Su Long returned to the Su family residence after slaughtering the bandits. His robes were stained with dust and blood, but his eyes were calm. He had gained a large number of hatred points, yet… he could not upgrade anything meaningful at the moment.
"If those bandits hadn't run away…" he muttered under his breath, "I could've gained even more hatred points."
But before he could think further, a loud cry echoed through the house.
"Waaaaah! Bwother! Waaaaah!"
Su Long froze. Mimi's voice.
Panic gripped his chest as he dashed inside.
When he entered the room, the scene before him made his heart twist.
Mimi was sitting on the bed, tiny body trembling, tears streaming down her red cheeks. She rubbed her swollen eyes with her small pink hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Su Feng, the loyal guard, tried in vain to calm her down.
At the bedside stood Su Rui, holding a bowl of warm milk. Her face was filled with concern as she coaxed softly, "Young miss, please drink this milk so your body can recover faster."
Su Lan, another servant, added quickly, "Young miss, young master Su hasn't left you. He only went for a walk. He will come back very soon."
But Mimi only cried harder, her tiny voice breaking between sobs.
"My bwother left me… he doesn't love me anymore! Sob… sob… I… I will cry forever!"
Her voice was full of heartbreak, her words stabbing straight into Su Long's chest.
"When I woke up… I didn't see him… he left me…"
Su Long finally understood. While he had been out fighting, Mimi had awakened and found him gone. In her little heart, she thought he had abandoned her.
He stepped forward silently, kneeling down beside her bed. He gently placed his hand on her head, stroking her messy hair.
But Mimi, still sobbing, brushed his hand away with her little palm.
"I don't want milk! I want my bwother!"
Her tear-filled eyes trembled with sadness.
Su Long forced a smile and spoke softly, "Mimi, I am your brother. Why did you push my hand away? Don't you love me anymore? Look… I am right here in front of you."
Mimi stopped crying for a moment and blinked her big round eyes. She looked at him carefully, as if to confirm. Her lips trembled.
"Bwother? Where… where did you go? You don't want me anymore? Am… am I a bad girl, so you left me?"
Su Long's heart almost broke. He hugged her small body gently, patting her head.
"Silly girl. How can I ever leave you? You're my cute little sister. You are the most precious to me."
Mimi's sobs softened. She rubbed her eyes with her tiny pink hands, leaving wet tear stains across her face. Her eyes were still watery, but now filled with relief.
Su Long took the milk from Su Rui's hands and smiled. "Come, Mimi. Drink a little milk for brother, hmm?"
He scooped up a small spoonful and gently fed it to her. Mimi opened her little mouth reluctantly, sipping it.
"Mm… mmm…" She swallowed, her cheeks turning slightly red as milk dribbled from the corner of her lips. She hurriedly wiped her face with her little hands, looking embarrassed.
Su Long chuckled softly and wiped her mouth with a cloth. "Good girl. That's better."
Mimi yawned, her big eyes blinking sleepily. "Bwother… I'm sleepy…"
"Then sleep," Su Long said warmly, helping her lie down. She clutched his sleeve tightly even as her eyelids closed. Within moments, her breathing calmed, and she fell back into slumber.
Su Long stared at her fragile figure, a deep determination burning in his heart.
Turning sharply, he asked Su Feng, "I told you to find a doctor. Did no one agree to heal Mimi's injuries?"
Su Feng lowered his head, guilt in his eyes. "Young master, I went to every doctor in the city… but all of them refused. They didn't even give excuses. They simply said they were not free. No one is willing to help us."
Su Long's face darkened. Even those who once showed kindness had turned away. The pressure of enemies was spreading, forcing everyone else to abandon the Su family.
He looked back at Mimi, her cheeks still swollen, her small body covered in bruises. His fists trembled.
"She's just a child… but the injuries are deep. If we can't heal her properly, the damage may become permanent. Even her bones might be hurt…"
He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to remain calm.
"I must find a way to heal her."
Just then, Su Lan came closer, her expression tense. She whispered, "Young master, there is another problem. The people in the city… they refuse to sell us food. They say their families have no food for the Su family."
Su Long's eyes turned cold. After a long silence, he said, "Hang a banner at the Su family gate. Write this: Whoever sells us food or milk, the Su family will pay five times the original price. We have money. Even if we don't work, we can live for ten years with our savings. Let's see who dares to ignore us then."
Su Lan bowed and quickly carried out his order.
At the gate of the Su family, the banner was hung. Passersby stopped and whispered.
"The Su family is finished. Do they think money can solve their problem?"
"So pitiful… once so glorious, now they're begging for food."
"Who would dare sell them anything? Whoever helps them will be targeted too."
The crowd mocked, then left.
Meanwhile, in the Jian family, a servant named Jian Kun rushed to report.
"Young master, news! The Su family has made a move. As you ordered, I refused them earlier. Su Rui came begging for milk, but I rejected her coldly. Her face turned red with shame, she stomped her feet and left."
"Hahaha!" Jian Hao, the young master of the Jian family, laughed loudly. His round belly shook as he leaned back in his chair. "Good! Very good! Su Long… you were always ahead of me—your family, your cultivation, everything better than mine. But now, your Su family is destroyed! Hahaha! These past few days I've been so happy, I've eaten ten meals a day just to celebrate!"
The entire Jian family had been celebrating. Though they were a low-ranked clan compared to the Su family, now they felt as if they stood above them.
Jian Hao licked his lips, his eyes filled with greed. "Now is my chance to humiliate them completely. Why should I waste it?"
Jian Kun hesitated, then added, "Young master, there is even bigger news. The Su family fell… because of the little girl, Su Mimi. She awakened an unknown special body. Some powerful figures covet her."
Jian Hao's eyes widened. "Are you certain?"
"Yes, young master. People have seen it, and the rumor is spreading."
Jian Hao fell silent for a moment, then smirked wickedly. "So that's why… their family was destroyed. Because of that brat. Hahaha! If that's true, then if we capture her and hand her over to the higher powers, won't we receive unimaginable rewards?"
His eyes gleamed with greed, his laughter echoing through the hall.
"Prepare immediately. Call Elder Jian Feng. We are going to the Su family!"