Vera looked defeated as she looked at the three sticks of sandalwood incense that was about to burn out. She was somewhat confused as she said to Charlie, “They can even anticipate our last-minute plans. Who are they?!”Charlie shook his head. “I can't figure it out either. It feels like someone is given a God’s perspective.”With that said, he walked through the main hall, intending to explore the back courtyard, but he was drawn to a wooden door at the rear corner of the main hall.He carefully pushed open the door and found a small room of about five or six square meters inside. He glanced around but saw nothing aside from a simple wooden chair and a small wooden table less than half a meter wide. However, there was a special fragrance in the room, which was refreshing and invigorating.Upon closer inspection, Charlie noticed a string of beads on the small wooden table, which was almost the same color as the table itself. The beads, with a diameter of about one centimeter each,
Charlie couldn't help but ask her, “Do you think this represents my age?”Vera nodded, “Most likely.”Charlie asked again, “Perhaps it's just some kind of coincidence?”Vera shook her head, “It's possible outside, but not here.”Charlie continued asking, “Why do you say that?”Vera replied earnestly, “Young Master, you must understand that everything here was prepared for you. The reason they invited me in was only because I happened to be accompanying you. If I hadn't come with you, they would have met you directly.”Charlie suddenly felt a bit nervous.He felt Vera’s words made sense, but he still didn't understand who these people really were and why they were paying so much attention to him.From the moment the young nun had spoken to them voluntarily at the foot of the mountain, Charlie had been wanting to know who these people really were. Now, he was even more curious to get the answer to this question.At this moment, Vera suddenly remembered something and said, “Young
When the two came down from Quiant Monastery, Charlie kept holding the agarwood bracelet in his hand. He really wanted to know what the other person intended by leaving this bracelet for him, but after thinking about it, he still couldn't figure it out.For now, he simply decided to go along with what Vera said. The twenty-eight beads on this bracelet represented his current age. The other person had threaded twenty-eight beads into a bracelet, knowing full well that Vera would notice something unusual and return to Quiant Monastery to investigate. Yet, they had deliberately left this bracelet for him. What message were they trying to convey to him?While feeling puzzled, the two descended the mountain and started climbing back on the return path.As they ascended the mountain again, they coincidentally met several local elderly ladies. They were walking together, slowly descending from the mountain, each carrying a basket woven from vines. The baskets contained a lot of incense, pa
At that moment, the abbess turned to the middle-aged woman respectfully and asked, “Madam, what shall we do next?”The woman was gazing out of the window absentmindedly. Upon hearing the question, she replied, “Let's head to Aurous Hill. I'll stay at Qi Temple temporarily like before, and both of you should come with me. Don’t reveal yourselves once we arrive at Aurous Hill.”The nun nodded gently and said, “Okay. I'll inform the abbess at Qi Temple.”She then asked, “Madam, is there any particular girl you'd like to meet next? I'll see if I can make the necessary arrangements.”The woman raised an eyebrow, smiling as she said, “Who would I like to meet? I'd quite like to meet Ito Nanako. Among these girls, she has the most potential to join us.”The abbess smiled faintly and said, “I'll see what I can do to arrange that.”The woman nodded and chuckled, “She seems to be studying martial arts at Champs Elys Resort, right?”The abbess replied, “That’s right. She's with Rosalie and
When Charlie and Vera arrived at Entrell Airport, a private jet was just taking off, heading to Eastcliff.Many private jets and charter jets from provincial capitals flew to Eastcliff every day, so this plane didn't attract any special attention. The Wades’ Gulfstream jet had been waiting there for a while. After Charlie and Vera passed the security check and boarded the plane smoothly, the pilot immediately requested takeoff clearance from the control tower and headed directly for Aurous Hill.As the plane took off, Charlie was still twirling the agarwood bracelet around. After a period of silence during the ascent, Charlie suddenly asked Vera, “Vera, besides advising me to turn back, did the abbess you met today mention when I could return to Mount Tason?”Vera shook her head, saying, “The abbess only said that Mount Tason is too dangerous for you to venture into, but she didn't mention when you could go back. Perhaps, for safety's sake, you should never go there again.”Charl
Vera asked in surprise, “The Apocalyptic Book is so powerful yet there isn't a single mental cultivation method in it?”Charlie sighed and said, “That’s right. The Apocalyptic Book is more like a beginner's guidebook to the world of cultivation. It contains so much information, but a large part of it isn't directly related to cultivation. Instead, it's deeply connected to martial arts. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of complete martial arts mental cultivation methods listed, but there isn't a complete mental cultivation method in it…”Upon hearing this, Vera couldn't help but say, “It's like cramming all the knowledge from elementary school, middle school, and even some college-level content into one book. For elementary and middle school students, this book is unparalleled, but for college students, its usefulness isn't significant at all.”Charlie nodded and continued, “Exactly. The thing is, I only know about freshman year of college, and my perspective only extends to the en
