Hong Yu didn’t want to interact with them much anymore. He was also feeling a bit tired. Seeing that it was already dark outside, and with some snacks still on the desk, he ate a few absentmindedly. His stomach felt much better, so he stuffed the brick under his pillow, lay down fully clothed, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Within the acupoint, that novice monk’s dharma image was still sitting cross-legged, palms pressed together, seemingly chanting something. As its lips moved slightly, wisps of nearly invisible light sand slowly drifted out from the acupoint, turning into a trickling stream that flowed through Edward Howard’s meridians, carrying out a mysterious transformation without Edward Howard even realizing it...

Chapter 2: The True Scripture of the Northern Wastes

Early the next morning.

“Grandfather.” Charles Howard bowed in greeting. Seated at the center of the family banquet hall, Samuel Howard waved his hand slightly: “Sit down and have breakfast.”

“Yes.” Charles Howard had just sat down when a girl of about thirteen or fourteen, her hair in a ponytail and dressed smartly in boys’ clothes, walked in.

“Grandfather.”

“Lan’er, you’re here. Come eat with us.” Samuel Howard showed a faint smile at the sight of his granddaughter.

Grace Howard greeted her elder brother, then sat down below Charles Howard.

The servants brought in a light and tasty breakfast. The three of them lowered their heads and ate in silence.

Samuel Howard looked at the vast banquet hall, where only the three generations were dining, and couldn’t help but feel a bit desolate. Of the four great pillars of Wudu, which family wasn’t blessed with a thriving lineage? Only he, Samuel Howard... The old man shook his head inwardly.

He did have three children, but the current whereabouts of his eldest son Richard Howard were lamentable—best not to mention it.

His second son James Howard and his wife had sacrificed their lives for the country seven years ago.

His youngest daughter Emily Howard had gone missing five years ago during a great battle against the northern Di Rong.

Since his youngest daughter’s disappearance, his wife had shut herself away in seclusion and hadn’t come out since.

Samuel Howard understood his wife’s good intentions, but his heart was bitter: Even if you really manage to advance to the first rank of Hezhen, what difference would it make? The Hong family is already like this...

As Charles Howard drank his bowl of rice porridge, he suddenly sensed something. Looking up, he saw his grandfather watching him, but the old man quickly looked away.

But several more times, his grandfather glanced at him, intentionally or not. Charles Howard understood and took the initiative to say, “Grandfather, second brother’s injuries looked serious yesterday, but he’s actually fine. When I went to see him last night, he was already much better.”

Samuel Howard clearly breathed a sigh of relief, but still cursed, “That useless brat, it’d be better if he died out there—at least he wouldn’t embarrass our Hong family anymore!” As he spoke, he shoveled a few more mouthfuls of food.

His younger sister Grace Howard, when second brother was mentioned, also curled her lip in disdain.

Charles Howard thought for a moment, then said, “Grandfather, I feel that after this injury, second brother seems a bit different from before. Maybe he’s truly turned over a new leaf.”

“Hmph!” Samuel Howard snorted heavily. “Don’t speak up for that little bastard! Turned over a new leaf? After all the bad and stupid things he’s done over the years? If he really changed, the sun would rise in the west!”

Grace Howard also looked unconvinced, but didn’t argue with her elder brother.

Just then, the second steward David Howard hurried in anxiously: “Master, young master, young miss, please come quickly—second young master is acting crazy again...”

Samuel Howard was not surprised at all, only glaring fiercely at Charles Howard. Charles Howard felt his face burn—he had just said his second brother seemed to have changed, and now Edward Howard was causing trouble again.

“What has that brat done this time?” Samuel Howard remained unmoved. Edward Howard had once offended the imperial carriage, harassed the Daoist Saintess, even tried to steal military merits from soldiers—he’d done every kind of bad thing. No matter what he did, Samuel Howard was never surprised.

David Howard said helplessly, “Second young master broke into the Armory Library! Master, you’ve ordered that no one is allowed in the Armory Library without your permission!”

The Armory Library was the Hong family’s book repository, but it only held priceless martial arts manuals! In the Great Xia Dynasty, martial artists were ranked from ninth to first grade, and martial arts manuals were similarly graded. To reach higher realms, the first requirement was to have a manual of the corresponding grade.

A ninth-grade manual could never be used to cultivate to the eighth grade.

Old Master Hong had fought in wars for decades, collecting countless martial arts manuals. Those stored in the Armory Library were at least sixth grade or above. Any one of them, if released, would cause a bloody scramble throughout Great Xia.

Back when the Armory Library was established, it was meant to benefit future generations—a legacy for a hundred generations. But who would have thought that after only three generations, the Hong family was nearly extinct?

The Armory Library was originally meant for the descendants, so from the eldest son Richard Howard to the youngest granddaughter Grace Howard, all were qualified to study the manuals within. But four years ago, the prodigal Edward Howard, strapped for cash, snuck into the Armory Library and stole a priceless third-grade martial arts manual, “Xuan Yuan Demonic Fire Break”!

And then, that third-grade martial arts manual, which would have fetched at least three million taels of silver at auction, was sold by Second Young Master Hong for just one hundred thousand taels.