About a hundred hidden top masters working for the Schulz family secretly stopped searching for Jaime and Sophie. Twenty of them drove directly to Kyoto in the middle of the night, whereas the remaining eighty top masters were all starting to assemble at the Matsumoto family mansion.Yoshito did not even know that he was already faced with imminent disaster.He checked the time, and he saw that it was already ten o’clock at night. So, he took out his cell phone to call Jonin.According to his plan, Jonin was supposed to kill the pair of siblings now before hiding their corpses in the Ito family mansion within the next half an hour.After that, he would wait patiently for a few more hours. When the corpses had already lost almost all of their residual body temperature and turned cold, he would make an anonymous police report to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department about this matter.This way, Yahiko would be done for early in the morning tomorrow.After Yahiko was done for, hi
Neither Yoshito nor Machi could understand what was happening in Kyoto.However, Yoshito was much smarter compared to Machi.After he was unable to contact Jonin, although he could not understand why, he subconsciously realized that there was probably some sort of big mistake.As he thought about this, Yoshito hurriedly called the other members of the Iga family and immediately asked them about Jonin’s situation.However, the people from the Iga family were also all completely ignorant of everything that was going on in Kyoto.They could not get in touch with Jonin, and they did not even know if he was dead or alive.Yoshito was genuinely panicking at this time.He paced back and forth in the living room of his home anxiously. His brows were constantly knitted together, and his hand was shaking uncontrollably as he held the cigar.When his younger brother, Ryosuke, saw him being extremely nervous, he hurriedly calmed him down, “Brother, you should not start panicking now. If yo
“Okay!” Ryosuke had a grim expression on his face as he said, “Even if we were to die, we will have to drag them down with us so that they can die together with us! Anyway, we will not lose anything even if we lose or win!”***At this moment.After Charlie had set the two-story building on fire, he returned to the Ito family mansion.He continued using the original path before he entered Nanako’s courtyard.At this time, Nanako was sitting in front of the tea table. Her eyes were closed, and she was gently twisting a string of Bodhi beads in both of her hands as she silently recited the Buddhist scriptures to pray for Charlie.Buddhism was not only prevalent in Oskia, but it had also been prevalent in Japan for a very long time. Ever since Master Jianzhen had traveled east to Japan, Buddhism had already begun developing rapidly in Japan.Although Buddhism in both of these countries was somewhat different, there was no essential difference between the beliefs of the Buddhists in
Nanako still could not believe that Charlie would truly be able to heal her.However, when she thought about the fact that the man in front of her who was feeling very eager to heal her was none other than the person that she was in love with, she was more than willing to allow him to give it a try.Thus, she handed her right hand over to Charlie before she said shyly, “Charlie-kun, if that is the case… I will have to trouble you, then!”Charlie nodded slightly before he stretched out his fingers to gently place them on her radial artery to check her pulse.A trace of reiki started traveling from Nanako’s radial artery into her body, and it had already wandered throughout her entire body in the blink of an eye.As the reiki traveled through her body, Charlie also took the opportunity to determine the exact extent of Nanako’s injuries.Just by taking a look, Charlie discovered that Nanako’s injuries were indeed very serious.Almost all of her organs had already suffered some seri
This kind of medicine was simply a panacea for any ordinary person. It could be used by the elderly to prolong their lives for more than ten or twenty years. If a young person took it, their body could become many times stronger compared to any ordinary person. If it was taken by an injured person, even if that person only had one last breath left, the Rejuvenating Pill would certainly strengthen the body aside from restoring it to its original state.When Albert had almost been completely killed by Donald’s men and only had one last breath left, Charlie had managed to save Albert by using a Rejuvenating Pill.The Rejuvenating Pill had not only saved Albert’s life, but Albert had also become a few years younger because of it. His body was now in an even better condition and state as compared to how it was before he had gotten injured.This was mainly because the Rejuvenating Pill was truly very powerful. When Albert’s injuries had been cured, there were still some remaining effects
