2026-04-26 02:32:20
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90
As Caelum had predicted with his usual calm foresight, the opening of the Spirit Orchid Pavilion changed the landscape of Silverstream’s medical trade almost overnight. Within just three days, the new establishment had successfully managed to divert more than half of the patients within a three-mile radius of the Eastern Market. It was a strategic masterstroke; not only were their medicinal herbs priced significantly lower than anyone else's, but they also boasted the presence of renowned physicians whose names carried weight among the sickly and the elderly. This combination proved irresistible to the public, drawing in waves of people who had suffered from chronic ailments for years, all hoping for a miracle at a bargain price.During these tumultuous days, Caelum had several opportunities to observe the man behind the counter—the manager of the Spirit Orchid Pavilion. He was a middle-aged man with a pale, beardless face named Silas. Contrary to what his name might suggest, Silas wa
59
The province of Shuzhou appeared to settle into a state of deceptive tranquility over the following days. To an outside observer, the bustling markets and crowded streets suggested nothing was amiss, yet beneath this mask of normalcy, a dark undercurrent of tension was beginning to stir. The news regarding the theft of the Shau family’s medicinal shipment had spread like wildfire, carried by the words of travelers who had witnessed the aftermath at the mountain inn. Public opinion was divided into distinct camps. The members of the martial arts community were convinced that the stolen crates held legendary artifacts or ancient spiritual herbs, far beyond the value of common medicine. Some went as far as to claim that a mythical ginseng root, intended to save the ailing Old Patriarch of the Shau family, had been the true target. Meanwhile, the common folk of the city remained skeptical, believing the Shau family’s influence was too vast for any bandit to challenge for long. They spoke
88
The aftermath of a summer rain often brought a stifling heat that felt as though the downpour had never occurred at all. From the moment the sun crested the horizon, the rising steam carried a warm, muggy dampness that clung to the skin, creating an atmosphere that was both oppressive and irritating. It was the kind of weather that made one feel restless, yet there was an old saying that a calm mind brings its own coolness. Within the pavilion of the Shau estate, Caelum, Duke Zhang, and Mr. Sun remained composed, their temperaments as steady as ancient mountains. In stark contrast, Butterfly was bustling about, her twin hair buns bobbing back and forth as she tended to their needs. Despite the heat and the visible beads of sweat on her forehead, she moved with a diligent rhythm. By noon, when the sun reached its zenith and its rays were at their most piercing, Duke Zhang and Mr. Sun finally felt the weight of fatigue. They prepared to depart for a brief afternoon respite. Before leav
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Evangeline proved to be far more resilient than Caelum had initially anticipated. In the agonizing moments following the revelation that the medicinal herbs had been stolen, she did not succumb to a fit of hysteria or a physical collapse. Instead, after a brief, paralyzing lapse of shock where the world seemed to stand still, she regained her composure through a sheer, agonizing effort of will. She stepped forward, her movements deliberate, and took Beatrice’s cold, blood-stained hands into her own. With a silent strength that surprised even the watching servants, she led the broken warrior into the inner chambers, away from the prying eyes and rising whispers of the estate workers, to begin a relentless interrogation of the night’s tragedy.Caelum remained in the background, a silent observer shrouded in the shadows of the villa’s corner. He listened intently to every jagged breath and every fractured sentence that escaped Beatrice’s lip
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The faint, silvery light of a new dawn began to bleed through the intricate paper windows of the Spring Lotus Garden, finding Butterfly already long since departed from her bed. For her, serving in the Shau estate was not merely a livelihood; it was a profound debt of gratitude toward Caelum, the young son-in-law who treated her with a gentleness rarely found within the cold, rigid hierarchies of noble households. She moved with a silent, practiced grace, drawing freezing water from the deep well that stung her skin with an icy bite, yet she didn't mind. She meticulously cleaned the living quarters, ensuring that every mahogany surface gleamed and that the faint scent of sandalwood incense replaced the stale air of the night. Her eyes constantly flitted toward Caelum’s chamber door, filled with a mixture of hope and a playful sense of competition. It had wounded her professional pride as a dedicated maid to find that Caelum had risen before her for
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At a post station located fifty miles north of the Silverstream provincial capital, the thick, heavy clouds that had dominated the sky for days finally began to part by the hour of the Rat. The moon, bright and silver, cast a brilliant glow over the landscape of Silverstream, which had been thoroughly washed by the relentless rains. In the stillness of the night, the world seemed to glisten, and for those who had trained in the internal arts of martial power, the darkness was no hindrance to their vision.Beatrice was dressed in her signature flowing green robes, her long dark hair tied neatly behind her head to stay out of her way. She sat perched high on a sturdy branch of a tree overlooking the post station, her arms cradling her long sword, Pine Moon. From her high vantage point, she could oversee the entire layout of the station below. Although they were only two miles away from the Red River and a nearby garrison of the provincial guards, Beatrice remained deeply vigilant. Outsi
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