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?”
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
“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
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
Kaze’s frivolous tone left Jude speechless, his eyelids even twitched helplessly. He did not argue and simply nodded without hesitation. “I will transfer my remaining shares to Buffy.” He knew Kaze was not trying to negotiate with him. If it was a suggestion from Kaze, then there would be no space for resistance or negotiations. Kaze nodded and hummed a reply. He did not show any mercy to Jude, the old fox. Jude was on the weaker side at the moment and he was doing everything he could to earn favors. Therefore, Kaze wanted to use the chance to secure some benefits for Buffy. Otherwise, once he was no longer in “power”, Jude would turn on him faster than a bolt of lightning. Kaze continued eating and lecturing Jude and Alfonso. The two old men nodded repeatedly and were as obedient as loyal dogs. After the meal, Kaze rejected Juan’s offer to relax at a hot spring and then went back to Cyan’s gathering. “Oh, Kaze! You’re back. You haven’t eaten anything right?”
Draig’s expression might have darkened but he was able to hold his emotions back. He knew Snow was trying to make him mad. As for Kaze, if even Cyan had no respect for him, he believed Snow would never lower herself to such standards. Draig was confident that he could move Snow with his actions and eventually, he could get under her pants. “What’s the matter with Draig?” Kaze asked Snow after they got into the car. Snow lifted her chin slightly and said, “We were at St. Mary Hospital for a while back then. This guy wanted to protect me 24/7, and on the first day, he tried to hold my hands and said it was love at first sight. “The second day, he tried to get into my room. After I scolded him, he said he grew up in Uleania and people there are open-minded. “I kicked him out, but then he got to Cyan and used her to bring me here. He’s just a shameless guy. I hate people like him.” After going through thick and thin with Kaze, Snow started to show her more vulnerable and fe
The Frost family wanted to unite with the Krads by marrying Snow to Aaron. Therefore, when Kaze mentioned the Krad family, Snow turned to him and asked softly, “Mr. Chairman, did you know which organization of assassins was after the Frost family?” “Which one?” Kaze had no idea. When May visited Lilyrose, he overheard a mention of the Frost family’s enemies returning for revenge, with the leader being Midas King. Snow said, “The organization has many names. At first, they were known as Hellsearch, but people eventually just called them Hell. “I heard they don’t take normal payments to take lives. It’s either gold bars or a debt.” Kaze narrowed his eyes and said, “So once they had their eyes on a target, they would do whatever it takes and send them to hell?” There were meanings behind their name. The first would be that the killers of Hellsearch were difficult to find, or in a more direct iteration, as hard as hell to search. Secondly, once Hell received an assignment
The killers from Hell might not be the strongest but they could easily overwhelm the target with numbers. Not all organizations had the power to withstand their relentless attacks. It was also the reason that the Frost family lived in fear once they found out Midas King was after them. The fact that the Frost family members were not frightened by the news was a testament to their strong mental fortitude. Snow nodded and said coldly, “That’s why the Frost family hired the Krads and sent Aiden…” …In the car tailing Kaze and Snow sat Aiden, dressed in a white suit. He leaned back with legs crossed and a cigar smoldering between his fingers. He expressionlessly stared at the car in front, his gaze icy. Beside him was a woman in a traditional Ryokanian outfit. Her black traditional outfit had golden linings around the edges and an open chest design, showing off her large bosoms wrapped in bandages and her shoulder with a tattoo in red and green. The woman’s hair was tied i
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
Kaze had seen through his shameless mother-in-law. Halfway through lunch, a sudden call interrupted the peaceful scene. Hector picked up the call with the fork in his hand. Clink! After listening to the call, his fork fell, and his expression shifted. “What?! Madam Dark and her daughter are dead!?” His words silenced the entire dining table. Even Kaze looked at Hector with shock. Madam Dark and the others died already? By the time he put down the phone, he looked dazed and lost. Anxious, Agnes asked him, “What happened? Madam Dark died?” “I heard she was killed in a car accident on the way to the hospital. Six of them were in the car, none made it out alive. The truck driver was driving under influence.” Hector’s face paled as he continued, “But according to the police, it is suspected that someone staged the car crash because it feels as if the truck driver knew Madam Dark and the others were going to be there. “The truck driver was in heavy debt due to gambl
