Chapter 3: Only Marry Big Brother

At Daxton Mabbett's words, Cameron Leatherdown's face turned ugly. "Th-This, I…" Two slaps to his own face in front of everyone. How humiliating. And having his head taken off and kicked around like a ball? That was just death. Daxton watched him squirm and smiled faintly. "How about this? It's hard enough getting by when you're on the road. I won't push you. Let me pick one herb from your Treasure Hall for free, and we'll call it even. Fair?" Cameron froze. "For real?" "Of course." Daxton nodded. Cameron finally breathed again. So the kid might be talented and a little arrogant, but he seemed decent at heart. He was probably just using "pick any herb" to give Cameron a way to save face. Gratitude rose in him before he could stop it. "Fine, fine, fine. Pick whatever you want." Daxton smiled, walked straight to a counter, and sprang up in one smooth motion to take down a delicate sandalwood box. He opened it. Inside lay a plump, crystalline-white spirit ginseng, its fragrance rich enough to make a person's head swim. Ginseng. Earlier, when he had asked the clerk about Ginseng, the clerk had even pointed out where it was kept. Cameron's face went green on the spot. "Put it down! Put it down, now!" That Ginseng was Treasure Hall's crown jewel, worth a full hundred thousand taels! That was the Treasure Hall's net profit for two whole years! "What, Grayson Leatherdown, are you going back on your word?" Daxton's voice stayed mild. "Everyone here heard what you said." "Didn't you say it's hard enough getting by when you're on the road?!" Cameron blurted. "Was that wrong?" "It's not! But when you said that, I thought you meant you'd pick something simple…" Daxton cut him off. "Then thank you, Grayson Leatherdown, for the ginseng." "Y-You…" Cameron pointed at him, trembling from head to toe. He had actually thought the boy was decent. He had actually believed this was a polite excuse to give him a step down. What a joke. This was a trap. From the very beginning, Daxton had been after Treasure Hall's Ginseng! Cameron glared at him, his face cycling red, then blue, then white. Then his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed. Several clerks rushed forward and carried him away. The onlookers exchanged looks. Today, Treasure Hall had taken a catastrophic loss. Daxton closed the wooden box and a faint light flickered in his eyes. He had found Ginseng, one of the medicines he needed to repair his meridian. All that remained was Earth Spirit Essence and Golden Centipede. "You're not only extraordinary with medicine," the young woman said with a laugh, "your mind is sharp, too. You seized every advantage the moment it appeared. I'm impressed." She was beautiful to begin with. When she smiled, it was like clouds parting to reveal bright sunlight, radiant and impossible to ignore. Daxton chuckled. "Just scraping by." "You're too modest." The girl in white carried herself with easy grace. "May I ask your name?" "Daxton Mabbett." As she spoke, a clerk had already prepared the thirty-six herbs and waited nearby. Daxton took the bundled package, nodded to the girl, and turned to leave. The street was busy. Not far from Treasure Hall, Daxton spotted a middle-aged man hurrying toward it with a squad of Imperial Guard at his back. "Josiah Mallin, the city lord." Daxton's gaze shifted slightly. It seemed the girl and the old man were even more significant than he had assumed. Still, he didn't dwell on it. A quarter of an hour later, the Mabbett family came into view. The Mabbett family sat in Noste of Pelton, sprawling across more than a hundred acres, with hundreds of buildings within its walls. Daxton had barely stepped inside when two people approached. Leading them was a young man in purple, Henry Mabbett, the third elder's son. Henry paused when he saw Daxton. Then his mouth curled into a mocking grin. "Well, if it isn't Daxton Mabbett, the strongest of our younger generation. I heard you got kicked out of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect half a month ago like a stray dog. True or not?" "What 'young master'?" A guard behind him sneered. His name was Spencer Zorn. Knowing Henry and Daxton didn't get along, and hearing Daxton had lost his cultivation, he seized the chance to humiliate him. "He's just an adopted brat the previous clan head brought back seventeen years ago. The old clan head's been dead for years. By rights, he should've packed up and gotten out. Instead he's squatted here all this time. Shameless." "And he's a useless cripple now, yet he still has the nerve to come back," Spencer went on, staring Daxton down. "He must be planning to freeload here for the rest of his life, eating and drinking off the family. No shame at all. He's disgusting. What a piece of trash. Pah!" "Good," Henry said, laughing loudly. "Well said!" Spencer's face lit up at the praise. He pointed at Daxton again and opened his mouth to continue. "You worthless-hurry up and get out of Young Master Henry's sight. Don't block his path, or I'll break your-" Before he could spit out the word "legs," a girl rushed in from nearby. She launched herself forward and drove a flying kick into Spencer's cheek, sending him skidding more than ten feet. "You dare talk to my brother like that?" she snapped. "You dog of a servant, are you tired of living?!" She wore an orange dress. Her features were delicate, her skin pale, her beauty striking enough to make heads turn. Spencer clutched his face. When he recognized her, he didn't dare say a word. He shook like a leaf and didn't even dare stand. "Aliyah Mabbett," Henry said coldly. "Did Spencer say anything wrong? Isn't he an adopted son? Hasn't he been clinging to the Mabbett family all this time?Isn't he-" His tone sharpened, insulted by her disregard. "Right now, he's a useless cripple. The Azure Cloud-" "Shut up!" Aliyah locked onto Henry, her eyes fierce. "Say one more word and I'll whip you until you bleed!" Henry's face darkened. He snorted, turned, and left. He knew Aliyah well. The second elder's daughter, strong as they came, and close with Daxton. If he pushed another word out, she really would whip him. Spencer scrambled up, head lowered, still holding his cheek. He followed Henry away in miserable silence. Aliyah huffed, then turned to Daxton. A sweet smile bloomed across her pure, pretty face, and she threw herself at him, clinging like she'd never let go. "Brother! I missed you so much!" Daxton gave a helpless laugh. "Brat, you're pretty as a little fairy, but you're also way too fierce. Keep this up and you'll scare off every man who tries to marry you." "I don't want to marry anyone," Aliyah said, grinning. "If I marry, I'll only marry my brother!"