Terry was dumbfounded. He could not understand why Lightning Tiger would suddenly hit him. The other young men and women were shocked by Lightning Tiger’s stunt. “Why should I do you a favor?”Lightning Tiger said menacingly, “Even if your dad is here, I’m his boss. Who do you think you are?” His voice echoed across the lounge. Lightning Tiger was bummed out today. Yet, a young man acted like he was all that in front of him. Of course, Lightning Tiger had to put him in his place. Terry scrambled to his feet. “I-I was wrong, Lighting Tiger. I won’t do it again.” A strange smell lingered in the room. Everybody sniffed and quickly fixated on Terry. Terry, who gave Kaze an attitude moments ago, had just peed his pants. The looks Terry got were hurtful. He wanted to sink into the ground and disappear from the face of the earth. “Spineless prick. Get lost.” Lightning Tiger kicked Terry to the ground. He stared menacingly at the young men and women in the lounge. Th
“Kaze should have just kept his mouth shut. I must get Darcy to divorce him.” Rose was grateful that Kaze stood up for her. However, Kaze offered her to sit with Lightning Tiger for 100 million dollars per drink. He was trying to make money off her. Rose was disappointed and furious. Only Lightning Tiger frowned. The voice sounded familiar. Before Lightning Tiger said anything, his men went after Kaze. “Fuck! I see an idiot hiding in the corner. Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear when we told all the men to get out?” The man, who had been fooling around with a butterfly knife, yelled while moving toward the dark corner. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. Something happened. Before anybody knew it, the thug cried out loud as he was knocked off his feet. He crashed onto the LCD screen on the wall before sliding to the ground. The thug had a lot of cuts all over his body. “That’s not how you use a butterfly knife.” A flat tone ensued. Plop. The butterfly knife, that was su
“Never mind. What’s the point of taking your life? I expect you to pay respects on my buddy’s death anniversary.” Lightning Tiger was relieved. Kaze said, “I have a rule, though. The price of upsetting me is never waived.“Like you, Gold Tooth has surrendered his assets, but he annoyed me again, so I told him to pull out his two front teeth.” Kaze added indifferently, “Leave something behind before you go.” Lightning Tiger thought about it before crawling to grab the butterfly knife Kaze threw on the ground. Gritting his teeth, he stabbed his hand. “Argh!” Lightning Tiger yelled in distress as two bloodied fingers dropped on the floor. “I sliced two of my fingers, Mr. Lee. I keep my arms intact so that I can give Mr. White a proper burial on his death anniversary,” Lightning Tiger said through the pain. Screams echoed in the private lounge. Kaze waved his arm with a blank face. “Beat it.” Lightning Tiger took his men and scrambled with their tails tucked between t
Kaze and Rose arrived at Dynasty Hotel. The building was hung with a huge poster of Taylor, and the security was tight at the entrance. “Let’s join the line to get tickets, Kaze.” Rose dragged Kaze to the end of the line. “Weren’t you going home, Rose?” The members of the fan club came along. Terry was among them. He had a change of clothes. He turned his head away in distress when he saw Rose. Terry was scared and resentful toward Kaze. Kaze embarrassed and cockblocked him tonight. He did not expect the husband of Rose’s cousin to be a good fighter. Kaze managed to disarm Lightning Tiger’s subordinate and spook Lightning Tiger to get on his knees. At first, Kaze blew Terry’s mind away. Later, Terry convinced himself that Kaze was simply good at fighting. That was nothing else worth commending. “Yeah. Kaze agreed to take me to the meet-and-greet,” Rose said proudly. They chatted until it was their turn to get the tickets. “Hello there. I would like to purcha
An MPV cruised along under the protection of the bodyguards in suits. No doubt it was Taylor in the car. A group of young men and women grew excited. One of the fans shouted, “We should tell Taylor about the unauthorized ticket price increase by the organizer. Taylor cares about us fans. She will help us.” “That’s right. We should let Taylor know.” The others agreed. Once Taylor stepped out of the parked MPV, the group started yelling. “Taylor, the organizer raised the ticket price without permission!” “We want a fair ticket price! We want to attend your meet-and-greet!” The staff member responsible for ticket sales scowled, unable to stop the group’s outburst. In the end, the staff member called her superior. “What happened, Alisa?” Blocking her expression with a pair of sunglasses, Taylor waved at the fans while asking her agent. The agent got off the phone and replied, “These fans aren’t pleased that the ticket price has been raised to 20 grand. Why don’t y
“I’m sure all of you are Taylor’s true fans. “Taylor’s career has just taken off. If you like her work, please support her. Every bit helps her climb the showbiz ladder.“That’s all I have to say. We are grateful to all supporting fans. “It’s fine if you don’t want to show any support. Please leave now before we call the cops for causing a disturbance.” Alisa then walked away without hesitation. The fans were dumbfounded. The circumstances remained unchanged. In the end, it was pointless protesting about the price increase. A handful of fans paid 20 thousand dollars for a ticket and walked into the hotel as the other fans watched on enviously. “Hey, don’t you want to attend Taylor’s meet-and-greet?” Terry said with a smile. “Duh, Terry, but we don’t have the money. The organizer is just fishing for more cash.” “Money is no issue.” Terry whipped out a credit card and handed it over to the staff member. He said with great generosity, “I’ll pay for everybody’s ticke
