Godfrey didn't dare to hesitate. He raised his sword quickly to defend himself. However, this time, Scarlet Cloud was unable to withstand the terrifying bolt of lightning, and it split in half.Godfrey spat out blood as he was assailed by the backlash from his weapon!He was filled with regret. If he hadn't insisted on battling Sebastian for the sake of his pride, he wouldn't have suffered such a defeat. Sebastian had given him a chance to turn over a new leaf. If he had accepted his defeat with good grace, Sebastian wouldn't necessarily have tried to kill him. However, he had made the choice to join forces with Branson and Kody to kill Sebastian. He no longer had any room for negotiation. When Godfrey looked up once more and stared into Sebastian's ice-cold eyes, he felt his heart jolt. It was the first time he had felt so close to death, as if he already had one foot in the grave. As everyone watched, Godfrey fell to his knees in front of Sebastian and begged, his voice t
Even a secular person like Zane couldn't have done what Branson and Kody had done. Sebastian's gaze swept over Branson and Kody. He said coldly, "If I didn't still have a use for you, I would kill you both today! Get lost!"As soon as he said that, the two swordsmen looked as if they had received great mercy. They thanked him profusely and turned to flee. The remaining Fate Sect apprentices were at a loss after losing their leader. They all knelt in front of Sebastian."Mr. Ballard, we are willing to guard this valley for you and follow your commands. Please have mercy and spare our lives," they all shouted loudly. Sebastian waved his hand and said, "You may all stand. This valley isn't anyone's, and I don't need you to guard it for me. However, before the sun sets tomorrow, you must transport all these medicinal herbs to Steinberg!"Sebastian wrote an address and handed it to one of the Fate Sect apprentices in the lead. "Once you've delivered the medicinal herbs, you'll be f
The moment Sebastian reached the door to the convenience store, Sebastian heard the sound of women crying. He listened closely and realized that it was Sally and Crystal!Why had they come? "Whitney, you have to help me! I only have one daughter! If anything happens to her, I might as well die!""That's right! Shannon has been missing for three days, and there's no sign of her at all. The police officers are being vague, and your aunt has been trying to ask everyone she can for help. Nobody is paying her any attention. "Why don't you ask Sebastian to help and use his connections? He knows Chief Weist pretty well, doesn't he? It's just one phone call for him." Crystal's voice came from inside. When Lyanna and Nina saw Sebastian enter, they hurried up to him. Sebastian waved a hand at them and strode over to Whitney's room. He pushed the door open and walked in. At the sound of the door opening, Crystal and Sally both stopped crying and turned to look at Sebastian."Oh, it's
Sally and Crystal looked pleadingly at Whitney before running out of the convenience store, looking chastened.When Crystal and Sally had left, Sebastian walked out of Whitney's room with Larys, Vince, and the others."Sit down," Sebastian said to Larys and Vince as he pointed at the couch in the living room.After he was seated, Vince didn't wait for Sebastian to ask anything before he sighed and said, "Sebastian, we shouldn't have troubled you for this, but you're an expert in traditional medicine. Look at this photo."Vince took out a photo and handed it to him.There was a dried corpse in the photo, but based on what it was wearing, it wasn't a corpse from ancient times. It was wearing a modern school uniform. Judging from the height of the corpse, it was a young girl no older than 15. "Is this…" Sebastian frowned, trailing off. "Mr. Ballard, this girl went missing on the 8th. We thought she had run into some kind of pervert, and we were searching for her as a missing pers
Sebastian shook his head slightly. Even a witch doctor wouldn't be able to turn a living human being into a dried corpse within just two days, let alone a traditional medicine doctor.Sebastian had seen something like this before in Elton's home. There had been over 20 dried corpses there.However, those corpses hadn't had their internal organs removed. That meant that there were people capable of doing such a thing, but Elton had just been slightly less cruel.Or perhaps the internal organs hadn't held any value for him, while the organs were very valuable to the current murderer."I'm very sorry, but there is no such technique in traditional medicine. However, it does seem very similar to some of the corpse refining techniques found in the mystic sects. Elton Reynolds once used this kind of black magic as well," Sebastian said to Larys and Vince as he pointed at one of the photos. Vince glanced at the photo and looked as if he had been forced to swallow a bitter pill. He asked,
