Inside that black car, four men sat in a practiced silence.The one in the front passenger seat was built large, with a neck as thick as most people's thighs, hair shaved down to nothing but a dark shadow on his scalp. A scar ran from the corner of his left eye to his chin, not from surgery, but from something rougher. On the back of his hand, a red dragon tattoo coiled up to his wrist.Behind him, two men with different builds but identical expressions, flat and professional. The one on the left was leaner, his eyes never stopping as they scanned the surroundings like a radar. The one on the right was shorter but with shoulders disproportionately wide, his hands constantly cracking his knuckles in a small, repeating sound.And in the driver's seat, the fourth man, the calmest of all of them. The oldest, probably mid-forties, thin-framed glasses on a face that gave no impression of intelligence whatsoever and looked more like a disguise he had been wearing for a long time.All four we

Caelan arrived at The Grandeur at exactly half past midnight.After twenty minutes of meditation on the balcony to recover the qi he had spent that night, followed by the dinner Layla had sent up right on time, he decided to sleep.The bed still felt like a cloud.His eyes closed.Five minutes passed.And then, his nose moved.A faint scent, barely there. Not something an ordinary person could catch in a half-asleep state. But Caelan's sense of smell was not ordinary. Four years of qi training had sharpened every sense he had far beyond the limits of a normal person.He opened his eyes. The scent was thin, almost nothing, but it was there. A sharp sweetness behind the neutral air of the room. Not perfume, not cleaning products, not anything that should have been in the air of a five-star hotel room.This was poison.Caelan sat straight up in bed. His senses immediately extended their reach, qi flowing out of his body like an invisible wave spreading to every corner of the room, rising

At exactly nine o'clock, the room bell rang.Caelan was already sitting at the desk when the door opened. Layla came in pushing the cart with the same orderly steps as yesterday, her uniform neat without a single crease, her black hair combed perfectly to the jaw.On the cart: a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh fruit, two slices of toast with jam and a small side of butter, a plate of scrambled eggs with cheese, and black coffee whose aroma had already filled the room before the cart was even fully inside."Good morning, Doctor Voss." Her voice was professional and warm at the same time."Good morning." Caelan looked at her briefly. "Layla, you don't have to do this yourself every day. Have one of the staff bring it up, or I can pick it up from the kitchen myself."Layla paused mid-placement, then looked up."Please don't say that, Doctor Voss." Her voice stayed calm, but there was a small firmness in it. "You're the owner of the finest suite at The Grandeur. It's my responsibility t

The lobby of the Crest family residence was no less grand. White marble floors with naturally flowing gold veins, crystal chandeliers lighting the room with warm and even light, curved staircases on both sides meeting at a second-floor balcony. The large paintings on the walls weren't just decoration. Several of them looked like works that belonged in a museum, not a private living room. Elara brought Caelan directly to the right staircase, up to the second floor, and down a corridor with thick carpet that swallowed their footsteps completely. At the end of the corridor, a carved dark wood door opened into a room that was already full. Caelan walked in and read the entire room in three seconds. Two young doctors stood in the corner with folders and equipment, their expressions a mix of professional and uncomfortable. Beside the bed, a man in his mid-fifties stood with his arms folded, jaw set, eyes assessing, clothing that didn't need to be expensive to look powerful. Next to

Seven needles in place. The Yang Ming meridian had begun to open.Caelan stepped back half a pace, letting the qi work for a moment, then raised his eyes toward Hargrove."I need three materials for the next phase." His voice was direct and measured. "First, Huang Qi, or astragalus membranaceus, to strengthen the immune system and stabilize the Wei Qi that has been thrown into disorder by this autoimmune condition. Second, Dang Gui, or angelica sinensis, to improve blood circulation and restore the yin that has been depleted. Third, Gan Cao, or glycyrrhiza uralensis, as a harmonizer so that everything entering the body moves in the same direction."He looked at Hargrove. "As the doctor who has been handling this condition for five years, you surely have all of these on hand, don't you?"Hargrove didn't answer right away. There was a small internal struggle behind his eyes, between reluctance and something he didn't want to acknowledge.Leonard stepped forward. After everything he had