The Second Madam’s expression was grim. “We miscalculated. Who would have thought that after spending a year in that Nanshan mining district, John Bennett would change so much? If I had known, I should have advised the Master to send him somewhere else back then.

That Nanshan mining district is full of criminals and vicious people. The environment is harsh, but it’s also a place that can really toughen someone up. After John Bennett spent a year there, it’s as if he’s become a completely different person.

But, son, you don’t need to worry. Just look at how John Bennett behaved today—daring to act out right in front of the Master, utterly disrespectful and completely reckless!

The Master never liked him to begin with, and now it’s even worse. The The Bennett Family would never choose a madman to be the heir of the family.

So you don’t need to worry. Among your brothers, Steven Bennett is all pride and no real talent. John Bennett acts recklessly and isn’t favored by the Master.

As for Matthew Bennett, he’s only in his teens, far too young. Even though he’s the Master’s favorite, he’s no real threat to you. Once you become the heir, do you really think you won’t be able to keep him in check?”

David Bennett nodded, a cold glint in his eyes. In his view, only he was fit to be the future head of the The Bennett Family. That Richard Bennett guy was only born a few years earlier—what else did he have over him?

“By the way, Mother, Father gave John Bennett a trading caravan today. If I remember correctly, aren’t several of the managers in that caravan your people? Find a chance to trip John Bennett up!”

A cold smile appeared on the Second Madam’s face as she said, “Don’t worry. I spent a lot to win over those managers in the caravan. Even if John Bennett gets the caravan, I guarantee he won’t be able to command a single person!”

Chapter 9: The Pharmacy

The The Bennett Family mansion was large, but the place where John Bennett, the usually neglected concubine-born son, lived was not. It was just an ordinary small courtyard, much smaller than those of his three brothers.

With the memories of two lifetimes fused together, John Bennett was still a bit muddled about some things except for the important ones. After leaving the council hall, he had to think for a while before remembering where he lived.

Pushing open the gate to his courtyard, he saw Thomas Brooks waiting inside. When Thomas Brooks saw John Bennett return, he hurried over and said, “Young Master, is the meeting over? Would you like something to eat? I can prepare it for you.”

John Bennett shook his head. “No rush. Where is the family’s pharmacy where we collect cultivation resources? I haven’t collected any resources for a whole year—there should be quite a bit accumulated, right?”

Thomas Brooks opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but held back.

John Bennett said calmly, “I know what you want to say. You’re probably thinking that I never had the right to collect them before, and even if I go now, they might not be willing to give them to me, right?”

Thomas Brooks gave an awkward smile and didn’t dare to reply. In fact, John Bennett knew exactly what was going on.

As a concubine-born son, John Bennett had never been valued. When it was time to cultivate, no elders from the family taught him. By the time he missed the best period for training, the The Bennett Family just casually sent a guard to teach him martial arts.

Every direct descendant of the The Bennett Family was entitled to receive a set of cultivation resources each month, but these things had never fallen into John Bennett’s hands since childhood—they were always taken by someone else, namely the eldest son of the The Bennett Family, Richard Bennett.

John Bennett himself didn’t even dare to complain to Charles Bennett about this, and the people in the pharmacy certainly wouldn’t say anything either. So by default, the resources meant for John Bennett were given to Richard Bennett.

That’s why Richard Bennett’s strength was a whole level above John Bennett and the others—thanks in no small part to the former ‘John Bennett’.

John Bennett looked straight at Thomas Brooks and said, “Remember, those were the old rules. Now, some rules are going to change.”

Thomas Brooks felt a chill under John Bennett’s gaze and quickly nodded.

“Lead the way.”

The The Bennett Family pharmacy was bustling, with an entire area dedicated to it.

Actually, although it was called a pharmacy, it produced two types of medicine.

One type was trauma medicine like golden wound ointment, sold to people in the martial world. After being made in the pharmacy, it would be sent to the The Bennett Family’s shops in Tongzhou Prefecture for sale.

The other type was pills like Qi-boosting powder and Blood-coagulating pills, which could assist martial artists in their cultivation.

The ingredients for these pills were very precious, and some weren’t even available in Tongzhou Prefecture—they had to be purchased from outside through trading caravans. The failure rate in refining them was also high, so these pills were basically not for sale and were reserved for internal use by the The Bennett Family.

At this moment, Thomas Brooks led John Bennett into the pharmacy. Some of the servants and managers looked at John Bennett with a hint of surprise in their eyes. After all, they had never seen this second young master here before—what was he doing at the pharmacy today?

John Bennett pushed open a door to a room, where a man in his forties, dressed in brocade, was sitting.

There were several managers in the pharmacy; the man before him was only responsible for distributing cultivation resources to the The Bennett Family disciples, not the chief manager.

When he saw someone suddenly push the door open, he instinctively sat up straight. But when he saw it was John Bennett, he immediately leaned back in his chair again and asked nonchalantly, “So it’s the second young master. May I ask what brings you to my pharmacy today?”