"Are… are there really… ghosts in this world?" Whitney asked, trembling.Sebastian laughed wryly and shook his head. He pulled Whitney over to him and said, "Actually, people are sometimes more frightening than ghosts. You're tired. Go and rest. I'll think of a solution and see if we can find Shannon."Whitney hesitated for a moment before getting up. She said, "Alright. I know I can't help, but if there's any news, please tell me as soon as possible."Sebastian nodded, and Whitney turned to return to her room.After she had gone, Sebastian turned to Lyanna and asked, "What were you talking about? Corpse-devouring ghosts?"Lyanna nodded heavily and said, "Corpse-devouring ghosts are a kind of revenant. They aren't hard to subdue for experts in yellow paper charms."Sebastian thought for a long time. He suddenly remembered a passage recorded in the Sacred Medicine Secret Annals.There was a kind of spiritual being that only ate human hearts. These spiritual beings weren't corpse-
Drew would never dare to offend someone whom even Harold, the mayor of Sunway, had to flatter."Mr. Tennyson, Vince mentioned that Mr. Ballard might have valuable insights into this case," Drew said in a carefully calibrated tone. He was only delivering Vince's will without adding any personal input, aiming to gauge the state's stance. "Oh?" Rufus Zenton, the state minister, was rather surprised.Earlier, he had called Belinda, hoping to enlist the Warrior League's assistance, but she had also recommended Sebastian to him.Rufus said firmly, "Very well. Tomorrow morning, your task force team will head to Steinberg and you will meet Mr. Ballard personally. Remember, Mr. Ballard will be leading this case, and you will personally assist him."Drew was startled. Sebastian would be in charge? What could a traditional medicine doctor possibly know about criminal investigation? Still, he dared not disobey Rufus. After all, Rufus had very strong connections. Even Tripp had only been ab
"Alright, alright. Let's just follow the orders from our superiors," Gerard said, turning to look at Sebastian and Whitney as they entered the office. There was a smug look on his face.Drew quickly introduced them to Sebastian. "Mr. Ballard, this is Officer Bellamy, the previous lead investigator. He's a criminal investigation instructor at the police academy and an experienced criminal investigator. He's been working with the state department in this field for more than 20 years."Gerard glanced arrogantly at Sebastian and inclined his head slightly. He didn't even stand up to greet him. As for Whitney, he barely even looked at her.Why would Sebastian have brought a woman here while working on such a big case? He didn't seem to be the right man for the job at all.Gerard was a famed criminal investigation expert throughout the whole of Sartvale, and he had been responsible for solving numerous high-profile cases.Even the crushed corpses case that had shocked the nation over te
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
Sebastian threw his head back in laughter. He strode forward, standing in the center of the hall, and said coldly. "Ungrateful? How could you have the audacity to say such a thing?"Even if I'm surrounded by enemies, you Ballards can forget about making me submit! It's just death, after all. If I even blink, then I won't call myself a man!"Everyone there stared at Sebastian."How dare that brat be so cocky? If he's not punished, it'll be a disgrace to our family rules!""He should be given the death penalty!""It'll be a disaster if we just let him be, and it'll only bring trouble for our family. Please give the order, and we'll kill him at once!"The entire hall was in an uproar. Even Preston, who had been speaking up for Sebastian and Samson, sighed in resignation.Since Sebastian had already made his stance clear, Preston couldn't help even if he wanted to.Sebastian had roused the anger of everyone there, and Arnaud had closed his eyes and wasn't saying anything. He was cl
