“Aaah, yes…” Neely took another deep breath and held Granny Snake’s hand as they walked to the mansion. A while later, they arrived at the entrance, and two figures jumped from the bushes beside them. They were the scouts that Neely assigned to watch the place earlier. “Are they still inside the mansion?” Neely asked expressionlessly. One of them bowed and said, “They haven’t come out since they went in. We have been watching them closely. Kaze Lee and Leron must have reached an agreement. The Viper’s Den agents who were watching Leron’s family had left. “We checked everyone who walked out of the mansion and didn’t see Leron or Kaze Lee. We didn’t go after those who left because we didn’t want to startle them.” Neely nodded. “Nicely done. Kaze has been messing with Casius far too many times. Today will be his death!” Her lips curled into a frosty grin. “Lead the way. Be careful, Kaze Lee is dangerous. Otherwise, Leron wouldn't have ended up being captive.” She signa
“Kaze Lee, you snatched Casius’ woman openly and captured his men, embarrassing him, yet you are acting like a coward now! “Look at you, useless piece of shit! Finally showing your true colors! We have this place surrounded and there’s no way you can escape today! “Show yourself immediately, kneel before me, and maybe I will let you live! Hurry up, my patience is running thin!” No matter how much Neely shouted or threatened, she did not get any response. “You think you can hide in silence forever?” Her expression darkened. She raised her hand at her men and said, “Follow me! Keep your eyes open!” She believed she had total control of the situation yet she dared not lower her guard. The shooters pulled their guns out and ventured upstairs with Neely behind them. The group was carefully stepping on the stairs to reach the second floor. Suddenly, one of the shooters tried to reach out to the switch to turn on the lights upstairs. “Careful!” Right before Neely could set
“My babies. My precious babies...”Granny Snake crawled across the chaotic floor, frantically searching for her two beloved venomous snakes.Finally, she found two charred, smoking pieces of snake bodies near the stairwell.“Aaah! My babies! No! I’ll kill you all, every last one of you…”Granny Snake’s heart-wrenching wails echoed through the chaos.Meanwhile, Neely slumped against the wall, her legs sprawled as she sat on the floor, staring dazedly at the scene unfolding before her.She had come intending to save lives. But after seeing everything unfold, she realized she had no idea where to start.Most of their men were either dead or severely injured. One hand was enough to count those who had managed to survive unscathed.The massive explosion that Kaze meticulously planned for Casius was devastatingly effective. It was even enough to send shockwaves throughout the entire Riverbank City!“Kaze, you bastard! Get out here now! I’m going to kill you!” At this point, Neely
Although their men had been watching the villa closely and were certain Kaze had not exited since entering, anyone with half a brain could figure the situation out. Kaze must have left through an underground tunnel.This also explained why they had evacuated the Viper’s Den men ahead of time.It was simply to avoid harming their own people.“Kaze, you’d better not show up in front of me again, or I’ll kill you…”Neely snarled, her voice breaking with rage, as she climbed into the car and sped away.“What a pity that Casius didn’t come in person. Otherwise, even if he didn’t die, he’d be leaving with more than just a few scratches…”Just a few hundred meters away in another villa, Conan lowered his binoculars and spoke to Kaze with a hint of regret.Neely’s hunch was spot-on. Kaze had indeed accessed this villa through an underground tunnel. Originally, this place was a Viper’s Den safehouse, with a tunnel linking the two villas.Standing nearby, Kaze also lowered his binocula
“Whether he trusted you before or not, what about now?“Dozens of his men are dead. Even his closest confidante barely made it out alive. With the explosion causing such a scene, the authorities will demand answers. All this will force Casius to burn through significant resources to keep things under control.“And you’re the reason he’s suffered all these losses, Leron. “What do you think Casius’ attitude toward you will be like after today?”Leron sneered. “Kaze, even if Casius doesn’t trust me anymore, do you really think I’d betray him and side with you?”“I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding.”Kaze shrugged casually. “Honestly, your only value to me is in answering a few questions I’m interested in. As for you yourself, frankly, I don’t consider you all that important. Even if you wanted to join me, I’d need to think it over.”That was the truth.Leron was undoubtedly a sharpshooter. He was possibly one in ten thousand. If Kaze genuinely needed a marksman, one word
To say that Leron was absolutely loyal to Casius would clearly be a joke.The two had always been in a mutually beneficial relationship. Casius valued Leron's sharpshooting skills and connections in the underground world. Hence, Casius brought Leron under his wing and treated him like a VIP.On the other hand, Leron saw Casius as someone who could protect both him and his family from being arrested by the authorities or hunted by enemies.So, for Leron, betraying Casius was not a matter of loyalty. It was simply that previously, Kaze had not held enough leverage. For Leron, this leverage was not about power or wealth. It was about ensuring the absolute safety of his family.While Casius may have claimed to protect Leron’s family, one could argue that he was merely using them as hostages to exert control over him. Having worked under Casius for so long, Leron was fully aware of the kind of person he was.Casius was stubborn. He was outwardly generous but inwardly suspicious.
