An Understated Dominance (Chinese Version) Chapter 201-300

However, in the next second, they were all sent flying out of the medical
center, screaming.
“F*ck, you’re all useless!” James shouted, disappointed to the point
of fury.

He thought that by bringing thugs over, he could get the upper hand in th
e battle. He never thought that the
thugs he hired would be so useless.

Suddenly, Dustin spoke up, “Caitlyn, he slapped you just now, so you can
give him two slaps in return.”

“Don’t you dare!” James‘ expression was demonic.

Caitlyn seemed frozen in fear. She shrank in on herself, not daring to st
ep forward.
All her life, she had only been beaten–
she had never hit someone else before.
“If she doesn’t dare, I’ll do it for her then!”

Without another word, Dustin slapped James hard in the face two times. Th
e latter was dazed from the blows,
and his cheeks grew red and puffy.

Chooter 201

“You savage, you’re even lower than an animal! Did you just smack your fo
rmer brother–in–law over a stupid

beggar? Are you even human?! Our family has done so much for you, but not
only do you not know how to repay us, you choose to bite the hand that f
ed you!

“You’re truly heartless! No wonder my daughter wanted to divorce you. Bec
ause of your ungrateful character, you deserve to die alone! You petty, i
mmoral, and hopeless piece of trash, you’ll never compare to Matt!” Flore
nce screamed, pointing her finger at Dustin’s nose.
She was showing her true colors as a wicked shrew.

“The Nicholson family has done so much for me? I’m being ungrateful?” Dus
tin couldn’t hold back his laughter
at her ridiculous words.
“Why does that sound so funny coming from
your mouth? When you say you did so much for me who do you think helped y
ou get to where you are today? Ever since Dahlia started her company thre
e years ago, it’s only been smooth sailing and successful; who do you thi
nk helped her out behind the scenes?

“Trevor’s revenge, the Harmon family’s partners, James being detained at
the bar, Dahlia running into danger, and also getting rid of the Hummers‘
boycott who do you think took care of these things? It was me! When you
say you’ve done a lot for me, it’s me who’s done a lot for the Nicholson
family! But how did you all repay me? By verbally abusing me and framing
me. Let me ask you this, who’s the ungrateful one?!” Dustin spoke in a bo
oming voice.

chapter 202
Dustin finally let out the grievances that he had bottled up for
a long time.

“You…

… That’s bullshit!” Florence did not believe it in the slightest.

Her tone grew even shriller as she screamed, “As if you had the capabilit
y to help us! My daughter’s achievements today are all thanks to her own
excellence! It has nothing to do with you! Also, don’t think you’re all t
hat. You had to rely on a woman to climb your way up to where you are tod
ay! If Ms. Harmon hadn’t protected you, the Hummers would have slaughtere
d you long ago! So don’t feel too happy now. Ms. Harmon will kick a usele
ss gigolo like you to the curb sooner or later. And when the time comes,
you’ll become the
public enemy!”
Hearing these words, Dustin simply shook his head and laughed.

Sure enough, there was no point in saying all those things. These people
wouldn’t believe it at all.

In the Nicholson family’s eyes, he had always been nothing but an incompe
tent average Joe.
Of course, he didn’t care.

“Alright. I don’t want to waste my breath with you anymore. Please leave
the medical center right now. You are not welcome here!” Dustin said, lea
ving no room for their bullshit.

“Just you F*cking wait! This is not over! James bellowed. Then, he helped
Florence into the car and left.

He couldn’t beat him in a fight, so he could only think of another way.
“Caitlyn, are you okay?” Dustin asked with concern.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry
for causing trouble for you, Mr. Rhys.” Caitlyn looked ashamed.

“You silly girl, if you encounter this again in the future, run far away
and hide. Don’t try to act tough,” Dustin
admonished.
“Okay.” Caitlyn nodded her head with a sweet smile on her face.

In the evening, Dahlia returned to the Nicholson Villa after work. As soo
n as she stepped through the door, she
saw James‘ bruised face as well as Matt’s stern one.

As soon as James saw her, he told her what happened. “Dahlia, you’re fina
lly home. Did you know that Mom
got beaten up?”
“Mom was beaten? What happened!?” Dahlia was shocked.

“It’s a long story. You need to go to Mom’s room and see her as soon as p
ossible!” James urged.
Dahlia frowned and quickly went to Florence’s room.
She found Florence lying on the bed, looking pallid.

Her head was wrapped in thick bandages, and her hands and feet were in ca
sts.
Chapter 202

On the bedside table, there are several bloody towels. It was a scene fro
m a nightmare.

“Mom, what happened to you? How did you get hurt so badly?” Dahlia was ag
hast.
“Dahlia, you’re finally back. If you
had come any later, I may not see you ever again…” She trailed off before
erupting in a fake coughing fit.

“Mom, just what happened to you? Who did this to you?!” Dahlia’s expressi
on turned frosty.
“Ugh It was all because of that animal, Dustin! Your
brother and I went to the Peaceful Medical Center today to ask him to hel
p us write a formula, but not only did that animal refuse to help, he eve
n spewed many offensive things. I got mad and told him off, but that sava
ge was so ashamed that he flew into a rage and beat me and your brother u
p. I got lucky. Otherwise, I may not have been able to return!” Florence
sighed, recounting the incident with a few embellishments.
“Dustin? He would never do that.” Dahlia’s eyes widened. She found
it a little hard to believe.
The Dustin she knew was definitely not a vicious person.

“Dahlia, I know it’s hard for you to believe, but the truth is already in
front of you. Look at Mom, and then look at my face. We were beaten to a
pulp! That Rhys bastard is simply not human!” James whined indignantly.

“No, that can’t be. Was it some kind of misunderstanding?” Dahlia held on
to the last glimmer of hope.

“Dahlia, things have already come to this. Don’t tell me you
still want to defend that trash! Fine, since you don’t believe me, I’ll s
how you proof! This is a recording from my dashcam. You’ll know whether i
t’s true or not once you watch it,” James said, fishing out his phone fro
m his pocket. He opened a video and pressed play. Dahlia focused on the s
creen. In an instant, she felt as though she’d been struck by lightning.

Chapter 203
The video on James‘ phone showed Dustin getting violent.

First, he kicked James, then he pushed Florence aside, causing her to fal
l onto the floor and bang her head against the door.

Finally, it ended with Dustin slapping James twice.

The start and end of the video had been edited out, and there was no audi
o, only images.
After watching it. Dahlia was frozen.

She couldn’t believe it before, but the video was right here; she had to
believe it.

“Dahlia, you saw what happened, right? This is proof that he beat us! Mom
is already getting old; she can’t handle that piece of trash’s beatings!
We already went to the hospital to get checked out. The doctor said that
her concussion is so severe that she might develop Alzheimer’s disease!
Not to mention, she even broke a few bones. She’ll have trouble looking a
fter herself in the future. Dahlia, do you still want to believe such a s
avage?! “James spat through gritted teeth, looking downtrodden and furiou
s.

“Why? Why would he do that?” Dahlia clenched her fists, and her face was
pale.

Their relationship had just begun to improve. She was even considering re
marrying him.
But why did Dustin hit her mother?
Could he have lost all feelings?

“Dahlia, not only did that brute hit me, but he also framed Julie and sen
t her to jail!” Florence said gravely.
“What? Julie is in jail?” Dahlia’s eyes grew wide.

“That’s right! Today, Julie went to the Harmons‘ to buy Immortunol and go
t into a disagreement with Dustin. Then, that bastard wanted to
take revenge, so he
got someone to arrest Julie and charge her with theft.” James said venomo
usly.

“I was there the whole time. I can vouch for it,” Matt chimed in from the
side.

Naturally, he wouldn’t give up an opportunity to kick a man while he was
down.

“Dahlia, did you hear that? That bastard, Dustin, is an ungrateful son–
of–a–
B*tch. We were all fooled by him back then. He has already shown his true
colors now, and he does not want to forgive and forget. How can you trus
t a man like him?!” Florence added, stoking the llames. As she spoke, she
began to cough again.

She looked like she was at death’s door, and Dahlia’s heart clenched at t
he sight.

The last ray of hope in her heart was completely extinguished. Instead, i
t was replaced by fury!

Without another word, she took out her phone and dialed Dustin’s number.
“Hello? I demand an explanation!”
“An explanation? For what?” Dustin responded calmly.
Chapter 203
“I’m asking you whether you were the one who beat my mother and
James up?!” Dahlia asked, suppressing
her anger.

“I did hit James, but he deserved it. As for your mother, she caused her
own fall by accident.”
“By accident?” Dahlia’s voice rose sharply.
“You say it like it’s nothing! Not only did your so–
called accident cause my mother to break her hands and legs, she even suf
fered a severe concussion!”
“Is it that serious?” Dustin was suspicious of that claim.

She’s lying in bed, unable to move due to her injuries. Do you think that
’s not serious? According to your logic, does my mother have to die on th
e spot for her injuries to be serious? Are you even human?‘ Dahlia’s bloo
d
was boiling.

“You’d better calm down and take your mother to have her injuries examine
d,” Dustin said.

When Florence left earlier, she had been fine. There was no way she was t
his badly injured all of a sudden.

“Have her examined for what? I’ve already seen it with my own eyes, so wh
y do I need to get her checked out? Are you still trying to justify yours
elf at this point?” Dahlia said, fuming.

He had beaten up her family. Now, not only was he refusing to apologize,
but he was also acting so
righteously.
When did he become so unreasonable?

“Since you believe your mother’s story, then why are you asking me?” Dust
in’s tone grew cold.

“What? Are you throwing in the towel just because you’ve been caught? You
’re the one who beat them up; are you saying you were in the right?” Dahl
ia said.

“Fine. Let’s say I did beat them up, but did you ever ask why?” Dustin sa
id.

“Of course, I asked! My mother asked you for the formula; not only did yo
u refuse, you even said some harsh things. She told you off, and then you
beat her up. Isn’t that what happened?!”

“Heh If that’s what you think happened, then that’s what happened.” Dusti
n snickered.

The current him was too lazy to explain. No matter what he said, they wou
ldn’t believe him.

“Dustin, ch, Dustin. I really didn’t expect you to be this kind of person
! Did you have to go that far over a formula? What would have happened it
you’d given her the recipe? Would you lose a limb? You know what, I can
just pay for it! Is one million dollars enough? Or two? Name your price,
and I’ll buy it no matter the amount!
Dahlia grew angrier and angrier as
she spoke. Her hands started to tremble with rage.

“Do you think this is about money? To tell you the truth, I’ve already gi
ven the formula away.” Dustin stated indifferently.
“Who did
you give it to? Was it Natasha? So are you saying that you would rather g
ive her the formula for free
than sell it to me?”

“Can you be more reasonable?”

“Am I being unreasonable, or are you just a cold and heartless person who
grew tired of your old toy in favor of a new one? Am I not even worth on
e formula in your eyes?!” Dahlla was about to lose her mind.

She wasn’t this upset earlier, but at the thought of Natasha, she felt a
knife pierce her heart.

She couldn’t help but feel as if someone had taken something important fr
om her.

“Dahlia, I don’t want to argue with you. If you called me to talk about t
his, then I don’t think we have anything to talk about,” Dustin said, tak
ing a deep breath.
“Fine! Let’s not talk about the formula–
let’s talk about Julie! Were you responsible for her
arrest?” Dahlia changed the subject.
“If I said no, would you believe me?” Dustin said indifferently.

“Do you think I would believe you? Matt saw you plant fake evidence with
his own eyes and got Julie sent to jail! I know you don’t like her, but m
ust you be so petty? How could you do such a cruel thing over a small con
flict? That’s my cousin! How could you do such a horrible thing?!” Dahlia
was practically roaring by the
end of the sentence.
“So you’ll believe whatever Matt says? Am I such a narrow–
minded asshole in your eyes that you’d rather believe Matt over me?” Dust
in asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

“You’ve done so many terrible things. How can I believe you?” Dahlia reto
rted back.

When Dustin heard those words, he fell silent, his mouth curving into a s
elf–
deprecating smile. He didn’t want. to explain further, nor did he have th
e energy to do so.
Once the seeds of doubt were planted, they could never be removed.

There had always been a chasm between him and Dahlia. It was due to a lac
k of trust.

No matter what he did or said, he would never receive an acknowledgment.
But whenever there was a minor misunderstanding, it would explode into a
full–blown argument.
That was the crux of their problems.

He had really done his best.

Chapter 204

“You don’t have anything else to say? I knew you were lying! Why? How did
you turn out this way? Why do you have to push
my boundaries over and over again? Must you
keep causing trouble until we turn against each other? Dahlia’s face was
full of disappointment, and she felt disheartened.

“It’s not that I’ve changed, but you’ve never believed in me, whether it
was before or now. Since you won’t believe me anyway, then there’s nothin
g to talk about. I’ll figure out a way to repay you for what you did for
Gregory.” As soon as Dustin finished speaking, he hung up.

Could things go back to the way they were before?
No, it was impossible.
This was his answer to her question last night.

“Dustin, what do you mean? Are you trying to cut ties with me? You … Dahl
ia still had more to say, but the line had already gone dead.
Dustin’s indifference and coldness felt like a knife in her heart.

She couldn’t understand why the two of them couldn’t get along peacefully
. Why must they hurt each other?
Why?
Why couldn’t he try to understand her?

“Dahlia, I told you a long time ago that Dustin is inhuman. I’m sure you’
ve seen his true self by now,” James said, adding fuel to the fire.

“Dahlia, we won’t go and beg him. That animal will get his reckoning soon
er or later!” Florence added another
blow.

“Mom, don’t talk anymore; just focus on getting better. I’ll think of som
ething to help Julie.” Dahlia’s mental
state was a mess.

“Dahlia, you don’t have to worry too much. My father is already talking t
o his connections about Julie’s arrest. I’m sure we’ll hear something soo
n,” Matt said comfortingly from the side.
A woman was most vulnerable when she was injured.
If he took advantage of this opportunity, she would be his soon.
“Thanks.” Dahlia forced a smile.

While they were talking, a police car suddenly stopped at the entrance of
the villa.
The car door opened, and Julie jumped off the car joyfully.

As soon as she stepped through the door, she hollered, “Aunt Florence, I’
m back!”

“Julie?!”
When the others saw her, they all had looks of surprise.

Chapter 204
Florence even dropped her sickly act and leaped off the bed.

Grabbing Julie’s hand, she looked her up and down with a worried face. “J
ulic, are you okay? Did you get hurt in there? Do you know how worried I
was about you?”

“Aunt Florence, I’m fine. I was just locked up for half a day. I didn’t g
et hurt.” Julie smiled.

Although she was a little shaken up, she was glad to be back safe and sou
nd.

“You were released after just half a day? That was quick” James said, a l
ittle flabbergasted.

“The situation was rather strange. When they interrogated me, they were s
o fierce and scary. However, after they got a phone call, they immediatel
y released me,” Julie said, sounding confused.

A light quickly went off in Florence’s head. “Ah, I know! It must have be
en Matt’s father who helped you. If it wasn’t for Mr. Laney Sr.’s connect
ions, you’d probably still be stuck in there.”
“Really? Thank you so much, Matt!” Julie hurriedly thanked him.

“No, it was just a small favor. It was nothing.” Matt faked a humble smil
e.

Although he said that, he thought the situation was weird, too. According
to the plan, his father would only
help Julie after he got the formula for Immortunol.
So why had she been released so soon?
“See. Dahlia? This
is the difference between Matt and Dustin! That Rhys bastard has no capab
ilities aside from using dirty tactics to get people in trouble! Then loo
k at Matt–
every time there’s a critical moment, he always lends us a hand and saves
the day! Now you should know which man cares about you the most,” Floren
ce said, purposely dragging one man down to lift the other up, showering
Matt with praise.

*Exactly, Dahlia! That loser is not good enough for you. Matt is still th
e best match for you. Since
you’re already divorced, the way I see it, you should just get together w
ith Matt, James added.

“I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

Chapter 205
Dahlia frowned
slightly, slowly coming back to her senses. Looking at Florence hop aroun
d energetically, she was astounded. “Mom, I thought you said you broke yo
ur hands and feet? How can you still stand?”

“Huh?” Florence’s face froze, and she forced a smile. “When I saw Julie,
I got a little too emotional and temporarily forgot about the pain. I sho
uld lie back down and get some rest right away.”

With that, she limped to the bed.
But those horrible acting skills fooled no one.
“Mom, are you actually

actually fine and were just pretending to be hurt in front of me?!” Dahli
a’s face sank.

“How can I be fine? Didn’t you see how Dustin hit me? Ouch held her head
and began to put on a show again.
My head is starting to hurt again!” Florence

“You said you have a concussion and broken limbs. Well, where’s the case
file from the hospital? Show it to me!” Dahlia demanded.
“Well…” Florence and James both looked at each other, speechless.
Seeing their reaction, of course. Dahlia caught on.

“So you two have been lying to me all along? All for what?” She bit the b
ottom of her lip.

“Fine. I’m not hurt! So what? Seeing that her ruse was up, Florence stopp
ed pretending.
She
said indignantly, “Although I didn’t get hurt, it’s still true that that
animal beat us up. You saw what happened in the video. Could that be fake
d?”
“That’s right! Dahlia, look at the injuries
on my face. He did this to me!” James played along.
“Give me your phone!” Dahlia demanded, her gaze cold.
“W–
what do you want my phone for?” James felt a niggling sense of guilt.
“Just give it to me!”
Without another word, Dahlia snatched the phone from his
hands. She looked for the
full video and played it with the volume turned up.

After grasping the entire situation, her body began to tremble from head
to toe. She finally understood why her brother had been beaten up.

Dustin wasn’t the ungrateful one. It was her mother and brother who cross
ed the line and went to his doorstep to kick up a fuss!
“Why? Why did you guys lie to me?!” Dahlia was extremely upset.

“Dahlia, we didn’t lie to you. That animal was wrong to hit us. Even if w
e started it, he had no right to hit us back! So what if we hit
him? We’re older than him; can’t we teach him a lesson?! Florence argued
righteously as if her actions were justified,
“You–
you guys are really unbelievable!” Dahlia was furious. She didn’t expect
that her mother would be so unreasonable and evil.

It was clearly her own fault, but she still pinned the blame on Dustin, d
eliberately twisting the truth and misleading her. 1

“Fine! Even if we were impulsive this time, it doesn’t mean that ass wasn
’t responsible for this as well. If he hadn’t framed Julie, would we have
gone over to pick a light? In the end, he had it coming for him!” Floren
ce shouted with conviction, her hands on her waist.
As soon as she said that, a middle–
aged man in uniform alighted from the police car that stopped in front of
their door.

“You must be Julie Amberson’s family, am I right? I am Chief Aspen Cruise
r. Regarding Julie’s case of medicine theft, although Mr.
Rhys has decided not to pursue
the matter, you still need to make sure she learned her lesson and won’t
make the same mistake again. If Mr. Rhys hadn’t said anything today, Juli
e would probably have remained in there for a few more years. Do you unde
rstand?” Aspen said, giving them a stern verbal warning.
“Mr. Rhys?”

Florence and the others looked at each other. “Wasn’t it Mr. Laney Sr. wh
o helped Julie?”
“Who’s that? I’ve never heard of him,” Aspen replied, stone–faced.
As soon as he said that, everyone’s eyes llicked over to Matt.

After everything that happened, it wasn’t even Phineas Laney who helped.
Then, had they thanked the wrong person?
Being on the receiving end of everyone’s gazes, Matt felt his face
flush, as if he’d been slapped on both cheeks.
This was F*cking humiliating!

“Chief Cruiser, may I ask who this “Mr. Rhys‘ is that you’re talking abou
t?” Florence still couldn’t believe it.

Aspen raised an eyebrow. “Who else could it be? Of course, it’s Dustin Rh
ys. Who else would help you out?”
As soon as he said that, the entire room fell dead silent…
Chapter 286
“D–
Dustin Rhys? How could it be him?!” After learning the truth, Florence an
d the others looked at each other for a while, disbelief written on their
faces.
Never in a million years
had they considered that it wasn’t Matt who saved
Julie, but the person they had dubbed ungrateful.
This was simply a slap in the face!

“So Dustin never framed Julie in the first place, and it was you guys pur
posely slinging mud at him?” Dahlia stood rooted to the ground, expressio
nless.
Her face was as white as a sheet.
“W–
who slung mud at him? I bet he’s feeling guilty because he knows what he
did wrong, so he’s trying to make things up to us!” Florence insisted stu
bbornly.

She was used to bossing people around; of course, she would never admit t
hat she had gotten the wrong idea
about Dustin.
That would be too humiliating.

“Mom, things have already come to this, and you still want to justify you
rself?” Dahlia bit her lip. Even her
heart was clenching.

“How am I justifying myself? If that Rhys bastard hadn’t framed Julie, wh
y would he have saved her? In the end, he was just feeling guilty for doi
ng something wrong!” Florence insisted indignantly.

“That’s right! If he didn’t do it, why did he save her?” James echoed.

“I’ve really had enough of you guys!” Dahlia’s emotions finally exploded.

“Why? Why do you always have to pick on Dustin? What exactly did he do to
you? Must you purposely
pick fights with him? In our three years of marriage, he has always been
honest and agreeable, but you have always had a prejudice against him. Ev
en though he had never done anything wrong, you kept pushing blame on him
again and again. Could you really be so blinded to how good he is?”
She was basically roaring by the end of her tirade.
Everyone was scared stiff.

After that spiel, Dahlia couldn’t stand it anymore. She threw the door op
en and left.
She got in her car and sped down the road.
Her tears, however, couldn’t stop falling.
She regretted it.
She really regretted it.

She regretted being so impulsive; she regretted believing her mother’s wo
rds; and she regretted misunderstanding Dustin.

Chapter 205
“You–
you guys are really unbelievable!” Dahlia was furious. She didn’t expect
that her mother would be so unreasonable and evil.
It was clearly her own fault, but she still pinned
the blame on Dustin, deliberately twisting the truth and misleading her.

“Fine! Even if we were impulsive this time, it doesn’t mean that ass wasn
’t responsible for this as well. If he hadn’t framed Julie, would we have
gone over to pick a fight? In the end, he had it coming for him!” Floren
ce shouted with conviction, her hands on her waist.
As soon as she said that, a middle–
aged man in uniform alighted from the police car that stopped in front of
their door.

“You must be Julie Amberson’s family, am I right? I am Chief Aspen Cruise
r, Regarding Julie’s case of medicine theft, although Mr. Rhys has decide
d not
to pursue the matter, you still need to make sure she learned her lesson
and
won’t make the same mistake again. If Mr. Rhys hadn’t said anything today
. Julie would probably have remained in there for a few more years. Do yo
u understand?” Aspen said, giving them a stern verbal warning.
“Mr. Rhys?”

Florence and the others looked at each other. “Wasn’t it Mr. Laney Sr. wh
o helped Julie?”
“Who’s that? I’ve never heard of him,” Aspen replied, stone–faced.
As soon as he said that, everyone’s eyes flicked over to Matt.

After everything that happened, it wasn’t even Phineas Laney who helped.
Then, had they thanked the wrong person?
Being on the receiving end of everyone’s gazes, Matt
felt his face flush, as if he’d been slapped on both cheeks.
This was F*cking humiliating!

“Chief Cruiser, may I ask who this “Mr. Rhys‘ is that you’re talking abou
t?” Florence still couldn’t believe it.

Aspen raised an eyebrow. “Who else could it be? Of course, it’s Dustin Rh
ys. Who else would help you out?”

As soon as he said that, the entire room fell dead silent —

Chapter 206
“D–
Dustin Rhys? How could it be him?!” After learning the truth, Florence an
d the others looked at each other

for a while, disbelief written on their faces.

Never in a million years had they considered that it wasn’t Matt who save
d Julie, but the person they had
dubbed ungrateful.
This was simply a slap in the face!

*So Dustin never framed Julie in the first place, and it was you guys… pu
rposely slinging mud at him?” Dahlia stood rooted to the ground, expressi
onless.
Her face was as white as a sheet.
“W–
who slung mud at him? I bet he’s feeling guilty because he knows what he
did wrong, so he’s trying to
make things up to us!” Florence insisted stubbornly.
She was used to
bossing people around; of course, she would never admit that she had gott
en the wrong idea
about Dustin.
That would be too humiliating.

“Mom, things have already come to this, and you still want to justify you
rself?” Dahlia bit her lip. Even her heart was clenching.

“How am I justifying myself? If that Rhys bastard hadn’t framed Julie, wh
y would he have saved her? In the end, he was just feeling guilty for doi
ng something wrong!” Florence insisted indignantly.

“That’s right! If he didn’t do it, why did he save her?” James echoed.

“I’ve really had enough of you guys!” Dahlia’s emotions finally exploded.

“Why? Why do you always have to pick on Dustin? What exactly did he do to
you? Must you purposely pick. fights with nim? In our three years of mar
riage, he has always been honest and agreeable, but you have

always had a prejudice against him. Even though he had never done anythin
g wrong, you kept pushing blame on him again and again. Could you really
be so blinded to how good he is?”
She
e was basically roaring by the end of her tirade.
Everyone was scared stiff.

After that spiel, Dahlia couldn’t stand it anymore. She threw the door op
en and left.
She got in her car and sped down the road.
Her tears, however, couldn’t stop falling.
She regretted it.
She really regretted it.

She regretted being so impulsive; she regretted belleving her mother’s wo
rds; and she regretted. misunderstanding Dustin.

Chanter 200
She felt distraught and confused.

She didn’t know whether they could go back to the way things were before.
At
the Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin took a deep breath. He quickly calmed
down after hanging up the phone.
After all it wasn’t the first time something like this happened.
Hence, he wasn’t much bothered by it right now.

“Beep beep!” At that moment, a Maybach with a Millsburg license plate sto
pped at the entrance.
Soon after, a middle–
aged man in a flashy, red suit strutted over with his head held high.
Next to him was a stocky bodyguard.

“Are you Dustin Rhys?” The moment the man in the red suit entered, he beg
an to eye Dustin up and down, acting all high and mighty.
“And who are you?” Dustin raised his head, sparing the man a glance.

“My name is Laney, Phineas Laney. I am from the Laney family of Millsburg
.”

Phineas picked up his handkerchief and wiped down the chair before taking
a seat of his own accord.

Dustin quickly made the connection. “The Laney family? What’s your relati
onship to Matt Laney?”

“Matt Laney is my son and the heir of the Laney family.” Phineas pushed h
is glasses up his nose and continued indifferently. “Of course, I didn’t
come here to your doorstep to tell you these things, but to offer you ric
hes.”
“Oh? What do you mean?” Dustin raised his eyebrows.

“I heard that you have the Immortunol formula in your hands. It’s somethi
ng I am very interested in.” As Phineas spoke, he took out a check and sl
id it onto the table. “This is a check for 30 million dollars. If you giv
e me the formula, then the money is
yours. For people like you, this amount is enough for you to live without
worry for the rest of your life!”
“Sorry, I’m not interested.” Dustin rejected it immediately.

“Why? Is it too little?” Phineas narrowed his eyes slightly. “I didn’t pe
g you for
someone with a big appetite. Alright, why don’t I add on another 20 milli
on dollars, which makes it 50 million dollars in total? Give me the formu
la.”

“Like I said, I’m not interested,” Dustin repeated indifferently.

Chapter 207

“Young man, I advise you to consider this carefully. I do not like to be
rejected. If something catches my eye. I’ll do anything to get it.” Phine
as began to ramp things up.

“If you agree, then not only will you get the money, you’ll also become a
friend
of the Laney family. If you ever run into trouble, our family will help y
ou. Conversely, if you turn me down, you’ll become an enemy of the Laney
family. You have to decide for yourself whether you want to be our friend
or foe.”

Dustin couldn’t help but laugh when he heard that. “I don’t like to be th
reatened. If you’re going to speak like that, then we can only be enemies
.”
“Hm?” Phineas‘ face darkened.
“Punk, are you sure you want to do this?”
“Of course.” Dustin nodded.

“Hmph! Don’t think you can go around fearlessly because you have the Harm
ons backing you. To tell you the truth, I have a hundred ways to deal wit
h small fry like you. If you’re going to remain stubborn, I don’t mind pl
aying this game with you,” Phineas threatened with a nasty expression.
“I’ll play with you to the end.” Dustin was not the least bit afraid.

“Good. I hope you won’t regret it!” Phineas snorted, got up, and left.
A country bumpkin actually had the guts to go against him?
He must have a death wish!
The night went by uneventfully, but the next morning
“Ah!”
Dustin was rudely awoken by a scream.

When he opened his door, he found Caitlyn collapsed on the floor, her fac
e white with fear.
“Mr. Rhys, Dusty is dead!”
Caitlyn pointed at the door with tears in her eyes.

Dustin looked over to find a dead gray cat hanging from the top of the en
trance of the medical center.

The cat had been disemboweled, its blood dripping onto the floor. It was
a grisly sight.
This was the cat that Caitlyn brought back yesterday.
“Hmm?”
Dustin frowned.

When he stepped outside to take a look, he discovered that dog blood had
been splashed all over both sides

Chanter 207
of the main entrance, including the medical center’s sign.
Hanging a cat and splashing dog blood–
this was no longer just humiliation.
This was a blatant threat and provocation!

“Beep beep! At that moment, the Maybach from yesterday slowly pulled over
at the side of the road.
The window rolled down to reveal Phineas‘ and Matt’s faces.
Both father and son had the same arrogant smirk on their faces.
“Did you do this?!” Dustin’s face turned stormy.

“Congratulations! You’ve got the right answer!” Matt grinned. “Dustin, oh
, Dustin, we have already given you a chance. You didn’t appreciate it th
en, so don’t blame us for pulling some tricks!”
“You insist on fighting me?” Dustin’s eyes were icy.

“Fight? Heh Are you worthy of fighting us? You need to know that we’re st
ill playing right now.” Matt
sneered.

“Of course, all this is just a taste. The main event will come later! Are
n’t you always on your high horse? I have plenty of time to play with you
! Of course, I’m not just
going to play with you but also with your woman. I know you still have fe
elings for Dahlia, but don’t worry. Once I get her in my bed. I’ll film a
video for you to enjoy. I want you to watch me defile your woman! Tsk ju
st the thought of it is wonderful!” At the end of the sentence, he even l
icked his lips.
“You’re asking for death!” Dustin was seeing red.

“Asking for death? Heh Are you capable of killing me? Do you think the Ha
rmons would turn against the Laneys for you? Without Natasha’s protection
, you’re F*cking nothing! I’ll give you three days to think. Either you h
and over the Immortunol formula, or you start shopping for your own coffi
n!” After Matt finished speaking. he wound up the car window and left.

With a dark expression, Dustin took out his phone and dialed a certain nu
mber. “Hey, I need a favor

Chapter 208

After hanging up, Dustin began to clean the medical center with Caitlyn.

Although she didn’t let out a word of complaint, Dustin could tell that t
he death of her pet cat had taken a huge toll on her.

Her eyes were constantly red, and she was trying her hardest to cry witho
ut making a sound.

This young woman had had such a tough life that she lived so pitifully an
d carefully that she didn’t even dare to cry.
She was such a good kid that it tugged at Dustin’s heartstrings.

The two of them worked together for a long time before the medical center
was finally clean.
After a few moments, a silver Bentley pulled up at the entrance.

The door opened, and Natasha got out of the car, dressed in a red dress.

“Ms. Harmon?” When Caitlyn spotted Natasha, she immediately greeted her.

“Come on, Caitlyn, I’ve told you many times that you don’t need to be so
formal with me. You can just treat me
as your sister.” Natasha smiled, patting Caitlyn’s head.

“Okay.” Caitlyn nodded obediently, but it would take some time for her to
act casually with Natasha.
“Ms. Harmon, what can I do for you?”
Dustin walked over to Natasha from inside the medical center.

“Can’t I come to see you without a reason?” Natasha raised her eyebrows.

“Of course not. You can come whenever you like, and I’ll always welcome y
ou.” Dustin smiled.

“Hehe… That’s more like it.” Natasha smiled gently. “Come on, let’s have
lunch together today. I’ll introduce
you to a big shot.”
“A big shot? Who is it?” Dustin was curious.

“You’ll know if you come.” Then, Natasha called out, “Caitlyn, come, let’
s go eat together.”

“I won’t go this time. I want to stay and take care of Mr. Jones.” Caitly
n shook her head.

“In that case, that’s fine. I’ll have Dustin bring some food back for you
.”
o the car.

Natasha didn’t force Caitlyn to tag along. Instead, she just tugged Dusti
n into

20 minutes later, the car pulled to a stop in front of the entrance to A’
roma.
A’roma was a high–
class Stonian restaurant that was also one of the Harmon family’s busines
ses,

Natasha would usually choose this place whenever she invited important gu
ests for a meal.

The two of them walked up to the second floor and sat down at a table by
the window.
1/4
Chapter 208
Through the window, they had an amazing view of the garden outside.

“Ms. Harmon, I think you can tell me who we’re meeting now, right?” Dusti
n asked again.
“Roderick Brooks
of Millsburg. Have you heard of him?” Natasha said, smiling lightly.
“Roderick Brooks? He sounds familiar.” Dustin gave it some thought.

“Roderick is the chairman of the Riversouth Bank and a renowned tycoon in
Millsburg. Apparently, he controls one–
third of the cash flow in Millsburg. That’s how he got his nickname. Big
Bucks Brooks,” Natasha explained.

“Oh, so it’s him…” Dustin nodded. He was getting a rough idea of this per
son.

“It’s not known to others, but Big Bucks Brooks is actually suffering fro
m an illness. He’s seen many doctors. but none of them could cure him. I
heard that you’re an excellent healer, so I invited you here to meet him.
I think he’ll be here soon,” Natasha explained.

As the two were talking, a female voice suddenly sounded from behind them
. “Why, isn’t it Ms. Harmon?”

Turning her head, Natasha saw an elegant woman dressed up to the nines in
an extravagant custom–
made evening gown walking toward her, carrying a Hermes handbag.
“Oh, it’s you, Mrs. Brooks. Where’s Mr. Brooks?” Natasha glanced
left and right.

“What, do you miss my Roderick that much? Ever since the last time you sa
w him, your heart is still set on him, huh?” Chloe Marshall said sarcasti
cally.
She had never liked Natasha.

On the one hand, it was because they were business competitors.
On the other hand, it was because Natasha was an
outstanding individual.

Not only was she born into a wealthy family, but she was also gorgeous, a
nd her business was booming.
This made her very jealous.

Especially after she learned that Natasha had frequent contact with her h
usband, she felt even more
threatened.
Hence, she had to establish dominance!
“Mrs. Brooks, you must
have misunderstood me. Mr. Brooks and I only talk about business,” Natash
a said
indifferently.

“Oh, talking about business, are you? You want to talk about business in
his bed, don’t you?” Chloe’s smile
turned cold.

“Ms. Harmon, it’s not a good habit to constantly be lusting after the nex
t best thing. You’re already keeping a gigolo, so why are you still think
ing about my Roderick? Everyone says you’re as pure as the driven snow, b
ut I don’t think so. If I remember right, Ms. Harmon, you’re almost 28 ye
ars old, right? This gigolo looks to be in his
early twenties. In that case, aren’t you a cougar?”

She deliberately raised her voice to draw the attention of the people aro
und her, letting them hear her words.
She was trying to damage Natasha’s reputation.
Natasha merely frowned lightly in response.

If she didn’t have a good relationship with Roderick, she would have gone
up there and given her two tight. slaps.

“Where did this witch come from? Are you sick in the head?” At that momen
t, Dustin couldn’t stop himself from speaking up. “If you are, then walk
out the door, turn left, and go to the hospital to get your head checked.
Don’t bother those of us eating here.”

“You gigolo, do you know who I am? How dare you talk to me like that?!” C
hloe whipped her head to glare at him furiously.

“Does it matter who you are?” Dustin scanned her up and down. “You’re dre
ssed like a person, yet you bark like a dog. Whenever you open your mouth
, shit comes out. Your mouth stinks. You should go and brush your teeth,
not make us gag here!”
“You

How dare you insult me?!” Chloe widened her eyes, shocked and enraged.
She was the wife of Big Bucks Brooks!
Everyone kissed the ground she walked on.

However, this gigolo had the guts to insult her to her face. He really ha
d huge balls!

“So what if I insult you? If you keep humiliating Natasha, I’ll slap you.
You’d better believe it!” At that moment. Dustin had a domineering expre
ssion.

Meanwhile, Natasha looked at the scene with a tender gaze, cupping her ch
eek with one hand. There was a blissful smile on her face.
“Gigolo, I demand you get on your
knees and apologize at once! Or else, there will be consequences!” Chloe
was steaming out of her ears.
“Get on my knees and apologize? Are you worthy?” Dustin snickered.

“Also, don’t say I didn’t warn you, but you really should head to the hos
pital for a check–up. You’re really sick!”

“You’re the sick one! Your entire family is sick!” Chloe gritted her teet
h..
“Don’t believe me? Then let me ask you this–
have you been experiencing
headaches, fever, weakness in the limbs, occasional nausea, and difficult
y breathing these days?” Dustin asked indifferently.

“Yes, but so what? I just have a cold!” At first, Chloe was stunned, but
she quickly stuck her nose in the air again.

“A cold? Heh… You’re quite the optimistic person.” Dustin shook his head.
“I can see that you have shortness of breath, the lymph nodes in your ne
ck are swollen, you look lethargic, and you have a rash on your body. If
my guess isn’t wrong, then I think you have Acquired Immunodeficiency Syn
drome.”
“The what syndrome?” Chloe was dumbfounded.
“Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS for short.”

Chapter 209
“A–AIDS?”

Chloe was frozen in place, at a loss.

She was truly shocked.

Not only because Dustin hit the nail on the head for all the symptoms she
was experiencing, but mainly because she had gotten a new boy toy a whil
e back.
When they were intimate, they hadn’t used protection..
Now, hearing his words, she couldn’t help but panic a little.
“Dustin, are you sure?” Natasha also looked surprised.
AIDS was not a trivial matter.
Could it be that this was Roderick’s secret illness?
“Although I can’t be a hundred percent sure, I’m sure I’m not
too far off,” Dustin replied.

“You. You’re bullshitting me!” Chloe shrieked. “I just had a medical chec
kup at the hospital this morning.
How can I have AIDS? Stop trying to scare me!
“It’s up to you whether you want to believe me.” Dustin
shrugged his shoulders.

“Bastard, you’re scaremongering and humiliating me in public. I’ve got to
teach you a lesson! Wally, beat him up!” Chloe flew into a rage and orde
red the young bodyguard standing behind her to hit Dustin.

However, the bodyguard named Wally was rooted to the floor, his face pale
. Cold sweat dripped down his face.

“Wally, what are you still standing there for? Do something!” Chloe shout
ed.
“What’s going on?!”
At that moment, a tan, obese middle–aged man suddenly walked in.
Two burly bodyguards trailed behind him.

“Huh Isn’t that Big Bucks Brooks of Millsburg? What is he doing here?”

“That seems to be his wife, Chloe Marshall. A good show is about to go do
wn!”

“Big Bucks Brooks is known for spoiling his wife. It seems like that punk
is going to get it today!”
The restaurant broke into a heated discussion when the middle–
aged man appeared.

“Honey, you’re finally here!” The moment Chloe saw him, she immediately r
an into his arms and started to sob. “That guy kept bullying me earlier.
You have to help me!”

“Who’s the ballsy asshole brave enough to bully my wille?!” Roderick’s ey
es turned fiery with anger.

Even though he knew his wife could be rather unruly, he still chose to do
te on her unconditionally.
Chapter 209

It’s that gigolo next to Natasha!” Chloe turned around to point at Dustin
.

‘Hm?” Roderick narrowed his eyes, displeased, “Ms. Harmon, is that man yo
ur friend?”
‘This is Dustin, my boyfriend.” Natasha threw out straightforwardly.
These words shocked Roderick.
Wasn’t Natasha’s man Tyler?
How come there’s another one now?
And judging from her expression, it didn’t seem like she was joking.

“Honey, not only did that gigolo call me a shrew, but he also humiliated
me and said that I have a disease. If you don’t stand up for me, I will b
e too ashamed to leave the house ever again!” Chloe put on a pitiful look
.
As she spoke, tears spilled from her eyes.

It was like she was now a completely different person than her unruly sel
f earlier.
She was a drama queen, plain and simple.

“Okay, calm down. I will definitely get justice for you.” After comfortin
g his wife, he turned back to Natasha.
Ms. Harmon, I need an explanation.”

“What explanation? Your wife was the one spitting ugly words first. Dusti
n was just having a normal
conversation with her,” Natasha responded indifferently.

Even though Roderick’s family was filthy rich, she wasn’t scared of it. I
f they could talk it out, then they would.
If they couldn’t, then she’d let things get ugly. It was no big deal.
“You’re talking
nonsense! It’s obvious that you’re the ones ganging up to bully me!” Chlo
e shouted.

“You have to speak from your conscience. I was just kindly letting you kn
ow that you’re sick,” Dustin said in a
serious manner.

“See, honey! You heard it, right? He said I’m sick! He’s clearly insultin
g me!” Chloe was furious.

“I’m only speaking the truth when I say you’re sick. How is that insultin
g you?” Dustin asked back.
“Punk, you’re pretty arrogant, huh? Then I must ask–
what disease does my wife have?” Roderick narrowed his
eyes, his expression was livid.
“AIDS.” Dustin uttered casually.

“Bullshit!” Roderick’s face darkened. “I’ve always been clean, and I’ve n
ever
fooled around with anyone else. How could I possibly have contracted AIDS
?”
“I know you haven’t, but your wile has,” Dustin said.
“What do you mean?” Roderick’s gaze was steely.

“It’s simple. Your wife is having an affair,” Dustin uttered those shocki
ng words.
The entire room broke out into pandemonium.
דיד
Chapter 209
All of them pointed at Dustin as if they were looking at an idiot.

He’d just told Big Bucks Brooks to his face that his wife was having an a
ffair. Wasn’t this just asking for death?

Everyone knew that Big Bucks Brooks was known for covering up his wife’s
mistakes.

“Punk, do you know what you are saying?” Roderick gritted his teeth, his
eyes ferocious.

If it wasn’t for Natasha, he would have shot this man in front of him alr
eady.

“Of course I know what I’m saying.” Dustin said, his expression remaining
unchanging. “Mr. Brooks, your wife just hired that bodyguard, Wally, a f
ew months ago, right?”
“So what? Roderick frowned.

“Based on my observation, his symptoms are much more severe than your wif
e’s. Hence, my guess is that he was the one who gave your wife AIDS,” Dus
tin said.

Hearing these words, Chloe and the young bodyguard could not help but tre
mble in fear.
Panic flickered across their faces.
Roderick also caught this strange reaction.
“You

That’s bullshit! By the time she returned to her senses, Chloe’s shame ha
d transformed into rage.” You dog, you’re smearing my innocence! I’m goin
g to beat you into a bloody pulp today!”
With that, she got ready to pounce on him and attack him.
At that moment, Roderick’s cell phone suddenly vibrated.
A message arrived.
It was the result of the medical checkup this morning.
Roderick perused it, and his face instantly turned stormy.
Veins popped on his forehead.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” Chloe was feeling a little uneasy.
Suddenly, a sharp slap rang out.

Roderick, who was known for being overbearingly protective of his wife, s
lapped Chloe with so much force that she staggered backward.
The blow caused her to bleed from her nose
and mouth, and her cheeks began to swell.

The entire room was shocked!

Chapter 210
“Honey, why did you hit me?” Chloe cupped her face, looking hurt.

The others also looked at each other, unable to comprehend what had just
unfolded.

No one expected that Big Bucks Brooks, the man who had always covered for
his wife’s behavior, would
smack her with his own hand.

“See for yourself!” With a dark look, he threw the phone straight at Chlo
e.

Chloe picked up the phone and took a look. Suddenly, her face turned ashe
n, as if she’d been struck by
lightning.

It was the medical checkup report from the hospital, and the diagnosis wa
s indeed AIDS!

“How could this happen? No, it can’t be!” Chloe shook her head franticall
y in utter disbelief.
“This medical report must have been falsified! Honey, I don’t have AIDS.
I really don’t!”

“Are you still trying to defend yourself at this point?!” Roderick roared
, his blood was boiling.
Any man would not be able to stomach finding
out they were cheated on.
Even worse, his wife had contracted AIDS because of it.
This was simply humiliating!

“Honey, I’m sorry! I was just momentarily confused. I’m begging you, plea
se forgive me!” With a thud, Chloe fell to her knees. Then, she pointed a
t the young bodyguard next to her and bellowed, “It’s all his fault! It’s
all because he seduced me! It’s not me; I’m innocent!”

“Mrs. Brooks, you have to speak from your conscience. You were the one wh
o came onto me, so how could you push the blame all on me?” Wally was a b
it upset.

If he were to carry the blame for seducing a married woman, considering B
ig Bucks Brooks’s power, his life
may be in danger.
Naturally, he didn’t want to be the scapegoat.

“S–
shut up! It was you! You seduced me! Not only that, but you also gave me
AIDS, you animal!” Furious. Chloe stormed over to Wally and gave him a fe
w huge slaps.

Afterward, she returned to her position on her knees in front of Roderick
and begged, “Honey, I know I made a mistake. I won’t do it again. I’m be
gging you, we’re husband and wife, so please forgive me this time!”
Roderick was unmoved, his face icy.

He loved his wife, but only on the condition that she was faithful to him
.

If she couldn’t do the basics and remained loyal to him, then who was she
to deserve his love?

“It’s all your fault! It’s all because of you two pieces of shit. I’m goi
ng to kill you!” Seeing Roderick’s lack of response, Chloe became infuria
ted and lunged straight toward Natasha.

Chapter 210

She also purposely smeared her hand with the blood from her nose, intendi
ng to give Natasha a taste of AIDS.

“Get lost!” Dustin stepped forward and launched a kick straight at Chloe.

After getting sick, she still wanted to pass it on to others. She really
deserved a beating.
“Honey, he–he hit me… Chloe held her stomach with a look of agony.
“Take Chloe home and keep an eye
on her. Don’t let her leave the room for even a moment!” Roderick ordered
with a cold expression.

“Roger!” Without another word, the two sturdy bodyguards immediately haul
ed Chloe up and left.

No matter how much the latter wailed and apologized, it was to no avail.
After the noise died down, Roderick couldn’t help but take a
deep breath, Soon enough, he managed to
suppress his anger.

He was far more adept at controlling his emotions than the average person
.

“Ms. Harmon, I’m sorry for my wife’s poor behavior. I’m sure you were fri
ghtened,” Roderick apologized.

“What
happened today was nothing but an accident.” Natasha smiled politely.

Chapter 211

“This young man must be the skilled healer you mentioned, Mr. Rhys, right
? From what happened today, you do live up to your reputation,” Roderick
said.

“I only hope you won’t take it too hard, Mr. Brooks,” Dustin said.

Any man wouldn’t be able to handle hearing that he’d been cheated on.

“Speaking of, I should be thanking you, Mr. Rhys. If it wasn’t for your s
harp eyes, I don’t know how long I would have been lied to.” Roderick for
ced a smile.
In this case, it was better to rip the bandage off.

Although it was a bit humiliating, it still beat getting cheated on repea
tedly.

“Mr. Brooks, forgive me for asking, but could the secret illness you’ve b
een suffering from be the same as your wife’s?” Natasha asked tentatively
.

Typically speaking, if his wife got it, then Roderick must have caught it
too.

“Um. I probably don’t have it.” Roderick looked slightly embarrassed. “To
be honest, because of how busy I have been with work, I haven’t slept wi
th my wife for half a year.”
“That’s good. You dodged a bullet.” Natasha smiled.

“Mr. Rhys, can you tell what disease I have?” Roderick went straight to t
he point.

“Mr. Brooks, have you been experiencing back and knee pain, mood swings,
and insomnia?” Dustin suddenly asked.
“How did you know?” Roderick raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Of course, I observed it.” Dustin smiled
slightly. “Not only do I know that your body is weak and sickly, but I al
so know about the hidden injury at your lower back. If my guess isn’t wro
ng, you injured your lower back a few years ago, right?”

The moment Roderick heard those words, his face instantly grew solemn.
The way he looked at Dustin also changed.
Indeed, he had gotten hurt a few years ago.

That time, he’d been on his way to a meeting to discuss a business deal w
hen a hitman suddenly appeared, stabbing him in the lower back.

Fortunately, he didn’t lose his life, but ever since then, his injury had
been causing him pain.

The problem was that he’d never told anyone about this, so how did Dustin
find out?

“Mr. Rhys, you’re really amazing! But how could you tell?” Roderick was b
oth shocked and suspicious.

“I’m a doctor. For most ailments, you can identify clues from the smalles
t details. For example, you were walking in a stiff manner earlier, putti
ng less pressure on your left foot compared to the right. Evidently, you
Chapter 211
have a lower back injury.” Dustin replied.

“Hahaha… You’re truly a miracle doctor, Mr. Rhys! I acknowledge your tale
nt!” Roderick said.
“What a compliment, Mr. Brooks. I’m just using my wits.”

“Mr. Rhys, could you take a good look and see whether this illness of min
e can be cured?” Roderick extended
his wrist.

Dustin felt for his pulse. Then, he responded, “It’s curable, but it will
take some time. That knife injured your kidney, which has affected your
ability to have children. Your reproductive ability has also greatly dete
riorated. This is also why you still haven’t had children until now.”
When he said that, Natasha and Roderick paused, clearly taken aback.
“Mr. Rhys, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” Roderick frowned.
“That’s right, Dustin. Mr. Brooks has a four–year–
old son,” Natasha added.
The reason
why Roderick had doted on Chloe so much was because she’d borne him a son
.
Being able to have a son as a middle–
aged man, he naturally had a lot of love and care for both mother and
child.
“Huh?” This time, it was Dustin’s turn to be confused.

He reached for Roderick’s wrist again and said with certainty, “It’s impo
ssible! Your knife injury happened at least six years ago. The knife went
all the way in, so there is no way you are fertile, unless
“Unless what?” Roderick found himself asking.
“Unless your son isn’t biologically yours.”
Roderick was speechless.

