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
“I suppose you know the rules of the Viper’s Den clearly state that agents and personnel are forbidden to collude with foreign forces. “Of course, it’s not that I don’t trust you or your position, Deputy Chief Gwake. A spy like Rio Sho would certainly accuse you or frame you for something you did not do, so that he could sow discord between us, am I right?” Hannah’s words made the other agents look at Jude with doubt and suspicion. Right before the match to decide who would become the chief, Hannah was ambushed by the Ryokanians. Saying Jude was not involved or the mastermind behind it would be difficult to believe. The coincidence was uncanny. Even though Hannah took the initiative to defend Jude, it was clear that Rio was most likely the Plan B he had prepared before the match. Jude was left speechless. He took a deep breath, feigned a calm look, and closed the box before giving it to his agent. He forced a smile and said, “Deputy Chief Delmore, I am delighted by the
Then, Kaze took a phone from Hannah, tapped on the screen, and dialed a number. “And I will survive… I, I will survive…” An old-fashioned ringtone broke the silence—it was Jude’s phone ringing. The caller ID displayed on his screen read Casius Weather. Jude was horrified when the words appeared before him. “Huh?! Huh!” He panted heavily, his forehead glistened in sweat. He stared at his phone screen but he did not have the courage to answer it. “Uncle Jude is having difficulties answering a phone? Why don’t I help you with that?” Collier smirked as he picked up the phone from Jude’s hand and slid to answer. Kaze’s voice came from the phone, “Deputy Chief Gwake, is this all you got? You’re disappointing.” The moment the voice reached his ears, Jude felt as though all his energy had been drained. It was as if he had aged a decade in an instant. The confidence and delight vanished from his face, leaving him in a devastated state. Without Casius making the connectio
Jude struggled onto his feet with his jelly arms and legs. He lifted his chest and said with gritted teeth, “Kaze Lee! I will never comply! Not to you, not to Hannah! Regardless of whether you are the branch leader, or she is the chief! “Even if you kill me, the answer is no!” Refusing to submit was his last resort, he decided to protect the last bit of his dignity. “You said it.” Kaze nodded and then walked over to Jude. “What are you trying to do?!” Jude’s remaining followers bellowed and stood in front of him, their hands reaching into their pockets. When Kaze entered Drake Gym, a clear order was given to forbid all firearms, and he was even searched twice. It was the rule set by the organizer and agreed upon by both sides. Yet the moment the rule was set, it was destined that one side would certainly break it. The loyal followers drew their guns. “You’re asking for it.” Kaze’s eyes turned cold as he swept them away with a slap, leaving them no chance to even
A piece of scrap. The sacred weapon of the Viper’s Den, the weapon that represented the power and authority of the organization, albeit a replica, was the symbol of power in the entire West State Viper’s Den. Yet Kaze called it a piece of scrap. He might be the only one brave enough to call the sword a piece of scrap, and no one dared to correct him. They knew exactly what he meant. Power and authority never relied on a symbol or an item; it stemmed from one’s true power, absolute power. Kaze undoubtedly showed them a taste of his incredible power. All of Jude’s loyal followers, twenty of them, were killed and none of them was able to endure a single hit from Kaze. The ex-branch chief of the Butterworth Branch, Alfonso, was one of the strongest in the West State Viper’s Den, who came with experience given his age. Yet he was stomped and kicked away like a ragdoll. The impactful scenes were much more convincing than someone raising the Nether Viper Sword, whining and
Every agent in the gym, be it on Hannah’s side or Jude’s side, knelt immediately. Buffy looked at Kaze, excited and emotional. She was truly happy for him. Many people had looked down on him before, calling him a bumpkin from Lilyrose, a live-in husband and son-in-law, a braggart, but he never changed. Now with his identity revealed, no one would look down on him anymore. Hope and her friends were horrified, their faces ashened. Kaze had become the one person that Hope had to look up to—the branch leader of the West State Viper’s Den. He was more powerful than Casius, or maybe all the Riverbank Seven combined. Hope’s friends were deeply regretful. Given Kaze’s identity, they would surrender their bodies to serve him, let alone marry off their daughters to him. Either way, it would be considered climbing the social ladder. However, their short-sightedness caused them to miss the opportunity to forge a connection with someone of such significance. It felt even more te
