The members of the Viper’s Den were all pleased watching Kaze in trouble.Kaze glanced at the gleaming handcuffs on the ground expressionless and stomped his foot.‘Crack.’Kaze crushed the handcuffs beneath his foot followed by a jarring sound of metal breaking.“You dare to obstruct us to perform official duty!”Sirius looked furious, then flashed a murderous intent in his eyes and reached for his gun.Kaze’s gaze turned cold.A confrontation seemed imminent.At this moment, a Toyota Alphard drove up suddenly.Sirius frowned when saw the vehicle and holstered his weapon while approaching the car.“Ms. Hiden!” Sirius bowed slightly, showing utmost respect as he greeted the woman stepping out of the car.It was clear that Sirius feared the woman, with a mix of reverence and caution.The woman was Fanny, Miru’s aunt.At that moment, Agar also stepped out from the other side of the car, positioning himself behind Fanny.“Hmm.”Fanny gave a nonchalant nod and then turned
"Silence!" Fanny snapped.Kaze’s brazen disregard for Jerome infuriated her.In her heart, she believed Jerome and Miru to be a perfect match. As for Kaze, he was nothing but a son-in-law who had married into wealth and who was now meddling in her niece's marital affairs.To Fanny, Kaze was overly presumptuous."Kaze, who are you to speak so sarcastically about Jerome?" she spat. "A word of warning, I know all about your past affairs!“Not only were you chased out by the Lees, but you had to rely on your wife’s wealth to get to where you are today!“I have to hand it to you, though, you really are an expert at riding coattails. Not every gold-digger is as capable as you.“However, no matter how capable you are, in the end, you are still nothing more than a man who married into money.” Fanny’s words were laced with venom as she added, “Your potential was decided by your origins! Regardless of how you struggle, you will never reach Jerome’s heights!” She paused, her words hang
“I think a part of you still loves Miru. You don’t look like the kind who sells their niece for personal gains.” If not for this reason, Kaze would not waste so much time with Fanny. “Hmph! You don’t need to care about my relationship with Miru.” Fanny grunted coldly and continued, “Kaze, I have said many times that you are narrow-minded. You really have no idea what you are doing. “Just the mayor of Lilyrose? You think the mayor of Lilyrose is just a mayor, like when you are in office? Lilyrose is getting an upgrade and the mayor will have the same rank as the vice governor! “This is just the start! Using this as a stepping stone, the mayor might be the regional commander or even the ruler of the entire state! Do you know how many people are fighting for the position? “Aside from my household, all the other competitors have powerful backgrounds. You have no idea how powerful the Fowlers are in the West State. Whoever they support, that person will be the mayor! “If I can
Not to mention the relationship between Kaze and Albert. When Magnus came looking for trouble and Albert got involved to help, he inexplicably became a suspect and had been under investigation ever since Magnus was murdered. Kaze could not ignore Albert’s request. Therefore, he looked at Fanny and said, “Ms. Hiden, I do not allow others to force my friend to do something against her will…” “Enough!” Fanny grew tired of his nonsense and stopped him. “Cut the crap! Just get straight to the point.” Kaze said, “What if I make your husband the mayor of Lilyrose? Would you still force Miru to marry Jerome?” “You? Making Jared mayor of Lilyrose?” Fanny was slightly surprised before she curled her lips and scoffed. “Kaze, I know you are close with the governor, Loid Farland, but do you think just by speaking to him, you can decide who becomes mayor? “Don’t be so naїve. I told you, all the candidates for mayor are backed by powerful families. You think a mere governor has the ri
“Kaze, you were just the acting mayor for some time and all you did was initiate the Lilyrose New City project. “To be honest, if you say the candidates have to take suggestions from Trent Fuller, the other ex-mayor, it would sound more plausible, but it’s impossible. “Like I said, the big families are fighting and if you get involved, you are just going to be cannon fodder.” Fanny lost interest in continuing the conversation. She simply saw him as an ignorant fool. Kaze smiled. He was not concerned about Fanny’s mocks and sneers. A few moments later, he said, “How about we have a bet, Ms. Hiden? “If I can make your husband mayor, then you will stop forcing Miru to marry Jerome and let her make her own decision. Deal?” He had actually seen the candidates’ resumes. Jared, Fanny’s husband, was considered a capable one during his term. He had an ambitious plan and was willing to take calculated risks without jeopardizing other plans or people. He was a decent candidate t
“Kaze Lee, you!” Sirius got so mad that he scoffed. He reached out to his holster. Slap! Before he could pull his gun out, Kaze slapped him in the face. Sirius did not have the time to react. His nose bled and his face swelled immediately. Thump! The slap sent him to the floor and left him dizzy. He did not expect Kaze to slap him all of a sudden. “Mr. Glitter!” At the same time, a gunshot was heard from the back. A Viper's Den’s agent who had just aimed his weapon at Kaze had his arm burst into pieces. “Aaaargh!” The agent screamed in pain as the gun fell off his remaining arm, followed by him falling to the ground. The sudden twist of events shocked the other agents. Alarmed, they quickly looked around, trying to identify the shooter. Then, they looked at each other in fear, or more precisely, the red laser dot on each other’s forehead. No one moved an inch. They finally realized they were aimed by multiple shooters from afar. “Seize them!” Follo
“Ms. Hiden, they seemed to be soldiers,” Agar said softly while standing behind Fanny. Fanny took a deep breath and muttered, “Are they sent here by Albert?” Agar shook his head. He said with a heavy look, “I don’t know but the South River Strategic Department doesn’t have a special operation team whose soldiers are masked in black. “And, the South River Strategic Department doesn’t have the authority to intervene with Viper’s Den’s investigation.” Agar had served the Hidens for many years, yet even he did not know where the masked men were from. In other words, this team of masked men must belong to a higher power. Fanny’s expression turned heavy after listening to Agar’s explanation. “Not bad for the reaction time. It’s quick enough.” Kaze smiled at the team captain. The masked men were the Guardians who were sent to protect Kaze and his family during Niko’s wedding by Isaac Eins. Kaze requested them to stay in Lilyrose for a while to help him with some favors.
