How Much For Your Soul?

Chapter 4

"Shen Yue! Shen Yue!"

Waking from the desperate call of his little aunt, Shen Yue grimaced at the pain. Seeing the teary-eyed, red-haired Shen Xiu, it was time to try and rope her to his side. He would have to dial his cute boy genius act to the max.

"Aunt, it hurts." He whispered out.

"Where is the doctor?" Shen Xiu directed her question to Maid number two.

"He has already been. He said he did all he can." She replied quickly seeing anger showing through the worry on Shen Xiu's face.

"Aunt, they have done nothing to help me, I haven't seen a doctor. They won't give me anything for the pain." Shen Yue sobbed out. He did not have to try hard for tears, he was quite badly hurt. No fucks were given as he threw Maid number one and two under the bus.

"I think they are trying to kill me! I want to leave aunt." He whispered with a fearful face. He had once read somewhere that redheads had a fiery personality, for Shen Xiu that seemed to be the case.

Coming home from school only to hear whispers of Shen Yue's guards carrying his broken body to his courtyard made her anxious. Rushing to his Courtyard and seeing her adorable little nephew covered in bandages and traces of blood put her straight into panic mode. Hearing his pained whispers and seeing tears on a face she had only ever seen smiling, turned her hysterical.

Before the maid could even utter a rebuttal, she was bitch slapped and crumpled to the ground. Maid number one seeing this tried to plead innocence but quickly joined her counterpart on the floor after a fist to the face. Seems Shen Xiu was at least at bronze 2nd rank.

"Aunt, can you take me to a doctor in the city?" Sobbed Shen Yue, impressed with the aura coming off his little aunt. He couldn't wait to start cultivating himself.

"Don't cry little Yue, I will get the family doctor quickly." Shen Xiu was about to run from the room when she was stopped by Shen Yue shout.

"No! I think they are trying to kill or cripple me. I'm the patriarch's son, yet here I lie with barely any treatment! Aunt, we need a neutral doctor. I can't ruin my future for some Family scheme!" He gasped out.

After his initial shout, every word he spoke induced pain. There was no need to pretend to cry, the tears were flowing freely. His ribs must be broken, Shen Hong was brutal!

Not being in the right frame of mind to poke any holes in his flimsy excuse, he was quickly carried none too gently like a new bride. Rushing out of the courtyard, she made a beeline for the compound gates, not even pausing when Shen Yue's Guards called out for her to stop.

The Gold rank guards had no clue how to deal with this situation, although they could stop her as they were gold rank, to stop Shen Xiu would invite her wrath (they had seen what happened to the maids) and further hurt Shen Yue. They could only follow along.

Thirty painful minutes of being carried and Shen Yue was in one of Glory city's most renowned doctors, with Shen Xiu demanding he is treated. Seeing Sacred Family members injured and begging for assistance the doctor wasted no time and ushered them into his treatment room.

Two hours later, bones were set, elixirs taken and wounds bandaged.

Broken arm.

Broken leg.

3 broken ribs.

Broken nose.

Various grazes from sliding across the floor.

A shit ton of bruising, though none internally.

Shen Yue was stupefied at the list of injuries, but the doctor and Shen Xiu seemed relieved! His Earth mentality had got him again. On Earth, these injuries would have seen him out of commission for a minimum of five months, here after setting and splinting his bones, a few elixirs and he will be up and fighting in two weeks! Even his nose would be back to its perfect condition!

"Thank you, the pain is much less. What level of treatment had I received before I arrived here? I'm afraid I was mostly unconscious." Said Shen Yue gratefully. He felt much better and had only the occasional twinge of pain when breathing unlike the knives stabbing his soul before.

"Treatment? Only your wounds were bandaged, I thought you came straight here." Replied the confused doctor.

Unafraid to spread rumours and trash his family's reputation, he hammed the shit out of his reply. "I was told that my Sacred Family's best doctor had done all he could for me and it was just a matter of time until I healed. It seems his skills are overrated; my apologies doctor I never got your name."

"I'm from the Lu family young master, Lu Wei. There was no way your family doctor missed those injuries; he didn't even reset your nose!" The now identified Lu Wei said in disbelief.

Shen Yue was unsure why the Family doctor didn't heal him, but it was definitely on Shen Hong's order. The doctor lacked the courage required to maltreat a Sacred Family direct descendant.

"Perhaps Shen Hong planned to use the pain as an incentive for the information I have?" Thought Shen Yue. It didn't matter, he would use this opportunity to leave the Family. There would be other ways to get a slave technique.

"I told you they are trying to cripple me! It's too dangerous to return to the family now." Shen Yue told his aunt with his best serious face. He then turned to the two gold rank guards. "You two are dismissed."

"I'm afraid that Patriarch has ordered us to stay by your side no matter what young master."

Thanking them internally for that perfect set up, Shen Yue made sure everyone heard his next words clearly. "It was the Patriarch that crippled me while you stood by and did nothing! Then you watched as that quack doctor tried to ruin my foundation! I will not have you traitors stand behind me ready to finish what they started, leave!"

