Eric fully understood the difficulties and hardships his birth mother had faced. He realized that love had reasons, and hatred had causes. Any lingering resentment he had toward Grace had now dissipated.Eric had never met his biological father, and Grace had never mentioned him. Consequently, Eric treated him as if he simply didn't exist.As for Grace's health, it remained manageable. All she needed to do was take her medicine on time and get plenty of rest.-In the early morning, Eric began preparing her medicine. His newfound expertise in prescribing medications was clear evidence that he had learned a great deal.After breakfast, Eric and Sylvia visited Orion's place as usual. There was still so much for Eric to learn. Orion had plans to pass on his medical legacy to Eric after his retirement, and Eric was determined not to disappoint him.-Upon the completion of Orion's fifth Blossom Needling session, it was Eric's turn to carry on. He nervously glanced at Sylvia."Stay

The Pleiades had arranged a special hall for Orion. The guests began arriving early in the morning. Naturally, Astrid and the Hernandez representatives were among them.Javier started a conversation. "Hol. Silver, I heard today Hol. Thornfield will announce his apprentice. I'm curious who it'll be."He had some guesses and wanted to see Astrid's reaction. Over the past month, only Eric and Sylvia had been seen going in and out of Orion's place, so who else could it be?Astrid glanced at him and chuckled. "Does it matter who it is? I just hope Orion doesn't forget what he owes me."He added, "Those two everyone talks about have barely been with Orion for a month. It makes me wonder if he has lost his mind with old age. Why pick an apprentice whom he has known for just a couple of months? I doubt they are anything special. They might not even match up to my own apprentices in skill."He had gathered info and knew that Orion's apprentice was probably Eric or Sylvia. But he didn't rea

Orion gazed at Astrid and sighed. "Astri, why must you do this? You're my junior, after all. Shouldn't you respect my decisions?"Everyone was left perplexed. Little did they know that Astrid and Orion shared the same mentor.Today's retirement ceremony took an unexpected turn. Not only did Orion introduce his apprentice to the world, but the hidden connection between the two renowned holistic physicians of King City was also unveiled.Orion remarked, "You're overly competitive. It's not healthy."Astrid scoffed. "It's not about competitiveness. I'm simply concerned for you. After all these years without taking on apprentices, why start now? Are you afraid I'll covet your knowledge? Do you truly believe I want to take what's yours?"Orion was rendered speechless. He didn't wish to argue with Astrid, given their senior-junior relationship.With this in mind, he retrieved the acupoint technique manual and offered, "You've always wanted this, haven't you? I'll give it to you."Astr

Seraphine clutched Sylvia's hand on the seat, her voice quivering with anxiety as she asked, "Vee, can Eric do it?"She worried about Eric. If she had known, she wouldn't have said those words. What if Eric lost to Hudson? Wouldn't it embarrass them in front of everyone?Sylvester gazed at her and advised, "So now you know it. You should consider the consequences before saying anything."To be honest, he was concerned, too. Eric had only trained in holistic medicine under Orion for a little over a month. Despite his talent and the praise surrounding him, Sylvester understood that Hudson was genuinely skilled.Sylvia smiled and assured, "Don't worry. Eric's got this. He'll definitely win."Sylvia had seen Eric perform acupoint techniques at Orion's residence. Eric's precision and range seemed to surpass Hudson's by a significant margin.On the stage, Orion glanced at the silver needle on the black dot and told Eric, "Take it easy. Spare his pride."Astrid overheard and chuckled.

Astrid refused to admit defeat and felt deeply aggrieved despite obtaining the manual. He believed that Orion's apprentice outshone his own. Continuing the match in the current situation would only bring him more humiliation.Several well-known holistic medicine physicians in King City had sided with Orion, especially now that he had an extraordinary apprentice. They saw Orion's retirement as a new beginning, predicting a new era of holistic medicine because Eric was young.Starting to learn medicine at that age was considered late, especially in holistic medicine, but reaching such a level at this age was astonishing.Astrid and his apprentice left dejectedly, not touching the snacks the hotel prepared for lunch.Eric established his reputation through the competition. His medical proficiency and acupoint techniques not only exceeded Astrid's apprentice but also matched several experienced holistic medicine physicians in King City.Alexander and the Montgomerys were delighted. Th