"Brother, what kind of person is that cousin?"
Su Wei sat on the edge of the ox cart, leaning against Su Tang, looking towards the lofty city like a dream, and asked in a low voice.
Su Tang’s expression paused for a moment, and after a thought, he turned his head and replied, "I saw him a few times when I was a child, but I don’t recall much, only felt he was an extremely silent young boy."
The younger sister was too young to understand, but every time he remembered the day they were ransacked, he still shuddered, yet felt numb inside.
Exiled to the borders as criminals, they had suffered all kinds of hardships over the years, becoming numb; if it wasn’t for the obsession of taking care of his sister, he might have followed their parents.
Enduring those hard days with no future in sight was the most torturous.
Then suddenly one day, he was taken away by a smiling foreman, who announced an end to their road construction work.
Working on the roads wasn’t good, most people couldn’t survive a few years before literally dying of exhaustion, but at least it provided subsistence.
The first thing he heard wasn’t jubilation of a narrow escape, but fear.
Fortunately, the man soon introduced him to a noble benefactor, whose words filled Su Tang with unexpected joy; their old Su family had finally produced a person capable of breaking away from the criminal origins.
Not only had this person risen rapidly, but he also hadn’t forgotten to aid his clan, sending someone for their rescue.
Without a second thought, Su Tang brought his younger sister to seek refuge here.
It was because there was no other way out except this place.
Their family had very little, just an old straw mat that they rolled up and took to the road.
Thanks to a young man from the Feng Family who hired an ox cart for them, they were well taken care of along the way.
After arriving in Fufeng City, he became somewhat timid.
The dapper clothing of passersby and their careless laughter gave him a feeling both familiar and strange.
His sister, conditioned to be careful, quietly reminded him to keep to the side to not block the nobles.
Su Tang touched his sister’s head, his heart aching; he took out the last Black Emperor Coin and got off to buy some candied haw sticks.
Watching his sister eat with delight suddenly made him want to cry.
His sister stuffed the sour, rough, yet sweet candied haw into her mouth, causing Su Tang’s eyes to suddenly moisten.
Eating the candied haw, led by the Feng Family, they arrived in front of a courtyard in Sweet Water Well Lane.
The courtyard door was wide open, bustling with people and full of life.
Suddenly, a cry emerged, followed by an outburst.
As Su Tang walked in, he detected a strong smell of herbal medicine. He saw several familiar faces, but they seemed much older, and he couldn’t recall their names.
Huang Xie came up and asked.
"I am Su Tang, and this is my sister, Su Wei," Su Tang quickly replied.
Huang Xie quickly bowed and invited them into the living room, "I’ll go call the master."
He turned away, handed a red envelope to one of the Feng Family members, then went to the back courtyard, "Master, Mr. Tang has arrived."
Zhong Shenxiu was practicing martial arts in the backyard.
These days, as the Su Family gradually arrived, chaos ensued, making him quite uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, duty bound him to barely maintain order; he usually lay low in the backyard.
After all, Su Daoshi’s real relatives had mostly died.
The ones closest by blood were surprisingly his cousins, Su Tang and Su Wei.
"I need to see this."
He nodded and walked to the front hall, calling out, "Cousin."
"Cousin Daoshi. I..."
Su Tang’s eyes reddened, and he began to cry again, "My father, my mother, sob sob..."
Zhong Shenxiu sighed and said nothing, then turned to a young girl beside him, "Cousin Su Wei, from now on, consider this your home... I have already asked the servants to prepare, you should freshen up and rest, and we will dine together tonight."
Although Zhong Shenxiu wasn’t Su Daoshi, he had acquired someone’s body and still felt a sense of responsibility.
He comforted the siblings for a while, then immediately called Huang Xie, and both man and dog started to feel worried.
"Damn it, I’m running out of money."
Living in Fufeng, the capital city, certainly isn’t easy, not to mention the high cost of living.
Originally, Zhong Shenxiu had a hundred White Emperor Coins given by Feng Xixi, in addition to his own salary. If it had been just for himself, he would have been comfortable, indulging in the luxuries of life every day without a care.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible, as he bore the responsibility of being the most outstanding descendent of the clan.
He had previously entrusted Feng Xixi to aid his clan, but an investigation revealed that most of the Su Family members dispatched to the Fufeng Protectorate had perished, leaving only the old, weak, sick, and disabled.
Over the time, he managed to sporadically rescue dozens of them, had doctors attend to them who found they all suffered from severe exhaustion and needed rest.
The daily expenses, plus the costs of rescue, drained his funds.
Currently, Zhong Shenxiu had not only spent the hundred White Emperor Coins but also nearly exhausted his own savings.
"Woof, master, I still have some private savings."
Huang Xie, sensing Zhong Shenxiu’s difficulty, leaned forward and said.
"That’s supposed to be your dowry and funeral savings, I’m not that desperate yet..."
Zhong Shenxiu smiled wryly, "Besides... keeping these dozens of people here isn’t a solution. I plan to buy some farmland outside of town and set up a farmhouse for them, but the nearby fields of Fufeng City are expensive; ten White Emperor Coins per mu, and the price rises if you buy large quantities... your savings won’t be enough."
Huang Xie stuck out his tongue and fell silent.
However, Zhong Shenxiu smiled and said, "But I already have some ideas. Tomorrow, you, your nephew, and a few trustworthy Su Family members should come with me for a walk."
He naturally had set his sights on the treasure of the Felix Family.
That legendary Earl seemed to have had a premonition in the past and made some arrangements for the future, hiding several treasures.
Although some might have already been unearthed, Zhong Shenxiu still wanted to try his luck, as this was the only legitimate chance to strike it rich.
After waving Huang Xie out, Zhong Shenxiu closed the room door.
He approached a bronze mirror, and his facial muscles suddenly writhed, transforming into another person.
His eyebrows sharp like swords, eyes like dots of lacquer, face as smooth as carved jade, and his features combined to exude a unique aura, as if embodying the spirit of Jing Mountain’s finest jade, a divine beauty gathering the essence of heaven and earth.
This was his appearance in his previous life, that of Young Master Shenxiu.
Utilizing the Blood and Flesh Magic of the Headless Earl, he had once again revived that visage.
"I do miss it somewhat..."
Zhong Shenxiu looked at the mirror, touched his cheek, and then his hands.
His hands were as white as jade, seemingly devoid of any warmth, "The abilities of ’Pastor’ aren’t without drawbacks... Although the Headless Earl might as well be dead, every use of his powers still brings minor changes to me, right?"