“You nameless, backgroundless mutt, how dare you disrespect my great-grandfather? Who do you think you are?” “Pastor Angelo praised you because he is simply trying to guide you. Don’t be full of yourself!” “Kaze Lee, I demand you kneel before the pond and apologize to our great-grandmaster!” Master Juan’s followers berated Kaze, demanding him to kneel and apologize at the pond. Since the Wind Water Formation was created by the great-grandmaster, kneeling at the pond was as if one knelt before the master himself. Kaze said indifferently, “Your ancestor is dead. Even if he is alive and standing before me, he won’t be able to accept my kneel.” “Master! This guy is stubborn and disrespectful! We have to teach him a lesson or he will continue to be arrogant!” The female follower raised her voice once more. Master Juan’s expression turned grim. “He must be taught the proper way.” “I will do it!” The female follower then strode over to Kaze fiercely. Her measured steps a
In ancient times, masters who practiced the art of feng shui and other elemental arts fought fiercely for the sake of reputation and power. The competition was intense. Many masters set up their formations to trap others, so the formations tended to be lethal once triggered. Those who could break the formation by force were usually stronger enemies. As for those who practiced under the same banner, they usually shared the dissolving techniques among their own and passed them down to the next generation. Therefore, only enemies would intrude by force, so the traps were lethal to eliminate intruders. Listening to their masters, the other followers glared at Kaze. “You! You caused Jenny’s death! I’ll kill you!” “You did it on purpose!” Kaze chuckled. “Yeah, I did it on purpose. Such an arrogant woman should die but if your master could stop the quicksand and save her, I wouldn’t stop him either. “You should hurry, Master Juan. Or else you will be digging up a body instea
Master Juan’s disciples rushed out from the hole, looking pale and horrified. The instruments and equipment they held fell along the way but they did not care. They ran out like madmen and tried to climb out from the pond. “What happened?” Kent was shocked and startled by the cry for help. One of the disciples scrambled up and fell to the ground. Pointing at the hole with a shaking hand, he stammered, “Ghost! Ghost!” He was terrified. Colors drained from Kent’s face.Like Kaze said, something was wrong under the pond. As for the ghost the disciple mentioned, he believed no such thing. He instinctively said, “Master Juan is still in there, it should be fine…” Before he could even finish, Master Juan ran out from the hole with the female disciple, looking horrified. The female disciple was covered in blood and her clothes were barely intact. She did not seem to be breathing as well. Master Juan looked miserable too. His clothes were torn, his face was covered in di
The wooden sword was Master Juan’s favorite artifact. It was made with the best oak wood and carved with complicated markings. It even had a few gemstones on the hilt. The wooden sword could easily fetch a few million on the market but Kaze lit it up using his lighter and used it as a torch. He raised the torch and entered through the iron door. The torch burned brightly before he entered but when he set foot inside, the fire grew weak to the point of extinguishing. Fortunately, it did not go off and continued to emit a dim light across the room. Kaze finally got a better look at the place. Before him was a round platform with a red wooden coffin on top. It was extremely huge. Based on his estimation, it was at least three times larger than a common coffin. Under the coffin was a line of artificial gully, surrounding the entire coffin and spreading across the room. Some red liquid flowed across it and through some sophisticated instruments, it entered and exited the c
Master Juan’s great-grandfather somehow redeemed himself during his last breath. Nevertheless, the Ryokanians continued their wicked experiment to transform the body into a zombie super soldier, hoping they could one day bring back the dead and create an army of undead soldiers to conquer the world. Master Juan’s great-grandfather told his descendant never to move the pond because he did not want his family to get involved. The blood flowing in the gully was the blood of his people. Kaze’s expression turned frosty. The Ryokanians’ evil ambitions would never die until they invaded Arcadia. “Luckily you bumped into me,” Kaze said coldly. Bang! He punched the coffin, shattering it along with the remains of Master Juan's great-grandfather. He then tossed the torch into the gully, igniting the entire room to burn everything away. At the same time in a shrine somewhere in Ryokan, a tablet worshiped on an altar cracked and disintegrated into dust. After that, Kaze walked
Kaze said, “I’ve dealt with it. Strange things won’t happen to your family again. “Some Ryokanians controlled Master Juan’s great-grandfather’s soul to cause disturbance but that’s all they can do for now. You can just forget what happened.” Kent nodded gratefully. “Thank you. Thank you again.” He was grateful for what Kaze had done for his family and was fully convinced of Kaze’s capabilities. Master Juan and his disciples went down and came back horrified, whereas Kaze returned unscathed and revealed a major secret under the pond. “Oh, the dead ninja the other day, where’s the body?” Kaze asked. Kent said, “I asked my men to bury it in some public grave, where we used to bury homeless people. It’s also a place where the powerful bury their enemies.” Kaze asked, “Give me the location. Don’t ask and don’t go checking on it. Just take it as if you buried a dead stray cat.” Kent was slightly surprised. He did not know what Kaze wanted to do but he nodded nevertheless. T