לול

Chapter 212
Roderick stood there frozen, his face was pale.

He’d experienced all kinds of hardships all his life, but at that moment,
he didn’t know what to do.

He thought it was bad enough that he’d gotten cheated on.
He didn’t expect that there’d be a bigger “surprise” that followed.
His son wasn’t actually biologically his?

This revelation was even more severe than finding out he was being cheate
d on!

“Mr. Rhys, are… you sure?” Roderick’s eye twitched. He was clinging to th
e very last glimmer of hope.

“Mr. Brooks, it’s a hard pill to swallow, but based on your body’s curren
t condition, you lost your ability to have

children a long time ago. If you don’t believe me, you can go get tested
yourself,” Dustin said firmly.
To be honest, he was starting to pity Roderick.

Although he was swamped with riches, his wife had an affair, and his son
wasn’t his.
This double whammy would have driven any ordinary person insane.

“Alright. Thank you, Mr. Rhys. There are too many people here. Shall we f
ind another place to talk?” Roderick
asked, his face completely neutral.
“Of course.” Dustin caught Natasha’s eye and immediately agreed.

“Alright. Dan, take Ms. Harmon and Mr. Rhys to the Brooks Manor. I’ll be
there after a while,” Roderick
instructed his driver.

Dan hummed in response. Then, he led Dustin and Natasha to the Rolls Royc
e outside.
After the two left. Roderick’s expression finally turned gloomy.
Whether his son was his or not, he would find out with a paternity
test.

He could forgive his wife for her affair, but he couldn’t handle raising
someone else’s child.

Dustin and Natasha walked around the garden at the Brooks Manor, gazing a
t the beautiful scenery
surrounding them.

A few housekeepers trailed behind them, carrying trays of pastries and te
a, ready to be called upon anytime.

After taking a stroll through the garden, they found a cool area to rest
their feet.

“Ms. Harmon, do you think Mr. Brooks can handle this shocking truth?” Dus
tin asked out of the blue.

Il Chloe hadn’t done something so demeaning, he actually wouldn’t have st
uck his nose where it didn’t belong.

“Mr. Brooks has gone through all sorts of trials and tribulations. He sho
uld be fine. Of course, that’s if you can

Chapter 212
cure his secret illness.” Natasha smiled faintly.
For a man, the ability to produce children was very important.
“As long as Mr. Brooks believes me,” Dustin responded.
As he spoke, a large shadow suddenly fell over them.
It was Roderick!

“Hello, you two. Sorry for making you wait so long.” Roderick wiped the s
weat from his forehead, forcing a
smile.
“Mr. Brooks, has the matter been settled?” Dustin asked cautiously.
“Yes, it’s settled.” Roderick nodded.

Thanks to the power of money, the results of the paternity test were out
in less than an hour.
As Dustin said, his son was indeed not his.
When he learned of the outcome, he was furious.
He even had the urge to kill.
However, after so many years, he had developed some attachments
to them.
In the end, he let the mother and son live.
But from today on, they were not to appear before him ever again.
“Ah
fate truly dealt me a rotten hand! All my life, I did only
good deeds, so who would have thought that not

only would I lose my ability to have children, but I would also end up pa
rting ways with my wife and child.”

Roderick heaved a long sigh.

Chapter 213

Despite running such a huge family business, Roderick didn’t even have an
heir now. It was truly a tragedy.

“Mr. Brooks, don’t take it too hard. Although the knife injury damaged yo
ur fertility, it can actually be treated. Once you’re recovered, you can
have another son, or even ten! It won’t be a problem.” Dustin smiled as h
e attempted to cheer Roderick up.

“Really?” Roderick trembled, his face expectant.

In the past six months, the main reason he hadn’t slept with his wife was
because he couldn’t get it up.

However, because of his dignity as a man, he’d always kept it a secret.

So, to hear that he’d be able to rise up again, naturally, he was elated.

“Mr. Brooks, if I dare to say it, it means I can do it.” As Dustin spoke,
he took out a tablet and said, “This is Gemiphen, which I created. It he
lps clear up circulatory pathways and heal internal injuries. Give it a t
ry.”

“Okay!” Without another word, Roderick took the Gemiphen and swallowed it
.

As soon as the tablet entered his system, it turned into a rush of warmth
that spread through his body..

Instantly, he felt his mood lift, and his body felt better in a way he co
uldn’t explain.
The pain in his lower back had also improved significantly.

“Amazing This is amazing! Mr. Rhys, your miracle tablet is extraordinary!
” After experiencing the fascinating changes in his body, Roderick was pr
actically over the moon.
In an instant, he felt as if he’d gotten a brand–new body.

If he previously had doubts about Dustin’s abilities, then now, he was ut
terly convinced!
Any famous doctor was trash in comparison to Dustin!

“Mr. Rhys, take the Gemiphen once every three days. After a month, your b
ody will completely recover.” Dustin took out a small glass bottle filled
with Gemiphen and handed it to Roderick.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Rhys! I’ll remember your great kindness for the r
est of my life!” Feeling emotional,
Roderick knelt on the ground.

“Mr. Brooks, please get up It was nothing.” Dustin quickly helped him to
his feet.

Since this all happened because of him, now that he was able to cure Rode
rick’s illness, there was at least a

good ending.

“Mr. Rhys, you’re too humble. If it weren’t for your help, my life would
have been over!” Roderick said, his face
glowing with gratitude.
A man who couldn’t get it up wasn’t a real man.

Now that Dustin had given him the chance to regain his dignity as a man,
It was as though he’d been given a
new lease on life!

Chapter 213

“Mr. Brooks, now that Dustin has cured your illness, how do you plan to r
epay him?” Natasha said, half joking.
As his other half, she knew that it was time to ask for remuneration.

“Name whatever you need, Mr. Rhys. If I can do it, I won’t say no!” Roder
ick said, placing his hand on his chest
to show how genuine he was.
“I don’t need anything else. All I’m interested in are
precious herbs such as heliotropes, cherusia, and flowers of Crimson Gem.
If you have them, Mr. Brooks, I would be nothing but pleased,” Dustin sa
id, naming his price.

“I’ve never collected precious herbs before, but no worries. I’ll send so
meone to check it out. Once I get any
news. I’ll buy it for you right away, Mr. Rhys!” Roderick promised.
“Thank you, Mr. Brooks,” Dustin said.

“No, no. I should be the one thanking you, Mr. Rhys,” Roderick said in
return.
He
now had a profound sense of worship for Dustin’s impressive abilities.

“Sir… At that moment, an elderly butler suddenly walked over and reported
, “Phineas Lacey and his son are here to see you. They say they have some
thing to discuss with you.”
“Phineas Lacey? What is he doing here?” Roderick rubbed his chin.

“It’s such a small world. I never expected I’d run into them here.” Dusti
n narrowed his eyes when he heard their
names.
“What, do you know these people, Mr. Rhys?” Roderick pressed.

“I do, and we even got into a conflict. Without leaving anything out, Dus
tin quickly recounted the entire story.

After Roderick listened to the whole incident, he couldn’t help but snort
. “Those two bastards are truly arrogant bullies. I hate people like this
the most! Come with me to see them, Mr. Rhys. Today, I’ll give them some
thing to see!”

Chapter 214

At that moment, Phineas and Matt were in the Brooks Manor living room.

“Dad, do you think Big Bucks Brooks will lend us money?” Mall glanced aro
und, looking worried.

“Big Bucks Brooks is filthy rich and generous to boot. He’s always had a
good relationship with our family. It shouldn’t be a problem to borrow so
me money,” Phineas said, raising his cup and taking a sip. It was obvious
that he was very confident.

Although the Lacey family hadn’t been restored to its previous glory, the
y were still above the average person.
Outside, they still had some status.

“If it weren’t for our family’s capital chain rupture causing our busines
ses to suffer majorly, we would never have to borrow money from others,”
Matt said, sighing.
Not long ago, they’d suddenly received terrible news.
Many of their big–
shot partners had retracted their investments. All the business deals the
y’d made previously
had gone bust.
Their entire family suffered serious damage overnight.

Now, they desperately needed a capital injection, or else the Lacey famil
y would go bankrupt in less than a
month.
At this point, the only one who could help them was Big Bucks Brooks.

“Speaking of that, it’s really strange how all of the investments were re
tracted collectively, and disaster struck from all sides. I bet somebody’
s targeting our family,” Phineas rubbed his chin in thought.

“Who’s gutsy enough to go mess with our family?” Matt slammed his palm in
to the table.

Their original plan was to get the Immortunol formula in their hands and
then use the investment funds to
conduct their own research.
This way, the Lacey family would be restored to their former glory!
However, after everything that had happened, their plan was ruined.

“We still haven’t been able to look into it yet. Once we raise the funds
we need and get through these tough times, we’ll drag that bastard out!”
An evil glint flashed through Phineas‘ eyes.

“Dad, how much money does our family need to operate normally?” Matt aske
d uncertainly.
“At least three billion dollars!” Phineas put up three fingers.

“That much?” Matt’s expression drooped. “Would Big Bucks Brooks agree to
loan us three billion in one go?”
“Big Bucks Brooks controls one–
third of all the cash flow in Millsburg. What’re three billion dollars to
him?” Phineas took a sip of tea and said casually, “Not to mention, I ev
en came here personally. Would he dare to say no? He should be happy that
our family is cozying up to him on our own accord instead.”

“That’s true.” Hearing those words, Matt let out a sigh of relief.
The
Laney family did have prestige out there; Big Bucks Brooks had to give th
em some respect.

As the two were speaking, the door suddenly opened, and a few people ente
red.
The one in the lead was none other than Roderick.

The moment they met. Phineas stood up and extended a hand, his face full
of smiles. “Hey, Mr. Brooks! Long time no see. You’ve gotten much more ha
ndsome!”

However, when he saw Dustin behind Roderick, his smile froze on his face.
“Punk, what are you doing here?!”

“You’re here, so why can’t I be here too?” Dustin retorted indifferently.
“Hmph! And who are you? Can you even be
compared to us?” Phineas” expression turned cold instantly.

“Dustin, are you here to also get a loan from Mr. Brooks?” Matt said with
a suspicious look.

“Why I’m here doesn’t concern you.” Dustin’s expression remained unchange
d.

“Mr. Brooks, we’ve always been friendly with each other. Don’t lend that
punk any money! We have bad blood!” Phineas said, calling a spade a spade
.

In his eyes. Roderick would never go against the Laney family for a small
fry.
So, he definitely won today.

“Phineas, are you sure that you have bad blood with Mr. Rhys?” Roderick s
mirked coolly.

“Of course!” Phineas puffed out his chest. “Mr. Brooks, to be frank, the
two grudges I have with him can never be solved, so please don’t try to l
obby for him!”

Chapter 215
The Immortunol formula would definitely be his soon.

“You’re mistaken. I don’t mean it that way.” Roderick uttered calmly.

“Huh?” Phineas was puzzled. “What do you mean, then?”

“Both of you are here to borrow my money, aren’t you?” Roderick asked bac
k instead of answering.
Phineas let
out a sheepish laugh. “Our family ran into some trouble recently, and we
need some money to turn
things around. That’s why we’ve come to you, Mr. Brooks.”
“How much do you need?”
“About three billion dollars?”
“Three billion!” Roderick raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, but no can do.”

“What?” Phineas shock quickly turned to dismay. “Mr. Brooks, three billio
n is nothing to you. Why can’t you
lend us the money?”
“Technically, I’ve
already lent the money to Mr. Rhys, so you’ll have to beg him for the mon
ey.” Roderick replied
with a sarcastic smile.
“What? You lent it to him?” The father–
son duo was stunned, unable to believe their ears.

There was no way Roderick would have lent that useless punk three billion
dollars!

“You’re not pulling our leg, are you, Mr. Brooks?” Phineas asked again, e
yes wide.

“Yeah! What are we supposed to do if you give the money to him?” Matt was
dismayed.
“That’s none of my business!” Roderick responded frankly.

“Mr. Brooks, how could you lend your money to him instead of us? Consider
ing our friendship, you’re carrying it too far. Do you think that brat is
better than the Laney family?”

The Laney family was a noble family that was leagues above Dustin in term
s of wealth and connections. Any normal person would know who to side wit
h.

“Firstly, we’re not friends. Secondly, it’s my money. I decide who it goe
s to. I don’t have to ask anyone’s opinion. Lastly, who the F*ck do you t
hink you are? How dare you compare
yourselves to Mr. Rhys! You should really look in a F*cking
mirror!” Roderick snapped scornfully.

“Mr. Brooks! Are you going to make the Laney family your enemy just becau
se of that brat?” Phineas growled.

“Exactly! You should think this through carefully. Is the Laney family mo
re important or that brat?” Matt quipped. They were sure that a businessm
an like Roderick would never turn his back on the Laney family.

“So what if we become enemies? A penniless family like yours is trying to
threaten me? Ha! You must have a death wish!” Roderick curled his lip.

“I can cut off all your funds right now. I’ll make sure you never get a p
enny in this province!”

Chapter 215
at this was Bi
His words hit the lather–
son duo like a bucket of ice. They’d been so agitated that they forgot th
at

Bucks Brooks they were talking to, whose influence and wealth exceeded th
e Laney family a gazillion times.

Even when they had been at full power, they still had to lower their head
s in front of Roderick, let alone now.

Nonetheless, they could never have dreamed that someone as powerful as Ro
derick would butt heads with
their family for someone like Dustin.

Did Dustin have connections they weren’t aware of?

Chapter 216

“Mr. Brooks, why on earth are you willing to go against our family for hi
m?” Phineas demanded with a threatening glare. He had approached Roderick
confidently but never expected this outcome.

“To tell you the truth, Mr. Rhys is my savior and honored guest. If you h
ave a problem with him, that means you have a problem with me! So, you ei
ther beg for his forgiveness, or your family is over!” Roderick declared:
the aura he exuded was overwhelming.

“You want us to apologize to that asshole? In your dreams!” Matt yelled a
ngrily.

“Then, get lost! I wonder how long your family can last.” Roderick kicked
them out.

“Roderick Brooks, life has its ups and downs, so don’t look down on a bro
ke man! You’ll regret it one day!” Matt forced through gritted teeth and
stormed away.

“Mr. Brooks, you’ve incurred the wrath of the Laney family. I doubt my fa
mily can’t borrow merely three billion

dollars elsewhere!” Phineas glared at Roderick before following his son.
“Arrogant fools!” Roderick sneered.

No one in the province would dare lend the Laney family money since Roder
ick already rejected them.
Matt and Phineas returned home displeased with the outcome.

“What’s wrong with Roderick Brooks today? He refused to help us because o
f that brat!” Matt seethed.
“It seems like that kid has some connections.” Phineas frowned.

“As if! He’s just a pretty boy who got lucky because of Natasha! I bet Ro
derick only went against us because of Natasha’s support too.” Matt was d
ispleased.

“The Harmon family sure is bothersome. I have a feeling that our financia
l issues have something to do with.
them.” Phineas pondered.
“What do we do now, Dad? Should we fight to the death?”

“No. We aren’t at the end of our rope yet. Let me make some calls. Phinea
s pulled out his phone and began asking for help. The Laney family still
had some friends and partners, so they’d definitely pull through as long
as he managed to raise the funds.

“Hey. Mr. Smith, it’s me. I’m kind of short on cash, so do you think you
could help me out? I’ll pay you back
with interest after the turnover.”

“Hi, Mr. Thompson. This is Phineas Lancy. I’m calling to ask for a lavor.
”
“Hey, Mr. Johnson. I need your help.”

Phineas made call after call to any of his friends who were well off. How
ever, his face darkened with each call
he made.

As soon as they heard that he was trying to borrow money, these people wh
o claimed to be his friends.

Chapter 216

immediately changed their attitudes and came up with all sorts of excuses
to refuse, and some even hung up without responding.

Phineas finally knew what fair–
weather friends were like. After all the calls, he still couldn’t get any
money. Instead, he stirred up more trouble.

Chapter 217
Chapter 217

“How did it go, Dad? Is anyone willing to help us?” Matt asked tentativel
y.

“F*ck those bastards! They come wagging their tails as soon as they have
something they want and call themselves my friends, but the moment they f
ind out that our
family is in trouble, they start running away! Those F*cking fakes!” Phin
eas‘ face contorted with rage. He never thought that he, the head of the
Laney family, would end up like this.

“Dad, everyone always says that misfortune shows you those who are not yo
ur real friends. Stop hanging
out with them from now on. I’ll make them regret their choice after we pu
ll through.” Matt swore solemnly.

“Matt, my contacts are useless now. You’re the only one I can rely on.” P
hineas suddenly thought
of someone. “Aren’t you close with Edwin Hummer’s daughter? Why don’t you
ring her up and see if she can lend us some money?”

“Oh, right! I nearly forgot! The daughter of the wealthiest man in Swinto
n should be able to spare us three billion dollars easily. I’ll call her
now.”
Matt pulled his phone out and dialed a number.

“My, my. If it isn’t Mr. Laney? How did you find the time to call me?” So
meone grumbled over the phone.
“Don’t put it like that, Tina. I’ve been busy
at work recently. I called you the second I got some free time,” Matt
said
with a smile. He was a professional when it came to coaxing women.
“Humph!
At least you remembered to call me. So, why are you actually calling?” Ti
na smiled.
“Because I miss you so much, of course! Why else?” Matt teased.

Tine chuckled mirthlessly. “Right. I’m hanging up if you won’t tell me th
e truth.”

“Hold on, hold on. I do have a favor to ask you.” Matt cleared his throat
. “My business ran into some financial issues recently, so we need some m
oney to turn things around. Would you like to invest in us?”
“How much do you need?” Tina asked back.
“Not much. About three billion dollars.” Matt answered with a smile.
“Three billion isn’t a
lot? You’re Joking, right?” Tina’s voice went up an octave.

“To others, it may be a lot. But you’re the daughter of the Hummer family
, the prettiest and most talented woman in Swinton. Three billion can’t b
e much for someone like you.”

Tina was pleased with all the flattery. After all, who didn’t like to hea
r their lover praising them?

“I don’t mind getting you the money, but you have to tell me why.” Tina s
tated.

“To tell you the truth, someone ruptured our capital chain, and I have a
feeling that the Harmon family was the
one who did it,” Matt answered bluntly.
“You and
the Harmon family had always kept a wide berth. Why would they do somethi
ng like that to you?” Tina asked curiously.

Chapter 217
“Because of Dustin Rhys!”
Matt briefly explained everything to her.
“What? You threatened that psychopath?” Tina shrieked.

“That’s right! That shameless bastard tried to humiliate our family, so I
had to teach him a lesson. I’ll destroy his family with your investment!
” Matt fumed.
“Are you a F*cking idiot? Why would you try to piss that psycho off?”

“Why are you so afraid? He’s just a country bumpkin. I’ll get rid of him
easily.” Matt declared confidently.
“In your dreams, you moron! Don’t drag me along your death quest!”

With that. Tina hung up the phone.

Chapter 218
“Hello? Hello!” Matt held his phone
by his ear with a dumbfounded expression. All he did was mention Dustin’s
name. Why did Tina sound so frightened?

Matt had no idea
that Tina was still traumatized from the time Dustin slapped her. What’s
worse was that instead of getting her revenge, she
had been forced to grovel for Dustin’s forgiveness, which was nothing les
s than an utter embarrassment and a terror for her.

Although she was bitter about it, she couldn’t lay a hand on Dustin becau
se her family didn’t dare seek revenge before her brother returned.

Dustin was someone who could defeat a martial arts master like Mr. Milfro
y with ease. If someone like him

were to go crazy, he could destroy the entire Hummer family in a heartbea
t! Because of this, they didn’t dare seek revenge, and Tina shook in fear
every time someone mentioned Dustin.

“What did Ms. Hummer say, Matt?” Phineas saw his son in a daze and asked.

“F*ck! That B*tch is terrified of Rhys. There’s no way she’ll lend us mon
ey.” Matt scowled.

“The daughter of the Hummer family is scared of that brat? Is it because
of the Harmon family?” Phineas
pondered aloud.

“Possibly.” Matt nodded, thinking hard. He couldn’t think of any other re
ason.

“This is bothersome…” Phineas frowned. “Our family is doomed if we don’t
get any money soon. We might
have to beg for that brat’s forgiveness.”

“Beg for his forgiveness? F*ck, no!” Matt yelled. “Why should we lower ou
r heads to someone like him? I’d
rather suffer than beg!”
“Don’t be rash, Matt!” Phineas warned gravely. “He has the Harmon
family to support him, and now, he has Roderick Brooks‘ support as well.
We’ll sink further if you do anything to him!”

Alas, those words failed to reach Matt, who has lost repeatedly to Dustin
recently. Today’s incident only fueled his anger, and his hatred
toward Dustin peaked.
“Matt, leave
this matter to me. You should take a break for the next two days. Just do
n’t get into any trouble.” Phineas instructed his son seriously, who didn
’t reply as he began to plot his revenge.
Soon, night fell.
Inside Midnight Rose, Dahlia downed shot after shot in a corner.

Lyra sat beside her, her face full of worry. This was the first time she
saw Dahlia like this.
Dahlia refused to return to the company or care about
what was going on, completely abandoning her strong woman character and l
etting herself go.
Lyra heard that it was because of Dustin, but was it worth it?
Chapter 218

“Please stop drinking, Ms. Nicholson. Let’s go back. Your mother is worri
ed about you.” Lyra implored.

“Leave me alone. I want to keep drinking. All my worries disappear when I
’m drunk.” Dahlia chuckled
humorlessly before chucking another shot down her throat.
She didn’t know what to do. She
was under constant pressure because of her family and had to fight her
feelings for Dustin at the same time.
Dahlia knew she misunderstood him, but she didn’t
know how to explain herself. Actually, it’d be more accurate to say that
she was terrified of seeing Dustin’s heartless expression, so she decided
to use alcohol
to numb herself.
She
may be a capable leader in the business world, but when it came to her pe
rsonal feelings, she realized she was an utter failure. Even though she k
new that she had been the one who misunderstood
Dustin, her pride wouldn’t let her apologize. Instead, she expected Dusti
n to step forward and request a reconciliation.
“So this is where you are, Dahlia.”
Matt entered the bar and spotted the two ladies immediately.

“Mr. Laney, you’re here. Please stop her. Her body can’t take it if she d
rinks so much!” Lyra quickly stood up and greeted Matt, whom she called.
She felt that Matt was a much better option than Dustin.

*Please get her some water, Lyra. I’ll talk to her,” Matt assured with a
smile.
“Thank you, Mr. Laney.” Lyra nodded and darted off.
“Why are you
drinking so much, Dahlia?” Matt asked with a concerned expression.

“It’s none of your business. Go away!” Dahlia’s eyes were hazy, but her t
one was colder than ever.
Matt’s smile froze for a second before he recovered himself.

Without anyone noticing, he slipped a pill into her wine and smiled. “You
still want to drink, don’t you. Dahlia?
Let me join you.”

He poured another glass for Dahlia. Dahlia, who was already tipsy, didn’t
notice anything wrong and downed the glass without a word. Soon, her
head became heavy and her vision blurred, making her sway.
“Mr. Laney, I think Ms. Nicholson is drunk.” Lyra returned just then.
“It’s a

alright. I’ll send her home now. Her family’s worried sick.” Matt promise
d with a kind smile.

“Alright. Thanks, Ms. Laney.” Lyra didn’t think too much about it and hel
ped carry Dahlia into
Matt’s car. Since the car only had two seats, she could only watch as the
car’s headlights disappeared.

“Humph! You’re finally in my arms. You like acting high and mighty, don’t
you? Well, I’ll have some fun with you tonight.” Matt smiled sinisterly
and headed straight to the hotel.

Chapter 219

Meanwhile, at Peaceful Medical Centre, Dustin was reading a book in silen
ce when a Maybach pulled up at the door. The car door opened, and Phineas
came out holding some gills.

“Mr. Rhys.” Phineas entered the building with a smile, no longer carrying
the arrogance he had when they first

met.

“Do you need me for something?” Dustin glanced at the other man indiffere
ntly.

“Mr. Rhys, I’m really sorry about today’s incident. Please forgive us for
being so ignorant.” Phineas smiled apologetically.
He finally understood that there was more
than meets the eye when it came to Dustin, who had the support of the Har
mon family and the
friendship of Big Bucks Brooks. If Phineas wanted to borrow three billion
dollars, he had to first get Dustin’s forgiveness.

“How could a nobody like me make the Laney family apologize?” Dustin repl
ied, unconcerned.

“What are you talking about, Mr. Rhys? You’re young but talented. We admi
t defeat proudly. Please give us a way out.” Phineas bowed his head. Howe
ver, Dustin didn’t respond. Gritting his teeth, Phineas fell to his knees
.
with a thud.

“Mr. Rhys, please accept our family’s sincere apologies. As long as you g
ive us another chance, you’ll be our honored guest forever! I’m willing t
o offer a third of–
no, half of our property as an apology.” Phineas quickly bowed lower, sur
prising Dustin, Dustin admired the older man for having the courage to pu
t his pride aside to
apologize.

“What should we do about the death of Caitlyn’s cat?” Dustin asked coldly
.

“We’ll pay her back! We get her as many cats as she wants!” Phineas frant
ically vowed.

“Dusty’s dead. It doesn’t matter how many cats you get.” Caitlyn murmured
sadly next to Dustin.

“Did you hear that? I don’t mind forgiving you, but you offended Caitlyn.
” Dustin shrugged.

“I’m so sorry. Ms. Lawler. I swear I won’t do it again! Please forgive me
this once. I’ve learned my mistake!” Phineas quickly dragged himself to
Caitlyn without getting up, and he began to apologize.

“I forgive you on the condition that you never do anything evil again!” C
aitlyn declared gravely.

“Definitely! I’ve learned my mistake.” Phineas nodded frantically, having
no choice but to lower his head
toward them.

“Since Caitlyn forgives you, I’ll let this matter go. You better remember
your promise. Hall of your properties.” Dustin reminded calmly.

“Of course. As long as the Laney family is able to pull through, they’re
yours!” Phineas dared not object.

Dustin hummed. He was about to say something else when his phone started
ringing.
Dahlia was calling him.
Chapter 219
Muffled noises could be heard as soon as he picked up.
“Let me go. I want to go home.” Dahlia demanded weakly.

“What do you mean ‘go home“? Look at how pretty Estelle Hotel is. Let’s k
eep drinking there.” Matt cackled.
“You can go alone. Piss off.”

“F*cking slut! You better appreciate the chance I’m giving you. You don’t
have a say in this. You’re drinking tonight. Get in!”

As the phone fell to the floor, the cursing became softer until it comple
tely faded away.

Dustin’s face darkened immediately, and the air around him became unbelie
vably cold.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Rhys?” Phineas shivered.

A loud slap rang out as Dustin struck Phineas across the face, causing th
e latter to fall to the floor. “You motherF*cker! You better hope your so
n didn’t make a mistake, or I’ll destroy your entire family!” Dustin open
ed the door and dashed out.

Chapter 220
“Huh?” Phineas covered his cheek with a hand, dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, inside a room in Estelle Hotel, Dahlia was lying strewn across
the bed, nearly unconscious, her head heavy and her body weak.

Matt stood next to her, grinning wickedly as he admired her voluptuous fi
gure.
“Dahlia, I have to admit. You sure are a beauty.” He tsked.

“Your looks and figure are perfect. I’ve F*cked countless women, but none
were as charming as you. Naturally, I’m the perfect man for you. How dar
e Dustin Rhys try to claim you as his! But don’t worry, you’ll be mine af
ter
tonight.”

Sneering, Matt began to unbutton his shirt before remembering something.
He pulled out his phone and
panned the camera toward Dahlia.

“I nearly forgot to record our wonderful night. I promised Dustin that I’
d send him a video of us making love. Men don’t break promises.” Matt gri
nned excitedly.

“You despicable, shameless bastard! I’ll throw you to jail if you touch m
e!” Dahlia seethed feebly.

“If you don’t mind others seeing the video, go ahead. I don’t mind. So wh
at if I have to go in for a few years? At least I get to F*ck you. Still,
there’s no need for us to take things that far. You’ll just have to marr
y me after

tonight. That way, you’ll be able to protect your reputation while having
the honor of being F*cked by me. Isn’t that a great deal?” Matt sniggere
d confidently.

“In your dreams, F*cker! I’d rather die than marry a hypocritical asshole
like you!” Dahlia tried to get up several

times but flopped back to the bed pathetically each time. Soon, her face
flushed from the exertion, and the
drug was still doing its job.

“Huh?” Matt’s expression hardened. “Are you still thinking of that loser
right now? I don’t get it. How is he
better than me? Why do you keep thinking of him?”

“He’s better than you in every way. You don’t even deserve to compete wit
h him!” Dahlia fumed.

“He’s a F*cking nobody. If someone hadn’t supported him, do you think he
would have made it to where he is.

today? That dickhead ruined my plans so many times. I swear I’m going to
kill him one day!” Matt snarled.
“I’ll kill you if you touch a hair on his head!” Dahlla swore, her
expression ferocious.

“You’re still protecting that asshole? I better teach you a lesson!” Matt
tugged his belt off and began to lash out at Dahlia. “You whore! I’ll ki
ll you! You beller say that I’m the best and that I’m the man you want!”

Soon, Dahlia’s fair skin turned bloody as whip marks littered her body. S
till, she kept silent, digging her teeth into her lip stubbornly.

“F*ck! You’re stubborn, eh? I’ll F*ck you up tonight!” Infuriated, Matt y
anked his clothes off and lunged toward
her.

As he was tearing at Dahlia’s clothes, the room door flew open with an ea
r–splitting boom, and a formidable figure stormed in murderously.
Instantly, the freezing wind whistled in, and lightbulbs exploded.

Chapter 221
Bang!

As the room door was kicked open, the lightbulbs in the room exploded sim
ultaneously, shattering into pieces of glass, and an ominous chill blanke
ted the room.

“Who the F*ck is it? Who’s ruining my fun?” Matt spun around, scowling. H
e was unable to identify the person due to the sudden darkness in the roo
m.

“Matt Laney, you have a death wish!” An icy voice growled as the shadow a
pproached.

The moonlight peeked through the window, and Matt saw the other person’s
face. It was Dustin!

“It’s you!” Matt’s expression changed, and he hastily pulled out a handgu
n from the bedside drawer. He yelled.

“You imbecile! I haven’t paid you back for ruining my plans so many times
, yet you approached me first!”
“Dustin? Hurry up and go. Don’t care about me —
Dahlia cried out weakly. When she saw Dustin, she thought she’d finally
be saved, but she never expected that Matt would
have a gun, so she instantly panicked.

“Weren’t you talking so big, dipshit? Ha, you still have to admit defeat
to our family. I guess you’re scared now,

eh?” Matt raised his gun and sniggered. “You better grovel if you don’t w
ant to die, or I’ll send a bullet straight
through your head!”

“Grovel? As if you’re worthy of that.” Dustin glared at the other man.

“Worthy?” Matt grinned maniacally and fired two shots near Dustin’s feet.
“I don’t want you to just grovel. I’ll F*ck your woman right in front of
you!”
“Y–
you shameless bastard!” Dahlia’s chest rose and fell violently as she fum
ed. However, because of the
drug, her flushed face looked more alluring than ever.

“So what? I’ll have my fill with you before dealing with that brat!” Matt
declared.

“I planned to finish you off in one go, but I changed my mind.” Dustin ap
proached calmly, his overwhelming presence making it hard for Matt to bre
athe, and Matt’s hand began to tremble uncontrollably.

“Stop right there! You better stop, or I’ll F*cking shoot your Matt yelle
d.

However, Dustin continued his way forward as if he hadn’t heard the other
man.

“You’re dead meat!” Matt gritted his teeth and aimed the gun at Dustin’s
head before pulling the trigger.
Ear–
splitting bangs rang out as the chamber was emptied of bullets. However,
Dustin had disappeared.
Abruptly, he appeared less than two feet away in front of Matt.
“You-”

Startled, Matt tried to jerk backward, but Dustin grabbed his hair and sl
ammed his head into the wall with bang. Matt immediately passed out, his
head bleeding.
“D–
Dustin Now that the danger had passed, Dahlia’s body finally relaxed, and
she fell into slumber.
10
Chapter 221

Dustin glanced at the fallen man and pulled out his phone to call someone
. 15 minutes later, Hunter and a
dozen bulky men walked into the room.

“Mr. Rhys, here are the men you wanted.” Hunter said politely. These men
were not only large, but they were also studs who only had an interest in
pretty boys.

“Good job.” Dustin nodded in approval before waking
Matt with acupuncture.
“W–
what are you guys doing? I’m warning you. I’m the heir of the Laney famil
y, so you won’t
get away if you do something to me!” Matt began making threats as soon as
he woke up.

“Mr. Laney, I purposely asked these men to serve you. Enjoy.” Dustin gest
ured with his hand, and the men instantly pulled Matt away, beaming sinis
terly.
“Let me go!” Matt paled, terrified.

“I’m sorry, Dustin! Please forgive me! I won’t do it again!” Matt shrieke
d before being hauled into a car. All that awaited him was pain and miser
y.

“Mr. Anderson, tell your men to take good care of him. I want him to suff
er as much as possible!” Dustin ordered coldly.

“No problem!” Hunter promised before leaving. Matt’s ass was going to be
gaping after tonight for what he did to Dustin’s woman.

After everyone left, Dustin walked over to the bed and began applying oin
tment to Dahlia’s wounds.
“Dustin. I–I’m sorry…” Dahlia finally mumbled the long–
awaited apology dazedly. Dustin’s body stiffened. and a sense of loss gli
nted in his eyes. After a second, he shook his head and continued applyin
g the
ointment.

All of a sudden, the door opened again with a boom. Florence, James, and
many others barged into the room. their faces darkening as they spotted D
ahlia’s unconscious body.

“Rhys! How dare you touch my daughter, you despicable man! I’ll kill you!
” Florence darted forward to slap Dustin, but the man grabbed her hand wi
th ease.

“What? Are you going to strike me back? You disgusting asshole!” Furious,
Florence kicked Dustin in the shin
instead. The man frowned but didn’t fight back.
“Call the police right now! We need to arrest this motherF*cker!”
“That’s right! A hypocritical asshole like him should be in jail!”

Several people shouted, and James pulled out his phone to call the police
.
“It
doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not, but this has nothing to do
with me,” Dustin stated. indifferently.

“Bullshit! Why would she be here if you didn’t kidnap her?” Florence shou
ted, glaring at him.

“Exactly! Everyone here can tell that you were planning to do something n
asty to her!”

“You dare to defend yourself even though we caught you in the act? I gues
s you refuse to give in until the end!”
Chanter 221

The crowd threw out accusations indignantly as they glared at Dustin like
they wanted to skin him alive. They

were disgusted that Dustin stooped so low because he couldn’t have Dahlia
.

“Whatever. I didn’t do anything wrong anyway.” Dustin shook his head and
got up to leave. He knew that these people wouldn’t believe him if he tri
ed to explain himself anyway.

“Hold right there. Who said you could leave? You’re not stepping out of t
his room without explaining everything!” James put himself between Dustin
and the door, but with a shove from the latter, James went

tumbling to the ground.

Chapter 222

“You F*cker!” James got up and was about to spew insults when he realized
that Dustin was already gone. Damn it! That kid’s lucky he got away, or
I’d have taught him a lesson!”

“He can’t run away forever! After doing something like this, I’ll make su
re he stays in jail for the rest of
his life!* Florence gritted her teeth.

“That’s right! You can’t let him go!” Julie and the others quickly agreed
. Dustin had gone too far!
“Hmm
Just then, Dahlia began to wake up.
“You’re finally awake!” Florence lit up. “How do you feel?”

“What are all of you doing here, Mom?” Dahlia rubbed her aching temples,
her memory was a mess.

“Lyra called and told us that you might be in danger, so we hurried here.
Thank God we made it in time, or Dustin would have raped you!” Florence
got angry again.

“Dustin?” Dahlia frowned, seeming to have recalled something. She asked,
“Where is he?”
“Don’t worry. We chased him away.” Florence reassured Dahlia.

“That’s right. We called the police too. We’ll catch that asshole!” James
nodded.
“Why would you arrest
him? He was the one who saved me!” Dahlia blurted.

“What? He saved you?” Everyone was shocked to hear that. Exchanging incre
dulous looks with each other. confusion was written across their face

“You’re kidding, right, Dahlia? He can’t be the one who rescued you. We c
learly saw him touching you and was about to do something nasty!” Florenc
e obviously didn’t believe Dahlia.

“She’s right, Sis. He tried to take your clothes off while you were uncon
scious!” James fanned the flames.

“We can all testify that Dustin was the one who did it!” Julle and a few
others agreed.
Dahlia shook her head frantically, which made her alcohol–
ridden head heavier.

“Who else could it be? There were only two of you in this room when we ca
me in,” Florence said.

“It was Matt Laney, that bastard!” Dahlia struggled to organize her memor
ies.

“You must be drunk, Dahlia. Matt’s a decent man. There’s no way he’d do s
omething like this.”
“Sis, did Dustin slip you a drug? Is that why you’re so confused?”

“I heard that some drugs can cause hallucinations. That must be why your
memory got jumbled up.”

One after another, the people in the room refuted what Dahlia said, makin
g her doubt herself.

“Did I really remember wrongly? But how could that be?” she thought. Star
ing at her injuries, she had a hard time believing that Dustin was the on
e who did this.

Chapter 222

“Hey, there’s a phone here, and it’s recording a video.” Julie spotted th
e phone on the television cabinet and brought it over.

“It must be that asshole’s!” Florence fumed. “He was even planning to rec
ord himself assaulting Dahlia! How disgusting!”
“There’s no way that
brat can defend himself now that we have this evidence!”
“We have to put that guy in jail!”
The crowd began to hurl insults at Dustin.

“It can’t be. Dustin wouldn’t do that Dahlia shook her head, unable to ac
cept that.

“Why are you still defending him, Dahlia? Why do you still have feelings
for that asshole? I’m telling you, Matt’s the better man for you. He’s le
agues above Dustin! I’ll show you Dustin’s true colors right now!” Floren
ce yelled and began the playback, showing exactly what happened. By the t
ime they reached the middle of the video, everyone had frozen in dismay.

“Matt Laney?” Florence was rooted to the spot as she stared in disbelief
at the man violently assaulting Dahlia
in the video.

Everyone else’s jaws had dropped as well. Never in their dreams would the
y have imagined that the person who kidnapped Dahlia and tried to assault
her would be Matt, a respectful man from a noble family.
How could this be possible?

However, the video was right before their eyes. It turned out that the de
spicable person had been the “decent”
man, Matt, instead of Dustin.

Everyone’s faces began to burn in shame as they recalled what they had sa
id just now, and they fell silent.

“I told you it wasn’t Dustin, but none of you believed me! How about now?
Who’s the despicable person? Who’s the hypocritical asshole now? I’m sur
e all of you should know.” Dahlia cried exasperatedly.

“I might have made a mistake, but so what? You two were once married, so
it’s his duty
to protect you. We didn’t ask him to do that! Besides, why didn’t he expl
ain himself? We wouldn’t have misunderstood if he had.” Florence insisted
stubbornly, having no intention of apologizing.

“Explain himself? Dahlia chuckled mirthlessly. “Would you have believed h
im if he had?”

“That’s up for us to decide, but it’s his fault for not explaining. He ha
d it coming!” Florence defended herself.

“That’s right! He deserved it! James agreed. So what if they misunderstoo
d a loser?
“All of you are incorrigible!” Dahlia was utterly disappointed.

She staggered to her feet and bumped past the two of them to run out. She
wanted to stop Dustin from leaving. Unfortunately, by the time she reach
ed the hotel entrance, he was already nowhere to be found.

Chapter 223

At the Laney villa. Phineas paced back and forth in the living room, look
ing extremely anxious. It was the break of dawn, but he hadn’t slept a wi
nk since he lost contact with Matt, who left at midnight. It was as if Ma
tt had

vanished into thin air.

Phineas sent a group of bodyguards to search, but there was still no news
of Matt, which told him that something was wrong.

Suddenly, someone’s car beeped at his door. He glanced outside and saw a
black SUV parked outside.

The car door opened, and a figure wrapped in a burlap sack was dumped out
as the car drove away.

“Huh?” Confused, Phineas nodded to the bodyguards at the entrance, who qu
ickly opened the sack to reveal a
naked man with a swollen nose and bruised body.
“Dad …The young man opened his eyes dazedly and cried out hoarsely.
“Matt?” Phineas was flabbergasted. “W–what happened to you?”
“It was Dustin Rhys H–he

Matt burst into tears. No one knew what he’d been through last night. The
re had been many times when Matt wanted to kill himself but couldn’t brin
g himself to do it. He had no idea how he pulled himself through the
agonizing pain.

“Don’t cry. Tell me what happened. I’ll take care of it!” Phineas quickly
told his men to bring Matt inside.

Because of the adrenaline shots he received. Matt was still conscious des
pite his injuries. So, under his
to finish, withholding some details.

father’s questioning, he told Phineas everything that happened from 5/

“That bastard! How dare he do that to you! He’s gone too far!” Phineas sl
apped the table furiously. A shiver went down his spine every time he tho
ught of what Matt had to endure.

“Dad. I want you to tear him to pieces, no matter the cost!” Matt seethed
loathingly.

“Matt, that asshole is being protected by the Harmon family and the Brook
s family. It’ll be hard to deal with
him.” Phineas considered.

“Do you expect me to pretend like nothing happened?” Malt scowled, his ey
es bloodshot. “I want my revenge
no matter what!”

“Fine, I’ll avenge you!” Phineas decided to light after seeing how misera
ble his son looked. As long as he was willing to pay a hefty sum to hire
a killer, getting rid of Dustin should be easy.

Suddenly, someone knocked on their door. Phineas signaled for the guards
to open the door, and three men strolled into the house. One of them wore
a dated suit while carrying a cane with a dragon head attached to it. He
was followed by Hunter and a burly man with an overwhelming aura.
“Who are you?” Phineas was puzzled,
“Dad!” Matt pointed at Hunter. “That’s the guy who helped Rhys!”
He could clearly recall the man watching him get ravaged.
1/3
Chapter

“So you’re Dustin Rhys‘ men. Are you here to apologize?” Phineas growled.

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you grovel. There’s no way I’ll forgive that
punk!” Phineas‘ expression was murderous. What happened last night would
be his nightmare for the rest of his life, so he had to avenge Matt.

“Apologize?” The old man in the suit smiled faintly. “You’re mistaken. I’
m here to collect a debt.”

“A debt?” Phineas sniggered. “With just the three of you? You’re delusion
al!”

He clapped his hands. Immediately, a few dozen ferocious and bulky men en
gulfed the villa. Phineas had been prepared since Matt went missing, and
it came in handy now.

He chortled. “You didn’t expect this, did you? You’ve fallen into my trap
! I’ll make sure none of you make it out
alive today.”
“How dare you!”

The strong man flung out his arm at lightning speed, and Matt immediately
went flying.

“How dare you hit someone on my tur!! You’re dead meat!” Phineas was outr
aged. Just as he was about to

order his men to attack, a gold badge landed near his feet with a clink.

He picked it up and froze in terror at the sight of the majestic five–
clawed golden dragon emblem on the front of the badge. On the back
of the badge, “Rhys” was engraved in bold.
In Dragonmarsh, the five–
clawed dragon meant utter domination, while “Rhys” was the pinnacle of po
wer. Many people shared the same surname, but there was only one family t
hat held the Emblem of Drakon.
That family
incurred fear from countless others, and no one dared to challenge them.
“The Rhys Drakon Emblem! W–
who are you?” Phineas gripped the badge with both hands, his body began t
o shake, and beads of sweat ran down his forehead.

“You must be blind! This is Sir Albert Horst!” The large man hollered.

“Albert Horst?” At the sound of the name, Phineas immediately paled in fe
ar.
Not many knew of that name, but that man had a popular nickname–
the Executioner!

He had an infamous reputation for being the human butcher who sliced peop
le like butter.
There were three great generals in the Rhys family–
the Executioner, the Sword Whisperer, and the Drunken Maniac. Each one of
them was enough to shake the country.

The Executioner, Alfred Horst, was the strongest of them all. He was so t
errifying that kids would cry at the mention of his name. Rumor had it th
at he had his first battle when he was 18 years old and ended up slaughte
ring tens of thousands of foes.

His cruelty and violence earned him the title of the Great Executioner. A
fter he started working for the Rhys family, not many got to see him, but
his reputation did not diminish in the
slightest. This was because he was the one who got rid
of anyone who offended or threatened the Rhys family.

Not many knew what he looked like because the majority of those who saw h
is face were already dead.
24
Chapter 223

His ruthlessness made him the leader of the three great generals. And he
terrified the officials in Dragonmash. Everyone knew that once the Execut
ioner visited someone’s home, that family would never see daylight again.

Still, Phineas couldn’t understand what he’d done that led the Executione
r to his home.

Chapter 224
It was at that moment that Phineas felt pure terror.

Who would have thought that the plain old man in front of him was the Exe
cutioner?

Why had the Executioner visited them personally?

“How dare you hit me!” His head spinning, Matt pulled himself up and roar
ed. “You’re dead! It’s over for all of you! Men, finish them off!”

“Stop!” Phineas yelled before falling to his knees before the old man. He
frantically begged. “Sir Albert, we don’t know what we’ve done to incur
your wrath, but please forgive us.”

“Have you gone crazy, Dad? Why are you groveling?” Matt was in disbelief.
He didn’t understand why his dad was begging the old man for forgiveness
when they were on the winning side.

“What do you know, you moron! We can’t afford to mess with them, so hurry
up and kneel!” Phineas frantically
signaled Matt.

“I’m not kneeling!” Matt looked around maniacally. “What do you mean we c
an’t afford to mess with them? There are only three of them. We’ll be abl
e to drown them with just the piss of our men alone!”
“Y–y–you dumbass! Do you have any
idea what you’re saying? This is the Executioner we’re talking about!” Ph
ineas‘ face was ashen. In front of the Executioner, they were
merely ants waiting to be squashed.

“What executioner? I’ve never even heard of him! He’ll still die today ev
en if he’s God!‘ Matt shouted arrogantly.

Alfred chuckled when he heard that. “Interesting. I almost don’t wish to
kill you now.”

“You think losers like you can kill me? Arrogant bastards!” Matt sniggere
d. Last night’s events had twisted him inside, and he yearned to let that
hatred out.

“It’s over. Everything’s over.” Phineas collapsed onto the floor, his fac
e pale. Why did he have to have such a stupid son? How
could Matt hurl insults at the Executioner?

“You’re trying to compete in numbers? Alright, then. Let’s see who has mo
re men!” The large man waved his arm, and synchronized footsteps were hea
rd immediately.

Soon, armed men charged into the place from all directions, surrounding e
veryone instantly.

The guards were fully geared up and donned black masks. Their gazes were
sharp, and they gave off at murderous aura that made people turn their he
ads away instinctively from fear.
The Laney family guards were nothing compared to these men.

No words or threats were exchanged, but clangs rang out as the Laney fami
ly’s guards, who were terrified by
the new arrivals, threw their weapons down and stood aside.

Matt froze at the sight of the geared men, his haughtiness vanishing rapi
dly, and terror took its place.
What happened? Where did all those men come from?

“Aren’t we competing by numbers? Who has more men now?” The bulky man wav
ed again, and the men drew

Chapter 224
their swords in unison, overwhelming everyone with their presence.

Matt felt the strength leave his legs, and he collapsed to the ground.

“Sir Alfred, please go easy on us!” Phineas crawled toward Alfred and beg
ged. “My son has lost his mind and
doesn’t know what he’s doing. Please spare his life!”

“Then, you’ll have to die in his stead.” Alfred drew a sword from the bur
ly man’s back and threw it to the floor.

Calmly, he said. “Only one of you can live. Make your decision.”

Chapter

In the morning, at the airport. Edwin and Tina waited in front of a Rolls
–
Royce Phantom. “Dad, we’ve already been waiting for two hours. Why isn’t
Joshua here yet?” Tina glanced around, looking anxious.

“It’s normal for flights to be delayed. Let’s wait it out a little longer
. Edwin looked calm. Last night, he’d
suddenly received a call from Joshua, saying he’d completed his refinemen
t, which meant he was now the Hummer family’s trump card.

As they spoke, a young couple exited the airport. The man was handsome an
d dignified, giving off an air reminiscent of a sharp blade, making one u
nable to look him in the eye. The woman beside him was dressed in red and
equally outstanding. She was beautiful, elegant, and looked powerful.

“Dad, he’s here!” Tina’s eyes lit up with excitement. She’d been eagerly
anticipating his return.

“Josh, you’re finally back!” Edwin approached him with a bright smile.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Dad.” Joshua smiled and gestured to the woman
beside him. “Allow me to introduce you to Jade Grant, my fiancée.”

“Jade Grant?” Edwin looked taken aback before asking tentatively. “Is she
the third daughter of the Grant family?”
“Yes, that’s right.” Joshua smiled.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Hummer.” Jade nodded.

“Yes, yes, nice to meet you, too. As expected of a daughter of the Grant
family–
you’re the very embodiment of beauty and grace!” Edwin looked delighted.
He never would’ve expected his son to be able to win the Grant family’s f
avor. The five wealthiest families in Millsburg were known as the Fabulou
s Five, but there were three other families even more powerful than them–
the Tremendous Three. The Grant family was one of them. If the Hummer fam
ily could form an alliance with the Grant family through Joshua’s marriag
e with Jade, they’d have a bright future ahead!

“Dad, why did you summon me home so urgently? Joshua asked when they were
all
in the car. He’d just completed his refinement the night before when he’d
been told to return immediately.
“I hate to say this, but Swinton has
a new kid on the block. He’s powerful beyond our expectations and has def
eated all my men. Our family’s been having a tough time recently because
of him. I had no choice but to summon you home.” Edwin sighed, looking he
lpless.

