Rhett's eyes became shifty when Tobias voiced his concerns. He said, "Nothing's going on, Tobias. Let's go inside and take a seat."Tobias was skeptical about it, but it wasn't as if Benedict would do anything terrible to Lucy. So, he had no choice but to follow the Eberhards inside. Lucy and Benedict arrived at the backyard. He said, "I'm going to hand over the sect to you today, Lucy."She nodded. "Okay."They passed through the forest and reached a secluded cavern. The ritual rites and tributes were all in place. Both of them stopped before the altar.Benedict said solemnly, "Kneel, Lucy. Show your respect to the 16 predecessors." Lucy did what she was told and bowed deeply before she offered a prayer. There were 16 pictures on the wall. All of them were sect leaders at one point in their lives."O, great predecessors, today, I am passing down the mantle to Lucy Everhart. From this day on, she will be the 18th-generation leader of the sect. She will be Grandmaster Herbalist
Back in the wooden house, Tobias and the Eberhards sat by the table. He said, "I have something I have to give you, Mom."Lisa asked in a surprised tone, "Hmm? What is it?"Tobias pulled out two documents from his briefcase and responded, "Although Lucy and I have been married for over a year, I have never held a wedding ceremony for her. So, I want to make it up to her."However, a lot of things happened in the past, and I had to put it off. As for an auspicious day for the wedding ceremony, I think it's more fitting to let you and Dad decide on it. "Also, this is the wedding invitation and some money I set aside for you guys. I can give more if you think the amount needs revising."The Eberhards were a little surprised. Lisa was moved. She said, "You're so thoughtful, Tobias." She was both grateful and proud because of how much Tobias cared about Lucy.Tobias smiled gently and said, "I have proposed to Lucy. All that's left now is the wedding ceremony. As everyone says, a woma
Lisa said, "I remember that she was abducted in an affluent neighborhood. After that, the kidnappers wanted ransom. I think the location of the exchange was Cloud—"Lisa was about to say it out, but Benedict interrupted her, "I'm going to administer acupuncture now. Keep quiet, everyone. As for you, Tobias, you'll have to shut your eyes and avoid talking for now."Tobias was nervous and had been looking forward to Lisa's answer. It felt as if his heart was in his throat. However, Benedict had cut her off at the most critical moment. Tobias was left in suspense. He thought to himself that Lisa was just right in front of him. He could just ask her again after the acupuncture was over. Then, he shut his eyes with a restless mind. However, he slipped into unconsciousness in no time. After all, Benedict had deliberately aimed for the vital point that would put Tobias to sleep when he'd jabbed the needle into the latter's head. …The next day, Tobias jolted awake. He checked his sur
Rhett was right. Life in the mountains was very boring. It was too hot out there after lunch. So, they could only stay at home. Tobias, Rhett, and Benedict played chess while Lisa and Marcus watched them.Rhett played against Benedict in this match. It didn't last too long before the latter won it. Benedict said in an exhilarated tone, "I won at last!" He was as happy as a kid in a candy store.Rhett grumbled, "I've been playing chess with Mr. Jones for the better part of a month, Tobias. He has only won one match in the entire time. Look at how happy he is, though."Benedict retorted, "What a load of crap! I lost to you because I went easy on you." Rhett rolled his eyes and said, "Tsk. It's your turn, Tobias."Tobias nodded and sat in front of the chessboard. In truth, he didn't quite know how to play chess. He had merely grasped most of the rules after he'd seen Rhett and Benedict playing for several rounds. Then, he'd had an urge to play as well. He said, "Let's begin, Mr. J
"Oh, my." Benedict's gaze seemed distant when he recalled the past. "It happened when Lucy was about ten years old. At the time, I went to Mossbridge to treat someone. I walked past an orphanage and saw a group of kids picking on a little girl. "I was about to leave when someone sprinted over aggressively and stood in front of the little girl. She shouted at the troublemakers viciously and said that the little girl was under her protection. She would kill anyone who dared pick on the little girl."I watched from the side and found the whole thing hilarious. That person was none other than little Lucy."Tobias could picture it by just listening to Benedict recount the tale. He thought about the tragedies Lucy had encountered when she was young and felt absolutely heartbroken. As for Lisa, Marcus, and Rhett, they also listened to Benedict intently. They were also moved by Benedict's words. Lisa asked hastily, "What happened next?"Benedict said, "There were more than ten punks.
"Go ahead if you have some matters you need to deal with. Lucy has isolated herself to study medical tomes. She'll be fine with us around."Tobias nodded in response to Benedict's words. "Alright, Mr. Jones. I'll leave after dinner. Lucy will end her isolation tomorrow. Please tell her about it then, so I can arrange a plane to pick her up."Benedict nodded. "Sure."Rhett said, "It's been a better part of a month since I last went back, Tobias. I wonder if Kate misses me. I'll go back to Azureville with you tomorrow." A blush spread on his handsome face, which was quite surprising. No one knew if he missed Kate or Millie.Tobias said, "Alright."Lisa had been cooking all three meals for them. Before long, delicious dishes were served on the dining table. Tobias was used to Lucy's cooking. So, he only had a little food when someone else cooked for him. Then, he rose to his feet to pack up his suitcase.Meanwhile, Rhett also went away to pack up his stuff. Both of them came out at
Tobias asked in a confused tone, "What in the world happened?"Howard said, "Back then, we were choosing the next successor for Ripley Group. All three of my sons had a chance to be my heir. I'd made up my mind to let Zeke take over the company."However, Lord knows who spread the rumor and sent everyone in the company into a heated discussion about it. Everyone thought I would hand over the position to my youngest son, Zayne. "They thought that he looked simple-minded and that such a person was favored by God. They thought that Zayne had a good chance to win against all odds. I found the rumor massively unhelpful when I heard it."It's like everyone says—don't trust the rumors. However, that was exactly what Zeke did. He hired someone to kidnap you and orchestrated the whole abduction. "At first, he wanted to frame Zayne for it. However, his plan backfired on him. The cops were giving chase to the kidnappers, and he got shot in the pursuit. After that, he fell off the ship and
Cedric stared at the documents in front of him in surprise. He picked them up and flipped through them. The longer he read them, the more awful he looked. His eyes were filled with disbelief. Tobias pulled out his phone. He played up the security footage and showed it to Cedric. "Take a look at the footage after you're done with the documents."Cedric's expression was even more awful after he watched it. "The man in the footage… Is he our long-lost Uncle Zander?""Exactly!""He underwent plastic surgery and changed his name. Do you think all of this is related to my dad's death?""What do you think?" Instead of answering Cedric, Tobias threw him another question. He stared at Cedric inquisitively, while the latter's eyes were laced with a mix of emotions. Cedric remained quiet for a long time and didn't make a peep. Things became awkward and tense in the private room. After a long time, Cedric murmured, "Why did Uncle Zander have to go through plastic surgery? Why did he adop