At this point, Bob knew there was no turning back. Looking at Duncan’s miserable state, the others at the scene were also horrified. The son of one of the big four gangster bosses in Riverbank was tortured and beaten up like a ragdoll. No one would believe it if not seeing it with their own eyes. Kaze was ruthless. One call for one arm. He kept his words. He was the embodiment of ruthlessness. Compared to Kaze, Duncan’s ferocity and loud words felt like a child throwing a tantrum. “How long before Everett Techman is here?” Kaze asked Bob without looking at him. A quick thought later, Bob said, “I heard Everett has been training at Mt. Seven Stars for years now. I think it will take him at least half an hour to reach here.” “Then I’ll wait for him here.” Kaze then turned to Sasha. “Go change your clothes. I’ll perform the acupuncture treatment for you today. “Also, Dr. Wright, please guide me through the process. I’m not skilled in this after all.” He took up t
Phew! Kaze put the needles away and then buttoned Sasha’s gown. He then said, “Sasha, lie down and rest for a while. You can change later.” “Alright. Thank you so much, Kaze.” Sasha nodded obediently, turning her face slightly to the side to express her gratitude. It pained her to see the paleness on Kaze’s face. Kaze was undeniably powerful, yet even he appeared pale and drenched in sweat after performing just one session of the Ghastly Thirteen Needles. One could only imagine how exhausting it must have been for June after performing the treatment on Sasha for three days straight. Like Kaze, June had been practicing traditional martial arts since her youth, which gave her stronger internal energy and the endurance to continue for three days straight. “Kaze, are you alright?” Sasha’s eyes teared up. She felt bad looking at the exhausted Kaze. “It’s all my fault that you have to go through this.” “You just get some rest. I’ll be better after a quick rest.” Kaze patt
“Who did it?” Everett asked without looking at the employees, his brows furrowed. He was able to contain his emotions, showing no expression on his face. Even his tone was calm and lacked emotions. Kaze heard his question and it raised his brows. Even he had to admit that the so-called one of the big four gangster bosses must have trained himself well to achieve such a level of composure and steadiness. “Bang!” An employee of Herbal Spring was tossed into the lobby from outside. His face was bruised and swollen, supposedly from a beating. The employee was tossed inside by a middle-aged man, who obviously worked for Everett. He approached Everett and bowed respectfully. “Boss, we've got the details. When Duncan called you, his arm was broken by a guy named Bob, another gangster from the Aries District. The one who ordered him to do it is Kaze Lee, a young man whose background we’re still investigating.” The guy’s name was Rodney, Everett’s right-hand man. He continued, “
“Interesting. Riverbank’s underworld has been peaceful for a long time. There isn’t any challenging new blood for a while,” Everett muttered, his face still expressionless. Rodney asked, “Boss, what should we do with Kaze Lee?” “I don’t care what he can do, or how powerful he is. He hurt my son and in Riverbank, that is not allowed,” Everett said with his hands behind his back. He had reigned over the underworld for decades. No matter how volatile the situation was or how dangerous it became, he was able to stand firm in the face of the storm. Such was exactly the trait required to be a boss of a gangster organization, something Bob did not possess. Bob was incomparable to Everett as he was just a slightly more influential thug. Everett had seen people who could cause trouble and young men who were capable, but they were like fleeting fireworks, shining bright but fading fast. It was difficult for people like them to root themselves in Riverbank’s underworld. Riverbank wa
“I admit it. I made Duncan call you because I hope you would be a reasonable person. After all, you and I have no beef or any bad history. Even when Blackie, your best man, was crippled last night, he got it upon himself, not my fault. “That is why I hope to solve this in a peaceful way.” Listening to Kaze’s intention of showing goodwill and approaching the matter peacefully, Holfman nodded his head with approval. It seemed like Kaze did not want to push the matter to the point of no return. Solving it in a peaceful way would be ideal. However, Rodney scoffed, assuming Kaze was amusing, and giving an excuse. He should either be fierce all the way or not cause any problems from the start. Now, he chose a softer approach yet wanted to make himself look magnanimous. What a joke. Moreover, he was trying to play tricks in front of Everett, a notorious gangster boss, which made things even more amusing. “Sounds reasonable.” Everett nodded but then his expression darkene
Everett started to act like a gangster boss, fierce and unreasonable. He ought to crush Kaze’s confidence and arrogance today no matter what, or else his training days would be disrupted. As one of the big four gangster bosses, there were many ambitious young ones after his position, hoping to drag him down and replace him. They were like Kaze, arrogant and young, hoping to reach the top by taking him out. Over the years, many young men have tried the same, like people thrashing the gym he operated or him challenging others. Therefore, whether Kaze was after him or both incidents with his son and Blackie were purely coincidental, he did not care. Since Kaze had decided to stand in his way and break his son’s arms, then no matter the reason, he would certainly crush Kaze. Kaze scoffed. “So you are not trying to reason and want to resolve this with physical means?” “You can say so.” Everett continued coldly, “I only reason with people who rival me in terms of power. If
