An Understated Dominance (Chinese Version) Chapter 301-400

The man’s arrogant gaze swept the room.
“I’m Dustin. May I know why you’re here?” Dustin glanced at the man
before continuing to drink.

“I’m a messenger of Boulderthorn’s Royal Valor. We want to challenge
you to a duel. You killed Joshua Hummer, our seventh disciple, so
something has to be done. My senior will be visiting Swinton to challenge
you to a duel to the death!” the man declared haughtily, throwing them a
piece of paper.
As a well-known guild, they had to do things publicly, including
exacting revenge. They were also going to use this opportunity to show
off their power.
“You can take that back. I’m not interested.” Dustin refused without
even looking at the paper. “Are you scared?” The other man sneered.
“Weren’t you brave when you killed Joshua? Why are you shying away after
hearing that my senior is your opponent?”
“As if. I don’t even know who your senior is,” Dustin replied calmly.
“I’ll tell you right now. His name is Tatum Thunders, and his name
can be found on The Heavenly Immortals. He’s also one of the eight
geniuses of Boulderthorn. His nickname is Fanatic Blade!” The man humphed
proudly.
“The Fanatic Blade, Tatum Thunders?” Maximus exclaimed, his
expression paled.
As a Boulderthorn disciple himself, he has heard of Tatum before.
Boulderthorn has eight subsidiary guilds-Royal Valor, Quickshields,
Forsakenstriders, Shadowfall, Thundersong, Frostlanders, Boneguard, and
Killingbane.
Each guild had its respective principal disciple, who were expert
martial artists ranking only below the guildmaster. In terms of power and
strength, they were even stronger than the second- in-commands of
Boulderthorn, and Tatum happened to be the principal disciple of Royal
Valor.
Only in his early thirties, the genius has already made his way onto
the Heavenly Immortals.
“Fanatic Blade? Never heard of him. He better stay away if he doesn’t
want to die.” Dustin couldn’t care less.
“Arrogant fool!” The man humphed. “No one has ever dared to refuse
our challenge, you brat. If you refuse to accept the duel, everyone
around you will suffer, not just you, so you better think this through.”
“Are you threatening me?” Dustin narrowed his eyes dangerously.
“That’s right! We’ll be waiting for you at Mount Halgue in two days’
time. You’d better be prepared for the consequences if you don’t show up.
And don’t even think about running away. We’re watching you. Rather than
hiding like a mouse, why don’t you die honorably in a fight instead? At
least your pride will be intact, and no innocent people will be hurt.
Well, you should think carefully before making your decision. Goodbye.”
With that, the man spun around and left.
The man wasn’t worried that Dustin might not accept their challenge
since no one had ever gotten away from Boulderthorn.
“We’re in trouble now, Dustin!” Maximus’ expression was grave. “Tatum
is no ordinary fighter. He’s a legendary figure who already achieved
divinity five years ago. He’s leagues above Joshua Hummer!”
“Really? He sounds strong,” Dustin responded calmly.
“I think you should bring your loved ones and run as far as you can
right now, or you’re doomed!” Maximus warned
“Run?” Dustin smiled softly. “He isn’t enough to scare me.”
“Do you have another plan?” Maximus asked curiously.
“There’s always a solution to a problem. Since they’re challenging me
first, I should give them a response too.” Dustin smiled coldly.
His mood was already terrible, but now that Tatum was stupid enough
to poke an angry bear, Dustin might as well use that man to relieve some
anger.

Chapter 305

Time flew by, and two days passed. News about Tatum challenging
Dustin to a duel had spread far and wide, and all the martial artists who
caught wind of the challenge came in droves to watch the duel
The challenger was the principal disciple of Royal Valor, Fanatic
Blade of the Heavenly Immortals -Tatum Thunders, while the challengee was
Dustin Rhys, a dark horse.

Eager to watch their challenge, many people woke up before dawn to
get to Mount Halgue, so now, people crowded at the foot of the mountain
“I didn’t know there would be this many people.” Thanking that this
was just an ordinary duel, Dustin was surprised by the size of the crowd
“That’s just how Boulderthorn is Anytime a famous disciple challenges
someone to a duel, their guild makes sure to promote themselves and show
off their strength. It’s an unspoken rule among guilds Maximus was used
to the sight
“Really?” Dustin smiled. “In that case, wouldn’t they be embarrassed
if they lose?”
“Lose?” The corner of Maximus’ lips twitched This was Tatum Thunders
they were talking about. Even among his peers in Boulderthorn, the man
rarely had any opponents, so how could he lose? The only reason the guild
would make such a bigtuss about this was because they were certain they
would win Therefore, they invited multiple witnesses, including the
disciples of other guilds, to show off their power
“Dustin, it’s not too late to turn back right now. Are you sure you
want to do it?” Maximus asked tentatively.
“Why would we turn back when we’re already halfway there? Let’s go. I
want to meet that guy.” Dustin stretched and began to climb the stairs.
Halfway up the mountain, they suddenly heard a fierce battle going
on.
Dustin turned and saw a group of people fighting in the dense forest
next to the path. More accurately, a bunch of burly men were attacking an
old man simultaneously. Despite his white. hair and frail body, the old
man was surprisingly agile, his strikes catching his opponents by
surprise, so the group of men was having a hard time fighting him.
A young girl stood behind the elderly man
“How dare they attack an old man! I’ll go help them” Maximus rushed
forward righteously. Dustin shook his head and followed suit.
“Hey! What are you guys doing?” The young girl immediately stopped
them as they approached. The old man is in danger. I’ll help him!”
Maximus told her.
It’s fine. Those vermin won’t be able to hurt my grandpa,” the girl
refused.
“He’s your grandfather?” Maximus was surprised. “Aren’t you worried
he might get hurt?”
The little girl immediately humphed proudly “My grandfather’s Ralph
Dunn, the leader of the Steel Legion! There’s no way those vermin are a
match for him lust watchi”
Hearing that, Maximus stood back and watched the battle silently.
After exchanging a few more blows, Ralph finally put in more effort
and began raining down strikes from his palms on the men. Unable to
withstand the attack, the men soon became severely injured and threw up
blood.
“Damn it! He’s a beast! Retreat!” the leader hollered, and everyone
else immediately rushed after him, not wanting to stay another second.
“Humph! How dare those losers dare to take advantage of me with their
pathetic skills!”

Chapter 306

The old man patted the dust off his body in a poised manner.
“That was a wonderful fight!” The young girl excitedly clapped after
Ralph won. She turned to Dustin and Maximus. “See? Isn’t my grandpa
amazing?”

“Abby, did you see my palm strikes just now? Those are our guild’s
signature moves. You’ll amaze the world when you finally learn it,” Ralph
said loudly.
“I’ll work hard to meet your expectations, Grandpa Abby nodded
fervently.
“Oh, and they are?” Ralph turned his attention to Dustin and Maximus.
“They’re passersby who were being nosy, but I stopped them in time.
With their abilities, they’ll only be a bother,” Abby explained.
“I see.” Ralph gave them a look over. “Treacherous bandits and
ferocious beasts always roam this mountain. You two shouldn’t run around
carelessly.
“Thanks for the advice. We’ll make a move since you’re safe.” Dustin
thanked them and spun around to leave.
“Hold on!” Abby suddenly called out. “You’re here to watch the fight
between Tatum and, er, Dustin, right?”
“Yes. Are you guys here for that too?” Dustin asked
“Of course!” Abby lifted her head proudly. “To tell you the truth,
Boulderthorn invited many witnesses for today’s duel. My grandpa’s one of
them!”
“Witnesses?” Dustin was amused. “Is that really necessary?”
“Of course it is!” Abby rolled her eyes. “I can tell that you’re
clueless. Well, any fight between famous martial artists always needs
witnesses to ensure the competition’s fairness.”
“I see.” Dustin nodded. It was true that he had no idea about
deathmatch rules.
“Both of you young men seem like fine people with strong bodies. I’ll
give you a chance to become Steel Legion disciples,” Ralph suddenly said.
“Disciples?” Dustin was caught off guard.
“You two should thank your lucky stars. Being my grandpa’s disciple
is a dream many people have. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and thank
him!” Abby ordered arrogantly.
“Sorry, but no thanks,” Dustin refused, shaking his head.
“What?” Abby immediately turned angry. “Hey, you should be grateful
that Grandpa’s willing to take you in.”
“Young man, you won’t come across this opportunity twice. You should
think about it carefully!” Ralph stood proudly with his hands behind his
back. “It’s an honor to be my disciple. All I have to do is teach you a
few moves, and you’ll become famous.”
Dustin couldn’t help but find their confidence amusing. To think that
someone who hasn’t reached divinity yet was trying to take him in as a
disciple. Had the requirements for becoming
mentors fallen so low?
“Thank you for your offer, but I’m not interested.” Dustin shook his
head once more.
“Insolent fool!” Abby humphed before turning to Maximus. “What about
you?”
“I’m not interested either.” He shrugged.
“You’ll regret your decision one day!” Abby fumed.
Her grandfather, the leader of Steel Legion, a well-known martial
expert, was gracious enough to offer to take them in, yet they foolishly
refused.

Chapter 307
“Forget it I was just repaying your kindness earlier Since you don’t
want to, forget it.” Ralph shook his head pretentiously, giving them a
you’ll regret-it-one-day look

Dustin and Maximus exchanged amused glances silently

“Let’s go. Since we’ve run into each other, I might as well escort
you two up in case there’s danger again.” Ralph said, walking ahead with
his hands clasped behind his back.
“You guys are lucky to be able to walk with my grandpa!” With a
humph, Abby glared at them and hurried after Ralph.
Dustin smiled and followed behind them without protest. After all,
there was only one way up the mountain
Moving at a brisk pace, the group soon made it to the top At the
center of the hilltop was a platform, which was where Dustin and Tatum’s
fight was supposed to take place. Many people had already gathered around
the platform, most of them martial artists, making things much. livelier
“Mr. Dunn? Nice to meet you.
“I’ve heard so much about you, Mr. Dunn It’s an honor to meet you”
As soon as Ralph appeared, many people came unto greet him. It was
clear to see that the Steel Legion was quite famous
“Do you know how powerful my grandpa is now?” Abby goaded. “I bet you
regret your decision now Ha, but it’s too late!”
Dustin pretended not to hear her, while Maximus ignored her by
turning his head away.
“I heard you’re the witness for today’s match, Mr. Dunn Who do you
think will win?” someone asked
“Isn’t it obvious? Fanatic Blade, of course!” Abby chimed in “Tatum
is the principal disciple of Royal Valor and someone on the Heavenly
Immortals. He’s never lost a fight before.”
“It’s true that he’s strong, but I heard that Dustin Rhys is not
someone to underestimate either. Even Joshua Hummer, who had just reached
divinity, lost to him,” another person responded. “Why would you compare
Tatum to Joshua?” Abby humphed. “One hasn’t even fully reached divinity
yet, while the other already did that five years ago. With Tatum’s skills
today, how hard can it be for him to defeat a country bumpkin?”
“She’s right. No matter how I look at it, Tatum has a higher winning
chance,” Ralph opined, and everyone instantly nodded in agreement.
Ralph was a revered senior martial artist and the witness for today’s
duel, so naturally, everyone believed him.
Glancing at the people around him, Dustin shook his head with a
smile.
“What are you laughing at? Did Grandpa say anything wrong?” Abby
demanded, annoyed.
“Aren’t you guys being too hasty? The battle hasn’t even begun yet.”
Dustin smiled.
“Why? Do you think that Dustin might win?” Abby pursed her lips.
“We’ll only know once the batter starts,” Dustin answered.

Chapter 308

Abby humphed. “Stop pretending when you don’t know anything ” She
rolled her eyes. “We’ll
know who’s better soon enough!”

“Even if Dustin doesn’t win against Tatum, he’s still a rare genius,
so we should still respect him,” the man from earlier said.
“You’re right. Just getting Tatum to challenge him to a duel is a
feat of its own. Otherwise, Boulderthorn wouldn’t have wasted so much
energy on this.”
“I heard that he’s only around twenty. It’s extremely rare to see
someone that age reach divinity. He’s practically a genius!”
“Even if he doesn’t win against Tatum, it will be an honorable
defeat.”
Everyone began to chip in their opinions. Although they were sure
Dustin would lose to Tatum, they still acknowledged the former’s talents
and skills
“I heard that Dustin doesn’t have a quild and is self-taught He’s
bound to shine if he enters Ironshade!” one said
Another chuckled. “Ironshade only has around a hundred disciples. A
talent like him would be
wasted there”
Someone else agreed, “In terms of size and growth, Highfield is
definitely better. I’m sure Dustin. wouldn’t refuse my offer.”
“Hey, are you guys forgetting about Steel Legion?” Abby shouted
unhappily. “My guild is obviously the best If Dustin actually wants to
pick a guild, he’d clearly choose us!”
Dustin was puzzled. He couldn’t figure out where Abby got her
confidence from How could she be so sure when she didn’t even know who he
was yet? Worse, Ralph seemed to think the same, judging from his smug
expression.
Just as they were talking, a group of Boulderthorn disciples
approached them. Leading them were Brody and Oliver Williams.
“My, my. If it isn’t Max.” Brody sneered when he spotted Maximus.
“What’s a useless man like you. doing here?”
“That’s none of your business” Maximus retorted coldly.
“We’re peers, Max. Even though you’ve lost all your powers, I won’t
push you away. For Caitlyn’s sake, I can help you return to being my
father’s disciple if you beg me.” Brody sniggered, wrapping an arm around
the delicate woman beside him.
Maximus’ face immediately darkened when he saw who it was. Caitlyn
Lawler, his fiancée!
Previously, she had been with his mentor, yet here she was, in
Brody’s embrace.
“Oh, right. I forgot to tell you that Caitlyn has agreed to marry me.
She’s mine from now on. I hope you don’t mind.” Brody mocked.
“What? Maximus’ eyes widened, his hands clenched into fists. “Is that
true, Caitlyn?”
“Don’t blame me, Max. I’m just a weak woman. I need someone to
protect me. Now that you’ve lost all your powers, I can only rely on
Brody,” Caitlyn answered frankly.
“Why? WHY?” Maximus’ eyes had turned bloodshot. “You said you’d wait
for me, and we’d be together forever, so why would you marry him?”
“Are
you an idiot, Max?” Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “You don’t think that I
truly like you, do you? What I like is power. Power to control others. I
only agreed to marry you back then because you were the most talented
disciple of us all. Look at you now. Besides getting kicked out, you’ve
also lost all your powers. Without any power, what makes you think that
you’re worthy of being with me? Was I supposed to suffer with you? Don’t
be foolish!”

Chapter 309
“Brody!” The crowd jumped in shock and anger when Brody was sent
flying by Maximus’ punch. Never had they imagined Maximus to wield such
power after his core was destroyed.

“H-how dare you hit me?” Brody said spitefully, pressing against his
chest, which was throbbing with excruciating pain. The audacity of
someone excommunicated, a good-for-nothing to lay a finger on him!

“So what? You should thank the heavens that I didn’t take your life.”
Maximus went up and took the hand of the lady in white. He soothed her
affectionately, “Caitlyn, don’t you worry. I won’t let anyone bully you
when I’m around. I’ll protect you even if I have to risk my life!”
“M-Max, what are you doing?” Her expression fell as she slowly
stumbled away from him.
“Caitlyn, I know you’ve been through a lot. I’ll be good to you.
Let’s run away, shall we? We can leave Balerno for a place where no one
knows us. How does that sound?” He looked at her with anticipation.
Although he was no match for Luther, he could elope to a place far from
danger and trouble with his lover.
“Max, are you crazy? I’m Luther’s woman now.” Caitlyn frowned at his
words.
“I know you were forced into it. You don’t like him at all, do you?
Just give me a nod, and I’ll immediately take you with me!” His gentle
gaze caressed her face.
“No, I won’t!” She gave her an adamant shake of the head.
“Caitlyn, are you in a difficult situation? Fret not. I will do my
best to get you out of any trouble!” Maximus was earnest.
“Let go of me!” She shook off his grip and scolded him, “Max, do you
still not get it? I have never loved you at all! Don’t be delusional!”
That caught him by surprise, and his eyes widened in disbelief. “Wwhat did you say?”
“Max, at this point, I’ll just tell you the truth.” She inhaled
deeply and explained without much emotion, “I had only agreed to the
engagement because of your status. I need someone to protect me as a
defenseless woman in the martial arts field You were my best choice back
then.”
“That’s… That’s impossible! You told me you loved me and you’d marry
me! Were you lying to me all along when you made those eternal vows?” A
hint of resentment and rage crept into his reddened eyes.
“Max, you’re cute.” She shook her head with a scoff. “Haven’t you
realized I was only into you because of your influence and potential? You
were Maximus Kane, a fighter with great prowess and the most remarkable
disciple of our generation. That was why I took a liking to you. But look
at you now. You have been excommunicated and even had your powers
destroyed by Luther. You’re no different than a pauper, so why do you
think you’re a match for me? Did you really believe I’d put up with a
life of suffering with you? Dream on!”
That was a huge blow for Maximus, whose face was grim when he heard
her cruel confession. He did not expect those remarks from his lover, not
even in his wildest dreams. At first, he thought Caitlyn was forced to be
with Luther, but it turned out that she willingly went along with it. At
the
end of the day, he made a joke out of himself. All his life, he had
been focused on achieving excellence in swordsmanship and lived a life
free of other desires. The only time he fell for a woman, he ended up in
such misery. What a joke!
He slumped on the floor in a daze. In that instance, he seemed to
have lost his faith and hope, turning into an empty shell of himself.
Faith was the main reason he could rejuvenate his core in record time.
And he held on fast to the faith that he would rescue Caitlyn. Now that
he had lost it, he appeared disoriented and helpless.
“F*ck you! How dare you punch me? I’ll slash you! Brody cackled when
he saw the soulless Maximus and swung his sword at the man.

Chapter 310
The sword clanked as it moved. Right when it was about to cut
Maximus’ neck, a hand reached out and caught it.

“Hm?” Brody lifted his gaze, and his eyes immediately shook in fear.
“I-it’s you!” He had been too focused on Maximus to notice the legend
standing behind the man.

“Is it worth grieving over a woman who doesn’t deserve it?” Dustin
ignored Brody and stared straight at Maximus “If what you want is death,
I can grant your wish. I shall forget ever having saved a useless thing
as you. But, if you have any bit of ego left in you, as a man, you should
stand up straight. You don’t look a bit like a swordsman right now, even
though you once said you wanted to be the best swordsman in the world!
Wake up!” Then, he gave Maximus a hard slap, sending the latter trembling
from the impact. He seemed to have slapped some sense into Maximus, whose
eyes had a new sparkle in them.
He noticed Brody’s mean and murderous look, and he took in the look
of disgust in Caitlyn’s eyes. Finally, he flashed a rueful smile.
“Dustin, you’re right. I shouldn’t grieve and wail over a woman who
doesn’t love me. Thank you for that.”
Then, he slowly rose from the ground. He had a determined look after
he let go of his obsession. Hid depression and misery had gone, while the
internal energy stirred and whirred in the core with signs of a
breakthrough.
“Hm?” Dustin raised a brow with surprise. His sharp instinct told him
that Maximus would achieve divinity soon!
“What happened?” A few men showed up at that moment, with a middleaged, clean-shaven man in the lead. The leader seemed harmless and
friendly, but his eyes betrayed a wicked quality. The man was, in fact,
the second-in-command of Boulderthorn-Luther Williams.
“Dad! You came at the right time!” Brody’s eyes lit up, and he
immediately complained to his father. “I met Maximus just now, and he
punched me because he was jealous! I’m badly injured- his punch messed up
my blood circulation and energy.”
“Oh?” The man squinted and turned his attention to Maximus. “It’s
you, the traitor. Why? Did you not learn a lesson from before? Do I have
to take your life?”
“And you must be Mr. Williams.” Dustin examined the man and remarked,
“You’re well-dressed, but too bad you’re just a filthy animal within.”
“What did you just say?” Luther scrunched up his face, a murderous
look in his eyes.
“No, that’s wrong. I’d be too kind to compare you to an animal. A man
who sullies the fiancée of his -mentee is worse than an animal.” Dustin
did not hold back.
“You jerk! Where did you come from? The audacity to talk to me in
that manner!” Luther’s eyes gleamed with evilness. He was never reckless
in his moves. Even before a killing, he’d need to look into the
background of his victim to avoid future troubles.
Dad! This is Dustin Rhys! He’s ruined our plans many times!” Oliver,
who was standing behind his father, finally spoke. He and his sibling,
Brody, had been defeated by Dustin multiple times.
“Oh, that was you?” Luther smirked. “I’m amazed by your courage,
especially when you are soon to be a dying man.”
“It’s too early to come to a conclusion about that.” Dustin smiled
calmly and stared at Maximus. ” Maximus, this is a good chance to take
your revenge. Get into the ring and fight this sub-animal being. Beat him
and free yourself from your demons!”

Chapter 311
“Beat me?” Luther was first taken aback by the outrageous idea,
followed by a series of explosive laughter. The other Boulderthorn
disciples joined in and laughed at Dustin and Maximus as though the two
were fools. Maximus might have been a formidable mentor for many of the
disciples, but he was nowhere close to Luther’s level.

“Oh, you little jerk. Do you even know what you’re talking about?”
Scowling, Luther challenged them, “I was the one who taught everything to
that traitor. Even at his peak, he was no match for me! Are you asking
him to fight me with a destroyed core after he’s lost all his prowess?
And does he have the guts to do so?”

“Right! A trash like him doesn’t deserve the honor of fighting Dad!”
Oliver, Brody, and the other disciples scorned at the same time.
Unfazed, Dustin challenged back, “We’ll know after the battle. The
most important question is- are you brave enough to take on the
challenge?”
“I have nothing to be scared of.” Luther sneered. “If that little
traitor loves flirting with death, I shall rid him from my guild today!”
With that, he walked right up to the stone platform Since the actual
battle hadn’t started, he didn’t mind warming up the scene.
“Dustin, he was the one who taught me everything I can’t defeat him,”
Maximus admitted with a serious expression.
Dustin assured him with a faint smile, “Don’t worry If I said you
could, you will. Didn’t he keep the three moves a secret from you? I will
teach you those moves and throw in some hacks.”
“Do you practice the Illusory Sword Technique as well?” Maximus
looked astonished.
“Well, just a bit. So, are you learning?” Dustin smiled again. He had
researched and practiced many branches of martial arts from a young age
and was particularly good at sword fighting. The Illusory Sword Technique
was one of the variations of a core technique, and with a glance, he
could spot any flaws in the moves.
“Yes!” Maximus nodded gravely. The only way for him to rid his
internal demons was to defeat Luther Williams, just like Dustin had
advised.
“Cool. I’ll teach you now.” Dustin snapped a branch from a tree
nearby and started his instructions. Maximus watched on intently, careful
not to miss any detail.
“Hahaha! Dustin Rhys, are you kidding me? That’s some last-minute
prep. Do you think it’s going –to work?” Brody mocked him.
Oliver chimed in, “Yeah. Do you think teaching him some sloppy moves
will save him from a huge defeat? You’re delusional!”
Dustin ignored the heckling from the two guys and taught Maximus six
moves in total. The first three moves were the ones that Luther kept from
Maximus, and the final three moves were the solution to beat the first
three.
T
The moves appeared simple on the surface, but it was difficult to
pick them up because the
practitioner would have to be proficient with the technique and build
on the foundation. Copying the moves would not work in the battle.
Thankfully, Maximus was a genius and a fast learner. After three rounds
of practice, he had mastered the essence of the moves.
“You got it?” Dustin came to a stop.
“Yes. Roughly.” Maximus gave him a firm nod.
“That’s good enough. You only need to use these moves well to beat
him.” Dustin smiled coolly. Maximus’ capability was not far off from
Luther’s, and the only reason leading to his previous defeat was due to
Luther teaching him the flawed moves. Now that Maximus was introduced to
the complete moves, coupled with the additional hacks, he was ready to
take on Luther by himself.
“You there! Why are you dragging your feet? Come up now!” Luther
urged Maximus to join him in the ring.
“Go. Vent all your frustrations, and don’t go easy on him.” Dustin
patted Maximus on the shoulder. “Thanks, Dustin!” Maximus bowed at him
and marched into the ring, carrying his sword on his back.

Chapter 312

“Bear witness for me-after I kicked this traitor out, he felt
vindicated and returned to challenge. me. Since the official battle
hasn’t kicked off, I shall do some warmups to entertain you all.”
Luther’s booming voice instantly attracted everyone’s attention. He
was keen to set up a precedent to deter any future traitors and rebuild
his reputation!

“Hey! Why is your friend up there in the ring?” Ralph, Abby, and the
others came up to Dustin with curious and odd expressions.
“He’s getting some personal grudge out of the way” Dustin offered a
curt answer.
“Personal grudge?” Abby was a little doubtful. “Do you know who that
other guy on the platform is? He’s Mr. Williams from Boulderthorn! Well,
of course, he’s not as great as Tatum, but he’s decent! He’s at the same
level as Grandpa!”
“And?” Dustin was unimpressed
“How can your friend fight off Mr. Williams with his subpar skills?
He’ll be crushed and humiliated!” Abby shook her head.
Ralph nodded. “That’s right. I’d advise you to talk your friend out
of the ring. Even I might not be able to fight Mr. Williams, let alone
that young man”
“There’s no talking him out of it. The two are destined to fight
today. Their fates are in the hands of God,” Dustin answered.
“You should listen to the wisdom of your elders lest you suffer
unnecessarily. You’ll see what I mean later.” Ralph clasped his hands
behind his back in a manner that suggested he had seen it all, but Dustin
merely smiled at the old man.
In the ring on the platform, Luther stared straight at Maximus with a
smirk. “You chose the harder path, didn’t you? If death is what you want,
I shall grant your wish!”
“Bring it on!” Maximus was cold and fearless.
“Killing you is a piece of cake!” Luther slowly unsheathed the sword,
and with a leap, he broke into a run toward his opponent. When he got
near Maximus, the sword in his hand started trembling. In a second, the
air was filled with illusions of the sword, confusing the eyes of the
viewers and making it hard to discern reality from illusion.
“He used the Illusory Sword Technique! That was a surprise. He went
ahead with the technique that launched his fame! Seems like he wants this
over with.”
“Poor dude! Mr. William’s Illusory Sword Technique is ever-changing
and hard to defend against. Not even I could block the moves.”
The crowd murmured and commented.
“Hmph!” With a shake of the body, Maximus unsheathed his sword and
held it in one hand. He repeated what Luther did and launched his attack
with the same moves.
Soon, the two were in the heat of the battle. The swords and their
illusions created a web of flashes. Sparks could be seen flying along
with the clanking of metal.
“Hah! I taught you all your moves, and now you’re trying to use them
against me! How ridiculous. Now, it is time to give you a taste of the
third move you have never mastered!” While speaking, Luther waved his
hand to make his sword turn back. The sword was aimed at Maximus’
abdomen. It was the move that Luther had used to destroy Maximus earlier.
He was confident that Maximus could not defend against the move, even if
it were his second time experiencing it.
They heard the sound of the blade ripping through flesh, and
suddenly, the arrogant Luther froze up. When his sword was inches away
from Maximus’ abdomen, he finally realized that Maximus’ sword had
pierced through his arm, immobilizing his move.
“How is that possible?” Luther’s expression crumbled. He had never
expected Maximus to defend against the attack and counterattack by
hacking those moves. How could Maximus gain that insight within a mere
few days?

Chapter 313

“Luther Williams, you have gotten slower in sword fighting,” Maximus
casually commented.

“No! That’s impossible! How did you manage to strike me? It must have
been dumb luck!” Feeling. indignant, Luther turned around and launched
his attacks again, even though he was injured. This time, he did not hold
back and put in his 100%, evident from his frenzied and merciless attacks
that were hard to dodge.
During the ninth move, he switched it up and aimed his blade at
Maximus’ throat with the intent to kill. However, Maximus didn’t shun the
attack and instead slashed Luther in the abdomen with greater speed and
accuracy.
Luther stumbled backward, aghast. He would have been gutted had
Maximus’ sword slashed upward. “What’s going on? Where did that punk
learn the trick from?” He pressed against his bleeding abdomen in shock.
He could not wrap his mind around how Maximus had recovered from the
grave injury with significant improvements to his skills all within a few
days.
“Luther Williams, it’s my turn to make a move now” Maximus didn’t
give his mentor any room to breathe. He swung his sword and charged at
his opponent.
Luther hurriedly collected himself and raised his sword in defense.
At this point, he lost his confidence and was forced to put on a
defensive play due to his injury. In contrast, Maximus was getting
stronger by the second and demonstrated great sword-fighting skills,
bringing Luther to his knees.
“This is a good chance!” At the twenty-sixth move, Luther suddenly
gathered all his internal energy, huffing and puffing as he made his
final move in a bid to turn the tables. Just when he was about to gain
the upper hand, he found a blade pressing against his neck. If he made
the slightest move, he would be killed on the spot.
“Huh?” Baffled, he dropped the sword onto the floor. He still didn’t
understand how the three flawed moves he intentionally taught Maximus
had, in turn, contributed to his own downfall.
“Why? Why did it turn out this way?” The crowd gasped at the sight of
Luther’s defeat. No one had expected to see the second-in-command lose to
his mentee in record time. Throughout the battle, Luther seemed to be put
at a disadvantage.
“I-impossible!”
“How could Maximus Kane beat Dad? I thought Dad was the one who
taught him all the moves.” Brody, Oliver, and the other disciples were
covered in cold sweat. They had been proud and confident in Luther’s
victory, but they were surprised to witness Maximus’ prowess which sent
Luther into a defensive position, and the way Maximus ended the battle
with a decisive sword
move.
“Our last-minute prep works.” Dustin looked amused. Upon hearing the
remark, Brody and his gang looked shaken to the core. Did Maximus win
with the few moves that Dustin had taught him? That would have been
frightening!
“W-who did you learn the moves from?” Luther sweated profusely as he
pressed against his bleeding abdomen.
“That is not the point. The point is that I will do the same to you
based on how you destroyed my core in the past.” While speaking, Maximus
drew his sword again.
“Hold on!” Luther pleaded in panic, “Max, I am sorry for what
happened earlier, but it was a careless mistake. Please give me another
chance.
“A chance? Did you give me a chance when you decided to destroy my
core?” Maximus looked
grim.
“Max, I know I’m in the wrong! Please have mercy on me-we shared
years of relationship!” Then, Luther fell onto his knees. “I have a lot
of enemies If you destroy my core and my skills, I will not survive a
day. Please spare me!”
Maximus fell silent at the sight. Despite his urge to seek revenge, a
voice in his heart held him back. After all, he had learned everything in
sword fighting from Luther, even though Luther had done so with an
ulterior motive. At the end of the day, Maximus owed his swordsmanship to
Luther’s teachings. Even though Luther was a merciless bastard, Maximus
decided to be the bigger man.

Chapter 314
“Don’t ever show up in front of me!” Maximus kicked Luther aside and
proceeded to leave.

“Got it…” Luther put on a fake smile. When Maximus turned his back
against Luther, the man had a gleam in his eyes as he picked up the sword
on the floor and plunged it into Maximus’ body.

“Look out!” Dustin yelled, and Maximus jumped aside at the final
moment. Although Maximus wasn’t critically wounded from the stabbing, the
sword left a long, gaping wound that oozed blood
on his waist.
Luther was taken aback when he realized that his ambush failed. Then,
he threw the sword away and frantically pleaded, “Max! I’m wrong! I’m
definitely in the wrong! I was blinded for a moment just now. Please
don’t take it to heart!”
“You stubborn old donkey!” Fuming, Maximus took out his sword and
attempted to slash Luther, this time showing no mercy at all.
“Stop!” a thunderous roar sounded out of the blue Next, a majestic
figure descended from the air and shielded Luther.
The man, in his thirties, gave off a powerful air, and his eyes
twinkled with a sharp and aggressive look. He was as grand as a mountain
when he stood in the ring. The man was the so-called ” Fanatic Blade”-
Tatum Thunders!
Tatum bellowed when he noticed that Maximus did not stop, “I told you
to stop!” He lifted a hand, and the figure of a palm appeared from thin
air, punching Maximus in the chest. Almost. immediately, Maximus coughed
up a mouthful of blood and was thrown out ten feet away. It was clear
that he was no match for Tatum.
“Shit! It’s Tatum Thunders!”
“He’s the ace of Royal Valor indeed! With a punch, the ace, who’s
ranked as one of The Heavenly Immortals, has severely injured his
opponent.”
“Pretty good of that young man to beat Mr. Williams, Too bad he ran
into Tatum Thunders!”
“Tatum lives up to the nickname of Fanatic Blade!
The crowd murmured in shock at Tatum’s presence. From the first move,
he demonstrated the awe -striking capability of The Heavenly Immortals,
something that The Hundred Immortals could only dream of.
“That’s our Tatum! He’s so cool!” Abby clapped furiously while gaping
at the man on the platform with looks of adulation. It was her lifelong
dream to be ranked as one of The Heavenly Immortals. Thus, her future
partner must be one of them as well.
“Hmph! How dare you hurt your mentor in public! How terribly wicked
of you to do so! There’s no point keeping a piece of trash like you in
the martial arts field. Today, I shall carry out God’s will!” After
giving his self-righteous speech, he hurled a punch at Maximus again with
the intent to kill.
“Oh no, that guy’s done for!” Everyone shook their heads
sympathetically. Although Maximus was talented and capable, he wasn’t at
Tatum’s level. Just when Maximus was close to meeting his fate, a figure
hopped onto the platform and fended off the incoming punch.
The winds from the punch died down, replaced by puffs of smoke.
Dustin cast an icy glare at Tatum. “Boulderthorn disciples are all the
same-shameless.”
“Who are you? How dare you stop me?” Tatum narrowed his eyes, looking
hostile.
“I’m the Dustin Rhys that you wish to battle,” Dustin replied.
“What? Is that Dustin Rhys?” The crowd froze in shock. Abby and Ralph
gaped at Dustin. They had
no idea that the martial art genius they kept discussing was right
beside them all along.

Chapter 315
“Gosh, who is that kid? He’s quite something to challenge Tatum in
public! Is he asking for death?”

“He is gutsy but not the sharpest tool in the shed.”

Dustin’s presence became the talk of the town. No one had expected
any martial artist to have a showdown with Tatum at the last minute.
“Hey! Why did you go up there? Are you mad? Get down here now!” After
a slight pause, Abby loudly called out to Dustin. In her eyes, he was
nothing more than a clueless young man who did not know his place.
“What is that dude doing? Doesn’t he know that he’s up against one of
The Heavenly Immortals, Tatum Thunders? He’ll die in Tatum’s hands!”
Ralph shook his head forlornly and looked on as though he could predict
Dustin’s demise. After all Ralph wasn’t strong enough to take on Tatum,
and he did not expect a no-name as young as Dustin to succeed too.
“Hmph! That reckless thing! How dare he insult Tatum? He’ll meet his
end!” Brody and the others started cackling with glee. Not only would
Tatum tid Boulderthorn of traitors like Maximus, but he would also get
Dustin, the thorn in the flesh, out of the way.
“You little jerk! Who are you, and how dare you stand in my way?”
Tatum scrunched up his eyes with a menacing look. So far, no one had
dared to stop him from taking the lives of his targets.
“Tatum! He’s Dustin Rhys! Slay him!” Brody suddenly yelled at the
platform.
“What? Dustin Rhys?” There was an audible gasp from the audience, who
had initially taken Dustin to be a show-off, only to realize that he was
the martial art genius who had gained fame recently.
“How could that be? He’s Dustin Rhys!” Abby froze up and found it
hard to believe that the dark horse she had been talking about was by her
side all this time.
“Good gracious! I almost missed the hidden gem!” Ralph was similarly
stupefied. If Dustin was capable of defeating Joshua Hummer and confident
enough to go for a battle with Tatum Thunders, he must at least be a
martial artist who had achieved divinity. Ralph, upon realizing that
Dustin must be way more advanced than him in the practice, felt rather
embarrassed for offering to take Dustin under his wing.
“Had I known he was Dustin Rhys, I would have gotten on his good side
just now!”
“Damn right! We missed our shot!” Ralph’s martial art colleagues were
full of regrets upon learning the truth. It was common knowledge that the
existence of a martial arts genius would give any guild a major boost,
and this was especially true for the relatively small guilds. They’d
enter a golden age if they produced a martial arts genius.
“Oh, kid, you’re Dustin Rhys?” Tatum snickered. “You are digging your
own grave! As payback for. killing Joshua, you will not be spared today!”
Joshua Hummer said something along those lines as well. But he’s dead
now,” Dustin commented without flinching.
“Hah! You’re a bold one! Tatum scrutinized him. “But you’re gravely
wrong to compare Joshua
with me! People like you have no idea how scary an individual from
The Heavenly Immortals could be!”
“Scary?” Dustin merely scoffed. “More like ludicrous. You thought you
were something, but you’re just a frog in the well.”
“What did you just say?” Tatum’s expression hardened. He had never
been looked down upon ever since he gained fame.
“I was being kind, describing you as a frog in the well. Turns out
you’re just a worm in the apple- rotten and foul!” Dustin didn’t hold
back at all, and his insult evoked a collective exclamation from the
audience, who didn’t expect him to be so rude and fearless from the
start. Everyone shuddered at the thought of provoking Tatum Thunders, as
that would be inviting death.
“Oh, great! Look at you, the stubborn one, not knowing you’re close
to death. You’ll pee your pants when you’re staring at death!” Tatum, now
enraged, hurled a punch in the air that morphed into a translucent
shadow.

Chapter 316
The impact of the punch barreled toward Dustin with the weight of a
mountain. A martial artist who achieved divinity could easily decapitate
the opponent ten feet away by releasing his or her internal energy.

“He’s indeed one of The Heavenly Immortals! That punch could easily
crush a car!”

“That rash young man shouldn’t have provoked Tatum Thunders. Now,
he’s cornered.” The martial artists watching from the crowd shuddered
when they saw the shadows of Tatum’s punch. In their opinion, the punch
was indefensible.
“Hah…” Dustin smiled and tapped his feet on the floor. He disappeared
into thin air and dodged the punch with ease.
“You’re quick! But let’s see how many times you could dodge my
punches!” Scoffing, Tatum launched three punches, each quicker and
stronger than the previous ones. Dustin skipped around speedily but
calmly and dodged all the attacks with his freakish skills.
“F*ck! He’s like a slippery eel!” Brody was quite frustrated at the
sight. He badly wanted to witness Dustin crushed to death, but Dustin was
too agile and swerved out of the way of Tatum’s punches.
Meanwhile, Ralph was clicking his tongue, amazed at the sight. “I did
not expect him to show off such talent at his young age.
“So what? He’s just pulling off tricks. If he’s really talented, he
wouldn’t have dodged the attacks. At the end of the day, he could not
beat Tatum!” Abby pouted unhappily. Even after learning about Dustin’s
identity, she still looked down on him. In her opinion, a true man should
face the fight. instead of hiding.
“Is this what ‘Fanatic Blade’ has to offer? That’s nothing much.”
Dustin shook his head in disappointment, wondering if the standards of
The Heavenly Immortals had decreased. A decade ago, only the best of the
best was inducted into The Heavenly Immortals.
“You brat! Better not be arrogant!” Tatum’s expression sank. “You
think you can show off in front of me with a couple of tricks? I was
warming up just now. And now, it’s time to show you the skills gap
between us!” Then, he tapped his feet on the floor and threw himself at
Dustin. When he was close, he drew his hands in before throwing a heavy
punch. Almost immediately, a gale started blowing, and the air was filled
with shadows of the forceful punch hurtling toward Dustin.
“I-i-is that Tatum’s signature move that launched him to fame? The
Crushing Waves from the Poseidon Punches?”
“That’s right. It’s Crushing Waves, rumored to turn a punch into
countless punches. There’s no escape!”
“I guess Tatum must be furious, seeing how he served his signature
move. That guy will be dead today.
The other martial artists stared at the punches in the air with
horrified faces. Even from afar, they felt the force and tension that
could easily rip them apart.
“Dustin Rhys! Time to die!” Brody chortled with malign and glee.
“That’s a pity. He cannot escape his fate.” Ralph let out a soft sigh
filled with regret.
“Didn’t we tell him to stay low profile? He refused to listen and
offended Tatum. No one can save him now!” Abby shook her head and braced
herself for Dustin’s imminent death.
“These are just bells and whistles!” Dustin snickered and crushed the
punches in the air with a slap, and the momentum of the counterattack hit
Tatum hard in the face. Everyone heard an explosive sound. Tatum was seen
flying and crashing flat onto the ground like a loose kite. The hall
plunged into dead silence.

Chapter 317
An eerie silence hung over the scene. The spectators were wide-eyed
at the sight of Tatum’s lifeless body on the ground. They struggled to
make sense of the outcome, as it was totally out of their expectations.

They had assumed that Dustin would be defeated when Tatum used his
signature attack. To their shock, Dustin sent Tatum flying with a slap.
It was a sight that no one would have believed unless they saw it for
themselves. They could not help but wonder about the reason behind the
Fanatic Blade’s shameful loss. Was it a momentary slip-up, or was Dustin
simply too powerful?

“Heavens! Did I see it wrong? Was Tatum… defeated?”
“A sight that was unseen and unheard of!”
After moments of utter silence, the audience exploded in a raucous
chatter, punctuated by exclamations and expressions of shock,
astonishment, confusion, and disbelief. No one had expected that the
Fanatic Blade, one of the Heavenly Immortals, had been taken down by
Dustin. “T-that’s impossible. How did that little rascal beat Tatum? He
must have pulled off some fishy tricks!” Brody shook his head furiously,
refusing to believe in the outcome. Meanwhile, Luther frowned grimly.
“He’s really a freak.”
On the other hand, Abby and the others were too stunned beyond speech
at the result. “This can’t be right! Is Tatum defeated?”
“Is that Dustin’s real capability? He’s really extraordinary!”
Maximus looked on with admiration.. No one else could send the Fanatic
Blade flying across the air.
“Aagh!” At that moment, Tatum suddenly let out a feral roar, and his
body shot up from the ground. In stark contrast to his confidence and
arrogance from before, he was transformed into a wild beast that was
provoked.
“Oh! He woke up! He’s indeed one of the Heavenly Immortals-” Dustin
was surprised by Tatum’s comeback. Even martial artists who achieved
divinity would fall unconscious for half a day after Dustin’s slap.
“You jerk! You’re done for! I’ll tear you into pieces today!” Tatum
bellowed, his eyes looking angry and crazed. As the ace of the Royal
Valor and a formidable martial artist ranked as a Heavenly Immortal, he
had never experienced this degree of humiliation. Imagine getting slapped
and collapsing onto the ground in front of countless pairs of eyes!
“Someone get me my brass ring saber!” He turned around and yelled.
Almost immediately, two men showed up carrying a weapon that was five
feet long. It was heavy, thick, and wide, too difficult to be lifted by
the average martial artist, not to mention waving it around.
“Great! Tatum is finally getting serious!” Brody had a look of joy on
his face as he felt calmer. There was a reason Tatum received the
nickname Fanatic Blade. Tatum had two signature techniques, the first
being Poseidon Punches, which was good for offensive and defensive play,
and it was unpredictable as well. His second technique was the Blade of
Gale!
Rumors had it that once put in action, the Blade of Gale would render
an area barren. In comparison to the punches, the Blade of Gale was more
aggressive and ruthless, like a gust of
strong wind that blasted away all the leaves in its path, powerful
and unstoppable!
“He should have used the blade from the start. A predator still needs
to give it its all, even if it’s going after small prey.” Luther sighed
in relief, knowing that having the blade made a world of
difference for Tatum.
“I almost forgot that Tatum is the best in his blade technique.
Dustin is in trouble now.” Ralph narrowed his eyes and seemed pensive.
“Hmph! Tatum must have lost the round earlier because he was
careless. Now that he’s getting serious, he can take down ten Dustin
Rhys!” Abby tossed her head back as though she had regained her
confidence again.
“F*ck! He agreed to a bare-handed fight, but he decided to get his
blade all of a sudden. He’s shameless!”

Chapter 318
“You rarely see a decent man who’s from Boulderthorn. They’re all
bullies.”

“That’s a pity. I wonder if Dustin could survive this

Some martial artists started worrying about Dustin’s fate. As the
grassroots, they would rather Dustin win the battle. Given how conceited
and bold they were, it would be great if someone could teach Boulderthorn
a lesson. However, it was a tough feat to beat Tatum due to his killer
technique -the Blade of Gale.
“You little rascal, I have to admit that you’re quite something.
You’ve forced me to use the blade. Alas, this shall be the end of it.
Dying under my blade today shall be an honor for you.” Tatum waved the
brass ring saber with a sharp look in his eyes. He handled the heavy
weapon weighing hundreds of pounds like it was a strand of straw, showing
off the strength of his bicep.
“Just cut to the chase and come at me.” Dustin wiggled his fingers, a
provocative gesture to get Tatum to start the fight.
“You’re asking for it!” The look in Tatum’s eyes hardened as he
charged at Dustin with the saber in hand. The lengthy and cumbersome
brass ring saber left a mark as it was dragged across the ground, leaving
sparks flying from the friction.
“The Three Tornadoes!” When Tatum was close, he bellowed and started
wielding the saber frenziedly. The shadows of the fast-moving saber
formed the illusion of a web in the air as the weapon crushed toward
Dustin’s head. The audience struggled to breathe due to the horrific and
stifling pressure from the impact.
“The Three Tornadoes technique is famous for a reason!”
“Even demons would get out of the way when it’s used. That rascal is
going to die!” the martial artists exclaimed at the sight of the
atrocious attack. Still, Dustin stood his ground without moving. He
waited until the saber was about to split on his hand and reached out to
grab the blade.
Amid an explosion, Dustin activated all his internal energy, crushing
the web of blades in the air. The illusion of the blades scattered away
in the wind. Meanwhile, Tatum’s saber was stuck in Dustin’s tight grip.
“How is that possible?” Tatum’s pupils wavered as he wore a terrified
expression. He had never expected Dustin to grab the saber he slashed at
full strength. He thought, “Who the F*ck is this monster?”
“Is that all you’ve got? That’s disappointing.” Dustin shook his head
and added, “Since you have nothing more to show, I’ll end it here.” Then,
he gave Tatum a kick in the abdomen.
“Ahhh-” Tatum yelped in excruciating pain as he was sent flying a
good 30 feet away. When he landed on his knees, he started coughing up
blood
Once again, the audience was left gaping at the scene. They had
expected Tatum to regain the upper hand with the use of the saber, but he
was badly defeated anyway. It left everyone wondering about Dustin’s
background.
“H-how could you destroy my core?” Face flushed, Tatum was both
appalled and enraged.
“You were trying to kill me. Why couldn’t I destroy your core?”
Dustin replied coolly. “Bring a message to your mentor later-do not cause
trouble for me. Else, I’d uproot the entirety of Royal Valor!”
The audience gasped and murmured at the daring threat, thinking that
Dustin was crazy for threatening to ruin the Royal Valor.
“Fine! Just wait and see!” Tatum clenched his jaw and left the scene
with his men, tails between their legs.
“How did that happen?” Abby was stunned by the sight of Tatum’s
disgraced escape. She couldn’t believe that her idol had been defeated
just like that at the hands of a man she looked down on. She thought,
“God, are you playing a joke on me?”

