Sam's features, deemed wicked by some, mirrored the harshness of his abandonment. Forsaken at a tender age by his parents, he never learned the clear lines between right and wrong.Instead of saying that Georgina had adopted him, it was more so that Sam was impressed by Aria and chose to stay at the clinic.Over the course of three years, exposure to the herbs had somewhat softened Sam's appearance, but his nature remained unchanged. Those he targeted continued to suffer. Meanwhile, Aria sat serenely in the courtyard, twirling locust flowers between her fingertips with a tranquil smile.That night, Salome was confined to her bed at home due to shock.Many medical students were gathered downstairs, all of them her apprentices. They were there to express their loyalty in this crucial moment.Among them, Jimmy and Joseph stood out the most. Notably absent was Lily, summoned upstairs by Salome along with Karen upon her awakening.Tears welled in Lily's eyes at the sight of Salome,
Salome seemed to have misunderstood. Her eyes gleamed when she saw the medical book. "Karen, I can always entrust you with anything. With these two items, I can cure Mr. York's illness soon!"Karen was delighted. "Really? When can we meet Mr. York, then? Dr. Gunther, can you bring me along if they have any events? You know that the Yorks only invite families with a long line of doctors. Both my family and the Kents don't have any connections in this area."Salome stopped leading her on now that she got Whisperwind Herb. "Of course, I'll bring all of us there when the time comes. When I cure Mr. York's illness, I'll even introduce you to the Yorks."Karen got even more emotional when she heard that. Immediately, she started to butter up to Salome.Meanwhile, Lily stood aside and didn't say anything. She kept her head lowered, pondering about something.However, Salome didn't care what Lily was planning. It didn't matter if they missed out on an opportunity with the Carvers. Once sh
Aria glanced up in the direction of the voice.Warren had already risen from the sick bed. Despite his old age, his eyes exuded a sense of composure. It was a temperament honed through years of navigating the business world, a quality not possessed by everyone.Though Marshall was also a businessman, he paled in comparison to Warren. Even in his weakened state, Warren's authority was evident in his tone.Besides Warren, the good-looking patient from yesterday was also there.The man was seated by the bed with his legs crossed. Shorn of his formal suit, he still carried an air of elegance. His slender hands, with their pronounced knuckles, rested on his lap as he prepared a chess move for Warren. Upon noticing Aria, he offered her a warm smile, which she returned politely.Then, she set her black bag down and stood before Warren. She had a humble smile on her face. "It's too much to call me your savior. It's my duty as a doctor to cure patients."Warren's hand, reaching for a ches
Warren was taken aback. "I find it hard to believe you would trust someone so readily."Landon casually adjusted his sleeve. "My life is currently in her hands, just like yours. Naturally, I need to proceed with caution."Warren wasn't entirely convinced that he was telling the truth. After all, Landon was difficult to read. Despite his frail appearance, he harbored many hidden intentions.Warren often pondered whether he should call off Landon's engagement with Rainbow. Yet, Landon was undeniably charming and admired by all the women in their circle.At the thought of that, Warren resolved to uphold the engagement. He couldn't bring himself to agree with Landon's suggestion to end it.Warren sneered. "It's not like you're fully recovered. Why did you ask me to call off the engagement?"Landon furrowed his brows. "This is a different matter."However, Warren refused to be reasonable and threw a tantrum. "I disagree. If you want to call it off, wait for Rainbow's return and tell
Certain acupoints have a detoxification effect." Unlike during emergencies, Aria only administered three needles to Warren. Each of them left him wanting more. The sensation was too profound for him!It was as though a wave of renewed energy had washed over him, infusing him with a sense of vitality and vigor like never before.Warren felt a deep respect for Aria. "You're truly a young genius. By how skilled you are at such a young age, I'm sure traditional medicine will continue to thrive in the future.""It's all thanks to my grandmother's teaching," Aria replied as she pressed against his back.Before Warren could react, a crack could be heard. Warren turned to her. "Is this physiotherapy?"Aria nodded. "Yes. I noticed a slight protrusion in your thoracic area while administering the needles. Try moving now.""It doesn't feel stiff anymore." Warren marveled at how his long-standing ailment had been healed by a young woman.He had visited many traditional medicine practitioner
Aria was unaware that Frank had made her financial situation public knowledge to everyone since that night.Aria furrowed her brows and turned to Landon. "Why should you pay when I haven't even treated you yet?""It's for the herbal candy yesterday," Landon explained, gesturing toward Solo. Solo, long impatient to see Landon receive treatment, stepped forward with a flourish, presenting a black credit card gleaming with gold lettering. "Dr. Genius.""We can discuss payment after I've treated him," Aria said, tucking away her medical kit.Thinking she was about to leave, Solo asked, "What are you doing?"Aria was confused. "I'm packing up. What's the matter?"Solo's face turned beet red. "You haven't treated Mr. York yet."Aria walked to Landon. "Him? Are you in a rush?"Landon's voice was pleasing to the ear. "It's up to you."After a thoughtful hum, Aria decided. "Then follow me."Solo and Bryan exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of Aria's destination. Landon, however, s
