Herbert looked at his two disciples—the unconscious Timothy on the ice bed, and the trembling Indiana on the floor—with unbearable sorrow.

  At last, he waved his hand heavily.

  “Go,” he said to Indiana. “I, Herbert, am unworthy of having a disciple like you.”

  Indiana’s face drained of all color.

  “Master… Master, you don’t want me anymore?”

  She dropped to her knees and crawled toward him inch by inch.

  “Master, I have no family. My senior brother is like this. If you abandon me, where am I supposed to go? Master, please don’t drive me away!”

  “Guards,” Herbert said coldly. “Drag her out.”

  “No! Master, no!” Indiana screamed. “I know I was wrong! Please forgive me—Master!”

  “What are you all standing there for?” Herbert barked. “Drag her out. Now.”

  The junior disciple at the side hurried forward and pulled the sobbing Indiana away.

  Only when her cries finally faded into the distance did silence return to the hall.

  Herbert slumped in his seat, breathing heavily.

  Drake tilted his head slightly and gave Lauren a subtle look.

  Understanding immediately, Lauren stepped forward and bowed.

  “Mr. Herbert… I was blinded by hatred at the time. I truly regret it.”

  “Hmph.”

  Herbert didn’t even glance at her. His eyes never left the figure lying on the stone platform.

  Drake spoke calmly, evenly.

  “Herbert, young people act on impulse. She reached the Nascent Soul stage at such a young age—arrogance is inevitable.”

  “Your disciple is like that. Mine is the same.”

  “It’s time to slow down their cultivation and make them focus on tempering their hearts instead.”

  Herbert’s lips twitched.

  You scold your own disciple and sweep mine in while you’re at it?

  His disciple was lying half-dead—slowing down was no longer optional.

  He snorted irritably.

  “Yes, yes. He acted impulsively. That’s why he’s lying there like a corpse now.”

  Drake paused, then added mildly,

  “Of course… my disciple’s impulsiveness also played a part.”

  Herbert: “…”

  Drake drew out a talisman and handed it to Herbert.

  “Take this. It might be useful.”

  Herbert glanced at it—and his pupils shrank.

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  “A Soul-Suppressing Talisman?”

  “Yes. At the very least, it will keep his Nascent Soul from resurfacing.”

  Herbert nodded rapidly and pressed the talisman onto Timothy’s forehead without hesitation.

  For now, this was the only thing keeping him alive.

  Of course, he had considered finding Timothy a new body. But his current flesh possessed a rare innate Dragon Spirit Root, carrying traces of an ancient divine dragon’s bloodline. Unless absolutely necessary, he could not abandon it—and even if he wanted to, he would never find a replacement of equal value.

  ......

  Lauren followed Drake back to the Thunder Sect.

  Her head was lowered, her posture respectful, but a trace of stubborn resistance lingered beneath the surface.

  Only after they reached Starfell Palace did Drake finally speak.

  “You have a problem with what I did?”

  “How could I?” Lauren answered quickly. “I’m deeply grateful that Master stepped in to protect me.”

  “But,” Drake said calmly, “you’re unhappy that I gave Timothy the Soul-Suppressing Talisman.”

  Lauren’s heart skipped.

  Even that tiny flicker of buried resentment hadn’t escaped him.

  Terrifying.

  She chose honesty.

  “…I regret that I didn’t manage to kill him.”

  “Why did you need to kill Timothy?”

  Lauren inhaled slowly.

  “Because of that dream I once told you about—before I entered the mountain, Master. You asked me what I feared most. I said I dreamt of an elder sister who slaughtered an entire family.”

  “That sister had a powerful accomplice. Timothy.”

  “They would join forces to wipe out the Evercrest family. Under Indiana’s influence, Timothy would massacre many people who had the potential to ascend. I killed to protect life. Killing Timothy was unavoidable.”

  Drake stared at her for a long moment.

  Slowly, he said, “So you’re saying the true root of the problem… is Indiana?”

  Lauren nodded. “Yes.”

  Timothy was merely her sharpest blade. Otherwise, why would she fixate on killing him when their relationship wasn’t even that close?

  “Then spare his life for now,” Drake said. “There’s no need to push Herbert into becoming your enemy.”

  Lauren blinked.

  Drake continued evenly, “Herbert has taken in hundreds of disciples. Killing a few wouldn’t matter. But Timothy is different.”

  “He belongs to the Wolfden family.”

  So what if he did?

  Drake explained, “It was a member of the Wolfden family who brought Herbert back to the Moonlit Sect when he was young. That person treated him with great kindness. After that person’s death, Herbert continued to protect the Wolfden bloodline.”

  “Timothy is that benefactor’s direct descendant. And after all these years, he is the only promising one among them.”

  Lauren fell silent.

  So that was why.

  No wonder Herbert treated Timothy and Indiana so differently. He had paired them together because Indiana’s constitution benefited Timothy’s cultivation.

  Like the difference between a true son and a borrowed child.

  “If Timothy truly breaks free from Indiana’s influence,” Lauren said quietly, “I won’t insist on killing him.”

  “Good. I’ll explain this to Herbert.”

  Drake waved his sleeve. “You may go.”

  Lauren didn’t move.

  Drake raised an eyebrow. “Something else?”

  She nodded hesitantly. “Master… the Evercrest family’s home was nearly destroyed. I was thinking…”

  “You want to borrow spirit stones to rebuild it?”

  “No—no!”

  Why did her master always jump to the strangest conclusions?

  “The Evercrest family lives in a remote place. The highest cultivation level in Mistvale is only Core Formation. It’s too dangerous for them to stay there.”

  “I want to move them to Sunspire.”

  “My family runs a talisman business. Master, you also have several businesses that are currently neglected. Instead of relying on outsiders, it would be better to cultivate a loyal bloodline.”

  “The old managers can train head managers. The head managers can train sub-managers. The business will pass down for generations. You won’t need to worry about manpower ever again.”

  Drake considered it.

  Entrusting everything to one family would inevitably create internal conflict—but he had too few disciples and too many pressing matters.

  This arrangement… was acceptable.

  “Very well. Handle it yourself.”

  He pulled out a stack of plaques, selected one, and tossed it to her.

  “Take this. That estate is large enough to house a small clan.”

  Lauren’s eyes lit up with joy.

  “Yes! Thank you, Master!”

  “Take thirty percent of the profits.”

  Her happiness nearly overflowed.

  “Yes, yes! Thank you, Master! I’ll take my leave.”

  Perfect.

  She had solved her master’s manpower problem, secured protection for the Evercrest family, and turned her clan into a force directly backed by her master.

  With Drake’s name over them, no one would ever dare touch the Evercrest family again.

  ......

  Before returning home to deliver the good news, Lauren made one last stop—Elder Zane.

  He sighed apologetically. “My informants were reassigned. They likely knew their actions were dishonorable and fled down the mountain.”

  Lauren didn’t blame him. At least the crisis had barely been contained.

  “Do you know where she is now?” she asked quietly.

  “Yes. She’s kneeling outside the Moonlit Sect’s gates.”

  Lauren understood at once.

  Indiana was gambling on Herbert’s pity.