Chapter 4: Life and death are predetermined, wealth and nobility are in the hands of heaven

The carriage was struggling along the narrow path of Shangmang Mountain; compared to the main road, Shangmang Mountain is indeed much closer, saving many days of time

However, the price offered by Chu Xiu at this moment is one that he cannot refuse

The moon barely managed to squeeze out a faint smile: "Young master, please do not speak of such ominous things. Moreover, even if we were to encounter bandits, they would certainly not dare to harm you, after all, you are a member of the Chu family."

Gao Bei is responsible for managing the more than ten subordinate leaders under him. Although they are referred to as subordinate leaders, they are essentially subordinates themselves and hold a very low status within the Chu family; otherwise, they would not have been assigned to follow Chu Xiu.

Chu Xiu shook his head and said: "No, you do not understand. Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and nobility are in the hands of heaven. Everything must be seized and fought for by oneself. Among those who entered the Chu family with you, some became managers, some became stewards, but many more perished within the merchant convoy, dying in the struggles between my Chu family and other families"

A flicker of struggle passed across Gao Bei's face; the Shang Mang Mountain outside Yuanbao Town was certainly not a good place. It was a desolate area with no main roads, yet it was infested with bandits, all of whom were the type to kill at the slightest provocation. Now, the second young master actually intended to seek them out himself

Chu Xiu gazed directly into Gao Bei's eyes and said: "No, you are never satisfied. Even if you feed a stray dog prime meat for a year, it will not be willing to eat leftover rice mixed with scraps again. If dogs are like this, how much more so are humans? People are never content at any time."

Gao Bei pursed his lips; he was not truly foolish. Observing that his companions who entered the Chu family with him were distancing themselves, he realized that it was because he was the dullest, unable to flatter or ingratiate himself, and often offending others. Thus, he remained at the bottom of the hierarchy, which naturally left him feeling uncomfortable.

Chu Xiu nodded in satisfaction. He called Gao Bei over, whispered a few instructions to him, and then sent him off to depart that very night.

Chu Xiu looked at Gao Bei and said, "Gao Bei, you have been with the Chu family for over ten years, diligently handling affairs, yet you remain a servant, receiving a monthly salary of only two taels of silver, which is just slightly more than that of a cleaner. Those who entered the Chu family with you have either been transferred to the merchant team, become managers of various shops, or even taken on roles as stewards within the Chu family. Do you not feel a sense of dissatisfaction?"

However, here the bandits are rampant. Some merchant caravans with powerful guards are relatively safe, but when encountering individual traders or weaker caravans, those bandits typically resort to murder and robbery, employing extremely ruthless methods

Now, Chu Xiu has placed an opportunity before him; even if there is a danger to his life, Gao Bei is still reluctant to give it up

Withdrawing his gaze, Chu Xiu slowly said: "You know what my position is in the Chu family. Since you have been assigned to my side, we are bound together in both misfortune and fortune."

"Yue'er, do you think we will encounter bandits?" Chu Xiu asked calmly.

As he watched Gao Bei's departing figure, a glimmer of brilliance flashed in Chu Xiu's eyes. He was not afraid of Gao Bei simply taking the money and leaving without a trace.

At this moment, a faint, ambiguous smile appeared on Chu Xiu's face as he said: "What is a blessing is not a curse, and what is a curse cannot be avoided. What is destined to come will eventually arrive. Moreover, sometimes natural disasters are not as terrifying as man-made calamities."

In his previous life, Chu Xiu sought to find the刺 | 激 after watching underground black boxing and murder games, but he himself had never killed anyone with his own hands

He has a younger brother in Tongzhou Prefecture, whom he raised since childhood, treating him almost like his own son. If he dares to escape, the Chu family is not composed of kind-hearted individuals; the saying that misfortune does not affect family members is nothing but a joke.

Inside the inn, Chu Xiu rubbed his face in front of a bronze mirror. Just moments ago, he had decisively killed a man, displaying an extreme ruthlessness, yet he felt no discomfort whatsoever.

Moreover, he is certain that the high backup is not daring

He is an honest man, but precisely because he is honest, he will never see opportunities or hope for success in this lifetime

However, he is an honest person and has no complaints. Over the past year, being by Chu Xiu's side has been no different from being in the Chu family.

