An Understated Dominance/ My Mysterious Life Chapter 121-130

Chapter-121 overestimated the opponent

“Ruth, when did you get a boyfriend? Why wasn’t I informed?” Nigel’s face turned ugly as he stared at Dustin with hostility.

“Do I need to report to you when I have a boyfriend? You really think too highly of yourself.” Ruth rolled her eyes. She had already rejected Nigel multiple times, but he just wouldn’t give up and continued to pester her.

“I’m just worried that you might be deceived. There are a lot of con artists these days who use their good looks to cheat people out of their wealth.” Nigel said in a mocking tone.

“That’s not true! Dustin is not a con man!” Sheila quickly defended him. When everyone fixed their gazes on her, Sheila realized that she had spoken out of turn and immediately shut her mouth.

“Ms. Murray, what’s with the sachet on your neck?” Dustin suddenly noticed something unusual.

“Is there a problem?” Sheila picked up the sachet and examined it.

“Throw it away. It’s a little suspicious.” Dustin shook his head.

“Hey, what do you mean? This aromatic sachet can calm the mind and improve sleep. How suspicious can it be?” Claudia was displeased.

“I’m just telling the truth, Dustin replied calmly.

“If you’re not sure, then shut up and stop being a smart aleck!” Claudia didn’t mince her words.

“Claudia!” Sheila pouted in annoyance.

“Alright, alright. It’s just a sachet. What’s there to argue about? Come on, let’s sit down and enjoy ourselves.”

Ruth pulled Sheila to sit down beside her and started chattering away. Dustin was left feeling a little left out. Claudia glared at him and turned away in a huff. For some reason, she always felt uneasy around Dustin.

“Claudia, who is this guy anyway?” Nigel narrowed his eyes at Dustin.

“He’s nothing special, just a doctor from the countryside. If you really want to know about him, he’s skilled in the use of obscure hidden weapons,” Claudia said coldly.

“I thought he was some big shot. Turns out, he’s just a doctor. Hey, you there! Don’t blame me for not warning you, you won’t fit in our circle. If you have some brains, you’ll leave on your own initiative!” Nigel sneered with disdain.

“That’s right, a burn like you doesn’t deserve to be Ruth’s boyfriend, let alone compete with Mr. Lincoln!” Another girl dressed in yellow taunted Dustin.

“Oh, so what?” Dustin remained expressionless.

“So, you better have some self–awareness. Don’t embarrass yourself. Do you see the Patek Philippe watch on Mr. Lincoln’s wrist? You’ll never earn that much money in your lifetime!”

“It seems like you still can’t comprehend Mr. Lincoln’s background. Let me educate you then. Mr. Lincoln’s family dabbles in real estate located within Millsburg, owning assets worth several billion dollars. Their family’s network is spread throughout the marketplace and the underworld.” The girl in yellow said arrogantly.

“Not only does Mr. Lincoln have a strong family background, but he’s also extremely outstanding. He graduated from Oxford University and earns millions of dollars every year. Besides that, he has practiced martial arts since a young age. Due to his natural talents, he was invited to be a member of the Martial Arts  Association. He’s truly accomplished in both literature and martial arts!”

“With Mr. Lincoln’s identity and abilities, he is in the spotlight wherever he goes. A loser like you can never compare to him!”

“Hey, can’t you say anything else?”

“So what?”

The girl in yellow rolled her eyes. Her face turned red with anger and disgust. It was so damn infuriating to talk to this guy!

“Punk, you’ve got a sharp tongue, but what good does it do? You will always be inferior to me in every way. In the face of my complete dominance, sweet talk and flattery will get you nowhere!” Nigel sneered.

“Oh, so what?” Dustin retorted.

“You…” Nigel’s mouth twitched, feeling annoyed.

Damn it, why was this punk repeating the same sentence over and over again?

Couldn’t they have a decent conversation?

Just as they were talking, they were interrupted by a commotion outside the door.

“Stop right there! This place has been booked for another event. Everyone who is not involved, please leave-!”

“Surround them! Don’t let anyone escape!” Amidst curdling screams and cries, the door to the private room burst open.

A group of masked assassins dressed in black rushed in with an imposing aura. The bodyguards guarding the door were all taken out.

“Who are you people? Who let you in? Get out!” The girl in yellow stood up angrily.

“Fuck you!” The assassins’ leader slapped her and sent her flying.

“What arrogance! How dare you have the audacity to stir up trouble here?” Nigel jumped up in a rage.”Our target is Sheila Murray. Anyone who is not involved, get out of here!” The assassins’ leader shouted.

“What?” Claudia frowned, on high alert. Judging from their attire, these assassins were most likely the same ones who ambushed them a few days ago.

“Bastards, who do you think you are, demanding to hand Sheila over? If you don’t want to die, get the hell out of here!” Nigel’s gaze was ferocious.

“What, are you trying to save the damsel in distress?” The assassins’ leader eyed Nigel carefully.

“So what if I do?” Nigel puffed out his chest.

“You foolish idiot! Kill him!” The leader ordered his men without hesitation.

“Yes, sir!” The other assassins drew their swords and attacked Nigel.

“How dare you show off such petty tricks in front of me?” Nigel laughed coldly.

He rushed towards the assassins and gave them a roundhouse kick in the guts. His attack was swift and vicious. In a matter of seconds, he had defeated all of the assassins.

After finishing them off, he struck a confident pose.

“Oh my god! Mr. Lincoln is amazing!” Everyone’s spirits were lifted upon seeing his victory. Some of the girls couldn’t help but scream with adoration on their faces.

“These punks are no match for me! Nigel turned around and flashed a handsome smile to his fans.

However, at the next second, a fist the size of a sandbag hit him square in the face.

Nigel was caught by surprise. The attack caused him to become disoriented and his nose to bleed profusely.

Nigel’s high spirits were short–lived.

“You attacked out of turn!” Nigel held his bleeding nose and scowled at the assassin’s” leader.

Damn it, he didn’t even have a chance to show off in front of Ruth! Where were his manners?

“It’s your fault for getting distracted in battle! Are you tired of living?” The leader sneered.

“Scumbag, you are getting on my nerves! I’ll give you one last chance to kneel and beg for mercy, otherwise. I will roundhouse kick you in the arse! Nigel glared at him viciously.

As he threatened, Nigel leaped into the air and did a somersault, looking quite impressive.

“Arrogant fool!” The assassins’ leader’s eyes were cold as he and his remaining men rushed toward Nigel at once.

“Be careful, Mr. Lincoln!” The girls exclaimed in shock.

“Don’t overestimate yourself!” Nigel reared fearlessly as he took a step back to perform his special move. He spun around like a spinning top, attacking the assassins ferociously. His kicks were merciless and deadly; anyone who got close to Nigel was knocked down easily like dominoes. Even the assassins’ leader could not withstand Nigel’s attacks and was blown off his feet.

In just a minute, all the assassins were defeated. For that moment, Nigel seemed unrivaled and invincible!

“Wow, Nigel is amazing!”

“Oh my goodness, his fighting technique is cut off this world!”

“As expected of Mr. Lincoln, he is truly a terrifying martial artist! TM

Looking at the number of assassins lying incapacitated on the ground, everyone started complimenting Nigel. Their eyes were shining as they rained praise on their hero.

“This victory is not worth mentioning. They are just small fries!” Nigel stood with his hands behind his back, feigning nonchalance.

However, he couldn’t help but steal a glance at Ruth while he spoke, with a haughty expression on his face.

“Mr. Lincoln, you were incredible! You make all of us feel safe just by having you around! Any girl would be lucky to have you as a boyfriend!” The girl in yellow held her hands to her chest, looking up at Nigel with admiration.

“You’re flattering me.” Nigel smiled modestly.

“It’s only natural for a man to protect a woman. I’m not like some coward who hides at the back and relies on women for protection. That’s really pathetic!” Nigel looked at Dustin intentionally to prove his point.

“Hey, you! Didn’t you have a sharp tongue? Why are you not saying anything now? Are you dumb?’ The girl in yellow sneered, her face full of disdain.

“If you ask me, someone here is all talk and no action. Most of the time, he is as arrogant as a peacock. However, when things go wrong, he is the first person to flee.”

“Ruth, now it’s obvious which choice is better, right? If it weren’t for Mr. Lincoln, we wouldn’t have been able to fight against these vicious people.”

