Accompanying Zhong Shenxiu were Robin, Keni, Xia Luo, Stanley, and Faraday. Furthermore, Weed was also called along!
As for Angelia and Li Si, they couldn't attend due to classes, while Gandalf was too preoccupied with matters concerning the "Dark Chamber of Commerce"!
Hiring a large carriage, the group headed straight for the auction house. After about two hours, they finally reached their destination.
Stepping out of the carriage, the sheer number of people was astonishing. The street was lined with all sorts of luxurious conveyances, all here for the auction!
The auction hadn't officially started yet; it was slated for dusk. The reason for choosing that time was unknown—perhaps to set the atmosphere.
Even though it was still morning, so many people had gathered, largely because they wanted to secure good seats. The seating within the auction house was strictly stratified by status, and there were even luxurious viewing boxes; without arriving early, the best spots would be reserved by others.
Zhong Shenxiu looked up at the auction house before him; it was truly magnificent, rivaling the "Dark Chamber of Commerce" he was constructing!
The building before them was circular, boasting five stories with glazed azure tiles, radiating an air of solemn majesty!
Keni, standing nearby, exhibited a peculiar gleam in her eyes upon seeing the auction house, her expression seeming a bit distant.
Zhong Shenxiu and his party had arrived late; all the prime seats had already been booked. They could only reserve a few general admission seats, and those were toward the back.
However, Zhong Shenxiu didn't let this bother him; what concerned him was whether there would be anything inside that interested him!
"Hey, boy. Where is your family compound? You can bring your mother out now!" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly said to Weed.
Weed startled, then quickly recovered, replying, "It’s about ten li further down this street!"
Weed’s admiration for Zhong Shenxiu had evolved into profound gratitude. Through the trials of the past few days, he was astonished to discover he could actually cultivate Dou Qi, and his learning speed was so rapid it shocked even him—it was as if a weakling had instantly transformed into a genius!
He was unaware that, thanks to the guidance of Zhong Shenxiu's spiritual energy, not only were his meridians completely unblocked, but the residual spiritual energy within him had actually remodeled his body. One could say Weed had benefited from disaster; his subsequent learning would naturally be much faster than others'!
Following Weed's lead, Zhong Shenxiu and the others arrived before the main gate of the "Condensing Radiance Family." Truly befitting the wealthy; even the main gate was ornately decorated!
But Zhong Shenxiu was not surprised at all, as he had once visited the "Mithril Family," compared to which this was nothing!
"Teacher Zhong, I—I’ll be right back!" Weed, visibly excited, darted into the estate like a flash of light.
Zhong Shenxiu and the others did not enter. Firstly, they weren't interested, and secondly, they didn't want to invite unnecessary trouble!
As Zhong Shenxiu and his group waited, several luxurious carriages approached from a distance, surrounded by numerous powerful guards escorting them with evident caution.
These carriages halted abruptly before the main gate. The guards immediately formed a semi-circle around the vehicles, vigilantly scanning the surroundings with expressions of extreme readiness, showing particular alertness toward Zhong Shenxiu and his companions!
Moments later, a middle-aged man dressed in opulent attire stepped out of one carriage, emanating an aura of authority that suggested he commanded respect without needing to raise his voice!
As this man alighted from the carriage...
Unexpectedly, this man turned out to be Weed’s father—Leopold!
Leopold remained silent, instead scanning the area. When he spotted Zhong Shenxiu’s group stopped not far off, his brow furrowed, and he asked in a deep voice, "Who are those people?"
"Reporting to the Master, those people arrived with Young Master Weed. I do not know who specifically," a gatekeeper immediately replied.
Hearing the name "Weed," Leopold’s frown deepened. "Why is Weed back? Isn't he at the academy?"
Mentioning his son always angered Leopold. Weed had brought him shame among other nobles, and he bitterly regretted his drunken indiscretion that day which resulted in the birth of this 'bastard'!
He now wished Weed would commit some fault so he could legitimately cast him out of the "Condensing Radiance Family," perhaps even severing all ties. This was why he had turned a blind eye to the servants mistreating Weed.
But Weed's tolerance surpassed his expectations; he never fought back when bullied, which only infuriated Leopold further. He thought, How could I have such a spineless son? A true misfortune for the lineage!
Still, it was fortunate that he had many wives and numerous sons; he could simply treat Weed as if he didn't exist!
Leopold scrutinized Zhong Shenxiu's group again, his gaze lingering longest on Keni and Xia Luo!
"Master, shall we bring the items in?" a guard asked respectfully. "En!" Leopold hastily withdrew his gaze from the beautiful women and directed his men to carefully unload crate after crate from the carriages!
Some of these items were slated for auction today; absolutely no mishaps could be afforded!
Just then, Weed emerged, accompanied by a woman—it was Weed's mother, Phoebe.
This woman was sallow and thin, clearly suffering from malnutrition.
Her features were rather delicate, but her face was etched with exhaustion and the ravages of time, suggesting she endured hardship every day. Moreover, her clothes were exceedingly plain, nothing more than typical servant attire.
Weed had been beaming with excitement, eager to finally ensure his mother lived well, but when he saw his father standing at the doorway, the smile instantly froze on his face!
Although Weed felt no affection for his father, he was profoundly afraid of him—a fear cultivated since childhood!
Of course, he also harbored an inexplicable hatred for his father, a resentment built up since childhood, intensifying every time he was bullied or saw his mother suffer, accumulating to a point now where it felt irreparable!
Leopold cast a look of utter disdain at the mother and son, unable to comprehend how he could have been so blind as to be intimate with this woman—it felt like a defilement of his own body!
"What are you doing?" Leopold asked with a grim face, his expression suggesting he wished he could tear the two apart.
