The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2321
Once Gerald had left, Lucian couldn’t help but mutter, “While it’s definitely possible to learn about the island’s secrets if he manages to contact the auction’s organizer, they’re not a person he can just meet all willy-nilly!”
Lucian genuinely wanted to help Gerald out since not only had the boy promised to share the secrets of the Devotion Mirror, once he unlocked its secrets-with him, but Gerald was also willingly risking his life to save Lindsay! Even so, he had no idea how to even help. After all, it wasn’t like he could talk to the organizer on Gerald’s behalf. Hell, he didn’t even know anyone who had met up with the organizer in the past decade!
“Don’t worry too much about it. There are just some things that we can’t help with,” comforted Aiden when he saw how perplexed Lucian looked.
Sighing in response, Lucian replied, “I know… I just want to help him for once…”
Though Lucian was plagued with guilt, Gerald, on the contrary, was as cool as a cucumber in his room. After all, he already knew how difficult this investigation was going to be.
Understanding how immensely powerful the organizer was, Gerald had made up his mind that if he still failed to uncover the island’s secrets after trying his best, then he would just give up. After all, cracking the code wouldn’t do him any good if he ended up dead. Whatever the case was, Gerald figured that he should start by simply wandering around the island in hopes of finding potential clues.
Compared to when they had first arrived, many more food stalls had been set up by the time the trio headed out for dinner. With so many stalls, it was no surprise that many of them sold international cuisines from Weston, Japan, and even Meinberg, one of the smaller countries!
Eventually, however, they settled on a Weston stall and Lucian quickly ordered two Weston dishes. Shortly after, Gerald who had sensed waves of essential qi around him couldn’t help but whisper, “There’s quite a number of cultivators around us…”
“Indeed… After all, there’s a five-year gap between each auction. It only makes sense for all the large families and cultivators from Asia and Southeast Asia to attend. While it may look lively now, things can get chaotic really quickly, and many bad things have happened here before. Some even take the chance to kill others during the event,” replied Lucian in a hushed tone as he slurped on his soup.
“Hmm? Doesn’t the organizer intervene?” asked Gerald with a slight frown.
“The organizer doesn’t bother with most things that happen here. As long as the auction is held and you don’t do anything that will affect their interest, they won’t make a move. An example would be what happened some twenty years ago… It was my third time attending the auction back then, and I remember someone trying to steal one of the auction items. Unfortunately for him, he was quickly subdued by a group of men in black. He didn’t even stand a fighting chance… Either way, nobody’s dared to cause any trouble since then, though fights and revenge-seeking is still quite commonplace on this private island. After all, it isn’t under the jurisdiction of any country, so murder has no consequences…” explained Lucian.
“I see…” said Gerald with a slight nod.
“With all that said, let’s just try not to get into any trouble here. After all, we can never be too sure how strong one actually is here…” muttered Lucian as he got to his feet when he saw the food stall owner walking toward them with their dishes.
“Don’t worry, I’m just here to look around. It’s not like I look for trouble for fun,” replied Gerald with a smile.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2322
Just as they were about to dig in, however, a loud ‘thud’ could be heard, followed by a ‘crash’! Naturally, everyone immediately turned to look at the source of the sound… and were quickly greeted by the sight of a bearded young man who looked to be in his thirties lying in a pool of his own blood! His eyes widened in fear, the man could be seen struggling for a while, desperately attempting to ask for help. However, even when his body went fully limp, nobody seemed to care.
They simply continued eating as though the one who had just died was nothing but a rat.
Bringing his bow! of soup to his mouth-but clearly having lost his appetite-, Lucian then lowered the bowl again before saying, “Well, that’s probably a textbook example of what I said earlier. Poor man probably offended someone who waited till now just to murder him without any repercussions…”
“Possibly. This truly is an excellent place to commit murder…” replied Gerald in a nonchalant tone.
Gerald, for one, knew that auctions outside of Weston were never peaceful, and he had heard several tales of how chaotic auctions could get in Southeastern countries like Yanam and Meinberg. Once the auctions began, the participants’ lives bore little meaning, and cultivators-who were used to seeing blood and death, had no issue with murder.
Regardless, though the corpse was sprawled in the middle of the street, everyone who walked past only gave it a brief glance before looking away. Shortly after, a few men donning gray robes walked up to the body and picked it up before quickly moving toward the sea.
With how efficient they were, nobody would’ve been able to guess what had happened there if the puddle of blood didn’t remain.
Either way, once they were done with dinner, Gerald told Aiden and Lucian that he was going to wander around the island after a quick shower. Though Aiden wanted to come along, Gerald firmly refused. After all, if a man could murder out in the open without any repercussions here, then Gerald would rather not have Aiden who was completely powerless against cultivators face the risk of dying out here.
Whatever the case was, once Gerald was done with his shower, he slipped a new packet of cigarettes into his pocket before getting ready to leave. However, before he could even walk out the door, a thin, old woman who looked to be around eighty called out, “Where are you planning on going at this hour?”
Turning to look at the old woman seated by the door who honestly looked like a child with how tiny her hunched back made her look Gerald then lit a cigarette before shrugging as he replied, “It’s my first time here so I figured that I may as wellhead out to have a look around. Besides, I don’t like being in such a stuffy room for too long.”
“I advise you to stay indoors at night. It’s even more dangerous out there now that it’s dark. It wouldn’t even be a stretch to say that you’d possibly get killed by mistake the second you stepped out. See that dark spot over there? A man was killed about an hour ago, and his body’s been tossed into the sea…” said the old woman in a hoarse voice as she pointed at the dried bloodstains.
“Yeah, I was there when it happened,” replied Gerald.
“While you’re quite capable, you’re not the strongest here by any means,” said the old woman as she scanned Gerald from head to toe.
“With all due respect, I’m simply heading out for a stroll. I won’t be offending anyone, so I should end up fine,” replied Gerald as he looked straight into her eyes.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2323
To his surprise, her eyes were unusually bright, almost as though she was actually a young lady. “You know, people who don’t listen to advice are prone to getting fed to the sharks…” muttered the old woman as she looked to the side.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be off,” replied Gerald as he bowed toward her before hurrying off.
After Gerald swiftly disappeared around the corner, the old woman slowly straightened her back, revealing that she wasn’t hunch-backed at all! Shaking her head, she then muttered in a much clearer voice, “So that’s the Herculean Primordial Spirit that father told me about… To think that it’d be in a young man’s body! Things will surely get troublesome if he has a powerful background…”
Naturally, Gerald had no idea about any of this, and he simply continued assuming that the old woman had said all that out of kindness. Still, despite her warning and the fact that he was well aware that there were plenty of powerful people on the island, Gerald also knew that he was a master at escaping. With that in mind, he simply took in the faintly salty sea breeze as he walked along the darkened streets.
Shortly after, however, he couldn’t help but stop in his tracks with a slight frown. Gerald was sensing essential qi fluctuating from two people up ahead, and they were both probably as strong as he was. Curious, Gerald then withdrew his essential qi before slowly walking forward. Since he wanted to learn the island’s secrets, he couldn’t just back down upon encountering a
problem.
Regardless, after heading forward for a bit, he soon realized that aside from the few ancient-looking buildings that he had walked past, a large chunk of the island remained undeveloped. Still, with how large the place was, he couldn’t even see the other end of the island. Either way, once he got close enough, Gerald hid behind a large tree before squinting his eyes to get a better grasp of the situation.
Standing on the barren land were six men facing each other, with three on each side. Two of them stood before their groups, and they were the ones emanating the essential qi that Gerald had earlier detected. Now surer than ever that both of them were as strong as him, Gerald knew that he probably couldn’t win a fight against all six of them.
“What a dangerous place…” muttered Gerald with a frown as he puffed on his cigarette.
The second his thought ended, all six men rushed toward each other, immediately sparking up an intense battle! With how much essential qi was used in between blows, the area became so bright that it almost felt like it was daytime! It was about ten minutes later when the victors of the battle were finally decided…
Only one man remained alive on the losing side, and he was already on his knees, his breath extremely weak. As for the other trio, though they had won, they were all seriously injured as well. With that, they chose not to kill the man, swiftly disappearing into the darkness instead.
After witnessing all that, Gerald couldn’t help but click his tongue. While they were strong, all of them had very little combat experience. Now understanding that, Gerald was pretty confident that he would’ve won even if all six of them came for him.
Shaking his head, he then continued walking forward, completely unnoticed.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2324
Utilizing the moon’s glow to guide him around, Gerald soon came across a massive mountain that stood about a kilometer away from him. Naturally, this puzzled him. After all, he should’ve been able to see the mountain the second he got on the island! It certainly didn’t help that he was positive that the mountain wasn’t there up till this point. Concluding that there was definitely a secret to be found on the mountain that could possibly be related to the island’s secrets, Gerald excitedly began dashing toward the place.
“How absolutely unusual…” muttered Gerald under his breath as he wondered if he could just skip looking for the island that Seadom tribe had relocated to and finally be able to get to Yearning Island.
Regardless, it was about five minutes later when Gerald stopped at the foot of the mountain. Looking up, Gerald then took a deep breath before attempting to dash forward again, only to feel his face smacking into something!
“What the hell was that…?” muttered Gerald with a frown as he looked at the clearing before him. There weren’t even any tree branches hindering his way! Mobilizing his essential qi, Gerald then began touching the area that he had collided into… and sure enough, there was an invisible wall of air there!
Before Gerald could investigate any further, he suddenly heard a scowl, stating, “Who goes there?”
The voice sounded old, and as Gerald turned to face the source of the voice, he quickly realized that a figure was rapidly flying toward him! Sensing that this old man was rather strong-and fearing that he would call for reinforcements-, Gerald immediately began bolting away from the scene! If all this resulted in him offending the auction’s organizer, then he’d never be able to leave the island!
Either way, though Gerald was fast, the old man was faster, and it only took the senior three seconds to catch up to the boy!
“Snooping around at night, huh? Show me your face and tell me what you’re up to!” growled the old man as he attempted to grab Gerald’s shoulder.
Upon hearing that, Gerald simply began turning around, preparing himself for battle. If he wasn’t going to be able to outrun his opponent, he may as well fight with him. Whether he made it out alive was up to fate.
“Daring enough to stop? Are you courting death or something?!” growled a rather familiar voice. Before Gerald could fully face the old man, he felt a hand grab onto the back of his collar, and within seconds, he was already quite a distance from where he had initially stood!
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2325
Upon seeing Gerald being dragged off, the old man immediately stopped in his tracks. While he was pretty sure that the intruder’s savior was an old woman, her aura felt oddly familiar.
“Was that the young mistress…?” muttered the old man to himself. Knowing how quirky the girl was, the man eventually decided to turn back, withdrawng his essential qi in the process.
His thought process was to first contact the young mistress’s family to confirm whether that was truly her. If it wasn’t, then he’d just resume hunting the boy down. While he wasn’t able to get a good look at Gerald’s face, nobody escaped his grasps!
Moving back to Gerald, it wasn’t long before he found himself back at the building he was staying in. Once inside, he quickly straightened his clothes before placing his palm and fist together as he respectfully said, “Thank you for saving me, senior!”
Had she not stepped in at the last moment, Gerald knew that he would’ve entered a world of trouble. Hell, even if he had managed to escape, he was pretty sure that he would’ve somehow ended up offending the auction’s organizer… And with the power they possessed, killing him would probably be as easy as squashing an ant.
“I told you not to wander about, didn’t I? Still, while I had expected you to end up offending a few people, I never would’ve imagined that you’d dare to head to that mountain!” muttered the old woman who had hardly broken a sweat as she sat on her folding stool again.
“I just got a bit curious… After all, I hadn’t been able to see the mountain till I was at least a kilometer from it! I never expected to get into trouble just for that…” muttered Gerald as he quivered slightly.
“Just go back to sleep. I’m pretty sure that old man wasn’t able to see your face, so you’re good. Besides, you’re not the first to wander into that area by mistake, so you don’t have to worry about your safety,” replied the old woman as she waved her hand.
“I will… Still, why did you save me earlier? After all, we’ve only met once and I even went against your advice!” muttered Gerald with a smile as he squatted before the woman. The fact that he wasn’t able to sense any murderous intent from her only served to increase his curiosity.
“I was just free at the time,” replied the old woman, prompting Gerald’s eyes to immediately widen, clearly not expecting that answer.
“Either way, it’s getting late, so go get some rest first And remember not to wander about the island anymore. I’m not saving you a second time,” said the old woman as she lowered her head.
“… Very well. Again, I appreciate your help,” replied Gerald with a bow before heading upstairs, knowing that he wasn’t going to get any more information out of her.
Regardless, it was about ten minutes later when the old woman got to her feet before leaving the building. The place she was headed to was near the coast, and not too far from the huge mountain. Upon arriving, she was greeted by the sight of a row of houses and several young men donning black uniforms similar to what the men at the port and the shore had been wearing standing guard before the doors of each building.
After entering one of the houses and into her room, the old woman slipped her clothes off… revealing a set of modem clothes underneath them. Following that, her hunchback was quickly straightened and her figure turned slender as well. By the time her transformation was done, the fair skinned girl looked like she was merely in her twenties.
The second she slipped into a jacket, a knock could be heard at the door, followed by a hoarse voice asking, “Was that you earlier, young mistress?”
“Please enter, Third elder,” replied the woman in an almost ethereal voice.
“Right away,” replied the voice as the door to her room opened… Revealing the man who had earlier been chasing Gerald! However, instead of looking sinister, the old man, after taking his hat off had a kind expression on his face.
“Answering your question, yes, that was me. Either way, if he still wanders the island after this, just drive him away. He must not be hurt,” ordered the young mistress as she sat cross-legged on a chair, her eyes clear, just like what Gerald had first seen.
“But… This island hides our family’s secrets, young mistress! Just so you know, that kid wasn’t exactly weak, and I’m certain he would have eventually been able to get past the essential qi barrier and enter Mount Nimbus had I not stopped him earlier!” said the man in gray, a worried expression on his face.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2326
“Do you have any idea who he is?” asked the young lady as she looked up, revealing just how pure she looked…
After giving it some serious thought, the man in gray simply replied, “Not a clue.”
In fact, it was exactly because he had no idea who Gerald was that the man ultimately decided to make his move on the boy back then.
“That boy possesses the Herculean Primordial Spirit…” muttered the woman with a sigh.
“What..? He does? Where did you lead him to, young mistress? Just say the word and I’ll bring him over immediately!” exclaimed the old man, his eyes glinting with excitement.
“What’s the point of bringing him over?” replied the young lady.
“Young mistress, the master’s been searching for the one who bears the Herculean Primordial Spirit for over ten years! Now that we’ve finally found him, we can’t just let him escape! He needs to use the primordial spirit to neutralize the cold poison in your body no matter what! Come to think of it, that boy may attempt to escape after I scared him earlier! This won’t do. I’m telling master about this and having him seal up Greendrake Island!” declared the ecstatic man in gray.
“Just forget it,” replied the young lady as she shook her head.
“You can’t be serious, young mistress… Only a single person holds the Herculean Primordial Spirit, so if we don’t capture him now, looking for him again will be like searching for a needle in a haystack! After all, we don’t even know where he’s from!” said the excited old man who would’ve already rushed out had the young girl not stopped him.
“Alright, say you do bring him back. What then?” asked the young lady.
“Well… He’ll have to… you know… He’ll have to use the Herculean Primordial Spirit’s power to cure the cold poison in your body!” muttered the old man rather awkwardly.
“So you’re saying that I should just exchange my virginity for my life?” replied the young lady with a soft sigh.
“Please don’t say that, young mistress… As long as we can confirm that he truly possesses the Herculean Primordial Spirit, then we may not have to resort to that method… Let’s see what master has to say about all this first…” muttered the old man who was getting increasingly embarrassed.
“Just give me some time to get to know him better first, ” replied the young lady as she thought about the boy. Though they had only met briefly, she didn’t really dislike him. In other words, things were off to a considerably good start.
“And… What if he leaves before you’re on good terms with him?” asked the old man.
“Then all I can say is that I have terrible luck,” replied the young lady as she lowered her head.
“Your luck is already astronomically good for you to be able to bump into the person who owns the Herculean Primordial Spirit… Regardless, I’ll follow your orders. If he heads to Mount Nimbus again, I’ll simply drive him away. In return, however, I’ll be posting some of our men to keep watch over the island, just to make sure he doesn’t try to leave. Is that agreeable?” asked the old man.
“Fine,” replied the young lady in a resigned tone.
“I’m glad to hear it. Now do rest early, young mistress. I’ll be taking my leave for now,” replied the man in gray with a bow before closing the door behind him.
Once the door was closed, the girl’s eyes couldn’t help but glint in excitement as she muttered, “Though I know you possess the Herculean Primordial Spirit, I don’t even know your name yet…”
Whatever the case was, Gerald had a restless night after all that had happened.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2327
After all, not only did he discover that the island was similar to Yearning Island, but he had also come across a large mountain-which was only visible within a certain range that was surrounded by an essential qi barrier. What more, aside from bumping into a man in gray who had attempted to capture him, he also met up with a mysterious old lady who kept giving him advice! To think that just being here for half a day would be this eventful… He didn’t even know why all this was happening to him.
Either way, it was near dawn when Gerald finally ended up falling asleep.
The next thing he knew, it was already noon. Frowning slightly, Gerald then washed his face with cold water, planning to head out again. Before he was even able to leave, however, he watched as Aiden pushed the door open with some food in hand.
“Oh? So you’re finally awake,” said Aiden as he put the food on a table.
“Indeed… Have you been out all morning?” asked Gerald with a nod as he flopped onto a sofa.
“Pretty much. I headed out with uncle Grubb. We ended up splitting up some time ago when he went off to pay for something but didn’t return for quite a while. Figuring that he was haggling or something, I simply returned first with the food since I thought you’d be hungry,” explained Aiden as he unpacked the food and placed them before Gerald.
Taking a burrito, Gerald then asked, “I see… Any interesting news you heard while you were out there?”
Naturally, Gerald was worried that the organizer was after his head after what he had done last night. If that really was the case, then he definitely had to leave as soon as he could. Nothing good would come to be if he ended up getting captured.
“Not at all… Actually, hold on, I think I heard something about a fight of sorts last night…” muttered Aiden.
“I see… Anything else?” asked Gerald, figuring that the fight was the one among the six individuals whom he had seen last night.
“Not that I’ve heard of,” replied Aiden after giving it some thought.
“Good to hear,” said Gerald who was relieved to hear that. Still, he couldn’t help but find it odd. After all, he had clearly entered a forbidden area of the island last night, and the old man looked determined to kill him back then as well. Why wasn’t the organizer after his head yet? Even if they weren’t planning on capturing him, shouldn’t news about his actions be spread around at the very least…?
While it was definitely puzzling, it was still good news. Maybe that old man had simply thought that driving him away was enough. Whatever the case was, the important thing was that he was going to be safe, at least for now.
“Speaking of which, did you find anything last night?” asked Aiden as he bit into his own burrito, completely unaware of Gerald’s worries.
“Nothing, ” replied Gerald as he shook his head.
Sighing in response, Aiden then muttered, “It’s not going to be easy to learn about the island…
Should we just find a way to get to know the organizer so that we can ask them directly…?” “That’s a terrible idea and you know it,” replied Gerald with a helpless smile.
“Well, we can’t just rely on you slowly learning about this place… After all, if you accidentally head somewhere that you shouldn’t, the organizer could come after you!” muttered Aiden as he handed Gerald who had finished his burrito-another one.
Coughing out loud, Gerald then grumbled, “You jinxing me or something…?”
“Sorry, sorry…” replied Aiden with a sheepish grin.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2328
It was only after the two were done with lunch when Lucian finally returned with some items that he had bought. Looking at the open food packets, Lucian couldn’t help but smile as he said, “Enjoyed your lunch?”
“Ah, you’re back, uncle Grubb! I’ll go get some lunch for you,” replied Aiden as he got to his feet.
“I’ve already eaten. Regardless, come look at the great bargains I got! Had I bought them elsewhere, the price would’ve easily been twofold!” said Lucian with a wave of his hand.
Upon hearing that, Gerald curiously watched as Lucian opened the boxes he had just brought in. As it turned out, Lucian had bought some herbs, but Gerald wasn’t sure what kinds of herbs they were.
Noticing Gerald’s confusion, Lucian then pointed at one of the herbs before explaining, “That there, is Polargrass. This fine specimen, on the other hand, is a five-hundred-year-old wild ginseng…”
Once Lucian was done explaining about the herbs, Gerald simply nodded as he said, “It seems that even the street stalls here sell good stuff.”
While he wasn’t all that proficient in the field, Gerald had heard about most of the herbs-that Lucian had just bought-before from Daryl. With that said, he remembered Daryl stating that Polargrass was near priceless.
“Well, many of the stalls here weren’t even meant to be street stalls. The truth is, their items were simply not good enough to be included in the auction, so they were forced to sell their wares out here. That, however, doesn’t mean that the items that failed the screening are useless. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to get these herbs!” replied Lucian as he carefully placed the boxes aside. This trip was already proving to be fruitful to him.
“I see… Speaking of which, have there been cases of scams here?” asked Gerald, who hadn’t joined such an auction before.
