Meanwhile, the Janko family bodyguards had chased down Yed and restrained him again.Even as they dragged him off to the basement stockade, he screamed, "Please save me, Ms. Lionheart! They're going to kill me!""Ned Janko, I demand you release Yed this instant!" Sif bellowed at Ned loftily right then. "No." Ned shook his head, his tone neutral. "I refuse. And what are you going to do about it? Attack me on my family's turf?""Better think about what you're doing," Sif growled impatiently in return.Ned was always a loser whom everyone could bully—how did he become so authoritative in just a few days, even daring to stand up to her?!"There's no need to think, Ms. Lionheart." Ned held her gaze in turn. "I'm now asking you to leave my house. We're not receiving guests at the moment.""What if I refuse?" Sif asked quietly."Then I will have to remove you by force!" Ned bellowed. "Uncle Lothar! Retainers! Escort them out of here?!""Come on if you dare!" Sif bellowed in turn as
Sif immediately realized what she had actually said right after she said it.She could well have admitted to aiding Yed in assassinating Ciril!Not only would that lead to a diplomatic crisis between the Lionhearts and the Jankos, but her actions and her family would also be quickly condemned far and wide if word spread.Also, there was no doubt that the Lionhearts were as influential as they were powerful enough to not fear the Jankos. But if they really pushed the Jankos too far, they would definitely retaliate and perhaps succeed in taking their two pounds of flesh from the Lionhearts before they went down.In short, it was completely unnecessary heat.With that in mind, Sif quickly switched gears, her tone cool as she said, "I'm a close friend of Yed's, and I won't sit idly by when he's being abused. I couldn't care less about any family dispute that happened here.""Well, what happens in the family stays in the family," Ned said pointedly. "And since I'm sure you weren't con
Once word got out that the Lionhearts were conspiring to assassinate the head of one of the Four Families of Morhen, their reputation would be dealt a serious blow. It went without saying that it would be much worse than Sif's troubles at Norsedam!As such, Sif was now afraid to breathe a peep.If she somehow exposed herself now, forget Ciril—even her own family elders would skin her for the sheer vileness of her plot!Soon, Morhen would be left in chaos as it was every man for himself, while even the Lionhearts would find themselves desperate."N-No, sir," Sif quickly said humbly. "I came here to deliver an invitation—my brother Titus will be marrying Vicky Turnbull in a few days, and your family is cordially invited to attend the ceremony.""Hmph. Yet another arranged marriage?" Ciril chuckled coolly and waved her off. "I understand. You may go now.""Ah… yes, of course. By your leave, Mr. Janko." Sif bowed slightly, ready to flee with her men right then.Still, she stayed lon
"What?""Why?'Most of the Janko retainers and bodyguards were trading glances, puzzled by Ciril's sudden announcement.Only the stronger retainers were frowning as they pondered on Frank Lawrence's name, more or less getting the idea."Could he be a member of the Lawrence family, formerly one of the Four Families of Morhen?!""Is he the heir to the Lord of the Southern Woods?!"While everyone was left uncertain, Ciril coughed loudly twice and laughed heartily, "Don't worry, Mr. Lawrence. I have been around for a while—and I despise ingrates the most. If you have any requests, feel free to voice them! I understand that money is nothing to you… As long as it's within our power to grant it, we'll do our utmost!""Yes, Mr. Lawrence! Don't hold back on us now!""Ask away, Mr. Lawrence!"Seeing how enthusiastic the Jankos were, Frank mused to himself for a moment before glancing at the invitation Ned was holding."In that case, I do have a favor to ask," he said quietly."Ask awa
Kat was completely oblivious to the dramatic events that had transpired.It was the first time she visited the grand abode of one of Morhen's most illustrious families, and she was excitedly strolling everywhere under the supervision of the family butler.She was not distracted at all, despite the bolts from the blue, or the shockwave ensuing when Frank and Ciril's fists collided.She was still jubilant even as she and Frank were heading back. "Once I get rich, I'm definitely living like that!"In contrast, her cottage certainly stung the eye no matter how she looked at it now!It was not until they almost returned to the cottage when Kat remembered Frank was visiting the Janko Gardens for business. "By the way, weren't you going to treat Ciril Janko's illness? Did it work?" Not wanting her to ask for more details, Frank shook his head noncommittally. "Ah, so it's a dud?" Kat shook her head in disappointment. "I mean, 800 million dollars… Tut, tut! Shame you missed out, huh?"