“Exactly! You have no idea how obnoxious he is, Joshua. He even beat me u
p on my birthday over the smallest
things!” Tina started to complain. “Look at what he did to my arm–
I’ve yet to fully recover! I’ve never been
treated like this in my life. You have to get back at him for me!”

“Who is this guy? How dare he bully a member of the Hummer family!” Joshu
a’s face darkened, and a
menacing aura surrounded him.

“His name is Dustin Rhys, and he’s not someone to be taken lightly,” Edwi
n said. “He also has the Harmon family backing him up.” Edwin said.
“The Harmon family?” Jade chuckled lightly. “They’re only one of the
Fabulous Five–they don’t hold much

Chapter 225
“Y–
you’re not keeping your F*cking word! You said you’d let me live, Horst!
Why? Why?!” Matt wailed bitterly. However, the only reply he got was the
strike of a cold blade.
As
they stepped out of the villa, Alfred asked abruptly, “How many members a
re then in the Laney family’s main lineage?”
“The report says 35 of them,” the burly young man replied.

“I see. Well, get rid of all of them.”

Chapter 226

In the morning, at the airport. Edwin and Tina waited in front of a Rolls
–
Royce Phantom. “Dad, we’ve already been waiting for two hours. Why isn’t
Joshua here yet?” Tina glanced around, looking anxious.

“It’s normal for flights to be delayed. Let’s wait it out a little longer
. Edwin
looked calm. Last night, he’d suddenly received a call from Joshua, sayin
g he’d completed his refinement, which meant he was now the

Hummer family’s trump card.

As they spoke, a young couple exited the airport. The man was handsome an
d dignified, giving off an air reminiscent of a sharp blade, making one u
nable to look him in the eye. The woman beside him was dressed in red and
equally outstanding. She was beautiful, elegant, and looked powerful.

“Dad, he’s here!” Tina’s eyes lit up with excitement. She’d been eagerly
anticipating his return.

“Josh, you’re finally back!” Edwin approached him with a bright smile.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Dad.” Joshua smiled and gestured to the woman
beside him. “Allow me to introduce you to Jade Grant, my fiancée.”
—

“Jade Grant?” Edwin looked taken aback before asking tentatively. “Is she
the third daughter of the Grant family?”
“Yes, that’s right.” Joshua smiled.
“Nice to meet you. Mr. Hummer.” Jade nodded.

“Yes, yes, nice to meet you, too. As expected of a daughter of the Grant
family–
you’re the very embodiment of beauty and grace!” Edwin looked delighted.
He never would’ve expected his son to be able to win the Grant family’s f
avor. The five wealthiest families in Millsburg were known as the Fabulou
s Five, but there were three other families seven more powerful than them
–
the Tremendous Three. The Grant family was one of them. If the Hummer fam
ily could form an alliance with the Grant family through Joshua’s marriag
e with Jade, they’d have a bright future ahead!

“Dad, why did you summon me home so urgently?” Joshua asked when they wer
e all in the car. He’d just completed his refinement the night before whe
n he’d been told to return immediately.

“I hate to say this, but Swinton has a new kid on the block. He’s powerfu
l beyond our expectations and has defeated all my men. Our family’s been
having a tough time recently because of him. I had no choice but to Summo
n you home.” Edwin sighed, looking helpless.

“Exactly! You have no idea how obnoxious he is, Joshua. He even beat me u
p on my birthday over the smallest things!” Tina started to complain. “Lo
ok at what he did to my arm–I’ve
yet to fully recover! I’ve never been treated like this in my life. You h
ave to get back at him for me!”

“Who is this guy? How dare he bully a member of the Hummer family! Joshua
’s face darkened, and a menacing aura surrounded him.

“His name is Dustin Rhys, and he’s not someone to be taken lightly,” Edwi
n said. “He also has the Harmon family backing him up,” Edwin said,

“The Harmon family?” Jade chuckled lightly. “They’re only one of the Fabu
lous Five–they don’t hold much

weight. If you need any help, Mr. Hummer, just say the word.”

“It’s unnecessary for the Grant family to get involved in something as me
nial as this.” Joshua said calmly. Now that I’m back. I won’t allow anyon
e to challenge the Hummer family’s authority–not even the Harmon family!”
‘Josh, have you have you
have you had a breakthrough?” Edwin asked tentatively.
“Yes, I have. I’ve now achieved divinity!” Joshua smiled proudly.
“A divine–
level martial artist?” Edwin was delighted. “That’s great! I knew you wou
ldn’t let me down!”

Joshua was probably the only divine–
level martial artist in all of Swinton. Low–
level martial artists were no match for divine–level martial artists–
they could refine their martial arts prowess, but physical abilities coul
d only take one so far.

Chapter 227
Divine–
level martial artists, on the other hand, could manifest their energy ext
ernally and use it to harm or even murder others without anyone realizing
it. Low–
level martial artists weren’t even in the same league as them. Even in Mi
llsburg, where powerful martial artists converged, divine–
level martial artists were existences to fear. It was no wonder Joshua ha
d won the Grant family’s favor–
how could he not when he possessed such talent and potential? Which famil
y wouldn’t want to have something to do with him?

“Dad, are divine–
level martial artists truly that powerful? How will Joshua fare against D
ustin?” Tina asked curiously.

*Joshua can destroy that brat with a snap of his fingers!” Edwin said pro
udly.

“That’s great! Joshua, you have to teach him a good lesson on my behalf!”
Tina said excitedly.
“There’s no hurry to deal with Dustin–
he’s a weakling that can be slaughtered at any time. What’s more importan
t now is that we have to give Joshua and Jade a proper welcome.”
“You’re right. Let’s head home.”

At this moment, at Peaceful Medical Center. Dustin received a call from R
uth. “Dustin, something’s happened at Harmon Pharmaceuticals. You’ve gott
a get over here right now.”
“Something’s happened? What is it?” Dustin asked curiously.

“A bunch of people suddenly showed up and demanded that we partner with t
hem for the production of Immortunol,”
“Is that so? Where’s your sister? I’ll leave the decision up to her.”

“She went to Millsburg last night and won’t be back so soon. In any case,
she was the one who told me to call you, saying that you had the last sa
y.”

“Alright, then. I’ll be right there.” Dustin hung up and drove to Harmon
Pharmaceuticals. When he arrived. twenty minutes later and strode into th
e conference room, he saw some people already seated inside. Jessica, Que
ntin, Ruth, and Mr. Wangley sat on the left, while a distinguished man wa
s on the right.

“Dustin, you’re finally here. Have a seat, quick.” Ruth stood up and gest
ured for him to sit. The others looked at. him coolly.
“What’s going on here?” Dustin glanced around curiously.

“I have a question for you,” Jessica said. “I heard Natasha gave you 50 p
ercent of the shares for Immortunol. Is that true?”
“Yeah,” Dustin nodded.
“Glad to hear that. Now, hand the shares over,” she said coolly.
“What? Why?” Dustin was taken aback.

“Because you don’t deserve them.” Jessica didn’t mince her words. ‘The Ha
rmon family handles everything from the production, sales, and marketing
for Immortunol. You don’t contribute anything to this process–
why should you deserve 50 percent of the profits? Don’t you think you’re
being a little too greedy?”

“Mrs. Harmon, there must be a misunderstanding somewhere. Ms. Harmon was
the one who decided that the shares-”

Jessica cut him off with a wave of her hand. “That’s enough! I don’t want
to hear it. Hand the shares over if you know what’s good for you; at lea
st you’ll be able to walk out of this unscathed.”
“Does Ms. Harmon know about this?” Dustin narrowed his eyes
slightly. He knew what was going on now-
they’d obviously tricked him here to snatch the ownership of the shares
away from him.

“It doesn’t matter whether she knows. This has to do with our family’s in
terests; her word isn’t the only one that matters. Rest assured that we’l
l compensate you handsomely for this. We’re willing to pay you 50 million
dollars if you hand over the shares.” Jessica looked like she was talkin
g about something inconsequential.
“Hey, just hand them over when we tell
you to and stop F*cking around!” Quentin said impatiently.
“What if I refuse?” Dustin’s expression became icy.

“Then you won’t leave this room today!” Quentin slammed a hand on the tab
le. The next second, a group of security guards barged into the room, cir
cling Dustin with menacing looks.

Chapter 228

“What, are you gonna resort to physical violence?” A cold smile curved Du
stin’s lips at the sight of the security guards surrounding him. He’d alw
ays been the type who was open to persuasion, not coercion. Perhaps he wo
uld’ve given in to them if they’d talked to him nicely, but if they wante
d to opt for physical
violence he didn’t mind teaching them a lesson or two,

well,

“So what if I am? Don’t think too highly of yourself, you brat!” Quentin
snarled. He’d always harbored a grudge against Dustin for humiliating him
at their first meeting. If not for Natasha keeping him in check, he woul
d’ve exacted revenge on Dustin ages ago. Now that Natasha wasn’t around,
it was his chance to get payback!

“Quentin, don’t take things too far!” Ruth couldn’t stand it anymore. “It
’s up to Dustin whether he wants to sell the shares. If you dare do anyth
ing to harm him, I won’t let you off the hook!”

“Ruth, this has nothing to do with you. Keep your nose out of this! Quent
in didn’t back down.
“Why, you-
“Ruth was about to say something else when Jessica stopped her.

“Dustin, a wise man knows how to adapt to the situation. You can’t hoard
all those shares for yourself, so cough them up when we’re asking nicely,
Jessica said. “Many people have gotten into trouble not because of thing
s they’ve done but because they possess things that shouldn’t belong to t
hem. With your identity and ability, you’ll only get yourself into more t
rouble if you keep these shares.”
“Is that a threat, Mrs. Harmon?” Dustin cidn’t bat an eye.
“It’s a piece of advice. One should know their limits–
do you think you would’ve achieved what you have if not for my daughter p
rotecting you?” Jessica looked at him contemptuously.

“I won’t deny that Ms. Harmon has given me plenty of help, but I didn’t r
ely on anyone to get to where I am now,

Dustin said coldly. “As for Immortunol, I think there’s something you nee
d to get straight–
I provided the formula and was the first to develop it successfully. I do
n’t care about the shares, but that doesn’t mean I’ll
allow you to push me around like this!”

“How dare you!” Jessica slammed a hand on the table and shot to her feet.
“Dustin, I’ve tried to play nice with
you. Don’t push me!”

“Who’s pushing who?” Dustin retorted. “When the Hummer family successfull
y developed and marketed
Eternumax, the Harmon
family had nothing and no way to compete with them. I was the one who hel
ped you

make it past that crisis, yet here you are, burning bridges as soon as yo
u get the chance. Is this how ungrateful the Harmon family–
or certain family members, at least–is?
“Why, you-
Jessica fumed. She didn’t expect a brat who relied on the Harmon family’
s protection to rebuke
her like this.

“Aunt Jessica, don’t waste your breath on this brat. All we need to do is
capture him; I have plenty of ways to make him give in!” Quentin fanned
the flames.

“Mom, don’t do anything rash. If you lay a hand on Dustin, Natasha won’t
ever forgive you!” Ruth warned.

Jessica stiffened. Ruth’s words made her stop to think for a while. Her r
elationship with Natasha was already strained; if she were
to go ahead with this, Natasha would probably sever ties with her.
1/3
Chapter 228

At this moment, the man who’d been sitting opposite Jessica and the other
s spoke. “Mrs. Harmon, I thought it would be easy for you to retrieve the
shares, but it seems I was wrong.”

“And who are you?” Dustin gave him a cold look. He’d noticed this man as
soon as he’d stepped into the conference room. He supposed this guy was t
he cause of Jessica’s sudden interference.

“The name’s Williams, Brody Williams. I’m from Boulderthorn Guild; my fat
her’s the second–in–command,” the
man said coolly.

“Mr. Williams is your father, huh?” Dustin raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He’d met Oliver Williams earlier, it
seemed Brody was his brother.

“I’m sure you know how powerful the Boulderthorn Guild is.” Brody lit a c
igarette and took a drag. Then, he waved a hand around and said arrogantl
y. “So, you’re left with two options–
either you hand over the shares and take the 50 million or make an enemy
out of me.”
“I won’t give the shares up unless Ms.
Harmon personally asks me to.” Dustin said coolly.

“Excuse me?” Brody’s expression became frosty. “Do you know what you’re t
alking about, you brat? Have you thought about the consequences you’d bea
r if you make an enemy out of the Boulderthorn Guild?”

“Firstly, you don’t represent the Boulderthom Guild. Secondly, so what if
I make an enemy out of you? Do you

think the Boulderthorn Guild runs the world?” Dustin didn’t bat an eye.

“I admire your audacity, brat. It’s been a while since someone had the ne
rve to speak to me like that. Still you’ll have to pay for your arrogance
! As for the rest of you.” Brody grinned menacingly as he turned to Jessi
ca and the others. “If you don’t want to make an enemy out of the Boulder
thorn Guild, you’d better show me some of your sincerity in forming an al
liance. If this brat refuses to give us ownership of his shares, you’re t
he ones
who’ll have to cough it up. Either way, we’re definitely getting our hand
s on 50 percent of
Immortuncl’s shares!”

Jessica’s expression changed at his words, as did the others. Il Dustin r
efused to hand over his shares, he’d drag the rest of them down with him.
Boulderthorn Guild was backing them into a corner.

“I’ve already said everything there is to say: I’ll leave the final decis
ion in your hands. See you around.” Brody
snorted and stood up.
“Hold it!” Dustin said.

“What, changed your mind already?” Brody sneered. “I thought you were a t
ough cookie, but it seems you’re a bigger pushover than you look.” Then a
gain, it made sense. How many people in Balerno dared to stand up
against the Boulderthorn Guild?

“At least you haven’t lost all sense of rationality. Dustin. We could’ve
avoided all this hassle if you’d just. agreed to it earlier.” Jessica hea
ved a sigh of relief. Not even the Harmon family wanted to get on the
Boulderthorn Guild’s bad side.

Quentin scolled. “So you were just pretending to be a tough guy. You had
to give in to the Boulderthorn Guild in the end anyway, didn’t you? Stop
acting like you’re such a big shol.” The way he saw it, Brody only had to
threaten Custin a little to make him pee his pants.

“Brody Williams from the Boulderthorn Guild, right?” Dustin slowly got to
his feet. “Do you think you own this

Chanter 228

place, coming and going as you like? Did you bother asking me for permiss
ion?”

“What?” Brody raised an eyebrow, “What’s that supposed to mean, brat?”

“Do you think you can march in here, act all high and mighty, then leave
whenever you want? What made you think you could do that?” Dustin gave hi
m the stink–eye.

Brody snorted and pointed at his face. “What, do you wanna start a light
or something? Go on, then. I dare you
to lay a punch on me, you-”

Before he finished his sentence, he was sent flying by a crisp slap to th
e face. He spun a few times midair before landing headfirst in a gigantic
vase in the corner. It was large enough for his whole body to fit inside
. leaving his feet sticking out of the mouth,

Jessica and the others were stunned to see that. Their jaws dropped, and
silence descended upon the room.

Chapter 229

Nobody expected Dustin to suddenly get physical and attack someone from t
he Boulderthorn Guild. Had he lost his mind?

“Dustin, are you out of your mind? How dare you attack Mr. Williams‘ son!
Do you have a death wish?” Jessica glared at him with a mixture of shock
and fury. Attacking Brody was equivalent to issuing a challenge to the B
oulderthorn Guild.

“You may have a F*cking death wish, but the rest of us don’t! Mr. William
s isn’t someone you can afford to offend!” Quentin bellowed. Though he wa
nted nothing more than for Dustin to get in trouble, that didn’t mean he
wanted to perish with him.

“Dustin, you’ve really done it now!” Even Ruth looked panicked. The Bould
erthorn Guild was much too

powerful; even the Harmon family wouldn’t survive a retaliation from them
,
“He’s nothing but a piece
of trash. What does it matter if I’ve attacked him?” Dustin said coolly.
“You–you’re so thickheaded!” Jessica glared daggers at him.

At this moment, Brody had finally managed to free himself from the vase.
Compared to his previous dignified appearance, he looked disheveled, with
his face red and swollen from the slap and being stuck in the vase. How
dare you lay a hand on me, you brat!” he bellowed. pointing at Dustin. Ne
ver in
his life had he been on the receiving end of a beating: he was always the
one beating people up.

“So what if I did? Do you really think no one has the nerve to teach you
a lesson just because you throw Boulderthorn Guild’s name around like it
means nothing?” Dustin scoffed.

“You’re F*cking dead!” Brody’s blood boiled. He raised a list and swung i
t at Dustin, Earlier, Dustin had

managed to get him because his guard was down; now that he knew what to e
xpect, he wouldn’t losel

Dustin snorted and caught his fist easily before kicking him in the stoma
ch. Brody howled in pain and bent

over, falling to his knees as the pain coursed through him. He curled int
o a ball on the floor.

“Dustin, stop it!” Jessica’s expression changed drastically. Wasn’t it en
ough that he’d attacked Brody once? He was digging his own grave by doing
it again!

“F*cking hell! Capture that psycho!” Quentin roared. At his words, the se
curity guards in the room whipped our electric batons and held them up th
reateningly.

“I’d like to see you try!” At this moment, Natasha barged into the room.
Her domineering aura was
overpowering enough to make everyone stop what they were doing.

“Natasha, thank goodness you’re here.” Jessica said grimly. “This man was
obnoxious enough to attack a member of the Boulderthorn Guild in public.
He’s unforgivable!”
“That’s right! We’ll only be keeping a
ticking time bomb around if we let him go. I say we get rid of him right
here and now,” Quentin snarled.

“I’ve already heard about everything that’s happened today. I don’t think
Dustin did anything wrong.” Natasha said calmly.

Chapter 229

“What?” Jessica was taken aback. “Natasha, have you lost your mind? How c
an he not have done anything wrong when he attacked a member of the Bould
erthorn Guild?”

Natasha said calmly, “He had valid reasons for doing so, Brody was throwi
ng the Boulderthorn Guild’s weight

around to coerce us into giving up what belonged to us. Doesn’t he deserv
e to be beaten up? If everyone were to throw their weight around and use
a measly amount of money to purchase our shares, we might as well.
just give them Harmon Pharmaceuticals for free!”
The others had nothing to say in retort.

2/2

Chapter 230
Buying 50% of the shares with 50 million dollars was like robbing.

It was that they didn’t want to displease Boulderthorn. Therefore, relati
vely speaking, they could only sacrifice Dustin. With that, they didn’t r
eally need to pay the price and
could also take the opportunity to be on friendly

terms with Boulderthorn.

However, they didn’t expect that Dustin would be so unyielding. Not only
did he refuse to hand over the shares. but he also attacked Brody, Plus,
Natasha also happened to be strongly supporting what he had just done

after she hurried back. Everything was such a mess that they couldn’t res
olve the situation.
“Natasha
Harmon! Break his arms and legs right now! This is an order! If not, we w
on’t have mercy on the
Harmon family!” Brody stood up
and staggered to his feet with a sullen look.

“Mr. Williams, I’m sorry, but I can’t do it.” Natasha spoke calmly. “Boul
derthorn is indeed powerful, but the Harmon family isn’t weak either. Nob
ody is able to harm the family easily.”

“So, are you trying to set yourself against Boulderthorn because of him?”
Brody gritted his teeth.

“Dustin is the Harmon family’s quest. It is our responsibility to protect
him. If Boulderthorn still insists, you’ll
have to defeat me first.” Natasha was uncompromising.

“Very well! Since you must stand in our way, do not blame us for turning
against the Harmon family!” Brody threw a note to Natasha, which threw do
wn the gauntlet, and said fiercely, “My father had said that if you refus
e to agree, we’ll meet at the battle ring. We will settle things with dea
thmatches!

“If you win, the Boulderthorn will never speak anything about it again. H
owever, if you lose, you must hand over Immortunal’s shares! This is
your only chance. I challenge you!” Brody exuded an intimidating aura, He
looked like he was sure to win.

“Why not? I will accept it. You’ll decide on the time and venue.” Natasha
did not bat an eye.

“We’ll have the battle at Williams Dojo tonight, at eight,” he said coldl
y and left immediately.

“Natasha Harmon! Have you lost your mind? How dare you provocate Bouldert
horn just because of this little boy toy?” Quentin was flustered and exas
perated.
“Boulderthorn’s connections were more
important than that country bumpkin!” he thought.

“It is not your place to interfere with my decisions,” Natasha sneered, “
Do you think I don’t know who involved Boulderthorn in this?”
“You” Quentin, shifty–eyed, looked guilty because of her accusations.

“Natasha, Boulderthorn is one of the most powerful guilds in Balerno. You
’ll put yourself in trouble.” Jessica
knitted her brow.

It would be difficult to predict what would happen once the battle starte
d. If they lost the battle, they needed to give the shares away, and it w
ould also bring the Harmon family into disrepute.
“Mr. Williams himself is powerful indeed, but that doesn’t mean
we don’t stand a chance of winning against
them.” Natasha replied.

“Win? But how? Skills and strength aside, we don’t even have enough peopl
e to fight, Jessica grumbled.

Natasha wasn’t worried about her concern. “Who said so? I’ve already invi
ted an expert from The Hundred Immortals.”

“The Hundred Immortals? Who is it?” Jessica asked. She was desperate for
the answer.

Natasha didn’t reply directly. She clapped her hands, and an old man with
gray hair and a hawked nose strode out quickly. He was wearing a black s
hirt with a tall and muscular physique. He made no sound when he walked,
exactly like a ghost.

“Is this the King of Kicks, who was ranked ninth among The Hundred Immort
als?” Quentin couldn’t help but gasp at the old man’s presence.

The Hundred Immortals, especially those ranked in the top ten, were all e
quipped with powerful skills. The King of Kicks, ranked ninth, was famous
for his kicks. He had worked on his legs for years. His kicks were secon
d to none.

Quentin once saw The King of Kicks flip a car by kicking it casually. The
re was no doubt that he was extremely skilled.

Buying 50% of the shares with 50 million dollars was like robbing.

It was that they didn’t want to displease Boulderthorn. Therefore, relati
vely speaking, they could only sacrifice Dustin. With that, they didn’t r
eally need to pay the price and
could also take the opportunity to be on friendly
terms with Boulderthorn.

However, they didn’t expect that Dustin would be so unyielding. Not only
did he refuse to hand over the shares. but he also attacked Brody, Plus,
Natasha also happened to be strongly supporting what he had just done

after she hurried back. Everything was such a mess that they couldn’t res
olve the situation.
“Natasha
Harmon! Break his arms and legs right now! This is an order! If not, we w
on’t have mercy on the
Harmon family!” Brody stood up
and staggered to his feet with a sullen look.

“Mr. Williams, I’m sorry, but I can’t do it.” Natasha spoke calmly. “Boul
derthorn is indeed powerful, but the Harmon family isn’t weak either. Nob
ody is able to harm the family easily.”

“So, are you trying to set yourself against Boulderthorn because of him?”
Brody gritted his teeth.

“Dustin is the Harmon family’s quest. It is our responsibility to protect
him. If Boulderthorn still insists, you’ll
have to defeat me first.” Natasha was uncompromising.

“Very well! Since you must stand in our way, do not blame us for turning
against the Harmon family!” Brody threw a note to Natasha, which threw do
wn the gauntlet, and said fiercely, “My father had said that if you refus
e to agree, we’ll meet at the battle ring. We will settle things with dea
thmatches!

“If you win, the Boulderthorn will never speak anything about it again. H
owever, if you lose, you must hand over Immortunal’s shares! This is
your only chance. I challenge you!” Brody exuded an intimidating aura, He

looked like he was sure to win.

“Why not? I will accept it. You’ll decide on the time and venue.” Natasha
did not bat an eye.

“We’ll have the battle at Williams Dojo tonight, at eight,” he said coldl
y and left immediately.

“Natasha Harmon! Have you lost your mind? How dare you provocate Bouldert
horn just because of this little boy toy?” Quentin was flustered and exas
perated.
“Boulderthorn’s connections were more
important than that country bumpkin!” he thought.

“It is not your place to interfere with my decisions,” Natasha sneered, “
Do you think I don’t know who involved Boulderthorn in this?”
“You” Quentin, shifty–
eyed, looked guilty because of her accusations.

“Natasha, Boulderthorn is one of the most powerful guilds in Balerno. You
’ll put yourself in trouble.” Jessica
knitted her brow.

It would be difficult to predict what would happen once the battle starte
d. If they lost the battle, they needed to give the shares away, and it w
ould also bring the Harmon family into disrepute.
“Mr. Williams himself is powerful indeed, but that doesn’t mean
we don’t stand a chance of winning against
them.” Natasha replied.

“Win? But how? Skills and strength aside, we don’t even have enough peopl
e to fight, Jessica grumbled.

Natasha wasn’t worried about her concern. “Who said so? I’ve already invi
ted an expert from The Hundred Immortals.”

“The Hundred Immortals? Who is it?” Jessica asked. She was desperate for
the answer.

Natasha didn’t reply directly. She clapped her hands, and an old man with
gray hair and a hawked nose strode out quickly. He was wearing a black s
hirt with a tall and muscular physique. He made no sound when he walked,
exactly like a ghost.

“Is this the King of Kicks, who was ranked ninth among The Hundred Immort
als?” Quentin couldn’t help but gasp at the old man’s presence.

The Hundred Immortals, especially those ranked in the top ten, were all e
quipped with powerful skills. The King of Kicks, ranked ninth, was famous
for his kicks. He had worked on his legs for years. His kicks were secon
d to none.

Quentin once saw The King of Kicks flip a car by kicking it casually. The
re was no doubt that he was extremely skilled.

Chapter 232

The King of Kicks made Mr. Wangley spurt out blood without even using hal
f his strength. If he did it with full

strength, Mr. Wangley would probably die on the spot.

Were experts from the top tenths of The Hundred Immortals so scary?

“Brilliant! King of Kicks, you’ve just blown our minds!” Quentin was surp
rised at
first, then put up a smile and blew the King of Kicks with flattery. He t
hought that if he could be on good terms with masters like the King of Ki
cks, he could solve problems easily in the future with his help.

“Mr. Wangley, are you okay?” Natasha frowned slightly. One of their allie
s was hurt before the battle even
started. She thought that the King of Kicks had gone too far.

“I’m okay.” Mr. Wangley wiped off the blood at the corner of his mouth an
d paid his respects. “King of Kicks, I

expected no less from you. I concede defeat from the bottom of my heart.”

“At least you know your limits.” The old man raised his head with a sense
of arrogance and defiance.

“Alright. Everyone, time to go back and prepare. We cannot afford to lose
tonight’s battle!”
Everyone left right after Natasha gave the order.

As Boulderthorn intentionally spread the news of the battle. Williams Doj
o was already crowded with people at 7 pm. Everyone interested in martial
arts came to watch the battle. People were dueling at the battle ring be
fore it started. They were excited about the battle.

Dustin and Ruth were the first to enter the dojo. They sat and waited at
the seats.

“Rhys, why are you here?” Dustin heard a familiar voice beside him. He tu
rned and saw Julie approaching him
with a crowd of young people.
“You’re here. Why can’t I?” Dustin said calmly.
“Julie, who is this?” a muscular man beside Julle asked.

“Otto, this is my ex–cousin–in–
law. My cousin dumped him since he’s useless.” Julie demeaned Dustin inte
ntionally.
“Oh, I see.” Otto sized Dustin up and mocked, “Such slim
arms and legs, what a sissy. No wonder no woman
wants him.”
“If I’m a sissy, are you a chimpanzee? Dustin asked coolly.

“Chimpanzee?” Everyone was stunned by the statement and looked at Otto. H
e was a hairy man with tanned skin. He actually did look like a chimpanze
e. However, they recovered from the thought quickly.
“Hey! What do you mean? Otto is such a line–looking man–
he doesn’t look like a chimpanzee at all!”

“Do you know who he is? He’s the kickboxing champion of our city! Show so
me respect!”

“That’s right! Look at your arms and legs; Otto could easily break them!”
12
Chapter 232
The crowd clamored aggressively.

Otto put on a gloomy face due to Dustin’s comment. “You! You savage! Stop
being a smart mouth. Let’s have a battle and fight like a man!”
“I’m not interested in that,” Dustin rejected without hesitation.

“Not interested? I bet you are afraid,” Otto sneered, “Don’t worry. I won
’t be beating you to death since we can
learn from each other from fighting.”

Dustin replied nothing. Julia macked, “Rhys, aren’t you cocky? Why are yo
u afraid of Otto? You don’t even dare
to fight with him.”

“I can just fight with one of my hands if you are afraid. Or only with my
legs, if you like. How is it? I dare you!”
Otto provoked.

“Such a coward! He doesn’t dare to fight with Otto even if he’s only figh
ting with his legs!”
“Definitely! What a shame to us men!”
“Why don’t you just be a woman?”

The crowd of young people laughed as if they had just listened to a hilar
ious joke.

Chapter 233
Dustin was speechless by the clamoring crowd.

“Where did these psychopaths come from?” he thought. They looked like the
y had just gone insane and were howling and shouting nonstop, like dogs.

“Hey, enough!” Ruth, who was sitting beside them, couldn’t stand it anymo
re.

“Gosh, there’s a beauty here!” Otto’s eyes lit up with a burning desire.
Her outstanding figure and visuals
attracted him.

“Hey beautiful, you should break up with such a coward. He’ll probably be
busy saving his own life when
you’re in danger,” Otto taunted.

“Exactly! You should find a boyfriend like Otto. Look at his muscles. It’
ll make you feel secure!” the crowd
jeered.
“He’s so tanned and ugly. Why would
a woman like a man like him?” Ruth snorted with a contemptuous look.

“Hey, what nonsense are you talking, you little B*tch! Watch your mouth!”
“Damn it! I’ll probably beat you up if you are not a woman!”
The crowd grew angry after listening to what she had said.

“Enough. Don’t bother her. She’s just a woman. We should act like gentlem
en.” Otto held his hand up to stop them from arguing, acting like a gentl
eman. He didn’t want to lose his manners in front of a beauty like Ruth.

“Dustin, I thought you were hiding your light under a bushel. It turns ou
t that you are a good–for–
nothing after all. You’re such a wimp. You only dare to pick up a fight w
ith people weaker than you and even rely on women to protect you. There’s
no doubt why Dahlia had to dump you!” Julie scoffed and shooked her head
. Her upper lips curled with disdain.

“He didn’t even dare to accept the battle with Otto. How useless!” she th
ought.
“Are you done? If yes, get as
far away from me as you can. You’re so noisy and irritating, buzzing non–
stop like a fly.” Dustin stuck his finger in his ear. He thought she was
so noisy.

“You” Julle gritted her teeth. Her face flushed. She glanced at Otto and
acted coquettishly toward him. Otto, have you heard what he had just said
? He said I am a fly! How could he?”

“Insolence! How dare you say something like that to my girl! Apologize im
mediately, or don’t blame me for being rude!” Otto’s face fell. He had al
ways disliked Dustin, but he never had the chance to make a fuss about it
. It was perfect timing for him now as he had the
reason to do so, which was to protect Julie, his girlfriend.

“Apologize? Do you think you’re worthy of that?” Dustin sneered. He looke
d like he was looking at an Idiot.

“You! You better give up before it’s too late! I’ll show you the power of
a kickboxing champion!” Otto was mad. He said nothing more and attacked.

He made a small step and jumped, preparing to attack with his stealth all
ack, Hot Knees. That movement of his was strong but cool at the same time
. The opponent could easily be deleated if targeted precisely. It was

Chapter 233
the best movement for fronting.
“Such badass! Otto!”
“Did you see that? This is Otto’s masterstroke! He’s unstoppable!”

“One must stay as far away from him as possible when he uses Hot Knees!”
The crowd was flattering Otto when he had just started his movements.

However, the next moment, Otto’s body, which was still in midair, was fli
pped by Dustin
with a smack and hit the ground. He took a huge spill and was lying on th
e ground, motionless, like he was dead.

“Otto!” They were stunned by the scene. They didn’t expect Otto, a kickbo
xing champion, to be defeated by just
one move. It was insane.

“How weak.” Dustin dusted his hands off and sat down. He thought that he
could finally be in peace.
“Otto! Otto!”

The crowd of young people quickly helped Otto up after they realized what
had happened. They tried waking him up by slapping and pinching him.

Chapter 234

After struggling for a while. Otto gradually regained consciousness. Sinc
e he’d fallen face–
first. he had lost his front teeth, contributing even further to his dish
eveled appearance.

“What happened?” He shook his head, confusion lining his features.

He remembered the surge of power he felt as he reveled in his mastery bar
ely seconds ago before weakness
seized him, and he found himself lying on the floo

“Otto, you were knocked out by that guy just now!” Julie told him, her ex
pression strange. She’d initially thought
Otto would be able to defend her–
contrary to her beliefs, the first punch found him sprawled on the
floor, unconscious the next instant.

“Knocked out?” Otto was slightly taken aback. He touched his throbbing fa
ce, an argument bursting forth.

F*ck that! I must have slipped and lost my balance. That brat would never
have been able to hurt me
otherwise!”
His declaration elicited a flurry of nods through the crowd.

“That’s right! With Otto’s strength, it would’ve been beyond effortless f
or him to take that guy down. If it hadn’t been for a moment of carelessn
ess on his part, how else could that guy manage to sneak in an attack?”
“Exactly! Otto must’ve been careless and didn’t dodge it on time!”
Otto’s strength
and skills were common knowledge among them all. After more than a decade
of professional kickboxing training and championship titles under his bel
t, his capabilities were unquestionable. If it hadn’t been for
him underestimating the opponent, he would never have been taken down in
just one move.

“Oh, just admit that you lost and move on. What’s the use in trying to ma
ke all sorts of excuses for yourself? With your mediocre martial arts ski
lls, you wouldn’t even be able to hold your own against Dustin even if he
only used one hand.” Ruth rolled her eyes.
She’d never seen anyone so shameless–his
defiance and feigned bravado despite having been taken down squarely by t
he opponent irked her to no end.

“Hey! Don’t talk to me like that!” Otto glared in response. “People make
mistakes. Hell, even the strongest. horses stumble. You think that little
brat is impressive? You think he’s better than me? Fine! Let him fight m
e again–
fair and square. I, for one, am interested in seeing what he’s capable of
.”
“What he said! If you have the guts, let Rhys fight Otto in the
battle ring and see who’s the real man!” Julie and
the others chimed in.
At the end of the day, all of them were convinced
that Dustin had only won out of sheer luck. When it came to
strength and pure skill, Otto reigned superior.
“What? Do you not have the guts to face me like a man?”

The longer Dustin remained silent, the more arrogant Otto became. “I knew
it! That brat had always been all

talk and no show. He would never be able to stand up to the challenge!”

“He only knows how to attack when someone’s back is turned. He’s evidentl
y too much of a coward to fight.

head–
on. Guess that’s the most people like him can ever achieve anyway.”
Disdain took over the room instantly. Any
surprise they’d initially felt was soon replaced by contempt. To them. Du
stin’s reluctance to rise to Otto’s challenge was the greatest sign of hi
s quilt.
“Look! The Harmons are here!” someone exclaimed out of nowhere.

The rest of them followed the direction of their gaze, only to behold a g
roup led by Natasha entering from the passageway on the left.

The King of Kicks, Mr. Wangley, Stephan, Jessica, and Quentin, among othe
rs, were present as well.

“No way! I didn’t think they’d bring Mr. Chapman along today. Now that th
ey did, they must be determined to win!” Otto’s face was a picture of sur
prise when he caught sight of Stephan in the crowd.
“Who’s Mr. Chapman? Is he a good fighter?” Julie asked tentatively.

“He is much more than that,” Otto began. “Mr. Chapman is the best of the
best. He’s one of the best among The Hundred Immortals–skill–
wise, it’s hard to find someone in Swinton who can rival his abilities!”

“The best among The Hundred Immortals? No wonder his aura stands out! The
way he carries himself is truly remarkable.” A group of disciples watche
d Stephan make his entrance fervently, their eyes gleaming with
respect.

After all, anyone who could make it into The Hundred Immortals demanded e
very shred of respect they could possibly offer.

Otto, do you know Mr. Chapman?” Julie asked with interest. It was, undoub
tedly, an honor to be acquainted with such a renowned master of martial a
rts in Swinton.
“Do I know him? I don’t just know him–
I had the privilege to learn a few tricks from him, and I’m still reaping
the benefits from his invaluable lessons today!” Otto’s voice dripped wi
th pride.

“Of course you did! To have learned from Mr. Chapman is such an incredibl
e achievement in itself. I envy you!”

“No wonder you fight so well, Otto. The apple doesn’t fall far from the t
ree, indeed!”
The praises lavished upon him made Otto feel rather high and mighty.

As they were still engaged in conversation, Stephan walked over suddenly.

“Otto! Here comes Mr. Chapman! He seems to be walking toward you!” Julie
said with excitement.
“Quick! Prepare to welcome Mr. Chapman properly!”

Otto’s face lit up. He adjusted his clothes hastily and went up to Stepha
n with the rest of his followers.
“Mr. Chap-” he began fawningly.

Unexpectedly, Stephan barely spared him a single glance. Instead, he side
stepped him and, under the watchful and somewhat astonished gaze of the b
ewildered group, the renowned master walked up to Dustin, raised his arms
in the universal gesture of respect, and intoned gravely, “Greetings, Mr
. Rhys-“

Chapter 235
“Mr. Rhys?”

Otto and
his company were entirely dumbfounded by Stephan’s display of respect tow
ard Dustin. Never in

their wildest dreams had they ever anticipated the renowned Mr. Chapman t
o have come forward specifically for Dustin, let alone greet him with suc
h reverence..
What was happening?

“Mr. Chapman, it’s been a while. Your abilities seem to have improved.” A
quick glance from Dustin drew his attention to the differences he spotte
d in the other man almost at once.

“It’s all thanks to the Gemiphen you gave me, of course. Not only did it
heal my internal injuries, it gave me ample power to have a small breakth
rough.” Stephan’s face was filled with gratitude.

“Really? I suppose congratulations are in order, then.” Dustin smiled fai
ntly.

“Mr. Rhys, where you’re sitting now doesn’t seem befitting for your statu
s. How about we head over to the reserved seats for the Harmon family?” S
tephan gestured with one hand, still courteous as ever.

“Very well. This place is infested with flies anyway. I’d rather sit amid
st humans–less tiresome.” Dustin nodded, not refusing the offer.

Just as they prepared to leave, Otto couldn’t help but speak up. “Mr. Cha
pman-”

“What?” Stephan turned, his expression cold. The way he treated Otto was
the complete opposite of when he’d been conversing with Dustin earlier.

“Mr. Chapman, I’m Otto Marsh. We met before, and you gave me a few pointe
rs too.” Otto attempted to turn the
situation in his favor.
“I’ve given pointers to a lot of people. As for you–
I have no recollection at all.” Stephan left after replying
dismissively.

Otto stood paralyzed, awkwardness creeping up his features. To have boast
ed for so long only to be brutally rejected was humiliating beyond words.

“Who’s that little brat anyway? How could he turn out to be acquainted wi
th Mr. Chapman?” someone asked.

“He looks like a pretty boy taken in by Ms. Harmon. If it hadn’t been for
his relationship with the Harmons, Mr.

Chapman would never stoop down to this level otherwise, let alone treat s
omeone like him so respectfully!”
Julie said indignantly.

“After all that fuss, he turns out to be nothing but a leech, basking in
the glory of the Harmon family. To think that I, for a second, genuinely
believed him to be someone important!” Otto released a sigh of relief, th
ough his
expression was contemptuous.

There was no glory in depending on women to climb the ranks. A real man d
epended on no one else but himself and his own strength!

“Finally, Come sit.” As Natasha caught sight of Dustin, she immediately p
atted the seat next to herself,

Chapter 235
signaling for him to sit.

Dustin didn’t hesitate either. He gracefully took his seat and said, “Bou
lderthorn is well–prepared this time. I advise you to be more cautious.”

Natasha had yet to reply when Quentin, who was sitting beside her, scoffe
d. “Don’t worry about it. With the King of Kicks on our side, victory is
guaranteed to be ours!”

“If that is indeed the situation, I suppose it couldn’t be more perfect,
then.” Dustin smiled lightly and said no
more.

Amid the low hum of conversation, another group emerged from the right pa
ssageway. At their very front was a man about thirty years of age, clad i
n white. The man’s eyebrows were sharp, his demeanor commanding along wit
h those strongly piercing eyes. The crowd parted around him easily, allow
ing his presence to stand out with minimal effort.

This man was the principal disciple of Mr. Williams, Maximus Kane. Behind
him, Brody Williams and his tropes followed as well.
As soon as the two sides met, tensions rose immediately.

“Ms. Harmon, I admire your courage to rise to my challenge, but today, vi
ctory belongs to none other than Boulderthorn!” Brody was the first to sp
eak..

“Words are futile. Prove it to me with your actions if you really believe
so.” Natasha returned indifferently.
“I will! Today’s fight will be something else–
there shall be no limits on the number of rounds and participants. The la
st person standing in the battle ring is the victor. How does that sound?
”

“I have no objections to that.” Natasha nodded. In order to make it count
, they had to make the other party submit to them wholeheartedly.
Upon reaching an agreement, both sides began their preparations.
Shortly after, the first match commenced.
Boulderthorn
was the first to mount the ring. Their first contestant was an exceedingl
y heavyset beast of a man. Every step he took sent shudders down the loos
ely–hanging flesh on his body.
The sight of him was rather comical, to say the least.

When he climbed up the battle ring and took his position, he even held
the leg of roasted mutton in one hand. his teeth tearing into the meat vo
raciously.

Chapter 236

“What’s going on with Boulderthorn? Why would they send that chunkster on
stage? With his physique, he’ll be out of breath after taking just a few
steps–can he even handle the Battle Royale?” Quentin scoffed.

“Don’t underestimate the opponent. Since Boulderthom dares send him into
the ring, he must have some extraordinary qualities that could potentiall
y push the tide in their favor. Which one of you wants to go first?”

Natasha asked the three of them.

“Ms. Harmon, let me handle the first round.” Stephan stood and strode int
o the battle ring.
Among the three of them, his strength
appeared to be the weakest. Because of that, it was only natural that he
took the lead. After all, if he could secure their victory in the first m
atch, he might as well have laid the foundation for their eventual win,
“Dustin, who do you think would win? Ruth asked curiously.

“It’s hard to tell. The chunkster looks peculiar enough, but if Mr. Chapm
an can find his weaknesses and attack. focally, he might still stand a ch
ance.” Dustin analyzed.
“Hmph! That’s so close–
minded!” Quentin pursed his lips. “What right does he have to fight again
st Mr. Chapman? A few rounds of simply running around, and
he’ll be as good as dead!”

Dustin did not argue against that. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the batt
le ring, seemingly deep in thought.

Meanwhile, in the battle ring, both parties prepared themselves as the re
feree mounted the stage.
“There are no rules in this ring. Live or die–
that’s on you. Surrendering, severe injuries, death, or being thrown out
of the ring will result in a loss of said round. Do the both of you under
stand?”
The referee threw his hands down
as soon as the two contestants nodded.
“Let the games begin!”

With a frenzied shout, the atmosphere around the ring instantly surged to
a new peak.

“I’ve long heard about the many talents cultivated under the lead of Mr.
Williams. I’m honored to be able to
witness them with my own eyes today!”

After a firm salute, Stephan took a step forward and launched his first a
ttack.

The strategy he elected was to take control of the fight and exhaust his
opponent. As the man’s physique was beyond massive, his strength was appa
rent. Direct attacks were not a smart option if he wanted to last in the

ring.

To be on the safe side, he had to fully leverage the advantages of his li
ghtweight body and the subsequent agileness it inevitably brought him.

Stephan inched closer toward his opponent but did not launch a frontal at
tack. Instead, he rounded to t back of the chunkster and slapped him on t
he back.
The

A crisp slap rang out, but the chunkster stood unmoving. Throughout his b
ody, his flesh rippled and trembled shudderingly. The force brought down
by Stephan’s palm had been completely dissipated by the violent

Chapter 2.36

shudders of flesh, leaving the man completely unaffected by its magnitude
.

“So, this is what it is then?” Stephan’s gaze narrowed, but he didn’t sto
p. He delivered two more sharp,
consecutive slaps–
one to the chunkster’s waist, the other to his back. Both of them landed
on spots that

should’ve been vulnerable had it not been for the protection of his volum
inous flesh and body fat that shielded
him from even remotely sensing the impact of Stephan’s punches.
Contrary to what Stephan expected, his opponent paid
him no heed despite his efforts to garner his attention. From the start,
he simply chewed on the roasted mutton leg he held in one hand, completel
y disregarding Stephan’s presence.

Stephan was beginning to get mad. His palms transformed into brutal fists
that pounded wildly from top to bottom in rapid succession. The series o
f punches
he launched after that was almost crazed and merciless. and yet the chunk
ster continued devouring the mutton leg with the fervor of a famished man
.

Stephan’s pride, having suffered the fall it did, transmuted into wild fu
ry. As his rage suffused him, he delivered
a swift kick to the mutton in the
chunkster’s hands and watched with satisfaction as the man turned to him.
stunned at first.

Then, a roar followed as he charged toward Stephan with astonishing speed
, his actions reminiscent of a
distraught bear.
A moment of carelessness had him colliding head–
on with the chunkster’s advance–his body air–bound the
next moment and his gut churning.

Midair, the chunkster’s head struck him squarely in the chest, sending hi
m flying even further, a mouthful of bright–
red blood spilling from his lips.

Before he knew it, he was already on the ground, thrown out of the battle
ring before he’d even gotten the

chance to retaliate.

Chapter 237

“How could this happen? Mr. Chapman lost?” Quentin’s face was slack with
shock
as he beheld Stephan’s injuries and the blood he was still coughing up as
a result of the man’s attack. He’d never anticipated the strength the ch
unkster had shown–not even Mr. Chapman could rival that kind of power.

“Who is that chunkster? Not even Mr. Chapman could break through his defe
nses-

Natasha’s face grew serious. She was well aware of the extent of Stephan’
s capabilities. He was a martial artist who specialized in harnessing the
body’s internal energy, and his punches were enough to break through sto
re.

And yet, for someone of his expertise to have not been able to impact the
other man in the slightest–
it was evident that his opponent would not be easily defeated by ordinary
means alone.

“If I’m not mistaken, he’s Mr. Williams‘ second disciple. They call him R
otund Tiger.”

Mr. Wangley stroked his beard and said nonchalantly. “This person might s
eem simple–
minded, but the talent he possesses when it comes to martial arts is extr
aordinary. His body is capable of both attack and defenseit’s tough yet flexible. It’s very difficult for someone unfamiliar with
his fighting style to take him on successfully.”
“Mr. Wangley, can you take him on?” Natasha asked in return.

“I can’t guarantee a win, but I think I have an eighty to ninety percent
chance of holding my own against him.” Mr. Wangley’s tone was proud.

“Good. Please do your best then, Mr. Wangley.” Natasha nodded imperceptib
ly.

“Mr. Wangley, the man’s weakness lies on the crown of his head. If you ti
me your attacks well and seize the opportunity when it presents itself, y
ou might be able to take him down in one strike!” Dustin spoke up
suddenly.

It’d only taken him a single round to discern the opponent’s vulnerable s
pots.

If they wanted to win, it was crucial to strike where the opponent was th
e weakest–
not only would that ensure an easy win, but it would also further guarant
ee their overall victory.

“What? Are you trying to tell me what to do?” Mr. Wangley peered at Dusti
n out of the corner of his eye, his
tone displeased.
“I’m just offering a friendly reminder.”

“A reminder? Do I look like I need your reminders? Mr. Wangley sneered. “
Who do you think you are, boy? What right do you have to tell me how to t
ake this man down? Do you think you’re stronger than me?”

“Dustin! Shut your mouth if you don’t know what you’re talking about. Doe
s Mr. Wangley look like he needs

your advice to win? Really, it’s about time someone put you in your place
for a change!” Quentin was equally
impatient.

“If you don’t believe me, it’s your call. Forget it, then.” Dustin shrugg
ed. There was no point in trying to reason

with them anyway. He’d only thought to offer a suggestion out of pure goo
dwill. Since none of them
Chapter 237
appreciated it, he wouldn’t scramble to make them listen, either.

‘Little brat! Keep your eyes wide open and look at how it really is done!
” Mr. Wangley turned and sprang away. leaving Dustin with those words. Th
e older man scared into the battle ring like a proud eagle, landing stead
ily amid the feverish applause from the audience.

Someone whistled, raucous cheers erupting all over in response to Mr. Wan
gley’s elegant move.
The chunkster, however, paid him no attention. He picked
up the fallen mutton leg and continued devouring it vehemently.

“Young man, that Adamantine Shield of yours is undeniably impressive, but
unfortunately, you’re faced with me tonight. It is only fate for you to
end up as my stepping stone!” Mr. Wangley placed both hands behind his ba
ck, arrogance permeating his features.

“Chunkster! Knock this old man out of the ring, and I’ll treat you to a w
hole roasted lamb in return!” Brody shouted from the audience.
“Lamb… lamb!”

The chunkster’s eyes lit up as he turned to Mr. Wangley. At present, it w
as not a renowned fighter who stood. before him but the promise of a frag
rant, whole roasted lamb.
“Defeat you eat lamb!” He struggled to utter a few words
from his limited vocabulary before launching his first attack. With a sto
mp, the chunkster charged toward Mr. Wangley like the sputtering engine o
f a car, violently aiming for a collision.

“Ineffectual amateur!” Mr. Wangley flexed his soles and sprang, landing n
ot a moment later on
the chunkster’s back. Then, without pausing, he extended his fingers and
struck the pressure points present on the chunkster’s back relentlessly.

The chunkster stumbled along with Mr. Wangley’s momentum. He swayed, seco
nds away from losing his balance.

“Lamb! Meat!” The chunkster was growing impatient now. His assault became
crazed and
frantic, but Mr. Wangley was smart enough not to meet them head–
on. Instead, he ducked agilely, launching a few sneak
attacks here and there as he egged his opponent on.

When it came to manipulating the pressure points of his opponent to turn
the situation in his favor, he was, no doubt, an expert.

