And with that, Frank eliminated an entire guild of black market hitmen.Gina and the rest remained oblivious inside Lane Manor, as the walls were soundproof and thunder was cracking relentlessly outside. They could not hear the massacre nor the death screams of the hitmen at all.Convinced that Frank would never win against so many despite his strength, and certainly not the famous Dwight Houston, Gina had brought out the Lafayette wine she prepared beforehand and filled everyone's glasses in celebration.Now, they just had to wait for Dwight to carry Frank's corpse inside.Turning toward Cindy, Gina asked, "Have you sent the photo to the Turnbulls?"Cindy nodded and smiled. "Don't worry—I hate Vicky Turnbull myself, but she'd be furious if she found out that her gigolo has another bitch on the side. We just have to dump Frank's corpse on her doorstep, and she'd be awash with gratitude."Gina grinned. "Hmph. She's always so high and mighty, but we have leverage against her now. S
"How dare you, Frank!"Gina was going to lose it too, but Luna's scream brought her to her senses. "Help! It hurts so much! I'm going to die!" Gina screamed at Frank right then, "Don't you know who you just hit, you animal?! That's Gavin Lane's wife—their family is one of Southstream's Four Families! If you let Luna go and beg, I might speak on your behalf so that they let you live. If you keep being stubborn, you'll be dead!""Hmph."Seeing that Gina was still being delusional, Frank simply squeezed."Mmmph!!!!"Luna's face turned purple, her arms flailing as if to beg Gina for help."Stop, Aunt Gina! He's crazy!" Cindy promptly pulled Gina away and turned toward Hughie, shrieking, "Go! Fetch that bitch from the basement, or the Southstream Lanes will kill us all if Luna dies!"Hughie dashed downstairs immediately and soon returned with Winter, who was bound with so much rope that she looked like a dumpling. "Frank!" Winter cried, and Frank seemed to calm down.Tossing Lun
"Yes, I'm Hughie. Mr. Lawrence, I—"Frank punched him before he could finish, though his knuckle never made contact.It was the pure vigor swirling around his fist, tearing through the air like a lightning bolt that sent Hughie flying.His huge frame slammed viciously against the floor, his meridians severed as he was left with a hole in his chest.His eyes rolled into their sockets, and he was clearly not breathing much."Argh!!!" Cindy screamed right then and dropped to a crouch, clutching her head with both arms.She would not dare to snap at Frank—unlike her aunt, she had seen Frank's true nature.With the way he would kill without flinching, she would be next if he said another word."Frank Lawrence!"Gina shrieked in both rage and terror, pointing a trembling finger at Frank, "You ingrate! You refused to treat Luna, and you're attacking us in our own house now, even murdering right before our eyes?! The Southstream Lanes will kill you!"Seeing that Gina was still gloati
Vicky led the charge into Lane Manor, her heart skipping a beat when she saw all the corpses strewn around the courtyard.Before she could speak, she heard the gunshot from upstairs.When she and Yara Quill made it inside, she immediately found Luna cringing in a corner and Cindy cowering with her head beneath her arms.Jade was on the floor, having passed out, while Gina stood still, still clutching the vase."What happened here?!" Vicky then snapped at Gina. "Where's Winter?!"Gina came to her senses and appeared delighted to see Vicky even though Vicky was glaring at her.Forcing a smile, she began, "M-Ms. Turnbull… Did you know that Frank Lawrence had another lover—"Smack!Vicky slapped her across the face, not about to play along to her vileness. "Where's my sister?!" she demanded. "If anything happens to her, you and the rest of your family are dead!"Vicky's fury left Gina stupefied.She certainly could not say a word—Winter was supposed to be Frank's lover! How did
Frank murmured, "Good men shouldn't die like that.""Yeah." Vicky sighed, pausing as she remembered something else. "What about Helen? Does she know her mother kidnapped Winter?""I don't know." Frank shook his head. "I see…" Vicky murmured and got up to give him a gentle peck on the forehead, tousling his hair as she said, "As the CEO of Grande Pharma, I'm ordering you to take the week off—after that, you must come to work looking spirited.""Heh…" Frank chuckled bitterly. "Thank you.""Caring for employees' health is a CEO's responsibility. Anyway, just call me if anything comes up." Vicky smiled at him and started to leave the room.However, she opened the door to find that Winter had been eavesdropping.Leveling a cheeky smile at Winter, she asked, "What were you doing?"Winter blushed right then and quickly threw up her hands. "N-Nothing! I was just going to call you for breakfast… Would you rather I bring the soup to your room, Frank?"She really was a good girl.Still
Henry had killed himself, giving up his life in exchange for Frank's mercy."As long as the Lanes don't mess with me anymore, I won't bother going after them," Frank mused to himself. "We're all square now."It was Henry's last wish, because he understood at the very end that his family did not deserve Frank.Despite Gina's persistent claims that Frank did not deserve Helen, it was the other way round.-After breakfast, Frank started his daily training routine.His phone rang with perfect timing when he was done, and it turned out to be Burt Yorkman."What is it?" Frank answered."Bro—I mean, Mr. Lawrence! We're in trouble!" Burt cried urgently right then.Frank frowned. "What? What's the problem?""I-It's Quinn," Burt stammered. "S-She ran away!""Ran away?" Frank remained unaffected, even nodding. "Then let her.""What? But…" Burt's jaw hung open as he tried to speak and sighed after a long while. "Sir, her insanity was faked!""I know." Frank nodded again."What?!"
