Charlie nodded and said, “Then, let's park the car at the entrance of the village and walk down.”“Great!” Vera was already eager. After wandering around for more than three hundred years, this place was still her favorite, and it was the place she missed the most.Charlie followed Vera’s guidance and parked the car by the roadside a few hundred meters from the village entrance. He then grabbed the camping gear and walked down the hillside with Vera to the edge of Heavenly Lake below.Vera walked nearly two miles along the edge of Heavenly Lake under the moonlight and starlight, and she finally located the exact spot where the Mother of Pu’er Tea had grown.She pointed to a slightly elevated patch of barren yellow soil on the shore and said, “That spot should be where the Mother of Pu’er Tea originally grew.”After looking around, Charlie noticed that under the moonlight, the surroundings were filled with grass and trees except for this barren patch of land with a diameter of over
When Charlie saw Vera's horrified expression and noticed her rare nervousness as she spoke, he quickly asked her, “Miss Lavor, what do you think this is?!”Vera didn't speak. Her eyes were fixed on the rapidly thickening dark clouds in the sky. She murmured, “Well, these clouds seem chaotic, but there's a vague complex pattern to it. It feels… it feels like the Hexagram of Thunder from the Book of Changes and the Eight Diagrams…”“Hexagram of Thunder?” Charlie was shocked, and he exclaimed, “Do these clouds really represent a hexagram?”Vera nodded, murmuring, “The Hexagram of Thunder is always intricate. Ancient people would say ‘Thunder comes with trembling and laughter; it startles for miles without losing its essence’. When this hexagram appears, it signifies that something unexpected is about to happen, and it must be an earth-shattering event!”Charlie was even more surprised and couldn't help asking, “Who has the ability to use clouds in the sky for divination?”Vera looked
Vera instantly burst into tears. She pointed to the bare ground beneath her feet and said with extreme excitement and nervousness, “I know who is seeking help! It's her! It's the Mother of Pu’er Tea!”When Charlie heard this answer, he was even more puzzled. “Didn't the Mother of Pu’er Tea fail to overcome tribulation three hundred years ago? How could she be seeking help from us now?! Besides, she's just a tree, how could she use clouds in the sky to seek help from us?!”Vera murmured, “I don’t know the reason and I can understand your doubts, but I can feel that familiar feeling. It’s the Mother of Pu’er Tea…”Charlie said, “Okay. Let's assume you're right and it’s indeed the Mother of Pu’er Tea who is seeking help from us through the clouds. But what exactly does she need us to do? How can we help her?”Vera also felt anxious as she said, “I don't know… I can only sense that she's seeking help. This constantly changing hexagram gives me the feeling that she's trapped in this Hex
Vera's words shocked Charlie! He also felt that there were many coincidences in this situation. Why did such eerie dark clouds suddenly loom overhead? Why did the clouds also present the image of the Hexagram of Thunder? Why were there no thunder and lightning in the clouds? Why did it happen to appear where the Mother of Pu’er Tea failed to overcome her tribulation years ago? Moreover, he had just used the Thunderstrike wood formed by the Mother of Pu’er Tea's branch to create a brand new Thunder Order. With so many perplexing elements coming together, Vera's speculation was the only answer that could solve all the mysteries.With these thoughts in mind, Charlie blurted out without hesitation, “In that case, I'll summon a heavenly thunderbolt to these vast clouds!”Vera nodded vigorously, and her eyes were filled with anticipation as she said, “The Mother of Pu’er Tea and I have some connection. I hope you can lend her a hand, Young Master!”Charlie took out the Thunder Order
As the two of them stood still, the thunder at the center of the black clouds hung over the bare yellow soil.Just then, a bolt of lightning as thick as a bowl descended from the black clouds and struck the yellow soil directly.In an instant, the sky suddenly lit up as bright as day, and the sound of the thunder was so loud it felt like tons of explosives detonating right next to their ears, deafening them.Along with this lightning bolt, the heavy clouds that had been building up for a long time released a torrential downpour, with rainwater forming continuous lines from the sky to the ground.Charlie and Vera had nowhere to hide and were completely drenched from head to toe in an instant.Despite being soaked, Vera ignored it and hurried toward the patch of yellow soil where the Mother of Pu’er Tea had failed to overcome her tribulation.Charlie, taken aback by her actions, shouted, “It’s dangerous, don't go!”As he tried to pull Vera back, she showed no signs of retreat. She
At this moment, Vera's thoughts were focused entirely on the sapling in front of her. She knelt on the ground and looked at the sapling without blinking with a look of excitement on her face.Charlie, who was standing by her side, looked at the lush sapling, utterly perplexed.Charlie felt like his brain circuits weren't quite enough. He couldn't understand why after a heavy rain, all traces of the rainwater had vanished without a trace.The nine years of compulsory education he had received only left him with a few words in his mind at this moment: ‘This isn't scientific. This isn't scientific at all.’ He looked all over himself, from head to chest, from chest to back, from back to ankles. He even couldn't resist taking off his shoes and touching the insides of his shoes as well. However, everywhere his fingers touched was completely dry, without a trace of him having been exposed to the rain at all. The same went for Vera.Charlie vividly remembered that Vera's hair was somew