Chapter 319
The audience was split in their reactions toward Dustin’s victory.
Cheers exploded around Dustin, but some spectators seemed sour at the
outcome.

“F*ck! Who’s that guy? How could Tatum lose to him?” a surly and
fearful Brody hissed.

“Whoever he is, let’s get out of here before he notices us!” After
the initial shock, Luther dared not stay a minute longer and planned his
immediate escape.
“Stand still!” Dustin turned around and instantly spotted the few
suspicious-looking men. “Luther Williams, did I tell you to leave?”
“Dustin Rhys, I’m the second-in-command at Boulderthorn. You’d better
steer clear of me!” Luther warned him with a stern look. At the critical
moment, he had no choice but to use the
Boulderthorn name as protection.
“The second-in-command? Hah…” Dustin scoffed and remarked, “Do you
think I’d be scared of the second-in-command when I couldn’t care less
about the guildmaster?”
“What do you want?” Luther’s expression sank.
“Give up your practice, and I’ll spare your life,” Dustin suggested
calmly. He had to teach Luther a grave lesson for being a hypocrite who
self-professed as a teacher and claimed the moral high ground.
“Dustin Rhys, that’s too much!” Luther’s face was scrunched up. If he
gave up his practice, he would have no purpose and reason to exist in the
martial arts field.
“Too much? Did you ever consider the consequences when you were
F*cking around without conscience?” Dustin showed no respect for the old
man.
“You” Luther gritted his teeth and tried to hold back his temper.
“You shouldn’t burn your bridges. Aren’t you worried you’d become a
common enemy of our field if you force me to the wall?
“Courtesy is useless when confronting trash like you. If you aren’t
doing it yourself, I will do it for you.” Dustin refused to engage in
further conversation and bent his fingers to send a silver needle into
Luther’s abdomen. Luther promptly yelped and collapsed onto the ground,
grimacing.
“Maximus, I’m done destroying his core. I’ll leave his fate in your
hands.” When it came to ending Luther, Dustin allowed Maximus to make the
decision. After all, Maximus was the one who had a grudge against Luther.
“It’s fine. Since he’s basically paralyzed, I shall spare his life.”
At first, Maximus lifted his sword, but he finally put it down after some
thinking. He wasn’t doing so out of mercy. He knew very well that Luther
had made countless enemies and would be a hot target after his core was
destroyed. In the future, Luther’s life would be a living hell, and that
was the best punishment for him.
“Consider yourselves lucky. Get lost now!” Dustin softly chided the
Boulderthorn men. Upon hearing that, Luther and the rest immediately
scampered away, leaving behind only the lady in white.
“Max Caitlyn went up to Maximus with a feeble look on her face. “I’m
sorry, I said those cruel
words because I was under pressure. Please forgive me.”
At present, Maximus was stronger than Luther and had a bright future
ahead of him. It was clear who she should suck up to.
“Forgive you?” Maximus snickered. “How dare you ask for forgiveness
after what you’ve done?”
“Max, I know I’m in the wrong, but I had no choice. It’s hard for a
weak woman like me to stand on my own feet in the martial arts field.
Plus, Luther has gotten something on me. I couldn’t fight back. I am a
victim too…” Her voice faltered and turned into a sob.
The way she cried softly would melt the heart of anyone watching, but
Maximus said to her coldly, “Don’t put on a show in front of me. That’ll
only disgust me.”
“Whether or not you believe in me, I do love you a lot. I’m willing
to run away with you and live like nomads!” she pleaded, tears glistening
in her eyes.
“Did you say you love me?” He sneered. “Would you have said that if
my core was destroyed? Would you have apologized if I hadn’t defeated
Luther Williams? You do not love me for who I am- you’re only after my
power, my potential, and my social status!”
“I…”
“That’s enough. I do not want to hear any explanation. From now on,
you and I shall go separate ways. There’s nothing left between us!” He
wore a steely expression.
“Max, I know I don’t deserve you, but I’ll still pray for you. When
you’re alone in the night, I hope you think of me, your mentee, and the
beautiful memories we made in the past. I’ll leave now and never show up
in front of you. I wish you a great career ahead…” With that, she left
with tears in her eyes
He opened his mouth but said nothing. He felt both love and hatred
for Caitlyn, and he knew very well that they could never get back
together. Once bitten, twice shy!
“Let’s go. Time to drink.” After settling the trouble, Dustin and
Maximus left in no time. The battle started abruptly and ended in a
similar fashion. Through this incident, Dustin’s popularity skyrocketed,
and he was known as a martial arts genius. Many believed that the martial
arts field in Balerno would be shaken up with the arrival of Dustin Rhys
after this battle.
“Mr. Dunn, if I recall correctly, Dustin Rhys came here with you,
right? Does that mean you have laid claim to him?” a middle-aged martial
artist from the crowd threw out a question.
“Well…” Ralph felt the eyes on him and forced a smile. “Since you
found out about it, I shall not keep it a secret. To be honest with you,
Dustin Rhys has become the principal disciple of the Steel Legion!”
His claim prompted a collective gasp.
“What? Has Dustin Rhys joined the Steel Legion?”
“My goodness! Mr. Dunn, you hit the jackpot!”
“Mr. Dunn, you hide your talents well. How did you manage to scout a
genius like him? We’re envious!”
Congratulations, Mr. Dunn. Do remember me if you have anything good
to share with the community.”
The martial artists started flattering Ralph and currying favor,
especially the hot-blooded teens
who were itching to join.
“Mr. Dunn, do you still take in disciples? I want to join the Steel
Legion!”
“Me too! Count me in!”
“The Steel Legion must have a solid foundation to nurture a genius
like Dustin Rhys. I want in too!”
The young martial artists around them were a bubbling cacophony; each
worried they’d be one step behind
“That is always open to consideration. The Steel Legion always
welcomes upstanding men who fight for justice!” Ralph was beaming merrily
at the enthusiastic response. He was taken aback by the effectiveness of
name-dropping Dustin, which immediately garnered the interest of many
young martial artists. If the trend continued, he believed the Steel
Legion would prosper under his wise and courageous leadership!
“Uh…” Abby had a funny look on her face when she witnessed the
crowd’s eagerness. Her grandpa’s brazenness came as a surprise-he wanted
to associate the guild with Dustin, even though Dustin had clearly turned
him down. She wondered, “Is this what they call the ‘real world’?

Chapter 320

It was noon. At the clubhouse of the Hummer’s residence, Edwin Hummer
was struck on the head with a wine bottle. Blood trickled down his body,
along with the merlot.
“Hummer! I was screwed because of you!” Tatum sat on the couch; his
features contorted in anger. “Didn’t you say that Dustin Rhys was a
nobody? Why was he that powerful? Did you lie to me on. purpose?”

At his mentor’s request, Tatum had shown up to avenge Joshua Hummer.
In the beginning, he thought he could show off his talent, but he was
badly defeated in the end. Not only that, his core was destroyed. He had
all the reason to be mad.
“Sir Thunders, in my records, Dustin Rhys did not come from a
remarkable background. It wasn’t wrong to describe him as a nobody. As
for his actual abilities, I recall giving you a heads up, but you didn’t
take it seriously,” Edwin murmured with his head hung low.
“Are you blaming me for being weak?” Tatum glowered at him. If he
weren’t hurt, he would have taught Edwin a lesson.
“In my opinion, it is unnecessary to issue a public challenge to men
like Dustin Rhys. You can use whatever means to get him killed,” Edwin
further explained.
“Oh, are you F*cking teaching me how to get things done now? Tatum’s
expression darkened, his eyes gleaming with hostility.
“Of course not.” Edwin lowered his head.
“I have no time for you!” Tatum looked irritated. “Didn’t you get
Substratumis from Dr. Linden Watkins? Give it to me now. I need it for my
injuries”
Substratumis, the core restoration pill, was created to heal internal
injuries. It was rather effective in restoring one’s core. As long as the
patient took it within 24 hours, they would stand a chance to regenerate
their core. However, due to the preciousness of the ingredients, the
Stoneray Valley only produced a few pills annually. Each batch of pills
would be scooped up by members of various guilds upon hitting the market.
Thankfully, Edwin had spent a fortune on one of those pills, just in time
for Tatum to use it.
“Sir Thunders, I accidentally crushed the pill. So, I can’t help you.
I’m sorry.” Edwin shook his head regrettably.
“You crushed the pill?” Tatum’s eyes narrowed, and he snickered. “Are
you kidding me? Any sane person would take great care of that precious
pill. How could you have crushed it? Your son’s dead anyway, so you can’t
use it on him. Who else except for me will need your pill?”
“Sir Thunders, I am telling you the truth.” Edwin appeared serious.
“Oh, shut up! If you don’t hand me the restorative pill today, I’ll
crush your legs!” Tatum threatened him spitefully.
Edwin stared at Tatum with his cold but bright eyes. “But, Sir
Thunders, I wonder how you are going to do that, given that your core has
been destroyed.”
“Hah! I might not have any bit of internal energy left, but killing a
man like you is child’s play!”
Tatum was conceited.
“Is that so?” Edwin chuckled icily and brandished a gun from his back
without warning. He pointed it at Tatum. “Can a man without internal
energy defend himself from bullets?”
“Hmm?” Tatum’s expression hardened. “How dare you point a gun at me,
you son of a B*tch. Do you know who I am? Put the gun down and cut your
hands in front of me. If not, I’ll…”
Edwin suddenly pulled the trigger before Tatum could finish his
sentence. Following a loud bang, the bullet shot Tatum in the forehead,
leaving a splattered mess of blood on the wall.
Tatum grunted, his body trembling and his eyes wide-opened in
disbelief. He’d never believe that Edwin would pull the trigger on him,
and a fatal, point-blank shot at that.
Finally, Tatum’s body slumped heavily onto the floor, his eyes
remaining open as he drew his last breath.
“Huh?” Fletcher Lawson, who had been standing by the side, appeared
mortified at the scene. “S- Sir Hummer, what are you doing? Tatum
Thunders is Sir Lincoln’s principal disciple. How are we going to explain
this to Sir Lincoln?” He secretly thought Edwin had gone mad for having
the guts to murder Tatum.
“Yeah, I killed him. Why do I need to explain that? Edwin took out a
handkerchief and calmly wiped the spot of his head injury from the wine
bottle attack.
“If Sir Lincoln learns about this, he will not let this slip!”
Fletcher was panicking as he pictured the guildmaster of Boulderthorn,
halfway to becoming a grandmaster. The man was powerful enough to
massacre the entire Hummer Family!
“If we don’t tell, no one will know,” Edwin muttered emotionlessly.
“But Tatum died on our territory. How can we hide the fact?” Fletcher
was drenched in cold sweat by now.
“You don’t have to panic. Just remember-none of us met Tatum Thunders
today. He suffered a sudden death in his home after the battle with
Dustin. We shall leave Boulderthorn to figure out the murderer, and we
have no clue about it at all. Got it?” Edwin tilted his head, his eyes
shimmering with a cold gaze.
“Sir Hummer, are you telling me to… shift the blame to Dustin Rhys?”
It didn’t take Fletcher long to piece the puzzle.
“It was Dustin Rhys’ doing all along. When did we shift the blame to
him?” Edwin questioned.
“Oh, right! It’s all Dustin Rhys’ fault!” Fletcher nodded furiously.
At that point, he finally caught a glimpse of the depths of Edwin’s dark
soul. Edwin had decided to kill a top ace like Tatum without blinking an
eye. The mere thought of it was mind-numbing.
At the Boulderthorn branch in Millsburg, Clement Lincoln sat on the
throne, his expression darkening when Tatum Thunders’ body was brought
back. As the guildmaster of Boulderthorn who had extensive experience in
the field, he never had anyone offending him in this manner. “Who was it?
Who did this?” He gritted his teeth as his eyes bulged.
Sir Lincoln, it was Dustin Rhys!” Luther started fanning the flames.
“Dustin Rhys pulled dirty
tricks in the battle and destroyed Tatum’s core. Tatum was
assassinated right after that!”
“Dustin Rhys! It’s him again!” Clement banged his fists on the table
out of rage, and the wooden table instantly cracked and split into
pieces. First, it was Joshua Hummer. Now, it was Tatum. Clement had lost
two beloved disciples, one of whom was his heir. It was tough not to feel
anger and hatred at the culprit.
“Sir Lincoln, Dustin Rhys is sly and ruthless. He has a lot of tricks
up his sleeve. If we don’t get rid of him in time, he might be a pain in
the ass in the future!” Luther added fuel to the fire.
“Send out my orders-The Royal Valor of Boulder thorn is looking to
arrest Dustin Rhys!” Clement said with grief. “I’ll use all necessary
means and make any sacrifices to tear him into pieces!”
“Yes, sir!” His disciples bowed and took his orders The Royal Valor
was shaken from the orders, and its aces were called back from all
corners of the world for the quest. At that moment, Dustin Rhys was the
most-wanted man on the Royal Valor’s blacklist.

Chapter 321
In the evening, Dustin was focused on drug research at the Peaceful
Medical Centre when a silver Bentley rolled to a stop at the entrance.
The door opened, and Natasha, dressed in a bodycon silver dress, strutted
out, her hips swaying alluringly as she walked. “Dear, I’m here…” She
entered the medical center with a sweet smile and took Dustin by his arm.
“Let’s go! I’ll bring you out to have a nice dinner tonight!”

“A nice dinner? Where to?” He was, curious, but she dragged him into
her car without further

explanation.
“You’ll know when we’re there.”
The car cruised at a steady speed down the streets. Forty minutes
later, it parked in front of the entrance of a high-end recreational
club. “Ms. Harmon, you’re here! Please come with me,” one of
the ushers led the way as the other ushers lined up and bowed to the
guests.
They shuffled up to the restaurant on the second floor and made their
way to a spacious private lounge, where a couple of young men and women
had congregated. They were dressed to the nines and acted gracefully. One
could tell that they were no ordinary folks.
“Natasha, you’re finally here! I thought we’d be stood up again
because you’re too busy!” A woman in a crimson dress stood up to greet
Natasha and Dustin. She was lovely and tall, and her bodycon long dress
hugged her curves at the perfect places, showing off her voluptuous
figure to everyone.
“Zoey, I will never stand you up. We don’t get to meet up often as
old schoolmates. We definitely need to catch up in this rare gathering.”
Natasha beamed at the woman named Zoey.
“Natasha, is this your boyfriend?” Zoey scanned Dustin from head to
toe with curiosity. She decided that he was good-looking but dressed
rather shabbily. He didn’t look like he was from a wealthy family.
“That’s correct. I’ll introduce you to each other. This is my man,
Dustin Rhys.” Smiling, Natasha introduced her friends to Dustin as well,
“Dear, these are my schoolmates. This gorgeous woman here with big tits
and a big ass is Zoey Forster. This is Lyla Benson, with short hair and
dimples. Oh, and this is a mega star in Dragonmarsh, queen of
entertainment-Adriana Lovett. These two guys are Zeke Perry and Gordon
Flynn.”
“Hello, nice to meet you.” Dustin flashed them a dignified smile. One
had to admit that birds of a feather do flock together. Natasha was
attractive, and so were her friends. Adriana stood out especially, and
she rivaled Natasha in terms of appearance. It was no surprise that she
was crowned the queen of entertainment.
“Natasha, your boyfriend doesn’t look familiar. I wonder what he is
working as,” the man named Zeke Perry inquired.
“Oh, my man is a doctor.” Natasha looked proud, but her friends were
baffled. “He’s a doctor?” They thought it was ridiculous that Natasha,
the precious daughter of the Harmon Family, was dating a doctor.
So, Natasha, is Mr. Rhys an alumnus of Harvard Medical School or
Stanford Medicine?” Zeke pressed on. In their eyes, only the best could
date Natasha.
“No.” Dustin shook his head. Zeke asked, “Oh! May I know which
medical school you graduated from? And where are you practicing now?”
“I did not attend university. I’m now running a humble medical
center,” Dustin did not shun the topic.
“A medical center? Are you kidding us?”

Chapter 322
Zeke’s jaw dropped to the floor. Not only was Dustin not an alumnus
of a prestigious institution. but he also did not attend university Was
he even a good match for Natasha?

“Natasha, what’s going on? You didn’t drag a random man here just to
shut us up, did you?” Zoey was displeased, for she believed that a doctor
from an ordinary medical center wasn’t worthy of

sharing a dinner table with their group
“Stop acting funny Dustin is an expert in medicine and martial arts
You’ll know soon.” Natasha puffed her chest with a smile.
“Natasha, I’m sorry, but you’d be better off dating me if you were
giving this doctor a chance,” Gordon finally spoke up half-jokingly He
had once pursued Natasha but was turned down. Now that Natasha got her
eyes on an ordinary doctor, he started to think he had a chance because
he felt that he was way better than Dustin. After all, the Flynn family
was one of the elites in Balerno.
“Right, Natasha, I think Gordon’s pretty decent He stayed single just
to wait for you. Why don’t you. consider him?” Zoey winked at Natasha and
started matchmaking
“Gordon? Nah, he’s not my type,” Natasha shot down the suggestion.
“Natasha, now, you’re being harsh Gordon graduated from a prestigious
university He runs a company worth billions Isn’t he a stronger candidate
than a doctor? Zoey analyzed
“Gordon’s life is none of my business My boyfriend is Dustin Please
do not joke about this topic” Natasha frowned a little, clearly crossed.
“Plus, if you are talking about an excellent candidate, Dustin is the
best for me Even a hundred Gordons Ean’t beat a single Dustin Rhys ”
The expression on the faces of Natasha’s friends froze, none expected
that remark from Natasha Haimon, and they wondered if Natasha, the Steel
Lady, was just like the average woman blinded, by love
“Hmph’ I’m not a big shot, but I rake in billions annually. If this
gentleman here is a hundred times better than I am, does that mean he is
making hundreds of billions per year?” Gordon started acting funny. He
was obviously unsatisfied with Natasha’s comparison.
“The money you earn doesn’t mean a thing Even if Dustin is dirt poor,
I will still love him. Do you get it now?” Natasha schooled her friends
coldly
“Hah! So, he’s a sugar baby Gordon snorted with disdain, and the
other friends joined him to look down on Dustin.
“Gordon Flynn, watch your mouth! If you’re not hungry, perhaps you
should see yourself out!” Natasha’s expression hardened.
“Alright, alright Natasha, we’re all old schoolmates here. They’re
only pulling your leg. Just relax. Come here. Take a seat, everyone,”
Zoey hurriedly played the mediator when she realized the situation was
rapidly deteriorating.
Gordon didn’t say a word after that, but he shot a venomous look at
Dustin.
After they took their seats, they started chatting and eating
harmoniously. However, they gave Dustin the cold shoulder due to his low
social status. Still, he was unconcerned by the treatment
Chapter 322
and enjoyed his drinks and food as though he wasn’t part of the
group.
In the middle of the conversations, the door to the private lounge
flung open. A middle-aged man. with a beer belly marched in with two
bodyguards in tow. Adriana, who had been rather quiet, suddenly seemed
frantic when she noticed the intruders.
“Ms. Lovett, why didn’t you pick up our calls? Do you think we
couldn’t hunt you down if you hid in a small town?” The middle-aged man
flashed a menacing grin.
“My contract with the company is annulled! Stop harassing me!”
Adriana warned them.
The man scoffed. “Hah! Is that for you to decide? What do you take
our boss for? The company invested money and effort to launch you to
fame. Now that you’re established, you plan to go solo! You’re taking
advantage of us, don’t you think?”
“I’ve paid you back the money I made over these years! What more do
you want?” Her face fell.
“Hmph! That tiny amount of money isn’t worth a thing! Our boss is
interested in you as a product. As long as you’re with the agency, you’ll
bring in dough constantly. You must know that, don’t you?” The man
chuckled.
“I will not go with you! Just give up!” Adriana appeared adamant, but
the man snickered and said, ” That’s not for you to decide too. Guys,
take her!”

Chapter 323
“Guys! Take her!” Under the man’s orders, the two bodyguards stepped
forward, ready to act.

“Hold on!” Zeke stood up suddenly and hissed, “Adriana is my
schoolmate. I don’t care who you are. You need to get the F*ck out right
now, or I won’t go easy on you!”

“That’s right! The audacity to take her in our presence!” Gordon
slammed the table with ant imposing air. Adriana was a rising star,
crowned the queen of entertainment, and she rivaled Natasha in the looks
department Of course, the guys would not give up on the opportunity to
save the damsel in distress.
“Sir, this has nothing to do with you Stay out of it” the middle-aged
man warned the guys icily.
“Hmph! We see it as our business! Get out of here if you don’t want
to die!” Zeke bellowed at them..
“Throw these jerks out!” the middle-aged man roared, and the two
bodyguards went to work. Seeing that, Zeke and Gordon confidently took on
one bodyguard each. Zeke’s style was more of a street gangster’s-he
ruthlessly hit the bodyguard on the head with a beer bottle. Meanwhile,
Gordon showed off his martial arts skills from his past practice, looking
majestic in action. With their teamwork, they managed to take down the
two bodyguards in no time.
“Who are you? And why did you poke your nose in others’ business?”
The middle-aged man had a frosty look on his face.
“Listen up-I’m Zeke Perry, from the Perry family!”
“And I am Gordon Flynn. If you have any grudges, you should come at
us instead of harassing a woman That’s cowardice.” The two men were
beaming after showing off their heroism in front of the pretty ladies. It
felt good.
“Okay! I have your faces in my mind! Just wait for it!” The middleaged man shot them a deadly glare and left.
“Hmph! Run any slower, and I’ll break your leg!” Zeke waved his beer
bottle wildly.
“Clowns! How dare they make a scene in front of us! Gordon seemed
arrogant.
Zoey’s eyes sparkled with admiration. “I never knew you guys were
that great at fighting! It was eye-opening!”
“Hah, that was nothing! Back in the day, Gordon and I took down ten
guys in the bar!” Zeke proudly reminisced.
She beamed at him. “Is that so? That’s amazing!”
“Zeke, Gordon, thank you so much.” Adriana was grateful to them. She
had gone to tiny Balerno from Stonia to run from the trouble, but they
hunted her down anyway. She couldn’t picture the outcome if she were
caught and dragged away.
“Adriana, we’re all schoolmates. Just relax when you’re with us. If
you come across any trouble, just come to us, and we’ll take care of it
for you!” Zeke thumped his chest and promised her.
Natasha was rather curious. “Adriana, who did you get into trouble
with, to the point that you had to run all the way to Balerno from
Stonia?”
“I got into trouble with the boss of the entertainment agency,”
Adriana replied with a sigh. “When I was younger, I had a dream to be a
star and signed a contract with an agency without much thinking. Since
then, I’ve become their money tree They worked me all year long without
off days. I didn’t mind working hard, but after I achieved some fame, the
bosses started arranging for me to attend dinners and parties. I was made
to entertain the government officials and business magnates.”
She added, “At first, they wanted me to drink at the parties. Later,
they wanted me to sleep with some of the men. There was no way I’d agree
with that, so I kept saying no. They tried a lot of methods on me,
offering me money and threatening me. I couldn’t take it anymore and paid
a huge penalty to nullify the contract. But they still refuse to let me
go!” She was close to tears at this point. The public only saw the
attractive lifestyle of a star, not knowing that she had suffered a lot
in this line of work. The queen of entertainment was nothing more than an
empty title. The industry was more complicated than most people imagined
it to be.
.

Chapter 324

Had it not been for her seniors’ protection, Adriana believed she
would have fallen into the abyss.
“How dare these bastards force you into such filthy deals? That’s
shameless!” Zeke was indignant after hearing her account.

“Hmph! They’re just an entertainment agency. How dare they do that to
you? Do they think they are above the law?” Gordon fumed and promised,
“Adriana, do not worry. We will see this through. No matter who your boss
is, we won’t go easy on him!”
“That’s right! We will surely avenge you!” the others chimed in,
looking as though they were ready for a battle.
“Thank you.” Tears of gratitude streamed down Adriana’s face.
“By the way, Adriana, what’s the name of your boss?” Natasha suddenly
asked.
“I only know that Langford is his last name. I don’t know anything
else,” Adriana answered.
“Langford?” The friends exchanged glances, and after connecting the
dots, they appeared terrified. “That can’t be it! Is he from the Langford
family of Glenstead?”
The aristocrats of Stonia were at a different level than those from
Balerno-the elites that established themselves in the royal city came
from lineages that spanned centuries. Natasha and her friends believed
they’d be in great trouble if the boss of the entertainment agency were
truly from the Langford family of Glenstead.
“Adriana, what’s the name of your agency?” Natasha cautiously
prodded.
Adriana answered, “It’s called Langford Productions
Everyone paled at the mention of the agency’s name. Langford
Productions was the entertainment agency under Langford Inc.! It was no
surprise that the men from the agency would come for Adriana in Balerno
all the way from Stonia-the Langford family was the mastermind behind it
all.
“What’s wrong?” Adriana quickly sensed that something was off. She
had no clue about the man behind Langford Productions, but she was aware
of the agency’s huge influence.
“Adriana, you might have run into trouble. The boss of Langford
Productions isn’t your average millionaire.” Natasha put on a grim
expression.
Only Zoey looked unbothered. “Natasha, stop scaring her. We aren’t
afraid of the boss of a random entertainment agency when we have Zeke and
Gordon backing us!”
Zeke and Gordon exchanged looks, intimidated because they knew the
Langford family was untouchable.
“Friends, shall we head to the next place to have fun since we’re
done with dinner?” Zeke suddenly threw a suggestion out of fear that the
Langfords might come after them.
Gordon agreed, “Right! It’s quite boring here. Let’s go to the bar!”
“Sure. No one objected to that, and they started gathering their
stuff before leaving. At that moment, they heard a commotion at the door.
Next, the middle-aged men who had left earlier barged into the place with
reinforcements.
“Leave? Where are you leaving?”
“How dare you go against our boss? None of you shall leave here!”
“Get every single one of them. Circle them now!” Under the orders, a
group of bodyguards closed in on Natasha and her friends. The ladies were
scared when they saw the threatening scowl on the bodyguards’ faces.
“Sir, I am Zeke Perry. Please show us some mercy and call the guards
off.” Zeke bit the bullet and handed the man a check. “Here’s a little
token from me. Just think of it as compensation.”
“Call them off? How about no, you motherF*cker?” The middle-aged man
was boiling in anger as he slapped Zeke across the face.

Chapter 326
The middle-aged man’s expression was unfriendly, I’m warning you.
Don’t try to be a hero. Otherwise, I’ll break both your legs!”

“You can hit anyone but her.” Dustin stood in front of Natasha, his
gaze calm.

“And if I do?” he sneered.
“Then I’ll cripple you,” Dustin smiled.
“You must be tired of living, bastard!” The middle-aged man finally
erupted in anger. “Get him! I want him beaten mercilessly! I’ll take full
responsibility if he dies!”
“Yes, sir!” On his command, the bodyguards stopped holding back,
immediately brandishing their knives at Dustin.
Dustin slammed one hand on the table, and the knives on the table
bounced up. With a wave of his sleeves, sharp whistles were heard.
Appearing like hidden weapons, the knives shot straight into the
bodyguards’ knees.
In a blink of an eye, the previously arrogant and intimidating group
of bodyguards were taken down.
“What?” The middle-aged man’s expression shifted upon the scene laid
out before him. He’d been around long enough to realize he’d encountered
a skilled martial artist that day.
“Holy shit! This guy have skills?” Zoey was shocked She would have
never thought that an ordinary doctor would have such impressive skills.
Even Zeke and Gordon were taken aback. They looked at each other with
a bewildered look on their faces. Dustin must have had immense strength
to be able to pierce a knife through the bodyguards’ knees. What was more
astonishing was that he attacked with such accuracy that each bodyguard
had the exact same injury.
“Huh?” Adriana was surprised, and her gaze betrayed a spark of
interest.
“Who the hell are you, punk? How dare you poke your nose into the
Langford family’s business?” The middle-aged man carried a dark
expression.
“So what if you’re from the Langford family? I’m butting in since I
can’t stand you harassing a woman,” Dustin replied dismissively.
“Just you wait and see, punk!” The man gritted his teeth and was
about to leave when Dustin grabbed him by the collar and pulled back
forcefully. With a resounding bang, the man crashed into the wall,
spitting out a mouthful of blood.
“Did I say you can leave?” Dustin was calm.
“You… what do you want?” His body felt like it was about to fall
apart as he clenched his jaw.
“You think you can act as if nothing happened and escape just like
that? Think again. Get down on your knees and apologize to everyone
here,” Dustin ordered coldly.
“Never!” he refused immediately.
“Oh?” Dustin raised his eyebrows and gave him a resounding slap. A
few teeth fell out from the force.
“You dare hit me? I’m from the Langford family!” He was resentful.
“That slap is for the Langford family.” Without another word, Dustin
landed two more slaps, leaving the man dazed and unable to steady
himself.
Zeke’s expression changed as he watched the scene unfold before him.
“Dustin, you’re crazy! Stop this instant!
Gordon added with a dark expression, “The Langford family is very
powerful. You’re going to die for humiliating them in public. Even if you
don’t value your life, don’t drag us down with you!”
“Aren’t you guys getting overly worked up for a mere servant of the
Langford family?” Dustin shook his head.
“You-” Their expressions turned ugly as soon as Dustin said that.

Chapter 327

“Don’t worry. I started this. I’ll make sure not to pull you both
down into this mess. Of course, if you’re scared, you could leave first.
I didn’t see a thing,” Dustin said casually.
A few simple words had made them feel indignant, and their faces
burned, especially from the looks the three women were giving them. It
was humiliating to be looked down on by an ordinary

doctor.
“You’re dead meat, punk! All of you are dead meat!” The middle-aged
man got up from the floor with a disheveled appearance.
“Say that again? Who’s dead meat?” Dustin gave him another slap.
“You” Before he could speak, another heavy slap landed on his face.
With a grunt, finally, he fainted from the attacks.
Zoey and the rest of them watched in shock. They couldn’t believe
Dustin was merciless and dared attack with such force, even though he
knew the other party was from the Langford family. He must really not
value his life!
“Weakling.” Dustin dusted his hands, feeling unsatisfied.
“Dustin! Do you know what you’ve just done? Not even the Gods can
save you for offending the Langford family,” Gordon admonished him
sternly but also gloated at his misfortune. Even though he was surprised
by Dusin’s martial skills, he knew his actions would only lead to his
demise.
“Keep your judgment to yourselves. Just because you’re afraid of the
Langfords doesn’t mean I am too.” Dustin shrugged.
“Hmph! You must not be aware of how scary they could be!” Zeke shook
his head as if he was looking at an idiot.
The Langford family was Stonia’s most powerful and wealthy
aristocratic family. Other than the Tremendous Three, no one else dared
confront the Langfords directly in the whole of Balerno. With Dustin’s
mere background as an ordinary doctor, he should have made sure he knew
who he was going up against before attacking a Langford family servant.
“That’s enough. We shouldn’t stay here any longer. Let’s go.” Zoey’s
gaze betrayed her nerves. After what happened, she understood how
terrifying the Langfords could be.
Dustin suddenly said, “Ms. Harmon, you should go first. I have a few
things left to do.”
Since he’d already made an enemy out of the Langfords, he might as
well deal with the issue cleanly.
“What are you going to do?” Natasha stared blankly at him.
Nothing much, just going to finish up some unfinished business,”
Dustin smiled.
“Hey! Are you crazy? Their men will be here soon You’ll be dead meat
by then,” Zoey said with a frown.
“I know what I’m doing.” Dustin wasn’t bothered.
“Be careful Natasha gave him a long gaze before pulling Adriana out
of the door. She knew that
her presence would cause him more trouble.
“Forget it. Suit yourself.” Zoey shook her head and left.
“Hmph! You should know better. You’ll find out soon enough how
powerful the Langfords are.”
“Since you won’t listen to our advice, there’s no point in stopping
you from being the dead meat you love to be.”
Zeke and Gordon followed behind them after throwing out those words.
All of them finally breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the
restaurant.
“Guys, what should we do now?”
Standing near the entrance, Zoey said with uncertainty, “Adriana has
been marked by the Langfords. If we don’t think of something, this won’t
end well.”
“You’re right! Adriana is not strong enough to fight against those
brutal swine.” Zeke was slightly worried.
“They’re not too unreasonable. Perhaps we could talk it out. I just
so happen to be acquainted with Luis Langford. I’m sure there won’t be a
problem as long as I can convince Mr. Langford.”
“Gordon, you know Mr. Langford? Why didn’t you say so earlier? I
almost peed my pants just now.” Zeke was surprised.
“The last time I went to Stonia, I attended a party of his and got to
know him there.” Gordon smiled. “That’s amazing! I can’t believe you know
someone so powerful!”

Chapter 328
Zoey was ecstatic and chimed in, “Adriana, there’s hope! As long as
Gordon convinces Mr. Langford, I’m sure you’ll be safe then.”

“That’s great. Thanks, Gordon!” As Adriana thanked him profusely, her
cleavage came into full

view.
“It’s nothing. I’m just helping out a friend.” Gordon waved his hand
like it was a minor issue.
“Alright, since we’ve resolved the matter, let’s go for a few more
rounds of drinks,” Zeke said, calling up his driver and ushering them
into his car
Just as they were about to depart, more than ten black SUVS screeched
to a halt in front of the restaurant, surrounding it entirely. As the
doors opened, a group of fighters with batons in hand got off and barged
into the restaurant with a murderous look.
“Dang! Weren’t those the Langfords’ men?” Zeke’s eye twitched, and he
was inexplicably nervous. He thought they were lucky to have left in
time. If they had been slower by even two minutes, they probably wouldn’t
have been able to escape then.
“Natasha, will your boyfriend be alright?” Adriana was worried. After
all, Dustin had saved her earlier. She would feel bad if something
happened to him.
“Don’t worry. He can handle it.” Natasha smiled faintly. She was
aware of his abilities. Fighting a few ordinary fighters would be like a
breeze to him.
“I don’t think so. He only has two fists. Even if he had skills, how
would he survive against so many of them?” Gordon shook his head but was
happy about Dustin’s predicament.
“That’s right! The Langfords have plenty of highly skilled martial
artists. How would he take all of them on?” Zeke pursed his lips.
In their eyes, Dustin only liked seeking attention As soon as he
encountered Langfords’ skilled fighters, he’d end up dead.
Natasha didn’t bother explaining further since they didn’t believe
her.
In the meantime, in the private room of the restaurant, Dustin was
silently enjoying his food. He was eating with great enthusiasm when the
door was kicked down. A large number of fighters barged in, surrounding
him in no time.
The man who fainted earlier suddenly sprung up, his expression
menacing. “Hey, punk! My backup is here. You’re dead meat this time!”
It was evident that he had been playing dead.
This is all of them? I thought you were bringing an army.” Dustin
shook his head, seemingly regretful.
“You’re still talking back in the face of death? Kill him!” the
middle-aged man bellowed.
Dozens of them brandished their weapons, prepared to attack, when
suddenly, someone yelled at the door. “Hold it!
Following the voice, a figure appeared. It was Dahlia who rushed in,
clad in branded clothing
Dustin’s brows furrowed at the sight of the woman Why did he keep
running into her?
“I thought I was mistaken, but it really is you.” She carried a
complicated expression as she looked.
at Dustin.
“So what if it’s me? I’ve told you not to appear before me again,”
Dustin said coldly.
Dahlta frowned at his words, but she turned to the middle-aged man
instead. “Mr. Atwood, what’s going on here?”
“Mrs. Langford, this punk dared butt into our business. I’m about to
give him a lesson. With your dignified status, I ask that you step aside
lest you ruin your clothes.” Mr. Atwood smiled apologetically.
“Mr. Atwood, this is a friend of mine. Can you let him go?” Dahlia
responded.
“A friend?” he frowned slightly. Since he was slapped earlier, he was
quite unwilling.
“Hmm? Do my words not carry weight? Do I need to get Luis here to
talk to you?” Dahlia’s expression turned cold.
“No, no. Please don’t misunderstand, Mrs. Langford Since he’s your
friend, naturally, we won’t dare touch him.” Mr. Atwood smiled awkwardly
and gave the signal, leaving with all the men present. “Mrs. Langford?
How impressive.” Dustin sneered coldly, completely ungrateful.

Chapter 329
Dahlia put on a calm front even though she felt hurt from the icy
glare Dustin was giving her. ” Dustin, I just didn’t want you to get into
trouble. I didn’t do it so you can feel indebted to me,” she said
nonchalantly.

“I don’t think what happens to me is any of your business.”

“I know you hate me. I know I’ve wronged you too. Il try my best to
make it up to you in the future.
“Make it up to me?” Dustin scoffed, “Oh, Dahlia, you think too highly
of yourself. Do you think I actually care?”
“Then what do you care about? Or perhaps, is there anything you need
help on?” she asked tentatively.
“Sorry. I don’t need anything. I just need you to get far away from
me,” Dustin responded.
“Do you hate me that much?” Dahlia frowned. She felt an inexplicable
stabbing pain in her chest. “Yeah. You played me like a dog. Am I
supposed to put on a pitiful dog act to please you?” Dustin mocked.
“I’m sorry…” Dahlia took in a deep breath, but, in the end, she could
only lower her head.
“Forget it. Don’t show me that pitiful expression of yours. It’s
repulsive.” Dustin’s words were harsh.
“I…” She was unable to continue. There were many times she wanted to
tell him the truth but couldn’t. That was because she knew him well. Once
he found out the truth, he would definitely make an enemy out of Luis. He
would probably even try something foolish that might lead to his demise.
All Dahlia wished was for Dustin to live peacefully Even if that
meant carrying the burden of his hatred and being his enemy, she would
gladly ensure it was so.
Out of the blue, she asked,” How are things with you and Natasha?”
“We’re doing great. We’ve been talking about getting married,” Dustin
deliberately unnerved her “Is that so? Congratulations.” Dahlia forced a
smile “Natasha is a great woman. I can tell she likes you a lot. It’s
just that both of you have different social standings. You need to work
harder to catch up to her.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” he responded coldly.
“You’re right. Why am I butting into your relationship? Anyways, I
wish both of you the best.”
Dustin had never seen a smile that tender on her face. “What exactly
are you trying to say?” His brows furrowed.
Nothing. I suddenly feel like having a drink. Will you drink a few
glasses with me?”
SH
“No,” Dustin refused right away. “I told you. I have nothing to do
with you any longer. From now on, we shall be strangers. Please don’t
bother me again in the future. I don’t wish to be played like a
fool a second time!” He turned around to leave.
“Wait-” Dahlia reached out and grabbed his arm instinctively.
“Get lost!” Looking annoyed, Dustin shrugged her off.
Dahlia stumbled and fell to the floor, her hand landing on broken
pieces of glass. Blood dripped down, as the glass crystals dug into her
palms. She frowned but never uttered a word. The pain could never compare
to the heartache she was feeling.
“You “Seeing that she was hurt, Dustin extended his hand, about to
help her up, when he froze midway. After thinking about everything that
had happened, he decided to be merciless and
ignored her injury.
“Seems like you truly hate me. I guess it’s better that way…” Dahlia
smiled and got up slowly. She continued, “I’m getting engaged to Luis
tomorrow. After that, I’ll be leaving for Stonia and starting my life as
Mrs. Langford. Today should be our final meeting. Thank you for taking
care of me these past three years. I’ll never forget it. Humans are such
weird creatures. We never appreciate things when we have them, only
regretting it when we lose them.” With that, she exited the room.
Watching her departing figure, Dustin wanted to speak but didn’t know
what to say.
Dahlia was about to exit the building when she suddenly stopped in
her tracks. She had noticed a -familiar face. It was Natasha, pacing back
and forth at the main entrance.
“You’re here too…” Dahlia gave a faint smile, “Congratulations, you
won. Take care of Dustin for me. I wish both of you the best.” After she
said that she brushed past Natasha.
“Huh?” Natasha frowned slightly in confusion. She wondered if Dahlia
woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.
“Why did you come back?” Dustin walked out of the room.
Natasha rolled her eyes. “I was worried, of course. What if something
happened to you?”
“They’re just a few weaklings. They can’t hurt me. He forced a smile.
Natasha picked up on his unusual behavior. “What’s wrong? Did
something happen?”
“No. I just met Dahlia. She said she’s getting engaged tomorrow.”
Dustin put on a calm front.
“Engaged? To whom?” Natasha was taken aback.
“Luis Langford.”
“Luis?” She frowned. “Is she crazy? Luis is famous for being a
playboy, and his temper is erratic. Women involved with him don’t exactly
get a fairytale ending.”
Dustin replied, “Everyone chases after different dreams. Luis is rich
and powerful. There’s nothing wrong with her wanting to marry into a
wealthy family.”
“There must be more to this. She doesn’t seem like someone who chases
after material wealth,” Natasha responded solemnly. Even though they were
rivals in love, she didn’t harbor any hate for her..
“I thought so too, but…” Dustin put on a self-deprecating smile,
“People change. She has the right to chase after the things she wants.”
Hearing him, Natasha nodded, not saying anything more.
“Let’s go. I’ll send you home.” He forced another smile. He was in a
good mood earlier, but meeting Dahlia had ruined his day. He even felt a
knot in his heart.
After Dustin drove off with Natasha, Luis and a white-haired young
man walked out slowly from the dark.
“Mr. Langford, it seems like there’s something going on between your
fiancée and that Dustin guy. “The white-haired young man laughed
teasingly.
“Hmph! He’s just an ant. He must have a death wish to have the guts
to steal my woman.” Luis’ expression was dark.
“Mr. Langford, leave this matter to me. I’ll make sure he disappears
from the face of the earth tonight!” The white-haired young man grinned.
As Luis’ right-hand man, he’d long been skillful at murdering people.

Chapter 330
After sending Natasha home, Dustin returned to Peaceful Medical
Center. At the same time, a black vehicle came to a quiet stop at a
corner not far away. As the doors opened, a few masked assassins clad in
black outfits approached the building slowly, and they all had silenced
guns in their hands. They were well-trained and worked well together as
they surrounded the entire Peace Medical Center without saying a word,
blocking all entrances.

“Forward-” The leader made a gesture, and the men to the left of him
nodded. They were just about to break in when the doors opened with a
creak. A warm, yellow light shone out from the

inside.
“Since you’re already here, there’s no need to sneak around. Please,
come in.” They heard a cold, impassive voice from the inside.
The masked assassins’ expressions shifted slightly Looking through
the door slit, they saw Dustin leisurely sipping his liquor while seated
on a chair. They even noticed a simple meal set out on the table. He
appeared calm. There were no signs that he was alarmed by the impending
disaster that awaited him.
“What? Do I need to invite you in personally?” Dustin spoke again.
The group looked at each other. Leaving only one man behind, the rest
of the assassins walked in with their guns raised, finally exposing their
cover To prevent an ambush, a few of them even scouted the perimeter. It
was only after they ensured it was safe that they let out a silent sigh
of relief.
“How did you discover us?” Their leader was perplexed. After so many
years in their line of work, it was the first time they’d met someone who
remained exceptionally calm, even with a gun in their face.
“You’ve been following me for half an hour now. I might as well be
blind if I didn’t notice.” Dustin smiled faintly and poured himself
another drink.
He asked, “So, who sent you? The Hummers or the Langfords?”
“Does it matter? You’ll be dead anyway,” The leader responded coldly.
Dustin’s sharp gaze was making him uncomfortable.
“If I’m dying, I should at least know who gave the orders, don’t you
think?” Dustin looked up slowly.
“You want to know the truth? Go ask the devil himself!” The leader
was tired of the nonsense and aimed his gun at Dustin, pulling the
trigger. Having a conversation was frowned upon in their line of work.
Two muffled gunshots rang out. One bullet aimed straight for Dustin’s
head, while the other went for his chest. Even God wouldn’t be able to
save him from the two fatal shots.
Just when he thought Dustin was as good as gone, a shocking scene
played out. Just an inch away from their final target, the two bullets
came to a halt. They floated in mid-air, unable to
move.
“What?” The assassin was shocked. Two more muffled shots sounded, but
the results were the
Hearing him, Natasha nodded, not saying anything more.
“Let’s go. I’ll send you home.” He forced another smile. He was in a
good mood earlier, but meeting Dahlia had ruined his day. He even felt a
knot in his heart.
After Dustin drove off with Natasha, Luis and a white-haired young
man walked out slowly from the dark.
“Mr. Langford, it seems like there’s something going on between your
fiancée and that Dustin guy. “The white-haired young man laughed
teasingly.
“Hmph! He’s just an ant. He must have a death wish to have the guts
to steal my woman.” Luis’ expression was dark.
“Mr. Langford, leave this matter to me. I’ll make sure he disappears
from the face of the earth tonight!” The white-haired young man grinned.
As Luis’ right-hand man, he’d long been skillful at murdering people.