“That’s right! When looking for a boyfriend, we should find a real man like Mr. Lincoln! As for the guy next to you, you should forget about him, What’s the use of having a cowardly and timid man around?”

At that moment, everyone was gossiping about the two of them. Nigel proved his bravery and strength, while Dustin did nothing like a coward. Comparing the two, it was clear who was better.

“Dustin, why didn’t you do anything just now?” Listening to the harsh comments of those around her, Ruth couldn’t help but frown.

She knew that Dustin was skilled in martial arts, although not necessarily stronger than Nigel. However, dealing with a few petty assassins shouldn’t be a problem.

“These small fries don’t interest me,” Dustin said nonchalantly.

“Small fries? You may be a coward, but your words are quite the opposite!”

“Just admit that you are pathetic. How dare you find excuses for yourself?”

“He only knows how to talk big, but he’s actually just a coward!”

“What a wimp, disgusting loser!”

Remaining silent would have been better for Dustin, as anything he said only led to contempt.

“Punk, it’s obvious that you don’t have the guts nor the ability to fight. Why pretend to be tough? If you kneel down and beg. I might teach you a few moves so you won’t wet yourself from fear the next time.” Nigel sneered.

“If you’re so capable, then take down those two behind you first.” Dustin pointed his chin to the door. Nigel turned around in surprise and saw that there were indeed two more people.

Both of them were bald, one dressed in green and the other in black. They were muscular and burly men, with fierce eyes and bulging biceps.

“Oh! Who are these two men who don’t fear death?” Nigel smirked scornfully.

“Was it you who injured our men?” The bald man in green spoke first.

“Yes, it’s me. What are you going to do about it? What, do you want to have a taste of my roundhouse kick too? Nigel replied arrogantly.

“Roundhouse kick? Heh, trash!” The green baldy sneered.

“Fool! How dare you look down on me? Today, I’ll let you witness my special move, the Whirlwind Kick!” As Nigel spoke, he leaped into the air.

Whirling around, he kicked up a fierce tornado that looked very impressive. The girls around him were dazzled by his moves.

“Mr. Lincoln, go for it!”

“Take them down!”

Full of admiration, they cheered Nigel on. Gathering his strength, Nigel smashed a powerful blow into the bald man’s skull. A muffled sound was heard.

However, the bald man in green was unscathed by the attack. He didn’t even move a muscle, just slightly tilted his head.

On the other hand, Nigel’s bones were fractured, and his whole body went numb.

“You-!” Nigel was stunned, his face full of disbelief.

Even when he attacked using his full power, he still couldn’t break his opponent’s defense. In contrast, his leg was shattered by the reaction force.

What kind of monster was this that popped out of nowhere?

“Whirlwind Kick? Is that all?” The bald man in green sneered and grabbed Nigel’s leg. He flung Nigel up into the air, smashing into the ceiling.

After that, his body fell to the ground, flattened like a mere bug. Before Nigel could get up, a deafening sound was heard as the bald man slammed Nigel’s face deeper into the ground, causing the floor to crack.

Blood spurted out from his mouth and nose, and he couldn’t even scream in agony. His body was severely injured, with countless fractures all over.

“You’re not even worth my time!” The bald man in green sneered with an expression of disdain.

When they saw Nigel lying motionless on the ground, everyone was stunned. Their eyes widened in shock

Chapter-122 the Four Scoundrels

There was pin–drop silence in the private room. At a loss for words, everyone was aghast at what had happened. No one expected the twist of events.

Just a minute ago. Nigel was their hero, flaunting his strength and skills, but now he was lying helplessly on the ground like a dead dog.

How could this bald guy be so powerful?

“H–how dare you hurt me? Do you know who I am? I’m Nigel Lin—”

“Shut the hell up!” With a crack, the bald man stepped on Nigel’s leg and broke it.

Nigel wailed in pain, with cold sweat appearing on his forehead.

“If you’ve got the nerve, tell me your names!” Nigel gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with rage.

“Listen up! My name is Brent Garcia, and this is my brother, Wade Garcia!” The bald man in green announced loudly.

“Brent Garcia, Wade Garcia? Could it be…are you guys the Four Scoundrels?” Nigel’s pupils shrank in fear.

“The Four Scoundrels!” Everyone was shocked at the revelation.

The Four Scoundrels was a notorious group of merciless and vicious outlaws that terrorized the Southern province.

These ruffians were infamous for their ruthlessness, and they would stop at nothing to achieve their goals!

Wherever they went, destruction and calamity followed. Countless elites in the Southern province were terrified of the Four Scoundrels, living in constant fear and anxiety.

After learning the identities of the two men, all the girls panicked.

“This is bad!” Claudia furrowed her brows.

The Four Scoundrels were all martial artists with incredible internal energy. Brent and Wade were said to be even stronger than Thor. It was already difficult enough to deal with one person.

Now, there were two of them at the same time, undoubtedly making things worse. If she were alone, she might still have a chance to escape.

The problem was that she had to protect Sheila as well.

With her previous injuries, Claudia had no chance of winning if she had to go up against two villains simultaneously.

“Brent! I’m warning you, everyone here Is of elite status. You’d better not mess around!” Nigel shouted bravely.

“Who cares if we cause trouble? You’re nothing but a piece of shit!” Brent kicked Nigel forcefully, sending him flying into the crowd.

Amidst the screaming and chaos, Claudia suddenly sprang into action!

She drew her dagger and lunged like a cheetah toward Brent’s throat, hoping to take out one of the two opponents. In a fair fight, she knew that she was no match for either of them.

By taking out one person, her chances of winning would significantly increase! Although it was a good plan, Brent was no fool.

As the dagger came at him, he quickly dodged aside and slammed his shoulder into Claudia’s chest.

She grunted and staggered back, but before she could regain her footing, Brent punched her again with tremendous force.

Desperately, Claudia lifted her arm to block the blow. There was a loud thud as Claudia was thrown back once more.

Her arm hanging limply, she spat out a mouthful of blood. Her internal injuries had opened up again.

“Ms. Doyle, if you were at full strength, you might be able to put up a fight with me for a few rounds. In this state, however, I suggest you surrender,” Brent sneered at her.

Claudia’s face darkened, and she rushed at him again with her dagger. After they exchanged blows for a few rounds, Claudia was punched heavily in the stomach. She fell to the ground, unable to stand on her feet.

“It’s over, it’s all over!”

“Even Mr. Lincoln and Ms. Doyle were defeated. Who else can stop them?”

“What should we do? I don’t want to die” Seeing Claudia defeated, the girls were on the verge of tears. Their last glimmer of hope was now gone.

“Wade, take Ms. Murray away. I want to have some fun with the beautiful ladies here first,” Brent said with a wicked grin.

“Listen up. all of you. If you don’t want to die, take off your clothes. Otherwise, you’ll have to bear the consequences of inciting my anger!” As soon as he spoke, all the girls turned pale with fear.

Were they going to be violated by this pervert?

“Ms. Murray, come with me.” Wade, the bald guy in black, stepped forward and approached Sheila.

“Stop right there!” Suddenly, Ruth grabbed a fruit knife and stood in front of Sheila.

“I’m warning you, don’t come any closer, or I’ll stab you!”

“Get lost!” Without saying another word, Wade swung his hand toward Ruth.

The energy gathered around Wade’s hand was strong enough to whip up a wind around them. At the crucial moment, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Wade’s wrist. Wade’s palm was frozen, inches from Ruth’s face.

“You can bully the others, but you can’t touch these two,” Dustin said calmly.

“How dare you meddle in other people’s business? You’re asking for it!” Wade’s expression turned ugly, and he raised his other fist to strike at Dustin’s head.

Dustin snorted lightly and made the first move. He punched Wade in the chest, his moves as quick as lightning.

With a dull thud, an invisible beam of energy pierced through Wade’s back, shattering a wine bottle several feet away. Wade shuddered and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

“Wade!” Brent’s face contorted with anger.

“How dare you hurt my brother? I’ll send you to hell!” He charged forward like a wild bull and threw a punch directly at Dustin’s face.

Dustin caught his fist with one hand and squeezed it gently.

With a loud crack, the bones in Brent’s fist shattered. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere.

Before he could register the pain. Dustin grabbed his collar and slammed him hard against the wall like a sandbag, creating a gaping hole.

Brent hung helplessly on the wall, bleeding profusely and unable to move.