“Taylor’s agent and the organizer hiked up the price. It has nothing to do with Taylor.“She’s the best to us fans. Taylor is kind. I bet she’ll be mad to know about this.” Despite feeling down, Rose defended Taylor. Kaze shook his head. Even though he did not know much about showbiz, he knew celebrities would assume a persona in public. The celebrities only showed the public what they wanted the public to see. There was no telling how these celebrities would behave in private. Rose seemed oblivious to that fact, though. She was too deep in her fandom. Kaze said, “I can take you into the hotel if you want to attend the meet-and-greet, Rose.” “Really, Kaze? Do you have enough for the tickets?” Rose asked excitedly. Kaze shook her head. “We’re not getting the tickets. What’s the point of meeting Taylor with a large group of people? I will get you a private meeting with her. At least you get to see her true colors.” He did not want to hear Rose talking about the woman
“Mr. Chairman, Taylor Swan’s agent has been notified.” While taking the elevator up, Kaze received a call from Snow. “Tell her to make it quick. I hate waiting.” When Kaze hung up, Rose still did not take her eyes away from him. “What’s the matter?” “Kaze, can you really get Taylor to see you?” Rose still could not believe it was real. She heard Kaze on the phone, offering 100 million dollars to Taylor to meet with them in private. Here Rose thought that Kaze was bragging again. However, the general manager of Dynasty Hotel tended to him. Rose could not find any other explanation for the general manager’s behavior. “I thought she was here to see you since you are eager to meet her.” Kaze added with a smile, “I just wanted to chat with her about one thing.” “Mr. Lee, Ms. Oceanid, we have arrived at Emperor Hall.” With the elevator stopping, Lincoln announced. “Wow!” Rose’s jaw dropped when she stepped into the venue. She was dazzled by Emperor Hall’s lavish
To the young group’s surprise, Kaze pulled through without a hitch. That was not the only thing. Kaze retaliated against Robin and destroyed his beloved harp. The group speculated that Kaze could be stronger than Hannah. They looked at Kaze in horror. Still, it never once occurred to the group that Kaze was more powerful than Robin. Robin raised his arm. The young group got their act together and saluted Robin before taking two steps back. Robin narrowed his eyes at Kaze before uttering, “Not bad.“I didn’t think I’d meet someone of your caliber in Riverbank. “You have a stronger will than most of my men. “Despite your age, you put even the most experienced to shame with that determination of yours.” The young group felt alarmed and ashamed. The members of the execution hall were the elites in the West State Branch. They were the crème de la crème. However, they swayed under the sound wave attack. Though the group was around Kaze’s age, they did not possess h
“Get out!” Kaze gave Hannah the look. Hannah quietly turned around and stumbled her way out. Robin glanced at Kaze as his fingers danced around the harp. “I will behead the general, and once it’s over, tears will fall and fade away.” The tempest of sound took over the room by storm. Kaze felt sent back to his time during the war. He watched his comrades fall. Time lost meaning as the war came to an end. The battle cries subsided, replaced by silence. His brothers-in-arms were no more than a pile of unidentified bones. Even Kaze’s faithful steed whined its farewell. Darkness swallowed the last light over the desolate desert, and he was alone. There was nothing left in the world worth fighting for. No one would remember his death in a faraway land. It was better to die with honor than live in shame. The thought filled Kaze’s head, and emotions overcame him. He was better off dead. Life was not worth living anyway. A voice within tempted Kaze. The craz
Robin did not even look at Collier.Saying nothing, Robin extended his fingers and plucked the harp. “Clang!” A jarring, high-pitched sound wave pierced through everybody’s eardrums. The air was filled with a chilling aura of menace.The serenity on the ninth floor was shattered by the sound of the harp and replaced with malice. Collier and the young group turned pale. Only Robin, Kaze, and Hannah remained unfazed by the attack. “Amid the sweeping wind, the flute’s song echoes in the night. The desert sun descends for the crescent moon above. “To the sound of camel bells, I long for my home. I hold onto my sword, leaving letters where I lay my head.” The wind danced along the melody of General’s Order played by the harp, dropping the temperature down on the ninth floor. Robin’s clothes and hair fluttered against the wind, his face unreadable through it all. His eyes remained cold and distant. General’s Order was a piece known for its unsettling tone. Robin playe