Bronze Sparrow had nine floors. The place was also known as Nine Heavens. At the top of Nine Heavens would be the office of the general manager, Zoro Bleach. Luis and Zenika came purposely to meet Zoro. Last night when Kaze thrashed the place, Zoro was not around. He only came back this morning, so Luis and Zenika were eager to convince him to pursue Kaze and avenge them. After their fingers were cut off, they went straight to the hospital to sew them back. However, the doctor said even if they reattached the severed fingers, they would not be able to use it as nimbly as before. In other words, their fingers were completely crippled even though they looked fine. Luis and Zenika hated Kaze to their core. Overnight they became disabled—an outcome their status and upbringing could not accept. Bump! Bump! Bump! With Zoro’s man leading the way, Luis and Zenika arrived at the highest floor and the first thing they heard were noises of rough waves. A shirtless man in his
Zoro said, “There’s always someone better. Aside from the few kingpins, the prominent families of Riverbank also employed many powerful experts. “They had been dominating South River State for years, their foundations deeply rooted. They colluded with the authorities and forged alliances with the underworld forces. Every family has their own figure of ‘pillar’ like anchors holding them firm.” Luis wore a flattering smile and said, “Even so, they are old and you are still in your prime. With Casius’ praises and esteem for you, even if the other veterans stand against you, you can easily crush them beneath your feet!” Zoro chuckled. “Who knows? No one would show their trump card until it’s a matter of life and death. “Like the Lee family. I heard they were defeated by their abandoned son in Lilyrose, losing not only power and influence but also Cosmo’s and Narian’s legs. Yet they dared not say a thing. “People started to look down on them, thinking they were declining, but thos
As they arrived, they saw a dozen expensive cars parked outside. The customer base was relatively stable as the establishment was targeted at the upper class. The people lining up at the club were young men and women of ordinary background. All were allowed inside Absolute Zero with an entrance fee. Since this would be a chance for ordinary people to meet and interact with the upper-class elites, they cherished it and tried their best to look good. Even movie producers and scriptwriters came to the club, seeking investments or a role in movie production. It was a shortcut to reach out to the upper crust after all. Yet they were just a bunch of fresh graduates with no resources and connections, so the club was their only chance at achieving something great. Dwight would never understand how rare the opportunity was, as he was narrow-sighted. He had never experienced power and wealth before, so he lacked the understanding of how things worked in society. “I never thought
With that in mind, Dwight checked his outfit. His black leather jacket brought out his height and wild side. He then observed Kaze. The latter was dressed casually. Dwight was worried that they would not be allowed into Absolute Zero because of their attire. Nevertheless, he could not let slip that he had never been to Absolute Zero. Without a word, Dwight led Kaze down the apartment building. Kaze could pick up on Dwight’s nerves. While in the elevator, Dwight could not stop straightening out his clothes. It was clear that he was nervous. Even so, Kaze said nothing and pretended not to notice. They got into the car and drove to an alley. The area was not huge, but there were stands selling street food. “The food is great here. Since it’s early, we can grab a bite.” Dwight was not being tight with money. As their destination was a bar, there was no need to get a proper meal. “I’ll get a skewer then.” Kaze did not have much of an appetite anyway. “Okay. I’ll or
“You’re the guest. I should be hosting you, but I don’t seem to be doing a good job.” Dwight knew he had to do better. “It’s okay. I don’t have much to do. It’s just a delivery anyway.” Kaze bought a lot of stuff online. All they had to do was wait for the delivery. Once the items arrived, they could head out. Dwight talked about taking him to a bar under the Viper’s Den’s umbrella. It was a great opportunity for Kaze to check out the scene. He had heard that the Wittersons were tied to all the Viper’s Den’s business operations.Kaze would not meet Edmund and Morris in person, but he would grasp all information related to them. Then, Kaze would stir things up between them and sit back while reaping the benefits. Kaze had it all planned out. He simply had to take his time in playing the long game. Nevertheless, it was important for him to remain discreet. At the very least, he should not show them what he was made of. It was easy to execute his plan when everybody