“I wanted to have a decent conversation with you guys, but you had to resort to violence.” Dustin patted the dirt off his clothes indifferently, as if defeating both of the bald guys was a trivial matter.

Everyone present was dumbfounded was stunned at Dustin’s nonchalance, including Sheila, Claudia, and Nigel.

Dustin managed to defeat both of them with just two moves.

It was unthinkable that two of the invincible Four Scoundrels would be trounced and beaten up by a thin, frail guy like Dustin.

Were they dreaming?

Was he the cowardly and useless guy they were making fun of before?

“H–how was this possible?!” Nigel gasped, his mouth wide and his face full of disbelief.

He finally witnessed how formidable the Four Scoundrels were in person. Either one of them could quickly snuff him out.

It was perhaps fate that an expert like himself had been crippled by a doctor they looked down upon.

Such a thing was practically unheard of!

“How is this guy so powerful?” Claudia’s eyes widened in shock and bewilderment.

Initially, she had assumed that Dustin was an unsavory character who only knew how to resort to using dirty tricks up his sleeve, so she hadn’t expected him to be so skilled in martial arts.

He was miles better than her!

He wielded such strength at such a young age, too. She was frozen on the spot once the revelation hit her that she was no longer a goddess among men.

“Dustin’s way too cool!” Sheila cheered as her eyes sparkled.

After exchanging glances with one another, the rest of the girls also started looking at him in a different light.

Not used to everyone’s starstruck gazes on him, Dustin walked up to Brent before asking. “Tell me, who sent you here?”

“Today’s my day of reckoning anyway, so kill me all you want!” Brent screamed through gritted teeth.

“It’s not like killing you guys will do me any good anyway. As long as you’re willing to talk, I’ll let you all live to see another day.” Dustin said.

“I’ll die either way if I reveal anything!” Brent replied solemnly.

“You’re referring to the spider venom in your stomach, right?” Dustin asked with raised eyebrows. He then pulled out a golden needle and stabbed it directly into Brent’s abdomen,

Immediately, a bulge was seen on Brent’s abdomen. The bulge began moving violently as if something inside him was fighting for their lives.

A few exhales later, the writhing stopped, and the bulge could no longer be seen moving.

When Dustin pulled out the golden needle, it was now stained with a sliver of blackish liquid.

“The venom is gone. You should be able to speak now,” Dustin said flatly.

“H–how did you do that?” Brent gasped, and his expression immediately turned into one that was fearful and horrified.

That was because the Four Scoundrels had actually been controlled by someone who led them venom all this time. The mere thought of resistance could inflict pain that was worse than death on the host.

They had tried various ways to get rid of the venom, but not only did none of them have the slightest effect, They even aggravated the pain.

However, the person in front of him had gotten rid of the spider venom in his body with a mere needle. These kinds of miraculous means were simply unheard of!

“I’m skilled in the art of poisons and venom, so if you wish to regain your freedom, you need to be honest and tell me everything,” Dustin stated indifferently.

After hesitating for a long while. Brent finally compromised, saying, “Fine, I’ll tell you the truth, but you must promise to spare the both of us,”

Which sensible human would choose death over life?

“Done.” Dustin nodded his head.

“To be honest with you, the person who ordered us to kidnap you was- Before Brent could finish his sentence, the doors to the room were forcefully kicked open.

Xavier rushed hastily inside the room with a group of elite guards. He scanned the room and quickly found Brent.

“It’s the Four Scoundrels again! Prepare to die!” Without waiting for the crowd to react. Xavier bashed Brent’s skull in with his fists.

He was swift and brutal. Now, his hands were drenched in blood.

“Huh?” Dustin narrowed his eyes.

Did Xavier just kill him to silence him?

“Sheila! Claudia! Are you guys alright?” Right after killing Brent. Xavier immediately turned around and asked Sheila and Claudia while wiping the blood off his hands.

“We’re fine. It was a good thing Dustin came to our aid just now.” Sheila forced a smile.

“Dustin?” Xavier asked as he suddenly turned his head to look at the man.

“What are you doing here? Xavier asked with a condescending gaze.

“What a coincidence,” Dustin replied indifferently.

“What do you mean, ‘what a coincidence? You were there the last time Sheila got ambushed, and you’re here yet again, so how can this be a coincidence?” Xavier scoffed, glaring down at Dustin.

“Your point exactly?” Dustin shot back.

“I suspect that you colluded with the Four Scoundrels to come up with a plan to get close to Shella!” Xavier accused.

“I can assure you it’s not like that- Sheila spoke up before being interrupted by Xavier again.

“Don’t be fooled, Sheila! We don’t know where this guy is from or what his intentions are. Thus, he must be interrogated thoroughly for your safety. Apprehend this man for me at once” At his command, the group of elite guards proceeded to cock their guns.

“Stop! I was the one who brought Dustin here, so I can guarantee that he isn’t a bad guy!” Ruth stepped forward, attempting to mediate the situation.

“Whether he’s a bad guy or not, we’ll know once we catch him!” Xavier retorted.

“Hey, do you still have any sense left in that brain of yours? Can’t you see that you’re being cruel by apprehending an innocent person?” Ruth was getting annoyed with Xavier’s stubbornness.

“Who are you to talk sense to me? Get lost!” Xavier screamed before lifting his hand to give Ruth a hard slap across her face, causing her to stagger and fall to the ground.

Everyone could see five visible, bright red fingerprints on her face.

“Huh?” Dustin gasped as his expression sank. His eyes flashed with anger.

“Are you crazy, Xavier? Why did you hit my friend?!” Sheila scolded Xavier while helping Ruth up.

“I was thinking about your safety, Sheila. I refuse to spare anyone who acts even remotely suspicious! Even if I have to be a villain today, I’ll make sure to get rid of every threat to you! Arrest that punk! Kill him on the spot if he dares to put up a fight!”

At Xavier’s order, all the elite guards attacked Dustin at once.

Dustin merely let out a cold snort and started gesturing with his hands. “Phew! Phew! Phew!”

Golden needles shot out from his hands and accurately navigated their way to the various acupuncture points on the bodies of the guards.

In no time at all all of the guards seemed to be bound by a spell of some sort, as they stood frozen in place, unable to move.

“Do you want to die?!” Xavier shrieked as a scowl appeared on his face. He then immediately fished out his gun and fired at Dustin’s chest.

However, with a mere flick of a finger, Dustin swiftly sent two needles flying into the air. One needle landed on

Xavier’s shoulder and another landed on his neck.

His body instantly stiffened as his arms and legs became paralyzed, and this made it difficult for him to move a bit.

“W–what kind of sorcery is this?” Xavier cried, his face full of shock.

He was one of the top martial artists out there, so how could he be rendered immobile by two tiny golden needles just like that?

“Not only are you not that skilled or powerful, you still have the audacity to show up here and start hurling insults and beating the shit out of people? Dustin asked with an icy stare as he slowly approached him.

“Rhys! You’d better let go of me if you know what’s good for you, if not, I’ll make sure that you never leave here alive!” Xavier sneered fiercely.

“You dare threaten me? This is for speaking out of turn!” Dustin scoffed as he lifted a hand to slap Xavier’s face.

He then gave him another slap. “This is for cursing me!”

After that, he gave him a harsh third slap. “This is for your audacity to even lay a linger on a woman!”

The slapping continued nonstop for a while. Dustin showed no mercy as he kept delivering blow after blow onto Xavier’s face. He delivered a slap after every sentence he uttered.

The atmosphere in the room became tenser and tenser by the second.

“And this is for your stupid fucking face!” Dustin roared as he delivered the most powerful slap he could muster, smashing Xavier to the ground.

Everyone in the whole room became dead silent for a moment.

Chapter-123 Serpent Love Charm

Everyone in the room was flabbergasted as they stared at Xavier, who’d been mercilessly battered and bruised.

No one had expected Dustin to be so bold as to slap Xavier. Everyone knew that the Horst family was among the five most powerful families in the Southern province.

They were the top of the top! They were essentially untouchable! As an immediate heir, he was the rising star of the Horst family. So, no matter where he went, he’d have the stars laid out at his feet.

No one had ever dared to humiliate him in public like this, much less slap him like a maniac so many times.

Was this guy batshit crazy?

“Y–you dare hit me?” Xavier asked rhetorically. The corners of his eyes started twitching as he tried to put on a fierce expression.

“I’m not just going to beat you, I’m going to make sure you can never use your hands ever again!” Dustin snorted and proceeded to stomp on his wrist, breaking it.