And just as Frank had predicted, Quinn did not even tell the Salazars before fleeing alone back to Sage Lake Sect.Pulling rank as the daughter of an elder, she immediately scourged through the sect's archives once she returned, her eyes flashing greedily when she found out why Mystic Sky Sect was massacred three years ago.Five-Peat Archaeus—immortality!And now, that opportunity was right in front of her, ripe for the taking!Drakon Salazar? Did he even compare to the temptation of immortality?!They were just in a relationship and not even married—and Quinn would never let Cloudnine Sect hog such providence!With that in mind, she slips away from her fellow apprentices asking after her, smiling spitefully as she strode into her father's parlor.-At The Dynasty, Helen was wearing a bareback black dress as she leaned against the bar.She was drunk, as she had been for the last three days.Naturally, she stank of alcohol and was barely coherent, and her vomit covered the flo
Helen whipped out a stack of neatly arranged papers and slammed them on the table, stammering, "G-Go on, take it—that's grandfather's will, and you can have your wish to return to the Southstream Lanes."Cindy promptly snatched the papers, though she kept smiling. "What are you saying, Helen? This isn't important—we're all worried about you!""Yeah." Gina frowned. "If you stayed like this, Lane Holdings would—""Mrs. Lane, Cindy."Gina turned, feeling saved when she saw the tall man dressed sharply in a suit who had just entered the bar. "Oh, Mr. Graves! You have to talk to Helen—we're just not getting through with her.""Alright. You should go home—just leave her to me," Chaz Graves replied, frowning in a rare expression of disgust when he saw what a mess Helen was. Still, he quickly hid it with a smile."Wonderful! You really come through for us when it matters, Mr. Graves!" Gina exclaimed in delight."Allow me to buy you drinks next time for taking such good care of us, Mr.
Frank snorted. "Alright, I'm hanging up. I'm getting started over here soon.""Yeah. Good luck," Jouri replied.Hanging up, Frank looked up at the waterfall overhead, and then at Skyler, who was standing beside him. "So? Is it time yet?""Almost… Now!" Skyler's eyes were glowing even as she stared at her watch."Alright."Frank looked up just as the skies abruptly darkened. "Ah, there it is—the eclipse."The sun seemed to disappear, and the world was suddenly shrouded in darknesses.And beside him, a stone door imbued with the power of the spiritron vein also rumbled as it parted."Got it!" Frank rushed inside without another word as soon as he saw it."Hmph. I'm surprised that you could reach this place." A cold, wrathful voice resounded inside even before Frank got a hold of his surroundings.Looking up, Frank found a youth in a black cossack and sporting grey-white hair, standing upon a cliff as he looked down on him.Frank chuckled. "Hehe. Like I said, I've come to kill
Frank narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?'Crane shrugged. "I don't mind giving it to you straight—members of Torrent are actually… Ahem. A part of Torrent himself."Frank paused. "What's that supposed to mean?""You don't get it, do you?" Crane grinned. "Then let me put it to you this way—every member is a clone of Torrent.""A clone?" Frank gasped in realization."Yes," Crane nodded. "That's why I believe that challenging Crane is just suicide. You have no idea how powerful he is—only death awaits you down that path."Frank smirked. "Oh, but I don't think so."Crane rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever—now listen closely. You will find Torrent in the Mystic Trail, but you would only find that place when the sun and moon coincide, and the entrance is beneath the waterfall south of Horton."As he finished, he snorted coldly. "I have no idea if you can actually do it, but I'm hoping you do kill him… Heh. I'm getting tired of being stuck under his control for so long."Then, waving off
Frank abruptly turned, immediately noticing one of the Cranes crouching, ready to spring forward and blindside him."Got you!" He laughed."Hah! You fell for it!"Just as Frank swung a punch to pulverize that Crane, he suddenly burst into pus that splashed at Frank's face."Damn it!" Frank took a step back, surprised that the clone's presence was identical to the real Crane, and a trap on top of that!"Die!"The Cranes around him each whipped out a dagger, all of them stabbing at Frank at the same time."Get off!" Frank bellowed, unleashing a shockwave that sent all the Cranes flying across all directions."Frank! Above you!" Skyler suddenly shrieked."Yes! I'm right here!" A strange laughter sounded above Frank just as he wiped the pus off his face.Crane was suddenly directly above him, launching an aerial kick straight at Frank's head, and Frank had no time to dodge!"Die!" Crane's smile curled into a twisted angle as he saw that too.He was very confident with this kick
