John Brooks and William Brooks also had no idea what kind of seeds these were. “Since the master sent them over, they must be of great use.”

David Brooks curled his lip. The two didn’t dare say anything bad about their father, but he himself truly had no idea what use these three seemingly ordinary seeds could have.

He was examining the three seeds when suddenly a servant rushed in from outside. “Young master, you’d better come take a look. Someone’s here causing trouble, and they’re asking for you by name.”

David Brooks was never afraid of trouble—he only feared boredom. He immediately swept all his things into his Mustard Seed Ring and charged out in front. “Which bastard has eaten a leopard’s gall and dares to come looking for trouble with me?”

He rushed out halfway, then, thinking of today’s events, slowed down a bit and ordered, “William Brooks, go call more people, get those cultivators, not those useless show-offs.”

“Yes!” William Brooks hurried off. David Brooks started to dawdle. By the time he reached the main gate of the Chen residence, William Brooks had already brought ten Chen family cultivators, lined up in formation outside the gate. But with such a grand display, the “enemy” on the other side seemed rather deflated—it was just a boy about the same age as David Brooks, dressed in rags, his face sallow, but his small face was full of anger, and his eyes glared unyieldingly toward the Chen residence.

David Brooks was about to question him when the boy rushed forward and shouted angrily, “You little demon, give me back my sister!”

David Brooks was surprised. “Your sister?” He circled the boy twice, then sneered, “Looking at you, I doubt your sister is much to look at either. Would I, your young master, covet your sister? Please don’t insult my taste, all right?”

The boy was furious. “It’s you! This afternoon you bought my sister from the slave market. Her name is Linda Carter.”

David Brooks was taken aback and retorted, “Did the slave dealer trick your sister away?”

The boy was at a loss for words.

“Since it was voluntary, this transaction isn’t illegal. I paid silver for her. Now you come to take her back—are you trying to extort my The Brooks Family?”

The boy knew he was in the wrong, but refused to back down. “I’ll return the silver to you. My parents made the decision while I was away, it doesn’t count. I’m here to take my sister home!”

He took out a pouch of silver to hand to David Brooks, but David Brooks dodged and shouted, “How is there such a thing? Do you think my The Brooks Family is easy to bully? Someone, throw this little rascal out!”

John Brooks and William Brooks had already seen that the boy was just an ordinary person, and wouldn’t miss a chance to show off in front of the young master. The two of them stepped forward together, grabbed the boy, and threw him out.

The main gate of the The Brooks Family slammed shut. David Brooks couldn’t be bothered with this unreasonable boy—after all, he was usually the one being unreasonable; it was the first time someone else was unreasonable to him.

David Brooks felt a bit annoyed. As he walked back, he instructed William Brooks, “Go ask among the maids we bought this afternoon if there’s one named Linda Carter.”

Sure enough, there was, and she was quickly brought before David Brooks. He remembered her—she was the little maid he’d taken a liking to at first glance.

The The Brooks Family was a large and prosperous family, and as a second-generation heir, David Brooks himself couldn’t remember how many maids he’d bought in total. If it weren’t for her brother causing a scene, he probably would have forgotten about this girl too. Maybe a few years later, he’d run into a maid he’d bought years ago in the vast Brooks Manor, now grown into a stunning beauty, and would take her back to his room to dote on her, only then recalling the circumstances of her purchase in conversation.

But now, the little maid stood pitifully in the middle of the room, having heard what happened, her heart full of fear.

William Brooks came up and whispered the information he’d gathered into David Brooks’s ear. Linda Carter’s brother was named Henry Carter, the stubborn boy from earlier.

The The Carter Family was very poor, and in a few days it would be time to register for the county school and the sect’s disciple recruitment. For almost all poor families in the mortal world, entering the county school or a cultivation sect was their only chance to soar to greatness.

Everyone said Henry Carter was born with great potential, but the The Carter Family was so poor they couldn’t even afford the registration fee. So little Linda Carter took the initiative to discuss with her parents, selling herself as a servant to a wealthy family to raise money for her brother’s registration.

At first, Linda Carter’s parents refused no matter what, but their daughter insisted again and again. In the end, they could only agree with tears in their eyes, planning in their hearts that once their son succeeded in cultivation and rose in status, they would redeem their daughter.

David Brooks frowned and waved his hand at Linda Carter. “Forget it, you may go.”

Linda Carter thought she’d at least get a beating this time, but unexpectedly, she was let off so easily. Gratefully, she kowtowed to the young master and withdrew.

“Come back!” David Brooks suddenly called out. Linda Carter’s small body trembled, and she obediently turned around, looking at David Brooks with pitiful eyes, tears welling up in her eyes from fear.

David Brooks couldn’t help but laugh. “Am I really that scary?”

Linda Carter quickly shook her head.

“You were bought by me. Although your filial piety is admirable, and your brother seems to care for you a lot, the silver my The Brooks Family spent didn’t come from the wind. You can send a message home—if Henry Carter has the money to redeem you in the future, that’s fine. Otherwise, everything will go according to the rules, and you’ll be a maid of my The Carter Family.”