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
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
“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
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
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
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
One step, one kill. When Kaze got off the ring, seven to eight bodies were already in his trail, and he was approaching Jude. The stench of blood spread from the center of the ring and filled the entire gym. All the agents were shocked by the gory scene. Their hands felt cold, their scalps numb, and their legs turned to jelly. Serene and the others who died were the experts in the South River Branch. A moment ago, they were furiously criticizing Kaze and shouting arrogantly, but now, they all lay dead because of Kaze’s sword. He killed them with such ease and they could not even resist. Drip drop. Kaze’s shoes were dripping blood as he slowly approached Jude. “Kaze Lee! What are you trying to do?!” Jude instinctively stepped back, glaring at Kaze in fear and anger. Alfonso and the other loyal followers cautiously looked at him as well. Kaze smiled at the pale Jude but surprisingly, he did not snatch the sword or attack. “Deputy Chief Gwake, we’ve been crossi
“Give this to your grandfather for me and tell him I want to meet him.” Jet did not insist on getting an answer, but he knew after spending ninety million on the vase, Master Cold would certainly reveal something. He had been given the cold shoulder many times recently and he learned that the key to maintaining a relationship was money. “All I can do is deliver the message. As for whether he takes it, it’s out of my control,” Horus said as he shrugged. “As long as you can deliver the message, it’s better than me asking around blindly.” Jet sounded casual but he was betting on it as well. He knew Master Cold had been eyeing the vase for a long time and it was unlikely he would refuse it. Therefore, revealing a little information might be appropriate in return. “Sure. Come with me. If my grandfather agrees to meet, you can meet him right away. You don’t need to go back and forth.” Horus felt sorry. He gave his men the vase and then brought Jet along with him. Inside a s
“The movie I invested in is premiering soon but it got stuck at distribution. It can’t be distributed and I am losing money as we speak. “The other development projects were stopped as well. There’s nothing wrong with them and they should be able to continue, but I just don’t know why. As I delay, the losses will only skyrocket.” Jet ran out of options, or else he would not be here at the auction. He had no idea why the mastermind was targeting him so maliciously, so he wanted to find out who it was and have a talk with him. “It’s strange. Someone is after you but who? You and your family are powerful here in Butterworth, yet this person, or organization, made you look like a little boy. “The strangest thing is that they don’t want to kill you off but are trying to seize your harvest, taking away what you have worked on,” Horus said. He felt strange about Jet’s encounter, too. “That is why I want to talk to whoever is doing this. Even if he asks for half of my assets, I’l
The door opened, and Jet stepped out of the car before making his way into the auction house. News of what had happened to his projects had spread far and wide, so when he showed up at the auction, many were surprised. He had lost a fortune, yet he had the leisure to attend the auction. It seemed like he did not care about the losses, which made people respect his mentality more. “Jet Frost, what are you doing here?” Horus Cold heard the commotion. He turned around and surprisingly saw Jet. When Jet’s father was alive, the two families were closed and both of them were friends. It was surprising to see Jet at the auction. “That’s because I wasn’t able to get an appointment with your old man and here I am searching for another solution,” Jet said honestly. Horus looked slightly embarrassed. “My old man, like you said, is old already and doesn’t want to be part of any messy situation. If it’s not absolutely necessary, I wouldn’t want to bother him either.” Jet knew th
Due to fund shortage, Jet was forced to sell off a lot of his projects. Despite the reluctance, he was able to keep his business afloat, together with his pride. However, he knew if the situation continued, the Frost family would eventually intervene and his reputation would be ruined. “Is the auction today?” While Jet was busy trying to save his company, he was also trying to find a way to meet with Master Cold. “The auction is tonight. One of the antique vases is a popular one. Master Cold won’t be able to attend but he’s sending his junior over,” Aloysius said. To curry favor with Master Cold and hopefully get the answers he sought, Jet was prepared to make a significant investment. “How’s the investigation on Kaze Lee going?” Jet asked all of a sudden. Aloysius went silent, not knowing how to answer his boss. It should be something insignificant and the result should be out by now but Kaze was much more mysterious than he thought. “The investigation is still ongoi
