Abigail was shocked by how easily he had broken the baseball bat. It was thicker than her arm, for goodness sake! And that person had just snapped it in half like it was nothing? This man must be ridiculously strong!"Is that all you've got? How dare you attack my boss when you're so weak?" One of the bodyguards sneered disdainfully and sent a kick straight to Abigail's abdomen. Abigail was sent flying into the air and landed heavily on her back, almost 10 feet away. Blood trickled down from the corners of her lips, and for a moment, she could not even get up. She was all out of internal energy, and her body was exerted beyond its limits. She had no strength left to fight back. But her gaze was still firm; it was obvious she wasn't ready to admit defeat."Oi, bitch! Don't you ever, for a single second, think that you can pull this kind of shit with me just because you practice some martial arts! I am from the Charging Tiger gang, and we have countless experts among us. Defeating a
"Hey, punk! Where did you come from? How dare you meddle with my business!" Chad glared at him. He had yet to come across someone who did not tremble at the name of the Charging Tiger gang, but here was this insolent bastard who stood up for others and went against him. Did he have a death wish? "You will pay back 10 times what the house is worth for demolishing it against their will. And whoever struck them, chop your hand yourself. If you do what I say, I'll consider letting you go," Dustin said nonchalantly."Let us go?" Chad cackled and looked at Dustin like he was an idiot. "Hey buddy, do you even know what you're saying? Go, take a look in the mirror, man! You're not a hero, and you damn sure ain't going to be saving the damsel in distress today!""Where did this impulsive lad come from? Where did he get the courage to interfere with the Charging Tiger gang? Does he have no fear?" "I applaud him for his bravery, but he must not be too bright to be doing something like that!
"Why are you getting on your knees, Mr. Robinson?" Dustin was surprised by the sudden turn of events and quickly reached out to help him up. Though Mr. Robinson was just a regular civilian, Dustin had always viewed him as an elder who deserved respect."Mr. Rhys, I know that you're trying to defend us, but while you may be able to protect us this time, you won't be here to protect us forever." Mr. Robinson continued, "Using violence against violence will never solve the problem. Why don't we all take a step back? I don't mind suffering a little unfairness in life as long as we can continue on with our lives."Dustin was rendered speechless when he heard what Mr. Robinson said. When he put himself in Mr. Robinson's shoes, he had to admit that what Mr. Robinson said made a lot of sense. Dustin might be able to help them out this once, but he wouldn't be able to be there to help them out all the time. Peasants had their way of life. Since they could not afford to offend anyone, they h
Caught off guard, Chad stood frozen in place before he could react. When the pain finally hit him, he reached up to touch his head, only to find his hand covered in blood. There was a huge wound on his head!"You—How dare you hit me?" Chad stared at Abigail in shock and anger. "You are done for! All of you are! I'll—" A hard slap from Dustin shut him up and sent him sprawling to the ground. For a moment, Chad saw stars and bled from both his nose and mouth. Even two of his teeth were knocked out of his mouth."100 slaps, was it? Fine. We can do that." Dustin grabbed a fistful of Chad's hair and lifted him off his feet. Then, a torrent of slaps rained down on Chad's face continuously. Following a series of sharp slapping sounds, Chad's face became red and swollen, and he was on the brink of losing consciousness.Shocked by Dustin's violent assault, the onlookers gaped in terror. The person who was being beaten up was the son of the leader of the Charging Tiger gang! A person whose po
"Who would have guessed that the Charging Tiger gang would get here so fast? The young man's in deep trouble now!" "Well, he deserves it. I mean, why did he have to go and offend the son of their leader?" "Exactly. We, common folks, have our way of life. If he didn't have the power, then he should have laid low. See, now even his life is in danger." The crowd looked at Dustin as if he were already a dead man. The Charging Tiger gang had always been known for their arrogance and vengefulness. Anyone who offended them met a tragic fate—they'd either go bankrupt, or their family would suffer great tragedy. There has never been an instance like today, where the son of their leader had been beaten up, and so brutally, at that. Even when an ordinary gang member experienced injustice, the gang would go all out to demand a payback. So, now that it happened to their leader's son, it was inevitable that Dustin and the Robinsons' would bear the full wrath of the Charging Tiger gang. "Oh n
When Chad saw his father, he immediately ran over to him, stumbling as he went. He looked like a real mess; his face was swollen and bruised, and blood trickled down his mouth. "How did you end up like this?" Felix frowned, his expression darkening. As a leader of one of the four largest gangs in Millsburg, he was considered an underground overlord. His son had always been the bully, never the other way around. Now that his son has been messed with, it went without saying that he was fuming. "I didn't have a choice, Dad! I ran into the greatest idiot today who had zero respect for the Charging Tiger gang! He attacked me out of the blue! Look what he did to me! Look at my face! You have to get revenge for me!" Chad wailed miserably as he ratted on Dustin. "Who's the insolent bastard who dared to underestimate the power of the Charging Tiger gang?" Felix snarled."It's him!" Chad pointed his finger at Dustin and said, "He slapped me over and over! My head is still buzzing from the
