Prison to Pinnacle: Ex-wife's Eternal Lament

"Damn it!"

Edward ducked and hit the deck just in time as speedy bullets whistled over his head. A hail of gunfire followed, and he quickly tumbled into a nearby grave for cover.

"Roll now!" the tall masked man barked, struggling to his feet.

As the chaos was the perfect cover, the hitmen made a hasty retreat. The air was thick with tension.

And in a minute, the silence reigned around Edward. He felt the air grow still as if it were holding its breath.

Only when he felt it was clear did he cautiously poke his head out from behind the tombstone.

"Holy shit, they got away!" he seethed. "You won't slip away like this next time!"

Thankfully, he'd made a mental note of that phone number—a thin lead, but better than nothing.

Suddenly, a dull ache throbbed in his chest as he pondered his next move.

"The Lockthroat hasn't been fully neutralized yet," he muttered. "I need to find some special herbs."

Without a moment to spare, Edward decided to make his exit.

He returned to his grandfather's grave, bowed respectfully three times, and placed the bouquet of white flowers he'd bought earlier at the foot of the gravestone.

"Rest in peace. You weren't my biological grandpa, but you treated me like family. I'll uncover the truth and make them pay," he vowed, bowing once more before striding away from the cemetery without turning back.

Exiting the graveyard, he swiftly hailed a taxi.

"Where to, sir?" the driver asked.

"Take me to the nearest pharmacy," Edward instructed with a serious look.

"Sure thing," the driver replied, deadpan. "The closest one is Everbright Pharmacy. We'll be there in 10 minutes."

Edward settled into the backseat and closed his eyes for a short break, pondering who could be after him.

Had it been someone he'd crossed paths with while practicing medicine?

It couldn't be; his patients had been desperate for his help, begging on their knees.

Baffled, he thought of the phone number and pulled out his phone, dialing it.

To his surprise, it rang through, but after several rings, no one answered.

Edward waited and his patience was rewarded when the call finally connected, only for the other end to remain stubbornly silent.

"Who is it out there??" Edward demanded, but all he heard in response was the dial tone as the caller hung up.

He quickly redialed, only to be met with a busy signal.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is currently busy now. Please try again later!" the automated voice informed him.

Edward cursed under his breath, more determined to unmask the coward.

At that moment, the taxi screeched to an abrupt stop, and the driver gently announced,

"Everbright Pharmacy, sir!"

Edward jumped out and hurried into the pharmacy.

As soon as he entered, a pharmacist in a white lab coat greeted him with a warm smile.

The pharmacist was an attractive woman, not too tall, but with curves that filled out her lab coat in all the right places.

"Hello, sir, how can I help you today?" she asked, flashing a bright, welcoming smile.

"I need to purchase two herbs here, Licorice and Yellow Old," Edward replied.

The pharmacist frowned, raising an eyebrow—a motion done as if to highlight her most distinctive feature on her oval face, a small black mole on her forehead.

It looked cutesy but apologetic.

"I'm sorry, sir. You just missed them. Someone bought up all our stock of these herbs about five minutes ago."

"What?" Edward's voice rose in frustration. "Who would do such a thing?"

He felt like he was caught in an invisible trap.

"It wasn't just one person, but a group. They had strange masks in their hands, quite menacing," the pharmacist recalled.

"But sir, what seems to be the trouble? Maybe I can suggest an alternative medication," she offered.

"No, that won't be necessary. Which way did those people go?" Edward pressed.

"I'm afraid I don't know that," the pharmacist shrugged.

"Can you tell me where the next nearest pharmacy is?" he asked.

"Just a few miles down the road to the right, there's a small pharmacy," she informed him.

"Thank you so much," Edward said, taking a final look at the pharmacist.

She was indeed beautiful and elegant.

"You're quite beautiful. I hope to see you again," he complimented.

"Oh, thank you, I'm flattered," the pharmacist blushed. "I hope everything works out for you, sir."

Edward sprinted towards the other pharmacy.

Soon enough, he spotted a small pharmacy with a green sign.

"That pretty lady wasn't lying," Edward murmured, hoping for better luck this time.

This time, he was greeted by a middle-aged woman with a robust figure, clearly not one to watch her diet.

"Welcome, sir," she said in a loud, cheery voice, her smile seeming to warm even the coldest of hearts.

"Hello, I'm looking for two types of herbal medicine," Edward began.

"Licorice and Old Yellow, right?" the woman countered.

Edward was taken aback.

"Just a few minutes ago, someone bought out all our stock. It's strange; these herbs are rarely in demand, and now suddenly they're sold out," the woman mused as if talking to Edward but also to herself.

"Tough luck!" exclaimed Edward.

Edward realized his rival was determined to see him dead.

If he had to guess, every batch of those herbs in the city had been bought up.

"Well, lady, Any idea where I can dig up those herbs?" Edward asked.

"Dig?"

The middle-aged woman had never encountered such a customer.

She let out a chuckle.

"You're quite the thinker. Can't buy them, so you want to dig them up, right?

Well, you've come to the right person. I've heard there are all sorts of magical herbs in the Blue Misty Land."

"Blue Misty Land?"