Chapter 22 All at Once
As soon as Shanxi left, the old master immediately ordered: "Give the steward a proper burial and allocate a sum of money to his family as a form of consolation."
Upon hearing this, the butler's pupils widened instantly, as if struck by lightning.
He already knew in his heart that he was doomed to die this time, and his time was up.
But when he heard the master say that he would allocate money to his family, a look of gratitude appeared on his face, which was covered in dirt and bloodstains, as if all his fear and resentment had vanished at that moment.
On his deathbed, he used his last bit of strength to shout, "Thank you, sir! If there is an afterlife, I hope you will not despise me and will allow me to continue to serve you faithfully!"
The butler quietly closed his eyes, and a multitude of images flashed through his mind.
When he was seven years old, he was thin and emaciated, barely clothed. The fourteen-year-old master was like a god descending to earth. He bought him, not only saving his life, but also arranging work for him in the charitable institution, giving him a place to live.
He wanted to get closer to his benefactor, so he studied hard and worked hard to climb the ranks. Through more than ten years of unremitting accumulation and effort, he finally rose from a lowly sweeping servant to become the steward of the charitable mansion.
Seeing that the master was getting old, he thought he could worry less about things. So, he not only took charge of all the affairs of the mansion, but also the offerings in the ancestral hall.
What an honor it is for outsiders to be allowed to enter the ancestral hall!
At first, he wiped it clean every day, not even missing a single crevice. But gradually, he became careless and arrogant. He not only stopped wiping the ancestral hall every day, but even took leftover chickens and ducks as offerings...
He thought it was a trivial matter and no one would care.
He ruined his own promising life!
"And you too!" Old Master Shan's face was ashen, and his eyes shot out a cold light like sharp blades.
Shan Mingyuan and Shan Yurou turned deathly pale instantly, as if they had seen a ghost. Their legs went weak, and they collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Even the butler who had served the old master for many years was dead, so wouldn't they be...?
"You keep saying the Shan family has mistreated you, but in the past ten years, Shan Yuru, your food, clothing, and daily necessities have been more extravagant than even a princess's!" Old Master Shan looked at Shan Yuru with eyes full of disgust.
"You'd better pray you win the competition, otherwise, even if I sell you ten times, it won't be enough to repay what you owe my Shan family!" Old Master Shan's voice boomed like a bell, every word filled with boundless authority and anger!
Shan Yurou was so frightened that she trembled and shrank behind Shan Mingyuan, not daring to make a sound.
After the old man had walked away, he cautiously peeked out, his eyes filled with resentment and bitterness: "That old bastard, he was clearly biased, and he still had the nerve to criticize me!"
She dressed glamorously and extravagantly, but wasn't it all for the sake of the Shan family's reputation?
The honors she brought to the philanthropist family, that old geezer didn't mention a single word about!
"Yu Rou, the old master is right. You must win. Not only must you win the competition, but you must also take the opportunity to trample the Shan family under your feet!" Shan Mingyuan narrowed his eyes fiercely, his gaze like that of a venomous snake, revealing endless ruthlessness and scheming.
A glint of light flashed in Shan Yurou's eyes: "Father, do you have some kind of plan?"
"Since the Shan family is so ungrateful and disdains you, humph, then we'll find a better place to settle down!" Shan Mingyuan said smugly with a smirk. "Father has already made contact for you. Elder Liu of the Xuanzong Sect, the number one sect, really wants a daughter."
"Xuanzong? Father means, Xuanzong, the number one sect in the world?" Shan Yurou excitedly stood up abruptly, her eyes shining brightly.
Emperor Xuanzong!
That's the number one sect in the world!
His disciples, wherever they went, were always honored guests, enjoying the respect and admiration of the crowd.
Its inner disciples are extremely rare on the continent. Even if they are just disciples, once they arrive in the Jun Dynasty, they are people that the emperor will personally receive.
And she is about to become the daughter of an elder of the Xuanzong Sect?
Shan Yurou's lips trembled with excitement, her face beaming with uncontrollable joy, as if she could already see herself standing atop Xuanzong, looking down upon all living beings.
"I've already inquired. Elder Liu will be coming to Junchao to watch the competition in person. If you win and Elder Liu sees your talent, he will take you as his goddaughter. At that time, we won't even look at that lousy Shan family!" Shan Mingyuan's eyes were full of disdain.
Back then, he was just a poor boy. When he saw Shan Rou, the daughter of a wealthy family, so aloof and superior, he felt admiration for her...
But once he entered the charitable family, he realized what it meant to be outmatched by others and to be in a world beyond our understanding.
He looked down on those mere philanthropists!
Old Master Shan returned to the backyard, exhausted.
The moment I stepped into the backyard, I was healed by the sight before me.
Sun-hee's skin was fair and had a soft glow.
At this moment, she lay quietly under the shade of the tree, like a secluded orchid blooming in a valley, untouched by dust and otherworldly.
A gentle breeze blew by, stirring the light gauze draped over her body and lifting a few stray hairs by her ears, adding to her graceful and ethereal appearance.
This moment evokes a sense of serene beauty, as if time itself has stood still.
Although Grandpa Chen was old and somewhat lacking in charm, with him around, Grandma didn't even need to make a sound when drinking water. She only needed to raise her hand, and Grandpa Chen would know what she wanted and offer her tea.
Even more so, Grandpa Chen would brew different teas and light different incense for his great-grandmother according to her mood, in order to soothe her emotions.
And he... suffered nothing but failure!
Not only did they fail to carry forward the family's goodwill, but even the butler they personally trained was no match for the great-grandmother's butler.
"When people get old, separation and death are inevitable," Old Master Chen said in a relaxed tone.
Old Master Shan understood his "comfort," and the little bit of respect he had just felt for Old Master Chen vanished instantly. That old geezer was still as wicked as ever!
Grandpa Shan, remembering the secret report, hurriedly stepped forward and said somewhat uneasily, "Grandma, I just received news that the eight major sects and the four hidden families seem to be making some moves."
"Even the Xuanzong Sect, the number one sect in the world, has been mobilized."
Grandpa Chen paused slightly while fanning himself, but then continued fanning as if nothing had happened.
"Oh?" Shanxi looked up and glanced at Old Master Chen. "It seems I shouldn't have called you back. Your return has attracted quite a few wolves."
"Ahem... What are you saying, Miss?" A hint of guilt flashed across Old Master Chen's face, and his eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
"To tell you the truth." Sunhee's delicate eyebrows arched slightly.
Grandpa Chen coughed twice, embarrassed: "Ahem, this... this really isn't my fault."
Although he had a slight guess, he didn't expect the group to spread the news so quickly.
The four reclusive families have all mobilized, which shows they have a lot of spies and never intended to remain in seclusion.
Grandpa Shan glanced at Grandpa Chen and said with a smile, "Grandma, it wasn't a big deal originally, but Grandpa Chen insisted on staying to be the steward after he came out of seclusion. This... it's hard to guarantee that they won't get suspicious."
Old Master Chen's face instantly darkened, his previous leisurely expression vanishing completely, replaced by a sharp rage: "What do you mean? Did I provoke this?"
Not to be outdone, Old Master Shan straightened his back and replied without backing down, "I'm just stating the facts."
The atmosphere between the two instantly became tense, as if a storm was about to break.
Shanxi raised his head and quietly watched as Old Master Shan and Old Master Chen stared at each other.
"It's alright, what's meant to happen will happen sooner or later," Shanxi said calmly.
Looking at Shanxi, Old Master Shan couldn't help but add, "I heard that Sect Master Xuanzong has also come under the pretext of watching the competition between the two countries."
Shanxi: "..."
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