Woody was scared out of his wits. He trembled in fear.The Drunken Maniac's appearance had unleashed his deepest, darkest fear.Ten years ago, he was just a small fry in the Martial Arts Union.He was full of fighting spirit the night he received the mission to capture the criminals. Beyond excited, he thought that would be his one chance to prove himself. He was going to make a name for himself.But it wasn't until they reached the battlefield that he realized how cruel reality was. He saw with his own eyes how his comrades were shredded into pieces.He saw how his leader was beheaded.And he saw how all the experts he had looked up to were murdered. They had all been utterly defenseless against their opponents and were killed upon contact.He was thoroughly traumatized by the bloody and gory scenes that had unfolded before his eyes. To this very day, those scenes still haunt his every nightmare. He would shake involuntarily every time he was reminded of what happened.
His absent-minded actions carried a certain sense of authority. After all, that piece of booger held enough power to give a grandmaster a lethal blow."Lord Drunken Maniac, it was all a misunderstanding. We do not mean to offend you."The guildmaster of the Deathly Hurricane was quick to react. He quickly showed his respect."He's right! We were only taking orders from the Martial Arts Union! We had no choice!"Please forgive us, Lord Drunken Maniac," the leader of the Starry Arches immediately followed suit and apologized."Hey! Why are you all just standing there? Put your weapons down! I'll make you pay if you hurt Rhys in any way!"The leader of the Nephrite Sun took things to another level. He berated all the martial artists around him, pretending to protect Dustin.The rest of them finally snapped back to the present as they put their weapons away. All the tension in the air instantly dissipated.Even the leader of the Martial Arts Union had run away. Who else dared to ac
The Drunken Maniac's presence brought about a major change of events.Just the previous second, Dustin had been the collective enemy of the entire alliance. And the next second, he was nominated as the alliance leader, to be revered by all. For a moment, things seemed to be looking up for him.But Dustin remained expressionless. He looked on coldly at all the martial artists who were acting respectfully to him. There was not the slightest hint of excitement or joy in his eyes. It all looked ridiculously ironic to him how things were.Apart from a handful of righteous ones among them, most of the remaining martial artists were fence-sitters who shifted their allegiance based on the circumstances.They had just been clamoring to slay him moments ago. And now, they were all cheering for him. Their instant change in attitude was ridiculous to him.As for the position of the alliance leader, he had absolutely no interest in it. He had challenged Ronald solely for revenge and to see
"Let's go, Drunken Maniac. Let's get a drink together."After putting the Celestial Pearl away safely, Dustin ignored the rest of them and walked down the stage with the Celestial Blade in hand.The crowd made way for him wherever he went.Dustin's incredible performance today had gained everyone's respect. Many of them could not understand why he refused to be the leader of the alliance. But, for now, it seemed like a good thing.That was especially so with all the guildmasters dying and ready to fight for the position.An upheaval was bound to happen in the martial world. And it will happen soon."Oh, right …"Dustin stopped in his tracks at the thought of something. He turned to look straight at Quincey. "I almost forgot. I've got this pain to deal with.""You … What do you want?" Quincey's expression changed immediately as panic flashed in his eyes."From the moment I set foot here, you've been dying to kill me. I'm afraid I won't be able to get any sleep knowing that such
"Hey kid, how was it? I came at just the right time, didn't I?"On the car ride back, the Drunken Maniac crossed his legs leisurely while chugging on a bottle of alcohol."They couldn't have done anything to me even if you hadn't come." Dustin shrugged."Oh, come on. Quit acting strong." The Drunken Maniac gave him a quick once over before he pursed his lips. "You used the secret Rhys technique to forcibly boost your cultivation. Now that the time is up, there's bound to be a recoil. Had I not shown up in time, you'd probably have died here today."Though the secret Rhys technique allowed one to forcibly boost their cultivation, there was a huge price to pay for it.It could deplete one's vitality or greatly weaken the person's body. If the person who used it was captured by his foes in his weakest state, it was highly likely that he might die."Pretty observant, old man."Dustin chuckled. Seeing that there was no point hiding things any longer, he pulled a silver needle out o
"Old man! What nonsense! You're the one incapable in that area! I am a champion at that!" Dustin was a little flustered.He got too emotional, and as a result, he started gasping heavily as he spoke. With his pale face, he was the very picture of being weak."Fine, you're the champion. I know that already. Don't get too excited." The Drunken Maniac nodded his head indifferently in an attempt to pacify him. "Regardless, this is a very rare piece of treasure. Just keep it for emergencies, alright?" He slid the bottle of medicine into Dustin's pocket as he spoke."You—" Dustin felt insulted. As he was about to explode, he started coughing violently."It's alright. Stop talking. I get what you're trying to say." The Drunken Maniac gave Dustin a pat on the back. He then turned and said, "I have to leave now. I still have a flight to catch. Remember to take the medicine on time so you'll have a child soon!"With that said, the Drunken Maniac disappeared in a flash."Take care, old
"Ever since a new leader took over the Harmon family, the family bowed to the Grant family. They even took over the Harmon family's properties. I think Tyler Grant will show his true colors soon after the engagement." Natasha's expression became serious.The dispute within the Harmon family brought about bad blood among the brothers. Families were now enemies. It was a serious crisis in the family. Fortunately, she foresaw this. She had transferred the properties under her name to Oakvale. By doing so, she had protected some of the family's foundation."Natasha, speaking of the Harmon family, what does your father think of all this?" Dustin asked. With Hector's network and reputation, he had a high chance of winning if he decided to fight back."My father is still trying his best to salvage the situation. He's trying to talk some sense into my uncles. However, I don't think it's working." Natasha shook her head.Her father was a good man. Too good to a fault, in fact. He wa
Trent and Kate stood beside him meekly. They didn't dare to make any noise, and they appeared pitiful.When they were captured by the Dark Panther Cavalry, they were released in just two days. From what they could deduce, Tyler must have convinced the Scarlet Warrior to let them go. This was enough to prove that they had placed their loyalty on the right person."Our engagement is tomorrow. Is everything ready?" Tyler finally spoke after finishing one round of chess."Well …" Trent's expression froze when he heard that, and he instinctively looked at his daughter."Tyler, we almost succeeded. But Dustin Rhys, that bastard, ruined our plan and captured us." Kate cursed as she explained."That's enough. I don't want to hear excuses." Tyler threw them an icy glance.He continued, "I want to see results, not the process. According to our deal, you'll get me the treasure map, and I'll give you my support to rise to power. "After that, we'll unite our families by marriage and achie