Chapter 331
“Don’t kill me! I’ll talk!” The leader of the assassins was scared
out of his wits. He divulged every detail, not daring to leave any stone
unturned. He revealed the person who hired him and even their
whereabouts. He spilled everything.

Dustin nodded after he was done listening and dealt with the
assassins, before leaving the building once again. While others often
took their time seeking revenge, Dustin sought his revenge the very same
day. Otherwise, he would lose sleep over it.

In the meantime, in the bathtub of a luxurious hotel, the whitehaired young man, Wilson White, was speaking to Luis on the phone.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Langford, my men are skilled. They won’t leave a
trace. From tomorrow onwards, you will never see that punk again.”
“That’ll be best. I don’t wish for any surprises tomorrow.”
“Of course, I assure you everything will go smoothly, and you’ll be
bringing that beauty home without a hitch.” He grinned.
“Alright, that’s all. That woman won’t let me touch her. I need to
get another woman to satisfy my desires.”
Wilson chuckled. “Then, I won’t disturb your fun.”
After a few more exchanges of words, he hung up. He then put on a
robe and walked out of the bathroom. “Hey, beautiful, I’m coming!”
Wilson was smiling happily, prepared to make love to a beautiful
model he met today. However, he froze as he entered the bedroom. The
model was missing, there was only a man seated on the bed. That man was
Dustin!
“H-how are you here?” Wilson’s expression changed. Didn’t he already
send the assassins? Why was he still alive?
“Your men are dead. And it’s your turn now. Any last words?” He spoke
lazily.
Wilson’s eye twitched, and he screamed at Dustin, putting up a front,
“I’m warning you, punk! You better not try anything. I’m with the
Langford family!”
“I know. So what?” Dustin was stone-faced.
“If you dare touch me, not only you but all of your family and
friends will be doomed!” Wilson -threatened.
“It’s always the same script. Can’t you come up with something new?”
Dustin reached out and grabbed him in a chokehold, lifting him by his
neck.
“Ugh… Wilson couldn’t breathe, and his face turned red. He shook in
fear as he felt he was close to death’s door.
“Don’t! Don’t kill me… I’ll tell you a secret!” William panicked
after seeing Dustin’s murderous gaze and started begging for his life
instead.
“Oh? What secret? Let’s hear it.” Dustin raised his eyebrow,
intrigued.
“I don’t think you know the real reason Dahlia is marrying Luis. It
isn’t for material wealth. She was forced!” Wilson released a bombshell.
Dustin’s eyebrows knitted together. “Explain! What do you mean?”
William pointed at Dustin’s fingers. Dustin loosened his grip
slightly, Out of breath, William finally spoke, “To get Dahlia by his
side, Luis set up a trap and painted James as a murderer. He not only
threatened to send her brother to jail, but he also threatened to send
you back to prison. She only gave in to the marriage because of you.”
Dustin felt like he was struck by lightning with this revelation. He
had misunderstood her. He’d thought she married into a wealthy family for
power and wealth. But it turned out, she was only sacrificing herself for
his safety.
At that moment, he felt a pang of regret. He regretted not getting
the story straight, and he regretted slapping her.
“Dahlia, oh, Dahlia … Why are you so foolish?” He clenched his jaw
and left the place immediately.

Chapter 332
Dustin kept dialing and making calls while he drove. However, no
matter how many times he dialed, Dahlia never answered. For some reason,
Dustin was anxious. It felt as if something important was slowly slipping
out of his grasp.

He stepped on the accelerator and headed straight for Nicholson
Villa. Ever since they got divorced, he’d never set foot in that place
again. But at that moment, he couldn’t care less.

After he arrived, he rushed to the entrance, ringing the doorbell and
pounding on the door persistently.
“How rude! Can’t you knock gently?” Following the annoyed voice, the
door opened.
“Dustin? What are you doing here?” Florence frowned, looking upset.
Dustin went straight to the point. “Where’s Dahlia? I need to see
her!”
“Hmph! What makes you think you can just barge in here to see her?
Get lost!” Florence responded harshly. She was about to close the door as
she spoke when the door was blocked by a foot.
With a solemn expression, Dustin said, “I know Dahlia is inside. I
have something to tell her, please let her know.”
“There is no need to do so. She doesn’t want to see you.”
Florence gave him a contemptuous look and continued, “Let me tell
you. My daughter’s engagement party with Mr. Langford is tomorrow. So,
from tomorrow onward, she’ll be known as Mrs. Langford. Someone like you
will never match up to him. So, please stop disturbing my daughter!”
“Dahlia cannot marry Luis!” Dustin frowned. “I know the truth. I know
she was forced. She doesn’t need to sacrifice herself. I can solve
everything!”
“You can’t solve shit!”
Florence glared at him. “Rhys! I’m warning you not to poke your nose
where it doesn’t belong! It’s a blessing for my daughter to have the
chance to marry the Langfords. I’ll fight you to death if you get in the
way!”
“Is wealth more important than Dahlia’s happiness?”
Dustin reasoned with her, “Luis is a typical playboy with a volatile
temper and violent tendencies. If Dahlia marries him, she’ll be walking
into her own misery!’
“Nonsense!”
Florence erupted in anger. “Rhys! You better not spout nonsense! Luis
was brought up in a wealthy family with class and manners. He’s miles
better than you will ever be!”
To her, Dustin only said those words out of jealousy He was
slandering Luis since he knew he wasn’t Luis’ competition. She didn’t
realize he was such a malicious person!
“Dahlia, I know you’re in there. Can you please come out and talk to
me?” Seeing that Florence wouldn’t budge, he raised his voice in hopes
that Dahlia could hear him from inside.
“Shut up! I’m warning you. My daughter is not at home. If you
continue to cause trouble for us, I’ll call the police!” Florence
threatened him.
Dustin ignored her and continued yelling, “Dahlia, listen up! I don’t
need your sympathy. Don’t make decisions on your own! Do you think a mere
Luis can hurt me? You must be crazy! We’re divorced. What makes you think
you can use your life to save mine? Can you not think so highly of
yourself?” His tirade echoed throughout the villa.
“Hey! You’ve got some nerve!” Florence grabbed a broom and was about
to hit him in her fury when a clear voice rang out.
“Mom, let me talk to him…” Dahlia finally walked out.
“Dahlia, why did you come out? Just let me deal with this insolent
brat.” Florence was clearly upset.

Chapter 333

“Some things are better discussed in person.” Dahlia shook her head.
“Fine. I’ll give you three minutes. Break it off cleanly.” Without
another word, Florence went to stand by one side. After all, tomorrow,
their family would move to Stonia and live the life of the wealthy. By
then, a lowlife like Dustin would never have the chance to see her
daughter again.

“Didn’t you say we’d never have anything to do with each other? Why
are you here?” Dahlia looked Dustin straight in the eye.
Dustin responded seriously, “I’ve found out the truth. I know Luis
forced you into this, but you don’t need to get married to him. I can
solve all your problems!”
Dahlia was momentarily stumped before she put up a polite smile. “I
don’t know where you heard that, but I’m getting married to Luis on my
own accord. I wasn’t forced, but thank you for your concern.”
So what if he knew? It wouldn’t solve anything. Her marriage to Luis
was a strategic union between the Langfords and the Nicholsons. Anyone
who dared stand in the way of their marriage would be going up against
two majorly influential families. How many people dared make enemies out
of the two families in the whole of Balerno? That was why, even if Dustin
now knew the truth, it didn’t change anything. It would only cause him
more trouble.
“That’s not true!” Dustin’s brows knitted. “You don’t even like him.
Why are you getting married to him?”
“Does that matter? Luis can give me wealth and riches, as well as
power and status, aren’t those enough?” Dahlia smiled faintly.
“You’re lying! I know you’re not that kind of person Dustin wouldn’t
give up.
“Stop joking. Do you really know me?” She scoffed,
“Oh, Dustin. People should live life realistically, especially women.
Instead of working so hard to make a name for myself, wouldn’t it be
better to marry a wealthy man? I can live an easy life. Why not seize the
opportunity?”
Dustin’s gaze was intense. “No! You don’t mean that”
“That’s what I think. It doesn’t matter whether or not you believe
me. I’m tired. I’m going to rest now. Please go back.” That was the last
thing Dahlia said before turning inside.
“Did you hear that? She’s tired. Now get lost!” Florence raised her
broom aggressively.
“Dahlia Nicholson! Don’t you dare think you actually helped me. I’ll
never be grateful for your actions!”
Dustin stood by the door and continued with rightful indignation,
“Oh, and one more thing. I hate being indebted to someone. I will do
everything I can to stop this marriage. I will never let you marry Luis!
Do you hear me?”
“Bastard! If you try anything, I won’t hesitate to beat you to
death!” Florence was anxious and raised the broom in her hand, about to
land a hit, when Dustin grabbed it and broke it easily,
“Dahlia Nicholson! I’ll be at the engagement party tomorrow
afternoon. All you need to do is nod, and I’ll take you out of there. You
don’t need to think about the consequences. Just follow your heart. I
will make sure there is nothing to worry about. I will also ensure your
safety! Please just trust me. Have absolute faith in me this one time!”
Dustin finally left after his speech.
Since he had found out the truth, he would not allow her to walk into
her own misery. It didn’t matter if they were the Langfords or the
Nicholsons. If they angered him, he would annihilate them all!
As Dahlia listened to Dustin’s determined speech, she leaned against
the door and sank to the floor. She ended up crouching on the ground as
tears streamed down her face. Biting her lips, she wrapped herself in her
arms and tried her best to muffle her cries.
“Oh, Dustin. Why are you so foolish? Couldn’t you just let go? Why do
you need to put yourself in danger like that?”

Chapter 334
The next morning, at Empire Hotel. A grand wedding was in full swing.

The union of the two prominent families had caused a sensation
throughout Swinton. Countless businessmen, wealthy individuals, and highranking officials arrived with great anticipation. Hundreds of luxury
wedding cars were parked at the hotel square, occupying almost every
available space. The entire street had also been cordoned off specially
for today’s wedding

ceremony.
Dressed in his groom’s attire, Luis personally welcomed the guests at
the entrance of the lobby. Of course, he only greeted those who held
status and influence, while the ordinary guests were attended to by his
men.
“Mr. Langford…” At that moment, Wilson walked up to him and said in a
hushed voice, “There’s a turn of events. Dustin’s not dead yet, and the
assassins I sent out are all missing.”
“What did you say? What’s the point of me hiring you if you can’t
handle a small matter like this?” Luis frowned.
“I’m sorry. I underestimated that punk.” Wilson lowered his head in
shame.
“Forget about it. After today, I’ll send someone personally to deal
with him.” Luis didn’t bother making a fuss out of it.
“Mr. Langford, there’s something else…” Wilson hesitated to speak.
Luis was slightly unhappy. “What now?”
In a whisper, Wilson continued, “I heard that Dustin might disrupt
the wedding today.”
“Disrupt the wedding?” Luis was taken aback for a moment before he
laughed out loud.
“Are you joking? My men are all here. Would he dare act rashly here?”
“It’s best to consider all possibilities.” Wilson smiled
apologetically.
“He can try if he wants. I’m itching to see how he’ll barge into my
den!” Luis sneered coldly.
An ordinary citizen, trying to go against him? He didn’t mind
shedding blood today at the party if it came to it.
In the meantime, in one of the rooms of the hotel, Dahlia sat in
front of the dressing table, in a daze.
Ever since Dustin came looking for her yesterday, she has been on
edge, worried he might attempt something foolish. For this reason, she’d
been sending him messages and making calls, but she never received a
response. It worried her more as he ignored her.
“Dahlia, why are you sulking? You should be smiling. It’s your big
day.” Right then, Florence walked in with a grin and started picking out
Dahlia’s jewelry.
Dahlia suddenly asked, “Mom, do you think Dustin will come today?”
“Why do you care?” Florence’s brows furrowed. “I’ve looked around the
area. It’s heavily guarded here, with security personnel inside and out.
If Dustin dares break-in, he’ll probably be beaten up
badly.”
Dahlia’s concern deepened upon hearing her mother’s words.
“Dahlia, stop thinking about it. That punk is all talk. He won’t
really come. He’s not stupid. Why would he seek his own demise?” Florence
took advantage of the situation and comforted her.
It was clear to her that her daughter had unresolved feelings.
Unfortunately, they could never be together. Besides, it was a lifelong
dream of Florence to have her daughter marry into a wealthy family. How
would she allow someone to ruin her dream that easily?
“I hope so…” Dahlia sighed, but her expression remained troubled.
“Alright, it’s about time. Let’s go.” Florence smiled, leading Dahlia
out.
At the venue, the seats were already filled with distinguished
guests. Amidst the applause, Luis walked up the stage slowly.
He received the microphone from the officiant and said with a face
full of smiles, “Dear guests, family, and friends, thank you for
attending my wedding. Today is the most important day of my
life.
“Even though I’ve only known Dahlia for a short time, from the moment
I laid my eyes on her, I knew she was the only woman I would want to
marry in this lifetime! I hope all of you present here today will bear
witness to our grand wedding
As soon as he spoke those words, the crowd erupted in thunderous
applause and cheers.

Chapter 335
“Here comes the bride!” The officiant announced.

Amidst enthusiastic applause, Dahlia walked in. She looked gorgeous
in a beautiful white gown. and took her place at the altar on stage.

“Oh, my God! The bride is so pretty. She looks like an angel!”
“They look so good together. They are truly a match made in heaven!”
Following her appearance, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively as
the crowd looked on in admiration.
The ceremony officially began with Dahlia’s parents, John and
Florence, seated in the front row alongside Luis’ fourth uncle. Seeing
the both of thein standing at the altar together, Florence couldn’t hide
the smile on her face. All her hopes and prayers for her daughter to
marry into a wealthy family were finally materializing.
While John wore a smile, his eyes betrayed a complexity of emotions.
Despite his prolonged absences, he had a basic understanding of what went
on at home. As for Luis’ uncle, he had an impassive expression right from
the start, not showing much of a reaction.
“Dahlia is so lucky to be able to marry Luis.” Not far away, Dakota
watched the new couple in jealousy. If only she hadn’t been engaged, she
would have been the one up there instead.
“Hah… It seems like she’s lucky, but she’s actually not. With Luis’
personality, I’m afraid Dahlia won’t be having a good married life.” Jane
shook her head. She knew of Luis’ reputation.
It was finally time to exchange vows as the officiant said, “Dahlia,
do you take Luis to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold from this
day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness
and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?”
While Luis was smiling widely, Dahlia looked troubled. After a short
silence, he finally noticed that she didn’t seem inclined to speak.
Thinking the bride didn’t hear him, the officiant repeated himself,
“Dahlia, do you take Luis to be your wedded husband…
H
In the end, Dahlia remained silent. She truly did not wish to get
married to Luis. She didn’t even understand why. That was why she
hesitated at the last moment.
“What’s happening? Why isn’t the bride saying anything?”
“Is she regretting it?”
As a result of her actions, a wave of dissonant murmurs swiftly swept
across the venue.
“What’s the meaning of this, Dahlia? Are you embarrassing me on
purpose?” Luis narrowed his
T
eyes, his expression menacing.
“If you dare humiliate me today, our previous agreement will be
thrown out the window! I can’t guarantee what will happen then!”
Dahlia clenched her fists at his words, finally giving in.
“I
She was about to exchange her vows when a resounding crash
reverberated through the hall. The doors had been kicked open, and at the
same time, a tall figure strutted in proudly.
“Dustin! Why are you here?” Florence slammed her hand on the table
and shot up to her feet,
feeling shocked and furious.
“I’m here to… steal the bride!”

Chapter 336
“I’m here to… steal the bride!”

Dustin’s every step resounded through the entire hall like a loud
bell; his footsteps could be heard over the quiet hall.

The crowd had their eyes wide open, and their expressions were filled
with shock. Nobody could have imagined that someone dared object to the
union between the Langford family and the Nicholson family.
“Oh my goodness! Who is this punk? He dares disrupt the wedding? Does
he have a death wish?”
“You have to give him credit for being so brave. He actually dared to
provoke the two powerful families!”
“Interesting. This is definitely interesting. Seems like a good show
is about to start!”
After a momentary silence, the crowd erupted in frenzied discussion,
pointing and gossiping incessantly.
“Dustin?” Staring at the familiar face, Dahlia’s expression revealed
how happy she was. However, that happiness was quickly replaced with
worry.
Although she was grateful and touched, she knew his actions would
bring about a disaster. By disrupting the wedding, it meant that he was
challenging both the Langfords and the Nicholsons.
“Is this punk insane? He’s making a scene all by himself? Where did
he get the courage?” Dakota was astonished and couldn’t believe it.
“What an idiot!” Jane pursed her lips. It was as if she was looking
at a dead man. She knew Luis had already made preparations, and stationed
numerous security personnel around the hotel. Dustin had sent himself
into the lion’s den by barging in here.
“Insolent bastard!” Luis’ expression turned cold. He felt the urge to
kill rising within him. He couldn’t believe Dustin really came to meet
his demise!
“Rhys! I’m warning you to get your ass out of here! Otherwise, you’ll
bear the consequences!” Florence screamed in frustration. Her daughter
was one step away from getting married into a wealthy family. She would
make an enemy out of anyone who dared ruin her dreams.
“Dahlia, I’m here.” Dustin ignored all the criticisms and threats
surrounding him and walked up the stage with deliberate steps. His
determined gaze was fixed on the person in front of him. “What are you
doing here? Go back immediately! Dahlia’s brows were furrowed, and she
looked – anxious. She had noticed the number of bodyguards of the
Langford family approaching the stage. Dustin’s expression was solemn. “I
told you. I won’t let you get married to Luis. I’m definitely taking you
away today!”
“Are you crazy? This is not the place for you to act so recklessly!
Just leave!” Dahlia made fervent gestures to urge him to leave.
In a serious tone, Dustin told her, “I know what you’re worried
about, but please believe me. I promise there won’t be anything to worry
about after this.”
“It’s no use… You don’t know who you’re up against!” Dahlia shook her
head vehemently.
She knew he could fight. She also knew he had the Harmon family
backing him. But even the Harmon family was no match for the Langfords.
Not to mention, the Langfords also had the Nicholsons behind them.
Dustin suddenly asked, “Dahlia, in all these years, with everything
that has happened, have I ever lied to you?”
“No.” She shook her head firmly.
“Since I’ve never lied to you, please believe me once more.” Dustin
extended his hand as an invitation.
Dahlia went silent; her heart was conflicted. She longed to leave
with Dustin. Even if that meant eloping and wandering the entire world
with him, she would do it gladly. However, there were far too many
factors to consider.
“Dahlia, you don’t need to think about anything else. Leave
everything to me. Just this once, let yourself be a little selfish,”
Dustin said, full of sincerity.
Dahlia bit her lips. It seemed like she had come to a decision. She
took a deep breath.
Alright! She would be selfish this one time!
She stopped thinking about the consequences and extended her hand
with resolve, holding tight to Dustin’s hand. At that moment, Dustin
formed a smile. So did she.
“Dahlia Nicholson! Do you know what you’re doing?
Seeing them holding hands, Luis’ expression was laced with extreme
fury. In front of such a large crowd, his fiancé regretted her decision
and decided to elope with another man.
Nothing was more humiliating than that!

Chapter 337

It was humiliating not only to him but to the entire Langford family!
“Dahlia Nicholson! If you dare elope with him, youll be the Nicholson
family’s enemy!” Jade and Dakota stood up in fury, screaming at the top
of their lungs.

“Dahlia, please don’t act recklessly! Once you leave with that trash,
our family is done for!”
Florence screamed in panic.
Once they humiliated the Langfords, they weren’t just losing out on
wealth, their whole family. would be annihilated!
“Mom, 1…” Dahlia wasn’t able to continue.
I
“Don’t worry. I’m here.” Dustin tightened his grip on her hand and
scanned his surroundings. He declared in a loud voice, “Nobody is
stopping me from taking the bride away today! Anyone who is dissatisfied
can come for me!”
The moment Dustin said that, the crowd erupted in an uproar.
“Oh, my God! This guy is so cool! He’d fight the world for the woman
he loves.”
“If only a guy loved me that much, I’d be happy my whole life!”
“He’s cool, all right. But too bad he’ll be paying a heavy price.”
“He offended both the Langfords and the Nicholsons. I bet he won’t
live to see tomorrow.”
The guests gossiped fervently as they looked at Dustin, who was still
on stage. Voices of shock, praise, and even disdain could be heard.
“Let’s go, Dahlia ” Without another word, he pulled her behind him,
ready to leave.
“Stop them!” Following the angry roar, a large number of security
personnel swarmed in from all sides, surrounding the both of them in no
time.
“Trying to leave? Have I given my permission?” Luis’ expression was
livid as he approached them slowly. His gaze was intense.
“Dahlia Nicholson, I’m giving you one last chance Say your vows now
and be my lawfully wedded wife, and I will forget about what happened
today Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless!”
I’m also giving you one last chance. Leave Swinton immediately.
Otherwise, you will regret it.” Dustin responded coldly.
“You bastard! Break his limbs!” Luis erupted in fury and ordered.
“Yes, sir!” The security personnel swiftly drew out their batons and
were about to attack when a figure descended from above, swinging their
sword in rapid succession
The blade shimmered and swirled in the air, emitting a series of
sharp whistles Before the dozens of security guards could reach them,
their arms were severed, scattering limbs on the floor. Blood splattered
across the ground, and screams pierced through the air.
“What the hell? Who is that? They’re so skilled!” The crowd looked on
in shock and horror. It was a terrifying sight before them, a man with a
single sword effortlessly took down dozens of men
“Stop right there!” With a wave of his hand, Maximus held his long
sword to Luis’ neck. A few of the Langford family’s highly-skilled
martial artists, who were about to launch an ambush, stopped in their
tracks, afraid of advancing any further.
“The audacity!”
“How dare you!”
“Let Mr. Langford go!”
Upon witnessing Luis being held hostage, the crowd erupted into
chaos. Their eyes widened in a mix of shock and righteous indignation.
Forget about stealing the bride, the audacity to threaten Mr. Langford
was akin to committing a grave crime!
“You wouldn’t dare to touch me, punk!” Luis narrowed his eyes,
looking unperturbed.
“Really?” Maximus sneered and moved his sword slightly. The sharp
blade sliced through Luis’ skin, drawing a thin line of blood.
“You” Luis froze, afraid of making another sudden movement. He was
worried that the reckless man in front of him would really just kill him!

Chapter 338
Because of Maximus’ appearance, the situation turned against the
Langford family. While a few highly-skilled martial artists from the
Langford family were eager to take action, they were cautious, afraid of
hurting Luis.

“Both of you should leave first. Leave this place to me, Dustin,”
Maximus said confidently. After the battle at Mount Halgue, he’d finally
achieved divinity, and his skills improved tremendously.

“Leave?” Luis sneered.
“Where do you think you can hide? Even if you survive today, you will
never escape our wrath!”
Dustin was about to leave when he heard Luis and stopped in his
tracks. Turning around, he asked coldly, “Are you threatening me?”
“So what if I am?” Luis laughed diabolically. He had no qualms about
confronting Dustin.
“I don’t know how you met this friend of yours, but if you think he
can go up against me single- handedly, then you’re too naive for your own
good.
“Do you really think you’re that powerful?” Dustin questioned him.
“Against you? Absolutely!” Luis grinned. “Not only you, but Dahlia
and everyone around her will get a taste of our revenge! I’m going to
make your lives a living hell!”
Dahlia found herself unsettled by his words. In the end, she couldn’t
avoid the very thing she dreaded most. When she made the decision to
elope with Dustin, she put her entire family in danger. That burden was
overwhelming for her to bear.
“How about it? Are you scared now?” Luis was pleased with Dustin’s
silence. “Rhys! If you don’t want to die like a chicken, get down on your
knees immediately! Also, you’re going to send your woman to my bedside
personally. Perhaps, then, I will let you live!”
He’d just finished speaking when a resounding slap landed on his
cheek, and Dustin’s bright red handprint was clearly imprinted on his
face.
“Huh?” Luis cradled his burning face, dazed. Everyone else looked on
in shock. Dustin must have truly gone insane to actually strike Luis in
public.
“You dare hit me?” Luis’ expression grew dark as he finally came back
to his senses.
“So what if I did? That slap was for your shameless boasting!”
As he spoke, he raised his hand and landed another vicious slap on
Luis’ face.
That was for your arrogance!”
“Slap!”
“That was for threatening Dahlia!”
“Slap!”
That was for being unrepentant!
“Slap!”
”
Dustin slapped him left and right, with every earsplitting slap
landing heavily on his face. The force turned his face bloody and swollen
beyond recognition, and he lost a few teeth in between the slaps.
As the crowd took in Luis’ battered state, they were shocked into
silence. They knew blood would be shed today. Nobody would survive when
the Langfords sought revenge.
“Y-you … You’re dead meat!”
“Everyone related to you will pay as well!”
The members of the Langford family screamed one after another, their
anger reaching a tipping point.
“Dahlia, leave this place with Maximus first. I’ll handle the rest,”
Dustin said as he turned to look behind him.
“What are you going to do?” Dahlia’s brows knitted. She couldn’t
explain the uneasiness she felt. At that moment, regret washed over her
as she realized the gravity of her actions. Dustin wasn’t only taking her
away from Luis; he was also challenging death head-on!
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” He smiled. “Maximus, bring her away to
somewhere safe.”
“Alright!” Maximus nodded. “Dahlia, please follow me. Dustin knows
what he’s doing. He won’t be in any danger.”

Chapter 339
“But-” Dahlia wanted to say more.

“Just go. I’ll be distracted if you’re here,” Dustin interrupted.

Left with no choice, Dahlia bobbed her head in agreement helplessly
in the end. Since things had come to this point, there was no turning
back.
As long as Dustin could come back unscathed, she was willing to give
up everything and roam all over the world with him.
After making sure that Dahlia had left safely, Dustin’s gaze scanned
around the place and then fixed on the Nicholson family. “What are you
waiting for? Hurry up and leave!”
“Let’s go.”
Dakota and Jane exchanged a glance. Then, they turned around and left
on the spot.
Dahlia’s breach of promise had caused the Langfords to have a fallout
with the Nicholsons. If the latter continued to stay there any longer,
trouble might land upon them.
“What a jinx! Look at what you have gotten us into Florence stomped
her feet in anger before fleeing away.
Now that the wedding ceremony had been ruined, the Nicholsons’ dream
of living a wealthy and comfortable life went up in smoke. Most
importantly, they had offended the Langford family. From now on, their
days would no longer be peaceful.
At that time, Luis’ fourth uncle, Kingston Langford, suddenly stood
up and said flatly, “You’ve got a nerve of steel, young man. No one has
ever dared to humiliate us in public. You’re the first, and of course,
you will also be the last! Frankly speaking, I’m quite impressed with
your courage. But today is the day you die!”
As he spoke, he made a hand gesture.
Right then, a large group of armed guards barged in from every
direction and surrounded Dustin, leaving him no way to escape.
“This is bad. Mr. Kingston is doing it for real. That brat is going
to be done for.”
“He snatched the bride away blatantly and even got Mr. Luis red in
the face. Even if he has ten lives, they are not even enough to pay back
for what he has done.”
“Well, he only has himself to blame.”
The guests couldn’t help but mutter among themselves as they watched
Dustin get trapped in the middle.
If you let go of Luis now, I will let you die in one piece.” Kingston
had an indifferent expression as if he had control over everything..
Are you trying to scare me off since you have the strength in
numbers?” Dustin glanced around without feeling any ounce of fear.
Yeah. You’ve got that right.”
“Sure. Let’s see who has more people, then!” Dustin took out his
phone and dialed a number.
Five minutes later, the door of the banquet hall burst open. Mason
rushed in aggressively with
hundreds of gangsters.
“Mason Zims from the Drey Group is here with the gang under Mr. Rhys’
orders!”
At the sight of this, everyone was stunned for a moment before they
burst into laughter.
“Is this a joke? Are you trying to fight against us with this group
of thugs?”
“Hmph! What an ignorant person! You’re thinking too highly of
yourself!
“I’ll be so disappointed if this is your trump card.”
The group of guards led by Kingston had disdainful looks on their
faces. They couldn’t believe that even some random thugs had the guts to
provoke the Langford family.
“Hey, Rhys! Are you in your right mind? Do you actually think that
you can outdo us with this bunch of small fry?” Luis laughed
uncontrollably.
However, the smile on his face immediately dropped when the next
group of people rushed into the hall
This time, Hunter was in the lead.
“The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Hunter Anderson is here to
listen to Mr. Rhys’ orders!
目
Seconds later, another group of people showed up, and it went on for
a few more rounds. “The chief inspector of the investigation bureau,
Aspen Cruiser, is here to assist Mr. Rhys!” “Roderick Brooks from the
Brooks Corporation is willing to do his best to help Mr. Rhys out!” “The
mayor of Swinton, Alex Granville, is willing to stay till the end with
Mr. Rhys!”
As the groups barged in one after another, the ridicule directed at
Dustin gradually disappeared. It was replaced with shock and fear.

Chapter 340
Looking at the groups of elites barging into the banquet hall one
after another, all the guests at the scene were dumbfounded.

None of them expected Dustin to have such great connections. All he
did was make a call, and hundreds of people came over to assist him. Not
only were there underground organizations and official armed forces, but
there was also help from a business tycoon. On top of that, even the
mayor of Swinton was here to back him up in person.

In other words, as long as Dustin said the word, all the forces in
Swinton could be under his command.
That was a terrifying connection he had.
No wonder he dared to be insolent in front of the Langford family. He
had come prepared.
Now the Langfords were not fighting against Dustin alone, but the
whole of Swinton. “Who is he exactly? How come he can have influence over
so many forces?”
The guests exchanged glances with one another, shocked at the turn of
events.
At that moment, the arrogant Langford family finally sensed that the
current situation wasn’t favoring them. Even though these forces wouldn’t
be able to weaken their foothold, the former could still bring trouble to
the latter. After all, the Langfords’ power was in Stonia. Requesting
immediate help was simply impossible.
“It looks like I have underestimated you.” After being stunned for a
moment, Kingston quickly regained his composure and said, “But if you
think that you can win against us with their help, then you’re wrong.
The Langford family had been an influential family in Stonia for
generations. Whether it was power or connections, they were way stronger
than the ones in Swinton.
“Rhys! Indeed, you have more people with you. But what can you do
about it?” Luis sneered, “They are just a bunch of shrimp.”
In his eyes, Swinton’s powers were akin to ants. He could even easily
get rid of them if he wanted. This was how strong an affluent family from
Stonia was.
“If they can’t, what about me?” Right then, a loud and clear voice
pierced the air.
A well-dressed, handsome man walked dauntlessly into the banquet hall
with a few female officers. He carried such an overwhelming aura with him
that everyone lowered their heads subconsciously the moment they saw him.
“Adam Spanner-the God of War?” Kingston’s eyes widened in fear.
It had never occurred to him that the chief commander of the West
Army, who was in charge of 300 thousand soldiers, would appear here.
“What’s wrong, Uncle Kingston? Do you know him?” Luis quickly noticed
that something wasn’t right.
That is Adam Spanner!” Kingston exclaimed
Hearing that, Luis was stunned and could no longer maintain his
composure. “What? He is…
Adam?”
As the heir of the wealthiest family in Stonia, Adam was not only a
wunderkind but also a living legend. His outstanding battle achievements
at a young age had earned him the title of “God of War ” and the command
of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
In the whole of Stonia, there was barely anyone of his age who could
be on par with him.
“That’s quite arrogant of you. How dare you bully my friend!” As Adam
strode in, the crowd automatically stepped aside to make way for him.
“Friend? Could it be… him?” Kingston’s gaze shifted to Dustin in
shock.
“How could someone from this insignificant place know Adam?” Kingston
thought.
“Mr. Kingston, you said that these people weren’t able to drive the
Langfords away. But what about with my help?” Adam stared piercingly at
him, his eyes filled with provocation.
“M-Mr. Spanner, what brings you here?”

Chapter 341
Kingston forced out a smile.

“Stop acting like we are close friends!” Adam wasn’t giving Kingston
any respect. “Weren’t the Langfords full of themselves just minutes ago?
Come on, show me how arrogant you can be!”

When Kingston heard that, his expression darkened. If it had been
someone else who humiliated him today, he would have flipped his lid long
ago. However, he just couldn’t afford to offend the man standing in front
of him.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Weren’t you all high and mighty just
now? You even had the guts to bully my friend!” Adam pointed at them and
hauled them over the coals.
Kingston and Luis dropped their heads, falling into silence.
At the sight of that, the guests were stunned. Who would have
expected that there would be a day when Kingston from the Langford family
would be chewed out publicly and dared not talk back?
It was indeed shocking.
“What are you waiting for? Kneel down and apologize to my friend
now!” Adam shouted.
“This…” Kingston frowned, his expression gloomy
As the direct descendants of the Langfords, how could they possibly
get down on their knees for
someone else?
If outsiders knew about it, their reputation would be tarnished.
“Adam, you shouldn’t go too far!” Luis was slightly bent out of
shape.
Raising his hand, Adam slapped Luis in the face. “Do you think you
can stop me?”
“You” Luis parted his lips. However, before he could say anything, he
received another slap
across his cheek.
“I’ll break your legs if you don’t apologize today!” Adam was
extremely assertive.
Luis’ eyes blazed murderously as he gritted his teeth. Although he
was livid, deep down, he knew that he couldn’t afford to mess with such a
powerful man.
“Get on your knees and apologize!” Adam shouted again.
Just as Luis was about to yield to them, a majestic voice floated
across the air. “Adam, don’t you think
you are going to the extremes by treating my Langfords like this?”
At the same time, a bearded, burly middle-aged man with an imposing
demeanor walked in.
It was the head of the Langford family, Ethan Langford!
“Uncle Ethan!”
“Ethan!”
When Kingston and Luis saw Ethan, their eyes lit up at once. It was
as if they had found their savior. They couldn’t afford to offend Adam
because they had no real power in their hands.
However, Ethan was different. Not only did he have an official
position, but he also possessed great authority, just like Adam. When it
came to seniority, even Adam had to show Ethan to show him a certain
degree of respect.
With Ethan around, it was hard for Adam to take advantage of the
situation.
“Oh, it’s Mr. Ethan I didn’t know you would be here too.” Adam was
quite surprised.
“Today is my nephew’s engagement ceremony. As his elder, it’s natural
for me to attend,” Ethan replied faintly. “Luckily, I came here in time,
or else the Langfords would end up at the mercy of others ”
“Mr Ethan, it was them who threw their weights around. I was just
helping you teach them a lesson” Adam faked a smile.
“Hmph! Even if they made a mistake, an outsider like you is in no
position to punish them!” Ethan’s gaze was frosty.
“What if I insist on doing so?” Adam arched his brow.
“Well, then we’ll have to see if you have the ability to walk your
talk.” Ethan waved his hand.
Right then, two white-haired men appeared behind Ethan. One of them
was taller than the other. Just looking at their stance, one could tell
they were unfathomably powerful.
Upon seeing them, even Adam couldn’t help but frown.

Chapter 342
It was said that the Langfords had two master-level martial artists
working for them. They were an extremely powerful pair and wouldn’t show
up normally. It seemed that they had come over

with Ethan today.

Adam rubbed his chin, thinking about how to seek revenge. It wasn’t
easy to take the Langfords down with the pair around.
“Hmph, what’s so great about the God of War? He still can’t do
anything to the Langfords when Uncle Ethan is here,” Luis muttered
inwardly. There were traces of arrogance on his face.
“As expected of Ethan!” Kingston held his head up, having regained
his previous confidence.
Although the Spanner family was powerful, the Langfords weren’t weak
either. Now that Ethan was around, members of the Langford family would
become unrelenting.
Adam turned to look at Dustin and asked, “Dustin it seems like they
are not going to let me have my way. Shall we force our way through?”
As long as Dustin agreed to it, Adam would launch his attacks
straightaway. After all, someone else would deal with the aftermath.
“Since Mr. Ethan is here, forget it, then,” Dustin said flatly.
He wasn’t afraid of the Langfords, but he didn’t want to cause
trouble for Adam
“Alright, whatever you say.” Adam shrugged.
“Discipline your nephew properly, Mr. Ethan. If this happens again, I
won’t let the matter slide easily,” Dustin threatened firmly before he
turned around to leave.
“Stop right there!” Ethan’s expression darkened.
“Do you actually think you can just walk away like that after beating
up my nephew and humiliating the Langfords? What do you take us as?”
“Exactly! You have to pay back for what you did!” Luis echoed from
the side. He was determined to even the score with Dustin.
“Ethan, I’m holding back out of respect for you. You shouldn’t go
overboard!” Adam’s gaze was laced with hostility.
“Adam, this is concerning the reputation of the Langford family. I
can’t just gloss it over! I can spare his life for your sake, but he has
to get down on his knees and apologize to my nephew!” Ethan refused to
back down.
Wealthy families cared about their reputations the most. If the
Langfords let the matter go today, it would be equivalent to saying that
anyone could walk all over them.
“Kneel down and apologize!” Luis looked down his nose at Dustin.
“So what if you have Adam backing you up? I can still trample you
underfoot!” Luis mocked him in his heart..
“Kneel before you? Are you worthy of it?” Dustin was indifferent to
their demands.
However, Ethan was different. Not only did he have an official
position, but he also possessed great authority, just like Adam. When it
came to seniority, even Adam had to show Ethan to show him a certain
degree of respect.
With Ethan around, it was hard for Adam to take advantage of the
situation.
“Oh, it’s Mr. Ethan. I didn’t know you would be here too.” Adam was
quite surprised.
“Today is my nephew’s engagement ceremony. As his elder, it’s natural
for me to attend,” Ethan replied faintly. “Luckily, I came here in time,
or else the Langfords would end up at the mercy of
others.”
“Mr. Ethan, it was them who threw their weights around. I was just
helping you teach them a lesson.” Adam faked a smile.
“Hmph! Even if they made a mistake, an outsider like you is in no
position to punish them!” Ethan’s gaze was frosty
“What if I insist on doing so?” Adam arched his brow.
“Well, then we’ll have to see if you have the ability to walk your
talk.” Ethan waved his hand.
Right then, two white-haired men appeared behind Ethan. One of them
was taller than the other. Just looking at their stance, one could tell
they were unfathomably powerful.
Upon seeing them, even Adam couldn’t help but frown.
Chapter 342
It was said that the Langfords had two master-level martial artists
working for them. They were. an extremely powerful pair and wouldn’t show
up normally. It seemed that they had come over
with Ethan today.
Adam rubbed his chin, thinking about how to seek revenge. It wasn’t
easy to take the Langfords down with the pair around.
“Hmph, what’s so great about the God of War? He still can’t do
anything to the Langfords when Uncle Ethan is here,” Luis muttered
inwardly. There were traces of arrogance on his face.
“As expected of Ethan!” Kingston held his head up having regained his
previous confidence.
Although the Spanner family was powerful, the Langfords weren’t weak
either. Now that Ethan was around, members of the Langford family would
become unrelenting.
Adam turned to look at Dustin and asked, “Dustint seems like they are
not going to let me have my way. Shall we force our way through?”
As long as Dustin agreed to it, Adam would launch his attacks
straightaway. After all, someone else would deal with the aftermath.
“Since Mr. Ethan is here, forget it, then,” Dustin said flatly.
He wasn’t afraid of the Langfords, but he didn’t want to cause
trouble for Adam.
“Alright, whatever you say.” Adam shrugged.
“Discipline your nephew properly, Mr. Ethan. If this happens again, I
won’t let the matter slide easily,” Dustin threatened firmly before he
turned around to leave.
“Stop right there!” Ethan’s expression darkened.
“Do you actually think you can just walk away like that after beating
up my nephew and humiliating the Langfords? What do you take us as?”
“Exactly! You have to pay back for what you did!” Luis echoed from
the side. He was determined to even the score with Dustin.
“Ethan, I’m holding back out of respect for you. You shouldn’t go
overboard!” Adam’s gaze was laced with hostility.
“Adam, this is concerning the reputation of the Langford family. I
can’t just gloss it over! I can spare his life for your sake, but he has
to get down on his knees and apologize to my nephew!” Ethan refused to
back down.
Wealthy families cared about their reputations the most. If the
Langfords let the matter go today, it would be equivalent to saying that
anyone could walk all over them.
“Kneel down and apologize!” Luis looked down his nose at Dustin.
“So what if you have Adam backing you up? I can still trample you
underfoot!” Luis mocked him in his heart.
“Kneel before you? Are you worthy of it?” Dustin was indifferent to
their demands.
“Hmph! Don’t assume that you can behave insolently just because you
have the Spanner family behind you The world is larger than you think,”
Ethan warned coldly.
With the Langford family’s power, getting rid of a person was simply
child’s play to them
“Ethan, heed my warning. You can’t afford to offend this friend of
mine Don’t get yourself in the soup If you are on the outs with him for
real, it’ll be too late for you to beg for mercy,” Adam
wamed them
“What a joke!” Ethan snorted. “Adam, since when have you learned to
boast so shamelessly? In the whole of Stonia, nobody stands a chance
against me!”
Those he feared were all thousands of miles away
“Ethan, are you sure you want to do this?” Adam raised his brows
“Let me tell you frankly, I’m so going to take this punk down today.
You’d better stay out of it!” With a snap of Ethan’s fingers, the skilled
fighters of the Langford family drew their swords and surrounded Dustin,
ready to fight.
“Ethan is not giving any respect to Adam. It looks like the punk will
be doomed today!”
“Even the Emperor won’t be able to save him for disgracing the
Langfords!”
“This is the price for offending someone powerful in Stonia”
The guests couldn’t help but sigh when they saw the scene. Dustin’s
forces were indeed impressive However, they were nothing in Ethan’s
presence.
“Rhys’ Weren’t you acting like you were great earlier? Why aren’t you
saying anything now? The Langford family has a long-standing reputation
Even if you have the Emperor backing you today, you will still have to
show us respect! If Uncle Ethan orders you to die, you’ll have to do it
too!” Luis cackled with arrogance.
In Ethan’s presence, Luis was a cock who crowed upon his own
dunghill.
“Oh? Who is asking my son to die?”
Right then, a flat voice came through. It wasn’t loud, but everyone
could hear the voice clearly When they looked over, what hove into their
view was a thin, middle-aged man limping in His looks and clothes were
ordinary, and so was his physique Other than being a little lump and
having a little hump on his back, there was nothing special about him If
he were to walk in a Crowd, no one would pay any attention to him
However, it was such an ordinary person who drained the color from
Ethan’s face. His gaze was filled with not only shock but also fear
“H-how could it be? No, this is impossible! He stays in the military
encampment all year round How can he be here?” Ethan was in a fit of
panic
The moment Ethan saw the hunchbacked man, it was as if he had bumped
into a ghost His
fingers couldn’t help trembling as he broke into a cold sweat
“What’s wrong, Ethan? Do you know this person?” Kingston, who was
standing at the side, quickly sensed that something was amiss
“H-he. He is Rufus Rhys!” Ethan’s voice quavered.
That was a bolt from the blue. When Kingston heard that, his face
turned pale at once. “What?! Rufus Rhys?”
Rufus Rhys, the current head of the Rhys family, was someone who had
made great contributions to the nation. He was the bravest in the army
when he was young and took the lives of eight hundred thousand people
during his time.
He had watched over West Lucozia for 20 years and attacked countless
barbarians. On top of that, his means of doing things were impartial, and
he never infringed on the citizens’ rights. His achievements were so
great that he possessed the authority to go against anyone.
When he was 30 years old, he was appointed Prince of Theswe and was
the second most powerful
person in the nation. His status was on par with that of the Emperor,
and that made him a truly terrifying figure.

Chapter 343
Looking at the hunchbacked man, who appeared as if he had zero
prestige, Ethan was scared out of his wits. He dared not say anything.
This man in front of him was someone noble from Stonia. Even the crowned
head would have to show him respect.

Hence, it wasn’t exaggerating to say that Rufus could easily take
their lives at will.

