Chapter 2 The Nourishment of Spiri (2/2)

Just where did he see this face before?

Having drawn on the memories of the real Shen Lian and absorbed most of his spirit, the new Shen Lian had a strong psyche. He then had an eidetic memory and could remember things in exact detail.

Going through his new-found memories, he remembered the man to be a servant of the Shen family.

”Third Young Master, you have finally opened the door!” the middle-aged man exclaimed.

Shen Lian's eldest uncle had two sons, both were older than him. As Shen Lian took after his mother's surname, he thus ranked third in the Shen family.

”What are you here for, Steward Wu?” Shen Lian replied casually, without sounding overly enthusiastic or detached.

Steward Wu had been working for the Shen family for a long time. He was a well-respected figure amongst the servants in the Shen family. ”Third Young Master, you have lost plenty of weight since I last saw you two years ago.” Steward Wu remarked as Shen Lian wondered why he would trouble himself with such menial task.

Steward Wu was not particularly close to the Third Young Master. Due to the unfortunate incident half a year ago, Young Lady Shen was the only one in the third generation of the Shen family. Shen Lian's eldest uncle had fallen sick. His sickness significantly hampered his reproductive capacity. On the other hand, Shen Lian's second uncle lost his reproductive capacity due to his injuries from martial art training. At this rate, Shen Lian might just be the next leader of the Shen family.

That was why Steward Wu was treading carefully and mincing his words. He was acting under the instruction of Old Master Shen to invite Shen Lian to return to the Shen family.

'Today is not a special occasion, what is Steward Wu doing here?' Shen Lian thought to himself. After all, the Shen Lian then was nothing like the real Shen Lian. The new Shen Lian was an adult who lived in the modern day society. Well versed in the ways of the world, Shen Lian knew that Steward Wu would not come to him if he had nothing to ask of him.

The Shen mansion was a far journey from there. The servants would not visit if it was not absolutely necessary.

”Steward Wu, I'm still unaware of the purpose of your visit.” Shen Lian posed his question directly without beating around the bush. In his opinion, this would reflect his current age and status, which was that of the real Shen Lian.

”It's just that Old Master Shen and your uncle, Master Shen haven't seen you in a while. They are worried that living alone in the mountains might be too harsh for you and would like to have you back home for some time.”

”Did something happened back home?” Shen Lian asked after a moment of silence and consideration.

Steward Wu was caught off guard by Shen Lian's question. Though Shen Lian looked introverted, he was never dumb. Steward Wu wondered if Shen Lian's intelligence was a good thing; despite his tasteless look, Shen Lian had a meticulous thought process.

”Two days ago, Young Master and Second Young Master had passed away.” Steward Wu spilled the truth.

With that said, Steward Wu remained silent.

However, if one were to take a closer look at the current predicament of the Shen family, one would realize that the massive fortune had just lost two of its most legitimate heirs.

”Alright then, I will follow you back to the Shen family tomorrow morning,” Shen Lian spoke after much consideration.

”Third Young Master, you look under the weather. Should I arrange for a comfortable carriage to pick you up?” Steward Wu asked.

”Sure. Meanwhile, come on in and have a rest,” Shen Lian replied.

”No, it's fine. I'm headed down to the foot of the mountain to check on the land of the Shen family.”

After he sent Steward Wu off, Shen Lian went back to his cultivation room. The room was dark and devoid of light, he lighted on the incense made from the sweet grass he collected from the mountains. The tiny flame shone like a star in the vast night sky, giving off a pleasant scent. Shen Lian embraced the peacefulness of it all and started meditating.

His heart was still, akin to the void that was the universe before the great big bang. There was nothing, just absolute darkness. Shen Lian felt the myriad of thoughts in his mind fade away and return to non-existence.