“Darcy, you should really stop your stupid husband, don’t send him to die. I don’t want you to be a widow at such a young age.” Miru grunted frustratedly and then left. She knew Kaze was a proud man and would never listen to her. “Kaze, please don’t go. Just let people laugh or say whatever they want, we won’t lose anything.” Darcy started to beg Kaze after Miru left. She even used her googly eyes and sweet voice to convince him. Kaze sighed and nodded. “Fine. I won’t go.” He had to take care of Gareth one way or another. He could allow that old man to continue wreaking havoc in the city, but he did not want Darcy to worry, so he simply patronized her. Darcy’s heart could finally rest. The next morning, Darcy and her parents got up early and prepared to go out. “Darcy, where are you guys going?” Kaze asked. Darcy sighed and said, “Grandfather and the others just came back from Melrose. The Vinlands allowed them to revert to their old names. “After what happened, the
Even the deputy mayors, Caleb and Lou, were there. Since they were government officials, their identities were rather sensitive. Therefore, to stay inconspicuous, they put on disguises and kept a low profile. Caleb nudged Bernard, who was sitting beside him. “Mr. Vikrom, do you think Mr. Lee will win?” Bernard, Peter, and Jack were all in casts. Due to their injuries, their arrival attracted quite a lot of attention. They were hurt last night but they insisted on attending the match. It seemed like the three of them were really supportive of Kaze and wanted him to win. “Mr. Lee can win, right?” Bernard sounded unsure. He knew Kaze’s real identity but the God of War acted like a commander on the battlefield more than a fighter. The death match was something entirely different than fighting enemies on the battlefield. However, they had hopes for Kaze. They wanted Kaze to avenge them and get rid of Gareth. If Kaze lost, being Kaze’s avid supporters, Gareth would ce
It was strange for government officials to attend the match, let alone the two deputy mayors. Caleb and Lou were caught off guard by the sudden attention on themselves. They did not expect Gareth to call them out in front of the audience. It seemed like Gareth’s men had already noticed them when they entered. Was it an exertion of dominance? Caleb took a deep breath and got up. He said, “Grandmaster Hornberg, this kind of underground deathmatch is illegal. The city council believes this match should be a friendly spar. I hope you can hold back a little.” Now that his identity was exposed, the only thing he could do was try to deter Gareth and prevent him from causing more trouble. Unfortunately, Caleb was wrong because Gareth never took him seriously. “Deputy Mayor Leed, are you begging for that useless punk?” Gareth laughed. His laughter ceased all of a sudden and he said coldly, “You two are not powerful enough to tell me what to do, tell your mayor to talk to me
Gareth openly called out to the mayor of Lilyrose and said there was no one in the city who could oppose him. He looked down not only on the mayor but also on the entire city. Unfortunately, no one had the power or the guts to challenge him with actual actions. Some of the local Lilyroseans started to root for Kaze, hoping that he could defeat Gareth. Winning the match would certainly make Lilyrose proud. However, Kaze has yet to appear. Gareth frowned. “Where is Kaze Lee?” Everyone looked around but did not spot Kaze anywhere. “Hahah! That useless bastard is afraid! He’s a no-show!” “I think he used tricks to defeat the four titans, not his own fists!” “He’s just a clown with a loud voice. When he has to fight with his fists, he chickens out!” Dakota and his fellow investors continued to mock Kaze. The Lyfe family members cackled as well. They knew about Gareth’s backup plan and that Kaze would certainly appear. Gareth was simply shouting to undermine the c
Everyone was shocked and suspicious when they heard Kaze accusing Gareth of being a liar. Syed was the first to speak up, saying, “You little bastard! How dare you call Grandmaster Hornberg a liar in front of so many people?” “Yeah! He is the grandmaster of the martial arts world, unlike you, a useless guy who does nothing good!” The other family members mocked Kaze instantly. Gareth a liar? Impossible. They would never believe Kaze. They could not believe Kaze, for if they did, their entire family would be finished. Kaze looked at Gareth, who reacted bitterly to his claims. He smiled and said, “I didn’t say he is not the grandmaster but anyone can be one if they throw enough money. If you know, you know.” The entire room was silenced once again. “Kaze Lee! Shut your mouth! Stop accusing our master!” “Believe me if I say I can beat you to death!” “You cheap ass!” Gareth’s disciples lost their cool and shouted at Kaze. Kaze simply smiled at their threats. “If y
“W-Where am I?” Darcy blinked as she tried to regain her vision. The first thing she saw was a pair of blurry figures further away, seemingly talking to each other. Her vision remained blurry and she could not get a clear look at their faces. The coldness attacked her body from the floor, giving her chills. A bad feeling rose in her heart. Darcy tried to recall what happened but her head suddenly hurt badly. She groaned in pain and could not remember exactly what happened. The last thing she remembered was going to her grandfather’s place with her parents. “Oh, the girl is up.” The two men smoking and chatting further away turned around when they heard the painful groans. The two of them were obviously foreigners and they looked hostile. One of them had a large scar on his bearded face, making him look ferocious. The man stared at Darcy viciously. After a few glances, he took the bottle of whiskey and had a few gulps. The alcohol made his face red. He loosen