When Dustin saw him, his expression darkened. There was fury in his
eyes.
“It looks like a good show is coming up.” Curling up his lips, Adam
gloated and immediately retreated to one side.
Under the crowd’s gaze, Rufus limped in, looking like someone of
ordinary status. Nevertheless, the people in the hall unconsciously made
room for him to walk past them.
Finally, he stopped in front of Dustin. “It’s been a while. I didn’t
expect you to have grown this
much.”
Staring at Dustin, who was taller than him by half a head, Rufus
couldn’t help but part his lips and grin. His broken front teeth made him
seem a little comical.
“I didn’t expect you to be still alive too,” Dustin said frostily
with a sharp gaze.
Hearing that, Ethan and Kingston were shocked. They wondered who
Dustin was for him to speak. to Rufus in such a manner.
Rufus laughed. He didn’t look like he was angry at all. “Well, it’s
said that good people die early but not the bad ones. Someone like me, of
course, has to live longer.
“Really? But you don’t look like someone with a long lifespan,”
Dustin replied coldly.
“Hey! How can you curse your dad like this?”
“Do I have anything to do with you? Don’t think so highly of
yourself.”
“No matter what you say, it’s not going to change the fact that
you’re my son.” Rufus shrugged.
“Hmph! Ten years ago, I paid you back all that I needed to. We have
nothing to do with each other anymore!”
Dustin had held a grudge against him for a decade
“It has been ten years, and you’re still a stubborn one.” Rufus shook
his head helplessly.
Deep down, he knew that what happened between them couldn’t be solved
in a day or two. Nevertheless, he would do his best to make it up to his
son.
“Hey, old man!” At that moment, Luis was starting to get impatient.
“I have no time to see how affectionate you are with your son. If you
don’t want to die, buzz off quickly!”
Ethan and Kingston were stunned as Luis spoke. They stood there in a
daze, feeling at a loss as to what to do. No one in Stonia ever had the
guts to be so presumptuous toward Rufus. They wondered if Luis was out of
his mind.
“And who are you?” Rufus spared him a glance.
“I’m Luis, a member of the Langford family.” With his head held high,
he continued loudly, “Your son has humiliated us publicly today, and he
needs to pay for that! If he isn’t willing to kneel down and make his
apology, you’ll have to do it on his behalf!”
“You’re asking me to kneel?” Rufus let out a chuckle, appearing to be
harmless.
“That’s right! You’re his father, after all!”
“Do you know who I am? I’m afraid you can’t afford to have me
kneeling before you.” The corner of Rufus’ lip curled up into a smirk.
“I don’t care who you are! Even if the Emperor is hete today, he will
have to get down on his knees and apologize! Otherwise, he’ll have to
die!”
As soon as Luis finished saying that, Kingston fainted on the spot.
Meanwhile, Ethan’s face was as pale as death, and his legs were
trembling uncontrollably.
“It’s all over now. We’re doomed. Why does the Langford family have
such an idiotic fool?” he thought.
“Ethan, your family member is quite a character.” Rufus faked a
smile.
“I” Ethan opened his mouth to explain.
However, before he could say anything, Luis butted in, “Hey! Who do
you think you are to be calling my uncle without any honorifics?”
“How should I address him, then?”
“Call him Mr. Ethan!”
Rufus laughed and looked at Ethan. “Mr. Ethan, is this the right
way?”
The moment Ethan heard that, he fell directly to his knees. “I beg
your mercy, Your Highness!”
Upon seeing such a scene, everyone was astonished
After all, that was Ethan, the head of the Langfords. They wondered
who could make a big shot. like him kneel on the floor.
“Uncle Ethan, what’s wrong? What are you doing on the floor? Get up
quickly!”
Luis immediately stretched out his hand to help Ethan up. However,
before Luis could touch him. Ethan smacked him hard in the face. “F*ck!
Don’t touch me! I have nothing to do with you! From now on, you are no
longer a part of the Langford family!”
“What?” Covering his reddened cheek, Luis was confused “Uncle Ethan,
what’s going on? Why are you kicking me out of the family all of a
sudden? I’m your nephew!”
“Get lost! I don’t have such a moronic nephew like you!” Ethan sent
another slap across Luis’ face. Even if the person who offended Rufus was
his biological father, he would have to cut ties with him there and then,
let alone his nephew. Sacrificing one person was better than dragging the
whole family down.
“What’s going on exactly?” Luis was on the verge of lears
This person standing here is none other than the Prince of Theswe.
How dare you act so
disrespectfully in front of him? Even the Emperor won’t be able to
save you!” Ethan reprimanded him fiercely.
“What?”
Luis froze and stood there in a daze with disbelief on his face. It
had never occurred to him that this ordinary man in front of him would be
the dignified Prince of Theswe.
“Wait… If he is the Prince of Theswe, then isn’t Dustin the renowned
skilled martial artist, Kirin? Oh, God! What kind of person have I
offended?” Luis muttered inwardly.
At the thought of that, Luis’ legs turned to jelly, and he slumped
down to the floor. His gaze was filled with despair. Not only did he
fight with Kirin over a woman, but he also called the Prince of Theswe an
old man.
Was there anyone in the world who would do anything much worse than
him?!

Chapter 344

Meanwhile, Florence was frantically rummaging through the drawers and
cabinets in the Nicholson Villa to pack up their things.
“Dahlia, quick! Go and get all the jewelry we have in the house! We
can’t stay in Swinton anymore. Let’s quickly pack up and flee abroad for
the time being. I’ve already bought the flight tickets. We still have
several million dollars of savings and some valuables at home. Those will
be enough for

us to survive for a while.” Florence was on tenterhooks.
Dahlia’s breach of promise had not only humiliated the Langfords but
also offended the Glenstead
Nicholsons. Even if they were in Stonia, Dahlia and the rest wouldn’t
be able to find a safe place to
stay, let alone in a small place like Swinton.
When Florence saw that Dahlia wasn’t responding to her, she became
even more anxious. “Dahlia! What are you waiting for? Quickly pack your
stuff!”
“Mom, the matter has yet to reach that extreme. We don’t need to run
away.” Dahlia shook her head.
“Alas, don’t you realize how serious the current situation is?”
Florence slapped her forehead in frustration. “It’s the Langfords, the
cream of Stonia, that we have fallen out with! They are a terrifying
existence. How can they possibly let us go when we Nave gotten them hot
under the collar?”
“I understand what you’re trying to say. But Dustin said that he has
a way to solve the problem. I believe in him,” Dahlia replied firmly.
“Are you crazy? How can you put your trust in that loser?” Florence
was breathing fire at that point.
“Who does he think he is to go against the Langfords? If it weren’t
for him, you wouldn’t have run away from the wedding, and we wouldn’t
have come to this point. He’s simply a jinx!”
The Nicholsons could have led a silk-stocking life. However, Dustin
ruined everything in the end. Florence just hated him to the core.
Dahlia frowned. “Mom! I breached the marriage promise on my own
accord. It has nothing to do. with Dustin!”
“You’re still defending him at times like this? Do you have to wait
until our family is destroyed in his hands for you to come to your
senses?” Florence asked bitterly.
“Enough. I won’t go anywhere without Dustin.” Dahlia was firm.
Bent out of shape, Florence reproached, “Y-you… You’re hopeless!”
“How did I raise her up to be such a foolish daughter? She’d rather
be with someone penurious than marry into a rich family. What a stubborn
child!” Florence muttered inwardly.
At that moment, James staggered down the stairs with the two large
suitcases. “Mom, I’m done packing up our things. When are we leaving?”
“Hmph! Your sister is insisting on waiting for that loser!” Florence
flumped onto the couch angrily.
“Sis, why are you waiting for him? Hasn’t he made our lives miserable
enough?” James frowned.
“You leave with Mom first. Don’t worry about me.” Dahlia shook her
head.
“Leave? Where do you think you are going?” Right then, Dakota burst
through the door with several people following behind her. “Are you
trying to shrug off all the responsibilities after what you have done?”
“What are you implying?” Dahlia knitted her brows
“It’s natural to be punished for making a mistake. I’ll have to hand
you over to the Langfords so that the conflict between the two families
can be resolved!” Dakota declared in a stern voice.
“What?” When Florence heard that, her expression changed in an
instant. She stood up and put on an apologetic smile. “Dakota, you don’t
have to be this ruthless, do you? Aren’t we family?”
“Ruthless?” Dakota snorted humorlessly. “It wasn’t easy to have the
chance to be in-laws with the Langfords. However, not only did you not
cherish this opportunity, but you also dragged the whole family down!
Tell me, who is more ruthless?”
“Dakota, this has nothing to do with my daughter. It was all because
of Dustin. If you need someone to blame, go and look for him!” Florence
said in a hurry.
“You don’t have to worry about that. Dustin is with the Langfords.
Perhaps he has already been skinned alive by now. But Dahlia has yet to
make amends for what she did, so she has to come with us!”
As Dakota spoke, she made a gesture. Seconds later several burly
bodyguards barged into the house.

Chapter 345

“Take her away!” Dakota pointed her finger at Dahlia
“Let’s see who has the guts to do that!”

All of a sudden, a loud and stern voice came through the door.
Then, Dustin strutted in with Maximus. “Don’t blame me for being
merciless if you dare challenge.
me today!”
“Dustin?” Dahlia brightened up.
At the sight of him, she finally felt relieved. He had promised her
that he would come back safely.
Indeed, it wasn’t a lie.
“You. You’re still alive?” Dakota’s eyes widened in disbelief.
She clearly saw him surrounded by the Langfords before she left the
banquet hall earlier. “How could he escape from that?” Dakota thought.
“Do you want me to die so badly? No matter what, I am still your
mom’s life savior. Don’t you have any sense of gratitude toward me?”
Dustin replied flatly.
“Hmph! Stop playing dumb! I don’t care how you escaped! You have
offended the Langford family, and now you’re going to suffer because of
that!” Dakota shot daggers at him.
“So what if I offended the Langfords? I have my ways of dealing with
them.”
“You have your ways?” Dakota snorted. “Like what? A mere doctor like
you is simply courting death by going against the Langfords.
“Don’t look down upon people. Not only can I resolve the current
problem, but I can also get Luis to come here and apologize in person.”
“Apologize?” Hearing that, Dakota was stunned for a moment before she
burst into laughter.” Dustin, are you in your right mind? Who do you
think you are to ask Mr. Langford to apologize?”
“You’re only good at bragging. I seriously don’t understand why my
daughter will take a fancy to you,” Florence said disdainfully.
Luis was a wealthy aristocrat from Stonia. He could easily get
Swinton squashed if he said so. It was already considered extremely lucky
to have one’s life spared after offending him. Asking a big shot like him
to make an apology was simply wishful thinking.
“Well, what if I really do get Luis to apologize?” Dustin asked in a
provoking manner.
“If you can do that, I will change my last name!” Dakota sneered.
As soon as she finished speaking, countless luxury cars roared and
pulled up outside the Nicholson Villa. Within seconds, the villa was
surrounded from all sides. Luis and his men hurriedly got out of the car.
When Dakota saw that, she couldn’t help but laugh and gloat. “Rhys,
you’re dead meat! The Langford family is here to get you!”
“This is bad! Dustin, hurry up and leave!” Dahlia’s expression also
changed at the sight.
The other party was nowhere near friendly.
“It’s all over now. We should’ve left just now, but you kept
insisting on waiting for Dustin. Look, the Langfords have arrived. Now we
can’t leave even if we want to!” Florence’s face fell.
“Alas! Why are we so unlucky?” James uttered mournfully.
Just as everyone thought that a great misfortune was impending over
them, Luis walked up to Dahlia and directly fell to his knees without
hesitation.
“Ms. Nicholson, I was too ignorant. Everything was my fault. I’m
sorry. Please forgive me!” As Luis spoke, he repeatedly knocked his head
to the floor as he bowed.
That was completely unexpected. Everyone at the scene was
dumbfounded. They wondered why Luis, a powerful figure, would kneel down
and apologize to Dahlia.

Chapter 346

“We beg for your forgiveness, Ms. Nicholson!”
The rest of the Langfords followed suit and kneeled down on the
floor.

At the sight of that, Dahlia was stunned, and so was Dakota. Even
Florence, who had been whining
until a moment ago, stood there in a trance.
They thought the Langfords were here to seek revenge. However, it had
never occurred to the Nicholsons that the Langfords would behave so
humbly all of a sudden.
“Ms. Nicholson, I’m sorry. I thought too highly of myself. Please
forgive me!”
When Luis saw that Dahlia wasn’t making any responses, he began to
slap his face like he was crazy, even though his cheeks were already red
and swollen. Despite the pain, he dared not stop.
Half an hour ago, after finding out Dustin’s true identity at the
banquet hall, Luis was frightened out of his wits. He thought he was
doomed. Ethan even wanted to kick him out of the Langford family and cut
ties with him.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Dustin was willing to let Luis off
the hook on the premise that Luis had to ask for Dahlia’s forgiveness.
Luis was, of course, happy with what Dustin said. Hence, he
immediately rushed over to the Nicholson Villa to apologize to Dahlia. As
long as his life could be spared, he didn’t mind swallowing his pride.
“What is going on?” Dahlia raised her brows, at a loss as to what to
do.
A while ago, Luis was still acting all high and mighty, having
control over her life, and now he was kneeling before her. She found it
hard to comprehend such a drastic change in character.
“Am I seeing this wrongly?” Florence kept rubbing her eyes in
disbelief, wondering if that was still the powerful aristocrat.
When Dakota finally came to her senses, she immediately reached out
her hands to help Luis up. What are you doing, Mr. Luis? Get up quickly!
They aren’t worthy of having you kneel down to them.”
“Out of my sight!”
However, instead of letting her touch him, Luis slapped Dakota in the
face so hard that she almost fell.
If Dakota hadn’t asked him to marry Dahlia, then he wouldn’t have
offended Dustin.
“Mr. Luis, why did you hit me?” Dakota asked aggrievedly as she
cupped her cheek.
Shut up, or I’ll rip out your tongue!”
After shooting a fierce glare at Dakota, Luis continued to apologize
to Dahlia. It was a complete change of attitude.
Dakota bit the bullet and asked, “What happened exactly, Mr. Luis?
Why don’t you get up first?”
I-it’s okay. I’ll continue kneeling. It’s better this way.” He then
said to Dahlia, “Ms. Nicholson, I’m
extremely remorseful for what I have done. Please give me a chance. I
promise I’ll never show up in front of you again. If you’re still angry,
I can cut off my finger to prove my sincerity!” As he spoke, he took out
a knife and cut his finger off directly.
“Huh?” Dahlia was startled.
She did not expect Luis to cut his finger for real and be so cruel to
himself.
“If it’s not enough, I’ll cut off another one!”
Clenching his teeth, Luis endured the severe pain and cut another of
his fingers.
With beads of sweat forming on his forehead, he asked, “Ms.
Nicholson, has your anger dissipated?
If it hasn’t, I can continue cutting them.”
“Enough… It’s enough.”

Chapter 347

Dahlia shook her head fervently with a bewildered expression. “Mr.
Langford, we’d be more than thankful if you didn’t find any faults with
us. We would never dare blame you for anything!”
“Exactly! Please get up, Mr. Langford. Look at you! You’re bleeding
so much! I’ll go get you a Band- Aid!” Florence quickly went into the
bedroom to get the first-aid kit.

“A Band-Aid?” Luis could not believe his ears. He’d severed two of
his fingers, for goodness sake! What use did he have for Band-Aids?
“Why don’t you go to the hospital, Mr. Langford? Your bleeding
doesn’t seem to be stopping,” Dahlia suggested cautiously.
“Have you forgiven me, Ms. Nicholson?” Luis asked expectantly.
“I guess so. As long as you don’t come and bother me anymore, you’re
forgiven.” Dahlia nodded.
“No problem at all! I’ll make myself scarce now and never bother you
again!” Luis was elated. He nodded at both Dustin and Dahlia as a sign of
apology before he made a run for it with his men in
tow.
“Hey, Mr. Langford! Your Band-Aid!” Florence raised the bandage in
her hand and waved it around, but Luis did not even turn back at all. If
anything, he picked up his speed.
“Dahlia Nicholson, just you wait! I’m not done with you yet!” Dakota
saw that the situation wasn’t favorable for her, so she escaped too. What
happened today was nothing but peculiar. Why did the great Mr. Langford
apologize to Dahlia? And he even got down on his knees! How unbelievable.
How absurd! She had to thoroughly investigate what exactly was the reason
behind all this. “Say, Dahlia, what exactly came over Luis Langford? Has
he gone cuckoo?” When everyone had left, Florence couldn’t hold back her
curiosity. From how she saw it, the only plausible reasoning behind
everything was that Luis had lost his mind Why else would he apologize to
them? He even went to such lengths as to amputate himself! Which person
in their sane mind would do something like that?
“I have no idea either.” Dahlia shook her head. Then, her gaze
swiftly fell on Dustin. “Did you do something?”
“Truth be told, I did nothing. It was Luis himself who offended a big
shot, so he had to atone for his actions today.” Dustin shrugged.
“Is that so?” Dahlia had her doubts. Dustin had told her before that
if she faced any sort of difficulty, he would be able to straighten
things out for her. And now he really did clear things out for her. She
refused to believe that there wasn’t anything fishy going on behind the
scenes. “Alright, alright, I’ll admit, I’m acquainted with an influential
person.” Seeing that he could not hide things any further, Dustin decided
to come clean.
“Do you remember the man I had dinner with the other night? He’s the
scion of the prestigious Spanner family. Both his power and his status
greatly exceed those of Luis Langford. He was the one who helped me out.”
Mr. Spanner?” Dahlia immediately recalled Adam Spanner.
“How do you know such a prominent person?” She asked dubiously.
“I helped him before, so I guess he’s just repaying me a favor.”
Dustin chuckled.
Adam had been a sickly kid who had constantly been bullied, so Dustin
would stand up against those rich and arrogant youths of Stonia for him
and often taught them a lesson for messing with Adam. Because of that,
Dustin even earned himself the nickname “vile demon”.
“I never would have guessed that you’d be affiliated with such an
important person. How did I not know this before?” Dahlia asked, curious.
“These are old-time stories. No point bringing them up.” Dustin shook
his head.
“Alright then. I will not probe too much into your past. But in the
future, please do not act rashly,” Dahlia warned in all earnestness.
“It’s not every day you get favors from people like him. If you bother
him too often, Mr. Spanner won’t want to help you all the time. You have
to rely on yourself.
“You don’t have to worry. I know what I’m doing.” Dustin smiled.
As they spoke, a hunched, middle-aged man with gray hair knocked on
the door and made his way in. It was none other than Rufus Rhys, the King
of Theswe!

Chapter 348
“Wha-” Dustin’s smile immediately dropped from his face the moment he
saw who it was that came in through the door His smile was replaced by
hostility “Who let you in? Get out!”

“Don’t be mistaken, I’m just here to see my daughter-in-law This has
nothing to do with you” Rufus chuckled merrily as he hobbled in through
the door

“Do you do you know each other?” Dahlia looked from one to the other,
perplexed.
“You’re Dahlia, aren’t you? As expected, what a beauty! Rufus beamed
brightly “Oh, right, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Dustin’s father,
your father-in-law
“Dustin’s father?” Dahlia was taken aback by the piece of information
Though there wasn’t exactly anything special about Dustin, he had
exceptionally good looks He was a fine specimen of a man if anything
However, this old man before her was the farthest thing from handsome The
two were vastly different in the looks department
“What? We don’t look alike?” Rufus chuckled nonchalantly This lad
looks like his mom, so it makes sense that we look nothing like each
other If he looked like me, I guess he’d never find himself such a
beautiful wife like you ”
‘Don’t say that, Mi Rhys You carry an air of prowess about you Dahlia
felt a little awkward that he saw through her doubt so easily
“Rufus Rhys’ You saw the person you were here to meet Now, would you
please leave? You’re not welcome here” Dustin exclaimed out of nowhere
“Hey, watch it! That’s rude” Dahlia shot Dustin a glare. Then, she
swiftly turned around and smiled apologetically at Rufus ‘Mr Rhys,
Dustin’s just in a foul mood today Don’t mind him. Please, have a seat
I’ll go make you a cup of tea
“Great Rufus grinned
“Hmph’ Another freeloader” Florence looked Rufus up and down as she
studied him haughtily. She could tell from his attire that he wasn’t a
wealthy person Sure enough, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree The
slacker’s father was a bum too
“This must be my in-law Unfortunately, I haven’t got much for you. As
this is our first meeting, all I’ve got for you is this little gift.
Please don’t mind it Rufus produced a box from his pocket and handed it
to her
Florence was awe-struck when she opened up the box to take a quick
look inside. A sapphire the size of an egg was laid inside the box. It
was so clear and exquisite. “This thing. It isn’t a fake -stone, is it?”
Florence strongly doubted that it was a genuine gemstone. It was rare
enough to come by a regular sapphire the size of one’s fingernail. But
this one was the size of an egg! It was shocking, to say the least.
“No way. This is a family heirloom” Rufus laughed
“An heirloom? That’s great!” Florence immediately broke out into a
wide smile when she heard that. She reckoned that he was a fool to give
her something so precious. A sapphire of that size
“How do you know such a prominent person?” She asked dubiously.
“I helped him before, so I guess he’s just repaying me a favor.”
Dustin chuckled
Adam had been a sickly kid who had constantly been bullied, so Dustin
would stand up against those rich and arrogant youths of Stonia for him
and often taught them a lesson for messing with Adam. Because of that,
Dustin even earned himself the nickname “vile demon”.
“I never would have guessed that you’d be affiliated with such an
important person. How did I not know this before?” Dahlia asked, curious
“These are old-time stories No point bringing them up. ” Dustin shook
his head.
“Alright then. I will not probe too much into your past. But in the
future, please do not act rashly,” Dahlia warned in all earnestness.
“It’s not every day you get favors from people like him. If you bother
him too often, Mr. Spanner won’t want to help you all the time. You have
to rely on yourself.
H
“You don’t have to worry. I know what I’m doing.” Dustin smiled.
As they spoke, a hunched, middle-aged man with gray hair knocked on
the door and made his way in. It was none other than Rufus Rhys, the King
of Theswe!
Chapter 348
“Wha-” Dustin’s smile immediately dropped from his face the moment he
saw who it was that came in through the door. His smile was replaced by
hostility. “Who let you in? Get out!”
“Don’t be mistaken, I’m just here to see my daughter-in-law. This has
nothing to do with you.” Rufus chuckled merrily as he hobbled in through
the door.
“Do you do you know each other?” Dahlia looked from one to the other,
perplexed.
“You’re Dahlia, aren’t you? As expected, what a beauty!” Rufus beamed
brightly. “Oh, right, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Dustin’s father,
your father-in-law.”
“Dustin’s father?” Dahlia was taken aback by the piece of
information. Though there wasn’t exactly anything special about Dustin,
he had exceptionally good looks. He was a fine specimen of a man if
anything. However, this old man before her was the farthest thing from
handsome. The two were vastly different in the looks department.
“What? We don’t look alike?” Rufus chuckled nonchalantly. “This lad
looks like his mom, so it makes sense that we look nothing like each
other. If he looked like me, I guess he’d never find himself such a
beautiful wife like you.”
“Don’t say that, Mr. Rhys. You carry an air of prowess about you.”
Dahlia felt a little awkward that he saw through her doubt so easily.
“Rufus Rhys! You saw the person you were here to meet. Now, would you
please leave? You’re not welcome here!” Dustin exclaimed out of nowhere.
“Hey, watch it! That’s rude!” Dahlia shot Dustin a glare. Then, she
swiftly turned around and smiled apologetically at Rufus. “Mr. Rhys,
Dustin’s just in a foul mood today. Don’t mind him. Please, have a seat!
I’ll go make you a cup of tea.”
“Great!” Rufus grinned.
“Hmph! Another freeloader!” Florence looked Rufus up and down as she
studied him haughtily. She could tell from his attire that he wasn’t a
wealthy person. Sure enough, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
The slacker’s father was a bum top.
“This must be my in-law! Unfortunately, I haven’t got much for you.
As this is our first meeting, all I’ve got for you is this little gift.
Please don’t mind it “Rufus produced a box from his pocket and handed it
to her.
Florence was awe-struck when she opened up the box to take a quick
look inside. A sapphire the size of an egg was laid inside the box. It
was so clear and exquisite. “This thing… It isn’t a fake –stone, is it?”
Florence strongly doubted that it was a genuine gemstone. It was rare
enough to come by a regular sapphire the size of one’s fingernail. But
this one was the size of an egg! It was shocking, to say the least.
“No way. This is a family heirloom.” Rufus laughed
“An heirloom? That’s great!” Florence immediately broke out into a
wide smile when she heard that. She reckoned that he was a fool to give
her something.so precious. A sapphire of that size
“How do you know such a prominent person?” She asked dubiously.
“I helped him before, so I guess he’s just repaying me a favor.”
Dustin chuckled.
Adam had been a sickly kid who had constantly been bullied, so Dustin
would stand up against those rich and arrogant youths of Stonia for him
and often taught them a lesson for messing with Adam. Because of that,
Dustin even earned himself the nickname “vile demon”.
“I never would have guessed that you’d be affiliated with such an
important person. How did I not know this before?” Dahlia asked, curious.
“These are old-time stories. No point bringing them up.” Dustin shook
his head.
“Alright then. I will not probe too much into your past. But in the
future, please do not act rashly,” Dahlia warned in all earnestness.
“It’s not every day you get favors from people like him. If you bother
him too often, Mr. Spanner won’t want to help you all the time. You have
to rely on yourself.
“You don’t have to worry. I know what I’m doing.” Dustin smiled.
As they spoke, a hunched, middle-aged man with gray hair knocked on
the door and made his way in. It was none other than Rufus Rhys, the King
of Theswe!

Chapter 349

“Lunch is ready!” Florence had quickly whipped up a lavish meal, and
every dish looked.
sumptuous.

Dustin had been prepared to make an excuse and slip away but was
stopped by Dahlia. In the end, he had no choice but to stay for the meal
with Rufus. It was the first time the father and son pair had had a meal
together at the same table.
As they ate, Rufus’ eyes gradually welled up with tears. It felt like
it’d been a lifetime for him, but the day finally came when he could sit
down and have a meal with his son.
He had yet to receive his son’s forgiveness, but what he had now was
good enough. He was already very satisfied. Of course, many people out
there would never believe that the ruthless and formidable Prince of
Theswe would get teary-eyed over a meal.
Once he had his fill, Rufus tactfully took his leave He knew that if
he stayed on any longer, his son would most likely lose his temper.
Rufus left the Nicholson Villa with a spring in his step.
“How did things go, Sir?” When he got into the car, Albert, who sat
in the passenger seat, asked inquisitively.
“Hahaha! I had a meal with my son today!” Rufus laughed heartily.
Anyone could see that he was pleased
The driver found it strange that he’d be so glad because of a meal.
“So you had a meal with your son, what’s the big deal? Does it really
warrant such joy from you? You’re the Prince of Theswe! Where’d your
dignity go?” He thought to himself.
“Congratulations, Sir! That’s one step closer to success!” Albert
smiled. He was the only one who knew how much it meant to Rufus to have a
meal with his son. Even winning ten cities was nowhere near as important
as that.
“We’re indeed off to a good start, but knowing that rascal, it’ll be
difficult to make much progress.” At the thought of that, Rufus was once
again troubled.
“Take it slow, Sir. I believe that one day, Mr. Logan will find it in
him to forgive you,” Albert consoled him.
“I sure hope so…” Rufus sighed before he continued “Oh before I
forget, is my daughter-in-law related to the Nicholson family of
Glenstead?”
“Yes, according to my investigations, she is from the prestigious
Nicholson family of Glenstead. -Albert nodded.
“Very well, give that fella-what’s his name? Reggie?”
“Regulus Nicholson.”
“Ah, right, give Regulus a call. Have him take good care of my
daughter-in-law, but make sure that he isn’t exposed. I wouldn’t want to
frighten her,” Rufus said after some consideration. Gaining his son’s
forgiveness would be a challenge, but he could get his daughter-in-law on
his side first. That would make things much easier for him.
“Rest assured, Sir. I know what to do.” Albert nodded.
“Great. Let’s go visit the Drunken Maniac at Peaceful Medical Center.
It’s been a long time. You old
buddies should catch up.”
Back at the Nicholson Villa, Dustin watched emotionlessly as Rufus’
car drove off. He knew perfectly well that what happened back then had
nothing to do with Rufus, but he still could not forgive him. He was but
a mere mortal. He wasn’t above his emotions.
All his life, he had known that kindness should be repaid with
kindness and that revenge must be sought for any wrongs. He would
willingly go against the world for his family and loved ones. It was
different for Rufus, however. As a person of status, his priority was
always what benefited him, and his gains and losses. Outsiders might
think that Rufus did nothing wrong, but to Dustin, his one mistake was
that he did absolutely nothing at all.
“Why are you spacing out?” Dahlia picked up a cup of hot tea and
walked over to Dustin to pass it to him.
“Nothing.” Dustin smiled and took a sip of tea.
“Didn’t you tell me that both your parents had passed away? Who was
this father of yours today?” Dahlia found things puzzling.
“He’s as good as dead to me,” Dustin stated calmly.
“I guess there must be some sort of major conflict going on between
you. Can I ask what it is about?” Dahlia tried to make sense of the
situation

Chapter 350
Dahlia was genuinely curious
about Dustin’s past. After getting to know him better these days, she fou
nd that he was indeed a mystery.

“It’s along story.” Dustin shook his head.

“Alright, I’ll be here whenever
you feel like talking about it.” Dahlia gave him a warm smile.
“Sure.” Dustin nodded.
“It’s getting colder these days. Let’s go to the mall to get some new
clothes for winter,” Dahlia suggested.

“Sure, we can get some new clothes, but I’ll have you know, I’m broke!” D
ustin shrugged.

“Ugh! What a miser!” Dahlia rolled her eyes. “I’ll pay for everything tod
ay. Will that do?”
“Why, thank you, Ms. Nicholson!” Without another word, Dustin hurried off
to bring the
car over. It’s been three years since they got married, but they rarely w
ent out shopping together.

The moment they left, Florence immediately took out the sapphire and had
a good look at it. “Oh, my precious honeybunch of a sapphire! What luck I
’m in today!”
The more she studied it, the more she loved it.

“Aunt Florence, what are you looking at?” Right then, Julie walked in.

“Julie! You’ve come at just the right time! Come have a look at this!” Fl
orence showed off the sapphire to Julie and handed it to her.

“A sapphire?” When Julie had a good look at it, her voice raised a pitch
and she sounded so excited. “Aunt Florence, where did you get such an eno
rmous sapphire? It must be worth a fortune!

“Haha! You might not believe this, but it was Dustin’s father who gave th
is to me.” Florence beamed proudly.

“What? Dustin’s father?” Julie was shocked and could not believe her ears
. “Aunt Florence, didn’t you say
that Dustin’s as broke as can be? How can his father afford to give you s
omething so precious?”

“I find it strange too.” Florence rubbed her chin. “I was wondering if Du
stin secretly came from a wealthy family. Maybe he’s just kept a low prof
ile all this while so we never noticed.”

“Him? The son of a wealthy family? Does he look like one?” Julie wondered
out loud.

“If he isn’t, then how can his father afford to give me such a huge sapph
ire just like that?” Florence continued to expound on the situation.

“Aunt Florence, let’s put that aside for now. The matter of utmost import
ance now is whether you’ve found someone to verify if the sapphire’s genu
ine?” Julie piped up.
“But it’s so pretty! It can’t be
a fake gem, can it? Besides, Dustin’s father said this is a family heirlo
om!” Florence refused to believe that the gem could be a fake.
“Aunt Florence, how can you
believe everything he says? You’re too gullible! For safety’s sake, it’s

best if you get it appraised! You never know if it’s a sham!” Julie insti
gated.

“You’re right.” Florence nodded. “But where should I get it appraised?”
“Don’t you worry, Aunt Florence. I know just
the right person to get it appraised. Just let me have the sapphire for a
while, and we’ll soon have our answer,” Julie affirmed confidently.

“Alright, then. I’ll be waiting.” Florence did not doubt Julie even for a
moment, and passed the sapphire along with the box it came with to her.
Half an hour later, in the gemological laboratory.
“What? This is a genuine sapphire worth billions? You–
you’re not mistaken, are you?” Julie was dumbfounded when she heard the r
esults.

“We’ve run multiple tests on it. It can’t be wrong. In fact, this is an e
xtremely rare variety of sapphire. If it were to be auctioned, the
starting bid would be one billion, at the very least,” the expert apprais
er told her.
“Great! This is just great! We’ve struck gold this time!” Julie burst
out laughing. A sapphire worth billions! How did they run into such luck?

Just then, Julie’s phone rang. She answered the call. It was Florence.
“Hello, Julie. How did the appraisal go? Is it a genuine sapphire?”
“O–
of course it’s… It’s a fake one!” An idea came to Julie. She feigned disa
ppointment. “Aunt Florence, you’ve been
deceived by Dustin and his father! I just had the sapphire appraised. The
y confirmed that it’s just a synthetic gemstone. It’ll just cost you mayb
e 20 or 30 dollars to get your hands on one. It’s
trash. I’ve thrown it away!”
“What? It’s synthetic? Those darned
loafers! How dare they trick me! I’ll make them pay!” She let out a curse
and cut the call.

Chapter 351

That evening at Peaceful Medical Center, Natasha waltzed in through the
doors happily with two bottles of wine in her hand. “Honey, I’m back! Loo
k what I brought! These are aged wines, I’m sure you’ll love them!”

All of a sudden, the smile on her face froze as she noticed that not only
was Dustin not inside, but there were also two strangers in there instea
d. Gregory, who
was usually in a drunken stupor, now sat upright with a stern expression
on his face. How peculiar.

“Mr. Jones, who are they?” Natasha’s curiosity was piqued.

“You’re back, lass? Here, let me introduce them. This one here is Dustin’
s father, and this one is an old pal of mine.” Gregory gestured to Rufus
and Albert, respectively, as he introduced them to Natasha.
“Dustin’s father?” Natasha’s eyes lit up.
“Oh, so my father–in–
law is here! I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you!” As she spoke, she immedia
tely got up and poured them each a cup of tea. Then, she smiled sweetly a
nd said to Rufus, “Please have some tea, Father!”

“What?” Rufus took a while to adapt to such enthusiasm. “Young lady, may
I know who you might be?”

“As this is our first time meeting, it’s only expected that you do not kn
ow me, Father. My name is Natasha Harmon, and I’m Dustin’s wife, so I’m y
our daughter–in–law.” Natasha beamed brightly with confidence.
“My daughter–in–
law?” Rufus was taken aback momentarily. Then, it quickly dawned on him w
hat exactly was going on. He broke out into a hearty laugh.

“That’s great, that’s great! How lucky my son is to have such an enchanti
ng wife like you! This
is amazing!” As expected of a man from the Rhys family. Dustin managed to
snag two charming ladies without anyone knowing. He sure had his way wit
h women! Rufus was delighted.

“Oh, you flatter me too much, Father. I’m the lucky one to have Dustin. H
e’s such an amazing man. I’d say he’s quite a catch!” Natasha chuckled.
“Oh, is that lad really such a fine man?” Rufus teased.
“Of course he
is!” Natasha did not go easy on her praise. “Not only is he capable intel
lectually, but he’s also skilled in martial arts. Besides, his medical sk
ills are top–
notch. It seems like there isn’t anything he can’t do! And to top it off,
he’s such a gentle and caring man who shoulders his responsibilities wel
l. You don’t come by men like him these days!”

“Hahaha! You sure know your man well!” Rufus chortled loudly when he hear
d his son being praised. He beamed so brightly that his wrinkles showed,
but pride was evident on his face. He was beyond himself with joy. What w
as more delightful than hearing one’s own child being praised by others?

“Of course, it goes without saying that you must have taught him well for
him to turn out into such an amazing person, Father. Now that I think ab
out it, ultimately, you’re the one who has the

wisdom to raise such a brilliant son!” Natasha took the opportunity
to praise Rufus as well.

“Hahaha!” Rufus was truly over the moon. He laughed so much that his chee
ks started to hurt. He had never been so happy in the past ten years.

Albert, who sat beside him, smiled brightly too. He was happy for Rufus t
hat he had yet another daughter–in–law.

“Oh, you do have your way with your words, young lady! Since you called m
e ‘father‘, I
must give you a present.” After Rufus calmed down from his joyful laughte
r, Rufus took out a dagger and handed it
to Natasha. “This dagger has been by my side for many, many years. It sha
ll be my gift to you to mark our first meeting.”

“This is too precious! I cannot have it!” Natasha waved her hands in prot
est. With her sharp eyes, she could tell at a glance that the dagger wasn
’t just any other dagger. Just the gemstones embedded on the hilt for dec
oration alone were worth an exorbitant amount, much less the blade itself
.

“Have it. It isn’t worth much. It’d be good to carry it around as protect
ion,” Rufus chuckled. Seeing how understanding his daughter–in–
law was, he would gladly give her the stars above if she so wished, let a
lone just a dagger.
“Just accept it, lass. This is your father–in–
law’s affection towards you.” Mr. Jones winked at her. The dagger was lis
ted as one of the top ten blades in the world. Even the Sword Whisperer,
who was
obsessed with swords, had requested to have the dagger multiple times bef
ore, but Rufus had never been willing to part with it.

“Alright, then. Thank you, Father.” Natasha smiled sweetly at him and qui
ckly stashed the dagger away safely.

Then, they both had a good chat and quickly bonded with each other, so th
ey decided to just address each other as father and daughter, respectivel
y.
For a moment, all was warm and cozy in the medical center.

“Natasha, when did you come?” Right then, Dustin, who was just done shopp
ing, entered. There was a smile on his face when he saw Natasha, however,
when he caught sight of Rufus, his smile died down.
“Oh, not too long ago. And
what a coincidence that I met Father! Why did you not tell me that Father
was
coming? I had nothing prepared!” Natasha whined. Had she known that Dusti
n’s father would drop by, she would have prepared some presents for him t
o win him over and gain her future father–in–law’s favor.

Chapter 352

“Natasha, you haven’t had dinner yet, have you? Come on, I’ll treat you t
o dinner.” Dustin did not answer her and changed the topic instead.

“Now that you mention it, I am feeling a bit hungry. Father, shall we go
grab a bite?” Natasha turned around to ask Rufus.

“Don’t worry about them. We’ll
go get dinner, just the two of us,” Dustin insisted.

“Well…” Natasha paused. She could sense that something was off between th
e two.

“Natasha, go ahead and enjoy your meal together. We, old folks, won’t tag
along and ruin your fun. Run along now.” Rufus smiled and nodded at her.

“Alright, Father. We’ll be quick and buy some food back for you.” Natasha
did not try to pry further. After she made sure they
were alright, she left with Dustin.

All was quiet in the car before Natasha broke the silence. “Your father…
Did you have a fallout with him?”

“A fallout?” Dustin laughed dryly. “If only it was that simple, things wo
uld be much easier.”
“So then
what is it? Can you tell me?” Natasha coaxed softly. She had never seen s
uch a melancholy expression on Dustin.

“Say, if a man’s wife and son were harmed, and he did absolutely nothing
about it, do you even still consider him a man?” Dustin did not straight
up tell Natasha what had happened between him and
his father, but he threw her a hypothetical situation instead.
“Well, could it be possible that the man had his
dilemmas too?” Natasha asked warily.

“As long as he puts his mind to it, there isn’t anything that he can’t do
. Dilemmas? They’re just excuses.” Dustin shook his head.

“As I have not experienced what you’ve been through, I’m not in a positio
n to offer you any advice. However, I do believe that one day, all truths
will come to light.”
“Forget it. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Where do you
want to have dinner tonight?” Dustin changed the topic yet again.
“Shall we go to Hillview Restaurant?” Natasha suggested with a smile.
“Sure!” Dustin nodded. Then, with a step on
the accelerator, they sped off towards Hillview Restaurant.

As the car went around a bend, there was suddenly a loud bang. They seeme
d to have hit something.

“Oh no! We’ve run someone over!” Natasha paled. She saw clearly through t
he rearview mirror that an old lady was groaning in pain in
the middle of the road.

“Are you alright, ma’am?” The moment Dustin pulled the car over, Natasha
rushed out of the car and hurried over to check on the old lady. But just
as her hand touched the old
lady’s shoulder, the old lady leaped up and pulled out a dirk, intending
to stab Natasha with it.

Utterly shocked by the turn of events, Natasha failed to duck in time. Ju
st as she thought that would be the end of her, a hand reached over and g
rabbed the blade of the dirk. With a forceful jerk, the dirk snapped into
two.

“Who sent you?” Dustin stared icily at the old lady, chucking the blade a
way as it clattered to the ground.
“You have
a bounty of a hundred billion on your head, and she has ten billion on he
rs. What a waste! I was just inches away from having ten billion dollars
in my pocket.” The old lady cackled maniacally, showing off her yellow te
eth.

“A Bounty Killer.” Dustin squinted. Edwin Hummer had offered a bounty of
a hundred billion dollars to have Dustin killed. Though they had put an e
nd to the Hummers, Edwin Hummer was still alive, so the bounty had yet to
be called off.

The old lady sniggered evilly. “Since you know that I’m a Bounty Killer,
then you should understand that today is the day you meet your maker!”
“You wish to kill us? Just you alone?” Dustin asked contemptuously.

“There’s such a huge bounty for you! Of course, I’m not the only one afte
r you! Look around you!” The old lady lifted her chin to the side.
Dustin looked in the direction she signaled to find that they
had been surrounded. He could see that eight figures were closing in on t
hem. Though there weren’t many of them, they were all adept assassins.

“I know you’re gifted, young man, so I deliberately sent for the Eight Gi
ants
today. Skilled as you may be, you stand no chance against them! The more
you struggle, the more suffering you’ll put yourself through, so don’t ev
en think about escaping,” the old lady taunted.
“The Eight Giants? Are they powerful?” Dustin was unfazed.

“Hah! Are they powerful? Truth be told, young man, once the Eight Giants
have their eyes set on someone, not a single one of their targets has eve
r escaped alive!” She announced confidently.

The moment she finished speaking, Dustin flicked his wrist, and a loud wh
ooshing sound was heard. Immediately, the Eight Giants stopped in their t
racks and crashed heavily to the ground. On closer inspection, there was
a silver needle buried smack in the middle of each of their foreheads.
All eight of them died right then and there.

Chapter 353

The old lady stood frozen in place as she watched the Eight Giants crash
to the ground with dull thuds, one after another. All the calmness and co
nfidence she had earlier on had completely vanished into thin air and wer
e instead replaced by downright fear. Those were the Eight Giants! They w
ere renowned bounty hunters who had yet to fail before this!

Ever since they set foot in the field, they had been revered by all and h
ad never missed a single target. No matter how great their opponents were
, they had been able to wipe them out without breaking a sweat. She had t
hought that with
the Eight Giants working alongside her, everything would have gone smooth
ly without any hiccups. Who would have guessed that they’d be defeated in
a matter of seconds? They did not even have time to react! What freak of
nature was this man standing before her?

“Those are the Eight Giants that you’ve been harping on about? Pretty wea
k, aren’t they?” Dustin shook his head. How dare mere mortals who
had yet to achieve divinity dream about assassinating him?
“Y–y–
you… What tactics did you use?” The old lady was so flustered that she st
umbled several steps backward. Panic was evident on her face.

“I have only one question for you. How many more of you Bounty Killers ar
e after me?”
“I–I don’t know. We Bounty Killers work independently. I—”

“That’s enough. You can go straight to hell now.” Before she could even c
omplete her sentence, Dustin sent another silver needle flying with a fli
ck of his wrist. She, too, dropped dead on the spot.

The Bounty Killers was an extremely mysterious organization of bounty hun
ters. Every individual in the organization was an expert at what they did
, and each one was more powerful than the one before. He had to call off
the bounty on him and Natasha as soon as possible, or it was going to mea
n more trouble for them.

Just then, his phone started to ring. He answered the call to find that i
t was from Maximus. ” Dustin! Things are looking ugly here. The Boulderth
orns have surrounded the medical center!”
“The Boulderthorns?” Dustin frowned. “Were they sent by Royal Valor?”

“You’re right! Royal Valor sent all their elites along too! Even their be
st warriors are here. They’re here to kill you! Go hide somewhere, and wh
atever you do, remember to stay away from here!”
Maximus warned him.

They were severely outnumbered. As powerful as Dustin was, he could not h
old up against all of Royal Valor’s warriors surrounding him.

“I know what to do. Take Caitlyn and bring her out of there.” Dustin ende
d the call.
“What’s wrong?” Natasha asked worriedly from beside him.

“Nothing much. There’s just a minor complication over at the medical cent
er. You head back to Park Place first. I’ll make it up for dinner tomorro
w.” Dustin smiled at her assuredly.

“Okay. You take care!” Natasha nodded at him and drove off without any fu
rther questions.

“What an exciting evening. Who would have guessed that Royal
Valor would join in on the fun.” Dustin scoffed. He hailed a cab and went
straight back to Peaceful Medical Center.

Boulderthorn was a major sect of the Balerno martial arts discipline. Dus
tin had intended to keep things peaceful between them, but since they ref
used to back off, he would gladly face them head-

on.

At that moment, there were more than 20 cars pulled up around Peaceful Me
dical Center, surrounding the place tightly. All surveillance cameras in
the vicinity were destroyed, and every alley in the area was blocked by B
oulderthorn guild members. Not a single person could get past their barri
cade.
Several hundred
elite Boulderthorn guild members stood at the door; a murderous aura
surrounded them. They looked like they
were prepared to annihilate whoever and whatever that stood between them
and their goal.

“Maximus Kane! I’m asking you this for the last time, where is Dustin?” A
young man in a white shirt stood at the forefront of the crowd with the
tip of his sword pointing squarely at Maximus. The person was none other
than Keane Tovello, the second–
most senior guild member of Royal Valor. After the death of Tatum Thunder
s, he became the ace of Royal Valor. In order to win the guild members ov
er and for them to accept him, he had to avenge the previous ace of the g
uild.

“Keane Tovello, if you must know, Dustin has already left Swinton. If the
re’s anything you need from him, you can come to me!” Maximus declared lo
udly.
“Hah! You ignorant fool! I see you’re the type who refuses to cry
until death stares you
in the face!” Keane was infuriated. With a light tap of his feet, he swif
tly leaped towards Maximus in an attempt to take him down.

“I have long since heard that you’re adept with a sword. Let’s have a loo
k at how good you are, then! Maximus wasn’t daunted by him in the least.
As a burst of energy coursed through his body, the sword that he carried
with him on his back was unsheathed, and with a single–
handed forward motion, the sword launched through the air, aimed straight
at Keane’s chest.

Keane let out a grunt and sliced through the air with his sword. He broug
ht down a shower of sparks on himself as his sword made contact with Maxi
mus‘ sword, which sent it flying.

Maximus sprang upwards with a “whoosh” and accurately caught his sword mi
d–
air. Then, with a quick flick of his wrist, he used the Illusory Sword te
chnique. As the name suggested, it was a

technique that cast an illusion on its opponent, causing a momentary dist
raction.

With Dustin’s guidance, Maximus advanced in his swordsmanship. Now that h
e had mastered the Illusory Sword technique, he used it and cast an illus
ion of countless swords flying around in the air, all aiming at Keane. It
was an extremely impressive technique.

“Superior skills indeed! No wonder you’re behaving so arrogantly!” Keane
shot Maximus a glare and no longer held back, unleashing all that he had.
In a split second, the calmness of the night
sky was broken by the sparks of swords coming into contact with each othe
r and the whoosh of rapid movements. The crowd of elite Boulderthorn guil
d members instinctively backed off to make space for them.