He believed that no matter how strong the chunkster’s defenses were, he c
ould effectively
target his pressure points and bring him down, once and for all! At the e
nd of the day, those were the points he believed to be the chunkster’s we
aknesses.

His idea was undeniably a good one, but as time passed, Mr. Wangley could
n’t help but feel that something was off.

Because of the chunkster’s build, his delenses were different from the pa
tterns exhibited by the usual adamantine shields wielded by the opponents
he’d faced in the past.

The lat on his body was key in dissipating the impact of his attempted at
tacks. As for the pressure points he’d been targeting all this while, the
y only proved to be mildly effective for a short period of time before fu
lly
W
Chapter 237
recovering shortly after, rendering most of his strikes ineffective.
After their long–
withstanding struggle, the chunkster appeared to be spirited while Mr. Wa
ngley seemed more
out of breath than ever.

The consumption of energy after channeling the internal energy he possess
ed drained him to the core.

“This is impossible!” Mr. Wangley exclaimed inwardly, his brow knitted.

The chunkster’s appearance was unremarkable, but he was extremely tenacio
us.

“Mr. Wangley! Try targeting the crown of his head! That’s where his weakn
ess lies!” Natasha’s voice rang out
from the audience.
No one believed Dustin but her.

“That brat speaks nothing but nonsense! He’s just trying to disrupt the s
tate of my mind!” Mr. Wangley’s
expression was icy.
Not even he could identify the
chunkster’s weaknesses, let alone someone whose name he hadn’t even heard
of in his entire life. He was not about to believe his words
just like that.

“I need to finish this soon! And quickly!” His stamina was swiftly waning
, and he couldn’t afford to waste any
more time.

Mr. Wangley threw himself forward boldly, targeting a punch toward the ch
unkster’s throat. That area had the least amount of flesh–
it must be his opponent’s weakest spot.

If it landed where he intended to, the subsequent effects would be extrao
rdinary.

“Gotcha!” The chunkster grinned as he grabbed ahold of Mr. Wangley’s wris
t.
“Shit-
“Mr. Wangley’s expression changed as the magnitude of the situation he
was caught in dawned upon him. He was about to pull back, only to realize
he couldn’t break free.

“Up you go!” The chunkster bellowed and tossed Mr. Wangley up in the air,
spinning him around. About ten rounds or so later, he swatted the old
man like a fly and sent him crashing to the ground.
A loud boom reverberated around the arena, shaking it momentarily.

Mr. Wangley coughed up blood as he convulsed on the ground before stillin
g completely. He was severely injured, rendered motionless by the impact
of his fall. That plummet must have also broken a great number of
his bones.

“Mr. Wangley!” Quentin stood up immediately. Shock and, inexplicably, fea
r had taken hold of his features.
When he’d watched Mr. Wangley’s
attempts to take control of the situation earlier, he thought victory was
theirs at long last. Never in his wildest dreams would he imagine the ti
des to turn on them.

“Quick! Get a doctor over here!” Natasha’s expression was stem as she ord
ered someone to lift Mr. Wangley
off the ground.

“Even Mr. Wangley lost to this chunkster, Could he actually be invincible
?” Ruth’s brows were perpetually furrowed, worry evident on her face.
Chapter 237

The situation was far from optimistic after losing two rounds in a row.

“Another great master from the Harmons has fallen. Looks like their loss
today is inevitable! Otto shook his
head.

“Exactly! Competing against Boulderthorn today was a surefire way to brin
g disgrace upon themselves. Not even the Harmons could emerge victorious
against an opponent this powerful!” Julie grinned gleefully.

After knowing that Dustin had connections with the Harmon family, she cou
ldn’t help but take pleasure in the misfortune of said family.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Suddenly, a man spoke up from beside
them. “I heard the Harmons still have their biggest trump card to turn th
is around!”
“What trump card?” Otto asked tentatively.

“This trump card of theirs is none other than the warrior ranked ninth am
ong the Hundred Immortals, the King

of Kicks!”

Chapter 238
“The King of Kicks?”

“The one ranked ninth on The Hundred Immortals?”

Everyone looked astonished upon hearing the mention. They had clearly hea
rd of the King of Kicks–
those who ranked on The Hundred Immortals were extraordinary talents, not
to mention the legends who made it into the
top ten!

A powerful man like the King of Kicks would command respect anywhere he w
ent. His presence at their unremarkable guild was akin to an attack from
a higher level. Not even the Boulderthorn disciples could overshine him.
“Wow! I’m surprised that the Harmons have
hired the King of Kicks! They are indeed wealthy!”

“With the King of Kicks around, the Harmons are definitely winning the ba
ttle.”

“He can take on every single opponent at the scene with his capability!”

After the initial shock, the spectators started to anticipate the fight.
After today, they could boast that they had witnessed the King of Kicks
in action.

“Ms. Harmon, your martial artists seem weak. Why don’t you send the top g
un?” Brody challenged her with a sneer. Winning two consecutive rounds bo
osted his confidence.
“Sir Cavaliere, I’ll bank on you.” Natasha looked at the hawk–
nosed elder.

“Hmph! Didn’t I tell you not to waste your time? What are those two good–
for–
nothings doing here?” The man appeared disdainful. His remark upset Steph
an and Mr. Wangley, who were being treated for their injuries on the side
. Still, they dared not talk back to him.

“Sir Cavaliere, you’re right. These two aren’t at the same level as you.
They’re just here to fill up the quota,” Quentin quickly sucked up to the
King of Kicks..

“Please, Sir Cavaliere.” Natasha, refusing to engage in more talk, gestur
ed toward the battle ring.

“Sure! Since I’m paid to do this, I’ll walk around the ring!” He smiled a
nd marched right into the ring. His appearance led to a huge commotion am
ong the audience.
“F*ck! It’s truly the King of Kicks! Am I dreaming?”

“That’s unexpected! The Harmons must have spent a fortune to get him here
!”
“When you have one of the top
ten from The Hundred Immortals in the ring, it’s practically a massacre,
isn’t it?”

“I thought the Harmons were going to lose! But the tables have turned!”

The atmosphere in the guild reached a climax due to the presence of the K
ing of Kicks.

“Although this has cost us a fortune, it is worth it solely for the shock
factor. The corner of Jessica’s lips
curled into a rare smile.

“That’s true! Once the King of Kicks defeats the lineup from Mr. Williams
‘ side, no one will look for trouble with
1/3
us anymore!” Quentin concurred with a nod.

“Too bad the King of Kicks is an egotistical lone wolf. We can’t work wit
h him for long.” Natasha shook her head regretfully.

“Oh, what do you know? Legends are special and act in their own ways. Tha
t’s why they’re different from us!” Quentin sounded like a know–it–
all and was promptly ignored by Natasha.
“Silence!” The hawk–
nosed elder pressed on the floor of the ring. When the audience quieted,
he announced, “I have caught the flu and felt sick today. Therefore, I sh
all surrender and forfeit the battle today!”
Chaos erupted among the audience.

“What? Is he surrendering?”

“That can’t be! He’s the King of Kicks and ninth on The Hundred Immortals
. How could he give up because of flu?”
“F*ck! That’s no surrender. He’s doing it on purpose!”

The audience was stunned and confused as they didn’t expect the King of K
icks to act in such a way. After going into the ring, he surrendered befo
re the battle. What was that? Was there some shady deal going on?

“What’s wrong? Why did he surrender?” Jessica and her group exchanged ast
onished glances. The King of

Kicks had received the payment but surrendered before he rendered his ser
vices. He had crossed a line!

“Did he switch sides at the last minute?” Dustin narrowed his eyes, looki
ng hostile. He had not expected the King of Kicks to pull off that trick.

“Sir Cavaliere! What was that?” Natasha shot up from her seat, looking fr
osty. The whole reason she accepted

the invitation to the battle was because she had him as an ace card. His
unexpected behavior had messed up
her plans.

“Ms. Harmon, you paid me to join the battle, but you did not specify that
I have to win. Isn’t it a normal thing to fall sick and give up
on the battle?” He flashed a half smile at her.
*Sir! You are a respected senior in the martial
arts world! Aren’t you worried you’d be the butt of the jokes if you flip
–flopped on your promises?” Natasha chided him.

“The butt of jokes? I am an honorable and upright man. No one dares to jo
ke about me.” His eyes swept across the area, and those who felt his gaze
quickly lowered their heads in deference.

“Sir Cavaliere, I believe I have treated you generously. Why would you do
this?” She furrowed her brow. At that moment, she was no longer obliviou
s to the fact that she had been fooled. The King of Kicks agreed
to join the battle, only to surrender at a critical moment, catching her
off–guard. It was a cruel and raw betrayal!

“Ms. Harmon, I do not see the need to hide the truth from you.” The hawk–
nosed old man straightened his shirt and said to her, “I play fair, and I
work for the highest bidder. This time around, someone has offered me a
higher price. So, I can’t help you out. Of course, I can reconsider my de
cision if you’re willing to bid for my
service at a higher price.”

“Are you marking up the price now?” There was a wintry look in Natasha’s
attractive eyes.

“Since this is a transaction, it’s only normal to mark up prices at the l
ast minute.” He showed no guilt in his
DUT
behavior.

“You’re shameless!” She sneered, feeling aghast at the rotten character o
f the King of Kicks she had painstakingly hired.
“Ms. Harmon, if you
refuse to offer a higher price, I shall leave the ring.” He looked like h
e was about to leave.

“Wait! We’ll do it!” Jessica’s face fell apart, and she immediately stopp
ed him. If the King of Kicks surrendered, the Harmons would lose the batt
le without a doubt! They had to accept the fact, even if he had demanded
more money at the eleventh hour.

“I’m sorry. Your reply comes too late.” He sneered at them and walked up
to the Boulderthorn guild gang in front of everyone. The Harmons instantl
y paled upon witnessing that.

Chapter 239
The Harmons were shocked that the handsomely–
paid King of Kicks had tricked them instead of lending them a helping han
d. At that moment, they were lost and helpless.

Meanwhile, the Boulderthorn guild was all smiles, a stark contrast to the
anger and indignation on the Harmons‘ end.

“Hahaha Ms. Harmon, your family has lost three rounds. Anyone else wants
to get into the ring? If not, we’ll declare victory!” Brody laughed insol
ently. Very few knew the fact that the King of Kicks was a good friend of
Mr. Williams. The betrayal was part of his plan as
well. That would force the Harmons into a corner!
“Oh no! Are the Harmons leaving in defeat?”

“I was looking forward to a great battle tonight. Who knew we’d witness s
uch a botched situation!”

“At the end of the day, the Harmons have fallen into a trap. The King of
Kicks that they wasted the effort on recruiting turns out to be a rat fro
m the Boulderthorn guild!”

“Might is right! There’s no point arguing over this. The Harmons are dest
ined to lose!”

There was a lot of gossip surrounding the sharp turn of events. People we
re shocked and sympathetic; some were even gleeful at the disaster.

“Natasha, your King of Kicks is a sham! What do we do now? Do we take the
defeat?” Quentin put on an odd
and critical look.

Natasha bit her lips but said nothing. The situation had unfolded beyond
her control, and she wondered if
there was anyone who could save the day.

“Ms. Harmon, is anyone from your side going into the ring? Just admit def
eat if you have no one else to send. Stop wasting time,” Brody challenged
her again.

“Yeah! Just admit defeat! Don’t waste our time!” Those from the Boulderth
orn guild chanted, and the Harmons
had nothing to say in return, only upset looks on their faces.

“I’ll go!” A voice boomed and echoed in the guild. Everyone looked at the
handsome man who emerged from
the crowd. It was Dustin Rhys!
“Huh?” The audience standing beside him was puzzled.

“Rhys! Are you kidding? The audacity to join the battle!” Quentin was tak
en aback before sniggering as he
gave Dustin a look of disbelief.

“Dustin, stop fooling around! Even Mr. Wangsley and the rest were no matc
h for the Boulderthorn guild. What can you do up there? Losing your life?
” Jessica rebuked, but she was more concerned about the reputation of the
Harmons than Dustin’s
safety. If he lost the battle, the Harmon family’s reputation would suffe
r.

“Dustin, you don’t have to take the risk. If they want our stocks, we’ll
give it to them.” Natasha was worried for

her man. No amount of stocks or benefits was worth risking his life lor.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” He smiled. “I will not offer them our stocks
, and I’ll save our reputation!” With that, he
Chapter 239
marched into the ring. He wasn’t planning on getting involved, but he
was forced to
do so after the King of Kicks switched sides at the last minute.
“Sis, do you not want to stop him?” Ruth was a little concerned.

“He’s not a reckless man. If he’s fine with joining the battle, he must b
e confident in his chances of winning.” Natasha put on a brave face, but
her eyes betrayed her worry. However, she had no choice but to trust him
unconditionally in such a critical time.

“Kiddo, you must be on a suicide mission! How dare you come into the ring
?” Brody laughed like a maniac and stared at Dustin like he was looking a
t a dead man. He had been thinking hard about getting revenge against
Dustin, but Dustin made it easy for him.
“Who is that?” Maximus questioned.

“Max, that’s the inventor of Immortunol. He was the one who slapped me th
is morning.” Brody explained.

Chapter 240
“Oh, it’s him.”

Maximus smiled coolly. “It’s really gutsy of a physician to join the batt
le. Looks like the Harmons have run out of candidates.”

Dustin’s appearance came as
a shock to the members of the Boulderthorn guild as well as Julie and her
group.

“Is he crazy? He can’t even beat me. What makes him think he’s capable of
fighting the Boulderthorn masters?

to Marsh was dumbfounded by Dustin’s decision. Even Mr. Chapman was beate
n to a pulp in the ring. Where did a weakling like Dustin get the courage
to enter the ring?

“Hmph! He still wants to show off at this point in time. That’s just cour
ting death.” Julie chuckled gleefully. She looked forward to Dustin being
beaten up badly onstage.

“You’re damn right! Even Otto knows better than to show off at this serio
us event. That dude is on a suicide mission!” The group of youngsters sco
ffed at Dustin, whom they believed was an attention–
seeker. An average person should never get involved in the battle of the
masters, for a tiny slip–up could cost one’s life.

“Young man, are you sure you’d like to fight on behalf of the Harmon fami
ly? The hawk–
nosed elder suddenly questioned in a threatening voice. Everyone in the g
uild
could hear him well, even though he wasn’t speaking loudly. The elder had
made it clear that anyone who represented the Harmons would be his enemy
.
“Well, at least I’m not as shameless as those who took the money but
refused to make good on their promise and even stabbed others in the back
!” Dustin taunted him mercilessly. “Even dogs are thankful to the hand th
at feeds them. I guess that somebody is worse than an animal.”

The audience gasped and murmured upon hearing the remark. They were alrea
dy startled when Dustin went on the stage, but they were once again shock
ed by his audacity to mock the King of Kicks in public. Was Dustin Rhys p
laying with fire?

“You punk! Do you even hear what you’re saying?” The old man’s expression
crumbled.

“Why? Can’t stand being criticized for your actions? You’re just a greedy
, dishonest, and ungrateful bastard, aren’t you?” Dustin jeered at him.

“You have a death wish!” The old man stared coldly at Dustin, but he was
stopped by Maximus before he could make a move. “Sir Cavaliere, we cannot
break the rules of the battle. You should leave any personal grudges for
post–battle.”
“You punk! I sure hope you survive!” The hawk–
nosed old man scoffed and begrudgingly took his seat.

“Sir Cavaliere, calm down. That punk is certainly going to be dead today.
” Brody cackled and yelled in the direction of the ring. “Chunkster, smas
h him! I’ll give you two more mutton legs if you cripple him!”

“Mutton leg! Mutton leg!” Chunkster giggled, his eyes shining bright when
he stared at Dustin, Before the referee even officiated the match, he ha
d hurled himself toward Dustin at high speed and with explosive energy li
ke an invincible human tank. Compared to Chunkster, Dustin was as thin as
a rail.

“That punk is going to die! Not even Mr. Chapman could beat Chunkster. Du
stin Rhys is going to be minced meat in the ring.” Otto chuckled with ant
icipation.
Chapter 240
“He deserves it for being a show–
off.” Julie crossed her arms on her chest and waited for ill fate to befa
ll
Dustin.

Just when everyone thought that it was a David and Goliath battle with a
clear winner, Dustin suddenly made

a move. He kicked against the ground and launched himself forward like an
agile serpent. When he was near Chunkster, ne quickly leaped into the ai
r, tapping his index and middle fingers on the Meridian point on top of C
hunkster’s head with precision.

With a grunt. Chunkster immediately blacked out in the ring. Due to the m
omentum, his ball–
like figure accelerated for a good ten feet before coming to a stop and d
ropping off the platform with a thud. The

audience watched on, their jaws dropping on the floor.

Chapter 241
“What the F*ck? Has the battle ended?”

The audience in the guild stared at Chunkster, who was lying flat on the
ground lifelessly. They looked at each other in disbelief. At first, they
thought that Dustin would never win, but the battle ended with a huge tw
ist. More importantly, Dustin had only made one move throughout the battl
e, which was terrifying, to say the least.

“F*ck! That dude won? What happened?” Otto’s eyes widened, and he looked
incredulous. Dustin Rhys beat Chunkster, who had defeated Mr. Chapman. Wo
uld that mean Dustin was more powerful than Mr. Chapman?
“I–impossible! That guy
must have pulled some tricks. Why else could he win without breaking a sw
eat?” Julie vehemently shook her head, refusing to accept the outcome.

“What happened just now? Why did Chunkster collapse after the touch?” Bro
dy was confounded. Chuckster’s defense should have been impenetrable for
most, except for Maximus and the King of Kicks. What trick did
Dustin pull to win?

“He’s quite something. He found Chunkster’s weakness in no time.” Maximus
narrowed his eyes and appeared
quite taken aback. The others might be oblivious
to the strategy behind the move, but Maximus knew that Dustin had found C
hunkster’s weakness and focused his attack on it, which resulted in the s
urprise victory.
“No wonder he was so confident. He came prepared.” The hawk–
nosed old man scoffed. He would have acknowledged Dustin’s talent if the
latter had taken down the opponent with his skills, but the trick that Du
stin
pulled was cowardly.

“Hahaha! He won! Dustin, you’re awesome!” After overcoming the shock, Rut
h jumped up and down with joy.

“What’s so great about it? He had to thank Mr. Wangley and Mr. Chapman fo
r exhausting Chunkster. He wouldn’t have taken advantage of Chunkster oth
erwise.” Quentin was a little jealous about Dustin’s win. In his opinion,
Dustin merely beat the opponent due to luck.

“Mr. Wangley, Mr. Rhys was right. Chunkster’s weakness is on the top of h
is head.” Stephan, who was being. treated for his injury, shot a glance a
t Mr. Wangley, who seemed embarrassed and quiet.

The unexpected victory set the crowd ablaze. Most were confused and doubt
ful about Dustin’s move, but he proved that the Harmons still had a chanc
e to fight and win.

“Is that all the Boulderthorn disciples have to show?” Dustin stood boast
fully in the ring with a disdainful
smile on his lips.
“That insolent bastard!”
“How dare you?
“This is too much!”

Upon hearing the insult, the Boulderthorn gang stood up in rage. Anyone w
ho looked down on their guild would be playing with fire!

“You punk! You’d better tone down your ego!” Brody angrily slapped the ta
ble and shot up,
1/3
Chapter 241

“Quit the nonsense. If you can, take me on.” Dustin was as calm as ever a
s he looked down upon those
beneath him.
Right then, the hawk–
nosed elder suddenly cackled menacingly. “Kiddo, did you really think you
could show off a couple of amateur moves over here?”

“If you do not believe me, come try it out for yourself.” Dustin wiggled
his fingers at the old man provocatively.

“Great! If death is what you’re after, I shall grant your wish.” The old
man finally lost it and walked
up to the ring. At the sight, everyone at the scene cheered enthusiastica
lly.
“Great! The King of Kicks finally joins the battle!”

“How dare that dude challenge the King of Kicks? He doesn’t know his limi
ts.”

“Either way.
he’s going to lose. At least he’d lose with glory
if he is defeated by the King of Kicks.”

“Hmph! The King of Kicks is known to be violent. He wouldn’t go easy on t
hat kid.”
The crowd was murmuring about the scene in the ring.

Otto snickered. “Well, at least the punk will die an honorable death in t
he hands of the King of Kicks!”

“He’s too reckless! Did he think he could call the shots after his one lu
cky victory? Facing off the King of Kicks is the same as staring at death
!” Julie couldn’t resist the touch of schadenfreude. But she admitted tha
t Dustin had given her many surprises. At the end of the day, she believe
d that he wouldn’t escape his fate of being butchered.

“That old fart is utterly despicable! When he was repping the Harmons, he
immediately ceded the fight. Now, he’s fighting
against us. He’s the ultimate definition of shameless!” Ruth was irritate
d. Just when there was a sliver of hope for
the Harmons, the King of Kicks showed up to give them a blow. It was disg
usting.
“There’s no point talking about that. Let’s think about
what we’re going to do after the loss.” Quentin shook his head. He obviou
sly decided that Dustin would be defeated.

“Hey, little punk! I’ll give you a chance to live. If you bow to me here,
I’ll spare your life!” the King of Kicks announced evilly in the ring.

“Bow to you? Are you asking me to bow to a filthy animal? You don’t deser
ve that.” Dustin chortled.

“You’re a brave one. I bet you’ll only regret it when you’re staring at d
eath!” Looking offended, the old man took one step after another toward D
ustin with an imposing air.

An average martial artist would have cowered under the pressure, but Dust
in stood firmly on the ground. unaffected.

“To avoid accusations of bullying the young, I shall only make three move
s on you. If you successfully block all the attacks, I’ll consider you vi
ctorious,” the old man said coldly.
“Bring it on.” Dustin gestured at him.

“The first kick is to destroy your core!” After snorting, the old man sud
denly launched the first kick. He propelled himself like an arrow project
ing from the bow. He was moving at an unbelievably high speed that the cr
owd could not make out his figure.
Chanter 241

When the old man was near enough, he quickly gave Dustin a kick in the ab
domen. The strength of the kick was comparable to the destructiveness of
a bullet. It was so powerful that it could make a hole in a metal
board, not to mention destroying a human.

Seeing that, Custin merely smiled and swayed aside, narrowly avoiding the
attack.

“Hmm?” When the kick didn’t land, the old man looked quite perplexed. He
had applied only half of his full. strength in the first kick, which made
it impossible to dodge. “He is something No wonder he’s so bold.” The ol
d man scrunched his eyes and scoffed. “But that’s the end of it!”
—

With that, he moved across the ring again, launching his second kick with
80% of his full strength, aiming at Dustin’s head this time. He was conf
ident that Dustin would be annihilated after being struck.

A figure flashed across the ring quickly. Like an apparition, Dustin twis
ted his body and narrowly escaped the second kick.

“Why? Are you starving? Why are you moving so slowly?” Dustin
jeered at him as though he was staring at a clown. His
disdainful gaze had completely infuriated the old man.

Chapter 242

“You’re asking for death!” Incensed, the King of Kicks finally decided to
give it his all. He leaped into the air and served multiple flying kicks
as he landed in Dustin’s direction. This time, he did not only attack Du
stin point–to–point–
he was undiscerning in his moves, offering no escape for his opponent.

“You punk! Let’s see how you’re going to dodge this!” He laughed maniacal
ly as the number of kicks increased and covered a wider scope. Dustin, wh
o was targeted, stood there without fear.

“It’s clear who’s the winner here.” Maximus shook his head and stood up t
o leave. He was initially surprised by Dustin’s agility, but even that wa
s no match for the King of Kicks. No level of agility could save the youn
g man from the indiscriminate attacks by the King of Kicks. In the face
of actual talent, Dustin’s tricks would be
of no use.

All of a sudden, they heard a deafening explosion from the ring. The kick
ing legs in the air were nowhere to be seen. Instead, The King of Kicks s
topped his leg right by Dustin’s ear, but it wasn’t an attempt to show me
rcy to Dustin. Unfortunately, his shin was locked in Dustin’s grip, immob
ilizing him.

“Did I ever say I’d dodge your attacks?” Dustin grinned as he grabbed the
leg of the King of Kicks.

“Did he block the kick?” Maximus, who was ready to leave, stood still, lo
oking astonished. Not even he would think of blocking a full–
strength attack from the King of Kicks, but Dustin seemed to have grabbed
the opponent’s leg with
much ease. Maximus wondered what had happened. Was the King of Kicks cons
erving his energy on purpose, or did he underestimate Dustin’s capability
?
“H–
how is that possible? How did you block that move?” The old man widened h
is eyes in utter disbelief. knowing he had not held back on the attack. E
ven though
the kick wasn’t his most fatal move, it was more than enough to fight aga
inst most martial artists in the field. Therefore, he was shocked to see
Dustin holding his powerful leg with one hand. It was too eerie a scene t
o make sense of.

“Is there even anything great about that kick of yours? It’s so weak that
even a three–year–
old could block it,” Dustin remarked, looking unbothered.

“Nonsense!” The old man was a ball of rage as he leaped into the air and
struck again with an earth- shattering force.

“Hey! You used up your three moves! You lost!” Ruth yelled at the old man
, but he ignored her reminder and capitalized on the force of gravity to
strike Dustin on the head. This time, he was confident that Dustin wouldn
’t be able to fend it off.

“You never learn, do you?” Dustin snorted and lifted his arm to block the
kick without as much as moving aside. The collision between the leg and
arm resulted in an explosive sound. An invisible blast wave spread across
the space from the core of the collision while strong gusts of winds roa
red. Dustin stood on the ground without moving an inch. He looked poised
and unhurt, but multiple cracks had formed underneath his feet.

On the other hand, the old man had placed one leg on Dustin’s arm as he m
ustered up all his energy in an attempt to press his opponent onto the gr
ound. No matter how much force he exerted, Dustin’s arm remained motionle
ss, like it was made of metal.

“Is that all?” Dustin raised a brow, looking disdainful. “Is that all the
King of Kicks have to show?”

“No! This can’t be! How could you possibly block that attack? You aren’t
even tanked on The Hundred Immortals!” The old man had shock written all
across his lace. He was sure that Dustin wasn’t ranked because he had fou
ght the top ten in the ranking.

“The Hundred Immortals?” Dustin chuckled and whispered, “Let me tell you
a secret: I made it to The Heavenly Immortals ten years ago.”

“The Heavenly Immortals?” The old man was stunned by the revelation. The
Heavenly Immortals were levels above The Hundred Immortals, and those ran
ked on that list were the creme de la creme. It sounded impossible that a
twenty–
something like Dustin managed to make it to that list. One must know that
the martial
artists who made it to The Heavenly Immortals were the ones who achieved
divinity, at the very least!

“No! Impossible! You must be bluffing!” The old man refused to believe Du
stin’s words. It was rare to run into martial artists ranked on The Heave
nly Immortals, and a ranked martial artist wouldn’t have lived in a small
town like Swinton, to begin with.

“Look out for my Phoenix Kick!” The old man put a distance between them,
followed by kicking himself off the ground and launching himself into the
air. Through consecutive kicks that morphed into shadows, he initiated a
crazed attack on Dustin.

“All show and no go!” Dustin scoffed at the move and sent a punch into th
e sole of the old man’s fool. Following another explosive sound, the old
man was sent flying across the air like a soccer ball. With another thud,
he collapsed underneath the ring, bleeding from the orifices on his face
and suffering from fractures in his legs.

The crowd went dead silent at the sight of the lifeless King of Kicks on
the ground. People were gaping with alarmed looks. They could not believe
that the King of Kicks, from the top ten of The Hundred Immortals, had l
ost a battle in record time and without warning. Some of the spectators h
ad not even recovered from the blow.
More importantly, Dustin seemed to have attacked only once throughout
the fight, apart from all the defensive

moves and the dodging. That was the scariest observation of the night. Ha
d the crowd not witnessed it with

their own eyes, they would have scoffed at the idea of the King of Kicks
losing to an obscure young man.
“Has the King of Kicks

lost?” Brody’s mind went blank. He could not comprehend the situation and
even went as far as to suspect the King of Kicks of staging the loss.
“My lord! Where did that guy come from?” Otto swallowed
hard as his disrespect for Dustin was replaced by

shock and fear, Dustin defeating the King of Kicks was a testament to his
capability. At the thought of his previous provocations toward Dustin, O
tto suddenly felt a prick of fear. Thankfully, Dustin did not take the re
marks too seriously. Else, Otto might have ended up as dead meat.
“Im
—
impossible!” He’s just a good–for–
nothing! Since when has he become a master? Julie was both dumbstruck and
doubtful. She refused to believe that Dustin was capable of such powerfu
l moves. The only

possible explanation was that the two men in the ring were putting on a s
how. The King of Kicks must have been bribed by Dustin and played out his
part as the loser. Right! That must be it!

“Haha! He won! We won!” Ruth squealed in excitement and showed off to the
others, “See that? That’s my brother–in–
law in the ring! Isn’t he amazing?”

“Wait, he won? How did he do it? Quentin stared on, eyes widened into sau
cers.

“Never have I thought that he was a hidden talent. Since he’s beaten the
King of Kicks, I believe he is capable of being ranked within the top eig
ht in The Hundred Immortals, Jessica mused. She admitted that she had mis
sed the unpolished
gem. Dustin Rhys was more remarkable than she had assumed.

“He’s my man! So impressive!” Natasha’s lips curled into a dazzling smile
. Her lovely eyes were filled with
affection. Curiosity grew in her–she started wondering about
Dustin’s real identity.

Chapter 243

In the ring. Dustin stood tall with hands behind his back, exuding an imp
osing and majestic air. He no longer hid his talents and shone from the f
ull display of his powers. No one dared to meet his eyes. The fact that h
e had defeated the King of Kicks with one move made everyone look at him
with awe.

“Surprising! The Harmons have an ace under their wings.” Maximus narrowed
his eyes, putting on a serious face. Dustin had won his respect through
the display of strength. Not even Maximus
could easily beat the King of Kicks with bare hands.

“Weakling!” Dustin dusted and straightened his sleeve. Then, he coolly an
nounced, “Next?”

The Boulderthorn disciples exchanged furtive glances. They knew they were
n’t Dustin’s match, especially after
he had defeated the King of Kicks.

“Max, what do we do? That punk is wild!” Feeling aggrieved, Brody clenche
d his jaws.

“Looks like I’ll have to go.” Maximus stood up slowly, his eyes shining w
ith excitement. He had shown up to the battle as the ace and wasn’t origi
nally planning to fight. In his eyes, the battle was child’s play and off
ered. no challenge. However, Dustin’s presence shocked him and introduced
some excitement. Maximus was not in the martial
arts practice for fame or wealth: he was in search of excellence in sword
smanship. Every time he
crossed paths with an ace, he would be combative.

“Max, he’s quite strong. Are you confident in beating him?” Brody questio
ned cautiously.
“I am not his match if we fight bare–handed, but
I have full confidence if I fight him with a sword,” Maximus
remarked mildly.

“Great! Max, give it your all! He’s just trouble. We should get rid of hi
m as soon as possible!” Brody sniggered with malice. Maximus was one of t
he rare talents in the art of swordsmanship, ranking sixth on The Hundred
Immortals before reaching thirty years of age. He was levels above the K
ing of Kicks and especially invincible when fighting with a sword.

Once, Brody’s father predicted that Maximus would achieve divinity within
three years. By that time, Maximus would already make it to The Heavenly
Immortals.

“What’s up? Is there no one else from Boulderthorn?” Dustin scanned the s
pace with a sharp glare.

“I’ll go!” Maximus leaped into the air, and when he was close to landing,
he tapped the tip of his feet on the shoulder of a spectator before boun
cing back up in the air with extreme nimbleness. His movements were fairy
–
like, making the group of women in the guild squeal in admiration, their
eyes sparkling in awe.
“Wow! He’s so cool!”
“A young man who looks great in white–he’s my type!”

Not only was Maximus blessed with good looks and gentlemanly, but he also
pulled off a spectacular
entrance, giving off the impression of a young knight.
“Who are you?” Dustin scanned him from head to toe.

“I’m Maximus Kane, one of Boulderthorn’s disciples. I’m here for the expe
rience.” Maximus bowed at him
1/3
Chapter 243
politely. His self–introduction caused a commotion within the guild.
“Maximus Kane? Isn’t he ranked sixth on The Hundred Immortals?”

“That’s right! He’s the famous ‘Lightning Blade‘ in Balerno. I had the ho
nor of witnessing him in action!”

“Oh, F*ck! It’s Maximus ‘Lightning Blade‘ Kane! I heard that his sword mo
ved as fast as lightning. He’s never lost a battle ever since he gained h
is fame. This is going to be fun!”

The crowd discussed Maximus with great interest, for Maximus was an ace r
anked sixth
on The Hundred Immortals, much stronger than the King of Kicks, who ranke
d ninth.

The gap in their rankings was huge, even though they were three places ap
art. It was hard to climb up in the ranking once a martial artist entered
the top ten. The top five names in the ranking barely changed–
they practically maintained the same ranking all year round.

“Ah, finally, a normal opponent.” Dustin looked amused and gestured, “Ple
ase.”

*Just a minute. Maximus said with seriousness. “I’m good at swordsmanship
. Shall we change the battle into an armed fight?”

“Hey! You can’t change the rules as you wish! We disagree with that!” Rut
h instantly protested unhappily at the suggestion. Any sane person knew t
hat a bare–
handed fight was totally different than fighting with weapons. An average
man armed with a weapon could beat a group of opponents, not to mention
that the person in question was Maximus “Lightning Blade” Kane.
“Why? Are you afraid that he’d lose to Max?” Brody jeered at her. “If
you’re scared, just admit defeat right now! Stop wasting our time!”

“We’re not! You guys are the ones who break the martial arts code! Ruth a
rgued the facts.
“Nonsense! We never
banned weapons from battles. Why don’t you get Rhys to use a weapon too?‘
Brody laughed frostily.
“You-” Ruth choked in anger.

“Sure! Use a weapon if you’d like. It doesn’t make a difference.” Dustin
was unconcerned and agreed to the change without fuss. A frustrated Ruth
felt that his remarks went against all her effort to fight in his interes
t.
“Many thanks.” Maximus
bowed again and drew his sword out of the sheath from the back. He even i
ntroduced it. “My sword is three feet and six inches long. It is made fro
m deep iron and has been my companion for five years. It is so solid that
it penetrates almost everything!”
“Come at me.” Dustin waved.
“Where’s y
your weapon?” Maximus raised an eyebrow quizzically.
“My bare hands are my weapons.” Dustin answered.
“Are you

sure?” Maximus narrowed his eyes, thinking that his opponent was capable
but overconfident. Dustin would be humiliated if he wanted to block the s
word attack with bare hands.

“Of course. I’ll give it to you if you manage to injure me.” Dustin waved
at him once more. “Come on!”

“Okay! Be my guest!” Without further ado, Maximus propelled himself forwa
rd with the unsheathed sword in
Chapter 243

hand. When he got closer to Dustin, he plunged his sword at the opponent,
creating glimmers of metallic
reflection and stirring gusts of wind in the quild.
“Great move!”

Most of the martial artists exclaimed in astonishment, Maximus sword move
d fast and was unusually sharp. It was hard to tell the sword from its sh
adows, hence it was hard to defend oneself. Even skillful
martial artists at the same level dared not fight bare–
harded against the sword. However, Dustin stood in the same spot and appe
ared as though he hadn’t noticed the attack.
“That rascal is bold! Why isn’t he dodging Maximus sword attack?”

‘Did he think he’s invincible after beating the King of Kicks? He has no
idea how powerful Maximus is!”
“Right! There is a huge gap in capability
between each member of the top ten of The Hundred Immortals! Looking down
on Maximus is the same as digging your own grave!”

Amid the murmurs, everyone heard a soft clunking sound as Maximus‘ sword
came to a
halt. The sharp blade. came to a stop an inch before Dustin’s throat, una
ble to move. When the crowd took a second look, their faces. turned white
because they realized that Dustin had caught the sword between his two f
ingers.

Chapter 244

“Hmm?” Maximus’s pupils dilated. He didn’t expect Dustin to grab his swor
d with bare fingers. It appeared that he had underestimated Dustin’s shee
r talent and confidence. Still, he was unflustered by the strength of his
opponent. Quite the opposite–the stronger the opponent, the more excited
he felt. He was getting more belligerent as a result.

“Return!” With the wave of a hand, Maximus called his sword back from Dus
tin’s fingers. The sword came flying back like a serpent.

“Oh?” Dustin was rather surprised by the move. Although he had reined in
his capabilities to match his
opponent at the earthly level, he acknowledged Maximus‘ talent from how M
aximus managed to free the weapon from his grip.
“Look out! I’ll show
you my Illusory Sword Technique!” Maximus dropped a reminder before wavin
g his sword again. In one move, his sword split into hundreds and thousan
ds of different swords. The gleaming blades danced around, weaving a conf
using web of swords within ten meters around them. The mind–
boggling amount of swords made it hard to discern the actual sword from t
he illusory ones.
“Wow! It is the Illusory Sword
Technique! Looks like Maximus Kane is getting serious!”

“I heard that no one could fight off the Illusory Sword Technique. That p
unk is going to lose!”
“Kill! Kill! kill him!”

There was an uproar among the audience. Some were shocked, some were conc
erned, and some were merely adding insult to injury. Soon, Dustin vanishe
d in the midst of the illusory swords in front of their eyes. He and Maxi
mus were nowhere to be seen, leaving only the blinding shine of blades da
ncing in the ring. The audience glued their eyes to the match and struggl
ed to figure out which of them was making the moves. Even so, they couldn
’t take their eyes off the climactic fight for fear of missing out on the
highlights.

Dustin, the black horse, had garnered all the attention that night by fig
hting alone against Mr. Williams‘ lineup. Earlier, he took down two maste
rs in the top ten of The Hundred Immortals. Even if he lost the fight aga
inst Maximus, he still won himself the right to feel proud of his accompl
ishments.

Three minutes later, the audience heard the clanking of metal as the web
of illusory swords suddenly vanished. A figure, who seemed to have taken
a bad blow, stumbled speedily toward the edge of the ring.
where he finally managed to steady himself.

Everyone focused on the figure and realized that it was Maximus! As for D
ustin, he stood in the middle of the
ring without moving, remaining in the same position as before.

“What happened? Who won?” The audience exchanged glances in confusion. Du
stin and Maximus looked
unharmed, but one appeared poised while the other looked grim.

“Sir, you are indeed talented, I’ll give you that. I concede defeat.” Aft
er a long silence, Maximus finally opened
his mouth.

“He conceded?” The audience gasped. What was going on? The two of them st
ood there uninjured. No one had the upper hand yet, but why did Maximus c
oncede defeat? Could he have been bought off by the Harmons, just like th
e King of Kicks?
Chapter 244

“Max, what is that nonsense? Us Boulderthorn guild men never concede defe
at! Murder that punk!” Brody stood up and bellowed after recovering from
the initial shock.

“Shut up!” Maximus scoffed. “You have to admit defeat when you know it. T
here’s no shame in admitting you’re not as good as your opponent!”

The audience might not be able to tell, but he was well aware of the trut
h.

Chapter 245

Maximus witnessed how Dustin handled the Illusory Sword Technique with ea
se. Even if he maxed up
his powers and executed the complete set of moves in the technique, he st
ill failed to harm a hair on Dustin’s head, not to mention that Dustin ha
d only fended off the attacks with one hand. To Maximus, these were proof
that Dustin was greatly ahead of him in terms of capability.

“You have indeed mastered the illusory Sword Technique, but unfortunately
, there are three flaws. Dustin suggested mildly. He accorded Maximus res
pect due to the latter’s humbleness. Else, he would have sent him flying
out of the ring.

“What are the three flaws?” Maximus furrowed his brow.
“The third move, the ninth move, and the twenty–
sixth move.” Dustin deliberately offered a reminder. “The flaws you exhib
ited in the three moves were
extremely subtle. They will go unnoticeable in the eyes of an average mar
tial artist, but they will also put you at a huge disadvantage when you a
re fighting the real masters.”

“Impossible! I have been practicing the technique forever. How could ther
e be fatal flaws?” Maximus was in disbelief.

“Sure, you have spent a lot of time on the practice, but it is also true
that you exhibit those flaws. If my guess is right, your mentor did not t
each you everything–
he hid part of the three moves from you. Plus, the three moves are extrem
ely crucial and damaging. The mentor must have wanted to put you in harm’
s way. Why else

would anyone do that? You’d better look out.” Dustin lowered his voice in
to a whisper that was only audible to
both of them.

The revelation was a huge blow for Maximus. “That’s nonsense! My mentor s
ees me as his son. He’d never
put me in danger!”

“I’m not going to say more. Believe me or not, it’s all up to you.” Dusti
n shrugged and sank into silence. The only reason he gave Maximus the adv
ice was because he saw potential in the guy. Whether Maximus trusted his
word and whether the man lived or died, Dustin would not be affected in a
ny way.

“We lost the battle today. Hence, we shall not bring up the topic of Immo
rtunol. Farewell!” Maximus nodded at
Dustin and left the ring in strides.

“He won! The Harmons won again!” Ruth squealed in delight at the sight. W
ho else would beat Dustin when even Maximus, ranked sixth on The Hundred
Immortals, admitted deleat?

“You punk! We shall see! This is not the end!” After shooting a death gla
re at Dustin, Brody fled the scene with his group of men, looking demotiv
ated. He thought that their plan was perfect, only to
be ruined by a formidable opponent out of the blue. Talk about bad luck!

“Otto, have we gotten ourselves into trouble? The young men and ladies, w
ho had previously mocked Dustin, trembled at the sight of the victorious
man in the ring.

“F*ck! He’s a monster. Let’s leave now!” Otto was covered in a cold sweat
and fled the scene immediately. He would be easily crushed by Dustin, Ju
dging from how the man had defeated the King of Kicks and Maximus ” Light
ning Blade” Kane.

“Young man, congratulations on the win. I am the leader of Humming hill.
I wonder if you’d be interested in joining us as a consultant? Our pay an
d benefits are among the best! Right after Dustin exited the ring, a grou
p of martial artists circled him to poach the talent.

“Humminghill? That’s a really tiny guild. Better not stunt the growth of
our handsome dude here. Well, in my opinion, you should join us at
the Valley of Joy! We have hot chicks around, and we offer a wealth of re
sources. I guarantee you’ll be on cloud nine after joining us!”
“Young man, I am the Falcon King of Glenstead and have a good–
locking and well–
educated granddaughter. If you’re willing. I will offer you her hand in m
arriage —”

Dustin was speechless by the greedy expressions on their faces. His excel
lent performance in beating the King of Kicks and Maximus “Lightning Blad
e” Kane had attracted a high level of attention. He made a mental note to
keep a low profile moving forward,

“Get out of my way. At that moment. Natasha squeezed her way through the
crowd with her people. Then, she took Dustin by the arm and publicly decl
ared their relationship, “First of
all, I’d like to introduce him as my husband. You’d better give up if you
’re trying to matchmake!” Not only that, she kissed Dustin on the cheek
as a reward, causing him to turn red in the face. Her action was embarras
sing and rather improper in front of the crowd.

“Darling, let’s go!” She ignored the eyes on them and left the guild with
Dustin in tow, looking gleeful, proud, and boastful.

The battle, which was full of twists and turns, ended with a victory for
the Harmon family. From that moment, a new talent rose in Balerno’s marti
al arts scene. After beating Maximus. Dustin naturally assumed his oppone
nt’s ranking, and he was subsequently ranked sixth on The Hundred Immorta
ls, which was a brilliant feat for a newcomer.

Chapter 246

After the battle concluded, Dustin, Natasha, and some members of the Harm
on family had supper together. It was midnight when he returned to the me
dical center, which was still brightly lit. He entered the center and imm
ediately saw the stunning Dahlia Nicholson, who was merrily chatting away
with Caitlyn Lawler. At that moment, she appeared more easygoing than ho
w she usually presented herself–icy.

“Mr. Rhys, you’re back. Seeing Dustin, Caitlyn stood up and greeted him.
“Have a chat with Ms. Nicholson. I’ll serve supper.”

“It’s okay. I had supper before I came home.” He smiled and turned his at
tention to Dahlia. “Why are you here?”

“I’m here to thank you.” She flashed him a rare smile. “If you hadn’t sav
ed me yesterday, I would have been screwed. Never in my life would I have
thought that Matt Laney was a phony bastard.”

“You’re most welcome. I’d offer the same help to anyone in that situation
,” he replied unemotionally.

“Why? Are you still upset?” Her tone softened. “My mom was a little rash.
There was a misunderstanding. I’ll apologize to you on her behalf. We’re
sorry.”

Dustin was rather surprised by her action. In his recollection, Dahlia wa
s never one to back down. It was unusual of her to offer an apology. Stil
l, the apology arrived too late.

“There’s no need to apologize. After all, this is not the first time I’m
misunderstood. It doesn’t matter to me.” He shrugged, looking unbothered.

“Dustin, I know you were treated unfairly and went through hard times. I
promise that I’ll never treat you badly again,” she declared with a serio
us face.
“What was that? That was out of the blue.” He stared at her funny.

She took a deep breath and mustered up her courage to say. “Come home wit
h me. Alright?”

His body froze at the simple suggestion, and complicated emotions clouded
his eyes. Had Dahlia asked him earlier, he would have agreed to her sugg
estion without hesitation. Alas, after experiencing a series of challengi
ng events, he was bone–tired, scared of being hurt, and had moved on.
Although he still had feelings for
her, he refused to experience the past anymore. His life in the past was
one of silent suffering.

“I know you’re in a difficult position. You don’t have to give me an answ
er now.” Dahlia merely beamed at him. “I have thought it through. From no
w on, I will take back what’s mine! Even if I have to fight against Natas
ha
Harmon, I will never back down! You know me well. I never give up until I
get what I want!”

He was taken aback by the serious expression on her face. “Did you drink
tonight?”
Dahlia was known to be distant and
haughty, never sparing anyone a display of friendliness. It was hard to b
elieve she’d make that remark
with a belligerent attitude. What had gotten into her?

“I’m not drunk. In fact, I’m very sober. When you’re free, relay my messa
ge to Natasha–let’s compete fairly. and we shall see who’s the winner!”
Chapter 246

With that, she stood on tiptoe and gave him a sudden peck on the lips. Sh
e coolly marched out of the medical
center, but her flushed face betrayed her emotions.

“Uh…” Dustin was frozen on the spot as he tasted her sweetness on his lip
s. Was he ambushed just now?

Since when did Dahlia learn to flirt? He wondered if women were all fickl
e–minded.

“Mr. Rhys, if it’s inconvenient for you to relay that message to Ms. Harm
on, I can help.” Caitlyn, blushing in

embarrassment, twiddled with the hem of her top. After all that was a sce
ne only found in TV shows.

“What nonsense? Go to bed!” He glared at her, to which she responded by s
ticking out her tongue. She ran into the guest room but soon poked her he
ad out and questioned timidly. “Mr. Rhys, which one of them do you love?
“You little rascal! Why do you keep running your mouth?” Dustin
grabbed a duster and acted as though he

wanted to give her a good whopping, and she quickly disappeared into the
room out of fear.

After a quiet night, Dustin woke up early the next morning, stirred by th
e memory of the kiss from the day before. He had tossed and turned in bed
, feeling disturbed by it.

“Oh, Dahlia, why did you show up from nowhere just to mess with me?” he w
ondered.

Chapter 247

Dustin decided that Dahlia must have had nothing better to do. He tossed
his head, washed up, and opened the door to the medical center as usual.

As the door grated and groaned, a blood–
soaked figure suddenly collapsed on the floor of the room. The injured ma
n was dressed in white, which was drenched in blood. He carried a broken
sword on his back and appeared to have fainted for some time.

Dustin approached the man to check him out, only to realize that it was M
aximus Kane!

“I did not recall hurting him yesterday. Or did I?” Dustin rubbed his chi
n in confusion. Although Maximus, ranked sixth on The
Hundred Immortals, was not exactly the cream of the crop, he was still on
e of the best in tiny Swinton. How did he get himself beaten up this badl
y?

“Consider yourself lucky.” Dustin mumbled and lifted Maximus into the med
ical center. After all, he couldn’t turn a blind eye to a dying man at th
e entrance of the medical center.

Maximus suffered from multiple external injuries, but those were simple w
ounds that could be treated with some bandages. However, he suffered huge
damage to his nerves, including the energy in his core. Whoever did this
to him wanted to cripple him for good. Thankfully, years of extensive ma
rtial arts practice resulted in a solid foundation that protected Maximus
from being completely crippled by the attack. With Dustin’s medical
skills, he was confident to heal Maximus within a few weeks.

First, Dustin gave Maximus an injection, followed by feeding the patient
some medicine. About half an hour later, Maximus finally regained conscio
usness as he slowly opened his eyes.
“Hey, you’re awake. How do you feel?” Dustin casually asked him.

“Did you save me?” Maximus was a little taken aback. Last night, he susta
ined severe injuries and found a

medical center on the street in between consciousness. Before he had a ch
ance to knock on the door, he
blacked out at the entrance.

“Who else? Do you see anyone around?” Dustin was a tad speechless at the
thoughtless question.
“Thank you.” Maximus struggled to get up and bow.

Dustin forced him back onto the bed and chided him, “That’s enough. Stop
moving around when you’re badly
injured.”

“He’s on the brink of death, yet he is hung up on manners. What’s wrong w
ith this dude?” Dustin wondered.

“You’re not bad at martial arts. So, how did you end up getting beaten up
?” Dustin asked. Maximus clenched

his teeth as he struggled to open up. “It’s fine. Don’t tell me if you do
n’t feel like it. I’m not that curious either.”
Dustin waved at him dismissively and proceeded to leave.

“Wait …” Maximus took a deep breath and finally confessed, “What you said
yesterday was right. I had three

fatal flaws in my Illusory Sword Technique.”
“Oh, really? Did you meet a worthy opponent that fast?”
Dustin was quite surprised to learn that his prediction came true after h
e dropped a casual mention of the flawed moves during the battle.
Chapter 247

“It wasn’t just any stranger It was my mentor, Luther Williams! Maximus g
ritted his teeth, his face clouded
by a grim expression.