“Of course, there’ve been. After all, all you need is twenty thousand dollars to get here. While the majority of people are sincere with their businesses, quite a few still try their luck at selling fake goods. In the end, it all boils down to how well you know your stuff, ” explained Lucian with a nod.
“Got it,” replied Gerald.
“If you’re having trouble judging the authenticity of goods, feel free to call me over. While I may not know that much about herbs and treasures, I believe I’m still more knowledgeable about them than you,” said Lucian once he was done putting away his boxes.
“I appreciate it, uncle Grubb,” replied Gerald with a slight bow.
“Don’t mention it. Speaking of which, did you manage to find anything while you were on your stroll last night?” asked the smiling Lucian.
“Nothing, unfortunately,” replied Gerald as he shook his head.
When he thought about the old woman, however, Gerald quickly got to his feet before walking toward the door while saying, “Either way, I’ll be heading out for a bit.”
Everything that had happened last night was still bugging him, so he may as well try looking for that woman to get some things clarified. Who knows, she could be hiding the exact answers that he needed.
“I’m coming with you!” declared Aiden as he hurriedly jogged after Gerald.
Once the two were downstairs, Gerald quickly turned to look at the area where the old woman had sat last night. Unfortunately, while the stool remained, the old woman was nowhere to be found.
“How odd…” muttered Gerald with a slight frown.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2329
“What is?” asked Aiden as he stared in the same direction as Gerald was, not knowing what Gerald was looking for.
“It’s nothing. Either way, back to the stroll,” replied Gerald as he shook his head. Until he got a better understanding of the situation, Gerald didn’t really want to tell Aid en about all this, fearing that he would trouble him. That way, if he needed that old woman’s help, Aiden wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Regardless, the second he stepped outside, Gerald saw that the streets were now packed with vendors. With so many people walking about, Gerald would’ve definitely assumed that this noisy place was a market had not known any better.
Leaning against Gerald, Aiden then muttered in an indifferent tone, “You know, despite there being so many stalls, they only extend to a few hundred meters up ahead. It really makes you wonder why they’d just decide to cram themselves in a concentrated area…”
“Maybe that’s as far as they’re allowed to go,” replied Gerald who knew that that was probably the truth though he simply played dumb.
Noticing the dried up blood stains from before, Gerald simply shook his head before placing his arms against his back as he said, “Either way, let’s go take a look around.”
As the duo walked deeper into the crowd, two men wearing gray uniforms who had been keeping watch over them from a distance turned to look at each other. One of them was the old man who had nearly attacked Gerald the night before.
“Think he’s the one?” asked the old man as he straightened his neck, his eyes still on the duo.
“He should be. After all, young mistress said she met him here, and we haven’t seen anyone else that fits her description of him leaving the building all day,” replied the other man as he pointed at the wooden building that Gerald had just left from.
“Fair enough. Either way, we mustn’t allow him to leave our sights. Still, to think that after ten whole years of searching for the Herculean Primordial Spirit, the boy carrying it would come to us instead!” muttered the old man as he continued keeping an eye on Gerald.
“It’s because of the young mistress’s extreme luck,” replied the other man.
“Indeed… Speaking of which, does master know about all this?” asked the old man as he began tailing Gerald.
“He does. After telling him about it this morning, he said that he’d return to the island immediately,” said the man.
“I see. If you told him this morning, then he should be arriving soon… You know what, I’m leaving the young man to you. I need to prepare for the master’s return. However, make sure to always keep him safe and don’t lose sight of him, understand?” replied the old man, prompting the other man to nod.
Seeing that, the old man then headed off, prompting the other man to continue tailing Gerald. Since the man maintained a constant ten meters away from Gerald, the boy never realized that he was being followed.
While Gerald would’ve certainly been able to detect him if he activated his essential qi, he made sure not to release any after what had happened last night. That way, the odds of that old man recognizing him would be greatly lowered.
Either way, as they walked on, Aiden who had been by Gerald’s side this entire time couldn’t help but widen his eyes as he muttered, “Guns? Here?”
Turning to look at the stall Aiden was looking at, Gerald was greeted by the sight of a man wearing a mercenary uniform selling a few of the Western Union’s newest rifle models together with their appropriate bullets.
“Anything goes here I guess,” replied Gerald as he continued walking forward. Aide from the guns in that stall, most of the other vendors were simply selling herbs that they couldn’t even name.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2330
Either way, Gerald wasn’t interested in those things at all. In fact, he wasn’t even planning to shop anytime soon. His priority was to investigate a bit more on what had taken place last night Thankfully, nobody seemed to be talking about his encounter with that old man. Though that was relieving to hear, Gerald knew that he still needed to look for that old woman. He, for one, believed that she wasn’t as simple as she appeared, and that he’d probably uncover most of the island’s secrets the second he got her to talk.
Regardless, upon reaching the area where stalls were becoming increasingly sparse, Gerald turned to look at Aiden before saying, “Let’s head back”
“Yeah… Honestly, this isn’t as lively as I imagined it to be…” muttered Aiden in a slightly disappointed tone.
“You’re getting auctions and parties mixed up… Speaking of the auction, I wonder if there’ll be any good stuff there tomorrow…” replied Gerald with a chuckle as he turned around only to notice a young man in gray staring at him from within the crowd.
Upon realizing that Gerald was looking in his direction, the man instantly lowered his gaze.
Gerald himself knew that the garments the person was wearing were similar to what the old man had worn last night. While he knew for a fact that this wasn’t the same person who had attacked him, it still meant that the auction’s organizer had already been keeping an eye on him. With that in mind, Gerald frowned slightly as he said, “Aiden, you head back first. There’s something I need to take care of…”
Hearing the change in Gerald’s tone, Aiden was prompted to ask, “Is something the matter?”
“I’ll tell you later, just head back first,” ordered Gerald, simply worried that the man in gray had been instructed by the old man to assassinate him. With that in mind, he didn’t want Aiden accidentally getting hurt if he stayed behind. Gerald was already prepared to settle things alone anyway.
“Alright. Be careful out there,” replied Aiden who knew for a fact since he had already been following Gerald around for so long that Gerald must have sensed danger and was only telling him to leave to avoid getting harmed.
“Definitely,” replied Gerald with a slight nod, prompting Aiden to disappear into the crowd.
Seeing that, Gerald took a deep breath before turning around and walking away from the crowded area. If there was going to be a fight, he wasn’t about to do it here.
Either way, upon seeing Gerald suddenly split up with his friend and change directions, the man in gray couldn’t help but scratch the back of his head before mumbling, “Is he misunderstanding something…?”
While he didn’t know what was up, he still continued following Gerald, knowing that if he lost the boy, then Third elder would surely scold him later. After all, all this concerned the young mistress’s life.
Moving back to Gerald, he made sure not to walk too quickly since he still needed time to figure out how he was going to deal with the situation. While he knew that he could probably handle the man in the back, this wasn’t his territory. In other words, Gerald was worried that stronger people could appear at any time. Still, at the very least, he was leading the trouble away from Aiden and Lucian. Knowing that, if he ended up getting caught, so be it.
Regardless, Gerald successfully made it out of the street stall area shortly after. Upon seeing Gerald suddenly dashing forward, the man in gray swiftly made his way toward the youth. However, he was too late. Gerald had vanished!
“D*mn it!” grumbled the young man as he scanned the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of the boy. When all of a sudden, he was struck by a sudden gust of wind!
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2331
Feeling something cold against his neck, the man then looked down and realized that there was a dagger against his throat!
“Care explaining why you’re following me?” asked Gerald as he squinted his eyes.
“Y-you’ve got it wrong, brother! I have no reason to follow you around!” replied the young man with a gulp as he smiled awkwardly while raising both his hands.
Upon hearing that, Gerald was slightly taken aback. After all, not only did the young man not choose to resist or threaten him, but he didn’t fluctuate his essential qi at all! Though he wasn’t expecting such a reaction, Gerald simply took a deep breath before replying, “Is this because I trespassed to the forbidden area last night?”
“Forbidden area?” asked the young man, utterly confused. After all, he had no idea that Gerald had headed to Mount Nimbus last night. All he had been told was that the boy possessed the Herculean Primordial Spirit and that he wasn’t allowed to leave the island.
Pointing toward Mount Nimbus’s direction, Gerald then said, “That huge mountain over there.”
When Gerald turned to look at where he was pointing, however, he quickly realized that the mountain had disappeared once more.
Now getting a fuller picture, the young man simply replied, “You’ll learn more about it in the future.”
While Mount Nimbus was one of his family’s secret mountains, upon considering Gerald’s identity and the fact that maybe the patriarch or young mistress would eventually explain things to him, the young man chose not to straight out play dumb.
“Elaborate,” said Gerald with a slight frown.
“B-before that… Could you move the dagger away from my throat…? A slip of your hand and my life will be over…! Believe me when I say that I have no intentions of stalking or fighting you…!” replied the man as he pointed at the dagger while chuckling nervously.
Knowing that the man really wasn’t planning to fight, Gerald then withdrew his dagger before saying, “Tell me the whole story.”
“Speaking of which, the name’s Yaacob Zeman… What about you?” asked the man as he pretended not to hear Gerald’s question.
“Gerald Crawford,” replied Gerald with a slight frown.
“Alright, I admit that I was tailing you, but I honestly don’t wish to fight. While I can’t tell you any more than that, you’ll learn more about it in the future…” muttered Yaacob when he sensed that Gerald wasn’t going to let him off till he knew the truth.
“What do you mean I’ll learn more then? Just tell me already. You’re with the auction’s organizer, no?” replied Gerald, confused as to why the man was so hesitant to elaborate.
“I am…” muttered Yaacob with a nod.
“Regardless, aren’t you being a bit too casual around me? Keep in mind that we’re complete strangers,” replied Gerald with a sigh as he sheathed his dagger.
Grinning sheepishly, Yaacob then scratched the back of his head as he said, “I’m sure that’ll change in the future… Either way, since I’ve been discovered, do allow me to just stay by your side.”
Knowing that he had no right to stop the man since it was his fault for trespassing in the first place, Gerald simply replied, “Do as you want…”
“I’m glad to hear that! Since we’ve gotten acquainted now do let me treat you to dinner! There are plenty of delicacies on our island and I can definitely lead you to the best food!” said Yaacob as he placed his arm around Gerald’s shoulder, showing just how easy going he was.
“I’m full,” replied Gerald with a sigh.
“Then allow me to lead you around the island! In case you weren’t aware, the scenery here isn’t all that bad!” said Yaacob in an enthusiastic tone.
Upon hearing that, Gerald was reminded of what Lucian said the day before. With that, he was prompted to say, “Speaking of which, there’s something I’d like to get clarified.”
“Ask away!” replied Yaacob as he patted his chest
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2332
“I’ve heard rumors that the island can’t be located unless auctions are held here. Is that true?” asked Gerald as he looked at Yaacob.
“I… can’t really answer that since this is the first I’m hearing about the rumor myself! In case you doubt me, know that though we’re in charge of maintaining order here, we aren’t usually allowed to be on the island unless we’re ordered to. With that said, we come here about the same time as all of you do.” Replied Yaacob as he shook his head.
Sensing that Yaacob wasn’t lying, Gerald then sighed as he replied, “Alright. Then tell me what else you know about this place…”
“Well, there’s a lot of good food here! Allow me to lead you to them!” exclaimed Yaacob with a glint of excitement in his eyes.
Upon hearing that, Gerald didn’t really know whether to feel happy or sad. While it was true that he now knew that the organizer wasn’t planning on making a move on him just yet, thus ensuring Aiden and Lucian’s safety, he still had no idea what Yaacob meant by ‘he’d learn more in time’.
Regardless, even though Yaacob was talking to Gerald in a way that almost suggested that he was family, despite being complete strangers, in the end, the young man was still a disciple of the organizer, and it wasn’t easy getting to know one. With that in mind, Gerald made up his mind that he’d get information from him no matter what.
With that, he was prompted to say, “Forget it, I’d rather return to get some rest. Before that, however, do you know of a strong, old woman?”
“Who are you calling an old woman? She’s…” replied Yaacob before quickly covering his mouth.
“She’s…?” said Gerald.
“She’s probably just someone who’s here for the auction,” replied Yaacob as he shook his head.
“I see,” said Gerald with a shrug, knowing full well that the old woman had connections with the organizer’s family. Why else would the old man in gray choose not to pursue him even though this was his territory? After all, Gerald believed that the old man was capable enough to easily sense his presence with his essential qi.
Either way, Yaacob then added, “So… are you heading back to rest now?”
“If I am, are you going to continue following me?” asked Gerald with a slightly helpless sigh.
“But of course! It’s my mission to do so, after all. Don’t worry, I won’t harm you! ” replied Yaacob in an honest tone.
“Then can you at least tell me why you’re doing all this…?” muttered Gerald, thinking that everything that had happened on this island was equally as baffling.
“I can’t tell you yet, but…”
“I’ll find out later. I get it… Whatever the case is, even if you do follow me around, just make sure not to get in my way,” said Gerald, already knowing what Yaacob was going to say.
“I definitely won’t!” declared Yaacob as he shook his head, prompting Gerald who already knew that the street stalls had nothing that he needed to begin heading back to rest.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2333
Though Yaacob didn’t appear too suspicious and mostly felt trustworthy to Gerald, the man was still part of the organizer’s family. Since Gerald knew little about that family, he remained rightfully vigilant around Yaacob.
Regardless, since Yaacob followed Gerald all the way back to his room, Aiden who had been lying on the couch instantly got up before asking, “Who is this, then?”
“He’s just a friend I got to know. Regardless, ‘friend’, you won’t be staying with us, correct? After all, there are only three rooms and three beds here,” replied Gerald who clearly didn’t want Aiden to know the whole story yet as he turned to look at Yaacob.
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’ll just go get another room!” said Yaacob as he shook his head, knowing that his mission was merely to keep a close eye on Gerald, not to be at his side at all times.
Either way, once Yaacob left, Gerald could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Pouring himself a glass of water, Gerald then asked, “Speaking of which, where’s uncle Grubb?”
“He’s headed out to register our seats for tomorrow’s auction,” replied Aiden as he sat by Gerald’s side.
“I see…” said Gerald as he sipped on his water.
“Who exactly was that, brother Gerald…? Uncle Grubb’s already told us how chaotic this place is, so we need to be clear about his identity if we’re allowing him to approach us…” muttered Aiden as he pointed at the door that Yaacob had just left with.
“Don’t worry, he’s safe to be around,” replied Gerald in a slightly helpless tone, knowing better than to go against someone from the organizer’s family, especially after being targeted by the old man. Thinking back, maybe the old man ordered Yaacob to stay close to him so that he wouldn’t attempt to trespass that huge mountain again. If that was the case, then Yaacob’s appearance would surely make a lot more sense.
Moving back to Yaacob, being the disciple of the organizer’s family, he naturally didn’t have to book a room to stay there. With that in mind, he simply found a vacant room before walking in and closing the door behind him. Following that, he made a call to the old man, and once it connected, Yaacob immediately said, “Third elder? There’s something I need to report!”
“You’d better not have lost him…” growled the old man.
“O-of course I haven’t! I called to tell you that I’ve already met him and I’m currently staying close to his room,” replied Yaacob.
“You didn’t say a word about the young mistress, did you?” asked the old man as he eased up a little.
“Negative. I only admitted that I was stalking him, but I didn’t say anything else,” explained Yaacob.
“Good to know. Regardless of how you do it, just make sure you don’t lose him. Also, the patriarch is arriving very soon, and I’m about to head out to greet him. With that said, continue keeping an eye on him, understand?” replied the old man with a nod.
“Got it!” said Yaacob before hanging up…
It was around half an hour later when a plain-looking boat was anchored on the other side of the island where the old man and about a dozen more disciples could be seen waiting onshore.
Shortly after, a well-dressed and stern-looking middle aged man stepped out, and two of the disciples quickly stepped forward to help him out. Once he was ashore, the old man bowed before saying, “Welcome, patriarch…”
Aside from being the auction’s organizer, the man who went by Walter Zeman was also the patriarch of the Zemans, a cultivating family from Weston. With how high his cultivation was, Walter was one of the top ten cultivators across the globe.
“Where is he, Third elder? You said the boy possessed the Herculean Primordial Spirit, correct? Bring me to him,” replied Walter in an urgent tone.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2334
Despite his status, Walter looked less like a majestic family head and more like a father worried for his daughter’s life.
Regardless, upon hearing that, Third elder immediately bowed slightly before saying, “Indeed. His name is Gerald Crawford, and he’s still on the island. Yaacob is keeping an eye on him just in case he tries to leave…”
“What of his family’s background?” asked Walter.
“He appears to be a solitary cultivator. Strangely enough, I’ve yet to find out anything about his family’s background,” muttered Third elder, seemingly unconvinced with his own results.
“Are you absolutely sure? You know how impossible that sounds, right?” replied Walter with a sigh.
“…Well… Young mistress was the first to sense his Herculean Primordial Spirit… Even I was able to sense it when the boy for some odd reason attempted to enter Mount Nimbus last night…” explained Third elder as he shook his head.
“Come now, how could a solitary cultivator be the one to possess the Herculean Primordial Spirit! Have you scanned his power thoroughly enough to be absolutely sure that he owns it?” replied Walter with a wry laugh.
“We’re definitely planning to, though maybe that boy really is that lucky…?” said Third elder with a nod.
“Whatever the case is, bring him to me so that I can check for myself! The sooner we cure the cold poison in Mia’s body, the better!” replied Walter as he waved his hand, clearly only caring about his daughter’s recovery.
“About that… Young mistress has disallowed us from doing so…” said Third elder in an embarrassed tone.
“What..? What is that girl even thinking?” grumbled Walter.
“It’s best if you meet her yourself…” muttered Third elder in a slightly hesitantly.
“Where is she…” asked Walter with a sigh.
“She’s on the island…” replied Third elder.
“Bring her to me, and tell her to have an answer prepared for her reasoning. Seriously… I’ve searched for over ten years for the Herculean Primordial Spirit and now that it’s finally appeared, she says she doesn’t want to meet the boy? Does she really want to die in a year…?” grumbled Walter as he left the scene.
Third elder himself gave no reply, and simply followed Walter with the other clansmen.
It was about half an hour later when the young lady entered her father’s room.
Watching as Walter-who was seated on a long teak bench-stared at her, the surprised Mia couldn’t help but say, “Father..? What are you doing here so early…?”
She, for one, clearly remembered that her father had told her that he wouldn’t come over till the auctioning began since he had a more important meeting to attend to.
“If I didn’t come, all my hard work over the past ten years would’ve been for naught! ” replied Walter.
Momentarily freezing in place, Mia quickly said, “What could you be talking about, father?” “Enough games, Mia. You’ve located the one who possesses the Herculean Primordial Spirit, correct?” replied Walter in a commanding tone.
“Third elder, did you…?” muttered Mia as she turned to look at the old man in gray who was standing close by.
“Indeed… You should know how critical this information is to the patriarch, so please don’ t be mad at me… ” replied Third elder as he looked to the side, embarrassed.
Knowing that there was no point hiding it any longer, Mia then took a deep breath before saying, “Yes, I’ve located him.”
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2335
“Then what are you waiting for, Mia? You have less than a year left! If we don’t act quick, the boy may leave and we may not be able to locate him again!” replied Walter in an urgent tone. After all, his daughter’s life was on the line!
Upon hearing that, Mia couldn’t help but blush as she muttered, “Please leave me and my father be for a moment…”
Nodding in response, Third Elder and the others quickly left the room…
Once they were gone, Mia clenched her sleeves before adding in a tiny voice, “… Father, I’m sure you’re aware of what I have to do with that boy in order to cure the cold poison in my body…”
After a brief pause, Walter then replied, “I’m well aware…”
“Then can I at least get to know this person first…? I need to at least be able to accept him before allowing him to treat my cold poison, right…?” said Mia, feeling extremely embarrassed.
“You’re being too picky! While I know that it’d be best if you could be together with that boy, beggars can’t be choosers. If you’re really that self-conscious about it, I can just kill him after your condition is cured!” declared Walter, his gaze frigid.
“You… You’re planning to kill my savior…?” muttered Mia, her eyes focused on her father.
Suddenly feeling immensely awkward, Walter averted his gaze before saying, “It’s all for your own good…”
“Since you’re saying that, just let me get to know him a bit… If he doesn’t meet my requirements at all, I’d rather die from the cold poison!” replied Mia in a firm tone.
“Bullsh*t! You can’t joke about your life like that! My daughter, I’ve let you have your way with everything ever since you were born… However, I’m doing things my way this time. Stay here and I’ll go capture that cultivator right this instant! I’ll let you decide what to do with him once he cures the cold poison!” growled Walter as he got up before striding toward the door.
Grabbing onto her father’s arm, Mia then pleaded, “Father, wait! I… I promise I’ll make him remove the cold poison in my body… Just… give me some time… Please…?” “Do you promise?” growled Walter as he actively suppressed his anger.
“I swear!” declared Mia with a firm nod.
