Refining the Mountains and Rivers

East Zhou Duly took a deep breath. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at Qin Yu. After this, she realized that it was the wrong reaction so her face flushed red for a moment before she concealed it.

There was of course some anger in her chest. While this had all been her guess and had nothing to do with Qin Yu, women always had the privilege of causing trouble without reason.

But more than that, there was joy.

Qin Yu was Qin Yu, so he would naturally help himself and become one of her followers. East Zhou Duly was absolutely confident in this.

Even after today when news of his appearance leaked out, no one would be able to 'poach' him.

But how did he accomplish what he did in Stranded God Canyon? He had at least solved up to the 99th problem of the rules three times, and in the end Stranded God Canyon even vanished.

This Qin Yu…she thought that there was something extraordinary about him in the beginning, but she never imagined that she had still underestimated him.

Qin Yu certainly noticed East Zhou Duly roll her eyes as well as her slightly irritated expression and even her joy. Sure enough, his previous efforts weren't for nothing. He was at least ninety percent sure he had this follower spot.

His mood lifted. When he looked at Zhou Pei, he even thought his rough face was much more pleasing to the eyes.

Qin Yu patted his shoulder and said, "Let the matters of the past disperse with the wind."

Zhou Pei's smile froze. He thought that since his acting skills were so exquisite, how had Qin Yu seen through him?

Or had he been targeted from the start, and every action and movement he made was being tracked?

With this thought in mind, Zhou Pei stiffened like a piece of wood. A cold chill sped up his back.

What do you want…Qin Yu, just what do you want…I've already done so much and yet you are still like this? Even a rabbit that is pushed far enough into a corner will bite back and even a pig will crawl up a tree. If you go too far, I will have no choice but to fight back!

Zhou Pei clenched his teeth inwardly, feeling himself reach the edge of eruption. When he looked up and saw Qin Yu's warm smile, he trembled.

No, I cannot be impulsive. Living is wonderful. As long as there is even the slightest chance, I cannot seek death on my own initiative.

Giving two dry laughs, Zhou Pei took out another entirely identical jade bottle. "Ah, I almost forgot. That 10,000 year old snow clam was just too fat and plump, it was just barely enough to make two bottles of snow clam cream. Today, I would like to gift it to Miss Snowside. If you use it sparingly, it will be enough for many, many years."

Sorry, my friend. It's not that I'm not strong but that the opponent is far too strong. I can only endure this humiliation.

Qin Yu looked at the Zhou Pei who was forcing out a smile even as his heart bled. In truth, he felt a bit awkward. He wondered if he had gone too far. He thought about saying that he was being earnest and didn't plan on knocking on him for more benefits.

But seeing Zhou Pei's twitching eyebrows, he suspected that if he continued to refuse, Zhou Pei might overthink things even more and take out more things to try and survive.

Qin Yu lightly coughed and restrained his expression. He thought that if Zhou Pei was willing, it had nothing to do with him. He turned and said, "Since fellow daoist Zhou Pei is being so sincere, accept it."

Snowside beamed with joy. No matter how old a woman was, they had no resistance when it came to beautifying products.

She took both bottles of snow clam paste in hand and sweetly smiled at Zhou Pei. "Then I must thank Mister Zhou."

Zhou Pei nodded, "Of course, of course." He moved to the side and dodged her bow.

This woman was not easy to deal with. If he were negligent enough to receive her bow, she would definitely bear a grudge.

Qin Yu didn't pay attention to him any longer. He stepped forward and cupped his hands together, "Miss East Zhou, it's been awhile since we last met. How have you been?"

East Zhou Duly looked deeply at him, "The Path of 10,000 Souls is about to open soon and I was fortunate enough to be able to participate and compete with the numerous other proud children of heaven. I've been feeling restless recently."

Qin Yu smiled. "Oh. If that's the case, is there a way I can lend Miss East Zhou a helping hand…I also have some interest in the Path of 10,000 Souls."

East Zhou Duly's eyes brightened. "Of course you're welcome to!"

She could no longer conceal her happiness. She smiled and said, "Qin Yu, you have agreed. You cannot go back on your word."

"A gentleman always stays true to his word!"

East Zhou Duly turned and said, "Brother Shang, Qin Yu and you will become fellow companions that enter the Path of 10,000 Souls with me. On my behalf, can you forget everything that happened before?"