“Your mentor?” Dustin was astounded. “Why did he hurt you for no good rea
son?”

“That’s because … I caught him having an affair with my female mentee!” M
aximus said, filled with resentment. “I went home after the defeat, think
ing to question Luther Williams about the flaws in the technique he taugh
t me, but instead, I caught him going at it with my young female
mentee in the bedroom!”

Maximus continued, “So, I kicked the door open out of anger and confronte
d him loudly. He was probably humiliated and provoked, and he fought me w
ith his sword, slashing me twice. I had no choice but to fight him with m
y
sword. Silly me. I thought that, given my expertise in swordsmanship, I c
ould at least fend off his attacks even if I couldn’t win.”

Then, he hissed, “I realized how naive I was when we started fighting. It
wasn’t practice or strength that I lacked he took advantage of my flawed
moves! The third, ninth, and twenty–
sixth moves. Whenever I put these moves into action, Luther was able to s
pot my flaws and destroy me. It was at that moment I found out that Luthe
r, the mentor I was so proud of, had set me up from the very beginning! I
am nothing but a tool to him; he has never treated me from the heart. Wh
en I am upset at him, he’ll exploit my flawed moves to kill me off and sa
ve himself from trouble!”

Maximus‘ eyes reddened and brimmed with tears. He had always regarded his
mentor as a father figure. Who would have thought that the kind and gene
rous old man was nothing but a hypocrite?
“Well what can I say, except that you have a scoundrel
of a mentor?” Dustin shook his
head sympathetically. Maximus‘ situation was commonplace in the martial a
rts world. History was full of cases where disciples and. mentors of the
same guild tore each other apart. The human heart is the most deceitful o
f all things.

“I’m fine with being taken advantage of. He could have sent me on a dange
rous mission, and I would have taken on the task without complaining. But
why? Why did he have to sully my female mentee? She’s my fiancée!” Maxim
us bellowed and smashed a hole in the wall out of rage.

Dustin gaped at the confession. He opened his mouth a few times but was u
nable to speak.

Chapter 248

Justin felt sympathetic as he stared into Maximus‘ reddened eyes. Not onl
y was the poor chap taken advantage of by his mentor, but he also had his
fiancée taken away. How miserable!

No man could endure the humiliation and resentment of losing his future w
ife. Heck, not even anyone could stand losing a future spouse. It was har
d to imagine that the second–in–
command of Boulderthorn was, in lact, a wicked and dishonorable man.

“Just focus on your recovery for now. When you’re fully recovered, it’ll
be time to take back what you lost.” Dustin gave Maximus an encouraging p
at on the shoulder.

To that, Maximus howled with a desolate expression, “I’ll never get bette
r again, not after my core was shattered and my nerves damaged! After los
ing my internal energy, I have nothing left in me
to take revenge. I’m trash! I’m a worthless piece of trash!”

He rolled his fists, digging his fingernails deep into the flesh of his p
alms until blood trickled from between his thumb and index finger. He bad
ly wanted to take his revenge and seek justice, but he had lost the oppor
tunity to do so.

“Who said you’re trash? I can heal your injuries,” Dustin interjected coo
lly.
“W–
what did you say?” Stunned, Maximus lifted his head almost instantly.

“I said I can heal your injuries and rejuvenate your core,” Dustin repeat
ed himself.
“Are you sure? You’re not kidding me, right?” Maximus was wide–
eyed with a mix of shock and anticipation.

“Your core suffered some damage, but it’s not utterly ruined. There’s sti
ll a chance. Rejuvenating your nerves is even simpler. As long as you sti
ck to my treatment, you’ll regain full strength within ten days.” Dustin
promised.

Maximus‘ face lit up with joy upon hearing that. He thanked Dustin profus
ely. “If you heal me. I shall owe my life to you. Be it scaling mountains
or diving into the deep
ocean, I’ll do whatever you ask of me without a complaint!” He seemed ser
ious about his promise. As a martial artist and a geek for swords, he nev
er had an interest in much else but the pursuit of excellence in swordsma
nship. The moment he learned that his core

was destroyed, he fell into deep despair and even contemplated ending his
life. However, Dustin’s remark
reignited his hope and his will to live.

“Okay, that’s enough. I’m not a sadist. Why would I send you to the mount
ains and the ocean?” Dustin helped him up. “Consider it fate that you fai
nted right in front of my medical center. It was God’s will to have me re
scue you. Get some good rest, and remember not to harness your internal e
nergy in these two days.”

“Thank you. You’re my savior!” Maximus bowed a few times to Dustin, who s
aid nothing more but wrote a prescription for Caitlyn and reminded her to
prepare the medicine according to the schedule.

At that moment, they heard a deafening crash from the outside. They jumpe
d in shock and hurried out to check the situation. Two cars–
one red and one white–
collided on a street not far away. The red BMW, it appeared, had reversed
and crashed into a white Honda, causing the latter to flip. Both cars we
re mangled beyond recognition, with debris scattered all across the groun
d.
Chapter 248

“Help! Please help my daughter!” A bleeding woman clad in white clothing
climbed out of the white Honda. Due to the impact of the collision, she l
ooked dizzy and feeble. At the same time, a young girl was in the front p
assenger seat; she had lost consciousness. The girl was no older than eig
ht years old, and she seemed to be in a critical state because her abdome
n was pierced by a sharp object.

The woman in white called for help while attempting to save her daughter,
but she failed to open the car door because it was too misshapen.

“Crap!” Dustin’s face fell, and he jogged toward the Honda. By then, a cr
owd had formed around the accident. and a few good samaritans offered hel
p. Unfortunately, the collective strength of a few people was insufficien
t to pull the girl out because the Honda was flipped over, and the car do
or remained locked.

As the smoke started billowing from the car, the situation became dire. “
I’ll give it a try.” Dustin went up and yanked at the door handle. They h
eard a crack, and the entire car door came detached, much to the surprise
of the onlookers.

After Dustin pried the door open, he unfastened the seat belt and quickly
lifted the young girl to the side of the road. She suffered from head tr
auma, multiple fractures across the body, and massive blood loss in the a
bdomen. The situation did not look good at all.

“Quick! Call an ambulance and get her to the hospital!” someone yelled.

“We have no time for that. I’m a doctor. Let me give it a try.” After Dus
tin announced his identity, he took out at gold needle and immediately
applied first aid to the girl.

“Get out of my way! All of you!” Right then, two women exited the red BMW
. The mother was a plump lady in her fifties, and the daughter was an att
ractive woman in her twenties. One could tell that they were wealthy from
their branded outfits and the way they were decked in jewelry, like walk
ing Christmas trees.

“Hey! Do you even know how to drive? Are you blind?” Jane Engleton, the p
lump lady, pointed a finger at the woman in white and started scolding he
r.
“Do you know how much our car costs? One million dollars! And it’s a new
car!” She added, “You have to compensate us after turning our car into sc
rap metal! If you refuse, I’ll
send your family to prison!”

The woman in white was taken aback by the ferocity of Jane Engleton and a
pologized profusely. “I–
I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose. I did not see your car just now.”

“Is saying sorry enough? Do you take us as pushovers?” Jane pressed on. “
I’m warning you now. You’ll pay me what the car’s worth. Add the compensa
tion for
mental damages on that, and you’re looking at at least 800 thousand to a
million dollars in compensation to get this settled!”
“I–I don’t have that money!” The
woman in white almost cried helplessly from the harassment.

“I don’t care! Sell your house or your organs. Do what you need to gather
the money, or I’ll teach you a lesson!”
Jane threatened the poor woman.

Finally, Dustin had had enough and blurted out, “Can you be more shameles
s? It was you who reversed and

crashed into the white car. How dare you demand compensation from the vic
tim?”

The truth immediately woke the onlookers up. Upon examining the scene of
the accident, it was the BMW that reversed and crashed into the Honda. Th
erefore, the BMW driver should be held fully accountable for the
collision, but she had instead held the victim responsible.
Chapter 246

“Nonsense! She crashed into my car!” Jane remained unfazed and coercive.
“So what if I reversed my car? Her eyes were not focused on the road! Loo
k, the lives of commoners like you are not worth much. Even if they
died in a crash, they totally deserved it!”

The crowd instantly gasped at her outrageous remark.

Chapter 249
“Hey, you’re being unreasonable!”

“Right? How dare she scolds the others when she’s the culprit? I’ve never
seen someone as outrageous as her!

“Talk no more. Let’s report her to the police!”
The crowd was annoyed at Jane’s arrogance and pointed fingers at her.

“Shut up! All of you!” Hands on her waist, Jane yelled at them, “Do you k
now that we’re the Nicholsons from Glenstead? Even your mayor has to show
us respect, let alone you worthless plebs! Make more fuss, and I’ll get
you arrested!”

The accusatory voices instantly died down. An average citizen would not w
ant to get on the bad side of the famed aristocratic Nicholson family fro
m Glenstead.

“Mom, just ignore those peasants. Look at this. I’m hurt.” The young woma
n, Dakota Nicholson, suddenly spoke up as she pressed against her wound a
nd winced.

“Are you hurt? Let me take a look!” Jane’s expression crumbled, and she h
urriedly checked out Dakota’s injury. “Gosh, it’s bleeding. This is not g
ood. Her face paled, and she scanned the surroundings until her eyes land
ed on Dustin. “Hey, you’re a doctor, aren’t you? Quick, give my daughter
a checkup! She’s hurt!” Anyone would have thought that Dakota contracted
a terminal disease from the worried look on Jane’s face.

“She’s fine. It’s just a scrape on the elbow.” Dustin turned around and g
lanced at Dakota’s injury before looking away.

“What do you mean? A scrape?” Jane immediately looked irritated. “My prec
ious daughter has never suffered injuries. But she has
a huge wound now. Of course we’ll have to treat it with caution. What if
an infection happens?

“If you’re worried about wound infection, buy a bandaid at the pharmacy n
ext door. If you keep dilly–
dallying. the wound’s going to heal by the time you get to it,” Dustin.mo
cked her. He had never seen a woman as ridiculous as Jane, who kicked up
a fuss over a tiny wound.
“What did you say? How could you
ignore my daughter’s injury when you’re a doctor? Are you even human, you
F*ckface?” Jane was truly cross. No one had ever turned down her request
s ever since she married into the wealthy Nicholson family.

“I have to set my priorities. This girl is fighting for her life. Your da
ughter’s wound is nothing compared to hers! * Dustin chided her.

“How dare you compare that peasant to my daughter?” With a glare, Jane re
buked him, “Dakota is the daughter of the Nicholson family–
she’s important and precious! You cannot compare her to a commoner!”

“Yeah! She’s just a nobody. Well, if she dies today, just consider it her
wretched fate!” The haughty Dakota towered over them. “Treat my wound no
w! It’s an order. If I get a scar
from this, I will not let you off the hook!”
“Are you even human? Nobody speaks in that way.”
Chapter 249
“That’s right. Is a life worth less than your minor scrape?”
The indignant crowd gave their opinions.

“What now? Are you testing me? The audacity to talk back to the Nicholson
family! Come here! Which one of

you wants to be the hero?” Jane hissed maliciously as the onlookers held
in their rage in silence in the face of her insolence. Indeed, the averag
e citizens were helpless when harassed and bullied by the rich.
“Madam, my daughter is in a critical state. Can you kindly allow her
to get the treatment? Just think of this as my plea!” The woman in white
plopped onto the ground with teary eyes.

“Hmph! Knock it off! I don’t care! My daughter has to be treated first!”
Jane refused to budge.

“Are you deal? Do you hear what my mom said?” Dakota kicked Dustin but wa
s infuriated when the man showed no response. “So, you’re refusing to tre
at my wound. Great! Don’t bother saving anyone today!” With
that, she went up to the young girl and pulled out the gold needle.

With the gold needle removed, the young girl started bleeding profusely a
gain, and her face grew paler
because of that.

“Hm?” Dustin frowned and spun around with a deadly stare in his eyes. “Do
you know what you’re doing? You might kill someone by pulling out the ne
edle without thought!”

“So what? You can’t save any life without my permission.” Dakota crossed
her arms on her chest, looking bold and arrogant.

Jane chimed in with the same attitude. “That’s right! If you don’t treat
my daughter’s wound, you won’t get to
save that useless commoner!”

“Please Please show mercy and stop making things difficult for the doctor
. I beg of you!” The woman in

white kneeled and pleaded to the Nicholsons, all while hitting her head o
n the ground. She knew she could not

afford to get on the bad side of the wealthy; her only wish was to keep h
er daughter safe.

“Try messing around again, and I won’t go easy on you next time!” Dustin
warned Dakota.

She scoffed. “Oh! You got the guts, don’t you? Do you know who I am? How
dare you speak
to me in that way? Did you tell me not to touch anything? Well, I’m going
to do it anyway!” While speaking, she moved to remove the needle again.

“Get lost!” Fuming. Dustin gave her a slap across the face. She yelped as
she was flung ten feet away, even rolling
on the ground after landing. Her fair skin was red and swollen. She even
lost a few of her dental
laminates.
“Shit! That doctor is mad! How dare he slap a Nicholson?”
“Being hot–
blooded is one thing; offending the Nicholsons is another. He might suffe
r because of it.”
The crowd murmured and cast sympathetic glances at Dustin.
“H–
how dare you hit me?” Dakota got up from the ground, still a little dizzy
and utterly baffled by Dustin’s move. From a young age, she was treated
like a princess wherever she went. She had never been slapped, not to men
tion being slapped in public.
Chapter 249

“So what? Don’t you deserve the slap for being rude?” Dustin wore a hosti
le expression on his face.

“How dare you hit my daughter? I’m going to fight you!” After the initial
shock, Jane recovered and, her blood

boiling, she launched an attack on Dustin. He merely slapped her, and she
collapsed from the impact. The

mother and daughter both fell flat onto the ground.

Chapter 250

“Mom! Are you alright?” Dakota’s expression crumbled as she quickly helpe
d her mother up. She was both alarmed and enraged.

“Ouch! My teeth!” Jane wailed while pressing a hand against her face, fee
ling the stinging sensation. Her mouth was throbbing after it almost went
out of shape from the slap.

“How dare you hit us? You’re dead! Your entire family is damned! Be a man
and stay where you are! I’ll teach you a lesson!” An incensed Dakota sta
rted making calls and requesting backup, but Dustin had no time for her a
s he continued applying first aid to the poor young girl. Thanks to the m
agical needle, the young girl’s condition stabilized soon. At that time,
the ambulance arrived at the scene.

“Your daughter is fine now, but her wound needs bandaging and careful car
e to heal.” Dustin placed the young girl onto the stretcher. Seeing that,
the woman in white thanked him profusely before leaving in the ambulance
.

“You enjoy being the hero, don’t you? Just wait and see. You’ll get flame
d.” Jane and Dakota fixed their keen eyes on him, looking as though they
wouldn’t let it slip.

Dustin scanned them from head to toe and commented mildly, “Rather than w
asting time on me, you should really get checked at the hospital. From th
e looks of it, you’re suffering from blood stasis. You don’t have much in
ternal energy, and your eyes are those of dead fish. I’m afraid your days
are numbered.”
“Nonsense! You’re the one who’s dying! I’m fine!” Jane glared at him.

He raised a brow, looking amused, “Oh, you don’t believe me? Have you bee
n feeling dizzy and weak these few days? And do you suffer from nosebleed
s now and then?”

“How did you know?” Her expression crumbled a little. Indeed, she had bee
n feeling sick, and the symptoms

matched his descriptions. However, she went for a checkup at the hospital
and found no issues. Hence, she had put it to the back of her mind.
“It’s no cause for concern. Just a terminal illness,” he added
nonchalantly.
‘T–
terminal illness?” The color drained from Jane’s face. She was stunned
by the diagnosis. How was a
terminal illness not a cause for concern?

“Mom, don’t listen to his nonsense. He’s obviously scaring you because he
worries we’ll get back at him!” Dakota suddenly jumped in to assuage her
. “You take supplements all the time. Why would you fall sick? And no sic
k person would be full of energy like you!”

“That’s right… I do not suffer from any illness! I’m in the pink of healt
h!” Jane nodded furiously and jeered,” You bastard! I’m warning you–
you’d better quit all that nonsense!”
*Judging from the progression, you’ll face a life–
threatening situation in three days. On the first day, you’ll lose consci
ousness, followed by coughing up blood on the second day. You’ll be paral
yzed on the third day. Three days later, you will be staring at death,” h
e remarked quietly.

It made Jane feel oddly anxious, and her heart skipped a beat. Still, she
bit the bullet and bellowed at him, “Do you think I’m a coward? Tell you
what–you can’t bluff your way out of this!”

“Believe it or not, it’s up to you. Take care.” He was uninterested in en
gaging further with the Nicholsons and
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Chapter 250
left.

“Hey! Stand there! I didn’t tell you to leave!” Dakota was frustrated and
went up to stop him, but his glare immediately put her in her place. She
promptly stopped in her tracks out of consideration for her safety.
knowing that Dustin was a madman.

“Let him leave. He won’t run far. When our backup arrives, we’ll double d
own on him.” Jane had a hostile look
on her face.

During their conversation, they noticed a few black SUVS stopping by the
intersection. The door slid open to reveal Florence and James. The two ma
rched toward Jane and Dakota.

“Gosh! Jane! Dakota! What happened?” Florence, acting humbly, immediately
started with pleasantries. Henry Nicholson’s family was a branch of the
Nicholsons of Glenstead. However, due to Henry’s protest against an arran
ged marriage, he eloped to Swinton with his lover. The two families were
not in frequent contact. After the demise of the Glenstead patriarch, Edg
ar Nicholson, the family in Glenstead sent two representatives-
Jane and Dakota–
to meet with Henry in Swinton, mainly to fulfill Edgar’s wish. Edgar’s la
st wish was for
Henry, the second son, to return to Glenstead.
“Hmph! How dare you ask us?” Jane was ashen–
faced. “We came all the way to this
tiny town of yours. Not only did you not host us well, but you also made
us go through humiliation! It looks like your family doesn’t
want to reunite with us at Glenstead!”

Florence, James, and their companions almost peed themselves after hearin
g that. They were well aware of the perks of reuniting with the Nicholson
s of Glenstead. The move would elevate the status of the Nicholson
family of Swinton, and they would never let the opportunity slip.

“Jane, please calm down. Let us know if you need anything else. I promise
I’ll take care of it for you!” Florence hurriedly put on an apologetic s
mile.

James echoed her with confidence. “That’s right! We’ll take action on tha
t rascal who hits you no matter who
he is!”

“What’s the use of saying that? He’s gone!” Dakota pouted crossly. If her
grandfather hadn’t ordered them to get the task done, she wouldn’t have
visited a small town like Swinton with her status.

“It’s okay! There’s a surveillance camera by the intersection. I will get
someone to check on it right away and catch the culprit tomorrow to ensu
re justice is served!” Florence promised.
“Hmph! That’s more like it.” Dakota’s features
softened, and she added. “Oh, and get the best doctor for me.”

“Dakota, are you hurt?” James looked shocked. He stole a few glances at h
er but did not see any tears on her outfit or any visible wounds.
“That’s nonsense! Didn’t
you see that I’m bleeding from my elbow? Are you blind?” She scoffed whil
e showing everyone the graze on her elbow. When they took a better look a
t it, they
were baffled at what she described as an injury, for that was a wound tha
t only required a bandaid.

“Why are you standing there? Get the car and send Dakola to the hospital!
I’ll give you a whopping if you miss
the golden hour!”
Florence was quick to slap James on the back of his
head. Jane Engleton and Dakota Nicholson had the final say on whether or
not Florence’s family could rejoin their Glenstead relatives. Therefore,
she would treat the
Chapter 250
two women with the utmost respect.

“Okay” James dared not object. Along with a few other relatives, he helpe
d Jane and Dakota into the SUVS

like they were royalties. Then, they rushed the two women to the hospital
.

Chapter 251

In the afternoon, several black SUVS abruptly screeched to a halt right i
n front of the entrance to Park Place.

The doors opened, and the first to get out was a young man dressed in
bright–
colored clothes. With his handsome features and lofty demeanor, he carrie
d an imposing presence. Following behind him were a group

of martial artists clad

Watching their departing figures, Stephan shouted out. ‘Inform Mrs. Harmo
n immediately!”

in eccentric uniforms, each of them emanating an intimidating air with th
eir controlled breaths. It was evident
that they were far from ordinary.

“This is the Harmon family’s territory. All of you, leave immediately!” t
he two bodyguards by the entrance warned them.
“Too loud.” With a
wave of his hand, the two bodyguards flew away as blood spurted from thei
r mouths. It was as if they were hit by a speeding car.
The group of people then strutted into Park Place.

In the hall, Natasha was enjoying tea, and a copy of a financial report w
as in her hands. These past few days. because of the invention of Immortu
nol, business
was going very well for the Harmon family, and the company stock prices w
ere skyrocketing.

If this continued, Natasha would be able to replace Edwin’s status within
a year and a half, becoming the first
woman to be the wealthiest person in Swinton.

“Ms. Harmon, enjoying your day. I see.” She suddenly heard someone by the
entrance and looked up, finding
the group of eccentrically–
dressed men. Leading them was a young man standing right at the center.
“Who are you?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Hummer. Joshua Hummer,” he smiled faintly.
“So it’s you..

Natasha narrowed her eyes. “Mr. Hummer, don’t you think it’s too much for
you to barge into
my residence like this?”

“Is it? I don’t think so.” With an ambiguous smile, he continued, “Ms. Ha
rmon, I’ll go straight to the point. I’m here for three things. First, Im
mortunol has caused considerable loss to the Hummers. Hence, you are to h
and over the formulation. Second, my sister was humiliated some time back
, which brought shame to the

Hummers. All thanks to a bastard named Dustin. Get your men to bring his
head to the Hummer’s residence

as an apology, and for the third. It’s simple. All you need to do is be a
guest at Hummer’s residence tonight.”
Joshua spoke lightly like a master giving orders to his servant.

Even the usually composed Natasha lost her cool when she heard him. “Josh
ua Hummer, did you hit your

head somewhere? You want my man’s head? Who gave you the courage to speak
that way?”
To spout unreasonable demands as
soon as he walked through the door, this guy was too much!

“Natasha Harmon, I’m not negotiating. I’m giving you a chance. Know your
place.”

“Hmph! Do you think you are in Hummer territory?” she slammed the table w
ith force. Instantly, a huge number
Chapter 251

of bodyguards came out from different directions and surrounded the Humme
r entourage.
“Ms. Harmon, what happened?” Stephan asked as the leader.

“Mr. Chapman, we have a few uninvited guests at home. Kindly show them th
e way out,” Natasha ordered
coldly.

“Yes, ma’am.” Then, he glared directly at Joshua. “Dear guests, you are n
ot welcome here. Please leave.”

“Hmph! A pity.” Joshua smirked. He suddenly disappeared like a ghost and
appeared in front of Stephan.

“You Stephan’s pupils dilated. He was about to make a move when he realiz
ed he was already held in a chokehold. The next thing he knew, it became
hard to breathe, and his limbs turned limp. He wasn’t able to
muster an ounce of energy.
“The audacity of a low–
level martial artist like you. Kneel!” Joshua lifted him single–
handedly and slammed him to the ground,
An explosion–
like sound echoed through the room, and the floor cracked open, leaving a
crater in its wake while Stephan’s incapacitated legs sprayed out blood.
“Scram!” Joshua delivered a kick, aiming straight at his core.

With a grunt, Stephan was thrown a few meters away. He violently crashed
into the wall, and blood
spurted out of his mouth. That kick had dissipated Stephan’s internal ene
rgy.

“How insolent! Get them!” Natasha was furious. Under her orders, the body
guards took out their batons and
charged.
“Ants,” Joshua muttered in disdain.
With a wave of his hand, a surge of energy that could move
mountains and seas burst forward and rippled toward them. Before the body
guards could reach him, they were sent flying by the impact and fell to t
he ground. During that moment, groans could be heard all around.

“An external manifestation of energy? Have you achieved divinity?” A seri
ously injured Stephan locked on in
horror.

Countless martial artists dreamed of achieving divinity. Skilled low–
level martial artists could split open rocks and lift
thousands of pounds of weight. However, compared to divine–
level martial artists, their differences were like the sky and earth.

Chapter 252
Low–level martial artists were restricted to only
channeling their energy through physical attacks, while divine-
level martial artists surpassed human capabilities. With the ability to
manifest energy externally, they were

able to strike across space itself!

In the face of a divine–level martial artist, even the best low–
level martial artists paled in significance. They
existed on different planes of status and prowess.
The strange thing was that Joshua was only in his twenties. His
talent in martial arts was terrifying for him to
be able to achieve divinity at his age.

“Ha You’re quite perceptive.” Joshua smiled proudly, “Since you’ve realiz
ed I’m a highly–skilled, divine–
level martial artist, you should understand my words carry weight.”

Natasha’s brow furrowed. So they’d come prepared, laying low all for this
day.

“After you, Ms. Harmon. Don’t make me go on a massacre,” he smiled teasin
gly. A wealthy princess was
nothing in his eyes.

“I hope you won’t regret it.” Natasha walked out with a sneer. She knew i
f she didn’t obey, everyone here today
would die.

“Tell the Harmons to fulfill my demands, and Natasha will be safe. Otherw
ise, there’s no telling what I’d do to
her.”

He took out an envelope. With a swipe of his hand, it shot out like a dag
ger and stabbed right into the door
frame.

Watching their departing figures, Stephan shouted out, “Inform Mrs. Harmo
n immediately!”
“What? Natasha has been kidnapped?”

After the news arrived and Jessica was briefed about the situation, her e
xpression hardened, along with the
rest of the people present.

“How could that happen? We have dozens of bodyguards. How could Natasha b
e taken away?” Ruth was in
disbelief.

“They were too strong. We were no match for them.” Stephan mourned. His l
egs were crippled, and his core was destroyed. He was as good as useless.

“Who was it? The audacity to kidnap my daughter!” Jennifer was furious.

“We’re not sure of their true identity, but they left a letter.” Stephan
signaled his men to give the letter to Jennifer. She opened up the letter
, and her expression grew dark as she read it.

“Mom, what does it say?” Ruth asked impatiently.

“It says, before the sun rises, bring the formulation of Immortunol and D
ustin to Hummer Villa as ransom.” Her tone was almost a growl.
“Hummer Villa? Isn’t that
Edwin’s territory?” Ruth frowned. Did this have to do with the Hummer fam
ily again?

“Inform headquarters immediately. Get them to deploy the shadow guards fo
r support!” Jennifer was solemn,” Make a call to Dustin as well. Ask him
to come here immediately!”

“Mom, you can’t be thinking of surrendering him to them, are you?” Ruth i
mplored.
“This happened because of him. Why should he be free?”
“But
“No buts. Natasha’s safety comes first. Go now!”

“Okay.” She pursed her lips as she made the call, not daring to go agains
t her mom.

Meanwhile, at Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin’s expression turned solemn
as he listened through his phone. He felt a surge of anger rising within
him.
“I’ll be there
right away.” He spared the nonsense and hung up, leaving the house in a f
ury immediately after.
He stepped on the gas pedal for the entire
journey. Within 20 minutes, he arrived at Park Place. As soon as he walke
d in, the first thing he saw was the casualties lying on the floor. Steph
an’s
injuries were the worst. His face was pale as he constantly coughed up bl
ood, and his core energy had been completely destroyed.
“Dustin, you’re finally here!” Ruth found solace in his appearance.
“Who did this?” Dustin’s piercing gaze could kill
“See for yourself!” Jennifer threw him the letter.

Dustin read it, and his temper flared. “The Hummer family are all pighead
ed! It seems like they will never learn
their lesson!”

“My daughter has been pulled into your mess. What do you plan on doing?”
Jennifer questioned.
“I will definitely rescue Ms. Harmon,” he assured her.
“And if you fail?” she retorted.
“Then I’ll pay with my life!” Dustin’s expression grew solemn.

“Hmph! At least you’re able to man up. My daughter’s affection has not go
ne in vain.”

Chapter 253

Suddenly, she clapped. Right on cue, a group of domineering martial artis
ts clad in all–black gear strode in proudly.

Taking the lead was a woman with short hair. She had striking features th
at gave her a cool look. Because of her tight–
fitting outfit, her figure appeared exceptionally curvaceous and left an
impact.

Jennifer said impassively. “This is Isfrid. She leads team five of the Ha
rmon family’s shadow guards and
is highly skilled, Bring her team with you so you have each other’s backs
.”

“Mrs. Harmon, forgive me for my bluntness, but our team is enough to ensu
re Ms. Harmon’s safety. Why do we need to involve outsiders?” Istrid gave
Dustin a contemptuous once over. “Team five is well trained, and our tea
mwork is unparalleled. Having our members are more than enough to save Ms
. Harmon. We can’t afford to bring along baggage since it will make the o
peration riskier. I hope you will reconsider, Mrs. Harmon.”

“Dustin is a good fighter, and the Hummer family asked for him personally
. He has to be there,” she replied frankly.

“If that is the case, please have him listen to our orders and not get in
our way, lest it affects our operation,” Istrid said unfeelingly.

An exceptional fighter, she was extremely confident in her abilities. Her
team always worked in the shadows. but her skills were comparable to the
highly skilled martial artists of The Hundred Immortals.
“Suit yourselves. I only have one demand–
bring my daughter back to me alive,” she ordered solemnly.

“Yes, Mrs. Harmon.” Isfrid bowed before leaving arrogantly with her team
behind her.

“Mr. Rhys, be careful. The Hummers have a highly skilled martial artist a
mong them. He’s possibly achieved divinity,” Stephan warned Dustin.
“Achieved divinity? They’re mere ants to me.” With that, he left.
Night gradually fell.

Meanwhile, in the square outside Hummer Villa, a group of armored fighter
s sat around a bonfire, roasting a

whole lamb. Beside them was a dog cage, and inside the cage was a ragged
woman. Her hair was disheveled, and her body was covered in injuries. It
was clear that she had been tortured.

There was even a collar around her neck, which was attached to a dog leas
h held by an elderly man. That man
was Fletcher Lawson.

“Mr. Lawson, it’s about time. It seems like he’s too scared to come since
he hasn’t shown up till now.” A bald
man smirked.

“Of course! With so many of us keeping guard here, who would send themsel
ves to death? That punk has long fled!” Everyone chimed in, laughing hear
tily. Who would barge in foolishly when they knew it was a trap?

“Mr. Lawson, the woman in the cage is exceptional. Why don’t you allow us
to enjoy her first?” the bald man
1/3
Chapter 25!
said with an evil grin.

“That’s right. Mr. Lawwon. We’ve been deprived for too long. How can we g
ive up the chance when a beautiful woman is present?” the rest jeered.

It wasn’t the first time they’d engaged in acts of arson, murder, and loo
ting.

“Play around if you must, but keep yourselves in check,” Fletcher said ca
lmly.

“No problem.” The bald man chuckled, then approached the cage eagerly. He
ripped the woman’s skirt apart, exposing her white thighs.

“What a beauty! Just as we thought!”

He licked his lips and pounced with a devilish smile. Just as he was abou
t to carry out his intentions, a fleeting flicker of light sliced through
the air with a faint whistle. Emerging from the darkness and piercing th
rough the bonfire’s glow, a golden needle found its mark between the man’
s eyebrows.

With a groan, his eyes widened as he convulsed. Soon, he turned stiff. He
was rooted in place with no signs of
breath.

“Hey! What are you dawdling for? If you can’t do it, we’ll go instead. Do
n’t make us wait longer!”

“That’s right! There are so many of us waiting for our turn. Can you be f
aster?”
Nobody noticed anything strange. They were rushing him instead.
“Hey! We’re talking to you. Are you deal?”

A muscular man walked up and nudged his shoulder. Immediately, like a sta
tue that had lost its balance, the bald man toppled to the ground.

The muscular man was shocked and extended out his hand. “What the F*ck? H
e’s not breathing!”

He’d just finished his sentence when another faint whistle was heard. A s
econd gold
needle sliced through the air and embedded straight between his brows. Fa
lling to the ground with his head up, he died instantly.

“What’s happening?” Everyone looked at each other in dismay. They only re
acted when they saw blood
between the victims‘ eyebrows.

“We’re being ambushed! Stay alert!” Following the shouts, the fighters to
ok out their swords, looking around in
all directions.
“Who the F*ck is it?”
“Step out if you dare! You’re a pussy for hiding!”
The crowd roared incessantly.

Right then, a sudden, powerful gust of wind whipped through the surroundi
ngs. Illuminated by the street lights,
a tall, slender figure walked into the villa with deliberate steps.

Fletcher took a closer look and suddenly let out a laugh. “How brave. He
really walked into the lion’s den.”

“Release her immediately!” Dustin ordered coldly. His voice wasn’t too lo
ud, but it reverberated across the

Chapter 253

whole villa. His expression was impassive, but his gaze was as cold as ic
e.
“Know your place! There’s no
need to think about being a hero when you’re dying soon.”

Fletcher waved, “Get him! Whoever brings me his head first will be reward
ed 100 million!”
100 million?” The crowd of fighters was excited.

There was nothing money couldn’t solve, and a lavish reward would certain
ly give birth to brave warriors.

People would kill friends and relatives for 100 million, not to mention a
stranger.
Get him!”
The crowd roared and rushed forward without delay.
“Attack!” Suddenly, a group of all–
black, masked assassins emerged from the darkness. They had a knife in

one hand and a crossbow in the other. Although they were few in numbers,
all of them were well–trained.

Pushing forward, they surrounded the Hummer family’s fighters. It was lik
e nothing could stand in their way. They were the shadow guards led by Is
trid.
Although the Harmon family’s shadow guards were not well–
known, they were all handpicked talents among hundreds of candidates. The
y were specifically tasked with removing obstacles and eliminating dissid
ents for
the Harmon family.

“See that? This is the true power of the Harmon family’s shadow guards!”
Istrid emerged from the darkness

and stood beside Dustin.

Chapter 254

Coldly, she said, “Wait here, and don’t run off. I don’t want you to caus
e us any trouble. Understand?”

“They have highly skilled fighters among them. Your men won’t be able to
handle them.” Dustin responded. flatly.

“Ha! What a joke! I’ve fought in countless battles, and I’ve seen it all.
A burn like you will never understand how strong we are.” Her expression
grew colder.

“Having confidence is commendable, but don’t be too blind. You should alw
ays believe there is someone. better out there,” he reminded.

“Shut your nonsense. Just stay here as I told you to. I won’t forgive you
if you ruin our operation!” she shouted coldly before joining the fray.

Dustin didn’t say anything more and narrowed his eyes, staring silently a
t Fletcher. Seated behind him were a few martial artists clad in eccentri
c clothing. From their breathing patterns, Dustin could tell that they we
re all the best low–
level martial artists, with two of them already considered a high–
level martial artist.

“So he has backup. No wonder he dared be so wild.” Even though his men we
re going down, Fletcher wasn’t anxious. In fact, his expression showed on
e of amusement.

It didn’t matter if they died since they were just cannon fodder. The rea
l fighters were seated right behind him. There weren’t many of them, but
they were all ranked on The Hundred Immortals.

Especially the twin brothers with the code name Darkwrath and Lightwrath.
They were the seventh and eighth on The Hundred Immortals, respectively.
They practiced the dark arts, and their moves were terrifyingly lethal.
When they fought
separately, they were comfortably ranked in the top ten. When they joined
forces, their power
doubled.

Of course, besides the twins, another highly skilled martial artist was h
idden within the villa. That person was ranked third on the Hundred Immor
tals–Judge. Whenever Judge appeared, only a trail of death would follow.

Regardless of how many fighters the Harmon family sent, they were all goi
ng to meet their demise.

After a brutal fight, hundreds of the Hummer family’s fighters were left
lying on the ground. The shadow guards of the Harmon family, on the other
hand, had suffered only a single casualty and five injuries. Their losse
s were relatively minimal in comparison.

“Hmph! You dare kidnap Ms. Harmon with these pitiful weaklings? You shoul
d have known better!” Istrid stood with a sense of pride. With a swift do
wnward flick, droplets of blood glistened as they splattered off her swor
d. She looked gallant and imposing.

“Impressive! The Harmon family’s shadow guards are indeed Impressivel Fle
tcher applauded with a smile.

“Since you’re aware of our skills, why aren’t you releasing the hostage y
et?” Istrid pointed her sword forward.
commanding attention,

“The person you’re looking for is right here in this cage. Come save her
yourself if you have the guts.”

Fletcher overturned the dog cage with a kick, and the woman inside trembl
ed in fear. However, her disheveled
appearance made it difficult to discern her features.

Chapter 254

“Ms. Harmon?” Istrid’s expression hardened, and she rushed forward with h
er men. As they neared the cage. Istrid drew her
sword and severed the chains with a resounding clang.
“Ms. Harmon! Are you okay?”

Istrid opened up the metal door and was about to save the woman inside wh
en the woman suddenly flashed an evil grin, With a sudden wave of her han
d, she threw out a barrage of yellow powder that was highly toxic. Any or
dinary person who came into contact with it would surely meet their demis
e.

Istrid’s pupils constricted, and she immediately stepped back, covering h
er mouth and nose to avoid inhaling the dust.

“Hah… You reacted quickly. You almost fell into my trap,” the woman chuck
led lightly, pushing her hair aside to reveal a pale and unfamiliar face.
“Who are you?” Istrid’s
brow furrowed. It was fortunate that she dodged in time, or she would hav
e been in trouble.

“That’s not important. What’s important is how much your head is worth.”
the woman replied and launched another attack, thrusting her knife forwar
d.

“Hmph!” Istrid’s longsword quivered as it severed the woman’s arm and, at
the same time, pierced through her chest with lightning speed.

“So fast. The woman’s eyes widened as she toppled backward.

Chapter 255

“How weak.” Istrid wore a disdainful expression as she scanned her surrou
ndings.

“Anyone else?”

“Interesting”

Leering at her curvaceous figure, Darkwrath licked his lips in excitement
. “Hey, pretty lady, let me have a taste of you!” As he spoke, his toes t
apped the ground, propelling him forward like a ghostly shadow. His body
flickered in and out of existence, making it hard to figure out his movem
ents,
Istrid bellowed, “Die!”

With a flick of her sword, two blades that were both swift and deadly dan
ced forward. Just as her attack was about to hit their target, Darkwrath
suddenly vanished from thin air.
“Hey, pretty lady, where are you looking?”
She heard a
sinister voice behind her, and her expression changed slightly. Without l
ooking back, she thrust her sword backward. She was fast, but Darkwrath w
as faster, and her sword sliced through the empty air.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Darkwrath grabbed her butt forcefull
y. Chuckling obscenely, he remarked,” Soft and supple. What a treasure.”
He didn’t harm her, clearly reveling in playing with his prey like a game
of cat and mouse.

Fueled by the humiliation, Isfrid erupted in fury. “You will pay with you
r life!”

Her sword danced with rapid speed. In an instant, she was enveloped in a
whirlwind of swirling blades that radiated with shimmering brilliance.

Yet, Darkwrath continued to flicker in and out of existence, appearing to
be at ease and in control.

Istrid was out of breath when Darkwrath suddenly wrapped her in an embrac
e from behind. His tongue slithered out on her face, and he licked her sl
owly and forcefully.

“Beauty, you’re delicious! I’m going to eat you tonight!” He chuckled dev
ilishly, his face full of lust.

“You’re seeking death!” Her eyes were red from a mix of anger and embarra
ssment. She redirected her sword. toward her own abdomen, intending to de
al a severe blow to Darkwrath through herself.

However, Darkwrath was obviously prepared as he pressed a finger onto a p
ressure point on her body. She let out a muffled groan and collapsed to t
he ground, her arm feeling so numb that she was unable to hold up her
sword.

“Who… who are you?” she asked in shock and anger. She didn’t expect her o
pponent to be that strong.
“I am Darkwrath, ranked eighth on The Hundred Immortals.”
Realization
struck Istrid, and her expression changed. It was no wonder he was so for
midable–
he was among the top ten highly skilled martial artists on The Hundred Im
mortals.

“Pretty lady, what’s the point of serving the Harmon family? You’d be bet
ter off with me. I’ll make sure you live

Chapter 255

luxuriously, and every night will be like our honeymoon!” Darkwrath licke
d his lips, smirking obscenely.
“How dare you!”
“You insolent bastard!”

Seeing their leader humiliated, the shadow guards behind Isfrid couldn’t
hold back any longer and brandished their swords, charging toward him.

“Fools.” Darkwrath sneered and propelled out into their midst. With a swi
ft motion, two steel claws extended out from his sleeves, piercing throug
h the throats of two shadow guards. He then yanked back forcefully. paint
ing the air with blood and flesh.
The two shadow guards let
out an anguished shriek before dying an immediate death.

That wasn’t the end, as his steel claws continued to strike fiercely and
relentlessly. Like a violent storm, he was unstoppable. In the span of a
few breaths, the entirety of the shadow guards were left lying on the gro
und. Half of them were dead, and the other half were seriously injured.

Chapter 256

“It’s over. It’s all over now.” Looking at the scene before her, Isfrid’s
face turned ashen, and her expression was full of despair. She had barge
d in full of confidence, but she didn’t expect to encounter Darkwrath her
e. In

terms of raw strength, ultimately, she was the loser.

“Allow me.” Dustin had somehow ended up beside her.
“You?” She frowned.

“I’m not even his match. What can you do? Leave immediately! Don’t throw
your life away like that!” Even though she looked down on him, she didn’t
wish for him to die in vain. “Hey! I’m talking to you.” Seeing his lack
of reaction, Istrid’s frustration grew.

“This guy is unpredictable. He’s also ranked in the top ten of The Hundre
d Immortals. You’re no match for him.

I’ll buy time for you. Escape while you can! When you get back, ask Mrs.
Harmon to send a highly skilled
fighter. Go!” She bellowed out her last word.

As the leader of team five, naturally, she wouldn’t leave her teammates b
ehind and escape on her own. That
was why she needed someone else to deliver the message.

“So what if he’s ranked eighth? He’s nothing but a mere ant.” With a fros
ty expression, Dustin pushed forward.

“Hey! Are you crazy? Do you know what you’re doing? This is not the time
to try to be brave. You’re never going
to beat him. What you’re doing is sending yourself to certain death.”

Istrid was both anxious and angry. She’d never seen anyone so foolish to
choose to light a losing battle. This
guy was hopeless.

“Kiddo, you should have taken her advice. If you’d escaped earlier, you m
ight’ve had a chance at living. But now, goodbye.” Darkwrath’s mouth curv
ed up into a sinister smile. While he spoke, he licked the blood on his
steel claws like a maniac.

“Where’s Natasha? Let her go, and I’ll let you live. Dustin ordered coldl
y.

Everyone present was stunned. Nobody expected those words to come out of
his mouth.

“Kiddo, you’re pretty wild for someone who’s about to die. It seems like
I need to teach you a lesson for you to

recognize my prowess!” Darkwrath finally lost his patience as his express
ion turned cold.

With one step forward, he propelled out like a rocket, charging toward Du
stin with sheer force. Once he was

near, he waved his hand, and his steel claws shimmered like rays of light
, alming straight for Dustin’s throat.

“Run!” Istrid shouted. That was the move that killed most of her team. Ev
en she might have difficulty dodging

it.

“Can you outrun me?” Darkwrath grinned devilishly and sped up.

“Lend me your sword.” With a tap of his fool, the sword on the floor spru
ng up and landed firmly in his hands.

He flicked his wrist, and the blade pierced Darkwrath with a shimmer and
a thunderous whistle.
What followed was the sound of a deafening clang of metal. The
shimmering blade shattered Darkwrath’s

steel claws, and without stopping, pierced through his neck. His body sti
ffened as if he had turned to stone. A thin line of blood formed slowly a
t his throat. Soon, the bloody line grew larger, quickly turning into a g
aping wound.

The next second, his head, like a ball, rolled off the ground with a thud
and straight to Istrid’s feet, his widened

eyes staring right into hers. He had died a regretful death.

Chapter 257
“Uh…” Isfrid was bewildered at the sight of the head beside her feet.

Who would have imagined that the mighty and incomparable Darkwrath would
be killed so easily? He was ranked eighth of The Hundred Immortals! He ha
d decapitated the entirety of team five on his own. It was preposterous f
or him to be killed with one strike of the sword.

“What?” Looking at the headless body. Fletcher was taken aback as well. H
e knew
Dustin was strong but didn’t realize he was that strong. With just a stri
ke of his sword, he killed Darkwrath, ranked eighth of The Hundred Immort
als. It seemed like only Judge, who was ranked third, would be able to su
ppress his formidable strength.

“You … you killed my brother?” Lightwrath finally stood. His pale face ap
peared ghastly.

He allowed his brother to play his game of cat and mouse without interven
ing since victory was within reach. He didn’t expect a highly skilled mar
tial artist to be hidden among them. On top of that, that highly skilled
martial artist unexpectedly brought about his brother’s demise.

“I gave both of you the opportunity to attack together. He’s the one who
didn’t appreciate it,” Dustin responded flatly.

“You’re seeking death!” Lightwrath flew into a rage. He took out two pist
ols and charged forward violently.
“All of you, go!” Fletcher commanded.

Finally, the remaining few highly skilled, ranked martial artists joined
the fray and
flanked Lightwrath to protect him as they surged forward, attempting to e
ncircle Dustin.

From their perspective, even if Dustin’s skills were formidable, he would
n’t be able to hold back their collective assaults. After all, he only ha
d four limbs.

“It’s over. It’s really over this time!” Istrid grew increasingly worried
as she watched the martial artists, all ranked on The Hundred Immortals,
join forces in the attack.

Although she was surprised by Dustin’s performance, she knew that victory
and defeat in a battle between skilled martial artists hung by a thread.
Dustin could turn out victorious if it were a one–on–
one battle, but when going against numerous opponents, only certain death
would face him.

“Hmph!” Faced with the approaching Lightwrath and his group, Dustin remai
ned still and swung his sword once more. With a sharp whistle, the sword
glimmered across the air.

Lightwrath and the others appeared to have been cursed in place, their mo
vements coming to a halt. Their legs gave way, and they collapsed to thei
r knees. Finally, heads rolled off onto the ground in succession. splatte
ring blood all over the floor.

Immediately, a dead silence engulfed the area. Isirid and the rest of the
shadow guards looked on in shock and disbelief.

If Darkwrath’s death was described as the result of an ambush or a surpri
se attack, then, right now, it would be
described as the result of sheer strength. One single strike had slain a
number of
skilled martial artists ranked on The Hundred Immortals. It was truly ter
rifying!
Chapter 257

When Istrid thought of how she had looked down on him, she was filled wit
h shame. It turned out that she was
the true bum.

“Release her, or die!” Dustin ignored the lifeless bodies on the ground,
staring straight at Fletcher. It was as if
he was looking at a dead man.
“You
How could
you. Fletcher broke out in a cold sweat, looking terrified. Dustin’s prow
ess made him
see the man in a new light.

“Release her!” Dustin repeated. He spoke straight to the point, yet it wa
s exceptionally domineering.

“You just you wait!” Fletcher panicked. Without another word, he rushed i
nto the villa.

Hummer Villa was vast, with an entire hill enveloped within its grounds.
While the outer square was filled with chaos, inside, it was bustling wit
h music and wine. A group of esteemed guests was gathered in the luxuriou
s villa, attending the Hummers‘ party that was currently underway. Their
focus was all on Joshua and Jade.

Chapter 258

“Mr. Hummer! Something terrible has happened!” Fletcher suddenly rushed i
n, stumbling in his steps. His

disheveled and panicked appearance looked extremely out of place.

“What’s with the commotion?” Joshua’s expression turned cold, and he appe
ared upset. “Speak up. What’s
wrong?”
“D–
Dustin is out here on a killing spree!” Fletcher reported in a whisper.

“Oh?” Joshua raised an eyebrow. “He dares barge in here despite knowing i
t’s the lion’s den? Is this kiddo really that brave?”
“What do we do now, Mr. Hummer?” Fletcher asked anxiously.

“What do you mean? Get Darkwrath and Lightwrath to kill him. Don’t let hi
m interrupt our party.” Joshua waved
him away.
“Mr. Hummer he’s already killed them both!” Fletcher was somber.

“Huh?” Joshua frowned. “When Darkwrath and Lightwrath join forces, even J
udge would need to exert his full
strength. Is this kiddo that skilled?”
“It would have
been great if they joined forces, but they were too arrogant
and gave him a chance to defeat
them,” Fletcher sounded helpless.

“Those fools! What useless trash!” Joshua was displeased. He was upset to
have to expend extra effort on an
ant that was supposed to be easily squashed.

In the midst of their conversation, the huge doors to the villa were kick
ed open with a deafening crash. A tall figure strode in with a murderous
look.

“Listen up, Hummers. I’m giving you three minutes. Let her go immediately
. Otherwise, nobody is leaving this place alive.” Dustin scanned his surr
oundings, his voice cold.
The hall exploded in a frenzy when they heard him.

“Who is this punk? How dare he make a scene at the Hummers“? Doesn’t he v
alue his life?”

“If you don’t want to die, scram right now. Otherwise, your end will be n
ear!”
“F*ck! Who is this punk? He’s so wild.”
Everyone present whispered and pointed in righteous indignation.
“Everyone, please calm down. I’ll handle it.”

Joshua walked slowly to the center, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Y
ou must be Dustin. Kneel and apologize to my honored guests tonight, and
I might spare your life.”

“Who do you think you are? You’re not worthy for me to kneel before you,”
Dustin responded coldly.

Joshua’s expression turned dark. “Kiddo, do you know who you’re talking t
o? Do you think you can act recklessly here just because you defeated Dar
kwrath and Lightwrath? Let me tell you, those two are just like

1/7
Chapter 258
you, mere ants in my eyes.”
“You have two minutes left.” Dustin was stone–faced.