If it were the previous Chu Xiu, Gao Bei would definitely not have agreed, but today, having witnessed Chu Xiu's ruthless side, he felt both astonished and respectful, and dared not refuse.

A year ago, Chu Xiu was framed by his third brother and committed a grave mistake, resulting in his demotion to the Nanshan mining area. However, he is still the second son of the Chu family, and even if he is not given much attention, at the very least, some reliable subordinates should be prepared for him. Thus, the diligent Gao Bei has been assigned to Chu Xiu's side all along.

Chu Xiu casually said: "Gao Bei should return to Tongzhou Prefecture first to prepare to inform the prefecture that we are almost there"

Speaking, Chu Xiu directly placed a banknote of one hundred taels on the table and said lightly: "Based on your monthly allowance from the Chu family, even if you do not eat or drink, how many taels of silver can you save in a year? I still remember that your parents have passed away, but you have a younger brother entrusted to your uncle's family, who should be of age now, right? If you want to find a wife in Tongzhou Prefecture, the price is not low."

It is possible that even the Chu family themselves did not anticipate that their internal family strife would ultimately give rise to a great demon that would disrupt the world

At this point, Chu Xiu's tone became profound as he said: "The future and wealth are things that must be fought for with one's life. In the past, you didn't even have the chance to risk your life! Now I am giving you an opportunity. Go to Shangmang Mountain outside Yuanbao Town, find the leader of the bandits there, and bring him a message from me. If you succeed, one hundred taels of silver will be yours, and in the future, you will be my trusted confidant."

Young Master, are you looking for me

However, the only advantage of Gao Bei is his self-awareness. He smiled bitterly at Chu Xiu and said, "Young Master, I, Gao Bei, am both dull in speech and in mind. Over the years, the Chu family has not driven me away, but instead allowed me to transition from a lowly servant sweeping the floors to serving as the bodyguard of the Second Young Master. I am already content with this."

One's performance just now is largely attributed to the memories of this lifetime

In Chu Xiu's memory, this Gao Bei had average abilities and came to the Chu family as a servant at around the age of ten. He had always been doing menial tasks. Although he was not skilled in flattery, he performed his duties diligently. It took nearly ten years for him to be taught some rudimentary martial arts, reaching the Body Refinement stage. He had accompanied merchant caravans for training a few times, yet he remained inconspicuous within the Chu family.

Now, Chu Xiu has vaguely understood why, in the original world, his body transformed from a weak and insignificant scion of a family into the ultimate villain of the third edition. The experience in the Nanshan mining area has had a significant impact on Chu Xiu.

However, the moon was secretly laughing in her heart, whether you can successfully return to Tongzhou Prefecture this time is still an unknown factor

At that moment, Chu Xiu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes, startling Yue Er greatly

In the end, he gritted his teeth and held the one hundred taels of silver note in his hand

Chu Xiu's gaze seemed capable of seeing into the depths of his heart through his eyes, which caused Gao Bei to involuntarily take a step back, his lips moved, yet he did not know what to say

After nightfall, Chu Xiu suddenly called for one of his subordinates, Gao Bei.

Before the moon could speak, a cacophony of battle cries erupted from outside. As Chu Xiu stepped down from the carriage, he remarked, "Look, isn't disaster upon us now?"

Previously, when at the Chu family, Chu Xiu indeed displayed a very cowardly demeanor. However, in a place like the Nanshan mining area, facing various criminals and thugs, his original character would be influenced by the environment, transforming from weakness to brutality and madness. In fact, in his memory, it seems that he had even killed a few disobedient criminals during his time in the Nanshan mining area.

Inside the carriage, perhaps sensing that the event was about to commence, the moon's face bore a hint of unnatural expression

Gao Bei quickly replied: "This humble person understands."

Gao Bei cautiously walked in, looking at Chu Xiu, his eyes revealing a hint of fear, clearly indicating that the events of the day had a significant impact on him

He can afford to lose one hundred taels of silver; after all, he was previously known as the second son of the Chu family, the steward of the Nanshan mining area, and the monthly allowance from the Chu family was as much as several hundred taels.

On the morning of the second day, when Chu Xiu and the others set off, Yue Er did not see Gao Bei, and she could not help but ask, "Young Master, where is Gao Bei?"

The moon did not raise any suspicions, after all, Chu Xiu was indeed the second son of the Chu family, and it was necessary to inform the family of his location in advance before returning home.