“Argh! Ah!”The Ettingers’ followers, who stood in defense of Malova, let out terrified cries and collapsed to the ground. The door to the chalet was so near in sight when the commotion in the back caught Malova’s attention. She looked back, only to shriek in horror. “You’re a monster!“Help me, Newell!” Malova picked up the pace to get inside the chalet. A towering figure showed up at the door. “Newell!” Malova had one foot through the door when Newell came in the nick of time. The terror dissipated in her face. Newell narrowed his eyes at Kaze, who was in pursuit of Malova, and yelled angrily, “Stop, asshole! You have no business here.” “Kill him, Newell! He killed Brad!” now that she was safe, Newell shouted in relief. Furious, Newell glared at Kaze. “How dare you kill my son. I’m going to get you!” Kaze eyed Newell with a blank face and hurled the sword. “Urgh!” The sword pierced through the air and plunged into Malova’s back as she tried to turn around.
“Newell Ettinger, your son and your sister had it coming, you have no one to blame for their deaths. So who are you trying to fool by crying and acting like the victim? “If it’s Scarlet, then you might be disappointed. Not only her, but even if the Viper Queen is here, your family will perish today. By family, I mean you as well!” Kaze finally revealed his murderous intent at the end of his sentence. Brad and Malova died because of him and there was no way to dissolve the conflict between him and the Ettingers anymore. Therefore, Kaze did not plan to let Newell live as well. Newell’s eyelid twitched when he heard Kaze. The sorrow on his face faded and was replaced by a frighteningly calm look. Too calm, actually. “Kaze Lee, you are much smarter than I thought.” His voice sounded frosty and could send chills down one’s spine. Even the other family members were surprised, their jaws dropped. The branch leader calmed down a little too quickly. Was the sorrow all an act?
As his words subsided, Newell raised his hand. Shoo! A sword from one of the agent’s waist flew out from its sheath and landed in his hand. A heaven-shattering murderous intent erupted from him. He no longer bothered to cover his true intentions. So what if the Viper Queen invited Kaze to be the branch leader? Newell still could kill Kaze and snatch the position from him. “Everything is destined? Survival of the fittest?” Kaze showed a ridiculing smile. “Not a bad idea. Let’s put it to the test. I also need to make an example of someone so that I can solidify my position as a branch leader. “Newell Ettinger, you are the South River Branch Leader so you are qualified to be my stepping stone.” Make an example? A stepping stone? The other members of the Ettingers were astonished by Kaze’s outrageous remark. Newell was able to strengthen his position as a branch leader, not because his sister married a good husband and secured many valuable connections and resourc
There was no fancy technique or skill involved in the slash, just a simple battle of strength between the two. Anyone could see that Kaze got the upper hand. Newell was completely outmatched in the battle of strength, which was surprising. The man was in his prime. He was overflowing with energy and vitality, not dying and old, yet Kaze was able to overpower him. It was unbelievable not only to others but also to himself. Newell’s expression turned bitter. He finally realized how ridiculously powerful Kaze was. The brief impact hurt him internally, and he could feel his organs and legs shaking to varying degrees. Newell understood that if he had been a different person, he would have been a corpse by now. After a deep breath, he said coldly, “Kaze Lee, you are indeed very strong. I have underestimated you, but you killed my son and my sister. You will not live to see tomorrow’s sun!” As soon as his words subsided, he pulled out a gun from his waist. He unlocked th
Delighted as if he saw the beacon of hope, Newell said, “Thank you, Chief Delegate…” Thump! Before he could finish, Kaze flung the broken sword at him, stabbing into his chest and pinning him against the door of the courtyard. “Ugh…” Newell groaned in pain. He looked at Kaze in disbelief. “H-How dare you attack me!” He never expected Kaze to attack him without a second of hesitation in Scarlet’s presence. “I said, from the moment you set this all up to kill me, you should have expected me to retaliate and eventually take your life. Not even Autumn, the Viper Queen, can save you today.” Kaze walked closer. “No! Chief Delegate, please save me!” Newell begged for mercy as he continued to bleed, but his plea did not work at all. Kaze flicked the hilt of the sword, sending a powerful vibration into Newell’s body. Buzz! The broken blade vibrated violently, ripping the remaining life force away from Newell’s body. Everyone in the Ettinger family was shocked by the un
“Kaze Lee, you!” The other elite agents of the Viper’s Den were infuriated but scared as well. They did not expect Kaze to strike one of them. Even Newell would have to be humble and respectful to them when he was alive. However, Kaze slapped one of them without any solid reason, treating them similarly to the Ettingers. His arrogance was intolerable to some of the elite agents. “Chief Delegate, please do something!” “He’s going out of control! He must be punished!” Everyone looked at Scarlet, hoping that she would intervene. “That’s enough.” Scarlet, who had been quiet since the rampage started, suddenly bellowed, “Bunch of useless fools. You think you are the elite agents from headquarters and that gives you the right to be arrogant? “I shall let Branch Leader Lee teach you guys a lesson so that you know your place.” The elite agents of Viper’s Den flushed with emotions but none of them dared to argue. They looked at Kaze with utmost resentment. To them, K
Kaze’s tone grew colder as he asked. When he finally voiced his questions, the other Viper’s Den agents were shocked and looked at him with disbelief. Who exactly was Kaze Lee? How dare he call the Viper Queen by her name and demand an explanation? “Branch Leader Lee, you said the Ettingers colluded with ninjas from Ryokan. Are you sure about that?” Scarlet asked. Kaze said indifferently, “Last night, a ninja from Ryokan tried to assassinate me at Lilyrose Funeral Home. I managed to seize the ninja’s body from Newell’s son.” Scarlet frowned. A moment of silence later, she said, “Branch Leader Lee, if your words are true, then as an agent of the Viper’s Den colluding with foreign forces, Newell Ettinger must be punished. “I will investigate this matter. If it’s true, I will arrest the entire Ettinger family and let you decide their fate. What do you say about that?” She did not simply believe Kaze’s words because it was a serious crime to collude with foreign forces. S
“Take care, Branch Leader Lee.” Scarlet got up and sent Kaze off at the door. “Huh? Kaze Lee came out already?” “The chief delegate didn’t punish him?” The Ettingers finally got up on their feet and saw Kaze strolling out, fine and healthy. They were in shock. Then, the Viper’s Den elite agents from the headquarters rushed out and surrounded the Ettingers. “By the order of the chief delegate, no one is allowed to leave Mountain Dew Estate. All of you are hereby under investigation and will be sanctioned accordingly.” …Back in Lilyrose, Newell’s death did not make the headlines. First, the Viper’s Den wanted to investigate the matter thoroughly, so releasing the news would startle the enemy. Second, Newell was the South River Branch Leader and his death was not a glorified one, so the organization wanted to keep it under wraps. The news did not get out and it was both good and bad for Kaze. The good thing was that he could still keep a low profile because if he
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