began to eat heartily.
Zhou You also took the lamb's head.
Zhou An whispered, "Second Master, if it's not enough, I'll have someone make more or buy some."
Zhou You had no mind to bother with him; he was eating heartily.
Seeing this, Zhou An lowered his voice, "I've already informed my second and third brothers to rush back to pay their respects to you, and I believe they will return soon. Also, my somewhat promising son. Your return this time was too rushed, and they needed to make arrangements over there, so they are returning a bit late. Please forgive me, old sir."
Zhou You's mouth was full of lamb, making muffled sounds, "It doesn't matter. They're not my sons. Having you all is enough."
Zhou An was overjoyed, "Thank you, Second Uncle, for your affection. I will definitely not disappoint you."
Affection?
Zhou You tilted his head and continued eating.
It wasn't really affection; he hadn't known of their existence and had never seen them before.
However, they were the descendants of his eldest brother, so they were his blood relatives.
Furthermore, Zhou You was not good at socializing.
In previous years, those who occasionally went up the mountain to find his master would prepare fine wine and delicacies themselves, and his old master was never polite.
Zhou An then said, "Second Uncle, they will all come back eventually. Will you see them then?"
Zhou You suddenly looked up at Zhou Chen and blinked.
Zhou Chen understood, quickly trotted over, and leaned in to listen.
Zhou You quietly stated his thoughts, and Zhou Chen was surprised but simply nodded.
Then Zhou Chen returned to her seat, and after Li Wanji had gnawed on half an ox head, she smiled and said, "Li Guniang, I've been thinking, now that the demon plague has begun, and you are from the Demon Subduing Division. Could you take me along? Introduce me to the Demon Subduing Division?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou An panicked, "Silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about? Hurry up and eat!"
Under the table, Zhou You kicked Zhou An, and only then did Zhou An shut up.
Li Wanji's eyes lit up with joy, "Have you thought it through?"
Zhou Chen nodded, "Yes, as a member of the world, I should contribute my strength."
"That's great."
Li Wanji was overjoyed, "Don't worry, I still have some connections, so this is absolutely no problem. Even if I don't find someone, as long as you make a contribution, the Demon Subduing Division will have no reason to refuse you."
Zhou Chen first thanked her, then brought up the topic, "However, my Second Master also wants to go and see. What do you think about this?"
Upon hearing this, the smile on Li Wanji's face instantly froze, and she looked at Zhou You with a slight frown.
Zhou You looked back; he really wanted to ask, what's the meaning of this?
Who are you looking down on?
Zhou Chen quickly said, "Is there a difficulty?"
Li Wanji put down the ox head, "The front lines are not like the rear. There are hordes of demonic beasts there, and many cities have fallen. The people inside are counting on those outside for rescue. If this elder wants to go sightseeing, please forgive my bluntness, but there's nothing good to see there except corpses, only corpses."
Zhou You smiled, "I want to broaden my horizons."
Li Wanji frowned; she couldn't help but ponder.
It was difficult to make a decision between Zhou Chen and Zhou You.
After all, she saw Zhou Chen draw her sword.
She just couldn't figure out how Zhou Chen did it.
If Zhou Chen couldn't do it, then was it Zhou You who did it?
And as for the front lines…
As long as they didn't go too deep, there shouldn't be any danger to their lives.
Zhou You tilted his head; he found it strange.
Why did this woman, who was like a big man, look down on him so much?
Yet, in his perception, Li Wanji was as weak as a Blood Shadow Wolf.
Zhou Chen quickly said, "Li Guniang, my Second Master is very powerful…"
Although she couldn't see Zhou You draw his sword, she already worshipped Zhou You from the bottom of her heart.
Without Second Master, the Zhou Family would have been annihilated.
Li Wanji was a bit helpless and finally said, "You can go, but I hope you'll be extra careful then."
Zhou Chen repeatedly thanked her, "That's too kind of you! With you leading the way, it will definitely be much more convenient."
Li Wanji secretly smiled bitterly, feeling that perhaps she didn't have such a Second Master, so she couldn't fully understand their relationship.
Zhou You was also beaming with joy. See, his plan was going so smoothly. With someone so familiar with the ropes leading the way, he could quickly understand the current situation of the demon plague. Most importantly, the distribution of demonic beasts above the sixth rank. These types of demonic beasts had demon cores, which suited his taste.
He couldn't possibly run to the front lines and search for them himself, could he?
But with Li Wanji, it was different; she surely knew many things he didn't.
