Celestial Demon Starting from Attribute Points

That night.

Cyan Wood Province, Governor’s Mansion.

Zhou Chihe looked with slight surprise at the woman not far away and said, "E Li, is this matter certain?"

Zhou Eli had discussed with her master and was now recounting the fabricated story at length.

At this moment, she was coldly and indifferently stroking the long sword, saying, "The first time, he refused because Wang Fengyang was too disrespectful. The person saw through Wang Fengyang’s pretense of recruiting, realizing it was just to curry favor with the Prime Minister, so he naturally refused.

The second time, he showed his talent, and we sincerely invited him.

Compared to those noble generals with military power, intertwined with imperial power, people like you who are scholarly should actually be in the same place."

Zhou Chihe was silent for a moment.

The words "scholarly people" awakened many memories for him.

He agreed and said, "Yes, we all slowly rose to our positions through the imperial examinations, and unknowingly, we also became a family.

I still remember that after I passed the imperial examination, I had to hold banquets everywhere, visit everywhere.

Send joyous news, thank the patron, pay respects to the Prime Minister, host a banquet for the successful candidates, flower-viewing banquets, naming banquets, celebration banquets... various names.

Alas, and hosting the banquets almost exhausted the family wealth of the Zhou family.

What else could be done?

Everyone else hosted these banquets, how could I not?

But you, E Li, were very happy, you said you had never eaten meat every day like that in your life, you said you wanted the Zhou family to eat meat every day with your own hands.

Later, we achieved that.

In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed."

Zhou Eli said, "At that time, he was still the late emperor."

"Yes, the late emperor..." Memories flowed in Zhou Chihe’s eyes, and he sighed, "Treading carefully, as if walking on thin ice. Because we had the official positions, but not the power.

Fortunately, those generals were too arrogant, and the late emperor promoted the Prime Minister for balance.

The Prime Minister, with his brilliant means, led us to carve out a piece of land.

But the new emperor resented the Prime Minister for being a hindrance and wanted Wang Baxian to return to the court.

If the new emperor had a bit of courage, the Prime Minister, grateful for the late emperor’s favor, wouldn’t have led to such a deadlock.

But the new emperor... he wants the Prime Minister dead.

Besides, Wang Baxian commanding the border troops, it’s not so easy to return to court?

The new emperor is, after all, still an unclear-minded child.

If the Prime Minister hadn’t elevated him, he would want the Prime Minister’s life."

Zhou Eli said, "Therefore, the Prime Minister proactively contacted the Secret Martial Arts. We have no soldiers but have power. Now that the chaotic times are approaching, the Prime Minister’s mansion especially lacks talent."

Zhou Chihe said, "So, Li Xuan is talented?"

Zhou Eli said indifferently, "This child has terrifying talent and boundless potential."

Zhou Chihe curiously asked, "How terrifying?"

Zhou Eli said, "He trained in two Secret Martial Arts, with no change in temperament, neither humble nor arrogant, dignified and incorrupt, truly a gentleman. And if you knew how long it took him to master the Secret Martial Arts, you would be greatly surprised."

"How long?" Zhou Chihe couldn’t help but ask.

Zhou Eli said, "Less than half a year.

During the great plague in Xiongshan County, he mastered it in a cellar.

From beginner to mastering the Secret Martial Arts."

Zhou Chihe exclaimed in surprise, "But I heard that achieving mastery in Secret Martial Arts requires a lot of effort, both in favorable and adverse conditions, and requires numerous trials.

Whether it’s my brother or you, achieving mastery took a lot of hardship."

Zhou Eli said, "This only further proves the terrifying nature of his temperament.

Others need trials, but he simply sat cross-legged, walked a circle in his mind, and was enlightened."

Zhou Chihe was astonished and said, "Is he really that monstrous?"

Zhou Eli nodded and said, "If not, he wouldn’t deserve my change in attitude.

He is worth the Zhou family’s effort to win over.

The Zhou family’s Secret Martial Artist originally included my brother, but now only I am left.

If I am gone too, I’m afraid you will be unable to support alone, and our Zhou family may collapse."

Zhou Chihe was silent for a long time, seemingly contemplating, then nodded, "I understand."

Initially, he wouldn’t have decided so quickly.

But about Li Xuan, he had some understanding.

The source of that understanding mainly came from two points: first, he was a student of Cao Shuda, and Cao Shuda not only gifted him the Sparrow Feather Sword but also intended to marry into his family; second, after Cao Shuda’s incident, with no one to claim his body, the young man traveled far to the Hundred Flowers Mansion after the great plague to bury him and wrote an elegy that moved those who heard.

He had read that article, and it was a good one.

And evidently, Li Xuan is a person who knows gratitude and not an ingrate.

This good reputation, coupled with the words from his relatives, directly changed Zhou Chihe’s mind.

If Li Xuan didn’t have such a reputation, even with Zhou Eli’s persuasion, Zhou Chihe would certainly have been cautious and wouldn’t accept this outcome so quickly.

...

...

The next day.

Governor’s Mansion.

Li Xuan came as invited.

He brought with him several local specialties of "Sparrow Gold Embroidery" from Xiongshan.

The Governor’s Mansion initially took them casually. But just after accepting, a lady noticed the extraordinary nature of "Sparrow Gold Embroidery" and looked at them eagerly. Their thoughts towards the young man who gifted "Sparrow Gold Embroidery" also changed a bit, from "just a country bumpkin gentry" to "seems to have quite some class."

Li Xuan was then invited inside the mansion.

...

A moment later...

A tea house.

The room was a small one, covered with thatch, rustling with the spring breeze.

Next to the eaves, a boy was making tea.

This elegant room, located in the lavish Governor’s Mansion, yet seemed somewhat out of place, though... this was precisely the place where Zhou Chihe cultivated himself.

The allure of prosperity blinds the eyes, hence a cold room is needed.

This cold room was also the place where Zhou Chihe received his true confidants.

At this moment,

inside the house,

a youth and a middle-aged man were playing chess.

The middle-aged man was Governor Zhou Chihe, his hair already had strands of gray, yet his eyes were bright, hiding some coldness and impassiveness, and he was now quietly staring at the chessboard, observing the overall situation of the interlocking black and white pieces.