The captain of the Guardians grabbed Sirius by the hair and dragged him away like a ragdoll. The other Viper’s Den’s agents were taken away as well. Kaze did not administer any punishment. He simply instructed the Guardians to send the agents to the local police department for minor disciplinary action before releasing them. After all, even though Sirius came to him with allegations, it was nothing serious. Even if Kaze wanted to be strict, he could not formally punish Sirius over this. However, the agents of Viper’s Den were under the Ministry of Justice’s jurisdiction. Being arrested by the local police by the Guardians was a significant embarrassment. When the news got out, the agents would face the public humiliation they deserved.Soon, only Kaze, Fanny, and the rest remained at the scene. “K-Kaze, who were those men?” Fanny asked, her eyes fixated on him. Kaze looked at Fanny indifferently. He smirked and said, “I can’t tell you that.” He then got into the car an
Sasha’s lips moved once more, but Kaze’s gaze remained fierce, so she wisely zipped her mouth. “Not a problem, sir.” The storekeeper knew Kaze was a generous customer, so she nodded happily. Being a storekeeper for a luxurious brand required experience and taste. In less than ten minutes, the storekeeper selected three sets of outfits for Sasha, from top to bottom and outer to inner. “Miss, you try these.” Kaze swiped his card before Sasha had the time to regret or stop him. If the size did not fit, she could change it on the spot. Sasha looked at Kaze helplessly and then reluctantly followed the storekeeper to the changing room. A while later, Sasha came out in a new dress and with a blush on her face. Kaze was slightly surprised, looking at the brand new Sasha in a pure white dress. He had to praise the storekeeper for her sharp sense. The white dress emphasized the girl’s innocence and gentleness. “Miss, you are the first customer in our store to present su
Sasha looked troubled. She said, “The owner is paying? It’s okay! I’m wearing the clothes anyway; I should pay for them. The owner and the others took good care of me while at work, I don’t want to take advantage of them.” Kaze was left speechless. How could a little girl be as stubborn as a mule?“How are you taking advantage of them? I said, the owner wants you to wear beautiful clothes and get more business for them, so that they can earn more money. “You know the other employees actually have an allowance for shopping? Each of them has twenty thousand to buy clothes, but since you are just part-time, and you are new, you only have ten thousand.” Kaze continued to coax the girl. “Ten thousand?!” Sasha was shocked by the number. She shook her head and hands, “No! I don’t need that much! A few hundred is enough!” Ten thousand was enough for her to cover her daily expenses for two years or more. How could she spend all of them on clothes? Kaze chuckled. “Ten thousand i
Twenty minutes later, Sasha came out in fresh clothes. She wore a white T-shirt coupled with a pair of jeans, but the patches on them indicated that they were old clothes. She was holding her phone with a slight embarrassment on her face. “Sasha? What’s the matter?” Kaze asked. “Uh, it’s nothing. I-I have to call my school to inform my teacher.” Sasha then went to the corner to make the phone call. “Sasha, you should really try to be the emcee of the evening party. I always have high hopes for you but you are too shy. You blush whenever you talk to strangers. How are you going to adapt when you go out to work in the future? You should train yourself to speak up more. Try to go on stage.” The voice of a middle-aged woman came from the phone once it was connected. Sasha said shyly, “Ms. Cornell, thank you for your kindness, but I cannot afford to buy a gown. I won’t be joining the party.” “My dear, you should learn to be more open-minded. I said I would prepare the gown
Kaze gave the Golden Toad to June, wondering if she knew the origin of the artifact. Someone from one of the top ten families in Arcadia would certainly know more secrets than the ordinary. It was the greatest advantage they had over the ordinary people. “I have never seen this thing before.” June checked the Golden Toad carefully but shook her head. Surprised, she continued, “But this thing helped with Sasha’s condition? It’s crazy! It even hastened the removal of the Nine Phantom Lotus! It’s like a magical artifact! “I can go back and look at old texts in my family or maybe ask my elders about it. I might be able to get some clues.” She then gave the Golden Toad back to Kaze, having no desire to own it. She believed Kaze must have figured out her background, so she did not bother to conceal it further and decided to be honest. “Great. I’ll be waiting for your good news.” Kaze put the Golden Toad away and explained, “I’ll take this with me. The Krad family is looki
