“Agnes, is this boy your future son-in-law? Come on, give the boy a break. Today is a happy day.” Agnes’ friends from abroad did not know that Kaze and Darcy had been married for years. Curious, they appraised Kaze, assuming he was Darcy's boyfriend, which explained their friendly tone. Agnes grunted and said, “Don’t simply assume. He has nothing to do with our family!” “Mrs. Quint! Congratulations! You look stunning today!” Ren, in his handsome suit, came over with a flattering smile. “Ren, you are too kind. I’m too old to be stunning.” Agnes welcomed Ren with a bright smile and even eagerness to hold his arm. “Agnes, is this your future son-in-law? You seemed to like him a lot.” Agnes’ friends looked at Ren as if the presentable and wealthy young man was Darcy’s real boyfriend. “He’s Ren, a kind boy. His family owns Lily Garden Hotel.” This time around, Agnes did not provide a clear answer, she simply introduced Ren to her friends without confirming his identity.
“You’ve been badmouthing him? Tell me, other than bluffing, what else can you do?” Agnes glared at Kaze. If she had not been concerned about exacerbating the situation and let her friends know that Kaze was her legitimate son-in-law, which was embarrassing, she would have thrown Kaze out. “Mrs. Quint, it’s okay. This is a party, you should be happy. Don’t let him affect your mood.” Ren took all the credit and became the good guy while painting Kaze as evil. Agnes accepted his advice and spared Kaze for now. “Ren, the banquet is starting soon. Why don’t you go up to the stage and give a speech for me? I’m not good at speeches, I don’t want to be the laughing stock.” Ren was first surprised, then he became delighted. Agnes wanted him to speak on behalf of the Quint family. The meaning behind the decision was self-explanatory. “Mom, Ren isn’t family, how can you let him give a speech on stage? It should either be me or Kaze.” Darcy got nervous. Agnes glared at her. “Sh
Buzz heard his men and then looked at Richard. “You fat fuck! How dare you patronize me with a lousy hall? Do you want to die? Give us the Ocean Hall!” The guests were horrified and got up instantly. “What’s wrong with Agnes for hosting a party at this kind of place? We are here just to eat yet someone is threatening us…” Some of the guests started to grumble. Agnes was embarrassed when she heard the guests. She did not expect this situation.She mustered her courage and went up to the gangsters. “Sir, we are having a housewarming party and we’ve spent a lot of money. Why don’t you go have your meal somewhere else…” Slap! Buzz slapped her to the ground. “Shut the fuck up! Piss off!” Agnes immediately crawled away. “Mom!” Darcy came over to help her mother and Kaze was behind her. He glared at Buzz and tried to help Agnes up. “Don’t touch me!” Agnes angrily pushed him away. She covered her face and turned to Ren, asking, “Ren, this is your hotel, can you do so
The guests were ready to dig in.“Are you people for real going to eat now? All of you—leave the Ocean Hall immediately!” Ren came back a different person and started chasing everyone out while stomping angrily. The guests put their cutleries back on the table. Agnes hesitantly asked, “Ren, what happened? I thought you got rid of the gangsters!” “I couldn’t! So you people have to leave now!” Ren said impatiently. He was frightened. He wanted the guests to leave and could not be bothered to be patient with Agnes. Agnes stared at him for a few seconds and realized he was not joking. “Let’s go, everyone. I am sorry for this. This party is a disaster. If I have another chance, I’ll make it up to everyone. I’m so sorry.” Agnes apologized to her guests with tears rolling down her cheeks. The guests got up, feeling helpless and confused. They were here for the party but got chased out before they ate anything. “Mom, the party continues. We don’t need to leave.” Kaze sto
Oh? Kaze was amused by Gold Tooth’s reaction. “So, you’re saying that with all that meat and fat on you, you’re still empty?” “Master Lee, if you don’t mind, I can give you all my meat and fat. I dare not defy you. I will do whatever you want me to do.” Gold Tooth was delighted. It might be a good thing if he could serve Kaze. “You are not worthy.” Kaze knew exactly what the man was thinking. He shook his head and said, “Leave something and you can walk away.” He sized up the fat man from top to bottom. Gold Tooth was shaking but he dared not defy Kaze. “Master Lee, name whatever you want. Even if it's my arm or leg, I’ll give it to you!” “Today is an auspicious day, I don’t want bloodshed. How about getting rid of your shining gold teeth? It’s annoying,” Kaze said. “Huh?” Little did Gold Tooth expect Kaze to have him extract his signature golden teeth. The pair of golden teeth had become his trademark in the gang. “Yes, of course, Master Lee!” He clenched his t
Jack Joestar was Ren’s father, the second-generation leader of the Joestar family. “You idiot, how dare you say that about my father?!” Ren glared at Kaze when he heard Kaze calling his father by name. Agnes was also agitated. “Kaze, mind your words! What do you mean he’s not worthy? Darcy is younger than Mr. Joestar, so how is he unworthy to receive her toast?” Kaze shook his head helplessly when he saw Agnes trying to argue again. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have.” If Agnes’ enjoyment was not Kaze’s priority, he would have called Jack immediately and asked him to apologize. “You spineless coward!” Ren sneered right after Kaze surrendered to Agnes. He ignored Kaze and continued to flatter Agnes. He could tell that Agnes was in charge of the family, not even Hector had a say in anything. If Agnes viewed him as her son-in-law, then Darcy would have to divorce Kaze and he would be able to marry Darcy soon. No matter what Darcy said to refuse him, her mother would force her
