Did Kaze say to Holfman that he would not get it? Once again, the room fell silent. Everybody looked at Kaze as if he had lost his mind. Kaze just challenged Holfman’s comprehension in the field he excelled in. It was ridiculous and funny coming from Kaze who knew nothing about medicine. Even Holfman grimaced and said grimly, “Don’t be cocky, young man. You should know that there will always be someone better out there.” “Don’t try all preachy with me. Even if there is someone better, that person won’t be you,” Kaze said nonchalantly.He paused and said, “Here’s a word of advice to you, Dr. Wright. Just give it up. “You can’t help Faith.“But without my help, she’s destined to remain unconscious forever. “You’re only risking your reputation, your life, and upsetting Faith further by insisting that you can help her.”Kaze was not trying to get on Holfman’s nerve, but Faith’s condition was a result of overtraining in ancient martial arts. She needed the expertise of a
June looked at Kaze defiantly. She believed there was more to Kaze since he knew what was wrong with Faith. Even Holfman wanted to get Kaze’s opinion. Nevertheless, June doubted that Kaze could win her in a game of poison. “No! It’s not happening.” The Otters made faces. Even Caster said curtly, “You caused this, Kaze. Don’t get my family involved. “Just get down on your knees and beg for mercy.” As if Kaze stood a chance against Holfman’s student. The family’s young generation lost to Sebastian. June had a higher attainment in medicine than Sebastian. The Otters were not at an advantage. Sure, June said that everybody in the Otter family could help Kaze in the match. However, there was no way Caster, a man pushing eighty, would compete with a young woman. Even if Caster was able to put his ego aside, he would risk being the laughingstock once the word got out. No one thought Kaze was qualified to have a match with June. They believed June proposed the match t
June’s expression was one of sheer defiance. Kaze said indifferently, “If you’re afraid of dying, we can add a condition where no one will risk their life. “Before we administer the poison, we should have the formula of the antidote ready. When one party loses, the other party should administer the antidote right away. “If the lethal dose ends up taking a life, that person has to go to jail.” Kaze chose to go through with it. Even Holfman was skeptical. Kaze could be a skilled doctor for all he knew. “Alright. Let’s go with it.” June said grimly, “You’re going to bow down to me, Lee.” She turned to Caster. “Please let us use your family’s laboratory.” The Otters, a family of medicine practitioners, had their own laboratory and supply of medicinal ingredients. The room was also available to the family’s young generations to study medicine. At this point, Caster could say nothing but nod. “Fine.” “Hang on.” Kaze said, “You only mentioned what you expect me to d
Still, June was not going to give Kaze an edge. She went straight to the medicine cabinets. Each tiny drawer was labeled with the ingredients, but June did not even have to look at these labels. She grabbed the ingredients without thinking twice. Though the arrangement of herbs may vary from one to another laboratory, there was a certain system in place. June was familiar with these herbs. Soon, she pulled out over a dozen ingredients and combined them in several different ways. It was all about efficiency in creating poisons. There was no time to prepare the cure in many unexpected circumstances. Hence, it was best to make do with whatever material that was available on hand. The process of formulating the poison was straightforward. The herbs were crushed and mixed in water. There was no brewing involved. The method was ideal for matches. The poison was potent enough to be effective but not as strong to cause death, making a good compromise between efficacy and saf
Raising a brow, June looked at Kaze in disbelief. “How did you get the answer by smell?” The crowd was surprised by June’s reaction. They thought Kaze was taking a stab in the dark, but he was right on the money. The Otters looked at Kaze as if they had seen a ghost. “He was just lucky!” Max and Maxine were not having it. Jealousy reared its ugly head. Kaze outshined them in the medical field, and it did a number on their egos. “How did I get it? Just smell it. “It’s no big deal,” Kaze said nonchalantly as if he was talking about the weather. June nearly choked on his words. Of course, she knew that it was by smell. Brushing June off, Kaze walked toward the medicine cabinets and took out several ingredients. He ground them together, added water, and created poison. The color of the concoction was brownish red like black tea. The potency of Kaze’s poison was yet to be determined, but at least it looked good. “Hm… It tastes good.” Kaze took a sip of his po
While grounding the mixture, June read out the ingredient names and their uses out loud. She was showing off to take Kaze down a peg. In a way, she was intimidating him too. However, she was in for a surprise when she cocked her head back. “What are you doing, Kaze? Do you really want to die?” June asked sternly. Kaze was not freaking out as she had anticipated. Instead of working on an antidote, he sat on the chair and trimmed his nails. In other words, Kaze was not taking the match seriously. June grimaced and said coldly, “I won’t stop you if you want to die, Lee. Don’t drag me into this and put me behind bars. “I’m telling you now. Every second you waste may be the reason you die today.“I decreased the potency in the poison, but the toxin is still a slow burn down to hell.” Darcy and the others panicked.“Don’t just sit there, Kaze. Find the cure!”“The longer you wait, the poison will catch up to you. You’re playing with your life.” Darcy and Rose urged Kaze,
