“Don’t cry, Emiko. I was just asking. I suspected that Sasha was tattooed against her consent. She might not even know it.” Kaze ended the call. Sasha’s fever disappeared quickly, and she started to suffer chills. It was disheartening to see her curled up into a ball, her lips quivering. Emiko mentioned that Sasha had been to many hospitals, but no diagnosis was given. With her savings gone, Sasha had to scrimp and save. Given Sasha’s peculiar situation, Kaze did not take her back to the hospital. Instead, he grabbed his phone and dialed a number. “I didn’t think you’d contact me, Kaze. What is it?” Holfman’s cheerful voice came on the call. After Kaze defeated June at the Otters’ residence, Holfman saw Kaze as an equal. They even exchanged contact numbers on that day. Kaze went straight to the point. “I have a girl exhibiting strange symptoms. I thought you could examine her.” “It must be a difficult case since you’re stumped.” Intrigued, Holfman said, “Take the
No one expected June to honor her bet out loud. She hissed through clenched teeth, “Happy now, Lee?” “You could’ve just said it once and the rest another time. I mean, it’s not a chance I get every day.” Kaze shook his head in regret. June was arrogant and short-tempered, but she was quite outspoken. She would hold up her end of the bet in front of an audience. The crowd gave them funny looks. It was bad enough that June admitted that Kaze owned her ass. June was about Kaze’s age. After what had happened, the public began to gossip about the nature of their relationship. “Young people today are so open-minded.” “Shh! She’s Dr. Wright’s student.” Faced with multiple voices, June turned red. She wanted to sink into the ground. She realized that she had been reckless. June scoffed and took Sasha from Kaze before walking into Herbal Spring. The study of medicine was physically demanding. It was not surprising that June could carry Sasha without breaking a sweat. “
“A Bishop with a privileged upbringing? Is she from Edenbrook?” Kaze was surprised that June, a young member of the upper crust, would work tirelessly to study medicine with Holfman. This was more than a hobby. It would take decades to find success in this career path. With a talent such as hers, June might be able to shorten the time length to make a splash in the medical community. Holfman smiled without a word. His answer hid in his silence. He got up and retrieved a few ingredients from the pharmacy before putting together a pale-yellowish liquid. “All done, Dr. Wright,” June came out of the room and said. Holfman, with the newly made medicine in hand, followed June into a consultation room in the back. Kaze stayed close behind Holfman, but June quickly came in the way and blocked him from entering the room. “What are you doing? “Dr. Wright went in to help the girl. “But you’re just being a creep.” While changing Sasha’s clothes, June was equipped with enoug
“Take it easy, young lady. It’s just a physical examination. I’ll be applying this medicine on your back.” Ignoring the squabble between Kaze and June, Holfman carried the medicine and dabbed some onto the cotton swab before applying it to Sasha. Sasha shivered nervously, her head hanging low. She murmured, “K-Kaze, can you help me instead?” “I’ll do it, Sasha,” June said. Sasha was hesitant and reluctant, but she was not the type to refuse. It took everything in Sasha just to ask for Kaze’s help in front of Holfman. Furrowing his brows, Kaze said indifferently, “I’ll do it. She’s timid, and after the earlier fright, she gets nervous with strangers.” June scoffed without another word. Judging by the handprint on Sasha’s face, June could piece together what might have happened. June was not pleased that Sasha trusted Kaze more than her. Heck, June even helped Sasha with a change of clothes. “Thank you, Kaze.” Sasha was relieved. “Here you go, Kaze.” Not takin
Legend had it that consuming all nine seeds of Nine Phantom Lotus would allow the person to attain nirvana. Of course, it was just a nonsensical tale. June had read ancient texts on medicine. While Nine Phantom Lotus possessed life-extending properties, it was not capable of resurrecting the dead. Still, its healing potential was undeniable. The seeds of Nine Phantom Lotus were not suitable for all to consume, though. Recklessly consuming the lotus seeds could lead to organ failure and a gruesome death.“How can Nine Phantom Lous grow on Sasha?” June found it unbelievable. Having been raised in a noble family and having devoted herself to the study of medicine, she considered herself knowledgeable about all medical texts. Yet, what she saw defied everything she knew. Kaze frowned. He initially suspected that Sasha was targeted since she lived near Akasha Village. Kaze figured someone had secretly tattooed her as part of some kind of cult ritual. However, the situatio
“How will the lotus be retrieved? Would it put Sasha in danger?” June asked nervously. Despite her hot temper, June was kind-hearted. Holfman scowled. “What do you think? The lotus seed is embedded in Ms. Spoon’s heart, becoming one with her.“I believe even the best surgeon can’t remove the lotus without risking Ms. Spoon’s life.” The answer could not be any more obvious. Sasha would die once the lotus was removed. Even God could not save her. Sasha could not keep up with what Holfman was saying before. However, she understood what would become of her. Her eyes welled up in despair. Sasha, a young woman in her prime, was robbed of a chance to experience life. Feeling bad, Kaze asked grimly, “Is there any hope for her at all, Holfman?”“Even God can’t save her.” Everybody’s hearts sank at Holfman’s response. It was the truth, though. As the lotus took over a decade to grow in a human body, the plant and Sasha were one by now. It would be impossible to remove