The air went still. Everyone in Herbal Spring was shocked by the scene. They felt chills down their spines, but at the same time in awe at what Kaze had just done. Even with Everett and his men around, Kaze still had the courage to slap Duncan in the face. He must think that the highway to hell was not fast enough. Everett’s expression darkened. His gaze at Kaze was sharp but at the same flabbergasted. To him, anyone with a sane mind would submit and de-escalate the matter while dealing with one of the big four gangster bosses in Riverbank and the most experienced one. Given his connections and reputation in Riverbank, plus his men who were ready to die for him, crushing Kaze was just a piece of cake. Even if Kaze’s wife was the branch head of the Ridgesouth Quints, nothing would change. They were in Riverbank of the South River State, and the family with the most influence and control was the Fowlers of Westeros. As for the Ridgesouth Quints, if Everett was facing
Bob called Miru. When Kaze performed the treatment for Sasha, he went out to make the call. Bob knew it was not easy to deal with someone like Everett. The man was able to reign for decades in Riverbank and it already started a lot of problems. Kaze himself was not Mr. Nice Guy either. Either one of them would fall should they clash, so those who were caught in the crossfire would suffer. Therefore, he called Miru, hoping that her influence could calm both of them down. When the people heard it was Miru who came, they all looked at her curiously. The people were curious about the woman who came to Riverbank with an attitude and made a name for herself through ruthless means. It was not that she did not live up to her reputation, but their image of her was completely different from what they saw. Her looks, body, and demeanor were out of this world, unlike the typical image of a kingpin. “Kaze, are you alright? Are you hurt?” Miru, leading Wolf, Sven, and her men
Hannah, Collier, and the others were shocked. They did not expect Jude to possess the Nether Viper Sword and even revealed it to all the agents. They lost the advantage over the situation as soon as the sword was revealed. They even noticed some of the Viper’s Den agents showed murderous intent when looking at Kaze. Only Kaze remained unfazed in the gym. He smiled and said, “Jude Gwake, do you think that sword makes you the branch leader of the West State Viper’s Den?” “Hmph! Stop with your nonsense!” Jude grunted with disdain and said, “I have the sword and you have nothing. “Kneel before me and I might consider leaving your body intact. You should know that from what you did to me, this is already considered merciful.” Looking at the frantic Jude, Buffy’s eyes teared up. Her father transformed into a monster hungry for power before she even realized it. Now, the greed for power had driven him mad completely. “Is that so?” Kaze smiled and then walked toward Jud
As doubts spread across the room, Jude put his hands behind his back casually, and his stiffened expression finally showed a hint of delight. He wanted to use the crowd’s anger to create chaos. If he could incite the crowd to attack Kaze, the sheer number would overwhelm him no matter how strong he was physically. Moreover, his reinforcement was on the way. The reinforcements he called were Casius and Rio, one of the ten strongest of the Refined Blade Clan. When his reinforcements arrived, he would reveal the fact that he had been working with the Ryokanians if it meant killing Kaze. If he could become the branch leader, he would have the power to cover it up easily. Then, he would become the hero who exposed the fraud who impersonated the late ex-branch leader! To bring someone to their downfall, the first step would be driving them mad. Jude was already one step away from his grave, the situation cornering him and fueling an even greater ambition within him. He wa
At this moment, the faces of Jude’s followers, who spoke up earlier, paled and their bodies were shaking. Kaze was indeed appointed as the branch leader by Autumn, the Viper Queen. Who else dared to question the legitimacy of his identity? Not even Jude dared to oppose the superior Viper Queen. More importantly, Kaze revealed that he was tasked by the Viper Queen to cleanse the West State Viper’s Den. Cleanse? Despite being a word related to cleaning, it reeked of blood. Lives would be lost and blood would flow like rivers. Kaze made himself clear enough. His cleansing operation started with the South River Branch and Jude and his loyal followers were the targets. At that very moment, in their eyes, Kaze had transformed into a monster with bloody fangs, ready to devour them. The thought frightened them. Those who berated and criticized Kaze earlier wanted to kneel and beg for mercy, hoping that Kaze would spare them. Hannah’s agents also quickly secured all the exit
