“On the table, there’s a fragment of the Dragon Emblem and my years of research and insights on it. I believe these will be of help to you.”
Chris turned his head and indeed saw a parchment scroll and a small notebook.
The parchment was a fragment of the Dragon Emblem, while the notebook contained Archer Wintersong’s years of research on it.
Flipping through the notebook, Chris found that most of it was about the Dragon Script.
Archer Wintersong also practiced the Dragon Script, but his understanding of it was clearly far deeper than Chris’s.
In Archer Wintersong’s view, the Dragon Script was essentially a physical cultivation technique-a method to refine and strengthen one’s body.
He believed the human body was an endless treasure trove of potential, one that many people could never fully uncover in their lifetime.
Chris wholeheartedly agreed. He had seen this truth in Archer Wintersong himself.
To be honest, Chris had no idea how powerful Archer Wintersong truly was.
All he knew was that his master’s strength was unfathomable.
After all, even someone as formidable as Lord Valerian, a Paragon, had been captured and imprisoned in the Obsidian Citadel by Archer Wintersong.
And Abbot Ethan had been kept under Archer’s thumb for years.
If Archer Wintersong hadn’t left, Ethan Stone would never have had the chance to become the leader of the Dragon Order.
After carefully storing the Dragon Emblem fragment and the notebook, Chris left the secret chamber.
As he stepped outside, Red, the commander of the Emberwood Guards, appeared before him.
With a respectful expression, Red said, “Young Master, according to the orders left by the master, once you’ve found his writings, the Emberwood Guards will fully pledge their loyalty to you. From today onward, you are our true leader!”
Chris was stunned. So this had all been a test left by his master.
If he hadn’t found Archer Wintersong’s writings, he would have never earned the recognition of the Emberwood Guards.
But now that he had succeeded, he was their rightful master.
From this moment, the Emberwood Guards would be a powerful weapon for Chris in Middleton.
“How many people are currently in the Emberwood Guards? What’s their strength?” Chris asked.
Now that he controlled the Guards, he naturally needed to understand their capabilities.
Red replied, “Young Master, we have 3, 000 members, and every single one is a practitioner at the Transcendence level or higher.”
Hearing this, Chris couldn’t help but feel ecstatic.
He hadn’t expected the Emberwood Guards to be so formidable.
Three thousand Transcendence-level practitioners-it was no wonder the ten noble families of Amerosia feared the Emberwood Estate so much.
It was also clear that Archer Wintersong’s grip on the position of Imperial Mentor was largely due to this force.
Chris declared, “From now on, the Emberwood Guards will ensure the safety of those close to me, including my wife and Candace.”
With the Emberwood Guards in Middleton, Chris no longer had to worry about a repeat of the incident with Candace.
Over the next few days, Chris stayed at the Emberwood Estate, diligently studying the notebook Archer Wintersong had left behind.
His strength improved rapidly in this short time.
There was no doubt that Archer Wintersong’s research into the Dragon Script was profound, and Chris benefited greatly from it.
Just then, the sound of his phone ringing interrupted his focus.
Chris glanced at the screen and saw it was Esther calling.
Since arriving in Middleton, Esther had been busy managing the Chester Group’s local branch. Today was the first time she had been free to call him.
“Darling, shall we go out for dinner tonight?” she asked.
“Sure!” Chris replied, getting up and driving to the Chester Group’s office.
When he arrived, Esther was just finishing work. She got into the car and asked, “How’s Candace doing now?”
Chris sighed. “Everything else is stable, but she’s still unconscious.”
Esther tried to comfort him. “Don’t worry, darling. I believe Candace will wake up.”
Chris nodded. “Let’s go eat first.”
He then drove them to a nearby restaurant. After dinner, the two went to the hospital to visit Candace.
Candace was still lying on the hospital bed, her eyes closed, looking like a sleeping beauty.
Chris gazed at her and took a deep breath. “Candace, don’t worry. I’ll wait for you to wake up.”
Hearing this, Esther’s expression grew complicated.
She walked over, wrapped her arms around Chris, and said, “Darling, don’t worry. I believe Candace will be fine.”
Chris said nothing. He didn’t know what else to say.
—
Meanwhile, at the Noire family estate, Eagle Noire, the eldest son, had returned from a long mission.
His return brought great excitement to the entire Noire family.
After all, Eagle Noire was the family’s heir and their pride.
Honor Noire, the head of the family, deeply adored his son.
This time, Eagle Noire hadn’t returned alone. He brought a stranger with him.
“Father, let me introduce you,” Eagle said. “This is Eamon Rivers, the prized disciple of Abbot Ethan and, like me, a member of the Dragon Order.”
Honor Noire greeted the guest warmly. “Ah, so you’re Abbot Ethan’s disciple. A pleasure to meet you!”
Since Archer Wintersong had left Middleton, Ethan Stone’s influence had grown significantly.
Now, as the leader of the Dragon Order, his disciples, like Eamon Rivers, held elevated positions.
Eamon glanced at Honor Noire and said bluntly, “Mr. Noire, let’s not beat around the bush. I’ve come here on my master’s orders to propose an alliance between the Dragon Order and the Noire family to deal with Chris.”
Honor Noire was shocked. “What? You’re targeting Chris too?”
Eamon nodded. “Yes. Chris not only crippled my master’s arm but also killed my brother, Zephyr Rivers. This is a debt that cannot go unpaid. We must eliminate him!”
Previously, Zephyr Rivers and Dark Sin had gone to the East Coast to confront Chris, but both had died at his hands.
Zephyr Rivers was Eamon’s younger brother, and now Eamon sought revenge.
Honor Noire hesitated for a moment. “Chris is no ordinary opponent. Not only is he Archer Wintersong’s disciple, but his own strength is remarkable. Recently, he single-handedly fought both the Frost and Sterling families. The Sterling family was left in ruins, and the Frost family is on the verge of collapse. Taking him down won’t be easy.”