Ren was delighted when he saw Darcy raise the toast. He knew Darcy had no intention to do so but she would comply if Agnes ordered her to. His plan of flattering Agnes worked perfectly. If he could manage the narrow-sighted stupid woman, she would then send her daughter to his bed. He poured a glass of wine for his father but then he realized his father was petrified. “Father, Darcy is raising a toast to you, what are you thinking?” “Huh?” Jack recovered his composure and saw the glass Ren gave him. The glass of wine was like a burning piece of coal and he immediately let go of it. Crank! The glass fell and shattered on the floor. Agnes was shocked. She thought Jack was unhappy with her daughter’s actions, so she shouted, “Darcy, what are you doing? I asked you to toast to Mr. Joestar and look what you made him do. Go get another glass for Mr. Joestar!” Jack was terrified. He knew Agnes had misunderstood him. “No, no! NO! Stop, don’t offer any toast!” The more h
Jack, who was already mortified, turned pale when he heard his son call Agnes a stupid woman. The little bastard was trying to get him killed! Slap! He got up immediately and slapped Ren in the face. Ren cried painfully and covered his face. “Father, why did you slap me!?” “I don’t just want to slap you, I want to strangle you! You little bastard!” Jack punched and kicked Ren mercilessly. Ren curled up like a shrimp while being beaten up by his father. His face was swollen after a few punches. “You little bastard! Kneel!” Jack dragged Ren over to Agnes and kicked his son behind his knees, forcing him to kneel. “Apologize to Mrs. Quint! Tell her what you did and be honest!” “What? What did I do?” Ren refused to submit. Jack was furious. He slapped his son again and shouted, “Tell her why you ordered Manager Brent to throw her on the street yesterday!” Agnes was stunned for a few seconds before she realized what Jack was referring to. “Ren, you were the one wh
Sasha’s lips moved once more, but Kaze’s gaze remained fierce, so she wisely zipped her mouth. “Not a problem, sir.” The storekeeper knew Kaze was a generous customer, so she nodded happily. Being a storekeeper for a luxurious brand required experience and taste. In less than ten minutes, the storekeeper selected three sets of outfits for Sasha, from top to bottom and outer to inner. “Miss, you try these.” Kaze swiped his card before Sasha had the time to regret or stop him. If the size did not fit, she could change it on the spot. Sasha looked at Kaze helplessly and then reluctantly followed the storekeeper to the changing room. A while later, Sasha came out in a new dress and with a blush on her face. Kaze was slightly surprised, looking at the brand new Sasha in a pure white dress. He had to praise the storekeeper for her sharp sense. The white dress emphasized the girl’s innocence and gentleness. “Miss, you are the first customer in our store to present su
Sasha looked troubled. She said, “The owner is paying? It’s okay! I’m wearing the clothes anyway; I should pay for them. The owner and the others took good care of me while at work, I don’t want to take advantage of them.” Kaze was left speechless. How could a little girl be as stubborn as a mule?“How are you taking advantage of them? I said, the owner wants you to wear beautiful clothes and get more business for them, so that they can earn more money. “You know the other employees actually have an allowance for shopping? Each of them has twenty thousand to buy clothes, but since you are just part-time, and you are new, you only have ten thousand.” Kaze continued to coax the girl. “Ten thousand?!” Sasha was shocked by the number. She shook her head and hands, “No! I don’t need that much! A few hundred is enough!” Ten thousand was enough for her to cover her daily expenses for two years or more. How could she spend all of them on clothes? Kaze chuckled. “Ten thousand i
Twenty minutes later, Sasha came out in fresh clothes. She wore a white T-shirt coupled with a pair of jeans, but the patches on them indicated that they were old clothes. She was holding her phone with a slight embarrassment on her face. “Sasha? What’s the matter?” Kaze asked. “Uh, it’s nothing. I-I have to call my school to inform my teacher.” Sasha then went to the corner to make the phone call. “Sasha, you should really try to be the emcee of the evening party. I always have high hopes for you but you are too shy. You blush whenever you talk to strangers. How are you going to adapt when you go out to work in the future? You should train yourself to speak up more. Try to go on stage.” The voice of a middle-aged woman came from the phone once it was connected. Sasha said shyly, “Ms. Cornell, thank you for your kindness, but I cannot afford to buy a gown. I won’t be joining the party.” “My dear, you should learn to be more open-minded. I said I would prepare the gown
