2026-06-26 03:36:28
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After drafting the list of supplies for Neil to procure, Caelum dismissed Sterling and Brock. The heavy wooden door clicked shut, leaving him in the suffocating silence of the small, dimly lit house. He sat for a moment, letting the exhaustion of the day settle into his bones. With a steady breath, he deactivated his "Black Tortoise Breath-Holding" technique, allowing his internal energy to flow naturally once more. He needed to keep his muscles loose, so he began to flow through the motions of his 'Bengyue Fist.'His movements were not the aggressive, explosive strikes he would use in battle; they were deliberate, fluid, and meditative. As he practiced, his mind was far away, dissecting the political landscape of Silverstream. The Alaric clan was a leviathan, a force that could swallow the Valerius family whole if he made one false move. They weren't just a business rival; they were a systemic threat. He realized that for the "Hundred Herbs Pharmacy" to become a true pillar of Valeri
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In the end, Caelum’s desperate attempt to slip away from the academy was thwarted—not by a guard, or a student, but by the imposing figure of Julian himself. The headmaster of Guiyun Academy hadn't emerged from his private study or his residential quarters; he had been lurking right there, inside the very lecture hall that Caelum had just realized was packed to the rafters.Caelum stood at the threshold, his hand still resting on the heavy wooden door, his expression hardening into a look that clearly communicated: Explain yourself, or I am walking out and not coming back.Julian, a man usually composed and radiating scholarly authority, looked strangely diminished under that gaze. He offered a bitter, apologetic smile—the kind of look a mentor gives when they’ve compromised their own code. "Qingzhou," he began, his voice dropping into a tone heavy with the weight of concession, "I have failed you. I know it. Ever since that day you demonstrated your skill, the stream of visitors to t
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The next morning, the thunderstorm continued, the heavy rain showing no signs of abating. Leo was awakened by a clap of thunder. In such weather, he was always haunted by unpleasant memories. He got up and wandered out in his loose robe. Sylvia, who was on duty, helped him dress and tidy up. "Young Master, are you planning to see Evangeline?" she asked. Leo shook his head, looking out at the rain. "I want to go to the Residential Villa to see Caelum."When Evangeline and Leo arrived at the villa, Caelum was just sitting down for breakfast. He greeted them warmly and asked Butterfly to add two sets of tableware. Evangeline looked around and asked, "Is Beatrice not up yet?" Caelum, chewing on a pastry, shook his head. "I had Butterfly ask; she has made progress in her martial arts and is practicing diligently."Evangeline nodded, but as she watched Caelum, she felt an inexplicable urge to lecture him. She found herself speaking in a tone of moral instruction regarding gentlemanly conduc
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Three women make a crowd, but in the Spring Lotus Garden, the number of ladies present already exceeded a handful. As for the men, there was only Caelum, and perhaps half of Leo. Dealing with such a scene is not for the faint of heart; one needs to be either a saint, a child, or someone born and raised among such company. Caelum did not fit into any of those categories, but he managed, all thanks to Evangeline sitting by his side.When a woman of such ethereal beauty sits beside you, no other woman can truly hold your attention. It was a classic "darkness under the lamp" effect. With Evangeline sitting there, radiant and graceful, all other ladies lost their luster. At least in Caelum’s eyes, the only woman who could sit beside Evangeline and be equally radiant was his wife, Celeste. Fortunately, Butterfly did not know his thoughts, or perhaps she would have simply accepted it, thinking, "The Master’s taste is correct; I am certainly not as beautiful as the two ladies."For the next t
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POV: ArthurThe air in the main hall of the Residence was thick enough to choke on. When the Old Marquis finally erupted, the sound was like a thunderclap in a confined space. It wasn't just a display of anger; it was a manifestation of absolute, suffocating authority. Huang Zhuo, the captain of the Investigative Bureau, had his face drained of all color, his skin turning a sickly, ghostly white. Beside him, Liu Si—the Governor—and Fiona also displayed visible tremors, their composure shattering under the weight of the Old Marquis's glare.I sat to the side, leaning back slightly, my arms crossed. I had witnessed many of my brother’s rages over the years, and I had foolishly assumed that today would be no different—a simple dismissal, a wave of the hand, and a return to the quiet, mundane life we led within these walls. I was wrong. The Old Marquis was not looking for a dismissal; he was looking for blood, or at the very least, a total humiliation of those who dared to question the fa
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Once Caelum understood the true nature of this arrangement, he couldn't help but feel a complex mix of amusement and frustration. Master Julian had gone to extraordinary lengths to secure his calligraphy practice sheets. Yet, the use of "Cloud Pine" paper—a material so luxurious it was traditionally reserved for the highest noble clans—for a simple calligraphy lesson struck Caelum as undeniably, even absurdly, extravagant.As he observed the students sitting perfectly upright before their sand trays in the study hall, Caelum realized they likely shared this sentiment. He suspected that after noting the sheer opulence of the paper, most of them were silently labeling the display as "wasteful." It was clear that the majority remained skeptical of this newcomer, their enigmatic new instructor.Instead of launching into a long, rambling lecture filled with the dry, classical jargon that the other masters had favored the day before, Caelum remained composed. He poured water into the inkst
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