“Kabaam!” The slap was not just powerful. Its speed was like a fleeting comet, creating a loud explosion in the air as it moved. With an intimidating and destructive force, the slap went straight for Albert. The gale assaulted Albert in the face, messing up his long hair that he had just tied up. “Kapoof!” He had no choice but to raise both fists and throw punches at the incoming slap. “Bang!” Their fists collided forcefully, producing a dull thud of flesh and bone crashing together, sending thrills and exhilaration through the audience’s hearts. It was the clash of muscles and raw strength. There was no fancy technique involved. However, compared to the towering Bruce with superhuman strength, Albert, who was deemed tall among the commons, looked like a child. The audience assumed Albert made the worst choice possible for facing Bruce face to face with his fists. He would eventually lose it. “Yeah!” Even Jude’s loyal followers could not help but cheer on Bruc
The crowd was so carried away by the excitement that no one noticed Bruce’s furrowed brows and narrowed eyes. He stared at Albert jumping off the ring and walking away. A hint of seriousness appeared in his eyes. Everyone thought Albert was simply being ridiculous and refused to accept that he lost, but only Bruce knew Albert might be right. Only when one fought Albert face-to-face, one could sense the blood and bodies in his presence. Albert felt like a merciless killing machine that emerged from the goriest and fiercest battlefield. The intensity Bruce felt was unlike anything he had experienced, even during his rigorous training in the Viper’s Den West State. If they were on a battlefield that could determine one’s life and death within a split second, Bruce might be the one who died in the end. At that very moment, he felt like he was gazing into a brand-new world. Hannah barely reacted to Albert’s loss, but Collier had a bitter look on his face, mostly because Jude
Defeat was certain if Kaze was slapped in the face by Bruce with the same amount of force. Hope was just afraid that Kaze would use the recording to blackmail her, demanding her to make Bruce lose on purpose. She could never agree to that and Jude would never let it happen. Then, Kaze might expose the recording to everyone, which would paint her as a wicked woman. Jude became the chief of the South River Branch, yet Hope, his wife, planned to murder him from the shadows. How could she explain herself? What could she possibly say to Jude then? Hope dared not make her concerns verbal, so she urged her friends to sneer at Kaze, hoping to dissuade him from going into the ring. Moreover, she hinted at him that she would make Jude spare his life. She just hoped that he could understand her. Kaze, however, turned a deaf ear at the sneers and mocks. He smiled at Hope and said, “Mrs. Gwake, why don’t we have a bet?” “Bet? If you want to gamble, go to a casino! Don’t cause a
“Of course, I believe you. Without a doubt,” Buffy said without a second thought. While everyone looked down on Kaze, she decided to give him her unconditional support. Kaze smiled as he got into the ring. Then, Serene came over to the ring and looked at him scornfully. “Kaze Lee, Mr. Gwake wants me to deliver a message. “He doesn’t know how you get in here but today is his day of becoming chief. He doesn’t want to create tension, so if you know what’s best for you, get out right now and he can overlook this. “Or else, Bruce will break your legs and then throw you out like a piece of trash.” Hope scoffed as she, too, heard Serene. “Kaze Lee, you heard that? Jude is giving you a way out! You should be grateful and walk away, not causing more trouble!” Kaze chuckled. He said, “Serene, why don’t you tell your boss that today is not just his joyful day but the saddest day in his life? He shouldn’t be thinking about becoming chief, not even in the next life!” With that said,
“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
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
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
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
“Whoosh!” The swift swing of the dagger left a huge cut on Kaze’s shirt at the abdomen. The old man had switched his stance to kneeling on one knee. The pain in his eyes had been replaced by frosty murderous intent, with a hint of shock and resentment as if he did not expect Kaze to dodge the lethal blow. “Old man, you’re a wicked one.” Kaze was also shocked. He looked down at his collar T-shirt and the wide opening at his stomach. The chilling wind on his skin sent chills down his spine. A split second later he would be gutted on the spot. “Swoosh!” After missing the ambush, the old man jumped like a nimble fox for a follow-up attack. This time, he switched his target from Kaze to Darcy. The dagger in his hand glared coldly as it thrusted toward Kaze’s chest. He was shocked that Kaze was able to dodge his lethal blow. He also realized Kaze was a tough opponent, so he switched to an easier one—Darcy. He acted like a gambler who had lost everything. With nothing
“Huh?” Phoenix narrowed her eyes and shot a sharp gaze at Joan. “Thump!” Joan fell on her knees immediately, looking horrified. “I-Impossible! My family spent tens of millions to make this walking cane, how can it…” Her family members were also similarly horrified, all falling onto their knees after her and even prostrating on the ground. If they were charged with attempted murder on Phoenix’s life, she and her entire family would be uprooted completely. Phoenix’s expression darkened. With gritted teeth, she said, “Take all of them away and investigate what really happened!” Her men who followed her from Ridgesouth came up, dragging Joan and her family away despite them crying for help. Those who resisted were slapped and knocked out before being shoved into the car. “Kaze, how did you know about the walking cane?” Agnes asked, her voice trembling. She felt grateful for escaping what seemed to be a disaster. Kaze’s offensive behavior shocked her, but it was to expos