"I bow before you in reverence, Mr. Rhys! Felix Miller, leader of the Charging Tiger gang at your service, sir!" As the crowd watched, Felix fell to his knees and prostrated before Dustin. A hushed silence fell over the crowd. Chad was dumbfounded, as were Edmund, Abigail, and the onlookers. Even the members of the Charging Tiger gang were dumbfounded. Dustin found himself gaping at the sight before him. No one had ever imagined that Felix Miller, the fearsome leader of the mighty Charging Tiger gang, known for being merciless, would publicly prostrate before Dustin. It was as though he had met someone whom he greatly admired and feared. It was quite unsettling and unthinkable. "Wha—Is this for real?" Abigail stared wide-eyed. "What on earth is going on?" The onlookers looked at each other in bewilderment and disbelief."Am I seeing things? The leader is prostrating before the little bastard?" Members of the Charging Tiger gang couldn't believe their eyes. Their leader held su
For a moment, a commotion spread through the crowd. Felix Miller had just prostrated before Dustin, and now Chad Miller followed suit. What was going on? Was this what they called "like father, like son"? Though they didn't exactly know what had happened, anyone could tell that the Charging Tiger gang was in trouble. They were sure the handsome young man possessed considerable influence."I was wrong, Mr. Rhys. It's all my fault. I failed to recognize you, and I underestimated you. Please don't take my wrongdoings to heart. I hope you can find it in you to forgive me," Chad apologized as he slapped himself repeatedly. With each slap, a loud, clear smacking sound echoed, showing just how hard he was slapping himself. In no time, he quickly made up for the remaining 20 to 30 slaps that Dustin had left out. "Please get things right. The person you should be apologizing to isn't me," Dustin said impassively.Chad seemed caught off guard initially, but he quickly caught on and went over
At the Ballard estate, Dustin was warmly welcomed to stay after dinner. This was the first time Natasha had brought her boyfriend home, so the Ballards made a big deal of it.Simon personally accompanied the young couple and invited them to the study to chat over tea. With his sharp eye, Simon could tell Dustin was no ordinary martial artist. His manners, speech, and broad knowledge set him apart from most people."Dustin, I fully support your relationship with Natasha. Your background or status doesn't matter. What matters most is that you two are happy together." Simon paused and said earnestly, "I want you to understand that she's been pampered all her life and hasn't faced much hardship. Now that she's with you, I hope you'll take good care of her.""Don't worry, Mr. Ballard. I would never let her down," Dustin replied sincerely.Though they had known each other for some time and hadn't yet taken their relationship to the next level, they had already made their feelings clear
After hearing Nathaniel's words, Tristan's expression darkened. His brow furrowed as he sank into deep thought.It seemed he had underestimated the situation. He had assumed it was just a simple rivalry between brothers; he hadn't anticipated Seamus seizing the chance to further his own agenda.Seamus already wielded considerable influence. Under the guise of supporting Matthias' ascension to the throne, he had been forming alliances and recruiting talents. His influence had grown to rival the royal family's.If Seamus really supported Matthias' ascension, he'd overshadow the king, and no one would be able to stop him. The worst-case scenario would be Seamus using Matthias as a puppet to overthrow the House of Linsor."Nathaniel, is everything you said true?" Tristan frowned."Absolutely. Every word," Nathaniel replied solemnly. "Of course, if you don't believe me, you can send someone to investigate.""I believe you. But… taking down Seamus won't be easy. Do you have a plan?" Tr
An hour later, Nathaniel quietly entered a private mansion wearing a disguise.Inside the living room, Tristan had already prepared tea and refreshments. He looked as if he had been waiting for a long time."Sorry to have kept you waiting, Tristan." Nathaniel took off his coat and walked forward with a smile."No need to apologize. I'm happy that you made the effort to arrange this. A few extra minutes are nothing, especially since it's rare for us to meet." Tristan gestured for him to sit while he poured two cups of tea and handed one to his brother.Nathaniel accepted the cup and discreetly set it aside. Whenever he was out, he was always cautious about food and drink—this wariness had become second nature."You asked to meet me on short notice. Is this about official matters or something personal?" Tristan took a sip from his cup and got straight to the point."Both," Nathaniel replied, still smiling."Oh?" Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it, then.""Given how things
