"Understood, Boss."Big D reached under the counter and pulled out a broken vase, their standard prop for this kind of work, used and re-used across dozens of similar operations.White smacked the back of his head."Are you stupid? Even if that thing were intact it would be worth a few hundred dollars. You think you can squeeze six million out of someone with that?"Big D put it back."Then what should I bring?""The pottery figurine we acquired last week," White said. "We paid thirty dollars for it. Most people can't tell its value, which makes it perfect. Go get it."Big D went through the back door and came out carrying a cardboard box. Inside, nestled in paper wrapping, was a pottery figurine approximately sixteen inches tall.It was damaged, cracked along one shoulder, a chip missing from the base, but even in its battered state, the craftsmanship was distinctive. The figure depicted a young scholar, a fan held in the left hand, a black ring on the right. The style and material h

Ethan turned around.The old Daoist was standing directly behind him.He had been too absorbed in the Storage Ring, the excitement of finding it, marking it, testing it and had not noticed the man following him out of the market and into the alley. A mistake he noted and filed away.The Daoist's eyes were fixed on the ring on Ethan's finger with the specific luminous quality of someone looking at something they have already decided belongs to them."A mustard seed containing a world," the Daoist said, with the breathless recognition of someone confirming what they suspected. "Capable of holding all things. Truly a fine treasure." He composed himself into authority. "Hand it to me now, and I'll spare your life.""Walk away now," Ethan said, "and I'll spare yours."The Daoist's eyes narrowed."Young man. Do you know who you're speaking to? If I choose to be angry, I will leave you without a burial place and scatter your soul so thoroughly you'll never return. Give me the ring, and I wil

"In this entire world," Ethan said, "I am probably the only one who can treat Old Master Tang."It sounded arrogant. It was the accurate statement of a fact. Only a practitioner whose cultivation technique and martial arts had reached a sufficient level could address internal injuries caused by Qi Deviation, the damage was energetic before it was physical, and you could not treat what you could not perceive."Qi Deviation," Reed said. "That is not a recognized medical condition. You are at risk of delaying this patient's actual treatment with terminology that has no clinical basis."He turned to Tang Feng."Mr. Tang. My diagnosis is based on the most advanced imaging equipment available. The results are scientifically unambiguous. Your father has terminal cancer. Every hour we spend on this conversation is an hour he is not receiving the treatment he needs."Ethan looked at Reed."Have you reviewed all of the diagnostic reports? Not just today's, the full history since he was admitted

Tang Tianyi settled back into the hospital bed with the ease of a man whose body has just been returned to him after three days of crisis, and answered Ethan's question with the measured calm of someone sharing what he knows honestly."Arcane arts practitioners are considerably rarer than martial artists. My knowledge of their structure is limited, but the general framework is this: four levels. The first is Arcane Arts Practitioner, equivalent in strength to a Yellow Rank warrior. The second is Immortal Master, equivalent to Profound Rank. The third is Master of Arcane Arts, equivalent to Earth Rank. The fourth is Arts Grandmaster, equivalent to Heaven Rank." He paused. "Beyond that, I genuinely don't know. And because they are rare, arcane arts practitioners hold a higher status than martial artists of equivalent strength. That is all this old man can tell you."Ethan nodded.The framework aligned with the Ashford Medical Order's internal classification system, offset by terminology

Jake Han was not the kind of rich second-generation who looked down on people without money. If he had been, he and Ethan would not have lasted two years as dormitory brothers. The friendship was genuine, and it was built on something other than status.Which was why Tyler Wei's speech about waiting for leftovers, about Sophie being a temporary arrangement, available for collection in ten to fourteen days when he was done with her, landed the way it landed.Jake's jaw was tight.Ethan raised his phone casually."Second Brother," he said. "I recorded all of that."The private room went quiet.The three men's expressions changed in sequence, Tyler's face losing its smug ease first, then Nick's, then Alex's, as the implication landed. Whatever they said in private among friends was one thing. The same words played publicly, in front of Sophie Yu, would end Tyler's pursuit before it had its finale."Delete it," Tyler said."I thought you were quite impressive just now," Ethan said pleasan