“If it weren’t for Mr. Steele’s sharp eyes, we would have been completely fooled by him! That guy is utterly useless now. He’s not worth dealing with for the rest of this life!”
Emma snorted. “A little cunning-what big things can he accomplish with that? He’s nothing but a shameless scoundrel!”
“Ryder, let’s go eat!”
Ryder replied, “No, I’ll pass on the meal. I have something to take care of. Thank you for the hospitality today. Next time, when I have time, I’ll surely come back and visit.”
With that, Ryder stepped out the door.
The man who had just visited the Baker family-Ryder felt like he’d seen him somewhere before. Perhaps it was during that time when he heard that Mrs. Rocco from the Rocco family was heading out, and he secretly went to take a look. He had noticed the man briefly back then.
But Ryder didn’t dwell on it. His focus wasn’t on chasing after the messenger who delivered the invitation. His goal was clear-to kill Kayden.
Once both men had left, May began to scold John Baker.
“Look at yourself, John Baker! Just look at the kind of people you associate with! If it weren’t for Ryder being here, we would have been deceived by that fraud! People like him, so vain-what’s the difference between them and a petty villain?”
John Baker took a sip of his drink and sighed helplessly. “I didn’t know Kayden would turn out this way. Honestly, seeing him like this doesn’t make me feel good either. I imagine he’s not happy living like this himself.”
Vain. Pretentious. Despicable to the core.
That was the label the Baker family had placed on Kayden.
Just as they returned to the dining table, ready to eat again, there was another knock at the door.
Standing outside was an elderly man in his sixties or seventies. He wore glasses and a suit, exuding an aura of wisdom and mastery. The moment John Baker saw him, he hurriedly greeted him.
“Master, you’re here! Why didn’t you let me know in advance?”
The old man laughed heartily. “I came to check on you and to tell you something.”
This man was John Baker’s mentor, Silas Greenbriar.
John Baker currently worked as an apprentice at a pharmacy, and Silas, his mentor, was a renowned expert in traditional medicine. In the Western Frontier, Silas Greenbriar was highly respected and had saved countless lives.
A few days earlier, Silas had diagnosed a problem with John Baker’s body, but he hadn’t yet found the right medicine to treat it. He had been hesitant to bring it up. But today, although he still hadn’t found a cure, he had decided it was time to let John Baker know.
“Master, please, come in and join us for a meal. If you’d told me earlier, I would have prepared properly,” John Baker said, hurrying to invite him in.
May chimed in politely, “Yes, Master, come join us for dinner.”
Silas raised a hand to silence them. Then, he began sniffing the air with a focused expression.
“Leshen’s Leaf… Alghoul Mint… Nekker Heart… Moonhowl Root… Vodyanoi Dew… Archgriffin Talon…”
As he listed the names of herbs, his face grew more and more tense and astonished.
These were all extremely rare medicinal ingredients. John Baker, having studied under Silas, recognized the names and knew how valuable these herbs were. Just one of them alone would cost a small fortune.
“Master, what are you-”
“Don’t interrupt my sense of smell!” Silas barked, raising his hand.
May, puzzled, asked, “What’s going on? What is Master doing?”
“He must have caught the scent of some rare medicinal ingredient. Master has a remarkably sensitive nose, especially when it comes to herbs,” John Baker explained.
Indeed, Silas Greenbriar was famous for this ability. With just his nose, he could distinguish the names and quantities of herbs. Because of this talent, people outside called him “The Divine Nose.”
After pacing around the room, Silas finally stopped near the trash can.
“It’s here!” he exclaimed. He reached into the trash can and pulled out a small black pill.
It was the same pill that Kayden had given to John Baker earlier, which May had thrown into the trash.
Silas brought the black pill to his nose and sniffed it carefully. Then, nodding, he said, “Yes, yes, it’s exactly this!”
“Master, what do you mean? What is ‘this’?” May asked, baffled.
Silas looked at May, then at John Baker, and asked, “Who threw this pill in the trash?”
John Baker stayed silent. May stepped forward and admitted, “I did, Master. That pill is useless! It was given to us by some young nobody, spouting nonsense. He even claimed that if my husband didn’t get treatment right away, he’d develop cancer.”
Hearing this, Silas’s eyes widened. “What? Where is he now?”
May dismissed his concern. “I chased him off! He was spouting ridiculous lies and had the nerve to brag about saving Master Alfredson and knowing Mrs. Rocco! Master, don’t you think such a person is absurd? And yet, we treated him so kindly.”
“You chased him away? Preposterous!” Silas exclaimed, slapping his thigh in frustration. “Utterly preposterous!”
“You… you… do you have any idea how much this pill is worth?” Silas held up the black pill and glared at the two of them.
They both shook their heads, bewildered.
Silas snorted. “This pill is made from some of the rarest medicinal ingredients. Even I couldn’t refine a pill like this. It’s priceless! For someone in need of it, even ten billion dollars wouldn’t be enough to buy it.”
“You threw it in the trash! That’s the greatest insult to this medicine! John Baker, your wife doesn’t understand, but you’ve studied under me for so long-how could you make such a foolish mistake?”
John Baker’s face showed subtle changes. He swallowed hard and asked, “Master, is this pill really that extraordinary?”
“Of course it is! And whoever refined it must be even more extraordinary,” Silas said excitedly.
May, still in disbelief, asked, “Master, are you sure? Is this pill really worth that much?”
She found it hard to accept that Kayden’s pill could be so valuable. Ten billion dollars-such a number was unimaginable to her.
“Do you think I’d lie about this? What you’ve done is nothing short of wastefulness!” Silas scolded, his face darkening.
“But… he said my husband would develop a terminal illness! Isn’t that utter nonsense? Master, you couldn’t even detect that-how could he possibly be more skilled than you?” May protested, still clinging to her doubts.
Silas snorted. “The reason I came here today was to inform John of his health condition. He needs to prepare himself because, if untreated, his condition will indeed develop into cancer!”
Silas’s words struck John and May like a bolt of lightning. It was as if the heavens had opened up and thunder had crashed down upon them. Their bodies stiffened, and their faces turned pale as sheets.