Although the effects of the Rejuvenating Pill were very magical, it looked very simple on the surface. It simply looked like a black and round pill, and there was nothing special about it at all.Nanako looked at the pill in her hand, and she did not conceal her shock or surprise as she asked Charlie, “Charlie-kun, this… can it truly heal my injuries?”Charlie nodded before he smiled and said, “Since Master Wade has already personally taken action, I can guarantee that all of your injuries will be cured. Any refund is invalid.”“Master Wade?” Nanako asked in surprise, “Charlie-kun, is Master Wade your nickname?”Charlie smiled as he said, “It is not my nickname. It is just a title that was given to me by some of my friends in Aurous Hill.”Nanako chuckled before she asked happily, “Then, can I also call Charlie-kun Master Wade from now on?”Charlie replied casually, “Yes, sure. You can call me whatever you want.”Nanako tilted her head for a moment before she said thoughtfully,
Charlie smiled slightly before he said, “This medicine is called the Rejuvenating Pill.”Nanako suddenly recalled something, and she suddenly said, “I understand now! I understand! Charlie-kun, Aurora’s strength suddenly improved greatly before the quarterfinals. Is it also because of this Rejuvenating Pill?”Charlie nodded before he said, “That’s right. It was the effect of the Rejuvenating Pill.”Nanako asked again, “Then, this should be the reason why Charlie-kun does not want me to go heads-on against Aurora in the future, right? That is the reason why you do not want me to continue participating in any international competitions in the future, right?”Charlie replied frankly, “That’s right. That was indeed my consideration.”Nanako bit her lower lip slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she asked tentatively, “Is the reason why Charlie-kun is making this request because you like Aurora?”Charlie shook his head before he said, “My relationship with Aurora is more similar t
As Charlie and Nanako strolled hand-in-hand in the quiet snowy night of Kyoto, Tokyo was still in turmoil.At this moment, Machi was at home, anxiously waiting for news from the Fujibayashi ninjas.The Fujibayashi family was even more anxious than he was because up till now, they had lost ten ninjas, which were mostly from the younger generation of the family.Ten ninjas might not seem to be a lot, but a family with ten male young descendants could be regarded as a rather large family.First of all, these ten young adults had at least one or two older generations above them, consisting of their grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts, which added up to at least ten people. Secondly, the ten young adults were all men. There were hardly any families who had all-male offsprings. If the ratio of men to women offsprings was one to one, there would be at least ten female descendants.Thirdly, at least half of the ten male young adults were married and had children of their own.In t
While Jacob was feeling delighted after pulling off his con, Raymond had posted details of the bronze sculpture online.The website he was using was the biggest platform for antique collectors and the antique trade where each user could set a favorite tag in the antique category and era. If a user who preferred canvas art pieces of the Tudor dynasty set that label as their favorite, they would immediately be notified with text or desktop notifications in regards to any item with the same label.As medieval bronze sculptures were rare in the first place, most who were interested had already set that label on their favorites and were immediately notified soon after Raymond posted pictures of the bronze sculpture online.The collectors were naturally eager to check it out as gilded sculptures of the medieval era were really rare, and most collectors would go a lifetime without picking one up for their collection.On top of that, the seller had even listed a major flaw and was only ask
"Nope," Jacob chuckled. "We were both working separately and just happened to get back in at the same time."Then, he immediately became smug and excited, "Guess what, dear? I made 200 thousand out of the deal! In net profits!""For real?!" Elaine gaped. "200 thousand in just one night?! That's amazing! How did you do that?"Claire was surprised to hear that too, and she came over to ask, "What deal was it, Dad?"Jacob grinned, "Oh, it's nothing to brag about. It's just that I managed to pick up a nice antique item thanks to my wisdom and then sold it for 200 thousand."Pausing, he then sighed in dismay, "However, the buyer wasn't too rich—I would have squeezed him for 400 thousand, but he couldn't afford more, so I had to settle for less."Elaine quickly exclaimed, "Shit, we're talking about a loss of 200 thousand! People would work a year and still never earn that much…"She trailed off for a moment before asking, "By the way, dear—are we still flying out first thing tomorrow?