“You have until the day the auction is over. If he leaves, it’ll be like trying to find a needle in a haystack! You only have ten months left, so if you don’ t act quick, I’m intervening whether you like it or not,” replied Walter who couldn’t help but give in when he saw his daughter’s eyes begin to water.
“Understood…” muttered Mia with a nod, knowing that her father only wanted what was best for her.
“Alright… Now go get some rest. I wish to see the young man at the auction tomorrow.
Even if he doesn’t have a family, as long as he looks alright and has a good personality, I’m willing to accept him as my son-in-law. Of course, that’s only if my previous daughter thinks the same,” said Walter as he softened his tone.
After searching for the person possessing the Herculean Primordial Spirit for over ten years, who could blame him for feeling so overwhelmed?
“I… Yes father, I’ll be taking my leave first…” muttered Mia, feeling slightly embarrassed again.
Watching as his daughter left, Walter then added, “You’ll be following me to the auction tomorrow, alright? After all, I still don’t know what Gerald looks like, so you’ll have to point him out to me…”
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2336
“Understood, father…” replied Mia as she closed the door behind her.
Fast forward to early the next morning, Gerald could be seen lying on his bed, his eyes wide open. After all that had happened, he hadn’t been able to sleep a wink, and he had pondered about the turn of events throughout the night to no avail.
Gerald’s train of thought was cut short when a knock on his door was heard, followed by
Aiden saying, “That Yaacob fellow is here…”
Upon hearing that, Gerald couldn’t help but sigh. While he didn’t like the idea of someone keeping an eye on him, what else could he do? Rolling off his bed, he then pushed his door open before replying, “Let him in…”
By the time Gerald was done washing his face, Yaacob was already seated in the living room.
Seeing Gerald, Yaacob quickly pointed at a few bags of food on the table before saying, “I got up early to get breakfast for everyone! Do try out what I bought! I’m sure you’ll love my picks!”
“I appreciate it…” replied Gerald in a slightly helpless tone.
“No problem! Hmm? Ah, you’re awake, uncle! Come have some food before it gets cold!” declared Yaacob who couldn’t read the mood at all as he watched Lucian exit his room.
Naturally, Lucian was slightly confused to see the unfamiliar face, prompting him to ask, “And this is..?”
“A new friend I made…” muttered Gerald.
“I see… Well, I go by Lucian Grubb, but you can just call me Uncle Grubb,” replied Lucian with a nod as he outstretched his hand toward Yaacob.
“Yaacob Zeman! Just call me Yaacob!” declared Yaacob with a cheeky smile as he returned the handshake.
“Pleasure to meet you. Regardless, we only have half an hour left to enter the auction hall. With that said, finish your breakfast quickly or we’ll be barred from entering,” muttered Lucian as he handed Gerald and Aiden an admission ticket each.
Before Gerald and Aiden could take their tickets, Yaacob fished out a gold plated entrance ticket from his pocket before placing it on the table and saying, “You can keep those tickets, Uncle Grubb. I have a ticket to the VIP seats, so just come along with me!”
“You… what? But how?” exclaimed Lucian, clearly flabbergasted by the turn of events. After all, such seats were only reserved for either large Westoner families or the most powerful of cultivators!
The Grubb family was naturally unable to compare to those two groups, so Lucian had never dreamed of getting to sit in the auction’s VIP area. Hell, this was the first time he had ever seen a ticket for the VIP seats!
As for Gerald and Aiden, both of them could only exchange glances. While Aiden looked rightfully confused, Gerald himself was as cool as a cucumber. After all, he knew that Yaacob was a disciple of the organizer’s family. With that said, him having access to such a ticket only made sense.
Regardless, Yaacob-who had anticipated this response simply replied, “Let’s just say I got it by chance. Either way, I had initially thought it would be lonely to head there alone.
Thankfully, I bumped into brother Gerald, so we can now chat during the auction!” “Well, if you’re inviting… Sure, why not,” said Lucian.
Gerald himself simply nodded at Yaacob before adding, “We appreciate it.”
“Oh… This… is nothing, don’t mention it,” replied Yaacob, suddenly feeling embarrassed. After all, he was only doing all this because Third elder had sent him a message last night, asking him to bring Gerald to the VIP seats-on the second floor-so that the patriarch could have a good look at him.
Either way, once brealdast was done, the four of them set out together…
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2337
The auction itself was being held in a huge, round building in the middle of the island that somewhat resembled a Roman colosseurn, mostly because its center was hollow to allow for better lighting. Aside from that, the auction house was two stories high, with the upper floor being a round platform with several well-arranged ‘boxes’ where the audience could sit.
All the boxes were surrounded by clear, tempered glass that allowed the audience to see the auction table on the first floor. Speaking of the first floor, there were at least three hundred rows of wooden benches down there. Before the benches, stood the auction table, and behind the table, were two wooden doors that gave access to the backstage.
Whatever the case was, people were already swarming into the building at eight in the morning. As for Gerald and his party, since they had Yaacob’s ticket with them, they simply ascended the wooden staircase beside the auction house before heading to the upper floor.
When the clansman saw Yaacob, he immediately gestured toward the door without even bothering to see the ticket before saying, “Please, come in.”
Nodding in response, Yaacob then began leading the group to their viewing box as he said, “You know, I heard they serve tons of food and drinks in every box.”
Upon getting to their viewing area, they found that aside from a sofa that could fit up to five people there was also a long table that was filled with all sorts of food as well as a few bottles of mineral water.
“While this isn’t my first time attending this auction, it truly is a first for me to be able to enter the VIP seating area…” muttered Lucian as he sat on the couch, a complicated emotion on his face as he stared at the noisy crowd at the bottom.
“Since you’re friends with brother Gerald, you can sit in the VIP viewing boxes in any future auctions!” declared Yaacob as he patted his chest reassuringly.
“I’ll take your word for it, then!” replied Lucian.
Though he knew that Gerald was going to leave his family soon, he had a feeling that Gerald would return for the next auction now that he knew about all this.
As people continued entering the auction house, nobody including Gerald and his party noticed that there was actually a hidden second-floor viewing box behind the auction table.
Though nothing looked out of the ordinary from outside that viewing box, from the inside, everything outside could be seen clearly. Naturally, this was the viewing area that Walter and his daughter were sitting in. Standing by their sides were Third elder and at least a dozen clansmen from their family.
Upon getting to their viewing area, they found that aside from a sofa that could fit up to five people there was also a long table that was filled with all sorts of food as well as a few bottles of mineral water.
“While this isn’t my first time attending this auction, it truly is a first for me to be able to enter the VIP seating area…” muttered Lucian as he sat on the couch, a complicated emotion on his face as he stared at the noisy crowd at the bottom.
“Since you’re friends with brother Gerald, you can sit in the VIP viewing boxes in any future auctions!” declared Yaacob as he patted his chest reassuringly.
“I’ll take your word for it, then!” replied Lucian.
Though he knew that Gerald was going to leave his family soon, he had a feeling that Gerald would return for the next auction now that he knew about all this.
As people continued entering the auction house, nobody including Gerald and his party noticed that there was actually a hidden second-floor viewing box behind the auction table.
Though nothing looked out of the ordinary from outside that viewing box, from the inside, everything outside could be seen clearly. Naturally, this was the viewing area that Walter and his daughter were sitting in. Standing by their sides were Third elder and at least a dozen clansmen from their family.
After looking around for a bit, Walter was prompted to ask, “So… where’s the boy? Has
Yaacob brought them over?”
“Yaacob’s an excellent disciple who’s never messed up before. With that said, I believe that they should already be here…” muttered Third elder who was also looking around. “He’s already here…” said Mia who hadn’t had any trouble locating Gerald.
“Where?” asked Walter as he and Third elder quickly looked at where Mia was pointing at.
Upon seeing Lucian and the rest of Gerald’s party in the viewing box opposite of theirs, Walter couldn’t help but sigh before muttering disappointedly, “I didn’t think he’d be this old…”
He, for one, had previously assumed that the owner of the Herculean Primordial Spirit would be in his forties, not fifties!
“Old?” muttered Third elder who hadn’t even paid Lucian any attention, clearly forgetting that Walter didn’t know which one of them was Gerald.
“Indeed… While it’s definitely still a feat to be able to possess the Herculean Primordial Spirit in one’s fifties, it’s going to be a bit awkward to have him be with Mia… He’s probably as old as I am!” said Walter as he shook his head.
“Patriarch, you’re looking at the wrong person… The one you’re looking for is the young man on his left!” explained Third elder.
“What..? That can’t be right. He barely looks thirty!” exclaimed Walter as he gave Gerald a good look
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2338
“It’s him, alright,” replied Third elder as he double checked his claim.
“That… to be able to possess the Herculean Primordial Spirit at that age… How powerful are his guardians or family…? Could he be from some large cultivation sect? But when I asked around before, nobody seemed to possess the primordial spirit! There’s no way that kid could’ve gotten that power without being in a sect, so none of this is making any sense!” exclaimed Walter as he tried to keep his cool.
“We did wonder if he was a solitary cultivator…” muttered Third elder with a lowered voice.
“If that’s the case, then boy is truly terrifying…” replied Walter as he shook his head. Walter, for one, had never heard of such a young cultivator obtaining such an immense power that countless people were after. If news about the boy owning the Herculean Primordial Spirit spread around, Walter was honestly worried that he would have to forcibly stop this year’s auction.
“What should we do then, Patriarch…?” asked Third elder as he turned to look at Walter.
“Before that, what do you think of that young man, Mia?” asked Walter as he turned to look at his daughter.
“I… don’t know…” muttered Mia as she shook her head.
“I see… Well, let’s just continue observing him first for now, ” replied Walter with a wave of his hand, his gaze never leaving Gerald. Naturally, Gerald himself had no idea that this conversation was even taking place…
By this point, the auctionng had already started, and countless roars could be heard as people in the auction house bid for the items on the auction table. From where he was, Gerald and his party could see everything happening in the auction house.
Watching as Gerald folded his arms, Lucian smiled before asking, “See anything you fancy?”
“Not at all,” replied Gerald with a shrug.
“Don’t worry, the good stuff will come later on. These items are just appetizers,” explained Yaacob while eating a banana.
Upon hearing that, Aiden turned to face Yaacob who was about the same age as he was before curiously asking, “Honestly, are you really a cultivator, brother…?” “But of course!” replied Yaacob.
“I see. You know, ever since I met you in Yanam, brother Gerald, I’ve come across more and more cultivators my age… I really wonder when I’ll be able to be one myself,” muttered Aiden in a slightly envious tone.
“It’s a bit hard for regular people, but since you have brother Gerald on your side, I believe that he’ll be able to help raise your cultivation level in no time,” replied Yaacob as he glanced at Gerald.
“Speaking of cultivators, I forgot to tell you something rather important,” said Gerald as he scratched the back of his head.
“Oh? What is it?” asked Aiden as his expression turned serious.
“Here, read this book whenever you have the time. It could help you,” replied Gerald as he took out a palm-sized and ancient-looking book from his jacket pocket before handing it to Aiden. He had obtained it back when he was still at the ancient ruins.
“Pure… Yang technique…? Is this some kind of novel…?” asked Aiden with a slight frown as he read the book’s faded title…
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2339
“What..? This book contains a cultivator technique.
You said you wanted to be a cultivator, didn’t you?” replied Gerald as he laughed out loud.
“Huh? This book contains a technique…?” muttered Aiden in slight disbelief as he looked at the tattered book in his hand. Aiden, for one, had assumed that books that taught such precious information would be kept in the finest conditions. In other words, the complete opposite of what he was holding! Had Aiden not been told what the book contained, he would’ve simply assumed that Gerald used it to pad table legs!
“Do I have to repeat myself?” replied Gerald as he rolled his eyes.
“Well, no… but… really, I thought you were handing me some kind of ancient novel!” exclaimed Aiden with a sheepish chuckle before carefully sliding the book into his pocket, not wanting to accidentally damage the already tattered book
“Either way, do read it when you can. Feel free to ask me if there’s anything you don’t get,” replied Gerald as he watched Aiden put the book away.
Though he said that, Gerald honestly didn’t want Aiden becoming a cultivator. After all, Aiden already had it pretty good as an ace special forces agent in Weston. Once the boy set foot into the cultivation realm, then danger would truly lie everywhere for him. The cultivation realm was nothing like the secular world.
Even so, Gerald wasn’t completely against the idea. After all, Aiden seemed serious about learning. With that in mind, Gerald told himself that he would support Aiden the best he could.
Regardless, after hearing that interaction, Yaacob draped his arm around Aiden’s shoulders before saying, “You can ask me for help too, you know? Don’t worry, I won’t hold any information back!”
“I barely even know you, though…” muttered Aiden before shrugging.
“Well, you’ll surely get to know more about me in time. Not at the moment, though…” replied Yaacob as he cleared his throat, his eyes monetarily glancing in the direction of the hidden viewing box where Mia was in.
Not wanting to dwell on Yaacob’s identity at the moment, Gerald simply said, “Either way, let’s just focus on the auction…”
Just as Yaacob had earlier said, all the auction items at the start weren’t anything too special. Sure, the auctioned herbs were still considerably rare, but there were quite a handful of them on this island. Regardless, most of the people who bid for these items were from smaller families like the Grubbs.
Naturally, Lucian didn’t bid for anything else. After all, he was already satisfied with the bargains he had gotten from the street stalls the other day. What more, he had spent almost all his money, and he wanted to make sure that he had enough to be able to help Gerald out if the boy wanted any of the auction items.
Either way, as the auction progressed, the quality of the auction items gradually increased. With that in mind, the prices that initially began in the hundred thousand shot up to a whopping few million dollars. This was when the more powerful families and forces began making their move. Despite that, Gerald simply continued watching, his arms still crossed.
Soon enough, a bronze, beast-shaped cauldron was placed on the auction table. According to the auctioneer, the cauldron was only made in the past hundred years, so it was relatively new. Even so, its auction price quickly skyrocketed to fifty million
dollars!
Raising a slight brow as he looked at the cauldron, Aiden was prompted to ask, “Why is that thing getting so expensive, Uncle Grubb…?”
As the ace special forces agent of Weston, Aiden had participated in several missions that involved retrieving national treasures. The antiques he usually dealt with were thousands of years old, yet at most, they would only sell for a hundred million dollars. With that in mind, Aiden was curious how such a new cauldron was selling for such a high price. To Aiden who had previously studied how to price relic items, the cauldron was probably worth a million dollars at most!
Upon hearing Aiden’s question, Lucian simply replied, “Do you know who made the cauldron?”
“Not a clue,” replied Aiden as he shook his head…
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2340
“It was made by the Marshall family,” explained Lucian.
“What kind of family are they?” asked Gerald and Aiden simultaneously.
“Well, they’re a cultivating family well known for the tools they forge. Just so you know, most weapons and magic artifacts that cultivators use are made by this family. Do either of you recall the sword hanging in the middle of my parlor?” replied Lucian as he stroked his beard.
“I do,” replied Gerald with a nod as he recalled the longsword hung on the parlor’s wall. While he had known about it for a while now, he simply never bothered about the sword.
“I’m glad. See, that longsword was made by the Marshalls, and I managed to get my hands on it some ten years ago. While the sword itself is pretty common within the Marshall household, it’s all that a family like mine can afford. I honestly see it as a family treasure, even though it’s something that the Marshalls wouldn’t even take a second glance at…” muttered Lucian with a sigh.
“I see… But the cauldron isn’t exactly a weapon… Why the immense price? ” asked Gerald. After all, aside from its intricate details, the cauldron didn’t seem to be all that special.
“To brew medicine, of course. It’s a medical cauldron,” replied Lucian.
“So that’s what it’s used for…” muttered Gerald as he narrowed his eyes at the cauldron. Now the pricing made much more sense…
It was at that moment when the cauldron was finally sold to a white-haired old man for a whopping hundred million dollars! The old man himself was dressed in plain clothes, and honestly looked just like a regular person. Even so, the fact that he could spend so much was enough to prove that his family was well off.
As Gerald watched the old man return to his seat, his attention fell on a young man sitting beside him. From the way he dressed, the youth didn’t seem related to him. Even so, Gerald couldn’t shake the feeling that the youth felt rather familiar. While he was pretty sure he didn’t know the young man, Gerald simply had a feeling that he had seen the youth’s back before.
“How odd…” muttered Gerald to himself, unsure what to make of this feeling.
Regardless, the auction’s morning session soon ended, and those who had bought things were the first to leave. They were mostly from small families, and knowing that they wouldn’t be able to buy anything else anyway, they had the right idea to leave Greendrake Island as soon as they could.
After all, they didn’t want to end up getting targeted by those who failed to get their items. Not only were their items on the line, but also their lives! Such vile incidents simply weren’t
uncommon here…
Either way, Gerald and his party soon began leaving as well. Unbeknownst to them, Walter and Third elder were sneakily tailing them, intent on finding out more about Gerald.
Shortly after, Gerald sensed someone spying on him, so he turned around only to see nobody.
While Gerald hadn’t been able to spot him, Walter couldn’t help but smile as he muttered, “That kid’s quite alert…”
From what Walter had gathered, Gerald looked pretty fit and handsome. He was also the appropriate age for Mia to be with. What more, the fact that the boy was able to possess the Herculean Primordial Spirit at his age was enough to prove that his cultivation talent was far beyond most cultivators. With all that said, Walter wasn’t against having such a son-in-law.
Walter believed that with his family’s power and resources, he could definitely raise Gerald’s strength up another notch. Who knows, if things truly went that way, he could probably become the top cultivator in the world.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2341
Watching as Walter smiled, Third elder couldn’t help but ask, “Does he satisfy you, patriarch?”
“Quite, though I can’t say for sure yet since I still don’t know whathis personality is like. We don’t know much about his family or guardians either. Regardless, if there aren’t any problems in those areas, then I’m not against him becoming my son-in-law,” replied Walter with a nod.
Walter, for one, knew that if Gerald was capable of possessing the Herculean Primordial Spirit at his current age, he would definitely be a big shot in the cultivation realm in another ten to twenty years. With that in mind, he wasn’t about to miss his chance to obtain such an outstanding son-in-law.
“Who are you calling son-in-law, father? That sounds so awkward!” exclaimed Mia who had been quietly following them this entire time before grabbing onto her father’s arm.
“Well… Isn’t he the best possible choice for you? If he can pass my test, then your reputation will surely be preserved,” replied Walter in a doting tone as he patted his shy daughter’s head.
“But…! You can’t just decide something like this… !” mumbled Mia who was now as red as a tomato.
“This girl… Regardless, Third elder. Arrange a meeting for me with that kid. Make sure not to tell him who we truly are or we may scare him away!” ordered Walter.
“Very well,” replied Third elder with a nod.
Watching as Gerald disappeared into the crowd, Walter then hastened his footsteps as he muttered, “Return early this afternoon… I want to get a better look at that kid…!”
Fast forward to later that noon, everyone after having a simple lunch returned to their room to rest. Though Yaacob followed them back, he simply sat silently on the sofa.
Gerald, on the other hand, sat opposite of him, frowning as he thought about the odd person he had seen this morning. By this point, Gerald was pretty sure that he had never met the man before. So why did he feel that that person’s back felt so familiar…?
Seeing how serious Gerald looked, Lucian was prompted to ask, “Thinking about something?”
Upon hearing that, Yaacob instantly turned vigilant. After all, his mission was to get to know Gerald as much as possible.
“Nothing much. I was just wondering what kind of items and outrageous prices would pop up in the next two and a half days. After all, the items this morning already got to such immense prices,” replied Gerald as he put his earlier thoughts aside.
“They won’t be things we can afford, that’s for sure…” muttered Lucian with a sigh. Lucian had saved two million dollars for Gerald, but if the boy found something he liked in the coming days, he seriously doubted that two million would be enough for the item.
Before Gerald could reply, Yaacob suddenly said, “Hold on, who told you that the auction would only last for three days?”
“Huh? Throughout the many years I’ve attended, the auction has always lasted for only three days…” muttered the puzzled Lucian.
“That’s only for the regular people. The auction actually lasts for five days. The real good stuff starts appearing on fourth day. By that point, only the richest of the rich are allowed to remain, so it explains why you’ve always assumed that the auction ends on the third day,” explained Yaacob as he shook his head.
“W-what…? How… do you even know about all this…?” asked Lucian who knew that Yaacob had no reason to lie to them. Still, how had he come across the information?
“That… I, uh… Just found out about it by chance!” replied Yaacob after freezing for a moment, an awkward smile on his face.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2342
“Since you know all this, are you the young master of a large family or something?” asked Aiden as he sat beside Yaacob. Though he didn’t know who Yaacob really was, Aiden could tell that the youth wasn’t up to anything bad.
“If I had such a position, I wouldn’t be here!” replied Yaacob with a slightly bitter chuckle. The truth was, his status wasn’t exactly high within the Zeman family. He was merely a disciple who was well cared for by the upper echelons.
“I find that hard to believe. After all, not even did you have that VIP ticket, but you also know something that uncle Grubb doesn’t! Tell us who you really are or I’ll toss you out!” warned Aiden as he grabbed onto Yaacob’s shoulder.
“Look… I’m just a regular cultivator! You just don’t know about this since you’re from the secular world!” explained Yaacob.
