Jake trembled as he said, "I'm Jake Bullen from the Department of Health! We're just following orders.""Following orders? What orders and who gave them?" Fitz's cold gaze swept over Jake and Rory's faces. "We came to ch-check the permit," Jake said after mustering up the courage. "Haven't we given you the permit already? Why did you rough him up?" Fitz asked, looking thunderous.Trey had run over to tell him that something was happening with the pharmaceutical factory, but he hadn't been told that the permit had been torn up. "P-Permit? Where?" Rory had been so scared that his mind had gone blank. He had completely forgotten about what had happened. "It's… It's the one you tore up!" Trey said, panting. "What?" Fitz's expression suddenly changed. He looked down and noticed the torn pieces of paper on the ground and immediately became furious. Glaring at Jake and Rory, he yelled, "Tell me! Which bastard tore that up? Step forward!"Everyone jolted with fright and simultaneo
"Who the hell did this!" Fitz was furious. The equipment they had bought was all of extremely high quality, and they were very expensive. He had brought over so many soldiers not just to protect the factory but also to protect the shipment of equipment and ensure that it remained undamaged.The men who had taken part in smashing up the machines fell to their knees in fear at once. They wailed, "It has nothing to do with us! It was Mr. Bullen and Mr. Woodsen who made us smash it!""Splash him awake!" Fitz's eyes were bulging with anger, and he was breathing heavily.Two soldiers splashed a huge bucket of water on Rory's face. He shuddered and woke up. "Tell me honestly! Who told you to smash it up?" Fitz said, pointing to the equipment next to them.The newly-awaken Rory turned to look at the equipment behind him, and he hastily pointed at Jake. "It was Jake who gave the command to smash it! He even said that if anything big happened, he would take responsibility!"Jake was utt
"Yes, they've all been shot dead. Even the law enforcement team that went with them are all… all dead," his assistant said. Cold sweat was pouring off him like rain."Sebastian! How could he be so bold? Connect me to the may—"Before Marcel could finish speaking, Liam walked into his office with two military officers wearing the uniform of a major. There was also a man in a suit with a badge pinned to his chest."Are you Marcel Lyme?" Liam asked, his expression frosty. Marcel looked Liam and the others up and down and said, "Yes… I-I am. Who are you?"The man in the suit went up to him and said, "Hello, Mr. Lyme. I'm from the Investigation Department. There are some things I'd like to find out more about from you. Please come with us.""What? What do you want with me? I haven't made any mistakes, have I?" Marcel asked fearfully, trembling.He could not understand why they had come looking for him. Besides, what were the three officers behind him doing?Even if he had offended
"What did you say?" Marcel had assumed that the worst that could happen would be that he would be arrested and sentenced. However, when Liam said that someone would die, Marcel was aghast."After we've verified your actions, we'll execute you by gunshot within three days! This is an order from above!" Liam said and turned around. He didn't even want to look at Marcel again.Marcel burst into loud laughter as he wailed. "The Gullivers! Kelvin Gulliver! They were the ones who did this to me! Even if I become a ghost, I'll never forgive them!""Oh? Is this related to the Gullivers?" Liam asked impassively as he turned to look at Marcel. "Yes! It does have something to do with them!" Marcel wiped away the tear stains on his face and sobbed, "I'm willing to tell you everything I know. Can you please spare my life?"Liam shook his head slightly and sighed, saying, "A military order is as immovable as a mountain. However, if you behave well, we can hide your crimes from society so that
Rosalie glared at the security guard and picked up the scattered flowers from the ground.Although Rosalie had grown up in a wealthy family, she understood how difficult life was for those on the lowest rung of the social ladder. Anyone who had to sell flowers on the street on a festive day must be doing it because they were forced to do so and had no choice.It must be true for the little boy in front of them. He was so young, but he was helping his family share the burden of raising him. He was so thoughtful that it made their hearts ache."Exactly! You only need to chase him off. Did you have to hit him?" Whitney frowned, looking displeased.She had watched the rain pouring down outside while the unfortunate child was kicked to the ground by the security guard. His clothes were drenched!She hastily bent down and helped the little boy up."How dare you be so arrogant?" Zane said. He slapped the security guard before turning toward Sebastian and said, "Mr. Ballard, please wait
The force of the bullet hitting Rosalie made her roll forward several feet. A pained expression flashed across her face, but even when she hit the ground, she was still pointing at the security guard behind Sebastian."Rosalie!" Sebastian roared. He shot forward and caught her in his arms. When he saw the red, flower-like bloodstain on the back of her snow-white coat, he felt as if his heart had been pierced by a thousand arrows.The security guard who had fired the gun looked shocked when he realized that he had not managed to kill Sebastian.By the time he pulled the trigger again, Sebastian seemed to disappear into thin air. Right after that, an agile figure appeared in front of the security guard. He tried to turn the gun, but Sebastian kicked him in the chest.The security guard barreled backward and crashed against the wall behind him, as if he was a bullet that had just been fired out of a gun.The crash made him feel as if his upper body had gone completely numb, but he