“You’ve committed such atrocity and still have the nerve to meddle with the Viper’s Den affair? “You dare claim to be the new branch leader? Do you think we’re fools? We won’t fall for this charade with your hired actors playing along! “If you know what’s good for you, be honest and tell us why you killed the ex-branch leader! How dare you come here and mess with our affairs?!” Jude pointed at Kaze angrily, shouting his questions at him. Kaze looked at Jude as if he was a clown. He then looked at the other upset agents and said, “First of all, I didn’t kill Magnus Fuller. I simply broke him and crippled him.” He did not kill Magnus but only broke him? What kind of ridiculous nonsense was that? Many of the agents could not accept such a ludicrous answer. However, when they recalled how Kaze had sent Bruce flying with just one slap, no one dared to voice their doubts. Magnus was certainly stronger than Bruce, and Kaze might have sent Bruce flying with just one slap, but i
All sorts of voices echoed in the gym. Even the agents who served Jude started to look at Kaze with reverence and respect. When Jude gave the order, many instinctively prepared to act, driven by their loyalty to him. However, now that they found out Kaze was the branch leader, the thought of carrying out Jude’s order vanished. The branch leader and the branch chief might sound similar, and one might assume they shared the same authority, but both positions were worlds apart. There was only one branch leader in the entire West State while more than a dozen individuals held the branch chief position. It was likened to the mayors of cities within a state with one governor—both positions were incomparable. “How did he become the branch leader all of a sudden?” “This is bad! This is over! Jude’s career is over!” Hope fell back onto her chair in shock, her face paled. She recalled the scenes with Kaze and then it hit her that Kaze had always treated and looked at her and
Seeing Hannah and Collier kneel, the other agents of the South River Branch immediately mirrored the action. “Branch Leader!” “If the branch leader isn’t a part of the Viper’s Den and has no right to be in the ring, then who else in the West State Viper’s Den has the right?” As Hannah and Collier revealed Kaze’s identity, the other agents chanted his name fanatically. The entire gym was once again stunned. The air froze. It felt even stiffer when Kaze slapped Bruce away. Branch leader of the West State Viper’s Den, Kaze Lee?! Everyone was shocked when Hannah and Collier referred to Kaze as the branch leader. They could neither comprehend the situation nor contain their shock. Hope, who was glaring at Kaze with her friends in the VIP seat, widened her mouth in shock. Her body was shaking instinctively and her face paled. Did she hear Hannah and Collier correctly? Kaze was not a branch chief but the branch leader? There were only so many branch leaders in the Vipe
Survival of the fittest. Only the strong were worshiped within the Viper’s Den. Kaze was able to send Bruce flying with just a slap, solid proof of his unrivaled strength that was worthy of their respect and reverence. Kaze raised his hand and gradually silenced the entire gym. The audience going silent when signaled was proof that Kaze had earned their respect through the fight. “Deputy Chief Gwake, I believe you will have to be deputy for the rest of your life.” Kaze turned around to Jude and looked at him with a smirk. Jude’s expression ashened and Kaze’s words made his face twitch uncontrollably. Kaze’s strength once again surprised him. He even started to suspect that the whole match was a show that Kaze and Bruce put on just to fool him. However, he realized the thought was ridiculous because if he voiced his concerns, he would only embarrass himself even more. He was deeply aggrieved as well because after Kaze defeated Bruce with one slap, he had no one els
Kabaam! The two palms collided with extreme speed, causing the air to explode like a bomb. “He even met Bruce’s palm with his own? He’s full of himself.” “His arm is certainly broken now.” “He’s going to be a cripple!” Even though it was surprising that Kaze was able to dodge the first punch, the audience still mocked and sneered at him when he decided to exchange palm strikes with Bruce. To them, Kaze foolishly exposed his weakness and did not know how to utilize his position. He must have lost his mind. However, what happened next was not Kaze’s arm breaking or him being sent flying away by Bruce’s palm strike. It was Bruce who looked pale and shocked, fear then covered his face. His arm which contained explosive power that could punch a bull to death started to weaken and soften. Then, Kaze’s slap penetrated Bruce’s defense without any delay and landed on his face. Slap! The hit echoed across the gym. At the next moment, Bruce’s body was sent flying out of
“Kaze Lee?” Bruce was taken aback for a moment before he cackled viciously. Intense murderous intentions erupted from him. The temperature in the gym felt even colder. The noise in the audience went silent. People’s eyes widened, glued to the ring as they held their breaths. With the murderous aura, Bruce was like a monster from the night. His aura swept the field, overwhelming everything. It was a rare opportunity for them to witness someone as powerful as Bruce in action. Many of them believed Kaze would eventually be defeated, or killed. They widened their eyes, hoping to capture every bit of detail in the upcoming action. “Die!” Without wasting time, the angry Bruce charged forward at Kaze like a steam train. The force and momentum of his charge could easily crush an adult bull. Despite the murderous intent attacking his face, Kaze remained unfazed and did not even enter a defensive stance. “He must be stunned by Bruce’s attack!” “What gave him the ner