The news spread like wildfire through Jayrodale. Many unfortunate creditors with outstanding debts with the Northern District rushed to Madblade Martial Academy's doors, demanding their money back. "Dean, pay up!" "Dean, you're Atlas's senior and the Northern District's second-in-command. If you don't pay, you can join him six feet under!" "Give us our money back, you crook!" Large red banners were unfurled at the academy's entrance as angry crowds gathered, hurling insults. The academy remained unfazed as students came and went, completely ignoring the protesters while luxury cars continued pulling up to the entrance. The academy's response was simple. "Want your money? Ask Northern District or the dead Atlas. Madblade Martial Academy never defaults on payments, and we won't tolerate these circus acts." Soon, a Volkswagen Beetle pulled up to the academy's entrance, and two striking figures stepped out—Christina and Aspen. The creditors immediately swarmed around them.
Christina nodded thoughtfully and said, "True, while Rhodes Corporation's 60 million isn't a small amount, it pales in comparison to your billion. Even if Madblade Martial Academy is greedy, they wouldn't dare keep such an enormous sum." "Of course not," Aspen replied coldly. "Now that I'm personally involved, I'll bring in the media and the police to make their lives hell if they continue acting like common thieves. Let's see how Mr. Sandford handles that kind of public pressure." The two women put on their sunglasses and strode through Madblade Martial Academy's gates, surrounded by the crowd of creditors. … Inside the academy, Rodney and Dean wore grim expressions—not because of the people demanding money, but because Ivan was still unconscious from his severe injuries. "Damn it, Andrew turned out to be one tough son of a bitch!" Rodney cursed. Despite his young age, he had achieved the rank of junior grandmaster through rigorous training, making him a prodigy even by C
Dean explained, "In all my years in Gabo Creek, I've never seen anyone as extraordinary as Andrew. What's even more terrifying is that he clearly wasn't using his full strength against Mr. Lincoln. Watching his spine-chilling moves, I can't help but wonder if he might have had something to do with Atlas' death." Before Dean could continue, Rodney cut him off with an angry roar, "Shut up! No wonder you're a lost dog—you're completely useless, building up others while tearing down our own reputation!" Depending on Rodney's hospitality, Dean could not protest the insults, but a venomous glint flashed in his eyes. Rodney seethed. "I've never been humiliated like this in my life. And it's obvious Lauren has a thing for Andrew. I've pursued her for years without getting so much as a glance, while she probably can't wait to jump into his bed." While Rodney stewed in anger, a student hurried in and said, "Mr. Sanford, the debt collectors have arrived." Rodney's face twisted with rage
Rodney's smile turned cold. "So, you ladies aren't here to pay respect, but to collect a debt?" "If that's how you want to see it," Aspen replied, finally turning to face him. Christina said diplomatically, "Mr. Sanford, we had a billion-dollar deal with the Northern District. When Atlas met his unfortunate end, that money vanished. Since Dean is now with your academy, we're hoping you can help us recover our investment." She explained the situation with a composed and respectful tone, assuming Rodney would act reasonably now that the facts were clear. However, Rodney looked at her contemptuously and sneered, "They call you the Ice Queen CEO of Jayrodale, supposedly brilliant and beautiful. But I see you're just a pretty face without any real substance." Christina's face flushed with anger. "Mr. Sanford, what exactly are you implying?" Rodney laughed coldly. "You marched in here with this mob demanding money. Do you really think the Madblade Martial Academy is some common e
Rodney smirked shamelessly. "Ms. Aspen, as long as you surrender yourself to me, I wouldn't mind letting these people go. How about that?" Aspen's calm and composed demeanor finally cracked. She exploded, shouting, "Screw you, Rodney! If this were Bridgefields, someone would've dumped your corpse in the wilderness by now for speaking to me like this!" Rodney's face darkened as he waved a hand, barking, "Close the doors!" The sound of the heavy doors slamming shut echoed through the hall. He sneered, "Damn it! Two bitches daring to stir up trouble in my academy? Tonight, you're leaving here soaked, one way or another!" Knowing Rodney's ruthless reputation, the debt collectors accompanying them began to panic. They feared he might truly lock them in and unleash violence. Christina's face turned pale. "Aspen, we need to call the police immediately." Aspen gritted her teeth. "No need. I want to see what this little scumbag thinks he can do to me." She fixed Rodney with an i
Taking out her phone, Aspen immediately dialed Donald's number. "Donald, come to Madblade Martial Academy quickly. I'm in trouble." She pleaded, "If you help me just this once, I promise I'll treat you to dinner tonight." Donald's voice came through, dripping with impatience. "What the hell are you calling me for again, Aspen? Didn't I suffer enough because of you last time?" "Are you deaf? I told you I'm in trouble, so get over here now!" Aspen shouted angrily. Donald let out a cold laugh. "If you're in trouble, go cry to your parents. Why come to me? I'm not your father." He continued with a sneer, "Besides, sorry to say, but Mr. Lloyd made it clear he wants to make your life hell in Jayrodale, so there's nothing I can do. Bye!" The line went dead as Donald hung up. Aspen stood there in disbelief, wondering how she, the precious daughter of Bridgefields' Stevens family, had reached such a low point where even her cry for help went unanswered. Then, it hit her—Donald sa
