Still, while Gene was left at a loss, Frank appeared used to it as he stood beside Gene."Don't worry about her. She's just a clown."Frank waved at Cindy dismissively, ready to sidestep her and head to Helen's office with Gene."Hey, hey, hey. Hold it."Cindy suddenly strode up, stepping in Gene's path."Is something the matter?" Gene asked, unsettled by the contempt in Cindy's eyes.He was the richest man on the east coast—no one had ever treated him like that before!"Let me guess. Since Frank invited you, that would mean you're Gene Pearce, the richest man on the east coast?" "Indeed, I am." Gene nodded calmly.Frank frowned right then and snapped at Cindy, "Watch yourself, Cindy! Stop causing trouble!""No way! Me, causing trouble?"Cindy sneered, studying Gene pointedly while clicking her tongue. "Honestly, can't you afford a professional? Your paid actor looks so pale like he could kick the bucket at any minute.""What?" Gene was left stunned—when did he become a pa
Gene was a patient, stoic man thanks to his years working as a businessman, and he would not really stoop to getting petty against Cindy.However, her words were a clear insult to Frank and his position."Now, now, Mr. Lawrence. Allow me to prove myself."He held out a hand to stop Frank before he could interfere and whipped out a flashy gold card from his pocket. In fact, it was so dazzling that several Lanecorp employees' felt blinded for a moment."What's that?" Cindy frowned in turn, not recognizing it."It's a custom gold card made exclusively for executives of Pearce Group. Anyone carrying this can make purchases without needing to pay within any establishment owned under our banner."Smiling, Gene then pointed at the face imprinted on the gold card. "Ms. Zonda, don't you think I resemble the person in this photo?""Resemble?" Cindy took the gold card, her eyes darting between the gold card and Gene's face repeatedly.She began to scowl and suddenly could not speak.Gene
While Gene would have punished Cindy severely on any other occasion, he was in Frank's presence, and he owed Frank respect.As such, he asked, "What do you think we should do about this, Mr. Lawrence?""I—" Before Frank could speak, Helen's door opened, and Helen herself hurried outside, having heard the commotion in the hallway.She almost blacked out from sheer frustration when she saw Cindy—how was she still there, causing her more trouble? Still, she must not allow herself to mess up in the presence of others, and she nodded at Frank. "Welcome back."Then, turning toward Gene, she asked, "And who would this gentleman be?"Gene smiled in turn. "A paid actor hired by Frank to play Gene Pearce, the richest man on the east coast."The unusual introduction left Helen at a loss, but she was smart enough to connect the dots after another glance at Cindy."Urgh, what a jinx…" She was left rubbing her temples, but she soon masterfully flashed a smile, though a little awkwardly,
Gene suddenly narrowed his eyes warningly. "If I ever find out about you disrespecting Mr. Lawrence again or straying out of line, even Ms. Lane can't protect you from me!"With that, he snorted and left.Cindy breathed a sigh of relief after he was gone and turned toward Frank.She was ready to shoot Frank a look of defiance but quickly hung her head as she remembered Gene's warning."Just go already. My company has no place for you, and no one can protect you if this happens again!" With those cool words, Helen hurried after Gene, leaving Frank with Will.Will appeared anxious, since he had been waiting to speak for a while. "There's something urgent you must know, Mr. Lawrence.""Something urgent?" Frank's heart skipped a beat, knowing that Sif Lionheart was on the move from Will's expression alone.He gestured for Will to follow him into his office, and as soon as they sat down, Will exclaimed, "The Lionhearts have made their move last night, during the coming-of-age cerem
Frank nodded at Will as he passed him the pill. "You did well—as promised, this is the antidote. It will cure the poison inside you.""Thank you, Mr. Lawrence," Will said as he took it respectfully.Frank then asked, "I can see that you've trained in martial arts too?""Oh, uh…" Will scratched his head in embarrassment and flashed a pained smile. "I did, but it's just one basic style, so…""Good." Frank passed him another pill. "This is an Ichor Pill, which strengthens the vigor. It's nothing divine, but it's arguably up there. Take it when you start training again, and you'll be a vigor wielder at that.""Thank you, Mr. Lawrence!" Will exclaimed as he accepted the pill enthusiastically, gratitude showing in his eyes.Naturally, he had learned martial arts from Sif, who was nonchalant as he proved to be a slow learner.To add insult to injury, she told him that he could not blame anyone for his lack of talent.On the other hand, Frank would assist him in overcoming that shortco
Finally, Kallum yielded to Helen.While Gene's investment was a huge factor in her triumph, Helen understood that Frank was the reason she could take over as Lanecorp's board chairwoman easily and resolve all the difficulties they faced.Frank, however, did not linger at Lanecorp.Relieved to hear that Kallum had given up, he promptly left, jumping into his car and driving straight to Morhen.Susan Redford, Vicky's mother, was on the verge of tears. "Frank… Vicky didn't let me tell you because it's… complicated. Walter's been poisoned and remains unconscious, and we can't question him even if we wanted to. And the Martial Alliance keeps hounding us to hand him over… The Turnbulls are going to cave soon…""Calm down, Mrs. Turnbull," Frank said calmly, holding the steering wheel in one hand and his phone in the other. "Where's Vicky? She's in Morhen now, isn't she?""She…"Susan was hesitant and choking with tears. "She told me not to tell… Just come to Turnbull Estate, Frank. L