The interior of the massage parlor looked more legitimate than its exterior.Initially, Solo had fretted that the place might be too grimy for Landon's treatment. However, the massage parlor was very clean. Its layout was traditionally adorned with various herbs and medicinal ingredients hanging about and a wooden medicine cabinet placed at its center. It evoked the ambiance of old houses in Janovin, reminiscent of ancient clinics.Landon scanned the room and found his attention drawn to a calligraphy painting. He absentmindedly twirled his rosary bracelet.Observing this, Aria approached. "It's fake.""How could it possibly be genuine?" Landon teased, arching an eyebrow. Aria grinned. "There's always a chance."Landon fell silent, his gaze darkening as he fixated on the painting.The artwork depicted towering pine trees casting shadows over lush bamboo. Thor, clad in red robes and black boots, leaned drunkenly against a pine tree.Had Landon not known that "Intoxicated Tho
"Don't pry," Landon reprimanded Solo with a low murmur. Even when delivering a stern admonishment, Landon retained his handsome demeanor.Georgina wheeled herself to them, addressing Landon and the others, "It's the first time Aria has brought friends to the clinic. You guys have fun. There's coffee prepared in the courtyard. Those who have slow digestion should take more of them. I'll go buy some shrimp to cook for all of you."Georgina's keen eye detected an air of privilege around these young men. Perhaps they weren't even friends, but intuition told her not to pry. What mattered most was that Aria had finally brought people home.After all, Aria had never been fond of the clinic. She used to complain that lingering there too long made her smell of traditional medicine, inviting mockery from her peers and making it difficult for her to fit in. Consequently, she would never stay for dinner.Whenever Aria visited her Georgina, she had to do so covertly, lest Karen berate her.Des
The eight figures sat together, ostensibly discussing Aria's arrival. In truth, their agenda was far less noble—they were determined to keep the items they had long appropriated, refusing to return what rightfully belonged to others. After holding onto these possessions for so long, they had convinced themselves they were entitled to them.Their plan was to maintain a façade of respect toward the Carver family to avoid public scrutiny. However, they were equally resolute in protecting their own interests. They intended to demonstrate the influence of Ludwiten's business elite on Aria. It would be much better if she could be persuaded to invest billions in their ventures.It was a strategy they'd employed before, notably with Owen, and found it amusing.Yet Percy, despite his youth, was not so easily deceived. His calm demeanor and precise legal arguments left little room for manipulation. The Carver family's resilience, after all, stemmed largely from their grandchildren.Sti
Tobias once said that Aria was the most gifted person in the Decatorian way. Yet, for all her supposed talent, she couldn't use the Emperor Coins just by casually throwing them on her first attempt. She had to study them before she could wield them effectively.Thankfully, Leon chose the entertainment industry. If he had chosen to be inducted in the Decatorian way, the disciples of Mount Dracotigris would have been disheartened. "Leon, have you ever considered going into another industry?" Aria asked. Leon shook his head, a rebellious smirk on his face. "Aria, look at me. This face was born to be a celebrity. It'd be a crime to waste it."Aria sighed, accustomed to his narcissism. It was hard to argue—Leon's rebellious charm and striking looks had won over both women and men. Yet, his popularity brought challenges of its own."I still have Emperor Coins with me," Aria said, pulling out a beaded bracelet adorned with the coins and securing it around Leon's wrist. "Take it. For yo
Warren's eyes reddened as he gazed at Fergus, the grandson he had once hoped to raise personally. In that moment, he felt his life had been worthwhile. As one grew older, they came to understand a fundamental truth—if their descendants could grasp their thoughts, rather than dismissing the ways of the past as irrelevant, it was something to celebrate. Warren could now pass on everything to his grandchildren, finally feeling worthy within the Carver family.…Meanwhile, Leon furrowed his brows in the second-floor bedroom. "What are they talking about?""It's probably about Ludwiten. They have some business to settle. Why?" Aria had intentionally given Fergus and Warren some time to talk. As for her, she stayed with Leon in his room, playing games and snacking.When she heard his question, she smiled. "Are you interested as well, Leon?""I'm not cut out for business." Leon couldn't sit still and kept pacing back and forth. His silver hair, falling perfectly, made him look like a
