Colton's temper flared at once. He pointed at Sebastian and yelled, "Who do you think you are, you brat? Mr. Chapman is already showing you great respect by lowering himself to negotiate with you! Don't be so cocky!"Who do you think you're talking to?" Anton asked. "Mr. Chapman is the main person in charge of the Wind Dancers in Boren. He's a whole level higher than Reggie! Even the Wentworths have to show respect to Mr. Chapman. Who do you think you are?" With that, Anton laughed scornfully as he clasped his hands behind his back. Sebastian probably still hadn't realized what huge trouble he was in."These are the best conditions the Wind Dancers can offer, you brat. If you insist on having your own way, you cannot even begin to imagine what the consequences will be!" Ernest said as he waved behind him.An old man in his 70s walked over."Mr. Chapman!" The old greeted him respectfully. From his attitude, it was clear that Ernest was in a very high position in the Wind Dancers.
When Silvanus saw Sebastian walking toward him, he sneered. "From how ignorant you are, I doubt you even have a mentor. I wasn't planning on killing you today, but you just have to do things the hard way!"As he spoke, Silvanus lunged forward and brought his broadsword down in a heavy slash. Broadswords were one of the most brutal weapons. The wielders knew it was all about dominance. Every move, whether a slash, chop, or slice, was aggressive and overwhelming. Silvanus was an expert in broadswords, so his strike was powerful and precise. The blade whistled as it moved through the air, aiming straight for Sebastian's shoulder. "Oh, what a shame. It wouldn't have killed the guy to show Mr. Fenton some respect!""Exactly! He should think about who he was up against. The Mountsplitter is Mr. Fenton's signature move!""So many renowned experts have died under Mr. Fenton's blade, and they were decades older than that kid. Who does he think he is?"The onlookers began to buzz, feel
Silvanus wondered if Sebastian knew the Steel Finger technique. He had gained fame with that technique, and he knew better than anyone else how difficult it was to learn it.Even martial artists in their 40s might not have reached Sebastian's level, but Sebastian was only in his 20s!Sebastian flicked the broadsword away lightly, and Silvanus' body was hurled toward the wall beside him. The broadsword slipped out of his grip.There was a loud bang as he crashed heavily against the wall. He felt as if every single bone in his body had shattered, and he howled in pain."Aren't you a little too old to be acting like a child? Does it hurt that much?" Sebastian asked as he walked over to Silvanus, grinning widely. Clutching his broken arm, Silvanus backed away until his back hit the window frame. He had nowhere left to run. "You… you're not playing by the rules! Don't you know that you should respect your elders?" Silvanus yelled angrily, pointing at Sebastian.Sebastian gave a sha
Let go? Even if both his arms were broken, Ernest would never give up on resisting.However, no matter how strong-willed he was, he was up against Sebastian.Before Ernest could react, there was a sickening snap at his shoulders. Ernest's arms were broken, hanging uselessly at his sides. "Huh?""Oh my!"The onlookers cried out in shock."I'll ask one last time," Sebastian said as he walked toward the window, dragging Ernest with him. "Will you pay the one billion and give me a hotel or not?"He then hoisted Ernest out the window by the throat, letting him dangle in midair.As soon as the cold wind hit him, Ernest shivered violently. He knew that Sebastian would have no qualms about dropping him. When he glanced down, Ernest almost burst into tears of fear. "Have you thought things through? My arms are getting tired," Sebastian said with a wide grin. With his throat in Sebastian's grip, Ernest couldn't make a single sound. He had no choice but to nod vigorously at Sebasti
Ernest rushed over to Anton. He yelled into the phone, "Wentworth, if you don't hand over a hotel in the next three minutes, you can expect the wrath of the Wind Dancers to come upon all of you!"There was a long pause on the other end before a voice stammered, "M-Mr. Chapman, we can offer a hotel to resolve this issue, our best one, even. The problem is, three minutes just isn't enough time!"The voice belonged to Joaquin's cousin, Edwin Wentworth. Even if he took a rocket, he still wouldn't reach the Aequor within three minutes. They were hundreds of miles apart. "I don't care!" Ernest roared. "My last command before dying will be for the Wind Dancers to destroy the Wentworths! We'll crush even your rats underfoot!"There were only two minutes remaining. Ernest was so agitated that he could barely register the pain from his broken arms. "Time's almost up. Mr. Chapman, why don't you reunite with Mr. Fenton?" Sebastian said as he walked toward Ernest."Mom!" Ernest shrieked, co
Anton was sweating in fear. He had never seen anyone collect a debt the way Sebastian did. If he refused to pay or if he was even just a minute late, Sebastian might toss him out of the building like he did with Ernest. They were on the 18th floor!"M-Mr. Ballard… could… could I make another call?" Anton stammered as sweat dripped down his face. He took out his phone and gave Sebastian a pleading look.Colton's heart sank. He had mistakenly thought that he would be let off the hook once the Wind Dancers brought the money. However, he was wrong. Sebastian had meant that each family had to pay one billion. That was a big problem. The Wentworths didn't lack the money, but what about Colton?The Lynches were destroyed. Where was he going to get that much cash?At that thought, Colton crouched and began inching slowly toward the elevator. However, before he could press the button, the doors opened, and Curtis burst out. "Mr. Ballard!" Curtis exclaimed. "You… don't you think you'