“Humph… Logical enough,” replied Aiden as he released his grip from Yaacob.
“Alright, that’s enough, you two. Go get some rest while you can. The auction resumes in an hour,” said Gerald as he waved his hand, prompting everyone except Yaacob to return to their rooms.
Once the trio had closed their doors behind them, Yaacob quickly laid on the sofa before reporting the situation to Third elder. Upon getting the updates, Third elder in turn quickly relayed the information to Walter.
Walter himself had been having lunch when Third elder told him all that had happened. Once the message was relayed, Walter couldn’t help but laugh before saying, “That kid must really want to obtain something from our auction! Hmm… Alright, I want you to task Yaacob with finding out what Gerald likes. We’re doing him a favor and getting it for him!”
“But… Won’t that make him suspicious…?” asked Third elder.
“It’s not exactly a scheme against the boy or anything, so it doesn’t matter if he finds out,” replied Walter as he shook his head.
Walter wanted to contact Gerald more than ever now. The sooner the boy cured his daughter’s cold poison, the better. After all, though they kept saying that the cold poison would take effect in less than a year, it was actually just an estimation. If the cold poison suddenly went haywire, it could damage his daughter’s organs without warning! By that point, even if Gerald used his Herculean Primordial Spirit to save her life, her future would be as good as ruined.
Whatever the case was, Third elder simply nodded in response before saying, “Alright, I’ll relay the message to Yaacob immediately.”
As Third elder was sending Yaacob his new orders, Walter who had lost his appetite after thinking about his daughter’s condition was prompted to ask, “Speaking of which, where are the things I brought along, Third elder?”
“They’re in the warehouse,” replied Third elder after thinking for a bit.
“Retrieve them for me now. I must meet Gerald either tonight or tomorrow. Also, don’t let Mia know about this. I wish to personally meet him to see what kind of person he truly is,” said Walter.
“Understood,” replied Third elder with a nod.
“Alright, return to whatever you were doing. We mustn’t end up delaying this afternoon’s auction,” muttered Walter as he looked at the time before resuming his meal.
“Very well,” replied Third elder as he left the room before quickly making his way to the warehouse. However, he hadn’t made it very far before he bumped into Mia.
Mia herself was wearing a clean, white dress, her hands against her back and her pretty skin glistening under the sun’s radiant rays.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2343
Upon seeing Third elder, Mia walked up to him before smiling wryly as she asked, “Off to somewhere, Third elder?”
Nodding in response, Third elder then replied, “Indeed, young mistress… Master sent me out on an errand.”
“I see… What were you two talking about in there anyway…? I want only the truth,” replied Mia as she stood in his way.
“It was nothing major… Master simply told me to keep a close watch on Gerald as well as to make sure that the auction runs on time,” said Third Elder with a slight gulp, making sure to be extremely careful with what he said.
After hearing that, Mia couldn’t help but blush slightly. Now fidgeting and having lost her earlier composure, she then replied, “What’s so good about him anyway…”
“Well… I think you already know this, but Master probably intends to make Gerald his son-in-law if the boy meets all of his expectations… Should that happen, at the very least, you’ll be able to preserve your reputation…” muttered Third elder in a slightly embarrassed tone. Still, some things simply needed to be said.
“Alright, alright! You can resume with your work, Third elder…” grumbled Mia who didn’t want to hear any part of this. Even if she did have the slightest interest in Gerald, those words shouldn’t have been spoken. Mia, for one, had never fallen in love before. After all, the Zeman family was a strict one. With that said, she had barely had contact with anyone outside her family since childhood.
“I’ll be taking my leave then, young mistress… Speaking of which, Master told me to remind you to head to the auction later,” replied Third elder as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, thankful that he had managed to keep Walter’s orders a secret. Following that, he hastily went off, fearing that Mia would call out to him again.
It was about one that afternoon when the auction house’s doors were opened again and people began swarming inside. Well, people excluding the small families who had gotten what they wanted this morning, of course. Though those smaller families had left, the larger families-who had already purchased items this morning-remained. After all, with their prestige and status, nobody would dare to make a move on them.
Regardless, once Gerald and his party returned to their viewing box, they found that all the previous food and drinks had been replaced with new ones. Another thing to note was that Yaacob wasn’t present, though Gerald figured that he had simply gone off to report the situation to the organizer’s family.
Gerald, for one, wasn’t too bothered about Yaacob’s absence. After all, he was literally on the organizer’s island. If the organizer wanted to make a move on him, he would’ve done so ages ago instead of simply getting someone to keep an eye on him.
Before Gerald could continue thinking about it, his train of thought was cut short when Aiden who now realized that Yaacob wasn’t sitting beside him asked, “Say… where’s Yaacob? He was walking with us this entire time, no? Where’s he gone off to?”
“Probably just headed to the bathroom, ” replied Gerald in a nonchalant tone.
Shortly before the auction began, Yaacob entered the viewing box. Not even saying a word, he quickly headed to the table to gulp down an entire cup of water… Once he was done, he pursed his lips before saying, “Guess what just happened…”
“Go on…” replied Aiden.
“Well… On my way to the bathroom, I heard that two family members who had bought items off the auction this morning were killed before they even got a chance to leave the island… Their bodies are still on the shore, though I assume the organizer will deal with the corpses once today’s auction ends…” muttered Yaacob as he looked out the window.
“People are actually daring enough to commit such crimes during the day…?” said Lucian with a slight frown. Though he already knew that cases like these weren’t uncommon, it was still rather flabbergasting.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2344
“There’s no peace on Greendrake Island… The only way to ensure your safety here is by being strong. Once you’re powerful enough, nobody will dare to touch you…” muttered Yaacob with a sigh.
The truth was, he had earlier run off after receiving an urgent notice from Third elder about this case.
Basically, Third elder didn’t want Gerald getting into any unnecessary danger, so he ended up sending a small team of Zeman cultivators to protect the boy. While it was true that Gerald had the Herculean Primordial Spirit inside him, most of the people here weren’t exactly average Joes, so there was still a fair chance that Gerald could end up getting defeated.
Regardless, Yaacob himself was tasked with keeping a vigilant eye out on his surroundings. The second he sensed any danger, he was told to immediately report it so that the Zemans could get to action protecting Gerald Nodding in response, Lucian then replied, “I suppose you’re right…”
“Still… I wonder why the organizer isn’t doing anything to intervene with these murders… Are they just content with sitting back and watching the chaos unfold…?” muttered Gerald.
“Honestly, while they’d definitely prefer keeping casualties to a minimum, the organizer can’t just step in. If they did, they’d technically be helping one party and offending the other, and that just won’t do,” explained Yaacob as he shook his head. All the Zemans knew this.
“And how exactly do you know this…?” asked Aiden.
Clearing his throat slightly awkwardly and reminding himself to think before speaking next time, Yaacob then said, “I… It’s just a guess of mine…”
“You’re not working for the island’s organizer, are you…?” asked Aiden as he stared intently at Yaacob.
“Of course, I’m not! If I were, why would I be sitting here with you?” exclaimed Yaacob.
Before Aiden could continue his interrogation, the auction was officially resumed. Everyone now had their eyes on the auction table, wondering what item would be presented next
After all, the beast- shaped cauldron from the Marshall family had already caused quite a stir that morning. To clarify as to why that was, pellets and tonics were indispensable assets for cultivators, not only to improve their strength, but also to increase injury healing rates.
What more, most people were unable to make such pellets and tonics since they didn’t have the right tools.
With the beast-shaped cauldron and the right prescription, however, that would surely change. Even if you didn’t take the pellets and tonics for yourself, you could still sell your products and obtain a steady stream of income.
Either way, though everyone else was looking at the auction table, Walter and his party were staring at Gerald instead.
His legs crossed and a smile on his face, Walter couldn’t help but say, “You know, the more I look at him, the more I see how fine this young lad is. Regardless, have you made the arrangements, Third elder?”
“Not yet. After all, it would be too sudden to make a move now… Let’s just wait till the auction is over. He’ll get the message by tonight,” replied Third elder as he shook his head.
“Fine by me,” said “Falter with a nod.
“What are you two talking about…?” asked Mia who had a feeling that their conversation was regarding her and Gerald.
“It’s about the cultivators who were murdered today. I told Third brother to take care of their corpses once today’s auction was over,” explained Walter who lied as naturally as he breathed.
“Really…?” muttered Mia, clearly unconvinced. After all, her father was always present during such auctions, yet he had never talked about the casualties before.
Why would he start caring now? Besides, handling such cases was usually left to the disciples. Why was he sending Third elder to personally handle it this time? Knowing how sharp his daughter was, Walter simply replied, “Have I ever lied to you?”
Upon hearing that, Mia went silent. After all, her father had truly never lied to her ever since she was a child…
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2345
Whatever the case was, though everyone had expected more exciting items to be on auction since the beast-shaped cauldron was up for grabs that morning, they ended up getting disappointed since only a few rare items were sold. While it was true that such rare items would’ve undoubtedly caused a stir among regular people, the attendees were cultivators from large families. In other words, the items that afternoon were pretty much garbage to them.
Either way, by the time the auction was over and everyone began leaving, it was already dark. While quite a few people had dispirited expressions on their faces, after sitting there for an entire day, everyone was so tired that they were more eager to return to get some rest…
Naturally, Gerald and his party walked among this crowd. As they were walking, however, Gerald couldn’t help but frown slightly. He, for one, could sense that someone was following him. Instead of turning around this time, however, he simply continued walking forward. After all, he hadn’t bought anything to garner an attack from enemies. With that in mind, the ones tailing him were most probably the organizer’s men.
Yaacob was by his side too, so what else could he have done? Regardless, just like in the afternoon, they had a quick meal before returning to their living room.
Shortly after, Yaacob inched closer to Gerald, looking clearly hesitant. Seeing that, Gerald then got up before walking to his room, prompting Yaacob to follow after. Sitting at the table by his bed, Gerald then lit a cigarette before calmly asking, “So, what is it?” “Well… I just got a message stating that my family wishes to discuss something important with you right now…” muttered Yaacob with a gulp, clearly worried that Gerald would refuse.
Puffing on his cigarette, Gerald simply nodded before saying, “Sure, lead the way.”
“Huh? You’re… Willing to just go like that…?” asked Yaacob who was caught off guard by the response.
“What, do I need to change into something fancier first?” replied Gerald with a chuckle.
“N-no… I just thought that you wouldn’t agree so easily…” muttered Yaacob as he shook his head.
“Hmm? Well, I guess I should think this through then,” replied Gerald as he sat back down, a raised brow on his face.
“P-please agree! If you don’t go, I’ll surely get into trouble!” exclaimed Yaacob in a slightly anxious tone as he grabbed Gerald’s arm.
“Fine, fine… Sheesh…” grumbled Gerald in a helpless tone. After informing Lucian and Aiden that he and Yaacob were heading out, the duo then left the place together.
While they were walking, Gerald casually asked, “So… Who exactly in your family wishes to meet me?”
“A senior,” replied Yaacob, not wanting to disclose Walter’s identity for fear that it would scare Gerald off.
“Oh…? So he has a high status, I’m assuming,” asked Gerald after pondering for a bit.
“You’ll know once we get there…” muttered Yaacob, not wanting to accidentally say anything he shouldn’t.
Up on hearing that, Gerald simply fell silent as the duo continued walking forward. It was about half an hour later when Gerald looked up and saw that the big mountain had reappeared.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2346
Seeing the familiar mountain, Gerald smiled calmly before asking, “Speaking of which, do you think I’ll be able to learn the secrets of that mountain once I meet that senior of yours?”
“I… Can’t say for sure… It’s best if you just ask him in person…” muttered Yaacob with an awkward smile, clearly worried that he would accidentally say something that would land him in trouble.
Hearing that, Gerald simply waved his hand with a sigh before saying, “Fine, fine, I’ll stop asking…”
It was about another half an hour later when the duo finally came across a row of houses. Though the houses themselves didn’t appear out of the ordinary, Gerald couldn’t help but take a deep breath when he saw several young men in grey guarding the entrance to each home. The organizers most likely lived here… And they had probably summoned him over for trespassing back then…
While he was unsure whether the organizers meant him any harm, he knew that there wasn’t much point in him thinking about it. After all, not only had they already identified him, but he was now at an isolated part of the island. In other words, escape was pretty much impossible. With that in mind, he may as well just go along and see how things went before thinking of his next step.
Gerald’s train of thought was cut short when Yaacob pointed at the houses before saying, “This is where we live, brother Gerald.”
“I see. Tell me, what’s your rank in the family again…?” asked Gerald.
“I’m… Just an ordinary disciple…” muttered Yaacob as he scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment.
Nodding in response, Gerald then said, “I see. Well… Lead the way then…”
Following that, Yaacob revealed his identity to the men in grey, granting the duo access into one of the houses. Under Yaacob’s lead, Gerald was soon brought to a basic looking room that only had a few chairs inside.
Once Gerald sat down, Yaacob bowed to him before saying, “Please wait for a moment, brother Gerald. I’ll inform my senior of your arrival.”
Nodding in response, Gerald then closed his eyes as Yaacob left the room.
It was about ten minutes later when Gerald heard the door opening again. Looking up, Gerald was greeted by the sight of a middle-aged man-donning fancy clothes entering the room. Gerald also saw that there were at least a dozen other men following that middle-aged man, though only Yaacob and an old man in grey were allowed into the room.
While Gerald had no idea who the middle-aged man was nor did he know what the person’s cultivation level was, he stood up with a salute before saying, “Senior…”
Naturally, that middle-aged man was Walter. Upon seeing Gerald’s actions, he sized the boy up before smiling as he walked up to him and replying, “I’ve been watching you for quite a while now, kid!”
Raising a slight brow, Gerald simply said in a soft tone, “I see… Before anything else, allow me to explain that I really had no idea that the mountain was a forbidden area when I first attempted to get near it. It’s why I never resumed looking into the mountain once I found out I shouldn’t have gone there…”
“What? What mountain? Forbidden area…?” asked Walter as he turned to look at Third elder, clearly confused.
“He’s talking about Mount Nimbus…” muttered Third elder.
“Oh, that? Don’t worry about it. There’s no big secret about that place anyway. If you really wish to go, I can just send someone to escort you there to have a look around.
How about that?” asked Walter as he waved his hand at Gerald.
“There’s… No need for that…” replied Gerald with a slightly awkward smile, evidently not expecting this powerful man to say such things to him.
“I see… Either way, have you had dinner?” asked Walter as he gestured at the seat behind Gerald.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2347
Watching as Walter then sat on the opposite end though Third elder and Yaacob remained standing silently behind him, Gerald simply shook his head before saying, “I haven’t. Yaacob led me here immediately after the auction ended.”
“What? Why didn’t you let Gerald eat something first before bringing him over?” asked Walter as he raised a slight brow while looking at Yaacob.
“I… I apologize, brother Gerald…!” whimpered Yaacob.
“Either way, go serve us some food, and make sure to bring a bottle of good wine out as well! I wish to have a drink with Gerald later!” ordered Walter with a wave of his hand, prompting Yaacob to rush out of the room…
Of course, this left Gerald utterly confused. Unsure what was even happening, Gerald was prompted to say, “There’s… No need for that… Regardless, if I’ve offended you, then just tell me what I did and I’ll bear responsibility for my actions…”
“Just forget about that incident and relax. Also, I expect you to have your meal. After all, chatting with an empty stomach is the absolute worst,” replied Walter with a smile. Though his words were kind, they honestly felt more akin to an order.
Either way, after hearing that, Gerald fell silent. Thinking back, he was already deep in Walter’s clutches anyway. He may as well take up the meal offer so that he would have more strength to fight back later if needed.
Sensing Gerald’s resignation, Walter then rubbed his palms together before asking,
“So… Which part of Weston are you from, young man?” “The south,” replied Gerald truthfully.
“I see… and how many people are there in your family? What are their jobs? And is the man with you your father or uncle?” asked Walter after a slight pause.
“He’s not blood related. I just met him by chance. Also, I’m the only one left in my family,” replied Gerald, his expression now noticeably darker as Walter asked on. Till he figured out what Walter’s true goal was, Gerald wasn’t about to say a thing about Mila or his parents for fear that he would cause unnecessary troubles for them.
Regardless, Walter simply nodded as he muttered, “I see, I see… This is fine…”
It was no easy task for a solitary cultivator without a family, no less to obtain the Herculean Primordial Spirit through sheer effort and talent alone. While a certain amount of luck was definitely involved, Walter believed that Gerald was still much more outstanding than most of the youths his age. In fact, there were probably only three disciples in his family that shared Gerald’s level of strength!
However, those disciples were only able to get to their current level of cultivation due to the help of the best pellet supplements that the cultivation realm had to offer, as well as his guidance to help them master the family’s top techniques. With that in mind, had they started their journeys the way Gerald had, none of them would’ve been able to come even close to how strong Gerald currently was. Hell, nobody in his family would’ve been able to get to how strong they currently were!
Walter’s train of thought was cut short when the puzzled Gerald asked, “Fine…?”
“It’s nothing. We’ll talk more once you’re all full,” replied Walter, not wanting Gerald to know what he was thinking. Either way, Walter knew he had to take this matter more seriously. After all, his daughter’s life was at stake here!
Before Gerald could reply, Third elder passed some freshly brewed tea, that one of the clansmen had handed him, to Gerald while saying, “Do have some tea, junior Gerald.” “Thank you. Um… Have we… met before, senior…?” asked Gerald as he took the tea while looking at the familiar looking old man.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2348
“We have. Don’t you remember?” replied Third elder with a smile.
“You’re… The old man who chased me back then, right?” said Gerald after giving the old man a closer look. While he hadn’t had the chance to give Third elder a proper look back then, the senior’s aura and figure were enough for Gerald to figure out who he was.
“Indeed. I have to admit that you were faster than I expected,” replied the grinning Third elder.
“I have another senior to thank for that. Had she not stepped in, I would’ve surely been caught back then… Speaking of which, I wonder if both of you are acquainted with that old woman…” said Gerald as he shook his head with a smile.
“An old woman?” replied Walter with a slightly raised brow.
“She’s probably just someone from the auction,” said Third elder, despite knowing that the old woman was actually the young mistress in disguise. He, for one, knew that this wasn’t the best time to reveal her identity.
Regardless, Gerald simply nodded as he replied, “I guess…”
Shortly after, Yaacob came running back into the room. After whispering something into Walter’s ear, the middle-aged man stood up with a chuckle before declaring, “The meal’s ready, my friend. Come try my chef’s top notch cooking! If you like his dishes, then feel free to have your meals here throughout the auction period!”
After watching Walter and Third elder leave, Gerald quickly pulled Yaacob who was about to follow them out to the side before whispering, “Alright, it’s high time you told me who they really are.”
“I… I’m sorry, but I can’t say a word…!” replied Yaacob in a helpless tone.
“For heaven’s sake…” grumbled Gerald, utterly discouraged that he hadn’t been able to get a single word out of Yaacob.
Knowing that he wasn’t going to get anything out of the boy, Gerald simply began heading to the dining room which wasn’t too far off. Upon arriving at the equally plain-looking room, Gerald saw that a lot of food had already been served on the round table inside. What more, there was a strong aroma of wine lingering in the air.
Watching as Gerald entered, Walter quickly beckoned while saying, “There you are! Come, have a seat!”
While Gerald was unable to tell what Walter’s level of cultivation was, he knew for a fact that the middle-aged man was much stronger than him. After all, why else was his Herculean Primordial Spirit unable to detect Walter’s true strength?
Whatever the case was, after obeying Walter’s orders, Gerald was prompted to ask, “Speaking of which… Could you tell me who you are…? I’m not quite sure how to address you…”
After a slight pause, Walter replied, “I go by Zeman. You can just call me Uncle Zeman.”
Upon seeing how hesitant Walter was being, Gerald knew that he wasn’t going to get any more information out of the man. Still, at the very least, he now knew that Walter shared the same family as Yaacob. Whatever the case was, Gerald then said, “A pleasure to meet you, Uncle Zeman.”
Laughing in response, Walter who was pleased to hear what Gerald had just called him then declared, “The pleasure’s mine! Either way, go ahead and dig in! You know, though I’ve been away all these years, I still like Weston cuisine best!”
After a slight nod, Gerald who had worked up quite an appetite from sitting in the viewing box all afternoon began helping himself to the food, leaving Walter and Third elder to simply stare silently as he ate, not wanting to interrupt his meal.
Walter, for one, already saw the boy as his son-in-law. After all, not only was Gerald at a suitable age, but he was also strong and possessed rather high cultivation, as expected of the owner of the Herculean Primordial Spirit.
Back when he first found out about the cold poison in Mia’s body, he had been determined to get the owner of the Herculean Primordial Spirit to help her, even if it meant that his daughter would have to copulate with an elderly man or a crippled gangster. With that in mind, it only made sense why Walter saw Gerald as a best-case scenario.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2349
After watching Gerald eat for a while, the salivating Yaacob who hadn’t eaten all afternoon as well couldn’t help but mutter, “U-um… Can I…?”
Knowing how hard Yaacob had worked in the past few days, Walter nodded before interrupting, “Yes, feel free to eat with us.”
