The air within the Old Sutton Manor had shifted from the suffocating dread of the morning into a nauseatingly thick atmosphere of self-congratulation and greed. The flickering neon of River City outside was reflected in the polished mahogany of the drawing-room, where the Sutton Family now sat gathered around the Nine Dragons Table, sipping tea that cost five hundred dollars a pound as if they had personally conquered the Underworld.In the center of this triumphant circle sat a man who epitomized the "Rich Kid" aesthetic of the Capital City. Bob Lewis sat with one leg crossed over the other, his Haute Couture suit tailored to perfection, and a Floral Tie that screamed of wealth and unearned status. To the rest of the room, he was the "Big Brother Bob" who had descended like a god from the heavens to save them from ruin.“It truly is a miracle that Bob Lewis arrived in the nick of time,” Wanda Sutton gushed, her voice high and artificial, like a bird chirping i

The early morning mist clung to the surface of Sunbright Lake like a translucent silk shroud, partially obscuring the grand, sweeping eaves of the White Emperor Apothecary. Located on the most prestigious stretch of the lakefront in River City, this institution was far more than a simple pharmacy; it was a cathedral of medicine, a fortress of botanical wealth where the most ancient secrets of the Herbalist Guild were preserved behind reinforced glass and biometric locks. For the citizens of Draconia, the White Emperor Apothecary represented the absolute pinnacle of pharmaceutical prestige. Here, a single dried root could cost more than a high-end sports car, and the Official Seal on a Prescription issued by its masters carried more weight than a bank's guarantee.Bob Lewis led the Sutton Family delegation through the towering mahogany doors, his chest puffed out with the unearned confidence of a man who believed he held the keys to the city. Beside him, May Bailey and Wanda Sut

The morning air circulating within the White Emperor Apothecary was thick with the scent of thousand-year-old ginseng and rare minerals, a fragrance that whispered of immortality and the staggering wealth required to pursue it. Located on the prime banks of Sunbright Lake, the Apothecary was more than just a place of business; it was a fortress of the Herbalist Guild, a cathedral of commerce where the elite of River City came to barter for their health. Within the Terrestrial Hall, the atmosphere was one of hushed, reverent greed. Every display case, reinforced with bulletproof glass and monitored by silent, broad-shouldered Vanguards, held treasures that could buy a dozen mansions in the Eastriver New District.The tension surrounding the Jade Box containing the Seven-Star Herb was already at a breaking point when a new sound erupted—the sharp, rhythmic clicking of expensive leather heels and the boisterous, unearned laughter of the privileged. The heavy, gold-leafed doo

The words had barely left Cliff’s lips when the air in the Terrestrial Hall seemed to solidify, thick with a mixture of avarice, disbelief, and a sudden, sharp clarity of what had just transpired. For a heartbeat, the only sound was the low hum of the White Emperor Apothecary’s advanced filtration system. Then, the silence was shattered by a collective gasp—a sound that carried the weight of a thousand shattered egos and five hundred million USD.The crowd of socialites, Rich Kids, and high-level executives from the Chamber of Commerce surged forward, their eyes bulging as they stared at the five small beads resting in Cliff’s palm.“This... this is impossible,” an elderly man whispered, his voice trembling as he adjusted his spectacles. He was a veteran member of the Herbalist Guild, a man who had spent forty years cataloging the flora of the Western Regions. “A Wood Spirit Pill... a naturally occurring, high-tier Medicinal Pill.

The echoes of the heavy doors closing in the Terrestrial Hall of the White Emperor Apothecary seemed to vibrate through the very marrow of the Sutton Family's bones. They stood in a daze, the scent of high-grade herbs and the lingering aura of Sister Ruby’s lethal grace still hanging in the air like a physical weight. For a long, agonizing minute, none of them spoke. The reality of what they had just witnessed—the most powerful woman in River City’s medicinal trade bowing like a servant to their Live-in Son-in-Law—was a cognitive dissonance too sharp to process.Then, as if a spell had been broken, the movement returned. May Bailey was the first to react. She didn't just walk toward Cliff; she practically lunged, her face transformed from a mask of aristocratic disdain into a caricature of oily, maternal affection.“My dear son-in-law! Cliff, wait for us!” May Bailey’s voice was a high-pitched trill, dripping with a saccharine swee