Curtis hadn't just seen Ernest's corpse outside the building. There had been Silvanus' corpse too. It was clear that Sebastian had killed them both. He was just an administrative worker. There was no way Curtis would have the guts to kick up a fuss with Sebastian."Mr. Ballard, I don't think that there's anything more to discuss. The Wind Dancers will send an expert to go through the details."With that, Curtis turned on his heel and headed toward the elevators. He left without looking back.When Colton saw the elevator doors closing once more, his heart turned cold."Mr. Lynch, were you planning to leave with Mr. Hansen?" Sebastian asked, grinning at him. Colton's heart twisted. He forced a bright smile as he said, "Mr. Ballard, you've got it all wrong. I… I just came here to have a look!""Oh, were you afraid that it would be too crowded outside? Did you want to fall down the elevator shaft instead?" Sebastian asked, still smiling."No!" Colton jumped aside instantly, wavin
After Colton and Anton had left, the onlookers gradually dispersed.Sebastian returned to his seat and continued sampling Boren's local delicacies."Mr. Ballard, the Wentworths and the Wind Dancers are unlikely to just let this go. Besides, the Teritz Hotel and the Rayon Hotel aren't under our control yet. Although you're legally the owner, the management of the hotels must be changed!"Rocco was in the field of business management and knew how important the management staff was. If the senior staff stayed the same, the hotels would only belong to Sebastian by name. "Change the management?" Sebastian asked mildly. "Do you have the people for it?""Well…" Rocco shook his head slightly and said, "Although I know a few managers, they're not familiar with hotel operations. It'll be better to promote someone from among the mid-level staff!"Firstly, they know the hotels well. Secondly, they'll be able to handle human resources and other arrangements easily once they're promoted. It'l
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
As they stepped out of the courtyard gate, Samson suddenly turned and lowered his voice as he said to Sebastian, "I didn't treat you and your mother well. Please don't hold it against me."Sebastian felt even more conflicted. After everything he had been through, he knew very well that there were times when one really had no choice. When Samson saw that Sebastian was looking at him with a conflicted expression, he patted him on the shoulder and gave him a warm smile. Then he took a token from Preston and walked out of the yard.They followed Preston as he walked toward the east, where there was a majestic-looking building."Why are you helping me?" Sebastian suddenly turned and asked Andreas in a low voice. Andreas glanced at him and gave him a long, cryptic smile. "Do you think I'm helping you? I'm helping myself while doing so!""Oh?" Sebastian looked at Andreas in confusion, his brow knitted. Even Rexton had mentioned that Andreas was in Arnaud's favor. Why would he need t
When Rexton and the others had gone, Preston turned to look at Samson and said irritatedly, "You little rascal. Would I ever hurt you?"Besides, you've been here in isolation for ten years. Why hasn't your temper changed at all? Couldn't you show me some respect in front of all those people?"Samson glanced at Preston but didn't answer.Preston huffed and ignored him. He turned and looked Sebastian up and down instead."Hey, kiddo. Over ten years have passed in just the blink of an eye. You've probably forgotten me. I even gave you candy back then! Come over here and call me Great Uncle Preston!"Sebastian looked at him in surprise. It was true that he didn't have much of an impression of what had happened over ten years ago. However, he could tell from what Preston had said and done that his attitude toward Sebastian's family was completely different from Rexton and the others.Beside Sebastian, Andreas kept shooting him meaningful looks. Sebastian finally smiled and said, "Hell
Although the old man looked as if he was over 60 years old, his expression was sharp and lively, and his skin was smooth as a baby's. It gave him a youthful air.Even the severely injured apprentices all scrambled up from the ground when they saw him. They hastily bowed and said, "Greetings, Great Uncle Preston!"Even Rexton had no choice but to suppress his anger. He bowed sullenly to the old man and said, "Greetings, Uncle Preston."Preston Ballard glanced at Rexton and turned to shout angrily at the apprentices, "If I hadn't come, were you planning to tear the Ballard Estate apart? Look at all of you! Get out of here right now!"Despite the scolding they had been subjected to, none of them dared to protest. They all lowered their heads and slunk out of the yard. Preston glared angrily at them as they went and snorted. "What an embarrassment to the family!"Then he smiled slightly and looked at Samson and Sebastian as he asked, "Samson, do you have anything to say?"Samson lo