Sebastian was just about to step forward when Samson hastily waved a hand at him and said, "Sebastian, the grudges of the Ballard family from over ten years ago have nothing to do with you. Don't get involved!""But—"Sebastian's gaze sharpened as he turned to look at Milton. There was an icy glint in his eyes. Samson shook his head slightly at Sebastian. The Ballard Estate had at least ten experts at the eighth level of the Eldoria realm. At Sebastian's current level, trying to fight them would only bring him big trouble."Sebastian, one must learn how to adapt to the situation," Samson whispered into his ear using voice projection. "Today, I will exchange my legs for your and Whitney's freedom. Think of it as a payment for what I owe you and your mother."Sebastian clenched his fists tightly. He hated himself for being too weak. He couldn't even protect his own family in a place like the Ballard Estate, where many experts were gathered.However, he would never allow anyone to
"Do you accept it, Samson?" Arnaud asked harshly when he saw that Preston hadn't said anything else. He turned to look directly at Samson.Samson smiled bitterly and turned to look at Sebastian before raising his head to look at Arnaud, who was sitting high above them. He said, "Uncle Arnaud, I was the reason for everything that happened. I wish to ask you not to trouble Sebastian.""What are you talking about?" Preston was agitated. He stood up again and yelled, "There must still be an investigation about who was right and who was wrong. Why should they break your legs?"As he spoke, his eyes blazed with fury. He looked at the thin old man and said furiously, "Milton, you old bastard! How can you be so shameless at your age? Tell me! Did you embellish the story to Arnaud?""Uncle Preston!" Samson stopped him quickly and sighed slightly. "Forget it. It's my fault for bringing such huge trouble upon our family back then."I admit that I have let our family down. Since imprisoning m
As the man in the black robe yelled, the entire hall fell silent at once. The thin old man threw the black-robed old man a disgruntled look, but he returned obediently to his seat.Once the noise had died down, Preston stepped forward and swept an icy gaze over the crowd who were present. "You call yourself the elders of the family?"The monument of our ancestral dragon is right in front of you. How could you bully two young members of the family in front of it? Don't you feel any shame?"Besides, how dare you speak before Arnaud does?"After the harsh scolding they received from Preston, no one in the crowd dared to protest. Sebastian nodded involuntarily. It appeared that Preston did have influence in the Ballard family. At least no one had interrupted his scolding, including Arnaud and the man in the black robe.Preston huffed angrily and bowed to Arnaud, who sat in the middle. "Arnaud, I've brought Samson and Sebastian!"Preston went over to the chair next to the black-robe
"Sebastian, I won't be going in. Remember, don't say anything without being spoken to, and don't be impulsive!" Andreas said softly in Sebastian's ear when they reached the door to the hall. He then walked over to the crowd, which was packed on both sides of the hall.Samson and Preston walked into the hall without any change in expression. Sebastian hesitated for a moment before hurrying to catch up.When they reached the entrance, the two old men reached out to stop them and said to Preston, who was in the lead, "Preston, I'm afraid that it wouldn't be a good idea for you to go in. Everyone knows that you're biased toward Samson's family. If you get into an argument with Arnaud, then—""Nonsense!" Preston yelled furiously. He spoke in a menacing tone to the two old men. "Don't try those tricks with me. Today, I'm going to be the voice of reason. Who among you can do anything to me?"With that, he pushed them aside and strode into the hall.The two old men gazed after his ret
The Ballard Estate's resources were unfathomable as it was. Could Isabella's family be even more powerful than theirs?Sebastian clearly remembered that both he and Samson were under the Sacred Medicine Society. They even had the same mentor.The Sacred Medicine Society was above all the other mystic martial arts sects. Even the sect leaders of the Nine Sects were very respectful toward his mentor.If Samson really was from the same sect as Sebastian, then his mentor had clearly been unable to save him. Wouldn't that mean that the Sacred Medicine Society was no match for the Ballards?Wouldn't that mean that Isabella's family was an even greater entity?"If my mother's family is really that powerful, why couldn't they rescue my father? There would also be no reason to let me join the Sacred Medicine Society either, right?" Sebastian asked probingly. It seemed as if Andreas had never even thought about such questions. He smiled and shook his head. "You probably don't know about a