Chapter 4 The Marriage Contract

• Gazing at that remnant of malicious energy, Damian felt as if countless specters and supreme poisonous parasites had bared their fangs at him, chilling him to the bone.
• In a state of panic, he hastily ignited the Solar Flame Charm. The charm paper quickly turned into ashes, and a ball of fire, the size of a human head, blazed fiercely in Damian's hand, its intensity intimidating.
• The bright flames clashed with the pitch-black malicious energy, producing a grating sound that set one's teeth on edge.
• Damian strained himself to the limit, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The glow of Solar Flame Charm was gradually dimming, yet the malicious energy remained stubbornly undiminished.
• The sudden extinguishing of the charm's fiery light was followed by the residual malicious energy crashing into Damian's palm. With an agonized cry, he collapsed onto the ground.
• A dark line was slowly extending upward along his palm.
• Damian felt his luck dwindling and his vital energy was being gradually eroded.
• The wheels turned in his head, and with a grit of his teeth, he fell on his knees before Skylar with a thud, bowing deeply thrice.
• “I, Damian Yates, was ignorant and have offended you, Sir. I beg for your forgiveness and plead for your help!” he said with heartfelt sincerity, his voice choked with tears.
• With a cold huff, Skylar swiftly flicked a silver needle, embedding it into Damian's arm, thus halting the spread of the malicious energy.
• “Consider this a mild punishment. After you go back, regulate your breathing and recuperate. I assure you, your life won't be in danger,” Skylar instructed.
• “Thank you for your forgiveness, Sir. I'm forever indebted to you for saving my life. In the future, I won't hesitate to go through hell and high water if you ever need my assistance,” Damian vowed.
• Seeing Damian's continuous address of “Sir” despite being a white-bearded elderly man gave the Weiss family an intense sense of discordance.
• A myriad of emotions fleeted across Finnegan's face as he stood nearby. Fortunately, at this moment, everyone was too preoccupied with Wallace's condition to pay him attention.
• Wallace had managed to escape the torment of parasitic energy. Though he still appeared frail, his breathing had significantly steadied, and his complexion had regained some color.
• Just when everyone had finally relaxed, a housekeeper of the Weiss family standing at the side suddenly drew a sharp knife and lunged at Wallace, who was lying on the bed.
• Skylar flicked his wrist, sending a few flashes of silver light into the housekeeper. Yet, the latter seemed unaffected and continued to press on.
• Skylar stepped forward, closing the distance between him and the housekeeper. With a swift hand chop, he struck the housekeeper's arm. The arm bent at an unnatural angle, as if it was boneless, and ended up entwining around Skylar's arm.
• A glint flashed in Skylar's eyes, and he exclaimed, “Muscle Softening Parasite?”
• Without paying any heed to the dagger that the housekeeper had thrust toward him, his other hand reached out and effortlessly seized the former's throat.
• A glint of joy flashed in the housekeeper's eyes as he ruthlessly stabbed Skylar. However, the dagger only managed to pierce through his robe and made no further progress, leaving not even a mark on Skylar's body.
• “Parasite King's subordinate?” Skylar gripped the housekeeper's head, lifting him effortlessly like a small kitten and bringing him over.
• The housekeeper uttered menacingly, “Brat, now that you know I'm Parasite King's subordinate, you better let me go. The Weiss family is done for, and Wallace must die.”
• An icy glint flashed in Skylar's eyes. “Parasite King's subordinates are as arrogant as ever, but I, Skylar Lucero, am taking charge of the Weiss family's affair today.”
• “Dare to interfere with Parasite King's plans, and you can expect your family and friends to suffer the torment of a thousand parasites gnawing at their hearts. Only then will you realize how foolish your actions today have been!”
• As the housekeeper continued his onslaught of harsh words, he suddenly seemed to recall something.
• “S-Skylar... Y-You're that illegitimate child of the Lucero family!” The housekeeper's expression suddenly contorted, and he continued, “Parasite King would be thrilled to see you. He'd sever your head and use your flesh and blood to nourish his parasites. Your soul, he'd use to craft his parasitic energy.”