In another luxurious mansion in the Inner City, a female spy dressed in black, cloaked in a hood, was reporting the results of her investigation to Nathaniel."Your Highness, the Moseys have been particularly active recently and are rallying allies. Many of the eight great families and other influential factions have already allied with them. If left unchecked, they'll pose a serious threat to us," she said, kneeling with her head lowered slightly."So the Moseys are backing Matthias, huh?" Nathaniel sat quietly, his expression unreadable."The Moseys have grand ambitions. While they claim to support Prince Matthias, they're merely setting him up as a puppet to rise to power and expand their own influence," she revealed.She had been infiltrating the Moseys' mansion for years and had gained a deep understanding of their operations, from the smallest details to the key players.Though Seamus appeared as a benevolent philanthropist, it was all a façade. Behind closed doors, he was r
That night, two young men sat playing chess inside a secluded mansion in the Inner City. On the left was Anders, who had visited the Ballard estate earlier. Across from him sat Matthias, a broad-shouldered man dressed in richly adorned robes.The game was intense, with fast moves followed by moments of deep thought. About ten minutes later, Anders finally conceded defeat."Anders, you've really improved since we last played. You almost had me there," Matthias said, stroking his beard in mild surprise."You flatter me, Your Highness. My chess skills are nothing compared to yours. If you hadn't gone easy on me, I wouldn't have lasted half as long," Anders replied with a modest smile."You're as smooth with words as ever." Matthias let out a hearty laugh with a look of smug satisfaction. Winning was in his nature—whether in war or on the chessboard, defeat was not an option."Well, we've eaten, and we've played. Let's get to business." With a wave of his hand, he signaled his men t
"Honestly, we shouldn't waste time debating who's better suited to be king. We just need to figure out who's most likely to take the throne," Jensen said matter-of-factly.As a businessman, he only cared about maximizing profit. To him, it didn't matter who sat on the throne but who had the best odds. He felt that backing that person would be the wisest choice."Who's most likely depends on who has the strongest backing," Jonathan said thoughtfully."Oh, right! I forgot to ask—who are the Moseys supporting?" Jovian asked, smacking his forehead. They'd been discussing this for so long but still hadn't figured out where the Moseys stood."My guess is Prince Nathaniel." Jensen narrowed his eyes as he analyzed the situation. "He's close to Anders. With his immense potential and the king's favor, the Moseys might see him as their best bet.""Anders' personal ties can't speak for the entire Mosey family," Jovian countered, shaking his head. "Family interests outweigh personal relationsh
Even without the king's involvement, the ambitious individuals would tear the Ballard family apart and leave nothing behind.If Simon chose the right side and it prevailed, his family could enjoy a century of stability and prosperity. But if he backed the wrong prince, everything could fall apart in a single night.At that moment, he didn't know what to choose. This was a critical decision—one mistake and the entire family could be ruined."Regarding this matter, I need to think it over carefully. I can't give you an answer just yet," Simon said. He knew the stakes were too high. A single misstep could lead to disaster, so he had to be cautious."I understand," Anders replied with a faint smile. "This isn't an easy decision. Still, I hope Your Lordship can decide soon.""Your Lordship, the forces seeking a marriage alliance with the Mosey family aren't limited to your family alone," Zack added coolly. "Don't think you can afford to wait for the highest bidder. Time is running out,
"In response to Your Lordship's question, this marriage alliance between our two families isn't my decision alone—it's also my godfather's and the entire Mosey family's," Anders said with a smile."According to the established rules, marriages between royal bloodlines are forbidden. Have you forgotten?" Simon replied coolly. "Sticking to outdated rules only holds us back," Anders said, shaking his head with a smile.He continued, "Right now, Dragonmarsh is going through a turbulent time—internally and externally. I've also heard the king's health is deteriorating. There are rumors he plans to name a successor and step down soon."With that, Oakvale will likely be in turmoil. When that happens, all the powerful families—the four ancient houses, the eight great families, and other factions—will be dragged into the chaos."That's why I'm hoping our families can form a marriage alliance to navigate the coming crisis together."Simon remained calm and said, "It's natural for the king
"Dad, what do you think?" Jonathan asked, turning to Simon."A guest has arrived, so we can't be rude. Invite them to the living room so we can discuss things properly," Simon replied calmly.Anders represented the Mosey family, and regardless of his intentions, Simon couldn't simply turn him away. As for the proposed marriage alliance, it was a matter that required thorough consideration."Understood," the butler replied promptly before leaving."Go on with your meal. I'm going to meet with Anders," Simon said, excusing himself from the table.Jonathan, Jensen, and Jovian exchanged glances and, without hesitation, followed their father. They were curious to see what the Mosey family had in mind."Alright, let them handle it. Let's focus on our meal," Gemma Letcher, Natasha's grandmother, said with a smile and signaled everyone to continue eating.…Three minutes later, in the Ballard family's living room, Simon sat at the head of the table near the entrance. Jonathan and his b