“T-That…! I… actually wanted to ask whether could I wait outside…” muttered Yaacob as he pointed at the door, not daring to even think about eating before the patriarch and Third elder.
Before Walter could reply, Gerald pulled Yaacob to the seat beside him before saying, “Can’t you see how much food there is on the table? There’s no way I can finish all this alone! With that said, sit down and join me!”
“I…” muttered Yaacob with an embarrassed smile as he turned to look at Walter.
Upon seeing Walter’s nod, Yaacob gulped before sitting at the table and picking up some chopsticks. Unlike how he usually ate, Yaacob made sure to have his meal slowly this time, occasionally turning to look at Walter to see if it was alright for him to continue eating.
Gerald, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about etiquettes. In no time at all, he had already finished the dish before him. Wiping his mouth, Gerald was prompted to ask,
“Uncle Zeman, senior, aren’t you two eating…?”
“We’ve already eaten. Don’t mind us,” replied Walter cheerily.
“I see… Well, I’ll continue helping myself then,” said Gerald with a smile as he got up and brought another dish closer to him…
It was quite a while later when Gerald-who was now finally full let out a satisfied belch while patting his stomach.
“Was the food to your liking, Gerald?” asked Walter while clapping his hands, prompting a few Zeman servants to clear the table. By the time the table was spick and span, more servants had already served them some freshly brewed tea.
“The meal was delectable,” replied Gerald with a nod.
“Glad to hear! Feel free to eat at our place anytime you want after this,” declared Walter as he sipped on his tea.
Upon hearing that, Gerald couldn’t help but raise a slight brow. Throughout his meal, he had been wondering what Walter’s true motive was for calling him over, to no avail. With that, Gerald decided to ask, “I appreciate it. Regardless, could you please tell me why you called me over now…?”
Hearing that, Walter’s smile immediately faded. Now looking much more serious, Vilalter ordered, “Close the door, Yaacob.”
“Right away!” declared Yaacob as he did as he was told.
Once the door was closed, Walter turned to look at Gerald before asking in a deep voice, “You possess the Herculean Primordial Spirit, correct?”
“I do,” replied Gerald, remembering how the old man in the ancient ruins had accurately stated what his cultivation level was. If even that old man could achieve that, then it wasn’t surprising for Walter to be able to see through him.
“I see… If that’s the case, then there’s a small favor I need to ask of you,” replied Walter, now fully certain that Gerald was the one he had been looking for. With Gerald’s confirmation, Walter’s eyes couldn’t help but water slightly as the teacup in his hand trembled in his relief.
“I’m all ears, Uncle Zeman. I’ll definitely help you if it’s within my capabilities. In return, however, I do hope you’ll answer some of my questions,” said the slightly puzzled Gerald.
Looking much more relaxed now, Walter then asked, “What would you like to know?”
“What’s your true identity…? And is the island only visible during auctions?” replied
Gerald after taking a deep breath, hoping to finally have his questions answered…
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2350
“Quite the questions you have there…” said Walter, amused by Gerald’s inquiries.
“I do hope you’ll answer them… This is very important to me,” replied Gerald in a serious tone as he bowed.
“Very well, then. My full name is Walter Zeman, and I’m the patriarch of this family, as well as this auction’s organizer. As for your second question, there’s simply a force field of essential qi around the island, just like the one around Mount Nimbus. With that said, Greendrake Island only becomes visible when I remove the force field during auctions,” explained Walter who had no real issue with Gerald’s questions. Honestly, even if he didn’t need Gerald’s help, he would’ve still answered those inquiries.
“That’s it?” asked Gerald with a slightly raised brow.
“How complicated were you expecting it to be?” replied Walter with a chuckle.
“Either way, now that my questions are answered, do tell me what the favor is, Uncle
Zeman,” muttered Gerald as he straightened his back
“Well… I need your help in saving a life,” said Walter as he crossed his arms while staring directly into Gerald’s eyes, a serious expression on his face.
Upon hearing that, Gerald couldn’t help but feel embarrassed as he sheepishly replied, “Just so you know, I’m just a cultivator, Uncle Zeman… I have zero medical knowledge, so you’d probably be better off hiring a famous doctor…”
“Negative. Trust me when I say that you’re the only one capable of saving this person’s life,” said Walter as he shook his head.
Sensing how serious Walter was, Gerald was prompted to ask, “How exactly am I to save this person…?”
“For one, the person in question is my daughter… It was fifteen years ago when she was diagnosed with having cold poison in her body, and I’ve been looking for a cure ever since… Now that you’re here, I can finally ensure her safety…!” declared the trembling middle-aged man before looking up at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
“Are… you saying that you need a part of my body to create the cure…?” replied Gerald, instantly becoming much more vigilant.
“No, of course not! Basically, a famous doctor I consulted years ago told me that my daughter’s cold poison could be neutralized with the Herculean Primordial Spirit’s power. If all goes well, the volatile portion of the poison will get discharged from her body, whereas the more stable portion will remain in her body to aid her cultivation,” explained Walter, not wanting to scare Gerald off.
If he missed his chance now, there was no way he was going to be able to find another cultivator bearing the Herculean Primordial Spirit in time!
“I see. If that’s the case, I’m willing to help!” agreed Gerald.
“Really?” replied Walter, not expecting Gerald to suddenly agree so enthusiastically. Even Third elder who had been quietly standing at the back this entire time was slightly taken aback.
“But of course! After all, once the young mistress is here, all I have to do is to mobilize my Herculean Primordial Spirit to expel the cold poison from her body, right? Speaking of which, do know that I still haven’t fully understood my power yet, so there may be some side effects…” said Gerald with a nod.
While he had never mobilized his essential qi to treat an injured person before, with Walter guiding him by his side, Gerald believed that he would be able to cure Walter’s daughter in the end.
Laughing in a slightly helpless tone, Walter then replied, “You’ve… misunderstood me, my friend… If that was all it took to cure her, then I would’ve just brought you over the second I saw you instead of spending an entire day observing you!” “Do elaborate,” said Gerald as he sipped on his tea.
“Well… Both of you need to undergo the interlocking of yin and yang… In simpler terms… You will… Need to copulate with her…” muttered Walter, clearly embarrassed to have to say that.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2351
Nearly choking on his tea upon hearing that, Gerald quickly shook his head before saying,
“Y-you… You’re pulling my leg, right, Uncle Zeman…?”
“Do you honestly think I’d joke about my daughter’s life? Just so you know, my daughter has less than a year left before the cold poison enters high gear. With that said, the sooner you help her, the better…” muttered Walter before heaving a heavy sigh.
Hearing that, Third elder added, “You know, after observing you for some time, the patriarch and I have concluded that you’re a good man. With that said, once you cure her, we’re willing to make you the son-in-law of the Zeman family. If you agree, then we’ll definitely teach you all the best techniques the cultivation realm has to offer. What more, we’ll also provide you with an excellent environment to help your cultivation grow even faster!”
This time, the shocked Gerald wasn’t able to stop himself in time, resulting in him Spurting his tea all over the table and even getting some on Walter!
Quickly wiping his mouth dry, Gerald then stood up before exclaiming, “I… I apologize, Uncle
Zeman…!”
“Don’t worry about it,” replied Walter with a wave of his hand.
Nodding in response, Gerald went silent for a while before eventually explaining, “The thing is… I already have a girlfriend… With that said, copulating with your daughter would mean that I’m being unfaithful… What more, I’m currently on a personal quest to save her!”
“Whatever the case is, you must save my daughter… Remember, saving a life is a meritorious act, so I believe that your girlfriend will understand and forgive you in the end. Actually, if nobody says a word about it, the secret will remain here forever,” replied Walter, fearing that Gerald would refuse to help in the end.
“Could… You give me some time to think about it…?” muttered Gerald as he scratched the back of his head.
This wasn’t something he could just agree with all willy-nilly…
“Actually, I have a better idea. Third elder, go call Mia over. Being such outstanding youngsters, I’m sure both of them will warm up to each other soon enough!” ordered Walter who didn’t really see Mila as an issue.
After all, it wasn’t as though Gerald was married to her. Even if Gerald was, Walter could easily take the boy from her if he really wanted to.
“Please, don’t…” replied Gerald as he raised his palm in refusal.
After giving Gerald a good, long, look, Walter got to his feet before bowing as he said, “Alright, then. Go get some rest first. While I’m giving you time to think about it, in the end, you must help my daughter recover. As long as she gets better, I’ll grant you any request you want, even if you want my position as this family’s patriarch…”
“Please don’t say such things, Uncle Zeman… I have no interest in being your family’s patriarch. Regardless, I appreciate you giving me time to think things through Also, if there’s any other way to cure the cold poison, do let me know! I’ll be more than willing to help!” declared Gerald as he placed his fist and palm together before Walter.
Simply nodding in response, Walter then said, “Bring Gerald back, Yaacob…”
Up on hearing that, Gerald saluted Third elder as well before finally leaving the room under Yaacob’s guidance.
Once they had left, Third elder walked toward Walter before whispering, “Do you think Gerald will help us in the end, patriarch…?”
“I have the same question…” muttered Walter with a sigh before shaking his head.
“What will we do if he refuses…?” asked Third elder in a slightly anxious voice.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2352
Third elder had watched over Mia ever since she was a child. With that said, though she wasn’t his flesh and blood, he treated her like his daughter. It wasn’t even a stretch to claim that Third elder was just as worried about the girl as Walter was.
“If he refuses, then we’ll just have to force him to help her. We can’t let the poison remain in her body for any longer! I won’t allow Mia to die!” declared Walter in an unwavering tone as he slammed his fist onto the table.
“Understood,” replied Third elder who honestly had the same idea. Even if they had to drug Gerald in the end, saving Mia was the priority…!
Moving back to Gerald, his brows had been furrowed ever since he left the dining room. While he now knew how the island kept disappearing, Walter’s words were simply too shocking for him to concentrate on that. The only way to save his daughter was to have intercourse with her…?
He thought such things only happened in movies! Unfortunately, it seemed all too real now…
After walking for some time, Yaacob stopped in his tracks before saying, “I won’t be returning with you tonight, brother Gerald…”
Nodding as be lit a cigarette, Gerald paused for a moment before asking in a helpless tone, “Doesn’t your family have endless power and resources…? Is there truly no other way to save her…?”
“The truth is, the patriarch and our family’s elders have been searching far and wide for a cure throughout the span of ten years. The method we proposed is the only one we managed to find… It doesn’t help that people possessing the Herculean Primordial Spirit are incredibly difficult to find. Just so you know, you’re the only person who fits all the requirements whom we’ve managed to find…” explained Yaacob. Now that Walter and Third elder had notified Gerald about all this, there was no reason for him to hide this information anymore.
“I see,” replied Gerald in a calm tone.
Hearing that, Yaacob grabbed Gerald by the arm before sincerely pleading, “Please help her, brother Gerald…!”
“Again, please give me some time to think things through,” muttered Gerald before walking forward, leaving Yaacob behind…
By the time he got to the living room, the sky was already pitch black. Seeing that the lights in Lucian and Aiden’s room were already off, Gerald sat in the darkness for a while finishing his cigarette before finally returning to his room…
The very next morning, Gerald was awoken by the sounds of people talking outside. After washing his face, he got dressed before opening his door only to be greeted by the sight of two men in grey standing in his living room. They appeared to be talking to Lucian who looked rather confused.
Upon seeing Gerald, the Zemans immediately walked over to the boy before saying, “Good morning, Mr. Gerald! The patriarch told us to bring you some breakfast! He’s worried that you haven’t gotten used to our island’s food yet!”
Frowning slightly, Gerald then replied, “There’s no need for that…”
“Please, Mr. Gerald, we insist you take the food. If you don’t, we won’t be able to report back to the patriarch!” interrupted one of the Zemans.
Before Gerald could even reply, both of them having left the food behind-had already marched out the door After checking the food -and realizing that they were just ordinary breakfast foods-, Gerald sighed before placing them on the table.
Seeing that, the curious Lucian was prompted to ask, “Who were they, Gerald…? And who’s that patriarch they were talking about? Did you get to know another family during the auction…?”
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2353
“It’s nothing,” replied Gerald with a wave of his hand, not wanting Lucian or Aiden to learn about the Zemans just yet.
“I see. Regardless, I’ve heard rumors that there’ll be an incredibly valuable auction item today that’ll rival even tomorrow’s top item! With that said, I have a feeling that there’ll be a bloody battle on the island right after the auction ends…” muttered Lucian as he took a bun from his lunchbox and began eating on the couch.
“Hmm? Why would you assume that, uncle Grubb?” asked Gerald as he turned to look at Lucian.
“What? Have you not heard about the incident?” replied Lucian as he finished the rest of his bun.
“I may have headed out with Yaacob the night before, but I haven’t heard of any incidents…” said Gerald as he shook his head.
“Well… Shortly after you two left, there was a fight between two families… Several members of those families suffered heavy casualties, and I heard that even a few innocents got hurt. In the end, at least ten people ended up dead…” explained Lucian in a slightly uneasy tone.
“Conflict between families here isn’t out of the ordinary though…” replied Gerald who had already witnessed someone getting murdered on his first day on the island.
“While that’s true, it’s the reason behind the fight that worries me. Basically, they were worried that the items they wanted would get bought by the other party, so they ended up deciding to just wipe the competition out before that could happen. With that said, we need to be more vigilant in the next two days. Though your cultivation level is rather high, remember, many of those who attend this auction aren’t ordinary people either,” explained Lucian in a serious tone, not wanting anything bad to befall Gerald.
After all, if Gerald ended up dying here, not only would his family’s disciples lose their one chance of learning the secrets of the Devotion Mirror, the mirror itself could end up getting snatched away!
Regardless, Gerald simply smiled subtly as he replied, “Don’t worry uncle Grubb, I know what I’m doing.”
“Glad to hear,” replied Lucian as he watched Gerald resume eating his breakfast.
It was shortly after when Lucian finally realized that Yaacob wasn’t present. With that realization, he was prompted to ask, “Speaking of which, where’s Yaacob? Hasn’t he been following you like a shadow in the past few days…?”
“Oh, he’s already gone back,” lied Gerald in a casual tone.
“I see… Whatever the case is, he’s definitely no average Joe. After all, not only did he have access to the viewing box, but he also knew that the auction actually lasted for five days! Truth be told, I have a feeling that he’s one of the organizers…” muttered Lucian as he stroked his beard.
“If he really was, then he wouldn’t have sat with us in our viewing box,” replied Gerald, not wanting Lucian to piece the puzzle together that quickly.
“You make a fair point. Now that I think about it, any organizers would definitely be too busy to just sit around with us throughout the day, ” said Lucian with a nod, completely buying into Gerald’s words.
The second his sentence ended, Aiden exited his room while mumbling, “Brother Gerald… Uncle Grubb…”
After sitting by Gerald’s side, Aiden yawned before adding, “I’m a little worried, brother Gerald…”
“You’re no cultivator, so as long as you don’t look for trouble, I’m sure nobody will harm you,” replied Gerald as he patted Aiden’s shoulder with a smile.
Shaking his head, Aiden then explained, “What I meant was that I’m worried about Lindsay’s safety…”
Upon hearing that, Gerald’s smile faded as he replied, “Maddox abducted her to lure me into his trap. With that said, as long as I remain alive, Lindsay won’t die. She’ll be fine…”
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2354
Though he said that, Lindsay was still abducted because of him. With that said, if Maddox lost it and ended up killing her, then he would indirectly be the cause of her murder… Should that scenario come to be, then not only would Gerald feel guilty for the rest of his life, but he would also be unable to face Aiden ever again Regardless, upon hearing Lindsay’s name, Lucian was prompted to take his phone out before saying, “Speaking of Lindsay, I’ll give my butler a quick call to see if he’s obtained the firearms.”
Hearing that, Aiden quickly inched closer to Lucian as the call was made. Shortly after, a smile formed on Lucian’s face as he cheerily said, “Looks like my butler was able to get some from a few dealers! Even so, I don’t think they’re enough to secure your safety since your opponent this time is the military department…”
“Worry not, uncle Grubb! I’ll definitely save Miss Lindsay, even if I have to sacrifice myself!” declared Aiden as he gritted his teeth.
Unlike Aiden, Gerald remained calm as he asked, “Speaking of the military, have there been any other news about them?”
“Come to think of it, remember that friend of mine whom I said was working with the Yanam military? Well, I received an update from him last night. He told me that Maddox had continued leading a troop of soldiers with a large batch of armory supplies out every night since the day we left for the island. However, since Maddox is the deputy chief, my friend hadn’t dared to order his most trusted men to pry any deeper…” explained Lucian rather quickly, almost as though he was worried that he would forget any key details.
“Looks like he really is doing something there…” growled Aiden as he clenched his fists.
“There?” asked Lucian.
“A forested area quite far behind the military’s office. The night Aiden and I made our move, we tailed Maddox and his soldiers all the way to an obscure building in that forest. While we had a feeling that Miss Lindsay was being held captive there, we also figured that Maddox had already set plenty of traps around the area, which was why we returned to the manor instead of proceeding to save her back then,” explained Gerald.
“Oh? Actually, I think both of you told me about this before…” muttered Lucian as he tapped his cheek.
“Either way, to think that Maddox is still setting the place up after so many days. He must really want me dead,” replied Gerald with a smirk.
“But of course, he does! Once you’re out of the picture, he’ll be sure to replace Carter in becoming the next chief! What more, if he fails to take you out, I’m sure he knows that there’s a high chance that he’ll end up being the next Godwin!” said Lucian with a laugh.
Nodding as he finished his soy milk, Gerald then tossed the drink packet into a trash can before replying, “Indeed. Once the auction is over, our first course of action will be to save Miss
Lindsay. I honestly can’t wait to see what Maddox has prepared for me…!”
It was sometime later when the trio arrived at the viewing box again, and the auctioning began shortly after. After yesterday’s auction, several families who had managed to purchase items had either left or had been assassinated. Naturally, the assassinating families had also left after getting what they wanted.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2355
Whatever the case was, it explained why the lower floor was much less crowded compared to yesterday. What more, all the groups maintained a distance from each other, clearly worried that they would end up being targeted next.
While tension was high down below, things were still relatively calm on the upper floor. After all, those who could afford to be in the viewing boxes were either from famous families or cultivating sects. With that in mind, it was obvious that they didn’t even need to compete for such things.
Regardless, after the auction went on for about half an hour, Aiden couldn’t help but look at the door for a moment before asking, “Is Yaacob not joining us…?”
“He probably has things to take care of,” replied Gerald, knowing full well that Yaacob no longer had to keep an eye on him after his encounter with Walter.
“Speaking of that boy… His family is certainly powerful enough to be able to grant us access to the upper floor… However, this only makes things stranger since I’ve never even heard of a cultivating family by the name of Zeman!” muttered Lucian. While he definitely knew a Zeman family, it certainly didn’t share Yaacob’s high status.
Not wanting to talk about that family, Gerald simply replied, “Either way, aren’t you going to bid for anything, uncle Grubb?”
“Negative. It was already difficult enough for me to get those two bargains back then. Aside from that, not only are the auction items now immensely expensive, but I’d rather not paint myself as an assassination target by buying something!” said Lucian as he shook his head… ***
Meanwhile, Walter and a few others were busy keeping an eye on Gerald from the hidden viewing box from before. Walter himself looked rather relaxed. After all, not only did Gerald now know about his daughter’s condition, but the boy was still in his territory. As long as Gerald remained, his daughter would surely have a chance to recover.
As for Mia, she could be seen sitting next to Walter, clearly unaware of what had taken place the night before. Though she occasionally snuck glances at Gerald, anytime Gerald’s gaze met with hers despite not being able to see her from the outside, Mia immediately lowered her face, absolutely refusing to make eye contact with Gerald.
Either way, after staring at Gerald for a while, Walter recalled the old woman that Gerald had mentioned. With that in mind, he began scanning through the individuals on the lower floor.
When he couldn’t find anyone with a matching description, Walter was prompted to ask,
“Speaking of which, who exactly is that old woman that Gerald spoke of, Third elder?”
Upon hearing that, Third elder turned to look at Mia who was sitting in front of him before saying, “That… Was young mistress in disguise… She was the first to discover that he possessed the Herculean Primordial Spirit. With that said, she was the one that had come to his rescue when I attempted to chase him down the night Gerald accidentally trespassed into Mount Nimbus…”
Confused to hear that, Walter then frowned as he asked, “Why on earth would you even do such a thing, Mia?”
Quickly averting her gaze, Mia simply replied, “I… I just felt like it!”
Sensing dissatisfaction in her tone, Walter couldn’t help but sigh before saying in a soft tone,
“For heaven’s sake, I’ve already promised to give you six months to get to know Gerald, haven’t I…?”
“And what if I still don’t like him then?” replied Mia as she looked straight into her father’s eyes.
“Naturally, you’ll still have to undergo the process with him to expel the cold poison! While I’ll definitely allow you to use a different method if we find one, the likelihood of that is extremely low. Remember, we haven’t found any other methods in the past ten years! What makes you think that’ll change in the coming six months?” said Walter in a soft, but firm tone.