“Argh!” Xavier wailed in pain as he broke out in a cold sweat, his expression twisted. It was a pity that he couldn’t even move a muscle at the moment.

“Stop! Have you lost your mind, Rhys? Do you have any idea who Xavier is? How dare you hurt him?” Claudia shouted angrily at Dustin.

“I don’t care who he is. Anyone who dares mess with me will get a beating from me,” Dustin replied flatly.

“Didn’t he just slap you, Ruth? Come here and give him ten slaps for me!”

“Okay!” Ruth exclaimed and started adjusting her shirtsleeves before going up to Xavier and slapping the shit out of him.

“How dare you hit me! How fucking dare you hit me! I’ll beat your ass up!” Ruth cursed with gritted teeth while venting her anger as she continued slapping him.

“Stop!” Claudia yelled in rage and immediately stepped in to put a stop to everything.

“Get lost!” Dustin sneered and slapped her after, sending her flying into the air.

“Y–you dare hit me too?” Claudia whimpered while covering her face as if she were in disbelief.

“Don’t you think you deserve it? Dustin let out a snort.

“I saved your life on more than one occasion, and this is how you repay me? You didn’t say a word when Xavier framed me, and you also acted as if nothing had happened when Ruth got slapped. So, why is it that you’re turning against us after seeing Xavier get beaten up? Are all of the families who practice martial arts always this vengeful? Dustin snapped at Claudia.

“I-“Claudia stuttered as her face turned bright red. She was stunned and speechless after being bombarded with a series of valid accusations.

This even caused Sheila to be at a loss for words, as she simply did not know what she should do now. On one hand, there was the savior of her life, and on the other, a long–time friend.

After getting caught up in the middle, she was at a loss for words.

“I’m done with him, Brother–in–law!” Ruth announced after she finally came to a stop. Her hands had become numb from all the brutal slapping.

As for Xavier, his face had long since swollen enough to resemble a pig’s head. He felt dizzy all over, as he didn’t get any chance to catch his breath the whole time.

“I don’t care what you say. The fact that you laid a finger on Xavier means that you’re now an enemy of the Horst family. I’m afraid no one will be able to save your asses if you don’t state your case right now!” Claudia shrieked.

Despite everything, the Doyle family had been friends with the Horst family for generations, so she couldn’t possibly stand up for mere outsiders now.

“You want us to state our case, right? Fine, I’ll grant you your wish,” Dustin said and suddenly turned to face

Sheila before continuing. “May I know if the sachet in front of your chest is a gift from Xavier, Miss Murray?”

“I–I’m not sure. All I know is that Claudia gave it to me.” Sheila said with her head lowered.

“What if I told you it was from Xavier?” Dustin continued to probe.

Claudia felt that she had nothing to hide, so she immediately shot back, “Xavier had to beg an expert to procure this sachet, and he had me deliver it to Sheila afterward. It was said to aid in one’s sleep and nourish the soul, so why are you finding fault in this?”

“It was said to aid in one’s sleep and nourish the soul. What a load of crap!” Dustin snickered before snatching the sachet off her chest and throwing it into a glass of wine.

“Gurgle gurgle.” The sound of bubbles could be heard as the sachet suddenly started expanding in size as if hinting that there was something inside.

Immediately after, a thin, red–colored snake slithered out of the sachet and began thrashing about wildly in the wine.

“W–what is that?!”.

“It’s a snake! My goodness, it’s a snake!”

“How horrifying! How can there be a snake inside the sachet? What if it bites someone?”

A sea of horrified looks could be seen almost immediately from the crowd. More and more started to murmur among themselves at the sight before them as their hearts raced with fear.

“How could this be?” Claudia gasped and didn’t know how to react to this.

“Do you know what this is, Miss Murray?” Dustin probed while pointing at the small red snake.

Sheila remained frozen on the spot as she shook her head, still reeling from her shock.

“This is called a Serpent Love Charm and it can be used to confuse people’s minds. Once the snake enters one’s body, the charm will slowly take effect until the host completely falls head over heels for someone. The host’s heart couldn’t even stop beating after that!” Dustin explained plainly.

“That was a “Serpent Love Charm”?”

Everyone in the room was stunned after they heard this.

Even Claudia started feeling a little uneasy after hearing that. She did not expect that there would be a Serpent Love Charm inside the sachet.

“I’ve only heard stories about it before, but I didn’t know that such a thing even existed in our world!”

“Utterly ridiculous, right? To think that he put a Serpent Love Charm on her so that he could manipulate her feelings toward him. How shameless!”

“So, Miss Doyle, do you still think that this sachet can aid in one’s sleep and nourish their soul?” Dustin asked sarcastically.

“Well-..” Claudia frowned, and her gaze subconsciously shifted to Xavier. She couldn’t believe what was happening in front of her right now.

“Stop listening to his nonsense!” Xavier spoke in defense immediately after coming back to his senses.

“What the fuck is a Serpent Love Charm? I’ve never heard of this in my life! This sachet was gifted to me by someone else! I’m the victim too here!”

“That’s right! Even if there was a Serpent Love Charm in the sachet, that doesn’t prove that Xavier was the one who put it there. For all we know, some bigshot could’ve set him up!” Claudia roared.

“Yeah! Xavier’s always been an upright and honest person, so he would never stoop this low!” Nigel and the others also backed her up.

“Him? ‘Honest’ and ‘upright’? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Dustin snickered.

“The Serpent Love Charm only works if there is a pair of snakes, one female, and one male snake. Now that the female snake has appeared, we’re only missing the male snake. Since you all still don’t believe me, allow me to show you!” With that, he waved one hand and sent two needles flying toward the arca between Xavier’s chest and abdomen.

His body spasmed as a pained expression took over his face. Soon after, he spat out a dark, black liquid. And thrashing around inside the black liquid was a thicker, reddish snake.

The crowd was dumbfounded the moment they witnessed this!

“S–so that was a charm after all?”

Everyone at the scene was frozen in place as they stared at the red snake that Xavier vomited.

One by one, their faces showed looks of disbelief. No one could’ve ever imagined that the esteemed heir of the Horst family, who had a bright and promising future ahead of him, had stooped this low just to court someone.

“Xavier, I never thought you’d be like this!” Claudia yelled angrily in shock.

Who knew that she’d be the one who would be deceived by trusting him too much in the end? She almost became an accomplice in his schemes too!

“–” Xavier was at a loss for words as his face turned pale.

The truth was already laid bare for all to see, so even if he still insisted on denying it, his attempts would be absolutely futile.

“Hmph. It’s a good thing Dustin has a good eye to see through your evil schemes. Otherwise, Sheila would’ve fallen right into your trap!” Ruth spat, her expression full of contempt.

She hated despicable and shameless men like him the most, the type who was incapable of landing a girl for himself, and yet insisted on using unorthodox methods to do so. Absolutely disgusting!

Sheila said nothing to all of this and merely looked at Xavier with disgust and a heightened sense of awareness.

“Yeah, so what if I gave her the charm? The only reason I did that was because I liked Sheila so much! I assure you that I’m the only person who’s the best match for Sheila in the entirety of South City, so much so that Uncle Caden already treats me like his son–in–law! I only did this to expedite the marriage between both of our families, so what’s so wrong with that?” Xavier roared, clearly irritated.

“Ugh, you’re such a hypocrite! It still doesn’t change the fact that you had to stoop so low to get what you want. You’re disgusting!” Ruth spat on the ground.

“What do you know? What I have is true love for Sheila, a love that can’t be compared with anyone else!” Xavier retorted angrily.

“True love? If it really was true love as you proclaimed, why’d you have to kidnap Miss Murray in the first place?” Dustin snorted.

“What the fuck are you talking about, kid?” Xavier scowled.

“Miss Murray had been attacked twice, and your timing was right on the dot, which meant that someone secretly tipped you off. And as for the Serpent Love Charm and the Spider Venom, you put inside the Four Scoundrel’s bodies, they both came from the same person. So, I’ve concluded that you have close ties to the Four Scoundrels,” Dustin explained as a matter of fact.

“What a load of bullshit!” Xavier yelled in response.

“If you really did nothing wrong as you claimed, then would there still be any need to kill the man off just now?” Dustin threw the question back.

“I–I was just worried about Sheila’s safety, which is why I struck him with my full power!” Xavier explained stubbornly.