With a sharp smack, Rodney slapped Christina's exposed leg, the sound echoing through the room. "Wow, now this is something else—silky, soft, and with just the right bounce. Ms. Stevens, these legs of yours could keep me entertained for years!" Rodney exclaimed, his hands growing bolder as he laughed. Christina burned with shame and fury, raising her hand to slap him across the face. However, Rodney caught her wrist effortlessly and slapped her back instead. The impact left a visible red mark on her pristine face, and a tear rolled down her cheek as the reality of her situation sank in. At that moment, she felt utterly fragile. Aspen gritted her teeth and growled, "Rodney, forget the money. Open the door, and we'll leave right now!" Rodney sneered at her request. He taunted, "You think you can just walk in and out of Madblade Martial Academy as you please? Remember how commanding you were when you first came in? I hate people giving me orders, so you're not going anywhere un
Looking toward the entrance, Rodney felt furious at whoever dared interrupt him. However, when he recognized one of the two people who entered, he nearly wet himself. Dean and the hundred-plus students of Madblade Martial Academy collectively stepped back, falling silent. The newcomers were Francesca and Andrew. Andrew had not expected to return to Madblade Martial Academy so soon. After leaving Rhodes Corporation, he went back to Jayrodale General Hospital, where Francesca asked him to accompany her to treat a patient at the academy. Rodney's father, Vince, had deep ties with Cedric. Due to this connection, Francesca could not refuse the house call. Andrew could guess why Madblade Martial Academy had requested Cedric's help. After all, he had given Ivan quite a beating. Since Ivan was an honored guest, Rodney would naturally seek treatment from someone of Cedric's caliber. However, Andrew had not anticipated returning to the academy, much less encountering Christina and Aspe
"But luckily," Derek continued, "I did find out that his name was Reginald Lloyd." Chantelle sneered. "Reginald Lloyd… Andrew Lloyd—what a coincidence. They're both Lloyds. Too bad one of them earned your admiration as a once-in-a-generation strategist…" "And the other?" She gave a dry chuckle. "Let's just say… he doesn't quite measure up." Derek smiled. "Elle, seems like you've got a bit of a grudge against our Mr. Lloyd. Care to share why?" Chantelle hesitated, visibly grinding her teeth. She obviously could not tell Derek that Andrew had already seen every inch of her thanks to an earlier incident. Instead, she cleared her throat. "Mr. McCormick, stop pulling my legs. We're public servants, and since Mr. Lloyd is working with you, I have no right to dislike him." She deflected smoothly with a rehearsed tone. Derek nodded. "It's obvious Andrew has potential. The old money clans have been monopolizing power and locking up economic control for far too long. Seeing someone
Chantelle let out a cold laugh. "That's right. That's exactly what he did. Mr. McCormick, don't you think the man's out of his mind?" Derek narrowed his eyes but stayed silent. After a long pause, he finally exhaled and said, "No. On the contrary, I think you're completely wrong about him. I don't see Andrew as a lunatic—I think he's playing a long, dangerous game." Chantelle had not expected Derek to say something like that, and her expression turned tense. "Mr. McCormick, without the protection of The Sovereign Residences, do you even realize what kind of storm that madman has invited upon himself? "Two of the most powerful families in Holtrien have issued bounty kill orders at the same time. The combined reward is nearly a billion—enough to send every killer and martial artist across Gabo Creek Province, maybe even the entire country, into a blood-fueled frenzy!" Derek gave a faint sneer, his tone laced with disdain. "It's true—money can make even the dead dance. The old sayi
Richard had always tried to be considerate about his son's humiliating past. Still, every now and then, he could not help but accidentally bring it up. After all, eating literal crap was not something easily forgotten. … Meanwhile, over at the Haywoods. Roy set down his teacup and asked, "Xavier, what's the latest on eliminating that bastard?" Xavier's sharp-jawed face was full of murderous intent. "The killers we sent were either stopped outside The Sovereign Residences or killed inside, their bodies dumped in the sewage canals." Roy scowled. "500 million was too tempting. Every lowlife out there thought they could take advantage of the Haywoods. Seth's body is still lying in the ice casket, waiting for a proper burial. You need to speed this up." Xavier's tone turned ice cold as he nodded. "Don't worry, Father. The moment Andrew laid a finger on our family, his death was sealed. Those who've died so far were just trash. "This time, I've prepared something special for And
