The three of them arrived at the hospital directorâs office, where Brandonâs father, Tobias Wyatt, was receiving guests.
He was a middleâaged man in his fifties, bearing some resemblance to Brandon.
After waiting for a few minutes in the side hall, Tobias bid farewell to the guests and approached Abel and Emmeline.
When Tobias saw Abel, his expression momentarily froze. He reached out his hand to shake hands but forgot to speak.
Confused, Abel asked, âMr. Tobias, are youâ¦â
Tobias quickly replied, âIndeed, a talented young man with a remarkable presence.â
Abel politely smiled and responded, âMr. Tobias, you flatter me.â
Tobias exchanged a few words with Emmeline and then examined her pulse, stating, âLet the girl stay here for treatment. Within thirty days, she should be cured.â
Thank you, Mr. Tobias,â Abel exclaimed with joy. âEmma is in your hands now. If thereâs anything Abel can do to repay you, please donât hesitate to ask!â
Tobias smiled and said. âYou are a close friend of Brandon, so naturally, you are my honored guest as well. Thereâs no need to talk about repaying. If you really want to show your gratitude, then I would appreciate it if you could share a story with me.â
Tell a story?
Both Emmeline and Abel were surprised. What kind of request is this?
âMr. Tobiasâ¦â Abel asked suspiciously, âIâm not sure⦠What kind of story would you like to hear?â
âOliver the Jade King, Tobias uttered a few words. âWhat happened between you and Oliver?â
Abel furrowed his brows and replied, âMr. Tobias, I already told Brandon this story last time, and Iâm sure he has told you about it!â
âThatâs correct,â Tobias pondered for a moment. âBut Iâm waiting for the continuation.â
âMr. Tobias, are you trying to get to the bottom of this?â Abelâs lips curled with a hint of coldness.
âAbel, donât misunderstand.â Brandon hurriedly interjected. âMy father doesnât have any ulterior motives. He just wants to know the whereabouts of Master Ryker.â
âI donât know the whereabouts of Oliver the Jade King,â Abel replied impatiently. âI only had a brief encounter with him.â
âYou are the last person who had contact with him,â Tobias said. âI want to gather some clues from you, especially since you defeated him.â
âThat was just a coincidence, Abel said. âI donât understand the Art of Jade!â
âAbel is our masterâs most beloved disciple, Tobias said. âHis accomplishments in both the Art of Jade and esoteric medicine surpass mine, and he possesses a set of needling techniques inherited from our father, which have the power to revive the dead. If he disappears, this set of needling techniques will be lost, so I must find him.â
Abel lowered his brows, his expression filled with doubt.
âAbel, Brandon asked. âIs there a hidden secret in all of this?â
Abel shook his head. âThere are some things I prefer not to mention.â
Tobias said, âIf Abel trusts me, then stay here and let the two of us have a good chat.â
Abel nodded. For the sake of Emmelineâs wellâbeing, he could only agree to Tobiasâ request.
Tobias arranged a dinner at home, and another man in his thirties joined them.
Brandon introduced him as Tobias capable assistant, named Roland Harding.
When Roland first saw Abel, just like Tobias, he was stunned. It was as if Abel was someone he was extremely familiar with.
Abel pondered in his heart. Judging from their expressions, itâs as if they know me. But how is that possible?
As the dishes were served, Roland poured the wine.
âDrink as you please. Tobias raised his glass and gestured for Abel to join. âLetâs focus on storytelling!â
âAlright.â Abel also raised his glass. âFirst, Iâll toast to Mr. Tobias!â
Roland spoke up, âMr. Ryker, you resemble someone whom I know very much. It startled me just now.â
Tobias nodded thoughtfully. âIndeed. I almost mistook him as well.â
Brandon asked, âDad, Roland, who are you talking about?â
Tobias said. âYou havenât met him.â
âThen, who is he exactly?â
âOliver Ryker,â Roland said. âHe is also my master.â
âOliver Ryker?â Abel was taken aback. âI resemble him?â
âDid you never see his true appearance back then?â Tobias asked.