Darcy was furious. Earlier when she arrived at her grandfather’s place, the whole family welcomed her and her parents with open arms, especially Deborah. Deborah apologized sincerely and even invited Darcy to have a facial treatment with her. Blood was thicker than water. Darcy’s heart grew soft. Since they were all family, she wanted to let the bygones be bygones. She accepted the invitation and went out with Deborah. Little did she know, she once again stepped into Deborah’s trap. Deborah went up to Darcy and stared at her coldly. “Darcy, how dare you say that in my face? Do you know how much I’ve been through while I was taken away? It was all because of you and that stupid husband!” Back at Mountain Dew Estate, Deborah ordered someone to drug Darcy but her evil plan backfired on her, causing her to be raped by three stinky thugs for the entire night. She tried to accuse Darcy but she was arrested. On top of that, she lost her reputation and status. The entire
Darcy went to her grandfather's place and Conan had men protecting her secretly. Even now, Conan did not receive any unusual reports. How did Darcy end up in Gareth’s possession? Kaze had a glance at Conan, who looked calm and confident, somewhat ignorant. He sighed and went into the ring. Since Darcy had gotten involved, whether the picture was false or Gareth was trying to blackmail him, Kaze would never dare to take the risk. He stepped into the ring and toned down his intense aura. He reverted to his usual demeanor but his expression remained cold. “Gareth Hornberg, you’ve crossed the line. You really went the extra mile to secure your goal. I don’t care about the result of this fight. If you want to win, I’ll let you win, but you shouldn’t have used my wife against me just so you can save face. “The consequences of making me mad are extremely severe.” Kaze stood in front of Gareth in the ring, warning him. Since the ring was quite a distance from the audience,
As the air crackled with deadly intent, Draig’s heart pounded with dread. He was horrified that the Viper’s Den members were just as strong, if not stronger than him. Draig had no idea that these members were Viper’s Den South River State Branch’s key players. They were the elites of the elites in the South River State. “Easy there, gentlemen. Mr. Tenby is from abroad. He doesn’t know the rules of Arcadia. Please cut him some slack.” With Draig caught in a spot, Cyan came to the rescue. Since Cyan was nice about it, the leader of the pack scoffed and waved his arm. His companions quickly put away their weapons. “I don’t care where you came from, but you need to keep to the Arcadian rules since you’re here. You don’t get special favors here.” The leader stared at Draig and said icily, “This should not happen again. Now, get lost!” Draig burned with rage. The people, except for Kaze, had been bending over backward for Draig since his arrival in Arcadia. To think he
The Viper’s Den members yelled at Draig while pulling out their weapons. The air was thick with tension. Draig knew that it was not wise of him to fight during Hannah’s celebration. The Viper’s Den members would not stand by and let the commotion stew. Draig was caught between a rock and a hard place. By throwing the punch, he would be at odds with the Viper’s Den, but he could not turn the other cheek on the matter. “Just forget it, Mr. Tenby. Don’t get into it with a dropped loser. You’re only insulting yourself.” Cyan gave Draig an out. Draig retrieved his arm and scoffed. “Consider yourself lucky, Kaze.” A shadow of regret fleeted across Kaze’s eyes. If Draig were to start a fight, Kaze would have reason to finish him off and get rid of the annoyance. It was a shame that the Viper’s Den members stopped anything from happening. Cyan criticized, “Mr. Tenby is only looking out for you, Kaze. Yet, you stomped on his car key. You went too far. Hurry up and apologiz
“Nevermind. Why are we wasting our time with the likes of him? We don’t belong in the same world anyway.” Draig waved his arm. “Come on. Let’s get inside.” Dumping his car on the side of the road, Draig led Cyan and her friends into Bronze Sparrow. “Huh? How did Kaze get in? Can he get in?” one influencer exclaimed. The crowd watched in shock as Kaze stepped through the door. “Branch Leader!” The members of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch perked up when Kaze showed up. They, Hannah’s trusted aides, knew who Kaze was. Kaze acknowledged the greeting. “Is everybody here?” The head of the pack said in respect, “Many guests have arrived. Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger will be here once they are done with work. Should I inform them to keep you company, sir?” “No, I’ll sit and wait.” Kaze waved his arm and made his way inside. “Hold it right there, Kaze!” Cyan’s angry voice came from behind. “Are you aware of the event at Bronze Sparrow? Do you know who the
