Frank took a sip of wine after clinking glasses with Titus but soon noticed something as the liquid slid down his throat."What…" He frowned, glancing at the dark-red wine."Problem?" Titus asked. "That's a special grade Romanee-Conti, imported from Franconia. They produce less than 400 barrels each year, but 200 of those have been brought here expressly for this banquet." After his commentary, Titus made a look of dramatic realization. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Lawrence—I've forgotten that hillbillies like you never get to experience such fine wine, let alone relish the exquisiteness in its taste."Nearby, Yonca hid her laughter behind her palm, while other Turnbull family members frowned at Frank too.Who was he? Why had they not seen him around before?His very presence was a polar opposite from the glitz and glamor of the banquet hall, so they couldn't help being curious.Still, Frank wasn't frustrated, even smiling and nodding. "Hehe… There really is something special about t
"Haha! Walter's back too? Terrific!" Frank turned and spotted a pair of familiar faces entering the banquet hall just then.Naturally, it was Vicky's parents, Walter Turnbull and Susan Redford.It seemed that they had to attend this banquet even though they lived in Riverton.Glen Turnbull was on hand to receive them, though his eyes soon widened in surprise and he looked around, searching. "Where's Les and Neil? Aren't they not coming back?" he asked."They're…" Walter was left making an awkward face, unsure what to say.Susan nudged him on the back, clearly wanting him to speak up."Ahem."Walter cleared his throat, and took out two reports, handing them to Glen as he explained exasperatedly, "Les was conspiring with our enemies and stole the recipe for the Beauty Pill which Vicky spent a fortune to acquire… He was killed during a fight thereafter.""What?!"The bombshell left Glen freezing, his lips trembling.Les was his second son… and he got killed in Riverton?!
Glen straightened himself, suddenly cold and authoritative again as he stared fixedly at Walter. "A child of our family must not die under such mysterious circumstances.""Exactly," Zac growled, repressing his rage. "I can't let my son's death go unanswered. And I want to know why!""Naturally, I've come prepared," Walter said, pulling out a stack of documents compiling evidence of Les Turnbull and Neil Turnbull's crimes, including photo evidence."Hey. Look," Susan noticed Frank sitting in a corner without a care just then and nudged Walter to look.Walter and Frank's eyes just so happened to meet just as Walter turned.With that, Frank got up and walked slowly through the crowd to reach them. "Mr. Turnbull, Mrs. Turnbull. We meet again." He smiled in greeting.However, both of them appeared awkward since Frank's name was in the documents they had just handed to Glen and Zac.There was no hiding it now.Walter cleared his throat and asked with an edge an elder would use, "Wh
The banquet hall erupted in an uproar at Glen's outburst."What?! Someone killed Les Turnbull?""No way, he's dead? And that brat killed him?!""That's the son of the family head we're talking about… Who the hell let him in here?"Frank could feel everyone's eyes on him.He glanced coldly at Walter in turn and said calmly, "Yes, I killed him.""How dare you!" Glen bellowed, clearly unable to retrain his own wrath.That man had killed his beloved son and would strut on his own turf freely like it was nothing?!How would he hold his head high if word got out?Nonetheless, Frank was laughing out loud and shaking his head. "Then did you read the part on why I killed him? You're a real failure of a father."Everyone swore they could hear Glen's teeth gnashing.Frank ignored him, however, and turned toward Walter, sighing in disappointment. "Shouldn't you be standing up to explain the facts? I remember how you bravely volunteered that you'd speak with your own brother personally…
Unlike Les, Neil was highly regarded in the family.It was unacceptable to see Frank, the murderer, to stand among them without a care!That was when the flamboyantly dressed Marit flashed a fearless smile. "Could he be the South Sea Crow?" "What?!" "The South Sea Crow?!"The name left every Turnbull on edge, and it was only natural since it was a nightmare that had hounded them constantly for three years.And everything would certainly make sense if Frank was that villain… and she was allegedly peak Ascendant rank too!"So that's it…" Zac growled viciously at Frank, his eyes flashing. "That's why Father was suddenly stricken with some bug. And you're in Morhen by sheer coincidence, on hand to prove that you're the only one who can treat him. The way I see it, you probably bewitched Vicky with some foul enchantment so that she is obsessed with you. But you're not getting away now that you've been exposed! Retainers!"The glass dome overhead shattered at Zac's bellowed, and
"When did you…" one of the Ascendant ranks growled through his teeth.It was only yesterday that he came under the Turnbull's payroll, and he never ate from their table.So how did he catch the bug like the others?"Darling…" Vicky was clutching her belly too, clearly taken ill as well."Come here, take this antidote and direct the vigor I infuse into you to clear your bowels," Frank said, passing Vicky a black pill.Vicky took the pill without hesitation and sat in meditation as she accepted an iota of vigor from Frank, directing it throughout her own body. She was a martial artist who had lost her cultivation due to poisoning. However, with Frank's vigor as a catalyst, her body felt like a broken dam, and her vigor kept gushing away from her meridian nexus, swiftly purging the bug."Vicky… Don't trust him…" Glen actually tried to stop Vicky from taking the pill, only to be left staring as Vicky was soon on her feet.And judging from the look on her face, she was cured and
Who knew? Frank might even clap and launch some fireworks and celebrate the moment the South Sea Crow massacred the Turnbulls.After all, they had never treated him fairly ever since he came to Morhen, and he was not one who maintained grace in the face of grief. They had constantly harassed him while posturing themselves with the superiority as one of the Four Families of Morhen, even breaking promises.As such, how was Frank supposed to play nice with the likes of them?However, while he got tough in the face of injustice, it was really 'what you see is what you get' with him.In other words, Frank could be a softie at times."Urgh, whatever…" His shoulders slumped feebly after Vicky tugged on him and pleaded for a long while.Having suffered this much grief, what was a bit more, and for Vicky's sake at that?Whipping out the two remaining antidote pills, he handed them to Walter and said, "These won't be enough, and I don't have time to cook more… Get a bucket of water and di
After that, it was Zac and the rest of the Turnbulls' executives.Walter's family of three worked hard, and soon the entire bucket of mop water was finished.Stenched aside, it worked like a charm—even if they did not instantly recover like Vicky and the others, they were soon regaining consciousness, especially with the help of Vicky's vigor. Most of them were getting to their feet, including Glen himself, although he blacked out again, his eyes rolling up his head in sheer agitation when he was told that Frank had saved his family with a bucket of mop water.Even Titus was not spared the ignominy, his expression contorted with pure rage as he resisted his discomfort to drink half a bowl of mop water.-While Walter and the others were busy rescuing their extended family, Frank found the South Sea Crow standing atop the roof of the banquet hall, her hair dancing in the air.And her alter ego was none other than the enchanting Marit Tisdon, Zac's wife."I'm curious. Whatever d
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