"Smart girl," Felix thought with a smile. "Thank you. I'd appreciate that." Moving in would require lots of shopping, and taking cabs would be inconvenient. As they drove off together, two men watched from the office entrance with annoyed looks. "Damn it! That villa listing was supposed to be mine. I can't believe someone actually bought it, and now, this flirt gets the commission." His colleague teased, "That's fate for you! This sale's worth more than several of our regular deals combined. Isn't Nelly usually the reserved type? She's always keeping clients at arm's length, but she's making moves now." "Hah! That's all an act! This Felix guy's young and loaded—who wouldn't fantasize about dating him? If she plays her cards right, she could end up a rich man's wife instead of selling houses. But she stole my meat, so she'll pay for it."Smiling, his colleague stayed silent as he knew the real reason behind his bitterness. He had pursued Nelly before and been rejected. "Wait. Y
"Stop!" Just as the men raised their iron bars to attack Felix, a thunderous shout rang out. It was Clement, who had emerged from his villa fully dressed. He looked like he was about to head out. "Damn it! Who the hell dares to interfere?" The young man snarled as he turned around, but his expression instantly changed. "Mr. Parson?" Clement's face darkened as he pointed at the young man. "Huxley Linton, are you itching for trouble again? Why are you attacking people in broad daylight? Has your father stopped disciplining you?" Hearing their conversation, it was clear they knew each other, and Huxley was afraid of Clement. "Come on, Mr. Parson. It was just a joke to scare him. We weren't really going to hurt him! We're leaving right now."After Huxley left with his men, Felix seized the opportunity to become friendlier with Clement. "Thank you, Mr. Parson. Honestly, I'm completely lost here since I've just arrived in Gray City. I don't even know that young man." Clement conside
Felix frowned as he glanced at Mason before asking, "What exactly do you want?" "Isn't it obvious? I want you to treat my friend. Rosalyn said you're a traditional medicine practitioner. If you're good enough to work with the Ruby family, you must be skilled. My friend's condition isn't critical, but he's my friend, so we can't wait around." If Mason really could not afford to wait around, why would he be in a mood for pizza here? "I'll give you an answer, then. No. I won't go." Mason smiled cruelly and scoffed. "Do you think I won't touch you in public? Or did you think I'm just bluffing because you're a doctor and have powerful connections? "Well, you're wrong. I'm Mason Jacobs, a prodigy of the Eight Great Martial Families. I can crush you effortlessly in every way, so I suggest you wise up." Getting no response as Felix walked away, Mason cracked his neck. "You're the first to dare ignore me ever since I became famous. After midnight, you won't even get a chance to regr
"I have a few questions I'd like to ask you." After Felix said that, the woman, who had gotten close enough to him, gave him a mischievous grin. "Better keep those questions to yourself. You feel paralyzed now, don't you? Don't worry. I just struck some of your acupoints. It'll wear off in two hours! "Consider it a gentle lesson about following pretty girls." Though her movements had been incredibly fast, Felix had been prepared and had noticed them. Even so, he was amazed by her skill. As she started humming and turning to leave, Felix grabbed her arm. "I really do have some questions for you." Her face instantly changed, staring at her arm in disbelief. "Impossible! My acupoint technique can immobilize even Aetherial Realm masters. How can you move?" She realized something alarming—Felix might be at Oceanus Realm. But how could he possibly have achieved it at his age? "Please forgive my rudeness! Have mercy on me. I have elderly parents and children to support!" She bur
Unless? Melissa's eyes lit up eagerly. "Don't keep me hanging! Unless what?" "Unless he's from one of the two most mysterious sects or the Greene family. I can't think of any other possibility." Melissa's expression turned worried as she pondered. "What should I do? Should I heed his calls? And is that mark real?"Her mentor answered without hesitation, "Of course the mark is real! If he wanted you dead, you'd be dead already. You have a chance to connect with a supreme prodigy, and you're thinking of avoiding him?"Has all that phone-stealing messed up your brain? Best case scenario, you could have his child, then—"Melissa hung up. That old man was being ridiculous again. But recalling Felix's appearance, she stroked her chin with a playful smile and said, "Having his child might not be so bad... Oh, my, why am I feeling butterflies?"…Around 1:00 am, Mason had just entered the living room of Villa No. 3 in Heavenly Meadow when he found Felix waiting at the stairs. "You
Almost immediately after Mason's death, a scarlet thread shot out from his body straight toward Felix. The thread moved so fast that Felix could not react before it vanished. Quickly sitting in a meditation pose, Felix located the thread within himself."Even with my current power, it'll take a month to fully dissolve this Scarlet Thread." Since the thread was not harming him, Felix guessed it had to be some kind of ancestral protection to identify who killed their descendant.Though Felix had instantly suppressed it to its limit, total elimination would take at least a month. This was why he was frustrated. While his suppression had reduced the thread's tracking range greatly, it was not gone. Within a certain distance, it could still instantly identify Felix as Mason's killer. Whoever created this thread was powerful. They were definitely beyond Felix's current ability to fight. But nothing could be done about it now. He would have to take things one step at a time.Seven