Kaze rose to his feet and took something out of his bag. Putting on his jacket, he was on his way out. Dwight was out of his room, too. He left his room for a glass of water and waited for Kaze to get out of the room after his nap. Dwight had a drink in the kitchen. He took an apple and chomped on it. Looking at the fruit on the table, Dwight grabbed a plate to arrange it neatly.He took out his phone to pass the time while waiting for Kaze. Kaze emerged from the room and saw Dwight. “You’re up at last. You’ve slept half the day away. Are you still tired? I can wait if you need to catch some sleep.” Dwight kept Herman’s memo to look after Kaze. “A little. I didn’t get any sleep last night. I was waiting to get on the plane.” Kaze took the red-eye flight yesterday. Dwight allowed time for Kaze to rest, knowing his travel schedule. “I know. Did you manage to get some good sleep? If you haven’t, you can go back to bed. I can grab some food for you.” Dwight’s plan
“Your main responsibility is to entertain Kaze. You will be rewarded for good work,” Herman said. Dwight nodded incessantly. “Thank you for thinking of me, Herman. I won’t forget this.” “I’d be grateful so long as you stay out of trouble. “Just focus on what you should do and take good care of Kaze.” Herman worried that Dwight might get ahead of himself and forget his primary duties. Dwight’s priority was Kaze’s well-being. The whole thing would be over if Dwight kept to himself and served Kaze until he was gone. There would be a problem if something were to happen. Without Edmund’s instructions, Herman would never have assigned a job to Dwight. It could be a good thing, though. At least, a job might keep him on the straight and narrow. “Relax. You can count on me,” Dwight said with glee.That was a nice surprise. Dwight did not see it coming. It was just incredible. Herman still could not shake off his worry. However, he had said his piece. It was pointless t
Herman’s smile vanished. His red, irritated skin was playing up. Due to alcohol in his system, Herman could not see straight. He had to grit his teeth to hold back the urge to retch. Herman was not one to drink. Yet, he would have to go through Edmund’s loyalty test every time, and he was reaching a boiling point. However, he understood that he needed to suck it up to gain Edmund’s trust. “You must be Herman. Mr. Witterson. Should I take the things to your car, or should I deliver them to your home?” asked a uniformed server who approached. “Put them in the car and get me a designated driver,” Herman replied. He headed to the lobby while propping himself against the wall. “Okay. There will be a driver out front, ready for your service.” The server tried to help Herman up, but was declined. Herman saw the cartons of alcohol and cigarettes in the lobby. Edmund had always been generous in giving out stuff like this. “These are from Mr. Witterson. You’re lucky to work for
“Kaze can pull the punches for sure. I mean, he has the Butterworth branch chief’s trust for a reason. “There has to be something for him to win the branch chief’s approval.” Edmund doubted there was depth to Kaze. After all, Edmund decided whether to take on a person based on their abilities. It made no sense to pay attention to losers, as he would hold them in contempt. Edmund had been impressed with Herman, who excelled in strategies and management. That was why Edmund bumped Herman up and made sure he stayed on top. “Got it.” Herman nodded and had one foot out the door. “Don’t be in a hurry to leave. There’s one more thing.” Edmund pointed at the table. Herman approached and stood on bent knees. Pleased with Herman’s submission, Edmund passed him a wine glass. Herman took the drink humbly before looking carefully at Edmund, awaiting his orders. “The wine was just airlifted from abroad. I can vouch for the taste. If you’re looking to sip on the finest, yo
Time went by, and a towering man in a suit showed up outside the door. Picking up on the noise inside the room, he knocked on the door. It was hard to tell whether the person inside could hear the knocking, so the man waited outside. The door was opened, and a woman, her face flawless with makeup, popped her head out and saw him. She cocked her head back at Edmund. “You have a guest, Mr. Witterson.” “Let him in,” Edmund instructed. He then leaned in to take the drink from the girl next to him with his mouth. The other girls cheered him on. The group was lost in their fun. The man, who entered the room, stood by the sofa respectfully. He kept his head down, his gaze staying low at the bottles of alcohol spread across the table. It was a bit of a wait before the man approached at Edmund’s order. “Tell me about Dwight.”While listening to the girls’ singing, Edmund turned to Herman. Herman rushed over as soon as Edmund called. He won a lot of money at poker toda
In this particular circumstance, Morris had to play it safe so that things would not get out of hand. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into the mess. At least, he finally saw the Wittersons’ true colors. Morris’ friendly advice was met with disrespect and insult. However, the Wittersons were a force of nature, and Morris was not about to take them head-on. Despite his frustration, Morris had to walk away. Well, Edmund would soon face his downfall at the height of his power, and Morris would be there to enjoy the ride. Still, it did not sit well with Morris to have a young fella walk all over him. It had crossed his mind to keep the Wittersons in check, but there was only so much he could do. Morris had to be the one to back away as the Wittersons grew haughty. Morris believed there was more to Kaze’s visit to Westeros. Nothing major happened in Westeros recently. At least, there was nothing worth the other branch’s attention. However, a representative of the