With his eyes bulging, Gareth stared at Kaze menacingly. He shifted his chilling gaze from Kaze to Mary Sue, Syed, and the others. Mary Sue, Syed, and the group felt chills running down their spines as if they were preyed upon by a vicious beast. They could not understand the body language between Kaze and Gareth. “You’re evil, Kaze. It’s cruel of you to put him in a coma when he only criticized you a little.” Syed stood up with bloodshot eyes and glared resentfully at Kaze. Gritting his teeth, he kneeled before Gareth and shouted devastatingly, “Please kill Kaze, Mr. Hornberg. My family will be eternally grateful to you. We will serve you wholeheartedly.” “Get lost.” Gareth responded with a kick. “Blegh!” Syed coughed out blood and collapsed to the ground. “Grandmaster Hornberg?” Pale in the face, Mary Sue looked at Syed confusedly. Gareth flung his arm back, slamming Mary Sue away. Um… Silence hung heavy in the air. The crowd was dumbfounded. Gareth
Kaze demanded Gareth to leave Lilyrose. It was a last warning to Gareth. The crowd could not believe the words coming out of Kaze’s mouth. They suspected their ears were playing tricks on them. The whole thing was so bizarre. The Quints’ son-in-law just threatened Gareth, the renowned martial artist from Sunrise City. The roles should be switched. It would have made more sense if the threat came from Gareth. “Just do it, sir. Kill Lee!” “We need to make an example out of him!” “Show these bozos in Lilyrose that no one should challenge your authority!” Gareth’s disciples clamored savagely. For Kaze to insult their mentor, he was insulting them too. The disciples would jump on Kaze at Gareth’s command. The tension was coming to a breaking point. Amid the crowd, the heads of the Vikroms, Logmans, Joestars, and several others aware of Kaze’s identity were kept in suspense. Once Gareth chose violence, blood would be shed tonight in Lilyrose. Gareth stared K
Gareth’s words settled the disciples down. “So you are looking out for the guests, sir. We shouldn’t dampen the party with blood.” “I knew it. Our mentor could crush Kaze easily. He is just nice to let Lee breathe easy a little longer.” “The Lilyrose New City project is our priority in Lilyrose. Getting rid of Kaze can happen any other day.” The disciples, arrogant as ever, flattered Gareth. The guests scowled at the comments. Apart from a handful, most just found out that Gareth’s trip to Lilyrose was to acquire the Lilyrose New City project. It was no secret that the new mayor wanted to rebuild the Old District and develop a new city. Many had their eye on the project. The project was worth tens of billions. Even a small slice of this pie would be highly profitable.It explained why Gareth came all the way to Lilyrose. He was after the project. Some of the guests were upset. They, the local players, aimed to compete for a piece of the action. To their dism
One wrong step could have deadly consequences. The drama was so intense that it was easy to get completely lost in it.Many dared not make their stance known. “No one has met the new mayor before, Mr. Hornberg. He has never made a public appearance.” “He exercised his authority and fired several chiefs the moment he took office. One of them is the deputy mayor’s son, but Lou, the deputy mayor, is loyal to the mayor.” “The mayor intends to take over Lee Investment’s acquired hospitals even if it means making enemies with strong corporations.”“Many commented on the new mayor’s iron fist.” Under Gareth’s menacing gaze, a few succumbed to the pressure and offered the information they had.Nevertheless, they kept things vague and did not give detailed information on the new mayor. Gareth was not pleased. He turned to the heads of the Vikroms, Logmans, and Joestars. “I heard that you have emerged as the top three families after the God of War clamped down on the former three
“We, the Logmans, share Bernard’s thoughts.” “Lilyrose isn’t a big city, Mr. Hornberg, but don’t forget that the military is based here. If you think about it, Sunrise City isn’t much threat to Lilyrose.”“So things aren’t as plain or simple as you think, Mr. Hornberg. Just return to Sunrise City before you get yourself killed,” Peter and Jack said. Bernard, Peter, and Jack embodied Lilyrose’s high society. Even they demanded Gareth’s departure from Lilyrose. The others were shocked, to say the least. At first, the Vikroms, Logmans, and Joestars did not want to upset Gareth. They had no problem with Gareth securing the local projects. That was in the past now. Kaze had now told Gareth to get back to where he came from. Peter, Bernard, and Jack understood the authority behind Kaze’s words. They no longer feared stepping on Gareth’s toes. Heck, their advice was not to offend Gareth. They were doing him a favor by saving his life. There was bound to be a power strugg
“You are either with me or against me.” Many gasped sharply at Gareth’s ugly statement. They started to make faces too. It had become clear to them that the event tonight was not just a step designed for Kaze. The feast was also a trap set for the most respected individuals in Lilyrose.Gareth demanded that they pick a side to determine whether they were a friend or foe. To Gareth, there was no in-between. If they were not with him, they would be against him. The gray area did not exist. However, not everyone was conflicted. “I support you, Mr. Hornberg.” Trent took a stand without hesitation. “To be frank, I am disheartened by the way the noob mayor runs the city. It’s a mess!“The young man won’t take advice from a retired man like me. Kaze even humiliated me. “I trust that you will contribute greatly to the Lilyrose New City project, Mr. Hornberg. Please get rid of pests like Kaze and build a figure for the city,” Trent said righteously. Gareth’s eyes sp