"Disgusting…" Skyler murmured through her hand.Despite being skinned and scalped, the women were all still alive and singing to the music that was playing despite their anguish."Talk about a terrible fetish."Frank was scowling too—why were all the members of Torrent such sick deviants? It seemed like his plan to wipe them out was absolutely correct!"So, you killed my clone?"The lanky man on the couch slowly turned to level his bloodshot eyes at Frank.His lips were wet with bed as they curled upward into an eerie smile."Clone?" Frank narrowed his eyes."Hehe. It's a sage art."Crane shrugged as he stood up and wiped the blood off his lips. "It's only natural that you don't understand… Still, you deserve praise. If you can kill my clone, that means you're not just slightly stronger than Ghost."Naturally, the man was none other than the real Crane.Still, as Skyler studied him from a corner, even she could notice the strange twitch of his fingers, and his veins were pro
Even as Crane ran, he was looking over his shoulder, his heart pounding. "No… I won't win in a one-on-one!"No, as long as I get back to my real body… we can do this together!" He frowned, having seen how Frank sliced off the pinkies of those hood rats. It hence quickly dawned on him that Frank was not just slightly stronger than Ghost, as Torrent had put it!"Almost there!" He gasped when he saw the signboard of Pegasus Showtown in the distance. "As long as I get there and rendezvous with my real body, that brat will lose—"That was when he turned and saw that a shadow had caught up with impossible speed."What?!" Crane's eyes almost popped out in bewilderment. "What speed is that?! Are you kidding—"Even as he spotted the shadow, the shadow turned into a youth with an impassive visage.His fist outstretched, he was clearly punching toward Crane's forehead!"Argh…"Even as Crane looked on, the youth's punch slowed down by tenfold, but his fist kept closing in.Then, whe
Seeing Skyler sigh, the tattooed thug presumed that his extortion worked.He strode up, grabbing Frank's shoulder. "No one's gonna help you, boy. Pay up, or you're not leaving.""Exactly! You're not getting away!" the crowd of hood rats hollered. "Last chance."Frank's eyes were cold and fixed on Dani, however. "Are you going to intervene? If you do, you can keep that check. If you don't…""Ugh. Fuck off! I don't care!" Dani spat, her expression smug as she folded her arms before her chest. "Who do you think you are to threaten me?!""Exactly! Pay up, and you can leave!""Yeah! Ten grand, at least!""You probably don't know my boss Wyvern, but when he's here, you won't get away with just ten grand!"Even as the crowd closed in, Frank shook his head. "Well, you had your chance. Don't blame me for what happens next.""You're giving us a chance?! Hah! Who—argh!"Even before Dani could finish gloating, Frank was suddenly in front of her, grabbing her viciously by the wrist."Arg
"Five grand?! Did you hear that?! He just threw five grand!""Must be a rich kid coming here for a secret rendezvous, out of prying eyes? Those types are the easiest mark!""Fuck! And Dani got one of us… It hurts me more than losing at the races!"Frank could hear the buzz around him but ignored it as he strode past the men flanking him and headed toward the street that stank of blood."Stop!" A big tattooed man grinned sinisterly as he intercepted Frank.As his buddies encircled Frank as well, Frank snorted—it seemed that they took his reaction for a sign of weakness and thought that he could be cowed.The tattooed man rubbed his chin as he leered at Skyler's voluptuous figure, chuckling. "Look, boy. I'm short on cash, so let me take a loan. I'll pay you back some other day, how about that?"His friend laughed. "Exactly! You just gave Dani five grand, and we won't ask for more… just four, how about that?"Skyler scowled in turn and glanced worriedly at Frank beside her—was he
Frank himself had just stepped out of the nightclub when his eyes narrowed."Blood," he murmured, his nostrils twitching."Blood?"Skyler sniffed the air, puzzled. "I can't smell it.""It's from the opposite street… I smell the blood of over a dozen people.""A dozen?!" Skyler did a double take.He could identify the number of people who were killed?! That was just ridiculous!"Come on, let's take a look."Just as Frank led the way toward the source of the stench, a woman suddenly came up, catching Frank off guard and throwing herself into his arms."Hmmm?" He looked down to see that she had thick makeup, average looks, and a rather pudgy belly."Argh! He touched me!" she pointed at Frank and shrieked even before he realized what was happening."What?!" Skyler was staring at the woman too, mystified."Oh, sister! You just didn't see it!"The woman kept hollering, pointing at Frank's face. "Your boyfriend grabbed my ass! Is that how you teach him manners?!""Teach him ma
Wyvern screamed even as he clutched the stump that was his hand, screaming so shrilly one might mistake his voice as inhuman."Oh, just shut up." The lanky man glowered and launched a kick, reducing Wyvern into puddles of blood and pieces of innards, splattering all around the lobby. "Argh!!!" the devilish lady screamed as she watched the carnage unfolded."Another sound, and you'd end up just like him." The lanky man turned and frowned at her impatiently."Hngh…" The devilish lady promptly clasped a hand over her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as she trembled."What the hell?!"Outside, Wyvern's lackeys heard the screams and ran inside, looking for him. "Hey, where's Wyvern?!"However, the lobby was too dimly lit for them to notice the blood and guts scattered around the walls, and they only sensed that terrible stench."Hngh…" The devilish lady was too scared to speak, and tears trickled out of her eyes."Fuck!"One of the lackeys strode up and seized the lanky man