Chapter 11 A Mysterious Man

After ending the call, Norton sent over the list of medicinal herbs he needed, and then promptly returned home. He planned to start renovating the store early the next morning. He wanted to open the store for business as soon as possible to show Martha that he had a respectable job. That way, Martha would have fewer worries in the future. Meanwhile, over at the Zulker residence, Benedict, the head of the Zulker family, glared at Gunther, whose entire arm had been rendered useless. Benedict flew into a rage, berating him as a good-for-nothing. “Gunther, the Zulker family has supported you for so many years, and you and your men were usually fearless. But this time, despite you personally taking action, you couldn't even handle an ordinary punk! Not only that, but you even let him render one of your arms useless. So? Are you not a good-for-nothing?” Benedict was well aware of Gunther's capabilities. Although Gunther wasn't the strongest in Yarburn, he was still considered among the experts. However, Benedict never, in his wildest dreams, imagined that not only would Gunther fail to bring back Norton's limbs, but he would also end up losing one of his own arms. Gunther was lying on the stretcher, and he was carried back by his subordinates. His face was deathly pale, a clear reflection of the unbearable pain he was enduring. “Mr. Zulker, it's my fault that I couldn't accomplish the task this time. I'm ready to accept any punishment. However, Mr. Zulker, that punk is a peculiar fellow. He's no ordinary man. I couldn't sense any fluctuations of a combat artist's aura from him, but his punch was at least of the cultivation level of a half-step Grandmaster. I even suspect that he might be a Grandmaster. In any case, you must take Norton seriously, Mr. Zulker. That punk is truly mysterious,” Gunther said. A sense of unease lingered in Gunther's heart. At that moment, combat arts cultivation was divided into several stages. Those stages were External Force, Internal Force, Combat Master, Combat Grandmaster, Energy Cultivation Grandmaster, Supreme Grandmaster, and Combat King. At that time, there were no more than five Grandmasters in Yarburn, and only three Supreme Grandmasters. All of them hailed from the top prestigious families, the mayor's family, and the Ninth Division of Divine Syndicate. A single Grandmaster elite could stand equal to a prominent family. In the Zulker family, the one with the highest cultivation level wasn't him. It was Nathan, a half-step Grandmaster. Despite hearing Gunther's well-intentioned warning, Benedict simply didn't believe him, and he said, “Gunther, do you take me, Benedict, for a three-year-old kid? Did you say that punk was a Grandmaster? Before you make such statements, I suggest you use your brain. Do you have any idea how few Grandmasters there are in the entire Yarburn? Which one of them do I, Benedict, not know? Who among them isn't in their sixties or seventies? How old is that punk, Norton? How on earth is he a Grandmaster? You're all useless, every single one of you. Get out! All of you, get out! The Zulker family has no room for useless people!” Benedict immediately ordered the dissolution of the Zulker family's bodyguard team. However, his younger brother, Nathan, emerged from the back hall at that moment. “Benedict, don't be upset. I've got the full grasp of what happened. Let me handle it! I'm well aware of Gunther's capabilities, and I trust his words. That punk, Norton, is indeed mysterious. Whether he's a Grandmaster or not, we'll soon find out. I just received word that War Goddess White Swan has returned to the Military Headquarters. She is set to make her official appearance in Yarburn in five days. Moreover, she will be announcing something significant at that time. This news will spread like wildfire, and the whole city will soon be aware of it. Having received this information, we must prepare for every possibility. I suspect that the announcement to be made by War Goddess White Swan could very likely be related to the pharmaceutical industry. That's our family's forte, so we must seize this opportunity. As long as we could align ourselves with War Goddess White Swan, it wouldn't matter if Norton was a Grandmaster. Even if he was a Supreme Grandmaster, in the eyes of War Goddess White Swan, he would be as insignificant as an ant! Benedict, I hope you prioritize the bigger picture and put the Zulker family first. Additionally, the miracle doctor from Longburg will arrive in Yarburn in two hours. As the head of the family, I hope you can personally welcome him at the airport. With a miracle doctor, Howie's legs will surely