With the messy thoughts out of his head, Kaze concentrated on the treatment. In just a little over ten minutes, Sasha was freed from the pain, which had tormented her badly and drained her energy, leaving her exhausted. When the treatment was over, she was already asleep. Her lips curled into a sweet smile, seemingly dreaming about something nice. Her eyelashes had droplets of sweat hanging on the edges, a testament to her exhaustion. Looking at her exhausted look pained Kaze’s heart. He had also exhausted his energy. Performing the treatment for a full session was even more tiring than fighting a foreign martial arts expert. Noticing that the seventh petal of the Nine Phantom Lotus had almost faded, Kaze started to pull the needles out of Sasha’s body. He knew speed was not the key to curing the girl. Creek! It was then June came in through the door. She had a towel over her neck to wipe her sweat because she dared not take a shower after the treatment. Her face looked
“Mhm…” Sasha nodded. She tried her best not to make any noise. Kaze concentrated and started the treatment. Sasha’s back was covered with even more silver needles yet the pain showed no signs of subsiding. As Kaze continued the treatment, his brows furrowed and his forehead was covered in sweat. Suddenly, he felt hot around his waist and it was at that moment, Sasha felt a slight relief. Kaze asked, “Sasha, did you feel better just now?” “I-I think so. I felt like being poked by a thousand ice needles. It’s cold and painful, but now I started to feel warm…” she said timidly. While she was explaining, Kaze retrieved the hot object from his pouch; it was the Golden Toad he got from Aiden. When he first saw the Golden Toad, he was afraid it might contain radioactive materials, so he dared not touch it. However, realizing that Aiden carried it around—knowing he was not some idiot with no common sense—dispelled Kaze’s doubts. He looked at the shining Golden Toad and po
After spending some time with Sasha, Kaze had already treated her like a little sister. He felt bad when he heard her painful groans. After getting permission, he went inside the room. Sasha lay face down on the bed, her bare back exposed. Seven petals of the Nine Phantom Lotus glowed faintly on her skin. Her hair was drenched in sweat, clinging to her face. Her exposed cheek was slick with moisture, deathly pale, revealing agonizing pain. Her back was also covered with thin silver needles of different lengths, almost a dozen of them. As she shuddered due to the pain, the needles flickered with a chilling gleam. Kaze knew at first glance that the needles were an enhanced version of the Ghastly Thirteen Needles. Other than Kaze, June was the only one in Herbal Spring who could perform the technique, not even Dr. Wright, deemed one of the greatest doctors in West State, could do it. Dr. Wright was a medicine specialist, not acupuncture. June was performing the treatment o
“You are really a trouble magnet,” Miru mocked Kaze. A quick sigh later, she added, “But you are right. That man is really a problem. One of his feet is in the grave already and he’s still causing problems. He thinks everyone should respect and obey him. I’ve had it with his attitude a long time ago. “But I can’t make a move on him yet. I just got news that he actually saved some big shot’s life from West State Viper’s Den, and because of that, he got strong support.” When Miru first arrived at Riverbank, she hardly saw any progress. It was after Kaze helped her acquire Bronze Sparrow that her conquest of the underworld accelerated.Now, she had become one of the most influential and powerful kingpins in the underworld of Riverbank, rivaling the big four. Her next target would obviously be the big four kingpins. Everett Techman was a suitable target for a start, but he stepped down when things went south, using Aiden’s situation to make peace with Kaze and stop going after
“The number you have dialed is not available.” On the way back, Kaze made multiple calls to Darcy, but she did not pick up. She was obviously mad at him. “Mr. Lee, what’s the matter?” Snow asked out of concern after seeing the bitterness in his expression. Kaze did not want Snow to feel bad or guilty. “It’s nothing. You should take some rest. I might have forced the poison out of your body, but it’s still hurtful to the body. I’ll take you to Herbal Spring and let Dr. Wright’s disciple check on you.” The only thing he could do now was text Darcy, hoping to explain the situation. He then called Miru. “Kaze Lee, how dare you call me now?!” Miru’s upset voice came through the phone, but she was not exactly furious. “What’s the situation at Bronze Sparrow?” Kaze asked. “A hitman infiltrated the place. Lost a few of my men, many of them injured, and he managed to take that woman away. He even said that he will go after your life next time. “Kaze, you are really a wal