“Is that so? We still have a survivor here, so what say we call them up to ask them their side of the story?” Dustin said before picking up a badly injured Wade with one hand.

It was a good thing Wade was still semi–alted and not completely out of the picture yet.

“That’s enough! Everything ends here, right now!” Claudia shouted all of a sudden.

“Didn’t you want me to state my case just now? Why the change of mind now?” Dustin snickered.

“You’d better quit it now if you know what’s good for you, Dustin! Tearing each other apart like this won’t benefit anyone. Besides, this matter should be kept between the three of us and our families. We’ll come up with the best way to deal with this, so we certainly don’t need any outsiders butting into our business now!” Claudia roared at Dustin.

The Murray family, Doyle family, and Horst family had always been longtime friends. The three families were basically married to one another as their interests were intertwined. If one of them went down, then the rest would go down together too.

Thus, if the scandal got out today, then it wouldn’t just be the Horst family’s reputation that would be damaged, but the Murray family and the Doyle family too.

Therefore, even if it were at Sheila’s awkward expense right now, they had to cease all questioning. immediately.

“Wait, this guy’s rotten to the core, and yet you still insist on helping him? Have you ever considered Sheila’s feelings?” Ruth yelled back in frustration.

“Shut up, you don’t have the right to butt into our business!” Claudia spat in disgust.

“Why you-” Just as Ruth was about to explode in fury again, Dustin stopped her by putting his hand in front of her. “Just let it go already. She’s right; it’s their own steaming heap of shit to take care of. It has nothing to do with us.”

“But what about Sheila?” Ruth frowned. The two of them had a good thing going, so she did not want her best friend to suffer like this.

“I’ll be fine, Ruth. I’ve decided to leave this matter in the hands of my father,” Sheila said as she forced out at smile.

Chapter-124 Xavier died

Even though she said that she secretly knew that her father would take Xavier’s side out of his great fondness for him.

When one was born into a wealthy family, joy wasn’t as much of a significant consideration as the family’s interests.

“Alright. We all know how much Uncle Caden adores you, so he definitely wouldn’t let you suffer,” Ruth replied. and she no longer pressed her for answers.

“Let’s go back home and take a nice nap, Ruth,” Dustin yawned. After retrieving all of his golden needles, he spun around and was about to leave when a voice piped up again.

“Running away already?” Xavier taunted, his expression now full of furious rage and his gaze scorching.

He immediately pounced on Dustin while he wasn’t paying attention and stabbed him with a knife!

“Just die already!” Xavier roared as he pushed the tip of the blade into Dustin’s back.

“Behind you!” Ruth and Sheila shrieked in horror,

Everyone else at the scene was also stunned by Xavier’s sudden attack. No one expected that he’d launch a sneak attack against Dustin.

“Oh?” Dustin hummed as his footsteps came to a halt. He then slowly turned his back to meet Xavier’s crazed gaze. “You want to kill me?”

“So what if you die? I can kill trash like you whenever I want!” Xavier laughed maniacally as he used more force to push the blade further inside.

But it was soon after that he realized that something was off. It was strange to him that he couldn’t seem to push the knife in any further as he tried to put more force behind it.

“Since you explicitly said that you’re cut for my blood, then don’t blame me for being merciless,” Dustin grabbed Xavier by the neck and lifted him off the ground.

“Urgh!” Xavier gasped for air as his face turned red. He struggled to break free from Dustin’s grasp as he flailed his legs wildly in the air.

“Dustin! Release him right now!” Claudia commanded, her face aghast, after feeling an urge to kill him.

“He wants to kill me though? Are you saying I should just stand here and let him kill me?” Dustin turned his head sideways, his gaze was as cold as ice.

“I don’t care about that! You just can’t hurt Xavier, no matter what. Otherwise, you’ll be making yourself an enemy of all three of our families!” Claudia threatened,

“That’s right! Just let go of Xavier already! Or else, you won’t like it when I’m angry!” Nigel echoed.

“Mr. Horst is not someone you can mess with, Dustin. Just admit you’re wrong, and who knows, you might just receive his forgiveness,”

“Can’t you look at the situation and adapt? Just let Mr. Horst stab you with a knife to let off steam, and all of this will be over. As long as you dare put up a fight, you and your family will be faced with calamity in the future!”

“Yeah! In this world, it is useless to rely on strength alone. The most important thing is still power, so just kneel down to Xavier and admit your mistakes already. It’s not anything shameful if it’ll help you make it out of here alive, you know.” The crowd erupted in a flurry of scoldings toward Dustin.

Although they all knew that Xavier was in the wrong, they understood that he was still the one with absolute power. At this stage, it wasn’t important who was right or wrong.

“Heh, you hear that, Rhys? I’m not someone you can simply cross, you know. So what if you can fight? You’re just a puny martial artist, after all. One word from me, and your entire family goes poof! Kneel and bow down to me right now. Who knows–if you manage to appease me, I might even spare your puny life!” Xavier sneered and believed that he already had this in the bag.

“What makes you so sure that I don’t dare to kill you?” Dustin asked, amused.

“Do you, though? If you do so much as touch a single hair on my head, I’ll have your whole bloodline wiped out! Come on then, kill me! Aren’t you the one who kept saying they were so powerful? Then kill me if you have the balls! I want to see if you have the balls to!” Xavier shouted profusely, taking it to the extreme, until he was rudely interrupted by a violent smack by Dustin, which decimated his neck.

He died instantly!

“Why don’t you get a better brain in your next life.” Dustin spat as he looked at Xavier’s corpse. And with one swift motion, he threw his dead body to the side with one hand, as if it were trash.

Xavier’s body landed with a “thump” near Claudia and the other’s feet.

Xavier’s face was riddled with fear and disbelief. Even up to his death, he didn’t understand why Dustin dared to make a move on him.

Everyone gasped, petrified, as they stared at the corpse beneath their feet. Every single one of them was frozen in place and was at a loss for how to respond to the scenario in front of them..

To think that an heir from an affluent family, who was also the pride of an entire city, had his life taken from him just like that?

How was this remotely possible? After a brief silence, everyone at the scene erupted into a frenzy of chatter.

“Are you out of your mind, Dustin?! D–d–did you actually just kill Xavier?” Claudia shouted with a face full of shock, looking at Dustin as if he were a maniac.

The action of Dustin killing Xavier was akin to a peasant killing a king. It was simply treacherous and heartless!

“You’ve done it this time, bastard! You’ve really done it this time!”

“Since you were the one who killed Xavier, no matter where you go in this world from now on, you’ve got nowhere to hide!”

“The Horst family would surely want to exact their revenge on you, your entire family, and your friends after this. Everyone whom you’ve ever loved will be a target of the Horst family now, and they’ll follow all of you to your graves!” Nigel hissed frantically.

“He’s insane! This guy’s truly gone off his rockers!”

“The Horst family comes from a long line of martial artists, and their influence spans the entirety of South City. They have countless disciples under their wing, so the fact that you committed such a heinous act means that you made yourself an enemy of said countless disciples too!”

“Do you even know what you did? How dare you kill Mr. Horst? Even God can’t protect you now!”

The crowd was in an uproar. No one had expected that Dustin would be so bold as to kill someone. Did he want to die so badly?

“As long as you don’t cross me, I won’t do the same back to you, but if you do, then I’ll return the favor. This Horst wanted to take my life, so how could I let him live?” Dustin’s expression remained stoic.

“You’re fucking insane! You madman! You’ll definitely regret this!” Claudia roared; she was still in shock at the turn of events. She shot him a look as if she were looking at a dead man.

“I never regret anything I do. If the Horst family wants revenge, just tell them that they’re free to come to me anytime.” Dustin snapped before turning around to leave.

“Hey, wait for me! You were so cool tonight, Brother–in–law, but Xavier’s not some small fry, you know. I doubt if things are going to end well after killing him. But you shouldn’t worry, with the Harmon family’s help, I’m sure we can take care of this matter for you!” Ruth exclaimed before running up to catch up to him.

“Don’t bother. I was the one who dealt the killing blow, so I shouldn’t be afraid if his family wants to get back at me. Even if we end up fighting again, who knows which side will emerge as the victor this time around?” Dustin was unconcerned.

“Are you for real? You don’t need to put up a front, you know!” Ruth said while eyeing him suspiciously.

The Horst family, while slightly inferior to the Harmon family in terms of power, was still a force to be reckoned with. within the city.