Kaze gave the Golden Toad to June, wondering if she knew the origin of the artifact. Someone from one of the top ten families in Arcadia would certainly know more secrets than the ordinary. It was the greatest advantage they had over the ordinary people. “I have never seen this thing before.” June checked the Golden Toad carefully but shook her head. Surprised, she continued, “But this thing helped with Sasha’s condition? It’s crazy! It even hastened the removal of the Nine Phantom Lotus! It’s like a magical artifact! “I can go back and look at old texts in my family or maybe ask my elders about it. I might be able to get some clues.” She then gave the Golden Toad back to Kaze, having no desire to own it. She believed Kaze must have figured out her background, so she did not bother to conceal it further and decided to be honest. “Great. I’ll be waiting for your good news.” Kaze put the Golden Toad away and explained, “I’ll take this with me. The Krad family is looki
With the messy thoughts out of his head, Kaze concentrated on the treatment. In just a little over ten minutes, Sasha was freed from the pain, which had tormented her badly and drained her energy, leaving her exhausted. When the treatment was over, she was already asleep. Her lips curled into a sweet smile, seemingly dreaming about something nice. Her eyelashes had droplets of sweat hanging on the edges, a testament to her exhaustion. Looking at her exhausted look pained Kaze’s heart. He had also exhausted his energy. Performing the treatment for a full session was even more tiring than fighting a foreign martial arts expert. Noticing that the seventh petal of the Nine Phantom Lotus had almost faded, Kaze started to pull the needles out of Sasha’s body. He knew speed was not the key to curing the girl. Creek! It was then June came in through the door. She had a towel over her neck to wipe her sweat because she dared not take a shower after the treatment. Her face looked
“Mhm…” Sasha nodded. She tried her best not to make any noise. Kaze concentrated and started the treatment. Sasha’s back was covered with even more silver needles yet the pain showed no signs of subsiding. As Kaze continued the treatment, his brows furrowed and his forehead was covered in sweat. Suddenly, he felt hot around his waist and it was at that moment, Sasha felt a slight relief. Kaze asked, “Sasha, did you feel better just now?” “I-I think so. I felt like being poked by a thousand ice needles. It’s cold and painful, but now I started to feel warm…” she said timidly. While she was explaining, Kaze retrieved the hot object from his pouch; it was the Golden Toad he got from Aiden. When he first saw the Golden Toad, he was afraid it might contain radioactive materials, so he dared not touch it. However, realizing that Aiden carried it around—knowing he was not some idiot with no common sense—dispelled Kaze’s doubts. He looked at the shining Golden Toad and po
After spending some time with Sasha, Kaze had already treated her like a little sister. He felt bad when he heard her painful groans. After getting permission, he went inside the room. Sasha lay face down on the bed, her bare back exposed. Seven petals of the Nine Phantom Lotus glowed faintly on her skin. Her hair was drenched in sweat, clinging to her face. Her exposed cheek was slick with moisture, deathly pale, revealing agonizing pain. Her back was also covered with thin silver needles of different lengths, almost a dozen of them. As she shuddered due to the pain, the needles flickered with a chilling gleam. Kaze knew at first glance that the needles were an enhanced version of the Ghastly Thirteen Needles. Other than Kaze, June was the only one in Herbal Spring who could perform the technique, not even Dr. Wright, deemed one of the greatest doctors in West State, could do it. Dr. Wright was a medicine specialist, not acupuncture. June was performing the treatment o
“You are really a trouble magnet,” Miru mocked Kaze. A quick sigh later, she added, “But you are right. That man is really a problem. One of his feet is in the grave already and he’s still causing problems. He thinks everyone should respect and obey him. I’ve had it with his attitude a long time ago. “But I can’t make a move on him yet. I just got news that he actually saved some big shot’s life from West State Viper’s Den, and because of that, he got strong support.” When Miru first arrived at Riverbank, she hardly saw any progress. It was after Kaze helped her acquire Bronze Sparrow that her conquest of the underworld accelerated.Now, she had become one of the most influential and powerful kingpins in the underworld of Riverbank, rivaling the big four. Her next target would obviously be the big four kingpins. Everett Techman was a suitable target for a start, but he stepped down when things went south, using Aiden’s situation to make peace with Kaze and stop going after
“The number you have dialed is not available.” On the way back, Kaze made multiple calls to Darcy, but she did not pick up. She was obviously mad at him. “Mr. Lee, what’s the matter?” Snow asked out of concern after seeing the bitterness in his expression. Kaze did not want Snow to feel bad or guilty. “It’s nothing. You should take some rest. I might have forced the poison out of your body, but it’s still hurtful to the body. I’ll take you to Herbal Spring and let Dr. Wright’s disciple check on you.” The only thing he could do now was text Darcy, hoping to explain the situation. He then called Miru. “Kaze Lee, how dare you call me now?!” Miru’s upset voice came through the phone, but she was not exactly furious. “What’s the situation at Bronze Sparrow?” Kaze asked. “A hitman infiltrated the place. Lost a few of my men, many of them injured, and he managed to take that woman away. He even said that he will go after your life next time. “Kaze, you are really a wal