At that moment, over in Blumedale, Kenny was on the verge of exploding. "That little bastard! If I don't skin him alive, I don't deserve my last name!" Inside the villa on his private lake estate, Kenny was so enraged that he grabbed a crystal tea set from the table and smashed it into a thousand pieces. The housekeepers nearby trembled in fear, their heads lowered, barely daring to breathe. That tea set was not just any tea set—it was a gift from the Golding family, worth millions of dollars. Yet, he had shattered it without a second thought. That was how furious he was. A low, chilling laugh suddenly echoed through the room. "Well, well, Mr. Rhodes. Quite the temper you have there. Why don't you let me take care of this problem for you?" A tall man in black stepped into the villa. He had a single eye, the other covered by a dark leather eyepatch. His remaining eye was sharp and predatory, piercing like a hawk's, making it impossible to meet his gaze without feeling a deep
Kenny's next move would be to deal with Lauren and her family. In Holtrien's underground world, two major ranking systems determined a martial artist's status—the Titan List and the Underworld Index. Every martial artist aspired to make it onto one of these lists. The Titan List was on a whole different level. It was reserved for monsters—legendary figures born into powerful families, heirs to elite dynasties, or top-tier military generals and special operatives. Anyone ranked on the Titan List was not just a fighter—they were a walking earthquake, a force that could shake the entire underworld. On the other hand, the Underworld Index, while not as terrifying, was still a prestigious ranking. Although it could not compare to the Titan List, for most crime families, syndicates, and martial arts clans, making it onto the Underworld Index was a once-in-a-lifetime honor. Jayrodale had plenty of fighters, but none had ever made the list. Yet, Phantom Eye ranked No. 35 on the Underw
The more Aspen thought about it, the more convinced she became. "Seth, I have something urgent to take care of. We'll talk next time!" Without waiting for his response, she turned and left in a hurry. Seth tilted his head, watching her graceful figure disappear. His tongue flicked across his lips as a smirk formed. "A top-tier beauty… aside from her chest being a little on the small side, she's damn near perfect. But even though they're small, they're perky—just the right size to fit in my hands. "What's even better is that she's loaded. She just set up a company worth billions in Blumedale. Once I get her in my bed, I'll kill two birds with one stone—pleasure and fortune." A slow, greedy grin stretched across his face. Women like Aspen could not be rushed, especially ones with powerful backgrounds, but he was not in a hurry. With his status as a Haywood, it was only a matter of time before he had her naked, completely at his mercy, savoring every inch of her. There was jus
Aspen grumbled, "Fine. If you won't listen, I won't waste my breath." Her voice turned cold as she added, "Andrew, if you do end up dead, then this ten billion and my freedom will no longer have anything to do with you." Andrew chuckled. "Alright. If I die, you can take the money and your freedom along with it. But luck tends to be on my side, so don't get your hopes up too high." Before Aspen could snap back, he ended the call. She stared at her phone, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something, but the words never came. A tight frustration built up in her chest, an unbearable sense of exasperation she had nowhere to release. She muttered, "Andrew, if you really end up dead, I'd actually be relieved. Don't expect any loyalty from me." She let out a dry laugh, feeling a little better after saying it out loud. With a hard press on the gas pedal, her red Ferrari roared to life and sped off. Even though she was certain Phantom Eye would take care of Andrew, she still h
Andrew nodded and said, "Alright then. Dylan, head to the airport and bring Phantom Eye to West End. I'll deal with him myself!" Dylan's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Mr. Lloyd, Phantom Eye is practically a semi-martial king. Are we seriously going in without a plan?" Andrew gave him a strange look. "What plan?" Dylan's face twitched as he hurriedly said, "Mr. Lloyd, going head-to-head with someone like Phantom Eye is basically a death sentence! Shouldn't we use some kind of strategy? Maybe pit him against someone else? Poison him? Set up some kind of trap? "There's no way we can take him on in a direct fight!" Andrew gave him an approving nod. "In the face of a powerful enemy, you're already thinking about sneaky tactics to avoid a head-on clash. Dylan, looks like you've been growing lately! But…" Dylan looked at him eagerly. "But?" Andrew smirked. "But it's just one guy. There's no need to overcomplicate things. I mean, it's only a semi-martial king, not a full martial kin
Gritting her teeth, Shiloh said, "I've been picking up part-time jobs lately, but I keep running into shady employers. Either they shortchange me, come up with random fines, or just outright refuse to pay me! "I thought about it, and working for you is way easier. Give me ten grand, and I'll take care of your enemy." She finished speaking and stared at Andrew with eyes gleaming like she was looking at a pile of gold. However, Andrew did not respond. His brows just furrowed deeply. Shiloh immediately panicked, wondering if she had asked for too much. So, she quickly adjusted. "How about eight grand? You only need to pay me eight grand, and I'll handle this for you!" Still, Andrew remained silent. Dylan and Natasha, on the other hand, were on the verge of losing it. Damn. A martial king—someone powerful enough to wipe out Jayrodale's entire underground scene and shake up the martial arts world—was offering her services for just eight grand? They had seen crazy things in their