If Felix wanted to have regular interactions with Willow, he first needed a job. Maintaining his usual air of mystery would only create distance.After consideration, he decided that continuing his career as a doctor made the most sense. It was the fastest way to connect with people. After all, everyone would get sick sometimes."There's a traditional medicine clinic for rent just a block away. But you should see it yourself first." Nelly's efficiency was impressive. After all, she was familiar with the industry. "Thanks again. Just call me Felix." "Sure, Felix." Nelly's colleagues had been right when they said she was a reserved woman. She had not been putting on an act when she always maintained professional distance with wealthy clients. Her different approach with Felix stemmed from her intuition. His eyes were always filled with sincerity whenever he looked at her. The clinic was about 800 square feet. Though it was not big, it was sufficient for use. It had thrived un
Felix's first thought was that they had found out that he killed Mason, but he quickly dismissed it. First, he had been meticulous. Since Mason had come to kill him, he would have surely avoided cameras himself. Secondly, the Jacobs family would learn about his death first. There was no way they would ask the cops for help instead of taking revenge themselves. These two points made it unlikely. So, what was it? "Xena, don't joke around. How could I have murdered someone?" "That's not for you to decide. Did you think I'd call you if this wasn't official? Alistair's coming for you. I hope you'll cooperate, or I'll issue an arrest warrant." The call ended right there, and Felix was left bewildered. He could only go home and wait. An hour later, Alistair found his address. He sat in Felix's living room with two Wolfie troopers. The fact that they had not even given him a heads-up despite their relationship meant this was official business. "Mr. Zeller, I apologize, but we mus
Isabella gave an awkward laugh and put away her compact mirror. She had good principles, so she had never gotten involved with wealthy customers at the dealership. But people like Felix were truly rare. Soon after Felix arrived, he got straight to the point. "To be honest, Isabella, I need to buy something from Darren. I need your help."Having been warned by Nelly, Isabella thought for a moment before responding, "Felix, it's not that I don't want to help, but I've turned Darren down a few times already." Felix smiled. "You must have some feelings for him, right? Otherwise, you would have blocked his number by now." Isabella did not deny it. "Yes, I do. But marriage and life together need to be practical, you know? Darren's a good person and nice-looking, too, but he only has that one massage parlor. He can't even afford a decent house in Gray City, let alone anything else. "I'm not being materialistic, but there are basic living standards to consider." It was just as Felix
Darren frowned. "Didn't you hear what I said? Why are you still making offers?" Three years ago, Darren would have jumped at any offer and been terrified that they would change their mind. He would have sold it for even a few hundred thousand dollars, let alone millions of dollars. But back then, no one was interested. He hadn't known the value of the Nightshade Discipline or even that martial artists existed. Now that he knew, he wouldn't sell even if people were making offers. He often marveled at life's ironies. "When I say a building, I mean any building in Gray City. Name it." Any building? Darren almost laughed. Who was this guy trying to impress? "What if I said Summit Tower?" Summit Tower was a prime office building in downtown Gray City. Construction alone had cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and its value had skyrocketed since. Buying it outright would cost over a billion dollars, and that was assuming the owner would even sell. The rental income alone prov
"Why are you so fired up this early in the morning?" Felix asked.Melissa was still fuming. "Boss, haven't you seen what happened to the shop next door? It turned into a floral wreath boutique overnight!" A floral wreath boutique? Felix hadn't noticed earlier. He only remembered there being a beauty salon next door that was not doing well and was looking to sell. How did it become a floral wreath boutique? "Here's to good business! Looking forward to being neighbors." Billy walked in with a grin, which sent Melissa storming to the back room with one last comment, "That stupid fatso is the one who opened the boutique!" No wonder Melissa was so angry. No business would want a funeral flower shop next door. "Billy, what's your deal here?"Billy grinned and said, "Nothing. I quit my job at Sixview Peak and need to make a living somehow. Since this is all I know, I figured I'd scrape by with a funeral shop. You know better than anyone how effective my merchandise is against spir