Gareth was a go-getter with strong connections in Sunrise City.On the contrary, Kaze might hold some sway in the city, but he was just a nobody who took his wife’s last name. He did not have the resources and wealth to compete with Gareth. The odds were in Gareth’s favor. “Haha. Thank you, all.” Gareth grinned and glanced at Bernard’s group before mocking, “You’ve been contemplating for a while now. What are your decisions?” Bernard, Peter, and Jack were firmly on Kaze’s side. However, that could change. Gareth believed that the family heads would be foolish not to make the wise choice, especially after many were in support of Gareth. All eyes fell on Bernard, Peter, and Jack. The Vikroms, Logmans, and Joestars were the top-tier families in Lilyrose at present. They profited from the fall of the top three families. Though the reputation of the top three families did not expand past the boundaries of the city, their influence went beyond that. However, the top t
Many grimaced at Jack’s comment. Hudson made the local players pick a team when he came to Lilyrose. The Bowmans, an upper-class family, were the first to take a stand. The head of the Bowman household, Blake, pledged allegiance to Hudson right away and took Johnson’s place as the mayor. Kaze was forced to confess a crime he did not commit. Blake’s son nearly pushed Darcy to jump off a building. As Blake pissed Kaze off, he was only mayor for a day. Since then, the Bowmans plummeted the ranks of social classes and hovered in the bottom tier. With that in mind, some locals started to have a change of heart. They were afraid Kaze might turn the tide and ruin their families too. Still, others sneered at that thought. “Don’t try to scare us with the past, Mr. Joestar. Kaze was driven to desperation to the point of giving Governor Farland gifts. “Governor Farland was enraged and followed the clues to Blake for taking gifts and bribes. Since the Bowmans were the bigger fi
“The head honcho made a wise choice.” South talked as if the plan benefited them all. The Steelclaw Guild did not consider the risk of sending Anzu after Kaze and his loved ones. Kaze survived the assassination and proved to the Steelclaw Guild that he was worth the risk. However, what if he had died? The Steelclaw Guild would let Phoenix know that she owed them one. Either way, the Steelclaw Guild would not be losing out on anything. The Steelclaw Guild had a collaboration with Kaze, but they were not in on it together. Kaze shook his head. The Steelclaw Guild was an assassination organization for a reason. They only worked for themselves and were not worth Kaze’s trust. He said curtly, “Tell your head honcho that I don’t owe your people anything anymore. “But you owe me one.” No one else but Kaze would demand something from the Steelclaw Guild. Anyone else in Kaze’s place would swallow the bitter pill and move on. Not Kaze, though. He was not scared of the
With Anzu dead, Kaze got rid of one major problem. Since the police would tie up loose ends at the funeral parlor, Kaze and Darcy’s family were free to leave under the escort of police officers. Other Quint family members in the South River State departed alongside Kaze and Darcy’s family. These people feared for their lives. It dawned on them that they were safe with Darcy’s family, especially since the police were determined to keep Darcy’s family safe and sound before. They followed Darcy’s family, not leaving them out of their sight. Dozens of members swarmed into Villa No. 1, leaving the residence rather cramped. “It’s such a waste of space for a small family to live in a big, luxurious place.” “I guess there are perks to kissing up to the mayor.” The Quint family members, making themselves too at home, occupied the space and made snide remarks. Darcy did not possess power or influence after losing Sky Ocean Corporation. They did not care what Darcy’s family t
Like Joan, Phoenix never would have imagined that she would die in such a humiliating way. Kaze did not even move his hands. He simply said a few words and Anzu killed her. Phoenix died with her eyes wide open, but the light quickly faded. The last image reflected upon her eyes was Kaze grinning brightly with his teeth gleaming under the light. “Bastard…” That was Phoenix’s last word. In just the blink of an eye, the respected elder of the Quint family had turned into a lifeless corpse. Every other family member at the scene gasped in shock. “Die, Kaze Lee!” Anzu’s killing spree did not stop with just two deaths. She shouted at Kaze but she dashed toward Darcy. Swoosh! Kaze had anticipated this. With a swift movement, he shifted sideways to position himself in front of Anzu, blocking her. Anzu swung her arms forward, launching multiple poisoned shurikens at him. Darcy was right behind him, so Kaze dared not dodge the shurikens. It was either him or Darcy. Howe
Joan shouted, “Stop talking nonsense and kneel! She wants you to kneel and Grandaunt Phoenix can be freed!” “That’s right,” Anzu affirmed with a nod. Kaze looked at Joan and bellowed, “I can kneel but you have to release Joan first, at least show some sincerity. How do I know you are not trying to trick me?” Since when did Kaze become such a kind-hearted person? Crack! While Joan was baffled by the question, Anzu stepped on her knee without even blinking. Crack! “Aaaargh!” Joan wailed as her body convulsed violently, her piercing screams grating on everyone’s ears. Phoenix finally caught a breath and shouted, “Kaze, one more word and I will kill you and your family! You must have done it on purpose! You must be! “Get over here and kneel, or else I will strangle you myself!” Joan cried with utmost resentment. She was already bound to a wheelchair and now her knee was broken. The one she hated the most was not Anzu but Kaze because he got her into this situation.
