Frightened, the guards didn't even dare respond as they hurried to open the gates. Just one word from Elizabeth would be enough for them to not only lose their jobs but also ensure they never get any other job in the city. Once the gates were opened, Elizabeth didn't spare a second glance at the guards.Instead, she turned to Alistair and gestured toward the grand entrance with a bright, eager smile."Master, please, after you," she said, her voice filled with genuine warmth as she gestured towards her car. Alistair nodded slightly and began to walk, but as he passed Louis Carter, he paused for a brief moment.He didn't say a word, but the look he gave Louis was one of utter indifference.Louis stood there, frozen, his face burning with a mixture of humiliation and disbelief.He clutched his silver membership card so hard his knuckles turned white.He had spent the last ten minutes trying to exert his "superiority," only to be trampled by the sheer influence of the woman now acting

“And if you don't?” Alistair asked, causing Jacob to frown.“What?”“If you aren't able to heal the injury, what then?” Jacob gave a short, condescending laugh. "If I fail? That’s impossible. My family has been practicing the healing arts for generations. But for the sake of your little ego, if I cannot close a simple wound in thirty seconds, I will hand you my seat in the front row and donate a million dollars to whatever charity you name. But let’s be real—you’re the one who should be worried.""Master, you don't have to do this," Elizabeth whispered, her brow furrowed in worry.The last thing she wanted was for her master to get into a fight with someone she considered a good friend. Alistair gave her a reassuring look. "Don't worry. Nothing bad will happen.”Turning back to Jacob, Alistair added a condition. "A simple cut is boring. If we're testing healing, let’s test it properly. We’ll both use our techniques. But instead of just a cut, we’ll use a blade dipped in a special po

The volunteer Alistair had healed suddenly coughed violently, spitting out a small, partially dissolved black pill onto the marble floor.The crowd gasped as an acrid smell wafted through the air."Is that... a Heart-Stilling Pill?" one of the more knowledgeable spectators present whispered, horrified. "Jacob, did you really try to poison a volunteer just to frame this man?"Jacob’s face went from pale to a ghostly white.So this was why Alistair had struck the volunteer's throat earlier. He actually knew about the pill!But how?He'd been discreet about it. Gritting his teeth, he looked around at the judgmental glares of the spectators while those who accompanied him quickly tried to distance themselves. "I... I didn't... he's lying!" Jacob stammered, but the evidence was sitting in a puddle on the floor."Keep your seat, Jacob," Alistair remarked, turning away. "And keep your million dollars. Use it to buy a conscience. Or better yet, use it to pay for the medical bills you're go

Elizabeth stepped forward, her face flushed with indignation. "Miss Heart, you’re crossing a line! My Master was the one who was disrespected first. If you want an apology, you should be looking at your butler, not the man who taught him a lesson in humility!"Isabella looked at Elizabeth with a flicker of amusement. "When Wilfred told me Mister Reid was enabled by your family, I doubted it. Now though, I'm starting to think that might actually be the case. Do I take it that the Boltons wish to fall out with me?” Elizabeth froze momentarily, realizing what Isabella meant. Before she could figure out a response, Alistair placed a calming hand on her shoulder.Then, he stepped past her, closing the distance between himself and Isabella until he was just inches away. Isabella's guard tried to stop him but Isabella raised her hand, causing them to stop. “Before you begin to pick fights for no reason, you should investigate things properly. It will save you the pain of having to apolog

A ripple of interest moved through the crowd.In a world where the path of cultivation was fraught with the danger of "Qi Deviation," an item that could suppress mental instability was worth its weight in spirit stones, let alone gold."The starting bid," the auctioneer declared, "is two million dollars!""Two point five million!" a voice called out immediately from the middle section."Three million!"Alistair leaned back, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the statue.While the crowd saw a holy relic, Alistair saw the truth.The gold was real, and the workmanship was indeed ancient, but the "peaceful" aura it emitted was far from benevolent.It was a Soul-Locking Trap.The statue didn't ward off mental demons; it fed on the user's spiritual energy to maintain its golden luster, slowly turning the owner into a withered husk over a decade.The younger the person was, the longer the process. "Master," Elizabeth whispered, her hand hovering over her bidding paddle. "Grandpa has been s