“Is he the killer, Mr. Lee?” Don looked at the cold body on the ground in surprise. Kaze had not been gone for long. Yet, he brought the killer’s corpse back. Nevertheless, a dead murderer would not leave many loose ends. Clearly, the killer was acting under orders. Reading his confusion, Kaze said, “Just call it suicide in fear of conviction. “The killer is from Ryokan. I’m sure someone else is behind it, but it’s not the police’s problem. I’ll handle it.” Don knew better than to ask questions. He nodded and instructed his people to take care of the body. Kaze asked, “That reminds me. How are the Quints now?”“Master Quint and Deborah didn’t survive. Three of the dozen bodyguards are in surgery, but the others won’t make it. “We took statements from the other Quint family members and sent them home.” Don shook his head. The Quints took Kaze for granted. They would not be in such a predicament if they had only appreciated him. “Oh, Mr. Lee. I received a ph
“Sigh…” Hector looked at his father’s coffin and sighed without a word. All he could do was spare a moment of silence for his father. Darcy got up and stood in a corner, her expression complicated. Her resentment subsided along with the death of Master Quint. “Good news! I have good news!” Rudy just got off the phone and sprung from the ground, dancing with joy. Before anyone could ask, Rudy said gleefully, “I received word from the Ridgesouth Quints that they are willing to accept us back into the family. “We are welcomed back as the South River branch of the Quints.” The Quints paused for a minute before breaking out in joy. The Ridgesouth Quints were an influential family with a long-standing history.The Quints’ new-found connections with the Ridgesouth Quints would elevate the family’s power and influence. The day had finally come for the Quints. “Dad, did the Ridgesouth Quints name the head of our household?“With Grandpa gone, we needed a family head to
Most ridiculously, the Quints celebrated enthusiastically at the news. As always, the Quints were shallow, only thinking about the perks of relying on the Ridgesouth Quints rather than considering their own contribution. Kaze smiled faintly. “No one but you is up for the task, babe. “The Ridgesouth Quints probably understood what you are made of and want to invest in you.“Don’t worry. The good outweighs the bad for your family to rejoin the main family. Just focus on what you can do. “I will always support you.”Kaze could not read Halford’s intention. They had never met after all. Nevertheless, Kaze concurred with the idea of Darcy integrating the family and establishing themselves in Sunrise City. Kaze needed to take a trip to Sunrise City anyway. It would take him a long time to either purge the Viper’s Den or straighten out matters with the Lees. Kaze could not leave Darcy alone in Lilyrose, so the best way forward was for her to join him there. Besides, Lily
Kaze fell into his thoughts. Winnie presented a legitimate problem. Lilyrose was too small of a place. Even though Lilyrose was elevated to a capital-level city, the development was not in place yet. Besides, growth would not happen overnight. Hence, Kaze nodded. “I agree to move the business core to Riverbank City. I’ll let you decide on the business strategy.“I’ll still transfer the shares to you though.” Winnie asked in confusion, “Why?” “I want to publicly distance myself from Shangrila Group.” Kaze said, “I’ll have a lot of enemies in Riverbank City.“If I don’t break away, people might give Shangrila Group a hard time because of me.“Don’t get me wrong. I will lend a hand when Shangrila Group is in trouble.” Riverbank City was a city where the talent competition was fierce. Kaze would face many obstacles giving the Viper’s Den a good shakedown. Even he had to be on his toes. There was no need to bring Shangrila Group into these conflicts. There was no
Conan was worried for Kaze. Unlike his previous encounter with Magnus, Kaze no longer had the Viper Queen’s support.Plus, the news circulating the Viper’s Den had gotten out too. Autumn would appoint anyone capable of killing Kaze as the leader of the West State branch.Hence, Newell had no reservations about attacking Kaze. Kaze let out a faint smile. “Newell is very protective of his son. All you did was beat up the branch leader’s son, and he came all the way here to get even.” “It explains why Scarlet wants me at Mountain Dew Estate. “Come on. Take me there.” Conan was taken aback. “Is it just the two of us, Bro?” “How many more do you want coming along?” Kaze glanced at him and got up with a smile. Conan let out a dry laugh and took to the wheel. Soon, Conan drove Kaze to Mountain Dew Estate. Outside the city borders, Conan started talking about Newell. “Since the Viper’s Den is a shadowy organization operating beyond the bounds of law, its members have
“Apologize?”Kaze eyed Conan. “You’ve been working for me for a while now. “I thought you’d know me better than that.” “I’m sorry, Bro. I…” Conan was at a loss for words. He assumed that Kaze made the trip to Mountain Dew Estate to show the Ettingers the white flag. It dawned on Conan that Kaze would never back down and settle. Kaze was not knuckling under Newell. Instead, Newell was to answer to his son’s actions. If Newell could not provide a satisfactory response, Kaze would likely make a good example out of him. Such was the practice of the God of War. Kaze would bravely face challenges both in war and in life.Conan understood why Draco and Albert bent over backward for Kaze. Power and rank would not bring these hard-nosed characters to their heels. It was charisma. “What’s the public opinion on the Viper’s Den, Conan? “Do you have any intel on Scarlet?” Kaze asked these questions in ponder. Conan replied glumly, “The Viper’s Den doesn’t have a g
Conan disapproved of Kaze and him heading to Mountain Dew Estate. Kaze might be strong, but he was just one man. Conan could barely stand on his two feet in a fair fight. He probably needed Kaze’s protection if a fight broke out. He would be a burden to Kaze. Conan’s sources revealed that Newell brought a large number of men with him from the South River branch.Scarlet was a combat expert too. Kaze could be in danger if Newell and Scarlet were to attack him. Hence, Conan asked, “Should I call for armed backup, Bro?” “No need for that.” Kaze shook his head and said with a smirk, “Attack me? I’ll just make sure they don’t have a chance to.” He would proceed with caution at Mountain Dew Estate. However, it did not mean that Conan needed to call reinforcements. If the situation reached a point of chaos, the backup would not come to any help. Sensing the confidence in Kaze’s tone, Conan said nothing more. The Maybach cruised along the winding mountain path and ar
There were also many young men and women around. They must be the group’s subordinates. These people, with noticeably bulging waistlines, stared at Kaze with malice. “Mr. Ettinger, Kaze Lee is here.” An individual glared at Kaze and cocked his head back to shout at the crowd. “Creak!” The sound of rolling wheels emerged from the crowd, followed by the appearance of a wheelchair being pushed forward.The person in the wheelchair was Brad, whose leg Kaze broke the night before. Brad’s leg was heavily bandaged, and his expression was grim. Nevertheless, he looked up at Kaze with bitter rage in his eyes. Brad’s gaze fleeted past Conan before falling on Kaze. “I didn’t expect you to show up with just one friend.“You’re asking for it. “In that case, I’ll grant you the wish to die. “Even God can’t save you now.” Brad had never resented someone so badly in his entire life. “Don’t worry, Mr. Ettinger. No one can save him from us.” Behind Brad, Griffin of the Wood br
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