“Eh~” Patriarch Su stroked his chin thoughtfully before saying, “The Main Wife is sick. Hurry and send her back.”
“Yes~” the servants responded.
Patriarch Su glanced at the Mistress of the Su Family and frowned.
Noticing his expression, the Mistress of the Su Family immediately looked even more displeased.
She struggled and shouted, “Let me go! I’m not sick! I want to invite a Master to subdue this Demon! Can’t any of you see that?”
The Mistress of the Su Family tried to stand up, but her legs were weak.
She couldn’t get up at all.
“Eh~” Patriarch Su looked around and saw everyone shaking their heads.
He sighed again, waved his hand, and said nothing more.
“Let me go! Let me stay!”
The Mistress of the Su Family struggled quietly, but the maids lifted her and carried her out of the courtyard with the help of several other people.
Even from a distance, the Mistress of the Su Family continued shouting, “Ninth Concubine! Just you wait! You…”
“Hmm?!” Qian Yue merely raised her voice slightly, and the courtyard outside immediately fell silent.
As the footsteps outside gradually faded away, Su Wan looked at his mother and then at his father.
Finally, he looked at Cang Ye, who had maintained a very low profile.
Su Wan looked at his mother worriedly, and she glanced back at him.
Qian Yue smiled and gently stroked Su Wan’s cheek to comfort him.
“It’s fine. Be good~ The matter is over. Master~”
Qian Yue then turned toward her husband, Su Wan’s father, and asked, “The Main Wife has left. Would Master like to stay for a meal, or would you prefer a large group of women to…”
She stopped halfway through her sentence and looked at Su Wan again with a smile.
She also reached out to pat his head, causing Su Wan to frown silently and struggle a little.
However, Su Wan didn’t pull away.
Instead, his mother patted and rubbed his head even more enthusiastically.
“Hee hee hee!” Qian Yue burst into laughter, thinking, ‘Teasing a child is really fun.’
Su Wan pressed his lips together.
Hearing his mother’s laughter made him happy inside, too.
However, he deliberately maintained a straight face, suppressing the smile threatening to appear on his lips.
He pretended to be unhappy, as though he disliked having his head patted.
“Only little kids get their heads patted,” Su Wan muttered.
Patriarch Su glanced at Qian Yue and Su Wan, then took a closer look at Cang Ye before looking around at the large group of women.
This was the women’s rear courtyard.
More precisely, it was the place where Patriarch Su’s concubines lived together, his private entertainment quarters.
It wasn’t a public area for general enjoyment.
Patriarch Su frowned and addressed everyone.
“Everyone, disperse for now and return to your own quarters. The Cat Demon matter has been handled, and Master Cang has returned. The Elder Monk will also come by later to take a look. The household is safe, so everyone may leave.”
Hearing Patriarch Su’s words, some women opened their mouths as if they wanted to say something, then frowned before meekly nodding and leaving with their heads lowered.
“Yes~”
The women were all obedient and submissive.
Most of them were Patriarch Su’s private possessions.
They didn’t dare to offend their superiors the way Qian Yue did, much less question the true master of the household.
Patriarch Su drove the entire group of women away.
Only four people remained in the courtyard: Patriarch Su, Cang Ye, Qian Yue, and Su Wan.
Xiao Liu and a maid whom Patriarch Su had brought along were also present.
Patriarch Su smiled at Cang Ye again and said, “Master Cang, why don’t you accompany this old man to the central courtyard for a little drink? What do you say?”
Patriarch Su was indirectly trying to send Cang Ye away.
Cang Ye smiled and replied, “No. The Demon in the manor has only just been driven away, and traces of the Tree Demon and Fox Demon remain.”
Cang Ye glanced at Su Wan’s mother, but Patriarch Su acted as though he hadn’t noticed.
Still smiling, Cang Ye continued, “Please… allow me to continue inspecting the Su Family residence so that I can restore peace to the household.”
“This…”
Patriarch Su hesitated.
He looked at Qian Yue, the concubine beside him, and then at his son, Su Wan, who was standing nearby.
Patriarch Su nodded and said, “Since Master still has business to attend to, this old man won’t pretend to understand your affairs. Su Jiu, accompany Master and attend to all his needs.”
“Hmm?” Su Wan frowned.
He glanced at his mother and saw her smiling at him.
Then he heard Cang Ye speak.
“No. My disciple, Su Wan, has only just returned home. He’s still a child, so let him spend some more time with his mother first.”
“Your disciple?” Patriarch Su murmured.
“Oh, right! Yes, yes! We agreed on that beforehand. Once everything was settled, Su Jiu… ah, Su Wan would become your disciple! Then, should we hold a formal apprenticeship banquet?”
Patriarch Su continued, “After all, you’re an expert and a Master. If my worthless son can become your disciple and everyone learns about it, the Su Family will be safer, and Yue’er’s status will rise as well. Su Wan likes the idea, too. Right?”
Patriarch Su changed his tone and asked Su Wan seriously.
Su Wan was still watching Cang Ye’s expression, surprised that Cang Ye had given him a break and allowed him to spend time with his mother first.
At that moment, he heard his father’s words, frowned, and answered, “Yes!”
“Hahaha! Master, what do you think?” Patriarch Su immediately turned toward Cang Ye with a broad smile and a flattering expression.
The contrast between his behavior toward Cang Ye and the way he treated Su Wan was so stark that Su Wan couldn’t help frowning deeply.
Cang Ye merely nodded slightly.
