The old man almost sighed, catching himself mid-thought as the reality of who was standing in that room settled back over him like cold water.Elijah Langston. Or rather, the Insolent Expert. A man with bad blood toward every great family in Brooklyn Heights, and the only reason the Stonewells had not yet felt that bad blood was simply because they had not been here to receive it. But now they were back. And the day after tomorrow was the death anniversary of the massacred Langston family.What if the Young Master decided to deliver his message right here, right now, with the Stonewells on his doorstep? Would they not drag his Carrington Family into it?“I thought you were wise, old man.” Elijah’s voice came out without hesitation, his face kept forward. “Do you think people who break into your home and kill your guards are here for a friendly chat? There is never a negotiation between a wolf and a sheep. The stronger one decides how it ends.”Old Mr. Carrington’s body shivered faint

“Is that so? Or just an excuse to take whatever you want?” Old Mr. Carrington’s voice carried a pointed edge now. “I heard you are even bold enough to use Elijah Langston’s deadline as your own.”At that, Elijah’s eyes lifted slightly, but he remained quiet and still.Lila took a step forward. “Your Carrington family is the oldest aristocratic family in this city, and your roots cut across every direction. It’s not surprising that you have access to this information. Then you understand that we are serious about our mission here, and no one is permitted to stand in our way. The Lancasters and Wexlers have already received our message and will fall in line soon. The Blackwoods will receive one shortly, while Father decides what to do with the Ainsworths.”“This thing Jared has started is a very dangerous madness.” The old man’s voice hardened. “Does he think everyone is a pushover he can snatch whatever he wants from? Do you think I’ll hand over my family business to you? Our roots are

A practitioner who had gone straight for the core of another practitioner, accurately, precisely, striking the exact position of it without any probing or guesswork. That wasn’t something Elijah had expected to encounter today, and yet it had just unfolded right in front of him.The speed alone told him everything he needed to know. And the staff in the man’s hands had now caught his full attention as well. This was not an ordinary practitioner from anywhere near this region.In the same breath that his eyes finished their assessment, Elijah’s expression shifted. He pulled backward out of the squat, head tucked behind, body dropping away from where it had just been. It was a movement so sudden and without apparent reason that anyone watching would have been confused by it.Until the bald-headed man materialized directly in front of him.The Stonewell elders, Old Mr. Carrington, and even Lila had not seen him move. He had closed the entire distance between them in the blink of an eye

Old Mr. Carrington looked toward the doorway and rubbed the side of his head awkwardly.Of course, he could go after the bald-headed man who had just demonstrated that he was no regular practitioner. Of course, he could.Instead, he moved quickly to where Donald Clay lay motionless on the floor and gasped at the state of him up close.Elijah approached from behind, unhurried. “He will survive, but it will take at least a month. And his cultivation progress is gone. If he is even capable of rebuilding his broken core, he will have to start from the very bottom...”As he finished speaking, he swiped his finger, and several silver needles swept out from his sleeve in a clean motion. They pierced accurately into several acupoints across Donald’s body, from the center of his head downward to below his stomach, just beneath the location of the shattered energy core.The old man looked at Elijah with a questioning gaze, and Elijah told him plainly, “I’ve stabilized him for now so his body wo

Elijah Langston arrived at his office on the top floor of Crescent Technologies and had barely settled when his Vice President came jogging in.“Boss, you’re in.” Nancy Falkner walked up to his desk in her usual work attire. A fitted pantsuit and a silk blouse underneath that always revealed her cleavage slightly, whether by design or simple indifference to the fact.“I decided to stop by for a few minutes.” He raised his head to her from his seated position. “I believe there’s nothing for me to sign today, or you would have called me about it already.”She shook her head vigorously but pressed on. “There’s something you need to know, Boss. Serena DiLaurentis has not started a lawsuit against our company, and she has yet to ask for anything in compensation either.”Elijah nodded gently. He already understood his wife wouldn’t do such a thing in the first place.“And Liam Turner?” he asked.Nancy almost huffed. “Don’t worry about