The man’s hypocrisy was sickening. No one stood up for Kaze when Naomi and Rhys slandered him and their fighters tried to end him. When Kaze fought back, there were voices standing on high moral ground to reproach him. “You…” The middle-aged man twitched and breathed his last. The crowd was scared. Kaze was one mean killing machine. Sure, Kaze eliminated the Roads. The Roads were not going to rest until he was dead anyway. However, one man died because of what he had said. It was a clear message not to upset Kaze. Kaze had the taste of blood. He would not stop now. “Get Boris’ head.” Kaze tilted his head at Collier. “Bring it to Robin.” As the crowd watched on with a mix of emotions, Kaze carried the broken sword, the tip dripping with blood, and strode over Boris’ body and into River Watch Inn’s park. Collier led the way, taking Kaze to the ninth floor of River Watcher Inn. The furious wind and swirling clouds added to the building’s height and presence
Boris stumbled back and crashed into the door. The metal door ripped from its hinges and hit the ground. Once the dust settled, the crowd was horrified to find Boris lying limp on the floor. Kaze stood right in front of Boris, his foot on his chest.“Do you have any last words?” Kaze looked down on Boris amusedly, his tone carrying no arrogance. The victory over Boris was no big deal. Boris looked at Kaze in a daze. Kaze was stronger than he could ever imagine. Given another chance, Boris would never upset Kaze at Four Ocean Auction. Boris would not try to retaliate against Kaze even when his son lost his legs. It was a shame that he could not press the reset button. Even if Boris could turn back time, it was highly unlikely that he would show mercy to a moocher. “Ugh…” Boris coughed out blood and said with a struggle, “Kaze, I saved the Godfather before. If you kill me, you will be dead—” “Slash!” Kaze cut Boris off with a stab in the heart. Blood spur
Following the clash of metal, Kaze moved away several feet. The sword in his grasp broke in half, and the tip fell off. Boris grunted, his composed face turning crimson. He staggered and fell back tens of feet too. The crowd was shocked at the thirty-feet shallow pit under Boris’ feet. It was impossible. Twenty years ago, Boris basically had Riverbank in the palm of his hand. Yet, Kaze pushed him back. Anyone could tell that Boris was on the losing end. Boris was in utter disbelief because his wired gloves were splintered by the seams. Reminded by Kaze’s attack at Four Ocean Auction, Boris finally realized how terrifying Kaze was. “I underestimated you, Kaze. “But you killed my wife and son. There’s no going back. You must die today.” Boris looked Kaze dead in the eye and hissed through clenched teeth, “I will kill you!” Kaze raised his sword. The broken sword was still a powerful weapon to Kaze. The air was thick with tension. Boris scowled and flung his
Kaze looked up to Boris barging through the door with his trusted aides. The crowd shied away, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire. The deaths of his son and wife had driven Boris into insanity, and he was out for blood. Anyone would go crazy in the same situation. Boris stared at the bodies of his son and wife menacingly. His eyes turned red at Naomi’s headless corpse.Kaze killed his son, murdered his wife, and beheaded her right in front of Boris. Boris would not stop until Kaze was dead. “Kill him! Kill him!”Boris pointed at Kaze and shouted maniacally, “I don’t care what it takes, but I want him dead!” The deaths of his wife and son were infuriating enough. Boris was aware that Naomi and Rhys would go to Kaze, looking for trouble. He deliberately stayed behind the scenes, giving his wife a chance to punish and kill Kaze. To buy his wife some time to take care of business, Boris stayed on to have drinks with Robin. However, Naomi and Rhys were killed
The security team recoiled in screams and dropped their weapons. Before the musclemen knew it, Kaze raised his sword and inched closer. The blade flashed, its motion a blur.“Slash!” The menacing blade flickered across the throats of the musclemen. A dozen Roads’ fighters fell limp amid the high-pitched squawking. Blood spewed out of the thin slits of their throats. One dozen men breathed their last. The bodies on the floor scared the crowd stiff. No one expected Kaze to be so strong. Kaze was able to come on his own despite the siege. “Get him! Kill him!” Naomi had completely lost it. She yelled at the veteran bruisers, “Kill the asshole! Avenge my son!” The senior fighters were so eager to frame Kaze before. Now, they were scared stiff. Naomi’s order put them in the spot. While they hesitated and even released their grip on their weapons, Kaze struck. “Swoosh!” Kaze swung the sword at the senior fighters. The fighters collapsed to the ground, wailing
Rhys lay limp on the floor, his face forever frozen in disbelief.The crowd was stunned, feeling chills down their spines. One minute ago, Rhys was alive and kicking. However, Kaze took his life with just one squeeze. Kaze’s aggression and hostility when ending Rhys scared them. “Ah! My son!” Reality sunk in after a brief pause. Naomi plunged toward her son’s body with a pale face. Despite shaking Rhys, Naomi shuddered to find that he was no more. She fell on her bottom. It was every parent’s worst nightmare. Besides, she was there to witness the death of her son. The feeling could drive her over the edge. Moments later, Naomi lifted her head, bloody tears running down her eyes. She yelled at Kaze hysterically, “You did this, Kaze! You did this!“Kill him! Kill the jerk!“I want his life for taking my son’s!” Losing her head, Naomi commanded the Roads’ musclemen. The crowd backed away so as not to be caught in the line of fire. “Kill him!” The Roads’ secu