"Why do you hesitate?" Jason's smooth baritone cut through the tension. "I meant every word. One kick landed true—now, let the beating commence!""Mr. Gray, have you taken leave of your senses?" Kelly cried out in alarm. "Bobby may be insufferable, but to strike the Nelson heir carries grave consequences! Let me handle this, lest you incur the wrath of that formidable family."She had meant only to rid herself of Bobby's unwanted attentions, not provoke a conflict that could imperil even the esteemed Dr. Gray. The Nelsons brooked no insult to their towering legacy.Yet before her protests could take form, Rodriguez's eyes seemed to blaze crimson as he launched another vicious kick into Bobby's midsection. The heir crumpled with a pained groan, only for the onslaught to escalate into a blind, furious beating."Madman, how dare you...agh, spare my face, you wretch!" Bobby shrieked amidst the flurry of blows raining down upon him. "You are all dead, do you hear? Dead men for laying hands
Yet Jason culled the chaff from his flock with a ruthless pragmatism. Organizations like the fabled Heavenly Net and Eye stood as shining exemplars of the deserving few admitted to bask in his radiant orbit."I...I await your command, great King." Theodore's reply came tight with resolve. No matter the task, he would expend every last resource of the Nelson legacy to succeed. "A simple errand," Jason replied with indolent ease. "You are aware of the Martial Arts Master who has issued a challenge to be held in Emerald City after the next full moon?""A...a Martial Arts Master?" Horror dawned stark across Theodore's features as realization took hold. "Surely you cannot mean Albert, the supposed disciple of the Martial Saint himself?"Jason's inscrutable gaze fell upon the man, spreading a pall of dread. Theodore swiftly backpedaled. "F-Forgive me, great King! Even were I to be flayed alive, your secrets would never pass these lips, I swear it!" "You...you wish me to eliminate this Alb
"The Emerald City before me is now an enigma, its depths unfathomable!"Sean and Kyle, too, remained silent, for none could have foreseen such a rapid descent into turmoil within the span of half a day. Had it not been for Mr. Lawrence's keen instincts, Mr. Martin might have perished.Jason's countenance darkened. "So dire?""Initially, Joseph Rogers's downfall secured our dominion over the underground arena," Lawrence began. "But as we prepared to quell the remaining East District resistance, we found others had preempted us, seizing the fruits of our victory and wresting control of the East District."He glanced towards Steven Martin before continuing, "Naturally, we could not abide such insult. Having vanquished Joseph Rogers at great cost, we would not permit others to usurp the East District's territory. Yet we were repelled by one called Lotus Thirteen.""A formidable, enigmatic adversary who now holds the East District in an iron grip. We could not gain a foothold—I suspect he
Was a mere arena battle sufficient cause to mark them for persecution, to invite ridicule and contempt from all? What manner of existence did these households perceive them to be—roadside toys, or mere strays to be kicked aside?This damnable rabble!Fury and resentment contorted Lawrence and his comrades' features. These illustrious families clearly held no regard for their humanity!"Mr. Gray, what course of action do you propose?" Steven Martin asked with difficulty. "Their numbers are vast—we cannot engage them directly."Though consumed by rage, Lawrence remained clearheaded. "Emerald City has been utterly transformed, with untold influential figures now involved. We cannot provoke any of them—retaliation is presently an unattainable dream."Sean and Kyle clenched their jaws, their expressions etched with bitter resignation.But Jason merely issued a cold, mirthless laugh before uttering in frigid tones, "Spread the word—any who dare sow chaos upon my domain, regardless of their
But Jason clutched the fragment, his gaze boring into them as he enunciated each word with deliberate gravity, "Just two days ago, the esteemed mentor who bestowed this fragment upon me was slain—none other than the renowned appraiser, Ralph Flores!""What? Mr. Flores himself?" The men exclaimed in unified disbelief.Indeed, within Emerald City, few remained unacquainted with that legendary name which reverberated like thunderous renown. Yet, no news of Mr. Flores's demise had reached the public domain, undoubtedly suppressed.Nevertheless, Mr. Gray held no motive to deceive them on this matter."This...this cannot be..." Steven Martin's complexion paled, his incredulity palpable, for he had crossed paths with the esteemed Mr. Flores.Lawrence, however, fell into a rigid trance, his jaw agape as realization dawned, illuminating prior perplexities with blinding clarity.How Joseph Rogers had become entangled with the Black Lotus Sect, his motives for targeting Natalie, the enigmatic wa
"Such arrogance, such foolishness!" Albert raged with mocking laughter, enraged by the audacious challenge. That this upstart dared treat him, the mighty Martial Arts Master, with such flippant disregard?"Hmph, what consequence is being Martial Saint's disciple? Slaying you shall be as easy as butchering a dog. You need but three days? I need only three strikes!" With a cold snort, Albert flung the letter away."Swish!" Swift as a flash of lightning, the flimsy paper embedded itself three inches deep into a paulownia tree - a testament to the immense force behind the throw.Christian Cox and the others flinched, trembling with visceral terror. Was this the true power of Martial Arts Master? An ordinary blade could scarcely pierce so deeply, let alone a mere sheet of paper. Martial Arts Master's might was truly fearsome!At that moment, one man hesitantly spoke up, "Martial Arts Master, do you truly intend to... kill Jason?"Christian and the rest were aghast - to interrupt Martial A
It was him - Edward Reed!The assembled noble houses, initially sullen, now paled with trepidation. This notoriously unruly young master was not one to provoke, no matter their desire to curry favor with Loyalty Group. Pragmatism dictated knowing one's limits.Yet they wondered, what grievance could Edward have against these two to instigate such unwarranted hostility upon arrival? To the discerning eye, his provocation was clearly calculated. Jason, too, perceived Edward's intent, his brow furrowing. Edward Reed...the name rang familiar. If memory served, he had a brother - Kenneth Reed, was it not? The one who earned Gary Flores' wrath by offending Jason, leaving him with a shattered leg. And Emily's erstwhile fiancé...that was this very Edward Reed.The realization left Jason momentarily dumbstruck. So there existed deep-seated enmity after all. Yet Jason could hardly be faulted. None of those incidents were of his own making. Kenneth's plight was self-inflicted, while Emily hers
"Impossible! I will never agree to such terms!" Emily's outrage flared, recognizing Edward's contemptible ploy to coerce her submission.Susan, too, paled with dread. "Emily, don't acquiesce! I refuse to believe he would truly dare carry out such actions."Given the public setting of Loyalty Group's launch event, even the Reed family should exercise prudent restraint, lest they jeopardize their reputation. Susan had no desire to see her dearest friend entrapped once more in that ill-fated union which they had fought so ardently to dissolve."Hmph, you delude yourselves if you believe you have a choice." Edward's cold laughter rang with self-assurance. "Whether you consent or not, Emily, you cannot escape the inevitable. Your elders shall ultimately coerce you into wedding me."Emily's resolve wavered as dread gripped her heart. As much as she loathed to admit it, Edward's words carried the ring of truth.As she steeled herself to speak, dreading the words she knew she must utter, Jaso