Douluo V: Daily Intelligence - I Want All of Tang San's Opportunities

Su Yunfeng didn't struggle any further, but simply waved his hand and said:

"I had two broken ribs, but the doctor said the bones have set and I just need to rest, but..."

He paused, his gaze drifting to the side, and his voice unconsciously lowered a few decibels:

"The doctor said that I was seriously injured this time. Even if the bones heal, my soul power will not circulate smoothly in the area under my ribs. I'm afraid my strength will be much weaker than before."

Su Yuntao's hand stiffened slightly.

The stagnation of soul power and the damage to the meridians mean that even if the eldest brother can stand up and walk, his strength will never return to what it was before.

Although the Lone Wolf Martial Soul isn't a top-tier Martial Soul, it's still a level 29 Great Soul Master, making it a pillar of strength even in a small baronial territory.

If even the eldest brother's soul power is ruined, then the Su family will truly have no soul master left to uphold their reputation.

The room was quiet for a moment.

Su Yunli stood at the door with her head down and didn't speak, her fingers gripping her sleeves so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Liu stood by the door with a bowl of medicine in her hand, her lips slightly pursed and her eyes a little red, but she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.

Su Yuntao remained silent for a few moments before changing the subject.

He turned to look at Madam Liu, trying to keep his tone as relaxed as possible:

"Mom, by the way, I'd like to ask, how much money do we have left?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Liu paused slightly in her hand holding the medicine bowl, Su Yunli lowered her head even further, and Su Yunfeng turned his face away to look out the window, his expression complicated.

Liu put the medicine bowl on the table, walked to the old camphor wood box in the corner, bent down and took out a blue cloth package from inside, presented it to Su Yuntao and opened it layer by layer.

Inside the package was a stack of gold soul coins, neatly arranged, numbering about seven hundred, with a few loose silver and bronze soul coins beside it.

Liu's voice was calm, but every word seemed to sink:

"Since your father passed away, the family has been getting worse year by year. The farm produce is less, some tenants have left, but the taxes cannot be reduced by a single penny. We were able to barely scrape together the first two years, but we really couldn't hold on for the past few years. We have accumulated a debt of more than 2,400 gold soul coins to the Empire. A few days ago, the Imperial Finance Department issued an ultimatum, saying that if we cannot make up for the previous shallow water, the baron's territory will be taken back by the Empire."

She glanced down at the stack of gold soul coins, her voice slightly hoarse:

"Originally, we could have paid back the two thousand gold soul coins by selling your father's collection from back then. But who would have thought that a while ago, there was a sudden invasion of soul beasts. We need money to build up our territory, we need money to compensate the wounded and injured members of the guard team, and we need money to treat your brother's illness. In the past month or so, I have sold everything we could. These seven hundred and thirty gold soul coins are the last of our Baron's estate."

Su Yuntao didn't speak, his gaze sweeping over the stack of gold soul coins inside the blue cloth bundle. He silently checked the number in his mind: seven hundred and thirty coins, exactly as written in the system information.

He nodded, asked no further questions, and reached into his pocket to pull out the heavy cloth bag.

The bag was untied, and the gold soul coins inside poured out with a clatter, spreading a dazzling golden light across the table.

Two thousand gold soul coins in total.

Liu's eyes widened suddenly, her lips moved, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Su Yunli exclaimed "Ah!" and covered her mouth with her hand. Even Su Yunfeng sat up straighter, leaning on the edge of the bed, staring incredulously at the pile of money on the table.

"Mother, take this money." Su Yuntao pushed the gold soul coins forward. "The empire's taxes cannot be delayed. Let's pay off the debt first. As for my elder brother's injury, we'll figure out a solution slowly. We'll eventually find the right medicine to help him fully recover."

Looking at the pile of gold soul coins on the table, Liu looked up at Su Yuntao, her lips trembling several times before she could find her voice:

"Yun Tao, where...where did you get this money? Your monthly salary at the Spirit Hall is only ten gold soul coins, this is such a large sum..."

"Mother, don't overthink it." Su Yuntao smiled, his tone filled with certainty. "I've recently encountered some opportunities in Notting City, and things will only get better from here on out. Just keep the money safe, and leave the rest to me."

Liu's eyes finally couldn't hold back anymore, and tears silently streamed down her face.

She reached out and tremblingly touched the pile of gold soul coins, then touched the back of Su Yuntao's hand. Her lips moved for a long time, but in the end she only said one sentence:

"well."

Su Yunli quietly walked to Liu Shi's side, took her mother's arm, and her eyes also reddened.

Su Yuntao stood up and comforted everyone, saying:

"Alright, stop looking so gloomy. I'll figure out the money. We'll pay the taxes tomorrow. We absolutely cannot lose our elder brother's title. As for the meridian damage, I'll ask around and see if there are any elixirs that can help. Just relax."

After saying that, he waved his hand and walked out.

Standing there, looking at the pile of glittering gold soul coins on the table, and then at her son's retreating figure as he strode out the door, tears streamed down her face, but the corners of her mouth slowly curved into a smile.

Since her husband passed away, she has lost count of how many nights she has cried herself to sleep.

In such a large baron's mansion, with hundreds of tenants, a dozen guards, and three children to support, she, an ordinary woman who wasn't even a Soul Master, managed to shoulder this burden for five years.

Selling jewelry, selling calligraphy and paintings, dealing with tax collectors, appeasing tenants, paying wages to the guards... she carried it all on her own.

A few days ago, a soul beast attacked and killed three guards. She went door to door overnight to deliver compensation money.

She cried along with the widows who were holding their children.

After returning home, she had to force a smile to take care of her injured son, afraid that he would see that she couldn't hold on any longer.

Tonight, for the first time in five years, she felt at ease.

The baron's title will not be revoked.

The second son somehow got hold of a large sum of money.

There is now hope that the eldest son's injury can be healed.

Liu carefully put the gold soul coins back into her cloth bag, wrapped them in the blue cloth, held them in her arms, let out a long breath, and finally revealed a smile from the bottom of her heart.

"Mother, go to sleep," Su Yunli said softly, taking her arm. "I'll stay with you."

Madam Liu nodded, reached out and touched the jade hairpin in her daughter's hair, then suddenly smiled and said, "Your second brother gave it to me?"

Su Yunli's ears turned red, and she nodded.

"Your second brother... has grown up." Madam Liu said softly, taking her daughter's arm and slowly walking towards the main room.

That night, the lights in the Baron's mansion went out earlier than usual.