On the other hand, if Tijil beat Frank, that would mean that both sides had come to a draw, and everyone would be happy.In fact, because Tijil stepped up and took responsibility for Sanne's murder of that martial artist, Thousand Isles Guild would not only be spared embarrassment, but they would also earn the favor of the public.One certainly had to admit that wisdom did come with age, especially for Tijil—his ploy was impeccable.In fact, he did not give Frank a chance to refuse as he strode up on stage, standing beside the boxing machine as he chuckled. "Hehe. If you can punch harder than me, Mr. Lawrence, then it's a day of defeat for Thousand Isles Guild."His smile soon faded as his eyes flashed sharply, and he cried, "Hyah!"HIs pure vigor erupted, sending any martial artists who were too close flying.Even Stone, Sanne's personal bodyguard, had to steady himself."Did the majordomo improve again…?" Sanne was herself shocked by the pressure emanating from Tijil."That's
"Oh… Haha… Hahahaha!!!"After a brief stunned silence, Sanne suddenly burst out in laughter. "That's our majordomo for you! Unleashing such terror from just one punch, he almost broke the Martial Alliance's custom-made boxing machine!"When he was done laughing, she turned to level a smug glare at Frank. "How about that? You can still surrender now, Mr. Lawrence.""Yeah… Why don't you concede, Mr. Lawrence?" Mr. Zoran asked, taking out his handkerchief to wipe the sweat off his brow. "If you do, the score would be one against one. A draw… so how about it?"He was earnestly asking Frank to concede, since everyone would be happy that way.Moreover, he was incredibly lucky that Tijil did not directly break the boxing machine, or the damage would be terrible for the Zamri Martial Alliance branch.Seeing that Frank's party was quiet, Sanne went even further as she provoked them even further. "Weren't y'all so full of it just a moment ago? Why the silence now? Why aren't any of you hol
Frank glanced at the battered boxing machine, as well as the other martial artists who were busy talking among themselves, and shook his head. "There would be a terrible loss. And since I'd rather avoid that, I hope we could all just let it rest."However, forget everyone present—even Scarface, Mona, and Kat thought Frank was being full of himself."Master Lawrence, don't you think you're… Ahem?"Kat was going to say that Frank was really pushing his luck but could not say it out loud since she was on his side.At the same time, Scarface, who had been standing in the crowd and watching all this while, turned toward Mona. "Hey, has Brother Lawrence always been like that?""Well… Yeah."Mona was left pursing her lips as she stared at Frank in exasperation. "He's slow on the uptake when it comes to certain things, so he doesn't know that he wasn't making peace—if anything, what he said was a provocation."Naturally, from his point of view, he might be making peace. And I think what
Mona was actually confused, as she really had no idea if her mentor was pretending or otherwise.Still, Scarface shrugged just then. "Well, that aside, other martial elites must have straightened him out before, no?""Uh…"Mona was left stumped, blinking. "I don't think so…""What?!" Scarface was left gaping. "You mean that he's always been like this and has never lost?"However, Mona really had no memory of Frank losing and turned to Kat. "So? Has he ever lost to anyone before?""Of course."Kat nodded confidently. "Whenever he's up against Vicky and Helen, he'd always lose and get smacked around."Both Scarface and Mona were left speechless by Kat's answer.Still, they were no longer concerned for Frank and were instead staring at Tijil sympathetically.They also could more or less imagine Frank's sly smile beneath his innocent expression."Ahem…"Frank certainly could not care about what they were thinking.One thing was for sure—the members of Thousand Isles Guild had
"Tch."Frank withdrew his fist, clicking his tongue with a look of dissatisfaction.In fact, everyone around him could see that he was dissatisfied because he did not go all out.Frank then turned, staring at the martial artists who were standing around, frozen stiff, their jaws almost dropping. "What's so surprising?" he asked. "Oh, and I don't have to pay for any of that, right?"Mr. Zoran nodded blankly at Frank's question.Frank then looked up at the giant plasma screen overhead. His face was on the screen along, with a seemingly endless line of question marks where his punching strength should be shown.Frank stared at it, frowning, before turning toward the petrified Tijil. "So? Does that mean I win?"Tijil was staring blankly at Frank, unable to say a word as he nodded stiffly like a robot."Well, that works for me."Frank clapped him on the shoulder before beckoning at Scarface, Mona, and Kat. "Oh, and by the way, sorry for breaking that boxing machine, Mr. Zoran. My
"And that's the gist of it."Two days after Frank had that run-in with Thousand Isles Guild, Silverbell, the chief of the Martial Alliance, personally came to Zamri.Frank then told her the entire story of what happened, and after some thought, she concluded, "Well, they got their just deserts.""Now, that's a little unfair since I'm at fault too."Frank sighed, shaking his head in regret as he sipped the tear Silverbell brought. "That martial artist wouldn't have been killed if I had intervened earlier.""About that…"Silverbell sighed. "Although Thousand Isles Guild is one of our close partners, their reputation has suffered a blow as one of their members has committed murder in public."Naturally, Thousand Isles Guild would compensate the victim's family, so you don't have to blame it on yourself because it wasn't your fault.""But aren't I the fiance of the chief of the Martial Alliance?" Frank shrugged and smiled. "As such, the Martial Alliance could be considered half m
"Don't point fingers at me. That majordomo from Thousand Isles Guild said he'd pay for it, so it's not my fault."Frank quickly shirked responsibility, while Silverbell giggled as he threw his hands up. "Anyway, the joint qualifiers will be held in three days. Every participant will be shuffled for the free-for-all held at the venue."And after informing Frank of the date, Silverbell left right away.The Martial Tournament was a national competition after all, and as the chief of the Martial Alliance, she would naturally be the busiest person involved.-Soon after Silverbell left, Madfist approached Frank, telling him mysteriously, "Come with me. We're going to meet a certain someone."Frank was naturally not worried that the old man was trying to set a trap, and got into the car, spurred by curiosity.They did not inform anyone else either and journeyed through the winding mountain roads outside Zamri before finally arriving at a temple.Frank was scowling when he saw it, how
Stanley seemed to expect the shock on Frank's face. He flashed a pained smile as he explained, "I won't lie to you—I've actually been kept under house arrest all this time. My authority as mayor of Zamri is virtually nonexistent, as I don't have any military authority."That was how Geon Kramer, the commissioner, took my wife and daughter hostage."Pausing, Stanley took out a masterfully crafted dagger and passed it to Frank. "I sought you out not merely for the sake of self-preservation, but I also intend to forge an alliance with you and pacify the political unrest in Zamri."This dagger will serve as a token of my trust in turn—many of my confidants have been compelled into submission by Geon's authority, but they will understand if they are shown the dagger. Take it if you believe me, or throw it away if you don't."Despite Stanley's elaborate speech, Frank's skepticism remained, though he could not say it out loud.Instead, Frank asked, "So, you're asking me to eliminate the