Chapter 354
Amid a fierce battle between two divine–
level masters, ordinary warriors would never stand a chance to approach t
hem.

While the battle was in full swing, Rufus, Gregory, and Albert were happi
ly drinking inside the medical clinic.

Used to such chaotic scenes, they naturally paid no mind to such minor sc
uffles.

On the other hand, Caitlyn, who was pouring them drinks, wasn’t as calm a
s them. She anxiously peered through the doorway, her worries evident.
How could Maximus handle all the opponents alone?

“Only if Mr. Rhys was here.” As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Ca
itlyn immediately shook her head.
No!
Those people were
here for Dustin. If Dustin were here, things would only get more dangerou
s!

“Kid, stop fretting over there. That lad will be fine for now. Bring us a
nother bottle of wine!” Gregory shouted.

“Alright. I’m coming…” Upon hearing his words, Caitlyn promptly retrieved
another bottle of wine
from the counter.
Observing the calm demeanor of the three men, she frowned and
curiously asked, “Mr. Jones, aren’t you all worried at all? If those bad
guys were to barge in, you would be in danger!”

“What’s there to worry about? Life’s a cheap thing, and if we die, we die
,” Gregory answered
casually.
“Gosh, don’t be such a doomsayer!”

Caitlyn pouted and said solemnly, “Mr. Jones, you will live a long and he
althy life. Even if there’s
danger, I will protect you!”

With that, she grabbed a mop nearby and acted like a bodyguard, vowing to
defend the medical
center. Her actions caused the three men to laugh in amusement.
“She’s truly an interesting girl.”
Rufus grinned. “Don’t worry. None of us will die today.”
“Really?” Caitlyn’s eyes lit up.

“Of course. Do you think I would lie to you about such matters?” Rufus ch
uckled and pointed at
Albert. “See this old man here? He’s a powerful guy. Dealing with
these minions is a piece of cake
for him.“–
“Is that so?” Caitlyn sized Albert up. She seemed skeptical.

He was an elderly man in his sixties or seventies, walking with a cane. H
ow could he withstand a fight? The wind could even blow him down!
1/3

After observing everyone, she realized she was the youngest and strongest
of the four of them.

Indeed, it seemed like the responsibility to protect them all would fall
on her shoulders. With this in mind, Caitlyn raised the mop again and sto
od guard at the entrance. Clearly, she didn’t trust
these three oldies.

“Rufus, these minions are indeed nothing to fear. However, people have fo
und out about your arrival in Swinton. I guess Streuqua will not let this
opportunity slip by,” Albert suddenly said, his
tone serious.

“Are you suggesting that someone will come to assassinate me?” Rufus rais
ed his glass and took a
sip.
“Yes.” Albert nodded.

As the Prince of West Lucozia, Rufus stood like an invincible barrier. He
could single–handedly intimidate the Gods of Streuqua.

If Rufus encountered an assassination attempt, it would undoubtedly lead
to a border conflict.

In West Lucozia, there were numerous experts to protect him. No matter ho
w powerful Streuqua was, they would not find the slightest loophole. Howe
ver, the situation was different in Swinton.

Without the protection of the West Lucozia army and death warriors, it pr
esented a rare
opportunity for Streuqua to carry out an assassination attempt.
Therefore, Albert was sure there would be chaos in the coming days.

“Let them try all they want. It’s not like it’s the first time,” Rufus sh
rugged, seemingly
unconcerned.

Even in West Lucozia, assassination attempts would occur every now and th
en. So, of course, it would happen in Swinton.

Outside the medical center, the duel between the two swordsmanship prodig
ies had reached a white–
hot stage. Both sides had sustained injuries, and it was difficult to det
ermine the victor.
Maximus‘ movements
were fast and accurate. He was particularly fierce and used ruthless. tec
hniques. In terms of swordsmanship alone, Maximus was superior to Keane.

However, Keane had higher cultivation and was in a more stable state. He
was closer to divinity.
Thus, their battle was neck–and–neck.

“When did this kid become so powerful?” Standing among the crowd, Luther
watched the two fight with a look of astonishment on his face.
Keane was a Divine–
level martial artist and a sword prodigy. Yet, he couldn’t defeat Maximus
.
Did Maximus already reached divinity as well?

“Hmph! What a waste of time!” Meanwhile, Clement looked displeased as he
peered through the window of his car at the battle ahead.

He had thought that his second disciple could easily claim victory, but h
e hadn’t expected him to be unable to handle a mere minion.

Seeing the deadlock persist, Clement flicked his wrist, and a chess piece
precisely struck

Maximus‘ knee. Maximus groaned and fell to his knees.
In that instant, Keane thrusted his sword at him!

Chapter 355

“Go to hell!” Noticing an opening, Keane immediately seized the opportuni
ty and fiercely swung

his sword down.

At that moment, a silver needle suddenly appeared, flew past the crowd, a
nd struck
Keane’s sword. “Clang!” With a clang, Kaene’s long sword shattered.

“What? Who the hell did that?” Keane quickly retreated and had his guard
up.

The fact that someone could use the needles as a weapon and break his swo
rd demonstrated the profound internal energy of the assailant.

“To bully the weak with strength is one thing, but resorting to sneak att
acks as well? Are all the people from Boulderthorn so despicable?” A cold
voice came from behind.
Everyone
turned around and saw a handsome man slowly walking out of the shadows. H
e then stood tall under a street lamp.
It was none other than Dustin, who had just arrived!

“Sir Lincoln, that’s the guy! That’s Dustin! He’s the one who murdered Ta
tum’s nephew!”

Seeing the newcomer, Luther immediately roared, “Kill him! Kill him quick
ly! We must avenge Tatum!”
Brody and Oliver stood up, their aura intimidating.

Ever since their father was crippled, the status of their lineage has plu
mmeted. Naturally, they harbored a deep hatred toward Dustin, the one res
ponsible for everything.

“Young man! So you’re the one who killed my two beloved disciples?” Cleme
nt narrowed his eyes, his face filled with hostility.

“I killed Joshua, but not Tatum. I only crippled him,” Dustin said calmly
.
“Nonsense! You killed Tatum!” Brody shouted angrily.

“That’s right! We saw through you a long time ago! You took advantage of
Tatum’s severe injuries and launched a sneak attack. How despicable
and shameless!” Oliver chimed in.

“I wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble if I wanted to kill Tatum.
I would have finished him off directly in the arena. But of course, if yo
u don’t believe me, you can assume I killed him,” Dustin replied indiffer
ently.

Looking at the current situation, Dustin knew there was no hope of cleari
ng up the misunderstanding. No matter how much he explained, it would be
futile.

“Hey, Sir Lincoln! Did you hear that? This brat is extremely arrogant!”

“If we don’t tear him limb from limb, how will Boulderthron continue to s
tand on in the martial
world?”
Luther and his two sons continued to fuel the flames.
“Young man! According to the rules of the martial world, a life
for a life. If you offer your neck for

the kill, I can give you a quick death!” Clement declared.
“Go ahead
if you want to fight. Stop talking so much nonsense,” Dustin replied rude
ly.
“Not bad, kid! You’re surely
arrogant!” Clement’s face darkened. “If I personally take action, others
will accuse me of
bullying the weak with strength. So today, let my disciples have a go at
you. If you manage to survive by some stroke of luck, I’ll spare your lif
e!”

“Formation!” With a single gesture from Clement, seven of Keane’s discipl
es stepped forward and surrounded Dustin from all sides.

Those disciples were the best in Royal Valor. All of them were powerful.
Among the seven, three had already reached divinity, while the other four
were High–level martial artists.
Royal Valor was truly showcasing its experts!

“Dustin, I’ll help you!” Maximus quickly realized that something was amis
s.

“No.” Dustin raised his hand and rejected Maximus‘ offer. I want to see h
ow formidable Royal Valor, one of the eight sects of Boulderthorn, truly
is!”
“Hmph! Today, I’ll make you admit defeat willingly! The Star–
shifting Technique! Transform!” Keane shouted, and suddenly, the seven di
sciples changed their positions. They trapped Dustin in a peculiar format
ion.

“The Big Dipper Array? Haha. This brat is doomed!” Luther’s face couldn’t
help but light up with joy when he saw the scene before him.
The Big Dipper Array was a well–known formation
in martial arts. In the formation, each of the seven participants took th
e positions of Dubhe, Merak, Phkeda, Megraz, Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid. W
ith this, they would trap their enemy.

The seven individuals would continuously move in an unending cycle as the
formation changed.
Once the formation took shape, no one could break it!
“Attack!” Keane
attacked from the front with three people, while the other three attacked
from behind.

Chapter 356

Displaying a perfect balance between offense and defense, the seven indiv
iduals worked together seamlessly. They complemented each other with no d
iscernible flaws.

As the formation came into motion, the sharp, sword–
like aura was formed and ran rampant instantly. A swirling gust of wind s
ent the sand and stones flying.

“Interesting.” Dustin frowned. His
figure flickered as he dodged. He moved like a fish swimming in the water
, constantly evading attacks within the sea of swords.

It seemed dangerous, yet he managed to dodge every strike at critical mom
ents. The sharp, sword-
like aura grazed his body, but it couldn’t harm him in the slightest.

Brody and Oliver clenched their fists, their expressions filled with exci
tement.
They would loudly cheer whenever Dustin seemed to
be in danger. However, they gritted their teeth with hatred when
they saw him narrowly escape.

“Calm down. The Big Dipper Array grows more powerful as it faces stronger
opponents. Once the offensive is in full swing, it becomes like a raging
wave, one wave after another, and it becomes unstoppable. The longer he
drags it out, the more dangerous it becomes for that brat,” Luther explai
ned calmly.
In his eyes, Dustin’s defeat was only a matter of time.
“Dustin, catch the sword!” Maximus called out to Dustin.

Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Maximus quickly thought of a cleve
r idea. He threw his sword directly into the middle of the deadly formati
on.

“Alright!” Dustin stepped on the ground and instantly soared into the air
before grabbing the sword in his hand.

“He must be seeking death!” Seeing Dustin leap into the air, Keane smirke
d. He commanded the sword formation to attack from bottom to top.

In a battle between experts, showing weaknesses was the last thing one wo
uld want to do. Being in the air without support was like presenting ones
elf as an easy target.

“Hah…” Looking at the sword formation beneath him, Dustin sneered disdain
fully.
He forcefully swung his sword downward.

“Swish!” Like a meteor descending from the heavens, the shining sword sla
shed into the formation.
“Clang!” The formation was instantly shattered into pieces.

Keane and his seven companions were forced to retreat because of the powe
rful force. All of them were stunned.
“How is this possible?” Keane furrowed his brows.

The strength of the Big Dipper Array laid in harnessing the power of seve
n individuals to launch a combined attack. There was only one possibility
of the formation breaking. And that was someone

Chapter 356

with strength surpassing the combined force of the seven members of the B
ig Dipper Array.
Did Dustin’s strength far exceed their expectations?
No! It couldn’t be possible! It must be an accident!

“Cycle of the Sun and Moon! Change formation!” Keane shouted loudly, comm
anding everyone to change their formation again.

The Big Dipper Array had seven variations and styles. It could attack, de
fend, and move at any speed. It was ever–changing and unpredictable.

“I’m just playing around with you. Are you even taking this fight serious
ly?” Dustin said, losing interest as he watched Keane and the others scat
tering away.

He swung his long sword. The sword flashed and shot out of his hand insta
ntly, heading toward the chests of the seven guys.

“Defend!” The faces of the seven individuals fell slightly. They instinct
ively raised their swords to block Dustin’s attack.

Soon, Dustin’s sword struck them, and all seven of their swords shattered
to the ground.

The relentless force of the impact sent the seven individuals flying back
ward and coughing up blood.
One person was severely injured, while the rest died on the spot!
For a moment, everyone at the scene fell into complete silence.

Chapter 357

As they looked at the six corpses on the ground and Keane, who was heavil
y injured and coughed up blood, all the disciples of Boulderthorn
were dumbfounded.

They never expected Dustin would break the Big Dipper Array and simultane
ously kill six top- notch experts from Royal Valor with just one sword

Was their opponent hiding his true strength all along?
“How … How is this possible?” Luther widened his eyes in disbelief.
Dustin actually broke the renowned
Big Dipper Array. Not to mention, he did it so effortlessly.
Just how powerful was this guy?
“No way! The seven top experts of Royal Valor couldn’t defeat him?”

“This guy must be on some kind of drug; otherwise, how could he be so pow
erful?”
Brody and Oliver exchanged glances, their faces full of confusion.

“This guy is on a different level!” Even Clement’s face turned grave at t
hat moment.

Dustin wiped out the Big Dipper Array so effortlessly. Not to mention he
only used a sword!

From that incident, it could well be said that Dustin was about to reach
divinity. His martial talent must be extraordinary to possess such formid
able power at such a young age!
It was definitely a bad idea to provoke such a monster.

The only thing they could do now was use all means to exterminate Dustin.
Otherwise, if they

waited another two years, even Clement wouldn’t be able to suppress him.

“All disciples of Royal Valor, listen up! Surround him!” Clement suddenly
shouted.

“Yes, sir!” Hundreds of elites from Royal Valor quickly surrounded Dustin
. They faced Dustin,
oozing a murderous aura.

“You people from Boulderthorn are truly unreliable. I can’t believe you’r
e going back on your own words,” Dustin said, looking at them with disdai
n.
He was not surprised by
Clement’s treacherous actions. Those who resorted to sneak attacks
when their disciples were in battle could not be trusted.

“Young man! Pardon me. Blame yourself for being too threatening to be lef
t alive!” Clement said
coldly.

“Good! Then today, I will eliminate the entire Royal Valor!” Dustin waved
his sword, and a tremendous pressure exploded at once.

Instantly, a howling gale blew up. His robe fluttered, and his hair stood
on end. He exuded an aura of invincibility, as if he could defeat every
one of them alone!
“Ah!” Just as the two sides were about to erupt into a full–
scale battle, a piercing scream suddenly resounded from the crowd.

Everyone instinctively turned their heads and saw that a burly man with
blond hair and a foreign

appearance had appeared out of nowhere.

He was holding the head of a Royal Valor disciple with his bare hands.

“Haha…” The blond man grinned and then forcefully put pressure on his fin
ger.

With a loud “pop“, the head of the Royal Valor disciple exploded like a b
all.
His methods were extremely cruel.
“This is outrageous!”
“How daring!”
“Who is this guy? How dare he kill a Royal
Valor disciple? He must have a death wish!”

Seeing this scene, everyone raged. Unanimously, they aimed their weapons
at the blond man.

While internal conflicts within the martial world were one thing, all mar
tial artists would unite when facing an external enemy.
It was an unwritten rule.
“You bunch of weaklings!” The blond man showed disdain
and extended his hand, beckoning the crowd to come at him as if inviting
them to attack him all at once.

“How dare you?” Several Royal Valor disciples were furious and immediatel
y wielded their weapons. They began slashing at him.

“Clang, clang, clang…” Accompanied by the sound of metals colliding, all
the weapons that struck the blond man were shattered.
“What?” The disciples were shocked.
However, before they could react, the blond man suddenly made a move.

Chapter 358
He slapped two of the guys hard on the head.

Two loud bangs rang out the next second, and their heads exploded like wa
termelons.

The remaining two individuals instinctively tried to step back, but the b
lond man caught them and crushed their skulls with his bare hands.

It was bloody, cruel, and savage. Onlookers felt their scalps tingling wi
th horror.

“Attack together! Kill him!” Clement’s face darkened. He immediately orde
red his disciples to take
action.

“Attack!” Over a hundred disciples of Royal Valor shouted angrily and lau
nched a coordinated assault.

Grinning, the blond man slightly bent his legs and jumped off the ground.
“Boom!” The ground exploded, and a pit formed.

Like a bullet fired from a gun, the blond man directly landed in the crow
d.

Wherever he went, bodies were strewn across the ground, drenched in blood
. Anyone blocking his path was brutally crushed by his unstoppable force!

“Hahaha…” The blond man laughed wildly, growing more excited as he killed
the disciples. He was like a ferocious beast unleashed from its cage

The Royal Valor disciples were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. They
couldn’t fight back at all.

“Beast! Stop this madness!” Seeing more than half of his disciples dead o
r injured, Clement
could no longer contain his anger. He shouted furiously and leaped up, de
livering a full–force palm strike to the back of the blond man.
“Boom!” A muffled sound echoed.

The blond man’s body trembled slightly, but then he casually turned his h
ead. There was a hint of disdain on his face.

“How is that possible?” Clement’s eyelid twitched, and his face paled wit
h horror.
The opponent had taken his full–force palm strike
directly without the slightest injury.
Was this guy even human?
“Go to hell!” Clement gritted his teeth and forcefully
delivered a powerful kick to the blond man’s head.
“Boom!” Another muffled sound rang out.

The blond man’s head only turned to the side slightly, then quickly retur
ned to its original position, completely unharmed.

Clement was terrified by the scene. Cold sweat began to drip down his for
ehead,
“You weakling!” The blond man smirked and threw a light punch.
Clement closed his eyes and
instinctively raised his arms to block the attack.
“Boom!” A loud explosion reverberated.
Clement’s arm instantly fractured, and his entire
body was sent flying over ten meters before crashing heavily into a tree.
Blood spewed from his mouth.
“What …?” Witnessing this scene, everyone was dumbfounded.

No one could have imagined that Clement, the esteemed guildmaster of Roya
l Valor, who was halfway to becoming a grandmaster, couldn’t withstand a
single punch from the blond man!
What the hell was this creature?

Terrified, the crowd scattered in all directions, not daring to get close
.

“Who… who are you?” Both astonished and scared, Clement laid helplessly o
n the ground.
There was only one possibility for the person to
defeat him with just one move. He must be a formidable grandmaster!

“I am from the Hall of Gods, bestowed with the name Ares!” the blond man
proudly declared.
“The Hall of Gods from Streuqua? You’re the God of War, Ares?”
Everyone was shocked at his introduction.

The Hall of Gods was the most prestigious martial organization in Streuqu
a.

It was home to numerous formidable individuals, each with their own uniqu
e abilities and talents. Any one of them can wreak havoc wherever they go
!
Not to mention those who were
bestowed with divine titles. They were truly unmatched powerhouses.
Take the current figure, Ares, the God of War, for example.

In Dragonmarsh, he would be considered a martial arts grandmaster and wou
ld stand out as one of the best among the grandmasters.

An existence like him could easily overpower not just Royal Valor alone,
but even if all eight sects joined forces, they would still be unable to
stand against him.
However, Clement didn’t understand why a top–tier powerhouse from
the Hall of Gods suddenly appeared in Swinton.
Also, why did he unleash such a merciless onslaught
against the disciples of Boulderthorn?

Chapter 359

“Dad, what’s going on? Why is the God of War from the Hall of Gods here?”

“Could Sir Lincoln have crossed some big shot from the Hall of Gods?” Bot
h Oliver and Brody cowered in fear when they saw the man with blonde hair
who was brimming with a murderous

air.

“How the F*ck would I know? Why are you even asking me?” Luther gulped ne
rvously and chided them. They had been there to ambush Dustin and had nev
er expected to be assaulted by such a formidable individual from the Hall
of Gods. This was mind–blowing!

“Your Excellency, I have never offended any of you from the Hall of Gods.
Why have you come to massacre the members of Boulderthorn?” Clement aske
d, his face pale with fear.
“What? Arent you all the West Lucozian army?” The blonde–
haired man asked with confusion. “Huh? West Lucozian army? We’re members
of the Boulderthorn guild!” Clement exclaimed defeatedly. After all the m
ess, it turns out that the members of his guild died for no
reason. “Oh, so you’re not the West Lucozian army? No wonder you’re all s
o weak! But that’s alright. There’s nothing we can do about the dead anym
ore. I’ll just take this as a warm–up exercise.” The blonde–
haired man laughed hysterically.

Clement stood there, dumbfounded. But there was nothing he could do. He d
are not retaliate either. This was a grandmaster they were talking about!
He could kill them all as easily as one would kill an ant.

“Ares, stop messing around. Stay focused on our mission.” Right then, the
crisp voice of a woman rang from a distance. Immediately after, a purple–
haired woman donned in full armor made her way towards them from the shad
ows. She held a sword in her left hand and a shield in her right The shap
ely and s*xy woman exuded an overwhelming aura all around her.

“You know that my power heightens along with the number of people I kill,
Athena. I’m merely warming up. It’s no big deal.” The blonde–
haired man chuckled.

“Athena?” The crowd was once again astonished. Never in a hundred years w
ould they have foreseen the Goddess of War from the Hall of Gods to be th
ere too. This was another powerful god who was
no less formidable than Ares, the God of War! Just Ares alone was enough
to wipe out Royal Valor in its entirety. With Athena there, even if the e
ight major guilds joined hands, they would stand no chance against these
two!

“Come on out, you two. No point hiding anymore,” Athena suddenly called o
ut. As she said that, two more figures emerged
from the shadows. One was a handsome man with his hand
holding a bow and some arrows, and the other was a ripped and bulky man w
ho was about six and a half feet tall.

“Apollo of the Hall of Gods,” the handsome man said first, not forgetting
to flex his
muscles. “Heracles,” the built man grunted, obviously not a chatty person
.

The moment they spoke, Clement and the rest of the Boulderthorns were utt
erly flabbergasted, looking ashen.
“Apollo, the God of Sun?”
“And Heracles, the God of Strength?”

“Well, F*ck me! Four of the major gods from the Hall of Gods are here! Ar
e we doomed?”
The crowd was terrified.

Ares, the God of War, Athena, the Goddess of War. Apollo, the God of Sun;
and Heracles, the God of Strength! They weren’t just any other gods from
the Hall of Gods! These were major gods!

It was already a great enough deal to see one of them, much less all four
of them! Who would have thought that all four of them would appear in on
e place together? This was truly shocking! These four put together were e
nough to go against the entire Boulderthorn guild!

“How could this be? Why has the Hall of Gods sent so many major gods here
? What’s going on?” Clement felt weak in his knees. Nobody could care les
s for the guild master of Boulderthorn when there were four major gods he
re! He was nothing compared to them!

“Oh no, we won’t die here today, will we?” Oliver and Brody were drenched
in sweat and in a state of extreme panic.

Chapter 360
Both Oliver and Brody felt their knees start to buckle.

“Why are such legendary beings here?” Luther’s face was as white as a she
et as he
lamented inwardly. Had he known that he would meet these masters here, he
never would have come in the first place!

Everyone was silenced by the presence of the four major gods from the Hal
l of Gods. An

overwhelming, murderous aura permeated every inch of the place. The crowd
stood idly in place, and no one dared to speak, move, or even so much as
breathe loudly.

At that moment, they knew that they were no longer in control of their li
ves. And the fact was, they weren’t wrong. Not in the least. In the prese
nce of the four major gods, their lives were as insignificant as ants. Be
neath their fear and terror, there was also a genuine curiosity as to wha
t exactly brought the four major gods there.

“Mr. Rhys, we know you’re in there. Would you please come out to meet us?
” The four major gods stood in a row, and it was Athena who first broke t
he silence.

“How merry it is out here!” Rufus walked out with a glass of wine as he l
aughed heartily. “Since the Hall of Gods sent all four of you, I guess th
ey’re really intent on ending me today!”

“Mr. Rhys, the Hall of Gods really admires talented people like you. As l
ong as you agree to join us, not only will you walk away unscathed
today, but you will also gain our protection!” Athena declared loudly.

“Haha! From what you’re saying, I gather that you’re proposing that I bet
ray my country?” Rufus asked with amusement.

“We can give you everything that Dragonmarsh has to offer and more! You w
ill be able to fully unleash your talents in Streuqua,” Athena persuaded
unceasingly.

“I’ll have you know, there are three things I’ll never do. First, I’ll ne
ver kill the weak, the old, women, and children. Secondly, I’ll never put
up with corrupt bureaucrats. And finally, I’ll never betray my
country. So, unfortunately, I’ll have to disappoint you today.” Rufus‘ sm
ile remained as wide as ever.
“If you do not
agree, then today is the day you’ll meet your maker!” Athena’s gaze was c
old.

“Are you able to kill me with just the four of you?” Rufus took a sip of
his wine.

“We might not be able to go to war against you, but there’s nobody out th
ere who does a better job at assassinating than us!” Athena announced con
fidently.
“Cut the chit–
chat! I can’t wait to get things started!” Ares laughed maniacally and be
gan to move. With an agile leap, he charged toward Rufus like a bullet.

“Get him!” With Athena’s command, all of them charged toward Rufus immedi
ately. Though all four of them were major gods, none of them dared slack
off in the slightest because the person standing in front of them was som
eone worthy of being taken seriously by them.

“Major gods? Hah! I call bullshit on that!” Albert, who stood behind Rufu
s, scoffed. In one swift motion, he stepped in front of Rufus and met the
four major gods head–on.

In an instant, thunderous sounds echoed from all around as fierce gales h
owled unceasingly and waves of true energy swept across their surrounding
s. The members of Royal Valor backed off as quickly as
they could, lest they got caught in the middle.

Dustin stood at the entrance to the medical center and squinted as he wat
ched the battle between the five of them. The Rhys family had three great
generals, namely the Sword Whisperer, the Executioner, and the Drunken
Maniac. Out of the three of them, the Sword Whisperer was undoubtedly the
most powerful. However, the most ruthless of them all was none
other than Albert, the Executioner. Albert had reached peak level grandma
stery ten years ago. Now that ten years had passed, he’d refined his skil
ls so much more that he was on par with the four major gods.

“Oh my goodness! Who’s this old fella? How can he hold up against the fou
r major gods so well?” Oliver and Brody were
amazed by what they saw. From their point of view, the four major gods we
re deities who had total control during any battle! And when four such un
rivaled beings teamed up and were
still no match for an old man, it was truly mystifying!

“Damn it! I’m lucky I didn’t barge into the medical center earlier on! I’
d be dead meat if I did!” Clement broke out in a cold sweat when he saw t
he ongoing fight. Never in
his dreams had he ever thought that there would be such a powerful master
in the tiny medical center! He wouldn’t
even know how he died if he actually went and challenged such a person!

Hang on… The old man was someone from Peaceful Medical Center. And Peacef
ul Medical Center belonged to Dustin. Could it be possible that Dustin wa
s somehow related to the old man? Ashen-
faced, Clement dared not even continue his train of thought.

Chapter 361
As the battle raged on, Albert held
his ground firmly against the four major gods‘ attacks. The five figures
moved around so fast that they seemed to be intertwined, and it was impos
sible to tell them apart. It was quite an overwhelming sight to behold. E
verywhere they passed by, trees would fall and houses would collapse. The
entire place was in ruins.

Dustin stood at the entrance to the medical center, blocking out the occa
sional
stray bursts of true energy that went their way. It was a good thing that
Albert had the sense to lead the fight away from them or the medical cen
ter would also have been destroyed.

“Dustin, who
would have thought that you had such a powerful elder in your family! Eve
n the four major gods cannot defeat him!” Maximus stared straight ahead a
t the five figures who were engaged in a tight battle. They moved so fast
that he could not even make out who each person
was.
“He’s not an elder,” Dustin said coldly,
“He’s not? Then why is he with your father?” Maximus was intrigued.
“He’s just a servant working for the Rhys family,” Dustin
answered aloofly. He didn’t particularly like Albert.
“A servant?” Maximus could not believe his ears. He was awe–
struck, to say the least.

“You have such a powerful person as a servant? Are you royalty, Dustin?”
Maximus wondered to himself.

“We’ve got trouble.” Suddenly, Dustin seemed to detect something. His hea
d
whipped up, and he stared intently down the street. The lights along the
street briefly dimmed before they started to flicker.

In the blurriness, a figure could be seen coming towards them. When the l
ights came on, the figure disappeared, and when the lights went out, the
figure materialized again. He approached closer each time the lights flic
kered, and in just a matter of seconds, the person appeared before the cr
owd. It was an old man with a black beard who wore a dark cloak. He was s
hrouded in a dark mist and emanated an air of demise.
“I–I–
I… I know him! He’s Hades, God of the Underworld from the Hall of Gods!”
Someone from the crowd exclaimed all of a sudden.
Chaos broke out instantly!

“Good heavens! Even Hades, God of the Underworld is here! What on earth i
s going on today?” The three Williams men were scared out of their wits a
nd reduced to a flustered state.

The reason behind their shock was that Hades, God of the Underworld, was
a royal
god! His status and power far exceeded those of major gods like Athena an
d Ares. They were on two completely different levels. There was no mistak
e in saying that his presence in the Hall of Gods was unparalleled.

If the strongest of major gods were comparable to grandmasters in Dragonm
arsh, then a royal god would
be equivalent to the most superior of ultimate grandmasters. There were o
nly a handful of

ultimate grandmasters in Dragonmarsh, and each of them was regarded as a
national treasure. They usually busied themselves with protecting the cou
ntry’s borders or guarding the palace grounds, and they rarely ever made
public appearances.

The same could be said for the royal gods of the Hall of Gods. They were
never deployed unless their nation’s security was at risk of being breach
ed. Akin to nuclear weapons, they were more often used to intimidate and
deter enemies rather than to engage in actual battles.

But today, it was truly beyond anyone’s imagination that the most elite p
erson in Streuqua, a royal god from the Hall of Gods, would actually make
an appearance here in Dragonmarsh! Were they here to initiate war?

“It’s been a long time, Mr. Rhys.” Hades took off his cloak and nodded at
Rufus like he was greeting an old friend.

“The Hall of Gods has truly gone all out this time around! Even a royal g
od has been deployed! Wouldn’t it be a
calamity if your nation lost you here?” Rufus raised a brow, looking as c
alm as
ever.

“Mr. Rhys, if you were in West Lucozia, it goes without saying that I wou
ld not act rashly. Unfortunately, you have
chosen to leave your own safe zone, so don’t be surprised that we’re taki
ng action,” Hades said with a smirk.

“Oh, so do you think that you’re able to kill me?” Rufus asked lightly.

“We’ve done our investigation. You only have a grandmaster guarding you n
ow. Athena and the rest of them will be able to keep him busy. And that w
ould leave me to deal with you alone, and I’m
fairly certain I can take your life.” Hades was very confident in their
plan.
There was an ace in the West Lucozian army
who was extremely accomplished in his swordsmanship, and Hades
knew that he was no match against that person. But luckily for them, pers
on was not here today, so this was the best chance for the Hall of Gods t
o launch an attack on them.
that

As long as Rufus died, West Lucozia would be left without a leader, and S
treuqua could boldly invade them, and they wouldn’t stand a chance. This
was a vital step for them, and they would not allow themselves to fail!

“Since you already have everything planned out, come on then,” Rufus invi
ted impassively. “Have your last look at the mortal realm, Mr. Rhys!”

Chapter 362

Hades mimicked a courteous Dragonmarshian gesture before he raised a hand
and swiftly brought it downward. As a loud thunder boomed around them, t
he dark shadow of a palm the size of a hill materialized
out of nowhere, and with the downward motion of Hades‘ hand, it too slamm
ed down upon Rufus.

Under the enormous shadow, Rufus looked as tiny as an ant. Had the impact
been brought down anywhere else, it would have reduced the entire medica
l center to a pile of rubble, much less any human.

“Boom!” Even from a great distance away, most of the Boulderthorn members
fell to their knees and threw up blood from the remnant of the force. Vu
lnerable bystanders were
always the ones who bore the brunt of the consequences whenever there wer
e conflicts between those of greater power.

Ultimate grandmasters were basically nuclear weapons in human form! Just
one move from them was enough to bring down mountains and cause the earth
beneath their feet
to part! Of course, these mere mortals would not be able to withstand it.

“Huh?” Dustin’s brows furrowed when he saw the huge shadow of a palm over
head. Just as he was hesitating on whether he should go ahead
and make a move, an old man dressed in white emerged and pulled Rufus beh
ind him.

At the same time, the old man emitted dazzling golden rays from his body,
and a golden giant about 15 feet tall arose from behind him. In one swif
t motion, the giant’s fist made contact with the enormous palm–shaped
shadow. With a reverberating bang, the shadow, which was about the size o
f a hill, instantly shattered into fine shards. The golden giant stood mo
tionless and steady behind the old man, looking very much like a golden s
tatue.

“Who are you?” Hades demanded maliciously. He had thought that they had t
heir assassination plan down to a tee. It had never occurred to them that
there would be a secret master hidden under their nose.

“You may call me Wilkins. I’m just a regular attendant in Aylka.” Though
the old man had white hair, he had a childlike appearance. When he spoke,
his gaze was cast downward to the ground, showing extreme humility and s
ubmission, and he lacked any sort of authority.
“Mr. Wilkins?” Hades squinted as he studied the man in front of him.

Then, it suddenly seemed to dawn on him. “Oh! I remember now. So you’re N
estor Wilkins? The legendary, unrivaled master within the palace gates?”

“That’s just a rumor. Nothing of the sort.” Still, the old man hung his h
ead low, as if embarrassed.

“I do not care if that’s a rumor. I need you to get lost right now, or I’
ll make sure you never get to see the next sunrise!” Hades ordered haught
ily. They were in Dragonmarsh territory now, so he needed to get things d
one as fast as possible. The longer things
dragged on, the higher their chances of failing were.

“I can’t.” Nestor shook his head. “I’ve come bearing two orders, and the
first one is to protect the prince.”

“Oh? And what of the second one?” Hades asked nonchalantly.

“To annihilate the gods of Streuqua.” And as he spoke, Nestor suddenly di
sappeared into thin air. When he took form again, he stood right in front
of Hades with less than three feet between them.

“Huh?” Hades blanched. He felt like he had fallen into an icy stream. His
scalp crawled, and all his hair stood on end.

Just as he was about to make a move, Nestor grabbed him by the throat and
lifted him up over his head. Hades stiffened all over, and he could not
feel his limbs. He could not even lift a finger. Gasps of astonishment br
oke out all around as they saw how weak Hades was in this person’s hands.

“We have laws here. And when you’re in our territory, you’ve got to obey
our laws. It doesn’t matter if you’re a human, a demon, or a god; if you
break our laws, you will pay for it. Oh, and I forgot to mention, no gods
allowed in Dragonmarsh!” And with that, Nestor’s grip on Hades‘ throat
tightened, and with a deafening
crack, his neck was snapped in two. Hades ceased to exist right then and
there.

Chapter 363

A deathly silence fell over the crowd. Even the fierce battle that raged
on between Albert
and the four major gods came to a standstill. Everyone gaped with disbeli
ef as they watched on. Hades, the God of the Underworld, a royal god of t
he Hall of Gods, had died just like that? With just one move? By a mere m
ortal? How the hell was that possible?

He possessed powers no less than those of ultimate grandmasters and was a
supreme expert in Streuqua! His level of destruction was supposed to be
on the same level as nuclear weapons! But such an impressive person just
had his neck snapped by an old man! How horrifying!

After a short moment of eerie silence, a commotion broke out.

“I wasn’t hallucinating, was I? A royal god from the Hall of Gods had jus
t been killed in one move?” “Oh goodness! What’s going on? Am I dreaming?
”
“An impressive fight! An impressive fight indeed!”

The members of Boulderthorn watched everything with their hearts in their
mouths. From the Williams men to the guildmaster, Sir Lincoln, every one
of them was gripped by fear. Who would have thought that an attendant wa
s so mighty? Was this truly the power of the unrivaled master in the pala
ce? He was fearsome!

“Lord Hades died?” Athena and the rest of the major gods were horrified b
y the sight before them. Their original plan had been to let the four of
them hold the West Lucozian army back while Lord Hades delivered the fata
l blow to Rufus.

They had predicted every possibility that could happen during the assassi
nation, rehearsed a million times, and had a success rate of over 99%. Bu
t in all of their predictions, they had never expected Nestor to arrive s
o soon, and that even Lord Hades was no match for him. As much as they we
re unwilling to accept defeat, they had no means of denying it. They were
utterly and completely defeated!

“Ares! Get out of here!” Athena hissed through clenched teeth as she made
a dash for it.

“Damn it! We were so close!” Ares roared defiantly. However, he had no ot
her choice but to escape along with his comrades. If the person was able
to kill Lord Hades, then they clearly weren’t a match for him.

“Do you think that you can escape?” Nestor’s eyes narrowed before he disa
ppeared once again. When he appeared
again five minutes later, he held four heads in his hands.

Athena, Ares, Apollo, and Heracles… The four major gods from the Hall of
Gods. Not a single one of them escaped. All four of them died at the hand
s of Nestor Wilkins.

The crowd inhaled sharply at the grotesque sight of four bloody heads han
ging from his hands. To even have the chance of escaping was a luxury in
and of itself in the face of true power. At that moment, Nestor was a per
son who was many times more daunting than any God they ever believed in.

With a dull thud, Nestor chucked the heads aside. Then, under the disbeli
eving gaze of the crowd, he got on one knee before Rufus and Dustin. “Nes
tor Wilkins at your service, Your Highness,

Prince of Theswe! And at your service, Your Grace!” With that, he bowed d
eeply with such humility towards them.

“What?” The crowd felt as if they had been struck by lightning and were a
ll shocked silly. They had not even gotten over the fact that four major
gods and a royal god had been killed today, and now they had even more su
rprising news to digest.

Never in their dreams had they ever imagined that the unrivaled master fr
om the palace, someone who had killed Hades with just a single move, woul
d get on his knees and bow to another person. in public.

How the hell was that possible? They had always known that only the stron
g were respected. The old man, Nestor, seemed almost invincible! He was d
efinitely the most superior person in all of Dragonmarsh!

Chapter 364
A person as mighty as him should have
been respected and admired by all, no matter where he went. His presence
alone
should be worshiped like that of a god, so why was he behaving so humbly?

“Prince of Theswe? Your Grace?” Clement stared dully, first at Rufus and
then at Dustin. He felt an immense fear that he had never experienced bef
ore crept up on him and spread throughout his entire being.

There was only one person in the whole world
who was known as the Prince of Theswe, and that person was the ruler of W
est Lucozia, the person who had
total control over the Rhys household, and the one person who reigned Dra
gonmarsh. It was the remarkable Rufus Rhys. Could it be possible that the
ugly and hunched old man was the indestructible Prince of Theswe?

At the thought of that, Clement was so terrified that he broke out in a c
old sweat and looked as white as a sheet.

And if the hunched old man was the Prince of Theswe, then wouldn’t Dustin
, who was addressed as “Your Grace“, be the son of the Prince of Theswe?
Which would make him… the renowned Kirin, Logan Rhys?

Clement’s knees buckled, and he fell heavily to the ground on his backsid
e. His face was ashen, and his gaze was full of despair. He wasn’t the on
ly one reduced to such a state. By then, all three of the Williams men we
re also trembling and shaking in fear.

Brody, especially, quivered like a leaf, and his pants were dripping wet.
He was so scared that he had wet himself! None of
them had ever thought that the person they had assumed to be just a small
fry would turn out to be the son of the Prince of Theswe! And they had o
ffended him!

“Get up, Mr. Wilkins. What’s a grown man doing staying on his knees every
where he goes? Oh, wait. I nearly forgot. You’re not a man, are you?” Ruf
us mocked with the hint of a smile teasing on his lips.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Nestor’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly befor
e he resumed his humble and submissive facade.

“You’ve come just in time today. You must have followed me the entire way
here?” Rufus asked intentionally.

“The master was worried about your safety, Your Highness, so he sent me t
o secretly protect you along the way. I beg for your pardon ” Nestor lowe
red his head.

“To protect me? I’m sure you meant he sent you to spy on me?” Rufus smile
d ambiguously.

“Please do not get the wrong idea, Sir. You are of esteemed status, and y
our identity dictates the destiny of the whole of Dragonmarsh. Even the s
lightest scratch or injury on you would threaten the fate of the nation,”
Nestor explained humbly.

“Hah! What a good attendant you are!” Rufus reached out to give Nestor a
pat on the back.
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Nestor nodded.

“We shouldn’t stay here any longer, Sir. Please return to West Lucozia im
mediately to ensure that
you face no mishap.”
“Oh? Are you telling me what to do now?” Rufus‘ expression darkened.
“I would never dare to.” Nestor held his head low.
“If you’re
a servant, then act as a servant should. Don’t you ever dare tell me what
to do, or you’ll be sorry,” Rufus warned.
“Yes, Your Highness.” Nestor remained submissive and kept
his gaze fixed on the ground.

“Well, why are you still here? Get lost!” Rufus waved his hand impatientl
y.
“Yes, Sir,” Nestor answered.

Just as he was about to take his leave, he was stopped by Dustin. “Hold u
p! Did I say you could leave?”

“Do you have any orders, Your Grace?” Once again, Nestor kept his head lo
w.
“Tell
me, were you involved in the incident ten years ago?” Dustin asked coldly
.
“I do not understand what you’re referring to, Your Grace.”

“Do you not understand, or are you feigning ignorance?” Dustin’s gaze was
frosty, and killing intent was starting to surface.

“I’ll ask you one last time. Did you have anything to do with my mother’s
death?”

“You must have been mistaken, Your Grace. I know nothing about it.” Nesto
r shook his head. “Who, in the whole of Aylka, could stop my mother, if n
ot for you, an ultimate grandmaster?” Dustin clenched his fists, and fury
burned within him.

“From what I know, the princess consort had passed on due to an ailment.”
Nestor sidestepped.
“f*ck you and your ailments! Go to
hell, vermin!” Dustin pulled out his sword and charged headon toward him.

Chapter 365
With a whoosh, Dustin’s sword
immediately emitted blinding rays. Swift as the wind and with such immens
e strength, he drove his sword toward Nestor’s chest.

Out of nowhere, an enormous and translucent golden bell came down out of
the sky and landed around Nestor with a dull thud, shielding him from Dus
tin’s attack. As the tip of Dustin’s sword made contact with the golden b
ell, rings of ripples spread out from
the point of contact as they would on the surface of the water.

There weren’t any sounds produced, no explosion, and not even so much as
a tiny clang from the impact. The true energy that Dustin channeled was c
ompletely absorbed by the bell and did not harm Nestor at all.

“What are you doing, Your Grace?” Nestor’s expression remained unchanged.

“I’m doing away with you!” Dustin kicked himself off the ground and prope
lled himself forward, stabbing the golden bell forcefully. Strong ripples
spread out across the bell once again, but still, it remained intact and
did not even budge an inch from its position.

“Your Grace, I came bearing orders from the master. Do you think this is
a good idea?” Nestor asked calmly.
Dustin did not say a word and merely
drove his sword against the bell continuously. With his ceaseless effort,
the bell gradually started to vibrate, and the ripples on it grew more v
iolent.

After another ten stabs or so, Dustin’s sword suddenly snapped with a cla
ng and fell to the ground noisily. It was just an ordinary sword that cou
ld not withstand the constant surges of true energy channeled from
Dustin.

“That’s enough!” Rufus stopped Dustin when he saw that Dustin was still i
ntent on attacking Nestor.
“You’re no match for him. There’s no point carrying on.”

“Who’s to say I’m no match for him? We’ll never know until we end this!”
Dustin retorted defiantly. “He came under orders, and he has someone behi
nd him. If anything were to happen to him here, you wouldn’t be able to b
ear the consequences!” Rufus warned him.

“So? Are you telling me that I should stand idly by and watch as my mothe
r’s murderer walks away without doing anything?” Dustin’s eyes were blood
shot, and he looked much like a bloodthirsty beast.

“Hear me out, Logan. Now’s not the time yet.” Rufus shook his head. Nesto
r was the King’s most trusted guard. If, for any reason, he happened to d
ie in their hands, it would have many repercussions.

He did not wish for his son to be entangled in the mess that took place a
ll those years ago. At least, not yet; it was still not the time yet.

“Rufus Rhys, if you do not wish to be implicated, then just back off! I w
ill take full responsibility and bear all the consequences of my actions
today. This has nothing to do
with the Rhys family!” Dustin roared menacingly before once again chargin
g toward Nestor with his broken sword.
This time, Nestor no longer played the part of the defensive
party. He removed the golden bell that shielded him from Dustin’s attacks
and let Dustin do as he wished.

Just as Dustin was about to make contact with his target, a dragon cane p
arried his sword, blocking his advances.
“Mr. Logan! Please calm down! Many will die if
you harm him!” Albert warned gravely.

“How dare you block me!” Dustin’s expression darkened even more. He looke
d feral and seemed intent on murdering anyone who dared stop him from ach
ieving his goal of killing Nestor.

“Quit messing around, lad!” Gregory, who stood a little way to the back,
called out to him.

“All this fighting is meaningless. If you really have a mind to get reven
ge, you might as well just march right up to Stonia and launch an attack
on Aylka!”

Dustin clenched his jaws and took a deep breath when he heard that. Final
ly, he suppressed his urge to kill and backed off. Of course, he knew tha
t Nestor was nothing more than a puppet and that there was someone
else behind the scenes.

Gregory was right. If he really wanted revenge, he would have to go up to
them with his head held high and kill openly without any restraints. He
would make those who were in power in Aylka tremble with fear!

“What are you still standing around here for, scum? Get the hell out of h
ere now!” Rufus struck Nestor harshly with his foot.

“I shall take my leave now,” Nestor said humbly before he nodded at them
and turned to leave. But before
he left, he deliberately turned back and shot Dustin a challenging glance
.

“Listen up, Wilkins! I will personally go to Aylka for you in a year! I w
ill fight you to the
death at the highest fort in Aylka!” Dustin’s fury was overwhelming and u
nbridled.

“I await for your presence, Your Grace.” Nestor smiled curtly before quic
kly disappearing into the darkness.
“You acted too rashly, young
man! Even though he’s just an attendant, he’s an unrivaled master in Aylk
a! The Sword Whisperer is the only person in the whole of West Lucozia wh
o can put up a fight against him! Did you really think that it would be s
o easy to kill him?” Gregory asked huffily.
His words seemed to have more effect on Dustin than Rufus‘.

