While the girls were chatting away in the bath and Paul was busy cultivating.
Someone else was suffering.
The second young master of the Mei family was scolded and his father, who even beat him up for what he had done.
That however was just the beginning of his misery as his grandfather punished him with twenty planks on the back and confined him to his courtyard for half a year to reflect on his actions.
He was now lying in his bed with his whole body hurting like hell from the beatings and coursing Paul equally with his sister who snitched on him the moment they were back home.
What he didn't know was that someone was suffering even more than him.
Han Jing got scolded by her brother all the way home and once her family learned what she had done, all hell broke loose.
Her mother slapped her across the face while shouting how disappointed she was and her father did the same but harder.
She was kneeling on the floor with her face swollen and listening to the scolding of her life along with receiving a punishment of four months of confinement.
But that was nothing compared to the moment her grandparents barged into the room.
Her grandmother grabbed her by her hair to stand her up and started slapping her again and again while shouting what a disgrace she was and how much shame she brought to the family.
Once the old lady tired herself out and that took a while, her grandfather took over.
When he was done he ordered the servants to serve her with thirty lashes and confined her to her room for a year, to reflect on her actions.
By that time she was already unconscious on the floor from all the beatings and lashing.
Nobody cared about that, and even if they killed her at this moment they would not care since she tarnished the reputation of the whole family and made them a laughingstock around the city.
Both families were just happy that their mess was solved without any charges being pressed on their children or the consequences would be dire for all of them.
Not only would the culprits be punished and most likely publicly executed but their reputations in this city would be totally destroyed.
Paul was not bothered by the incidents and finished his cultivation after gaining another level in mana bringing him up to level 85.
At the same time, the ladies finished their bath and everyone went to sleep not long later.
The next day, they all started their new routine.
Irine and Natalie cleaned around the mansion and started making the underwear from the materials they bought while Paul, Anna, and Fei Fei trained, read, or cultivated.
The same day the owner of the place came to personally deliver the invitation for a slave auction.
She was surprised to see two new ladies but that was not her business and she crept her thoughts to herself.
-Why are you going to the slave auction?
Irine asked once the owner of the mansion left.
-Because we want to get some servants for the mansion and at least a cook as I want to focus on cultivation during our stay here.
Paul said.
-This reminds me that you two should learn cultivation as soon as possible for your protection.
You learned this the hard way when you were beaten up last time.
Next time you might not have enough luck to come out alive if you can't defend yourself.
His words froze Irine to the bone, If she died then what would happen to her daughter?
-So you will need time to cultivate which you won't have if you are taking care of the mansion and also making the underwear for Anna and Fei Fei.
Paul explained the situation.
-Ok I get that, but what will you do with the slaves when you leave this place in two months?
She asked.
-I don't know yet.
Most likely I will sell them or just set them free, who knows some of them might decide to come with me when I leave.
Paul shrugged.
-And if you can't buy slaves that you need on the auction?
-Then I would simply go to the slave trader and buy them there, the only reason I didn't do that till now is because there are usually better slaves at an auction than in a slave market.
He answered.
Paul knew this from his previous life since he once went to a similar auction with his stepbrother but he could not afford a single slave that was sold there since his family didn't give him much money.
Now things were different, he was wealthy and could afford any slave he wanted to have without a problem.
The prices at the auction were always higher than on the market but even then the price of the highest-value slave would not go over a few hundred gold coins.
This was one of the things he always had a hard time understanding in his past life.
-How come a slave is worth a few gold coins or even a few silvers sometimes and an herb or ingredient can be sold for tens or even hundreds of millions of gold coins?
He thought to himself back then.
The answer was simple but he didn't like it.
The slave's lives were worthless to most people while a rare ingredient or herb could potentially cure someone or even turn a worthless person into a genius overnight if used to make a pill or a potion.
-Paul be honest with me, how do you know so much about this world?
Irine asked suddenly.
-I knew you would ask that question sooner or later.
Paul said with a sad smile.
-The truth is, this is not my first time here but the last time I was isolated on purpose by my father's family, and like a total fool I believed them when they said it was for my protection.
The truth was that they only wanted to control me and use me for their own benefit.
When I started becoming too powerful for them to fully control, they used my cheating girlfriend to poison me before telling me the whole truth and trying to kill me.
They however had no idea that I had an artifact on me that could send me back in time and I used it before they were able to finish me off.
This time I chose to be sent far away from them and I swore to get revenge on each and every one of them for what they had done to me.
Paul said with anger in his voice.
Whenever he remembered his past life he got angry almost immediately.
-This is unbelievable.
Irine said.
-Which part do you have trouble believing?
Paul asked.
-If it's the time travel time then look around you, we are in a world where magic is real, many people are cultivators and most of the animals that pose no threat in our world are extremely deadly here.
He said.
-No it's not that part, but the one about your family using you and trying to kill you only because you became too strong.
Irine said she was already aware that this is a magical world full of things that most people from Earth have never even dreamt about.
-Well, they had a reason to fear me.
You see, I was born because my biological father drugged and raped my mother before fleeing back to China to avoid responsibility.
Irine gasped hearing this.
-What's more, It was his whore of a wife who orchestrated my mother's and stepfather's deaths.
I was not supposed to survive this but I did and I was taken in by my biological father's family only because my grandfather on that side found out about me and I was the oldest son of the family in his eyes no matter what they thought.
But in the end, I got used and discarded like trash once I was no longer useful and before they tried to end me, they told me everything, admitting to killing everyone who ever mattered to me and even that bitch of a girlfriend admitted to sleeping with my younger stepbrother while she was officially in a relationship with me.
Paul said more than he intended but he didn't care as they would not be together for long and it was of no consequence even if she knew his story.
-I can't believe that such ruthless people are living in this world.
Irine said once the shock passed.
She had a hard time believing that someone could use his son as a tool and even try to kill him once he was not able to control him any longer.
-So what are you going to do to them once you meet again?
Irine asked out of curiosity.
-I will destroy their lives, and depending on if I'm feeling merciful at the time I just might let them live as slaves for the rest of their lives, if not I will just end them.
Paul said coldly.
-But that is still your father's family, your family.
Irine was shocked at his words.
She could not imagine hurting her family no matter how badly they treated her.
-They are not my family and that fucking rapist is not my father.
To be honest I'd rather not be born than submit my mother to being raped by this asshole.
She didn't deserve any of it and as for a father, the only one who fits this description is my stepfather who raised me as his own.
Believe me Irine, I would give everything to be my stepfather's biological son at least then I would still have a family and my mother would not have to suffer as she did just because some bastard thought that he could do whatever he wanted and escape.
Well, the authorities could do nothing back then, but in this world things are different and I will make them all pay.
Paul said not even noticing two streams of tears on his face.