The old werewolf’s expression grew more serious after hearing Aiden’s words. “Are you saying Raven poisoned me?” Aiden shook his head. “Of course not. Elder Feng has a spotless record. He’s always been upright. Besides, ruining your treatment would damage his own reputation. For a healer, reputation is everything. He would never do something that self-destructive.” “Then what are you implying?” Aiden studied his face and asked, “Did you offend anyone in the past? This type of poison is almost unheard of in Capital City, but it’s quite common in Amberton.” The old werewolf thought hard, and suddenly, his eyes lit up. “Amberton… there’s only one possibility.” He looked up at us. “I understand now. Thank you both. I always thought it was just a burn that hadn’t healed properly. I had no idea someone actually poisoned me!” He grabbed the herb from behind the table and handed it to me. “Take it. It’s yours. No charge.” I hadn’t expected to accidentally help uncover a decades-old mystery today, but even so, I couldn’t bring myself to accept the herb for free. “I’ll pay you market price. I insist.” I pulled out a card and handed it to him. “There’s a million in here. Consider anything extra a personal apology. After all, this whole thing started because of my master.” “I don’t need the money, but… Raven really raised a good student!” The old man burst into hearty laughter. “If you didn’t already have a boyfriend, I’d introduce you to my son.” Immediately, I felt the air beside me drop several degrees. Great. He was pissed again. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.” “Eh, well, if you two ever break up, come back and find me. I’ll keep you in mind.” “…” I forced a smile, tucked the herb away, and was about to leave when Aiden suddenly pulled me in and kissed me hard. Startled, I leapt back, clutching my face. “What the hell?!” Aiden snorted. “You’re attracting too much attention.”“It’s not like I asked for it! Besides, your girlfriend being popular should make you proud, shouldn’t it?” That made his face relax a little. “By the way, Aiden, can I ask you something?” “What is it?” “How did you know those wounds were caused by poison?” He paused before replying, “Because I was poisoned when I was a kid.” I frowned. “Do you know who did it?” Aiden shook his head and smiled. “No idea.” “Anyway, do you still need any other herbs?” he asked, clearly not wanting to keep talking about it. I tapped my chin, thinking aloud. “Just one—five-hundred-year-old Spirit Fruit. It only shows up in auctions, so we’ll have to wait until tonight.” Aiden glanced around. “You hungry? We can grab something to eat.” The black market was like a mini commercial street, full of food, entertainment, and overpriced everything. I stared at the menu. One hot dog was going for a hundred bucks. I winced and reluctantly ordered two. Just as I was paying, I spotted someone familiar standing nearby. Was that… Andrix? I was caught off guard. What was he doing here? Shouldn’t he still be in Varken? Whatever the reason, he absolutely couldn’t see me and Aiden together right now. Thinking fast, I pulled two pairs of sunglasses from my bag, put one on, and shoved the other into Aiden’s hand. “Andrix is nearby. Put these on.” Aiden caught on instantly, slipping on the shades and lowering his voice. “What’s he doing here?”“What else? Probably here for the auction. You think he’s also after the Spirit Fruit?” The thought made me uneasy. “No worries. Eclipse Pack’s not short on money.” “It’s not about the money. If Andrix tries to pull anything shady, getting that Spirit Fruit could get tricky.” My mind started racing, and an idea hit me. I pulled Aiden toward the auction hall. This black market’s auction venue was unique, known for selling rare and bizarre items. I scanned the crowd and, sure enough, spotted Andrix seated nearby. He had his head down, staring at something with a barely-there smirk that made my skin crawl. I wasn’t interested in any of the early items. Aiden, on the other hand, seemed entertained and even bought me a few pieces of jewelry. Each time he bid, he deliberately kept his voice low so Andrix wouldn’t recognize him. Finally, the main event began—Spirit Fruit. Inside a glass temperature-controlled case sat the fruit, and my heart skipped a beat. “A five-hundred-year-old Spirit Fruit. Starting bid: ten million!” Sure enough, Andrix had stayed quiet up to this point. Now he raised his paddle and instantly doubled the opening price. Every time Andrix placed a bid, Aiden would follow right after—always raising the price by exactly one dollar. That’s right. Just one dollar. We were doing it purely to mess with him.