“So in the end, my choice doesn’t even matter, does it?” retorted Mia with a harrumph. While she was honestly slightly interested in Gerald, the fact that she had to copulate with him no matter what made her reject those feelings. The more her father wanted her to do it with him, the more she didn’t want to!
Worried that the duo would get into a quarrel, Third elder quickly interjected, “Let’s… Just give the young mistress a bit more time, master…”
Upon hearing that, Walter took in a deep breath before muttering, “What a truly spoiled girl…”
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2356
Whatever the case was, the auction’s morning session soon ended and Gerald found himself walking out of the auction house with Aiden and Lucian.
Unbeknownst to the trio, however, a man wearing a suit was standing motionless in the middle of the leaving crowd, his eyes glued onto Gerald. Though several people scowled at him for blocking their way, the man paid them no heed. After a while, another man walked up to him, prompting the man to ask “Is that Gerald?”
“I believe so. Still, I’m baffled that he’s eligible to partake in the auction in the first place. Regardless, I have no clue who those two men by his side are…” replied the other man as he stared at Gerald’s back “Forget those two, our target is Gerald. To think that I’d be able to bump into him here, of all places… Even god is on my side! ” said the man with an evil grin.
The man in question was none other than the grudgeful Will Crawford! As for the other man, he was Will’s confidant who went by Finch Crawford. Within the Crawford family, Finch was second only to Amare in terms of cultivation. Regardless, while Daryl was supposed to have attended the auction with Will, the old man fell sick, so Will brought his confidant along instead.
In truth, Will had initially been quite hesitant to attend the auction. However, now that he knew that Gerald was here, he couldn’t be happier. The fact that Daryl was so far away from him, only made things better. After all, no matter what he did here, that old man would never be able to find out now!
Even so, Will still knew he had to do things flawlessly. That way, if Daryl got suspicious and decided to make investigations of his own, he would remain clueless for life!
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Regardless, upon seeing that Gerald had almost disappeared into the crowd, Finch hurriedly asked, “When shall we do the deed, brother Will?”
“There’s no hurry. Let me do some investigating first,” replied Will who already felt that Gerald’s fate was sealed the second Will saw him on the island. It was only a matter of time before Gerald would finally die…!
Upon hearing that, Finch simply said, “Understood…”
“Good. Now return and get some rest. I want you to start keeping an eye on Gerald once noon comes. We need to find out where he’s staying. Remember, the auction ends the day after tomorrow, so we’ll need to get rid of him within the next two days,” ordered Will as he rubbed his hands together, a sinister smirk on his face.
Still, even if Gerald had seen Will, he wouldn’t have recognized him. After all, he had never met the youth before! Whatever the case was, since Gerald found the morning session rather boring, Gerald decided to spend the rest of his afternoon in his room.
Throughout the afternoon, Gerald laid on his bed, thinking about Walter’s words. If Gerald agreed to save that man’s daughter, that would also mean that he had to be unfaithful to Mila.
While he certainly didn’t like the idea of doing so, Gerald remembered how serious Walter had been last night. Since he was currently deep in the Zeman family’s territory, if he continued refusing to save Walter’s daughter, Gerald could very easily lose his life. With that in mind, regardless of what he chose to do, he would still receive the short end of the stick.
Not wanting to overthink things, Gerald decided not to make a choice for the time being and simply see how things went first. He also needed to delay Walter as long as possible. Gerald, for one, believed that there had to be other ways to cure the cold poison.
While this was happening, Will and Finch themselves were looking rather flustered.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2357
After all, they had been looking for Gerald at the auction house all afternoon to no avail. As a result, Will was anxious out of his mind. Had Gerald seen them and left the island in a hurry? However, after giving it some thought, Will remembered that Gerald had never met him or Finch before. With that in mind, Gerald wouldn’t have had a reason to flee in the first place!
Understanding that, Will who had now collected his thoughts again scanned the area one final time to ensure that Gerald wasn’t there before whispering to Finch, “Let’s search again later. If you manage to spot him, make sure to never let him out of your sight, understand?”
“But… What if we’re discovered in the process?” asked Finch.
“Look, when else are we going to be able to get rid of him? Remember, though the patriarch said that he wanted to kill Gerald, he didn’t do the deed even when he received two clear chances to kill him before! What more, he’s only sent me to investigate that boy’s cultivation level! Never to kill! With that said, only a fool would continue believing Daryl’s words! Letting Gerald escape will only bring more trouble in the end!” scoffed Will with a snort, his hatred toward Gerald already beyond words.
Will, for one, knew that until Gerald was dead, he would remain uneasy. After all, even if he did attain the position as the patriarch’ s successor, Daryl could easily replace him with Gerald if that old man really wanted to.
With that in mind, the sooner he got rid of Gerald, the better his chances of being able to retain his position as the patriarch’s successor. Gerald was literally the only thing in his way since Will knew for a fact that nobody else in his family was as capable as he was. Then again, the majority of the Crawfords were already supporting him.
Will’s train of thought was cut short when Finch rather hesitantly asked, “Um… Can I ask a sensitive question, brother Will…?”
“Just say it!” grumbled the impatient Will, now thoroughly pissed after thinking so much about Gerald. Truth be told, he would’ve already exploded in rage if there weren’t other families present.
“Well… What should we do if the patriarch finds out about all this…? After all, he’s already said that nobody’s allowed to meddle with this matter. With that said, if we’re found out, we’ll most definitely be punished…” muttered Finch, sounding rather worried.
After all, although Will was Daryl’s confidant and also the successor of the Crawford family, Finch still had to prioritize Daryl’s commands. It didn’t help that anyone who defied Darly never met a good end. Finch, for one, had already witnessed a few of the punishments, and each of them was equally terrifying…
“As I’ve said, as long as we do the deed flawlessly and neither of us says a word about it, there’s no way he could know!” grumbled Will. Daryl was the last person he wanted to think of at the moment. After all, despite Daryl’s promise to make him the family’s successor, he still treated Gerald so well! It was truly enraging!
Honestly, he was now wishing for Daryl’s sudden death so that he could finally take his rightful place as the new patriarch! If that scenario came to be, then his first order would be to have Gerald killed at all costs! No longer would that boy cause him any more trouble in the future…!
“But…” muttered Finch, clearly still worried. Doing all this perfectly was easier said than done. If they ended up getting found, they’d surely land in a world of trouble… It didn’t help that Gerald was the patriarch’s biological grandson. What’s more, nobody could tell what the patriarch was thinking!”
Regardless, Will simply retorted, “No buts. If you’re that scared, then feel free to leave now!”
Upon hearing that, Finch clenched his fists before eventually declaring, “I’m not..!”
Pleased to hear that, Will then ordered, “Good. Now hurry off and remember to tell me where Gerald’s staying the second you find out.”
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2358
Honestly, if Finch had chosen to return earlier, Will would’ve tried to kill him one way or another. After all, what good was a man who couldn’t even follow simple commands? What’s more, Finch already knew too much. If he didn’t get rid of him quickly, it could cause him problems later down the line.
Either way, after Finch left, Will heaved a deep sigh. He really needed to kill Gerald this time. No longer would that b*stard continue threatening his position…!
***
Fast forward to evening, a few Zeman clansmen went looking for Gerald again. Upon seeing him sitting alone in the living room, they were prompted to say, “Ah, there you are, Mr. Gerald. Our patriarch has invited you over for dinner.”
After nodding in response, Gerald got to his feet before following them out. Just as he was leaving his room, however, he bumped into Lucian and Aiden. After telling them he was heading out for a bit, Gerald then followed the Zemans downstairs.
Watching as Gerald walked off, Lucian was prompted to mutter, “I wonder if he knows any other people here…”
“I wonder as well. It’s been quite a while since I’ve last met him, so I’m not too sure of what connections he now has…” replied Aiden with a shrug.
“Whatever the case is, let’s just have a simple dinner. I’m sure chaos will ensue the second it gets dark enough outside…” muttered Lucian as he closed the door and windows, remembering that it was around this time when the two families had gotten into their fight the day before.
Regardless, just as Gerald was leaving the building with the Zeman disciples, he was seen by Finch who just so happened to be passing by on his way to dinner.
Finch himself had been searching all afternoon for Gerald to no avail. With that in mind, he was understandably tired, and he was planning to head straight to bed after his meal. Naturally, he immediately did a double take when he saw Gerald. Once he confirmed that it really was the boy, Finch quickly gave Will a call before reporting, “B-brother Will! I saw Gerald leaving a wooden building! He’s currently heading north with two other men!”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry and catch up to him! If you lose him this time, don’t you even dare think about returning to Yearning Island!” growled Will, prompting Finch to helplessly hang up before starting to tail the trio.
Naturally, Gerald had no idea that he was being followed. After all, he was busy wondering what Walter would say to him tonight, and what he should do if Walter continued pursuing the matter regarding his daughter.
To Gerald’s surprise, however, the second Walter who was sitting alone in the room saw him, the middle-aged man instantly greeted, “Gerald! My good friend! Come, sit!”
Though Gerald knew that Walter was only being this friendly because he needed Gerald’s help, he couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed. After all, the middle-aged man sounded so genuine. Regardless, Gerald quickly replied, “Um… I really shouldn’t be eating here all the time…”
“Why shouldn’t you? You’re our family’s savior! Honestly, feel free to stay here if you so wish! ” declared Walter with a hearty laugh.
“That… isn’t necessary…” muttered Gerald in a slightly helpless tone. The way Walter said it, it was almost as though Gerald had already agreed to help Mia expel her cold poison… Then again, there was nothing he could do about it. After all, Walter’s cultivation was much higher than his. With that in mind, If Gerald straight out refused, then there was a chance that he wouldn’t even be able to leave this place.
Gerald’s train of thought was cut short when Walter patted his thigh before adding, “Speaking of which, if there are any auction items you want, just tell me! I’ll give it to you as a gift!”
Upon hearing that, Gerald instantly exclaimed, “There really is no need for that…!”
If he accepted it, then he would have no way to back out of this…!
Despite Gerald’s refusal, Walter simply ignored the boy as he turned to look at the door before shouting, “Yaacob! Go get the auction item list for Gerald to have a look!”
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2359
Shortly after, Walter received a small booklet from Yaacob. Following that, Walter handed it to Gerald before saying, “If you see anything you’re interested in, just say the word!”
“Again, I really don’t need anything! If I’m truly interested in something, I’ll bid for it myself! Besides, obtaining auction items this way is clearly against the rules!” exclaimed Gerald as he waved his hands in refusal.
Rather than being angered, Walter simply crossed his arms with a laugh as he said, “It’s good to see that you’re full of principle! On a more serious note… Have you given my daughter’s illness enough thought? Know that as long as you cure Mia’s cold poison, I promise to grant you any wish!”
Before Gerald could even answer, Third elder rushed into the room while shouting,
“Patriarch! Someone’s just attempted to barge in!”
Frowning slightly upon hearing that, Walter momentarily glanced at Gerald before asking, “Hmm? Who would even dare to do such a thing? Could the person have stumbled upon this place by accident like Gerald?”
“Negative. While Gerald had only wandered close to the forcefield around Mount
Nimbus, this man was different. He came here with a clear target in mind…” muttered
Third elder as he shook his head. Had that man simply stumbled across this place by mistake, Third elder would’ve just driven him away instead of reporting all this to the patriarch!
“Oh? Interesting… Since he’s daring enough to come here, I’d like to see who he is!” replied Walter as he burst out laughing. Turning to look at Gerald, he then added, “Care to join me, Gerald?”
After Gerald nodded, the duo then followed Third elder out. Soon enough, they arrived at the room where the intruder was being held.
Upon entering, the two were greeted by the sight of a man firmly tied to a chair with thick ropes, a number of disciples actively standing guard around him. Naturally, the intruder was none other than Finch!
Finch himself had no idea what this place was. He had simply gotten here after tailing Gerald and the Zeman disciples. Unfortunately for him, he got caught as he was trying to eavesdrop on Gerald’s conversation. Whatever the case was, upon looking up, Finch was immediately greeted by the sight of Gerald and Walter staring right at him!
Walking up to Finch, Walter then glared condescendingly at him before saying, “You’re younger than I expected. Tell me, should I call you brave or arrogant?”
“P-please sir… I accidentally stumbled into this place… With that said, please let me off…” muttered Finch in a helpless tone. Had he known that this would happen, he wouldn’t have followed Gerald here…!
“Let you go? Tell me who you are first, as well as what you’re really after, then we talk Also, the elder on guard told me that you came straight for this place, so only an idiot would believe that you ‘accidentally’ stumbled all the way here,” scoffed Walter as he gestured for his disciples to fall back.
“I… I… I really did just come across this place by accident…!” whimpered Finch who didn’t dare expose who he really was. After all, if he did, Gerald would definitely kill him…! Who knows, if he kept his mouth zipped, he could possibly get freed in the end.
“Make me repeat myself and you’ll be dead in a minute,” snarled the increasingly impatient Walter as he immediately exuded immense murderous intent…!
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2360
Upon hearing that, one of Walter’s disciples immediately took a step forward.
Now terrified out of his mind, Finch who could sense how serious these people were about murdering him immediately yelled, “W-wait… !”
After gesturing for his disciple to stop, Walter then stared Finch straight in the eye before asking in a calm, but stern tone, “Again, I ask. Who are you, and who has your back? Why didn’t you just return to rest after today’s auction ended? just so you know, my family is the organizer of this auction!”
Gulping in response, Finch glanced at Gerald before sighing. He had no choice but to state the truth.
Shaking his head, Finch then explained, “I… I’m from the Crawford family… I came here to spy on Gerald…”
“Oh? You’re a Crawford? Do you know him, Gerald?” asked Walter as he turned to look at the boy.
Gerald himself already had his fists clenched as he narrowed his eyes at Finch while growling, “The cultivating Crawford family, I presume?”
After seeing Finch nod, the confused Walter couldn’t help but ask, “Hmm? What’s going on here? Is he not your family member?”
Momentarily remaining silent, Gerald eventually turned to face Walter before placing his palm against his fist as he requested, “Before that, could you spare his life for now?
Maybe keep him here in the meantime…?”
“That’s certainly arrangeable,” replied Walter, prompting both Gerald and Finch to heave sighs of relief.
After exiting the room, Walter who could sense Gerald’s unease signaled his disciples to leave them be for now. Following that, Walter took a slow stroll on the shore behind his home-together with Gerald.
It was a brief silence later when Walter turned to look at Gerald who was very obviously upset before asking, “My friend, do you have any grudges against the cultivating Crawford family…?”
“Well, there’s no point hiding all this anymore… You see, the cultivating Crawford family was established by my grandfather…” muttered Gerald, not wanting to keep it a secret anymore.
Gerald, for one, knew that Walter wouldn’t suddenly decide to kill him since he still possessed the Herculean Primordial Spirit. What more, Walter could very well end up helping him! However, should that happen, then he would truly have no choice but to copulate with Walter’s daughter. Though he knew that, Finch’s sudden appearance had made Gerald’s mind more muddled than he’d like to admit.
“I see. Then… Isn’t that man part of your family…?” asked the confused Walter.
“Far from it,” replied Gerald with a long sigh before starting to explain all about Daryl. In the process, Gerald also admitted that he had only approached Mount Nimbus in the first place to learn about its secrets due to how similar it was in terms of being
able to disappear and reappear to Yearning Island.
Throughout Gerald’s explanation, Walter kept nodding as his frown slowly deepened. To think that this young man had been carrying such heavy responsibility in the past few years.
By the time Gerald was done, Walter slipped his hands into his pockets before saying, “Now I know the whole story… Yearning Island, was it? I truly believe that that island floating atop the Northbay Sea functions the same as this one, as in, there’s a giant forcefield around it, thus allowing it to be invisible from the outside… With that said, I have reason to believe that your grandfather’s cultivation level is on par with mine. Still, I’ve never heard of the cultivating Crawfords before, so I can’t help you information wise…”
“But… If you haven’ t even heard of the cultivating Crawfords before, how did they get invited to the auction…?” asked Gerald.
“Well, just because I haven’t heard about them doesn’t mean that the same applies to the rest of my family. In case you weren’t aware, those on the island are just a small part of my family. With that said, I normally don’t care about the auction too much. I’m only here due to the fact that I was told that the bearer of the Herculean Primordial Spirit was here,” explained Walter with a smile as he looked at the vast ocean.
“I see…” replied Gerald as he nodded.
After lighting a cigarette and handing one to Gerald, Walter took a moment before saying, “Since Yearning Island is most probably surrounded by a forcefield like Greendrake Island, it won’t be easy for you to get there How’s this? I’ll inform my family’s elders to tell you all they know about the cultivating Crawfords.”
“I appreciate it. Still, there’s one other thing that I can’t quite understand,” muttered Gerald as he held onto his cigarette.
“That being?” asked Walter with a slightly raised brow.
“Well… Since Yearning Island was already able to vanish at will thousands of years ago, does that mean that those from the Seadom tribe were cultivators…? Or perhaps they used some other method to make the island vanish…” muttered Gerald, a frown on his face.
“Unfortunately, I’m not too sure about that,” replied Walter as he shook his head. “Whatever the case is, my parents and sister are still being held hostage there… I won’t stop till I’ve saved them…!” growled Gerald as he clenched his fists tightly.
“Once you find the island, tell me and I’ll lead some of my family’s seniors over to help you save your family. How’s that sound?” asked Walter as he placed a hand on Gerald’s shoulder.
“While I appreciate the kind offer, I wish to save my loved ones with my own strength. Besides, I don’t think it’s good to keep relying on others,” replied Gerald as he shook his head.
Admiring Gerald’s determination, Walter nodded as he asked, “I see. Speaking of which, what do you plan to do with the man we caught?”
“If possible, keep him here for now… I think he’s just a regular member of the cultivating Crawfords. With that said, another Crawford must have brought him here,” replied Gerald after taking in a deep breath.
“Oh? So you’re saying that the spy is working for another person who wishes to harm you?” deduced Walter.
After watching Gerald nod in agreement, Walter then turned around as he said, “I see. Then I’ll make sure to force every last bit of information out of him, then. Also, as an elder, I have some advice for you… Though it’s good to be kind, being too kind all the time could eventually spell trouble…”
Bowing toward Walter, Gerald simply replied, “I appreciate the advice, Uncle Zeman. I know what to do.”
“Good to hear. Well, feel free to return to your room now. As promised, I’ll let Finch live for now. The second I find someone attempting to look for that man, however, I’ll be sure to immediately inform you,” said Walter as he tossed his cigarette butt into a stone pestle.
“Thank you, Uncle Zeman,” replied Gerald with a bow before turning to leave.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2361
It was sometime later when Will could be seen pacing up and down his living room, his hands against his back. Where the hell had Finch gone? He was sure that he had simply ordered Finch to spy on Gerald. After all, it wasn’t as though Finch was even capable of taking Gerald out! With that in mind, what was taking him so long…?
Though Will was getting restless, he knew for a fact that this wasn’t his territory, so he couldn’t just head out to look for Finch and risk looking overly suspicious. Eventually, however, he caved in and decided to simply look around the area.
To Will’s surprise, however, the second he opened the door, several people were already standing there, seemingly waiting for him. What more, judging from their auras, all of them were advanced cultivators…!
After a brief pause, Will asked in a frigid tone, “Who are all of you?”
“Hah! We should be the ones asking questions, Mr. Will Crawford. Not the other way around,” scoffed the leader of the men with a snort.
“H-how do you know who I am? Did you capture Finch?!” exclaimed Will as he instantly turned around to escape. However, before he could even take a single step, a large net came falling down on him!
Immediately using his essential qi to free himself, Will was horrified to find out that the not was absorbing all his essential qi! It was almost as though the net was alive!
“What the hell?!” exclaimed the stunned Will once he accepted that there was no escaping the situation.
“Cease your struggling, Will. This is the Ultimate Immobilizing Net, a special spiritual artifact of the Zeman family. Regardless of how high your cultivation level is, you won’t be able to move a muscle! Men! Bring him away and immediately inform Mr. Gerald about this!” ordered the leader, prompting his men to yell, “Yes, sir…!”
Shortly after, Gerald was notified about Will’s capture, and he honestly couldn’t believe how quickly Walter had managed to find the perpetrator.
Whatever the case was, upon being led to where Walter was, the middle-aged man cheerily said, “Ah, there you are, Gerald! I’ll be leaving both of them to you, then.”
Upon seeing Gerald, Will immediately roared, “You b*stard…! Your family is still in our hands, you know?! With that said, if you dare to kill any of us, the patriarch will surely tear you to pieces!”
“Oh? Is that so?” scoffed Gerald with a smirk as he slammed his palm directly onto Will’s chest, immediately causing him to cough out a mouthful of blood!
Following that, Gerald furrowed his brows before adding, “Don’t you dare threaten me again. Now tell me, where is Yearning Island?”
“I… I don’t know! And don’t think you’ll ever be able to find it…!” roared Will.
“Simply doing that won’t work, Gerald. Step aside and allow me to activate the true power of the Ultimate Immobilizing Net… Once it’s activated, Will here will feel the pain of thousands of bugs simultaneously chewing on his organs! He’s bound to state the truth then!” scoffed Walter with a devilish smile before beginning to chant a spell.
The second the net began glowing, Will’s piercing screams of agony immediately filled the room!