“Kaze, I heard that your wife dumped your ass. Are you pinching pennies now? “You had a fancy car and a beautiful lady by your side just a couple of days ago, and now, you’re riding a bike.“I guess you want to do more than just a valet service.” Draig pulled out more cash to give to Kaze. “You can get my car washed too.“I’ll give you another twenty bucks. The money should be enough for you to get fried chicken or something for lunch.”“Hahaha!”Cyan and her friends laughed out loud. Twenty bucks for a fried chicken. That kind of life seemed far away for these people. Cyan suddenly scowled. “I’m warning you, Kaze. My family will not take pity on you just because your wife kicked you out.“Don’t try to leech off my family.” Cyan thought Kaze was so alpha at Emerald Bull Palace two days ago. The mayor was Kaze’s backing, and Juan was his apprentice. Yet now, Kaze was divorced and kicked out. It meant one thing. If Kaze was indeed badass, Darcy, who knew and love
Sucking up to Cyan, the influencers offered her words of comfort. Though Cyan did not have an invitation, she was close with Draig. The influencers could attend the event through Draig with Cyan’s help. Despite having other thoughts, the influencers knew better than to put Cyan down. A Mercedes G-wagon pulled up by the road. The car door opened, and Draig jumped out. He took off his sunglasses and said with a smile, “Why aren’t you going in, Cyan?” Cyan replied with a grin, “We don’t have an invite, Mr. Tenby. We’re waiting for you to take us in.“Oh, where’s your invite, Mr. Tenby?” She was confused as Draig did not seem to be holding anything. “An invite? It’s just a party for Hannah. You don’t need an invitation card.” Draig smiled confidently. “My name is basically our pass into the place. You can just say that you’re with me.” “Wow! You’re the man, Mr. Tenby.” “Mr. Tenby is so badass. You are total boyfriend material.” The influencers drooled over Draig, a
The influencers dropped their jaws in shock and looked at Cyan enviously. “Oh, my gawd! Marrying the branch leader is your gateway to super fame.” “Is it true, Cyan? Really?” The influencers hounded Cyan. Cyan rolled her eyes at Sweetpea. “Don’t take it from Sweetpea. “The VIPs from the South River State Branch did make a subtle mention. “I’m not sure whether Sponge is the branch leader since I’ve never met him before. “Just keep this between yourselves. Don’t spread the word. I’d be embarrassed if the whole thing was all a misunderstanding. “The branch leader keeps a low profile, and no one has met him in person before. “I doubt he likes to be put in the spotlight, so I’m playing it discreetly too.” Cyan spoke and acted reservedly. However, her smug look revealed her true thoughts. “Haha. Wouldn’t you meet the branch leader today?” “I see why you are so sure to take us to the celebration. We’d never get into a place like this on our own.” The influencers l
It never occurred to Kaze that Cyan and her influencer friends would attend Hannah’s celebration too. Before Cyan said anything, one influencer put her hand over her lips and said with a smile, “Get with the times, Anna. Cyan’s family isn’t just close with the senior members of the Viper’s Den. She’s going to be part of the organization soon.” “Huh?” Stunned, the other influencers asked, “What’s going on? Just tell us, Sweetpea!” Sweetpea was the influencer who just spilled the beans. She was Cyan’s closest friend and biggest ass-kisser. Taking Cyan by the shoulder, Sweetpea said, “Remember Cyan’s number one fan?” “Yeah!”“Sponge has been a fan of Cyan even before she signed with Golden Scale Corporation. Sponge tipped her tens of millions.”“That was how Cyan caught the eye of Golden Scale Corporation, and she became a hit.” The influencers chattered among themselves, all familiar with Sponge. They came from nothing and clawed their way up online.Their beginnings
The next afternoon, Kaze arrived at the parking lot outside Bronze Sparrow. It was packed with fancy cars. Needless to say, the underground garage must be filled with cars too. Hannah’s celebration was held in Bronze Sparrow. Just a few days ago, Siberian infiltrated Bronze Sparrow and abducted Anzu. The incident caused quite a stir in the upper crust of Riverbank. At the same time, the underground powerhouses were eager to get involved. As Miru, the up-and-coming underworld boss, seemed to be all bark and no bite, they wanted to see what she was made of. Bronze Sparrow, a place where troublemakers once ceased to exist, had to deal with incidents daily. Despite Miru getting tough on these troublemakers, business at Bronze Sparrow took a nosedive anyway. Miru was frustrated with the situation. Siberian had been a threat to the Viper’s Den for many years. It was no surprise that Miru’s crew could not defeat him. This time, Siberian’s death at the hands of the Viper’s
Kaze was taken aback. “How did you know?” “How?” June’s lips curled. “It’s all over town by now. Darcy is the chairwoman of Sky Ocean Corporation. Have you any idea how many eyes are on a rich and beautiful girl like her? “Her divorce has caught the attention of men, and they are going to try their luck with her.” It did not take Kaze much to know that the Quint family members had nothing better to do. Agnes had been hoping to marry her daughter up. However, Darcy had the power, money, and connections to be playing with the big leagues herself. Agnes’ expectations for her future son-in-law would only go higher. Despite her lack of brain cells, Agnes would not do something degrading like circulating the news of her daughter’s divorce. “Hey! Why do you seem indifferent about this?” June elbowed Kaze. “How do you think I should react?” Kaze found June baffling. June looked disappointed. “You don’t seem upset that you were dumped.” “Get a life.” Kaze did not hav