As Kaze spoke the specific terms as if he was reciting off a restaurant menu, both Holfman and June were shocked. “T-Those are the thirteen mnemonics for the Ghastly Thirteen Needles! Based on the difference in acupuncture needles, there are thousands of combinations for this set of techniques. “I only know a few of them. How did you know all thirteen of them?” Holfman’s lips were shaking as he asked in excitement. He was not a specialist in acupuncture but when he heard Kaze recited the mnemonics of the long-lost technique, Ghastly Thirteen Needles, he could barely stay calm. He did not doubt Kaze at all because he knew a few of them, which matched the sequence that Kaze just recited. June looked at Kaze as if he was a ghost. “H-How did you know the Ghastly Thirteen Needles?!” She no longer doubted Kaze but found it difficult to believe. “When I was on the foreign battlefield, I led an exploration team to excavate the ruins of the Ghastly Doctors,” Kaze explained. “Y
June grunted. “Support him? More like he’s supporting me!” Despite her little grumble, she quickly pulled out a new set of needles and disinfected them. Unlike the normal acupuncture needle set, which had 108 needles, June’s set consisted of 360 needles of varied sizes and lengths, all crafted from gold. Kaze knew the woman was also a professional, so he stopped bickering and concentrated on the task in hand. After Sasha and June were both ready, Kaze started to give instructions from the side. “This one, here. Thin needle. Here, longer and thicker. Here…” June was skilled in acupuncture. As soon as Kaze gave his instruction, the golden needle was already poked into the precise spot on Sasha’s body. Her hands were steady and precise, showing no hesitation at all. She was so fast that her hand movements started to look blurry. Her confidence peaked as she performed the technique. Soon, Sasha’s body was covered with golden needles. June continued poking, pulling, an
The hostages were locked up in the containers. Some of them were elites in their own field while some were ordinary people with average income, yet all of them got into trouble when they boarded the plane. Most of them could not accept their fate. Yet they dared not defy or resist the mercenaries. When things started to calm down, they broke down in tears, weeping in silence as resentment consumed them. Kaze sat down at a clean corner that allowed him to look outside the window. The window was dirty but at least he could see outside. The space inside the container was filled with people sitting closely, offering comfort to one another. They were aware they were just temporarily safe in this container. No one knew what the mercenaries would do to them at the next moment. “My parents must be worried. I said I would call them when I land but now I can’t even get in touch,” Barney muttered as he sat beside Kaze. He too looked outside the window, his feelings mixed. He watc
Kaze thought of what he had overheard in the toilet. If he told the hostages about that, they would probably panic. “It’s nothing. They are just going to separate us into different rooms or containers. They said the buses would be disposed of,” he said. He did not want to reveal too much because it would cause panic. Once the hostages knew their lives were on the line, things might spiral out of control. The mercenaries could kill a few of them to make an example, and none of the hostages would dare to cause problems anymore. Kaze kept it a secret because he wanted to protect the people. “That’s it?” “Is there anything else? How many men are there? What is their plan? Who are they looking for?” “We want to know because we want to survive. This isn't our problem—we just got caught up in it.” The hostages looked at Kaze, their eyes filled with worry. They felt aggrieved because they should not be caught in such a huge problem. “I don’t know either.” No matter how m
“There’s a room there. Get in.” The mercenary pointed his gun at the mother and son, which led them to look at Kaze nervously, seemingly asking for help. “What do you want?” The mother was nervous. She clutched her son’s hand tightly, nearly making him cry, but she reacted quickly enough to cover her son’s mouth to prevent him from doing so. “All women must go into that room. You go in now,” the mercenary explained. He did not want the woman to get the wrong idea. “You people won’t hurt me, right?” the mother asked, worried that she might be ravaged. “We are not into MILF,” said the other mercenary who was escorting Kaze, indirectly assuring the mother. Kaze shot a glance at the mother and nodded at her. “They told us they were going to separate us, so there’s nothing to worry about,” he said, worried that the mother and son would not cooperate. The mother then carried her son and followed the other mercenary into the room. It was called a room but it was actually ju