Another specialist sighed. “Mr. Gwake, with the current outlook, perhaps you should consider discussing final arrangements with your wife. “One option might be to transfer her to a country where assisted euthanasia is legal. After all, it would be a far less grueling end than remaining in a vegetative state. It might bring peace for you both.”This blunt suggestion drew a collective sigh from the assembled doctors and specialists. As compassionate doctors, all of them wished to help Faith.However, at this point, they could not even determine the cause of Faith's condition. Random treatment was risky. if it worked, all would be well. What if she died? These doctors, each with a reputation to uphold, knew Jude’s status and temper well. None wanted to face his potential wrath if things went wrong.Jude’s brows knitted tightly together. After a long pause, he said gravely, “All of you are top experts in the medical field across Riverbank and the West State. With so many of you
Jude’s gaze grew even darker. After a moment of silence, he spoke, “I’ve heard that Dr. Wright has close connections with Dr. Notthingham and Dr. Hardy. Could you invite both of these esteemed doctors to Riverbank for me? I would be eternally grateful!”He had previously sent people to invite both Leo Notthingham and Xaxier Hardy. However, Leo was notoriously eccentric and reclusive. Besides, the person Jude had initially sent was a disciple of the Viper’s Den. He had relied too much on his status and failed to show the appropriate respect. As a result, Leo kicked him out. Later, Jude sent people to apologize, but Leo refused to even see them, shutting his doors entirely. With such an esteemed doctor, even noble families trod carefully. Jude did not dare use force, so he had left it at that.As for Xavier, he was invited to the Midstate at the time to treat a high-profile figure. Jude also lacked the right connections to arrange an invitation to Xavier.“Doctors are meant to
“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
“The day I arrived, you broke my walking cane of three million dollars and you hurt Joan. You even got her fiance’s family killed. Don’t even get me started about Mayor Synder stopping the company’s project. Now, you are opposing me directly?! “The other branches of the Quint family are doing just fine but why are you and your family such a pain in the ass? Now I realize the reason—it is you! You are the one who caused all this mess! “Hector, your family is useless! That’s why even a live-in son-in-law can misbehave like this! Do you even deserve to carry the Quint’s name?” Phoenix bellowed. Hector lowered his head and dared not argue with Phoenix. Kaze did not care at all. He sternly said, “Phoenix, you know better than anyone why I broke your walking cane, why I hit Joan, and why I ceased the project. “If you want to distort the truth, I won’t bother to explain it either, but all I want to say is don’t overly rely on your position and your seniority. Respect is earned, not
“She was elderly; how could someone beat her up physically? More importantly, aside from breaking Madam Dark’s arm, this particular someone staged a car accident and killed her, leaving her with barely a corpse. “It’s inhumane! It’s outrageous! Is he even human?” Joan cried as she expressed her grievance. Each word she muttered felt heavy like mountains. Following her claims, everyone turned around and looked at Darcy and her family at the back of the line—including Kaze, who was beside them. “Have Hector and his family arrived yet?” Phoenix stomped her walking cane on the floor and bellowed, “Tell them to get over here right now!” Seeing Phoenix as if she was ready to devour someone alive, Hector and Agnes shuddered as they quickly went up. “Grandaunt, we are here. We’ve arrived for some time now.” Agnes quickly shifted the blame to Kaze, saying, “Grandaunt, it was not us who broke Madam Dark’s arm. We did not arrange for the truck to ram into her car either. It was Ka
