Chapter 7

I took a deep breath and slowly told my sister-in-law the truth that my brother had told me. At first, she couldn’t believe it at all. Her face turned pale, and she kept shaking her head. “No way. No matter how bad Samuel Black might be, he wouldn’t dare to kill anyone…”

I looked at her and said seriously, “Sister-in-law, if I hadn’t recovered to my normal state, how would I know any of this? How could I have changed from who I used to be? It was my brother who told me these things. His body is buried beneath the fruit tree at Samuel Black’s house.”

My sister-in-law remained silent, head bowed, tears falling silently. After a while, she raised her head and looked at me seriously. “Leonardo, I won’t allow you to take any risks. Although you’ve recovered now, you have no skills or abilities. Samuel Black is cruel and ruthless. If you go after him recklessly, you’ll end up like your brother—hurt by him. I can’t lose you, and the children need you as their uncle.”

I nodded, understanding my sister-in-law’s concerns. Even if she hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t act recklessly. I had to make Samuel Black pay for his crimes. I wanted to retrieve my brother’s body in a proper manner, protect my sister-in-law and nephew. I refused to live in misery again, as I had before. But Samuel Black was powerful and ruthless. What could I do to deal with him?

My sister-in-law gently patted my shoulder and comforted me softly, “Leonardo, don’t worry too much. Good and evil will eventually be rewarded. People like Samuel Black will surely face retribution sooner or later. For now, stay at home and take care of yourself and your child. Don’t let him find any excuse to harm you.” After saying that, she led me inside the house.

But my brother’s hatred, his dead body, weighed like a stone on my heart, haunting me day and night, leaving me restless. Until one day, a raggedly dressed suddenly appeared at my doorstep, shouting into the yard, “Kid, get me something to eat!”

His tone was extremely rude and arrogant. It was as if I were the one begging him to eat. Seeing how dirty and tattered he was, I felt dissatisfied, but out of kindness, I didn’t argue with him. I went inside, grabbed a few steamed buns, and handed them to him.

But as soon as he took the steamed bun, he glanced at it and threw it aside with disgust. Frowning, he cursed, “Is this what you’re going to feed me? There’s not even any meat in it! Is this supposed to feed a beggar?”

I suppressed my anger and said patiently, “Sir, I’m truly sorry. Our family’s financial situation isn’t good. These are the only steamed buns we have. Please make do with them.”

Reluctantly, he picked up a steamed bun and started eating slowly. The whole time, he deliberately made things difficult for me. After taking just a couple of bites, he claimed he was thirsty. When I went to get water for him, he complained that I was too slow. If I poured too much water, he accused me of wasting it. My sister-in-law was inside taking care of the baby. I didn’t want her to be disturbed by these situations, so I endured everything and fulfilled his every request.

After waiting patiently for him to eat and drink his fill, he suddenly looked at me with a smile. His gaze was strange, as if he could see right through me. It made me feel very uncomfortable. He stared at me like that for five or six minutes, then suddenly burst into laughter: “Hahaha! Good! Good! Young man, you have good character and plenty of patience. I like that!”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes when I heard that. If it weren’t for being afraid that he’d wake up my nephew, I would’ve kicked him out long ago. How could I have tolerated him this long?

Lanley Ross looked at me with an impatient expression. But instead of getting angry, he seemed even happier. “Young man, are you having some troubles lately? Is there something you can’t solve?”

It’s better when he doesn’t talk. But whenever he does, my anger flares up again. I thought to myself: What’s it to you if I’m having problems? You worthlessランリ・ロス, who can’t even take care of your own meals, how could you possibly help me solve my problems? I ignored him and kept staring at him instead.

“You young man, you’re really stubborn.” Lanley Ross laughed and shook his head. “But I like your temperament. I’ve lived a long life, and I really appreciate young people with character. How about it? Would you like to become my disciple? I’ll teach you skills that will help you deal with all your problems.”

After hearing his words, I felt even more that he was a lunatic. I just wanted to get rid of him as quickly as possible. “Old man, since you’ve eaten and drunk your fill, please go to the next place. Our family is too poor to afford to feed you. I have no need for your help, and I certainly don’t want to take you as my teacher.”

When Langley Ross saw that I didn’t believe him, he arrogantly took out a yellow talisman from his pocket, placed it in his palm, and began muttering words, probably reciting some spells. In the next moment, the talisman suddenly caught fire. The flames shot high, but they didn’t touch his hand at all.

I was completely terrified on the spot, with my eyes wide open and unable to speak for a moment. Lanley Ross watched my reaction and laughed even more smugly. “Well? Isn’t it impressive? Do you want to learn it? I, Lanley Ross, know countless tricks. If you miss out on me, you won’t find anyone like me anywhere else.”

Something stirred inside me—he could make talismans burn out of thin air. Maybe he really did have some real skills after all. Besides, I was currently at a loss as to how to deal with Samuel Black. Even if he was lying to me, I wouldn’t suffer any loss. Looking at, I said with a haughty tone, “Fine, I agree to become your disciple. But you must teach me real skills. Don’t try to deceive me.”

Lanli Ross couldn’t help but laugh at my appearance. But then his expression turned serious. “Since you’ve decided to take me as your master, I’ll explain the rules of our sect. I’m Sun Zhiqing, the thirty-first head of the Maoshan Sect. Our rules are as follows: First, never betray or harm your master or the traditions of your sect. Second, never practice evil magic. We belong to the righteous path, and our duty is to eliminate demons and uphold justice. If you violate either of these rules, I won’t show any mercy. I’ll definitely take action to purify our sect.”

I nodded. Following his instructions, I brought over a cup of hot tea and respectfully handed it to him, completing the simple initiation ceremony. He took the tea, took a sip, set down the cup, thought for a moment, then fumbled around in his bosom before taking out a small peachwood sword and handing it to me. “This is your initiation gift. From now on, learn well from me.”

I took the peachwood sword in my hands, touching it here and there, feeling extremely curious. Suddenly, a question came to mind. I looked up and asked, “Lanley Ross, after I become your disciple, can I still marry and have children? If not, then I’ll refuse to become your disciple.”

Upon hearing this, Lanley Ross almost fell off his chair. He looked at me helplessly and said, “You kid, why do you keep thinking about such things? Stop calling me Lanley Ross—call me ‘master’ instead! What era are we living in now? There’s no such rule anymore that prevents one from getting married and having children. In the past, people said it was necessary to remain a virgin because virgin blood is effective against evil spirits. But you can do whatever you want now.”

Upon hearing that, I felt a bit embarrassed and scratched my head. “I understand,No, Master.”