Kat appeared surprised but soon poked a finger on Frank's cheek, breathing softly, "Master Lawrence?"Frank kept pretending to sleep."You're pretending to be asleep, aren't you?" Kat snapped impatiently as she stood by his bed.Frank still did not move."Heh. In that case, this ain't my fault…"She quietly took off her shoes, dangling it in front of Frank's nose.Frank's brow wrinkled right then, and he sat up and snapped in annoyance, "That's enough!" He saw beneath the moonlight that Kat had once again caked her cheeks with makeup and put on that white wig as well."You're a girl," Frank growled irritatedly. "Why do you have to keep sneaking into my room like we're actually up to something? What if your father sees us? What would he think of me?!""Hehe… I knew you were faking it," Kat giggled mischievously, before saying mysteriously, "I have a favor to ask, okay?""You've been asking for plenty of favors, don't you think?" Frank snorted, laying back down in bed while wa
"Danger's not the question. It's…uh…"Nash sighed, unable to continue."Don't you get sick of doing the same thing over and over again?!" Kat snapped impatiently right then. "I just want to go out, and there's a martial elite in Mr. Lawrence escorting me. What's going to happen? Do you really want me to go friendless?!""Of course not. I just want you to make friends with normal—""The way I see it, you're the freak here!" Kat bellowed at Nash before storming off.Nash sighed again. "Oh, that child…"Frank nodded at him. "Don't worry, Nash. She'll be fine as long as I'm around."Nash stared at him in turn—Frank was exactly what he was worried about…However, he could not say it.Sighing, he handed Frank a small box and left without a word, his back slumped.Frank was left starting in confusion as he left, and he stiffened when he took a closer look at the box."Nash…" He called out, ready to explain himself when he realized what was going on, Kat had returned and started d
Not only was Soren a liar, but he was also unreasonable, jealous, and a braggart.The man was simply incorrigible, and Kat wondered why she had not noticed that before. Composing herself, Kat stood akimbo as she glared at Soren. "I don't remember inviting you.""Lily did," Soren retorted, even more hostile toward Frank since he could notice Kat treating him differently.Lily quickly tried to calm things down. "Alright—we still have to get a show on the road here. It's our turn soon, Kat… Are you ready?""Hmph. For sure," Kat clapped a hand on her chest and leveled a smug look at Frank, like a child keen to show off.Frank sighed tiredly. "In that case, I won't impose. I'll come back to take you home when you're done.""No!" Kat scowled right then. "This is why I had you come along. You're watching us on stage, and you're going to cheer for me!""Come on, Kat," Soren chimed in, shooting Frank a look. "Don't get pushy when he's already refused you. Who knows, he might hate your
Frank was not only the smart guy out there in the whole right world. In other words, Mr. Creston had that in mind too!He was helping because he had felt insulted after Frank flexed on him earlier, and Dani was still useful to him—for now.When she handed over the company, however, he would not hesitate to kick her out! On top of that, he would make sure that she took the fall for all the dirty deeds they did together.In the end, she would not even be able to defend herself, while suffering lawsuits and public condemnation!Even so, she said, "I understand now. But it's never too late—I swear I'll change if you give me a chance!"Frank simply turned to Zein. "Actually, this man had the right idea—if he gave you a chance, who would give him one?"We're all adults here, so act your age. I'm sure you understand how a good opinion, once lost, is lost forever.""I get it!" Dani quickly said. "You don't have to keep me around, just—""No!" Frank snapped and crushed her left hand und
Dani was under the impression that even if the goons were not the best, they were on the cusp of reaching that level anyway.It turned out to be just her wishful thinking—when against the truly powerful, she was a lamb at the mercy of the butcher's knife, no matter how many people she brought! "To be honest, I'm curious as to what you're thinking." Frank snorted as he strode up to Dani. "Why dump a man who loves you dearly for some prick you don't even know? Being abused in that state and still thinking that you'd chosen wisely—do you actually have a brain?"Seeing her launching, he knew she was not listening, and he tore her ear off!The horrific pain jolted Dani to her senses, and she was left clutching what remained of her ear as she stared at the seemingly handsome man.She was under the impression that Frank would let her live even if she lost, but it was once again wishful thinking.He would kill her, and savagely at that!And she was certainly right, since Frank had ne
Drunken Moon quickly shook her head. "Don't worry about rewarding us. Nothing's better than getting you back on your feet. Did you know that you looked just like a zombie when I saw you again? You really gave me a scare there."Zein chuckled. "Can't help it—I really had no idea what I could do against them, so I could only flounder. But with this man recovering my mother's ashes, it's over for them."Turning to Frank, he nodded. "Don't worry, brother—I'm no ingrate. I'll definitely make this worth your while."Frank shook his head too.It was a simple thing for him to do, and he had volunteered in the first place. Why leverage grace for trinkets?Even as the thought crossed his mind, someone kicked open the door, and soon, a dozen goons stormed inside. With their black tank tops, machetes, and muscular figures, they were clearly not to be trifled with.And they were led by none other than Dani herself, striding inside like a queen, as if she had everything under control.Zein
