In the afternoon, Arctic Snow Mask officially set up its temporary counters in major shopping malls in Steinberg and began distributing trial samples. However, the situation wasn't optimistic. This was because, throughout the morning, the malls in Steinberg were plastered with advertisements and banners promoting Iceheart facial masks. The malls even set up counters at the busiest spots, with each counter surrounded by crowds of people. Batch after batch of the product was quickly sold out, with continuous restocking. As a result, Arctic Snow Mask's counters were left deserted, with no one showing interest.Soon, word reached Mabel's ears. Upon seeing the video footage, Mabel smirked, mocking him, "Is Sebastian out of his mind? Promoting his facial mask at a time like this is nothing short of suicidal."She immediately ordered, "Arrange to ramp up our promotional efforts. Also, arrange some netizens to discredit the Arctic Snow Mask!" After briefing her staff, Mabel turned
A Rosé Corporation employee rushed into Sebastian's office, looking anxious. "Mr. Ballard, here is the latest data." Sebastian took the data and glanced at it. It was dismal.Trial samples - 0 Purchases - 0"Mr. Ballard, what should we do now? The malls have deliberately placed our counters in remote corners. It's clearly targeted against us," the employee exclaimed in distress. "At this rate, our counters might be removed."Sebastian sighed, his expression calm, and he smiled at the employee. "It's okay. If the malls won't let us sell, then we'll set up booths at the entrances, on the streets, in tourist spots. There's always a solution.""Ah? Mr. Ballard, this… isn't this a bit… questionable?" the employee hesitated.Sebastian replied, "There's nothing wrong with selling our products. Just do it. If the mall counters are removed, all employees will go out to sell the masks for the next two days with double pay.""Do we need to advertise and promote like Frostwave Corporation
Sebastian's martial arts prowess and his medical skills from that night had thoroughly impressed Joseph."Mr. Ballard," Joseph greeted with a bow."Mr. Ballard, please come in," Hans welcomed respectfully.Sebastian nodded and didn't hesitate to enter the hall. After taking a seat, he asked, "Mr. Wagner, what's the matter?"Hans glanced at Joseph, sighed, and then spoke with nervousness and concern, "Mr. Ballard, ever since you defeated Elliot, I've had someone inquire about him overseas."We found out that within Elliot's martial arts sect, there's a guy named Geraldine Brown, who is the top disciple of the grandmaster, Mr. Malcolm Duchanes, in Jerose! He's reputed to be the leader of Malcolm's Seven Protectors, possessing extraordinary martial arts skills!""Geraldine?" Sebastian furrowed his brow. "The Seven Protectors under Malcolm? Are they formidable?"Hans replied in a hurry, "They're not just formidable! It's said that Malcolm's overseas reputation was built on the accom
At Sebastian's words, the whole room was stunned! To suppress a grandmaster with just one hand? Such arrogance seemed too much to bear."Mr. Ballard, please don't joke around. After all, he's still a grandmaster," Joseph said awkwardly, reminding him. He thought Sebastian was being overly confident due to his youth.However, Sebastian just smiled faintly and turned to Hans. "Mr. Wagner, if they come tonight, give me a call."With that, Sebastian bid farewell and left.Hans was left somewhat dumbfounded, standing in the living room with Joseph, both staring at each other in disbelief."Mr. Zimmer, do you think Mr. Ballard was speaking the truth? Suppressing a grandmaster with one hand? What kind of martial prowess is that?" Hans asked, partly skeptical.Joseph furrowed his brow, watching Sebastian's departing figure. He replied, "Mr. Wagner, to suppress a grandmaster with one hand, one must possess strength surpassing that of a grandmaster. "It's known in the martial world as
The next moment, the sound of rapid strikes echoed inside the small shop. Sebastian's blessed pen landed precisely on Lorelai's arms and legs."Raise it higher!""Kick more accurately.""No, that's not right. Your force is off.""Again!"For a while, Sebastian's reprimands filled the small shop.A few minutes later, Lorelai was defeated. Her fair arms and legs were covered in red marks. To an outsider, it might seem like she had engaged in some intense activity. Finally, Lorelai sat on the ground, hugging her knees, tears streaming down her face. It was the first time in a long while that she felt so humiliated. She was utterly powerless in the face of Sebastian's relentless attacks. Not only that, she was also harshly criticized.Shaking his head, Sebastian sighed, "Ms. Turner, your martial arts skills are quite ordinary. Who taught you? You should ask for a refund."Hearing this, Lorelai became indignant. With red eyes, she exclaimed, "Just wait! I'll tell my master about
Hearing the commotion, Sebastian rushed out with a few of his staff."What are you doing?" Sebastian shouted with a frown.The couple who wanted to enter the company saw Sebastian and the others and asked, "Are you the boss here?""Yes, I am," replied Sebastian coldly."You're the boss? Look at my girlfriend's face! Her skin is rotting because of your mask!" A muscular man pointed at a woman with a terrible skin condition."I also used the mask produced by your company, and my face is now full of red rashes! Your company is a complete trash!" Another girl walked up and said, taking off her mask and showing her skin. It was horrible.Following that, two or three women stepped forward, tearfully recounting how they had used the Arctic Snow Mask produced by Rosé Corporation, only to have their faces ruined. Some experienced mild symptoms like redness and itching, while others suffered from blistering, ulceration, and pus formation. They all came seeking justice."It's all becau
"Yes," answered Sebastian.Meanwhile, the people onlookers were clamoring. Their words were filled with sarcasm and mockery. "Holy shit, this guy is really cocky.""The woman's face is almost a goner! How is he gonna cure her?""Haha! He's probably just boasting. Let's see him embarrass himself."Rejuvenation skill? They'd never heard of that.If there was such a thing, then everyone would remain youthful forever!At that moment, Sebastian quietly murmured a few words to the employee beside him, who, upon hearing them, hurriedly ran off. The burly man quickly inquired, "Where did she go?" "To prepare the medicinal ingredients for facial treatment," Sebastian replied casually. In less than ten minutes, the female employee returned panting. She had purchased the required ingredients from the nearby herb shop. Soon after, onlookers watched as Sebastian somehow acquired an electric pot and tossed all the ingredients into it to boil. In under half an hour, Sebastian lifted
Seeing Sebastian looking calm, the burly man snorted. "Mr. Ballard, it's almost five minutes now. Are you not even nervous?""Why should I be?" Sebastian smiled.The muscular man said, "Very well! This is what a boss should be like! We shall see then!"Then, the five minutes were up.The man quickly asked his girlfriend to wash the concoction away.When the surrounding crowd saw the woman's clean face, they were utterly shocked."Oh my god! Her face is cured!""Look at her skin! She's glowing!"There was a total uproar!Everyone couldn't help but marvel at the woman's healed complexion and the medicine Sebastian had just concocted. What was once a severely damaged face was miraculously restored to its former state in just five minutes after applying the concoction. This concoction must possess the miraculous ability of rejuvenating the skin! It was truly incredible. Even the burly man was dumbfounded upon witnessing the restoration of the woman's previously ruined cheeks
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