A flash of anger crossed Nina's face. It was true that no one could be trusted. Sebastian had stepped in during a moment of crisis, but not only were these men ungrateful, they were even trying to make him a scapegoat. It was a good thing that Nina had made herself invisible so that Daxton and the others couldn't see her. Otherwise, they would have come to blows already.Although Daxton wasn't a Warrior, he was used to lording it in Acorn City because he was the bodyguard of the Berkeleys' future daughter-in-law. He would never give in to a frail-looking woman like Nina.Sebastian glanced at Daxton and nodded slightly. He was also worried that Candy might never wake up again.As a doctor, he believed he should take full responsibility for his patients. That was why he had agreed to Daxton's demands in the first place."Please lend a hand and carry Ms. Candy back to the car," Daxton instructed Unus.Unus shot him a cold look and didn't move. If Sebastian hadn't been there, Daxt
Before long, Candy sat up in bed, looking as if nothing had happened. "Daxton!" she called out.Daxton was standing in the doorway. When he heard her voice, he hurried up to her. "Ms. Candy, you're awake!" Candy smiled and nodded. "Did this gentleman save me?" Daxton hesitated for a moment. His eyes flicked from side to side before he said quickly, "Ms. Candy, you have no idea how worried we've all been! About four days ago…"He told Candy about everything that had happened, right in front of Sebastian. After listening to Daxton's account, Candy looked at Sebastian in surprise and asked, "So it was you that saved me? Alright then, tell me how much money you want." Sebastian wasn't dressed like someone who was rich. Most charlatans like him who dabbled in traditional medicine were usually after money.That was why Candy's opinion of Sebastian dropped significantly. Her eyes held a trace of disdain. "I don't need money," Sebastian said flatly. "I'm busy, so goodbye!" He
"Ms. Candy, don't go easy on him. He's been getting on my nerves for a while now," Daxton said through gritted teeth. From the moment Sebastian had ignored him on their way to the mine, Daxton had been bottling up his frustration. Now that Candy was awake and alert, he finally had an opportunity to let it all out. He was sure that he could knock Sebastian out with one punch if Candy ordered him to do so.Although the burly man with Sebastian would be harder to deal with, Daxton had more than a dozen men, and they were armed. Even if they couldn't defeat them with their fists, they had guns!"Pay?" Sebastian frowned.Wasn't that repaying kindness with cruelty? This was an excellent example of it. He had never bothered being polite to people like that. Candy jutted her chin and said arrogantly, "I'll give you one chance to apologize to me. If you don't, then don't even think about leaving this villa!"Instead of getting angry, Sebastian laughed. "Plenty of people say that to me
Although Candy was an actress, she was as shrewd as anyone in the martial arts community. "Put your guns down!" she ordered the bodyguards in the doorway. The bodyguards sighed in relief and put the guns back in their holsters."Stand down! And you, who told you to tell them to take out their guns? I wanted to treat Mr. Ballard to a meal to show my gratitude. What are all of you doing?" Women were known for being fickle, and Candy was a textbook example. Just a moment ago she had been fiercely declaring that she would teach Sebastian a lesson, and in just the blink of an eye, she was smiling widely at him. "Mr. Ballard, I don't have any bad intentions," she said sweetly, beaming at him. "After all, you saved me. How could I let you leave without expressing my gratitude first?" "I don't think a meal is necessary," Sebastian replied flatly. Candy hurried up to him and said, "Mr. Ballard, if you just leave, what will people say about me? As an actress, my reputation is very i
After another hour of waiting, Candy finally made her way down the stairs. She had applied light makeup on her face and had changed into a long, pale blue dress paired with leather boots. She looked enchanting. Compared to her looks earlier, she didn't look as heavily made up. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Ballard." Candy walked over to him, smiling. She handed him her handbag. She figured that Sebastian was a country bumpkin, and that she was doing him a favor by letting him carry her handbag. Even a wealthy heir would've happily jumped at the chance. However, things didn't go the way she expected. Sebastian didn't take the handbag she held out to him. He just said impassively, "It's okay. Let's go." With that, he and Unus stood up together. Candy took a deep breath, her chest rising. After collecting herself, she said, "Mr. Ballard, we're going out for a meal, not for a fight. He doesn't need to come along, does he?" She disliked Unus even more than Sebastian. Why d
On the way, Sebastian kept his head turned to look out of the car window. He wondered how Whitney was doing, and what kind of place the Ballard Estate really was."We're here. Wait for me at the entrance while I park the car," Candy said with a coy smile.The car had stopped abruptly while Sebastian was still preoccupied with his thoughts. Sanaria Hotel was the grandest hotel in Acorn City. In the past, many tourists would visit Mount Quiln, and wealthy people all came to Acorn City to hunt for antiques.That was why Acorn City had a large number of luxury hotels despite being at the western frontier and not being economically developed.Sanaria Hotel was one of the best that there was. Not only was its decor extremely luxurious, but it was also very exclusive. Only members were allowed to enter. If one wasn't a member, they couldn't dine there no matter how much money they had. That was why being able to dine at Sanaria Hotel was a symbol of one's status in Acorn City.Natura
"It's my lucky day running into you here, Ms. Candy. Didn't Mr. Berkeley come with you?" Archer asked as he sat in the seat beside Sebastian.Candy said disdainfully, "Don't even mention his name! He keeps telling everyone that I'm going to be his future wife. When did I ever agree to marry him?" A look of delight flashed across Archer's face. The two of them bantered back and forth, acting as if Sebastian didn't exist. However, Sebastian couldn't be bothered with joining them. "Excuse me, please move aside." The waitress' voice came from behind Archer. Archer got up instinctively, but the large bowl of nourishing soup tipped all over him. It was supposed to fall on Sebastian, but he pushed the bowl gently, and the soup fell right on Archer's crotch. "Ahh!" Archer hadn't been wearing many layers to begin with, and the soup was piping hot. One could imagine how painful it must have been when it splashed all over his crotch. He began hopping around in agony, completely dif
Archer had come specifically to cause trouble for Sebastian, but he hadn't expected the latter to deliver himself up on a platter. Though he looked furious on the outside, he was secretly very pleased. Sure the nourishing soup had almost burned his crotch, but it had also gotten him a chance to show off in front of his dream woman, Candy. He had no idea that Sebastian was responsible for breaking Colton's legs and getting both his arms chopped off. "Mr. Ballard, you shouldn't meddle in the Lynches' affairs. The Lynches are an elite martial arts family second only to the Berkeleys in Acorn City. Don't ruin your future over something this small." Candy egged them on. Although she appeared to be trying to dissuade Sebastian, she was clearly not doing it with good intentions. She made sure to speak loudly in front of over a dozen other tables. Who would agree to admit defeat to Archer under those circumstances?Candy had backed Sebastian into a corner and was forcing him to get in
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