“Kaze, you little bastard! Are you trying to get me killed?!” Phoenix tried to force Kaze into submission. If her gaze could materialize, it would be the sharpest knife at Kaze's neck. “Anzu, do you know what you’re doing? That’s the elder of the Quint family, the respectable Grandaunt Phoenix Quint! Lay a finger on her, and I assure you that even if you run back to Ryokan, hell will come after you.” Huh? Phoenix was suddenly stunned. Was Kaze not the most defiant and disrespectful? Why would he flatter her in front of the hitman now? She had hired the Steelclaw Guild to kill him and his family, and only now he started to realize the gravity of the situation? Was it a little too late? Crack! At the next moment, Phoenix felt an immense pain in her hand. Anzu had actually broken one of her fingers without even saying anything. “Aaaargh!” Phoenix cried in agony as the pain tormented her. Anzu looked at Kaze coldly and said, “I’ve broken one of her fingers. What are y
“Let go of Grandaunt!” “Release Joan!” “Release them and you can leave in one piece!” Some of the Quint family members, plus the bodyguards, pressed forward carefully, shooting at Anzu to pressure her. Judging from their nervous looks, Anzu knew she was right. The two hostages she held right now were the two most powerful people in the room. No wonder Kaze’s in-laws knelt before the two of them earlier. From the looks of it, the two hostages were someone powerful; not even Kaze’s family could afford to offend them. Anzu’s initial plan was to seize Kaze’s in-laws but she was glad she changed her target after she entered. She knew that with her strength alone, her odds of killing Kaze were slim. When she was captured by Kaze and tortured by Collier, her body suffered terrible trauma and had yet to recover, weakening her. The only way she could get her revenge was to capture Kaze’s closest people and use them against him. The thought put a grim smile on her face. She
“You…” The fear of death suppressed and replaced the anger in Phoenix. Her wrinkled face paled, making her look like a living corpse. “Madam!” Two of Phoenix’s followers from Ridgesouth tried to jump on Anzu to rescue their employer. However, Anzu swung her katana in a swift, deadly arc, slitting their throats instantly and splattering blood across the ground. “Kaze Lee, get over here! Or else I will kill this old hag!” Anzu roared, her tone resentful. “She killed them!” “Grandaunt is being taken hostage!” “Call the police!” The morgue fell into chaos following the death of the two followers. All the members of the other family branches screamed in panic. Some scrambled to escape, while others stood still in shock. A few were paralyzed by sheer terror, unable to process what was happening before their eyes. As chaos broke out, Kaze quickly dashed forward to pull the horrified Hector and Agnes away, dragging them back to Darcy and Sky. “Stay here and don’t move.
“Get down and kneel to Joan, or else I will haunt you even after I die!” Kaze twisted his wrist, subtly revealing a thin silver needle in his palm. He then looked at Joan and said, “Fire if you can.” If Joan got so much as close to the trigger, he would use the silver needle to kill her on the spot. His words put disappointment in Darcy’s eyes. Kaze was physically strong but the family was surrounded by guns. Under such intense circumstances, Kaze could really be more tolerant and endure the insult for their sake. Darcy was deeply disappointed in Kaze. Phoenix was so enraged by Kaze’s threats toward Joan that she laughed in exasperation. “Joan, show that you mean business!” “Kaze Lee, you made me do this!” Joan said with a grin. She slowly raised the gun at Kaze. Bang! Suddenly, the door was kicked open from the outside, and a woman in a funeral home uniform with a mask appeared. Strangely, she wielded a Ryokan katana and was searching for someone among the cr
There were police officers outside of the funeral home, and since the hitmen from the Steelclaw Guild would come after Hector and his family, Phoenix did not need to kill them in the open. Though she did not mind scaring them and making them kneel before her, begging for mercy—it would be quite satisfying. Thump! Hector and Agnes knelt immediately. Agnes was shuddering as she said, “Grandaunt, we never meant to disrespect you! It was all Kaze! Him! He was the one who opposed you and challenged your authority! “He was the one who broke your cane and beat up Joan. He was the one who called the stop on the projects! We had nothing to do with it!” She then turned to her son and daughter. “Sky, Darcy, what are you two doing standing? Get down! Madam Dark’s death is already painful enough for Grandaunt. Stop upsetting her!” “Yeah, kneel! Grandaunt is an elder, it’s not embarrassing kneeling to her!” Hector said to his children, the anxiety on his face was obvious too. He did