Francesca stayed at West End, keeping Andrew company. "Andrew, you went after Michael because of Lauren, didn't you?" Sitting beside him, the busty little lady spoke in a complicated tone. Andrew chuckled. "This has nothing to do with Lauren. I told you before—Michael was never going to walk out of Jayrodale alive." Francesca sighed. "I know Michael means nothing to you, but the people backing him are a different story. Kenny and the Golding family—one of the Five Apex Families—are involved. Andrew, I'm worried. If this blows up, you're going to be in serious trouble." Andrew joked, "Isn't that a good thing? If I get into a mess, you can just marry someone else." Francesca's eyes widened as she pouted. "Don't talk nonsense! I'm already your woman—there's no way I'm marrying someone else!" Her face turned bright red. She was not even married yet, and he was already talking about her remarrying. What was that supposed to mean? Was he saying she was not satisfying him at ni
Kenny roared, "You useless piece of trash! You're my son! With me backing you up and your sister married into the Golding family, what the hell are you crying about? Pull yourself together! I'm getting you out of there, and once I do, the entire Rhodes Corporation will belong to us. Got it?" However, Kenny's words did little to comfort Michael. Michael lifted his disheveled face, looking as pathetic as a pig in the mud, and wailed, "Dad, I don't give a damn about Rhodes Corporation! "What I care about… is that my manhood is gone! It's shattered, completely destroyed… Do you have any idea what that feels like?! I'll never be able to sleep with women again! I'll never feel pleasure again!" Kenny felt a chill run from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, like a bucket of ice water had just been dumped on him. "Y-Your manhood is gone?" His voice shot up several octaves, filled with disbelief. Michael's expression twisted with pure hatred as he pointed at Andrew and screa
With a sickening snap, several bones shattered under Logan's brutal kick, and Archie let out a bloodcurdling scream that made everyone's scalp tingle. "Mr. Keller, please, stop! I'm begging you! I was wrong! I was talking shit! I apologize—I apologize!" Archie flailed on the ground like a dying animal, completely stripped of his earlier arrogance. His body trembled violently, his face twisted in agony, but he did not dare show the slightest bit of temper as he groveled before Logan, crying and pleading. Logan casually strolled over and slapped him twice more across the face, with ruthless, bone-jarring force. Archie's head snapped to the side so hard it almost seemed like his neck would break, and his screams grew even more pitiful. Yet, not a single Hopkins fighter moved to help him. All of them stood frozen, faces pale with fear, too terrified to even breathe loudly. Logan's voice was calm but icy. "Tonight, if Andrew doesn't accept your apology, not a single one of you
"Andy, I'm here!" In the midst of the tense, frozen atmosphere, only Logan and Andrew seemed relaxed, chatting like old friends without a care in the world. Andrew chuckled. "Logan, you're acting way too friendly!" For once, Logan's face flushed slightly red with embarrassment. Truth be told, he and Andrew were not actually that close. However, orders were orders—George had made it clear that they had to secure Andrew's favor no matter what it took. If Andrew did not show much enthusiasm toward the Keller family, then Logan had no choice but to make up for it by being overly enthusiastic himself. "If you don't like it, how about you be the older brother and I'll be the younger one?" Logan's attitude was ridiculously accommodating as if he had no pride left to defend. No matter how awkward it felt, Andrew was someone the Keller family absolutely had to win over. Watching all this unfold, Tiana, Jameson, and the Hopkins crowd were even more stunned. It almost seemed like Loga
By some twisted stroke of luck, Archie's manhood—though bruised and swollen—had not been completely destroyed. While he silently thanked the heavens, his hatred for Tiana grew even deeper. That seductive married woman? He was determined to have her tonight, no matter what it took. Just then, Jerry and a dozen of the Rhodes family's top fighters finally arrived on the scene. Jameson, seeing that his people were in place, narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Mr. Hopkins, you really want to keep pushing this?" Archie let out a twisted laugh. "Mr. Rhodes, your wife hit me. That punk by your side hit me too! Do you really think someone like me, who cares this much about his reputation, is just going to let that go?" Tiana scoffed. "So what if we don't let it go? Mr. Hopkins, you're nothing more than a disgusting maggot. What are you going to do about it?" Archie screamed, his face flushed with rage. "Tiana, you filthy bitch! Do you think you're better than me? Tonight, I'll make