While Dustin had great power himself, he was up against an affluent family that had been here for years. Thus, it would seem like a single person was unable to fight against such a powerful force.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Dustin let out a soft chuckle and refused to reveal too much. As soon as the two of them left, the room erupted into chaos once again.

“Quick! Notify the Horst family immediately!”

“To think that that madman dared to kill Mr. Horst. We’ll make sure he pays the price for it!”

Inside the council chamber at Fallridge Haven, Caden was drinking tea with a middle–aged man.

“I need to apologize to you about the Gozoraberry, Sir Gabriel. Unfortunately, the gem isn’t in my possession right now, so I can’t give it to you at the moment,”

“Oh, what happened?” Gabriel Horst asked with a puzzled look.

The Gozoraberry was said to aid one in their quest to become a high–level martial artist. After hearing about this piece of news, he jumped at the first chance to obtain it for himself.

“Two days ago, this punk named Dustin got lucky and managed to cure Sheila’s illness, so he was rewarded with a Gozoraberry,” Caden explained.

“How can a mere brat have such a valuable item in his possession?’ Gabriel spat as he narrowed his eyes, his gaze annoyed.

“I thought the same thing. Although I was the one who gave it to him, it doesn’t mean you can’t get it back,” Caden insinuated.

“You’re too kind. Since you can’t be the one who takes it back from him, allow me to take care of this,” Gabriel grinned.

“That would be the best course of action for now. However, try not to Involve the Murray family, I don’t want anyone gossiping about this,” Caden replied.

“Consider it done! This won’t be the first time I’ve killed someone just to get something I want, so I’ll make sure that everything is done discreetly so that no one ever finds out about this,” Gabriel plotted as an evil glint flashed across his eyes.

Every man was considered innocent until a bounty was put on their head. How could a mere background character with no influence on his name possess such a valuable treasure?

He definitely deserved to die.

“Sir Gabriel! Something terrible has happened!” A guard from the Horst family suddenly interrupted the two of them with a panicked look.

Because he ran too fast, he tumbled onto the ground after losing his balance. His movements made Gabriel furrow his brows.

“You fool! What are you panicking for?” Gabriel snapped at the guard.

“I-“The guard wanted to say something but stopped himself.

“Spit it out! What the hell is going on?” Gabriel snapped, confused.

*Sir! Something terrible has happened! M–Mr. Horst has been killed!” The guard wailed as he fell to his knees.

“What?! What the hell are you talking about? My son seemed fine not long ago, so how is he dead now?”

Gabriel shrieked and shot out of his chair, his face full of horror.

“But it’s true, Mr. Horst had his neck broken, and his corpse is outside as we speak!” The guard cried.

“That’s impossible! Absolutely impossible!” Gabriel spat and frantically shook his head in utter disbelief.

However, when they carried Xavier’s corpse into the room, Gabriel felt as if he’d been struck by lightning, and his face turned pale as a sheet.

“Who?! Who the hell did this?!” Gabriel yelled frantically after reeling from his shock. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he started acting like a rabid beast.

Such senseless violence!

Such madness!

“I–it was done by a guy called Dustin Rhys.” The guard managed to sputter out.

“Dustin Rhys, you fucking dog! How dare you kill my son? I’ll break your body into pieces! I’ll tear you to shreds! “Gabriel roared while gnashing his teeth, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

“Pass on the order! Use up all your resources to search the entire city if you must! We must find that bastard at all costs!”

Chapter-125 God of war and National warrior Adam Spanner

After sending Ruth home, Dustin returned to the Peaceful Medical Center.

However, he couldn’t help but frown the moment he opened the doors to the building. The place looked as if it had been ransacked. It was a mess.

Boxes of medicine were scattered all over the place, and Dahlia, who had been rushing here and there the whole time, had on a face that was drenched in sweat.

“Diarhica, Where did he put the Diarhica? Dahlia mumbled to herself with a prescription in hand.

After looking around for a while, she finally saw a box of Diarhica that had been stored in a medicine cabinet high above the ground. Since it was out of her reach, she could only retrieve it by stepping on a stool.

“What are you doing?” Dustin asked coldly.

Dahlia was startled by his question and lost her balance on the stool, Seeing as she was about to fall to the ground, Dustin instinctively grabbed hold of her before that could happen.

It felt as if he was carrying something precious in his arms, as a nice smell wafted into his nostrils.

After propping her up on her feet, he immediately without a moment of hesitation let go of her.

“You’re back already?” Dahlia asked as her expression lit up for a brief moment before she quickly snuffed it out.

“Where did you go in the middle of the night? How come you didn’t pick up my calls?”

“I just went out for a bit and didn’t bother checking my phone. What are you doing here?” Dustin answered back with indifference. He assumed that she wasn’t the type to take the initiative to search for him, especially with her arrogant attitude.

“I just so happened to pass by and saw Mr. Jones passed out at the entrance, so I helped him get inside,” Dahlia explained.

“He passed out? What happened?” Dustin asked with a frown.

“I heard that his house had been ransacked by thieves, and after fighting them off, he got severely injured in the process. I think you should head inside to take a look at him,” Dahlia urged.

Dustin said nothing more as he immediately complied with her request. Sure enough, he saw Gregory Jones lying on the bed with a pale complexion. Inside the steel basin under his bed was a pool of contaminated blood.

When he went up to him to check his pulse, he immediately frowned. Gregory’s Celestial Decay seemed to be getting worse. It was also getting worse at a faster rate than he had expected.

“You’re back already, kid?” Gregory asked as he slowly opened his eyes. He had a nonchalant expression on his face.

“I guess this condition is back again, but since that Dahlia girl gave me some medicine just now, I should be fine now,” Gregory explained.

“What the hell happened here?” Dustin asked as his brows furrowed deeply.

To curb his Celestial Decay, he had specially placed several seals on Gregory’s body. But now he could see that the seals had been loosened. This indicated that Gregory had been forced to use his true energy.

“Not long ago, a few scums arrived at the medical center and started blabbering about arresting you and talking about taking this Gozoraberry or something from you. Naturally, I refused to tell them anything and even beat their asses before they fled. However, I didn’t know that by doing that, I’d be using my true energy. which would cause all of my old wounds to reopen. I really fucking don’t know what to say!” Gregory huffed.

To think that ten years ago, he could’ve easily taken care of all of those scum with a flick of a finger. It seemed that his age had finally caught up to him!

“Oh right, before they fled, they left you a note. Take a look at it yourself.” Gregory added before pulling out a blood–stained sheet of paper.

“What?” Dustin gasped after reading the paper over. Two lines of words were written on it.

“Meet me at the Horst Dojo at 10 pm! Remember to bring the Gozoraberry as well. If you don’t show up, we’ll get rid of your entire family!” were the words that were written on the paper.

After he finished reading it, Dustin crumpled the paper into dust with one hand. It was fairly obvious that this was the work of the Horst family.

He didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but since they were the ones looking for trouble in the first place. they couldn’t blame him if he decided to play along.

“Anyway, it was a good thing that Dahlia girl came in clutch at the right time. Otherwise, I would’ve been in serious danger by now!” Gregory let out a small sigh.

Although the scoundrels didn’t manage to scratch him, his internal injuries were quite bad. So, if it weren’t for Dahlia’s timely treatment, his life would’ve been in jeopardy.

“Thanks,” Dustin muttered as he turned around to look at Dahlia with a complex look on his face.

“You’re welcome. Mr. Jones has always been good to me, so I felt that it was only right that I returned the favor,” Dahlia replied while wiping off her sweat.

“Regardless, I should still thank you for everything. Anyway, I have places to be again, so I’ll have to trouble you to take care of Gregory here,” Dustin said.

“Where are you headed to this time?” Dahlia frowned.

“To get my revenge!” Dustin declared.

At night, in the commander’s room at South City’s military headquarters, a handsome young general was analyzing his battle formations on a sand table.

Standing behind him were several female lieutenants, all of whom merely stood guard as they allowed him to do his thing. All of their gazes were filled with admiration and worship towards the man.

One must know that the person in front of them was actually the youngest commander of Dragonmarsh!

Paired with the Goddess of War, Scarlet Spanner, they were known as the rising stars of the Spanner family!

Not even thirty years old, he held power over thousands of troops, he’d won hundreds of battles, achieved countless merits, and was definitely worthy of the title God of War indeed!

No one was more capable in the entirety of Dragonmarsh than him!

He was known as the “National Warrior”!