“Huh?! Y-You hit me?!” Joan screamed as she covered her face. “Madam Quint, do something about this monkey! He’s disrespecting you and slapped me in front of everyone!” “You wretched boy, on your knees!” Phoenix’s expression darkened, her eyes on Kaze resentful. “If your family failed to teach you manners, I’ll do it for them!” “Greedy, self-righteous, ignorant, use your age to pressure others…” Kaze was determined to teach Phoenix a lesson about shame and humility today, so there was no way he would show her any respect. “People like you don’t even know what you are doing even with age, what gives you the right to lecture me?” “Kaze, shut it! Are you trying to get yourself into more trouble?!” Agnes bellowed, almost passing out due to the anger. Kaze had offended Phoenix. “Me? Ignorant?!” Phoenix scoffed due to disbelief. Her eyes were burning with the flames of anger as she said, “You disrespectful little bastard, I will show you what ignorance is!” As the words
The Ridgesouth Quints may be a prominent family, but their influence did not extend as far as the South River State. If that were not the case, the Ridgesouth Quints would not have waited until now to appoint Darcy as a proxy to expand their influence in the South River State. Kent came from a wealthy family, and he was the mayor of Riverbank. He had no reason to curry favor with the Quints by giving them a villa. The Ridgesouth Quints should be the ones showering Kent with gifts to do business in Riverbank. “What? How dare you say that we are unworthy!”“If we are unworthy, what about you? You’re just a moocher.”“Insolence!” Joan and the others flipped out. “Bam.” Phoenix slammed her cane to the floor and said chillingly, “You said that the Quints are unworthy, boy. What about you? Why would the mayor give you a villa? “You better give a convincing answer. If you don’t, ha!” “It’s none of your business,” Kaze replied bluntly.Silence hung heavy in the air. E
“Gone too far?” Phoenix said furiously, “Do you want to get it too, boy?” “Shut up, Kaze!” Not wanting the situation to escalate, Agnes charged over and said ingratiatingly, “I’m sorry, Madam Quint. We didn’t do a good job raising Sky. He simply didn’t think straight in the heat of the moment.”“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry!” Darcy apologized as well. “I’ll wipe the blood off you, Madam Quint. We don’t want to get your hands dirty.” Joan pulled out a tissue and cleaned Phoenix’s hands fawningly while uttering sarcastically, “You have no idea, Madam Quint. Some people have the money. They just don’t want to spend it.“As far as I know, our little leader is living in a villa worth several hundred million dollars in Riverbank. The villa was a gift from Mayor Synder too.“They didn’t give a bracelet that was only worth half a million because they have no money. They simply do not care enough for you, Madam Quint. “They’re just trying to fob you off since you’re only an old
“We from Chrysant City have given Madam Quint a bullet-proof Lincoln stretch from Uleania. The Lincoln will be Madam Quint’s ride in Riverbank,” a middle-aged man with glasses said smugly.Kaze glanced at the Lincoln stretch not too far away, understanding the value of the car. “Madam Quint can’t be staying in the hotel throughout her trip. We, the branch in Takeno City, are a family in politics, so we lack funding. Still, we borrowed a villa from a major corporation to accommodate Madam Quint,” a representative of the Takeno Quints said with a chuckle. The Takeno Quints talked about borrowing. Their primary focus was on politics, so they could not be honest about their net worth. However, every branch of the Quints presented Phoenix with expensive gifts. Each gift was worth at least five million dollars. The five-hundred-thousand-dollar bracelet from Darcy’s family seemed modest in comparison. Sure enough, Phoenix grew upset and raised her free arm to slap the gift box
Even Darcy did not think Phoenix would deny her. It was true that Darcy was supposed to gather all family branches in Riverbank. She would have to discipline the unruly and unite the rest. Her goal was to consolidate the family’s power and resources under her control. It was a clear and comprehensive strategy. Darcy had not anticipated such a response from her first meeting with Phoenix. It was harsh. Phoenix completely dismissed her. Darcy, though accepting fault, felt hurt. Agnes felt like her world was crumbling down. If Darcy was stripped of her leadership role, the family would go back to when things were bad. Ever since Darcy became the family head in the South River State, Agnes was treated like royalty everywhere she went. She was addicted to the privileges. Agnes never wanted to go back to those days when people would look down on her.“Darcy, where’s the gift you got for Madam Quint? Hurry up and apologize to her.” Agnes grabbed Darcy hastily. A
“You should know that Madam Quint loves flowers, and you came empty-handed. No flowers, no gifts.” “You talk about respect for Madam Quint. It’s all talk. What have you done for her?” “You are hicks from a small place like Lilyrose. Where are your manners? You’re lucky to become the head of the South River Quints, but you will always lack refinement.” “I’m starting to worry about this leader taking us to new heights. I guess we can consider ourselves lucky if she doesn’t bring us down.” “Yeah! She was late and came empty-handed. This tells us all we need to know about this family.” Taking Joan’s lead, the other family members lay into Darcy’s family thick and hard. “That’s enough!” Before Kaze said anything, Sky had a go at these people. “You tried to set my sister up, and now you’re putting the blame on us!“Only you had information of Madam Quint’s flight. You only let us know half an hour before the plane touched down. “Why didn’t we come earlier to wait in the airp
Kaze narrowed his eyes at the woman and drew close. “You’re a member of the South River Quints. Should you stand by your leader instead of stirring the pot and causing the scene? “Does family even mean anything to you? “Are you defying the family? “Who are you to disrespect Madam Quint and the family?” The woman staggered back with each question, her face draining of color.“I… You…” Flustered, she glared at Kaze. Still, she was at a loss in the face of Kaze’s questioning. “I assure you, Madam Quint. My daughter, Joan, doesn’t mean any disrespect.” A grizzled-haired middle-aged man with glasses came forward with an ashen face. “She was just trying to defend your honor, Madam Quint. She’s upset because someone disrespected you and arrived late.” This person was manipulative. While sticking up for his daughter, he also took the opportunity to belittle Darcy. “Doesn’t mean any disrespect?” Kaze snapped back, “Madam Quint hasn’t said a thing, but a nobody came out