“Of course, I know that it wouldn’t be easy to kill him off. I was just p
utting on a show.” The resentful and feral expression on his face had com
pletely dissolved away and was
instead replaced by his usual calmness and nonchalance.
“Putting on a show?” Gregory did not understand what he meant.

“A decade ago, he designed such an intricate scheme just to do away with
me. I do not believe that his desire to get rid of me will change after a
decade. If I did not make a move earlier on, he’d
still find a means of assessing me. If that were the case, I’d much rathe
r make the first move and show him what a vengeful and aggressive young r
ascal I am,” Dustin said aloofly.

“Have you been acting the whole time, lad?” Gregory quickly caught on to
what he meant.
“Not exactly acting. I
was dead serious about wanting to do him in. I simply made myself seem
more impulsive and quick–
tempered, and I also showed him how little progress I’ve made over the ye
ars so that they would not be too wary and guarded against me.” Dustin lo
oked up calmly into the sky with bright eyes. He had ten years of practic
e that allowed him to mask his emotions and not let anyone see past his t
rue feelings.

“The strong show weakness to their enemies, whereas the weak show strengt
h. Well done, young man! You truly have some tricks up your sleeves!” Gre
gory laughed heartily.
“Hah! He takes after his father!” Rufus lifted his chin proudly.

Dustin paid him no heed and raised his sword. With a quick swish, he brou
ght his sword down in an arc, and Clement, who had been secretly attempti
ng to escape, was sliced in half.
“Pl–please don’t kill me… I’m begging you, please don’t-
” Luther and his two sons were begging on their knees as tears ran down t
heir faces. But before they could even finish their words, Dustin brought
his sword down on them, and all three of them were beheaded.

“I gave you lots of chances, but you never treasured them.” And then, he
turned around and walked into the center as though nothing had ever happe
ned.
“Albert, spare no one,” Rufus ordered impassively.

“Yes, Sir.” Albert nodded. Then, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes as
he turned to face the members of Royal Valor. He looked like a ravenous
beast who had spotted a flock of lambs. They were going to pay with their
lives for angering Rufus!

Chapter 366

After he left Peaceful Medical Center, Nestor quickly got into a car. The
driver was a pale young man with handsome features who had a layer of th
ick makeup and bright red lipstick. It was hard to identify his gender at
first glance.

“Who would have
thought that Logan Rhys would have gone into hiding in such a pathetic me
dical center for the past ten years that he’d been missing, Mr. Wilkins?
And it seems like he’s still very much hung up on the incident back then.
Should I put an end to him when the opportunity arises so that we won’t
get into any trouble with him in the future?” The pale man had a shrill v
oice that carried a hint of malice.

“We can’t kill him yet,” Nestor said calmly with his eyes closed. “So lon
g as Rufus is still in power, nobody will be able to harm him.”

“Every mortal goes through life and death, Sir. I promise I’ll make his d
eath look so natural that nobody will suspect anything amiss.” The pale m
an chuckled venomously.

“Don’t be silly. Things aren’t as simple as you make them out to be.” Nes
tor shook his head. “Do you know why Rufus willingly stayed cooped up in
West Lucozia serving our master when he has such impressive skills and a
troop of 500,000 men at his disposal?”

“Of course, it’s because he’s intimidated by our majestic and powerful ma
ster!” The pale man declared proudly.

“It’s partially true that he’s intimidated, but more importantly, it’s be
cause he’s worried about the potential consequences.” Nestor gave a sligh
t smile. “As long as the so–
called Kirin is around, Rufus will never take action, no matter how ambit
ious he is. On the contrary, Rufus would be an uncontrollable beast with
nothing left to
lose once his son was dead. And when that day comes, Stonia’s destiny wil
l be rewritten.”

When the Princess Consort of West Lucozia died a decade ago, Rufus had at
tempted to deploy his armies from the borders several times. But in the e
nd, he always held back.
Was the reason
behind it because he feared death? Or was it because he feared the King?
What a joke! The true reason behind his retreat was to protect Logan. Sim
ply put, the influential and great Prince of Theswe only had one last pre
cious treasure left, and that was his son, Logan. If anything were to hap
pen to him, mayhem would break out in Stonia.
“Sir, I’m just worried that when Logan returns
to West Lucozia and inherits the throne, it’ll bring great disaster upon
us!” The pale man reminded Nestor.
“Hah! The so–
called Kirin that people claimed to be an unrivaled genius is just a rasc
al who’s still wet behind the ears. He’s impulsive and easily angered; he
’s utterly transparent. Even if a person like him inherits the throne, he
’d just be a reckless man who does not warrant our fear. I’m certain. tha
t once Rufus Rhys dies, the entire Rhys family, and even the whole of Wes
t Lucozia, will fall apart and end up in a mess!” Nestor smiled vilely.

“But Rufus is only in his fifties. What if he still has a long life ahead
of him? Will we continue living in fear
for another twenty or thirty years to come?” The pale man frowned.

“It wouldn’t take so long. Just wait. Things will soon come to an end.” A
meaningful smirk crept

Chapter 366

up on Nestor’s face. The master had waited for ten years; it was ten year
s‘ worth of laying out their tactics. It was almost time to carry out the
ir plan and reap the fruits of their labor.
When Dustin woke up the next morning, the medical center had
been thoroughly cleaned, both inside and out. All traces of the fight tha
t took place the night prior had vanished, and all relevant information h
ad been hidden away.
Everything was as calm and peaceful as before..

“Lad, your father has returned to West Lucozia.” Gregory walked down the
stairs toward him. As opposed to his usual drunken state, he seemed excep
tionally sober today.

Chapter 367

“He should have left long ago. He’s only going to bring us trouble if he
stays here,” Dustin said frostily.

“Before your father left, he asked me to talk you into returning to the R
hys family. I refused.” Gregory sat down on a chair and poured himself a
cup of tea.

“I told him that the Rhys household is a dangerous place to be in. I’d mu
ch rather see you do what you love and live your best life out here than
be constantly caught in power struggles and deceitful manipulations back
there. Surprisingly, he agreed. He told me that all he wants is for you t
o be happy, and that the Rhys family will always be there to back you up.
His only wish is for you to make time to go back and visit your mother’s
grave to pay her respect.”

Dustin stood there, frozen in place, when he heard that. He felt a prick
on his chest, right above his heart. He reached up to find that it was th
e crystal necklace that his mother had left him.

Taking in a deep breath, he said, “I’ll go back. But now’s not the time.
The day the murderer pays with his life will be the day I return!”

Because how could he visit his mother’s grave now knowing that her death
has yet to be avenged?

“Alright then, I’ve said all that’s left to be said. You make your own de
cision.” Then Gregory downed the cup of tea and went upstairs, ready to g
o back to bed again. As for Dustin, he sat on a chair and started to pond
er over his great vengeance scheme.

“What’s on your mind?” Dahlia walked in and waved a hand in front of Dust
in’s face.
“Hey, when did you come in?” Dustin was surprised to see her.

“You didn’t even see me coming in? What are you so lost in thought over?
Is it me you’re thinking about, or is it Natasha that’s occupying your th
oughts?” Dahlia probed inquisitively.

“Neither.” Dustin shook his head. That was a trick question, and he knew
better than to answer it. “Oh? Is there someone else that you’ve got your
mind on?” Dahlia asked, looking at him questioningly.
“Of course not!” Dustin was amused by Dahlia’s question.

Then, he quickly changed the topic. “Did you come here so early in the mo
rning to ask me about this?”

“Hah! Do you think I have nothing better to do with my time?” Dahlia roll
ed her eyes at him. “I’ve come to share some good news! The Nicholson fam
ily in Glenstead has finally accepted our family again! We’ll be reunifie
d. From now on, we’ll be scions of a prestigious family!”
“Oh? Is that so? Well, congratulations!” Dustin chuckled.

“That’s not all!” Dahlia smiled proudly. “Not only have we been accepted
to return, but the patriarch of the family, Regulus Nicholson, has also l
isted me as a potential successor! I’ll stand a chance of competing again
st the rest of his offspring as the future head of the household!”

“So what you mean, is that as long as you perform well, you stand a chanc
e of becoming the
head of a prominent family?” Dustin was quick to catch on.
Chapter 367

“Precisely!” Dahlia snapped her fingers and giggled excitedly. “So many p
eople dream about being listed as potential successors of the family. I n
ever would have guessed that the patriarch would choose me! What a pleasa
nt surprise!”

Truth be told, she hadn’t held high hopes of being reunited with the Nich
olson family of Glenstead. She knew that even if she were to return to th
e prestigious family, she would not be properly recognized or appreciated
as she wasn’t part of the direct lineage.

But things were different now. To be selected as a potential successor wa
s a big deal.. It put her at a different standing and status from all the
other descendants who weren’t on the list. This was her one chance to ta
ke control of her destiny and break free from the oppression of her famil
y. All she needed to do was prove her worth and defeat her competitors, a
nd she’d be able to emerge as a successor and rise above them all.

“Congratulations! Seems like the patriarch is placing great importance on
your family!” Dustin
smiled.

“Well, of course!” Dahlia lifted her chin confidently. “Now that the chan
ce presents itself, you better butter me up nice and well or you’ll be so
rry you missed the opportunity to do so when I become the successor!”

Chapter 368
Amused by Dahlia’s antics, Dustin chuckled and nodded
furiously in a joking manner. “Ah, yes! All hail, Ms. Nicholson! The ever
–
capable and talented Ms. Nicholson is bound to be the leader of a promine
nt household one day!” Then, he even went so far as to pump his fist in t
he air dramatically to entertain her.

“Hey! Quit fooling around! I’m being serious here! As long as I become th
e matriarch of the Nicholson family, I’ll be even more influential than N
atasha Harmon! And when the time comes, I’ll take good care of you!” Dahl
ia raised her chin and declared confidently.

Anyone could tell that she was full of hope and determination. In the pas
t, Dahlia had always felt inferior compared to Natasha due to their diffe
rences in background and social status. But now
that she was a potential successor to the Nicholson family, she was on pa
r with her, and they would have to vie for Dustin according to their abil
ities.

Right then, Dahlia’s phone rang. She answered the call and quickly heard
Florence’s voice.” Honey, where are you? Come back immediately. Madam Glo
ria from the Nicholson family in Glenstead is here to see you.”
”

“Madam Gloria? Why is she here?” Dahlia tried to gather more information
to grasp the situation over at Florence’s.

Regulus Nicholson, the patriarch of the family, had been a remarkably out
standing man in his youth, and he had married three wives. His first wife
was over 70 years old, and both his second and third wives
were more than 60 years old. Gloria Gustav was his third wife.

“Haven’t you been selected as a potential successor of the family? I’m su
re Madam Gloria is here to cozy up to you. You’re in luck!” Florence excl
aimed excitedly.

“Okay. I’ll head home right away.” Dahlia ended the call, and without say
ing anything else, she led Dustin out the door with her.
“What? I’m going too?” Dustin was caught off guard.

“You’re part of the family too, aren’t you? So why not?” Dahlia retorted.
“But…”
“Alright, cut the chit–
chat! This is your chance to gain favor from an influential person!” And
with that, Dahlia dragged Dustin along with her and got into the car. One
had to be assertive and dominant with men occasionally. At least that’s
what she read.

Half an hour later, they pulled up at the entrance to the Nicholson villa
. When they got out of the car and went in, they found that there was alr
eady quite a crowd in the living room. An old lady with thick make–
up who was heavily adorned with all sorts of jewelry sat at the center of
the crowd. She even had a serpent–
head cane clutched in one of her hands.

Dakota and Jane sat to either side of her, regarding her with such revere
nce and respect, while Florence and
James only stood by the side, appearing exceptionally meek. They looked l
ike household staff who were waiting on her when they were, in fact, the
rightful owners of
the place. “Honey, you’re finally home!” Florence quickly went up to Dahl
ia when she saw her. However, just
as she was about to
continue, she caught sight of Dustin following in behind Dahlia. Her expr
ession immediately darkened as she hissed, “Who asked for you to be here,
Rhys! I haven’t made you pay for the fake gemstone your father gave me y
esterday! How dare you show your face here today?”

“Fake gemstone?” Dustin raised a brow at that. “Are you mistaken? Rufus m
ight be a degenerate, but he’d never stoop so low as to fool others with
fake goods.”

“Hah! How dare you make excuses! I sent Julie to have the gemstone apprai
sed, and they confirmed that it was a synthetic gemstone! I’m warning you
, you better pay for my loss! I won’t back off without at least 5 million
dollars!” Florence demanded meanly.

“Mom, there might be some misunderstanding going on.” Dahlia tried to smo
oth things over between them.
“Hah! What misunderstanding could there be? We
have already proven that it’s a fake gemstone! His entire family is full
of swindlers!” Florence spat angrily.

“Hey! What are you bunch bickering about? Don’t you see that my grandma i
s here? Get over here and pay your respects!” Dakota barked impatiently f
rom the couch. How dare they whisper and chat among themselves when
her grandmother was right there in the center of the living room? Didn’t
they know that they should greet her and pay their respects to her first?
How rude!

“Hmph! I’m not done with you yet!” Florence glared at Dustin angrily. But
when she turned towards Gloria, there was a bright smile on her face onc
e again. Dustin shook his head at her subservient attitude.

“Dahlia, this is Madam Gloria. She’s an important person in the Nicholson
family!” Florence gestured towards the heavily made–
up old lady fawningly.

“It is an honor to meet you, Madam Gloria.” Dahlia nodded at Gloria respe
ctively. From the looks of it, Gloria did not look like someone who was n
ice to be around.

“Tea.” Gloria sat in the middle of the living room with her hands on her
cane, looking
condescending and arrogant.
“Quick! Serve Madam Gloria some tea!” Florence immediately signaled
Dahlia.

Dahlia nodded, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Gloria respectfully.

“Is this how you serve tea? Have you no manners?” Gloria asked darkly.
“What?” Dahlia did not understand what she meant by that.

“Grandma, this is just how uncultured people behave. They do not know how
to conduct themselves befitting of elite families like ours.” Dakota smi
rked.

“Dahlia Nicholson, don’t you know that in the Nicholson family, it’s cust
omary for one to stand behind their elders and serve them tea with both h
ands from behind? That’s how you show your respect and sincerity.”

“Standing behind them and serving tea from behind?” Dahlia frowned. Does
anyone still do that these days? She wasn’t a maid–in–
waiting, for goodness‘ sake!
“What? You’re not willing to
do so? It looks like you’re being disrespectful to my grandma!” Dakota re
marked snidely.

“No, no! That’s definitely not the case!” Florence waved her hands quickl
y.

“Dahlia’s just not used to these customs. Please do not get angry, Madam
Gloria. I’ll serve you tea.” Flustered, Florence took the tea from Dahlia
and went around to stand behind Gloria, serving her tea respectfully wit
h both hands.

“Who do you think you are? Do you think you’re even fit to serve me tea?”
Gloria looked at Florence with such contempt, clearly having no intentio
n to take the cup of tea from her.

“Well…” Florence’s smile stiffened as she stood there awkwardly. In the e
nd, she had no choice but to turn to Dahlia. “Honey, quick, serve Madam G
loria her tea. It makes perfect sense for you to serve your elders tea.”

Dahlia’s brows knitted together tightly as she looked at Florence pleadin
gly. Finally, she gave in. She took a cup of tea and stood behind Gloria,
and then served it to her with both hands in the most respectful manner.
“Hmph! We should have done this
right from the start to save us all the hassle!” Dakota gloated with a sm
irk on her face.

“Don’t you always behave like you’re all that? Where’s the proud act you
always got? But after all that, you still have to humble yourself and ser
ve my grandma tea!” Dakota thought to herself gleefully.

As Dahlia stood behind Gloria and served her the tea, Gloria did not take
it immediately. Instead, she let Dahlia stand there for some time before
she slowly reached out to take the cup of tea. She took a small sip, tur
ned around, and spat it all on Dahlia’s face.
“Hey! Are you trying to scald me with such
hot tea?” Gloria slammed her hand furiously on
the table and shot to her feet, accusing Dahlia nastily.

Chapter 369

At the sight of the cold glare Gloria shot her, Dahlia frowned, and her e
xpression darkened too. This was no longer about paying respect or follow
ing customary practices. When Gloria spat the tea on her face, she made i
t clear that she was blatantly insulting her. She was here to flex her au
thority over Dahlia and exert dominance over them all!

“What’s wrong with you, Dahlia? Grandma asked for tea, and you served it
to her boiling hot? Did you do it on purpose?” Dakota started to pin the
blame relentlessly on Dahlia once she saw the opportunity.

“I think someone’s just not happy with us and is deliberately trying to m
ake things difficult!” Jane echoed.

“No, no, no! Dahlia did not do it on purpose! Besides, I’ve had the tea t
oo, it isn’t boiling hot!” Florence quickly tried to salvage the situatio
n.

“Oh, so what you’re saying is that I’m lying?” Gloria’s expression was as
cold as ice.
“N–no! I–
I must have been mistaken. I’m sure the problem is with me,” Florence sai
d apologetically with an awkward laugh. She dared not refute Gloria’s wor
ds.

Gloria, Jane, and Dakota were secretly pleased by her response. After all
, their main purpose there was to flaunt their dominance so that Dahlia a
nd her family would learn to submit to them.
“Why
are you still standing there, Dahlia? Pour Grandma another cup of tea!” D
akota ordered huffily. She really could not fathom why the patriarch woul
d pick this woman to be a potential. successor to the family. Even Dakota
herself did not have such privilege, so she was both livid and green wit
h envy.

“Sure, sure! I’ll pour another cup right away.” Not daring to stall any l
onger, Florence immediately brought a fresh cup of tea over and handed it
to Dahlia, beckoning for her to serve Gloria the tea again. Dahlia, howe
ver, did not take the cup of tea. She could tell
from their actions that they were intentionally being difficult and findi
ng fault with her.

“What? Do you think that you’re above all of us?” Gloria shot her a nasty
side–
eye. “If you can’t even perform these basic practices, then I think you’r
e really unfit to be the successor of the family!”

As she said that, she pulled out a document and slapped it on the table.
“Have you any idea what this is? This is your letter of authorization. Th
e family has a conglomerate with a market value of over 10 billion in the
southern province. You have initially been nominated as president to fur
ther expand the group, but from what I’ve seen today, you do not
seem worthy of the position.” Gloria looked down on Dahlia dismissively.

“A conglomerate worth over 10 billion?” Florence’s breathing became errat
ic when she heard that. If her daughter were to become president of a con
glomerate worth over 10 billion dollars, it would drastically improve the
family’s status and lifestyle!

“Dahlia! Quick! Serve Madam Gloria her tea now!” Florence urged, signalin
g to Dahlia as best she could. This was the opportunity of a lifetime! Sh
e’d never let her pass it up! So what if she was humiliated? What did it
matter anyway when there were 10 billion dollars involved?

“Dahlia, keep your eyes on the prize!” James urged her too. If he were to
be known as the brother

of the president of a 10 billion dollar conglomerate, all the beautiful w
omen out there would eagerly flock to him in a heartbeat!

When Dahlia saw the expectant look in her mother’s and brother’s eyes, sh
e drew a deep
breath and finally picked up the cup of tea and served it to Gloria. And
then, beyond everyone’s expectations, she took a sip and spat it all on D
ahlia’s face once again.
“It’s tèpid,” she said impassively.

By then, even Florence and James could tell that something was amiss. Fir
st, she said that it scalded her, and now, she complained that it was tep
id. Was it really tea that
she was after? It was obvious to everyone that she was deliberately putti
ng on a show to put Dahlia in a difficult position.

“Well, why are you idling? Get Grandma another cup!” Dakota commanded hau
ghtily with a subtle smile.

“So what if you’re chosen as a potential successor? We still have you und
er our thumb!” Dakota thought to herself smugly.
“Fine,” Dahlia said nonchalantly.

Chapter 370

Dahlia seemed adamant about getting things over and done with. But just a
s she picked up the third cup

of tea and was about to serve it, someone’s hand stopped her. She turned
around and found that it was Dustin. With a frosty expression, he said, “
Let me do it this time.”

“You?” Dahlia did not understand what he was playing at. Knowing him, he
wasn’t one to bow down to others‘ wishes easily. Could he be doing this f
or her?

“Who do you think you are? Do you think you are even fit to serve Grandma
tea?” Dakota questioned arrogantly. She was here to shame Dahlia, not th
is good–for–nothing scumbag. “Hmph! You
uncultured folks! How dare you speak in my presence?” Gloria lifted her c
hin, obviously dissatisfied.

“It’s just a cup of tea, what difference does it make who serves you? I’m
in an absolutely brilliant mood today, so I’ll personally serve you your
tea. Here.” Dustin picked up the cup and walked up to Gloria.

Then, under everyone’s disbelieving gaze, he emptied the entire cup over
Gloria’s head. Everything rained down on her–
tea, leaves, and all. Her whole face was wet, with tea leaves sticking al
l over.
For a moment, there was pin–
drop silence in the living room. Nobody had expected Dustin to
pull such a reckless move. This was one of the most influential members o
f the Nicholson family. She was Regulus‘ third wife! Wherever she went, s
he was admired and respected by all. When
had she ever been disgraced as such?

“Dustin! How dare you!” Dakota was the first to react. “You must be out o
f your goddamn mind! How dare you humiliate Grandma like this!”
“Y–
you! Dimwitted swine! Have you any idea what a grave mistake you’ve commi
tted?” Gloria glared at him with such vengeance. Her body shook with ange
r. Having been in authority in such a prominent family for so long, she w
as used to humiliating others, never the other way around. “My, such a fi
ery temper. I guess one cup isn’t enough
to do the job. Here, have another.” Dustin smiled mirthlessly and poured
a glass of piping hot water before splashing it on Gloria’s face.
“Ah-!” Gloria shrieked in agony as
the water scalded her. The effect was almost immediate, and one side of h
er face soon became red and swollen. In hindsight, it looked pretty ridic
ulous and amusing.

“Do you see this? This is what I call boiling hot water,” Dustin said con
descendingly as if educating them.

“Rhys! Have you gone mad? How dare you harm them?” Florence exclaimed in
a state of shock and anger. It was bad enough that he had
poured the first cup of tea on her. To pour a second cup, which was boili
ng hot, was simply too much!

“When did I ever harm anyone? I’m merely serving an elder her tea.” Dusti
n shrugged.

Every family had its own rules. He understood that. If she only made Dahl
ia serve her tea as was customary in the family’s practices, he could let
that slip. But it was plain for all to see that Gloria

had shamed Dahlia on purpose by spitting the tea on Dahlia, and he damn w
ell wasn’t going to sit by and watch her do as she pleased.
“Guards! Where are my guards?” Gloria roared in a seething
rage. Within seconds, two of her bodyguards, who stood guard outside the
door, rushed in.

“How dare this insolent brat touch me? Guards, beat him up! He needs a go
od beating to teach him some manners!” Gloria roared.

“Yes, Ma’am!” The two bodyguards received their orders from Gloria and we
re ready
to bring Dustin down. But they had barely approached him when Dustin gave
them each a strong slap and sent them flying across the room, passed out
on the spot.

“It isn’t good practice to use your age as leverage. Dahlia is a potentia
l successor of the family. What good will it do you to disgrace her in pu
blic like this? Have you ever considered what consequences you’ll face if
she ever becomes the next matriarch? Everyone gets old one
day, but it’s important to maintain your clarity and make wise choices. I
f you insist on being unreasonable and making things difficult, don’t be
surprised when I take action.”

Chapter 371
Florence and the others present were stunned into silence
as they took in Dustin’s righteous speech. Their faces were etched with d
isbelief. How dare he humiliate the highly respected third matriarch of t
he Nicholsons in public!

“You… insolent brat! You? Teach me a lesson? Do you know I can bring your
family to ruins with just one word?” Gloria cradled her burning face as s
he screeched in anger, losing her previous dignified elegance.

“You can try.” Dustin showed no signs of fear.

“Hah!” Gloria exclaimed in anger before dissolving into scornful laughter
. “Oh, Florence, what a great family you have. I came all the way here to
Swinton just to elevate your family to a higher status. And yet, you’re
not only ungrateful, but you dare rebel against me? I believe this letter
of appointment would have better use for another person! Since you’re no
t interested in assuming the role of Chairman at Cardinal Group, I’ll hav
e the family patriarch revoke the appointment.”

As Gloria pulled out her phone, Florence panicked and fell to her knees w
ith a thud. She begged, ” Madam Gloria, let’s not be rash, shall we? This
punk has nothing to
do with us. You can’t put the blame on us for his actions.”

Dakota interjected, “Don’t listen to her nonsense, Grandma! This guy is t
heir son–in–law!” “Ex–ex–son–in–
law! They got a divorce a long time ago!” Florence corrected her vehement
ly.

“Hmph! No one cares about your complicated relationships! Since he’d alre
ady married into the Nicholsons, he’s a part of your family!” Gloria cont
inued with a dark expression, “Your family had better give us a satisfied
response; otherwise, we are no longer family!”
“R–
right! I’ll have him apologize immediately!” Florence nodded incessantly
and turned toward Dustin. She bellowed, “Rhys! Why are you still standing
there? Hurry up and get on your knees!” “You can kneel all you want. I’m
not about to indulge her,” Dustin said lazily.
“D–
did you hear that? Did you? This brat has no manners!” Gloria was irritat
ed to her core.
“Bastard! I told you to apologize!” As Florence erupted in fury, she
stood up
and was about to land a heavy slap when Dustin grabbed hold of her hand.

He gritted his teeth and said coldly, “Don’t involve me in your buttering
–up scheme!” He threw her aside forcefully.

Florence staggered back two steps, almost losing her balance. Her anger r
eached a tipping point. Wow! Did you just lay your hands on me? Dahlia! L
ook! This is the kind of man you love!” “Enough!” Dahlia shot up and glar
ed at Gloria and her group.

“Madam Gloria, I’m not sure about your purpose for visiting. If you’re he
re for a serious
matter, please get to the point. I believe it’s pointless if you’re just
here to show off your authority.” Even though Dahlia was grateful for the
opportunity, that didn’t mean she would let them walk all over
her.

“Dahlia Nicholson, how bold of you! How dare you use that tone with Grand
ma?” Dakota reprimanded her severely.

Dahlia replied calmly, “What’s wrong with my tone? I’m just asking for an
explanation. If the family patriarch thinks I’m not fit for the position
, I have no qualms for him to revoke the appointment.”

“You …” Dakota was about to start a new tirade when Gloria raised her han
d and interrupted her. “Alright, since you wish to discuss serious matter
s, we’ll follow the usual discourse!” Gloria backed off at the mention of
the family patriarch, but her expression remained hostile.

“Even though the family patriarch has appointed you the chairman of Cardi
nal Group, there’s a
condition. You have to prove you have what it takes to assume control of
Cardinal Group.”
“And how should I do that?” Dahlia asked.

“It’s simple. The company is in the midst of an important expansion and i
s in urgent need of funds amounting to one billion. You’ll pass the test
once you manage to secure one billion in
investments.”
“One billion?”

Chapter 372

Dahlia frowned, for it wasn’t a small amount. In the whole of Swinton, th
ere were only a few individuals who had one billion in liquid assets to w
ithdraw from.

“Of course, if you’re unable to secure the investment funds needed, pleas
e step aside and make way for someone more deserving. We don’t want you h
indering the company’s development.” Gloria sneered.

In truth, she was the one who set the conditions for a one billion invest
ment fund, not the family patriarch. She didn’t wish for an outsider to h
old that much authority. That was why she came
up with the idea to make her step aside on her own accord. She would also
be able to give a good explanation when questioned by the family patriar
ch.

“Why are you silent? Don’t tell me you can’t even manage such a small mat
ter?” She taunted on purpose.

“Hmph! If you can’t do it. I’ll take on the role of chairman instead.” Da
kota raised her head arrogantly. With her connections and Gloria’s help,
one billion wouldn’t be hard to secure.

Dustin suddenly spoke, “Who said she couldn’t manage? It’s only one billi
on. We’ll get it done in three days!”

“Three days? Are you crazy?” Florence almost jumped out of her skin. “How
on earth will we secure one billion in three days? That’s a huge amount!
Thirty days would be more reasonable!” Dahlia’s brows knitted. “Dustin,
where would I get one billion in just three days?” Securing one billion a
lready posed a challenge, but now, she had to secure it within three days
. It was practically impossible.

“Not to worry. Leave it to me. I’ll make sure to get it done.” Dustin smi
led assuringly.

“Alright. You’re the one who promised. I’m giving you exactly three days.
” Gloria’s eyes sparkled, and she sneered. “If you can’t do it within thr
ee days. All of you will get the F*ck out of this family! “With
that, she left with the aid of her cane, not allowing them any space for
a rebuttal.
“Hah, what a joke! One
billion in three days? Don’t be naive, you’re not that rich!” After mocki
ng them, Dakota and Jane followed Gloria.

It was impossible for both of them to achieve such a feat, not to mention
Dahlia. They believed Dustin was only trying to show off and said so in
a moment of indignance. However, that just made him appear childish to th
em.

After they left, Florence burst out in anger, “Rhys! What makes you think
you can just agree to their conditions on your own? Do you know that onc
e we fail, Dahlia will lose her position as chairman of Cardinal Group? A
re you bringing us down on purpose?”

Dustin explained, “If we didn’t agree, Dahlia’s position as chairman woul
d be threatened either way.”

“Hah! Easy for you to say. Even if money fell from the sky, we wouldn’t b
e able to secure one billion in three days!” Florence exclaimed in frustr
ation.

Dustin responded calmly, “Since I agreed, naturally, that means I’m confi
dent. Just leave it to me.”
“Leave it to you? Who do you think you are? You just own a shabby
medical center. Do you really think you’re someone of
high status?” Florence admonished him.

“Hah! If you do manage to accomplish the feat, I’ll get on my knees and k
iss your feet!” James looked at him in contempt.
“Great, that’s a deal.” Dustin flashed a smile.

Chapter 373

Dustin walked out of Nicholson Villa and was about to make a call when hi
s phone rang. It was from Roderick Brooks.

Dustin answered, “Hello, Mr. Brooks, I was just about to go look for you.
It’s such a coincidence that you called first.”

“Oh? Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Rhys?” Roderick was taken
aback.
“I have a friend who
got into some trouble and needs a sum of money. Would it be possible for
me to borrow money from you?” Dustin asked.

“Phew, you scared me. I thought it was something serious. It turns out yo
u just need money. Of course. I might not have much of anything else, but
I definitely have money. How much does your friend need?” Roderick breat
hed a sigh of relief.
“One billion.”
“No problem. I’ll send it to you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Mr. Brooks.”

“No need to be so polite, Mr. Rhys. You were the one who treated my recur
ring illness!”

“Congratulations again. Right, is there a reason you called me?” Dustin c
hanged the subject.
“Mr. Rhys, didn’t you have me be on the lookout for a few
precious herbs? I just heard that neighboring Alorith recently put out a
few treasures. Apparently, the Heliotrope you’re looking for, which is al
so known as the thousand–year green lotus, is among them.”
Roderick’s revelation caught Dustin off guard. “A thousand–
year green lotus? Are you sure?” His eyes widened. He only lacked three m
ore precious herbs to produce Longevitum–
the flower of Crimson Gem, Cherusia, and the thousand–
year green lotus. Each item was an extremely precious treasure that was h
ard to come by. It came as a happy surprise to him to hear news about the
thousand–year green lotus in such a short time.

“It should be true. Anyway, that was how they advertised the auction. Eve
n members of the

Stoneray Order are heading there. As for the specifics, we won’t know unt
il we get there.”

Roderick was careful with his words, afraid of giving the wrong informati
on.
“Alright, I hope it won’t trouble you to accompany me to the venue.”
“It would be my honor!”

Since Alorith was neighboring Swinton, the journey wasn’t far, and it onl
y took two hours by car. As they made casual conversation
in Roderick’s car, it didn’t take long before they finally arrived at the
ir destination.

The venue was an underground auction house, and the place teemed with a d
iverse crowd and a vast array of treasures. They had almost everything on
e desired, albeit at a higher price.

“Mr. Rhys, after you.” Roderick led Dustin personally as they headed insi
de the auction house.

At the moment, the venue was a roaring hubbub of voices. Prices rose rapi
dly from the intense bidding as items were brought on stage one after the
other. It was clear that Roderick had made preparations in advance since
they both took a seat in the front row.

“Mr. Rhys, we’re in luck. It seems like they haven’t started the bidding
for the thousand–year green lotus.” Roderick silently breathed a
sigh of relief.

“It’s always best to come at the right time instead of coming early.” Dus
tin smiled.
“Hey! Are you two here for the thousand–
year green lotus too?” At that moment, a young woman seated beside them s
uddenly spoke. She was wearing a baseball cap and had a lollipop in her m
outh. She was also dressed in branded items from head to toe and had a be
autiful
appearance. However, she seemed to carry a hint of rebelliousness within
her.
“That’s right. A thousand–
year green lotus is a rare find. Naturally, we wouldn’t miss it for anyth
ing.” Dustin nodded in response.

“Hmph! Let me tell you, I already have it in my bag, so it’ll be best to
give up!” The woman in the baseball cap said coldly.

Roderick plastered on a smile. “Miss, aren’t you too confident to declare
it as your item when the bidding hasn’t started yet?”

“Confidence comes from power. As long as it’s something I want, I will de
finitely get it. You two, don’t say I didn’t
warn you. You better not challenge me, lest you humiliate yourselves.” Sh
e cocked her head to one side.
Roderick chuckled. “You have a rough temper for your age.”

He had seen his fair share of wealthy daughters like her, who thought the
y could show off all because of their minuscule wealth.
How naive!

Chapter 374

“Don’t believe me? Let’s see what happens!” The woman in the baseball cap
pursed her lips in disdain, while Dustin and Roderick only smiled back i
n response.

As time went on, the auction neared its end, and the remaining highly pri
zed items were brought up on stage. Among them, was the long–
awaited thousand–year green lotus everyone coveted.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our next item on auction is an extremely rare, pre
cious herb that has thrived for a thousand years. This item is known as t
he thousand–year green lotus!”

With a wave from the auctioneer, a wooden box was brought forward with gr
eat care. As the box opened, one translucent and gleaming green lotus was
revealed. While its petals were colored green, its core shimmered gold.
It appeared to be the epitome of perfection, resembling a delicate work o
f art as its beauty captivated everyone present. Under the illumination o
f lights, its colors shone brilliantly. It was truly a sight to behold.
“It really is the thousand–
year green lotus. I’m taking this baby home for sure!” The woman’s eyes s
parkled, and she looked excited. Not only she, but the rest of the bidder
s had a similar look on their faces.

“Now that everyone has seen the precious item, I believe you have a sense
of its value. The
starting bid for the thousand–
year green lotus is 100 million, with subsequent raises of not less than
5 million. Let’s begin.”

As soon as the auctioneer announced the start of the bidding, the scene e
rupted into a frenzy.
“120 million!”
“130 million!”
“No one gets in my way! 150 million here!”
Bidding calls drowned out each
other as a growing number of wealthy individuals eagerly joined the fray.
Equipped with sizable funds, they had come prepared. That was because it
was widely understood that the thousand–
year green lotus held immeasurable value and that whoever won the bid wou
ld be able to receive substantial returns just from reselling it.

In a world abundant with wealth, precious herbs like these that could pro
long life were highly favored, especially by the elderly tycoons. It didn
’t matter, even if that meant staking their entire fortunes.
“500 million here!” A man in a long–
sleeved shirt suddenly raised his paddle. His commanding voice reverberat
ed through the room, instantly overshadowing the voices of the crowd.
“This thousand–
year green lotus belongs to the Stoneray Order. Don’t try to take it from
me!” The man scrutinized his surroundings, his gaze menacing.
Those who caught his gaze instinctively
lowered their heads, not daring to look him straight in the eyes. Not man
y dared to offend the Stoneray Order, as they were Millsburg’s most influ
ential group. Even though the item on auction was a precious treasure, it
paled in comparison to their lives and wealth.

“Are the Stoneray Order all that? I’m bidding 800 million!” In the face o
f the silent crowd, the

Chante: 3

woman in the baseball cap suddenly raised her paddle. Her arrogant demean
or clearly showed her lack of respect for the members of the order.

The man’s expression turned grim. “Little brat, who do you think you are?
How dare you challenge the Stoneray Order!”

“My name is Jayla Grant. I’m Tyler Grant’s sister!” She declared coolly.

Chapter 375
“Tyler Grant?!” The crowd erupted in an uproar with her reveal.

Everyone in Southern Province knew of Tyler Grant. He was the rising new
general of Dragonmarsh. A true prodigy, he had recorded numerous military
achievements at a young age and was given the nickname General Lionheart
, holding the third–
highest rank in the military. Among the younger generation in the entire
Southern province, he stood as the leader.

Some influential figures even proclaimed
that his achievements in the future would rival those of the God of War,
Adam Spanner! The Grant
family was already known for being part of the Tremendous Three, and now,
with his status as the exceptional genius of the family, his name soared
to even greater heights. For the past few years, he had been someone eve
ryone did not dare
Cross.

When Jayla revealed her identity, everyone present was stunned. The man f
rom Stoneray Order especially looked upset, but he was unable to utter
another word. Although Stoneray Order possessed significant power, they w
ere ultimately not comparable to them. Their power could never compare to
that of one of the families of the Tremendous Three. Not to mention, Jay
la had Tyler personally backing her.

“Why are you silent? Weren’t you being all haughty just a moment ago? Why
did you stop showing off in front of me?” Jayla looked at him in contemp
t. She silently laughed at their attempt to show off their background, fo
r she had never lost in that regard.
The man in the long–
sleeved shirt remained silent with his head lowered.
“Hmph! How disappointing.” The corner of her lips twitched.

“Ms. Grant bids 800 million. Are there any further bids?” The auctioneer
said perfunctorily. He knew from the moment Jayla revealed her identity t
hat the thousand–
year green lotus would be hers. After all, who dared challenge the Grant
family?
Suddenly, a voice rang out unexpectedly. “One billion.”
Everyone’s head turned toward the voice, only to find a plump middle–
aged man with his paddle raised. It was none other than Roderick.

“Huh?” Jayla’s brows knitted, glaring at the two men beside her. She had
not anticipated their audacity to challenge her, especially after she had
revealed her background.

“Who’s the fatty? His bravery is comparable to his size. He actually dare
d provoke the Grant family’s daughter.”
“He looks familiar. I think it’s Big Buck Brooks.”
“You’re right! It is Big Buck Brooks. I can’t believe he’s here!”

“So what if it’s Big Buck Brooks? He’s just filthy rich. He’s a nobody to
those who hold power. If he offended the Grants, they could just annihil
ate his family for a simple reason.”

The crowd murmured in discussion as voices of surprise, astonishment, and
disdain were heard. Even when he was extremely rich, they knew he wasn’t
strong enough to challenge the Grants.
“Hey! Are you sure you want to fight me on this?” Jayla turned
her head to the side, giving them a
threatening glare.

“What do you mean? Since it’s an auction, naturally, we should follow the
rules, where the highest bidder wins the item. Isn’t that so?” Roderick
showed no hint of fear.

Tyler Grant was indeed formidable. Under normal circumstances, he would n
ever dream of offending him. However, it was different now. This man besi
de him was like a brother to Adam Spanner, and he had a prince for a fath
er. What was there to fear when he had Dustin to back him?

“Alright, since you want to play this game, let’s play till the end!” Jay
la’s expression hardened as she raised her paddle once more. “1.2 billion
!”
“1.3 billion.”
“1.4 billion!”
“1.5 billion.”

“Two billion!” Jayla’s voice increased by a few octaves. It was obvious t
hat she was unnerved.

Chapter 376

Even as the daughter of the Grant family, two billion dollars in cash was
a stretch. Any more than that, and she would need to ask for money from
the family.

“2.1 billion dollars.” Roderick was calm.

Jayla exclaimed with gritted teeth, “2.5 billion!”

She had a murderous gaze. Even if she had to borrow money, she would rega
in her dignity today!

With a smile still plastered on his face, Roderick raised the bid, “2.6 b
illion.”

His nickname, Big Buck Brooks, was not merely a nickname. The sum of mone
y truly held no significance to him.

“Three billion!” Jayla was seeing red. She looked like a lioness about to
tear into her prey.

“Three …” Roderick raised his paddle, about to continue bidding when Dust
in pulled his hand down.
“Forget about it. Just let her have it.

“What?” Roderick was surprised. “Mr. Rhys, isn’t this item something you
need? Why are you giving it up? If it’s because of the price, there’s no
need to worry. I can deal with it.”
“It has nothing to do with money.” Dustin
shook his head. As he stared at the precious item on stage, his expressio
n was filled with regret. “The item on auction is not a thousand–
year green lotus. It’s of no use to me.”
“What? Are you saying that it’s a fake?” Roderick
failed to contain his shock. Almost no one dared to auction off fake item
s due to the consequences that came with it.

Dustin shook his head again. “I won’t call it fake. It’s just not old eno
ugh. I’ve taken a good look at it. Even though it’s a remarkable green lo
tus, it’s only 900 years old. It’ll take another hundred years to mature
into a true thousand–year green lotus.”
Even though the only difference between a 900–
year green lotus and a thousand–
year green lotus is a hundred years, their effects were vastly different.

He only had one opportunity to refine the Longevitum, and any incongruity
would lead to an astronomical difference in its effects. While a thousan
d–year green lotus was an invaluable treasure, a 900–
year green lotus was vastly inferior to it.
“So it’s only a 900–
year lotus. What a pity.” Roderick sighed, his enthusiasm fading instantl
y. He had hoped to utilize this chance to leave a good impression. It was
a pity that fate had other plans. At that moment, the auctioneer suddenl
y asked, “Ms. Grant bid three billion. Is there a higher bid?” Roderick f
rowned, choosing to remain silent. However, Jayla interpreted his express
ion as a sign of embarrassment due to his inability to afford it.

“Hmph! Why are you silent? Just continue challenging me! I’d like to see
just how capable you are! “A delighted smile formed on her face.

“It’s okay. Since you like it so much, Ms. Grant, we’ll allow you to have
it,” Dustin said coolly.
Chapter 376
Spending three billion to buy a subpar item was foolish, even
for the rich.

“Allow me to have it? Hah! If you can’t afford it, just say so. You sure
have the thickest skin I’ve ever seen!” Jayla mocked.
“Suit yourself. Whatever makes you
happy.” Dustin didn’t bother arguing further, but that made Jayla feel li
ke she was throwing punches in the air. What she desired was to see him s
ubmit to her and show remorse. His indifferent attitude was making her ex
tremely vexed, but she didn’t have a good excuse to challenge him.
In the end, Jayla won the bid for the 900–
year green lotus on stage at a sky–high price.

“Next, we have another precious treasure. This item is a natural, uncut r
ed gemstone, and hasn’t gone through any processing whatsoever. Its cut a
nd clarity are of unparalleled quality. Please have a look!” As the aucti
oneer spoke, a palm–sized, blood–
colored gemstone was brought forth onto the stage.

“What?” The moment Dustin’s gaze landed on the gemstone, his pupils const
ricted. While he was filled with regret just moments ago, it was now repl
aced with renewed vigor and excitement.

Chapter 377

“That gem!” Dustin was full of excitement at the appearance of the red ge
mstone. He had resigned himself to leaving empty–
handed today, but as luck would have it, he chanced upon another

treasure.

“Hmph, what a country bumpkin. What’s so exciting about a red gemstone?”
Taking in the excited look on Dustin’s face, Jayla looked at him in conte
mpt. “I’ve got plenty of those at home. Only a country bumpkin like you w
ho hasn’t seen the world will think it’s special.”
Dustin ignored her and focused his gaze on
the red gemstone on stage. Its surface was colored a blood–
like deep crimson, and its shape was similar to a calabash. On the surfac
e, it looked ordinary. However, its desirability lay in its size, and aft
er some processing, it would undoubtedly turn out to be invaluable. In th
e eyes of a professional jeweler, this was definitely the finest red crim
son.
Roderick was
confused. “Mr. Rhys, do you like it?” Dustin didn’t seem like someone who
would covet precious
stones, especially with his status. It was just an uncut gemstone. Althou
gh it was a precious treasure, it didn’t particularly stand out.

“I must take this item home.” His answer was simple, yet full of resoluti
on.

“Alright! As long as you like it, even if I spend my entire fortune, I’ll
make sure to get it for you!” Roderick spoke candidly. This was a
rare opportunity for him to impress Dustin, and he was determined to seiz
e it.

“This is an extremely rare gemstone that was recovered from the deep sea.
The starting bid is 50 million dollars. Every subsequent raise must not
be less than one million. Let’s start!” After a short introduction, the a
uctioneer declared the start of the bidding. In less than no time, the at
mosphere returned to its fiery state.
“55 million!”
“60 million!”
“I’m raising it to 68 million!”

A flurry of wealthy individuals eagerly raised their paddles, igniting fi
erce competition. Considering the size of the gemstone, a conservative es
timate placed its value at no less than two to three hundred million. As
a businessman, Roderick was naturally well aware of its worth. In order t
o discourage other potential bidders, he promptly raised his paddle and d
eclared, “300 million!”

The previously bustling atmosphere instantly grew heavy as Roderick’s wor
ds reverberated through the room. Many shook their heads and sighed in re
signation. They knew that challenging Big Buck Brooks would be futile whe
n he had his eyes on something. No one present possessed the wealth to su
rpass him.

“Mr. Roderick has raised the bid to 300 million. Is there anyone willing
to offer a higher price?” The auctioneer scanned the audience, but the po
tential bidders had all quieted down.
At that moment, Jayla suddenly raised her paddle. “I’ll raise
it to 400 million.” Her eyes gleamed with provocation, clearly trying to
start another fight with them.
“500 million.” Roderick didn’t back down.

Jayla flashed a smile. “600 million.” She knew they had their sights set
on the gemstone and intentionally raised the bid, planning on taking them
for their worth.
“700 million.” Roderick was expressionless.