Zane glanced at the gunman, who was lying dead in the corner, and at the unmoving boy, who was lying on the ground in the distance. He hesitated but still started the engine quickly.Whitney climbed into the car and sat in the passenger seat. She turned and said to Sebastian, "How's Ms. Griffin?""I've only temporarily stopped the bleeding. I'm not sure if her internal organs were injured or not, so we must get back as quickly as we can so that I can treat her wound," Sebastian said in a slightly choked voice.He had never imagined that Rosalie would take a bullet for him without any thought for her own life. He looked down at Rosalie, who was lying unconscious in his arms, and he couldn't help but think about everything that had happened since they met.At first, he had treated her coldly and kept her at arm's length until he eventually came to accept her. Now, Rosalie was barely hanging on to life. Sebastian had finally realized that he already owed her too much. He was afraid
The burly officer frowned.After hesitating for a long time, he mustered up the courage to approach Sebastian and glance inside the car. When he saw that there really was a severely injured young woman inside, he frowned and asked, "What's going on?"Sebastian had no choice but to tell him simply about what had happened. Once he had heard Sebastian's account, the burly officer waved a hand at the dozen or so officers behind him and said, "Put your guns away. Clear a path and send the young lady in the car to the hospital at once. Hurry!"Sebastian said gratefully, "Thank you.""You're welcome. I'm very sorry. We received a report from someone about a murder, but we didn't expect you to be the victims."He added, "Hurry, time waits for no man. With police cars clearing a path, the journey will be much smoother." He saluted Sebastian and the others and sprinted back to his car.With the police cars clearing a way for them, the half-hour journey to Tranquil Hospital was shortened to
Whitney perked up at Sebastian's question. "It's all because you ran into the two monsters that day," she said. "I saw it on the surveillance footage. That was when I realized that the two women living in the store don't have that kind of relationship with you…"Whitney had never asked, and Sebastian hadn't bothered to explain who Nina and Lyanna were. That was why she had mistakenly thought that both of them were Sebastian's lovers as well.Realization had only dawned on her when she heard Nina address Sebastian as her master, even in her dying breath. Whitney had seen how powerful Nina was that day and how she had been willing to die in order to protect Sebastian.Nina and Lyanna weren't Sebastian's lovers. They were his servants. Not only that, Nina was a thousand-year-old giant snake!That had completely changed Whitney's view of the world. Although there had always been legends of mystical beings and ghosts, Whitney was an accomplished businesswoman who believed firmly in sc
Sebastian laughed wryly and shook his head. "I'm not from the Ballard Estate," he said. "My name is Sebastian, and it's better if my cousin weren't seen around me too much.""Oh, you're Sebastian."The two young women breathed a long sigh of relief. They looked him up and down for a long time before exchanging a glance. Then, they covered their faces and giggled.One of them stepped forward and said, "Come with me. Honestly… you seem pretty normal. I don't get why Ms. Sutton is yearning for you so much."Sebastian cleared his throat awkwardly and said nothing.The young woman led Sebastian into the house, where Whitney was sitting and reading a book intently. She said, "Ms. Sutton, look who's here."Whitney put down her book and looked up. When she saw Sebastian behind the young woman, she was both surprised and delighted. She got up and threw herself into Sebastian's arms."Sebastian, is it really you?"The young woman covered her face and chuckled before leaving the room sile
Sebastian watched Andreas leave and exhaled deeply. Preston wasn't the only one he didn't trust. No one in the Ballard Estate was worthy of his trust, including Andreas.Once Andreas had completely disappeared, Sebastian beckoned to the woods in the distance and said, "Come out!"In a flash, Duo appeared at his side. "My lord, why didn't you wipe out those people in the hall today?" he asked.Duo clenched his fists tightly, and there was a murderous look simmering in his eyes. Although he hadn't been in the hall, he had clearly heard everything the Ballards had said.Anyone who disrespected his master deserved death!Besides, neither Sebastian nor Duo would have had to lift a finger to kill them. All they had to do was to crush the Tribulation Avoidance Charm and trigger the divine tribulation. Once it descended, no one in the hall would have lived to tell the tale, including Arnaud."If we become hostile with the Ballards, it'll be almost impossible for us to leave in peace. Now
