At night at Scarlet Pinnacle Manor, everyone except Vera had already retreated. After Charlie arrived by car, he passed through the courtyard directly and ascended the stone steps. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, Vera was already there. Upon seeing Charlie, she greeted him with an expression of joy and shyness, “Young Master…”At that moment, Vera was dressed in a white dress, and her long hair, which fell down her shoulders, still seemed a little damp. The adjacent hot spring pool was still filled with many flower petals floating on the surface, giving the entire courtyard a faint floral fragrance.Charlie subconsciously guessed that Vera had just finished bathing, so he refrained from looking at the hot spring pool and focused on her instead. He said with a hint of nervousness, “Miss Lavor, I apologize for disturbing you so late at night. Besides the matter I promised the three elderly gentlemen earlier, I also have some things that I need you to help me solve.”Vera b
Charlie said, “I just met my grandparents’ family. My eldest uncle mentioned that my father happened to obtain a book called the Preface to the Apocalyptic Book. Although my eldest uncle didn't know what was written in the book, he remembered my father often mentioned terms like the ‘fate of the ascending dragon’. I once heard Master Lennard say that people's destinies can be categorized into different destinies such as the fate of the python and the fate of the dragon, but I didn't know what the fate of the ascending dragon is.”Vera didn't answer Charlie's question but curiously asked, “When you mentioned Master Lennard, which Master Lennard are you referring to? What's his name?”Charlie replied, “He is Chandler Lennard, the direct descendant of the Feng Shui master, Master Brice Lennard…”Vera murmured, “Gold is solid, wood is tough, water is clear, fire burns, earth is hard, and wind is strong. The Chandler Lennard you mentioned should be the great-grandson of Jory Lennard, my
Vera's words stirred Charlie's curiosity. He quickly asked, “So, the one with the fate of the ascending dragon can ignore the laws of nature. Does that mean it's like what people say about ascension, where one can ascend like those in legends?"Vera chuckled and said, “Young Master, you're overthinking. Ascension is merely speculation derived from people's understanding of the Book of Changes and the Eight Diagrams. People often believe that by cultivating to a certain extent, they can ascend to another world, just like what we Easterners call the immortal realm or what Westerners refer to as the divine realm. However, according to my understanding of the Book of Changes and the Eight Diagrams, no matter how long one cultivates, the essence of it is simply extending one’s lifespan and strength.”Charlie humbly asked, “Miss Lavor, could you please explain in more detail?”Vera nodded slightly and said seriously, “Young Master, extending lifespan and strength implies that the essence
Vera nodded, “According to the Book of Changes and the Eight Diagrams, for lives that haven't passed through catastrophe, it’s true that Reiki doesn't exist anymore, but after passing through catastrophe, Reiki will appear.”Charlie asked in confusion, “That sounds somewhat unrealistic…”Vera smiled and said, “I thought so too at first. I even thought I might have misunderstood the Book of Changes and the Eight Diagrams, but after World War II, I encountered modern technology with radio waves. Suddenly, it all made sense to me. Reiki might be like radio frequencies. Ordinary people can't perceive it with their bodies, but once they have the conditions to receive radio waves, they can continuously tap into the contents of those waves. Reiki might work similarly.”Charlie opened his eyes wide in shock and exclaimed, “So, does that mean the Degenerate Age of Dharma might not actually be the end?”Vera explained, “The Degenerate Age of Dharma is just a term coined by later generations.
Charlie hadn't done much research on the study of destiny.In the Apocalyptic Book, there was a wealth of miscellaneous knowledge, but it notably lacked explanations about destiny. He used to think that destiny might be like India's caste system, where a high destiny equated to a high caste, meaning a person of high caste only had a high social status, but they didn't inherently possess great strength. People of high caste could still get sick, age, and face various accidents just like anyone else. However, Vera's words suggested that destiny was far more complex than he had imagined.So, he asked Vera, “If my father had the fate of the dragon, would he not have been killed by Mr. Chardon?”Vera asserted confidently, “That’s right! The power of destiny lies in their absolute hierarchy. As long as a person with the fate of the dragon doesn't seek death, how could Mr. Chardon, who merely had the fate of the tiger, kill someone with the fate of the dragon? Young Master, you have the fa
Vera nodded and smiled, saying, “Young Master Wade promised earlier to grant you an opportunity, and he specially came today to fulfill that promise. Hurry up and express your gratitude!”Upon hearing this, the three men exchanged glances with one another excitedly and immediately knelt.When Charlie saw the three men, totaling almost three hundred years in age, kneeling before him, he couldn't bear it. He quickly tried to rise to help and stop them, but Vera suddenly reached out her fair and slender hand to stop Charlie and said earnestly, “Young Master Wade, there's no need for you to stand up. Their bowing to you is only right.”Charlie hurriedly said, “Gentlemen, you're all elderly. You shouldn't perform such a grand gesture. It's not appropriate…”Vera firmly said, “Young Master Wade, rest assured, there's nothing inappropriate about it. Their gesture is not only to thank you but also for their own sake!”She continued, “These three have been raised by me since they were youn
Charlie looked at the three elderly people with snowy hair in front of him, and he couldn't help but glance at Vera beside him, who seemed to be still youthful. He felt a bit confused for a moment.The three elderly men were indeed very old and even with limited interaction. It was evident that they were very experienced and wise.However, in front of Vera, these three seemed like children being scolded by their parents, obeying her every command without question. Although Vera herself looked like a child, her attitude toward the three elders remained stern, making him feel particularly awkward.Nevertheless, he quickly pushed aside this discomfort and politely said to the three, “Please stand up.”The three didn't stand up but raised their heads to look at Vera.Vera seemed indifferent to the elderly men kneeling before her, and she nodded casually before she then spoke up, “Since Young Master Wade has spoken, you may all rise.”Only then did the three men help each other up. Ch
Logan took the tea knife and quickly expressed his gratitude while intending to cut the pill in half directly. At this moment, Charlie spoke up, “Mr. Carrick, there's no need for you to do that.”Logan was slightly startled and instinctively looked at Charlie. Charlie then took out another Rejuvenating Pill and handed it to Logan, saying, “This one is for your wife. Could you please pass it to her on my behalf?”Not only was Logan stunned by this, but even Vera was also taken aback. She never expected Charlie to produce another invaluable Rejuvenating Pill to give to Logan's wife, whom he had never met before.Charlie had visited Scarlet Pinnacle Manor several times, and Logan's wife had always avoided him, never meeting him in person.This was also the first time Charlie had given a Rejuvenating Pill to a stranger. His reason for doing so was solely out of gratitude for Vera saving his life.To Charlie, these three elderly men were all orphans raised by Vera. Logan's wife, pres