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
"Dad—""You ingrate!" Joaquin pointed furiously at Anton. "Do you know that you almost destroyed our family?""Dad… I just couldn't accept it. The hotel in Acorn City can bring us a profit of 100 million a year. Why should we just hand it over to Ballard for nothing? I—"Before Anton could finish, Joaquin slapped him. He did it so hard that Anton flew into the door and smashed it, rolling out to the hallway.Peggy Sorel was sitting on the living room couch and watching TV as she snacked on peanuts. When she saw that her son had been hit, she hurried over and helped him up before looking angrily at Joaquin. "What are you doing, Joaquin?" she demanded. "This is our son, not your subordinate nor your enemy! If you touch him again, I won't forgive you!"As Peggy spoke, she charged at Joaquin and began to scratch and hit him mercilessly.Joaquin pushed her aside and pointed at Anton. He yelled angrily at Peggy, "It's all your fault for spoiling that boy rotten! That is why he does w
Anton knew how the world worked. He wasn't just a brainless wealthy heir. Although he had already offended Sebastian, the latter hadn't killed Anton the way he had the others. That meant that he still had a chance!If he played his cards right, he might even be able to win Sebastian's favor. And if that happened, the Wentworths wouldn't just prosper in Boren, but they'd rise to new heights.As for the properties under his name, how much were they worth? Anton knew that he would have to spend money to earn money."We'll talk about it when Mr. Ballard returns from Mount Quiln," Joaquin said. "However, I've got to warn you. You were able to get out alive because he was lenient. There won't be a next time!"He sighed deeply and waved a hand at Anton impatiently. Then, he returned alone to his study.Anton slumped onto the floor as he gazed at Joaquin's retreating figure."What on earth happened, Anton?" Peggy asked as she helped Anton up from the floor. She pulled him to sit on the c
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