Even Stools Have Relatives

"Cairns, why is this stool so expensive?" Miming had gleaned a great deal of useful information from their casual conversation and deliberately asked in a faintly displeased tone, "The price of ten slaves—isn't that a little high?"

Cairns shuddered and hurriedly explained, "Actually, ten slaves is the price for three people."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Cairns explained, "The main reason is that all three sisters were bought together, so the price was a little higher. That's perfectly reasonable."

"Three sisters? Why would three of them cost more? Are they triplets?" Miming did not understand.

Cairns explained, "Slaves bought together with relatives are safer and more obedient. To make life easier for their family, they work harder too. So closely bonded groups like mothers and daughters, sisters, or fathers and sons are far more useful than individual slaves."

"They really are animals."

Miming understood at once. As long as one person was held hostage, the other would not flee out of attachment, much less dare disobey. Like those powerful giants used as mounts—even in unbearable pain, they still endured it, probably for the sake of their families. They could turn the Celestial Dragons riding on their backs into meat paste with one slap, yet they could only endure it like dogs.

As they spoke, they had already arrived at the door to his room.

Miming glanced at the girl following behind him. She was clearly in so much pain, yet she did not even dare secretly straighten up to ease herself for a moment. The sisters being held must have been very close to her.

"Where are the other two?" Miming asked.

"They're locked up," Cairns answered, rubbing his hands together. "They await Saint Sanming's orders at any time."

"But I think she's about to die. This isn't as good as Stussy said it would be." Miming sat down in the chair and looked at the girl by his feet. She had already gone completely limp on the carpet. He reached out and touched her forehead. It was scorching hot. She had a high fever.

"This..." Cairns widened his eyes, then suddenly remembered. "Could it be because of the brand?"

"A brand?"

"Every new slave is branded with the family mark after being properly trained, hehe." Eager to show off his knowledge, Cairns reached out and tore open the clothing on the girl's back.

A bloody brand was visible on the girl's back, as large as the mouth of a bowl. No one knew how it had been burned into her, but the wound gleamed a vivid red. Still, Miming could imagine how terrifying and agonizing the process must have been when the branding iron came down.

The wound had become infected, which was why the girl had such a high fever.

And he had just been sitting on that enormous wound, even shifting his butt around.

In that instant, Miming's expression turned incomparably ugly.

"Cairns."

To Cairns, Saint Sanming's face looked somewhat ferocious.

"Cure her."

"Yes!" Cairns was scared out of his wits and immediately went to fetch someone.

The girl lay facedown on the floor, gasping painfully. But when she saw Miming reach out as though to touch her, she immediately shrank into a corner and curled into a ball.

"Don't move. Let me take a look." Miming used a commanding tone.

The girl trembled all over. Looking at Miming's outstretched hand as though it were a demonic claw, she tilted her head and promptly fainted.

"Is she really that timid?" Miming clicked his tongue twice. At least that saved him some trouble.

Pulling apart the clothes on the girl's back, Miming stared at the bright-red brand and fell into thought. The Bird family's brand took the shape of a dragon claw, though it could also be understood as an enormous bird talon. This design was called the "Hoof of the Soaring Dragon." As the slave mark owned by the Celestial Dragons, it was a brand that could never be removed no matter how it was scrubbed. Even if the entire patch of skin were cut away, it would grow back, glowing with that same vivid red light.

The maid wore a strange expression. "Is Saint Sanming interested in this slave?"

"I'm interested in this brand." Miming lightly touched the festering wound. "Do all slaves have this?"

"Of course," the maid replied.

"You have one too?"

"Me? How could I?" the maid replied haughtily. "Half of my blood is Celestial Dragon blood. How could someone like me, who serves Saint Sanming at close quarters, possibly be like these filthy maggots!"

Miming understood a little more now. He had once again come to recognize his own status.

"My head feels a little dizzy." Miming began having trouble breathing. Whenever he carefully tried to recall things, the true cause of the headaches and nausea was probably that his present soul simply could not accept the memories of this body's past.

The maid immediately rushed over as though she had lost her soul and supported him. "Saint Sanming! The fright you suffered was truly too severe. You should rest in bed properly."

"No, no, no." Miming waved his hands repeatedly. "I think I need to move around more."

The maid clapped her hands. "Someone, bring Saint Sanming a spare stool."

Miming jumped in fright. "No, I mean I'll walk by myself."

Cairns hurried over with two doctors. After examining the girl's injuries, they wore dismissive expressions.

"Please rest assured, Saint Sanming. Slaves' bodies are actually very resilient. A wound like this does not need to be indulged. There's no need to waste precious medicine on them." One doctor yanked hard on the iron chain around the girl's neck. "Why aren't you getting up? You've dirtied Saint Sanming's bed. Even dying a hundred times would not atone for your sin!"

The girl let out a mournful cry and lay limp on the floor, half dead.

The other doctor took out a leather whip and showed it to Miming as if presenting a treasure. "At times like this, a few lashes are all it takes. It will definitely bring out the slaves' potential." As he spoke, he began whipping the girl. "Get up already! Otherwise, your two younger sisters will be whipped too!"

The life had completely left the girl's eyes, but they suddenly widened in alarm. Whimpering, she desperately tried to crawl to her feet.

Miming felt the veins in his forehead throbbing incessantly. Were these really doctors treating people? They were nothing but two veterinarians! No, calling them veterinarians would insult veterinarians—they were two beasts!

Miming snatched away the whip and viciously lashed the two bastard veterinarians from head to toe, cursing loudly, "Can you two compensate me if she dies? I'll..." A torrent of censored insults poured out, every lash drawing blood.

The two veterinarians wailed without end, yet their faces remained utterly submissive as they begged Miming to enjoy beating them.

"You two blind idiots!" Cairns loudly chimed in from the side. "If Saint Sanming's new stool is ruined, the two of you will replace it!"

Miming panted angrily, then waved a hand for them to hurry up and apply medicine to the girl. When he looked at Cairns again, he suddenly noticed that Cairns appeared much more relaxed, as if Miming's earlier viciousness seemed more normal to him.

"Cairns!" Miming suddenly grasped the key and said fiercely, "There are a lot of things I can't remember right now, and I'm in a very bad mood!"

Cairns's eyes lit up. "This subordinate thinks Saint Sanming already looks close to recovery. I believe you will get better very soon."

"I have a lot of things to ask you. You need to help me remember." Miming wore a ferocious expression.

Cairns looked honored. "It is this subordinate's honor."

"Let's start with... the environment around us. Come on, take me outside so I can jog my memory. As for mounts and such... you can serve in that role."

Miming had already thought it through. There was no use avoiding certain things from the past. No matter how unwilling he was to accept them, he would have to face them sooner or later. First, he had to learn how to be a vicious Celestial Dragon.