EFB Chapter 50 The First Appearance of the Innate Power Causes Utter Fear
Chapter 50 The First Appearance of the Innate Power Causes Utter Fear
Inside the house, Cui Wan looked at the two busy servants and suddenly called them over, saying, "Alan, Lao Zhang, do you also have two sons in their twenties?"
The two servants, unsuspecting, knelt down and said, "Thank you for your concern, Madam. We have two sons, one twenty-three and the other twenty-six."
Alan was the First Madam's maid, and Old Zhang was the First Madam's personal gardener, having served her for ten years. However, today's master was quite different from usual.
The First Madam is... terrifying now.
Her once-golden hair was now disheveled, and her face, which had looked like that of a woman in her thirties, was suddenly covered with wrinkles. Her gorgeous clothes looked like they were hanging on a corpse.
An aura of decay washed over me.
"Then... could you let your two sons keep Zhang'er company? Last night, the night before last, and the night before that, and the night before that... Zhang'er kept calling out to me in the rain, saying, 'Mother, I'm so scared. I said the world there is very dark and lonely.' Your two sons have served Zhang'er for so many years and know his habits well. If they go there, they can take care of Zhang'er and make him less lonely."
The two servants exchanged a glance, then knelt tremblingly on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Please, Madam, have mercy on us two servants who have served us for so many years! Our lives depend on these two sons..."
The First Madam said sternly, "Why do you all have sons but I don't? I'd be better off if all your sons were dead! Zhang'er is so lonely over there, can't you share your master's burdens? Raising you all these years is worse than raising dogs!"
The two servants were terrified.
These days, the First Madam has been acting erratically, going off on tangents, and her personality has changed drastically, making her seem like a vengeful ghost.
"You two go out first."
After dismissing the few terrified servants, Cao Shenghai sat inside the house and looked at his wife, saying, "I will take care of Zhang'er's matter soon. You should find a quiet place to recuperate now; staying at home is too stifling."
Since Cao Zhang's sudden death and Cui Wan's madness, the family business that she had previously controlled has gradually returned to Cao Shenghai's hands. After some calculations, Cao Shenghai realized that the deficit in the accounts was beyond his imagination.
No one knows what Cui Wan did with all that money over the years. Like an octopus, she clung to the property and held onto her son tightly after coming from Fucheng to Xinyu.
The result was that both things were a complete mess.
Alas, all that is gone!
Cao Shenghai sighed deeply.
"How to solve it? Who will solve it?" Cui Wan sneered, "You think you can do it, you good-for-nothing?"
Cao Shenghai breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I have already ordered people to bury Zhang'er at Cangbai Hill."
Cangbaigang is the ancestral burial ground of the Cao family.
Cui Wan screamed, "Who told you to bury my son underground?"
Cao Shenghai got up and went outside. He said to the servant who had been waiting for a long time, "Take the First Madam to the Deer Garden Villa. It is very close to the ancient cypress trees and is located in a quiet place, suitable for recuperation."
Ignoring the First Madam's frantic screams, Cao Shenghai instructed several servants to escort her to the carriage.
The carriage drove away.
Cao Shenghai stood calmly on the street, as if bidding farewell to a dirty statue.
The dark cloud that had hung over this woman and her family in the past has finally dissipated.
"Master, let's go back to the manor."
"Butler Hu Yong said in a low voice."
Cao Shenghai said softly, "Old Hu, your nephew was adopted by you, so he's practically your son, right?"
Hu Yong said in a low voice, "Yes, thank you for your concern, sir. I have always raised my nephew as my own son."
"Your son is dead, why have I never seen you shed a single tear?" Cao Shenghai didn't know why he asked this.
Hu Yong only paused briefly before answering Cao Shenghai's question.
"Master, you may not know this, but how can we servants shed tears in front of our masters? It would be a breach of duty to our masters, and my father has warned me of this since I was a child."
"So, aren't you sad?"
"That boy thinks he's clever. He learns things quickly from a young age and likes to overthink. I knew he wouldn't live long, so I'm not sad. Children and grandchildren have their own destinies. I've done my best. As for how long someone lives, that's up to God."
Cao Shenghai suddenly felt bored and disinterested.
