"Mr. Zucker, these customers want to look at the emerald articles," the sales assistant explained hastily.Zachary Zucker, the store manager, clasped his hands behind his back and went up to Sebastian and Whitney. He looked them up and down and frowned. "Lola, you're a senior staff member here. Can't you judge people at all?" Zachary asked imperiously, looking grim. "These emerald articles cost at least tens of millions. Do you think that just anyone can afford them?"Noticing the anger on Zachary's face, Lola explained quickly. "Mr. Zucker, but—""But what? All of these articles are priceless. How can you take them out for just anyone? If they're damaged, who's going to take responsibility?" Zachary scolded."You're saying that I can't afford them, aren't you?" Sebastian glanced coldly at Zachary. He was never lenient toward people who were contemptuous of others. "Do I even need to say that when you look like that? The cheapest out of all of them are the bangles, which cost 1
"Don't be angry, Whitney. She was a mistress before she was a prostitute, so she's speaking from experience," Sebastian said in a teasing tone.Whitney couldn't help bursting into laughter. She gave Sebastian a light punch on the shoulder. "I never realized how mean you were in the past!""Who the hell are you talking about?" The fat woman screamed shrilly as she pointed at Sebastian, her eyes bulging as she glared at him. "Is there anyone else here?" Sebastian sneered. "However, a man who could keep you around with money or spend money on you has questionable taste."The fat woman hated people calling her ugly. She wasn't actually ugly; she was just average.However, comparison was rarely flattering. When she stood next to Whitney, she immediately looked extraordinarily ugly. "Security! Get over here and toss these two beggars out!" the fat woman yelled angrily, pointing at Sebastian and Whitney.She turned to Zachary and demanded, "Are you the manager? Look at your store! Ho
Zane was startled. Sebastian was at his family's flagship store?He thought for a moment before suddenly remembering that his family had a jewelry store in Steinberg.Sebastian must be there."Seb, if there's anything you want to buy, just notify me," Zane said. "I'll deliver it to you myself. Why would you need to go over there?"Sebastian was a very important person, and Zane would do anything to flatter him. If Sebastian went to their store and some ignoramus offended him, it would cause a huge mess. "Oh, thank you for your kind thoughts, Mr. Northman," Sebastian said. Then, his tone purposely turned cold. "However, it seems that I'm not very welcome in your family's store.""What?"It was exactly what he had been worried about. Zane broke out in a cold sweat at once.Something similar had already happened once before, but Sebastian hadn't pursued the matter. However, if the same thing happened several times, Sebastian might start seeing the Northmans in a different light.
"You crazy bastard!" Zane's features were contorted with anger, and he slapped Zachary hard in the face.Zachary was startled by Zane's slap, and he clutched his face as he stared at the man in shock. "Zachary, if you want to die, do it yourself. You can go hang yourself, jump in the river, or jump onto the train tracks, but don't drag our family down with you!" Zane exclaimed as he delivered two more resounding slaps."M-Mr. Northman, I—"Zachary was utterly confused by Zane's slaps."What are you standing there for? Get lost!" Zane yelled furiously at the security guards. The security guards jumped in fright and ran out at once."Seb, you… I… I… This is negligence on my part. Please don't take it to heart."Zane was almost in tears."Of course I won't take it to heart. The actions of this individual have nothing to do with the Northmans. However, I can't just let the fact that he wanted to break my legs go. I hate it when people threaten me," Sebastian said with a stormy exp
Zane turned to look at the middle-aged, wealthy woman. He frowned and asked, "Who are you?""You don't need to bother about who I am, but is this how the Northmans run their business? I already reserved those bangles. What right do you have to give them to him?" the woman screamed shrilly."I would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. Did you say that you're part of the upper class?" Sebastian asked, turning to glance at the middle-aged woman."Well? Are you going to break my legs too? Hmph, as if you're worthy of doing so!" The middle-aged woman glared coldly at Sebastian. She wasn't an ordinary person. A nobody like Zachary couldn't be compared with her. She didn't even think anything of offending the Northmans. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had the guts to question the situation when she already knew that Zane was the Northman heir. "Break your legs?" Sebastian shook his head slightly. That wasn't his style. Sebastian liked giving people a taste of their own medicine.
"Be good. There are so many other articles here. I can give you a pendant too," Sebastian said.Whitney finally smiled sweetly. She didn't care about the gift. She only cared about whom Sebastian loved more."Use this emerald to make four sets of bangles and four pendants, as well as a pendant in the shape of a dragon," Sebastian said, pointing at the emerald piece. "As you wish, Seb. I'll get our family's top craftsmen to start work on it at once," Zane said. He pulled out his phone to make a call.Before long, several emerald craftsmen who worked for the Northmans rushed to the store in the city center and began cutting up the emerald right in front of Sebastian.Hermione smiled coldly as she watched Sebastian. She vowed inwardly that all those emerald articles would soon be hers.At that moment, a bunch of burly men appeared, their chests bare. They wore training clothes, and they walked into Northman Jewelry with a lean, capable-looking man in their midst."Ms. Hermione, wh
"Wait!" Zane rushed over in a hurry and stood in front of Sebastian. "Caesar, let me give you some advice. You'd better call Mr. Lanvard Senior before you make a decision. Otherwise, you won't be able to bear the consequences.""You think I won't be able to bear it? What a joke!" Caesar said scornfully. "Is there anything that our family cannot bear? Even if we kill him, my family will be able to ensure that nothing happens to me."Caesar looked arrogantly at Zane. The Lanvards were at the top of their game, and everyone in Sartvale had to show them respect. Even the Martial Arts Court had to be polite whenever they met him."It appears that you won't give up until you fall! However, hitting you is beneath me," Sebastian said and called Phineas.When Phineas received Sebastian's call, he immediately set out with everyone from Steinberg's Martial Arts Court.After Sebastian ended his call, Caesar grinned scornfully and said, "Oh, you're calling Phineas, are you? Have you looked in
"I… I don't know."Caesar was panicking. It seemed that Everett would have to step in to resolve this incident.After all, Everett wasn't afraid of Phineas. The head director of Steinberg's Martial Arts Court would still have to show respect to him.At that thought, Caesar hastily called Everett. After telling him briefly about what had happened, he mentioned that Phineas had also come and had treated Sebastian with great respect.Everett's heart sank as soon as he heard that.When Alaric and the others had gone down from the mountain, Everett had gone to greet them as well, and he had seen that martial arts battle with his own eyes.Ethan wasn't the only one who had been defeated by Sebastian. Even Alaric and the others had almost lost their lives. Was he the young man that even Phineas was being so respectful to?Sebastian was also extraordinarily young. He was only in his 20s. Had his idiotic son offended that young man?Everett felt more and more unsure of himself. He hasti
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