A House For You

Carefully holding the extensive list of rare herbs, William looked up from his knees, his expression completely transformed. The crushing terror of his impending death had vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of reverence. He looked at Julian and declared with absolute, heartfelt earnestness that Mr. Valenti need only name his price or any requirement he desired. He swore on his family's honor that as long as it was within the bounds of his vast power and immense wealth to fulfill it, he would never refuse a single demand.

Beside him, Jolene had taken the notepad. She scanned the peculiar items scrawled at the very bottom of the list and furrowed her elegant brows in deep confusion. She openly questioned the medical necessity of the requested ancient calligraphy brush and the cinnabar rosary. Pointing a manicured finger at the ink, she bluntly pointed out that they sounded exactly like expensive antique collector's items rather than actual medical tools meant to cure a woman's blindness. She simply couldn't fathom how a brush and a rosary could restore someone's destroyed vision.

Julian smiled gently at her blatant skepticism, his demeanor completely calm and collected in the face of her doubt. He patiently explained that the physical items themselves were entirely useless for healing unless they were deeply imbued with authentic spirituality.

Seeing their blank expressions, Julian decided to expand on this profound concept. He detailed that absolutely everything in this world—whether flora, fauna, or man-made objects—will live and die. However, over immense periods of time, all of them possess the potential to contain concentrated spirituality. To illustrate his point in a way they could grasp, he casually gestured downward and noted that even a simple, mundane wooden chair could theoretically gain a living soul. All it would take was a dedicated monk who spent decades meditating upon it, continuously transferring his spiritual focus into the inanimate wood until it awakened.

Hearing this, Jolene’s eyes suddenly lit up with childlike excitement. Her previous haughtiness melted away as she eagerly compared his complex explanation to the fantasy television shows she regularly watched. She animatedly talked about the dramas where ancient, thousand-year-old trees miraculously turned into powerful immortals after absorbing centuries of natural energy.

Embarrassed by her apparent childishness in front of their savior, William sharply reprimanded his daughter. He scolded her for spouting such fictional nonsense during a serious, life-or-death medical discussion. To a ruthless corporate titan like William, the world was governed by strict modern science and hard facts, making her talk of immortals highly inappropriate.

Yet, Julian merely grinned widely, his dark eyes twinkling with a hidden, profound truth. He looked directly at the embarrassed heiress and stated, "Ms. Sterling, you hit the nail on its head."

This brief, seemingly lighthearted conversation deeply stirred Julian’s own internal thoughts. As William stood there processing the shock, Julian mentally reflected on the profound Focus Technique violently drilled into him by Silvio Vesper back in the brutal confines of prison. He silently affirmed to himself that the legendary path to true immortality and spiritual ascension was genuinely possible in reality. He was walking that very path now. By simply validating Jolene's seemingly ridiculous comparison, Julian simultaneously used the moment to completely dismantle William's modern, rigid scientific skepticism, forcing the billionaire to accept a reality far larger than his corporate empire.

As their discussion naturally deepened and shifted back to the immediate medical crisis, Julian's piercing questions finally uncovered the terrifying, true origin of William’s hidden ailment.

William solemnly confessed, his voice dropping to a heavy, haunted register. He revealed that decades ago, during a vicious corporate war, he was abruptly struck by a vicious palm strike from a ruthless business competitor. This rival happened to be a highly trained martial artist wielding destructive internal energy. Because there were no visible external wounds, William had completely dismissed the attack at the time. He had unknowingly suffered a highly lethal blow that firmly embedded a dark, corrosive energy deep into his lung. He admitted grimly that he had only managed to survive this long by relying entirely on his immense, bottomless wealth, constantly consuming the world's most potent, expensive health supplements to forcefully suppress the decay eating him from the inside out.

Throughout this heavy, highly confidential revelation of the hidden martial arts underworld, Dr. Jonathan Westcott had remained kneeling agonizingly on the hard floor. The famous physician was entirely unable to bear the excruciating numbness shooting up his legs any longer. The pain was unbearable, and he finally cried out in a strained, desperate voice, begging Mr. Valenti once more to officially accept him as his devoted student.

Julian had intentionally ignored the doctor for the past ten minutes. He was fundamentally unwilling to take on an official disciple without seeking explicit permission from his own master, Silvio Vesper. The lineage of his techniques was too sacred to pass on lightly. Furthermore, Julian was deeply hesitant to entrust his divine medical teachings to a man who had, just moments ago, cowardly tried to shirk real medical responsibility the second William’s condition turned critical.

Yet, witnessing Jonathan's prolonged, sweaty sincerity and his genuine willingness to suffer severe physical pain purely for the sake of medical knowledge finally moved a small part of him.

Julian sighed, breaking his silence. He looked down at the trembling man and told the doctor he should finally get up. He clearly stated that he absolutely would not accept anyone as an official student, crushing Jonathan's ultimate hope. However, he graciously offered a lifeline, stating that Jonathan could feel free to ask him any medical questions in the future, promising to guide him accordingly.

As Jonathan struggled to stand, groaning loudly in sheer pain as his deadened legs violently protested, Julian casually reached out. He delivered a swift, gentle tap to a specific nerve on Jonathan's trembling leg. The simple, seemingly effortless touch instantly and miraculously banished the doctor's painful numbness. It restored perfect circulation in a fraction of a second, leaving Jonathan utterly astonished and profoundly, tearfully grateful for both the physical relief and the promise of future mentorship.

Anxious to finally return home and check on his blind mother at their rundown place on Happy Avenue, Julian officially prepared to leave the private room. He instructed William to act quickly on the herbal list.

Before he could even reach for the door handle, William urgently stopped him with a highly unexpected, grand gesture of gratitude.

Reaching deep into his tailored suit pocket, William pulled out a heavy, ornate key. He earnestly explained that he had a beautiful house that was currently sitting completely vacant, and he deeply wished to present it to Julian as a humble gift. He insisted that the property possessed a wonderfully serene environment, which would be absolutely perfect for his mother to recuperate in peace while they waited for her cure.

Though Julian was initially highly inclined to decline such an extravagant reward, not wanting to owe the wealthy family anything, a sudden, painful thought stopped him. The image of his aging parents suffering endlessly in their dilapidated, dangerous home flashed in his mind. That harsh reality convinced him to accept the gesture entirely for their sake.

Julian reached out and took the key with a short nod of thanks, preparing to pocket it without a second thought.

However, as he casually looked down at the engraved heavy metal resting in his palm, Julian’s eyes widened in utter, staggering shock. The insignia stamped on the metal was unmistakable. He was completely stunned to discover that the gifted mansion was not just a nice, quiet house in the suburbs, but was exclusively located at the legendary, hyper-prestigious enclave of Azure Ridge.