Jude looked up at Kaze and Buffy in hesitation for a moment before lamenting, “I have lied to you, Kaze, Buffy. I’m afraid I can’t honor my promise to you.” “How so?” Kaze furrowed his brows. He doubted Jude would carry on playing mind games with him. Jude said with a wry smile, “I have done a lot of terrible things to get ahead in life, but I would never kill my wife.” “Oh, really?”Kaze smiled skeptically. Jude bit the bullet and uttered, “Tulip, Buffy’s mother, came from a powerful family in Midstate. “She was stronger and more talented than me when she joined the Viper’s Den. “There was no way I could’ve put her in a coma. “Besides, Faith and I just met when she fell into a coma. Though we were flirting, I wasn’t sure I was going to marry her. Heck, I haven’t learned that she was part of the Westeros Krads. I couldn’t have possibly been associated with the Krads and harmed Tulip. “Tulip didn’t turn brain-dead because of me. I just happened to find out that Fa
The rusted throwing star could not possibly still carry poison. Kaze held the weapon for a look before saying indifferently, “Since you kept this thing, you must know something about it.” “This meteor dart is the Ryokanian assassins’ typical weapon,” Jude replied with a nod. Kaze sneered. “You suspect that Buffy’s mother’s death is related to the Ryokanians. Yet, you collude with them anyway.” Buffy looked at Jude emotionlessly. She used to think Jude was just playing with fire, but he was clearly embracing the enemy as his own. Jude said embarrassedly, “I haven’t been able to find evidence to prove that Buffy’s mother is related to the Ryokanians.” “You couldn’t or you wouldn’t?” The curt question came from Buffy, stripping Jude of any dignity left. “I was reluctant to probe further.” Jude nodded with a wry smile. “Besides, if the Ryokanians have something to do with your mother, I can’t understand their motive. “I wasn’t even a deputy chief then. I doubt I had
Kaze had a wonderful meal at Emerald Bull Palace. The dishes prepared by the chef were amazing. “Branch Leader, with this cup of tea, I propose a toast.” Jude got up with a cup of tea in his hand and proposed a toast. Kaze did not drink alcohol, so the others dared not consume it either. He picked up the cup for a sip and then continued eating while waiting for Jude to speak his true intention. He knew Jude had something in his mind. Jude then bowed and said, “Branch Leader, Alfonso and I are here today at Emerald Bull Palace to discuss how we should apologize to you. “As for other ulterior motives, after yesterday, I have gotten rid of them. From today onward, I will serve you wholeheartedly. “As for Buffy, I have also apologized to her. I used my connection to transfer her mother to the best rehabilitation center in Westeros. Also, from today onward, Buffy will be the head of the Gwakes. She will have the power to decide every affair in the household. “Both my fat
“Branch Leader?!” Juan was also shocked, but he quickly regained his composure and said, “Master! Master Lee is not just my savior, he’s the benefactor of my entire lineage! He practically gave me a second life! He’s like my parents reincarnated!” He looked proud when he described Kaze as if calling a young man master was the proudest thing he could do. Little did others know, Kaze did help Juan expand The Oracle’s Codex of the 16 Cosmic Keys to 32 keys. Juan had been working on deciphering the keys for some time now. The more he studied, the more he realized his knowledge of The Oracle was ridiculous and a bunch of bullshit. Yet even with the bullshit, his lineage was extended for multiple generations. He was excited the more he learned because he knew that the new keys that he got from Kaze would only make his lineage stronger in the future. Alfonso barely reacted to Juan’s words but Jude was shocked and jealous. Something must have happened between Kaze and Juan be
As Kaze expected, Alfonso was indeed afraid of being abandoned after he served his purpose of cleansing the Butterworth Branch. He was afraid that once he completed his task, Kaze would kick him away to calm the raging agents down. If Kaze had such intention, given Alfonso’s current situation, he could not do anything but accept it. Fortunately, Kaze did not have such plans. “Fine. Let’s go to Juan.” Kaze nodded and gestured at them to lead the way. “This way, Branch Leader!” Jude and Alfonso bowed respectfully, then adopted a gesture of invitation before leading the way forward. It was then that Natalie, Cyan’s assistant, who was sent to fetch wine from the car, stepped out and saw the shocking scene, leaving her speechless. Jude and Alfonso were frightened by Draig but the two of them remained prominent figures. Yet she saw them bowing and nodding in front of Kaze, acting like they were his loyal followers. Natalie was arrogant but not stupid. Connecting the s
Kaze shook his head and then walked off alone. “Branch Leader!” “Branch Leader!” As soon as Kaze came out, Jude and Alfonso, who had been waiting for him, came over immediately. The two of them were prominent figures in Riverbank and Butterworth, yet they stood before Kaze like a humble servant, looking scared and cautious. What Cyan and the others did not notice earlier were the faint palm prints on their faces. Though not as obvious after some treatment, a closer look at it would be frightening. Kaze glanced at them and frivolously asked, “What’s the matter? Coming back for revenge so soon? Not happy about what happened last night? I’m alone now and you guys set an ambush for me?” His words left the two old men stunned, their smiles frozen. The air suddenly felt awkward. Jude quickly said, “Branch Leader, please don’t joke with us. I accepted my fate wholeheartedly since last night and I don’t have any complaints, let alone setting up an ambush for you.” “Really?”