• Skylar let the housekeeper finish his words before leaning in, whispering, “I, too, am eager to meet him. Don't worry. You'll meet up in the afterlife soon.”
• With that, he applied more force to his hand, crushing the housekeeper's windpipe with a crisp snap.
• The moment he let go, the housekeeper's body collapsed onto the ground like a worn-out rag doll, his eyes still holding a trace of cruel enjoyment even in death.
• The Weiss family members kept their distance, intimidated by Skylar's imposing aura.
• An intense coughing fit echoed from the bed, initially startling everyone. However, their shock quickly turned into joy.
• “Grandpa, you're finally awake!” Bianca exclaimed joyfully as she hurried to Wallace's bedside, tears streaming down her face.
• “My dear granddaughter, don't cry. Look, I'm fine,” Wallace gently consoled Bianca before looking around.
• “Who was the expert that saved my life? The Weiss family will undoubtedly repay this kindness with all their might,” he said.
• Bianca wiped away her tears before leading Skylar to stand before the old man, informing him, “Grandpa, he was the one who saved you.”
• Skylar gave a slight nod to Wallace.
• The latter eyed Skylar's friar attire, his brows slightly furrowed. Suddenly, a realization struck him. His gaze hardened, and even his breathing became somewhat rushed. “Friar, do you hail from Mount Dragonia?” he inquired.
• Skylar froze before nodding. “That's correct.”
• “So...” With a look of sudden realization, Wallace seemed as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He mused, “So, you're the esteemed disciple of Saint Dorian...”
• “Huh?” Skylar had never mentioned this to anyone. How did this old man find out?
• Amid his contemplation, he saw Wallace addressing Bianca, “Bia, do you still have the topaz pendant I asked you to carry with you?”
• “Of course. I've been keeping it close to me all the time.” As she spoke, she pulled a red string from around her neck, threaded through a topaz cicada pendant. It appeared to have been with her for quite some time.
• “Give it to this young master,” Wallace instructed, his voice weak but resolute.
• “But Grandpa, isn't this...” Bianca's words trailed off, her comprehension dawning suddenly, causing her face to flush intensely.
• She hastily removed the topaz cicada pendant from around her neck and handed it to Skylar with her head lowered, appearing somewhat shy.
• Skylar stared at the topaz cicada pendant in his hand before casting a somewhat puzzled glance toward Wallace.
• The latter's eyes were filled with reminiscence as he patiently explained, “In the beginning, I made my fortune through tomb raiding. Once, while exploring a large tomb with others, we were on the brink of being killed by the zombies in the tomb. It was Saint Dorian who saved me. This topaz cicada pendant was a gift from him back then. He also told me this artifact would ensure prosperity and wealth for my Weiss family for thirty years. After that, someone would naturally come to claim it.”
• He paused before continuing, “The Saint had foreseen that my eldest granddaughter would have a unique constitution, and using this topaz cicada pendant as a token of agreement, prearranged her engagement with his disciple. Moreover, I've kept fifty-one percent of Weiss Group's shares for him.”
• Ling Tian scrutinized the small topaz cicada pendant in his hand. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a pure topaz.
• Such topaz was a treasure, formed over a long period from the topaz gemstone. Wearing it was believed to bring good luck and wealth. The finest imperial topaz required at least a thousand years to mature into a pure topaz, and it was an essential material for him to advance to the next realm.
• Since it was something his master had left for him and what he needed most presently, Skylar didn't put on a false show of refusal. Instead, he sincerely said, “Thank you for your generous gift, Old Mr. Weiss. I've removed the parasitic energy from your body. As long as you rest and recuperate, you'll recover your health quickly. Moreover, I can create some charms for you, ensuring you won't be disturbed by these things in the future.”
• Wallace was rather optimistic, waving his hand and chuckling. “No need for such fuss, I've had my share of glory and wealth over the years, and I've lived quite a full life. The only thing I can't give up thinking of is the promise I made with the Saint years ago. If you could marry Bianca sooner, I would have no more regrets.”