“Arghhh!”Maxine could feel the excruciating pain in every inch of her skin, every piece of her bone, and her organs.June was right. “Maxine!” “Maxine!” The Otters were thrown for a loop. Adam, Max, and other family members rushed to her side in a fluster, but there was nothing they could do to help her. Caster drew close and forced the venom out with a silver needle, alleviating Maxine’s symptoms a little. However, he was not close to lifting the poison. Though Maxine stopped screaming, the toxin nearly took her life. She lay on the floor groaning, her complexion sallow. “I told you not to touch the poison. “Even a child would know not to put anything in their mouth.“See. That’s what you get from trying to prove me wrong.” Sitting on a chair, Kaze shook his head and sighed. He looked sympathetic, but really, he was laughing his head off inside. Maxine had been harsh and critical of him since he entered the Otters’ residence. Finally, she got what she deserved
“Thump!” June collapsed to the floor, her breathing labored. Even her hair turned white as if she aged in an instant. Aghast filled the room. Holfman jolted to his feet, approached June, and bent over to save the student he had so much hope for. “Dr. Wright, this is a fair match between me and your student. Surely, you won’t get involved,” Kaze said emotionlessly. Holfman paused and sighed before looking up at Kaze. “I’m throwing in the towel for my student.” “Woah!” The crowd broke out in an uproar. Holfman considered his student beneath Kaze. That was quite a bombshell to drop. Even Darcy’s family widened their eyes. “I don’t recognize him anymore,” Agnes mumbled in disbelief. Most of the people there shared the same sentiment. It was hard to link Kaze to the moocher. Ignoring everybody else, Kaze pushed June’s poison ahead and said to Holfman indifferently, “I want to hear it from her.” “Just admit defeat, June.” Holfman cocked his head back and urged J
Katie proudly made the statement, convinced that she had done a lot for her daughter. It was only right for Leah to be grateful and understand her sacrifice. To Katie’s surprise, Leah chuckled. “What else have you done for me? You never showed me any attention. You don’t know what I like. You have no idea what I want.” Leah finally saw her mother as the person she was. This side of Katie was terrifying. “What more do you want? Am I not supposed to work? Should I be spending every waking minute of the day with you?” Katie understood Leah’s needs. However, there was no way she could make it happen. It was not easy for a woman to take hold in the Northborn Group, much less secure a high position there. Katie went through great pains to get where she was today. Alas, Leah could not understand where she was coming from. “I’m not asking you to be with me every day. I’ve tried my best to do everything you asked of me, but you can’t even be there for me during my birthdays.
“Everything I do, I do for you. Get this straight. The guy approached you because of what I could bring to the table.” Katie was pissed by her daughter’s defiance which was becoming worse with age. “I know the kind of person he is. Without Kaze’s help, I wouldn’t have escaped. Where were you then? You’re in no position to say that. “Even if there’s something he’s after, what would he want from me? I have nothing to offer.” Leah did not believe a word Katie said. Clearly, Katie was out to get Kaze. “He’s nothing but a poor kid. Why are you blowing this out of proportion? I’ve clearly stated what needed to be done. Why are you still being stubborn?”Katie believed she had not raised her daughter right. Leah turned out pretty naïve. “I told you. He has no ulterior motive. He doesn’t know who I am. He doesn’t have any other intentions. I approached him, not the other way around.” Leah kicked herself for pulling a reckless stunt. All she did was give Kaze more problems. Kat
Leah hated her mother being unreasonable. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I fed you, I gave you clothes, I put a roof over your head, I gave you life! The least you could do is to listen to me!” Katie did not expect her daughter to go so far as to defy her. Kaze remained silent, knowing that no matter what he said, it would be meaningless to someone unwilling to listen. “Kaze, I’m sorry. It was my fault that you are in this mess. I’m a jinx…” Leah blamed herself for getting Kaze in trouble with her mother. If not because of her, he would never encounter her mother. “Shut it! Why are you apologizing!? He approached you with purpose and you can’t even see that? He’s not worthy of your time!” Katie was livid. She felt her daughter was blinded by emotions, incapable of making the right decision. And to make matters worse, the girl even apologized to Kaze—what nonsense! A poor man without any background was no match for her daughter and her status. He approached the girl becaus
