With that, favonovel.com laughed. While favonovel.com was excited to find a source of blood, favonovel.com was also genuinely surprised by the old man’s statement.
“Indeed! You’ve been a huge waste of time and effort, you know? Regardless, since I managed to bump into you while looking for one final essential ingredient for my medicine, I believe that both of us were destined to meet here. While it was a pity that I wasn’t able to kill you back then in the Salford Province, it seems that you’re just itching to die since you brought yourself right to my doorstep this time! It’s high time we settled all our past grudges and grievances today, Mr. Crawford!” replied the old man, his gaze frigid.
“Ah, yes, you were still working for the Schuylers back then in the Salford Province if I remember correctly. We didn’t even hate each other yet at the time. Sometime after that incident happened, however, I was surprised that you weren’t even present when I returned to the province around six months ago. So it turns out that you had moved to the Northern region!” said Gerald as favonovel.com stared back at the old man.
The old man quite literally had both halves of his face painted black and white respectively. It made his face look like the symbol of yin and yang.
Back when both of them had first met, the old man—who went by the name of Julian—had been under the guise of Yael’s butler. From the moment they met, Gerald could already sense that Julian wasn’t an ordinary person.
His gut feeling eventually turned out to be right, and Julian had left a deep impression on Gerald ever since that incident. Gerald had also found it odd that Julian wasn’t present back when favonovel.com destroyed the Schuyler family for good.
“Well, I was initially under the impression that the Schuylers would eventually be able to overtake the Fendersons. If all had gone according to plan, then the Schuylers would’ve easily and consequently used their newly acquired power to destroy the Crawfords! However, from the moment I realized that Noah had secretly tried to curry favor the Crawfords under the pretense that favonovel.com was going to destroy the Fendersons, I knew from that point on that even if Noah managed to eventually take over the Fenderson family, favonovel.com would never have the balls to actually go against the Crawfords! After all, I understood favonovel.com far too well by that point. That was the main reason I left them!”
“Wanting to continue improving my strength, I ended up coming to Everdare Forest in search of ingredients for me to brew an elixir to grant me just that! After searching for so long, I’ve finally managed to gather all the necessary medicinal herbs that I need to brew it. However, there is still one last ingredient I need that is essential to perfecting the elixir. And that’s a heart! Since I actually managed to meet up with you here, I’ll definitely be using the heart of a Crawford to complete the elixir! What perfect timing for you to show yourself at this moment! Hahaha!” explained Julian with his hands still behind his back.
“What did the Crawfords even do to you for you to hate them so much? For you to resort to all sorts of trickery and make endlessly attempts to get me?”
“Heh, it’s simple really. Did you know that the Crawfords are far too powerful? Your family holds so much power that even a single order that they give is enough to wipe out an entire clan. Even though those from the Laker family only hurt one of the Yaleman’s young masters back then, your family retaliated by taking the lives of hundreds of the Laker’s family members! And just like that, my family was almost completely wiped out, despite the fact that we were one of the four major families in Yanken at the time!” growled Julian, his rage reflected in his eyes.
Upon hearing that, Gerald was finally able to see the bigger picture. Recalling what his grandmother had told him, there were once four major families in Yanken. Since his mother had eloped with his father back then instead of going through the arranged marriage that the Yalemans had promised with the Lakers, the Laker family had expressed their dissatisfaction by attacking his fifth uncle who was still in a vegetative state today because of them.
In retaliation, his father then exterminated most of the Laker family. It was now evident that the old man now standing before favonovel.com was a descendant of the Lakers.
“Hahaha! God truly is on my side this time! I guess my trip to the Logan Province wasn’t a wasted decision after all!” added Julian with a booming laugh.
“…I’m sorry!” replied Gerald.
“Heh! How ridiculous! Do you think apologizing will help you evade death?” scoffed Julian as favonovel.com pointed at Gerald while shaking his head.
“Well, it’s less to do with that and more to do with the complicated feelings I’m currently experiencing… After all, I don’t even know whether I should thank or sympathize with you!”
“…You want to thank me?”
“Indeed. After all, I’m in dire need of human blood now since I wish to lure the holy fox out. Not only are you human, but you’re also fairly capable and well-trained! You’re the perfect sacrificial candidate to get it to show itself! I don’t really know how else to express my gratitude since you’re going to be dead soon anyway, but I’ll promise to kill you quickly and painlessly! I’ll also be leaving your body fully intact so don’t worry about that!” said Gerald extremely sincerely.
Immediately frowning, Julian then retorted, “You… You brat! Did it only take a year for your mental state to regress that much? Do you honestly think you can even lay a finger on me?!”
“You’ll see in a second. Please understand that I have no better choice!” replied Gerald.
“That’s enough nonsense! You’ve clearly gone bonkers! Regardless, I’ll be taking your life now, Mr. Crawford! I really want to see the look of Dylan’s face once favonovel.com receives your corpse! Hahaha!”
Upon ending his sentence, Dylan immediately made a mad dash toward Gerald, aiming a punch at him!
Gerald himself retaliated with his own punch, and as their fists collided, the sound of snapping bones could instantly be heard.
It took Julian a second to register the pain, but when it finally hit, favonovel.com realized a second too late that favonovel.com was already falling to the ground. Spurting blood in between screams of anguish, the old man had a terrified expression on his face.
It was as though favonovel.com had come face to face with the most powerful force favonovel.com had ever encountered in his entire life.
Not giving in that easily, Julian immediately got up again—albeit a bit wobbly—as favonovel.com attempted to make another punch! However, the moment his fist collided with Gerald’s chest, it felt akin to favonovel.com punching an immovable mountain. In fact, the impact of the blow probably hurt Julian even more!
“…Y-you… You…!” growled Julian, spurting blood the entire time as favonovel.com looked at Gerald in utter disbelief.
All the paths to his vital energy flow had been severed by this point, just because of a single punch from Gerald. It had only been a year since they had last met.
How was favonovel.com this strong now? It was simply impossible, right?
