Zhou Qing shook his head helplessly, "If you acknowledge me as your godfather, then I will really consider you impressive."

"Godfather!" Shen Yunzhou called out crisply and decisively, not even batting an eyelid.

Zhou Qing: "..."

Lu Yaoyao’s eyes widened, as if seeing Shen Yunzhou for the first time.

You’re at the Great Perfection of the Divinity Transformation Realm, how could you be so shameless?

But thinking about the predicament of the Shen Family that he had shared with her, she couldn’t help but sigh internally. In such a perilous situation, the tougher you are, the quicker you die.

Once everyone had sat down again, Zhou Qing asked, "Did you hear any fresh news while in the Imperial City?"

Lu Yaoyao immediately leaned closer, "Yes, yes, yes! I heard the Royal treasury was robbed and they still can’t figure out who did it. They’re searching everywhere for flaws in the array!"

She blinked her big eyes, "Oh right, the Royal Family is also searching everywhere for you, hoping to hire you at a high price to help repair the restrictions."

Zhou Qing chuckled upon hearing this.

Asking him to repair it? Isn’t that just begging for a backdoor?

Moreover, if something were to go wrong again, he’d be the first suspect.

Even if they didn’t suspect him, he’d be labeled as lacking in skills.

Luo Lingling lightly furrowed her eyebrows, "From what you’re saying, you haven’t been in the Imperial City recently?"

"Hmm, I took a trip to the border," Zhou Qing said while sipping his tea.

"The border?" Shen Yunzhou exclaimed as he spit out a piece of beef bone, his eyes lighting up, "Did you go to see my sister?"

"No," Zhou Qing put down the teacup, his expression remaining unchanged, "I just went to take care of some matters and didn’t encounter your sister."

Shen Yunzhou suddenly chuckled, slyly, "Keep pretending! Lu girl here has been trying to get information from me about your feelings for my sister."

Ghost Mastiff and Luo Lingling simultaneously turned to look at Zhou Qing, their gaze as if watching a hero daring to provoke a tiger.

After all, she was the one who caused chaos in the Array Hall, a late-stage Spirit Slash Great Power.

They had no idea about this at all.

"You’ve got guts! We fully support you!" both said in unison, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

Zhou Qing sighed helplessly, turning to look at Lu Yaoyao.

The young girl immediately lowered her head, guiltily pretending to study the patterns on the tablecloth.

"As a brother, of course I’d love for my sister to find a Dao companion and move out soon."

Shen Yunzhou said around a chicken leg, "But as a brother, I advise you to give up. Our Shen family is just a... den of wolves..."

"I really don’t feel that way about your sister!" Zhou Qing quickly interrupted, fearing the misunderstanding would worsen.

Luo Lingling suddenly realized, "Wait, you said you went to the border? And returned in just nine months?"

From what she knew, traveling from the Imperial City to the border and back would take at least four years, so how was it possible in nine months?

Zhou Qing’s heart tightened.

This was precisely his biggest headache at the moment.

Although the Seventh Prince’s death had nothing to do with him, how could he explain a nine-month round trip to the border?

The safest way was to pass the blame to Shen Hanyi.

After all, she came from a more advanced Fifth-level Cultivation Country, having some unusual methods was normal.

Besides, Xuanyuan Shuo also knew about their relationship.

Zhou Qing was just about to speak, when his expression suddenly changed. He abruptly turned around, gripping Tetanus tightly in his hand.

Before anyone could react, the air in front of them warped, and a dark space rift was forcibly torn open.

Then, a burly figure nearly two meters tall stepped out of thin air, causing the entire inn’s floor to tremble slightly upon landing.

His bare upper body was muscular, like cast bronze, shimmering with a metallic sheen.

Ancient battle tattoos adorned his broad back, rising and falling with his breaths as if alive.

Particularly, the bulging veins on his thick arms gave off the impression of someone who could tear mountains apart barehanded.

"Madman of the Zhao Family... no, Brother Zhao!" Shen Yunzhou blurted out, then hurriedly corrected himself, letting the chicken leg drop onto the table with a "thud".

Zhou Qing’s grip on his sword tightened, his pupils contracting slightly.

The ability to tear space meant the person was at the Spirit Severing Realm.

Moreover, Shen Yunzhou seemed to know him, and was very wary.

Was this person from the Celestial Fate Sacred Dynasty?

The air in the inn instantly tensed, everyone was on edge.

Only the giant man known as the "Madman of the Zhao Family" was looking at Zhou Qing with interest, his golden eyes gleaming.

Zhao Muye’s gaze lingered on Zhou Qing for a moment, then he suddenly grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth.

"Already at Great Perfection of the Divinity Transformation Realm and able to detect my presence, not bad, not bad."

His rough voice made the window frames buzz, "As expected of the first Fourth-level Array Master in this Fourth-level Cultivation Country."

Sweat had already begun to seep down Zhou Qing’s back.

At such a close distance, if the other suddenly attacked, he had no more than a thirty percent chance of escape.

Moreover, behind him were his senior brothers and sisters.

At this moment, he could only respectfully salute, "Junior Zhou Qing, greets Senior!"

"What Senior!" Zhao Muye waved his large hand, "Do I look that old to you?"

He pointed to his bronze chest, "I’m Zhao Muye, just call me Old Zhao or Brother Zhao."

He glanced at the trembling Shen Yunzhou, "Or you can call me Zhao Madman, like this Shen Family dung beetle does."

With a hearty laugh, Zhao Muye’s gaze fell on the table full of delicacies, "Mind if I join for a bite?"

Seeing that Zhao Muye seemed to harbor no ill will, Zhou Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief and stepped aside to make space, "Please have a seat, Brother Zhao."

"Refreshing!" Zhao Muye sat down with a powerful crash, his large frame causing the bench to creak under the strain.

He looked at Shen Yunzhou, who was standing straight, raising his thick brows, "Thought I saw wrong earlier on the street, but it was really you."