"Phew…"Silverbell breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Frank's nod, and her fingers eased around her sword's hilt."Lady Silverbell, that man…""He's my brother," she said and did not elaborate further."Brother, huh… And his last name is Lawrence… I think I understand," one of the elders beside Silverbell murmured thoughtfully.Silverbell glanced at him but stayed silent.-Bang!Frank kicked the door to the Turnbull Hall open, and everyone standing inside was clearly disapproving.Some were even ready to yell at him, but Glen Turnbull quickly gave everyone a warning glare even though he was startled too.This incident was so grave that the family's fate hung in the balance—it was not the time for manners.Walking up to Frank with a nod, Glen said, "We meet again, Mr. Lawrence. I'm sure my sister-in-law filled you in?""Yeah." Frank nodded. "Where's Mr. Walter? I'll check on him now.""Sure." Glen did not dawdle, leading Frank out of the hall and straight to a dome car
Nonetheless, Frank hesitated for a while before clapping Susan on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Turnbull—now isn't the time. We need to find out what happened.""What happened…?" Walter murmured, confused even as he looked around at members of his extended family gathered around him.He then smacked his head and frowned as he recalled, "Hold on, shouldn't I attend Denise Laine's coming-of-age ceremony? How did I get here?""Jet brought you back." Glen turned toward a towering man with hardened facial features, looking around his thirties."Jet…?" Walter was stunned, as Jet was leader of the Turnbulls' blackguards and an adopted son of George Turnbull.If Walter's family had to send the blackguards to bring him back, that meant things had gotten troublesome."Do you remember what happened at the ceremony yesterday?""Yesterday?"Walter grimaced as he worked hard to recall and shook his head in pain. "I remember Sif Lionheart offering me a toast, and then I got very sleepy… I do
Her skin and fingers were rotting where the motel manager touched the pendant, as if being corroded by acid at a visible rate. Worst of all, she could not even feel any pain from it!"W-What's going on here?!"Horrified, the motel manager turned and ran.Drunken Moon was ready to give chase, but Frank stopped her. "She's not going to have it easy without her fingers. Let her go."Drunken Moon nodded and pointed at the pendant on the floor. "What the heck is that?"Frank then told her about Reverend Quietus, to which Drunken Room exclaimed, "You meant to say that there are bodies of energy that are basically identical to the paranormal that people speak of?"Frank nodded. "I'm sure it's not just rumors, with the way it remained over a thousand years—things like that do exist. But in the end, it's no different from a spell, and you can handle it if you're strong enough."Drunken Moon smiled. "That only applies to you. I don't know about anyone else, but I really can't deal with th
After she calmed down, the bellgirl took an interest in Frank. "Is he the one who could beat you?"It was the new age—ladies were not shy, and the bellgirl actually liked lookers like him."Hello." Frank greeted her, and she smiled in turn. "Sorry for having to bother you, handsome."She would really have asked for his number if circumstances allowed.That was when footsteps could be heard, and Frank glanced sideways outside as he told Drunken Moon, "Now's your chance for revenge. Don't hold back now.""You don't need to worry about that!" Drunken Moon exclaimed as she flexed her muscles—she was waiting for this moment.The motel manager led several burly men inside, standing at the center proudly like she owned the place. "That's for insulting me, bitch! Go! Show her who she was messing with!"Though the motel manager did not hesitate to send her men after Drunken Moon, Drunken Moon smirked, waiting until the bouncers were about to reach before punching them.Soon, they wer
Frank chuckled. "As for what actually happened to him, I'll get someone to keep tabs and maybe record a video. It shouldn't be difficult."Drunken Moon flashed a thumbs-up at him. "You're really the best when it comes to cruelty. Simply different."They shared a smile, and soon, Jouri's people came to take the white-haired youth away.Later, Frank and Drunken Moon headed to a motel, as the latter received a call from a geezer who said his granddaughter was being harassed and needed help.She had no fear with Frank at her side anyway, so she went.As soon as they entered, they found a twentyish, slightly short bellgirl wiping the tears off her face.Nearby, the motel manager was pointing at her and ranting, spouting plenty of expletives!Drunken Moon naturally would not just sit by. Striding up, she pushed the manager away and snapped furiously, "What's the meaning of this?! There's no reason to go that far even if she messed up!"The manager was equally furious, however, and sn
