***** By the time Xavier was deep inside the old man’s villa, the sense of danger had escalated to a level he could no longer ignore. Unable to pinpoint the source, however, he had no option but to keep following, all the while wondering where the threat might be coming from. Though the old man radiated immense power, his strength being the strongest Xavier had encountered since returning to Riverton City—there wasn’t even the slightest trace of malice directed toward himself, and the danger wasn't even coming from him to begin with. The old man’s three sons were a different story. Unlike their father, they constantly looked at him with cold, hostile stares that filled the air with an unspoken but clear threat, however, like their father, the sense of danger being felt by Xavier wasn’t from them, and with all this, Xavier became incredibly perplexed. “So, what’s going on?” Feeling the sense of danger that had now begun to make his pulse race and a chill running down his spi
*****“You…” Aldric, hearing his second brother’s low grow and knowing he would definitely do what he just said became so terrified that he quickly grabbed his arm, holding it tightly.“Don’t be a fool,” he chastised furiously, his face a mask of warning while his voice heavily tinged with fear and panic. “You act now, and we lose the only chance of ever being able to save Father from his control!”******Meanwhile, unaware of what had just happened between his sons, the Blackwood patriarch wore a prideful smile that he couldn't quite hide right now. “Don’t mock my family’s little strength, young friend. This small amount of strength we possess could barely harm a chicken, let alone level the city,” he replied awkwardly to Xavier’s question, attempting to sound modest but instead coming off as arrogant, and hearing him, Xavier couldn’t help but roll his eyes.Quite the boast,’ he thought before shaking his head, the earlier pressure he had felt fading away, thinking he had finall
*****Cassandra has always been widely known as the princess of the Blackwoods, being its only grandchild.Apart from her usually stern father, Cassandra had only ever known love, affection, and attention from everyone in her life, especially her grandfather, who had only ever spoiled her beyond what anyone could imagine.He had always gone to the very extreme to ensure her happiness and according to several analyses, it was even said that the old man would rather face the world as an enemy and get chased to the furthest reaches than let the tiniest harm, even the smallest ant touch his cherished and beloved granddaughterThis is the extent to which the old man loves Cassandra and how deeply he cares for her, and she has always known it—which is why he has been her favorite person since childhood. But now…“Grand… grandfather…” After what finally felt like ages spent reeling from the reality of the question that the old man had just inquired, Cassandra, who had initially expected
*****While the three brothers could do nothing other than eagerly wait for him to take a bite of the poisoned meal set before him, the unsuspecting Xavier remained stunned by the old man’s question.If only Xavier had known that in the three brothers' eyes, he was nothing more than a malicious demon who had turned their father into a lifeless puppet while aiming to use Cassandra as a means to enter and claim their family, he would have been too stunned to the core and wouldn't be able to react for a long time. The idea that he’d go to such lengths to control the Blackwood patriarch would have been incredibly laughable to him, a ridiculous notion, as he’d never held the family in any regard whatsoeverHad he also understood their true intentions toward him, he would have been incredibly furious—so much so that he’d first laugh in mockery, amused that they wanted him dead based merely on such a flimsy assumption before finally succumbing to anger.Unfortunately, however, Xavier was
*****“Why on earth did I even think this devious bastard would waste time on formalities, first pretending he wasn’t interested all in the name of thinking we are still clueless about his plans?” Darius, after a long period of shock like everyone else, couldn’t help but grit his teeth, his fury reaching its peak.“Can’t we just get rid of him already?” Roland, who had never experienced such intense frustration in his life before acting, muttered through clenched teeth, heat practically steaming from his nostrils as he exhaled sharply from rage and madness.The two brothers, along with Aldric, began to tremble with rage, their fists clenching and unclenching as Xavier’s words struck a nerve.Meanwhile, just a few feet away from the three, the elderly head of the Blackwood family remained oblivious to his sons’ reactions, instead sitting in stunned silence, his gaze fixed on Xavier with a dumbstruck expression on his face from his response to his question.He had initially anticip
*****Still in the massive dining hall, whose table overflowed with an elaborate feastRight now, although Xavier noticed the brothers' sudden excitement, he didn’t give it much thought. Instead, he just assumed they were happy because they were eager for him to leave, that since he was about to eat, his departure was imminent, so he simply offered a wry smile before ignoring them."Okay," he replied to the old man's request, and just at that moment, he noticed the brothers’ breaths quicken, their gazes becoming several times burning on him, making Xavier’s brows finally raise.‘Are they this disturbed by my presence?’ he wondered, sensing their heightened agitation. But with a light shrug, he finally turned his attention to the table, observing the numerous golden platters neatly and orderly arranged on it, all covered and waiting to be opened.In front of him only, eight golden plates of varying sizes lay, and knowing he was the center of attention, Xavier reached slowly toward
*****“What do you think of it?” the old man hurriedly asked after he saw Xavier done savoring the portion he had eaten, not noticing the bloodthirsty atmosphere filling the hall. Hearing him, Xavier offered a faint smile.“It’s not bad,” he replied, but no sooner had he finished speaking, however, than suddenly;“Hmph!” A sharp, furious snort cut through the room.“Not bad?” Cassandra’s voice sharpened, incensed at what she saw as Xavier’s conceit. “Do you even know what fish you just ate?” she asked icily, not waiting for a reply before growling in anger. “That fish is incredibly rare—one of only three in Riverton City, which Grandfather had spent billions in acquiring, treating it like a priceless treasure, and yet you dare to call it ‘not bad’?” Her tone dripped with loathing, furious to the core at Xavier, thinking he was just being arrogant like usual.“This…” Xavier, who had been surprisingly generous in his comment, since the taste hadn’t even reached “not bad” with how
*****If everyone had initially dismissed Xavier’s words as a mere rambling of a fool, that assumption had completely shattered after he had revealed the vital information regarding their Blackwood's most closely guarded treasure, and now, hearing him repeat the previous words that had infuriated them to the peak garnered a different reaction from them which was completely opposite of the first.For what felt like an eternity, they sat frozen, mouths agape, staring at Xavier as if he were some otherworldly creature, his words leaving them struggling to process what he’d just revealed.How scary is their family’s technique? Something that had always been revered by all the power in Riverton City and one of the rare top-tier cultivation methods in the entire nation.That’s not all, it is this same technique that had propelled their family from obscurity to a dominating force centuries ago. And now, he was insinuating that this powerful legacy was… was nothing but a mere replica, not