Shang Lingyu's eyes darkened. He looked at Qin Yu for a time and slowly said, "Since Miss East Zhou has asked, I will forgive all previous entanglements."

He cupped his hands together and said, "Fellow daoist Qin Yu, my name is Shang Lingyu. I hope that we can work together and help Miss East Zhou obtain a harvest."

Qin Yu cupped his hands together, "I will do my best."

The disturbance was extinguished with this.

It was a bit abrupt but also how it should be. Although it damaged Shang Lingyu's face a little, no one laughed at him. Instead, they gave him a thumbs up.

He came from an honored background and his strength was formidable, yet he was able to abandon unnecessary face. If he picked something up, he could afford to put it down…he was actually quite a character.

After all, even though no one knew of Qin Yu's true origins, it was basically confirmed that he had some great background. Form enmity with such a character just because of some minor squabbles would clearly be the wrong choice.

East Zhou Duly smiled with satisfaction. "Today, I will hold another banquet to congratulate the two of you for repairing your relationship and also as a reception for Qin Yu."

Things proceeded even smoother than Qin Yu planned. He boarded his carriage and headed deeper into the East Zhou Family.

And by this time, news of his appearance had spread out far and wide.

The East Zhou Family immediately activated their intelligence network. They first confirmed Qin Yu's identity, determining that he was indeed the same one who caused such a stir in Stranded God Canyon.

This was obviously a good thing!

With the family's preparations and Qin Yu joining, the chances of East Zhou Duly succeeding were much higher. However, their investigation into Qin Yu's background still remained unclear; it became the only point of question in the hearts of the East Zhou Family's high-level figures.

The Path of 10,000 Souls was a matter of vital importance. No accidents could be allowed. No amount of cautiousness would be considered excessive.

Moreover, in their opinion, the appearance of Qin Yu and his maid was too coincidental, as if they specifically came here for East Zhou Duly.

But according to the rumors, this master and servant had no reason to do this.

Sometimes boasting too much and being too successful in doing so wasn't a good thing.

"Inform the Fourth Miss to come here after the banquet ends."

"Yes."

The banquet proceeded smoothly. Even Shang Junjun had no choice but to squeeze out a smile, even if her smile was worse to look at than a crying face.

Even now she couldn't accept that Qin Yu was that Qin Yu. When she saw his calm and carefree expression in the hall, she hated him so much that her teeth itched. But she had no choice but to patiently endure it.

This was someone that even her big brother wouldn't rashly become enemies with, so what could she do?

While Shang Lingyu doted on her, she also had to be smart about it. If she tried to fan the flames of between her big brother and Qin Yu, that would be above and beyond stupid.

Doctor Ye was invited to the hall. When he saw Qin Yu, his eyes filled with surprise.

This boy…he originally thought that he had placed him in sufficiently high regards, but now he knew he was mistaken.

He still couldn't imagine that the person he tried so hard to find was that junior who was once so weak and small.

But there was one thing he was sure of. If the miss could obtain Qin Yu's help, her chances of success would be much higher!

This boy was simply the miss's lucky star. It was like that in the past, just as it was now.

Mm…thinking about it carefully, with Qin Yu's current status and in addition to his strong and mysterious background, he could indeed be considered a match for the young miss.

If he succeeded and obtained Qin Yu's ardent support, the young miss' status in the family would be as stable as a mountain.

Doctor Ye's eyes gradually lit up as these thoughts swirled in his mind.

The host and guests all had a wonderful time.

Shang Lingyu and Qin Yu smiled and nodded at each other. After drinking their cups of wine, they bid their farewells.

East Zhou Duly didn't give Doctor Ye a chance to talk about life-long events. After listening to the whispers of a nearby maid, she stood up and left.

The East Zhou Family was in charge of a hundred worlds. They had been a powerful and mighty family since long ago, and their inheritance had continued for hundreds of thousands of years.

The family had spread and multiplied, and there was an incalculable number of clansmen. Only those with the most excellent degree of talent would be recognized by the main clan and obtain the resources of the family.

East Zhou Duly was fourth in line. This meant that in her generation, she was the fourth one that was chosen by the family. There were three people before her, and dozens of people after.

Any one of them had a chance of blooming in the spotlight. East Zhou Duly had her father Mengyin and her talent in itself was outstanding. But for her to have her current status, she had gone through countless twists and turns.

Even if she obtained the qualifications to enter the Path of 10,000 Souls, there were still countless people waiting for her to trip and fall so they could replace her.