Meanwhile, the guards outside the forest were all dumbfounded. What they saw was a bolt of lightning striking down from the sky, hitting the very tree where James Walker was, and then that kid was turned into a piece of charcoal, rolling in the mud, seemingly already dead.

“He was struck by lightning, it has nothing to do with us,” one guard immediately shouted. “You, hurry back to the city and inform Lord Samuel Reed. Although this kid deserved to die, he is still a member of the prestigious The Walker Family. If his death isn’t handled properly, it could cause unrest in Yandu City.”

Another guard immediately took off running, as fast as a wild horse.

However, he had barely covered a mile before he was brought back by a steel giant.

“Lord Samuel Reed.” The guard broke out in a cold sweat from fear. When he saw who it was, he immediately dropped to his knees in the mud.

“He was actually struck by lightning…” The iron-beast-like Samuel Reed strode over to James Walker, reached out and grabbed him. A stream of energy penetrated his body, but found nothing—only broken meridians, a shattered qi sea, and a charred body. “His body was struck by lightning, the injuries are severe, his qi sea and meridians are completely destroyed, but he’s not dead yet.”

“Is that so?”

Just as Samuel Reed was examining James Walker’s body, several men in brocade robes stepped out from behind. Clearly, they were people of high status in Yandu City. Among them was an elderly, white-haired man who looked like a chief steward. He gazed at James Walker’s body from afar and nodded. “Since that’s the case, there’s no need to take this kid back for questioning. If he dies, it’ll be troublesome. Send him back to The Walker Family, and at the same time, deliver the city lord’s verbal order: this kid stole the Fulong Pill, and even if The Walker Family has to go bankrupt, they must compensate for the loss.”

“Yes, sir!”

Several guards picked up James Walker and rushed toward Yandu City…

Daylight broke, and the night passed.

No one knew how many people, animals, and trees were destroyed by last night’s raging thunderstorm. Even the surging Yan River outside Yandu City had flooded, but now the sun was blazing in the sky, revealing the scorching heat of midsummer.

One of the great families of Yandu City, The Walker Family.

At this moment, the atmosphere in The Walker Family was tense. Many servants hurried back and forth, some guards looked alert, and some maids and old women whispered in the corners.

“Our The Walker Family is in big trouble! Did you hear? Last night, the family head David Walker’s youngest son, James Walker, tried to steal a treasure from the city lord’s mansion. He was beaten half to death, his qi cultivation was destroyed, and he was tied to a tree and struck by lightning. He was carried back last night and is now lying on his bed, barely alive, about to die at any moment!” a sharp-tongued old woman recounted vividly. Though she kept her voice low, she couldn’t hide her schadenfreude.

“That’s right, and the city lord’s mansion has issued a final ultimatum: within three days, The Walker Family must come up with a compensation plan for the stolen treasure, and the full amount must be paid within a month. At this rate, The Walker Family will lose at least half its assets!” a steady servant said worriedly.

Immediately, many servants and maids erupted in an uproar, like cicadas buzzing in boiling soup: “Lose half the family’s assets? Won’t The Walker Family be in decline then?”

“Especially here in Yandu City, with the Chen, Wang, Li, Hong… all those great families have long disliked our The Walker Family. They’ll definitely kick us while we’re down.”

“Just watch, this time The Walker Family is in big trouble. That good-for-nothing James Walker really is a handful, causing such a huge disaster. Heh, I bet his father David Walker won’t even be able to keep his position as family head.”

“I heard from a friend at the city lord’s mansion that James Walker stole the treasure for a woman.”

“Pah, wastrel, troublemaker, jinx,” a servant cursed under his breath. “His qi cultivation is ruined, he’ll never have martial arts again. Even if he recovers, he’ll be a cripple.”

Some of these servants gloated, some worried about The Walker Family’s future, and some harshly cursed James Walker.

At this moment, in the center of the courtyard, after passing through the winding corridors and maze-like eaves, in the spacious The Walker Family council hall, a tall, burly man in brocade stood in the center, listening to a report.

“Master, Young Master James Walker’s life has been saved, but his body suffered extensive burns from the lightning, his internal meridians are damaged, his qi sea is broken, and his martial arts are completely destroyed. From now on, he’ll only be a cripple.”

An old steward, accompanied by a physician, reported slowly.

“Martial arts destroyed, qi sea broken!” David Walker repeated these two phrases.

Bang!

A giant palm slammed down.

A large ironwood table was smashed to pieces.

The splinters spun wildly, flying out with a ghostly wail, embedding themselves in the floor.

“The Fulong Pill is lost! Our The Walker Family can pay for it, but why did they have to destroy my son’s qi cultivation? Even if they broke his arms and legs, that would be fine. If his martial arts are gone, he’ll never be able to cultivate qi again. If his limbs were broken but his qi remained, he could still become a master.” David Walker was furious beyond measure.