Within the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire
Two days ago, after wiping out the entire Li family, Chen Xuan did not linger. He left the village with his sister, Chen Yiyi.
He took his sister onto a carriage and headed northward. Their destination this time was Heaven Dou City.
Inside the carriage
Chen Xuan looked at the pitiful little girl, feeling a mix of emotions. Even though he wasn't the original Chen Xuan but someone who had transmigrated into this body, he couldn't help but develop feelings and embrace the role of an elder brother.
"Yiyi, you've suffered so much all these years," he said, gently stroking the girl's hair, expressing his apology.
Chen Yiyi's large, gem-like eyes were bright and expressive, but now they were filled with tears, full of grievance. Now that her brother had returned, she no longer had to live a strong and independent life. She finally had someone to rely on.
She threw herself into Chen Xuan's arms, clutching his clothes tightly as she cried softly.
This was a young girl of about twelve or thirteen years old, with tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.
Suddenly, as if realizing something, she quickly sat up and used her patched-up sleeve to wipe away her tears, fearing she might dirty Chen Xuan's clean clothes.
Witnessing this small gesture, Chen Xuan felt a pang in his heart. He couldn't imagine how she had survived in that place over the past three years, developing such a cautious and careful personality.
Chen Xuan felt conflicted. In that place, was she able to eat enough? Did she have new clothes to wear? Was she bullied?
His gaze fell on Yiyi. Her simple clothes had been washed so many times they were faded, with sleeves and pant legs patched up beyond recognition. She was still wearing them because she had no new clothes to change into.
Chen Xuan felt a surge of anger. It was bad enough that he hadn't been there, but now that he knew, he couldn't bear it. Yiyi was so young when she was left in that place to endure such hardships. How could the original Chen Xuan have been so heartless?
What a worthless person!
The two-day journey was long, and it wasn't until the morning of the second day that they arrived at Heaven Dou City, given the slow pace of the carriage.
Outside the city gate stood a hundred-meter-high wall, over thirty meters thick, made of granite. It was majestic and imposing.
This wall was just one of four, forming a quadrilateral to block any invading enemies.
The carriage came to a halt. The royal rules forbade outsiders' carriages from entering the city.
Chen Xuan got off the carriage, holding Yiyi's dusty little hand, and walked towards the city gate.
"For the foreseeable future, this will be our home. If you don't like it, we can move somewhere else later," he said, flashing a bright smile at his sister.
Inside the city, people bustled about. Many merchants, soul masters, and ordinary people could be seen everywhere.
The streets were thriving, with a constant flow of traffic. Numerous shops, restaurants, and hotels lined the roads, their goods so plentiful they dazzled the eye.
It was Yiyi's first time in such a large, bustling place. Her eyes were filled with confusion, and she nervously clutched the hem of her clothes.
Chen Xuan held her hand as they walked along the crowded street, contemplating whether to take her to eat first or return to the hotel.
Suddenly, he felt a resistance. Turning around, he saw Yiyi had stopped, staring intently at something.
The young girl was standing in front of a clothing store, her eyes fixed on a blue dress inside. She couldn't take her eyes off it.
But soon, she looked away, her eyes dimming as she lowered her head, staring at her toes, unsure of what to do.
Chen Xuan felt a tightness in his chest. How pitiful this little girl must be, to have had such a hard life that she couldn't even own a piece of clothing she liked.
He gave her a kind smile and said, "If you like something, just tell me. I'll buy it for you."
"But… it's probably very expensive. Yiyi doesn't need it," she said, afraid that Chen Xuan didn't have enough money. She gave the dress one last longing look before turning to leave.
Chen Xuan grabbed her hand and led her straight into the clothing store.
He pulled out a bag of gold coins and said boldly, "Wrap up all these dresses, shoes, and those clothes over there for me."
The saleswoman's eyes lit up with green light. With a professional smile, she eagerly began introducing the products to Chen Xuan.
"Sir, these are our store's latest designs, masterpieces crafted by the great Master Moto."
"No need to say more; I'll take them all," Chen Xuan repeated.
The saleswoman beamed with genuine joy, her smile almost too big for her face. A wealthy customer had walked right into her store.
Not long after, she had packed up a dozen dresses and the latest women's clothing.
After leaving the clothing store, Chen Xuan took Yiyi to a nearby restaurant, the most famous one in the area.
It wasn't long before the waiter brought out a series of exquisite dishes—plenty of fish, meat, and fine wines—filling the entire table.
Yiyi stared at the table full of food, her eyes wide and unable to look away. She unconsciously swallowed.
She was fixated on the chicken leg on the table, staring at it longingly, but hesitated, worried about something.
Yiyi had never seen so much food in her life. Just being able to eat enough was already a luxury for her.
Now, with a table full of fish and meat in front of her, her stomach growled with hunger, but she didn't dare to pick up her chopsticks. She could only stare at the food, afraid to touch it.
Chen Xuan's heart ached. Whatever grievances she had suffered before, he would make sure to make it up to her in the future.
He quickly picked up a chicken leg and stuffed it into Yiyi's mouth.
"Eat quickly, or it'll get cold. Your brother has plenty of money now, so don't worry."
The moment the fragrant chicken leg touched her lips, Yiyi couldn't hold back any longer. The savory taste filled her mouth, and it was delicious.
When she was little, chicken legs were her favorite food. But after their parents passed away, she never had the chance to eat them again.
For so many years, living with her uncle's family, she had been forced to serve tea and do hard labor. She hadn't tasted meat in who knows how long, let alone dared to dream of eating such food.
Chen Xuan didn't touch his chopsticks. He just quietly watched Yiyi devour the food. He didn't think she was being unladylike; he only felt sorry for her.
He kept piling food onto Yiyi's plate, watching her eat hungrily, and felt completely satisfied.
A little while later, Yiyi finally had her fill, but there was still a lot of food left on the table. She was already stuffed, but afraid of wasting it, she tried to force more into her mouth.
"It's okay, we can pack it up. Don't force yourself," Chen Xuan said with a smile, stopping her. He was worried she might make herself sick.
At this point, Yiyi realized something and nervously looked at Chen Xuan. "Brother, these dishes look really expensive. Did I eat too much?"
She was uneasy. Her brother had already spent so much money on her, and now they'd had a costly meal. She was worried that she might bankrupt him with her appetite.
Chen Xuan laughed heartily, gently ruffling her hair. "Don't worry. Eat whatever you want. I can take care of you for a lifetime."
With ten thousand gold soul coins, as long as he didn't buy expensive soul bones or soul tools, they would have more than enough for a lifetime.
"Brother, Yiyi will eat less from now on, and I'll help you make money!" the young girl said earnestly, her big eyes pure and innocent, full of childlike wonder.
Clearly, she wasn't one to hide any thoughts.
"You don't need to worry about making money. Just be happy and enjoy yourself every day, and I'll be content," Chen Xuan said.
Yiyi nodded in confusion, still somewhat puzzled.
After leaving the restaurant, Chen Xuan didn't return to the previous hotel. Instead, he spent ten thousand gold soul coins to buy a three-story building in the outskirts of the city, with a floor area of over two hundred square meters and a courtyard.
"This will be our home for now. You can rest here while I take care of some things. I'll be back later."
After saying goodbye to Yiyi, Chen Xuan quickly left, heading straight for Shrek Academy.
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