Edward Howard had already stopped knocking and was now bathed in Buddha’s light, a sense of enlightenment rising in his heart. This kind of insight could only be understood, not expressed in words, and as time went on, the benefits for him would only increase.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when, in the tranquil lake of Edward Howard’s mind, it was as if a pebble had been tossed in, sending out faint ripples. The little novice monk’s golden dharma image suddenly shrank rapidly and, with a whoosh, darted into Edward Howard’s body, transforming into a point of golden light that settled quietly in some spot, unmoving.

Coming out of that mysterious state, Edward Howard felt that his whole being was somehow different. His body, which had been gravely injured, could now move freely and with ease.

He also felt his mind was clear and his thoughts much more open and unimpeded.

With a single thought, the entire text of the “Secret Research Sutra” naturally surfaced in his mind, perfectly clear!

He would never forget it again.

But at this moment, he couldn’t help but give a helpless, bitter smile: This host was truly useless—neither practicing martial arts nor studying literature. He guessed that the novice monk’s dharma image was probably lurking in one of his acupoints, but searching through the host’s memories, he couldn’t find the name of that acupoint!

He tried knocking on that brick again; the sound was the same, but the “Secret Research Sutra” no longer responded. It seemed this scripture could only condense a single novice monk dharma image.

Edward Howard sat quietly for a moment, then suddenly thought of something. He got up and walked around the room, finding a mirror behind the outer room’s door.

Looking into the mirror, he was surprised to find that the host’s appearance actually resembled his own by seventy or eighty percent! It was just that in his previous life, he had struggled and worked hard to make a living, appearing much more capable and healthy, while the host’s face was pale and sickly.

William Howard, Edward Howard, and now this appearance...

He put down the mirror and sighed inwardly. Whether he liked it or not, from now on, he was Edward Howard.

……

Outside the door, a deep male voice sounded, tinged with dissatisfaction: “Where is everyone? Second Brother is injured, and there’s not even anyone to look after him. How can it be like this…”

With this shout, things outside finally became hectic. Several maids and servants responded, scrambling to tidy things up.

The man gently pushed the door open and entered. He had a square face, a sturdy build, and an honest demeanor. Seeing William Howard already sitting up, he visibly relaxed and said joyfully, “Second Brother, you’re awake!”

Edward Howard had already received the host’s memories, but was still a bit unaccustomed to this identity. He forced a smile and said, “Big Brother.”

If there was anyone in this family who truly regarded the host as a family member, it was only this full-blooded elder brother before him.

Charles Howard saw the odd look on his face and thought he was worried about today’s events. Though he felt bitter inside, he still comforted him: “Second Brother, don’t worry. That matter… I’ve already taken care of it for you. Grandfather and the others won’t ask about it. You don’t need to worry about being punished—just focus on your recovery.”

As he spoke, the servants outside still dawdled and wouldn’t come in to serve, so he complained, “These people only know how to slack off.”

It wasn’t that these servants were cunning; it was just that the host had been too harsh with them before, beating and scolding them at the slightest displeasure. In fact, four of his servants had already been flogged to death!

Edward Howard gave a wry smile: How could you blame them?

Big Brother Charles Howard was honest and upright. No matter what trouble this second brother got into, he always considered him family and would protect him no matter what. He chattered on and on, and Edward Howard, worried about giving himself away, found it exhausting to keep up. Before long, his just-recovered body was already showing signs of fatigue.

Charles Howard quickly took his leave, telling him to rest well: “I’ll handle everything outside. Don’t worry.”

Edward Howard got up to see him off, but was pressed back down by his brother, who once again reminded him to recuperate properly.

Edward Howard recalled that when he woke up, he vaguely heard some arguing outside. It must have been the aggrieved party coming to confront them.

He sighed and thought back to the merchant in the eastern city whose property he had seized. Apparently, they were backed by a minor noble family—most likely, it was them who had come.

In the whole of Wudu, the imperial city was located slightly north of the very center, occupying the most prestigious position.

There were only thirty-six families that could be called noble houses. All these noble families lived in the “Nobles’ District” in the northwest of Wudu. This area had been designated since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty and could never be expanded. In other words, from then on, there would only ever be thirty-six noble families in all of Wudu.

If you wanted to enter Wudu and become a noble house, you had to find a way to replace one of them. Otherwise, even if you bought up all the other land in Wudu, the proud people of Wudu would never recognize your noble status.

Among these thirty-six, the top tier was the Four Great Pillars, followed by the Six Treasured Beams, the Ten Golden Rafters, and the Sixteen Golden Bricks.

The people backing that merchant in the eastern city seemed to be from one of the Sixteen Golden Bricks. Although the The Howard Family was already in decline, dealing with the Sixteen Golden Bricks was still easy enough. So William Howard wasn’t worried about his big brother’s ability to handle it.

After Charles Howard left, the servants outside immediately fell silent, not to mention coming in to serve.