Even though Vermillion was a legend, Eric was confident he could stand toe-to-toe with him if he went all out.Javier's face sank, but an idea soon occurred to him. He turned to Julius and shouted, "Get him!"Knowing he couldn't kill Eric that day, Javier decided to use Julius as leverage. Several guards rushed toward Julius and grabbed him.Stunned, Eric found it amusing that Javier was using Julius to threaten him. He said, "Are you serious?"Javier shouted, "Julius is your biological father! You can't just watch him die, can you!?"He thought Eric would still care about his father despite his hatred.However, Eric laughed and said, "Whether he's dead or not has nothing to do with me."Eric knew he had to stay calm. As the Hernandez guards charged toward Julius, Eric's heart trembled slightly. Human hearts were not made of stone, especially not Eric's. However, he also knew that he had to stay rational and not be led around by Javier in such a situation.Javier frowned. "He's
Eric felt a surge of determination and decided to get serious. Since beginning his martial arts journey, he had never fully unleashed his power. Even in the underground arena, he always analyzed his opponents' moves before countering. He limited himself to straightforward exchanges when facing martial legends like Pierce and the mysterious red-cloaked masked man.Tonight, Eric intended to give it his all for a swift victory. He didn't know much about the Hernandezes, but could a family among the elite in King City have no hidden cards?He kicked the ground, and in the blink of an eye, he stood before the grandmaster wielding the tiger claws, delivering a powerful punch.Even from a distance, Javier and the others could feel the formidable force behind Eric's punch. It seemed as if a gust of wind accompanied the blow.Before the grandmaster could react, Eric's punch sent him flying several meters away, and he rolled on the ground before coming to a stop.He spat blood and stammered
"All of you are too weak!" Javier's face darkened even further as he bellowed, "Eric! This place is ours! You barged in recklessly, and we're just defending ourselves! You're the one who committed the crime first!"Eric fell silent momentarily, aware of Javier's tactic to force him to retreat. In reality, Eric also contemplated withdrawing, unsure of what to say to the police.Observing Eric step back, Javier sneered. "Such a brute! Violence seems to be your only solution. How laughable!"Javier believed he had gained the upper hand and scared Eric into submission, so he planned to escape overnight and seek refuge elsewhere until the Hernandezes resolved the issue. Suddenly, a group of people arrived at the gates of the Hernandez estate, led by none other than Pierce.Accompanying him was Ruth and several others from the Combat Department."Did someone call the police? What's the problem?" Pierce asked.Javier was dumbfounded. Although he had intended to call the police, he h
The Montgomerys mobilized, aiming to confront the Hernandezes directly. However, upon reaching their estate, Grace and her group discovered Eric was missing.The Hernandezes' faces paled upon the Montgomerys' arrival, realizing they were here for Eric, who wasn't the only one missing. Javier had been captured, and fear gripped them. They suspected the Montgomerys might exploit Javier's absence to dismantle them.Rafael led the Hernandezes and confronted the Montgomerys. In theory, with Javier captured, Julius should lead the Hernandezes.Rafael said, "Madam Montgomery, Eric's not here. Don't think you can do whatever you want just because my dad isn't around!"Rafael was upset by the Montgomerys' aggression right after his father's capture. Still, he acknowledged the Combat Department's formidable individuals, preventing him from blaming the Montgomerys outright."Who do you think you are to talk to me?" Grace asked, "Where is your father? Let him come out and talk to me!" "You—
Meanwhile, although Eric was not warmly received at the Combat Department, he was in slightly better condition than Javier. He had not been handed over to the relevant departments, while Javier had already been transferred with explicit instructions from the Combat Department. The Combat Department was not as impressive as Eric had imagined. In fact, it was somewhat rudimentary. He was confined in a simple room with only a table and chair.Even the door made some noise as if it had not been used in a long time and lacked oil.After Ruth entered the room, she started mockingly, "Are you a fool?"Eric initially thought Ruth was referring to the murder incident at the Hernandez residence. To be honest, he felt it was a bad move for him to charge into someone's home and kill them.He replied, "The Hernandez guards surrounded me. I was only defending myself. In that situation, if I didn't eliminate the grandmaster, he would have killed me." He extended his hand to show Ruth the bloo
Pierce held a genuine appreciation for talent. He invested even more effort in his pursuit of recruiting Eric than the first time.However, Eric was puzzled by what Pierce saw in him."Mr. Fischer, the world is brimming with talented individuals and lofty ambitions. Why have you singled me out?" Eric asked.Pierce grinned. "You're spot-on with the first part, but the second part needs clarification."Perplexed, Eric asked, "What do you mean?"Pierce elaborated, "While there are countless talented individuals, many lack the capabilities to fulfill their dreams. On the other hand, you stand out. You are a martial arts prodigy rivaling legends at 30 and an exceptional holistic physician. Your prowess surpasses your business achievements. These abilities are precisely what my Combat Department requires."Pierce's visit to Salt City was solely prompted by Eric—he actively sought rare talent, and Eric embodied that rarity.Pierce continued. "In truth, I orchestrated your visit to King
Pierce offered, "With your skills, you shouldn't limit yourself to just being a martial arts instructor."After pondering for a moment, Eric shook his head and replied, "It's challenging. I have too many responsibilities on my plate, not only with the company but also personal matters."Upon hearing Eric decline their invitation again, Ruth exclaimed, "See? I told you he won't join us! It's not like we're going to die without him anyway! If he doesn't join, so be it! We don't have to bow our heads at him!"Eric raised an eyebrow but remained silent.Pierce chuckled and remarked, "Relax, I don't see any problem with that. You need to put in more effort to get what you want. If he refuses to join us, it just means that we haven't tried hard enough."Eric sighed. He didn't want to dampen Pierce's enthusiasm, but disappointment was inevitable. -Later, Sylvia arrived at the Combat Department, and Pierce personally escorted them out."What's the Combat Department up to?" Sylvia ask
Very few people attended Felicia's funeral.At that moment, Eric and Sylvia discovered that the villagers who had helped organize the funeral were, in fact, relatives of Seth. The neighbors and Leopard's men took charge of the funeral arrangements.Felicia's son had passed away early, and her daughter-in-law had abandoned them, leaving only her grandson to grieve for her.Eric and Sylvia empathized with Felicia, a genuinely good person, never anticipating such a merciless tragedy in her life.The initially quiet funeral was disrupted by heart-wrenching cries early in the morning. Felicia's long-absent daughter-in-law had returned.While the neighbors recognized her, Jaden did not. He briefly glanced at the well-dressed woman before lowering his head. In his heart, he had no recollection of having a mother and few memories of his father.The agonizing cries brought tears to the eyes of many neighbors. Perhaps, despite her past actions, the daughter-in-law still retained a conscien