Unfortunately, the influencers knew that a man like Draig would never be interested in them, the common ones. “Only a man like Draig is worthy of our love! Some men aren’t even men!” “Yeah. He didn’t even speak a word, what a coward! I don’t even know what Ms. Frost sees in him.” “What a coward. He doesn’t even dare to speak up in front of Draig. Is he even capable of protecting Ms. Frost?” The influencers belittled Kaze once more to flatter Draig. They looked at Kaze with contempt, like he was the slug in a drain. As for Kaze, he simply ignored all of them, refusing to waste his time on some random women. Cyan noticed Draig had stepped down, so she, too, did not want to force Snow. She said, “Stop it, you guys. Since Draig has decided, we should respect his decision.” Her contempt for Kaze was similar to her friends. However, since Snow had chosen Kaze, Cyan felt it was inappropriate to dwell on the topic. Cyan strongly believed Kaze was a troublemaker. She even pl
“Thank you, Draig! If not for you, I’ll be in danger!” Cyan breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes at Draig showed brazen admiration. She believed only a man like Draig was worthy of her attention. On the other hand, Kaze was not even worthy to be a slave to Draig and he refused to give up, persistently trying to get her attention. Then, Cyan looked at Snow and asked, “Snow, you saw how amazing Draig was. Who else in Riverbank can make the deputy chief of the South River Branch apologize to me with just a few words? Even the Riverbank Seven can’t do it. “For your own safety, I think you should let Draig protect you. Don’t just get some random John Doe from the streets! You are putting yourself at risk!” She had a frivolous glance at Kaze when she spoke to Snow. Draig helped her and saved her face, so she wanted to return the favor by matchmaking him with Snow. Snow’s expression turned ashen. She disliked how Cyan belittled Kaze and aggrandized Draig. “Cyan, I told you Ka
“Yeah!” Rafael grinned. He attentively stepped up and bowed to Jude, saying, “Deputy Chief Gwake, it’s that woman! Her name is Cyan Yemen! She’s a bold one! Given your identity…” “Slap!” Before he could finish, Jude slapped him in the face. “What identity? What identity could a normal old man have? So what if this young lady disrespects me? There are a lot of people in this world who disrespect me, should I go after them one by one? “You, on the other hand, used my name and bullied others, causing me problems and tarnishing my reputation. I just asked you to drive me around, I don’t even know you that well! “You bastard! Apologize to the young lady right now!” Jude slapped Rafael in the face back and forth as he scolded him, even kicking him to the floor. He was indeed an old fox, knowing when to put his dignity away. He disregarded his image and indirectly surrendered. He might look agitated but he was able to cut ties with Rafael with just a few words, hence shiftin
“Deputy Chief Gwake!” As Jude swaggered in with his hands behind his back, other than a few, most of the people were surprised. The identity of deputy chief of the South River Branch still carried weight in Riverbank. Behind him was an expressionless Alfonso, the ex-branch chief of the Butterworth Branch. The two of them must be up to something. “So this is Deputy Chief Gwake?” Before Jude could speak, Draig stepped up and peered down at the man. “I am Draig Tenby from Uleania. My father is Birch Tenby, the grandmaster of the Uleania Martial Arts Society.” “Oh? You’re Grandmaster Tenby’s son?” Jude had heard of the name and was willing to step down out of respect for the man. He nodded politely. “I see you know who you are dealing with.” Draig’s arrogance soared as he said, “Cyan is my friend. No one can take her away today. Since Deputy Chief Gwake has stepped in, I’ll let your chauffeur go for the disrespectful things he said earlier.” He then lifted his hand to
In addition, Jude had the time and mood to dine at Emerald Bull Palace, even asking Rafael to be the chauffeur. Rafael instinctively thought Jude was still the deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River Branch, commanding the agents and wielding power that could move the organization. To him, even though Hannah won the competition and was promoted to chief, she still had to show some respect to a veteran deputy chief like Jude. Therefore, he disregarded Cyan and the mention of Hannah and Collier’s names. Little did he know, Jude made him the chauffeur for the day because there was no one else around to take up the job. Jude’s closest men and Serene died at Kaze's hands. Jude could no longer command the agents of the Viper’s Den anymore. He was alone, isolated, and helpless, and in to look good, he tricked Rafael, someone who did not know what exactly happened, to serve him. When Cyan heard Rafael, her face paled. Even though she mentioned Hannah and Collier’s names, sh