Chapter 380 - 378: Who Can Stand This?

Faye Yardley’s attitude was simple: ’I’ve said my piece, so you’ve been warned. Believe it or don’t, I couldn’t care less.’

The only one she strictly forbade from using it was her own brother.

’No matter how good a replacement is, can it ever be better than the original?’

Thinking of those people with mechanical modifications, Faye Yardley pursed her lips. While some of their functions were indeed more powerful than their original flesh-and-blood bodies, they had also been changed to the point where they were no longer... normal people?

Ugh.

Faye Yardley froze for a moment, caught off guard by her own train of thought.

Then she forced the pointless idea out of her head.

She lifted her fishing rod again. ’Well, I’ll be. The second catch is another Iron Treasure Box. Are they worthless now? Is this some kind of clearance sale?’

If they kept coming up one after another like this, she could really get into it.

Meanwhile, when Master Veridian saw Faye Yardley’s message, he couldn’t help but stroke his beard and laugh heartily. "Yardley is still so delightfully naive."

"Master, I think you should take what Yardley said to heart. And Mr. Lewis has already used those eyes... Why don’t you tell him to contact us immediately if he feels any discomfort?" Zephyr Sterling felt that as cultivators, it was better to err on the side of caution with such esoteric matters.

Besides, he had awakened a Healing Ability himself. It might have some effect on treating Mr. Lewis’s eyes.

It was just that ever since he’d refused the offer to join Logan Langdon’s guild, Mr. Lewis had started to grow distant. He didn’t reject Zephyr’s gestures of concern, and he accepted the things he was given, but he never initiated contact anymore.

And his relationship with their youngest junior brother was completely fractured.

’I’ve never bothered trying to figure out what goes on in that junior brother’s head. As the senior disciple, I just need to do my part.’

Master Veridian nodded. "I know, I know. I’ll tell him. But if he doesn’t listen..."

"Then let him be."

Master Veridian looked at his eldest disciple and let out a long sigh.

Of all the disciples he had taken, only the second one, Mr. Lewis, had the most complicated and cluttered mind, making him the least suited for the path of cultivation.

Yet he was also the sweetest talker, the one who was best at cheering the old master up.

The world was unpredictable. Who could have imagined that the once peaceful and beautiful world would become so strange and treacherous?

But he had lived a long life and had long since learned to let things go.

’Give a warning when a warning is due, say what needs to be said, and keep my mouth shut about the rest. Just be a sensible old man who knows his place.’

"Alright, I’ve told Mr. Lewis. You’ll be fine fishing for treasure boxes on your own, won’t you? I’m going to go refine a furnace of pills."

"Go on, Master. I’ll be fine by myself." Zephyr Sterling wasn’t just being modest. With the new planting room on the raft, their food supply was secure. The urgent need for basic supplies had lessened.

Zephyr Sterling practiced drawing runes in the air while fishing for treasure boxes, perfectly content.

On the other side, Zachary Pierce’s joy was cut short when he saw Faye Yardley’s warning. This great opportunity could very well turn into a disaster.

Now, he couldn’t just let someone try them out to see the effects.

"President Pierce, those herbs you brought back are incredible! Their medicinal properties are highly active. We’ve had the agro-research team start cultivating most of them, while a portion has gone to the lab to analyze their specific properties. That batch has already been transferred to the medical team." The researcher was ecstatic. "Oh, and there’s been a major breakthrough with the High Tier breakthrough stimulation therapy. Our team leader says you should try to stop by today if you can."

"Alright, I will."

Ethan Yardley gestured to Gavin Donovan. After they went into the study, Ethan said, "Donovan, are you still in contact with that second senior brother of yours?"

"Boss, why the sudden question about my second senior brother? He stopped talking to me ages ago."

"But you’re still on each other’s friends list?"

Gavin Donovan nodded. "That, we are. We just don’t talk."

’Actually, my second senior brother did look for me later, asking for a favor, but I refused him again. That made our relationship even worse.’

"I see. I was hoping you could ask about his situation, but it looks like that would be awkward for you."

Gavin Donovan was very curious. "Boss, what happened? Why do you need to ask him about something?"

Ethan Yardley explained the situation with the eyes. "My plan was to have you ask him directly, while I found someone else to ask around and confirm things indirectly."

"I can just ask him directly. The worst he can do is not answer."

Ethan Yardley nodded, then watched as Gavin Donovan started typing furiously into the void.

He didn’t stay idle either, and actually did find someone else to discreetly inquire.

Excellent. Both of them came up empty.

Gavin Donovan scratched his head. "Boss, it seems my second senior brother is really ignoring me. I’ll ask Master. My second senior brother will at least listen to Master, even if it’s usually selective."

They didn’t get any information from Master Veridian either.

Ethan Yardley clapped him on the shoulder. "No news is good news. At least it means nothing bad has happened to your second senior brother. Besides, I know plenty of people in Logan Langdon’s guild. If there was a major incident, word would have gotten out."

"You’re right, Boss. Huh, Boss, why do you think the big boss doesn’t call on me anymore? My combat power isn’t weak, is it? I’ve already broken through to the Third Tier. I shouldn’t be holding her back."

Speaking of combat power, Gavin Donovan was also dejected. He used to be able to act as Faye Yardley’s private tutor, but now he had been completely surpassed by the supposedly "weak" woman who couldn’t even truss a chicken.

’I used to be able to be her bodyguard, and now I’m not even qualified to be her lackey?’

On this topic, Ethan Yardley patted his other shoulder. "She doesn’t call on me either. Let’s just work harder together. We can’t let her leave us completely in the dust."

Gavin Donovan looked at his boss, remembering he was the big boss’s older brother. ’An older brother whose strength can’t compare to his younger sister’s... that feeling...’

Tsk. Deliciously awkward!

"Hey, hey, what’s with that look? You wanna go for a few rounds?!"

"Hehe, you’re on, Boss. Training room, duel mode, 1v1."

Faye Yardley had said she would fish for treasure boxes, and she patiently did so for the entire day.

Her haul wasn’t just "not small"—it was downright enviable.

As for the fun part—opening them—Faye Yardley decided she could wait. She didn’t know how many more days she’d be fishing for boxes, so she planned to open them all at once right before the safe period ended for a grand reveal.

Lucy White came pattering over once again. "Big Sis, are we really not going to do anything else?"

"We’re fishing for boxes today."

Looking up at the sky, where the sun was about to set, Lucy White asked, "Then what about tomorrow?"

"Probably the same."

Lucy White’s face fell instantly. ’Nooo, I don’t want to keep fishing for boxes on the raft! It’s so boring! And I can never catch as many as Big Sis. Compared to her, it’s like I’ve wasted the whole day for nothing. Who can stand this?’