News of the bodies floating in Blumedale's reeking drainage canal reached both the Goldings and the Haywoods within hours. "The first few were just appetizers. If they die, so be it—cannon fodder at best," Elon said coldly. "Andrew, you might have some skills, but you haven't seen my real trump card yet." Elon's pudgy face darkened with a sinister grin. He had not expected those initial mercs to succeed anyway—they were nothing but disposable thugs, and their deaths did not faze him one bit. Standing at the edge of the Goldings' main hall, he clapped his hands slowly. A thin, shadowy figure emerged, walking in with a dry, grating laugh. "Mr. Golding, I knew you'd eventually call me in," the man rasped. Elon spoke evenly. "300 million dollars from the Goldings, plus another 100 million from Dr. Lake. That's 400 million in total, Mr. Black Wolf. Same deal as always—the second Andrew's head hits the floor, the money hits your account." The shadowed figure stood in the backlig
Reuben shook his head, deciding it was best not to let his thoughts wander. He had once considered making a run for it after returning to Blumedale, hoping he might find an opening. But now, it was clear that the smart move was to follow the rules, behave, and wait for Andrew to willingly set him free. Natasha asked, "Darling, what about the other eight mercenaries? None of them are from Holtrien. If we kill them outright, could that stir up trouble with foreign powers?" Andrew replied flatly, "Wipe them out. I don't care where they came from—if they dared to step into Holtrien with a blade pointed at me, then I'll be the one cleaning them up." With that, Reuben and Natasha struck again, ignoring the furious roars of the remaining mercs. Just like before, the bodies were dumped into Blumedale's foul drainage canals, unceremoniously discarded. Soon after, the head of security for The Sovereign Residences—a fellow semi-martial king—rushed to Serenity Villa with his team in tow
It turned out, Andrew's caution was more than justified. That very night, three separate groups of infiltrators attempted to breach The Sovereign Residences. Two of those groups were quickly detected and driven out by the estate's elite security team. However, the last group was on a whole different level—professionals who bypassed surveillance and snuck past the guards, heading straight into Serenity Villa. What they did not expect, though, was that Andrew had already set a trap and was waiting for them to take the bait. With Natasha leading her squad and Reuben providing the knockout blow, it did not take much effort before the entire crew of a dozen-plus assassins was taken down. Fighting for his freedom, Reuben had zero mercy—he snapped a few necks with his bare hands. In the end, only three assassins survived, trembling in fear, eyes wide with horror. "Mr. Lloyd, please! Don't kill us!" the leader begged, a senior grandmaster drenched in cold sweat as he knelt on the floo
Natasha joked, "Aspen, of all times, you could've walked out, you just had to pick the moment I was getting cozy with my darling. You're not jealous, are you? Trying to ruin the mood on purpose?" Aspen let out a cold laugh. "Madam Vostokoff, you're overthinking it. If you two want to flirt or even start going at it right here, it has nothing to do with me. If you think I was interrupting, then I apologize. I'll leave right now so you two can carry on." Natasha chuckled. "Come on now, Snow Queen, we're all on the same side here. I was just teasing. Don't take it to heart." The icy look on Aspen's face finally faded a little. "I'm heading out. A small firm is requesting investment from Supreme Capital Group, so I'm going to check them out and see if they're worth our time." She threw that out to Andrew with zero warmth, then strutted off, her hips swaying confidently as she left Serenity Villa. Andrew immediately instructed Dylan's crew to follow and keep her safe. Natasha sc
Dylan and Natasha arrived in Blumedale the same night Andrew's orders were sent back to Jayrodale. They were accompanied by none other than the semi-martial king himself—Reuben. "Mr. Lloyd, that opportunity you mentioned… the one that could set me free—what is it exactly?" Reuben asked eagerly the moment he saw Andrew. Andrew waved his hand and said, "No rush. I haven't figured it out yet, but it won't be long." Reuben held back his excitement and simply nodded, saying nothing more. The more time he spent around Andrew, the more he realized just how unfathomable this man truly was. Back when he followed Elon to storm Jayrodale, he had been taught a brutal lesson. Now, there was not a shred of resentment left in him—only fear and awe. After all, a man who dared to kill a direct descendant of the Haywoods would have no problem ending him with a snap of his fingers. Reuben had only martial skills but no powerful family backing him—if Andrew ever wanted him dead, he would not la
For Quinton, it had never been just about sleeping with Christina. What excited him more was the thrill—the thrill of a top-tier predator closing in on an ice-cold beauty. To him, conquering a woman like Christina would stroke his ego and validate his inflated sense of self-worth. Unfortunately for him, Christina never felt even a flicker of attraction toward him. At best, they could be called business allies—or to put it bluntly, she only saw him as a temporary tool. Quinton wanted power, possession, dominance. Meanwhile, Christina only wanted leverage—specifically, to use him and his connections to push the Stevens Corporation into Blumedale. … Over at the Goldings family estate, word of the Haywoods' bounty hit hard. Both Richard and Elon were momentarily stunned when they heard. "This kid really doesn't know when to stop," Richard growled. "Now he's provoked the Haywoods and even left a body behind. He's practically asking for death! He's so arrogant that it's disgusti