“800 million.” Jayla tilted her head up, seemingly ready to fight till th
e end.
“900 million.”

Chapter 378
Roderick continued bidding.

“One billion.” Jayla showed
no signs of letting up. As she was deliberately targeting the gem, the pr
ice of the red gemstone hit the billion–
dollar mark, which had far exceeded the valuation of
the gemstone. It would be a great loss for the winning bidder.

“It seems like they’ve come head–to–head with each other.”
“I have a bad feeling something is going to
happen to Big Buck Brooks for offending Ms. Grant.”

“He’s just wealthy. How does he have the guts to challenge such a promine
nt family?”
The crowd pointed and gossiped fervently, clearly enjoying the farce.
“1.5 billion dollars.” Roderick raised his
paddle again, boldly increasing the bid by 500 million
dollars.
“1.6 billion dollars.” Jayla continued challenging him head–on.

“Two billion dollars!” Roderick then told her in an impassive tone, “Ms.
Grant, if you raise it again, I’ll let you have it.”

Jayla was about to raise it when she froze. She wasn’t interested in the
red gemstone. It would be disadvantageous for her if she continued increa
sing the price and ended up stuck with an item she didn’t need. She knew
it was time to end her game.
“Forget it. Since you like the gemstone so much, I’ll be the
generous one and let you have it,” Jayla said
with a mocking smile. She had raised the price of a two- to three–
hundred million–
dollar gemstone to two billion dollars, forcing the other party to pay te
n times the price. She was
satisfied.

“Mr. Brooks has placed a bid of 2 billion. Any other contenders? Going on
ce, going twice… sold!” The auctioneer struck his hammer, signifying Rode
rick as the winning bidder of the red gemstone at the staggering price of
two billion.

After they received the item, Jayla mocked them, “Hah … One look tells me
you are from new money. You don’t have any sense. You just had to pay tw
o billion for something that could
be bought for 200 million. What an idiot.”
She deliberately showed off the box containing the thousand–
year green lotus and taunted, “See this? This is a real, invaluable treas
ure.”

A scoff escaped from Dustin’s lips. “Ms. Grant, you sure are overconfiden
t. Take a good look
at it. Is your green lotus really a thousand years old?”

She raised her brows. “What nonsense. This precious item is pure, and del
icate, and emanates a
characteristic smell. Of course, it’s a thousand–year green lotus!”
“A thousand–
year green lotus has ten petals and ten seeds. Count them. Does it have e
nough?” Dustin asked with a smile.

Hearing him, Jayla started to count. Soon, her expression changed. No mat
ter how many times she counted, there were only nine petals and nine seed
s. She never managed to count to ten!

“Hey! I’m warning you, you better not lie to me! If I find out you are, y
ou’re not leaving this place!” Jayla warned coldly.

Dustin shrugged his shoulders. “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you as
k the experts from Stoneray Order? They’re well–
versed in various herbs. They’ll definitely be able to tell.”
“Hey! You there! Come here
this instant!” Jayla turned around and shouted at the man in the long-
sleeved shirt from earlier. “Take a good look at this. Is this green lot
us a thousand years old?”

He stared at it, and there was a shift in his expression. “It’s a pity… W
hat a pity! Ms. Grant, to be honest, this green lotus is only 900 years o
ld. It’s on the verge of reaching maturity.”

Her eyes widened. “What? 900 years old? Doesn’t that mean it’s still shor
t of one hundred years?”

Even an idiot understood the difference a hundred years made. Whether in
value or effectiveness, the disparity was immense.

“Ms. Grant, even though this item is slightly inferior, it still holds si
gnificant value as a collector’s item.” The man in the long–
sleeved shirt smiled apologetically.

“It is indeed a valuable collector’s item. You just need to hold onto it
for another hundred years, and you’ll undoubtedly earn a great fortune.”
Dustin flashed her a cheeky smirk.

“You…” Jayla’s face puffed up in anger with his words, looking like she h
ad just ingested a load of shit. She would be rotting in the soil in a hu
ndred years! A great fortune, her a s s!

Chapter 379
Jayla finally realized she had
been miserably deceived. However, she only had herself to blame for her m
istake. Of course, with the power the Grant family held, she could demand
a
refund from the auctioneer. But if she did that, she would be badly criti
cized. She couldn’t afford to be humiliated as such. For the sake of her
reputation, she could only swallow her resentment.

Roderick added insult to injury. “Ms. Grant, it seems like the
item that cost you a fortune isn’t that precious after all.”

“You can’t say that. Even though it’s lacking a few years, it’s still con
sidered a precious treasure.” The man in the long–
sleeved shirt attempted to diffuse the situation.

“Did you hear that? Even if it’s lacking, it’s still precious!” Color ret
urned to her expression.
Dustin smiled. “I’d like to ask. What’s the value of a 900–
year green lotus?”

He looked troubled and answered with difficulty, “Based on its effectiven
ess and age, it should be around three to four hundred million.”

“What? It’s only worth three to four hundred million?” Jayla was stunned.
She bought it for three billion! That was a massive loss of ten times it
s price!

Roderick chuckled teasingly. “Ms. Grant, with your power and wealth, that
amount of money is just a small change.”

Jayla was speechless. Her eyes twitched, and her expression turned sour.
In the end, it turned out that she was the loser.
The man in the long–
sleeved shirt chimed in, “Mr. Brooks, I don’t think you are in a position
to mock her. While Ms. Grant incurred a significant loss, your purchase
isn’t exactly a good buy.”

“That’s right!” Jayla’s eyes brightened. Pointing at the gemstone in his
arms, she said, “Even though my treasure lacks in age, at least it’s much
more useful than your item! Just look at yourselves, you idiots! You spe
nt two billion for a meager gemstone. Anyone can tell that it’s just a pr
ocessed stone.”
Roderick responded coolly, “It’s difficult
to put a value on happiness. As long as we like it, what’s a
few billion?”

“That is why you two are idiots!” She sneered. “I forgot to mention. The
Grant family was the one that recovered this red gemstone. In other words
, the two billion you just spent went into my pockets. Surprising, huh?”

Roderick’s brows knitted with her words. It didn’t matter if he’d just in
curred a small loss. However, he was also played by his opponent. Not onl
y did he suffer a loss, but he was also humiliated and called an
idiot. It didn’t feel good. In a heavy voice, he commented, “Ms. Grant, y
ou intentionally raised the price with malicious intent.”
“What about it? Go sue me if you can.” She shrugged.

“Whatever the case, I’m taking this two billion dollars. I’d like to see
what you can do if you’re not happy about it!” She pursed her lips; her e
xpression was smug.

Roderick narrowed his eyes, looking irritated. However, he didn’t utter a
word in fear of her family

background.

Dustin suddenly asked, “Ms. Grant, are you saying this red gemstone is fr
om the Grant family?”

“That’s right! I’m the one who sent it here personally to be auctioned of
f. Why? You’re not happy?” She taunted arrogantly.

“Of course I’m happy! If it wasn’t for your help, how would I be able to
purchase this treasure for a mere two billion?” He smiled.

“Hey! Are you out of your mind? What treasure? You spent two billion on s
omething that’s only worth two to three hundred million. What gave you th
e courage to say that?” She bellowed in laughter, looking at him like he
was an idiot.

“Young man, is it that hard to admit you lost? Do you need to be so stubb
orn?”

Chapter 380

“That’s right. Only people like you would foolishly spend two billion on
a red gemstone like that.”

“I like to call them rich airheads.”

The crowd pointed and murmured, gossiping among themselves. It seemed to
them that Dustin was a prime example of a stubborn man who couldn’t accep
t defeat. It was clear that he had suffered a loss but was still trying t
o show off without merit.

“Do you hear that? I’m not the only one who thinks you’re an idiot. Every
one else thinks the same.” Her lips curled up into a smirk.
“Really?” Dustin smiled faintly. “It
seems like no one has realized this is not an ordinary red gemstone. It’s
an extremely rare Crimson Gem.”

“What’s a Crimson Gem? I’ve never heard of it.” Jayla pursed her lips in
disdain.

“That’s fine. Allow me to enlighten you today.” As he said that, he smash
ed the gemstone with his palm. Everyone present heard two cracking noises
as two visible crack lines formed on the surface. In the blink of an eye
, the cracks spread across the whole gemstone.
His actions ignited a frenzy among the crowd.
“That’s insane! That punk’s gone insane!”

“Even if he incurred a loss, that was no reason to destroy the gemstone!”
“Ms. Grant was right. He’s an idiot!”

The crowd was filled with astonishment and regret as they voiced their di
sapproval and admonishment. They recognized that it was still a remarkabl
e treasure, and it was such a waste for him to destroy it like that.

Jayla was initially taken aback, but soon, she couldn’t stop howling in l
aughter. “Hey! Did you get water into your brain? You spent two billion t
o buy that, yet you smashed it? I’ve never seen anyone as stupid as you!”
She continued laughing, but it wasn’t long before she went silent.

That was because after the gemstone shattered, a crimson flower emerged f
rom the shattered pieces. The flower, translucent and blood–
colored, glistened with a mesmerizing radiance. It embodied the essence o
f nature in itself, looking perfectly flawless.

Upon closer inspection, it appeared as if a slow, graceful flow of red li
quid was flowing within it. Illuminated under the lights, the crimson flo
wer shone beautifully, resembling an artful. masterpiece that captivated
those present, leaving them awestruck.
“Could… C–
could it be? Is that the legendary Flower of Crimson Gem?” After a moment
ary daze, the man in the long–sleeved shirt suddenly exclaimed out loud.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy at his words.

“Flower of Crimson Gem? That’s a Flower of Crimson Gem? I never thought I
would be able to see such a treasure in my lifetime!”

“It’s rumored that the Flower of Crimson Gem can not only prolong life bu
t revive the dead. When taken by ordinary people, they would be reborn, a
nd even achieve greater things!”

“It’s a priceless treasure! It’s definitely a priceless treasure!”
“Damn it, that
punk spent a mere two billion for a Flower of Crimson Gem. Lucky bastard!
”

The crowd looked at the Flower of Crimson Gem with tremendous greed and e
nvy, like a beggar who chanced upon gold. A few daring individuals had ev
en started concocting a plan secretly.

“Flower of Crimson Gem? How is that possible?” Jayla was dumbfounded as s
he looked on in disbelief.

A Flower of Crimson Gem was an extremely rare treasure that could only be
chanced upon once in a blue moon. It was much more valuable than a thous
and–
year green lotus. Who would have thought she could encounter it in a plac
e like this?

At the heart of the matter, the Grant family was the one who discovered t
hat red gemstone, and she had delivered it personally to the auction hous
e. In other words, she had given away that priceless treasure!
The realization left her feeling light–headed.

Chapter 381

“Why? Just why!” Jayla burned with jealousy. If she had known the gemston
e was hiding a priceless treasure, she would never have sold it. In the e
nd, it ended up in the hands of a country bumpkin! What a loss!

“What a turn of events. This is such a blessing!” Dustin held the Flower
of Crimson Gem up in one hand, the corner of his lips curling up
into a wide smile. From the moment he laid eyes on the gemstone, he knew
it was hiding something exceptional. Just as he expected, he
had discovered a

true treasure.
The Flower of Crimson Gem was not an ordinary flower. It
was an extremely rare treasure.

Typically, it could only be found in red gemstones. And it just so happen
ed that the red gemstone
on auction today was a Crimson Gem.
Previously, he felt regretful thinking about the 900–
year green lotus. However, the appearance of the Flower of Crimson Gem ca
me as a blessing and a happy surprise. At least he didn’t travel all
the way here for nothing.

“Ms. Grant, don’t you think a price of two billion dollars is extremely w
orth it for this precious
item?” He turned to look at her and
flashed a smile. “Should I say you’re the true idiot here?”

“You…” Jayla was rendered speechless. The vicious words she had thrown ou
t earlier at them

were now directed at herself. She had spent three billion to purchase a s
ubpar item, while Dustin

had paid a mere two billion in exchange for an invaluable treasure. The s
tark difference was
maddening!

“Ms. Grant, thank you for the treasure. We shall meet again soon.” Dustin
smiled and prepared to
leave.

“Hold it!” Jayla suddenly called out to him. “Did I say you could leave?”
“Hmm? Are you going to treat us to a meal?” Dustin smiled teasingly.

“Stop talking back. I’m taking that Flower of Crimson Gem! Name your pric
e!” She demanded angrily. Naturally, she wasn’t going to give up such a r
are gem.
Dustin refused her outright. “I’m sorry, I’m not selling it.

“Not selling?” Jayla scoffed coldly. “Let me tell you honestly. Since I w
ant it, you are selling that
treasure to me no matter what.”
Dustin raised his eyebrows. “Oh? Since when has that been the law?”

“Shut up! My words are the law!” She glared at him. “Don’t paint me as a
bully. Since you spent two billion to purchase it, I’ll buy it back from
you for two billion! You won’t incur any losses!”

“And if I don’t?” Dustin smiled. Did she take him for an idiot? He was to
resell a two–billion–dollar
purchase for two billion dollars?
“Then you’ll bear the consequences!” Jayla threatened.

The Flower of Crimson Gem would be able to elevate her brother’s martial
arts prowess to another level. That was the reason she needed to obtain i
t, even if that meant putting down her dignity.
“It’s a priceless treasure! It’s definitely a priceless treasure!”

“Damn it, that punk spent a mere two billion for a Flower of Crimson Gem.
Lucky bastard!”

The crowd looked at the Flower of Crimson Gem with tremendous greed and e
nvy, like a beggar who chanced upon gold. A few daring individuals had ev
en started concocting a plan secretly.

“Flower of Crimson Gem? How is that possible?” Jayla was dumbfounded as s
he looked on in disbelief.

A Flower of Crimson Gem was an extremely rare treasure that could only be
chanced upon once in a blue moon. It was much more valuable than a thous
and–
year green lotus. Who would have thought she could encounter it in a plac
e like this?

At the heart of the matter, the Grant family was the one who discovered t
hat red gemstone, and she had delivered it personally to the auction hous
e. In other words, she had given away that priceless treasure!
The realization left her feeling light–headed.

“Why? Just why!” Jayla burned with jealousy. If she had known the gemston
e was hiding a priceless treasure, she would never have sold it. In the e
nd, it ended up in the hands of a country bumpkin! What a loss!
“What a turn of events. This is such a
blessing!” Dustin held the Flower of Crimson Gem up in one hand, the corn
er of his lips curling up into a wide smile. From the moment he laid
eyes on the gemstone, he knew it was hiding something exceptional. Just a
s he expected, he had discovered a true treasure.

The Flower of Crimson Gem was not an ordinary flower. It was an extremely
rare treasure. Typically, it could only be found in red gemstones. And i
t just so happened that the red gemstone on auction today was a Crimson G
em.
Previously, he felt regretful thinking about the 900–
year green lotus. However, the appearance of the Flower of Crimson Gem ca
me as a blessing and a happy surprise. At least he didn’t travel all the
way here for nothing.

“Ms. Grant, don’t you think a price of two billion dollars is extremely w
orth it for
this precious item?” He turned to look at her and flashed a smile. “Shoul
d I say you’re the true idiot here?”

“You…” Jayla was rendered speechless. The vicious words she had thrown ou
t earlier at them were now directed at herself. She had spent three billi
on to purchase
a subpar item, while Dustin had paid a mere two billion in exchange for a
n invaluable treasure. The stark difference was maddening!

“Ms. Grant, thank you for the treasure. We shall meet again soon.” Dustin
smiled and prepared to leave.

“Hold it!” Jayla suddenly called out to him. “Did I say you could leave?”
“Hmm? Are you going to treat us to a meal?” Dustin smiled teasingly.

“Stop talking back. I’m taking that Flower of Crimson Gem! Name your pric
e!” She demanded angrily. Naturally, she wasn’t
going to give up such a rare gem.
Dustin refused her outright. “I’m sorry, I’m not selling it.”

“Not selling?” Jayla scoffed coldly. “Let me tell you honestly. Since I w
ant it, you are selling that treasure to me no matter what.”
Dustin raised his eyebrows. “Oh? Since when has that been the law?”

“Shut up! My words are the law!” She glared at him. “Don’t paint me as a
bully. Since you spent two billion to purchase it, I’ll buy it back from
you for two billion! You won’t incur any losses!”

“And if I don’t?” Dustin smiled. Did she take him for an idiot? He was to
resell a two–billion–dollar purchase for two billion dollars?
“Then you’ll bear the consequences!” Jayla threatened.

The Flower of Crimson Gem would be able to elevate her brother’s martial
arts prowess to another level. That was the reason she needed to obtain i
t, even if that meant putting down her dignity.
Chapter 381
“How
disappointing. It seems like the Grant family only amounts to so much.” H
e shook his head.

“Let me repeat myself. I’m not selling the Flower of Crimson Gem. If you
insist on stealing it from me, don’t blame me for taking action.” With th
at, he left, with Roderick following after him.

“Hmph, we’ll see who has the last laugh.” Jayla sneered and took out her
phone, making a phone call..

In the whole Southern Province, he was the first to not yield to the Gran
ts. Since he didn’t wish to part with his treasure, he shouldn’t blame he
r for his own demise.
They had
just left the auction house when Dustin noticed they were being followed.
He had to admit that the Grants were pretty efficient. It seemed like th
is wasn’t their first time.

“Mr. Rhys, it appears we have some unwanted company,” Roderick remarked,
also noticing the tail.

“No need to bother about them. Let’s just leave quickly.” Dustin didn’t b
other to confront them and was prepared to leave. However, things don’t a
lways go as planned. A group of masked men suddenly had them surrounded w
hen they reached a certain alley. There were around 20 to 30 men, each ar
med with a weapon.

“Hey, punk! I heard you got a valuable treasure with you. Give it to us,
and I might let you two walk away alive!” The leader of the group brandis
hed his knife, his tone frosty.
“Do you mean this?” Dustin took out the Flower of Crimson Gem.

The leader’s gaze betrayed his excitement. “That’s the one! Give it to me
now!”

“Come get it yourself if you can.” Dustin placed it back into his pockets
and beckoned them forward with his finger.

The leader’s expression darkened. He felt like he was being played. “Die,
punk! Get him! We need to get that item back!” On his orders, the masked
men charged forward at the same time.

Dustin smiled lightly, then flicked his wrist. Numerous silver needles sh
ot out with sharp whistles, piercing straight into the men’s acupoints. T
he next second, they were frozen to the spot, and their weapons were stil
l raised. It appeared as if time stopped for them, and the only thing the
y could move was their eyes.

“What?” The leader’s expression betrayed his horror as he took in the sce
ne before him. Without any warning, another silver needle shot out and pi
erced into his neck. What followed was a numbing sensation that was hard
to suppress. No matter how much he struggled to free himself, it was in v
ain.
“W–who are you?” He spat out with difficulty.

“I’m in a good mood today. I don’t wish to kill.” Dustin walked up to him
and said coolly.

“When you get back, ask Jayla to stop provoking me. Otherwise, she wouldn
’t be able to handle it when I decide enough is enough.” With that, he le
ft haughtily, with Roderick behind him.

After 15 minutes, Jayla arrived at the scene and frowned. Not only was Du
stin nowhere to be
found, but her bodyguards were all frozen in their spots.
“What happened? Where’s my Flower of Crimson Gem?” Jayla questioned
them sternly.
The leader appeared helpless as he responded, “Ms. Grant, he’s too
strong. We’re no match for him.”

“What a bunch of useless trash! What am I paying you for if you can’t eve
n handle some country bumpkin?” Jayla snapped at them.
They lowered their heads, unable to utter a word.
“Where did they go?” Jayla demanded.

The leader pondered for a moment. “I don’t know. But from their accents,
they should be from Swinton.”

“Swinton?” She narrowed her eyes. “It just so happens that I’m heading th
ere tomorrow to ask for the bride’s hand in my brother’s stead. Since he’
s from Swinton, I’m going to find him no matter what!”

“Ms. Grant, he doesn’t seem like an ordinary person,” The leader advised.

“Hah! So what? Even if he had three heads and six arms. I’ll make sure to
deal with him cleanly!”

She cocked her head up in confidence. “Hey! What are you still standing t
here for? Go back and get
ready! We need to put on a good show worthy of our name for our journey t
o Swinton tomorrow!”

Chapter 382

The next day, back at Swinton, a convoy of luxury cars drove into Park Pa
lace in a grandiose display. As their procession moved through the street
s, it left a lasting impression of power and splendor.

By the entrance, the entire Harmon family had been waiting, with Jessica
in the lead.

As the vehicles came to a stop, Jayla, who was dressed in luxurious cloth
ing, was the first to disembark with an arrogant look on her face.

“Jayla, you’re here! Please, come in.” Jessica greeted her with a smile a
nd a welcoming attitude. The person she was greeting was Tyler’s sister.
Her standing among the entire Grant family was not to be taken lightly.

Jayla nodded in response. “Jessica, long time no see. Where’s Natasha? Wh
y don’t I see her?”

“She’s inside getting ready. She won’t take much longer,” Jessica explain
ed with a smile.

“Jayla, I prepared something for you when I found out you were visiting.
Have a look.” At that moment, Quentin, who was standing beside them, took
out a sapphire the size of an egg and passed it to her with both hands.
Jayla was not only gorgeous, but she also came from a powerful family. Th
at was why he knew she was the best match
for him. Naturally, he wouldn’t give up the chance to leave a good impres
sion.
It was his belief that every woman was weak against jewelry.

Jayla glanced at it. “Thanks.” However, instead of receiving it herself,
she had the maid take it and put it away.

“Uh…” As he took in her disinterested look, the corners of his mouth twit
ched. He purchased that sapphire from some Amberson woman for
more than a hundred million dollars. He had spent quite a fortune to impr
ess the gorgeous woman and was aggrieved at her reaction.
“I should have gotten something cheaper,” Quentin silently mumbled.

“Jayla, tea is almost ready. Let’s head in first.” Jessica smoothed thing
s over and invited the entourage inside. After they took
their seats, she asked, “Jayla, may I know what brings you to Swinton thi
s time?

“Jessica, in truth, I’m here regarding my brother’s wedding.” She drank a
sip of tea and continued, According to the marriage agreement, there are
around 20 days left before the union between the Harmons and the Grants.
I’m just wondering how the preparations are going.”

“There is no need to worry. The Harmons‘ annual family gathering will be
in a few days. We’ll be making arrangements during the gathering,” Jessic
a replied with a smile.
“That
would be the best.” Jayla nodded and changed the subject. “However, I’ve
been hearing rumors lately that Natasha has a boyfriend. I wonder if they
are true.”

Jessica’s expression froze slightly with her words before she dismissed t
he idea with a wave of her hand. “That’s not true, of course. You shouldn
’t listen to gossip like that. Besides, who could compare to your brother
in the entire seven provinces of Balerno?
“That’s good to hear. You
should be aware that my brother is deeply devoted to Natasha, and he

Chapter 382

also has strict principles and doesn’t tolerate betrayals. With his perso
nality, if he heard about the rumors, there’s no guarantee how he would r
etaliate.” Her words carried a hint of threat as she
warned.

“Please don’t worry. It is inevitable for our families to come together.
I have faith the wedding will be held according to schedule.” Jessica smi
led assuringly.

“Great!” Jayla raised her brows. “My brother will be back in two days. He
will also be personally attending the Harmons‘ annual gathering to ask f
or the bride’s hand. I’m here to inform you of this
in advance.”

“No problem. We will make all the necessary arrangements.” Jessica nodded
with a smile.

While they were talking, Natasha, who had finally finished getting ready,
walked out of her bedroom.

“Natasha, you’re here. Sit down. We were just discussing your marriage wi
th Tyler-”

Natasha raised her hand and interrupted her. “I heard everything. Jayla,
my apologies in advance. I’m afraid we won’t be able to go through with
this marriage.”

Chapter 383

Everyone stood in shock at her words. No one could believe Natasha dared
say that.

“Natasha? What nonsense are you spouting? Are you sleep talking?!” Jessic
a gave her a look.

Natasha said calmly, “I’m fully awake, and I am well aware of what I just
said. It is regrettable, but

I need to express my feelings today. Tyler and I are unsuited for each ot
her.”

“Natasha, what do you mean by this?” Jayla’s brow knitted. A slightly une
asy feeling crept up within her.

“I’m backing out of this marriage.” Just like that, Natasha dropped the b
omb.

“You’re backing out?” Jayla’s expression darkened at her words. She snapp
ed at her. “Natasha Harmon, are you insane?! How dare you break off a uni
on with the Grants? The audacity!” Jessica warned, “Natasha, stop your no
nsense. You can’t say those things lightly!”

The Grant family was part of the Tremendous Three. Whether it was their c
onnections or their legacy, the Grants surpassed the Harmons in every asp
ect. Especially with Tyler,
the exceptional genius, at the helm, the Grant family had been elevated t
o unparalleled heights. It wouldn’t be too far off to say that they were
very close to becoming the strongest
among the Tremendous Three. Many affluent families could only dream of ha
ving an association with the Grant family. However, Natasha wanted to bac
k out of the marriage instead. It was like slapping the
Grants in the face.

“I am indeed the party at fault in this situation. I sincerely apologize.
If you think this will deal a blow to your reputation, you can be the on
e to make the announcement. I’ll take the blame. In any case, I will neve
r marry Tyler,” Natasha spoke calmly with a resolute gaze.

“Natasha Harmon, do you think you are the one who calls the shots here? W
ho do you think you are? This union is a joint decision between both fami
lies. You are not worthy of giving your opinion!” Jayla erupted in a fury
.

Natasha responded coldly, “I can comply with everything else the family a
rranges, but marriage is out of the question!”

“Hah! I don’t think you understand the situation. You should be honored t
hat my brother is interested in you! As for calling off this marriage, yo
ur opinion doesn’t matter. My brother is the one who calls the shots!” Ja
yla glared at her.
“Then, kindly inform your brother to call off the marriage.”
“Dream on!” Jayla refused
immediately. “My brother always gets what he wants. It doesn’t matter if
you agree to it or not. This wedding is going ahead as planned!”

“I will not marry Tyler.” Natasha shook her head again. She refused to de
stroy her chance at happiness for a marriage of convenience.

“Natasha, as the daughter of a prominent family, you should be aware that
there are certain matters beyond your control. You should think about th
e entire Harmon family, not just yourself. If you dare to break off this
marriage, you will be making an enemy out of the Grants!

“Even if my brother won’t touch you, your enemies will definitely not let
you go easily. They have

restrained themselves thus far because of our support. How long do you th
ink your family can last without our protection? I recall that your fathe
r is in conflict with the Dark Lord. Without my brother, do you think you
guys can fend him off by yourselves?

“Think carefully about it! In seven days, we will be attending the Harmon
s‘ annual family gathering. Whether we end up friends or foes depends ent
irely on your decision!

“We’re leaving.” After leaving them with those harsh words, Jayla stormed
off with her entourage.

Chapter 384

“Natasha Harmon! What’s wrong with you? Who gave you the green light to c
all off the marriage?” Once Jayla left, Jessica finally unleashed her tem
per. The marriage concerned the fate of their family, and she would not a
llow Natasha to do as she wished.

“Natasha, do you know how lucky you are to be able to marry Tyler Grant?
What are you doing? Calling off the marriage?” Quentin felt like he was s
taring at a fool. Tyler Grant was the cream of the crop of the Southern p
rovince, and the hope of Dragonmarsh. Before he hit thirty, he had been a
ppointed as a general who led tens of thousands of men. Young and talente
d, he was deemed the best bachelor, and women fell on his feet in admirat
ion.

To their dismay, Natasha had no interest in Tyler at all, which everyone
thought was dumb.

“I will have the final say in my marriage. I have no feelings for Tyler,
and I won’t marry him,” she replied calmly. In the past, she would have a
ccepted an arranged marriage in the interest of the Harmon Family, especi
ally when Tyler was an impeccable candidate in terms of family background
, talent, and potential. He was literally perfect. She would meet everyon
e’s expectations by marrying Tyler, but
now, she only had eyes for Dustin.

“You can develop your feelings for him over time. No matter what, you’re
marrying him!” Jessica declared firmly. “This is the only way you’ll be h
appy, and we will be safe. If you call off the marriage, you’ll put your
family in trouble!”

“Right, Natasha! You better not forget about the existence of the Dark Lo
rd. He’s a looming threat to our family. Without the Grant Family’s backi
ng, the Dark Lord might come for us at any time!”
Quentin warned her sternly.

But she replied with a frown, “I will think of a way to deal with the Dar
k Lord.”

“Deal with him? How?! It’s been ten years. Every year, one of us Harmons
would be killed for no good reason. Even after your dad and your uncle hi
red experts and gave their best efforts, they have no way to stop the Dar
k Lord, so what makes you think you can take him down?” Jessica
retorted.

“Give me some time. I can do it.” Natasha had a determined look in her ey
es.

Jessica shook her head. “There’s no time. In seven days, Tyler will show
up at our annual family gathering to ask for your hand in marriage. If yo
u turn him down, our family might as well be
ruined.”
Natasha fell into
a heavy silence. She only had seven days left, and she had no idea what h
er fate would be if she could not come up with a solution.

Meanwhile, Dustin was at the Nicholson Villa, where he handed Dahlia a ch
eck. “Here you go. These are the investments I got for you.”
“Investments?” She took a better look and froze up. “O–
one billion dollars? Where did you get that money from?”
“I have a friend who works at a bank. I
got him to issue me an interest–free loan. This will tide you
1/3
Chapter 384

over,” Dustin explained. Technically, he wasn’t lying because Roderick Br
ooks indeed owned a few private banks.

“When did you have a friend in the bank?” Dahlia looked at him curiously.
The friend practically lost out on the deal if it was an interest–
free loan, and that was a pretty huge favor for Dustin to
return.

“I’m a doctor, after all. I save lives all day, so it’s not weird for me
to make friends along the way.”
He shrugged.

“That’s true.” She nodded and beamed at the sight of the check in her han
ds. “I have to say, you really helped me a lot this time. With this one b
illion check, I will secure my position as the chairman of Cardinal Group
.”
“A billion–
dollar check? What are you talking about?” Florence and James wandered in
to the room
at that moment.
“Mom, look at this!” Dahlia handed Florence the check. The
latter was overjoyed when she saw the figure on the check. “D–d–
did I see wrongly? This is a check worth one billion!”

“One billion?” James‘ eyes bulged in shock. He had never seen that insane
amount of money in his
life.

“How’s that? It’s a surprise, isn’t it? Dustin brought me the check,” Dah
lia showed off proudly.

“Dustin?” Florence furrowed her brows and examined him from head to toe w
ith doubt. “Are you sure he’s capable of this? Is the check a fake?”

“Of course not. I verified it multiple times. It’s a real check!” Dahlia
looked serious.

“This can’t be right! He’s dirt poor. Since when is he loaded?” James rem
ained suspicious.

“I might be poor, but I have a couple of rich friends. If you don’t trust
me, just hand the check back to me.” Dustin gestured for the check.

“We trust you! Of course, we do!” Florence hurriedly stuffed the check in
to her pocket and squeezed a smile at him. “Oh, Dustin, you’ve changed in
such a short time! I never thought you’d have a billionaire friend! When
are you going to introduce him to us?”

An extra connection would open up paths. A man who could lend a billion d
ollars in one go was definitely someone remarkable. If the Nicholsons cou
ld get on his good side, they would benefit immensely from this relations
hip in the future.

James protested with displeasure, “Mom, are you seriously falling for all
his garbage?”

“You’re the garbage!” Florence spat at him and gave him a good slap on th
e back
of her head. She chided him, “You little brat! Watch your manners when yo
u speak to your brother–in–law! Speak nicely!”
“Huh?” James was caught off–
guard by the sudden change in his mom’s attitude. She had been haughtily
pointing fingers at Dustin, but in a matter of seconds, she was smiling a
nd groveling at him.

James thought, “It’s shocking how she changes in a blink of an eye! What
a skill!”

“Dustin, are you hungry? Do you want me to cook you some food? By the way
, don’t forget to share the contact details of that friend with me. I nee
d to ask him for advice on personal finance matters.

Chapter 384
“Florence was practically glowing with
a level of enthusiasm unseen before.
“It’s alright. I’m
not hungry.” Dustin shook his head. This was the first time he received s
uch warm treatment from Florence in his three years of marriage, and he w
ondered if that was the
power of money.

“Mom, you should go get the groceries. I need to go somewhere with Dustin
, and we’ll come home for a meal later,” Dahlia suddenly suggested.
“Where are you going?” Florence questioned.

“Of course, we’re on our way to make Madam Gloria fulfill her promise. We
now have a billion dollars worth of investments. They have nothing to sa
y, even if they’re unwilling to make me the chairman!” Dahlia smiled brig
htly.

“Okay! Go now and have that chairman position secured!” Florence urged he
r daughter to leave with excitement.

Once Dahlia secured the position as the chairman of Cardinal Group, she w
ould be one step closer to becoming the head of the Nicholson Family, and
the rest of them would be elevated to a higher
status as a result too.

Chapter 385
A Mercedes–
Benz rolled to a stop in front of a villa with a great riverside view.

“Dahlia, I won’t go with you. I splashed tea on Madam Gloria yesterday. I
bet she won’t be glad to see me.” Dustin chuckled.

“That’s fine. Wait for me here. I’ll be back soon.” Dahlia gave him a fir
m nod and marched into the villa alone.

At that time, Gloria was having her tea leisurely, with Dakota seated rig
ht beside her, massaging her shoulders and legs with great care.

“Madam, Dahlia asks to meet you.” An elderly lady came up and announced r
espectfully.

“Why is she here? Is she begging for mercy because she knows that she’s i
ncapable?” Dakota sounded puzzled.
Gloria put her teacup on the table and replied calmly, “Let her in.”

“Yes, Madam.” The elderly servant shuffled away and led Dahlia into the v
illa.

“You have something to ask from me?” Gloria looked up at the sudden visit
or.

“Madam Gloria, I have completed your request. Here’s a check for one bill
ion dollars. Please take a look.” While speaking, Dahlia handed Gloria th
e check.

“A check of one billion? Are you joking?” Dakota snatched the check away,
but her expression fell when she saw the figure on it. “T–
there’s a billion here!”

“Let me have a look.” Gloria took the check and examined it. Her face scr
unched up in displeasure. “Dahlia, it’s only been a day. Where did you ge
t the money from?”

Gloria had looked into them and knew that Dahlia’s family was incapable o
f getting a billion dollars worth of investment in such a short timeframe
. There was something fishy going on.

“You don’t have to be concerned about that. I have my connections.” Dahli
a refused to offer a detailed explanation.

“Hmph! The Nicholson Family has always been upright and honest! If your
money comes from a dirty source, it will not be counted!” Gloria reminded
her coldly.

“That’s right! Who knows? The money might have come from a robbery or the
ft! If you don’t offer a clear explanation, we won’t let you off the hook
!” Dakota echoed Gloria’s words.

“If you are dying to know, I shall tell you the truth. Dustin borrowed th
e money.” Dahlia did not bother to hide the fact from them.
“Dustin?” Dakota was
first perplexed, followed by a look of disdain. “Oh, Dahlia, you have to
make up a better lie than that! The good–for–
nothing, Dustin Rhys, can never get his hands on a billion’s worth of inv
estments!”

“Believe it or not, it’s up to you. At the end of the day, we got the mon
ey you asked for,” Dahlia remarked calmly.

“Sure, you did. But it’s not enough,” Gloria suddenly said. After the ini
tial shock from the check,
Chapter 384

Florence was practically glowing with a level of enthusiasm unseen before
.

“It’s alright. I’m not hungry.” Dustin shook his head. This was the first
time he
received such warm treatment from Florence in his three years of marriage
, and he wondered if that was the
power of money.

“Mom, you should go get the groceries. I need to go somewhere with Dustin
, and we’ll come home for a meal later,” Dahlia suddenly suggested.
“Where are you going?” Florence questioned.

“Of course, we’re on our way to make Madam Gloria fulfill her promise. We
now have a billion dollars worth of investments. They have nothing to sa
y, even if they’re unwilling to make me the chairman!” Dahlia smiled brig
htly.

“Okay! Go now and have that chairman position secured!” Florence urged he
r daughter to leave with excitement.

Once Dahlia secured the position as the chairman of Cardinal Group, she w
ould be one
step closer to becoming the head of the Nicholson Family, and the rest of
them would be elevated to a higher status as a result too.
Chapter 385
A Mercedes–Benz rolled to a stop in front of a villa with a great
riverside view.

“Dahlia, I won’t go with you. I splashed tea on Madam Gloria yesterday. I
bet she won’t be glad to see me.” Dustin chuckled.
“That’s fine. Wait for
me here. I’ll be back soon.” Dahlia gave him a firm nod and marched into
the villa alone.

At that time, Gloria was having her tea leisurely, with Dakota seated rig
ht beside her, massaging her shoulders and legs with great care.

“Madam, Dahlia asks to meet you.” An elderly lady came up and announced r
espectfully.

“Why is she here? Is she begging for mercy because she knows that she’s i
ncapable?” Dakota sounded puzzled.
Gloria put her teacup on the table and replied calmly, “Let her in.”

“Yes, Madam.” The elderly servant shuffled away and led Dahlia into the v
illa.

“You have something to ask from me?” Gloria looked up at the sudden visit
or.

“Madam Gloria, I have completed your request. Here’s a check for one bill
ion dollars. Please take a look.” While speaking, Dahlia handed Gloria th
e check.

“A check of one billion? Are you joking?” Dakota snatched the check away,
but her expression fell when she saw the figure on it. “T–
there’s a billion here!”

“Let me have a look.” Gloria took the check and examined it. Her face scr
unched up in displeasure. “Dahlia, it’s only been a day. Where did you ge
t the money from?”

Gloria had looked into them and knew that Dahlia’s family was incapable o
f getting a billion dollars worth
of investment in such a short timeframe. There was something fishy going
on.

“You don’t have to be concerned about that. I have my connections.” Dahli
a refused to offer a detailed explanation.

“Hmph! The Nicholson Family has always been upright and honest! If your m
oney comes from a dirty source, it will not be counted!” Gloria reminded
her coldly.

“That’s right! Who knows? The money might have come from a robbery or the
ft! If you don’t offer a clear explanation, we won’t let you off the hook
!” Dakota echoed Gloria’s words.
“If you
are dying to know, I shall tell you the truth. Dustin borrowed the money.
” Dahlia did not -bother to hide the fact from them.

“Dustin?” Dakota was first perplexed, followed by a look of disdain. “Oh,
Dahlia, you have to make up a better lie than that! The good–for–
nothing, Dustin Rhys, can never get his hands on a billion’s worth of inv
estments!”

“Believe it or not, it’s up to you. At the end of the day, we got the mon
ey you asked for,” Dahlia remarked calmly.

“Sure, you did. But it’s not enough,” Gloria suddenly said. After the ini
tial shock from the check,

she quickly recovered and came up with a plan.

“Excuse me?” Dahlia raised a brow. “Madam Gloria, you said you wanted one
billion in
investments. Why are you now saying the amount is not enough?”
“I
said that indeed. But the one billion dollars that you gave me is not for
the investments. It’s for compensation,” Gloria went on with confidence.

“Dustin Rhys was rude enough to splash hot tea in my face. I was scalded
because of that. Just think of the one billion as compensation for my med
ical bills.”

“What?” Dahlia’s expression changed when she heard the unreasonable deman
d. One billion to make up for scalding her with tea? That was too much!

“Madam Gloria, aren’t you asking for too much?” Frowning, Dahlia had expe
cted Gloria to give her a difficult time, but the way Gloria went about i
t was ridiculous and shameless.

“Too much?” Gloria scoffed. “That beast, Dustin Rhys, has scalded my face
. If we go by the book, I should
have broken his legs. However, I will forgive
him if I get that one billion as compensation.” “Yeah!
One billion dollars in exchange for his legs. It’s a sweet deal for him!”
Dakota agreed. She had been racking her
brains to break the promise, but she was surprised that Gloria had come u
p with a solution in no time. Gloria was indeed a wily old fox!

Chapter 386
“Madam Gloria, you need to be fair. What you’re doing now
is intentionally setting me up to fail!” Dahlia had a sour expression on
her face. No sane person would sit still after being robbed of one billio
n dollars.

“Shut up! Where are
your manners when you’re speaking to my grandma? You should know your pla
ce!” Dakota yelled at Dahlia.

“You need to pay up for what you’ve done. Dustin lashed out at people, an
d he should rightly pay for that. This is enough. I’ll be upfront with yo
u. If you pull another one billion dollars, I’ll make you the chairman. I
f you can’t, you should get
lost.” Gloria waved impatiently in a confident manner, as though she had
Dahlia in her grip.
“Why are you
still standing there? Get lost now!” Dakota urged Dahlia to leave.

However, before leaving, Dahlia said, “Madam Gloria, since you’re being u
nfair, I will report this to the patriarch and make him the judge of this
case.”

“Stop right there!” With a sullen face, Gloria bellowed, “You rascal! How
dare you threaten me? The audacity! Someone give her a slap!”

“On it!” Dakota sneered and gave Dahlia two slaps on the face, leaving tw
o clear marks on the cheeks. Dahlia cradled her face in shock and anger.
“Why? Are you dissatisfied? Slap her two more times!” Gloria roared.

“Yes, Madam!” Dakota slapped Dahlia hard on the face, twice. She had long
harbored resentment for Dahlia, the countryside girl with good looks.

Dahlia bit her lips but did not say a word. Instead, she stared straight
at Gloria.

“Is she still stubborn? Slap her harder!” Gloria was incensed at the defi
ant look in Dahlia’s eyes. Not many in the family had the guts
to go up against her.

“Beat her up!” Dakota got two elderly servants to beat and kick Dahlia. W
ithin minutes, the poor girl was badly scratched on the face and suffered
from bruises all across her body.
“You shameless thing! How dare you talk
back to my grandma? I’ll teach you a lesson today!” Dakota released her p
ent–
up anger by hitting and cursing Dahlia. As a member of the direct line of
descent, she was jealous at how Dahlia was chosen to be a candidate for
the heir position instead. How could a country bumpkin and lowly slut out
shine her in terms of looks and grace?

“Stop right there!” When Dakota and the rest of the women were in the mid
dle of the assault, they heard an angry call coming from the entrance.

“Who’s yelling at our place?” Dakota looked up and was about to give the
intruder a dressing down. But what greeted her was a hard kick in the fac
e. She yelped helplessly and was thrown a good three feet away. Not only
was her nose bent out of shape, but she also lost her front teeth. Her fa
cial structure was slightly affected because of the injuries.

“Dustin Rhys! It’s you again! You animal!” Gloria’s anger reached its pea
k at the sight of Dustin. She rose up and attempted to
hit him with her walking stick.

“Get lost!” Dustin slapped Gloria across the face, sending her collapsing
onto the ground.

Chapter 387

“How dare you lay a finger on Madam Gloria? You crossed the line!” The el
derly servants standing around were taken aback when they saw that Gloria
had been slapped. Enraged, they flung themselves at Dustin and attacked
him.

“A bunch of rude B*tches!” Dustin’s expression hardened, and he slapped t
he elderly servants out of his way without a word. Some fainted on the sp
ot, some were bleeding from their noses and mouths, and some lost their t
eeth, Within a blink of an eye, those who assaulted Dahlia were lying on
the floor, immobile.

“Dustin Rhys, how dare you hit us? You’re asking for trouble!” Dakota sto
od up, albeit staggering, with a look of menace and resentment on her fac
e. She was the daughter of a wealthy family, and her grandma was one of t
he heads of the Nicholson Family. A good–for–
nothing like Dustin had beaten them up–he clearly didn’t know his place!

“Not only am I beating you up, but I will also cripple you!” Dustin gave
Dakota a heavy kick in the abdomen, sending her flying in the air into a
wall, screaming in pain and bleeding from the mouth. “You animal! You’re
dead meat! Your entire family is in deep shit! How dare you hurt the Nich
olsons? We’ll make you pay for that!” Gloria, who got up from the floor,
hissed evilly at Dustin. No one had the audacity to lay a finger on her i
n many years. This young man had some balls! “Make me pay? Oh, you don’t
have the right to.” He slapped her on the face again, and this time, her
nose and mouth were hit, and even her fake tooth fell off. Almost instant
ly, she started convulsing and foaming at the mouth.

“Dustin, don’t hurt them!” Seeing that, Dahlia jumped in to stop him. She
was worried that he might accidentally kill Madam Gloria in a fit.

“How are you feeling?” Dustin reined in his temper and helped her up from
the floor.

“I only suffered from a few external injuries. It’s nothing.” She forced
a smile at him.

“Your face is swollen. How is this ‘nothing‘?” Frowning, he looked sulky,
and the more he thought about the situation, the angrier he became, know
ing they had been taken advantage of.
His temper rose, and he stomped hard on Dakota’s face. Her decent–
looking face was instantly horrifically ruined and bruised. Dustin finall
y felt satisfied and pleased after taking the appropriate revenge.

“I didn’t know you were so vindictive.” Although Dahlia was speechless at
the scene, she couldn’t help but feel joy in her heart. It felt good to
have someone avenging her.

“If you don’t teach these rude B*tches a lesson, they will never learn.”
He looked cross.

“Beating Dakota up is fine. But you also beat up the elderly, Madam Glori
a. I’m worried that we can’t get ourselves out of this.” After the initia
l joy, she was burdened by new worries.

“I don’t care. If they want revenge, they can come at me.” Dustin sounded
fearless.

“She’s an insolent and disrespectful old hag. If I didn’t slap her today,
she would’ve really thought she was above everyone else.” With that, he
took the check from Gloria’s pocket and left the villa with Dahlia.
1/3
Soon after, Gloria stirred awake, still lying
on the ground. She was greeted by the mess in the room. Touching her swol
len and red face, she bellowed with eyes bulging from anger, “That animal
! I will tear both of them into pieces!”

Next, she called a number on her phone. “Hey! Get Tarragon and Cougar her
e! We’re executing the house law!”