"This way, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Rhodes, Mrs. Rhodes, and Ms. Rhodes—please!" Justin had completely changed his attitude, now grinning with over-the-top enthusiasm. He was practically bowing, a world apart from the snobby arrogance he had shown earlier. Tiana smiled faintly and said, "We'll be dining in the Celestial Suite now. That won't be a problem, right?" The manager nodded so fast it looked painful. "No problem at all, Mrs. Rhodes. Please, right this way!" Jameson patted Andrew's shoulder reassuringly and whispered, "Andy, don't worry. I already called our people. Jerry and the others are on their way." Andrew chuckled lightly. "Mr. Rhodes, there's no need to mobilize the whole family.The Hopkins? I can handle them myself." Jameson shook his head, thinking Andrew was just putting on a brave face. He believed Andrew, being new to Blumedale, could not possibly fend off the Hopkins on his own. Meanwhile, Andrew casually excused himself during dinner to make a quick call to
Everyone could tell Andrew was no ordinary martial artist. After all, he had taken down the Hopkins men like it was nothing. Nonetheless, the fact that he kept going and even dared to lay hands on Archie was pure suicide. "That little bastard is dead meat! Archie's gonna skin him alive!" someone hissed. "Yeah! It's one thing to slap us around, but hitting Mr. Hopkins? Does he think he's untouchable?" "Just wait. This fool's been used like a pawn by Mrs. Rhodes. Once the real Hopkins heavy hitters show up, he's gonna get slaughtered right here at The Palace!" Meanwhile, Archie caught another few brutal slaps from Andrew. Chunks of his thick beard went flying through the air. Archie howled, "You little punk! You've pushed it too far! If I don't kill you tonight, I'll change my damn last name to yours!" Grimacing with rage, Archie pulled out his phone and snarled into it. "I just got attacked at The Palace. Bring the whole crew over—now! "Yeah, you heard me. Tonight, I'm w
The others around them sneered and snickered. "Kid, you're all skin and bones. Do yourself a favor and get lost." Another chimed in, "Mr. Hopkins doesn't even take the entire Rhodes family seriously. What makes you think you stand a chance, you low-level nobody?" "Heh, did you all hear it earlier? Tiana said they are his in-laws. Damn, this kid hit the jackpot. Tiana and her daughter? Both absolute knockouts." One remarked, "No kidding. That lucky punk, I envy him like hell. If it were me, I'd be laughing in my sleep. Bagging a mother-daughter pair? That's the dream, man… pure heaven." A few filthy-mouthed degenerates let loose with their vulgar fantasies, and the air instantly grew more volatile. The tension between both sides was now on the brink of exploding. Tiana let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Looks like Mr. Hopkins isn't the only one talking shit tonight. Some of you have even more sewage coming out of your mouths." She turned to Andrew, her smile sharp as ice. "Come
Justin instantly sensed something was about to spiral. He rushed forward and tried to defuse the tension. "Mr. Hopkins, please calm down. We're all just here to have a nice dinner—no need for this." Archie clutched his swollen cheek, his face twisted with rage. "Calm down? Get out of my face! If you say another word, I'll end you too!" Justin flinched and quickly backed off, no longer daring to speak. However, as he glanced toward the Rhodes family, his eyes burned with resentment. He cursed them for being foolish. Despite knowing they could not go up against the Hopkins, they still had to throw punches. He could not help but think they were just asking for it. Lauren's voice rang out cold and firm. "Mr. Hopkins, what are you trying to do? Start a war?" Archie bellowed with laughter. "Big mouth on you, you little bitch! With your trashy Rhodes family, you're not even qualified to go to war with the Hopkins!" He sneered, eyes gleaming. "But don't worry—I'm not just gonna tak
Justin's face twisted in discomfort, but before he could say anything, a loud voice boomed across the entrance. "Mr. McGrath, you can step back! If Mrs. Rhodes wants to dine in our Celestial Suite, then she's more than welcome!" As the voice faded, a burly man with a thick beard strode over. The giant crystal ring on his hand and the heavy gold chain across his chest made it clear—this man was rich, but absolutely tasteless. Jameson snorted coldly. "The Hopkins family sure has some nerve, snatching up someone else's reservation like it's nothing." Archie Hopkins cracked a wide grin, revealing a mouth full of blackened teeth, and laughed without a care. "Mr. Rhodes, you sound way too naive!" Archie shrugged and said, "In this world, it's all about money and muscle. The Hopkins family's got both. So stealing a little dining room from the Rhodes family? It's nothing." Tiana's voice turned icy. "Since you're admitting it's theft, then do us a favor and get the hell out." Arch
The place Jameson picked for dinner was one of the most well-known upscale restaurants in Blumedale—The Palace. "Andy, you might not know this, but around here, this spot is top-tier," Jameson said as he adjusted his tailored suit and smiled. He added, "It's not like I'm trying to flaunt my wealth or anything. But sometimes, even if you don't care for appearances, you've still got to show up with style!" Andrew chuckled and replied, "Mr. Rhodes, I get what you're saying." Tiana spoke up coolly, "Jameson, no need to put on this kind of show in front of Andrew. Otherwise, you'll just end up looking ridiculous. This guy probably poops in places you haven't even dreamed of stepping into." Jameson froze for a second, clearly shocked. "Well now, Tiana, you're really singing Andy's praises today. Could it be… the classic case of a mother-in-law who's starting to really like her son-in-law?" Tiana gave a snort. "This has nothing to do with liking him. I'm just telling the truth."