"The nail that sticks out gets hammered! I'm sure you'd die horribly soon enough!"The white-haired youth's futile efforts at threatening Frank only made him smirk. "What's it to you, even if I or Drunken Moon died? She still won't be interested."The white-haired youth snorted, but soon sighed. "Fine, do it!"Drunken Moon wagged her finger at him. "Why should we make it quick? He's actually right—death is a reward for people like you."That's why I'll treat your leg and sell you as a slave to some third-world country. Trust me, it's not just the ladies who are popular there—they like a pretty boy too."The white-haired youth smirked. "Quit trying to scare me. Do you think that crippling my cultivation would stop me from talking? As long as you don't, I'll find a way to free myself. Let's see what you can do then!"That was when Frank butted in. "Actually, I do have a solution."With just a thought, the white-haired youth's leg was as good as new.As soon as he saw that, the wh
Speed is the one unbreakable law of martial arts, and someone quicker than the naked eye would never lose.To think that the man who seemed to have nothing going for him aside from his looks was this powerful!Frank chuckled and turned to the biker. "You should leave. It's not a pretty sight when blood starts spilling."The biker was quite compliant from the start and turned to run. "Thank you for saving me. May we meet again!"On the other hand, Frank leapt over the railing and dropped to a squat in front of the white-haired youth. "Go on, tell me why you introduced Drunken Moon to someone else."The white-haired youth was taken aback but soon said, "So you're the brat who's not to be underestimated? That's why your fellow martial artists think so highly of you.""I appreciate their flattery, but I'm afraid I might fall short." Frank chuckled coolly. "And you could stop fawning over me and answer my question."The white-haired youth's eyes widened. "Who do you think I am?"Fra
Frank chuckled. "Who do you think? The man who tried to kill you just now.""What?!"The biker was even more shocked, as the Lamborghini was reduced to a marble. Would the driver even survive that?"Ignoramus! I'm not so easily killed!"A figure strode out of the grass nearby, and it was none other than the white-haired youth who drove the Lamborghini!"When did that happen?" the biker exclaimed.He definitely did not see the Lamborghini's doors opening or anyone jumping out when it was crushed into a ball, so how did that man escape?"Go on. Show us how much quicker you can be!" Frank beckoned at the white-haired youth.Perplexed, the white-haired youth asked, "I'm curious. How did you know about my powers?"Frank pointed at his eyes, "Thanks to certain assistance, I've improved my further abilities and can now identify anyone's abilities.""Really? But identifying wouldn't be enough—you gotta be good enough to handle me!"Readying himself as if for a sprint, the white-hair
Seeing Frank chasing her down, the beggar said, "I really can't elaborate. You know about the group already, don't you? Go and deal with them—use your wisdom to see through everything and solve the riddle."And with that, she left without a care.This time, Frank did not stop her—if anything, he had no reason to do so.Her point was simple: there was just so much involved that even she had not the faintest idea. Sighing, Frank called Jouri and told her to search for Sanne Quess and Reverend Quietus."The latter is impressive," he said. "She even sealed the power of the spiritron vein!'"What?!"Jouri was shocked—that was impossible, as the spiritron vein was invincible as far as she was concerned.But a mere reverend subdued it?!"Do you have further details?" she pressed.Frank shook his head. "She can use talismans. That's about all I know about her."Jouri sighed wryly. "Then looking into her will be difficult—I'd focus on Sanne Quess instead. Who is he?"Frank told her
Baldie dropped to his knees with a thud.Not only did Frank possess superior abilities, but he had a functioning moral compass too?He certainly deserved the power of the spiritron vein!Baldie then said, "I guess I should warn you that there are people who keep their hands clean. They would do anything to further their mysterious goals, so you should watch out."Frank chuckled. "Don't worry. I never hold back when I should kill—just listen to the reverend, and leave if there's nothing else, or I might change my mind."At those words, Baldie turned to run without lingering another second. Frank then turned toward the beggar. "Is this what you want?"The beggar nodded, clearly not bothered to hide anything. "To be honest, I've been considering an issue—do all the people who gain superpowers deserve it? The dragon inside you, for example… I can't say that it's anything good."Frank nodded, smiling—she was right about that, as he thought the same himself.After all, it had done
Frank smiled, shaking his head. "No, you misunderstand. What I mean is that she's right. The paranormal, your mystical artifact—it all works using the same principle: You're all just a little stronger than the average martial artist."However, when you're up against the real deal like me, you're relatively weak and easily dealt with."Baldie was left flabbergasted. "No, no, no… That's impossible! We're not the same as martial artists. None of you stand a chance against us!"Frank shook his head. "What you're saying is impossible. Your kind is simply more gifted, while martial artists are less, and that's the only reason you're stronger than most martial artists."Baldie dropped to his knees with a thud, shaking his head repeatedly as there was nothing more that could tear him up inside.He had always believed that even if he was not divine, he was still an envoy among the mortals like the priests and monks in fiction. Naturally, he was convinced that the day would come when he tra