Chapter 233: Lord

Chapter 233: Lord

Bran knew his sister was coming. A vague connection through their bloodline made his gaze turn in that direction, and he noticed the great changes in his sister. But before he could shake off his surprise, Xirui gave him a show of force.

A few days earlier, he had bluffed, creating a Demon God-like image to awe people. Unfortunately, the good times did not last. In the blink of an eye, it was almost destroyed by the haunted house his clansmen made. So he could not let Xirui cause trouble. He had to put a stop to this wrecking behavior neatly and quickly.

He patted Huahua and said softly, “Bear with it for a moment.”

As the words fell, Huahua disappeared from his arms and appeared next to Xirui. A cheer rang out, the wind and snow scattered, and Northland City was still sunny and bright.

Xirui, holding Huahua obediently, entered the city and met her dear brother—Bran. Then, Huahua slipped out of her arms and ignored her again.

Bran looked his sister up and down carefully. How did she become a Wizard? All his arrangements, his observations, all the work he did earlier—were they all for nothing? His feelings were mixed. He was happy for his sister, but he was also annoyed at losing the best subject for his observations.

Then the interrogation between the siblings began. “How did you come here alone?”

“I missed you.”

Bran scratched his ear. “Say that again. I didn’t hear clearly.”

“I really missed you.”

“How is everything at home? Do they know you are here?”

“I missed you, so I sneaked over to see you.”

…

Adam, who was worried, received a letter from Bran. The glee in the letter was unmistakable. Angry, he drove the messenger Feiyu straight out of the castle and could not even be bothered to write a reply.

Bran wrote: Sister is safe, no need to worry. Do not clear the ruins of the Mountain Villa yet. To congratulate him on becoming the youngest and most capable master of the castle, he was planning to come back for a visit and, while he was at it, build a new Manor for him.

He was clearly coming to clean up the mess his sister made and, along the way, see his awkward situation. With a sigh, Adam finally no longer had to worry about Xirui.

Life in the castle was too boring. The people here moved day after day out of habit only. They did not need him to arrange anything. And he did not know how to arrange things or how to change them. So he could only sit here, upholding tradition, and take care of everything here according to his parents’ arrangements when they left, feeling numb.

Putting aside his worry for his sister, at least the destruction of the Mountain Villa brought change here and gave people something to talk about. What was talked about most was not his beloved Mountain Villa, but his sister Xirui, and him…

Someone else in the family had made something of themselves. And again, useless people like him became the bad examples. This time, even the youngest sister ran away. Now he was truly alone.

Compared to Adam, Xirui had a very pleasant few days. Wrapped in the Mist, she freely used her power without worrying about the possible consequences. When she was tired, she went for a walk with Huahua to relax.

The Ancient Tree and her brother left to clean up the mess she made.

When her brother heard the Mountain Villa was destroyed, he did not blame her. Instead, he praised her. She rolled her eyes and reminded him that he had better send a message to Adam.

Later, when her brother and Huahua prepared to set off to go home for a visit, the Ancient Tree protested. He stretched out his long vines and wrapped her brother up like a silkworm cocoon. He said: This time, it should be my turn to go along. Huahua can watch the home…

This made her very happy. She could finally be alone with Huahua.

By her brother’s side, she met his students—the White Robes. She noticed that those people were full of Reverence. This was an experience she never had before. Someone revered her, even if it was because of her brother.

She liked this feeling. So when she went for a walk to relax, she would stroll over to where the White Robes were. Like now, this kind old man named Pachu would always put down his work and walk by her side.

…

Shajia watched, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, as her teacher coaxed and played with that little girl. Ever since she saw that Demon God image and trembled in fear from its pressure, she suddenly understood.

Swearing loyalty? That was too much wishful thinking. She was not even qualified to swear loyalty. In the face of that kind of power, people were as lowly as grass. So-called loyalty was just an excuse to steal power. But she needed power because power could make her less lowly.

Although, in her father’s teachings, swearing loyalty was a sacred thing, and she would follow her oath. But she understood the difference here. No matter how she tried to hide it, she ultimately owed a debt to the object of her loyalty.

The Great Wizard and the Ancient Tree left. This time, the one left to watch the home was that Black Cat, a Black Cat that did not have much presence. Teacher Pachu repeatedly emphasized that there were three beings in this city who were beyond the ordinary. Do not overlook them. Do not be fooled by appearances. The last time the Ancient Tree showed its power was a lesson everyone should remember.

Shajia knew these things better than her teacher. She even knew that the Black Cat was the most terrifying among these three Monsters. The Ancient Tree quietly told her that if a real fight broke out, probably even the Great Wizard would not be a match. Also, when the Great Wizard was not around, do not get close to the Black Cat casually, because when he got into a temper, only the Great Wizard could calm him down.

However, she noticed that the little girl in front of her seemed able to calm this Black Cat too. She and the Great Wizard were really alike, except the little girl was more spirited and more proud.

A few days later, while Xirui was still playing happily in Northland City, Bran and the Ancient Tree finally arrived at the Mountain Villa. Bran carefully sensed everything before him, trying to find something valuable. Compensating Adam was just something to do along the way, not the main purpose of this trip.

Fairy Whisper also landed on Bran’s shoulder at this moment. “You came so quickly?”

“Could have been faster.” Bran pointed to the Ancient Tree outside and spoke with blame in his tone. “You didn’t even notify me when something like this happened.”

“Hehe, she made me keep it a secret when she ran away, said she wanted to give you a surprise.”

Bran pointed at the Ancient Tree on the hill. “Does he have any thoughts? Or is he planning to stay here forever?”

“Not all Ancient Trees like to wander. Those rooted in the earth will always be the majority.”

“Do you have any thoughts about the new Mountain Villa?”

“The way it was before is fine. When you get old, you always become nostalgic.”

Bran and Whisper decided the style of the Mountain Villa in just a few words, completely ignoring Adam who rushed over upon hearing the news. While Adam stood there gaping, the Mountain Villa had basically returned to its original appearance.

A little later, Bran pulled the disappointed Adam and walked outside.

“This Manor is the home of me and the Fairy. Even father has no right to give it away. You can live here, you can maintain and manage it, but you cannot claim this place for yourself alone.

I said I would give you a new Manor. Have you chosen a location yet?”

This last sentence made Adam’s spirits lift. His originally sinking mood instantly soared. He turned his head and noticed the smile on Bran’s face, which made him feel a little embarrassed.

“We have lived together for so long, yet you still haven’t completely accepted the Fairy as your own family. If you want to become a powerful Lord, you cannot do without the Fairy’s help.”

Adam sighed. “I don’t have powerful strength. How can I become a powerful Lord?”

“You have us. So strength is not an obstacle.”

“How can I protect my clansmen without strength?”

“You have us.”

“That is your strength, not mine.”

Bran shook his head. “The strength you can use is yours. You want to become a great Lord. Strength is no longer an obstacle. Because anyone who hears our name would not dare harm you. You need to keep more people here. This is what you should do.”

Adam spread his hands. “How do I keep them? When this place can no longer support more people, we will split off a new family and migrate far away.”

“Then make this land able to support more people.”

“How do I support them?”

“Food, more food.” Bran pointed at the trees by the road. “What if we replaced them with fruit trees? And the empty land in front of the castle, what if we planted crops on it?

You need to think of the methods. You need to do the work.

As long as you make the population in the Territory grow larger and larger, as long as you make this place the castle with the largest population, you will become the greatest Lord of the Northlands.”