Fed up with the situation, Leon decided to put an end to the tension once and for all. Initially, he’d only commented on the statue to himself, never intending for anyone else to hear. Unfortunately, Rihana’s sudden appearance had turned a small matter into a big problem, and he hated when things got complicated like this. As Rihana charged toward him at high speed, he channeled a small amount of his energy. He casually pushed his palm forward, sending a surge of energy that struck Rihana’s body and sent her flying backward. "Huh?" Frander gasped, his eyes wide with shock. The moment he felt the energy surge, he started trembling all over. "What did I just see? Did he just manipulate qi? What is actually going on here?" he thought to himself. A wave of dread washed over his entire body, freezing him in place. "Dammit. Who exactly is this man?" Rihana wondered to herself, clutching her slightly aching chest. Her gaze was still sharp, but her confidence had been shaken by Leon’s une

For a moment, Leon said nothing, making Frander’s heart beat faster and faster. His lips were pressed tight, his eyes fixed anxiously on Leon’s back. Then Leon turned around. His jaw was firm, and his presence radiated in all directions. In his mind, he thought that perhaps the auction might have something interesting to offer. "Alright then. Show me the way," Leon replied. Hearing this answer, Frander’s eyes immediately widened. His expression was like someone who’d just found a priceless treasure. How could he not be thrilled? For a branch family like theirs, gaining support from a master like Leon was like finding water in the middle of a desert. If he could build a relationship with Leon, just as Jonathan had done, he could finally prove his worth to the main family in the capital. Jonathan was equally happy. As Leon started walking, with Frander leading the way, he walked beside Leon with a wide, deeply respectful smile. He thought to himself, 'This is my chance to show my si

"Um... um... I-I...." Leon stammered, still not knowing what to say. After a quick moment of thinking, he quickly held up the plastic bags and said, "I didn’t mean to look. I was just passing by to put these groceries in the kitchen. I’m sorry." After that, he hurried away as fast as he could. Watching Leon leave, Bella stood still for a moment. She’d just realized she was now living under the same roof as a man. Was my reaction too much? No, I should have reacted like that. Did he... did he see me changing? The thought made her cheeks slowly turn red. Her mind raced, making her feel even more flustered. "No. No, Bella. He must have just been walking by. He was just passing through. Don’t overthink it," she muttered, trying to push away her negative thoughts. In the kitchen, Leon paced back and forth, staring at the plastic bags he’d set on the counter and hadn’t touched since. He tried to calm himself down and push the words he’d just blurted out to Bella out of his mind. "Leon?

In his mind, Leon thought the earlier warning should have been enough to scare the man off. But when he glanced at Hanna and saw her expression, he immediately understood what was really going on. Hanna had always been cunning and manipulative. It didn’t take much to figure out she’d egged her boyfriend on, making him regain his confidence. What made Leon even angrier was that this time, Hanna hadn’t just come with Henri, she’d brought two more friends along, who just happened to be their former middle school classmates too. "What are you doing here again?" Bella asked sharply. She automatically handed back the black card she’d taken from Leon earlier, then faced Hanna, Henri, and their two middle school friends, Penny and Viona, square on. "Why shouldn’t I be here? Everyone has the right to come in," Hanna shot back. Her face was full of arrogance and pride, a sly smile curving at the corner of her mouth. "Oh, so this is the boyfriend you were talking about?" Viona cut in. She lo

Switching back to Leon—he’d already entered the pavilion. Just as the rumors had said, Hudson Valley Pavilion was indeed very crowded. Even though it was still early in the morning, visitors kept coming in one after another."Hudson Valley Pavilion is truly extraordinary. According to history, it’s been around for five hundred years." "Their service is the best too—they even have branches outside of Monharvest."As Leon walked around observing his surroundings, he accidentally overheard a conversation between a few men nearby. He paused for a moment, quite impressed by the pavilion’s reputation. He nodded slightly, looking as if he agreed that the place deserved its title as one of the best.He then continued walking slowly, his eyes sweeping over shelves filled with herbal plants—though they were all lower-grade compared to what he needed to make his pills.As he kept walking, his attention suddenly stopped on a statue located in the middle of the ancient artifacts room. He was curi