In the private room, Clement was incredibly nervous. He never imagined Felix's contact from Concord Bank would be Dorian Yardley, the prestigious branch manager himself. "Dr. Zeller, I wasn't trying to keep secrets from you." After sitting down, Dorian smiled. He would have been in hot water if he had messed up this encounter. "It's fine. Status isn't important to me since you're all my patients." Dorian's smile widened. "No wonder your medical skills are so extraordinary at such a young age, Dr. Zeller! Few people could maintain such principles these days." Felix waved it off and turned to Clement. "Let me introduce my friend, Clement Parson. He's the one I mentioned earlier who's facing some troubles. I'd appreciate it if you could help, Dorian." Clement rushed over to shake hands as Dorian spoke, "That's a small matter. Dr. Zeller saved my life, after all. I'd look like an ungrateful person if I couldn't help with something this simple." By this point, Clement was too ha
Before Douglas could respond, Vernon jumped in, saying, "Oh, Clement, look at the company you're keeping! If this gets back to Mr. Yardley, you won't be able to survive anywhere in Gray City. You know the consequences." Clement was dumbfounded. He even started to wonder if Felix was just dropping names. After all, Dorian's status was on a completely different level.Douglas went even further by turning to Clement and saying, "Either you slap him twice, or you're blacklisted at Concord Bank after tonight. Your choice."He had been looking for an excuse to put this arrogant brat in his place. How dare someone try to get a loan while bypassing him, the lending director? Felix had just handed him the perfect opportunity. "Whew! Dr. Zeller, I'm so sorry that I'm late!" Just as Clement was about to throw them both out, heavy breathing came from the doorway. A man appeared, bent over and red-faced, clearly having run quite a distance. Before Felix could speak, Douglas and Vernon tur
In the other private room, Felix had already arrived and was sitting with Clement. "Don't worry. Someone has hit the back of his car. That's what's holding him up." Felix was telling the truth. When he had come up in the elevator, Dorian had called to apologize. He even sent a WhatsApp video of the accident scene as he was worried Felix might be angry. That was how driving was. No matter how good he could be behind the wheel, he could not control other drivers. Given Felix's status at the bank, Dorian would not dare stand him up even if his life depended on it. "No problem at all. Guests can be late, and it's perfectly normal. I really can't thank you enough for all this trouble, Felix." Clement was socially smart enough to show the right attitude when asking for help. If he could not even tolerate someone being late, what was the point of further discussion? "How big is your company's funding gap? How much are you looking to borrow?" Hearing this, Clement thought Felix was w
"Clement?" a middle-aged man with a huge belly stepped out and called out when he spotted Clement."Oh, Vernon. Are you having dinner here, too?" Clement forced a smile and kept his tone polite, though he actually could not stand the sight of the man. Vernon Parker had been one of his company's veterans. After he took over when his father passed, he quickly discovered Vernon's shady dealings behind the scenes. If left unchecked, those schemes would have eventually bankrupted the company. So, Clement had fired him without hesitation. Life had a twisted sense of humor, though. Vernon's nephew had struck it rich, which meant Vernon was now doing quite well himself. He would use his new power to undermine Clement's company whenever possible. As Vernon walked over, his smile dripped with contempt. "Drop the act. We both know where we stand." Clement maintained his composure. "Whatever happened, you were still one of our first employees. It's only right that I show you proper respec
At the Tranquil Clinic, a man walked in. "How can I help you today?" Melissa greeted him but immediately felt something was off. The visitor's gaze wandered shamelessly over her body. Even though she was fully dressed, she felt an urge to cover herself with her arms. "You fatso! What's wrong with you? What the hell are you looking at? Get out!" Melissa was not one to hide her feelings. Even if the fat man was actually sick, she would not be polite since he was being way too inappropriate. The man cleared his throat and finally looked away. "Is Felix here? I'm his brother!" Brother? Melissa was startled and quickly changed her attitude. "Oh, you're my boss' brother! Please, come in." Just then, Felix's voice rang out, "Like hell he is!" After just coming out of the bathroom, Felix was instantly annoyed when he heard those words. When he saw it was actually Billy, the supervisor from Sixview Peak, he became even more irritated. "Come on, Felix. I must be a few months older
Felix pretended to think for a moment before saying, "I treated someone who works at a bank. We're on good terms, though I'm not sure about his position there or if he can help." Willow's eyes instantly brightened up. "Really?" But she quickly became self-conscious. "No, we shouldn't burden you with using your connections. Just forget I mentioned it." Felix smiled. "They say good neighbors are like family. It's fate that brought us together as neighbors—and Queenie, too. If there's any trouble, of course, I'll help if I can. I'll make a call tomorrow and contact Clement if it works out." At this point, Willow could not refuse. Besides, the company was nearly at a dead end. Felix was not really an outsider anymore, and he had proven himself trustworthy, though they hadn't known each other long. …The next morning, Clement called just as Felix arrived at the clinic. "Felix, please don't listen to Willow's rambling. She sometimes speaks without thinking, so don't take it seriou