Jacob laughed. "Put that issue behind us? Sure, but we're not becoming friends. Hell, I can't even hold a grudge now that you're shit out of luck."Then, his tone changed sharply and suddenly became icy, "But you see, Aurous Hill is not a place you can stay just because you want to. No… After this, you're not going to be able to make a living in the antique trade.""If I were you, I'd be running a thousand miles away, far away from Aurous Hill where no one would know my face to start over. That way, you just might be able to make a living."Raymond simply kept smiling, "You need not be concerned about how I'm going to survive here, Mr. Wilson. I'd be very grateful if you'd cease any form of harassment once you leave my premises."Jacob pursed his lips, staring at Raymond in disappointment. "I'm plenty magnanimous, so I won't stoop to such pettiness. Just do whatever you like!"Clicking his tongue, he huffed, "Tut, tut… And here I'd thought you're tough, but you're just yet another
Raymond chuckled at the title, humble as ever, "The Duke of Wastage? Now, that's quite the royal title, and I don't think I deserve such an honor…"Trailing off, he then made an especially curious look, "By the way, how'd you know they were calling me that?"Seeing that he was still so ignorant, Jacob scoffed. "You bought a Renaissance-era bronze sculpture earlier, didn't you?"Raymond nodded. "I did. But technically, it's medieval and not Renaissance, along with a Renaissance-era base."Jacob clutched his stomach as he laughed, "Oh, please! Medieval? Hahaha… You're killing me, Mr. Cole!"Raymond kept a serious look on his face. "It's really medieval. Why don't you take a look?""No way," Jacob snorted, pursing his lips. "Anyway, word has already spread that someone was selling a counterfeit bronze sculpture to defraud Antique Street for some serious dough. He went first to Vintage Deluxe, but their manager, Mr. Crane, saw through it and didn't buy it… and then he came to you, an
That was why most of the collectors only knew that such an item existed but they did not know in whose possession it was.After registering a new account and paying the ten thousand registration fee, Raymond got in.It was very safe as it was anonymous, and he posted a photo of the bronze sculpture and an announcement with an asking price of twenty million.In his opinion, it wasn't that expensive—if it was still gilded, it would be worth around a hundred million. Without it, it was plenty reasonable to cut the price down to just thirty million.And Raymond was cutting another ten million off that, so twenty million was plenty reasonable.Moreover, medieval bronze sculptures were exceedingly rare, and less than one specimen showed up annually at times. Collectors who desired it would therefore be willing to break the bank for it, and that was why Raymond was sure that someone would put in an order once he posted it.As he wrote the summary of the item, someone knocked on his door
Jacob frowned in disdain. "Why would I be worried? He's no longer the manager of Vintage Deluxe, and he just lost a shit ton of money for messing up his appraisal. I am also the vice president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association, so why would I be worried about some loser who will soon be kicked out of Antique Street?"Straightening his collar, he snorted coldly, "I am now going to see Raymond Cole and humiliate him face-to-face! He thinks he's impressive, doesn't he? Let's see how he will keep up that facade!"Zachary chuckled, "Yes, exactly! People like him need to be given a slap in the face! As hard as you can! Don't worry—I'll be right behind you. If he gets physical, I'll rush in to help. If he doesn't dare to start a fight, you just insult him as much as possible!""Good plan!" Jacob nodded since he was concerned that Raymond might get physical when pushed too far.And with his body, there was no way he could beat anyone…Spreading his arms, he exclaimed, "Come! I'l
Mick inspected every video to see who was getting the most views, and he then paid out of his own pocket to use paid advertising to get the video viral.It cost five thousand and it hurt, but reaching the trending page was definitely worth it.Mick was quite shrewd too, making sure that the paid advertising was focused locally. After all, he knew all too well that five thousand didn't buy many clicks, and clicks from elsewhere might be too sporadic to gain any worthwhile attention.As he worked in Antique Street, he naturally had to come up with a plan to promote himself in this place, ideally presenting himself as a master appraiser.That way, his fame would slowly extend throughout the province and perhaps Eastern Oskia, and eventually the country.As such, focusing on Aurous Hill was the best idea.Moreover, he also had another idea—if Jasmine Moore happened to see this video, she would see him in a new light.When that happened, he could look forward to getting really rich!
Soon, the video of Mick's staged act was uploaded to the online group, and everyone eagerly watched it as soon as it was done uploading.Mick certainly set a new bar with his acting as none of them could see that it was an act.Moreover, everyone could see that the bronze sculpture looked like the real deal, and they might have been swindled if it were them.As such, they couldn't help being impressed as Mick had easily seen through Billy's con, and he was the definition of a pro in that video.No matter how Billy had packaged it, there was no tricking real experts like Mick Crane. Just a quick glance and he had seen through that it was a postmodern replica, matched with a base from the Renaissance era to misdirect and beguile.With that, many fellow antique dealers changed their opinion of Mick.After all, Vintage Deluxe's business had been declining after Mick took over as manager, and people were presuming that his skills were lacking.But now, they were all shown that he had
"Amazing, Mr. Crane!""It's Mr. Crane who shines through, in the end! His eyes see through everything!""I guess Miss Moore made the right choice firing Raymond and appointing Mr. Crane! Mr. Crane is infinitely better!"Mick was immediately thrilled to see them fawning over him, and he laughed, "You flatter me—I'm merely sharing my personal perspective on this. In this trade, anyone who knows would understand how hard it is to get the good stuff in this age of technology.""There are plenty of people who hold ulterior motives and change their tactics knowing that there are always those scheming to get their hands on vintage treasures, so they just have to make it. That is how they started making counterfeits of everything, from scrolls to sculptures to statues, each of them so real just to trick those fools who think they could get rich overnight!""Exactly!" Someone promptly agreed. "There's never a lack of any such fools, and I just happened to meet one. I had this piece of jade