Phoenix wore unmistakable schadenfreude on her face as she looked at Joan. She said, “Hate him now? Do you want them dead?” Her voice was filled with temptation. She could not stage a car crash in Riverbank without being noticed, so she had to ask Joan, a local Quint family member, to plot it. The news twisted Joan’s expression. She screamed, “I’ll kill you, Kaze Lee! I’ll kill you too, Darcy! I want all of them dead!” The Road family, her strongest support, was wiped out. If she rejected Phoenix’s request, there was no way she could walk away alive. She was left with no options. “Good girl.” Phoenix tapped Joan’s face with a victorious smile. Then, she frowned and said, “But you are right. Kaze Lee has some strong support here in Riverbank. He can deal with the police, so simply framing him is not enough, or we will be in trouble.” After a quick ponder, she clapped her hands and cried, “I got it! We’ll stick with the car crash, but we can use it to lure Darcy and her f
Whenever a family grew larger, the bond between its members would eventually weaken and the fight for power was inevitable. There were many histories of family conflicts that tore apart the family members, resulting in serious fights. The Quints had a long history in Arcadia. Back in the day, the head of the Quints had many wives, which eventually spread out into different branches across the country. With that many branches, the sharing of profits would surely be complicated. Phoenix knew that if she returned empty-handed, her reputation and image would be destroyed and she would lose her value to the family. In time, she might be poisoned during her meal or run over when she crossed the road. The assets that her own family possessed would eventually be split up among the others who shared her name like vultures eating her corpse. It was not a groundless speculation or a scary imagination. It was real because she did it many times before to others who shared her name.
Phoenix instinctively moved the phone away from her ears and was stunned for a few seconds before her expression turned ashen. “Kaze Lee broke Shadow’s arm? Crippled both of you? You piece of trash! You can’t even take care of them? What gives you the idea that you still have the right to call me?” She shouted back at the phone, and her voice echoed across the entire ward. “Uh…” Dark had expected punishment of scolding and even abandonment by her master whom she had served for decades, yet she did not expect it to be this quick. “Smash!” Phoenix smashed the phone on the floor. She remained standing and upset. There was a fierce and resentful aura around her as she clenched her fists. Her frosty gaze could send chills down one’s spine. Even Joan’s face paled and her body trembled. She dared not even talk to Phoenix. “Dark, that useless hag! Kaze Lee, that piece of shit! Darcy and her goddamned family! They are all useless! They all should die!” Her anger erupted like
“Madam Quint, it’s going to be alright now. Madam Dark and Shadow are on their way to the Quints and they will surely bring Darcy back.” At Riverbank Prime Hospital, Joan was consoling Phoenix, who was sulky after the incident. Joan wore a face unmistakable of schadenfreude. She was jealous of Darcy from the moment they both met. Darcy, a girl from a distant Quint family from the small city of Lilyrose, had no right to be in the same position as her, the daughter of a well-known and powerful family in Riverbank. Yet Darcy was better than her in every aspect. Darcy was more beautiful, more capable, and was the chairwoman of Sky Ocean Corporation that was worth billions. She became the branch head of the Quints at a young age, where the other family members had to listen to her. Jealousy had blinded Joan to the point that she believed everything that Darcy owned, except for her stupid useless husband, should be hers. She wanted to snatch everything from Darcy. It explaine
“Aaargh! Kaze Lee, I will kill you!” Suddenly, Shadow shouted and dashed toward Kaze. She thought her mother was caught off guard by Kaze’s slaps and got slightly disoriented, hence unable to fight back. Yet she quickly realized that Kaze could kill her mother with slaps. Therefore, without a doubt, as soon as she engaged Kaze, she, too, was sent flying by the furious slaps, crashing into the wall behind her like her mother. Kaze said, “You hurt the executives of Sky Ocean Corporation and broke their arms and legs. Now I’m breaking one of your arms, rendering you useless. Consider it revenge.” Another one was crushed! Looking at Shadow’s broken arm, the other followers turned pale. “You little bastard! I’ll kill you and your family…” Dark slowly regained her composure and began shouting again. She had roamed unchallenged for years, yet now, not only had she been defeated, but she was also crippled. Her daughter also suffered the same fate. To the merciless Phoenix