Free Web NovelChapter 276: Gathering Storms and Rare Herbs
Gathering Storms and Rare Herbs
For the next week, aside from guiding Lina Ashford and Liza Voss in their training at home, Julian D’Aurelius occasionally went to the company to slack off.
Life had settled into a surprisingly peaceful rhythm.
During the mornings, he would supervise Lina and Liza’s cultivation, helping them stabilize their progress and refine their techniques. The spacious training grounds of the D’Aurelius Household often echoed with the sounds of sparring, laughter, and the occasional complaint whenever Julian’s standards became too strict.
The afternoons were usually reserved for work—or more accurately, pretending to work.
As the public face of the D’Aurelius Group, Julian still made regular appearances at the company to keep up appearances.
However, everyone knew he wasn’t particularly interested in running the business.
Most days, he could be found relaxing in his office, sipping coffee, casually browsing reports, and leaving the complicated management work to executives who actually enjoyed dealing with endless meetings and paperwork.
To outsiders, his life looked carefree.
But Julian knew better.
The calm was temporary.
Ever since the battle with Steffan, the man had vanished without a trace.
No sightings.
No movements.
No clues.
It was as if he had disappeared from the world entirely.
Yet Julian wasn’t foolish enough to believe the problem had solved itself.
A man like Steffan would never accept defeat so easily.
Someone carrying the destiny of a protagonist would always find a way back.
The quieter things became, the more cautious Julian grew.
Which was why he had been paying close attention to recent developments in the business world.
Especially those involving the Bear Groups.
Ever since Evan had publicly torn apart his righteous facade during the Valquin Family gathering, the Bear Groups had suffered one devastating blow after another.
The combined pressure from several major families had nearly crushed the company.
Projects were frozen.
Investments vanished.
Partnerships dissolved.
Their stock price collapsed repeatedly. frёewebηovel.cѳm
At one point, the company’s market value had fallen below three hundred billion Euro, nearly losing half of its former worth.
Many industry experts had already declared the company finished.
Yet somehow...
It survived.
Three days ago, the Bear Groups suddenly announced a major restructuring.
Not only had the company undergone a complete internal transformation, but it had also changed its name.
The new name was the Blackstone Global Group.
The announcement immediately drew attention throughout the business world.
Following the rebranding, Blackstone Global Group shifted its primary focus toward overseas markets, aggressively expanding into Japan and several international sectors.
Soon afterward, another shocking announcement followed.
The company had successfully merged with a foreign corporation worth several billion Euro.
The market reacted instantly.
Investors who had previously abandoned the company rushed back.
The stock price soared.
Within days, the company regained a significant portion of its lost value.
To ordinary people, it appeared to be a miraculous corporate comeback.
Julian wasn’t fooled.
Leaning back in his office chair, he tapped his fingers lightly against the desk.
His golden eyes narrowed.
"Obsidian Wing..."
The name lingered in his mind.
There was no doubt.
An operation of this scale could only be the work of that organization.
The resources, funding, influence, and global connections required to save a collapsing corporation overnight were far beyond what an ordinary company could accomplish.
Behind the scenes, the Obsidian Wing was undoubtedly pulling the strings.
The question was simple.
What were they planning next?
A faint smile appeared on Julian’s lips.
Whatever move they made, it probably wouldn’t be boring.
Just as he was lost in thought, his phone suddenly vibrated.
The caller ID displayed a familiar name.
Amara Ravenswood.
Julian immediately answered.
The moment the call connected, a pleasant voice reached his ears.
"Julian, the medicinal ingredients are almost all gathered. When can you come pick them up?"
There was a trace of satisfaction in Amara’s tone.
Clearly, collecting everything had not been easy.
Hearing those words, Julian sat upright immediately.
His eyes brightened. freeweɓnovel.cøm
Finally.
After all this time, the ingredients were complete.
The final pieces had fallen into place.
The materials required for the Nine Way Cleansing Elixir had finally been gathered.
Without realizing it, Julian released a small breath he had been holding for days.
"I’ll come over now."
His voice carried a rare hint of excitement.
Even Amara seemed amused by his reaction.
A soft laugh sounded from the other end of the phone.
"Then head directly to Grandpa Charles’s house. I’ll be waiting for you there."
"Alright, see you soon."
After hanging up, Julian immediately stood.
The stack of unfinished company reports on his desk was abandoned without hesitation.
Business could wait.
Alchemy could not.
Grabbing his car keys, he left the office and headed toward the Whitmore Family.
The Grandpa Charles Amara mentioned was none other than Charles Whitmore, the largest herbal supplier in Valemont.
The Whitmore Family had maintained an excellent relationship with the Ravenswood Family for generations.
One family specialized in medicinal herbs.
The other stood at the pinnacle of ancient medicine.
Their partnership had lasted for decades.
Whenever the Ravenswood Family required rare or nearly extinct ingredients, the Whitmore Family would often use its extensive network to locate them.
Likewise, the Ravenswood Family had saved countless members of the Whitmore Family over the years through their medical expertise.
It was a mutually beneficial relationship built upon trust.
The afternoon sun hung high in the sky as Julian drove through the streets of Valemont.
Traffic flowed steadily.
Gentle breezes carried the scent of summer through the open window.
By the time he arrived at the Whitmore Family estate, nearly forty minutes had passed.
The moment he stepped out of his car, he spotted a familiar figure waiting near the entrance.
Amara Ravenswood.
Today, she was dressed in a JK outfit.
A pink-and-white plaid skirt hugged her petite frame while a white sailor-collared blouse added a youthful charm to her appearance.
Despite her relatively small stature, her figure was exceptionally well-developed.
To avoid attracting too much attention, she wore a small blue jacket over her blouse.
Even so, her natural beauty remained impossible to conceal.
The sunlight filtered through the nearby trees, casting dancing shadows across the ground.
Standing beneath them, Amara looked less like a renowned miracle doctor and more like a university girl enjoying her day off.
As a practitioner of ancient medicine, her outfit didn’t match the classical style at all.
She looked like someone who could become an internet celebrity just by posting a short video.