He was about to agree casually when he suddenly noticed Su Wan’s furrowed brows.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “I can agree to that, but I have a few requirements. I wonder if Patriarch Su…”
“Easy! Easy! Hahaha!” Patriarch Su laughed loudly and rubbed his hands together.
Cang Ye nodded slightly before explaining, “First, from now on, treat Su Wan a little better. Be gentler with him, just like… his mother. Don’t be so strict.”
“This…” Patriarch Su frowned.
He looked at Su Wan in surprise, never expecting his son to be included in the requirements.
And the request was such a small matter.
“Fine! No problem! I’ll immediately increase his monthly allowance! No, come here, my good son! Hahaha!” Patriarch Su immediately turned toward Su Wan with a smile.
His sudden friendliness only made Su Wan uncomfortable and even disgusted.
When his father beckoned him over and he didn’t move, Patriarch Su immediately frowned.
He was just about to shout, his mouth already opening wide.
Then he suddenly noticed Cang Ye watching him.
His expression instantly changed back to a smile, and he laughed awkwardly before ordering a maid to bring out a money pouch.
“Here, this is Father’s money pouch. There’s quite a lot of silver inside, enough for three full days of eating, drinking, and carousing. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied!”
After tossing the pouch to Su Wan, Patriarch Su turned back toward Cang Ye with another smile.
“Master Cang, is this enough? Am I being gentle and treating him well enough?”
Seeing Patriarch Su’s behavior, Cang Ye, Qian Yue, Su Wan, and even Xiao Liu all frowned.
Patriarch Su looked at Cang Ye and asked, “What? Not satisfied?”
“No~” Cang Ye replied softly, shaking his head before sighing again. “There’s still a second requirement.”
“Say it! Say it!” Patriarch Su urged him with a smile.
Meanwhile, Su Wan had begun to understand what was happening.
Just before Cang Ye stated his second requirement, Su Wan realized that his master was actually finding ways to treat him well and win his affection.
Taking advantage of the moment, he lowered his head and examined the money pouch in his hand.
Xiao Liu leaned closer, and both of them looked inside.
“Ah! So much money! It’s actually gold!” Xiao Liu, an ordinary maid, cried out in shock, completely losing her composure.
Her exclamation interrupted Cang Ye before he could finish speaking.
Su Wan reacted a little more calmly, but his mouth still hung open in astonishment.
Whether in his previous life or this one, he had never personally touched or even seen so much gold, either as a child or as a young man.
And this was merely what his father spent in three days.
Just thinking about it made Su Wan feel uncomfortable.
The proper monthly allowance he and his mother received over an entire year probably amounted to less than what his father spent in three days eating, drinking, and visiting brothels.
Gold that Su Wan would ordinarily never have been able to obtain had been handed to him so casually after Cang Ye said just one sentence.
The pouch felt heavy in his hand, yet the gold inside seemed strangely weightless, like a goose feather blown in by the wind.
“Hmph!” Patriarch Su snorted coldly and scolded Xiao Liu. “You unruly girl! What’s your name? Go and receive five lashes as family punishment.”
Su Wan frowned upon hearing this.
Sister Xiao Liu had always treated him well, and she was also one of his father’s unnamed bedchamber maids.
His father frequently took advantage of her, yet she couldn’t gain even the slightest status or financial benefit.
Now, his father didn’t even know her name, nor did he seem to recognize the existence of someone he frequently used.
“Ah?!” Xiao Liu covered her mouth in shock, her legs trembling as she prepared to kneel.
Although five lashes weren’t many, even five severe lashes would hurt terribly.
She would undoubtedly struggle to complete her daily duties of serving her master afterward, and at the very least, she would be left moving slowly and suffering in misery.
Qian Yue glanced at Su Wan’s expression.
Seeing that he wanted to speak, she hurriedly covered his mouth.
She didn’t want Su Wan to worry.
Then she shot Patriarch Su a sidelong glance and said, “You awful man~ Isn’t Liu’er your woman? When you take her to bed, won’t you be unhappy if her back looks terrible?”
Patriarch Su frowned, thinking, ‘It’s not as though I lack women. If anything, I don’t lack servants.’
Whether men or women, he could buy as many as he wanted.
It was merely a matter of having more or less money.
Nevertheless, Patriarch Su coughed.
He first glanced at Cang Ye and saw him shake his head slightly.
Only then did Patriarch Su clear his throat and nod.
“Since Yue’er has said so, we’ll wait until she serves me in bed tonight before punishing her.”
“Yes~” Liu’er replied, her voice suddenly becoming soft and seductive as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Su Wan glanced at Xiao Liu and tried to speak again, but his mother lightly tapped his mouth.
He looked at her in confusion.
When he saw her shake her head slightly, he temporarily suppressed his thoughts.
Su Wan had originally wanted to help Xiao Liu obtain the right to refuse.
He didn’t want her to become his father’s tool, used whenever his father pleased and discarded whenever he lost interest, without any dignity or say in the matter.
But judging by his mother’s reaction…
‘If Mother understands what I’m thinking, could there be some hidden reason for her actions? For example, although Xiao Liu looks shy on the surface and seems forced to submit, perhaps in bed she’s actually very…’
‘Very skilled and completely immersed in it?’
‘Could she be a natural succubus?’
Su Wan’s cheeks instantly turned crimson, and he became as embarrassed as Xiao Liu.
He decided to ask about it later before saying anything else.
For now, he was still young and didn’t fully understand her circumstances.
If Sister Xiao Liu was a natural succubus who genuinely enjoyed… then interfering might actually be inappropriate.
For the time being, he decided to leave the matter alone.