264: Chapter 264 Lingering Resentments

Deep within Red Copper Mountain.

Ye Jing sat atop Hei Feng, watching groups of Cultivators fly past in the sky. He thought to himself, 'The people from those two Sects arrived so quickly; they appeared in just a few moments. I should leave as soon as possible.'

He had collected enough spiritual ore by now, so there was no need to linger here any longer.

With that thought, Ye Jing rode the silver hound and hurried back toward his home.

The Ye Family residence.

Just as he entered the gate, Ye Yi, who managed the recruitment of Retainers for the Ye Family, stepped forward and said, "Father, according to your instructions, I set up a Cultivator inspection around the Qinling area to check the local residents. I've found several children with Spiritual Roots."

Ye Jing nodded upon hearing this and said, "Bring them all over. Let this old man have a look."

After taking in Retainers for the household, Ye Jing hadn't forgotten to search the surrounding areas for children with Spiritual Roots. If they were nurtured from a young age, they might grow into loyal guards for the Family.

Nowadays, those great Sects had long since abandoned the rural countryside, choosing instead to only recruit Cultivators who had already achieved Drawing Qi into the body. Thus, Ye Jing could use this opportunity to win over people's hearts.

Before long, Ye Yi led five plainly dressed children inside. The oldest was no more than ten or so years old, while the youngest was barely seven. All were sallow and thin, yet their eyes were bright, revealing a streak of tenacity.

The children saw Ye Jing sitting upright in the seat of honor, with faint spiritual light flowing around him. Though they looked timid, they still stood properly in the hall, heads bowed, not daring to speak.

Ye Jing raised his eyes and scanned the children. A wisp of Spiritual Qi condensed in his hand and slowly circled above the five children's heads. Wherever the spiritual power passed, the children's Spiritual Root Aptitude was fully revealed.

There were two girls and three boys with varying Aptitude. Some were mediocre individuals with five Spiritual Roots, but there was also a rare dual-attribute Water-Wood Spiritual Root belonging to a girl who was only seven years old.

However, she was still young, and her Spiritual Root was not yet fully stable. If nurtured with care, she would surely become a capable right hand for the Ye Family in the future.

Ye Jing's gaze fell upon the small girl. He saw she had large almond eyes and wore her hair in double buns. She looked somewhat familiar to him, and then Ye Jing dazed for a moment.

"Little girl, what is your name?" Ye Jing asked subconsciously.

The little girl said in a crisp voice, "Ma... Master! My... My name is Huang Xiaokui."

"Huang Xiaokui?" Ye Jing was stunned. Seeing that the girl's appearance somewhat resembled his late wife, Huang Taohua, he asked, "Where is your Family from? Who are your grandfather and father?"

The girl responded obediently, "I am from the Huang Family of Liu Village. My grandfather is Huang Silang, and my father is Huang Silang's second son, Huang Song."

Ye Jing was shocked. She was the granddaughter of his degenerate gambler of a brother-in-law. He had indeed heard before that Huang Silang had incurred gambling debts and sold his two sons to a landlord as laborers, and later even colluded with Niu Gui to harm him.

But instead, he had been sent straight to the executioner's block by Constable Duan Peng. It was truly a lamentable tale.

Now, more than twenty years later, the afterimages of old grudges had crashed into his sight in such a manner. The Spiritual Qi around Ye Jing's body trembled slightly.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly froze. Ye Yi noticed the strange look on his father's face and was about to ask what was wrong when he saw Ye Jing slowly close his eyes.

When he opened them again, the turbulent waves in the depths of his eyes had turned into a dead calm.

The past surged like a tide—Huang Taohua's bright smile, Huang Silang's despicable face, and the scheme that had nearly cost him his life back then. Every single event intertwined, leaving his heart filled with a complex mixture of emotions.

Huang Xiaokui was frightened by his sudden silence and shrank her neck, her head bowed as her shoulders trembled slightly.

She feared she might have said something wrong.

The other four children didn't even dare to breathe loudly, for fear of offending this master with such a powerful aura.

Ye Jing looked at the girl's thin figure and her eyes that, while timid, hid a sense of tenacity. Ultimately, he let out a sigh.

He raised his hand to withdraw the Spiritual Qi. The spiritual light around him softened a bit, and his tone lost its previous cold hardness.

It gained a hint of hard-to-detect gentleness: "The Huang Family of Liu Village... This old man knows of them. Where are your parents now?"

