Yu Ershan was starting to regret it.
When Father had been about to act just now, he shouldn't have stopped him. He should've slapped that foul mouth of Yu Dashan's raw.
Still, when faced with his father's puzzled gaze, he briefly explained what had happened.
Though he hadn't said it outright, how could Old Man Yu fail to understand his second son's intentions?
He knew his second son's temperament well. To make this choice, he must have made up his mind after a great deal of struggle. It was even harder for him than joining the Zhou Family's Insect Hunter Team and risking his life.
"Second, what are you thinking?"
Old Man Yu hesitated, then asked.
"Father, I'm not like Big Brother. I don't judge people by their looks. Miss Xiaoxiao is a good person, and our personalities suit each other. Given my circumstances, I'm the one who's marrying above my station. I rejected her before mostly because I wasn't willing to accept it, and I didn't want the family to bear the burden of gossip.
"If our family hadn't discovered this Rare Species, the letter I wrote might have been the best outcome. But now, how could I possibly leave?"
Yu Ershan could only sigh at how unpredictable life was.
Now even Old Man Yu was caught in a painful dilemma.
For his son's sake, he could sacrifice himself without hesitation or regret, but he would never ask his son to do the same.
Even though he had higher hopes for his eldest son, that didn't mean he didn't love his second son. They were both flesh and blood.
In fact, he owed his second son more.
He had planned to stake his life on this. As long as he could hold on until his eldest son broke through to the Qi Refining Realm, he would die without regret.
Then his eldest son could help his second son, and the two of them could support each other.
But now, it seemed he'd found a better path, one more suited to his second son.
How could he bear to make the son he already owed so much stay behind?
Seeing Old Man Yu's pain, Yu Ershan spoke up to comfort him. "Father, first of all, nothing's been decided yet. Even if things really do work out, I can't leave this family now.
"Without me here, how could Yu Dashan possibly hold this family together?"
How could I not hold this family together? Yu Dashan grumbled inwardly, but didn't dare show it.
He even put up with Yu Ershan calling him by his name.
Once he broke through to the Qi Refining Realm, he'd find a way to make up for his younger brother's weak foundation, then send him off in style.
Besides, he could tell that his second brother clearly had feelings for that Miss Xiaoxiao.
Once Yu Ershan had married out, wouldn't he be the one calling the shots in this family?
"Then..."
"Father, Father! Someone's here to see Second Brother!"
Just as Old Man Yu was about to speak, Yu Xiaoshan's shout suddenly came from outside. The three of them hurriedly fell silent, dropping the subject they'd been discussing.
When they stepped out of the courtyard, they saw Yu Xiaoshan leading a middle-aged man toward them.
"I'm Yu Ershan. May I ask—"
Yu Ershan stepped forward, but the other man cut him off at once.
"You're Yu Ershan?"
The man watched Yu Ershan expressionlessly, sizing him up before tossing over a bundle.
"This is something Miss Xiaoxiao asked me to give you. I hope you know what's best for you."
With that, the man turned and left without waiting for Yu Ershan to respond.
Watching him walk away, Yu Ershan's face shifted between red and pale, but in the end he said nothing.
The man's face showed not a trace of contempt, but that dismissive attitude only made the message clearer.
"Second Brother, who was he?"
Yu Xiaoshan was the first to break the silence, curiously eyeing the bundle in Yu Ershan's hands.
"Someone... a friend of a friend, I suppose. Xiaoshan, go back and watch the Spirit Field. If anyone comes near, do what you did just now."
With that, Yu Ershan headed back into the courtyard.
Old Man Yu exchanged a glance with Yu Dashan, then followed him, leaving only Yu Xiaoshan standing there, completely baffled.
He was dying of curiosity, but he still turned back toward the Spirit Field, looking over his shoulder every few steps.
He knew what mattered.
Back in the courtyard, Yu Ershan opened the bundle. Inside was a rectangular wooden box. He opened it to find a letter on top, with Spirit Stones neatly arranged beneath it.
Normally, Yu Ershan would have been unable to resist the sight of so many Spirit Stones. But now, he casually tossed the box of stones to Yu Dashan, then opened the letter and read it carefully.
While his younger brother read, Yu Dashan secretly pawed through the Spirit Stones in the box, then couldn't help clicking his tongue in amazement.
A full hundred!
In all his life, this was the first time he'd seen so many Spirit Stones in one go at home.
They were both selling themselves, yet he, a "master" with Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment and one Blood Change under his belt, had to risk his life to receive this much as settling-in money.
But his younger brother had merely written a letter, and they'd sent him all these Spirit Stones.
Turns out, being good-looking really did have its uses.
By then, Yu Ershan had put the letter away and was staring coldly at him. Yu Dashan hurriedly shut the box.
Maybe it was his imagination, but he felt as though his younger brother's gaze was full of murderous intent.
"Yu Dashan, for the next three years, I'll be watching you every moment. If you slack off even a little, I'll show you what real pain is."
At his younger brother's words, Yu Dashan couldn't help shivering.
His dignity as the eldest brother made him want to tell Yu Ershan that he could pin him down with one hand. But for some reason, he didn't quite have the nerve.
"Second, these Spirit Stones...?"
Old Man Yu couldn't help asking.
"Father, these Spirit Stones are a loan. I'll take half with me later. That'll be enough to buy some Blood Change Spirit Medicine and help Yu Dashan cultivate faster. And once we reach the Blessed Land, I'll find Miss Xiaoxiao and explain things to her. I owe her that much."
Yu Ershan took a deep breath.
In the letter, she'd already explained that the hundred Spirit Stones were a private "loan," offered out of friendship, to help his family get through this calamity. As for the promise he'd made in his own letter, she'd clearly stated that she wouldn't take advantage of him in his time of need.
But the more considerate she was, the more uneasy Yu Ershan felt.
In the end, he could only take out his anger on Yu Dashan.
You could tell from how he kept calling him Yu Dashan.
"Take half?"
Old Man Yu looked confused.
"Right. Yu Dashan will be important over the next few years, but don't forget what all this is built on.
"I once heard that Spirit Planter Masters can concoct a kind of Spirit Liquid that helps Rare Species grow quickly.
"We can't concoct Spirit Liquid, but if we crush these Spirit Stones and bury them under the tree, I'm sure they'll help.
"And that's not all. Tonight, we'll secretly dig up some soil from the Spirit Field and slowly replace the soil in the courtyard. Spirit Field soil will benefit the Rare Species even more.
"Father, you said that at night, our tree cultivates like a person. I imagine it's sensed that the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster is coming and is trying to build up its strength so it can survive it.
"In a situation like this, we can't hold it back.
"Only once this Rare Species survives can we talk about the future. Otherwise, there's nothing more to say."
Yu Ershan analyzed the situation calmly.
"Right. I'd nearly forgotten. We'll act in secret tonight."
Old Man Yu made the final call.
Yu Dashan was a little reluctant to part with those fifty Spirit Stones, but he understood that his father and younger brother were right.
Besides, he had no say in a matter like this.
After this incident, he even realized that his standing in the family had clearly fallen.
Still, he believed that once he broke through to the Qi Refining Realm, everything would go back to the way it was.
So what if he had to cultivate like his life depended on it?
Who was he trying to scare?
Before you continue