Lu Wei, Shen Xiu, the nurse and even a few of the doctor's maids were looking at the pair of guards oddly. The gold rank guards were at a loss of what to do, but hearing Shen Yue next words, made them bolt out the door.

"Shen Xiu, if they refuse to leave, go to the city lord's mansion and report that there are two gold rank Dark Guild members trying to kidnap me."

Even if the call for the City guard were unfounded, the guards would still have to check it out. It would invite ridicule onto their Lord if they refused to investigate any claims relating to the City's worst enemy.

Finally, free from his constant shadows, he was now able to plot his next move. Shen Yue thanked the doctor, telling him to bill the shit out of the Sacred Family as refusing to pay for treatment of a direct descendant, would shame them. He then managed to persuade his aunt to book him a room in an inn, located in a poverty-stricken part of the City.

"Aunt, I'm not going back to the compound, Shen Hong obviously wishes me harm."

Shen Xiu had no idea what was going on. On one side was her brother and on the other her six-year-old nephew! Surely there couldn't be any sinister plots. But the evidence was right in front of her. Her brother had crippled his own son and then not healed his wounds. Although not fatal, if not treated they would have been detrimental to his cultivation. Becoming a demon spiritualist puts a massive strain on the body hence why children generally wait until thirteen to start.

"Little Yue, there must be some misunderstanding. I will get to the bottom of this!" Shen Xiu announced while tapping her chest as if to say leave it to her.

"Be careful aunt, if Shen Hong can do this to me, he could do worse to you. Maybe he sees me as a threat to his position with my ability to read so many books!" Shen Yue was quite shameless, throwing out such a bullshit reason. After leaving a pile of demon spirit coins and a promise to be back as soon as she could, she was off.

"God please grant me my ring." Prayed Shen Yue fervently. With a flash of light, a smiley face ring appeared on his right-hand ring finger. After a drop of blood and some mild glowing action, he now had a massive storage ring.

Mentally setting his new smiley face ring to camouflage mode, he absorbed the pile of coins. Since Shen Hong had no intention of letting him in the restricted library, then he could only find another way. Since he had no more use for Sacred Family, then it was time to make sure damaging rumours spread throughout the City.

Hobbling down to the inn's common room on the crutches Lu Wei gave him, he took a seat in the middle of the room. Ordering whatever today's special was when the quite pretty waitress came over, he then listened to the chatter around him. The inn he talked his sister into staying at, was one meant for commoners and the patrons reflected that. It was practically unheard of for a noble to be there. With his expensive clothes and heavily bruised handsome face, he was quite the curiosity for them.

When the serving wench returned with his food and noticed a six-year-old Noble still by himself, she tried to ingratiate herself with him. If she managed to become his maid, it would be a significant step up in her station in life. Asking why he was all alone, the maid did her best to engage Shen Yue in conversation.

This was what he was waiting for, a chance to tell his story. He then explained his tragic tale loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. If you were to ask what commoners loved to talk about most then it would be gossip about nobles, especially one of the major three families. And this was a juicy story. Shen Yue made sure to pour it on thick, painting Shen Hong as a power-hungry tyrant.

Soon everyone in the City would know of Shen Yue. His amazing ability to remember a third of the countless books he read and the penalty for not memorising more. When Shen Hong learned he didn't completely remember all of the books he read, he was blamed for wasting money and for not trying hard enough. The evil patriarch then thought that if he crippled Shen Yue, then he would concentrate fully on his talent and be of further use to the Family.

A complete load of bullshit, but with enough people saying it, the whole City would believe it as truth. He even gave out Lu Wei's name as the man who rekindled his dream to cultivate! Honestly, he should have turned the story into a book to profit from it. The waitress lapped it up and even when he told her he would be leaving the Sacred Family for fear of his life, she wanted to serve him anyway. She quite rightly knew that with his ability to read and remember countless books he would be a gold mine.

Two hours later a group of Sacred Family guards stormed the inn looking for Shen Yue only to find no trace of him and a crowd of angry patrons throwing shit at them. Knowing that Shen Xiu would not last long when in front of her brother, he had shouted a few rounds to promote his reputation and then slipped away with Su Mei, the serving wench. He was currently in her family home being mothered to death but enjoying it. Su Mei was his first follower and for some reason that brought a sense of happiness and sense of achievement with it.

A week later and the City was all astir with gossip of the 'Runaway Prince'. The story of the adorable, talented little six-year-old, running from the power-hungry evil patriarch had Shen Yue in tears from laughing so hard. The original storyline was a bit warped, so much for staying low profile! But he was happy with the result. Even the Nobles were talking about it, Shen Hong must really want to kill him now.

Shen Yue's next move was to obtain the protection of the second most influential Family in Glory City. He was currently waiting outside the grand hall of the Divine Family after having Su Mei arrange a meeting with Chen Zhenlong, the current patriarch.

