On the other side, three men and one woman sat on the rosewood chairs, dressed in luxurious clothing, each with a “Yang” character embroidered on their chests. It was obvious without even thinking—these were people from The Harris Family.

Among the three men from The Harris Family, two were elders and one was a young man, all important figures of The Harris Family. The table beside them was piled high with precious gifts.

On the chair at the very end, a maiden as beautiful as a flower sat gracefully, dressed in a long red dress, radiant as a blossom. Her delicate face combined purity with a hint of allure, making her look especially charming and outstanding.

The moment he pushed open the door, Ethan Brooks's gaze immediately fell upon her—Olivia Harris!

She was the one who, in this life, had driven him to suicide for love. Ethan Brooks found it hard to forget that face.

But compared to the gentle and serene girl in his memory, the current Olivia Harris appeared much more enchanting, faintly exuding a charm that could intoxicate all.

Her presence drew the attention of many of the younger generation from The Brooks Family who had come, their gazes filled with amazement and fascination.

No wonder he could fall for her in this life. With such beauty—peerless in all of Luofeng City—combining purity with a touch of allure, how could any boy under twenty, just awakening to love, possibly resist?

Before his awakening, he too had been captivated by the girl's unique temperament and had fallen for her.

At this moment, Owen Brooks’s face was full of anger as he slammed the table and shouted coldly, “Someone, drive all the people from The Harris Family out! Our The Brooks Family does not welcome anyone from The Harris Family!”

Chapter 4: The First Display of Dominance

It had long been rumored that City Lord Owen Brooks was as stubborn as a rock, but no one expected that today, with the people from The Harris Family barely seated, Owen Brooks would already be telling them to leave.

His words shocked the entire hall, and the people from The Harris Family turned pale. They had come to visit, only to be immediately thrown out. If word got out, The Harris Family’s reputation would be utterly ruined, their dignity lost.

However, before anyone from The Harris Family could speak, an elder from The Brooks Family spoke up first, saying, “Owen Brooks, though you are the patriarch of our The Brooks Family, you must understand that The Brooks Family is not ruled by you alone. There are several elders besides you. Moreover, the people from The Harris Family are honored guests. If you drive them out like this, what will become of our The Brooks Family’s reputation?”

Looking at this white-haired elder glaring angrily, Ethan Brooks knew this was the Grand Elder of The Brooks Family, a man of high status and power—second only to the family head.

Upon hearing this, Owen Brooks snorted coldly, “Hmph, William Brooks, you should know that the people from The Harris Family are quite bold. They lured my son into stealing the Qingling Pill and giving it to that girl, causing him to be imprisoned for half a month and nearly commit suicide. Now they dare to show up here—aren’t they just here to mock us?”

One of the black-robed elders from The Harris Family, a man with significant influence in the family, immediately cupped his fists and laughed, “City Lord Brooks, you misunderstand. This was merely a mistake among the younger generation. Kids are immature and caused such a big mess. We feel deeply sorry. As soon as I learned of it, I brought Olivia here to apologize. Olivia, aren’t you going to apologize to The City Lord?”

Olivia Harris stepped forward and bowed gracefully, her manners impeccable. She said, “Uncle Brooks, all of this was Olivia’s own doing and has nothing to do with the family. I hope Uncle Brooks can forgive Olivia. Olivia is willing to offer an apology and compensation.”

“Compensation and apology?” Owen Brooks suddenly burst out laughing, but his eyes were icy cold. “Olivia Harris, my little niece, can you return the Qingling Pill?”

Owen Brooks was extremely angry at Olivia Harris. In his heart, she was full of schemes—knowing that Ethan Brooks could not cultivate and was shunned by others, she deliberately approached and befriended him, lowering his guard, gaining his trust, and finally tricking him into stealing The Brooks Family’s Qingling Pill. She even drove Ethan Brooks to suicide, nearly costing him his life.

Such a scheming girl—no matter how beautiful or polite—still made Owen Brooks furious. If not for his status as an elder, he would have taught her a lesson long ago.

“I’m sorry, Uncle Clark, Olivia has already taken the Qingling Pill, but Olivia can offer something else as compensation.” Olivia Harris handed over a delicate white jade bottle. A servant immediately stepped forward, took the bottle, and presented it to Owen Brooks.

Owen Brooks took it, opened it, and a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out, instantly refreshing the mind. It was clearly something extraordinary. At the bottom of the jade bottle lay five pills, blue with specks of green, enticing to the senses.

“This is... Foundation Establishment Pills!?”

Owen Brooks was shocked. Foundation Establishment Pills are spiritual pills that solidify one’s cultivation foundation, refined from rare ingredients, and are extremely effective for building a solid base.

A solid foundation is crucial for any cultivator. The firmer the foundation, the smoother the path of cultivation ahead, even if it doesn’t guarantee great achievements.

But to refine such pills, one must have an alchemist. Alchemists are an ancient profession with a long heritage, rare in the present day. The pills they refine are invaluable for breaking through cultivation bottlenecks, healing injuries, and extending life, making alchemists highly respected by all.

The Foundation Establishment Pills in the jade bottle were indeed refined by an alchemist.