To Charlie, activating his pineal gland was his top priority at the moment.Not to mention what fierce beasts lurked within Mount Tason, just dealing with Fleur alone made him feel inadequate. Now, even though Fleur had temporarily retreated, it didn't mean she wouldn't come back in the future.Moreover, she was his mortal enemy, and even if she never returned to Oskia in the future, he still had to seek revenge. Therefore, he had to quickly find opportunities and activate his pineal gland.So, he spoke to Vera, who was beside him, saying, “Once I settle all my affairs in Aurous Hill, I will take the opportunity to go out and explore more.”Vera asked, “Do you have a general direction in mind, Young Master?”Charlie shook his head, “Since it's about finding opportunities, it should be spontaneous. I will go wherever I feel like going.”After saying that, Charlie couldn't help but sigh as he said, “But the more random it is, the less I know where to begin. After all, I have family
Stephen said respectfully, “Young Master, I see that this is the satellite phone from the Wades' private jet. Are you on the plane?”Charlie replied, “Yes. I'm on my way to Eastcliff, and I will land in about two hours. Please arrange for a vehicle to pick me up at the airport.”Stephen hurriedly said, “Okay, Young Master. I'll arrange for the convoy and go to the airport to pick you up personally. I'll also inform Lord Wade and the others.”Charlie said, “There’s no need to make a fuss. You're the Wades’ butler, so it's too ostentatious for you to come pick me up in person. Just arrange for a car to be parked at the airport for my convenience. You may inform my grandfather about it, but there’s no need to notify others.”Stephen said without hesitation, “Okay, Young Master. I'll inform Lord Wade right away. Will you be staying at the old mansion tonight or will you be returning to the manor?”Charlie hummed and said, “I’ll stay at the old mansion. Prepare two guest rooms. I have
However, Jimmy realized something important even as he sighed in relief. "Wait, Mr. Wade… I know I should settle things in the family Stateside, but won't I be arrested upon arrival?""That's Julien's department," Charlie chuckled and turned toward the man. "Tell your butler not to send the evidence to the feds. If it has reached them already, ask to have it back and tell the feds they saw nothing."Julien promptly nodded. "I'll text him right now. You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Wade."Jimmy remained worried. "But sir, I think Nate's not going to let this slide. The man is cunning—he deliberately dug a pit so we'd fall into it, and he gathered all the dirt he could on us to be used as leverage when necessary."Charlie shook his head. "That's no big deal. Julien can make sure that you're fine even if the feds get the evidence."Julien nodded nearby. "Don't worry, Mr. Wade. The decision remains in your hands, either way. Just say the word, and it's 25 to life… otherwise, not e
The fact that Jimmy was a partner in Ares LLP already meant he had skill, while Matilda had herself been retired for years and definitely had lost her touch a little. So, having someone like Jimmy who had stayed on the frontlines all this while would definitely be no issue.And in turn, it was a good thing for Jimmy as it was better than the kennels either way.Charlie then asked Jimmy pointedly, "You say you're interested, but are you sincere about it?"Jimmy nodded without hesitation. "Yes, absolutely!""No regrets? We're talking about ten years here.""None, absolutely none!""Do you know what to say if anyone asks?""Yes, of course! I chose to further my career here in Oskia, and it was absolutely voluntary! That's what I'd say even if my family asked!"Charlie nodded. "Good. Then, you will have two weeks. Go home and set your affairs in order and report in for work afterward.""No problem!" Jimmy nodded repeatedly, actually surprised and grateful that Charlie would let hi
And yet, Julien was suddenly clapping his hands, and exclaiming excitedly, "Yes, right! We should get his wife and son over too for a happy reunion!"He then paused and quickly corrected himself, "Wait, no! I mean, they should each be caged with one empty cage separating each of their cages. They can see each other and talk, but there will be no touching. How dare he flex on me—I gotta teach him a lesson to remember!"Jimmy dropped limply on his rump, and Matilda beckoned for Paul to help him up while turning toward Julien as she pursed her lips. "Please, Mr. Rothschild… Even if you don't accept his apology, don't bring his family into this. It's against Oskian tradition—you'd insult your family's name!"Julien shrugged, not hesitating to retort, "What do your traditions have to do with me? If I mean to hurt him, forget his family—I'll drag his dogs over too!"Seeing that Julien was so furious, Charlie decided to stop him, or he might actually go through with it."That's enough, J