"It all comes back to Uncle Samson," Andreas said. "Great Uncle Arnaud already told you he'd let Uncle Samson have his freedom if you find the other emerald token, but then he brought up the marriage alliance. "It directly affects whether or not Uncle Samson can regain his freedom. So, why don't you think about it?"With a quiet chuckle, Andreas walked toward a grove of peach trees to the west.Realization finally dawned on Sebastian. Arnaud was a shrewd man. He wouldn't slip up like that. Besides, although the Ballards and the Yeomans had established a marriage agreement, they hadn't named specific individuals, only that the Blessed Child of the Ballards would fulfill it.The Blessed Child bore the duty of guiding the Ballards to revival. In other words, the emerald token would be better off falling into the Blessed Child's hands rather than anyone else's.Could it be that the final emerald token was with the Yeomans? If that were true, why hadn't the Ballards used their pow
"I'm sorry, but I have no interest in becoming the head of the Ballard family," Sebastian said impassively. "I only want my father to be freed."Arnaud's expression changed slightly, but his tone remained neutral as he said, "It's Braxton who owes you and your mother, not the entire family. Why must you do this?"Sebastian let out a cold snort. It was true that Braxton had been the one who had kicked them out, but weren't the true culprits the elders of the Ballard Estate?"If there's nothing else, I'd like to see Whitney," Sebastian said, rising slowly to his feet. As soon as he mentioned her name, Arnaud waved a hand at him and said, "Don't be in such a rush, Sebastian. Whitney is safe. The Ballards would never harm a frail woman."He added, "However, there's something I want to ask you. Is Whitney still your wife?"Sebastian frowned. "Whether she is or isn't, what business is that of the Ballards?""Of course it is," Arnaud replied firmly. "The Ballards and the Yeomans of
Arnaud led Sebastian into a secret room deep within the Hall of the Ancestral Dragon. Once inside, Sebastian saw a Cosmic Orbit Diagram. It was exactly the same as the records in the Sacred Medicine Secret Annals.However, the Ballards' Cosmic Orbit Diagram was divided into different sections. It looked even more three-dimensional."This is the Cosmic Orbit Diagram passed down through our family for generations," Arnaud said proudly. "The one that the Sacred Medicine Society has is just a copy."The legacy of the mystic arts in Dramon almost all came from the Ballards.The Ballards had withheld some things back then as well. As a result, all the legacies of the various secular sects only had incomplete Cosmic Orbit Diagrams. It was why there were very few experts at the fifth level of the Eldoria realm and above.Afterward, Arnaud led Sebastian into a library. Thousands of technical legacies lined the shelves. Sebastian flipped through them. The techniques recorded there were
Samson glanced at Sebastian. He took a deep breath and said to Arnaud, "Thank you for sparing me, Uncle Arnaud."He gave Sebastian a few final reminders before leaving the hall with Preston.Once they were gone, Arnaud pointed at Duo and said to Sebastian, "Tell him to leave too."Sebastian waved a hand at Duo."I'll wait for you at the entrance, my lord," Duo said. "If anything happens, I'll be here as soon as you call!"He gave Arnaud a cold look before striding out of the hall.Arnaud watched him leave and smiled approvingly. He beckoned to Sebastian. "Come, sit!"Sebastian didn't hesitate. He crossed the hall and sat in the chair opposite Arnaud."Do you know why I asked Andreas to bring you back here?" Arnaud asked impassively. Sebastian shook his head expressionlessly. He said in a cold voice, "It's probably because of the emerald token in my father's possession."Apart from using him and Whitney as leverage against Samson, he couldn't think of any other reason.Arnau
"The Blessed Child! The Blessed Child has finally come to our family!"The black-robed old man who had been sitting beside Arnaud stood up, looking pleased. He couldn't hide his excitement as he turned to Arnaud and said, "Arnaud, our family is going to prosper!"Only Rexton and Milton looked extremely displeased. Braxton and Roland looked pained, as if they had lost something of great value. They were practically thumping their chests in regret!The Blessed Child had been foretold by one of the heads of the family centuries ago. No matter how far the Ballards declined, the prophecy said that after a few hundred years, a Blessed Child would appear—someone who could lead the family's revival!The only proof of the Blessed Child was for him to enter a master-servant oath with a Devora."Prosper? What a joke!" Hugo scoffed, holding Virtus firmly. "Weren't you all just clamoring about killing the two of them?"At Hugo's words, Arnaud's expression changed slightly. "When did I say tha
"Hugo!"Arnaud, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide. He eyed Hugo with a conflicted expression as he asked, "Have you forgotten the agreement the Thornes made with us ten years ago?"Hugo smiled coldly and put one hand behind his back. "That was the agreement you made with the Thornes. I'm only following Ms. Thorne's orders to protect Samson and find the emerald token. If Samson dies in this battle, how am I supposed to explain that to her?"He pointed at Sebastian and added, "He's Ms. Thorne's flesh and blood. Your family has no right to punish him! If the Ballards insist on killing them today, don't blame me for going on a killing spree!"When Hugo had finished, Sebastian finally realized that Hugo was from Isabella's family and that he had stayed at the Ballard Estate to protect Samson.It was clear that Isabella hadn't held a grudge toward Samson. In fact, she had sent an expert to stay behind to protect him in case anything happened.Arnaud's