Huang Xiaokui pursed her dry lips and replied in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, "Father worked as a laborer at the landlord's house. His body broke down from exhaustion, and he didn't make it through last winter. Mother took my younger brother and remarried; she didn't want me anymore. Only my eldest uncle still looks after me..."

As her voice fell, the hall became even quieter. Ye Yi furrowed his brows, and his gaze toward Huang Xiaokui grew more pitying.

"Very well," Ye Jing said slowly. "From today onward, the five of you shall remain in the Ye Family. Your food, clothing, shelter, and Cultivation resources will all be provided by the Ye Family. As long as you are loyal to the Ye Family and practice diligently, there will surely be a day for you to distinguish yourselves."

As soon as these words were spoken, the children's eyes widened in disbelief. They immediately knelt and kowtowed, their youthful voices tinged with a sob.

"Thank you, Master! Thank you for your grace, Master!"

Ye Jing raised his hand to signal them to rise. His gaze fixed on Huang Xiaokui once more, and he said in a deep voice, "Huang Xiaokui, you stay. The rest of you follow Ye Yi to be settled."

Ye Yi obeyed the command and led the other four children out.

Only the elder and the child remained in the hall. Ye Jing said to her, "Take me to see your eldest uncle."

Huang Xiaokui was stunned at first, then nodded vigorously.

Ye Jing reached out his broad palm to wrap around her small, cold hand. The warmth from his palm spread through her fingertips, instantly soothing the unease in the little girl's heart.

He did not disturb the servants in the residence. He simply called for Hei Feng, let Huang Xiaokui sit behind him, and then flipped himself onto the hound's back. Following the direction the little girl pointed, they sped toward Liu Village.

Hei Feng was extremely fast. Traveling on the wind, it took less than the time for half an incense stick to burn to reach Liu Village.

Liu Village was developing very well now, with every household having built tiled houses. Consequently, the thatched hut at the end of the village was extremely conspicuous.

In front of that dilapidated earthen house at the village entrance, seven or eight fierce-looking servants had gathered, each holding a club with an arrogant expression.

In the middle was a middle-aged landlord with a fat face and big ears, dressed in brocade. He stood with hands on his hips, spitting as he cursed angrily. Beneath his feet, he was stepping on a man in tattered clothes who was covered in injuries.

This middle-aged landlord was Zhou Bapi, who had bought the two Huang brothers. Because his business had been poor in recent years and he heard that Liu Village was now protected by Immortals and developing well, he sold his land and came to Liu Village to live off a few plots of land.

He frequently exploited the slaves and laborers under him, beating or scolding them at the slightest dissatisfaction.

That man was Huang Xiaokui's eldest uncle, Huang Bai. He was about forty years old, his back hunched by the weight of life. His old cloth clothes were already soaked with blood, and a deep whip mark on his arm was shocking to behold.

He desperately protected half a bag of moldy coarse grain in his arms. Even when kicked to the ground by the servants, his forehead bleeding from the impact, he refused to let go. He only grunted through clenched teeth, his eyes full of despair yet also a hint of defiance.

"The gambling debt Huang Silang left behind must be paid by his sons—it's only natural! Your brother is dead and your niece has run away, so this debt naturally falls on your head!"

Zhou Bapi kicked Huang Bai's chest, his fat face contorted. "You think this half-bag of rotten grain can settle the debt?

You're dreaming! Today, you either provide the money or hand over that niece of yours to be sold to a brothel to settle the account. Otherwise, I'll tear down this shack of yours, break your legs, and throw you to the wolves!"

The servants nearby joined in with jeers, their clubs occasionally landing on Huang Bai's body, beating him until blood seeped from his nose and mouth.

Yet he still desperately protected the grain, pleading in a hoarse voice, "Master Zhou, I beg you for a few more days. I'll go work to scrape the money together. Xiaokui is just a child, I beg you to let her go..."

An Immortal had come to the village before, and many children in the village had gone to test their Spiritual Roots. Huang Bai didn't understand Spiritual Roots, but he was afraid that Huang Xiaokui would meet a cruel fate upon her return.

He wanted to use this grain to beg Zhou Bapi for a few more days. His brother was dead, so he had to provide a double portion of grain, but he couldn't produce it no matter what.

"A few more days? I don't have that kind of time!"

Zhou Bapi's eyes were sinister as he raised his hand, signaling his servants to deliver a killing blow.

Seeing this, Huang Xiaokui could no longer restrain herself and rushed forward with a cry, "Eldest Uncle!"