The roof and lintel are mottled, revealing that the erosion of wind and rain has already left this once grand and prosperous family with a heavy sense of decay.
"Let's renovate all of these on the spot. Our Cao residence deserves a fresh look."
Cao Shenghai casually pointed, thinking to himself that everything would be alright once his father came out of seclusion.
-----------------
The tenth day of the seventh lunar month.
The news spread like wildfire, shaking the entire city of Xinyu.
Cao Lie, the patriarch of the Cao family, officially broke through the shackles and entered the innate level.
A living legend has emerged, and everyone is asking, who exactly is Cao Lie?
At this point, the few remaining seasoned veterans will step forward and flaunt their various江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) anecdotes to these naive young people.
The martial arts world is a place where trends are chased, and new masters will always attract people's attention. As people get older, the old men who lose their edge will gradually be buried in the corner and no longer be noticed by the world.
Cao Lie's active era is too far removed from the present time; seventy years old is still too old for the martial arts world of Xinyu City.
Looking back at history, people can only find that this old man Cao became the commander of the city patrol in his twenties, the deputy commander in his early thirties, and then successfully succeeded as the commander of the East City. He finally became the commander-in-chief at the age of forty. In his career, he killed the leader of the Black Wind Stronghold who had plagued the area thirty years ago, and the water bandit who roamed Green Lake.
However, when these things are mentioned now, young martial arts masters will only look blank. In their eyes, people like Cao Lie are no different from being dead.
In particular, in recent years the Cao family has gradually declined, with incompetent descendants, a muddle-headed head, and declining businesses, making it the lowest-ranking of the major clans.
Unexpectedly, at the age of seventy, this once-renowned master of Xinyu has returned to everyone's sight, sweeping away the gloom that had previously hung over the Cao family.
A master of innate strength!
Those who have never practiced martial arts might say that the Innate Realm is the beginning of entering the Dao through martial arts, but 99% of those who have practiced martial arts would say that the Innate Realm is an insurmountable peak.
Those who cross this peak are no longer the same species as those still at the foot of the mountain.
On the fifteenth of July, the Cao family officially held a banquet to entertain people from all directions. Experts and prominent figures from all walks of life came to show their faces.
Thirty years later, Grandpa Cao, now back in the spotlight, looked at the many guests coming and going with a touch of helplessness.
At his age, he should have retired long ago and enjoyed his later years.
However, the current situation is that the Cao family is beset by internal and external troubles, and things are getting worse and worse.
The Cao family, which had long held an important position in both official and commercial circles in Xinyu, had lost control of the Patrol Division, and with the death of Cao Zhang, most of the resources they had previously invested had been lost.
In terms of industry, the medicinal fields and fishing grounds are under pressure from the Huang family and the sand barge gang, and the mines are also in a precarious state.
To outsiders, the downfall of the Cao family seemed imminent.
Looking at his son, who was chatting and laughing, Cao Lie felt a surge of anger.
Cao Lie doesn't know what would happen to his large family if something happened to him, given how far he has gone by sponging off his parents.
Lord Wang Hui, surrounded by his attendants, stepped forward and said, "Grandpa Cao is truly a genius! Overcoming this obstacle and breaking through these shackles is not only a blessing for the Cao family, but also a blessing for Xinyu!"
This person in the royal city was not from this city, but from the Wang family of the prefectural city. The city lord who served under Cao Lie back then had been transferred many years ago. To be precise, most of his old friends from when he was an official had passed away, so the two sides were not very familiar with each other.
"You flatter me, Lord City Lord." Cao Lie did not act arrogantly or condescendingly.
"Only in turbulent times can true heroes emerge. Old Master Cao was once the guardian of Xinyu, and now we must rely on you again. Xinyu is currently in dire straits. Since that demon appeared, he has wreaked havoc everywhere, killing and plundering officials and civilians. The city patrol is almost empty, and bandits are rising up everywhere. We need a pillar of strength just when Old Master Cao was able to break through at this time. It is truly a blessing for Xinyu!"
Cao Lie also couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Aside from his past experiences traveling the world, he spent his entire life serving as an official in Xinyu and had a deep affection for this city.
At this time,
An elderly figure slowly walked out from the banquet.
"Old friend, I never expected it to be you who took that step."