Anyone who checked into Northborn Hotel would have their details registered in the computer system and Waylan would have a way to get them. Yet after multiple checks, he did not find anything. Waylan felt strange. Based on the picture he got, he believed Kaze must have checked into the hotel and if he were staying there for a long time, there should be information on him. Unfortunately, other than a few blurry pictures, he got nothing. “Strange. Who is this guy? Why can’t I find anything on him? Jet Frost offended someone and ended up losing his projects, and now he’s asking me to investigate this Kaze Lee? Are they somehow connected?” As an infamous detective, Waylan was not only good at investigating, he was also good at analyzing. The more he investigated, the stranger he felt. He sensed danger and it made him want to stop. The money from Jet was great but it was not worth putting his life at risk. “This is not easy. I’ll have to work around it.” After investigat
When Kaze and Leah left the hotel earlier, the dashcam was recording and captured the fleeing couple for a moment. Aloysius went over the hill just to get the picture from the dashcam. His only option at the moment was to leave the job to the professional. With the picture, he believed the professional could identify Kaze’s background and provide him with the information he needed. Aloysius entered the building from the side, went through the courtyard, and went upstairs to the second floor. On the second floor, he knocked on the door and soon heard footsteps from behind it. A husky man in a white T-shirt and messy hair opened the door as he rubbed his eyes, trying to have a clear look at the visitor. “Aloysius?! Hey! You could have given me a call first! What brings you here?” Waylan widened his eyes in surprise as he stepped aside, allowing Aloysius to enter. Aloysius looked at the interior with a hint of disdain. He did not want to go in but some things should not
“I understand.” Aloysius stayed after receiving his order. “What else?” Aloysius’ presence suggested that there was something important to discuss, but judging by his hesitant expression, it was nothing but trouble. “We lost a few more projects again. These projects are supposed to be backups for us to make a comeback later but they were acquired by someone else.” Aloysius stepped back after giving his report, lowered his head, and waited for Jet’s wrath to befall him. “Hmmm. It’s not your fault.” Jet initially wanted to lash out at Aloysius but after a quick thought, he quietly put down his glass. He knew it was not Aloysius' fault. It was his problem to have unknowingly offended someone powerful, thus resulting in all the malice against him. “I told you to make an appointment with Master Cold. Did you get it?” Jet wanted to meet Master Cold during the birthday party but it did not happen. His father was old friends with Master Cold and they had been business par
Leah would never let her mother know about her suspicion of Kaze’s identity. The thoughts gave her a headache. She took a deep breath and submerged herself in the bathtub. While holding her breath underwater, she lay flat and relaxed in silence, enjoying her alone time. Just as she was about to lose her breath, she rose from the water and gasped violently, washing away the cloudy thoughts in her mind. After Leah’s party was ruined, she was grounded by her mother. Katie was a woman of her word. Since the birthday party was over, Leah was not needed for any other social events. Katie became the laughingstock because of what happened and she still felt embarrassed about it. However, due to her status, no matter what people thought of her, no one dared to make it verbal or mention it in front of her. The birthday party might be ruined but it did not cause too much trouble. Katie managed to shut down a certain news channel from spreading the incident, preventing it from
Leah was still too naive. She knew her mother but not thoroughly enough. Katie regretted not helping her daughter but it was already in the past and her self-blaming for not being a good mother would not help her future. Therefore, she habitually shifted the blame onto someone else. Perry was the one who caused it and it was all because her daughter did not handle her relationship properly. “Perry is hospitalized now. Let’s just put an end to this. We shouldn’t go to them; that’s just asking for more trouble. We’ll wait and see how the Duncan family reacts.” Katie knew she had the power to do certain things but once she did, it would affect her status. She really wanted to do her daughter justice but as the CEO of Northborn Group, there was too much at stake and she could not be driven by emotions. “I never expected you to avenge me,” Leah said coldly. She already expected her mother not to do anything, but when she heard it from her mother’s mouth, disappointment consume