Charlie said seriously, “I think cultivation can also be explained scientifically. It's just that our current level of technology hasn't grasped the principles behind it yet. Reiki is just a higher form of energy, like atomic energy. When people hadn't mastered it, they found it incredible. Presumably, at that time, no one would believe that a kilogram of nuclear fuel could release energy equivalent to several thousand tons or even millions of kilograms of coal. Reiki might be a form of invisible energy similar to nuclear fuel.”Vera smiled and said earnestly, “What you said makes sense. Perhaps Reiki is indeed as you say, another higher level of energy that most people haven't mastered or studied its principles.”Charlie continued, “Even Reiki still has to follow the law of conservation of energy, right? There was so much rain just now. The rain stopped, but the water is still there—that's energy conservation. But now, where did the water go?”With that said, Charlie continued, “Mo
Charlie was slightly taken aback, and he gave Vera a thumbs up, exclaiming, “Miss Lavor, you're truly bright! I pretty much understand what a Transcendent is now after hearing your explanation.”Charlie then looked at the sapling again and asked her, “Miss Lavor, are you sure this is the Mother of Pu’er Tea?”Vera nodded firmly and said, “Absolutely! Her aura is exactly the same as the Mother of Pu’er Tea's. In addition, taking all the coincidences just now into consideration, I can confirm without a doubt that this is definitely the Mother of Pu’er Tea.”Charlie nodded slightly and muttered, “If that's the case, does it mean the Mother of Pu’er Tea has become a Transcendent among the trees?” Vera didn't hesitate to say, “That's pretty much what it means, but the concept of Transcendents is just some rumors I've heard of before. I haven't had the chance to verify them. So, all of this is just my speculation.”Charlie nodded and squatted down beside her as he looked at the sapling
Still, Jacob soon clenched his knuckles and pulled himself together. "It's fine—I'll just find another way of revenge. Whatever happens, if Raymond Cole dares to return to Aurous Hill, I'm not going to spare him. If I can't fight for my honor, how would I ever show my face in Antique Street ever again?"And without another word, he turned and left the dining room.Claire turned in exasperation toward Charlie then. "Please keep both eyes on my dad, dear. Don't let him cause trouble out there."Charlie nodded slightly. "Don't worry, I will."And with that, both of them cleaned up the dining room and stepped out together to find Jacob on the drawing room couch, sipping tea while watching TV.As for Elaine, she had a rare smile on her face as she sat beside Jacob, constantly refilling his cup.Then, seeing Claire and Charlie, she promptly beckoned, "Come, children—sit and have a taste of my tea."Claire and Charlie shared a look and sat down on the couch while Elaine poured them tea
Charlie, who hadn't spoken, had plenty of ideas in mind.He definitely didn't want to see Raymond humiliated in a rotten place like Aurous Hill's Antique Street—not when the man was a qualified hero, putting his life on the line to meet the Rothschild family and trade for the Four-Sided Treasure Tower.That was why Charlie's first thought was to call Don Albert and ask him to keep a close eye on Antique Street, preemptively killing the issue in the cradle before any saboteurs reached Raymond.However, Charlie also knew that Raymond would most likely refuse protection as the latter had seen action and was brave enough to fight the Rothschilds—and this was Aurous Hill they were talking about. He would be quite adept at resolving issues, especially one as simple as a handful of saboteurs.Hence, after some thought, Charlie decided to not get involved for now. Instead, he would watch quietly while letting Raymond deal with Aurous Hill's locals. As long as said locals—including Jacob—di
"What?!" Jacob exclaimed excitedly, suddenly on his feet. "That prick is really going to start a business in Aurous Hill? What, did he get sick of living the good life elsewhere?"In Jacob's mind, there were only two reasons why Raymond had returned to Aurous Hill.The first was that he had gotten so rich that he had come back to open a shop on Antique Street, to salvage some dignity after he had been fired from Vintage Deluxe. The other was the complete opposite—he had screwed up elsewhere too and had no choice but to return to Aurous Hill to make a living.If it was the former, he certainly wouldn't have hope for his revenge.But that was not the case if it was the latter!Meanwhile, Zachary replied, "Truth be told, I haven't seen the man in the flesh. But judging from my tip, he definitely wasn't doing well elsewhere, since the business he's planning now that he's back is quite modest."Jacob immediately laughed. "Hahaha! I see… He must have messed up out there and had no ch
