Hunter grabbed a teacup and smashed it into pieces. He pointed at Gareth on the screen and yelled, "You useless loser!" "Mr. Ballard will go first for the next round," Gunther said, looking very grim. Sebastian chuckled and pointed at a geode, which was about a foot in diameter. "I'll go with this one." The staff member didn't dare to dismiss Sebastian again. He looked serious as he carried the geode over to the geode slicer. Once it was open, it was revealed to be a half-emerald!Gareth broke out into a cold sweat. A half-emerald! If the geode he chose wasn't as good as Sebastian's, he would have lost twice in a row. That would make the third round the most critical round for him. At that thought, Gareth stood up and clasped his hands behind his back. He looked serious as he walked thrice around the geodes. "Things aren't looking good for Mr. Yadden.""That's right. If he loses this round, the next round will be hard.""This young man is really something else." Only t
If the news spread, he would bring embarrassment to the Sloane family's name!The status of his own family was declining rapidly as it was. If he embarrassed them any further, they would be one step closer to getting kicked out. "Call Ivan Galledin at once and tell him to send someone over to stop an illegal gambling operation!" Hunter suddenly thought of the perfect plan.If the state police department sent someone to arrest them, it would solve his problem without embarrassing the Sloane family's name. It would also get Sebastian arrested. If so, Hunter would be able to do as he pleased with him. "Good idea!" Gunther immediately said flatteringly, "You're so much smarter than us, Mr. Sloane. Why didn't I think of such a good plan?"Hunter spat at him and said angrily, "There's no thought in that dumb brain of yours because all you think about are women's hips!""Yes, yes! I'll call Ivan at once!" Gunther said. He pulled out his phone and called the newly instated chief of
About ten minutes later, Gareth and Gunther walked onto the gemstone betting podium one after the other. They both looked calm and confident."Mr. Ballard, it's your turn to go first," Gunther said to him, smiling. "I'll pick that one," Sebastian said, pointing to a mid-sized geode. Sebastian got another full emerald, while Gareth got nothing. There was not a speck of green to be seen in the entire geode."You win, young man! Congratulations!" Gareth stood up, chuckling. He looked in the direction of the entrance.Gunther laughed menacingly and got up. He clasped his hands behind his back, as if he was waiting for something. Minutes and seconds ticked by. However, instead of Ivan, a team of young men in suits and buzzcuts appeared. The man in the lead was a young soldier in uniform with a star on his shoulder!The young soldier hurried over to Gavin and saluted him. "Captain Horner, we have successfully completed our mission." Gavin nodded slightly at the soldier and then
"You must be Mr. Sloane," Sebastian said, smiling widely at Hunter.Hunter looked extremely grim as he stared at Sebastian and said, "Are you still bold enough to do this despite knowing that I'm a Sloane?""No, no. I just want to get even on my friend's behalf. Like I said, we can round it down. I'm only asking for one billion," Sebastian said, still smiling. Hunter glanced at him and looked slightly triumphant. No matter how powerful Sebastian was, he had still folded at the mention of the Sloane family name. So what if he had won? Would he dare to accept the money, even if they gave it to him?Hunter became more and more gleeful at the thought of it and snickered, "At least you can read the room, Ballard."Sebastian looked at him as if he was an idiot. "Mr. Sloane, how can you be deaf when you're so young?"Hunter's expression darkened. "What do you mean by that?""It's very simple. You don't have to pay me the money, but this man broke my friend's legs a couple of days ag
"I have given you my all! You can't dismiss all my efforts. You—" Gunther wiped away the tears on his face and sat on the floor in a daze.Hunter had made himself very clear. When faced with a choice between two billion and Gunther, he had chosen to abandon Gunther."You are very wise, Mr. Sloane." Sebastian grinned as he walked up to Gunther and glanced down at him."Mr. Ballard, I'm begging you! Please let me go! I was just—" Before Gunther could finish, Hunter kicked him and sent him sprawling. Then, he shot a meaningful look at his lackeys.The lackeys immediately rushed up to Gunther and began beating him up so hard that he curled up on the floor, howling with pain. "It's going to take forever if you do it like that. Our time is very precious." Sebastian frowned as he looked over. Hunter was clearly trying to prevent Gunther from finishing his sentence. He didn't really intend to cripple Gunther. After all, Gunther had worked with him for many years and had been very loy
Hunter's face was as black as thunder. He shot a look at one of his lackeys, who was standing beside him. Exactly one billion dollars was soon transferred to Zane's bank account."Seb, the money has been transferred." Zane showed Sebastian the message he had received from the bank.Sebastian smiled and said to Hunter, "I hope that we will never cross paths again. You'd better refrain from trying to mess with my friend. Otherwise, I can't say for sure who's going to end up going down!" He shot a look at Gavin and Rose and began sauntering toward the exit. "Mr. Sloane, are we just going to let him go like that?" a man dressed in a black martial arts outfit asked in a low voice. His gaze was filled with indignation as he watched Sebastian's retreating figure. "You idiot!" Hunter slapped him and pointed at the door. "The people from the Security Department are all outside. Do you want to go against them?" He glanced at Gunther, who was lying in a puddle of blood, and waved a hand
"Gunther's a cripple now and is of no further use to Hunter. However, he'll be very useful to us. He's the only one who knows Hunter inside out," Sebastian said calmly. Since they were now in a feud with Hunter, they had to know their enemy. After the fuss they had kicked up, the patrons of the Glam Club were in no mood to keep playing. Not long after Sebastian and the others left, the crowd began dispersing. As they walked out, many of them were discussing Sebastian. The gemstone betting that night had made Sebastian famous in the gemstone betting circle overnight.Sebastian told Zane to take a more roundabout way back to the mountains behind the Glam Club. After searching for some time, they found Gunther lying unconscious in the grass."Carry him into the car," Sebastian said, gesturing for Gavin to come and help. They all worked together to heave Gunther into the trunk. Half an hour after Sebastian and the others had left, Hunter calmed down completely and suddenly realized
"Why… Why did you save me?" Gunther wasn't an idiot. He knew that Sebastian wouldn't have saved him for no reason. The only thing he trusted was profit. Anyone in this world who treated him well was only doing so because there was something in it for them. "I want to ask you two questions. If you answer them well, I can help you treat your legs," Sebastian said impassively."You?" Gunther scoffed. "How can my legs recover? Do you think you're some kind of god?""Look at him!" Sebastian pointed at Zane, who was sipping tea.Gunther's pupils constricted.Sebastian had a point. Gunther had broken Zane's legs in seven or eight places, and they had been completely crushed. It was impossible for them to have been connected together again."Why should I believe you?" Gunther asked guardedly. He didn't believe that Sebastian could have that kind of medical skills—he was clearly too young.Besides, if he told Sebastian everything that he wanted to know, he would lose his value. If Sebas
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