The next moment, the man in gray carried him out of the prison, his figure whirled slightly, breaking through the night. With a few leaps, he disappeared into the distance.
...
...
Several days later.
In a mansion, twelve ragged little beggars sat nervously but extremely vigilantly.
These little beggars had some common traits.
First, their physical conditions were good. As beggars, they could still maintain their physical condition, which meant their physical foundation was indeed solid.
Second, the reason they became beggars was all due to a deep-seated grudge.
Third, as beggars, they had suffered humiliation, and now each of them was like a Fierce Beast that devours people, except... they were little Fierce Beasts because they had yet to grow claws.
Xu Sheng also sat among them, but next to him was not his sister Xu Lan but another smaller, so indistinct one couldn’t tell if it was a boy or a girl, little beggar.
New clothes were handed out, and food was distributed.
Xu Lan, the first girl taken away by Li Yuan, sat high on the big chair. After changing into new clothes, her beauty was enhanced, so stunningly beautiful that one could not take their eyes off her.
At this moment, she wore an expression of feigned arrogance of an upper echelon, raising her voice, "Uncle has given us a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear, and he’s going to teach us martial arts! Do you want to learn?"
"Learn..."
"Learn!!"
Some little beggars shouted loudly, and some whispered like mosquitoes.
Xu Lan said, "Go boil some water now, take a bath, change into new clothes, and then come practice!"
Everyone responded in unison, "Yes."
Xu Sheng looked happily at his sister.
Things had progressed to this point, far beyond his imagination.
The person who rescued him from Cyan Pool Prison brought him to a mansion, where his sister Xu Lan was also present.
That person said, "From now on, this mansion is for you all to live in."
Afterwards, that person continually brought back other little beggars.
Since they were all beggars, Xu Sheng and Xu Lan knew those little beggars.
Not only knew them, but there were interactions and even minor grudges between them.
Because these little beggars were not kind, each one was fierce...
And those little beggars all knew Xu Sheng and Xu Lan.
Especially Xu Lan.
She was a well-known beauty among the beggars.
From leftover food, grew a girl with fair skin, big eyes, and a willow waist.
She could make your heart itch with her bare little feet, like they were not feet, but precious jades one longed to hold and play with.
And this... if not born beautiful, what could it be?
Many young beggars jokingly called her "Miss," while some older beggars with ill-intent often stared at Xu Lan with a "silver evil" look.
If that gaze grew hands, they might strip Xu Lan of her clothes and pants, then crawl over this maturing beauty’s waist, spreading her legs, doing unspeakable acts.
Unfortunately, Xu Lan was not only beautiful but also fierce.
Her brother, Xu Sheng, was also fierce, a fierce man who had killed before.
He believed in the "fortune telling by a blind man when he was young," and seeing Xu Lan grow to be so beautiful, coupled with their devastated home and the collapse of all hope, he placed that prophecy on Xu Lan, making her his hope.
Hence, he no longer regarded himself as her elder brother, but as a follower, a devout believer, even a fanatic, willing to die for Xu Lan.
This pair of siblings was well-known among beggars, especially Xu Lan.
She handled things and shared food with dignity, commanding respect.
If not caught by Master Ma, she could have lived well among beggars.
Now, after the little beggars went down, Xu Lan got up, walked behind the screen of the chair, and elegantly saluted the man in gray sitting there, unlike a beggar, "Uncle, did I do well?"
The man in gray was Li Yuan.
And Xu Lan was the child he favored.
However, he didn’t know Xu Lan’s aptitude, so through Xu Lan and Xu Sheng, he learned about many local beggars. After slightly screening, he picked those with firm minds and decent bodies and brought them here.
However, Li Yuan had no intention of being a caretaker, nor did he plan to supervise them, support them in growing, or help them slay external enemies...
Li Yuan just wanted to give them a platform, visiting occasionally.
Those who could learn his Cultivation Skill, he would continue to teach.
Those temporarily lacking resources, he would provide some.
But everything thereafter would depend on these little beggars themselves.
He would slightly arrange supply channels and money-making channels for these boys and girls, but they needed to earn the money themselves.
Therefore, Li Yuan did not touch Master Ma’s family, nor any Government Official. Even when entering the prison, he used the most gentle "drugging" method, rather than bargingly walking in to take Xu Sheng.
If he did that, he wouldn’t even need to act himself.
But he didn’t want these little beggars learning his Cultivation Skill in a greenhouse.
He gave them hope, taught them skills, and after... during their growth, matters of life and death weren’t questioned, unless in special situations, at which time Li Yuan would make a separate judgment.
"Well done."
Li Yuan praised, then said, "But Uncle won’t stay here often."
Xu Lan didn’t show disappointment, but said, "I know... Uncle is a man of great skill, so naturally, he won’t stay here all the time.