be healed. He will definitely be able to stand up again. As for Norton, let him bask in his glory a few more days. When the time comes, we'll settle both old scores and new,” Nathan said. Nathan's words instantly dissipated the anger in Benedict's heart. With a face full of excitement, he asked, “Nathan, is your source of information reliable?” “Of course! That's the news I've just received from the Military Department.” Nathan was absolutely certain. “No wonder! We've searched every corner of Yarburn, yet we couldn't find even a trace of War Goddess White Swan. As it turns out, she has already returned to the Military Department! Nathan, I'm leaving War Goddess White Swan in your hands. I'm heading to the airport to pick up the miracle doctor now.” After some thought, Benedict turned to Gunther and the Zulker family's bodyguards, saying, “The Zulker family has never treated you unfairly. You should all behave yourselves.” With that, Benedict led his men away from the Zulker residence, heading toward the airport. The following day, after having breakfast, Norton, accompanied by Harlan and Martha, arrived at the storefront he had purchased the day before to start the renovation. During midday, he journeyed alone to Mansion One at Cloud Nine Mansions. Although he wasn't short of money, he was still taken aback when he found out that Mansion One, gifted to him by Emily, was worth a billion. Upon further digging, he found out that the most expensive property in the entire Cloud Nine Mansions was Mansion One. What shocked him even more was the faint spiritual energy he felt once he entered the mansion. At that moment, even he, in all his simplicity, understood why Emily had given him such a precious gift. “Old Mdm. Weiss sure is fascinating!” Since Norton had already accepted it, naturally, there was no way he could return it. He then made up his mind to reside in Mansion One from then on. At the same time, he resolved to lend Emily a hand once more. During her treatment, he had already noticed that her progress had been stagnant for many years at the Grandmaster stage. He planned to give her a pill to assist her in surpassing the Grandmaster stage. After touring the vast Mansion One, Norton finally arrived at the rooftop of the main building. Sitting cross-legged, he began to meditate and absorb the faint spiritual energy in the air. He had reached the legendary stage spoken of by the world three years ago, but taking another step forward was incredibly challenging. It was as difficult as climbing to the heavens. The reason why Dorian departed three years ago was to seek a breakthrough in combat arts for him. After meditating for two hours, Norton stood up and left. That faint spiritual energy didn't offer any assistance to his current cultivation level, but for Lucille, it was a different story. He had made up his mind that once Lucille returned, he would bring her to Mansion One, where she could focus on her training. From the moment he first laid eyes on Lucille, he had already discerned her stage. He believed that with the assistance of the sparse spiritual energy and his pills, given Lucille's innate talent, she would definitely be able to fully break through her current stage and step into a new stage within half a year. Half an hour later, Norton returned to the shop, by which time the signboard had already been delivered and hung up on the main entrance. The clinic was named after Lucille. The sign was remarkably conspicuous because it read: Lucille Clinic. As soon as he entered the shop, Norton saw Martha engaged in conversation with Suzanne. He was quite surprised. How on earth did this young lady manage to find this place? When Martha saw Norton return, she immediately stood up, taking Suzanne by the hand. She asked him, “Nort, where have you been? Ms. Suzanne has been looking for you. You should have a good talk with her.” As she spoke, Martha moved closer to Norton, quietly asking him, “Norton, is Ms. Suzanne your girlfriend?” Upon hearing that, Norton felt like he was about to pass out. Martha's smile only grew wider on her face when she saw Norton keeping mum. “Ms. Suzanne, Norton has returned. If you have any matters to discuss, feel free to have a good talk with him.” “Okay, Mrs. Qualls,” Suzanne responded and quickly found herself at Norton's side. She didn't want to seek out Norton at all. It was her grandmother, Emily, who had forcefully pushed her to do so. She hadn't expected to encounter Norton's parents there. As she conversed with Martha, memories of her own mother came flooding back. She wished for her own mother to still be around. At that moment, her mood wasn't the best.