At that moment, his phone started ringing. He’d received a call from an unfamiliar number.

Adam Spanner raised his eyebrows slightly at this, as he thought that it was a bit strange.

“Hello, is this Adam Spanner?” A familiar voice asked him the moment he answered the call.

“Who are you? How dare you call this commander by his name? The nerve-

“This is Dustin Rhys speaking” Adam instantly froze on the spot and didn’t know how to respond. He immediately swallowed his words back down.

After staying silent for a while, he finally mustered the courage to reply in a stiff manner, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Troublemaker. I thought you died in a ditch somewhere, I even brought flowers to visit your grave every year.”

“Stop talking shit. I need you to do something for me.” Dustin snapped.

“Hey, watch your tone! I’m the commander of an army now, not some puny mafia character you can brutally beat up!” Adam whispered.

“Oh, so what do you want me to do?” Dustin taunted in reply.

“I want you to give me more respect. Like when you ask me to do something for you, you need to word it in a way that sounds like you’re pleading. You could, like, butter them up a little first,” Adam said while dusting the badges on his shoulder pad.

It seemed to Dustin that he was still as arrogant as ever.

“Forget I said anything: I’ll go find someone else,” Dustin spat, as he wasn’t in the mood to play games with him.

“D–don’t hang up on me yet!” Adam responded, all startled, before continuing with a face that was all smiles,” Look at you, can’t you take a joke? Honestly, you get mad at everything I say. You know how it is between us: if you have anything on your mind, you know that you can just tell me!

“What was I thinking? You’re the commander and military god of the Dragonmarsh army now, after all. So, how could I possibly trouble you with this? Perhaps it’d be better to just find someone else.” Dustin trailed off.

“No need to bother with that, Dustin! It would be an honor for me to do something for you. Just take it as you’re granting a favor for me, alright? Please give me a chance: I promise to do a good job for you!” Adam begged in a panicked tone.

After waiting for so fucking long, he finally obtained a chance to show his strength. How could he let go of this opportunity so easily?

“Ha! Since you’re the one doing the begging now, I’ll give you a chance, as I can sense your sincerity through the phone,” Dustin said.

“Thanks a lot, Dustin!” Adam thanked him with a huge grin on his face.

This display of his soft side caused a few female officers near him to stare at him in disbelief. All of their eyes were wide with shock, and they all looked as if they’d seen a ghost.

Was this really their usual death stare and stoic commander? Who exactly was the person on the other side of the phone?

How did they manage to make an esteemed military officer act so meekly like this?

At Fallridge Haven.

“Father! Please help Dustin; otherwise, he’ll die!” Sheila begged on her knees.

“Hmph! Do you have the audacity to request assistance for him?! He is responsible for Xavier’s death! That is the gravest of offenses! The Horst army has already assembled all of Swinton’s finest warriors! No one can save him now!” Caden spoke with a frigid tone.

“Father! Dustin has rescued me on numerous occasions. Please help him, for my sake!” Sheila pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

Ever since she returned to Fallridge Haven, she hadn’t stopped begging his father for his help. That was because only her father could go against the Horst army.

“It is exactly because he’s saved you that I refrained from taking his life!” Caden retorted coldly.

“Father! I will do as long as you save Dustin!” Sheila begged on all fours.

Soon, her knees started to bruise.

“You fool! You have no idea what you’re doing!”

Caden slammed the table as he stood up. “Do you want me to cross the Horst family for a nobody? Have you no care about what might happen to the rest of us?!”

“I don’t care about the others! I just know that Dustin saved me, and I must repay him!” Sheila said with tearful eyes.

“You”..you’re being foolish and naive! Claudia! Bring her downstairs and keep an eye on her. She is not allowed to leave Fallridge Haven!” Caden was fuming.

“Yes, sir!” Claudia replied as she dragged Sheila away.

“Claudia! Please, help me, would you?” Sheila’s eyes were swollen red from her tears.

“Dummy, it’s not worth it for a stranger.” Claudia sighed.

She could see that Sheila had fallen for Dustin. However, this love was destined to fail. She was from a rich family, and he was just an ordinary guy with no background. They were worlds apart.

“Claudia! Let me call Grandpa. As long as he agrees, Dustin will be saved!” Sheila begged.

“Sheila, General Murray has no longer been concerned with these matters. Your father is the one in charge of everything now.” Claudia shook her head.

“No matter what, I must give it a try. I won’t give up!” Sheila said, full of stubbornness.

“Alright, then I hope you don’t regret it.” Claudia could only pass her phone to Sheila.

From her standpoint, Sheila was wasting her energy.

General Murray was one of the highest–ranking generals in Swinton.

Ten years ago, he had already retired and passed down all his responsibilities to Caden. Unless his family is threatened, he would never show his face. It was impossible for him to put in such great effort for such a small matter.

10.00 pm, at Swinton Horst Dojo.

Gabriel, dressed in heavy armor, stood stoically within the ring, his fierce expressions sending chills down the spines of any who dared to meet his gaze.

Behind him loomed the elite members of the Horst family, their presence commanding respect and fear alike. As far as the eye could see, there were hundreds of them stretching across the horizon, a formidable force to be reckoned with.

In the crowd. Nigel was whispering to a group of people.

“Mr. Lincoln, do you think that Rhys fellow would show up tonight?” The girl in a yellow shirt asked.

“Hmph! Even if he doesn’t dare to show up, he’s still dead meat! The only difference is whether he dies alone or with his entire family!” Nigel laughed coldly.

The Horst family reigned supreme at the apex of the martial arts world, their wealth and power placing them among the elite in Millsburg. How can a nobody from the countryside be able to fend against them?

“He’s a fool who deserved death for crossing the Horst family!”

“Sure, he may bask in the glory for a few seconds, but eventually, he’ll have to face the consequences of his actions!”

A few people in the group shook their heads, waiting for the showdown to begin.

“Hey! I think someone’s coming!” At that moment, someone from the crowd shouted.

Everyone looked over and noticed a silhouette slowly approaching them.

Chapter 126

“That fellow really dared to come? He really doesn’t treasure his life!”

“Your bravery is commendable. But showing up here is a foolish move!” The crowd erupted into an uproar, with a variety of expressions on their faces.

“Dustin Rhys is it?!” A guard from the Horst family took a step forward, his voice booming with authority.

“That’s me,” Dustin replied, unfazed.

“So, you’re the one who killed my son, Xavier?” Gabriel’s fierce gaze remained fixed on Dustin, his expression. stern and unyielding.

“Yes.” Dustin nodded once again.

“Kneel down!” Gabriel roared.

“Kneel? You’re not worthy of such respect.” Dustin retorted. Dustin added, “Horst, I’ll give you a chance. Hand over the people who trespassed at Peaceful Medical Center and apologize to Gregory. Then, I’ll spare your life.” The crowd went wild at his statement.

“Holy shit! Is he out of his mind? He’s still acting so brazen even when his life is at stake?”

“Having killed Xavier, he dares to demand an apology from Sir Gabriel! He’s wild!”

“Those who are ignorant are the ones who are fearless. This guy has no idea who he just crossed.” The crowd murmured as they pointed at Dustin.

“Punk! Do you know what you’re saying? You are the one who is trapped now! If you don’t want to suffer a painful death, hand over the Gozoraberry and beg for forgiveness on your knees. Otherwise, you will be erased from this world!” Gabriel’s face darkened, and his voice became cold and ominous.

“I may not have the Gozoraberry, but I still have my life. If you think you’re capable of taking it, then come and get it. Dustin motioned with his finger.

“Great! How absolutely fantastic! Since you don’t value your life, then don’t blame me for what happens next! Guards! Cut off this insolent punk’s limbs! I want his head on a stick as revenge!” Soon after his orders, a few guards rushed towards him, trying to get a head start.

“Boom!” With a loud stomp of his foot, the ground beneath Dustin shattered, sending debris flying across the room in all directions. As the debris flew across the room, some of it moved with such force that it struck the guards like bullets, causing them to stumble and fall to the ground.

Within a matter of seconds, a few of the guards had fallen to the ground, groaning in pain as they clutched their wounds.

“Go! All of you!” Gabriel thundered, his voice filled with anger and frustration.

“Kill him!” At Gabriel’s command, a large number of guards charged toward Dustin, their weapons raised and their faces filled with fury. The guards surrounded Dustin like a tidal wave.