"I’m taking my mother out!" Weed, gathering courage from an unknown source, looked directly at Leopold and replied.
His mother, upon seeing Leopold there, had not dared to raise her head.
"Why did you come back from the academy instead of staying there? Haven't you disgraced us enough?" Leopold's voice grew colder. It was difficult to believe these were words spoken from a father to his own son.
Weed said nothing, but the hatred in his heart deepened by another measure.
"Who permitted you to leave?" Leopold directed this question at Phoebe.
Phoebe’s body began to tremble, and she lowered her head even further, the bitter sting of unshed tears welling up in her eyes.
She couldn't understand why heaven tormented her so. She had never done anything wrong in her life, always working diligently, yet not only had her body been taken, but she had to endure constant gossip. Not only were the other madams cruel, but even servants who were once her friends now scorned her. She didn't know what she had done wrong to deserve such treatment.
If it weren't for her sensible son, whom she couldn't bear to leave behind, she would have chosen to end it all long ago! Every day of this life was an ordeal, and the future looked bleak!
If Weed hadn't excitedly pulled her out today, insisting he would give her a good life, she wouldn't have followed, because she knew even the smallest misstep could provide others with leverage against her!
"Hurry up and get back inside, or I'll break your legs if it happens again!" Leopold snapped in fury.
He was too busy with important matters; otherwise, he would have thoroughly punished these two right now, given the approaching auction.
Phoebe turned deathly pale with fear. She knew Leopold meant what he said and could do it. She reached out, grasping Weed's clothes, urging him back inside! To live, to live like a dog—perhaps worse than a dog—but there was no other way than endurance!
Weed bit his lip until it bled from sheer hatred. If his strength were sufficient, and he feared implicating his mother, he truly wanted to rip this man’s heart out to see what color it was!
Just as Weed was filled with resentment and helplessness, his peripheral vision caught sight of a figure approaching. Turning, he saw it was none other than the little teacher, Robin!
Suddenly, a spark of hope ignited in Weed’s heart. He had never in his life yearned for someone’s help as intensely as he did now! The complex emotions intertwined caused him, a man who hadn't shed a tear in years of resilience, to finally experience the sensation of weeping!
Yes, he knew Robin had come to help him, in his moment of despair!
He also knew that with Robin intervening, he and his mother might finally be able to leave this wretched nest that he despised so deeply!
Leopold also noticed someone approaching and turned to look. Upon seeing that it was merely a tiny child, he paused, wondering what the little girl had come for.
At this moment, Phoebe kept her head down and hadn't seen Robin approaching. She was still tugging Weed’s clothes, pulling him inward.
"Mother, it's alright, my teacher is here. We don't need to be afraid of anyone!" Weed tearfully urged his mother, his voice filled with emotion.
They say men do not cry easily, but that is only before moments of profound emotion!
When someone deep in despair suddenly sees hope, the resulting excitement cannot be adequately described in words!
Phoebe looked up, and when she saw Robin, she was momentarily stunned, asking in a soft tone, "Weed, where is your teacher?"
"She is!" Weed pointed proudly at Robin.
He had witnessed Robin’s strength firsthand. Now, he fervently wished Robin would help him discipline this heartless, ungrateful father before him!
Leopold clearly overheard Weed’s words and asked with astonishment, "You say she is your teacher?" Even though he was well-traveled, he was baffled now, unable to believe that such a small child like Robin could be Weed’s teacher. Had his son’s incompetence reached such a level that only a child could instruct him?
As he was pondering this in surprise, Robin had already walked up to the group.
Robin acted as if Leopold didn't exist, walking straight to Weed and stating calmly, "Master ordered you to bring your mother and hurry over. Do not waste any more time!"
Through their interactions over the past two days, Weed knew that the "Master" Robin referred to was Zhong Shenxiu. With a joyous cry, he said, "Mother, let's go!"
Phoebe, however, remained rooted, her eyes nervously fixed on Leopold!
"Mother, it's okay, trust me, let’s go." Weed pulled his mother forcefully.
"I dare you to take another step!" Leopold roared in anger. His dignity would not allow anyone to challenge him like this, especially not this useless son!
Phoebe was caught between a rock and a hard place—her beloved son on one side, and the master she dreaded on the other. For a fragile woman like her, being forced to choose between them was torturous!
"Mother, let's leave this place. I’d rather die than continue living like this! Trust your son; I will give you happiness," Weed stated with unprecedented resolve, a nascent masculine aura flickering in his eyes.
For a moment, Phoebe stared at him, captivated. She suddenly realized her son had grown up, matured!
That's right, no more living without dignity! Even if it means death, we will be together!
A smile finally broke across Phoebe’s face, one that hadn't appeared in over a decade. In this moment of decision, she ultimately chose her son!
"I said, I dare you to take another step!" Leopold bellowed again, clearly enraged to the extreme. He hadn't expected this foolish son to dare defy him in front of so many people—wasn't this a deliberate attempt to humiliate him publicly?
However, his reprimand was now ineffective, as Weed and Phoebe had made their resolution!
From this day forward, they would cease their furtive existence; they would live uprightly, like true human beings!
Seeing the mother and son truly turn and walk away without looking back, Leopold ground his teeth in fury, thinking inwardly: Fine, very good. You brought this upon yourselves; you can’t blame me!
"Men, seize them both! If they resist, execute them on the spot!" Leopold issued his fierce command.
The guards and gatekeepers, who had already taken a tentative step back, immediately snapped to attention at Leopold's enraged roar and didn't dare delay. They instantly swarmed forward, blocking the path of Weed and Phoebe!
However.
They had clearly overlooked one person! Who could that be?
【Ti: Dear reader, this chapter has reached the final page of this book】