When they got back to the Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin immediately too
k out a tube of medication that he started applying to Dahlia’s skin. Dak
ota and the elderly servants did not go easy on Dahlia at all. The poor v
ictim was covered in bruises on her face, limbs, and across her body. He
dared not imagine the outcome had he not intervened in time.

“Dahlia, do you want to learn a few moves from me? At least, you’ll have
some skills to defend yourself if you ever run into this kind of situatio
n,” Dustin suggested while applying the ointment. Her fair skin was as so
ft as silk to the touch.

“I’m not interested in fighting and killing. And I have you to protect me
!” She
smiled at him softly. In her opinion, one could not solve problems with v
iolence–
that would only lead to more trouble. At the end of the day, an individua
l would only be powerful because of his or her connections and influence,
not their martial arts skills. Many of the big bosses were bad at fighti
ng, but their existence was enough to stop anyone from stirring up troubl
e. The top dogs garnered respect because of their reputation and influenc
e.

“I’d rather rely on myself. I am only truly strong because I train myself
to be.” He shook his head. ” Take off your clothes. I need to apply the
medication to your back.”

“Huh?” Her expression froze with awkwardness. “Um, maybe get Caitlyn to h
elp out on this?”

“She’s out getting groceries. I’m not asking you to strip naked. Why do y
ou make it sound like I’m taking advantage of you?” He rolled his eyes at
her.
“Okay then.” She pursed her lips and
slowly took off her top to display the lovely curves of her back. Her mil
ky skin was a sight to behold, a rare beauty indeed.

Dustin regained his composure and applied the medication to the bruises o
n her back. Then, he gave her a slow and soft massage.

“Ouch…” He seemed to have touched a sore area as she frowned and inhaled
deeply.

“Just bear with it. I’ll be done in a while.” During the massage, he chan
neled some internal energy to clear up the blood clots. Soon, she felt th
e pain in her back go away,
and her body was basking in a comfortable and warm sensation.

“Dear! I’m here!” They heard a singsong voice from the entrance. In the n
ext moment, they found themselves staring blankly at Natasha and Caitlyn,
who were standing quietly at the door with the fresh groceries in their
hands.

“I saw nothing!” Caitlyn covered her face and turned around, her cheeks f
lushed in
embarrassment.

“What are you doing?” Natasha’s expression hardened, and her eyes filled
with accusation. She was looking at a man and a woman in a room. The woma
n was stripped down to her
Chapter 387
undergarments, and the man was running his hand
all over her. It looked suspicious no matter
what.

“Ahem, please ignore that. Dahlia has been injured, and I was applying so
me medication for her,” Dustin hastily explained himself, but he felt odd
ly guilty in doing so.
“Applying medication?” Natasha was green in envy as she scanned
Dahlia from head to toe. “And does she need to take off her clothes for t
hat? Do you need to sit close to each other? Look at you-
you can’t even take your hands off her!”

“Eh?” Dustin turned around and saw his hands on Dahlia, and he immediatel
y retracted his hands in shock. He believed his intention was pure, but w
hy did he feel guilty after Natasha’s interrogation?

“Caitlyn, come take a look. I look like the bad guy now, don’t I?” Natash
a asked with a straight face.
“Um, what? What’s going on?” Caitlyn was taken aback and baffled.

“Can’t you see? I’ve become a cuckquean!” Natasha crossed her arms over h
er chest and scoffed. Hmph! Dustin Rhys, why don’t you change your name i
nstead? You should call yourself–Don Juan!”
1

Chapter 388
“Don Juan?” Dustin’s lips twitched in disbelief. What was
going on? Why did he get labeled as a playboy just for applying some medi
cation to his patient?

“Ms. Harmon, there’s a misunderstanding here. He’s in fact applying the m
edication to my injuries. “Dahlia could not suppress a tiny smile at the
jealousy on Natasha’s face.

“Well, if you don’t trust my words, there’s nothing I can do about it.” T
hen, she slowly put on her clothes with a taunting look in her eyes.
“Hmph! I need some medication
too!” Natasha sat down beside Dustin and started unbuttoning her
clothes.
“Hey, what are you doing!” Shocked, he immediately stopped her.

She gave him a look of displeasure. “What? You can apply medication for h
er, but not for me?”

“That’s because you’re not hurt!” Dustin was helpless in the face of the
young lady from a wealthy family who was acting like a child.

“Who said so? I am hurt in the heart, and it’s much worse than what she’s
going through! Just touch it, and you’ll know!” A defiant Natasha puffed
her chest, inviting him to touch it.

“Dustin, I feel some pain in the back. Can you apply more medication to i
t?” Dahlia did not back down and took off her top once more.

However, Dustin was suffering from a raging headache in the face of the t
wo difficult beauties. They had always been passive–
aggressive with each other every time they crossed paths, and it was toug
h to pacify them.
“Caitlyn! Help them out! I’ll get lunch
ready!” His eyes lit up at the sight of his trusty assistant, and he grab
bed the groceries from her hands and slid into the kitchen. One
way of avoiding trouble
was by escaping the scene.

“Hmph!” The women glared at each other and put on their clothes, finally
putting the animosity to
a temporary rest.

After a busy time in the kitchen, he served everyone a sumptuous lunch. I
t was a four–course dish
with soup that smelled good and tasted equally great.
“Dear, have some grilled ribs. Look at you–
you lost some weight!” Smiling, Natasha placed a piece of rib on his plat
e. He cautiously thanked her and quickly stuffed it into his mouth with a
smile.

“What’s good about ribs? You should try some chicken Alfredo. I know you
like this the best.” Dahlia, not backing down, placed the chicken on his
plate.
“Grilled ribs are better, in my opinion. They’re succulent and chewy
at the same time. Great

texture!” While speaking, Natasha put a second piece of rib on Dustin’s p
late.

“To each his own! Dustin never gets tired of chicken Alfredo. You can’t c
ompare it to ribs.” Dahlia flashed a faint smile and piled a piece of chi
cken on the growing hill of food on Dustin’s plate.
“Ribs are better!”
“The chicken Alfredo is nicer!”

“Ribs!”
“Chicken!”

The women kept piling food on his plate while squabbling with barely conc
ealed hostility. Soon, the lunch he prepared was gone, all going into his
plate that was overflowing with food. He did not know where to get start
ed.

Meanwhile, Caitlyn stared at the fight before her helplessly. She wanted
to take her share of the meat, but she lost the chance to do so.

“Dustin, my darling, is the chicken or rib better?” After the fight, the
women turned their sharp gazes onto him and directed the question to him.
The scene was like deja vu, but this time, it was more frightening.
“They’re both great!” He flashed a bitter smile and answered.

“No! You can only pick one!” They glared at him with a threatening air.

Chapter 389

“I can’t pick! They taste different, and the choice will depend on the ti
me, the place, and the preference of the person.” Dustin bit the bullet a
nd offered a neutral opinion.

“Hmph! You’re really good at talking yourself out of situations!” Dahlia
rolled her eyes, but at least she stopped bugging him.

“No matter what, you have to pick the ribs!” However, Natasha was more ag
gressive, supported by the confidence that she had Dustin wrapped around
her finger. He could only smile without saying a word as he was drenched
in cold sweat.

“Dear, come with me. I have something to discuss with you.” After the hea
rt–stopping lunch, Dustin was called to the side to talk by Natasha.

Dahlia pretended that she was out for a casual stroll to eavesdrop. Howev
er, Natasha immediately noticed her plans and dragged Dustin into her car
, keeping everyone out of their private
discussion.
“Natasha, what do you want to discuss?” He was curious.
Natasha suddenly announced, “I’ll be honest with you–
I might need to leave Swinton for a while.”
“Leaving Swinton? Where to?” He was taken aback,

“I’m going to my hometown in Millsburg.” Her expression dimmed at the tho
ught. “I have some family matters to tend to. And I need to take care of
it right away.”
“What’s the important matter? Do you
need my help?” He prodded cautiously. He knew that it must be a complicat
ed matter because he rarely saw Natasha with a solemn face.

“It’s fine. Just a private matter. I can take care of it myself.” She squ
eezed a smile at him. She wanted to tell him the truth very badly, but sh
e couldn’t do so. Despite Dustin’s outstanding martial arts skills, he wa
s far from being able to take down the Grant Family.

As one of The Tremendous Three, the Grants were influential across the mi
litary, the government, and the business scene. One could say that they w
ere invincible in the Southern province.

A single individual could never fight against a top dog like the Grants,
and the last thing she wanted was to get him involved in the mess.

“Natasha, you must let me know if you are in trouble. Don’t put on a brav
e face
and pretend that everything’s fine,” he assured her with a serious face.

“Don’t worry. I know what to do.” She beamed at him, looking relieved. It
was worth taking the huge risk on her own after seeing him get nervous fo
r her.
“How long do you plan to stay in Millsburg?” He asked her.

“I’m not sure. It could be as quick as three days, or as long as seven da
ys.”

“Cool. I will call you in three days. If you haven’t settled the issue, I
will head over to help.” He was being serious.

“No, it’s fine.” She shook her head and rejected his offer. But he cut he
r off and insisted. “You don’t have a say this time! Just listen to me!”

Chapter 389

“Alright.” She gave him a helpless nod, but her heart was bursting with j
oy.
At that moment, someone
rapped on the car window. It was Dahlia, standing out there with a hostil
e look in her eyes. “What are
you talking about? Are you not done yet? Shall I serve you tea?”

Dustin coughed awkwardly and smiled. “I’ll get out now.” Then, he opened
the door to leave.

“Wait!” Natasha suddenly reached out and wrapped an arm around his neck.
Then, she gave him a kiss with her red lips.

He let out a muffled moan and tasted the sweetness whirling in his mouth.
His body stiffened, and his mind went blank. Did she pull the same trick
again? This time, she was more bold and
passionate.
“You-
” Dahlia glared at them and dragged Dustin out of the car. Feeling humili
ated and angered, she yelled, “Natasha Harmon, what are you doing?”

“Not bad. He’s getting better at kissing.” Natasha licked her red lips, l
ooking as though she wanted more. Flashing a suggestive smile, she said t
o Dustin, “Stay home while I’m gone. I’ll be back in two days for you.”
With that, she stamped on the accelerator and sped away.

“She’s shameless!” Dahlia stomped furiously. Too bad she could never get
herself to imitate Natasha’s coy behavior.

Chapter 390

As night descended, there was a commotion at the Nicholson Villa as the e
ntrance door was busted down. Then, Gloria and her bodyguards from the Ni
cholson Family barged in pompously. Two men, who were more than six feet
tall, were eye–
catching. The two guards shared some resemblance, and the muscles on thei
r bodies were chiseled like rock cliffs. They stood there like two huge m
ountains that evoked fear.

“Dahlia Nicholson! Get out right now!” Gloria yelled at the top of her lu
ngs when she stepped foot in the house. Her face was still bruised from D
ustin’s beating in the morning, looking terrifying, especially with the a
wful scowl.

“Oh! If it isn’t Madam Gloria? What brings you here?” Florence emerged fr
om the kitchen but jumped at the sight of the entourage.

“I’m asking you now. Where are Dahlia and Dustin?” Gloria hissed through
gritted teeth.

“They haven’t been back since the morning. I have no idea where they went
!” Florence replied
meekly.

“You have no idea? Are you trying to hide them?!” A woman with a bandaged
face made her way
out of the crowd.

Florence was taken aback by the figure, whom she failed to recognize. “Um
, who are you?”
“I’m Dakota!” The woman in bandages yelled.

“Oh, it’s Dakota! What happened to your face? How did you get injured thi
s badly?” Florence was
shocked
by the extent of Dakota’s injuries. One couldn’t tell her nose apart from
her mouth, and it was harder to recognize her as she was all wrapped up
in bandages.

“How dare you ask me that question? It’s all thanks to your dearest daugh
ter and son–in–
law! They made me look like this!” Dakota grimaced. She was born pretty
and used her looks to her
advantage, given that she was relatively talentless in other fields.

However, Dustin destroyed her face with all the kicking and beating. It w
as not surprising that she would be infuriated.

“What? Did they beat you up? That can’t be true!” Florence gasped in disb
elief.

“I am not the only victim. They also hurt Grandma! We must use the house
law on those two treacherous jerks!” Dakota yelled again.

“Florence, get them here, or I’ll make you regret it!” Gloria grew impati
ent.

“Madam Gloria, I have nothing to do with it! I really don’t know where th
ey went!” Looking nervous, Florence added, “My daughter is kind and innoc
ent. She can’t possibly hit anyone! I think this must be Dustin’s doing.
Just arrest him if you want!”

“Hmph! You and your sweet words! I want her slapped!” Gloria roared with
rage.

“Yes, Madam!” The elderly servants that came with Gloria immediately went
up and pinned Florence down. The biggest of them all slapped Florence ha
rd on the face until she was seeing stars and bleeding from the nose.

“How dare you beat my mom? I’m not going easy on you!” James, who had des
cended the stairs, was furious at the sight and dashed
over while yelling.

“Cougar!” Gloria gave one bulky bodyguard a look, and he went up to grab
James by the collar, lifting the poor dude into the air like he was
a puppy.

“Ugh…” James‘ face turned a deep shade of red as he was suffocated. He st
ruggled for his life, but he couldn’t free himself.

“Let go of my son!” A worried Florence butted against the elderly servant
s, grabbed a fruit knife from the table, and plunged it into Cougar’s abd
omen.

They all heard a tiny clanking sound, but Cougar remained standing. The b
lade in Florence’s hand
broke into two.
“What?” She stared blankly at the knife.

Chapter 391
Was the bodyguard
made of steel? Even a knife could not penetrate his skin!

“Hmph! Cougar is a martial artist who’s at the height of internal
energy cultivation. Do you seriously think you can hurt him with that toy
knife of yours?” Dakota scoffed in disdain. Gloria had called in the two
martial arts experts who worked for her to make up for her loss of digni
ty earlier. No matter how powerful Dustin was, he was destined to be defe
ated.

“Get lost!” With a slap, Cougar subdued Florence. Gloria strutted up arro
gantly and rested her walking stick on Florence’s face, saying, “I’m givi
ng you a chance to get Dahlia and Dustin
to come home. If you don’t, I’ll break the legs of your son!”
“Have mercy on me! I’ll make the
call right now!” Florence frantically scrambled for her phone and called
Dahlia, specifically reminding her daughter to bring Dustin home as well.
However, she kept the reason from Dahlia, fearing that Dustin wouldn’t s
how up. That would only land the whole family in greater trouble.

“Madam Gloria, they’ll be here in no time. Please wait.” Florence was all
smiles.

“I’ll allow 15 minutes, tops. With each minute that passes after that, I’
ll crush one finger of your son!” Gloria threatened.

“What?” Florence was stunned. If Dahlia and Dustin were late for more tha
n ten minutes, James would lose all fingers on both hands!
James felt aggrieved and helpless, for he didn’t ask to be
part of this circus.

During the quiet wait, the door to the villa was busted open once more. A
group of men marched in as though they were ready to kill.

“Sir Hummer?” Florence and James were shocked at the man in the lead. Edw
in’s unannounced presence at midnight was quite unexpected.
“Who are you?” Gloria confronted the new visitors with a frosty tone.
“I’m here for these
two.” Edwin pointed at Florence and James. “The rest of you better get ou
t right now!”

“Oh, it looks like Florence has asked someone to help her out!” Gloria sc
anned the men with disdain. “What can a
few men do? Tarragon and Cougar will easily annihilate you.”

“That’s right! You better beg for forgiveness if you don’t want trouble!”
Dakota yelled at Edwin’s men, thinking that the few men were no match fo
r Nicholson Family’s elite fighters.
“I shall repeat myself once more. Those who are unrelated to them–
get lost right now!” Edwin warned them.

However, Gloria merely announced, “He needs to be put in his place! Someo
ne beat him up!” “Yes, Madam!” The elderly servants chuckled menacingly a
nd charged at Edwin. He was emotionless when he pulled a pistol with a si
lencer from his back and pointed it at the elderly
servants.
“Wait a minute! We can talk–
” The elderly servants looked alarmed and attempted to talk to him,

but what followed were muffled gunshots. The elderly servants fell to the
floor, each with a gunshot wound in their foreheads. None were breathing.
Edwin blew on the pistol and asked coldly, “Who is next?”
The others stared at the scene with terror. No one
expected Edwin to be as ruthless as to gun down lives without hesitation.
His psychopathic behavior sent shivers down their backs.
“D–
do you know who I am? How dare you kill my people? You’re reckless!” Glor
ia gathered herself and grew furious. The elderly servants were her confi
dantes, and she was extremely angry to see them murdered.

“I’m uninterested in the names of the dead,” he said coolly, shooting Glo
ria.

Chapter 392
Edwin
pulled the trigger, sending a bullet in Gloria’s direction. At the life–
or–death moment, the bulky Cougar positioned himself
to shield her, arms crossed over his chest in a protective stance. At the
same time, two heavy metal rings slid out of his sleeve.

The sound of metal clanking was accompanied by flying sparks as the bulle
t was sent flying astray after it came into contact with the metal rings.
Cougar sneered as he stood in front of Gloria like a mountain. He clearl
y did not fear Edwin.

Bullets from an average pistol were not a threat when he was at the heigh
t of internal energy cultivation, thanks to his speedy response in compar
ison
to that of an average shooter. He could either dodge the bullet or stop i
t with his weapons. It was impossible to hurt him as long as it wasn’t an
ambush from the back, and that was the power of a trained martial artist
!
“D–
did he stop the bullet?” Florence was shocked once more. At that point, t
hey wondered if Cougar was even human for blocking both the fruit knife a
ttack and the gunshot.

“Do you think you’re invincible with that pistol? You bumpkin!” Gloria re
covered from the initial scare and collected herself. With
Tarragon and Cougar beside her, no one could hurt her.
“How dare you
shoot at my grandma? You’re asking for death! Cougar, I want him crippled
!” Dakota gave out the orders.

“Roger that!” Cougar cackled and launched himself into the air by jumping
lightly. He sailed across like an arrow from a bow as crushed the tiles
underneath his feet, and he barreled toward Edwin at a frightening speed.

“That’s just a minor trick!” A short guy in a cap, who was standing behin
d Edwin, suddenly made his move and charged at Cougar. The two collided a
nd set off an explosion. As the dust cleared, everyone could see that the
short guy caught Cougar’s fists in his hand. The impact of the collision
had shattered the tiles underneath their feet into pieces.
Cougar’s eyes wavered
with shock as he grunted. He never thought that someone would have the po
wer to stop his punch.

“Boss, he doesn’t look like our target today.” The short guy held his cap
with one hand to prevent it
from blowing it away. At the same time, he cast a cool look at Edwin. “If
you want him killed, you need to top up.”
“50 million for each person,” Edwin replied, unperturbed.
“Haha! No problem!” The short guy grinned in excitement.

“You’re asking for death!” Feeling belittled, Cougar was infuriated and l
ashed out with a punch. The punch was so heavy that it could break metal.

“You don’t know your limits.” The short guy shook his head and suddenly l
urched at Cougar. He dodged the punch and hit Cougar hard in the abdomen.

A dull thud was heard. Cougar’s abdomen, which had withstood the fruit kn
ife stab, had a hole in it. The fist of the short guy penetrated through
Cougar’s flesh and emerged from the back. The scene was a horrifying, blo
ody mess.

Cougar froze up and stared at the fist that pierced through his abdomen i
n disbelief. Never in his wildest dream had he imagined that someone woul
d put a fist through the steely body that he trained and built for years.

“How is that possible?” Gloria and the rest were terrified and shocked, e
specially knowing that Cougar was powerful enough to take down a hundred
men. He could even defend himself against guns with ease. To their dismay
and bewilderment, Cougar was taken down by a martial arts expert in one
move.
“50 million pocketed.”

Chapter 393

The short guy grinned as he flung Cougar’s body against the wall, where t
he body left a bloody

trail.

“Cougar!” Tarragon hugged the body of his little brother and seethed in v
engeance.

“How dare you kill my brother? I’ll tear you into pieces!” Then, he lunge
d at the short guy like a crazed beast, only to have the short guy kick h
im in the chest.

Tarragon seemed to have been run over by a truck. He was flung aside and
fell hard onto the ground, where he
coughed up blood. His rib had collapsed.
The Nicholsons gasped at the second casualty. They knew that
Tarragon was way stronger than Cougar, but even the elder brother was def
eated after an attack from the short guy. That left them wondering about
his origins.
“W–
who exactly are you?” Tarragon pressed on his chest as blood oozed from h
is nose and mouth. He knew his opponent must have been a divine–
level martial artist to win with just a move.
“I’m Hillcrest, a gold–
tier assassin in the Bounty League.” The short guy grinned widely.
“A gold–
tier assassin in the Bounty League?” Tarragon appeared mortified by the a
nswer. Although he was not acquainted with Hillcrest, he was well aware o
f the weight of the
reputation. The Bounty League was full of martial arts experts.
Even the bronze–
tier assassins were formidable on their own, and the silver–
tier assassins were
practically invincible. Not to mention the rare gold–
tier assassins, who were the elites with
expertise in their fields of choice and cost billions to hire!
Tarragon had thought that he was sent here to teach
some rascals a lesson, but little did he know
that he would run into the gold–
tier assassins of the Bounty League. Talk about unlucky!
“Old hag, it’s your turn now.” Edwin lifted his gun again.

“Quick! Protect her!” Dakota’s eyelids twitched as she yelled in panic.

“Go!” The group of loyal bodyguards from the Nicholson Family charged at
Edwin, who started firing like crazy with high accuracy. Each bullet was
fatal. In no time, he had taken out half of the
bodyguards.

The rest who came closer were taken down by Hillcrest without fuss. In th
e blink of an eye, the Nicholsons‘ bodyguards suffered a huge loss and mu
ltiple casualties. No one was left standing.
Gloria and
the others were gripped by fear and trembling incessantly upon witnessing
the scene.

They had never thought that they’d lose all the expert bodyguards whom th
ey had specifically
called in from Glenstead.

“Do you have any last words?” Edwin marched up to Gloria without expressi
on.
“Wait! You’d better
not do anything rash. I’m from the Nicholson Family of Glenstead. If you
dare so much as to lay a finger on me, the family will come at you!” Glor
ia rebuked him sternly.

“Is that all? Time to meet your maker, then.” Edwin did not waste time co
nversing as he raised his
gun once more.

“Stop!” When he was about
to pull the trigger, he heard a feminine and commanding voice from the en
trance. He turned around and spotted two familiar faces–
Dustin Rhys and Dahlia Nicholson.

“Oh! The real VIPs are here!” Edwin scrunched up his eyes with a murderou
s look. He had attempted to make use of Boulderthorn and Royal Valor to g
et rid of Dustin, but he did not succeed.
The bastards from
Royal Valor had gone missing, and no one had heard from them so far. He h
ad no choice but to take matters into his own hands and hired the gold–
tier assassins to avenge his children. Now that he was face–to–
face with the killer, he was overcome with vengeance.

“Edwin Hummer, you’d better not try anything funny! Release Madam Gloria
now!” Dakota ordered.

“Oh, is she a madam from the family? This is great.” Edwin suddenly broke
into a smile as he pointed the gun at Gloria’s temple. “I’ll give you a
choice–either she or Dustin have to die. Pick
one.”

Chapter 394
“What did you say?” Dahlia frowned at him.

“Was it not clear enough? I shall repeat myself then.” The smile disappea
red from Edwin’s face. “I will only spare one person. Either that old wom
an or Dustin. Now, it’s your turn to decide who’s living and who’s dying.
”

“Dahlia! Just let Dustin go! It’s your chance to redeem yourself!” Dakota
started yelling.

“Right! If you save me today, I will forgive your wrongs and even help yo
u secure the chairman position!” Gloria dangled a promise as well. She lo
st her mind at that moment because of Edwin’s mercilessness. He could not
be reasoned with, and he would take any life without hesitation. She sti
ll had a lot to live for and refused to be sacrificed.

“Edwin Hummer! We do not have grudges against you! Why do you have to com
e after us?” Dahlia frowned deeply.

“You don’t?” Edwin laughed maniacally, throwing his head back. “Oh, Dahli
a Nicholson, why don’t you ask the people around you about the grudges be
tween us?”

After Edwin’s son and daughter were both killed and his family went throu
gh a massacre, he developed a vendetta against Dustin Rhys. Dahlia was wr
ong to claim that there was nothing
between them.

“Edwin Hummer, just come at me if you want revenge. Why do you have to pu
ll tricks?” Unfazed,
Dustin remarked.

“I would have killed you if I wanted to. But I will not make it an easy d
eath for you. I want you to witness your family and friends dying in thei
r pools of blood. I want to see anger, despair, and remorse in you. That
way, you’ll have a taste of the excruciating grief!” Edwin cackled like a
madman. He had nothing more to lose ever since he lost his children.

“Do you think you are capable of doing that?” Dustin had a calm look in h
is eyes. Many wanted
him dead, but he has been unharmed so far.

“Hah! I know you are powerful. It’s hard to take revenge on my own. But t
oday, I came prepared. I did not mind spending a fortune on hiring the th
ree gold–
tier assassins from the Bounty League just to take you down. With them he
re, you are destined to die, even if you are an invincible
monster.”

As he was speaking, he made a gesture, and three people behind him took a
step forward. The short guy
on the left was Hillcrest. Standing in the middle was a man with gray hai
r, who had oddly ape–
like, lengthy arms that reached his knees. On the right was a lady wearin
g a mask. She was dressed in a bodycon suit, which flaunted her curvy fig
ure. The two knives she held were sparkling dimly and were obviously
dripping with poison.

“On the left is Hillcrest. Snow Monkey is the one in the middle. You’ll a
lso see Scorpion on the right. They are all gold–
tier assassins.” Edwin generously introduced the assassins
to Dustin to instill fear and despair in him.
“You rascal! It’s your honor to die in our hands.” Hillcrest grinned.

“Let’s get this over with and bag the money.” Snow Monkey remained expres
sionless.
1

“Haha… It’s a pity that a handsome guy like you is meeting your end today
. Fancy having fun with me before that?” Scorpion licked her lips greedil
y.

The air was filled with dread upon the entrance of the three assassins. T
he people in the room started trembling uncontrollably.
“My gosh! What is that guy doing, putting together three gold–tier
assassins?” Tarragon was covered in a cold sweat. It was rare enough to c
ome across a gold–tier assassin. It would be his

first time witnessing three of those working together, which was unheard
of.

Chapter 395

To Tarragon, the fact that Edwin assembled the best to take down an avera
ge man like Dustin, was rather puzzling.

“After all the hoo–
ha, it turns out that their target is Dustin! Thank God.” Dakota let out
a sigh of relief in secret. There was a saying: the enemy of my enemy is
my friend. Since Edwin shared the same goal as the Nicholsons in wanting
to get rid of Dustin, she believed they should not be stuck

in a confrontation.

“Evil defeats evil. Dustin Rhys, you’ll be dead today!” Gloria chuckled g
leefully. She had heard of the Bounty League and understood the severity
of having a gold–
tier assassin here. A humble doctor like Dustin would never defend himsel
f against one.

“You really splurged to get me killed.” Dustin shook his head, appearing
fearless at the threat.

“I’m willing to give up my family fortune as long as I get my revenge.” E
dwin sniggered.

“I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed today. This bunch can’t kill me,” Dust
in replied.

“Can’t they? Wow, you jerk. Look at you, facing death with that bold atti
tude!” Hillcrest smirked at him. “A small man like you does not understan
d the power of a gold–
tier assassin. Killing you is like squishing an ant.”
“Is that so? Try me.” Dustin smiled at him.

“Alright! I shall show the difference in our powers!” Hillcrest grinned a
nd launched himself at Dustin at the speed of a bullet. When he was near,
he hurled a punch at Dustin’s chest. However, Dustin did not dodge the a
ttack. Instead, he punched in Hillcrest’s direction as well, and their fi
sts
came into contact.

The hard collision led to an explosive sound as their internal energy was
unleashed, leading to strong gales blowing around. When their fists met,
Hillcrest’s immediately cracked, and blood sputtered everywhere. The bon
es in his arms shifted backward and pierced through his shoulder, and his
flesh was twisted from the impact.

With a painful scream, Hillcrest was thrown against the wall. He vomited
blood and lost consciousness right away. Meanwhile, Dustin stood firm in
his original position with his fist
extended.

“What?” The people around them were dumbfounded. They could not believe t
hat the proud Hillcrest, who had murdered Cougar with one move, was now t
aken out by Dustin’s punch. That was too ridiculous.

“You sure are something for being able to hurt Hillcrest. Too bad you’re
still dying today!” Snow Monkey looked grim as he launched a quick attack
at Dustin’s head with his long and girthy arms. He was much stronger tha
n Hillcrest in terms of direct
attacks. Still, Dustin stood there emotionlessly as he punched Snow Monke
y in the chest at high speed.

Snow Monkey’s body stiffened before his chest dented inward. He slumped o
nto the ground lifelessly, heaving his last breath with his eyes open. Ti
ll death, he never expected Dustin to move at a lightning speed that he
could not respond to.

“Die!” Right after Snow Monkey collapsed onto the ground, a prowling shad
ow emerged from his back. The figure held two blades that were shimmering
with a gleam and plunged them into Dustin’s eyes. It was Scorpion’s ambu
sh!
The attack was well–timed–
she had used Snow Monkey to divert Dustin’s attention, just so she could
fatally attack Dustin. However, Dustin seemed to have seen that coming. H
e grabbed the sharp blades with his bare hands and kicked her in the abdo
men. That sent her screaming in pain, coughing up blood
as she crashed into the tables and chairs. Then,
she fainted on the ground.
Within seconds, the three gold–
tier assassins laid motionless on the floor. Dustin
dusted his hands coolly and remarked, “So, that’s the best a gold–
tier assassin could do.”
As for the rest, they were gaping at him in shock.

Chapter 396
The Nicholsons stared at the three gold–
tier assassins before shirting their gazes at the

expressionless Dustin with great alarm. No one had anticipated Dustin to
be so powerful. If they had not witnessed the scene with their eyes, they
would have laughed at the idea of a good–for-
nothing person being talented in martial arts.

“Is there something wrong with my eyes? When did the trash become a hero?
” James widened his eyes in disbelief. His impression of Dustin was that
he was a kept
man who only learned a few useless martial arts tricks that were no match
for the top assassins. However, Dustin’s
performance
shattered James‘ preconception. He was shocked to learn that his ex–
brother–in–law was a martial arts expert.

“Heavens! Is that really Dustin?” Florence was equally astonished. Even t
hough she was clueless about the gold–
tier assassins from the Bounty League, she was aware of the capabilities
of Tarragon and Cougar. Logically, Dustin beat Hillcrest in terms of expe
rtise, which would place him levels above Tarragon and Cougar.
“What the f*ck? Was that really their useless live–in son–in–
law?” Dakota rubbed her eyes to make sure that she was seeing it right. W
ere the three gold–tier assassins from
the Bounty League taken down? Did that happen due to Dustin’s prowess, or
had the assassins been enjoying an undeserved
reputation?

“He’s a tough nut to crack. We need to get him out of the way soon.” Afte
r the shock, Gloria started plotting against Dustin. It was impossible to
beat Dustin through a martial arts battle, and the only method left was
to threaten him with her authority. She believed that Dustin wouldn’t dar
e to go against the Nicholson Family despite his outstanding martial arts
skills.

At the same time, Dahlia was staring at the familiar face with surprise.
She was not aware of Dustin’s skills during their three–
year marriage. His secret was indeed well hidden.

“Edwin Hummer, the assassins you hired didn’t seem up for their jobs. I’m
afraid you will walk away disappointed today.” Dustin looked up slowly w
ith an amused twinkle in his eyes.
“Y–
you hid your skills from us!” Edwin appeared grim. He had thought that ge
tting revenge was easy with the help of three gold–
tier assassins, only to learn that he had vastly underestimated
Dustin.

“Hid my skills?” Dustin smiled. “I have never attempted to do so. People
like you do not require me to use my full strength yet.”

“I admit that I have underestimated you. But don’t be too glad about it!
I’m still in the game,” Edwin warned in a somber tone.

“Oh, why? Do you still believe that you can get out of this?” Dustin ques
tioned him.

“Even if I can’t, I will take everyone here with me!” While speaking, Edw
in suddenly tore his shirt apart to reveal the bombs that were strapped u
nderneath.

He cackled and said, “See this? Before I arrived, I made up my mind to di
e with everyone here. The number of bombs on me is enough to turn the vil
la into ashes!”

Everyone at the scene looked terrified and listless upon hearing the rema
rk, Edwin Hummer was

a crazy one indeed!

“How? Dustin Rhys? Are you afraid now?” Edwin laughed loudly. “It doesn’t
matter if you are
skilled. You cannot survive a bombing.”
“What do you want?” Dustin went forward and shielded Dahlia.

Chapter 397
“Now! Kneel down immediately!” Edwin bellowed at Dustin.

Dustin narrowed his eyes. “What if I don’t?”

“No? Then I’ll take it out on her!” Edwin grabbed Gloria and pointed the
gun at her temple. Knowing that Dustin was powerful, he needed to get him
self a human shield.

“Edwin Hummer! You’d better be careful! That’s Madam Gloria from the Nich
olson Family!” Dustin’s expression sank.

“Oh, she’s your Madam Gloria? Sounds like you care a lot about her, don’t
you?” Edwin chuckled. ” Listen to what I say if you don’t want her to di
e!”

“Dustin! What are you standing there for? Quick! Kneel!” Dakota urged him
frantically.
“You punk! Kneel! Do you want me dead?” Gloria’s face paled.

“Madam Gloria, please be patient. I’ll save you real soon.” Dustin faked
an angry expression and challenged Edwin, “Edwin Hummer, just come at me!
If you lay a finger on her, I won’t let this slip!”

“Oh, you don’t know what it means to be desperate.” Enraged, Edwin shot G
loria in one of her knees. She yelped in pain, and her face contorted.

“That’s too much! Let her go! If not…” Dustin continued with his threats,
but Edwin had already shot Gloria in the other knee. “Kneel!”

“You rascal. Quick … Kneel, or we will make you pay!” Gloria was whimperi
ng and wailing, drenched in sweat from the unbearable pain.

“Edwin Hummer! You need to stop! If you kill her, no one can save you fro
m the consequences!” Dustin looked furious, and that only made Edwin chuc
kle harder.

“Is that so? If you care about her that much, I’ll give you a taste of lo
sing your family!” Then, he pointed the gun at Gloria’s head and pulled t
he trigger. The bullet shot through her head.
“You animal-
” Gloria was gripped by fear, but it was too late for her to say anything
. Eyes open with indignation, her cold body fell onto the floor.

“Edwin Hummer! Your enemy is me!” Dustin acted as though he was aggrieved
.

“Great! I love seeing that face!” Edwin cackled and grabbed Dakota, who w
as frozen in a state of shock. “I have lots of hostages here. We can play
this for as long as you want. I’ll ask you once
more–are you kneeling or not?”

“Edwin Hummer, you’re being unreasonable!” Dustin chided him. Edwin did n
ot waste time. shooting Dakota in the leg. “Are you going to kneel or not
?”

Dakota finally realized the trouble she was in, and she wailed and yelled
. Tears and snot covered. her face as she cursed, “Dustin Rhys! I want
you to kneel right now! I’m the precious daughter of the Nicholson Family
. They won’t go easy on you if I’m hurt! Kneel, now!”
“Dakota, you have to embody the spirit of a proud
and upright Nicholson. You have to be an outstanding person in this life
and the afterlife! We need to fight against threats without ruining the f
amily’s reputation!”

“Oh, you motherF*cker! Quit the nonsense. We’re in an emergency. Do you w
ant me dead?” Dakota screamed at Dustin but was immediately shot in the l
eg again. She rolled on the floor, wailing and screaming in pain.

“I’m warning you now! You’ll make yourself a public enemy if you kill Dak
ota Nicholson!” Dustin hissed in anger while Dakota’s face contorted in r
age. She was about to yell at him when she noticed the muzzle that was ai
ming at her. A bullet traveled through the middle of her forehead
with a bang.

Chapter 398

Dakota grunted as her body trembled and came to a stop, just like her voi
ce that died down. The darkness within the muzzle and Edwin’s cruel face
started blurring as she lost consciousness. Finally, she collapsed flatly
onto the ground with a thud. Everything happened too fast, and she had n
ot expected herself to die in such a manner.

“I–
is she dead?” Florence and the rest of the people were shaking in fear wh
en they stared at Gloria and Dakota’s bodies. It felt so surreal to see t
he two arrogant ladies killed.

Meanwhile, Dustin glanced
at the scene without much emotion. Evil defeats evil. Dakota and Gloria h
ad always been impudent bullies who did not reflect on their actions even
after being taught a lesson. Not only that, they came to him to seek rev
enge. Their deaths meant nothing to him, partly because he was never a me
rciful person to start with. He saw no issue with getting rid of the trou
ble by pulling some tricks.

“Hah! How does that feel? Are you feeling the rage and pain? You must be
dying to kill me right

now!” Edwin laughed evilly. “To be honest with you, this is just the begi
nning. I have a few more
hostages in my hands. I can play this game with you.”

Then, he walked up to James and pointed the muzzle at James‘ head. “Your
brother–in–law is the
next in the firing line. Kneel or don’t–the choice is yours.”

“Sir Hummer! I’m not involved in this! Please don’t shoot me!” James‘ leg
s turned to jelly. He fell

onto his knees and wailed, “You need to get the right person! If you are
looking for your revenge, just kill Dustin! I’m innocent!”

“That’s right, Sir Hummer! We have never done anything to you. If you wan
t to kill Dustin, go

ahead and do it. Don’t involve my son!” Florence begged in desperation.
“Dustin Rhys is your son–in–
law. The family will be dragged down by his actions. No one should

dream of getting out of this unscathed. Well, the fate of your son is now
in Dustin’s hands.” Edwin
flashed her a mocking smile.

“Dustin Rhys, you bring bad luck! Look how much trouble you got us into!
Kneel to Sir Hummer and beg for his forgiveness. If you don’t, I will not
let this slide!” a furious and panicked Florence
scolded Dustin.

“What are you standing there for? Kneel! I’m going to die if you don’t!”
James glowered, his eyes

red, as he screamed at Dustin. His body was shaking violently due to fear
. He had witnessed the

cruelty of Edwin in the killings of Gloria and Dakota. Edwin would shoot
without as much as

blinking an eye once he was riled up. James didn’t want to suffer a meani
ngless death like Dakota.
“Edwin Hummer, I shall spare your life
if you let them go,” Dustin remarked calmly.

“Spare my life?” Edwin broke into a laugh. “Oh, Dustin, you still have no
t figured out the situation! I have the upper hand now because I determin
e who gets to live or die! What else can you
do to me if I shoot your brother–in–law in the head?”
As he was speaking, he placed a finger
on the trigger and was close to pulling it, but Dustin.

flicked his fingers and sent a silver needle pricking into Edwin’s wrist.
Edwin let out a dull grunt when his arm was paralyzed.

Chapter 398

“Get moving! Run!” Dustin reminded the others in the room. “Run! Quick!”

Florence and James finally collected themselves and fled from the scene.
While running, James toppled over a few times because his legs had lost t
heir strength. Dustin frowned disapprovingly at the sight, thinking, “Wha
t a loser!” The quick–
witted Dahlia had to lift her brother from the ground and help him escape
from the villa. None of them wanted to die with Edwin, who had bomb’s st
rapped on his body.

“Edwin Hummer, it’s just you and me now. It’s time to put this to an end.
” Dustin inched closer to Edwin with murderous intent in his eyes. Edwin
had long been on his hit list. He had made a mistake by letting Edwin liv
e.

“Die!” Edwin roared and picked up the gun from the floor, shooting Dustin
in the chest twice.

Chapter 399

Two shots were fired, but the bullets came to a halt one inch before Dust
in’s body. A protective energy sphere
crystallized in the air, forming a shield against the bullet.

“What?” Edwin’s pupils wavered in shock. He was mentally prepared for Dus
tin’s prowess but was greatly taken aback at how Dustin stopped the bulle
ts in the air.

“Did you believe that you could hurt me with bullets?” Dustin shook his h
ead.
“If I can’t hurt you with a gun, I’ll die with
you!” Suddenly, Edwin pulled out the remote control for the bomb and laug
hed deliriously. “Dustin Rhys, see you in hell!”
With that, he pressed the button on the control.

Meanwhile, Dahlia was on the run with James. They were some distance away
from the villa before hearing the two gunshots. They spun around and rea
lized that Dustin had not followed after them.
“Dustin?” Losing her
composure, Dahlia frantically clambered toward the villa.

“Hey! Why are you turning back? Do you want to die?” Florence quickly pul
led her daughter back. “Mom! Dustin is still in there! He might be in dan
ger. I need to help him!” Dahlia’s heart was in her mouth.

“And what good will that be? Sir Hummer has a gun and bombs with him. You
’re running toward your death!” Florence grabbed Dahlia tightly, refusing
to let go.
“What do we do about Dustin?” Dahlia was a mess at that moment.

“He’s the one who started the trouble, so he deserves what’s coming for h
im! It’s none of our business!” Florence reminded Dahlia sternly.

“Mom! What’s that nonsense? Dustin saved James just now! Can you stop bei
ng selfish?” Dahlia furiously shook off Florence’s grip and sprinted towa
rd the villa. At the same time, they heard a huge explosive sound that sh
ook the terrain. An explosion tore the villa into rubble, filling the sur
roundings with billowing black smoke and blinding fires.

“Dustin?” She stared blankly at the ruins of the villa, clueless about wh
at to do next. Could a human possibly survive the explosion if the entire
villa was reduced to rubble?
“How did that happen? How?” Dahlia, ashen–
faced, looked like she was struck by lightning. Finally, she collapsed on
to the ground, wailing and crying her heart out.

“Hey, why are you howling here?” She heard a familiar voice that sent a c
hill down her spine. When she looked up in astonishment, she found Dustin
standing in front of her. He emerged from the rubble unhurt.

“Are you not dead? How could that be?” Bewildered, she looked at him blan
kly. The impact and heat from the explosion had melted steel. She could n
ot figure out how a human survived the incident.
“Why are you shocked that I’m alive?” He gave her a funny look.

Chapter 390

“You’re alive! That’s great!” Sobbing in joy, she threw herself into his
embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and refusing to let g
o, as though she feared he might vanish.

Chapter 400

Dustin felt the softness in his arms and the familiar scent tingling his
nose. He broke into a smile. He could tell from her uncontrolled crying t
hat she cared greatly about him.

“Okay, now. Stop crying. Your tears are wetting this new shirt I bought t
wo days ago.” After some hugging, Dustin finally opened his mouth.

“What’s the big deal? I’ll just pay for
the shirt.” She let go of him and didn’t forget to give him a pinch in th
e waist, sending him grimacing in pain. “And what was that just now? Why
didn’t you escape sooner?” she confronted him.
“He’s a ticking time bomb–
no pun intended. Of course, I had to subdue him before I left,” he answer
ed matter–of–factly.

“I know you’re great at fighting, but you have to care about your safety.
He had bombs strapped on his body. What if he got you killed in an explo
sion?” she protested.
He grinned and replied, “But I’m all well.”

“It’s all because of your dumb luck. You’d better not push your luck the
next time!” she warned him.
“Okay. I’ll act like a loser and think of my safety
first.” He nodded furiously.

“That’s more like it!” She nodded with satisfaction. It was all great bei
ng a glorious hero, but that was also how
people got themselves killed in a slip–
up. She’d rather Dustin stay a loser.

“Dustin Rhys, do you have nine lives? Why weren’t you dead from that huge
explosion?” James and Florence cautiously made their way up to the rubbl
e.

“I need to thank my lucky stars for surviving the bombing,” Dustin droppe
d a casual remark.

“Oh my god! My villa!” Florence suddenly started howling at the sight of
the rubble when she realized the extent of the damage done. “Oh, Edwin Hu
mmer, you asshole! I’m fine with him wanting to die. How could he ruin my
villa while he was at it? This is unforgivable!”

“Mom, this all happened because of Dustin. I think you can ask him for co
mpensation.” James was thinking fast and came up with an idea.

“That’s right!” Florence nodded and grabbed Dustin by the sleeve. “Dustin
Rhys, it’s all your fault! You need to pay up for ruining my villa!”

“Mom, a villa is nothing compared to a life. Dustin has saved us. Do you
think it’s fair to ask him. for compensation?” Dahlia frowned at her moth
er.

“Why is that unfair? He got us into this trouble. Don’t you ever think of
leaving if you don’t pay up!” Florence started acting like a Karen.
“Alright, then. How much?” Dustin did not want to quarrel with her.

“Eight million… No! Ten!” Florence was thinking on her feet and inflated
the price at the very last
minute.

“Mom! We bought this villa for five million. Aren’t you scamming Dustin b
y asking for ten million? “Dahlia grew increasingly annoyed.
Chapter 400

“That was in the past. Don’t you know that housing prices are climbing li
ke crazy? I won’t let this slide if I don’t receive the ten million!” Flo
rence put her hands on her waist.
“You-
” Dahlia was about to go off, but Dustin pressed a hand against hers.

“Whatever. Ten million it is. I’ll transfer it to your account tomorrow.”
“Hmph! That’s more like it!” She gleefully let go of him.

“Hey! Are you mad? Where are you going to get the money when you’re runni
ng a tiny medical center?” Dahlia glared at him.
“You shouldn’t underestimate
me. I provided the Harmon family with my prescription, and I will receive
50% of the sales of the pills they manufactured. Ten million is nothing.
” Dustin appeared unbothered. Be it the profits from Hillview Hotel or hi
s 50% ownership of the proceeds from Immortunol, he was
guaranteed a huge amount of bonus monthly, which could add up to
at least tens of millions per month.

“At the end of the day, you’re still Natasha Harmon’s kept man.” Dahlia w
as dripping with jealousy.

“Look at the way you put it. I am only her business partner. How could yo
u call me a kept man?” Dustin objected.

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