Chapter 365: Challenged

"How did it go, Leonardo? Did Venicus say when he'll begin work on the longevity pill?" Zachariah anxiously asked.

"Mr. Jantz, Master Venicus said he will begin once you provide the herbs he requested for the Crescent Sect," Leonardo reported.

"What the hell! He's not giving us any slack, is he?" Zachariah exclaimed. "When will the herbs be ready?"

"The herbs are rare and expensive. I've tried bargaining with the Herb Palace repeatedly, but they wouldn't budge. The order will cost over ten million, Mr. Jantz," Leonardo said exasperatedly.

Zachariah pondered for a moment. "Liquidate all assets. Sell the Whitaker family holdings. I need those herbs for the Crescent Sect."

"Yes, Mr. Jantz!" Leonardo nodded.

Zachariah was determined to obtain the longevity pill. His health was paramount; he knew he could always regain his wealth, but not his health.

Just then, a servant burst in, shouting, "Mr. Jantz! We have a problem!"

"Stop shouting! It's the middle of the night. Calm down and explain," Leonardo reprimanded him.

The terrified servant stammered, "Two of our men are dead, Mr. Jantz! At the entrance! Please come quickly!"

Zachariah was enraged. The Jantz family had been established in Summerbank for decades; such an act was unthinkable. Someone had killed his men and left their bodies at his doorstep.

Zachariah and Leonardo rushed to the entrance, where guards were already securing the area. Two men lay slumped on the ground, their heads crushed beyond recognition, limbs grotesquely contorted—clearly broken.

Leonardo examined the bodies. His face fell. "Mr. Jantz, these are the men you sent for Ms. Grange!"

"What? Who did this? Don't tell me Lizbeth is capable of such cruelty!" Zachariah raged. The brazenness of the act—the murder and the display—was a blatant challenge.

"Our surveillance cameras cover this area. We can check the footage!"

"Do it now!" Zachariah ordered.

In the security room, Zachariah watched the footage in fury. A car pulled up to the entrance. Jared emerged, sneering at the camera. He opened the trunk, revealing the already broken men. He picked one up, walked toward the camera, stared directly into the lens, then smashed his fist into the man's head, crushing his skull in a spray of blood.

Those watching recoiled in horror. Jared repeated the act with the second man, then swiped his finger across his throat in a blatant "kill" gesture. He then left the bodies and drove away.

"Argh!" Zachariah slammed his fist on the monitor, roaring, "I'll kill him! I will kill him!"

Jared's act of provocation was a blatant challenge—one the Jantzs had never faced before.

The extraneous promotional text has been removed. The language has been cleaned up and the prose made more concise and impactful.