Joshua chuckled, “I’ll give it to you. You’re fearless for someone nearin
g death.” With a sneer, he ordered. Judge, I’ll leave this person to you.
Deal with him cleanly. I don’t want blood to stain the floor.”
“No problem!”
–
Right then, a middle–aged man in a long robe suddenly leaped

wn from the second floor. He had a tall stature and wore a mask. He held
a relatively short, steel spear in his hand, exuding a chilling air aroun
d him.

“Damn! Isn’t that Judge, who is ranked third on the Hundred Immortals? I
can’t believe he’s here!”
“With Judge here, there is no escape. This punk is dead for sure!”
After the long–
robed man appeared, the hall erupted in another frenzy. Judge had a well–
known reputation to his name, and his sudden appearance was bound to brin
g forth a torrent of bloodshed.

“Dustin! We’re here to assist you!” At this moment. Isfrid and a few inju
red shadow guards staggered into the
room.

“You won’t be of any help. Go wait at the side,” Dustin remarked flatly.

Isfrid frowned after hearing him. It was the first time in her life being
shunned as such.

“Even though we’re not as skilled as you are, we still have our merits. I
t would be advantageous to have more numbers,” she said with a resolute e
xpression.

“Suit yourselves. Just don’t stand in my way.” Dustin couldn’t care less.
“You” She pursed her lips. As an
exceptional female fighter, she’d never experienced such blatant

disregard. No matter what, she was determined to showcase her full streng
th, to prove to the person before her that women were as formidable as me
n.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, she glanced ahead and noticed Judge
standing right in the center. She
froze on the spot.
“What’s going on? Why
is Judge here? Did the Hummers invite bystanders to the fray?” Isfrid was
secretly apprehensive and worried at the same time.

With the warrior ranked third among The Hundred Immortals here, they were
going to suffer an immeasurable loss. That was because Judge’s skills fa
r surpassed those of Darkwrath and Lightwrath–they weren’t even on
the same plane.

This screamed trouble!

Chapter 259

“Kiddo! I’m giving you two options. Either you kneel before Mr. Hummer or
die!” Judge’s tone was frosty, and his gaze was
stagnant like a pool, calm and impassive. He’d been killing since he was
ten and had a body count of hundreds, if not thousands.

“I choose death. Come at me if you can.” Dustin beckoned him forward with
his finger.

“How insolent!” Judge’s gaze turned increasingly frosty as he launched hi
s spear forward. Like a canon, it shot
straight for Dustin’s chest.

Dustin stood unmoved and grabbed the spear, flinging it back. With a shar
p whistle, it shot back out toward Judge with greater speed.

Judge sneered and mirrored Dustin’s stance, grabbing his own spear. Howev
er, as soon as he grabbed hold of it, it was as if he was struck by light
ning. He staggered backward, his feet skidding along the ground, leaving
deep imprints with each step.

“How could this be?” Judge’s expression changed, and he exerted his entir
e strength in an attempt to stop the
momentum of his steel spear.
A gaping wound was forming between his thumb and index finger, and
his fingers were turning into a bloody

mess of flesh and blood from the sheer force of energy. Even so, he didn’
t dare let go.

“Ahhh!” As he realized that no amount of force would be able to stop his
weapon, he let out an anguished
scream, and his expression was full of despair.

“Save me, Mr. Hummer!” he screeched loudly, losing his previous arrogance
.
Before the crowd
could react, his spear trembled and escaped from his grasp, piercing stra
ight through his

chest. With a final whistle, it embedded into the wall, disappearing out
of sight, leaving only a hole the size of
an egg.
Moaning
painfully, Judge looked at his wrangled hands and the gaping hole in his
chest. His mouth opened like he wanted to speak, but no sound could be
heard. Falling backward onto the ground, he died in grievance.
In the end, the mighty, third–
ranked Judge met his demise at the hands of his own weapon.

Silence engulfed the scene as the crowd looked
on in shock, their eyes fixed on the lifeless body of Judge sprawled on t
he ground. This outcome was beyond anyone’s imagination. They had been ce
rtain that Dustin would meet his end with Judge’s appearance. However, wi
th just a casual flick of his hand, Judge was
impaled by his own spear.

Nobody reacted as the entire situation happened abruptly. Some of them co
uldn’t even believe it. Just like that, the warrior ranked third among Th
e Hundred Immortals had fallen. His death was so sudden and bizarre that
they wouldn’t have believed it if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes
.

“Oh my goodness, where did this monster come from?” Istrid was completely
dumbfounded, her eyes wide
open.
Darkwrath, Lightwrath, and Judge were all highly–
skilled experts ranked on the Hundred Immortals. However, Dustin handled
them like they were mere vegetables on a chopping board.

Chapter 259
It was truly terrifying!
“Damn it! Who is this kid? He actually killed Judge!”
“Who knows? He’s truly talented for his age and skills.”

Whispers filled the air, and they took in Dustin’s figure with tinges of
awe.

“Kiddo. I didn’t expect you to have skills like that. I underestimated yo
u.” Joshua was slightly taken aback but sneered again after a brief momen
t.
The Hundred Immortals was a power ranking for low–
level martial artists. However, compared to divine–
level martial artists, they fell short by more than a mile.
At present. Joshua was already a divine–
level martial artist and had the potential to
challenge the ranks of The Heavenly Immortals. In his eyes, a low–
level martial artist like Judge was no different from an ant. Just like h
ow Dustin had killed him instantly with a single strike, he could do the
same, and with even less effort.
That was the true power of a divine–level martial artist.
“Release her, or die,” Dustin said coldly.

“Kiddo, don’t be too arrogant! Do you think you can act recklessly in fro
nt of me just because you killed Judge? Let me tell you honestly, I’m alr
eady a divine–
level martial artist. I can destroy you, ordinary people, with
nothing more than a flick of my finger!”

As Joshua spoke, his arms trembled, and a terrifying air emanated from hi
m.

Chapter 260

Under Joshua’s impressive prowess, the guests in the hall began to retrea
t involuntarily. It felt as if rocks were

pressing on their chests as their breathing grew heavy.

“Damn! Mr. Hummer is impressive. He’s already achieved divinity!”

“He’s truly deserving to be Boulderthorn’s genius. To achieve divinity be
fore the age of thirty, he’s truly a
terrifying man.”
“Although a low–level and divine–
level martial artist only differed in a single word, the disparity in str
ength,

just like their name, was like heaven and earth. This kid’s strong, but h
e’s still a weakling in front of Mr.
Hummer.”

The crowd started a frenzied discussion as they witnessed Joshua’s imposi
ng presence and arrogance.

At that moment, Tina, who was among the crowd, burst into laughter. “You
F*cking bastard! How dare you

cause a scene at Hummer Villa? Look at yourself in the mirror! Give him a
good beating for me, Joshua!”

“I have good taste in men. He’s so cool.” Jade’s lips curled up into a sm
ile, and she looked at Joshua with a
gaze full of affection.
A divine–level martial artist in their twenties was a
desirable catch anywhere. Not to mention, he was Boulderthorn’s direct di
sciple. Talent, skills, background–
he had it all. Promising individual like him was few
and far between in the whole of South City.

She was proud and pleased with her choice. Her man would definitely make
a name for himself in the future.

As long as Joshua married her, he would definitely receive the full suppo
rt of the Grant family. As long as the family focused on nurturing him, t
hen there would be a chance for him to be the second Tyler Grant.

Edwin chuckled heartily, “The Hummer family has experienced consecutive s
etbacks, but today is the day to
restore our prestige.”

Edwin watched the entire scene happening below from the second floor of t
he villa, a proud smile adorning his
face. How could he not be happy with such a talented son?
“What? The Hummer family has a divine–
level martial artist in their midst?” Istrid paled from the shock. As she
took in Joshua’s commanding presence, her legs started trembling involun
tarily.
Divine–
level martial artists were one in a million. It wasn’t something that cou
ld be achieved through sheer

effort, and it also required exceptional talent. Some practitioners would
spend their entire lives without attaining divinity. However, once they
did, it would completely transform their lives for the better!

There were more than a hundred martial artists among the Harmon family’s
shadow guards, but only one had
achieved divinity. And that was the commander of the shadow guards.
“Isfrid, what should we do now? With a divine–
level martial artist as our opponent, we won’t be a match for

him even if all of us joined forces.” The shadow guards behind her also h
ad terrified expressions.

Isfrid remained silent, looking at Dustin instead. Even though she wanted
to save Ms. Harmon badly, with the
Hummer’s divine–
level martial artist present, it was inevitable for them to retreat.

Chapter 260

Joshua was smugly pleased to see Dustin fall silent. “Hey, kiddo! Are you
afraid now? You must be feeling
terrified! This is the disparity between us. To me, you’re
just a mere ant! I’ll give you a chance now. If you don’t want to die, kn
eel immediately!”
He’d never shown himself since he became a divine–
level martial artist, which explained why not many people
knew about it.

Today was a good opportunity for him to make a name for himself and rise
to prominence!

“So what? If you don’t let her go today, I will kill you!” Dustin was sto
ne–faced. It was as if he was looking at a dead man.

“Kill me?” Joshua scoffed. “Kiddo, it seems like you haven’t realized the
gravity of the situation. Since you don’t seem to value your life, allow
me!”

With that, he waved his hand, and a burst of violent energy ripped toward
Dustin with full force. Dustin didn’t dodge it, allowing the burst of en
ergy to crash into him as he stood unmoved.
“Hmm?” Joshua narrowed his eyes, looking slightly surprised.
When a divine–
level martial artist manifested energy externally, even a minor attack wa
s not something a low-
level martial artist could take on. Since his opponent could use his bod
y to hold off the attack, it meant he was. highly skilled.

“I didn’t expect you to have such abilities up your sleeves. No wonder yo
u were able to kill Judge. But it’s too bad that you have to go up agains
t me! Today, I will let you witness the difference between low–
level marital artists and divine–level martial artists. Watch me!”

Joshua grunted lightly as his body soared into the air like an eagle, aim
ing a slap toward Dustin’s forehead.

The wind howled fiercely as his clothes fluttered in response. Under his
terrifying prowess, the crowd retreated once again, afraid of being entan
gled in the conflict.

Chapter 261

Isfrid and her team, who were standing behind Dustin, had it worse. They
had difficulty breathing and staggered backward involuntarily.

“Is this what a divine–
level martial artist is like? How frightening!”

The crowd looked at each other in apprehension, silently worried.

“Fool.” Dustin sneered coldly at Joshua’s oncoming attack and made a move
, landing a fierce slap on his face. The thunderous slap sent Joshua into
a backflip in the air, and he landed head first onto the ground.
At that moment, everyone was stunned into oblivion.
“What the F*ck!”

Everyone was shaken by the abrupt scene. No one could have imagined that
the previously heroic Joshual would fall by Dustin’s slap, and they wonde
red if it was a coincidence or an accident.

“Josh!” Jade and Tina’s expression paled as they rushed up to him. They h
elped him up to his feet while he was still feeling dizzy.
*Josh, are you alright?” Jade was taken aback and worried.

“What happened just now?” Joshua shook his head, appearing dazed. Everyth
ing happened so suddenly that he didn’t notice Dustin’s movements. He onl
y felt his sight go dark, and the next thing he knew, he was thrown to th
e ground.
“You
—

were beaten to the ground by that bastard,” Jade explained with a strange
expression.

“No! That’s impossible!” Joshua could never believe it. “How could he hav
e hit me? I must have slipped and fell on my own!”

“That’s right! You must have slipped!” Tina nodded furiously beside him.
“Kiddo! That didn’t
count. Let’s go again!” Joshua couldn’t admit defeat. With a tap of his f
eet, he launched himself out again.

Another clear, booming slap rang out before he was launched back with
even greater speed. Joshua suffered a crushing defeat and was badly batte
red.

The crowd was shocked once again. They could have explained his first vic
tory as the result of a coincidence or accident. But the second victory w
as absolutely remarkable.
“Let her go,” Dustin spat out coldly.
“You
—
y–
you’ve gone too far! I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t kill you right n
ow!” Joshua flew into a rage and. pushed the two women beside him away, l
aunching himself toward Dustin for the third time.

This time, instead of his empty lists, he took out a dagger from his wais
t. With a weapon in hand, his attack would be exceedingly lethal!

“Go to hell!” As he drew near, Joshua swung his dagger forcefully. A shar
p whistle was heard, and only the

Chapter 261

gleam of the dagger was seen. It aimed toward Dustin’s forehead with fier
ce velocity.

Dustin stood still, allowing the incoming assault to occur. With a loud b
ang, the dagger exploded as it came into contact with his forehead, dissi
pating into sparks of light.
“What?” Joshua’s pupils dilated in horrified shock.
How was that possible?
Dustin had taken his slash head–
on, literally. But Joshua was the divine–
level martial artist! Any slash of his

would break open boulders. Even a block of steel would slice in half with
his previous attack, but Dustin
blocked that attack with his head!

“Impossible! I must have been mistaken!” Joshua shook his head furiously,
unable to believe it.

Chapter 262
Joshua gritted his teeth and brandished his dagger again.

“Die!”

He exerted all his strength into this attack, channeling every ounce of h
is internal energy. He believed Dustin wouldn’t be able to block the atta
ck even if he was made of steel.

“Hmph!” Dustin had clearly lost his patience. As he watched the oncoming
assault, he moved and grabbed the blade firmly. Tightening his grip, two
crisp metallic crunches were heard, and
the dagger made of refined iron was crushed into pieces.
“What?” Joshua was bewildered.

Before Joshua reacted, Dustin extended out his arm again, pressing a fing
er on his chest.
“Boom!”

The next second, it felt as if his bones had disintegrated as he fell lim
p to the ground. Feeling numb all over,
he couldn’t move an inch.

“You What did you do to me?” Joshua was shocked and horrified. He never d
reamed that he would be defeated by an unknown kid.
He was a divine–
level martial artist! Boulderthorn’s direct disciple! He should have been
invincible in Swinton
after his return.

Why? Why couldn’t he even defeat this punk? Where the hell did he come fr
om?

“Let her go!” Dustin ignored him, looking at him condescendingly from abo
ve as it he was looking at an ant.

“Punk! You can’t be my opponent. What trick did you use?” Joshua still co
uldn’t believe it. He couldn’t accept that a small fry like Dustin would
destroy an exceptional fighter like him.

“You speak too much nonsense!” Dustin was irritated and stomped violently
on Joshua’s knees.

With a crisp crack, his knees sprayed blood everywhere. Joshua screamed i
n agony as his face contorted in pain and beads of sweat dripped down fro
m his face.
“How dare you!”
“You insolent bastard!”
When they saw Joshua getting injured, the crowd erupted in anger.

A large number of the Hummer family’s guards swarmed in from different di
rections, surrounding Dustin in no time. These guards were armed with gun
s. They had clearly made preparations in advance.

“Rhys! Let go of my brother! Otherwise, after my command, you will be sho
t to oblivion!” Tina screeched, putting on a front.

Even though Dustin was powerful, he was still a mass of flesh that could
get injured and bleed. With so many armed guards surrounding him, he woul
dn’t be able to escape unscathed.

Chapter 262

“Fire if you dare. I’d like to see who’d die first.” Dustin remarked cold
ly, without a hint of fear.
“You
fire.

Tina was exasperated. Since Joshua was right beside Dustin, he would also
get shot if they opened

“Dustin Rhys! We’re in Hummer Villa. This is not a place for you to behav
e atrociously. Let him go! Otherwise. you will regret it!” Jade’s express
ion was stone cold. She didn’t expect Joshua to be defeated by Dustin
either.

However, in this world, bravery changed nothing. Power was more important
. Joshua had the Hummer family and Boulderthorn behind him. After she mar
ried him, he would also have the support of the Grant family. Who
would dare challenge him then?
“I’ll regret it? I’d like to see how much I’ll regret it

!” As he spoke, he stomped on Joshua’s other leg, breaking it.

Chapter 263
After a short moment of astonishment, Joshua let out an ear–
piercing scream. He sounded like a pig sent for slaughter.

“How dare you, you imbecile!” Edwin’s eyes almost popped out of their soc
kets. He couldn’t believe Dustin had the guts to chop Joshua’s arm off in
front of everyone. He’d crossed the line!

“You–
how dare you harm Josh!” Jade shrieked. How could a peasant like Dustin d
are to rebel against them like this? Did he have a death wish?

“Rhys! You’re dead meat!” Tina screeched. Dustin had humiliated her befor
e: now, Joshua was the one suffering. How could the Hummer family possibl
y face the world if they didn’t get revenge for this?
“Let her go,” Dustin said coldly.

“F*ck you! You have hell to pay for harming my brother!” Tina snarled.

Dustin didn’t waste his breath. Instead, he brandished his sword and swun
g it lightly, slicing Joshua’s other arm off. Blood splattered over
the floor, and Joshua’s right arm landed in a pool of it. He howled again
, his face contorting in a mask of pain. Sweat beaded on his forehead. No
w, he was no different from a lamb up for slaughter. His earlier arroganc
e and dominance had dissipated.
“You abomination!”
“How dare you!”
“This is outrageous!”

Dustin’s second attack brought about more furious exclamations. It was ba
d enough that he’d chopped

Joshua’s left arm off; he’d now made things worse by chopping off the rig
ht one as well. It was an insult to the
Hummer family’s dignity and pride!

Amidst their fury, the members of the Hummer family came to a conclusion–
Dustin was a madman!

“Let her go!” Dustin brandished his sword again. This time, he pressed it
to Joshua’s neck. The cold, steely

look in his eyes made the onlookers subconsciously shudder. They’d seen t
heir fair share of nefarious
characters, but this was their first time coming into
contact with the cold, inhumane look in Dustin’s eyes. He
wasn’t mad, nor had he raised his voice.

On the contrary, he’d been calm and collected throughout the whole exchan
ge. However, the more he acted

like that, the more terrifying it was. There was no doubt in everyone’s m
inds that he would behead Joshua if
the Hummer family didn’t do as he said.

“Let … let her go!” Edwin forced out through gritted teeth, ultimately ch
oosing to give in. He couldn’t take this

bet, not with Joshua’s life on the line. He’d already witnessed how ruthl
ess Dustin could be.

“Dad!” Tina couldn’t believe her ears. Were they, the almighty Hummer fam
ily, going to give in to a brat?

“I said, let her go!” Edwin turned to bellow at her. Nothing mattered mor
e than Joshua’s life.
Tina bit her lip and loosened Natasha’s ties.
Chapter 263

As soon as she was free, Natasha gave Tina two tight slaps. Tina stared a
t her, dumbfounded. “That’s only the interest you owe me. I’ll
collect the rest of my debt later.”

With that, she turned and strutted toward Dustin. She’d never been the ty
pe to suffer in silence–
since she’d been slapped, she had to return the favor.

“Why, you-
Tina gnashed her teeth, looking humiliated. Dustin and Natasha were too
obnoxious for words!

Chapter 264

“Dustin, we’ve already let her go, so it’s your turn!” Edwin tried his be
st to suppress his rage. If not for Dustin pulling such dirty tricks, he
wouldn’t be in this situation!

“I didn’t say anything about letting anyone go.” Dustin obviously wasn’t
going to let the matter slide. “You

abducted Ms. Harmon and harmed members of the Harmon family. Do you think
I’ll let you off the hook so
easily?”
“Rhys, I’m waming you–
don’t take this too far!” An ugly look crept onto Edwin’s face. “This is
the Hummer

family’s territory; you’re dreaming if you think you can walk out of here
unscathed! Now, I’m giving you a chance. Let Josh go, and I won’t begrud
ge you for everything that’s happened before this. Otherwise, you
won’t step a foot out of here without getting injured!”

Jade added, “He’s right! Let Josh go, or you’ll be making an enemy out of
the Grant family!”

Dustin didn’t say anything and glanced at Natasha. If she were to give th
e order, he’d behead Joshua without batting an eye. However, Natasha said
calmly, “Losing both arms is good enough to teach him a lesson. Leave
him alive for now.”

She wanted nothing more than to kill Joshua, but he was an esteemed disci
ple of the Boulderthorn Guild and

Jade’s fiancé. If she were to take his life, she’d only be causing troubl
e for herself. Dustin would also become

public enemy number one to the Boulderthorn Guild and the Grand family. T
hings wouldn’t be so easily
resolved then.

Dustin nodded. “Alright. I can let him live, but he still has to pay for
what he’s done.” With that, he kicked Joshua in the abdomen, sending him
flying as he howled in pain.

Edwin and the others cried out his name and ran over to him, helping him
up. He spat out a mouthful of blood
as his face contorted in a mask of pain. He forced
out through gritted teeth, “Dad, he–he destroyed my
cultivation!” That earlier kick had shattered his core.

“What?” Edwin and the others were horrified. Joshua would be no different
from a cripple with his cultivation and core destroyed. Edwin’s eyes bul
ged with rage as he roared. “How dare you ruin my son’s future, you brat!
” They could find a way to reattach Joshua’s limbs, but there was no way
to recover from a shattered core.
“Dustin, you and your whole family s

dead meat! From this day onward, you’re the Grant family’s biggest enemy!
I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth!” Jade shrieked, her face filled
with deep hatred. Joshua had been her ticket to a great future: Dustin’s
kick had ruined everything.
“I bet you didn’t
think karma would come back to bite you in the ass when you bullied and m
urdered innocents. *Dustin said coolly. “What goes around comes around–
since you committed crimes against others, I’m here to commit crimes agai
nst you and give you a taste of your own medicine.”

‘Dustin Rhys! From this day onward, the Hummer family, the Grant family,
and the Boulderthorn Guild will be
out for your blood! We won’t rest until you’re dead!” Edwin roared.

“Come at me with everything you have. I’d like to see what you have in st
ore
for me.” Dustin didn’t even flinch. He would’ve beheaded Joshua with the
first swing of his sword if not for the consequences it would bring Natas
ha. Then again, he didn’t intend to let the Hummer family off the hook. I
f they really chased him to the

Chapter 264
ends of the earth, he’d eradicate them.
“Shoot him! Hurry!” Tina shrieked.
“Yes, ma’am!” A team of gun–
wielding bodyguards cocked their guns and aimed them at Dustin. However,
before they could pull the trigger, Dustin swung his sword. A beam of
light shot toward the bodyguards, slicing them clear through their waists
. In that instant, pained cries pierced the air. That was only a portion
of Dustin’s ability, and he’d taken out more than twenty people with a si
ngle swing of his sword!
“T–this…” Everyone else was dumbfounded–they didn’t dare move.

“Let’s go.” Dustin didn’t linger. He kept an eye on Natasha and the other
s to ensure their safety while walking out. Tonight, he’d singlehandedly
dealt a devastating blow to the Hummer family. He was invincible!

Chapter 265

As they walked out of Hummer Villa, Natasha, who’d put up a strong front
earlier, suddenly felt her knees buckle under her. She almost fell flat o
n her face. Dustin quickly caught her and asked worriedly. “Are you

okay? Do you feel sick?”

“No. I’m just out of strength. My knees feel like jelly.” She shook her h
ead. She’d been on edge earlier; now that
she could relax, she felt weak.

“Ms. Harmon, I’ll carry you!” Istrid stepped forward and volunteered to h
elp her.

“I don’t want to inconvenience you when you’re seriously injured,” Natash
a said.

“I’m fine. These injuries mean nothing.” Istrid patted her chest to show
she was okay.

“You’re seriously injured if I say so!” Natasha’s tone suddenly became st
ern. She glared at Isirid.
“Huh?” The
realization dawned on Istrid when she glanced at Dustin. “Oh, uh, yeah. I
feel really dizzy.”

“I’ll do it.” Dustin looked helpless as he swept Natasha into his arms. S
he had a strong personality but was only an ordinary woman–
she had to be in shock after experiencing an abduction.

“Thanks for tonight.” Natasha smiled sweetly and leaned her head against
his firm chest. His masculine pheromones made her heart race. Perhaps thi
s was what people meant when they talked about a sense of
security.
“It’s no big deal. I couldn’t
stand by and watch when a friend’s in trouble, right?” Dustin smiled.

“Am I only a friend?” Natasha raised an eyebrow, looking slightly bitter.

“What else could you be?” Dustin pretended not to know what she was talki
ng about.

“Hmph! You’re so dense!” Natasha frowned and chomped down on his shoulder
. Dustin hissed in pain but didn’t dare retaliate. “This is a mark I’m le
aving on you. You belong to me for as long as this is around. I’ll bite y
ou to death if you dare reject me!” She bared her teeth as she spoke.
Dustin
grimaced but didn’t dare say anything to refute her. He savored the feeli
ng of her soft and pliant body in his arms; he couldn’t help feeling arou
sed as her sweet scent enveloped him. They hadn’t known each other long,
but he’d unknowingly
started to fall for the vivacious woman. That was why he’d been so anxiou
s when he heard about her being abducted. It was also why he’d devastated
the Hummer family.

At this moment, Hummer Villa was in a mess. Dustin had crashed the place
and slaughtered their men with a single blade, even crippling Joshua, who
was the Hummer family’s pride and joy. The
Hummer family’s dignity and arrogance had been flung to the ground and re
peatedly stomped on.

“Dad, I’m crippled I’m crippled!” Joshua howled as he lay in bed. With hi
s core shattered and cultivation destroyed, his life was over.

“Josh, don’t panic. I’ll immediately have our men search for a miracle do
ctor. I guarantee I’ll spare no expense and pay any price to have you cur
ed!” Edwin said.
Chapter 265
Jade nodded vigorously. “He’s right, Josh.
You’ll definitely recover from this! The Grant family has an abundance of
rare medicines. I’m sure they’ll help to restore your core!”
“A full recovery isn’t the only thing I want–
I also want to get revenge! I want that Rhys brat to
pay for this!” Joshua snarled.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already informed Mark about this. He’ll be here in no
time. That brat will be dead meat when
Mark arrives!” Jade said.
“Mark?” A trace of hope flashed in Joshua’s eyes at this. “No
matter how powerful that brat is, he’s no match for Mark!” Joshua had onl
y achieved divinity a few days ago. He’d yet to fully adapt to this chang
e, and his foundation had been shaky. That was why he could only manifest
50 to 60 percent of
his abilities. Marcus Kent, on the other hand, had already achieved divin
ity three years ago and had even ranked among the Heavenly Immortals. He
was more than enough to deal with Dustin.
“Killing him swiftly would be letting him off easy. I say we go
after everyone related to him so that he can see what it’s like to be pub
lic enemy number one!” Tina spat.

“You’re right. Issue an order for everyone to focus on catching Dustin an
d his posse. Whoever brings me his

head on a platter will receive a reward of a billion dollars!” Edwin comm
anded. With that, everyone in the
Hummer family got to work. As the word spread, everyone was raring to
go, especially when they heard about
the reward.
At Park Place.
Jessica paced the living room, looking worried. Ruth
also fidgeted restlessly, obviously anxious. Quentin was

the only one who looked unruffled. In truth, he’d been delighted by the n
ews of Natasha’s abduction. If

anything were to happen to her, there was a high chance of him taking ove
r the company. Of course, in a best-
case scenario, both Dustin and Natasha would die at Hummer Villa. That w
ay, Quentin would finally have
gotten his revenge!
“Mrs. Harmon!” The butler ran into the living room.

“So? Is there any news on Natasha?” Jessica’s heart leaped to her throat.
Though she believed the Hummers wouldn’t
do anything rash, she couldn’t be absolutely sure.
“The shadow
guards just sent word back that Ms. Harmon’s been rescued. She’s a little
roughed up but is fine
as a whole,” the butler said.
“That’s great!” Jessica heaved a sigh of relief, looking joyful.

“I knew she’d be fine! How could anything happen to her?” Ruth laughed.

Quentin gnashed his teeth, looking pissed. He’d stuck around for so long
to receive such terrible news–
what was wrong with the Hummer family? How weak could they be, allowing N
atasha to get away so easily?

“As expected, we made the right choice by mobilizing the shadow guards. O
therwise, this rescue mission
wouldn’t have been so successful.” Jessica smiled.

“Mrs. Harmon, the shadow guards weren’t the ones who rescued Ms. Harmon,”
The butler’s expression
Chapter 265
became a little odd.

“Who else could it be? Don’t tell me the Hummers voluntarily let her go.”
“The Hummers didn’t free her of their own volition, and neither
did the shadow guards
contribute to rescuing Ms. Harmon,” the butler said. “Mr. Dustin Rhys was
the one who singlehandedly saved her. He slaughtered Darkwrath, Lightwra
th, Judge, and the Hummer family’s elite army. No one in the Hummer famil
y was a match for him!”

His words dumbfounded Jessica and the others. Dustin had singlehandedly d
efeated so many people? Was he truly human?

Chapter 266
The following morning, at Peaceful Medical Center.

Dustin got up early, washed up, and started preparing breakfast. As usual
, it was his signature dish, deviled eggs. It was simple but smelled amaz
ing. He’d just brought the food to the dining table when someone walked i
n.

“Wow, that smells great!” It was Dahlia. Today, she wore a smart suit and
heels. Her hair was in a ponytail, revealing her fair and slender neck.
She looked happy to see the food. ‘Are those deviled eggs? How did you kn
ow I hadn’t had breakfast yet, Dustin? Since you prepared this for me, I
won’t stand on ceremony!” She sat down and started to dig in.

“This isn’t “Dustin was about to say something when his bedroom door swun
g open to reveal a gorgeous woman standing there.

“Darling, I’m starving. Is breakfast ready yet?” It was Natasha. She had
on an oversized shirt. As she stretched, it dipped to reveal her cleavage
. “Hmm?” She and Dahlia met each other’s gaze. They were both equally
stunned.

“What are you doing here?” they asked simultaneously. The air crackled wi
th electricity, and the tension was
so thick one could slice it with a knife.

“Dustin, what’s going on here?” Dahlia locked hostile. She could tell tha
t Natasha was wearing Dustin’s shirt. That, coupled with the fact that Na
tasha was coming out of Dustin’s room, was more than enough for even a
fool to tell that something was afoot.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not what you think.” Dustin wanted to
explain, but Natasha cut him off.

“Darling, since she’s caught us redhanded, we might as well come clean. T
here’s nothing to hide, anyway!”

“So, you slept with her? Dahlia bit her lip, looking jealous. She’d alway
s thought Dustin could keep it in his
pants; she was obviously wrong.

“Why bother asking when it’s obvious?” Natasha tugged the shirt lower to
reveal more of her cleavage.

“Nothing of the sort happened.” Dustin felt a headache coming on. “Ms. Ha
rmon was injured yesterday, so I brought her back here to treat her. Noth
ing else happened.”

Dahlia took a closer look at Natasha and noticed the wounds on her body.
Even so, she couldn’t keep the jealousy from her
tone as she said, “Why didn’t she go to a hospital if she was injured? Wh
y come here?”
“I can go wherever I want. It’s
up to me.” Natasha smirked. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you two are div
orced,

right? If so, it’s none of your business even if anything were to happen
between me and Dustin.”
“So
what if we’re divorced? We can always remarry!” Dahlia glared at her, ref
using to back down.

“Do you think marriage and divorce is a game? What do you take Dustin for
?” Natasha’s smile faded. “Ms. Nicholson, one shouldn’t be too greedy. Si
nce you’re the one who chose to give up, you should bear the
consequences accordingly.”

“Everyone makes mistakes; it’s fine as long as they realize where they we
nt wrong and correct them. I made a

Chapter 266

mistake in the past, but now, I’ll do whatever I can to make it up to him
!” Dahlia glanced at Dustin as she
spoke, seemingly hinting at something.
“Since you refuse to give up, let’s see who’s better at this.”

Chapter 267

Natasha shrugged and sat at the dining table. She pulled the deviled eggs
to her and said with a smile, “Thank you for breakfast, darling. You’re
so considerate!”

“That’s where you’re wrong. These eggs are mine.” Dahlia pulled the eggs
back. “It’s been three years, but I’ve yet to fall out of love with Dusti
n’s cooking. Besides, he knows I love deviled eggs.”

“Ms. Nicholson, stop thinking so highly of yourself. What’s in the past i
s just that–
the past. These eggs belong to me now.” Natasha didn’t back down. She dra
gged the eggs to herself again.

“Ms. Harmon, robbing someone of something they love isn’t the best habit
to have. These eggs have been cooked to my taste; they only suit me!”
“What makes you
think I don’t like deviled eggs? I love anything Dustin cooks!”
“Hmph! Just because you like them doesn’t mean they suit you!”
“It’s up to me to decide whether they’re suitable!”

The conversation between the two women became increasingly heated as they
dragged the plate of deviled eggs back and forth. Neither of them wanted
to back down. It was as if they’d lose something precious if they were t
o give in. Dustin felt a headache coming on as he watched them duke it ou
t. Honestly, he didn’t think he was worthy of their affection.

At the entrance to the guest bedroom, Caitlyn stuck her head out to peek
at the commotion. She asked in confusion. “Max, what do you think Ms. Har
mon and Ms. Nicholson are doing? Do they need
to act like this over some eggs?”

“Caitlyn, you’re too young to understand the intricacies of a relationshi
p between a man and a woman,”

Maximus mysteriously said as he stroked his chin. “They’re not fighting o
ver the eggs, but their dignity as
women!”
“Dignity?” Caitlyn still didn’t get it.

“Dustin personally cooked those eggs; whoever gets to taste them first wi
ns this round.” Maximus looked in awe. “As expected, he’s truly admirable
–beautiful women surround him, yet he remains unaffected by them.

Look, they’re about to get into a brawl, but Dustin still looks so calm a
nd collected. He truly is someone to look
up to!”

Dustin, with his sharp senses, heard this. He turned around to glare at M
aimus and Caitlyn. The two heads immediately shot back into the room. A f
ew seconds later, they sneaked out again.
“Dustin, you
decide! Who do these eggs belong to?” After an inconclusive
argument, Natasha and Dahlia

turned to look at Dustin. They looked like they wouldn’t give up until th
ey had the answer they wanted.

Faced with the toughest question he’d ever been asked, Dustin’s lips twit
ched, sweat beaded on his forehead.”

Uh these are my eggs!” he blurted out. He grabbed the plate and scooped a
ll the eggs into his mouth. With
nothing left to fight over, the crisis had been averted.
“Hmph!” The two women glared at each other before
turning away in opposite directions, still refusing to give
in to each other.
Chapter 257
*As expected of Dustin–
only he would’ve thought of such a great idea!” Maximus was in awe of Dus
tin’s ability to avert such a deadly crisis: he wanted to drop to his kne
es and worship the ground Dustin walked on. He was amazing! Perhaps this
was what a true pro was like.

Dustin was the first to break the silence after finishing the eggs. “Dahl
ia, did you come here for something?”

“Do I have to have a purpose for coming here?” Dahlia still looked miffed
.
“Uh, no.” Dustin looked a little awkward.

“I came because we’re having guests; you need to meet them with me. In fa
ct, you might make some money from this. I don’t want people saying you’r
e leeching off me.” Dahlia gave Natasha a pointed look as she spoke.

“What’s wrong with him leeching off someone? Others may not even have the
chance to do so!” Natasha didn’t
bat an eye.

Before long, the women started squabbling again.

Chapter 268
“Ms. Nicholson, did you come here because
you wanted something from me?” Dustin asked when he saw how tense the atm
osphere was.

“What, do I have to have a reason for coming here?” Dahlia glared at him.

“I didn’t mean that.” He looked awkward.
“Whatever. Let’s get down to business–
you know Dr. Rowan Cross, right? I want to ask him to examine someone.” D
ahlia stopped beating around the bush.

“Examine someone?” Dustin sized her up, then checked her pulse. Confused,
he said, “Aside from being a little out of whack, you’re fine. You just
need to control your emotions and diet.”
your period

“You’re the one who’s out of whack!” Dahlia glared at him again, her face
turning red. “I didn’t say I was the one who needed an examination–
it’s for a relative of mine who suddenly fainted yesterday. She’s been co
mplaining of a headache, but the hospital said she’s fine. She wanted Dr.
Cross to examine them just to be
sure.”

“I see.” Dustin nodded. “There’s no need to bother Dr. Cross for somethin
g as simple as that–I’m more than enough.”
“You?” Dahlia eyed him doubtfully. “Can you handle it?”

“My medical center’s been around for a number of years now. Wouldn’t it h
ave closed down long ago if I didn’t have a few tricks up my sleeve?” Dus
tin said confidently.

Dahlia was speechless. She’d never seen any patients in the dingy medical
center; how was it different from being closed down?
“We can forget about it if you don’t trust me.” Dustin shrugged.

“Who said anything about me not trusting you? You’ll do!” Dahlia said dec
isively. “I’ll be frank–
this relative of mine is a pretty big deal, so if you can cure her, it co
uld be your ticket to success. You won’t have to leech off anyone anymore
when that happens.” As she spoke, she gave Natasha a pointed look.

“What’s wrong with leeching off someone?” Natasha puffed out her chest. “
At least my darling is capable of leeching off someone–
others may not be able to do so even if they wanted to!”

Dahlia snorted. “No upstanding man would want to be at a woman’s beck and
call. Think about how humiliating that’d be!”

“What good is a man for if not to serve a woman? He can’t fool around wit
h himself, can he?” Natasha rolled
her eyes.
“Why, you-
“Dahlia was exasperated. How could this woman be so crude? She wasn’t lad
ylike in the slightest!

“Alright, that’s enough. We should focus on whatever’s ailing your relati
ve. Let’s head to the hospital.” Dustin quickly interjected when he saw t
he two women were about to start quarreling again. He dragged Dahlia out
of the medical center.
Chapter 268

“Darling, be back soon, okay? I’ll be waiting for you!” Natasha called, s
miling seductively and sending him an air kiss. At the same time, she und
id another button on her shirt to reveal more of her cleavage. Dustin sta
red at her.

“Hmph!” Dahlia stomped on his foot and gave him a warning look. He smiled
awkwardly and retracted his gaze. “Get in the car!” She stuffed him into
the car before speeding off.
“Do you think you stand a chance against me, you flat–
chested preteen?” Natasha smiled victoriously as she looked down at her v
oluptuous chest. It was enough to put any woman to shame, and none of her
future children would ever go hungry.

Half an hour later, in one of the wards at East Swinton Hospital.

“My head hurts! I feel like it’s gonna split in half!” Jane lay in a hosp
ital bed and clutched her head, occasionally smacking it to alleviate the
pain.

“Mom, hold on for a little longer. Dr. Cross will be here soon.” Dakota k
ept comforting her. Nobody knew what had happened–
Jane had suddenly passed out yesterday and kept complaining about a heada
che when she’d come to. They’d done all the examinations possible, but th
e results showed nothing was wrong with her.
“I shouldn’t have come to
this accursed place. We’ve had problem after problem since arriving. Firs
t, someone crashed into our car. Then, I got slapped for no reason at all
. Now, I’m having a terrible headache. What have I done to deserve this?”
Jane looked positively miserable.

“We’ll head home once you’re okay; we’re never coming to this dump again!
” Dakota said. Then, she turned to Florence, who stood at the ward’s entr
ance, and screeched, “What’s taking so
long? When is Dr. Cross coming? Tell him to hurry!”

“Of course, of course.” Florence didn’t dare delay. She hurried out of th
e ward, took out her phone, and was about to dial a number when she saw t
wo people approaching her–
Dahlia and Dustin. “Dahlia, you’re finally here!” Her face lit up as she
hurried toward them. “Your aunt’s headache is getting worse, and the doct
ors here are too useless to do anything about it. Dr. Cross is our only h
ope now! Where is he?” She looked around but didn’t see him.

Dahlia shook her head. “He’s busy with something else and can’t be here.”

“What? What are we gonna do, then? Florence was taken aback. Had they wai
ted for nothing?

“Dustin has some medical expertise. How about we have him give it a shot?
”
“Him?” Florence frowned. “Have you lost your mind? How can this good–
for–
nothing possibly know anything about treating a patient? Who’s gonna bear
the responsibility if anything goes wrong?”

“He cured Granddad when he was poisoned, remember? I have faith in him,”
Dahlia said firmly. She’d

misunderstood Dustin one time too many; this time, she chose to trust him
unconditionally.

“Stop this nonsense! Your grandlather only made it through because of Dr.
Cross‘ Hexanavir, it had nothing to do with this man!” Florence scowled,
looking contemptuous.
“Do you have a better idea, then?” Dahlia asked.
“Well, I- Florence had no words.
LINDRY 200

“Since we’re out of ideas, why don’t we let Dustin try? We can think of s
omething else if it doesn’t work.” Dahlia’s tone became domineering.

“Rhys, you’d better watch what you’re doing. Don’t you dare try to pass j
ust about anything off as a cure!” Florence warned. The two people in the
ward were her cash cows. If anything were to go wrong, she’d be in big t
rouble.

“Let’s see how the patient’s doing.” Dustin didn’t want to waste his brea
th on her.

“Hmph! Come with me!” Florence led Dustin and Dahlia into the ward. Once
she stepped in, her arrogance faded, replaced with a fawning smile.

“Florence, what the hell took you so long? Where is Dr. Cross?” Dakota as
ked impatiently.

“I’m here!” Florence said sycophantically, gesturing to the people behind
her. “Behold the doctor we’ve brought!

“Huh?” Dakota and Jane looked up, then exclaimed in unison. “It’s you?”

Chapter 269

“It’s you!” Dakota was momentarily taken aback when she recognized Dustin
. Similarly, he looked at her funny with a hint of astonishment. Never ha
d he expected that the two B*tches were the relatives that Dahlia had

mentioned to him. What a small world!

“Oh, did you know each other?” Dahlia’s quizzical gaze traveled between t
he two.

“Not only are we acquainted,” Dakota hissed through clenched teeth, “He’s
also the guy who beat us up yesterday!”
“What?” Everyone was surprised to learn that.
“Um, Dakota, did you get the wrong
person?” Florence questioned cautiously.

“No! How could I? I’d recognize him even if he turned into ashes! I also
suspect my mom’s gotten a headache from his slap!” Dakota seemed merciles
s.

“Right! I must have fallen sick because of that slap! Get someone to arre
st him!” Jane was bellowing in bed. She had been unable to put yesterday’
s events behind her, and she was extremely furious upon meeting her
enemy again.

“Dustin, what’s the matter? Why did you hit them?” Dahlia was baffled to
learn that he had a grudge against
Jane and Dakota when she introduced him to her Glenstead relatives.

“They deserved it, Dustin replied bluntly. “They reversed and crashed int
o another car, almost killing the victim. But they acted unreasonably lik
e two bullies. I slapped them across their faces because I couldn’t
stand them anymore.”
“You rascal! Do you
know who they are? How dare you hit them?” Florence was incensed to learn
that Dustin had laid a finger on her two Goddesses of Fortune. She took
it as a personal affront as well.

“Don’t waste your time talking to him! Call the police now!” Dakota seeth
ed resentfully.

“No, wait!” Dahlia jumped out to stop her. “This might be a huge misunder
standing. There’s no need to make this a bigger issue than it is. Why don
’t we have Dustin work on Aunt Jane’s illness to make up for his
mistake?”

“Hmph! Nobody needs his help!” Jane spat on the ground. “Just look at his
behavior. What if he makes things worse? Will anyone take the responsibi
lity?”

“That works. I have no intention to cure you either,” Dustin said in an
unperturbed manner. “Oh, by the way, do not forget what I told you before
–
headaches on the first day, coughing up blood on the second day, and para
lysis on the third day. You’ll suffer a sudden death on the fourth day. S
ince today is the second day, it will not take long before you start coug
hing up blood. By that time, you’ll have to leave your fate in the hands
of
God.”
“Y–y–
you’re a jinx! Quit the nonsense! As Jane trembled in anger, her headache
worsened as well.
“See? Did you hear him? How dare he curse my mom! This is an order–
get him
arrested! If you don’t. I’ll hold you accountable! Dakota started orderin
g people around. Florence’s face fell, and she yelled at Dustin,” Dustin
Rhys! Apologize to them now! If you don’t, I will not go easy on you!”
Chapter 269

“Apologize to them? They don’t deserve it.” Dustin chortled. “If anything
, they should be apologizing to me. It they do that, I might consider sav
ing the mother.”

“Bullshit! Who do you think you are? You aren’t qualified to treat my mom
!”

“Yeah! With our status, we can hire any skilled doctors we want! We don’t
need you showing off here!”

Jane and Dakota were being stubborn. In their eyes, an ordinary man like
Dustin had no business attending to
their medical needs.

“Hah! Sure, keep being stubborn, I do hope you don’t have to beg me in th
e end.” Dustin chuckled with a shake of his head.

“Beg you? What a joke!” Jane sneered. “Look, even if I am suffering from
a horrible headache or in so much pain to the point of jumping off a buil
ding. I still wouldn’t give in to you!”

“Okay. We shall see.” Without further ado, Dustin took leave. Dahlia frow
ned at his exit, but after a moment of hesitation, she ran after him.

After they left, James brought in an old man dressed in a cloak and dashe
d into the bedroom. “Mom! The skilled doctor you asked for is here!”
“The skilled doctor? Where is he?” Florence asked in a hurry.

James jumped aside and presented the old man in a cloak, introducing him,
“This is Dr. Fenton Reyes from Bloomington Medical Center in Stonia. He’
s a veteran in his field and had ancestors who were royal
physicians! No doubt, his skills are legendary!”

“Royal physicians?”

Chapter 270

Florence, Jane, and Dakota were delighted by the doctor’s presence. They
could tell that he came from an

impressive background just from how James described him. Jane and Dakota
believed they deserved the best. such as seeing a skilled doctor like Fen
ton Reyes.

“James. Dr. Reyes is a legend in Stonia. How did you get him to show up?”
Florence asked curiously.

James smiled. “Well, it wasn’t me. It was Mr. Langford who arranged for D
r. Reyes to see Aunt Jane.”
“Mr. Langford?” Florence’s eyes lit up upon hearing the name.

Luis Langford was an aristocrat from Stonia who wielded great wealth and
influence. He was also well-
connected in the military and the government. More importantly, the Lang
ford family was a close friend of the Nicholson family of Glenstead, Morc
over, the Glenstead Nicholsons were greatly interested in an arranged mar
riage between Luis and Dahlia. In other words, if Dahlia was willing, she
could marry into
the wealthy Langford family in no time, elevating the entire family to gr
eater heights!

“That’s very thoughtful of Mr. Langford! He immediately asked for a skill
ed doctor to see my mom after hearing about her sickness. This way, Dr. R
eyes!” Dakota led the old man to Jane’s bed.
He asked, “Where are you hurting?”

“I have a headache! My head feels like it’s splitting in hall!” Jane scru
nched up her face. She seemed feeble and lifeless.

“I’ll take a look.” The old man carefully placed his stethoscope on Jane.
A few moments later, he replied, There doesn’t seem to be an issue. I as
sume you are just sleep–
deprived and stressed out.” With that, he took out a medicine bottle and
poured three white pills. “Take one pill a day for three days, and you’ll
be fine.”

*Awesome! Thank you. Dr. Reyes.” Jane was beyond joyful. Florence took th
e chance to suck up to the doctor,” You’re indeed the legendary Dr. Reyes
! You managed to cure an illness that has gotten many doctors in a bind!

“Hmph! That Rhys guy was fear–
mongering when he said my mom would cough up blood! He’s talking crap. A
fake like him should be dealt with!” Dakota said unhappily.”

“Right! When I’m recovered, I will get him!” Jane swallowed a pill. Howev
er, her headache only worsened after that, to the point where she was in
greater pain and drenched in cold sweat.

As she was about to question the doctor, she coughed violently, her face
red from the exertion.

“Mom! What happened? Are you okay?” Dakota asked her with concern. Soon,
Jane opened her mouth and coughed up a mouthful of blood that splattered
across her face.
“What was that?”

Everyone in the room was shocked by Jane’s declining condition. They exch
anged confused glances with each other.

A frantic Dakota hurriedly called for the doctor. “Dr. Reyes, what’s wron
g? Why did she cough up blood?”
Chapter 270

“That’s odd. I’ll take another look.” The old man furrowed his brow and w
ent ahead with the checkup. Not long

after, his expression became grim as he sighed. “I am sorry. Your mother
has a terminal illness. She’s in the late stage. I’m afraid she doesn’t h
ave much time left.”

“Huh? A terminal illness?” The people in the room were stunned. Didn’t Dr
. Reyes just say that Jane would be line? Why did he suddenly change his
diagnosis?

“I am not knowledgeable enough to help you with this. I shall take my lea
ve now.” The old man hung his head in shame. Then, he shook his head and
stood up to leave. The others stared at him agape and panicked soon
after.

“Headaches on the first day, coughing up blood on the second day, and par
alysis on the third day. Was that guy right?” Jane mumbled to herself and
suddenly broke into a scream. “Quick! Get Dustin Rhys back here!

Now!”

Chapter 271

Dahlia caught up with Dustin at the hospital entrance and pulled on his a
rm. “Hey! Stop! You’re walking too fast. I almost couldn’t catch up!”

“I’m really sorry. I can’t handle those relatives of yours. You should ge
t some other doctor to deal with them.” Dustin remarked coolly. He was av
ersed to the two difficult women and refused to engage with them.

“Did I force you to cure Aunt Jane? Why are you being sensitive?” She rol
led her eyes at him.
“Well, I thought

“What? Did you think I’m an unreasonable woman who’d force you to grovel
at them?” she scoffed.

“No, I didn’t.” He flashed an embarrassed smile at her, feeling rather un
easy at her newfound considerate personality.

“Alright. I know they’re in the wrong. Just stay away from them in the fu
ture.” She dispensed a kind reminder.” They’re from a wealthy and powerfu
l family in Glenstead. Even Natasha Harmon couldn’t protect you if you
get into trouble with them.”

“Is that so? They sound quite remarkable, then.” He smiled carelessly.
“They’re
beyond remarkable! The three powerful families in Glenstead are steeped i
n history, dating back to a few centuries ago. They are well–
connected in the military, government, and business field–
living up to their reputation!” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ea
r. “Well, I had planned to bring you along and suck up to them. I didn’t
know you got into a fight with them. What can I say, except that you’ve m
issed the opportunity to get rich!”
“Oh, no thanks. I don’t need that opportunity.” He shrugged.