Claire pursed her lips, grumbling, "Like you said, I won't tell Mom for the sake of peace. But you know very well that you shouldn't do that ever again!"Jacob nodded repeatedly as he promised. "Don't worry—I'll never do it again."As he finished, his phone rang on the table, and he looked down to see that it was Zacahary."That's weird," he murmured in surprise. "He's been hiding from me for the longest time, but he's calling me now?"Charlie was surprised too.After Zachary left Antique Street and started helping Don Albert's more unsavory business, he shouldn't have any reason to contact Jacob.So, why call him now?Jacob was confused too, but he ultimately answered the call.On the other end of the call, Zachary greeted him respectfully, "Mr. Wilson? It's me—Zachary. Do you still remember me?""Nonsense," Jacob snorted. "Why wouldn't I remember you after we've spoken so many times? I also couldn't reach out to you when I had all that good stuff before, but you're contactin
Meanwhile, at Thomson's First, the family of four was peacefully having dinner for the first time.While Charlie and Claire never argued, Jacob and Elaine were always either bickering or dissing each other, leaving the air around the table tense and awkward.But this time, neither of them argued, and they didn't seem to despise each other.The table was not just peaceful either—Elaine was a lot less bossy, even helping put food on Jacob's plate, having him try this and that, almost as if she was suddenly the best of wives.Jacob used to regard Elaine with disdain in every way, constantly lamenting how a great man like him didn't have a good wife.But with him being the way he was now, he utterly resigned to himself.It made sense that Matilda wouldn't be interested in him given his current state, and it was amazing that Elaine willingly stayed with him. That was why he no longer regarded Elaine with unconcealed disgust and disdain like before and was instead gentle and emotiona
Mick was left gritting his teeth. "Shit, that's true. It's going to be hard to pull the wool over Raymond's eyes—it has to be the best to actually trick him."Then, he sighed. "If there's someone who can do that, it'd be Zachary Evans! The man was a God back in the day!"The employee nodded. "Well, it's true that his replicas were impeccable… But the man has made it big time working for Don Albert, and we won't be able to ask for his help!"Mick shook his head. "No, it's fine. We're quite close—let me call him right now."With that, he whipped out his phone to make the call.While Zachary used to be humble in Mick's presence before, Zachary was now way above him on the pecking order.Afraid of being remotely disrespectful, he promptly greeted Zachary politely as soon as the latter answered, "Hello, Zachary! It's me, Mick Crane!" "Uh-huh," Zachary replied noncommittally before asking in curiosity, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"Ever since Zachary had started working for Don A
Raymond may have worked abroad for years and was a veteran in antiques, but he was still lacking when it came to reading between the lines.Taking Mick's words at face value, he promptly shook his head, "No, you really shouldn't. I wasn't planning to come back here to work, so you mustn't mention me to Ms. Moore either."And unlike Mick, he really meant what he said, while Mick was saying the complete opposite of what he was thinking.Naturally, Mick didn't believe Raymond, even presuming that Raymond was a liar like himself.The more Raymond said he didn't want to return to Vintage Deluxe, the more he thought he was.Hence, he asked despite knowing the answer, "Well, what are you planning to do now that you've returned to Aurous Hill?""It's been years of traveling for me, so I was just getting a little tired," Raymond admitted. "I'm planning to set up a small business in Aurous Hill, most likely here in Antique Street. That's why I'm visiting—do be neighborly when I set up shop
Meanwhile, Raymond had no idea that he was being targeted as soon as he returned to Antique Street.He had reached the middle where rows of three-floored buildings stood, the largest on the street, and where Vintage Deluxe was. It was not closed yet as tradition on Antique Street was for stalls to open in the morning and close in the afternoon. In comparison, shops opened later and closed later.With the difference of two to three hours, they could afford to have customers who had lower purchasing power or were just window shopping to stroll through the outdoor stalls. Then, when they were gone, customers with actual purchasing power would come on their own time.As Raymond arrived outside Vintage Deluxe, Mick just finished his meeting with his employees, summing up, "So, does anyone have anything to do tonight?"They all shook their heads, answering as one, "No!!!"Mick nodded. "If there's nothing else, stay back for overtime. Ask for some spicy crayfish and beer for dinner."
However, Raymond had accomplished the assignment Curtis had given him years ago, so he had no intention of staying at Aurous Hill and remained unrepentant despite Jasmine's pressure. That was why he could ask to resign without hesitation, even urging her to let him go despite the pain.That was why Mick was now worried that Raymond would return to reclaim his position as manager."Keep an eye on him for me," he told Trippy. "Tell me if anything comes up right away—I will make it worth your while.""Alright!" Trippy agreed to it. "Don't worry—I'll call right away if anything comes up."Once Trippy hung up, Mick gathered the handful of Vintage Deluxe employees.They were all his close allies he had groomed after he took over Vintage Deluxe. Even if Mick hadn't been succeeding in his business, he was succeeding in building his own forces. Anyone who didn't obey his orders had since been removed, and the remaining ones were basically his co-conspirators, embezzling a considerable am