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Chapter 862
Now, because of James, they had gotten themselves involved in the turmoil. “Because of you, the Cadens have now been dragged into the fray. It’s not unlikely that you might have been manipulated from the very beginning. Disposing of the Emperor under the Cadens’ name is certainly a surefire way to get the Johnstons and Cadens involved and cause a rift between the two families.” James simply sat there with his mouth agape. He knew that the Capital had been governed by complex dynamics that hung in an intricate balance, but he had not expected things to be this convoluted. The God-King Palace had really made a royal mess of things. “What exactly is the God-King Palace?” Maxine shrugged. “Who knows? We wouldn’t be sitting here doing nothing if we knew who was actually behind this. Tomorrow morning, we’ll likely be receiving a number of guests who are planning to see where my grandfather stands.” “Actually…” Maxine’s mouth snapped shut for a moment before opening once again
Chapter 863
James found himself unable to sleep. He had been repeatedly going through the events that had taken place. He no longer had a handle on the situation. He had no idea what the King or the other forces that were backing the Emperor were plotting. The God-King Palace only served to complicate things even further. What were they aiming for? The night passed silently. The next day… The Caden residence bustled with its numerous visitors. Mr. Lee and the King were the first to arrive. They were here with a single objective in mind─to ascertain last night’s events and what the Cadens’ position was on the matter. Opting to not waste any time with useless mental chess, Tobias simply told the truth of what had happened─James was left at the front door of the Cadens. Mr. Lee wrinkled his nose at Tobias’ explanation. He could not tell if Tobias was trying to deceive him or was actually speaking the truth. Shortly after they departed, Mr. Gabriel arrived. Next were the John
Chapter 864
Tobias gave James a once over before letting out a pleased huff. “Not bad, your complexion’s improved.” James’ eyes bored into the elderly man before him. Technically, Tobias was James’ grand-uncle. However, he was the farthest thing from family to James whose anger at the events from ten years still burned furiously in his chest. Ignoring the hateful gaze directed at him, Tobias addressed James, “I’m sure you’ve already heard from Maxinne that they’ll seek to destabilize the situation by killing you. Unfortunately, the Cadens can no longer afford to protect you.” Never taking his eyes off Tobias, James said coldly, “I don’t need the Cadens’ protection.” “Oho…?” Tobias exclaimed in amusement. His lips twitched into something resembling a smile. “You’re courageous, I’ll give you that. However, in your current condition, you don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell against them. Even if you had no injuries and were in peak condition, you’ll still get crushed with extreme ease
Chapter 865
James had heard of the painting’s origins before. However, he scarcely knew anything about it. He sat motionlessly in the wheelchair and looked at the painting in awe. Tobias, whose gaze was also fixed on the painting, continued, “This painting was passed down by the Prince of Orchid himself. He was a prince who failed to seize power for himself in the midst of a power struggle. In order to make a comeback, he went to great lengths searching for treasures all over the world. Sadly, he went to his grave unable to seize the imperial throne for himself. On his deathbed, he gave each of his four major officials a painting and told them that the paintings held a great secret within.” James asked in response to the revelation, “What kind of secret?” Bobby Caden once told him that the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge possessed the secret to immortality. However, James found it hard to believe his words. Tobias shook his head morosely. “The Prince of Orchid never revealed what i
Chapter 866
Perhaps someone else was backing the Emperor apart from Mr. Gabriel. In order to get a clearer understanding of the situation, James would have to return to Cansington and ask the owner of Sovereign Boutique Shop. Although his previous attempt yielded no useful information, James had a feeling that the owner chose not to disclose anything to him. Putting his thoughts aside, he turned to Tobias and asked, “So, why did you bring me here? I’m sure it wasn’t just to regale me with the story of the Ancient Four’s origins along with the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge.” Tobias merely shook his head and pointed at the painting on the wall. “The secret to the ultimate martial arts techniques are concealed within this painting. The key to solving the puzzle is through the 18-meridian diagram. Though I have been researching it for quite some time now, despite my best efforts, I’m still unable to break the painting’s cipher. I believe you are familiar with the 18-meridian diagram?”
Chapter 867
James was pumped up about solving the mystery of the painting. He opened the box while he sat on his wheelchair and gingerly lifted out the ancient scroll. As he unfurled the scroll, he could see carvings of human figures on it. The human figures had many different forms and sizes. Some were standing while others were crouching. Each of them was marked with a white dot and a red line. James knew that the white dots represented the location of the acupoints, while the red lines represented the meridians. This was a meridian acupoint diagram. Though James knew the human body inside-out and was very familiar with the anatomy as a result, the places where the meridians and the acupoints intersected with one another on the carvings were peculiar. They were utterly incomprehensible when viewed through the lens of contemporary medical science Back then, James would not have a clue about what the diagram meant. Things were different now. Now, he had the knowledge that came from V
Chapter 868
“Before I forget…” Just as she was leaving, Tobias called out to Maxine, “Wait.” “Is something the matter, grandpa?” Tobias turned to her. “You are also someone who is highly proficient in martial arts. Feel free to head to the basement if you have nothing better to do.It’ll be a great learning opportunity for you as well.” Maxine kneeled on the ground reverently and said, “I’m not worthy.” Tobias beckoned her to stand. “I’m giving you express permission to do as you see fit..” “But grandpa… I’m not a real Caden. I don’t have Caden blood coursing through my veins. The ancestral teachings were specific about —” Maxine fiddled with the hem of her dress. Tobias raised his hand to interrupt her. “What’s the point of following rigid and obsolete ancestral teachings? Even if you aren’t a Caden by heritage, you were practically raised as a Caden since childgood. I consider you my own granddaughter. All these years, you’ve stayed by my side devising plans and strategies for me. B
Chapter 869
He was so wrapped up in trying to decipher the painting that he’d only just realized he was indeed hungry. Before he could stand and get a bowl for himself, Maxine hurriedly took it away from him. “Your injuries are still healing. Just let me feed you.” “It’s fine. Give it to me. I’ll eat with my own hands.” James tried to refuse her offer. He felt uncomfortable being fed by a woman whom he had only met a few times. Maxine did not insist and handed the bowl over to James. Albeit his severe injuries, James was still able to perform simple hand movements. As James dug into his meal, Maxine turned to look at the Moonlit Flowers by Cliffside’s Edge. She was raised as a Caden for as long as she remembered and received Tobias’ personal instruction in martial arts. Even so, despite cultivating True Energy and becoming a grandmaster of the second rank, she had never seen the household’s treasure scroll. After staring at the painting for quite a while, she too could not find an
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