"Argh!!! This place is haunted!!!"Horrified, Dani clung to Mr. Creston, eager to earn his comfort.Contrary to her expectations, Mr. Creston was much more knowledgeable and pushed her away, growling, "There's no such thing as haunting, only reckless brats. So tell me, who are you, boy?"Frank smirked. "I'm surprised you're that knowledgeable. But to be honest, who I am doesn't matter—what matters is that you're a subhuman piece of shit!"Then, as Mr. Creston and Dani looked on, the box of ashes vanished.While Dani screamed again, Mr. Creston was ready to call for help when he felt someone seizing his throat, and he could not make a sound."Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you—I'll just make sure your reputation would go up in smoke before you go to jail. That's the best either of you could hope for."As Frank's voice became distant, Mr. Creston could move again and promptly slapped Dani across the face.Amusingly, she did not get upset from that. In fact, she hung her head
It was superstition, as even fools knew that reincarnation was not real. But the richer they were, the more superstitious they got.Still, Drunken Moon said, "I'll get your mother's ashes back."Zein signed. "Thanks for the offer, but it's too dangerous. And she'd really do it if she's pushed too far."Drunken Moon would not want to bother Frank since this was her friend's problem and not hers, and he was not obliged to help. However, she honestly did not want to let people like Dani strut and leveled a pleading look at Frank.She simply did not know that Frank was always eager to help, and he had to agree that Dani was too sickening to be left at large.Putting a hand on his chest, he assured Zein, "Just tell me where the urn is. I'll definitely recover it for you."Zein was rubbing his brow as he said, "The people you're dealing with aren't as simple as they appear."Frank chuckled. "That applies to others too."And with those words, he disappeared.Zein—who had been lou
As Frank and Drunken Moon chatted, a thirtyish man opened the door. His tailored suit was draped lopsidedly, and stubble grew all over his chin.On top of that, there were wide dark circles under his eyes, both of which were bloodshot."Drunken Moon?" His eyes lit up when he realized who it was, but only for a second as his gaze soon dulled again.Drunken Moon turned to Frank. "Allow me to introduce you to a friend, Lugh Frankton. Lugh, this is my friend Zein Dunham. You can just call him Zein."After the men shook hands, Zein ushered them inside and made them tea.Then, he curled into himself as he sat on a couch, looking miserably insomniac."You don't look like yourself," Drunken Moon pointed out, puzzled. "Did you suffer some sort of trauma?"Zein smiled wryly. "You never know what could happen to you, I guess. Live and let live."Drunken Moon looked around and realized that all of Zein's wedding photos were gone.In fact, anything that had to do with Dani Farron, Zein's w
Damn their horrible luck! They would not be in this situation if Lanky Man was not eager to get himself a wife!Meanwhile, as Frank and Drunken Moon left, the latter giggled and asked, "Hey, could you come along while I visit a friend? It's rare that I can be out and about, so I'll just treat this as a holiday. That means I should properly unwind instead of going back right away."Frank nodded. He had nothing else to do anyway and followed Drunken Moon to a luxurious residential area.They could have entered directly, but since Drunken Moon did not know which house her friend lived in, she asked the security guard, "Do you know Zein Dunham? I'm a friend. Would you happen to know where he lives?"Though Drunken Moon was very polite, the security guard studied her from head to toe before scowling in contempt. "You can't go in without an appointment, lady, and I definitely can't give you any resident's address either—I'd get fired."Stepping out of the security shack, Drunken Moon ap
Lanky Man could not help flashing a thumb-up at Frank.However, the gesture changed just as Frank was not watching—with a flash of blue light, countless needles rained down on Frank!Nonetheless, Frank did not move.The needles continued toward him before clanging loudly as they came to a stop near him, as if striking a wall.Lanky Man could not help being stunned—that was his killing stroke, and he launched it at Frank when he let his guard down.However, the kid was somehow able to cast some barrier that nullified his attacks. What the hell was that even?!"Curious, aren't you?" Frank asked just then. "I'm sure the people you butchered would've been curious about your powers too. Now that the tables have turned, I must ask—has it ever crossed your mind that you're the same as them?"At those words, Lanky Man's knees buckled and he dropped to his knees.It was only natural that he imagined his defeat, but not one this pathetic.Frank never even broke a sweat, but nothing work
Despite Drunken Moon's agility, a needle struck her in the left shoulder after she dodged them multiple times.Gritting her teeth in pain, she smirked. "I'm surprised you're this strong."Lanky Man laughed. "It's not just you—I don't know why I'm this good either."Ever since I was a child, every person I've met, regardless of age or sect, could never win against me. It's really a pain being so strong—normal folk really wouldn't catch my eye, so I was hoping you'd change your mind, priestess."Drunken Moon sighed. "Then it's a shame that you've run into someone you shouldn't, or you might really have gotten your chance at showing off."And with those words, she chanted her incantation.Soon, blue light converged and formed a human silhouette.It was naturally Frank himself in the flesh!Even as Frank studied his own body, he actually found it interesting—in a way, he was able to teleport.In that case, would he not be making bank if he worked as a courier or pizza boy?"Who a