5

Chapter 5: “Brothers”

Sima You Yue caused quite a stir once she returned to the General’s Residence. She had only stepped out for a short while this morning and when she returned she was seriously injured yet again! She just recovered last night…

“My God, Fifth Young Master, how did you get hurt! Who hurt you?! Quick, let me have a look at your injury.” The housekeeper in the yard quickly rushed forward when he saw Sima You Yue’s injured arm.

Looking at his distressed eyes, Sima You Yue smiled and said: “Uncle Quan, I’m fine, just burnt a little of my skin, it’s nothing.”

“A little? How could you call that a little!” He looked at her as his heart winced.

“It’s really nothing, it doesn’t even hurt that much, I’ll just go back and get the maids to apply some medicine on it and I’ll be fine.” Sima You Yue comforted him.

Although the people outside had always labelled her as trash wherever she went, however all that was different in the General’s Residence. No one has ever slighted her nor looked down on her. Moreover, because she could not cultivate to be a spirit master, they felt distressed for her and spoilt her even more. Her grandfather, her brothers and even all the servants and maids doted heavily on her, only the previous Sima You Yue did not know how to appreciate these affections and always made them worry.

“Well, quickly go and let the maids help you tend to your wound, I’m going to ask the General for another good medicinal pill for you.” Uncle Quan said.

She had already ate the most expensive medicinal pill in the residence, where else could they find another one? She nodded absentmindedly and went back to her courtyard.

She did not have many maids serving her, in addition to the ones Chun Jian and Yun Yue whom she had met yesterday, there were two that were in the midst of cooking. They were shocked when they saw that she was wounded, and quickly tended to her wound.

Looking at their swift and familiar movements, she could not help but wonder, just how many times did former Sima You Yue get injured? Looking at their practised and fluid movements, one could easily tell how seasoned they were in this.

After treating the wound, Chun Jian took out a medicinal pill and popped it into Sima You Yue’s mouth. However this was a tier one medicinal pill but Sima You Yue was injured by spiritual energy and so it wasn’t that effective.

After a short while, Sima Lie came to see her and when his eyes landed on her injured arm, he furrowed his brows and asked in a very distressed and angry tone: “Why did you go out alone again!”

“Grandfather…” when she saw that he was in a rage, she coquettishly held onto his sleeves and pulled it gently. “I just wanted to go out for a short stroll to get some fresh air and did not expect to run into one of the men that beat me up that day. Hence I taught him a lesson, I used a rock and smashed till he became a trash that would never be able to cultivate any more! Compared to him, I’m in a much better condition. This is nothing, it will heal up in a few days.”

Frankly, in her past life, she had suffered various degrees of injuries ranging from gunshot wounds to stab wounds. This injury was really nothing in her eyes, the most it would leave an ugly scar on her arm.

Sima You Yue did not kick up a huge fuss like previous times and this comforted Sima Lie as this was more fitting of a ‘Young Master’ of his valiant General’s Residence! He took out a porcelain bottle and emptied it as a lone pill rolled out. “This is the last medicinal pill that Master Shi refined, quickly, eat it.”

“Grandfather, I’m alright, it’s really nothing, this will heal up in no time. This medicinal pill is so valuable, keep it for emergencies next time.” She retorted as she nudged his hands away.

“What do you mean by nothing! Your whole arm’s burnt so badly, you still say it’s nothing?! No matter what, we are the esteemed General’s Residence, we won’t be put in a sorry position just because of a mere medicinal pill! Be good, eating it will heal you up in no time.” Sima Lie tried to coax her into eating the pill as he brought it to up to her mouth again.

Sima You Yue obediently ate the medicinal pill, although the pill was very bitter, she felt her heart swell with overwhelming sweetness.

Past life, she was an orphan, and she was brought up by the Organization, and went under their tough and rigorous training. No one had ever cared for her, she was only a tool in their eyes. Never had she expected to experience the feeling of being spoilt and loved like this.

Grandfather. You are henceforth my grandfather, she swore silently in her heart.

“Hahahahahahah, Fifth Brother is all grown up now! You even know how to comfort grandfather!”

At his time, a hearty voice came from the door and four men strode in. They were the other young masters of the Sima Residence – Sima You Qi, Sima You Ming, Sima You Ran and Sima You Le.

The voice belonged to the eldest Brother, Sima You Qi.

“Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, why are all of you back at the same time?” Sima You Yue looked at the four men that just entered.

“We heard that you were beaten up, of course we all rushed back to see you, it was a coincidence that our timing clashed.” Big Brother replied as he studied her from head to toe, as he asked in concern: “Are you alright? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else?”

They were all scattered around in different places, however when they heard that she was seriously injured, they had put everything down and rushed back without second thoughts.

Sima You Yue shook her head as she reassured them and said: “No, don’t worry, the medicinal pill that Grandfather gave me is really amazing! I’m not hurting anywhere at all.”

“Grandfather, you went to seek an Alchemist?” Second Brother Sima You Ming asked.

“Well, the ones we had in store were too low in grades so I went to seek Master Shi out to refine two medicinal pills.” Sima Lie replied.

“That guy had been coveting our two hundred year old ginseng, don’t tell me that you used that in exchange?” Big Brother Sima You Qi had been managing the household affairs, hence he was well aware of the matters regarding the General’s Residence most clearly.

Sima Lie nodded his head. “I requested for the two tier medicinal pill from him and he told me that these tier two medicinal pills were really difficult to refine and he only had a few. They were all precious and invaluable and when he asked me to use the ginseng to exchange for them, in my haste I agreed.”

“A second tier medicinal pill costs twenty gold coins, while a two hundred year old ginseng costs at least fifty gold coins. But considering this in exchange for Fifth Brother’s recovery, this was worth it.” Sima You Ran said, not at all concerned with the loss of the two hundred year old ginseng.

“Yes, the loss of that ginseng cannot be compared with our brother. As long as he is alright, nothing else matters.” Fourth Brother Sima You Le affirmed.

Sima You Yue sat on her bed as she looked at the five men who were chattering by her bedside. Listening to them fawning over her well-being more than the loss of the precious ginseng, her heart sighed, how lucky the previous Sima You Yue was to have so many people doting on her.

Now this world used coins as the main currency. 1 Gold Coin \= 100 Silver Coins \= 1000 copper coins. The majority of the population used copper and silver coins while the rich mainly used gold coins.

Twenty gold coins was enough to feed an ordinary family of five for a year! However they dotingly splurged on her and were concerned only about her recovery and nothing else.

“Fifth Brother, who was the perpetrator? Tell us and we’ll go take revenge for you!” Fourth Brother Sima You Le, who looked older than than Sima You Yue by 3 to 4 years was the most hotheaded of them all.

The General Residence had five young masters – First Young Master 29 years old, Second Young Master 24 years old, Third Young Master 22 years old, Fourth Young Master 18 years old and Fifth Young Master 14 years old. The first four were renowned geniuses in Dong Chen Kingdom. First Young Master was a ninth grade Spirit Lord, Second and Third Young Masters were already fifth grade while the Fourth Young Master had already been acknowledged as a first grade Spirit Lord. Having attained that rank at such a young age was already an accomplishment and the genes in this family was rather alarming.

Only the infamous Fifth Young Master had no talent in this aspect, he could not even sense the Spiritual Qi in the surroundings. He was not even qualified to be the lowest ranked Spirit Master, he was simply trash!

Hearing Sima You Le asking for the perpetrators, Second Brother also chimed in and exclaimed loudly as he gnashed his teeth: “Fifth Brother, who was it! Let us brothers help you take revenge .