“Hmph! Seems like you don’t appreciate my help at all!” She rolled her ey
es at him once more, but a little
flirtatious this time.

“Hey! Dustin Rhys! Stop!” Dakota emerged out of nowhere, drenched in swea
t. “My mom coughed up blood just now! I’m telling you to get back there a
nd check on her!” To catch up to Dustin, she opted to use the stairs

instead of the elevator, which explained her current breathless state.

“Oh, I recall that someone has vowed not to seek my help even if she has
to jump from a building in pain! Why did she take back her word?” he mock
ed.

“Quit the nonsense! Do what I tell you to!” She glared at him. “I will wr
ite off the slap if you cure her, and
I’ll grant you a chance to forge a connection with us.”

In her eyes, the chance to suck up to her family was a rare opportunity f
or a worthless man like Dustin Rhys.

“Well, sorry. I don’t care for that opportunity.” He looked unbothered.

“Dustin Rnys! Think carefully. Not everyone gets a chance like this! You
should feel honored that I granted you the chance!” Dakota tossed her hea
d. A spolled princess from a
young age, she was accustomed to acting. arrogant and getting showered wi
th compliments everywhere she went.
Chapter 271

“No. That is too great of an honor,” he turned her down without hesitatio
n.

“You’d better not think too highly of yourself! I wouldn’t have stopped y
ou if you weren’t a half–decent doctor.
Don’t be delusional!” She frowned at him.
“If so, please leave. I shall not see you out,” he said with a shrug.
“You-” She choked
on anger at Dustin’s stubbornness. She would have gotten him torn apart i
f they were in

Glenstead. “Dustin Rhys, what will it take for you to help us? Give us an
offer if money is what you want!”
Dakota hissed.

“Want me to save your mom? I can do that on the condition that both of yo
u apologize to me. I’ll also
need handwritten apology letters!” he suggested with a calm expression.

“An apology? Dream on!” His words fanned her anger. “Who do you think you
are? You have no right to ask us for an apology!” The Nicholsons were ar
istocratic and different from the lowly peasant class that Dustin Rhys be
longed to. There was no way for the aristocratic Dakota to give in to his
demand!

“If you refuse, let’s drop this matter. Please get a better doctor for yo
ur mom.” He did not care at all.

“You don’t have to scare us! With our connections, we can hire any skille
d doctor we need! I am offering you a chance to redeem yourself, but if y
ou don’t appreciate it, don’t blame me for making you pay!”

Chapter 272
“Once my Mom is cured, we’ll hash out
our past and present grievances together!” Dakota said in a sharp tone, h
er eyes ferocious.

“Knock yourself out.” Dustin shrugged nonchalantly.

“You” Dakota choked out. She was grashing her teeth so hard that the grin
ding was audible, but she couldn’t do anything anyway.
While they were both in a stand–
cft, a sudden uproar broke out near the hospital entrance. They raised th
eir heads to find a fully armed motorcade bulldozing their way over.

The motorcade was from the military, and it was a huge spectacle. All the
guards sitting on top were armed and radiating murderous energy. Everywh
ere they passed, people and cars parted to make way for them.

“That’s strange. What is the military doing? Could they be here to arrest
some outlaw?” Dahlia looked around in confusion.
Dakota also locked perplexed.
At that moment, the commander ordered, “Hurry, surround them now!”

The guards got down from the motorcade and instantly encircled Dustin and
the two women. Seeing the muzzle of the guns lined up next to each other
gave them chills.

“Huh?” Dahlia was startled, and her face paled. She had been ready to wat
ch the show. Never in a million. years did she expect that these guards w
ould be encircling them instead.

“Don’t panic. This has nothing to do with you. They’re here for me.” Dust
in swept his gaze over the guards. He already had a plan in mind.

“They’re here to arrest you? Why?” Dahlia asked, flabbergasted.

She couldn’t understand what kind of crime the man in front of her had co
mmitted that could incite the military’s arrival.
“It’s just a trivial matter. It’s nothing.” Dustin smiled mildly.
“A trivial matter?” Dahlia frowned.
The military was here for him, and he still called it
a trivial matter?

“Dustin, you committed the heinous crime of murder in broad daylight! We
have been ordered to arrest you and
bring you to justice! If you resist, you
will be killed!” the commander said with a cool face..

The murderous vibe he was exuding scared the wits out of Dahlia. “Command
er, is there some kind of misunderstanding?” she asked tentatively.

“Unrelated persons are to make way at once! Otherwise, you will be charge
d with the same crimes!” the commander said mercilessly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You should go home first.” Dustin placed a ha
nd on Dahlia’s shoulder and smiled

Chapter 272
gently.
“I —” Dahlia said hesitantly.
How could this huge spectacle be nothing?
But she couldn’t help in any way right now.

“Rhys, I bet you never thought this day would come!” At that moment, Dako
ta suddenly laughed, taking pleasure in his misfortune. “You must have co
mmitted a huge crime to have sparked the military into coming here. Now,
I’ll give you another chance. If you cure my mother’s illness and then ap
ologize to me, I’ll agree to

save you.”

Chapter 273
“I don’t need it.” Dustin said, rejecting Dakota outright.

“You don’t need it?” When Dakota heard his answer, she was stunned. She n
ever thought that even at this moment of life and death, Dustin would sti
ll dare to reject her. Did he really not want to live anymore?

“Dustin, don’t make decisions based on your emotions!” Dahlia tugged on h
is sleeve, trying to talk some sense into him. “I don’t care what crime y
ou committed, but your life is important. The Nicholson family has connec
tions in the military: only she can save you now!”

“She can’t save me, and I don’t need her saving.” Dustin shook his head.
Judging from the license plates and
flags, this troop was from the Balerno Military. The people in Glanstead
couldn’t do anything. Not to mention, Edwin had to pull strings to send t
his huge troop after him. He wouldn’t let Dustin get away that easily.

“Hmph! You’re already on death’s door, yet you’re still so stubborn!” Dak
ota jutted her chin out derisively. “It seems like you still haven’t gras
ped the severity of the problem. I dare guarantee that without the help o
f the Nicholsons, you’ll be rotting in there for life!”

“Dustin, I’m begging you, alright? Agree to her terms!” Dahlia urged anxi
ously.
An average citizen couldn’t fight an officer. The high–
ranking officers in the military could easily squash a civilian. With jus
t one word, they could have them buried six feet under.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m just going in to have a cup of tea
. I believe I’ll be out in no time, so you should just go home.” Dustin s
aid with a small smile.

The military had come all the way here, so of course, he had to show them
some respect.

“Enough yapping! Take him away!” The commander had obviously run out of p
atience and ordered his men to cuff Dustin and push him into the car.

Then, with a troop of guards in tow, they made a grand exit. The entire p
rocess had been so simple and straight to the point. No one had been drag
ging their feet.

Dahlia was extremely anxious, but she couldn’t do anything to help. With
her network, she couldn’t even reach the high–
ranking officials in the military, much less get them to save someone. As
if she thought of something. she turned to Dakota and begged, “Dakota, y
ou have a wide network. Can you help Dustin and break him out?”

“I’ve already given him a chance, but he wouldn’t accept my kind gesture.
It’s none of my business!” Dakota
said huffily.
“Even if you don’t care about
Dustin, you have to think about your mother,” Dahlia said, changing the s
ubject.

“Well…” Dakota frowned. She didn’t care whether Dustin lived or died, but
her mother was now suffering from a terminal illness, just like Dustin h
ad said. If he kicked the bucket, then wouldn’t her mother be at high ris
k?

“If I save him, are you sure he’ll treat my mother?” Dakota asked doubtfu
lly.
“I promise that he definitely will! Dahlia said with a serious face.

“Alright, I’ll trust you this time!” Dakota nodded. Then, she took out he
r phone and began to contact some
Chapter 273
people.

A few of the Nicholson family members were working in the military. To he
r, this small favor was clearly not an
issue at all.

At that moment, Natasha was lying down on the lounge chair in Peaceful Me
dical Center, sipping her tea
slowly like a dignified owner of a medical center.
“Natasha, something happened!” Ruth barged into the room in a panic.

Chapter 274
“What’s the matter?” Natasha said, slightly stunned.

“I just received word that Dustin has been
arrested by the military!” In a no–
nonsense manner, Ruth quickly gave a simple explanation of what happened.

After Natasha heard the whole story, her face instantly grew solemn. “Usi
ng the
military to arrest him? It seems like the one behind this comes from a de
cent background.”

“Natasha, do you think the Hummers did this?” Ruth asked, frowning slight
ly. “Yesterday, Dustin went on a killing spree at the Hummers and even cr
ippled Edwin’s son. The Hummers definitely won’t let this go easily.”

“It definitely has something to do with them. However, just Edwin’s netwo
rk alone is clearly not enough to invoke the power of the military. I’m g
uessing the Grant family must have played a hand in this,” Natasha said t
houghtfully.

Jade was Joshua’s fiancé. Considering their relationship, there was no wa
y the Grant family would sit around and do nothing. As one of the Tremend
ous Three, the Grant family had immense power over the Belarno Military.
Taking care of someone with no backing would be far too easy.

Although she already knew that Dustin would be in trouble, she didn’t exp
ect it to be so soon.
“Natasha, what do we do now?‘ Ruth asked hesitantly.

“Go and find out where Dustin is being locked up. Leave the rest to me.”
As soon as Natasha finished
speaking, she turned around and went out the door.

She knew that the battle was starting. This time, she was going to fight
the Hummers to the death!

Meanwhile, at the Hummer Villa, Joshua lay on the bed, his face ashen. Hi
s arms were wrapped in thick bandages, and he looked listless.

Next to him sat an old man that was only skin and bones. He was completel
y focused on administering

treatment, droplets of sweat beading on his forehead. Edwin and Tina watc
hed silently from the door, not daring to make a noise for fear of distur
bing him.

The old man in front of him was none other than the miracle doctor, Dr. R
owan Cross!

After a long time, Rowan finally stood. Edwin couldn’t stop himself from
speaking up. “Dr. Cross, how is my
son?”

“Mr. Hummer, I have reattached your son’s arms. It’s just that from today
onward, he won’t be able to lift heavy things anymore.” Rowan dabbed the
sweat on his forehead.

“What about his internal injuries? Can his injured core recover?” Edwin p
ressed. Whether or not he could restore his cultivation was the most impo
rtant part.
It concerned his son’s future.

“The core is not like the arms; restoring it would be very difficult. Nev
ertheless, I can continue to research any

ancient methods that could work,” Rowan said, not making any promises.

“Then please, Dr. Cross, do everything that you can. Once it’s done, our
family will reward you handsomely!” Edwin said gratefully. As long as the
re was a glimmer of hope left, they couldn’t give up so easily.

“Hmph, it’s all that damn Dustin’s fault! How could he hurt my brother so
badly? I’m going to rip him to shreds! * Tina grumbled fiercely.
“Wait a minute
Rowan paused. “Did you just say Dustin hurt your brother?”
“That’s right! It was that animal!” Tina nodded heavily.

When Rowan heard that, his face darkened, and he said coldly, “Based on
my observation, your brother cannot be treated. He’ll just be a cripple f
or the rest of his life. You should hope for the best. Farewell!”
With that, he left with his medical kit.

Both father and daughter looked at each other, unable to understand what
had just gone down.
What the F*ck just happened?

He’d been very pleasant earlier, so why did his demeanor change in a blin
k of an eye?
Were all miracle doctors this moody?

As Rowan walked out of the Hummer Villa, he didn’t forget to turn around
and spit on the ground, cursing.”

How
dare you ask me to treat your family after you wronged my savior? Eat shi
t!”

Chapter 275

At the drill ground of a military base. Dustin had been chained to a pill
ar by several thick chains made of darksteel, which was extremely malleab
le yet also durable. The blazing sun shone down on him, and he was surrou
nded by a troop of armed forces. They scrutinized his every action warily
.

Dustin didn’t seem bothered by it. He merely allowed himself to remain ch
ained, looking poker–faced. His calmness surprised the soldiers–
any ordinary person would’ve peed their pants long ago. It seemed there w
as something special about him.

“So, you’re Dustin Rhys?” At this moment, a man in a deputy general’s uni
form walked over with a troop of soldiers behind him. He had a beer belly
and a round face.

“Don’t tell me you captured me without even knowing who I am,” Dustin sai
d coolly.

“Cut the crap! Answer the general’s question!” one of the military office
rs roared.
“Fine. Yes, I’m Dustin Rhys.”

“Good, good. The man nodded. “Since we didn’t get the wrong guy, let’s st
art by giving him 50 military whips. It’ll also act as a deterrent to oth
ers like him.”

The military officers with him subconsciously winced at his words. Milita
ry whips weren’t the same as normal whips–an ordinary person would
faint from three to five military whips; ten were enough to make one feel
like one had a foot in the grave. If one were fortunate enough to surviv
e 20 whips, they’d probably have to spend the rest of their life in a whe
elchair. As for 50 whips. No one had survived it thus far. It looked like
he was out for Dustin’s life!
“Hold on,” Dustin suddenly said. “You’re a
whip me without asking a single question?”

general, aren’t you? Don’t you think it’s a little against protocol to
The round–
faced man gave him an arrogant look. “My words are the only protocol to f
ollow here–
I’m the one who calls the shots over your life and death, you peasant. Yo
u don’t even have the right to say no.”

“I suppose that means you’re gonna abuse your power.” Dustin narrowed his
eyes.

“So what if I am? I have hundreds of guns aimed at you. Do you think you
stand a chance against them?” The round–faced man scoffed.

“Quality over quantity. Having that many guns doesn’t actually mean anyth
ing.” Dustin shook his head.
The round–faced man sneered. “Putting up a brave
front, are we? You’ll regret this when you’re on the brink of death! Whip
him!” He waved a hand.
Before long, a burly man walked over with a steel whip in
hand. Salt water dripped from it–it would make the wounds burn even more.
‘T’ll ask you one last time before you do anything else–
who sent you here?” Dustin asked.
“I did!” Someone walked out from behind the round–
faced man and lowered her hood. It was Jade. “I bet you didn’t expect to
end up in my hands, Rhys!” She sneered, “You were so obnoxious last night
, but so what? You’re nothing but my prisoner now!”

Chapter 275

“What happened last night was between me and the Hummer family. I’d advis
e you to stay out of it,” Dustin
said coolly.

Jade snorted. “Joshua’s my fiancé: I want nothing more than to skin you a
live for crippling him!”

“Joshua deserved what he got. You shouldn’t do anything to jeopardize you
rself.”

Jade laughed derisively. “I don’t think you understand your predicament.
Your life and death are in my hands- how dare you threaten me!”

“Believe what you may. I just hope you don’t regret this.” Dustin didn’t
want to waste his breath.
“Keep this up. I’d like to
see whether you’ll still be this arrogant when you’re bruised and battere
d!” Jade looked at him like he was already dead to her.

“Alright, that’s enough talking. Jade, don’t waste your breath on him. Le
t’s just sit and watch the show.” The round–
faced man waved a hand. Soon, some military officers brought a table and
two chairs over. The round-
faced man gestured for them to be placed in the shade. Then, he and Jade
sat down. “Well, what are you waiting for? Whip him with all you’ve got!
‘
With that, the burly man got to work and started whipping.

Chapter 276

Each of the burly man’s whips landed with a loud crack; they could be hea
rd from miles away. Jade laughed derisively at the sound and exclaimed, “
He’s doing a great job!” Dustin had been so obnoxious the night before, c
rashing the Hummer Villa and slaughtering their men. She had
to make him pay for it!

“Jade, you must’ve been exaggerating when you said this brat was hard to
deal with.” The round–faced man

snorted. “Look, he’s nothing more than a prisoner with his life in my han
ds.”

“He’s an extremely powerful martial artist, just so you know. There were
several people at the Hummer Villa

last night, but none stood a chance against him.” Jade was still shaken f
rom the previous night’s events.

“Ha. No matter how powerful he is, he’s only a martial artist. Do you thi
nk he’ll be able to withstand my troops? “The round–
faced man looked contemptuous. “Over the years, the military’s captured p
lenty of martial artists renowned for their prowess. Still, haven’t they
ultimately yielded to the military’s authority?”

“I suppose you’re right.” Jade nodded. The martial world was separate fro
m the government, but it wasn’t an
organized entity. How could it go up against the authorities?

As they spoke, the burly man continued to whip Dustin. It cracked loudly,
but Dustin didn’t bat an eye. Instead, the whip shattered from the force
. “What the hell?” The burly man was dumbfounded. The steel whip had been
specially forged and tested against blades and flames to ensure it
was basically unbreakable. Why had it shattered after being used to whip
someone? Could Dustin possibly be forged from some precious metal?

The burly man scrutinized Dustin, but it only added to his confusion. He’
d already whipped Dustin at least a dozen times; any ordinary human would
already be mutilated, but Dustin looked perfectly fine. His clothes were
in tatters, but there wasn’t the slightest sign of an injury. It was as
if he hadn’t even been whipped.

“What the F*ck?” The burly man broke into a cold sweat. He’d done this fo
r years, but this was his first time being in this situation.
“What’s going on? Why has the whipping stopped?” The round–
faced man finally stopped chit–chatting and
noticed something was wrong.
“S–sir the whip broke.” The burly man gulped.

“Get another one, then! Don’t stop until you’re done with the 50 whips!”
the round–faced man berated.

“Yes, sir!” The burly man didn’t dare delay. He had someone bring him ano
ther steel whip before whipping Dustin again as if his life depended on i
t. After a while, the second whip shattered, just like the first had.

“What in the “The burly man couldn’t believe his eyes. Shattering one whi
p could be described as a coincidence; shattering two was an ominous sign
. He was starting to think there was something about Dustin that made him
impossible to whip.
“Why have you stopped again? Go on!” the round–
faced man urged impatiently.

“Sir, the whip broke again.” The burly man looked like he was in a dilemm
a.
“What? How F*cking useless can you be? I’ll do it myself!” the round–
faced man spat. He ordered a soldier to bring him another steel whip befo
re storming over to Dustin. He started whipping him without
the slightest hesitance, but he’d only swung the whip a few times when it
shattered.

At this moment, Dustin, who’d been lying there with his eyes shut, opened
his eyes and asked, “Are you done?
If you are, can I get something to eat? I’m feeling a little hungry.”

Chapter 277
“What?” The round–
faced man stared at Dustin, who was cool as a cucumber, in shock. He knew
very well how

much the steel whip could withstand and how much pain it could cause. Not
even the strongest of men could

take more than ten whips in one go, yet Dustin looked perfectly fine afte
r enduring more than that. In fact, he’d
made three whips shatter. What the hell was going
on? “Brat, what sort of sorcery do you have going on?” he
snarled.

“Look, cut the crap and do what you need to.” Dustin yawned. His nonchala
nce made the round–faced man’s
blood boil.
“F*cking hell. I’d like to see you survive this!” The round–
faced man swiped his subordinate’s sword and

swung it at Dustin. There were two loud clangs as the blade came into con
tact with Dustin’s body twice; he
was fine, but the blade became chipped.

“Is that is that an Adamantine Shield?” Jade’s eyes widened. As a member
of the martial world, she

immediately realized what was up. The fact that Dustin could make himself
impermeable to weapons proved

that he’d learned the art of defense. However, it would take a huge toll
on one’s internal energy. Most martial

artists wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long. “Regular weapons won’t d
o anything to him. We have to bring in
a pro.” Jade said.
“Hmph! I’ll admit this brat isn’t your run–of–the–
mill martial artist; it’s no wonder you guys had problems dealing with hi
m. It’s too bad he’s up against me, though!” The round–
faced man narrowed his eyes.
“Do you have any way of dealing with him?” Jade asked tentatively.

“We soldiers are only good at taking down enemy forces; torture devices a
ren’t our forte. It doesn’t matter,

though. I know someone in the Ministry of Penalties that’s an expert in t
his. Once he’s here, this brat will beg
for death!” The round–faced man bared his teeth in a savage grin.
“Oh? And who is this expert?” Jade’s eyes lit up.

“One of the Ministry of Penalties‘ two most powerful executioners, Bloodb
east!”

“Wait, you know him?” Jade gasped. She wasn’t a member of the authorities
but had still heard of Bloodbeast.

Rumor had it that he murdered people without blinking an eye and loved dr
inking human blood. Throughout

his career with the Ministry of Penalties, hundreds, if not thousands, of
people had died at his hands. Each and

every one of them had died horrible deaths after being subject to inhuman
e torture: anyone who found

themselves in his hands truly wished for death. That was why most crimina
ls chose to take their lives before
landing in Bloodbeast’s hands–
at least their deaths would be swift and painless.

“Torturing others is Bloodbeast’s favorite pastime, and he’s taken a part
icular liking for tormenting powerful martial
artists because of how hard they are to kill. Someone like this brat is r
ight up his alley!” The round-
faced man’s eyes gleamed menacingly.

“This brat won’t stand a chance against Bloodbeast, no matter how imperme
able he is! Provided you can get Bloodbeast to agree to this, of course.”
Jade sneered. She wasn’t asking for much–all she wanted was for
Dustin to be subject to the most inhumane torture possible.
“I’ll contact him right now.” The round–
faced man pulled out his phone and started punching in a number.

Chapter 277

“Enjoy your final moments of peace, Rhys! Once Bloodbeast is here, you’ll
be done for!” Jade looked at Dustin contemptuously. He’d talked about ka
rma biting one in the ass, hadn’t he? She wanted him to have a taste of h
is own medicine!

Dustin couldn’t even be bothered to spare a glance. He shut his eyes, tak
ing the chance to rest them.
.

“Jade, it’s far too hot, standing in the sun. Let’s go sit in the shade.
The round–faced man led Jade over to the
table after hanging up.

After a moment. Dustin suddenly said. “Hey, I’m hungry. Is there anything
to eat?”
“Hungry, are you? Someone get him some refreshments!” The round–
faced man smirked. Soon, a soldier
placed some food and drinks by Dustin’s feet.
“How am I supposed to eat when I’m bound like this? Can
you loosen them?” Dustin asked coolly.

The round–
faced man burst into derisive laughter. “Giving you some sustenance is
the extent of my generosity; it’s not my problem if you can’t reach it. S
ince you’re so powerful, why don’t you try breaking free of the chains?”

Chapter 278

“Are those chains enough to keep him bound? He’s a lot more powerful than
he seems. What if he really

breaks free?” Jade asked.

“Don’t worry. Our chains are all forged from darksteel and
are designed to withstand any force. Not even an

elephant would be able to break free, let alone a human. Now that he’s bo
und, he won’t be able to get away
from them without the key!” the round–
faced man said confidently. He’d seen his fair share of powerful martial
artists; none of them had successfully broken free from the darksteel cha
ins.

“Well, that’s good to know.” Jade sighed in relief. However, the words we
re barely out of her mouth when she heard the sound of the chains breakin
g. She whipped around to look at Dustin–
he’d only stretched, but the chains already lay at his feet in pieces.
“What the F*ck?” The round–faced man was so shocked that he dropped
his pastry. Jade also looked dumbfounded. What happened to the chains bei
ng made of darksteel and able to withstand any force? How
could Dustin have snapped them so easily? The round–
faced man quickly returned to his senses and
commanded, “Hurry up and circle him!”
At his command, the armed
soldiers dashed over and surrounded Dustin. He looked unruffled, though.
“Relax, I

just want to eat.” He plopped onto the floor and started eating the food
placed there.
The round–
faced man gaped at him. What the hell was this brat capable of? How could
he be so relaxed when
so many guns were aimed at him?
When Dustin was done eating, he was chained and
bound again. This time, however, double the number of chains were used–
he resembled a taco by the time they were done with him. Even so, the rou
nd–faced man didn’t let his guard down. He had his men keep an eye on
Dustin at all times. If Dustin were to make any false moves, he would imm
ediately be shot.

After a long time, a military–
use Jeep entered the military base and stopped at the drill ground. A ski
nny, middle–
aged man got out leisurely. Despite his thin stature, his aura gave one t
he chills, and his eyes made
one’s hair stand on end.

Jade’s mind went blank when she met his eyes. She felt like she’d caught
the eye of a savage beast who would pounce on her at any moment. A trace
of fear bubbled up from the depths of her heart.
“Mr. Bloodbeast!” The round–
faced man hurried forward with a bright smile when he saw him. “Forgive m
e for not giving you a proper welcome. It’s a pleasure to see you here.”

“Let’s cut to the chase, General Jenkins. I’ve been bored lately, and it’
s time to spice things up. Where’s the tough cookie you mentioned?” Blood
beast didn’t beat around the bush.
“Right here! He’s the one bound to the pillar.” The round–
faced man pointed at Dustin.

Bloodbeast’s gaze traveled in the direction he pointed. He squinted at Du
stin and said, “Odd. He seems rather
familiar.”

“Oh? Small world, isn’t it? The fact that he’s familiar to you means you
two were destined to meet. I only hope you’ll show him a good time, Mr. B
loodbeast.” The round–faced man smiled menacingly.

Bloodbeast chuckled. “Why, of course. It’s my pleasure, and I’ll only be
doing what I love. I hope he doesn’t disappoint.” He pulled out a canvas
bag and poured its contents out.
There were various delicate–
looking instruments of torture. They were shaped oddly; most people would
live out their lives without laying eyes on them. Only members of the Mi
nistry of Penalties would know what these instruments meant–
the more delicate they were, the more horrific the results they produced.

Chapter 279
“Huh?”

General Jenkins and Jade were stunned as they watched Bloodbest suddenly
drop to his knees. They looked

at each other, taken aback.
What was he doing?

He was perfectly fine just a moment ago, so why was he kneeling on the fl
oor now?
Was he saying a prayer before he tortured him?

Compared to the others‘ surprised expressions, the skinny man appeared te
rrified, his face drenched in cold
sweat.

As a student of the Executioner, he couldn’t possibly be oblivious to the
true meaning of the kirin tattoo.
In the
entire world, the black kirin tattoo was one of a kind. Not to mention, i
t had already become a symbol of power!

No wonder that person looked familiar. No wonder he dared to call the Exe
cutioner by his real name.

It turned out that this person was the Kirin of the Rhys family, who almo
st incited chaos that could have devastated an entire nation ten years ag
o!
Shit! What kind of sins had he committed?
He’d actually run into a harbinger of doom of this magnitude!

No! While the shitstorm hadn’t hit, he had to escape as soon as possible!
“Mr. Bloodbeast, what’s the matter? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Watching the skinny man’s knees buckle, General Jenkins immediately rushe
d over and tried to help him up.

“F*ck, it’s all your fault!” Bloodbeast flew into a rage. He raised his h
and and delivered a harsh slap across
General Jenkins‘ face.
General Jenkins staggered backward, nearly
losing his balance. “Mr. Bloodbeast, why. Why did you hit me?” He cupped
his stinging face, unable to process what had just happened.

“Why did I hit you? You should be grateful I didn’t slaughter you! What d
id I ever do to you? If you’re so F*cking suicidal, you don’t have to dra
g
me down with you!” The skinny man kicked General Jenkins to the ground. T
hen, he grabbed his bag and fled.

He even dropped his torture tools but didn’t dare turn around to pick the
m up, acting as if he’d run into a ghost.

“Huh?” General Jenkins was once again dazed. Just what had scared Bloodbe
ast–the infamous ruthless killer -into fleeing for his life?
“How
did things turn out this way?” Jade’s eyes widened in disbelief. She had
initially thought that Bloodbeast could help her get her revenge. In the
end, even before he’d used his torture tools, he’d run away for some
reason.
Chapter 279
What was going on?

“Punk, what the hell did you do? How did you manage to make Bloodbeast sp
are you?!” General Jenkins‘ gaze
shifted to Dustin, glaring fiercely.

He’d been a distance away earlier, so he couldn’t hear their conversation
.
“You have me tied up: what could I have possibly done?” Dustin asked.

Since Bloodbeast was Albert’s student, it was no surprise that he had rec
ognized the kirin tattoo on his back.

“Hmph, that had better be the case!” General Jenkins glowered. Then, he t
urned to Jade and whispered, “Jade, this bastard seems to know the dark a
rts. Are you sure he’s a nobody?”

The way Bloodbeast had left was too strange; he couldn’t help but feel su
spicious.

I’ve already looked into him. He’s just a small fry who was once someone’
s live–in son–in–
law. Now, he’s nothing but a parasite, leeching off the Harmon family. We
don’t need to be afraid of him,” Jade said with certainty.

With the Grant family’s influence, looking into Dustin had been a piece o
f cake. Hence, she was very sure that
Dustin didn’t come from a powerful background.

“Well that’s rather strange,” General Jenkins said, looking thoughtful.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared?” Jade frowned. “Considering your status, do
n’t tell me you can’t take care of that pipsqueak?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. As if I’m scared of him!”

Chapter 280

General Jenkins puffed out his chest and declared arrogantly, “I am none
other than the Deputy General of the White Tiger Army, under the command
of Chief General Spanner. No matter who that bastard may be, I can

take him down easily. Just wait and see!”

As soon as he finished speaking, his phone ringtone began blasting.

The first phone call came in. “Hello, General Jenkins. This is Hunter And
erson speaking. You’ve captured someone you shouldn’t have. You should le
t him go immediately. Maybe you can still save yourself.”

“Who the F*ck do you think you are? How dare you order me around? F*ck of
f!” General Jenkins replied.
promptly ending the call.

“Seems like someone called to beg for Dustin’s life.” Jade said sarcastic
ally. She’d long predicted something like it would happen.

“Hmph, they think they can get him out of my hands? It’s not going to be
that easy!” General Jenkins pursed his lips. With the backing of the Gran
t family, only a handful of people in the entire Southern province could
scare him.

At that moment, the second phone call came in. “General Jenkins, I’m call
ing on behalf of the Harmon family. One of my associates was captured by
your subordinate. I believe there must have been some kind of misundersta
nding. I kindly request that you release him, General.”

“That’s not going to happen! Dustin’s crimes are unforgivable. I’ve alrea
dy turned him over to the Ministry of
Penalties. No matter who comes to beg for his life, it’s useless!”
However, things didn’t end there.

After the second call, the third one soon came, followed by the fourth, t
hen the fifth. They just wouldn’t stop.
“Hello. General Jenkins, this is Roderick Brooks —”

“General Jenkins, I’m calling on behalf of the Glenstead Nicholson family
“Jenkins, I have a favor to ask

Calls started pouring in one after another. Not only were they increasing
in numbers, but they were also
becoming more pressing.

At first, General Jenkins had been greatly irritated, but by the end, eve
n military officers of the same rank as him were calling him to plead for
mercy. Although he wasn’t scared, it was still rather troublesome.

Eventually, he turned his phone off. He couldn’t be bothered any longer.

“Punk, I didn’t think you had such a network. I underestimated you.” He s
lowly raised his head to reveal a cold
smile. “Unfortunately, your efforts are in vain–
I can hold them off all on my own!”
“Oh, really? Then I’m
looking forward to seeing you do that.” Dustin smiled lightly.

“Hmph. And I want to see what kind of tricks you have up your sleevel” Ge
neral Jenkins said disdainfully.

Just as he spoke, an officer suddenly hurried over. “General, the Murray
family is here!”

“The Murray family? Who is it?” General Jenkins raised an eyebrow in surp
rise.

“He introduced himself as Adjutant General Damon. He said he wishes to sp
eak with you,” the officer replied.
“Adjutant General Damon? What’s
he doing here?” General Jenkins face grew solemn. He clearly looked a lit
tle apprehensive.

Others might not know it, but he knew for a fact that Adjutant General Da
mon served as Christopher’s personal guard.
And who was Christopher?
He was the second–in–command general of the current generation!
He was the backbone of the Murray family!

Even though Christopher had been discharged, he still held a great influe
nce within the army.

He wasn’t exaggerating when he said he would even treat Christopher’s dog
with the utmost respect..

After a few seconds of silence, General Jenkins decided to go outside and
welcome Adjutant General Damon. Come, let’s go take a look.”
When he–along with his men–
went to the entrance of the base, he saw a casually–dressed middle–
aged man in glasses standing there quietly. The elegant man looked like a
ny average guy, but hidden behind his glasses were eyes as sharp as an ea
gle’s.

“Why, if it isn’t Adjutant General Damon? What brings you here? General J
enkins said, stepping forward with a grin. He was just about to offer som
e small talk when Adjutant General Damon raised his hand and slapped him
to the floor.

Chapter 281

The moment Adjutant General Damon saw General Jenkins, without uttering a
single word, he delivered him a

resounding slap.

General Jenkins was left dazed, taking quite some time to recover from th
e impact. He’d welcomed Adjutant. General Damon with a smile, but the man
F*cking responded with a slap instead.
That was crossing the line!

“Adjutant General Damon, what is the meaning of this?!” General Jenkins‘
face darkened, his gaze turning hostile. Even if he was Christopher’s adj
utant general, it didn’t mean he had a free pass to humiliate him. After
all, Chief General Spanner was backing him.
In terms of rank, he held an even higher position than Christopher!

“General Jenkins, that slap was a lesson for you,” Adjutant General Damon
said with a cool expression. “You should not have captured Mr. Rhys. Rel
ease him now, or you’ll have to bear the consequences!”

“Are you threatening me?” General Jenkins snorted. “Damon, you’re nothing
but an old general’s dog. What right do you have to order me around?!”

“Indeed, I cannot, but the general can. If you don’t want trouble, do as
I say,” Adjutant General Damon said expressionlessly.
“Hmph, don’t use
the general’s name to scare me!” General Jenkins said furiously. “The per
son I captured has committed a heinous crime, and the evidence is beyond
any reasonable doubt. You can’t just ask for him to be
released!”
If Adjutant General Damon had spoken in a kinder manner, perhaps
he might have released Dustin out of
respect for Christopher.

But he’d F*cking come up to him and slap him. No one would be alright wit
h that.

*General Jenkins, don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you choose to remain ob
stinate, then no one can save you!” Adjutant General Damon warned.

“You think I’m scared?” General Jenkins said, glaring at him. “To tell yo
u the truth, I am Chief General

Spanner’s subordinate. If you want to lay a hand on him, you’d have to as
k for his permission!”

“It seems like you really won’t release him?” Adjutant General Damon frow
ned.

“No! Even if God asked, I wouldn’t release him!” General Jenkins bellowed
.
“Fine! I hope you won’t regret
it!” Without another word, he got into his car and left, leaving General
Jenkins to choke on the exhaust.

“Damn it, that dog! How dare he act all high and mighty in front of me?”
General Jenkins spat on the floor. lifting his hand to caress his stingin
g cheek.
F*ck, he was really unlucky today!

First, Bloodbeast had slapped him, and now Adjutant General Damon. Not to
mention, it was all under strange
Chapter 281
circumstances.
“What’s the matter?” Jade walked over.

“Don’t ask. A crazy dog from the Murray family came to ask me to release
Dustin,” General Jenkins said
annoyedly.

“No way. Could that punk have ties to the Murray family?” Jade frowned.
“Who F*cking cares? The Grant family is also one of the Tremendous
Three, just like the Murray family. Why should we be afraid of them?” Gen
eral Jenkins said, irritated.
“You have a point.” Jade nodded.

As the two were speaking, an armed motorcade suddenly appeared on the far
end of the road.
The Murray family flags decorated the motorcade. Dozens of
military trucks were filled with people, blazing their way over. Soon aft
er, they completely blocked
off the entire entrance of the base. As the cars came to a stop, over thr
ee hundred armed soldiers hopped off. Their gazes were all fixed on Gener
al Jenkins.

Tension was palpable in the air, as it war was going to break out at any
moment.

“Damon, what do you think you’re doing?!” When General Jenkins saw Adjuta
nt General Damon in the lead, he almost blew his top. “How dare you bring
so many people to crash my base? Are you trying to start a rebellion?

“I am merely carrying out my general’s order to obtain your hostage. If y
ou won’t give him to me, then I can only grab him from you,” Adjutant Gen
eral Damon said indifferently.

“The audacity!” General Jenkins yelled, his eyes furious. “I am the subor
dinate of Chief General Spanner. Is the Murray family declaring war again
st him?!”

“I’m merely following orders. Anything else doesn’t concern me,” Adjutant
General Damon said without beating
around the bush.

“It seems like there’s no more room for negotiation today, is there? Fine
! If that’s the case, then let’s see who has bigger numbers!” General Jen
kins roared at the top of his lungs.

In the next second, a large wave of soldiers surged out of the base.

Chapter 282

General Jenkins‘ men started to face off against the Murray family’s army
. Instantly, the tension in the air gave way to murderous intent.

“Go in and save him!” Adjutant General Damon immediately ordered.

“No, you won’t!” General Jenkins blocked the way with his body. He then p
ulled out a gun from his waist. Anyone who dares take a step forward will
be shot!”

“You can try.” Without a trace of fear, Adjutant General Damon stalked ah
ead.

“You’re F*cking testing me!” General Jenkins gritted his teeth, fury fill
ing his eyes.

Just as the two sides were in the midst of battle, several military helic
opters suddenly materialized in the sky. Whizzing through the air, they f
inally stopped, hovering above everyone’s heads.
that’s Chief General

When General Jenkins took a look, a delighted expression crossed his face
. “Hahaha Spanner’s private helicopter! Damon, you’re dead meat. Let’s se
e what you can do with Chief General Spanner himself on the field!” He la
ughed in excitement.
Chief General Spanner was known for protecting his
subordinates. Now that they were being invaded, he definitely wouldn’t si
t around and do nothing.

He could already imagine Adjutant General Damon getting the beating of hi
s lifetime.

As the crowd parted, the helicopter began to descend slowly before landin
g firmly on the field. Then, the cabin door opened.

A handsome young man with a remarkable aura stepped off hastily with a fe
w female officers in tow.

“Chief General Spanner, you came just at the right time!” The moment Gene
ral Jenkins spotted the young man, he scampered over to welcome him, tryi
ng to suck up to him. He then reported, “These treacherous rascals are tr
ying to incite a prison break at my base. I hope you’ll set things straig
ht, Chief General Spanner! That’s right! He committed a heinous crime of
tormenting the people! I was just about to torture
him, too.” General Jenkins said, nodding profuse/

“Torture him?” Adam’s eye twitched, and a murderous look flashed in his e
yes. “Where is he?”

“He’s tied up right there!” General Jenkins pointed in
the other direction.
Adam shifted his gaze, and his eyes immediately widened.
F*ck, it really was him!

When he first heard Dustin Rhys‘ name, he still had a glimmer of hope. Af
ter all, many people
in the world. share a name. What if it was just a coincidence?

Unfortunately, he still ran into Dustin. Moreover, it was in this fashion
..

“Rhys, even Chief General Spanner is here! Let’s see whether you can live
to see another day!” Hidden amongst the crowd, Jade couldn’t help but la
ugh at his misery.

Clupter 232

At first, when she saw how big the Murray family army was, she was a litt
le worried. But now, everything would be fine because Chief General Spann
er was here. Who would dare cross him?

“Chief General, this guy is built tough. I tried to torture him earlier b
ut failed. No worries. Since you’re here, I’m sure you have a way to deal
with people like this.” General Jenkins smiled flatteringly, completely
unaware of the severity of the problem.
“Your name is Richard Jenkins, right?” Adam suddenly asked.

“That’s right! I am the deputy general of the White Tiger Army under your
command. I didn’t think you’d remember me. Chief General!” General Jenki
ns‘ face lit up with joy when he thought he was being acknowledged.

“Capture him, then strip him of his position and prosecute him.” Adam ges
tured with his hand, and immediately after, two female officers sprung in
to action, pressing General Jenkins to the floor.

“Chief General, what did you say?” General Jenkins looked confused. Every
thing was going so well, so why was he getting fired all of a sudden?

However, Adam didn’t bother to deal with him. He jogged over to Dustin an
d smiled apologetically, saying.” Buddy, sorry about my subordinate. He c
aused you so much trouble.”

The moment he said that, everyone fell silent.

Chapter 283

“B–
buddy?!” Seeing Adam’s friendly expression, General Jenkins was stunned.
His mind went blank.

The man in front of him was none other than the renowned God of War!
He was also the youngest chief general of Dragonmarsh!
He reported to no one, while thousands reported to him!
However, this all–powerful figure had
actually called Dustin his buddy?
What the F*ck was going on?

“No, that’s impossible! How could that bastard know Chief General Spanner
?!” Jade was thunderstruck. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, and her fac
e was filled with disbelief. According to her investigation, Dustin was j
ust an irrelevant small fry. How could he have a relationship with the fa
mous God of War?

“Now that you mention it, we indeed haven’t seen each other in a long tim
e.” Dustin regarded him up and down, then said happily, “I must say, you’
re doing quite well for yourself, you rascal. I think I may need to start
relying on you for money soon.”

“Don’t joke like that!” Adam said with a strange expression. “My small pl
ace cannot house someone as great
as you.”
“Since we meet again today, then allow
me to treat you to a cup of tea,” Dustin said with a small smile.
“Someone, come and free him!” Adam made another hand gesture.

“No need. I’ll do it myself.” Dustin stretched his back, and the sound of
metal clinking against each other could
be heard. The thick chains on his body suddenly broke into pieces.
Everyone’s jaws dropped at the sight.

Those chains had been forged from darksteel and were said to be unbreakab
le, but he’d just broken them by F*cking stretching his back?
It was bewildering.
“Oh, right. How are you planning to take care
of those two?” Dustin turned to look at General Jenkins and Jade.
“Of course, we’ll
follow the procedure. For kidnapping and torture, no matter how you look
at it, that’s got to be

at least a few decades, no?” Adam said indifferently.

“A few decades? When the two heard that, their faces paled from shock.

A lifetime only consisted of a few decades. Were they going to die in pri
son?

“No! You can’t lock us up!” Jade shook her head furiously. “The one who’s
guilty is clearly Dustin. What right
do you have to lock us up?”

“What right do I have?” Adam smiled faintly. “Well, I have more power tha
n you, Does this reason satisfy you?”
“Y–you’re blatantly abusing your power!” Jade said defiantly.

Chapter 283

“You’re right, I am,” Adam said bluntly. He was exactly like how General
Jenkins described earlier.
“Y–
you can try to lock me up! I am a member of the Grant family!” Jade said,
refusing to give up.

“The Grant family?” Adam burst out laughing as he tossed her a phone. “I’
ll give you a chance to ask the Grant family for
help. I want to see who would dare come rescue you!”

When he said that, Jade was thunderstruck. She knew better than anyone th
at the Grant family wouldn’t cross
the God of War, Adam, for her.

“Why? Why did things turn out this way? Just who are you?” She stared str
aight at Dustin. Her eyes were filled with surprise, defiance, hatred, bu
t mostly despair.

*Since you’re going to die anyway, I’ll enlighten you,” Adam replied nonc
halantly. “The young man you just kidnapped is
Logan Rhys, the eldest son of the Rhys family
and one of my closest friends!”

“Logan Rhys?!” When General Jenkins heard the name, he collapsed to the f
loor, overcome with despair.

Now, he finally understood. He finally understood why Bloodbeast had fled
in fright, why all those influential figures called him to ask for his r
elease, why General Murry had sent his army, and why Adam was so nervous.

Chapter 284

The person he had arrested turned out to be the eldest son of the Rhys fa
mily, an existence that could shake

the military effortlessly.

“We we’re doomed

Blood had drained out of Jade’s face the moment she heard Dustin’s real n
ame, feeling
unbelievably sorry for herself. She shouldn’t have tried to avenge Joshua
. There was no way a loser with broken arms and a shattered core was wort
h the lives of her entire family.

“Jade Grant, this is what you F*cking call a nobody?” General Jenkins spu
n around and shot Jade a vicious glare. “I never did anything to you, so
why the hell are you dragging me into this mess?”
“1-“Jade
“–” Jade was about to burst into tears.

“How dare you trick me! You’re dead meat!‘ General Jenkins roared before
leaping toward Jade with his mouth

wide open. Things became chaotic as he tore up the woman’s face with his
teeth.

“Come on. Let’s go have a drink. Dustin Ignored them and left with Adam.

Meanwhile, inside the East Swinton Hospital ward, Dakota’s face hardened
after finishing a call.

“So? Was there news about Dustin? Can he be saved?” Dahlia quickly asked.

“He can’t. The person who arrested him was General Jenkins from the Grant
family. I tried calling the elders,

but they said he wasn’t listening to their requests. Glenstead’s military
has no jurisdiction over Balerno.”
Dakota shook her head helplessly.

“The Grant family?” Dahlia frowned. “But why? How did Dustin piss them of
f?”

“I dug around and heard that he committed a grave crime. Apparently, he b
arged into the Hummer family’s home and began killing people. He even cri
ppled Edwin Hummer’s son, Joshua Hummer! Worse, Joshua’s fiancée is Jade
Grant, the daughter of Sir Robert Grant. There’s
no way the Grant family would let Dustin go
easily. He’s doomed.” Dakota shook her head sadly.

She didn’t care if Dustin died, but she still needed him to heal her moth
er, and her mother would be in grave danger if Dustin died now. Dakota wo
ndered if she still had enough time to seek out miracle doctors.

“Isn’t there another way?” Dahlia was upset. “What if I beg the Grant fam
ily? I’ll pay any amount, even if I go
bankrupt!”

“Nonsense, Dahlia!” Florence shrieked. “Why should you go so far for a ma
n you divorced?”

“He’s helped me too many times. I have to save him!” Dahlia answered firm
ly.
“You”

“It’s useless.” Dakota shook her head. “The Grant family is one the stron
gest families in Balerno. They could
care less about your measly assets,”

Chapter 284

“Then what should we do? We can’t just sit here and wait.” Dahlia’s brows
furrowed deeper.

“Money is useless. We need to beg someone influential to negotiate with t
hem.” Dakota suggested.
“Someone influential? Who?” Dahlia asked tentatively.

“The only one who can stand against the Grant family is Mr. Langford from
Stonia.” Dakota suggested. “Saving Dustin should be a piece of cake if y
ou ask Mr. Langford for help.”
“Mr.
Langford?” Dahlia was troubled. There was no reason for him to help a str
anger like her.

“That’s right. Dahlia. The best way is to beg Mr. Langford for help. I ma
naged to save his number during dinner last night. I’ll call him right no
w!” Florence drew out her phone eagerly and dialed a number.

While she was worried that her daughter might sacrifice all her wealth fo
r Dustin, she also hoped to push Dahlia closer to Luis. During their meet
ing last night, Florence realized that Luis had feelings for Dahlia. At t
he same time, the Glenstead Nicholsons were also hoping for the two to ge
t married.

Chapter 285

“Hello, is this Mr. Langford? Dahlia has something to say to you.” Floren
ce shoved the phone to Dahlia as soon as the call got through.

“Dahlia? Let me know
if you need any help. I’ll definitely get it done If I can,” a voice draw
led.

“It’s me, Mr. Langford.” Dahlia responded stiffly. “I’ll get to the point
. I have a friend who’s in trouble and has been arrested by the military.
I hope you can help me save him.”

“Arrested by the military? Your friend must be into hot water,” Luis gues
sed arrogantly.

“I wouldn’t have turned to you if I had another choice.” Dahlia responded
tiredly.
“What’s your friend’s name?”
“Dustin Rhys.”
“Alright. I’ll help you on one condition,”
“What is it?”
“Treat me to dinner tonight.” Luis responded frankly.
“Um — Dahlia stiffened, instantly understanding what he meant.
“You won’t refuse such a small request, would you?” Luis teased hall–
jokingly.

“Of course not.” Dahlia forced a smile. “It’s nothing compared to what yo
u’re willing to help me with.”
“Great! It’s a date. See you later!”
Dahlia hung up after chatting for a while more.
“Well? Did he agree?” Florence inquired.

“He did, but I’ll have to have dinner with him tonight.” Dahlia was exasp
erated.

“That’s great! Hurry home and make yourself look good. Don’t make Mr. Lan
gford wait.” Florence ushered
excitedly.

“Dahlia, you should make good use of this opportunity,” Dakota advised wi
th a knowing look. “Glenstead is keen to see you and the Langfords take y
our relationship further through marriage. The Langfords initially had so
meone else in mind, but Mr. Langford wasn’t pleased with her. Instead, he
chose you. This is your greatest
blessing. You better not waste this chance!”

Dahlia shook her head. “I’m not interested in marrying into a rich family
.”

“Who else would you marry? A loser like Dustin? What’s wrong with you?” D
akota rolled her eyes. “You can have anything you want if you marry into
the Langford family. Why would you choose to suffer in a tiny place like
this?”

“Precisely! You’ve basically hit the jackpot. You should make good use of
this chance. Our family is depending
on you to become rich!” Florence piped.
Chapter 295

Compared to Luis, men like Chris Nolan and Matt Laney were nothing. After
all, the Langfords were the true aristocrats
in Stonia. Their very existence stood at the peak of power.

Dahlia glanced at the eager eyes surrounding her and remained silent. She
used to yearn for power as well but had finally realized it didn’t matte
r much to her.

Soon, night fell. A jeep slowly pulled into the entrance of Fairyharbor R
estaurant. The doors opened, and Dustin and Adam emerged.

“Weren’t we going to have a drink? What are we doing here?” Adam muttered
.
“The wine here isn’t too shabby. The wines are brewed in–
house. You should try some.” Dustin replied.
“Really? I’ll have a taste, then.”

As the two men chatted, they walked into the restaurant and chose a place
on the second floor. “Hey, buddy. Is it true that you got married?” Adam
quizzed Dustin as soon as they sat down.

Chapter 286
“I was, but I’m already divorced,” Dustin answered straightforwardly.

“Aw, damn!” Adam grinned. “If that’s the case, my sister
finally has a chance! I’ll be your brother–in–law soon.”

“Get lost!” Dustin rolled his eyes. “What kind of brother are you? Why wo
uld you throw your sister under the
bus?”

“She threw herself in!” Adam retorted in exasperation. “You have no idea
how much she bugged me alter finding out that you were still alive. She w
ould have flown back for you if the war hadn’t broken out at the
border.”
“Has Scarlet been well?” Dustin suddenly asked.

