Three days passed in the blink of an eye. News of a perfect pill appearing in Caprath spread like wildfire, and people were in an uproar.
Everyone wanted to get their hands on the pill, while alchemists were desperate to uncover the identity of its mysterious creator.
Crowds began storming the Silver Leaf Auction House. The closest anyone had come to this elusive alchemist, however, was Manager Alina.
Speaking of Alina, after it was revealed that she had advanced to become a Root Grandmaster—a Level 4 one at that—her status soared. Her importance to the Silver Leaf Auction House skyrocketed, making her their most prized asset.
Everyone sought to earn her favor, while the leader of the auction house hoped to capitalize on her miraculous transformation by using her as a symbol of excellence for their establishment.
The Silver Leaf Auction House had become a must-visit destination thanks to Kent’s miraculous pills.
Alina had given only four pills out of the hundreds she had received from Kent to the owner of the Silver Leaf Auction house.
Although not much, that was more than enough to secure her spot as the auctioneer for the upcoming annual auction in two months.
Naturally, they planned to auction these Tier 0 pills soon. Although it might seem like a rash decision, everyone was eager to verify whether the pills were truly as perfect as rumored.
Alina told the owner she could get more pills from the alchemist. So the leader wasn’t worried about making a fool of herself.
Craving fame and publicity, the auction house announced they would auction three Tier 0 pills in a week, and excitement swept through the entire city and beyond.
Such was the power and allure of a perfect pill.
But while one establishment was soaring, another was struggling. Somewhere in the city—specifically in the Ashland family—a lady dressed in dark clothing sat with a frown on her face.
Well, to be precise, she was wearing a mask with a frown painted on it.
It seemed that nothing could excite her, as she always wore a frown, no matter the situation.
Perhaps she was simply weary of life and used the frown to convey that. In some ways, that feels deeply unsettling.
But she wore it well. But unlike her emotions, which were expressed through her mask, the others around her weren’t as composed.
Dave Ashland and Daisy Ashland lay sprawled on the floor, their faces drained of all color. In the presence of a peak Root Sage, resistance is futile.
Of course, it was their own stupidity that brought them to this point. They had failed to meet expectations, and now they were suffering the consequences.
Nearby, Vida, Rita, and Yin Ashland lay unconscious on the floor. Well, Vida was more than unconscious—she was dead.
The whole family was utterly dysfunctional.
“So, let me get this straight,” the lady said, her voice devoid of any warmth. “You’re telling me that the Spirit Root I intended to claim for your daughter, so I can add another powerhouse to my Devil Spirit Church—has somehow slipped through your fingers.
“And instead of taking decisive action to secure her through other means, you thought it best to wait for me to step in and clean up your mess? Is that what you’re saying?”
Her tone was sharp, almost venomous.
Dave Ashland turned an even ghastlier shade of pale—if that was even possible. Already pale, his complexion seemed to drain further, leaving him a ghostly shell. It was almost comical if it weren’t so tragic.
Daisy wasn’t doing much better.
“My lady, please try to understand. The Alderford family is now under the protection of a Root Sage; we don’t have the strength to oppose her,” Daisy managed to say between short, strained breaths.
The oppressive aura suffocating them was far too overwhelming. Despite both being Peak Root Saints, they were utterly powerless under the crushing might of a Peak Root Sage’s aura.
It was like an ant trying to lift a celestial boulder with a single arm.
“I see. So, there’s a situation like that. Why didn’t you start with that?” the lady said, her tone sharp as she finally withdrew her suffocating aura.
Daisy and Dave collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, their bodies trembling from the release of pressure.
“Tell me about this Root Sage protecting them,” she demanded coldly.
Daisy wasted no time. “She’s one of the Masters at the Sword Gate of the Divine Palace Sect—Sword Saintess Selene. She recently took on a disciple, and that disciple happens to be the alchemist who cured the young miss of the Alderford family.
“Oddly enough, the young miss has decided to become his woman, and ever since, Sword Saintess Selene has been staying with them. She’s been living there for the past week, making it impossible for us to take any action against them.”
“I see. That’s… actually troublesome,” the lady said, a faint flicker of annoyance crossing her voice. “I’ve fought that woman before. While she wouldn’t be able to kill me outright, I also don’t think I can easily deal with her.”
“But that doesn’t mean we’re not going to try,” the Dark Lady said, her voice unwavering.
“What do you require of us, Lady Dark?” Daisy asked, her tone as respectful as she could muster.
“It’s very simple,” the Dark Lady replied. “Since she has taken a disciple, it’s only a matter of time before they return to the sect, correct? We’ll ambush them on the way and take what we need.
“However, be prepared to sacrifice a few soldiers. Deploy scouts to monitor their movements and report back to me. The moment they head for the sect, inform me immediately.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the Dark Lady disappeared from the room, her presence vanishing as if she had never been there.
Dave and Daisy breathed heavy sighs of relief, their bodies sagging as the oppressive tension lifted.
“That was harder than I expected,” Dave Ashland said, his face returning to its natural color.
“Harder than expected? We were this close to dying,” Daisy said with a frown.
“We didn’t, which means our plan has started to take shape. If we’re lucky, she will be killed, and her hold on us will be lifted. Then we can start our next plan to gain the power we need,” Dave said.
“That is true, but we don’t know what the Devil Spirit Church wants to do in this kingdom, so we can only hope that once we gain their favor, they won’t stab us in the back,” Daisy said, looking somewhat excited.
“They won’t. Since we won’t be getting the spirit root for our daughter and then selling her to the Devil Spirit Church is now meaningless. We can only sell the Atomic Divine Body. That said, my men retrieved her a day ago and have now locked her inside the Makosa Prison,” Dave replied.
“Good. Once the Dark Lady is dead, we will make our stand. Soon, the entire kingdom will be ours to rule,” Daisy said before jumping on Dave. Soon, her moans filled the hall, while her sisters remained passed out, one of them dead.
Clearly, they may appear weak to many, but their schemes are already taking shape.