Now standing before Will, Walter then growled, “If you wish to die painlessly, tell us where Yearning Island is. Also, know that attempting to resist with your essential qi will only intensify the pain!”
“P-please… I don’t know where the island is…! I speak the truth, so… So please kill me already…!” whimpered Will who already had blue veins bulging on his forehead. Blood was leaking from his eyes as well, and he honestly looked terrible…
Regardless, upon hearing Will’s response, Walter and Gerald couldn’t help but exchange glances.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2362
Finch himself who was beside Will this entire time had long gone unconscious. It simply proved that when used for enhanced interrogations, not even a god could withstand the agony caused by the Ultimate Immobilizing Net…
Despite that, the two had managed to remain mum! Could it be that they really had no idea where the island was located…? While it didn’t make any sense, it was the most plausible answer. With that in mind, Walter waved his hand, retrieving the Ultimate Immobilizing Net.
Once the net was off, it was revealed that most of Will’s skin had been torn open, revealing his pulsing flesh. Regardless, after Will crumbled into a trembling mess on the floor, Walter was prompted to ask, “You came from Yearning Island, no? How the hell do you not know how to get there?”
“W-while it’s true we come from Yearning Island… We really don’t know where it is…! Ever since I was a child, we entered and left the island with the help of a magic artifact…! With that said, we’ve never needed to properly observe the island’s surroundings before…!” whimpered Will who didn’t want to experience such pain ever again.
Upon hearing that, realization suddenly dawned upon Walter as he exclaimed, “I’ve figured it out. They’re using a Dimension Stone!”
Following that, Walter outstretched his hand toward Will, prompting a flash to appear atop his palm. And soon after, a green, crystalline stone and a map were in his hands! Staring at the stone, Gerald was prompted to ask, “Ah… Dimension Stone…?”
“Indeed! A Dimension Stone is a special magic artifact that is created and refined according to a specific, forcefield-confined area. Within the forcefield, lies a ‘receiving dimensional formation’ that with the aid of a Dimension Stone would allow one to instantly travel to the confined area! While one would normally require at least two dimensional formations just to achieve that, a Dimensional Stone makes the process much easier!”
“Regardless, I have to say that Daryl is quite a cunning one… After all, he doesn’t even trust his clansmen! I bet that old man has already set up several receiving dimensional formations for himself!” explained Walter with a chuckle.
“You… You’re correct… From… What I know… There are over thousands of receiving dimensional formations across the globe…!” said Will in a weak tone.
“How impressive… Knowledge of this ancient method should’ve been forgotten ages ago… Daryl is no simple opponent…” muttered Walter in a deep voice as he unfolded the map that he had taken from Will.
The map itself was of an island, and there appeared to be several houses clustered together in a rather complicated layout. The entire area was apparently swarming with booby traps and hidden doors as well.
“Yearning Island, I presume?” asked Gerald in a monotonous tone.
“So what if it is? You may have captured us and obtained the map, but you’ll never find the island!” scoffed Will with a sinister smile.
Before Will could taunt Gerald any further, Gerald struck Will on his forehead and soon enough, a golden light burst out from every orifice of Will’s body, killing him in seconds…! Watching as Will’s body turned to dust, Gerald couldn’t help but feel his eyelids twitch.
“Where the hell was Yearning Island…?! Was his lead to it gone again?! How infuriating…!”
“There’s no need to be so anxious, Gerald… Regardless, I think I now know why you’ve been unable to find the island!” declared Walter who had been carefully studying the map.
“Oh? What have you found?” asked Gerald in anticipation.
“Hah! That devilish old man truly is something else… You see, the island isn’t in the southern or southeastern areas… Hell, it’s not even within the boundary commonly used to set up dimensional formations! After giving the map a good look, I’ve found that the formation alignments don’t follow the rules of cultivation or any of the eight diagrams, for that matter. With that said, I believe that Daryl here is using witchcraft! If you take a look at the center, you should be able to see a sacrificial ornament of some sort. I mean, just look at that strange bull head on top! I’m fairly certain that it’s a sacrificial totem commonly used in
witchcraft!” scoffed Walter.
“Witchcraft…?” muttered the astonished Gerald.
“Indeed! To be more precise, Daryl’s using the ancient witchcraft technique that originates from the Northern Dessert that goes by the Witchery Skypit Art! Since witches went extinct ages ago, the art should no longer exist! With that said, who the hell is Daryl…?” muttered the flabbergasted Walter.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2363
“Regardless, with all this information, I think I’m able to considerably narrow our search for Daryl’s lair!” declared Walter joyously.
“What do you mean, Uncle Zeman?” asked Gerald with a slightly raised brow.
“Well, you see, the witches had a special method of learning witchcraft. It’s quite different from cultivation, mind you. After all, when we cultivate, we rely on the holy spirit to align the meridians in our bodies and condense our essential qi. Witches, on the other hand, mainly rely on external things to practice their witchcraft, such as insects, herbs, and even human blood!”
“What more, from what I’ve read in a few ancient books, witches used to apparently slaughter young children to maintain the balance of their feminine and masculine energies! Naturally, this enraged the public, which led to them working together with the forces from the ancient cultivating realm to exterminate the witches. But enough about that.”
“The method the witches used is called the Breeding Refinement Technique. As the name suggests, it involves quite a lot of breeding and refinement. By the end of it, however, witches who underwent the process would find their witchcraft greatly enhanced! Witches who got to this point would truly be masters of planting exotic flowers and fruits, as well as expert breeders of all sorts of supernatural insects,” explained Walter.
“I see… If Yearning Island truly was established using ancient witchcraft, then I see two possible explanations for all this. Either Daryl managed to locate the witches’ ancient ruins, or that old man found the area where the witches once used for breeding. If the second option is what happened, then I’m assuming that he used the place as a foundation to build up Yearning Island with the aid of the Witcher Skypit Art!” exclaimed Gerald.
“Clever boy! With all that said, since he’s most probably moving all over the place through that method, there really isn’t any point in trying to locate him. However, this also tells us that if Yearning Island isn’t in the southeast area, then it’s most probably in the North Sea near the Northern Dessert! I also have reason to believe that the place should be surrounded by exotic plants that the Witches left behind! After all, that’s the only way the Witchery Skypit Art can still exist!” explained Walter.
“If that’s the case, then does that mean that I’ll start finding clues of Yearning Island’s true location once I find exotic plants?” exclaimed Gerald in joy.
No wonder he couldn’t find Yearning Island all this time! As it turned out, the island’s true location had been in the complete opposite direction of where he had been searching! To think that he once thought that locating the Seadom tribe was enough to get him to the island.
Gerald’s train of thought was cut short when Walter said, “Well… It isn’t that easy. According to the ancient books I’ve read, such plants are extremely rare. Even if you come across one, you may not recognize it, so the task is rather difficult once you give it some thought. Regardless, you can start by investigating the witches’ descendants.” “Come again? They have descendants?” replied Gerald, clearly surprised to hear that.
“Well… Here’s the thing. In an alternate record I found, I read that while most of the witches were exterminated, quite a few from the first lineage were able to escape. If that’s the case, then those would’ve been the direct heirs of the witches. Still, it’s been ages since then and I haven’t actually heard about any witch descendants… Not even my ancestors were able to meet any. Even so, I do have a way of locating them if they still happen to exist. Will you accept this quest to find them?” asked Walter.
“Go on…”
“You’ll need to find a plant that bears the Divine Fruit! Apparently found in the Northern Dessert, this naturally growing plant is the only one mentioned in my records regarding witches. Regardless, the witches were said to favor Divine Fruits, using them to nurture their bloodlines as well as to enhance their powers…” said Walter.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2364
“So… Once we find a Divine Fruit tree, we should be able to locate any witch descendants if they still exist, correct? Following that, we should be able to easily locate Yearning Island! Did I get that right?” replied Gerald with a nod.
“That’s the best-case scenario, yes, but do keep in mind that the witches could have completely been exterminated back then… After all, I haven’t heard any new information about them outside my ancient books!” said Walter with a sigh.
“Knowing that there’s a chance of success is already good enough for me,” replied Gerald with a smile.
Nodding in response, Walter couldn’t help but sigh again as he said, “While I know you’ll be returning to Weston soon, I do wonder if you’ve thought about my daughter’s situation… Though it’s true that I know another possible method, I wouldn’t be this persistent with you if that method was easily achievable!”
“Huh? Come again? There’s another method?” replied the surprised Gerald.
“Well… Yes, but if I go along with that plan, the Zemans will have to pay a massive price… Regardless, since you now know about this, I may as well give you the full story. You see, there’s a creature known as the Redflame Dragon, and I believe that its blood can help us expel Mia’s cold poison… Either way, many from the older generations including my ancestors have attempted to slay it for personal reasons.
Unsurprisingly, this resulted in many deaths from all the participating families.”
“To prevent further bloodshed, my grandfather’s generation made a rule that forbade any Zemans from looking into news regarding the Redflame Dragon… Anyone who defied the rule would automatically be disowned, which is why I shouldn’t have told you about all this in the first place…” muttered Walter with a helpless smile.
“I see… It’s honestly my first time hearing about the Redflame Dragon,” replied Gerald, sounding rather interested.
“Well, the creature lives deep underground, and most major cultivating forces have attempted to hunt it down from ancient times. After all, the Redflame Dragon’s blood is said to be able to enhance one’s cultivation. Aside from that, it’s also said that there are saintly ruins in the underground cave that it dwells in. As the rumors go, divine cultivation methods are hidden in there…” explained Walter.
“Oh? That sounds similar to the Guardian Beast in Weston!” exclaimed Gerald with a nod.
“In a way, I agree. Regardless, it’s extremely difficult to even get to the Redflame Dragon… Many lives have been lost from the journey there alone!” replied Walter as he shook his head.
“What if we try getting to the dragon together, Uncle Zeman? Though my girlfriend is still missing, I’ve sworn to myself that I’d never get married to anyone else! Besides, you’ve already helped me a lot so I can’t bring myself to just allow Mia to die from the cold poison… Either way, let’s try taking the dragon out first! If that really doesn’t work, then we’ll just need to find another way later on!” proposed Gerald.
Gerald, for one, knew that his Herculean Primordial Spirit would protect him if any critical moments showed up, even if he hadn’t fully mastered it yet. Whatever the case was, he wasn’t going to let Mia die without a fight!
Upon hearing Gerald’s statement, Walter couldn’t help but look at Gerald in awe as he asked, “Are… You truly willing to give it a shot? If so, the truth is, I’ve been preparing to deal with the dragon for many years now. I’ve only been holding back since my subordinates keep dissuading me… With you by my side, however, I’m now more confident than ever to go through with the plan…!”
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2365
“I’m glad to hear that! Still, do you know where the dragon currently is…?” asked Gerald.
“But of course! As I’ve said, several of my ancestors had attempted to take down the Redflame Dragon. Unfortunately, all of them were forced to retreat before they could even get far into Fyre Cave… Regardless, I’ve inherited a map to the cave, as well as a detailed plan. With the map and our combined powers, I believe that we’ll be able to make it further in! Even if we’re forced to retreat, we should be able to escape in one piece with each other’s help!” replied Walter.
“Excellent!” said Gerald.
“Then it’s settled. I’ll gather a few of my men tonight, and once dawn comes, we’ll all head to Fyre cave together! Are you fine with staying at my place tonight?”
“No problem!” declared Gerald before following Walter back to the Zeman family’s residence.
It was later that night when Gerald could be seen lying on his bed in the room that Walter had provided him with. Understandably restless after all that had happened today, Gerald had been pondering about his next step from the moment he laid down.
From what he had sorted out, once he was done with Walter’s quest, he would return to Weston and send his men out to search for the Divine Fruit tree. Following that, he would need to search high and low for any witch descendants. Gerald, for one, refused to believe that such a powerful group of people would be wiped out that easily. With that in mind, if he still couldn’t locate them, then the second-best thing to do was to play the waiting game…!
Just as Gerald had made his mind up, the sound of thunder erupted from the outside!
Immediately opening his eyes, the boy then bolted toward the source of the sound! Shortly after, Gerald was greeted by the sight of two men standing on the rooftops.
One of them was Walter, while the other was a white-haired old man dressed in shabby clothes.
Before Gerald could even process what was happening, Walter placed his hands against his back before sternly asking, “Thunder Swordlord… To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Let’s just say that a little birdy told me that you were preparing to hunt down the
Redflame Dragon! With that in mind, I now know that you still have the map leading to Fyre Cave! To think that you’ve tricked me all this time!” scoffed the old man as he glared at Walter with greedy eyes.
“Ryder Weir, you’ve made yourself a name in the cultivation realm, have you not? To think that you’d still be pestering me so shamelessly after all this time! You’re an embarrassment to the cultivation realm!” retorted Walter.
“Say what you want, but I’m not leaving without the map! You told me you had burnt it back then, so I’m glad I didn’t buy your lies! Regardless, you’re searching for the Redflame Dragon to cure your daughter, no? Why don’t we just join forces?” proposed Ryder with a sinister grin.
“Please, I know you well enough. If we really do kill the dragon, it’s not like you’d let us leave in one piece! Your selfishness knows no bounds!” scoffed Walter with a sarcastic chuckle.
“So that’s your answer… Then allow me to show you the power of my Thunder Sword…!” growled Ryder as he sharpened his gaze before drawing his blade!
“Thunder Strike!” roared Ryder as he lifted his blade, causing the golden sword to charge up with electricity a s it swung toward Walter! With how immense the power was, even the air seemed to momentarily get twisted…!
Knowing how dangerous the attack was, Walter immediately yelled, “Lonsdaleite Shield!”
Following that, a golden shield suddenly materialized before Walter! Unfortunately, as the sword struck the shield, a sickening crack could be heard…!
“F*cking hell!” roared Walter as he watched the sword pierce through his shield!
Thankfully, Gerald was quick to act! Leaping toward the duo, he drew all the power within his Herculean Primordial Spirit… And through sheer will, he was able to deflect the attack away from Walter! Had he been a split second too late, Walter would’ve surely perished.
Whatever the case was, the energy from the deflected attack quickly collided with a massive, old tree and after a deafening explosion, nothing remained of it…!
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2366
Utterly shocked by the amount of power that Gerald had just exhibited, Ryder-whose eyes were now wide open couldn’t help but exclaim, “My lord! To think that a kid like you would be able to deflect my Thunder Strike! I guess you really can’t judge a book but its cover anymore! Regardless, what kind of cultivation techniques do you even practice? And where are you from? Not many young people can attain such immense cultivation levels!”
“I wonder…” muttered Gerald.
“Hah! Staying silent, eh? Just so you know, I always get what I want! With that said, since you’re playing hard to get, I’ll just kill both of you! I’m overturning the Zeman family tonight if it’s the last thing I do!” roared the insane looking Ryder as he pointed his sword toward the sky before yelling, “Blood Shower!”
Watching in horror as a swirling vortex of thunder clouds gathered atop the blade’s tip,
Walter quickly yelled, “Gerald! Run! We won’t survive that attack…!” Unfortunately, it was far too late for that…!
A frighteningly powerful aurablade began materializing at the heart of the massive vortex and without warning, it began flying toward the duo…!
The aurablade was so overwhelmingly powerful that even Gerald had to admit that it was far stronger than any of the attacks that Daryl had previously used on him!
Regardless, though Gerald and Walter used every last bit of their essential qi to deflect the attack while frantically trying to evade it, their efforts were for naught…!
The aurablade simply confirmed bolting toward them and the second the attack collided against a surface, it caused a near blinding explosion that instantly lit the night sky up.
The attack had detonated like a massive bomb, causing both Gerald and Walter to get flung high into the air!
However, they weren’t the only victims of the attack Several of the Zeman disciples had been standing beneath the roof while the attack was happening. As a result, together with the house, all of them were blown to smithereens…!
As Walter smashed into the ground, he immediately coughed out a mouthful of blood.
Gerald himself had suffered quite a few internal injuries, and he could now barely stand.
“So… Strong…” muttered the weakened Gerald.
While it was true that Gerald had memorized a list of powerful techniques, he was unable to use them since he still hadn’t gained full control over his Herculean Primordial Spirit. With that in mind, as Sister Indigo had previously said, until he had full control over his primordial spirit, he’d be lucky to be able to survive an encounter with a true master.
Whatever the case was, Ryder began laughing maniacally as he scoffed, “Hah! You’re getting more and more interesting, kid! Just so you know, nobody’s ever been able to survive my Blood Shower attack! Yet here you are, still alive and well after taking two of my attacks! I wonder if I should make an exception and show you my third sword technique…?”
“You monster…!” yelled Gerald, both his arms already numb. While he wasn’t critically injured yet, Gerald knew that he had already used far too much of his Triton qi to withstand another attack.
Gerald’s train of thought was cut short when Walter who had just managed to get to his feet again ordered, “Step aside, Gerald… I’m… I’m initiating the Lonsdaleite
Extermination Formation…!”
After saying that, Walter spread his arms out before beginning to chant a spell… Shortly after, the entire area started shaking like it was being hit by an earthquake! Following that, violent and howling winds began blowing as well!
Watching as beams of golden light began shooting out of the ground, Ryder roared in laughter as he scoffed, “How very interesting! To think that the Zemans would possess such a powerful formation!”
However, as the gales grew more violent, Ryder quickly found his eyelids twitching as an immensely pressuring aura enveloped him… Something dangerous was coming…!
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2367
Shortly after, the ground began quivering as a massive roar rang through the area! Following that, a humongous dragon materialized out of thin air and began charging toward Ryder!
“Thunder Strike!” yelled Ryder as launched his own attack, hoping to fend off the incoming dragon!
The second the two attacks collided, a near deafening explosion filled the area! Not only did the immensely powerful collision cause the dragon to quickly dematerialize, but even Ryder found himself coughing mouthfuls of blood as he was flung backward…!
Once he stabilized himself, Ryder who now appeared even more twisted than before looked up at the sky before laughing maniacally.
“The Lonsdaleite Extermination Formation, eh? What a great formation your ancestors have left behind!” scoffed Ryder before swinging his arms and somehow transforming himself into a thick fog of sorts!
As the fog was blown away by the wind, Ryder’s voice could be heard echoing, “You won’t get rid of me that easily, Walter…! Just you wait..!”
After Ryder’s voice could no longer be heard, Walter quickly used his essential qi to withdraw his formation and seconds later, the middle-aged man went completely pale as he fell to his knees and began coughing out blood!
“P-patriarch…!” exclaimed several of the Zemans as they quickly rushed forward to help Walter up.
Sitting cross-legged, Walter slowly replied, “I… I’ll be fine… Nothing life threatening… Regardless, to think that Ryder’s cultivation would improve this much just after not seeing him in thirty years…! At this rate, I’m honestly worried that he’ll be able to deflect my Lonsdaleite
Extermination Formation past the sixty year mark…”
“Who… Exactly was that old man…?” asked Gerald, feeling equally concerned.
To think that Ryder would be a super cultivator just like Daryl and his master, Finnley. What a shocking turn of events.
“Well… He’s a solitary cultivator, though things weren’t always that way… He used to be part of the seventy-two disciples in the Thunder Sword Sect. After an event thirty years ago, however, he became the only one left in the sect. Regardless, though he’s an evil and ruthless man, he’s also undeniably talented. After all, he already had an eye for the map to Fyre Cave from three decades ago! He was and probably still is determined to enter the cave to retrieve the records of a legendary skill… Needless to say, he’s a martial arts fanatic!” explained Walter as he remained in his sitting position, occasionally regulating his breath to help heal his internal injuries.
Once color began returning to Walter’s face, Gerald was prompted to ask, “You said there were seventy two cultivators in the Thunder Sword Sect, correct…? If he alone is already that strong, how did the rest of the sect end up getting destroyed? Are there cultivators out there much stronger than Ryder…?”
From the day Gerald began cultivating, he realized how little he truly knew about the world.
Upon hearing that, Walter simply shook his head with a bitter smile as he said, “Truth be told, the seventy two disciples were all powerful cultivators, each possessing strength that could easily shock the cultivation realm! As for how they were wiped out… Well Ryder’s to take credit for that!”
Momentarily flabbergasted to hear that, Gerald eventually snapped out of it before replying, “What? So that’s why you were so against cooperating and giving him the map! Not only is that man a fanatic, but he’s an extremely selfish one as well! Such a person would never share anything good with others!”
“Indeed… After taking down his entire sect, he’s the only one left who knows how to use the Thunder Sword Technique… It’s honestly how he garnered the title of ‘Thunder Swordlord’ among cultivators in just a few decades,” muttered Walter with a sigh.
After a brief silence, one of Walter’s subordinates was prompted to ask, “Are… We still headed to Fyre Cave then, Patriarch?”
“We are. While we could still afford delays before this, now that Ryder knows our plan, we can’t wait any longer. Honestly, the quicker we get this over with, the better. After all, since he’s been wounded by my Lonsdaleite Extermination Formation, I’m sure Ryder will need at least a week to fully recover his primordial spirit. With that said, this is our best chance to get things done. If we act any slower, not only will our chances of obtaining the Redflame Dragon’s blood plummet, but the Zemans will also be at an increased risk of facing extermination!” explained Walter in a rather anxious tone.