Holding up a thumb at Charlie, Julien exclaimed in approval, "You're right, my friend! That's far more exciting than having him jailed!"Just hearing that he would be sent to a kennel, Jimmy knew nothing would come of it—even if he didn't know the details, it was so obvious that Julien was thrilled by the very idea!Turning nervously toward Charlie, he was sobbing as he asked, "Mr. Wade…? What's this about a kennel…?"Julien chuckled coolly even before Charlie said a word. "A kennel is where you keep dogs, of course. Though there are literal dogs and metaphorical dogs, and you are the latter."Oh, don't worry. It's a really nice place where you get your own cage, and you'll be fed every day. You don't even have to work, so just sit tight and keep eating until the day you die."Jimmy's soul left his body in that instant.He was going to be locked in a cage?! That was way worse than being locked up and sent to jail! Where was the humanity around here?!Even as the thought struck h
Matilda was actually caught off guard by Jimmy's pleas, and even Paul found it hard to watch.Turning to Charlie, he said, "Please, Mr. Wade—my uncle can be a little despicable, but he is my father's brother. Please, let him have a chance to turn over a new leaf, seeing that he's earnestly repenting."While Paul spoke with Charlie, Jimmy was still confused and wondered why Paul would plead his case with Charlie instead of Julien. If there was anyone Paul should ask, it was Yolden since he was Julien's friend. So, why would he ask some young man instead of Yolden?That was when Charlie asked in curiosity, "You want to let him off? After he tried to take away your parents' legacy?"Paul smiled awkwardly. "I mean, I know the guy. He made sure to travel all this way to make a scene because he had nothing legal that could help him claim Smith Group Corporate Law from us. Otherwise, he'd have already filed the lawsuit in the States. Sure, it's a dirty move, but that's basically a des
As Julien finished, he realized something was wrong and turned toward Charlie before he knew it.Charlie held his gaze in turn, his expression quizzical and amused.Julien cleared his throat right then. "See, there are people who can order me around, but they have my utmost respect. However, a third-rate lawyer like you? Who do you think you are?"That was when Julien's butler called, and he reported respectfully as soon as the call was answered, "Sir, I've spoken with Nate Ellis, the owner of Ares LLC. He has since agreed to fire Jimmy Smith right away as well as disbar him nationwide."Julien asked, "Good. Anything else?""Well, Mr. Ellis also delivered some documents that can be used as evidence against Jimmy Smith, which he claims is enough for a lifetime sentence. If you deem it necessary, we can have it sent to the FBI.""Yes, let's go with that!" Julien replied, his tone satisfied. "And ask the director to handle it personally—I want this prick to never set foot stateside
Jimmy was sweating profusely in fear, but he argued back before he knew it, "That's impossible! Everything you say is bullshit! Gaiman simply thought he had a fair chance of winning and didn't want to pay Ares that much, and I have no idea who he partnered with, and I'm certainly not involved. Don't you try to slander me!"Nate chuckled. "Come on, Jimmy. We're all adults here, so there are things we shouldn't have to be so direct about. Mills Gaiman and your old classmate met in private many times, not to mention the private conferences you three had in secret, discussing your overall strategy and decisive points. Just so you know, Gaiman recorded every conversation, and I have the tapes with me."Jimmy's heart was left pounding as he blurted, "B-Bullshit! That's impossible!""Grow up, Jimmy," Mr.Goodman chuckled. "Every partner in every law firm always strives to rise higher, so I'm going to need as much leverage as I can. Otherwise, I'm not about to let them advance any further, e
Although the ringtone and vibration frequency were the ones Jimmy always used, this call somehow felt more urgent, leaving him exceedingly uneasy.When it abruptly stopped and left a missed call on his log, Nate Ellis soon sent a text: [Answer your damn phone this instant!]Just seeing the text left Jimmy feeling like his throat had gone dry, and as he gulped, it felt like his throat was being ripped, leaving him hurting.Still, he couldn't care less as his boss called again.Having seen the text, Jimmy didn't hesitate this time and promptly answered, watching Julien's smug face as he started tentatively, "Y-Yes, boss...?"Nate immediately yelled at him hysterically, "What the hell did you do?! Why did the Rothschilds call to complain about you?! And the complaint was from their heir apparent, at that! I worked hard for them and always toed the line for years, and I still haven't gotten a chance to meet the man, so how the fuck did you upset him?!"Jimmy's heart sank to rock bott
Fuming, Jimmy snapped at Julien, "If you insist on playing it like that, I will call my boss, and you can talk to him yourself!"Julien chuckled. "That's unnecessary. I've never met him. He would never recognize my voice."Jimmy laughed and nodded despite himself. "Impressive—you can really come up with anything! You don't have his number because he's beneath you, you refuse to call him because he's beneath you, and when I say I'll call him for you, you say he won't recognize your voice. Well, how do you suppose we should sort this out? At least prove you're a Rothschild, or anyone could claim that they are—"Julien held up a hand to stop him. "Then, how about this? I'll ask my butler to talk to your boss."Jimmy laughed even more loudly as if it were the best joke ever. "Hahaha!!! Butler, you say?! You really know how to talk! Alright, I'll wait and see what your 'butler' can do… I mean, what you can do. We'll see whether my boss calls me!"Julien ignored him and whipped out his