“Can you make him stop? If the man comes back, we’ll be done for,” someone said. The kid’s crying made everyone anxious. “What can I do? He’s crying because he’s scared. I can’t just stop him.” The mother was afraid as well, and she did not want her son to be taken advantage of. “Calm down. Just don’t alert the men and we’ll be fine,” Miguel said, hoping to ease the situation. “I’ll fight him if he comes in. I believe I can make it,” someone said. Those with an impulsive nature grew restless from being kept on the bus for too long, feeling like livestock being kept in cages. “Shut it. They are coming,” Barney said after a glance outside the window. The other passengers fell silent, sat back down, lowered their heads, and tried their best not to look out the window. The mother quickly hugged her son and covered his mouth to prevent him from crying. Kaze felt peace and quiet once more, even the air felt smoother. He knew the passengers were merely ordinary people and
Unfortunately, Leah knew she would not get an answer out of Snow since she was refusing to help. Everything seemed to have changed following her mother’s disappearance. She tried to stay for answers but when security came in, she could not resist them anymore. It was the first time she was escorted out by security guards and it impacted her. She used to be the daughter of the CEO of Northborn Group—everyone respected her. She used to enjoy a privileged status. No matter where she went, she was the star of the event. Yet when her mother disappeared, everything changed. She wanted to look for Kaze but she had just lost the chance. Snow turned her down and gazed at her with contempt and irritation. Leah could not accept the changes but some things felt like they were destined to change. She was forced to leave the branch office but then had no idea where else to go. She felt abandoned by the world. Before this, she could still hope for Kaze’s help, but now she had no
Leah went to her mother’s company but did not find her anywhere. Joey was busy working in the CEO’s office. Leah went over and asked, “Joey, where’s my mother? I can’t reach her.” She wanted to know what happened to her mother. “I don’t know about your mother either. We went out together earlier in the day but I don’t know where she went. I can’t get in touch with her.” Joey was so busy that she could not even free herself from the desk to explain to the girl. “Where did she go? How am I supposed to find her?” Leah panicked. If even Joey did not know where her mother went, then something must have happened. A bad feeling rose from her heart. Things just got serious. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask someone else?” Joey did not have time to deal with the girl. Leah was unfamiliar with Joey’s coldness. Joey had always treated her with kindness and flattery, so the sudden coldness caught her off guard. She felt like something had changed. “Who should I be looking f
“No! My daughter is still in the hospital!” Katie refused to accept her punishment. She started to regret her decision but it was too late. “Now only you think about your daughter? I guess you are not that foolish, but have you thought about her when you betrayed Chairman Lee? “Don’t worry. Leah knew Chairman Lee personally and we won’t hurt her, but she might not live a good life anymore,” Snow said coldly. She did not want to put the girl in a difficult situation but her life as a princess would come to an end. “You can’t do that!” Katie could not believe Snow would do that. “I bet you never thought of the consequences when you leaked the information. Too bad. You’ve lost.” Snow revealed the truth because she wanted Katie to suffer for the decision she made. Katie would now regret every decision she made because she knew she had jeopardized her daughter’s life. She would feel like a fool. She devoted her life to climbing higher to gain more power but she ignored the
“I went to a bar to have a drink and I bumped into an informant of the Viper’s Den.” Katie looked helpless as she explained as if everything that had happened was planned out for her, pushing her to the edge step by step. It was a lively night at the bar. The atmosphere was pleasant and most of the guests were having a good time. Katie was a single woman. She needed care and love at times. She was alone when she visited the bar. She started off by ordering some drinks at the counter, waiting for a chance to meet a man who shared the same ideals. A drink or two later, maybe she could get herself a company for the night. As a grown-up woman, she had her desires. It was a way to release her stress. Katie entered the bar in a casual outfit but it did not diminish her elegant demeanor. When she sat down at the counter, a few young men approached her but she was not interested in immature boys. She continued drinking. She looked at the dance floor occasionally, searching for a
“Who do you think will believe you?” Arthur frowned. There were too many coincidences that it felt like a giant setup. “I’ve explained what I need to. Don’t interrogate me like I’m a criminal. I am the CEO of the Northborn Group.” Katie left them speechless. She had said the necessary and it was up to them whether they wanted to believe it or not. They did not have the evidence to charge her anyway. “You really think we can’t hold you responsible?” Snow was not really looking for a definite answer. The moment she suspected Katie, whether or not she was truly the traitor, Snow already had the right to hold her accountable. It was necessary to make things clear and it was to find out who Katie leaked Kaze’s information to. “It has come down to this. No matter how you deny it, it’s useless. We already know what you have done and you can’t escape. Even if you don’t want to confess, we can continue the investigation, and we’ll eventually find out the truth. “If you come clean