Hearing that, the concerned Gerald couldn’t help but ask, “But… What about your injuries?”
“Don’t worry, only my essential qi got damaged. With that in mind, as long as I bring enough herbs along, there shouldn’t be any issues. Besides, getting to Fyre Cave at least, according to my ancestors’ calculations, requires at least three days. We’ll need to pass through seventy two caves of varying sizes before getting to the innermost one. With that knowledge, I believe I have sufficient time to recover,” replied Walter with a wave of his hand.
“That’s… A lot of caves…” muttered Gerald as his jaw dropped slightly.
“Heh. The caves were cleverly designed based on the five elements and the eight diagrams. Since they’re also surrounded by all sorts of force fields, it really isn’t out of place to call that place a maze. In case you weren’t aware, several of the advanced cultivators who died there didn’t meet their end because of the dragon, but because they got trapped in the maze! Why do you
think Ryder wants my map so badly?”
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2368
Watching as Walter slowly got to his feet, Gerald was prompted to say, “I see… Either way, just as you said, I believe we shouldn’t delay this any further. Let’s move on!” Gerald, for one, was now pumped to see the maze for himself.
Regardless, before leaving, Gerald made sure to update Aiden on the situation. Upon hearing what Gerald had to say, the concerned Aiden couldn’t help but say, “You’re leaving so soon?”
“Indeed. While I’m gone, I need you to return to Weston as soon as possible to get some things done. This place isn’t the safest to be in for much longer anyway,” replied Gerald as he began elaborating on his search for the Divine Fruit tree.
Since Gerald possessed a great number of assets in numerous industries within Weston, his resources were near inexhaustible. This gave him a massive advantage in his search for the tree.
Either way, after hearing Gerald’s plan, Aiden thought for a moment before asking, “I can do that but… When will you be back? And where should we meet up again?” After giving it some thought, Gerald replied, “We’ll rendezvous at Mayberry City. It’s been quite a while since I’ve last returned!”
By doing all this, Gerald was leaving a way open for his future self. If things went according to plan, he could at least spread the news so that fewer people would get deceived by Daryl.
Fast forward to nighttime, Walter had already selected thirty six advanced cultivators from his family to come along for the mission. With that, the thirty eight people inclusive of Walter and Gerald began making their way to Fyre Cave.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the very center of the island. Surrounded by dense forests, was the entrance of Fyre Cave that honestly looked more like a well than anything.
Clearing his throat, Walter then declared, “Before we descend, let me remind you that underground creatures lurk in the many caverns down there. With that said, please be wary of getting snatched up by them! Also, please refrain from behaving recklessly!
Now that that’s out of the way… Let’s descend!”
Since the cave was at least eight hundred meters deep, it took everyone despite having used their lightness skills about ten minutes to get to the bottom. Regardless, once they were all down there, everyone was greeted by the sight of a very long tunnel. A tunnel which they quietly began entering.
All seventy two of Fyre Cave’s caverns were interconnected by a hundred and eight burrows. Though each cavern upon entry would still be distinguishable, the second one looked back, they would quickly find themselves unable to differentiate between the caves. With that in mind, Gerald, despite his level of cultivation, soon found himself getting dizzy the further they proceeded into the caverns.
Sensing Gerald’s confusion and realizing that he hadn’t told the boy about the maze’s properties yet, Walter immediately said in a serious tone, “Please refrain from looking around, Brother Gerald! You really don’t want to get enchanted by the maze’s illusions!”
While the group had journeyed past the first seven caverns without much issue by that point, Gerald had honestly no idea how long they had traveled. It certainly didn’t help that he could no longer see the path back whenever he turned to look at where they had passed through. Had it not been for the Zeman family’s map, Gerald was pretty sure that even deities would get lost upon entering this place.
Gerald’s train of thought was cut short when he and the group suddenly heard a loud noise the second they began entering a rather dark cavern that was approximately five hundred square feet wide. Amidst the dim lighting, everyone could then hear what appeared to be something breathing rapidly.
It wasn’t long before the vague figure of an old woman who seemed to be trying to light a fire with a flint striker was identified. How peculiar.
“Everyone. Stop,” ordered Walter who had his hand raised in a hushed tone as he slowly began retracing his steps.
Under the light of Gerald’s torch, the boy was quick to realize that Walter’s forehead was now brimming with sweat. What was he so afraid of…?
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2369
Clearly wondering the same thing, one of the Zemans was prompted to ask, “What’s this old woman doing here of all places, Patriarch…?”
“That’s no old woman… If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, I believe that’s a Corpse Demon Spider…!” replied Walter in a grave tone.
As soon as Walter’s sentence ended, the rhythmic sounds of the flint striker seemed to hasten and without warning, the old woman turned around and began bolting toward the group!
Everyone could only stare wide eyed as the ‘old woman’ summoned a green flame that quickly morphed into the shape of a fiery blade! Watching as the spine tingling and seemingly bloodthirsty blade flew toward them, Walter quickly pushed Gerald to the side while yelling, “Don’t let the fire touch you!”
While Walter and Gerald were able to dodge the attack with their lightness skills, the three Zemans behind them weren’t as lucky.
Screaming in agony as the fiery blade pierced through them, their bodies were quickly engulfed by green flames. Barely a second later, all three of them exploded, leaving nothing but dust behind… !
Upon witnessing all that, Gerald felt his heart skip a beat. Now fully vigilant, the boy entered his attack stance before quickly gathering all the torches off the other Zemans and embedding them into the cavern’s walls at lightning speed.
With the surroundings now much better lit, Gerald gave the Corpse Demon Spider a good look and soon saw that it possessed four pairs of black, steel like pincers. Aside from the fact that its face was also pitch black, the messy haired beast was near indistinguishable from a regular old woman from the back, especially in a darkened room.
Regardless, Gerald quickly snapped out of it when the beast began rubbing its pincers together while baring its fangs. The friction formed from its upper and lower jaw rubbing against each other was apparently enough to create blue sparks. So the sounds they had earlier heard hadn’t come from an actual flint striker. As it turned out, it was simply the sound of the spider’s fangs grinding against each other…!
“As I feared, it really is a Corpse Demon Spider… Listen, everyone! Be careful not to come into contact with its corpse flame! The second you do, you’ll instantly melt into a puddle of acid!” declared Walter as he signaled his men to disperse. At the very least, this would prevent the beast from finishing all of them off in one go.
Once the rest of the Zemans had dispersed, Walter faced Gerald before adding, “Let’s do this together, Gerald! Either we kill it, or it kills us! ”
Before Gerald could reply, Walter had already started mobilizing all his inner strength to activate his Lonsdaleite Extermination Finger!
Since most of the techniques and skills that Gerald knew weren’t very useful in this situation aside for his Herculean Sword Technique, Gerald simply took aim before launching an aurablade toward the beast at the exact moment when Walter shot out his own attack!
Seeing that, the other Zemans immediately began launching their own attacks as well!
Upon realizing that it was being cornered, the spider cast a hideous expression before raising its pincers and forming what appeared to be a shield! To everyone’s dismay, the ‘shield’ was able to completely deflect the conjoined attack!
No longer playing any games, Gerald expertly flung his Dawnbreaker Blade toward the beast! The blade itself emitted a golden light, and was thankfully able to pierce through the spider’s chest!
Not wanting to give it a chance to recover, another sharpened Dawnbreaker holy spirit was cast! However, upon collision, all the attack managed to do was push the spider back a few steps before being bounced right off!
Now enraged by the onslaught of attacks on it, the spider let out a ferocious roar before launching at least a dozen corpse flames out of its mouth! While it was true that everyone was now more prepared for the attack, some of the Zemans were unable to fully dodge the flames and unfortunately for them, the slightest graze of the corpse flamed was enough to melt them into pulp.
Either way, though Gerald managed to dodge the corpse flame attack, the beast unexpectedly turned toward him next! Unable to react in time, Gerald could barely brace himself as the beast swung its pincers toward his chest, causin g the boy to get thrown toward the wall! With how strong the beast was, Gerald’s collision left a massive dent where he landed, forming a cloud of dust in the process.
Though Gerald soon flopped to the ground and began coughing out blood, Walter’s situation was honestly looking no better.
The spider was now facing him, and to Walter’s horror, he watched as the beast’s belly button began bulging and the next thing he knew, a white web was being flung toward him!
Walter didn’t even have time to avoid the attack, resulting in his upper body getting fully bound in no time. Now trapped, Walter couldn’t help but think that the pain the web was inflicting on him was arguably rivaled only by his Ultimate Immobilizing Net.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2370
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Regardless, after a frightening roar, the spider began making a mad scuttle toward Walter!
It was evident by this point that the spider was no ordinary beast. After all, it knew who among the crowd was more threatening to it… Which was why Gerald and Walter were now its primary targets!
“For f*ck’s sake!” yelled the furious Walter as he released a surge of essential qi!
Following that, not only was Walter freed from the now tattered web, but in his hands, was a golden longsword that shimmered menacingly. In fact, the sword’s aura alone was enough to make the demonic spider start inching backward in fear…!
The sword was one of the Zeman family’s ancient magic artifacts, and it went by the name of Demondie. Forged using extremely masculine and righteous auras from heaven and earth, it was no wonder why the spider was so vigilant toward it.
Not wanting to waste any more time, the enraged Walter leaped forward, swinging his sword toward the spider while roaring, “Die!”
Now in a state of panic, the screeching spider immediately raised its pincers to block the attack. To its horror, the Demondie Sword simply sliced its pincers off!
As it wailed in agony, everyone there couldn’t help but widen their eyes in shock as they watched the pincers regenerate in the blink of an eye…! Appalled by the spider’s regenerative abilities, Gerald immediately fell back while frantically shouting, “What the hell?!”
Walter, on the other hand, knew that there was no room for error. Not even flinching from the horrific realization, the middle-aged man used all his might to begin slashing at the beast! Though each of the following seventy slashes were aimed at the beast’s vital parts, it was no use. The spider’s body was simply too hard! What more, every time its pincers were sliced off, they would simply regrow in an instant! Was this creature really invincible?!
By this point, the spider had gotten fed up with Walter’s attacks! With that, it took aim at Walter’s chest before simultaneously launching its corpse flame, web, and pincers! Naturally, the now flustered Walter immediately tried to dodge the attack. Unfortunately, he ended up getting slammed by one of the beast’s pincers, resulting in the middle-aged man getting flung against a wall! The impact was so great that there was now a crater where Walter had collided!
Either way, upon seeing Walter’s sword fall to the ground, the excited spider’s eyes glinted with joy as it slowly approached the injured man. Once he saw that, Walter-who now had one hand against his injured chest-began inching away from the spider while yelling, “W-we must find its Gate of Fate…!”
Throughout Walter’s battle with the spider, Gerald had been carefully analyzing the spider’s anatomy. After all, with the spider’s crazy regenerative abilities and its hard-as steel body, he already knew that they weren’t going to be able to brute force their way through this, even with their combined efforts.
With that in mind, Gerald was prompted to recall the scene when the spider had shot out its web… It’s navel… Everything in this world had a weakness. It was simply the fundamental law of life. Since nothing else seemed to have worked, could the spider’s Gate of Fate be its navel? Even if it wasn’t, it was do or die.
Understanding that, Gerald’s gaze sharpened as he used his aura to summon the Demondie Sword into his hand! Through sheer luck, it was also at that moment when the spider shot out a web, attempting to snatch the sword away!
Gerald, however, managed to get the sword first. Glaring at the spider, Gerald then yelled, “Your Gate of Fate… It’s your navel!”
Following that, Gerald flung the sword toward the beast’s navel, just like how he had done with his Dawnbreaker Blade…
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2371
The Demondie’s power was no fluke, and combined with Gerald’s immense strength, the sword was able to pierce right through the spider’s stomach…!
Following a terrifying roar, the spider began glowing red as a dense purple fog gushed out from its wound..! That was probably its spiritual essence! Naturally, the agony was overwhelming, but all the spider could do was glare at Gerald with resentment It wasn’t long before cracks began forming all over the spider’s body and in the end, it exploded into a cloud of swirling dust!
Upon seeing that, Walter slowly got to his feet, his hand still against his chest as he said, “You know, this creature was mentioned on the map that my ancestors left me… Since it always lurked in the shadows, locating it was never easy. Regardless, those who knew of the beast had either never seen it in person, or had died because they encountered it. Still… To think that you’d be able to kill it, Brother Gerald…!”
Gerald himself hadn’t expected to bump into such a horrific creature this early on. It definitely made him realize that getting into Fyre Cave was truly going to be as difficult as dealing with the Redflame Dragon…
Regardless, after looking at Walter’s injuries, Gerald was prompted to reply, “Either way… Are you going to be alright?”
“I’ll live. Still, I’ve hurt my Triton qi quite badly, so I need to find someplace to rest for a bit,” muttered Walter with a cough. Since the spider kept on attacking him earlier, it was clear that it saw Walter as the biggest threat among them all.
“I agree. Also, though I’ve only mastered the fourth level of my Herculean Primordial Spirit, I can still help you heal!” replied Gerald.
After that horrific attack, everyone was now much more vigilant. Thankfully, they managed to pass through a dozen caverns with no incident. Upon arriving at an underground river, everyone figured that this was the prime time for them to get some rest. With that, Gerald began helping Walter recover while the others stood guard.
While helping Walter heal, Gerald’s eyes kept wandering to the other side of the river. After all, a massive creature as big as a house was sleeping there, its eyes so huge that they were almost the size of doors. However, due to how fat it was, Gerald figured that even moving around was taxing for it. It wasn’t the only creature there either. Surrounding it were also a few larvae.
As Gerald thought about just how many jaw dropping creatures he had encountered down here, the boy was prompted to say, “You know, I once found a prompt on a tomb, stating that there was an entirely different world beneath the earth. To think I actually managed to make it down here… The fact that there really is an underground world with all sorts of unimaginable creatures is truly eye opening!”
“Heh… Well, sights like these aren’t out of the ordinary in the cultivation realm… If we manage to leave this place alive, I’ll give you a few books from my family’s library.
Hopefully they’ll be able to help you better understand the world. In fact, I believe they’ll also help improve your future cultivation,” replied the smiling Walter with a nod.
“I appreciate it, Uncle Zeman! ” said Gerald with a smile.
It was about four hours later when Walter began looking much better. With that, the group began journeying further into the caves.
While everything seemed to be going much smoother now, Gerald couldn’t help but notice the many skeletons they passed along the way.
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2372
Noticing what Gerald was looking at, Walter was prompted to say in a slightly worried tone, “Countless cultivators have tried to enter Fyre Cave in the past thousand years. Unfortunately, even the most powerful among them ended up succumbing to this maze-like cave… Only a few extraordinarily intelligent people were ever able to reach the Red River, the final checkpoint to Fyre Cave! Regardless, these skeletons you see all over the place? They’re actually the luckier individuals. After all, this means that they died naturally. The other cultivators most likely died from getting devoured or falling into the river…”
“I see… I’m guessing we’ve only bumped into a few monsters along the way since the others have already been killed off by other cultivators,” replied Gerald with a nod.
“Indeed. With that in mind, we’re currently walking on a path paved with the flesh and blood of our seniors. If we’re lucky enough to get out alive, we definitely need to bring these skeletons out for a proper burial,” muttered Walter with a sigh as he stared at a few other skeletons laying around.
Naturally, Gerald nodded in agreement.
After walking a little longer, Gerald was prompted to ask, “Speaking of which, you mentioned a Red River earlier, right? Why weren’t the previous cultivators able to cross it? Weren’t they capable enough since they managed to get there in the first place…?
Also, I recall hearing a legend about a red river capable of dissolving humans whole…
Could this be…?”
“This is the one, yes. Also, is that all you’ve heard about the river? The truth is, the river has already existed for billions of years. We know since an ancient civilization has made records about it. Regardless, according to those records, the Red River was the cause of a massive flood that led to a mass extinction event! While the earth ended up being mostly submerged underwater after that, once the water finally subsided, new lands were formed on the earth’s surface. That wasn’t the first time it happened either. The process has actually repeated quite a few times! Whatever the case is, I think you should know that the land we’re currently standing on is part of the earth’s original surface!” explained Walter.
“I see… So, the Red River ended up getting buried underground together with the civilization back then…” said Gerald.
“Exactly. Anyway, after the owner of the saintly ruins eventually discovered the Red River, he used his supreme heavenly techniques to transform it into a formation! With that in mind, you can see the river as an extremely powerful magic artifact. An almost impenetrable tomb-guarding magic artifact, to be exact Either way, after thousands of lives were lost across the span of several generations, my ancestors were finally able to gain some insight into the tomb-guarding magic artifact. The knowledge itself was obtained in exchange for their blood, but putting that aside, the map they drew is the key to solving the Red River’s formation. Though we had the map, my ancestors also left instructions, stating that until someone could figure out the secret behind the solution, we weren’t permitted to head to Fyre Cave…” replied Walter.
“So that’s the full story… It all makes sense now!” said Gerald who was finally able to see the bigger picture.
At that moment, one of the Zemans couldn’t help but exclaim, “My god… It’s getting so hot!”
True enough, the further they went, the greater the blazing heat felt. Knowing what this meant, Walter then began picking up the pace as he seriously said, “After passing through so many caverns, I believe that we’re exceedingly close to the innermost cave. With that said, since we’re getting closer to Fyre Cave, this much heat is to be expected!”
“Really? That was… an oddly smooth trip. There were certainly less dangers than I anticipated… Even so, it’s still sad that we ended up having to lose a few of our brothers…” muttered one of the Zemans.
“While I agree, we’ve already come this far, so let’s not think about that for the moment… Instead, focus on our upcoming challenge, the Red River! ” replied Walter with a slight frown.
Following that, the group made their way past a complex tunnel and the second they stepped foot into a massive cavern, all of them found their jaws dropping. After all, despite clearly still being underground, clouds could be seen hovering around in the approximately three meter tall cavern! What more, the artificial sky seemed to light the place up, even though there wasn’t any sunlight!
As it turned out, all this was caused by an extremely wide river within the cavern. The ‘sunlight’ was basically the reflection of the river’s silverish water, and the steam clouds had been formed due to the area’s great humidity.
It took Walter a moment to find his voice, but when he did, he immediately exclaimed,
“It’s… This is the Red River…!”
The Invisible Rich Man – Chapter 2373
“D-despite how dangerous our trip was, we actually managed to get here…!
Congratulations, Patriarch! Mr. Gerald!” exclaimed several of the overjoyed Zemans.
After all, they were about to be part of the rare few who had ever entered Fyre Cave and located the saintly ruins!
“Indeed! If we manage to cross the Red River, we’ll be the first to have achieved that feat!” declared Walter as he beamed with joy.
“Hah! I’m afraid that’s easier said than done!” scoffed a familiar voice out of the blue!
Turning around, everyone including Walter and Gerald found their eyes widening in shock as they watched an old man leap off the wall before casually landing on his feet.
“R-Ryder…?! Haven’t I injured you heavily enough?! How dare you still enter Fyre Cave?!” growled Walter, his eyes twitching as he watched Ryder sit cross-legged before the river.
“Heh… I’ll admit that your Lonsdaleite Extermination Formation was surprisingly strong enough to damage my Triton qi. I’ll be needing at least a week to fully recover from that! Regardless, if you’re wondering how I made my way down here, allow me to remind you that getting to the saintly ruins has been my lifelong pursuit. With that in mind, I’ve come down here so many times throughout the decades that this place honestly feels like my backyard now!” scoffed Ryder with a smirk.
“So this isn’t your first time down here either…!” muttered Walter as he took a few steps back.
“But of course! Why else would there be so few demons lingering about? Speaking of demons, there’s one that kept evading me. The Corpse Demon Spider, I believe. I’m sure I’ve bumped into it on several occasions, but the cunning thing kept managing to slip away! Since a few of you look quite hurt, I’m assuming you encountered it. Color me surprised that you’re all still alive. I guess you do have a bit of power in you after all!” scoffed Ryder with a laugh.
“With how familiar you are with this place, why don’t you just head in? You don’t even need the Zeman family’s map!” said Gerald as both he and Walter began mobilizing their essential qi, fully prepared to enter combat at any moment.
“While I admit that you’re strong for your age, you only know very little about this world. Look, a great, ancient cultivator once set up a Septar Dipper Formation within the river. Because of it, I’ve been unable to cross the Red River, even after all these years! Every attempt I make simply leads to me almost dying! Regardless, I’ve waited this long since I know that the method of crossing the river is either written on the Zeman family’s map, or has been memorized by Walter!” said Ryder who was still sitting cross legged-before going silent for a while.
After only a few breaths, the rosiness in his pale cheeks returned, instantly shocking both Gerald and Walter!
“Y-You… Did you just fully restore your Triton qi…?! But how?!” exclaimed Walter, sweating bullets as he watched Ryder get to his feet.
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The Invisible Rich Man by: Two Ears is Bodhi
FanfictionGerald also received a text message stating that someone had transferred money into his bank account! "[Daxtonville Bank] Nineteen years. The balance of your account ending in 107 is USD 1,500,000.00." Gerald was stunned when he looked at the series...