Getting the nod to enter from the guard, Shen Yue walked in to find a tall man with short blonde hair sitting on an expensive looking throne. With five chairs each side of the throne, seating what could only be the elders of the Family.

"Greetings Patriarch Chen, Elders." Said Shen Yue saluting them.

"What brings the 'Runaway Prince' to the Divine Family?" asked Chen Zhenlong with a half-smile.

"Business" He replied succinctly.

"Oh, what business does the little genius bring?" Said the patriarch, looking slightly interested.

"Tripling your profit from the Holy Dark Grass. Of course, I will want a third so only doubling your earnings. Shen Yue said with a cheeky grin. He now had the Divine family's full attention.

Holy Dark Grass is a herb that is solely owned by the Divine Family and is the main reason that they are one of the wealthiest families in Glory City. It has the effect of strengthening one's soul force based on the age of the grass, the older it is, the stronger it becomes.

A single 5-year Holy Dark Grass is worth 50 thousand demon spirit coins, as for 10-year and 20-year Holy Dark Grasses, they are several or even dozen times more expensive. A typical commoner family's annual income was between two and three thousand demon coins.

Suddenly Chen Zhenlong laughed. "Now I know why that old dog Shen Hong crippled you! You did the same thing to him didn't you?"

Being unprepared by this sudden question, Shen Yue was unable to keep a straight face. He ended up blushing slightly and looking a bit guilty. With his bishonen perk, he was rather adorable. Chen Zhenlong had been portrayed as a serious character in the novel, and this behaviour caught him off guard.

"That's not what the city says!" he rebuffed.

Laughing even harder, the second most powerful man in the Glory City was thoroughly amused.

"True enough, I bet Shen Hong is kicking himself for not agreeing. If I may ask what did you offer him and what did you ask for?" Intrigued by this precocious little six-year-old, he couldn't help but ask, even if it was slightly inappropriate.

"Sure, I will even sell it to you if you want. I had found something that could seriously damage the Sacred Family's reputation. I wanted to access the restricted library as a reward. He chose to beat the shit out of me and have the doctors not treat me. I decided if Shen Hong was the Sacred Family, I didn't want to be a part of it. I will bet you one hundred million demon coins that during Shen Hong's rein, the Sacred Family will be destroyed." he said in an offhand manner.

The entire hall was silent as everyone stared at this little devil, who had just cursed his Family to extinction without batting an eye.

"That's why I came to you. I have a pill formula that can make three pills to each stalk of Holy Dark Grass with the same efficacy as consuming the stalk. One-third of the profit of each pill sold would be mine. Until I can hire some people of my own, I would also need protection. What do you think?"

Greed flashed through the eyes of everybody present and the designated evil elder (that every Family seems to have), was quick to voice out an alternative to his proposal.

"What's to stop us from just taking the formula?"

"Honestly, not much. I had heard only good things about the Divine Family and hoped they would deal with me fairly even if I am only six and a half. Oh, and the fact that I had my maid spread around that today I was coming to deal with the Divine Family. I wonder if there is going to be another villain in the Runaway Prince saga?" Shen Yue said sardonically.

Chen Zhenlong was staring at Shen Yue thoughtfully, although he was a weak little six-year-old now, his future would be limitless! Just this deal alone was enough to bring about a fourth major family with the wealth the child would make! The only downside was angering Shen Hong. But they were already political enemies, so it was a moot point.

"I could easily torture the pill formula out of him, but it would be impossible to keep it quiet, the backlash would not be worth it. Much better to just cooperate and gain a positive relationship with the little devil. When he grows up, he will be a valuable ally to the Family. If only I had a daughter." Thought the Divine Family patriarch, imagining the prosperity this child will bring his Family.

"Refining pills are expensive, not to mention the cost of the other herbs that must be needed." Seeing the patriarch looking appreciative at Shen Yue, one of the elders took the initiative to start negotiations.

"You will need to train some alchemists, but the pills can be made by apprentices. Yes, there are of course other herbs needed. However, they are only common herbs, not worth much. The deal is for one-third of the profit after manufacture costs have been subtracted, not the total price of the pill once sold. I think this is more than fair." Countered Shen Yue.

To increase the Divine Family's principal source of income, was not a trivial matter. If they didn't try to exploit him, then they would leap at the chance to double the Family's income.

"I think we can agree to this. Since you are worried about us taking advantage of you what assurances do you require?" Asked Chen Zenlong, eager to sign a contract and gain some goodwill.

"How about a neutral witness to the contract signing? Say... the City Lord?" Shen Yue knew it was presumptuous to ask Ye Zong to preside over the contract signing, but he needed an 'in' with the patriarch of the greatest Family. The second most influential Family doubling its profits should be enough of a situation to attract his interest.

"I'm sure brother Ye Zong would like to meet the famous 'Runaway Prince' that has his city buzzing. Let's go pay him a visit." Other than raising his eyebrow at this kid's audacity he quickly agreed.

Shen Yue was excited, at the very least, after today, he would have a massive financial backing to further his plans.

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