“You’re still worried about her? That kid’s been practicing martial arts
since young, and with her talent, she’s

already a grandmaster. I can’t even win against her anymore. Who would da
re to cross her?” Adam responded
nervously.
All his life, Adam has only ever been afraid of two people–
Dustin, the person who’s been throwing punches at him since they were kid
s, and his sister Scarlet. He always lost his dignity when it came to the
m.

Dustin chuckled. “She is talented, so it’s natural that you can’t beat he
r.”
It’s been ten years. He never expected the little girl who
used to follow him around everywhere to become
Stonia’s well–known Goddess of War.

“Won’t you just marry her? No one else can handle her!” Adam implored. Th
e sooner his sister got married, the

sooner he’ll be free from being forced to be her sparring partner and end
ing up with bruises all over his body
every day.

“Nonsense!” Dustin kicked the other man. “Scarlet’s nothing more than a s
ister to me.”

“But she might not see you as her brother.” Adam shrugged. “I’m just goin
g to put it out there. She probably won’t marry anyone but you, so you’ll
have to take responsibility for her.”

“That’s enough. Shut up and drink!” Irritated, Dustin poured Adam a full
glass of wine. “Drink it!”
Adam boldly downed the entire glass in response.

Chatting away while drinking, the two of them quickly began to feel tipsy
.
“That reminds me, when are you going back?” Adam asked coldly.
“Why would I go back? Isn’t it quite nice here? All I need to
worry about is making sure Gregory recovers nicely.
“Dustin responded indifferently.
“That’s true. Still, the Rhys family needs an heir.” Adam sighed.
“There’s still Austin.”

“That useless idiot? He only cares about his debaucherous pleasures. Who
knows how many people will die if he takes your place.” Adam snapped disd
ainfully.

Chapter 286
“He isn’t that bad. The kid’s smart. Just give
him some time, and he might outshine you.” Dustin said seriously.

“Are you serious? You’re pitting me against him?” Adam looked at him susp
iciously.

“Many people have called me a loser in the past few years too.” Dustin sm
iled but didn’t elaborate further. With that woman around, his step–
brother could never be mediocre.
“Holy shit! Look at that chick!” Adam lit up suddenly.

“Where?” Dustin followed Adam’s line of sight and spotted a Lamborghini a
t the restaurant entrance. A smartly dressed man emerged, and a gorgeous
lady stepped out of the passenger side in a long black dress, as if she
had just come out of a painting.
“Why is it her?” Dustin frowned, instantly sobering.

The beautiful woman was none other than Dahlia!

Chapter 287

Dustin never expected to run into Dahlia there. Worse, she was accompanie
d by another man, and it seemed like those two were on a date.

It irked him for some reason. He had just been captured by the military,
his life in danger, but here Dahlia was, carefree and relaxed, as she wen
t on a date with another man. It was clear that Dahlia didn’t give a damn
about him, and it made him feel like a fool.

“Do you know that lady?” Adam quickly caught onto the
change in mood and asked.
“Yeah. She’s my ex–wife.” Dustin answered bluntly.
“Your ex–
wife?” Adam’s lips twitched. “Why don’t we go somewhere else?”
No one would be happy to see their ex–
wife happily chatting away with another man,

“Forget it. I didn’t do anything wrong, so why should I be afraid?” Dusti
n lifted his glass to his lips and swallowed a mouthful of wine resentful
ly.

Just then, Dahlia and Luis arrived on the second floor, and the woman imm
ediately spotted the two men. Dustin? What are you doing here?” she excla
imed excitedly.
“Why can’t I be here?” Dustin asked coldly.

“When did you get free? Why didn’t you tell me? Dahlia dashed toward him
and asked joyfully.

“Does it matter if I tell you?” Dustin glanced at her stoically, stunning
Dahlia with his attitude.
“What’s wrong? Did you get hurt? Should we go to the hospital?”

“I’m fine, Ms. Nicholson. Thank you for asking. You should focus on your
date with your boyfriend instead of me,” Dustin answered.
“Boyfriend?” Dahlia looked at the man standing next to
her and quickly explained. “You’re getting it wrong. Dustin. We’re just f
riends.”

“It’s unnecessary for you to explain yourself.” Dustin’s attitude was har
sh.

Just friends? Did she think that he was a kid? Since when did normal frie
nds of opposite genders arrive together in the same car for dinner?

“I’m telling you, you’re misunderstanding things, Dustin.” Dahlia gesture
d to the other man. “Let me introduce you
to Mr. Luis Langford. He’s from Stonia, and he has a good relationship wi
th the military. You got out so quickly thanks to him.”

“Is this the friend you were talking about, Dahlia? He’s fortunate to hav
e someone like you helping him.” Luis suddenly spoke. Although the man wa
s wearing a smile, the look he was giving Dustin was full of contempt.

“I don’t know who Mr. Langford is, nor do I care. He has nothing to do wi
th me getting free anyway.” Dustin responded bluntly.

“Ha, aren’t you being too cocky?” Luis sniggered, “Do you really think yo
u’d be here right now if I hadn’t made a
Chapter
call to the Balerno Military?”

“I have no idea what you did, but don’t think too highly of yourself. I d
on’t need your help.” Dustin retorted coolly.

“Dustin! How could you talk to him like this? Shouldn’t you be polite to
the person who helped you?” Dahlia frowned. She knew that Dustin reacted
that way because he was jealous, but he still shouldn’t offend Luis, who
held a much higher status than him.

“When did I ever ask him for help? You guys did this willingly.” Dustin c
ouldn’t care less.
“You-” Dahlia stomped her foot angrily and forced
herself to take a deep breath to calm herself. “Stop making. a fuss, Dust
in.”

“What did I do? Was I interrupting your date? If that’s the case, I’ll le
ave you two alone right now.” Dustin got up to leave right away.

“Wait!” Dahlia instantly grabbed
his arm. “What on earth is going through your mind? I told you that we’re
just friends. Why won’t you believe me?”

Chapter 288

“Just friends, eh? Then you won’t mind going home with me right this inst
ant!” Dustin snapped.

“But …Dahlia frowned and glanced at Dustin and Luis, troubled. Although s
he didn’t have any feelings for Luis, the man had helped her, so it would
n’t be right to turn her back on him now.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to?” Dustin sneered. “Is this what you call
an ordinary friend? How am I supposed to believe you?”

Dustin couldn’t believe that Dahlia was still hesitating. It seemed that
he was even less important than her ordinary friends, and here he thought
that their relationship had been improving. It must have been his imagin
ation.

“Forget it, Ms. Nicholson. You don’t have to think about it so hard. We’r
e nothing to each other now. Enjoy your meal.
I’ll be taking my leave. Dustin shook his head and turned around.
“Wait for
me.” Grabbing two bottles, Adam hurried after Dustin. He didn’t have any
experience when it came to love, so he couldn’t help Dustin.

After stepping out of the restaurant, Dustin remained motionless as he fa
ced the cold
wind, feeling frustrated. He was at a loss for how to deal with his emoti
ons. He may have said it was fine, but his heart still stung
when he saw Dahlia with another man,

“Forget about her, buddy. There are lots of women everywhere else.” Adam
stepped forward and patted Dustin’s shoulder. “With your skills, it won’t
be hard for you to get any woman you want. Why don’t you consider my sis
ter?”

“Hell no!” A feminine voice rang out from behind them.
The two men spun around to see a stunning woman heading toward them.
It was none other than Dahlia.

“Why did you come out?” Dustin was surprised. He didn’t expect her to cha
se after him, assuming she would ignore him.

“You’re such a petty man!” Dahlia huffed. “How could you run out when we’
ve barely spoken!”

“Weren’t you having dinner with your friend? What are you doing here?” Du
stin pretended to be calm but was actually relieved.

“I’m here to enjoy the breeze, alright?” Dahlia rolled her eyes, secretly
pleased to see Dustin jealous.
“Ugh, the stench of love.” Adam shook his head.
“Shut up!” Dahlia and Dustin shouted in unison.
“Aren’t you worried if you just leave that man alone?” Dustin asked.

“What else can I do? I’ll just have to get him a present as an apology.”
Dahlia shrugged. She seemed to have finally opened her eyes.

Chapter 285

“You haven’t eaten, have you? Why don’t you join us?” Dustin offered.

Dahlia humphed. “At least you’re considerate.” She patted her belly, real
izing she was hungry.

“Let’s go. We’ll bring you somewhere nice.” Dustin walked over to the car
to open the door.

Just as she was about to get into the car, Dahlia’s eyes widened when she
saw a truck loaded with dirt heading straight for them at top speed.

Watch out!” She frantically shoved Dustin away.

Chapter 289
“Watch out!”

As the truck headed toward them, Dahlia’s immediate reaction was to push
Dustin away, completely

disregarding her safety. Realizing that she had nowhere else to escape to
, she instinctively shut her eyes

tightly. Right then, she came to a realization that it might not necessar
ily be a bad thing to die like this. At
least he would remember for the rest of his life.

As her eyes closed, a strong figure dashed forward and put itself in fron
t of her. With an ear–
splitting boom, a fist landed on the front of the truck, and metal bent u
nder the force. The sudden opposing force upturned the entire truck, flip
ping it around, and the truck landed on the ground behind Dahlia with a c
rash, debris flying in
all directions.

“Are you okay, Dahlia?” Dustin drew his hand back and quickly surveyed th
e woman for any injuries before letting out a breath of relief.

“What in the world happened?” Dahlia’s eyes were opened wide as she gaped
at the empty space in front of her before turning around to look at the
overturned truck, shocked. She couldn’t understand how the truck had made
its way behind her, but she might faint if she found out it was thanks t
o Dustin’s list.
“Are you an idiot? Don’t you know how
to run away when there’s danger? Why the hell would you think of me first
?” Dustin snapped furiously. Fortunately, his reflexes were sharp, or she
would have died on impact!

“At the spur of the moment, I couldn’t think much.” Dahlia was pale from
fear.

“You better remember that your safety comes first from now on!” Dustin wa
rned sternly. He would be plagued by guilt for the rest of his life if sh
e died because of him.

“Bro, can’t you give me some attention as well?” Adam staggered to his fe
et grumpily.

“What the hell? Even if you’re saving someone, why would you throw the tr
uck toward me? Is my life not important to you? What happened to bros bef
ore hoes?” he thought.

“You’re alive anyway.” Dustin responded nonchalantly before turning his a
ttention back to Dahlia. “It’s late. Let me send you home.”
He walked over to the road junction and flagged
a cab to send her home. It was obvious that he had been the truck’s targe
t, and he didn’t want to drag her into this mess.

At the entrance to the villa, Dahlia halted and spun around to ask, “Woul
d you like to come in for a cup of tea?”
“It’s fine. You should
get some rest.” Dustin politely refused as if he hadn’t understood what s
he was trying to say.

“You idiot!” Dahlia humped, glaring at him before spinning around and goi
ng into the house.

Dustin waited until the doors closed to look away, his eyes now cold and
ruthless. “Adam, help me look into the truck.”
Chapter 289

“On it. Give me three minutes.” Adam whipped out his phone and made a cal
l. In less than three minutes, the results came in. “Done. It turns out t
he Hummers put a bounty of up to ten billion dollars on your head. Most o
f the bounty killers should have their eyes on you by now. That truck was
one of their attempts.” He
summarized.

“The Hummers.” Dustin narrowed his eyes, the air around him turning murde
rous. He hasn’t settled the score

of being captured by the military. How dare they act up again!

“What’s the plan? Do you want me to bring my team to their house and dest
roy their whole family?” Adam asked nonchalantly.

“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it.” Dustin answered coolly. “If they’re go
ing out of their way to ensure my death, they
better not be surprised when I do the same!”
He spun around and disappeared into the darkness.
Back at the Hummer Villa.

“Josh, it’s time for you to take your meds.” Tina brought some medicine o
ver to Joshua’s bedside.

“I can’t be bothered to take them right now.” Joshua frowned in displeasu
re. “Jade hasn’t returned since

morning, and I can’t reach her phone. Do you think something happened to
her?”

“Stop overthinking. Josh. She’s from the Grant family. What could happen?
” Tina shook her head.
“T–
then, do you think she’s disgusted that I’m crippled and wants to end it
with me?” Joshua asked again.

Ever since his core was destroyed, he lost his pride, turning anxious and
sensitive instead.

“Of course not!” Tina refuted him straight away. “I can tell that she rea
lly likes you. I bet she’s running all over the place for you. Didn’t she
promise to avenge you before she left this morning? So, stop worrying.”

“I must be thinking too much.” Joshua sighed. As the fallen Chosen One, s
omething inside him had changed tremendously.

“Josh, rest well, and don’t overthink this. Dad went to Millsburg to ask
for medicine from Dr. Watkins. I’m sure all your injuries will be gone in
no time with the panacea.” Tina reassured him.

“You’re right. After I recover, I’ll rise to the top once more!” Joshua s
wore through gritted teeth. “I’ll make sure
Rhys suffers like never before!”
Just then, the lights went out, plunging the room into darkness.
“What’s happening?” Joshua demanded anxiously.

“Calm down, Josh. The breaker must have tripped. Tina went over to the do
or and shouted, “Somebody go check the breaker.”
Silence was all she got
in response, the entire villa terrifyingly silent.
“Hey! Are you guys deal?” Tina yelled again, but no one responded.
Joshua had a bad feeling something was going to happen. “Something’s
wrong! Let’s get out of here!”
Chapter 249

He sprung up and prepared to run when a tall figure walked into his room
without a sound.
“Who the hell are you?” he shouted.

“The person who’s going to kill you.” The figure slowly lifted its head,
and from the moonlight shining through

the window, Joshua finally had a clear look at the other person’s face.
“It’s you? W–w–weren’t you arrested? When did you get out?”

Joshua began to back up in terror. Just this morning, he’d received Tina’
s message that the military had captured Custin. How did he get free in l
ess than a day?
“Any last words?” Dustin asked coldly.

Tina threatened. “You better not mess around, Rhys! We have Boulderthorn
and the Grants‘ protection. If you
touch-”

Before she could finish her sentence. Dustin flicked his wrist, and a sil
ver needle embedded itself into her forehead.

Tina twitched before tilting her head back and falling to the ground, dea
d.

Chapter 290

“What?” Joshua stared at his sister’s body incredulously. He never though
t that Dustin would be so ruthless,

killing without warning.

“Anything else you want to say?” Dustin calmly asked.
“D–
don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me!” Joshua fell to his knees, begging.
“I was an idiot to offend you. Please forgive me. I swear I won’t go agai
nst you ever again!”
“You had your chance, but
you didn’t appreciate it.” Dustin’s face was void of any sympathy.
“N–no. I do. I promise!
Please! I’m still young. I don’t want to die! Just let me go. I’ll do any
thing you want. I
swear!”

Joshua began ramming his forehead into the floor. He wasn’t able to win a
gainst Dustin when he was in peak condition, so why would he have a winni
ng chance now? For Dustin, killing Joshua would be as easy as killing
an ant.

“I’m pretty sure that’s not what you said just now.” Dustin sneered. “Did
n’t you say that you were going to
make me suffer like never before after you recovered?”
“N–
no, I didn’t!” Joshua shook his head frantically. “I would never dare!”

“Where’s Edwin?” Dustin demanded, clearly having lost his patience. He ha
d searched the entire villa, but there
was no sign of Edwin Hummer.
“I–
I don’t know! I heard that my dad went to Millsburg to get me medicine, b
ut I have no idea where he is.”
Joshua cried.

“He’s in Millsburg, eh? Lucky bastard.” Dustin felt regretful that Edwin
managed to get away.
“Are you looking for my dad? D–
don’t worry, I’ll let you know as soon as he’s home! I’ll be your faithfu
l hound
from now on.” Joshua smiled weakly, grasping at straws.

Dustin sneered. “You’re willing to betray your father? You’re worse than
an animal.” He slowly raised his hand.
holding a silver needle.

“No! You can’t kill me! My mentor is the master of Boulderthorn, and my f
iancée is the Grants‘ third daughter. You’ll become their enemy if you ki
ll me. People will keep coming for your head, and you’ll have to live in
lear

for the rest of your life!” Joshua roared, going berserk, his eyes bloods
hot.

“You should have thought about that when you kidnapped Natasha. As for th
e Grants and Boulderthorn, well, I

don’t care about them. So, you’ll definitely die today,” Dustin replied c
oldly.

With a flick of his finger, the silver needle lodged itself in the space
between Joshua’s forehead.

“No!” Joshua wailed with his last breath, the sound resonating in all dir
ections.
Early the next morning. Inside a mansion in
Millsburg, Edwin woke up with a start from his nightmare, sweat blanketin
g his whole body. For some reason, his sleep had been restless, an ominou
s feeling constantly

He sprung up and prepared to run when a tall figure walked into his room
without a sound.
“Who the hell are you?” he shouted.

“The person who’s going to kill you.” The figure slowly lifted its head,
and from the moonlight shining through the window. Joshua finally had a c
lear look at the other person’s face.
“It’s you? W–w–weren’t you arrested? When did you get out?”

Joshua began to back up in terror. Just this morning, he’d received Tina’
s message that the military had captured Dustin. How did he get free in l
ess than a day?
“Any last words?” Dustin asked coldly.

Tina threatened. “You better not mess around, Rhys! We have Boulderthorn
and the Grants‘ protection. If you touch-

Before she could finish her sentence, Dustin flicked his wrist, and a sil
ver needle embedded itself into her forehead.

Tina twitched before tilting her head back and falling to the ground, dea
d.
Chapter 290
Chapter 290

“What?” Joshua stared at his sister’s body incredulously. He never though
t that Dustin would be so ruthless,
killing without warning.
“Anything else you want to say?” Dustin calmly asked.
“D–
don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me!” Joshua fell to his knees, begging.
“I was an idiot to offend you. Please forgive me. I swear I won’t go agai
nst you ever again!”

“You had your chance, but you didn’t appreciate it.” Dustin’s face was vo
id of any sympathy.
“N–
no. I do. I promise! Please! I’m still young. I don’t want to die! Just l
et me go. I’ll do anything you want. I
swear!”

Joshua began ramming his forehead into the floor. He wasn’t able to win a
gainst Dustin when he was in peak condition, so why would he have a winni
ng chance now? For Dustin, killing Joshua would be as easy as killing
an ant.

“I’m pretty sure that’s not what you said just now.” Dustin sneered. “Did
n’t you say that you were going
to make me suffer like never before after you recovered?”
“N–
no. I didn’t!” Joshua shook his head frantically. “I would never dare!”

“Where’s Edwin?” Dustin demanded, clearly having lost his patience. He ha
d searched the entire villa, but there
was no sign of Edwin Hummer.
“I–
I don’t know! I heard that my dad went to Millsburg to get me medicine, b
ut I have no idea where he is.”
Joshua cried.

“He’s in Millsburg, eh? Lucky bastard.” Dustin felt regretful that Edwin
managed to get away.
“Are you looking for my dad? D–
don’t worry. I’ll let you know as soon as he’s home! I’ll be your faithfu
l hound
from now on.” Joshua smiled weakly, grasping at straws.

Dustin sneered. “You’re willing to betray your father? You’re worse than
an animal.” He slowly raised his hand.
holding a silver needle.

“No! You can’t kill me! My mentor is the master of Boulderthorn, and my f
iancée is the Grants‘ third daughter. You’ll become their enemy if you ki
ll me. People will keep coming for your head, and you’ll have to live in
fear for the rest of your life!” Joshua roared, going berserk, his eyes b
loodshot.

“You should have thought about that when you kidnapped Natasha. As for th
e Grants and Boulderthorn, well, I

don’t care about them. So, you’ll definitely die today,” Dustin replied c
oldly.

With a flick of his finger, the silver needle lodged itself in the space
between Joshua’s forehead.

“No!” Joshua wailed with his last breath, the sound resonating in all dir
ections.

Early the next morning, inside a mansion in Millsburg, Edwin woke up with
a start from his nightmare, sweat

blanketing his whole body. For some reason, his sleep had been restless,
an ominous feeling constantly

Chapter 290
hovering over him.

“Sir Hummer!” One of his bodyguards barged into his room, overjoyed. “We
finally got our hands on Dr. Watkins
Substratumis. With this. Mr. Hummer will finally recover!”
“Excellent! Show me!” Edwin’s face lit up, his worries forgotten.

“Here you go, sir!” The guard brought out a jade box and opened it, revea
ling a glistening sheer milky white pill that emitted a sweet, relaxing s
cent.

Chapter 291

Chapter 291

“Well done. Well done, indeed!” Edwin laughed boisterously. “This Substra
tumis may be expensive, but it’s definitely worth the price!”

While he was still chortling away, another bodyguard rushed into the room
anxiously. “Sir, something bad happened back home!” The guard fell to hi
s knees, weeping.

“What?” Edwin frowned.

“We just received news from Swinton that Hummer Villa turned into a slaug
hterhouse last night. All of our fighters are dead, and Ms. Hummer and Mr
. Hummer were both killed as well. The Hummer family is gone!”

These words struck Edwin like lightning, and the Substratumis in his hand
crashed to the floor, shattering instantly.
“Son!” Edwin wailed mournfully, collapsing to the floor.
The devastated man stayed on the floor for what
felt like ages. When he finally staggered to his feet, he seemed to have
aged ten years, looking extremely haggard.
“Get ready. I want to head to
Boulderthorn’s branch right this instant!” Edwin seethed menacingly. He n
o longer had anything to fear now that his children were dead. He only ca
red about avenging them, no matter the cost!
After an hour, in Boulderthorn’s branch’s meeting room.
“What? Joshua was killed?” A man in a green
shirt shot up and roared. “Who the hell dares to touch someone from Bould
erthorn?”
“It was Natasha Harmon and a man called Dustin Rhys!” Edwin growled.

The other man humphed. “How dare a family like them challenge us! They mu
st have a death wish! Gather up our men. No matter what, we must avenge J
oshua!”
“Yes, sir!”

The Boulderthorn disciples
immediately left to carry out the man’s orders. Soon, the entire branch b
egan to make a move.

Boulderthorn had hundreds of thousands of disciples throughout Balerno, a
nd this particular branch has fostered the highest quantity of skilled
martial artists. The reason for that was simple: their mentor was the gui
ldmaster of Boulderthorn.
Boulderthorn has four branch leaders, eight guildmasters, and thirty–
six second–in–
commands. Besides the branch leaders, the guildmasters held the most powe
r in the guild. With just one command, guildmasters could control thousan
ds of disciples. However, each guildmaster had strong animosity against t
he other, so they were extremely protective of their disciples. So, whene
ver someone was in trouble, everyone would immediately chip in to help. A
nd out of all Boulderthorn disciples, Joshua was the most talented and sk
illed, earning him the head guildmaster’s affection,

His sudden death shocked the entire guild, and if Boulderthorn didn’t ave
nge him, their reputation would be sullied, particularly for this branch.

Edwin felt some sense of relief when he saw the effort the guild disciple
s were putting in. Without saying another word, he got back to his car an
d headed towards the Grants home.

No matter who was responsible for Jade’s disappearance, he was sure to pl
ace the blame on Dustin, and, knowing the Grants, Dustin wasn’t going to
get away with this easily. With Boulderthorn and the Grants working toget
her, even the Harmon family, one of the wealthiest families around, would
n’t last long, and when the time came, the Harmon family would surely mak
e Natasha take responsibility alone.

As for Dustin, he was nothing but a sitting duck for the Boulderthorn dis
ciples.

“My dear son, I will avenge you soon,” Edwin swore solemnly.

Chapter 292
Meanwhile, in Park Place, Swiston.

“What? Joshua Hummer is dead, and his entire family was massacred? They e
ven burned Hummer Villa down to the ground?” Jessica, who had
been relaxing a second ago, sobered when she heard her guard’s report.

The Hummer family was well known for being the top family in Swinton. Whi
le it couldn’t win against the Harmon family, it was still a force to be
reckoned with, especially with Boulderthorn’s support. So who could be po
werful enough to destroy that family?
“Do you know who did it?” Jessica pushed.

“The fire burned almost everything. It’ll be difficult to trace the sourc
e.” The guard shook his head.

“We’ll be in trouble if we can’t find the culprit!” Jessica frowned, pond
ering. Under normal circumstances, she’d be over the moon to learn that t
he Hummer family was gone. However, most people now knew that the Hummer
family and her daughter had something against each other, so Natasha woul
d naturally become the prime
suspect. What Jessica feared the most was that should Boulderthorn start
digging into this matter, things would get much more complicated.

“What’s wrong?” Just then, Natasha walked into the room wearing silk paja
mas.

“Joshua Hummer is dead, and the entire Hummer family was destroyed while
Edwin Hummer is still missing!” Jessica summarized everything she knew.

“I already knew that. Nothing to be surprised of.” Natasha stretched lazi
ly.
“Huh? When did you find out?” Jessica asked, astonished.
“Dustin called me last night,” Natasha responded calmly.

“Last night?” Jessica froze before understanding dawned. “Are you saying
that he’s the one who did it?”
“Yep.” Natasha nodded.

“Is he crazy? How could he kill Joshua Hummer? Doesn’t he know that Joshu
a’s mentor is Clement Lincoln? Isn’t he worried that Boulderthorn would r
etaliate?” Jessica snapped.

“The Hummer family and I are already enemies, so I don’t think Dustin did
anything wrong.” Natasha countered.
The truth was she’d already been prepared to fight against them
after hearing that the military had arrested Dustin. Still, it was a good
thing he returned safely.

“He did nothing wrong?” Jessica frowned. “Natasha, do you have any idea w
hat you’re saying? Even your father has to be careful around Lincoln! Dus
tin won’t be the only one to die if Lincoln wants revenge. You’ll be drag
ged down too!”

Boulderthorn was one of the strongest guilds in Balerno. The Harmon famil
y
wouldn’t be able to stand up against them, much less the guildmaster, who
had the power to control over ten thousand men.
To put
things into perspective, without military aid, no one would be able to st
op those martial artists.
Chapter 292

“Boulderthorn may be powerful, but they are not above the law. They won’t
be able to do as they please. Besides, did you really think that the Hum
mer family was going to simply let us go if Dustin hadn’t killed Joshua?
Since nothing can stop us from being enemies, the next best option would
be to make the first move!” Natasha explained calmly, having thought abou
t it earlier.

“I don’t care. Dustin is in big trouble this time. If you don’t want to d
rag our family into this mess, you better cut all ties with him right now
!” Jessica warned.

“That’s your plan? Cutting ties with him?” Natasha snorted. “You shouldn’
t forget that Dustin offended the Hummer family for me. Are you telling m
e to turn my back on him right now?”

“Why not?” Jessica responded scornfully. “Everyone has their value. Once
they’re no longer of use, they should be discarded. You should always foc
us on the bigger picture.”

“How could you say something like that? You haven’t changed, have you? Yo
u’re still so disgusting!” Natasha sneered before spinning around to leav
e.

“You” Jessica fumed.

Chapter 293

Was it wrong for a mother to worry about her daughter’s safety? So why co
uldn’t Natasha understand her?

“Istrid!” Jessica called out.

A voluptuous woman immediately hurried into the room. “Yes, Madam?”

“Send an anonymous letter to Clement Lincoln to let him know everything D
ustin has done.” Jessica
instructed.
“Huh?” Isfrid was stunned. “A–are you sure, Madam?”

Dustin had been severely injured just to save Natasha, yet Jessica was te
lling her to betray him. That was
crossing the line.

“Shut up and do as I say! Natasha will only be safe if we sacrifice Dusti
n. Hurry up!” Jessica ordered coldly.

“Yes. Madam.” Istrid could only nod. Although she felt sorry for Dustin,
as the Harmon family’s shadow guard, she had no choice but to obey Jessic
a.
Meanwhile, a
red BMW suddenly pulled up at the door of Peaceful Medical Center. The ca
r door flung open. and Dakota Nicholson rushed into
the building frenziedly.
“I know you’re here, Rhys! Come out!” she yelled.

“Which uneducated brat is it?” Dustin emerged from the kitchen. He looked
up and gave her a knowing look. So it’s you. What can I do for you?”

“Cut the crap! My mother’s sick. Follow me to the hospital and help her!”
Dakota ordered rudely. She woke up this morning to find that her mother
was paralyzed, unable to feel anything below her shoulders, and could
only move her neck.

Although Dakota was shocked, she was forced to admit that everything happ
ened just as Dustin had said it would. Her mother had fainted the first d
ay, coughed up blood on the second, and became paralyzed on the third, ju
st like he said.

So, if her mother couldn’t receive treatment in time, she would die tomor
row.

“What does your mother falling sick have to do with me?” Dustin shrugged,
not at all surprised.

“She wouldn’t be sick if you hadn’t slapped her,” Dakota replied arrogant
ly.

“Wow, to become terminally ill from a slap. Your mother sure is something
else.” Dustin chuckled, shaking his
head.

“Stop messing around. I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself. Come wi
th me to the hospital to save my
mother right now!” Dakota ordered.
“Sorry, but I don’t give a damn.” Dustin refused bluntly.

“What?” Dakota frowned. “How dare you refuse! Do you have any idea what t
he consequences will be?”
Chapter 293
“Nope.” Dustin shook his head.

Dakota humped, displeased. “That means you’ll offend the Glenstead Nichol
sons. If I can pull you out of jail, I can certainly put you back in.”

“It sounds like I have you to thank for my freedom?” Dustin asked, amused
.

“Do you think I would have saved you if Dahlia didn’t keep begging me?” D
akota humphed. “You should be grateful. Since I saved you, it’s time for
you to repay the favor. I’m giving you a chance to save my mother!”

“I have no idea where you found the confidence to say all that.” Dustin s
norted and shook his head. “If that’s the attitude you’re going to carry,
I’m afraid I can’t help you. Please leave.”

Dakota was supposed to ask for a favor, yet she acted arrogantly. It was
as if she expected him to be grateful. that she was telling him to save s
omeone. Who did she think she was?

Chapter 294

“You shameless bastard!” Dustin’s repeated refusal angered Dakota, the pr
oud daughter of a wealthy family. Usually, people would be tripping over
their feet trying to flatter her, yet here Dustin was, ignoring her.

“Who’s the shameless one?” Dustin raised an eyebrow. “Have you
been eating so much junk food that you

fried your brain? This is Balerno, not Glenstead, so don’t give me that a
ttitude!”
“You-
” Dakota was so angry she gritted her teeth, but she couldn’t do anything
else since she desperately needed him to save her mother. She would have
already struck him if her mother’s life wasn’t at stake.

“What do you want, Rhys?” Dakota took a deep breath, trying to keep her a
nger at bay.

“I won’t make things difficult for you, for Dahlia’s sake, Dustin answere
d. “I can save her, but first, I want you

to stop that haughty attitude of yours and give me a sincere apology. Nex
t, I want you to write a letter of
apology.”

“Never!” Dakota balked. “How could I, the daughter of the Glenstead Nicho
lsons, apologize to someone like you? Absolutely not.”

“Then forget about it. I’m not the one suffering anyway.” Dustin responde
d lazily. “But don’t say I didn’t warn

you. Your mother will die tomorrow if she doesn’t receive treatment in ti
me.”
“You-
” Dakota choked, her face dark. Although she didn’t like hearing that, it
was still the truth. If her mother didn’t receive help in time, she woul
d be dead by the next morning.

“Please leave if you aren’t happy with my conditions.” Dustin waved her a
way.

“I–
I’ll do it!” Dakota eventually gave in. Biting her lip, she stammered. ‘I
–I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
“Are you talking to the air? Speak up!” Dustin ordered.

“I’m sorry! I was wrong!” Dakota shouted, her face red. That was her firs
t time apologizing to someone, and it was utterly humiliating.

“Fine. I’ll forgive you because of Dahlia, but you better remember not to
be so arrogant from now on. Not everyone is as kind as me,” Dustin remin
ded her.

Dakota’s face darkened, and her palms ached from how hard she clenched he
r fists. She forced out a smile and asked, “You’ll save my mom now,
right?”
“What about the apology letter?” Dustin asked instead.

“I’ll write it!” Dakota gritted her teeth and began writing as soon as sh
e got some pen and paper. Soon, a long letter was completed.

“As expected of an aristocratic family’s lady. Your writing is perfect.”
Dustin nodded, pleased. He stored the letter away and pulled out a bottle
of pills. “Here. One pill a day, and she’ll be as good as new after a mo
nth.”

“Just this? Are you serious?” Dakota accepted the bottle and studied it s
uspiciously. “Are you messing with me, Rhys? My mom can be saved with jus
t a few pills?”

“What else were you expecting? Was I supposed to open her up instead?” Du
stin questioned back.

Chapter 29M

“Alright. I’ll believe you this once. Your medicine better work, or I’m c
oming for you!” Giving Dustin a vicious glare, Dakota turned to leave.

Chapter 295
“Hold on.”

“What now?” Dakota halted and spun around, impatient.

“You haven’t paid yet. This medicine is precious. You can just pay me ten
million, Dustin casually told her.

“What? A bottle like this costs ten million dollars? You might as well ro
b a bank!” Dakota fumed.
“This is obviously easier than robbing a bank. You can always
give it back if you find it too expensive.” Dustin reached out to grab th
e bottle back.
“You’re shameless!” Dakota gritted her teeth and wrote up a ten–
million–
dollar check before leaving angrily. She’d made up her mind to make Dusti
n pay after her mother recovered.

After half an hour, she reached the hospital. As soon as she returned to
the ward, she saw a group of doctors gathered there, shaking their heads
and sighing. Her mother, Jane, was lying on the hospital bed, unable to
move.
“You’re
back, Dakota!” Florence rushed forward and asked, “How did it go? Does he
have the solution? If
there’s no other method, we’ll have to seek out Dr. Cross.”

“He gave me a bottle of pills and told me Mom would be fine after taking
them for a month.” Dakota pulled out the bottle and poured out an ordinar
y–looking black pill the size of a peanut that emitted a musty odor.

“This thing can heal her?” Florence gaped in dismay. Instead of the panac
ea she had been expecting, all she saw was a booger.
“That’s what he said.” Dakota nodded her head.

“Ms. Nicholson,” a bald doctor suddenly spoke. “Your mother’s
life is in danger. The best choice right now would be to perform a cranio
tomy surgery, not listen to some voodoo doctor.”

“You can’t even figure out what’s wrong with her, yet you want to perform
a craniotomy? How’s that different from murder?” Dakota snapped.

The doctors had previously told her that her mother might be paralyzed du
e to the tumor in her brain. However, the CT scan results came back clean
, so how could she blindly believe their assumptions?

“All surgeries come with risks, but at least our professional team is mor
e reliable than the doctor you found!”
the bald doctor promised.
“I have to try no matter what!” Dakota’s tone was firm.
“What an idiot.” The bald doctor shook his
head and looked at Dakota like she was a moron. “Why would the world need
doctors if medicine can cure everything?”

“Exactly! I’ll take a shit while doing a handstand if it works!” another
doctor voiced.

Ignoring them, Dakota grabbed the pill and put it into her mother’s mouth
. The pill melted instantly, and a gush of energy spread through Jane’s l
imbs.

Chapter 295
A few seconds later, Jane began to cough, her face flushed.

“What the hell is this? It tastes atrocious!” Jane sputtered and sat up t
o gargle using the cup of water beside
her.

“You can move again, Mom?” Dakota froze, then she lit up in excitement.

“Huh?” Jane halted, swallowing the water she had just gargled, before spr
inging up happily. “Oh my! I can
move again!”

“Who said they’d take a shit while doing a handstand? Step forward right
now!” Dakota glared at the doctors..

rendering them speechless.

Chapter 296

The doctors looked at each other in shock after seeing how lively Jane wa
s. They couldn’t believe that such a small pill had cured what a group of
medical professionals had been unable to. It was incredible!

Was that black pill a panacea or something?

Getting over his shock, the bald doctor tentatively asked, “Ms. Nicholson
, may I know what pill that is? Could we study it?”

“Yeah, right. F*ck off!” Dakota immediately kicked him, making the man gr
oan in pain.

Knowing he had lost, he quickly led the other doctors out of the room in
disappointment.

“Who knew a small pill like this could be so powerful?” Florence was in a
we. Despite its looks and smell, its effects were evident.

“It may have cost ten million dollars, but it was worth it!” Dakota excla
imed happily.
“What? Ten million?” The other two women instantly sprung up.

“Are you joking. Dakota? A bottle like this costs ten million dollars? Fl
orence asked, wide–eyed.
“Yeah! Were you tricked? How could this ordinary–
looking medicine cost so much?” Jane demanded, pained. The richer someone
was, the stingier they were.

“Forget it. As long as it could save you, the price isn’t that important.
” Dakota wasn’t too angry about it.

“What do you mean forget about it?” Jane fumed. “I still haven’t gotten e
ven with that brat for slapping me. How dare he con us out of ten million
dollars! I have to get that money back!” She immediately tried to get ou
t of bed, but
her agitated state, combined with her weak body, made her knees go weak,
and she immediately collapsed back on the bed.

“Mom, we can think about the money later. Your health is way more importa
nt,” Dakota said worriedly.

“Don’t worry, Jane. I’ll get the money back for you.” Florence volunteere
d, not letting the opportunity to prove herself escape.

“Alright, then. I’ll leave this to you.” Jane agreed without hesitation.
She couldn’t be happier that someone was volunteering to run errands for
her.
“Mom, bad news!” Just then, Dahlia barged into the room anxiously.

“What’s wrong?” Florence was puzzled since she rarely saw her daughter so
panicked.
“It’s James.” Dahlia panted before continuing.
“I just received news that he got drunk last night and

accidentally ran his car into someone, killing that person. He’s already
been arrested!”

“He killed someone?” Florence was stunned. “How is that possible? He neve
r drives after drinking. How could this have happened?”
“I don’t know the specifics either.
He’s being held in police custody. Let’s go now.” Dahlla urged.
“Right! Let’s go!” Florence quickly followed Dahlia out of the room.

Chapter 296

Dahlia was the one who drove, and moments later, they arrived at the inve
stigation bureau. After a simple

registration, the two women entered the meeting room and saw a roughed–
up James.

“Mom! Sis! You’re finally here!” James burst out crying the moment he saw
them.

“You asshole! How dare you drink and drive!” Dahlia walked forward and sl
apped him across the face.

Chapter 297

“Enough. Stop fighting. Let us know what happened first.” Florence said w
orriedly.

“I’m not sure what happened either.” James sobbed. “I blacked out after d
rinking with my friends. By the time I

woke up, I was already in the car, and there was wreckage everywhere. I w
as so scared I ran away immediately, but I got caught the same night.”
“You did a hit–and–
run? Do you know how severe this crime is? You won’t be getting out witho
ut a decade or
two of jail time!” Dahlia spat.

“What?” James immediately paled. “I’m still young. I don’t want to go to
jail. Please save me!”

“You have to pay the price for your mistakes. How can you think that you’
ll be safe after killing someone?”

Dahlia sighed. Although she loved her brother dearly, she could do nothin
g about his crime.

“Sis, Mom, help me! I swear I’ll never do this again! I’ve learned my les
son, I swear!” James swore frantically. unable to stand the thought of li
ving out his life in prison.

“Calm down, James. I’ll call you aunt right now. With the Glenstead Nicho
lsons‘ help and some money, we

should be able to get your out.” Florence quickly drew out her phone and
called Jane. “Hello? Jane? James is in danger. He ran
his car into somebody and killed them. Could you make a few calls to get
him out?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to help you, Florence, but Dahlia ran away fr
om her date last night, so our family is very unhappy. They’ve given the
order that unless Dahlia marries Mr. Longford, our family will not be pro
viding any assistance,” Jane responded calmly.

“What?” Florence stiffened and turned to look at Dahlia questioningly.
“I’ll never marry him!” Dahlia immediately refused.

“Then forget about it. Deal with James on your own.” Jane hung up.

“Just agree, Dahlia. What’s wrong with marrying Mr. Langford? He’s powerf
ul and rich, and he comes from an aristocratic family. As long as you mar
ry him, we can save your brother and live comfortably for the rest of our
lives.” Florence urged.
“Mom, I don’t like him!” Dahlia frowned.

“You’ll fall in love with him after some time. Would you rather see your
brother being sent to prison?” Florence
wailed.

“That’s right, Sis. Just marry Mr. Langford, or I’m doomed!” James sobbed
.
“Did the two of you ever think of my future?” Dahlia was troubled.

“You’ll have a wonderful life if you marry Mr. Langford, and our family w
ill become powerful too, What’s not to like about that? Besides, I’m your
brother. Do you want to see me rot away in jail?” James roared, his eyes

bloodshot.
“Let me think about it. T–
there must be another way.” Dahlia shut her eyes helplessly.

“What’s there to think about? We’re running out of time.” James shouted f
rantically.

Chapter 297

“He’s right. Won’t you please help him? I’m begging you!” Florence cried
and fell to her knees.

“What are you doing, Mom? Get up!” Dahlia paled and tried to help Florenc
e stand.
“I won’t get up until you agree!” Florence declared.

At the sight of her mother’s firm attitude and her brother’s terrified ex
pression, Dahlia stood rooted dumbly, at a loss. She never thought that t
hings would turn out this way. The happiness she’d been
praying for was just

a few steps ahead, so why was God treating her this way? Didn’t she deser
ve happiness?

“Fine. I’ll do it …” Dahlia shut her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks
.

She had given in..

Chapter 298
“Fine. I’ll do it…”

Within an exclusive club, Luis couldn’t help grinning when he heard the o
ther voice from the phone. “Great. See you tonight. You better not stand
me up again.”

With that, he hung up. The young men and women surrounding him immediatel
y gave him a thumbs–up after learning what had happened.

“Never thought a tiny trick like this could get that chick to obey you, M
s. Langford. You’re incredible!” a blond man praised.

Luis chuckled evilly. “She would never have agreed if I hadn’t sent her b
rother in. Besides, how could I let a chick like her slip through my fing
ers like that?”

None of the women he set his sights on have ever gotten away from him. Al
l it took was some time and some tricks. Dahlia may look like an innocent
woman, but as long as he used her friends and family as bait, she would
surely bite.

“I’m curious, Mr. Langford. Why would you marry her? You could have just
had fun without getting married. This doesn’t seem like something you’d d
o.” The blond man observed.

“Excellent question.” Luis paused to light a cigar. “Truthfully, what I w
ant is the Glenstead Nicholsons” support. Marriage between our families h
as been set, and Dahlia will soon carry out her family’s orders. Through
her, I will take over the Nicholsons‘ power completely!”

His words caused a stir among the crowd, and they immediately began singi
ng his praises.

“As expected of Mr. Langford, he thinks so far ahead. How impressive!”
“He has brains and brawn. He’s amazing!”

“Once I take over the Nicholsons, I will become the head of the Langfords
!” Luis declared confidently.

Competition between him and his brothers was fierce, as everyone wanted t
o become the head of the family. To win against them, he must
have enough strength and power.

“Then let us wish you a happy marriage in advance!” The blond man led the
group to offer Luis a toast. Soon, laughter resonated through the room.
8 pm at Hillview Restaurant.

Dustin had arrived earlier than the agreed time. He had chosen the most l
uxurious room they had to cater to him and Dahlia, which didn’t matter mu
ch to him since this was one of his businesses, and he didn’t have to
pay.

“Sir, our chef prepared these dishes specially for you. Please let us kno
w what you think.” The manager, carrying a menu, began to introduce each
dish to Dustin.

“No need for all this. You can arrange it as you see fit. Just make sure
to get us the chef’s signature dish,”
Chapter 298
Dustin instructed.

“Of course, sir.” The manager nodded and waved his hand to those outside
the room.

A group of waiters immediately began setting up the place with flowers, w
ine, candles, and more, making the room look romantic and warm. They had
even hired a guitarist and three dancers to perform. Soon, everything was
ready.
“Sir, I took the
liberty to arrange some performers. I hope you don’t mind.” the manager s
aid with a smile.

“This looks quite grand. You must have put in a lot of effort.” Dustin wa
s surprised.

“I can always tell them to leave if you don’t wish them to be here.” The
manager lowered his head.
“It’s fine. It’s quite nice. Thank you.” Dustin smiled.
Dahlia would like this, wouldn’t she?

“It’s my pleasure to serve you, sir. May I know when Ms. Nicholson will b
e arriving so I can prepare things?” the manager asked tentatively.

“She should be here soon.” Dustin glanced at the time. It was already pas
t eight..
Dahlia always kept her promise and was never late. Did something
happen?

Puzzled, Dustin pulled out his phone to call her.

Chapter 299

Dahlia didn’t pick up the first two times. It wasn’t until his third atte
mpt that the call got through.

“Hey, Dahlia. Didn’t you tell me to treat you to dinner? Why aren’t you h
ere yet?” Dustin asked.

“About that I’m sorry, but something came up. I might not be able to leav
e any time soon.” Dahlia’s voice sounded strange.

“It’s alright. Work is more important. Take your time. I won’t bother you
.” Dustin answered understandingly despite the tinge of regret.
Dahlia hummed. “I’ll treat you another day.”

“Sure.” Dustin smiled. He was just about to hang up when he heard a famil
iar voice.
“Dahlia, who are you calling? Hurry up. You’ve got to drink with me-
”
With a beep, the call ended.
“Sir, when is Ms. Nicholson arriving?” the manager asked.

“She has something to deal with, so she can’t come. You can put everythin
g away. I’m sorry, everyone.” Dustin smiled politely and got up to leave.

Everyone exchanged confused glances. Why had the carefully planned dinner
gone to waste?
Meanwhile, inside a Barkarole Hotel room.

“Mr. Langford, I can’t drink anymore. Let’s stop here tonight.” Dahlia wa
ved her hands frantically as another
glass of wine came towards her.
Her face was flushed, and she was light–headed, her body weak.

“It was quite hard to get your brother out of that mess. You can’t be tha
t ungrateful, can you?” Luis held up his
glass unhappily.

“Just drink it, Dahlia. It’s just one glass.” Florence, who was sitting b
eside them, urged.

They were here because they wanted to save James, so they had to make sur
e they pleased Luis.
“But –
Dahlia hesitated, troubled. Knowing her limits, she was sure she’d colla
pse if she drank anymore.

“I won’t force you anymore, Dahlia. This is the last glass.” Luis pushed
the glass towards her once more.

“See, Dahlia? It’s the last glass. You shouldn’t embarrass him.” Florence
pressed softly.

“Alright, I’ll drink it.” Taking a deep breath, Dahlia lifted the glass t
o her lips and downed the entire thing. As soon as the liquid settled, sh
e felt herself getting dizzier. Her body swayed, and she almost tripped.

With quick reflexes, Florence grabbed Dahlia to keep her still. “Mr. Lang
ford, Dahlia is drunk. Why don’t I send
her home.”

Chapter 299

“It’s fine. I’ve already booked a presidential suite for the two of you.
She can just rest here.” Luis said with a smile.
“Won’t that be too much trouble?” Florence questioned tentatively.

“Of course not. We’ll be a family soon. You should go and rest.” Luis dre
w out a room card and passed it to Florence.

“Thank you, Mr. Langford.” Florence nodded and helped Dahlia out of the r
oom.

“Let’s see how you’re going to escape tonight.” Luis cackled, seeing Dahl
ia’s retreating figure. He lifted his glass and took a big gulp before fo
llowing behind the two women.

Chapter 300

Inside the presidential suite, Florence helped Dahlia onto the bed and to
ok off the younger woman’s shoes. She then went to grab a basin of warm w
ater to wipe Dahlia down.

“Mom, I feel horrible. I want some water.” Dahlia lay on the bed weakly,
feeling parched.

“Water won’t work. I’ll get you some milk. Wait here.” Florence made up a
n excuse and quickly left the room, bumping into Luis straight away.
“How’s Dahlia doing. Mrs. Nicholson?”
“She’s fine. Nothing a night’s sleep won’t fix. Florence smiled.
“Where are you heading, Mrs. Nicholson?” Luis asked again.
“To get Dahlia some milk to case her stomach ache.”

“I see…” Luis smiled knowingly. “No one sells milk nearby, so I’m afraid
you’ll have to search further. You might have to come back later too.”

“Are you sure? I’m pretty sure I saw a grocery store downstairs.” Florenc
e smiled awkwardly.

“Are you questioning me?” Luis‘ smile slowly disappeared, an animalistic,
cruel expression taking over.
“O–
of course not. Got it. I’ll come back later.” Florence promised hurriedly
, smiling apologetically.

“Good.” Luis‘ smile returned, and he watched the woman leave. As soon as
she was gone, he opened the room door and let himself in.

“How did you get the milk so quickly, Mom?” Dahlia asked weakly from the
bed.

“Your mother isn’t coming back anytime soon, so I’ll be taking care of yo
u,” Luis responded.

“Mr. Langford? What are you doing here?” Dahlia’s face tightened. “How di
d you get in? Where’s my mom?”

“She went to get you some milk, of course,” Luis answered, beginning to t
ake his clothes off.

“What do you think you’re doing. Mr. Langford?” Dahlia began to panic.

“What do you think is supposed to happen when a man and a woman are left
alone in a room?” He sneered. removing his tie, eyes full of lust.

“Don’t mess with me, Mr. Langford. I’m not that kind of person!” Dahlia s
houted.

“We’ll be engaged in a few days and getting married soon, so what does it
matter? Luis jeered. “I promise you Infinite luxury if you please me ton
ight.”

“No! You’re not touching me until we’re married!” Dahlia stood her ground
.

“That’ll take too long. You’re going to sate me right now!” He lunged for
ward and began yanking at her clothes like a beast.
“Go away!” Struggling with
all her might, Dahlia planted a firm kick at Luis‘ groin, and the man imm
ediately

doubled, groaning. “Are you alright, Mr. Langford?” Dahlia was startled.
Things would be bad if she caused him permanent injury down there.

“You B*tch!” Furious, Luis slapped Dahlia across the face, making her sta
gger and fall to the floor. “No woman has ever rejected me, much less kic
ked me. How dare you!” Luis exploded.

“I’m sorry. Mr. Langford. I didn’t do that on purpose.” Dahlia shook her
head.
“Shut the F*ck up! If you don’t
want something to happen to your brother, you better kneel and beg for fo
rgiveness!”

“You’re crossing the line, Mr. Langford!” Dahlia snapped.

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