Katie suddenly chuckled. “What’s the matter? You are after my daughter and you tried to give me advice? What are you trying to do?” She looked down on a man with no future. She stubbornly believed he approached her daughter because of her. If he said as such, he must have known something else. It was no secret that Katie was preparing the birthday banquet for Leah and one could easily find out about it with a little research. Katie took his words not as a suggestion but as a challenge to her power. “Whatever. You stubbornly believe that anyone who approaches you or your daughter is after your power, does that mean there’s no emotions or love throughout your life?” Kaze suddenly looked at Katie with a pitiful gaze. She had been consumed by the thirst for power and it wiped her humanity. Katie would eventually be a sacrifice of someone else before she knew it. “Don’t look at me with those eyes. Who do you think you are? I see through you right away! I’ve seen a lot of
Frustrated, Leah tried to shake her mother’s hand off, but Katie tightened the grip and did not let it happen. The more the girl resisted, the more Katie felt challenged. She felt that her authority was being shaken by her daughter’s defiance. “Stop it! I told you before that if you don’t listen to me, I will make you regret it! And, don’t let me catch you with this bastard anymore, or he won’t have a future here in Butterworth!” Katie shouted at the girl to silence her. Leah could resist her mother and defy her, but not at the expense of her friend’s well-being. She knew her mother always meant what she said, and once those words were spoken, she would certainly take action against Kaze. Therefore, she quickly fell silent and let her mother take control of the situation. Katie glared at Kaze resentfully. “Stay away from my daughter or I will make you pay!” she bellowed. She then dragged Leah to her car and told the girl to get in. Right after she closed the door, s
Without further ado, Katie stormed out of the car and dashed over to them. “Leah!” she shouted, startling her daughter. When Leah saw her mother, she knew doomsday was upon her. She was frightened and stunned on the spot. Kaze was surprised by the coincidence as well. He was not afraid of the woman but she was charging at them like a ferocious monster. “I told you not to be with this guy! Why didn’t you listen to me?!” Katie could not tolerate her daughter’s defiance. She saw it as a direct challenge to her authority and bottom line. She stepped up and dragged her daughter away. “I told you not to see this poor bastard. Why didn’t you listen to me?” She was consumed by rage and paid no attention to her choice of words. All she cared about was the fear that her daughter had nearly fallen into a stranger’s hands. Leah disliked her mother being unreasonable. She had no idea what changed her mother into an unreasonable wretched hag. “Mom, what are you talking about?” “W
“Katie’s daughter dined at my restaurant and she met the man Katie intended to match her with, yet Katie knew nothing and even threw a tantrum at the door. Why do you think that happened?” Master Fuller shook his head helplessly and poured himself a glass of beer. The last guest of the day had left and he could enjoy his rest peacefully. However, the last guest of the day was a rather interesting pair. “Isn’t it a little contradicting? She’s trying to get Mr. Lee to marry her daughter but she’s asking for trouble at the same time.” The woman was surprised but also found it interesting. “Do I have to deliver the meals to Mr. Lee?” “Let my disciple do it. Don’t you get involved in this, it’s better to stay away from trouble.” Master Fuller wanted to get back at Katie, yet he did not need to do anything because the woman was actively bringing trouble upon herself. The woman did not say anything and simply gazed into the distance. The wooden door at the entrance was ope
“It’s getting late. Let’s get you back.” Kaze knew that Leah had snuck out of the hotel, so it would not be good to let her stay out too late. Katie was a tough mother to deal with. If she found out her daughter snuck out without her permission and spent dinner with him, she would lose her mind. Kaze was not afraid but Leah would have to suffer her mother’s wrath. “It’s getting late. We have to go back.” Leah liked the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. She felt free of restraints while on the premises, but time flew by quickly, leaving her with little time to savor the experience. She wished she could enjoy more moments of peace and quiet while indulging in good food. “Do visit if you have time. We usually open at night only,” Master Fuller said when he noticed the heavy look on the girl’s face. “Great. I’m definitely coming again!” Leah then got up and headed out. Kaze then pulled his wallet out and wanted to pay for the meal. “Mr. Lee, what are you doing here?
Passersby would spare an extra glance at the expensive car but dared not pause to inspect further. The woman in the car looked anxious as she relentlessly tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. Katie was still waiting, hoping to find out who Master Fuller’s guests were. Her patience was thinning by the second. Since she picked up her daughter, everything had gradually slipped out of her control, and she hated the feeling. Back at the restaurant, Master Fuller and his guests were still chatting over delicious dessert. Kaze had a bite and was amazed by the taste. As expected of a national-level chef, his culinary skills could turn the simplest ingredients into the most amazing delicacy. “I thought this was just a normal sweet potato but there’s something else added inside.” After an enjoyable dinner, Leah finally had the chance to taste the final dish—the dessert, which appeared to be an ordinary sweet potato. When she peeled the skin and took a bite, she realized