At that moment, a kind-looking old man walked out of the entrance to a loft. Despite how old he was, there was a strong gleam in his eyes and a faint trace of energy unique to those in the most advanced Celestial stage. He looked very formidable.When Blake saw him, he hastily bowed. "Mr. Chesterton!" Derek Chesterton frowned as he looked at Blake. He asked, "Blake? What took you so long?""Mr. Chesterton, we ran into some difficulties on the road, so we were delayed. Is Madam Dragon in?" Blake didn't go straight into the loft. He stopped outside the door."Madam Dragon is very anxious, and she's been waiting for a long time. I was just about to go out to meet you. Come with me." Derek's gaze rested on Sebastian for a few seconds before he strode into the loft."After you, Mr. Ballard," Blake said, gesturing at Sebastian to go first.When they walked into the main living room, a young woman was leaning back on a soft, plush chair in the center of the room. A heavy scent was comi
After a while, a maid carried a tea table over to Sebastian and began to make tea for him. The tea leaves that she used were the ones that Sebastian had liked the most after tasting them.The Lucoxes were one of the Eight Great Families, and it was evident in their every action. Even having tea was such a complicated process. Wouldn't it have been easier just to ask Sebastian what kind of tea he liked?After about ten minutes, Lilian brought a young woman into the living room. She was wearing a white dress.The young woman was as beautiful as a fairy. She had eyes that shone luminously like the moon, and straight, white teeth. Her rosy lips pressed gently together under her perfect nose. However, she was rather pale.She looked almost identical to Cecilia, the young woman who had been at the auction. The only difference was that she seemed more frail."Elara, say hello to Mr. Ballard."The young woman nodded at Belinda and turned to Sebastian. She bowed slightly and said, "Hell
"Well…" Sebastian hesitated and said, "It will need acupuncture for it to be effective."Derek raised his eyebrows and said, "Mr. Ballard, although we're now in modern times, you… you can't give acupuncture treatment to Ms. Elara while she's bathing!"Sebastian smiled wryly and said, "That is what troubles me, Mr. Chesterton. If we don't give both the medicine and the acupuncture treatment at the same time, I'm afraid that it won't be effective. However, I am a man, after all. It won't be convenient to treat Ms. Elara while she's bathing. I—""What do you think, Elara?" Belinda looked calmly at Elara."We must not hide an illness for fear of treatment," Elara said without hesitating. Sebastian's jaw dropped.Belinda nodded and said to a maid, "Go and make the preparations."Very soon, the wooden tub needed for the medicinal bath was prepared. Elara and Sebastian went to a small house with a courtyard that was behind the loft. They were accompanied by two maids."Mr. Ballard, h
Elara was already engaged, and Belinda was fairly satisfied with her future son-in-law. Elara, however, was not as keen. Despite this, Belinda could not allow Sebastian to take advantage of her daughter.Sebastian exhaled slightly once the acupuncture treatment was done. Elara had perfect skin and a perfect figure, too.Her skin was fair and very soft. "Mr. Ballard, your skills in medicine are amazing," Elara said as she put her clothes back on.She had never expected Sebastian to keep his back turned to her for the entire treatment while still maintaining perfect accuracy with every needle he used. He had skills that even the oldest and most experienced traditional medicine doctors would admire. "You're too kind, Ms. Elara. The ice venom in your body is too strong. You must not activate your vital energy for the next few days. Otherwise, the ice venom will move along your meridians, and today's treatment will be wasted," Sebastian said calmly.Elara nodded slightly. She had
Blake quickly took the wooden box from Belinda and handed it to Sebastian.Sebastian took it with both hands. The moment he received it, his head whipped up in shock, and he stared at Belinda.The item in the wooden box weighed more than 20 pounds, but Belinda had held it in one hand as if it were nothing.Belinda's powers were probably greater than that of a Supreme Grandmaster. She might even be an expert in the Celestial stage."What's the matter?" Belinda asked, smiling when she saw Sebastian staring at her in shock."You are very skilled, Madam Dragon," Sebastian praised her sincerely. He took the wooden box and placed it on the coffee table beside him."Mr. Ballard, the box contains a belt. You can open it and have a look. There's a soft sword contained in the belt. Perhaps you can use it for defending yourself," Belinda said, smiling.Sebastian opened the wooden box and saw a purple and gold belt made of pure steel. Between the buckles, there was a long sword several feet
Janet was full of delight as she spoke.No wonder Mike had told her to latch on to Sebastian as tightly as she could. Now that she thought about it, Mike had really thought things through. After all, those in high positions were much more likely to care about their health. Sebastian's amazing medical skills were exactly what they needed!The saying went that as long as one person prospered, it would benefit everyone in their vicinity. Although Janet was just Sebastian's maid, she was sure that the Connollys' status in Steinberg would be elevated in future as well by association with Sebastian.Sebastian only smiled impassively and waved a hand, saying, "Alright, it's getting late. Let's all get some rest."Janet assented and ran quickly to the inner rooms to lay out Sebastian's bed for him. She was now determined to serve Sebastian well.As the lights in the convenience store were turned off, a paper crane flew into the air from under a streetlight. It looked rather eerie.A
In the living room of a detached villa in the suburbs of Sunway, a handsome young man in a branded suit smashed an empty wine bottle on the floor. As the wine bottle shattered, the maids and bodyguards around him lowered their heads in fear. They didn't even dare to breathe."Hmph! That bitch, Rosalie! I can't believe that she would rather be with that country bumpkin and get kicked out by the Griffins! What does that Ballard fellow have that I don't?" Ryan shouted angrily as he popped open another bottle of red wine and threw his head back to gulp it down.Bright red wine slid out of the corner of his mouth and dripped onto his snow-white shirt. Then, he slammed the wine bottle down on the table and stared at the people around him with blood-red eyes. "Get lost! Get out right now!"The bodyguards and maids hastily rushed out of the living room. Only the old man sitting on the sofa opposite Ryan remained, looking calmly at Ryan.The old man was a retainer of the Joneses. His name
"Ms. Griffin already has someone on her mind. I'm afraid that she's way out of my league." Ryan was Hugh's oldest son and the second most powerful man in the state capital. However, he was self-aware and knew that if the Beckards hadn't managed to get Rosalie to marry into their family, he would have even less of a chance. He didn't want to end up like Stephen."What if I were to tell you that I could help you get rid of Ballard?" Jace asked calmly.What?A flicker of hope sparked in Ryan's eyes, which had been dull and lifeless a moment before. "Are you serious, Mr. Beckard?" Jace laughed coldly and said, "Of course. Not only that, neither of us will have to lift a finger."Jace told Ryan about Sebastian's recent acquisition of two valuable treasures. However, he omitted the fact that Belinda had personally given them to Sebastian as a gift.A sinister smile appeared on Ryan's face after he heard about what had happened. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Ballard really is rec
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