That night, Warren stood before the memorial hall and spoke to his ancestors."Aria will be returning to Ludwiten tonight. Things will be different this time. There will be many obstacles ahead of her, but we must return eventually. Aria will finish what I couldn't. Please protect her."The Carver family was forced to shift their business from Ludwiten to Janovin at the time. And back then, they believed they could return at any moment. Yet, over 70 years had passed since then.Both Warren and Stephen were sentimental individuals, always hoping to return to Ludwiten. However, circumstances had shifted over the years. Moreover, the business landscape in Ludwiten had grown increasingly complex, with rising foreign investments. Their commitments in Janovin, especially after Owen married Fiona, kept them from returning.Warren had expected Owen to stay in Ludwiten, as he had promised the Grisham family. But Owen broke that promise.Warren's greatest wish had always been to return to
Although the crow was unsure of its owner's thoughts, it was indeed afraid of the dagger made out of Oracle bones.In fact, it wasn't made of ordinary animal bones. It was from the Oracle, one of the Four Perils. Most importantly, it carried spiritual energy from heaven and earth.Back then, the crow didn't expect the insignificant sect, which was consistently at the bottom of each tournament, to have the purest spiritual energy. Plus, all of their members were not to be underestimated. The crow would have never believed it if it hadn't come to live in the mountains with Landon. After all, Landon was bewitched to become the woman's boy toy. He stayed behind only because he liked the sect's spiritual energy. At that, the crow shifted its body and didn't continue to disturb Landon. Since Landon mentioned he needed the knife sheath, the crow would go and get it. Apart from the curved dagger in the wooden box, there was also a somewhat inconspicuous emerald and a turtle shell-lik
The box included a protective membrane. Carrying bones around would raise questions in modern days. Even Aria worried about inspections. Sometimes, Tobias acted just like those arcane seekers from Mount Dracotigris. When her fingertips touched it, heat surged through her bloodline. The blade felt like it belonged in her hands; even its tassel was exquisitely crafted. But she remembered something when she entered the manifestation and got the Soul-Summoning Plaque. She had been an arcane seeker in her past life, hadn't she? Could an arcane seeker use a blade? She had mostly seen them wielding swords, just like those TV shows with flying swordsmen. Perhaps she had to use a blade because she came from a smaller guild. As Aria traced the bone blade, her initial attraction grew into fascination. Tobias wouldn't leave her just any blade. Since she'd encountered it in the manifestation, it must be connected to her. "Do you like it?" Suddenly, Landon's voice came close. It was low,
Breaking the Eight Trigrams Manifestation required precision instead of force. The path led from the East Gate of Life through the Southwest Gate of Rest, finally striking through the North Gate of Opening. But this was not just about breaking a manifestation. The lock had eight marks—Life, Rest, Harm, Block, Vision, Death, Awakening, and Opening. These were the eight gates within the manifestation. As Aria studied the corresponding numbers, she was suddenly struck with inspiration. Following the sequence, she pressed them. The lock then opened with a click. She raised an eyebrow, recognizing the familiar combination. "0715, my birthday." Aria casually opened the box. "Typical of Mr. Revelare to choose that date." She knew she was born on Twilight Hallows, a day when parents would urge children home early. Owen had always believed Aria's birth signs were not the best, and he thought this was likely because of this day. People considered it the Day of Spirits. On this day, a
Earlier, Aria had really wanted to keep some family ties for Georgina. After all, Georgina had given Aria all the love meant for her granddaughter, Lily. When the Kents drove her out, Aria had seen Georgina staring at a pair of handmade baby booties. She had made them herself and wanted to give them to Lily. But Karen had scorned them and did not even allow her to see the child. Aria knew Georgina still yearned to see Lily. Blood ties were different. Aria could approach everything else with logic, but not Georgina. When everyone else abandoned her, Georgina stayed. She always said, "We can't let Aria go hungry. Of course, she needs school. Whatever Aria wants, we'll save up for it. The same goes for Sam." Everyone had their weak spots, and for those they loved, anyone would surely lower their defenses. After all, they still held on to hope. Though Georgina never said it, Aria understood she'd held hope for Lily. That was why Aria had not been harsh enough with Lily. But tha
Lily definitely had not learned her mistake—there must be more to it. Though Aria had investigated, nothing turned up. Now she understood why Lily kept coming here. Aside from using Georgina's connections, she was after what was in the box. "Grandma, the first layer wasn't locked. Do you know what was inside?" Of course Georgina knew. "When the old priest gave me the box, he said anyone could read the books about medicine and the arcane in the first layer, especially you. They were all rare copies." Everything suddenly connected in Aria's mind. No wonder Lily's skills seemed endless; this explained it. Aria turned to Georgina. She preferred to be direct, so she said, "Grandma, I think I know who took them. Recently, a few people visited your place, but there was one you knew well—Lily. She's been using these medical texts to treat people. "Her medical skills are fine, but I worry she's misusing the arcane books for personal gain." Georgina swayed slightly at these words. Li