A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

In the main hall, Jin Yan sat diagonally on the main seat, her phoenix eyes looking at Zhou Ping with a mixture of sorrow and resentment. Her words made the latter blush with embarrassment.

"Little Zhou, isn't your sister beautiful?"

After Zhou Ping was left there by Jin Jingtian, he was completely confused when Jin Yan, who had just arrived, asked him a flirtatious and seductive question, which immediately threw Zhou Ping into a panic.

"Elder Jin, this disciple dares not make any rash comments, lest I offend you."

Seeing this, Jin Yan muttered "blockhead" to herself, then dropped her flirtatious expression and gestured for Zhou Ping to sit down and talk.

"There are many people and eyes in Jinyuan, especially where you and I live. Recently, we have been secretly watched by people with ulterior motives. We have no choice but to leave Brother Zhou here for a meeting."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ping looked puzzled, but he did not ask any questions and remained silent.

"You already know a lot about the Jin Clan's inner workings. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask. Don't pretend to be such a blockhead in front of your sister."

Jin Yan seemed to see through Zhou Ping's disguise, her face showing a hint of displeasure, and her voice became somewhat low.

"I apologize for my presumption, but I do not know why Zhou Ping has been kept here today."

Zhou Ping bowed respectfully and expressed his doubts.

"It's all because of your marriage, the marriage of the Jin clan's son-in-law. Your coming-of-age ceremony is getting closer and closer, and some people in the three clans have already become impatient and want to put this matter on the agenda."

Jin Yan rubbed her slightly tight temples and said softly.

"Regarding the matter of marrying into the family, I have already made it clear to the clan leader. It is entirely up to the Jin clan to decide. Is there anything else you would like to advise me on, Elder?"

Zhou Ping suddenly realized that he was about to turn sixteen and was nearing adulthood, so the Jin clan must have started planning his marriage into the Jin family.

"You're quite the bachelor, but my Jin clan is going to have a huge fight over this."

Jin Yan rolled her eyes at Zhou Ping, and seeing his submissive attitude, she laughed and scolded him.

"As you know, there are many factions within the Jin clan, with three main branches alone. Your precious son-in-law is crucial to our clan's plan of using our offspring for procreation. Which branch would be willing to stand idly by?"

Jin Yan sighed softly, her fingertips tracing the armrest of the chair, and continued,

"Of the three branches, the other two are thriving, with many eligible women. They have already selected several beautiful daughters and are just waiting for you, their son-in-law, to come to their door."

"Only the clan leader's lineage is sparsely populated; apart from a few nephews, the eldest brother has not had a single daughter."

"Tell me, what should my sister do?"

As Jin Yan spoke, her gaze turned resentful again, and she stared intently at Zhou Ping as if she were looking at a heartless man.

After listening to the other party's complaints, Zhou Ping noticed the strange look in his eyes. His heart fluttered slightly, and his azure true energy flowed upwards involuntarily, quietly relieving the awkward situation for him.

"I am but a rough man, and I truly do not know how to answer the elder's question."

Seeing this, Jin Yan moved gracefully to Zhou Ping's side, her voluptuous figure slowly kneeling beside him. She raised her head slightly, looking at the reserved young man before her with a half-smile.

"You always keep your head down when you see your sister. Is it because she's too ugly, or are you afraid she'll eat you?"

Zhou Ping stared at the stunningly beautiful woman so close to him, her breasts and cleavage clearly visible, and smelled the faint fragrance emanating from her body. His body froze on the spot.

"I...I was afraid of offending the elder."

At this moment, Zhou Ping had lost his composure. With a beauty by his side, even with the help of Qingyuan True Qi, he could not extinguish the burning passion in his heart for a short time.

As early as when he was twelve years old, Zhou Ping was deeply impressed by the woman in front of him, leaving a stunning image in his young mind.

Now, several years have passed, and it is the age when youth is in full bloom and love is just beginning to stir. How could one not feel parched and excited when suddenly faced with such a scene?

Looking at Zhou Ping, whose face was flushed and whose breathing was disordered, Jin Yan's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness, and then she breathed softly.

"Born into a large clan like the Jin clan, everyone is burdened with different missions and responsibilities from birth. Personal gains and losses, honor and disgrace are simply a joke in our eyes."

"We are willing to give everything without hesitation to make our people stronger."

Jin Yan suddenly stood up, regaining her previous composure and elegance, and slowly walked to the entrance of the main hall. A hint of determination was faintly revealed on her charming face.

Zhou Ping secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The close contact just now had left him in a state of mental turmoil, his mind foggy, and he felt as if he had fallen into an abyss.

But with Jin Yan's departure, he inexplicably felt a sense of loss. That strange feeling lingered and lingered in his heart for a long time, and it was wonderful.

"Little Zhou, do you understand your sister's feelings?"

Zhou Ping stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Jin Yan, and said...

"Although I come from a humble background, I am equally concerned about the safety of my family and am willing to give everything for them."

Upon hearing this, Jin Yan paused slightly, seemingly sensing a hidden meaning in the other person's words, and frowned slightly.

"I don't like the clan leader's methods either. My brother and I even had an argument about it, which you happened to witness that day."

Zhou Ping was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. Recalling the scene when he visited Jin Jingtian earlier, where the two seemed to be arguing, he suddenly realized what was going on.

Jin Yan turned around, her back to the verdant mountains outside the door, and solemnly addressed Zhou Ping,

"I assure you that if you grant your sister one request, you and your family will never again be subjected to the slightest coercion or threat from the Jin clan."

"This is another way out that I've done everything I could to secure for you..."

Zhou Ping stared blankly at the beautiful woman at the door, his face showing obvious doubt.

"Given the Jin Clan's obsession with the Qingyuan Technique, how could they easily let their disciple escape? Elder, are you perhaps just feigning concern for Zhou Ping?"

Seeing the doubt on the other person's face, Jin Yan's expression turned bitter, and her tone even carried a rare pleading quality.

"Listen to your sister's request first, then make your own judgment, okay?"

When Zhou Ping first saw the pleading look on Jin Yan's face, so different from her usual bright and beautiful demeanor, a faint sense of pity welled up in his heart.

"Elder, please speak. For the safety of my family, I will not refuse any request, no matter what it may be."

Jin Yan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, paused slightly, and said with a slightly flushed face,

"As long as you can leave a son for the clan leader's lineage, he promises not to make things difficult for you and your family anymore. In fact, after the battle with the Longquan Sword Sect ends, you can leave the Green Bamboo Sect if you wish."

To leave offspring for the clan leader's lineage?

Zhou Ping thought for a moment, then asked, puzzled.

"I no longer resist becoming a son-in-law of the Jin clan, so Elder can rest assured about that."

"But among the clan chief's descendants, there are no daughters, and Zhou Ping really doesn't know how to leave him an heir."

After Zhou Ping finished speaking, he looked at Elder Jin Yan with a puzzled expression. Then he was surprised to see that a large blush rose on her face, and a slightly shy voice entered his ears.

"I...I can do it too..."