Besides, several Viper’s Den agents in casual attire had also blended into the scene. Hannah was hurt, or else Kaze would bring her along as well. Although he had already devised a plan with the Steelclaw Guild, he was not sure if the guild would take the act too far and make it real. On top of that, the Steelclaw Guild was a mysterious organization rooted deeply in this city. No one could guarantee if they would not deploy all their hitmen on this mission. It was why Kaze arranged as many men as possible to be on the scene to ensure the safety of Darcy and her family. Under the staff’s guidance, Kaze, Darcy, and the family arrived at the morgue. They saw a crowd inside. All the branch families and their respective heads arrived. Phoenix, leaning on her walking cane, and Joan, seated in her wheelchair, were also there. Madam Dark and her family had served the Quint family for generations and she grew up with Phoenix. She took care of Phoenix, protected her, and they
South said with a sigh, “Kaze, you might not know First Tiger in person but he’s a man with a great mind and tactics. “He said the Steelclaw Guild would remain in the shadows while the Quint family roamed openly. If the Quint family wants revenge against us, then their family members will be our targets. “You, however, are not the same. He can’t see through you and he’s willing to sign a peace treaty with you instead of going to war against you without any solid reason.” Kaze smiled and said, “He’s a wise man indeed. I’m more curious about First Tiger than before. Tell him that I will play along with his plan. I owe him one.” After the call with South, the chief of the South River Police Department, Morgan Bale, called. “Mr. Lee, the servants of Phoenix Quint and the elder of the Quint family from Ridgesouth were killed in a car crash. All six of them died on the spot. I believe you’ve received the news.” As soon as the call got through, Morgan’s serious voice came through.
Agnes bellowed, “So what if Darcy suspects you? You did it, yet you won’t let people talk about you? My daughter is a chairwoman, she’s smart! She’s not like Sky who trusts you unconditionally. She has solid reasons to suspect you!” “I have to take this call.” Kaze did not want to argue with Agnes. The buzzing phone saved him in the nick of time and he went out after seeing South’s name on the screen. As though Agnes clutched on the very evidence that could prove Kaze did it, she jumped excitedly and shouted, “Look! He knew he couldn’t keep it up anymore! He’s going out to talk with the killer! “I’m telling you guys! Don’t trust people like him! He’s mad and he could do anything to you! He’s beyond saving…” While Agnes was being relentless with her groundless accusations, Kaze answered the phone. “Kaze, Phoenix Quint just contacted us and said you and your family would be at the funeral house. She even said if we wanted revenge, we could send people over there now and they
“Other than Kaze, who else has the motive to kill Madam Dark and her daughter? Didn’t you hear him when he shoved them out earlier? He said he would kill them! “I think he was afraid back then, but he didn’t want them coming after him, so he took the chance once they left! “Kaze, you’re horrible! How could you kill them?!” Agnes took a few steps away from Kaze and stared at him. “You’ve gotten bolder than ever. I really don’t know what else you don’t dare to do! Do you know what the consequences of your actions are? You can’t keep it hidden forever! People will eventually find out! “You think you can get away with it? Look again! The crash just happened, and the driver is already under investigation. A gambler in debts took the risk for money and pretended to be DUI. Do you think people are idiots? “Can’t you see it’s obvious? Now you’ve become a prime suspect! You better take responsibility and not get us involved, or I will make you regret it!” She scolded Kaze as her f