“Hmph! This punk is dead meat! The members of Horst dojo are all elites. He won’t be able to fend them off no matter how skilled he is!” Nigel laughed.

“I can’t wait to see him defeated.” The girl in yellow laughed along with him.

“He’s not even running after being surrounded by that many guards. Does he plan to fight all of them alone? Hahaha! Does he think he’s Superman?” The group of people laughed as they mocked Dustin, waiting for a good show.

Yet, in a few moments, their smiles were frozen in place. As the fight began, the match took a completely different turn from what they had expected. Dustin was unstoppable and invincible!

One, two, three- Ten, twenty, thirty…

In just two minutes, more than half of the guards from the Horst family had fallen. Till that moment, no one could match Dustin’s level of combat. The whole scene was a massacre! Dustin alone was slaughtering the bunch of them.

“H–he’s on another level!”

Ten minutes later. The entire Horst Dojo was filled with pained groans.

Dustin stood amidst the crowd, emanating a presence akin to that of a god or demon. His presence was awe-inspiring, commanding, and intimidating.

A few people in the audience were stunned. They stared with widened eyes as if they saw a ghost. Everyone was taken aback by Dustin’s strength. Single–handedly, he had managed to sweep through the entire Horst dojo!

It should be noted that these warriors were the elite of the dojo, capable of facing ten opponents alone. Yet, in the span of a few minutes, all of them were taken down. This was too absurd!

“Fuck! Is he that strong? He’s on an entirely different level!”

“My goodness, where did this demon come from?!”

Nigel and the others were stunned speechless, especially a few girls who covered their mouths in shock. Dustin alone faced off against a hundred soldiers, slaughtering people from all directions. It was truly unbelievable! *The Horst dojo is nothing.” Dustin stood proudly as his gaze landed on Gabriel.

“I have to admit, kid, you’re pretty good. I underestimated you earlier.” Gabriel took off his coat, revealing his muscular body and long sword at his waist.

“But it ends here. Today, I’ll personally take your life!” As he spoke, he slowly drew his long sword, and a cold light flashed around him.

“Sir Gabriel is unleashing his full strength. This kid is doomed!” Nigel became excited at the sight.

“Have you heard of the Hundred Immortals?”

“Of course! The Hundred Immortals is a combat power ranking list in the martial world, In Dragonmarsh, there are millions of martial arts practitioners, but only one hundred can make it onto the Hundred Immortals. These one hundred individuals are all the cream of the crop, the most outstanding top–tier experts!”

Nigel arrogantly lifted his head and said, “Good to know. Let me tell you, he is one of the top ten of the Hundred Immortals.”

“What? Top ten of the Hundred Immortals?” The others were all shocked at the news.

They knew that Gabriel was powerful, but they never expected him to be ranked so high on the Hundred Immortals list.

It was extremely difficult to even make it onto the list, and even more so to become one of its top members. Any one of the top ten could easily sweep through all the martial arts dojos in Swinton.

“It seems that I underestimated Sir Gabriel’s terrifying power. He truly is a martial arts master born into a martial arts family!”

“This poor guy, he actually provoked Sir Gabriel, He’s looking for death!” The onlookers were all full of surprise and pity, looking at Dustin as if he were already dead.

“I heard that Sir Gabriel’s sword is faster than a bullet, and no one can block it. Is it true?” The girl in yellow suddenly asked.

“Of course it’s true! Sir Gabriel’s sword is famous for its speed, especially his ultimate move. ‘Eclipse Strike“. Whenever he uses it, no one has ever escaped alive!” Nigel spoke boastfully.

“Wow, that’s amazing! I wonder if we’ll have the chance to witness Sir Gabriel’s ultimate move today?” The girl in a yellow dress looked on with anticipation and admiration.

“Quick, look! Sir Gabriel is about to make his move!” As the crowd discussed, on the stage. Gabriel’s aura became more imposing, exuding an intense and sharp

pressure.

“Kid, it’s an honor to die by my sword!” Gabriel declared.

“Now, let me show you what it means to break all laws with a single sword strike!” With a single step, Gabriel leaped high off the stage. Upon landing, he crouched slightly, gathering energy before springing forward like an arrow and hurtling towards Dustin.

“Eclipse Strike!” Gabriel roared, unleashing his ultimate move. Instantly, the air was filled with the glint of the sword and the howling of the wind.

“Here it comes, Sir Gabriel’s most powerful sword strike!”

“No wonder it’s his ultimate move! It’s so cool!”

“No one can survive the ‘Eclipse Strike‘!”

The crowd shouted in admiration and shock. Gabriel and his sword merged into a rainbow of light, piercing straight toward Dustin’s chest. Right when it seemed like a killing blow was about to land, a light “ding” sound was heard. Suddenly, two fingers appeared out of nowhere, gripping the sword. With a simple twist, the sword snapped in half.

“Clang!” The wind ceased, and the light dispersed.

“Huh?!” Gabriel was stunned. He stood in place, a little lost on what to do.

“My famous move was actually blocked just like that? And with just two fingers?” He thought.

“How is this possible?!” cried Nigel, his face turning pale.

Chapter 127

“Smack!”

When the last slap fell, Gabriel was completely disfigured, with a crooked nose, a twisted mouth, and half of his teeth falling out, looking extremely miserable.

He collapsed on the ground, completely powerless. He never expected Dustin to be so strong, to the point where he couldn’t even fight back throughout the whole fight.

He could only passively take the beating without any resistance. With this kind of strength, Dustin might even well be in the top three of the Hundred Immortals.

“D–did I see it right? Sir Gabriel was actually defeated? And so miserably?”

“Who is this guy? What kind of monster is he?” After a long silence in the martial arts gym, there was finally some sound.

However, no one responded because the facts were already laid out in front of them. Gabriel had indeed lost and was completely crushed throughout the entire fight.

The so–called top ten of the Hundred Immortals and his so–called “Eclipse Strike“, his “ultimate” move, had become a joke at this moment.

Dustin’s strength was far beyond everyone’s imagination. With just a slap, he could render Gabriel completely powerless.

“Who are you?” Gabriel sat on the ground, his face twisted with fear.

How could there be such a powerful person in a small place like Swinton, and more importantly, one so young? This was simply abnormal!

“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is, will you still be able to survive after this?” Dustin looked down at him coldly.

Upon hearing this, Gabriel first froze, then burst out laughing maniacally, his face distorted. “Kid! I admit you are strong–even exceptionally talented! But the problem is, you are just one person, and behind me stands the entire Horst family!

“The disciples of the Horst family are well into the thousands, spread throughout the seventeen provinces of Swinton! Will you be able to defeat ten, a hundred, or even thousands of them? If you dare to kill me today, you will become the public enemy of the entire Horst family. By then, you will face countless warriors‘ relentless pursuit, day and night! You should weigh the consequences yourself!”

After hearing these words, Nigel and the others, who were initially shocked and confused, immediately came back to their senses.

“That’s right, so what if Dustin is so powerful? He was still only a human being who had weaknesses and flaws. The Horst family was a wealthy and powerful family in the capital with tons of skilled warriors, some even stronger than Gabriel himself. Once these strong warriors learn of the news and gather up, it would be easy to crush him.” The crowd thought.

“A person who acts recklessly will always remain so, and can never attain the heights of true strength!” Nigel. shook his head and retained his calm smile.

“Exactly! No matter how powerful he is, he is still an ant in front of the great Horst family. He’ll be crushed easily! The girl in the yellow dress followed up in agreement.

“In this world, it is not strength that matters but power and connections. This kid will ultimately face death!” After realizing this, the group of people couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement about Dustin’s impending doom.

“Are you so confident that the Horst family can protect you?” Dustin looked at Gabriel with a meaningful smile on his lips.

“What, do you still want to challenge the entire Horst family with your own strength?” Gabriel sneered, with a condescending look on his face.

“Challenge? You are overestimating yourself a little. Give the Horst family a call and ask if they can protect you. Do they even dare to protect you?” Dustin sneered.

“Huh?” Gabriel narrowed his eyes and, after confirming that the other party was not joking, immediately took out his phone.

However, the dozens of missed calls on it made him frown slightly. He felt a sense of unease in his heart. He took a deep breath and dialed the number back.

As soon as the call was connected, his father’s roar came from the other side.

“Gabriel! Where the hell have you been? Your phone has been unreachable! You despicable animal! What the hell have you done? Our entire family has been ruined by you! If I had known this would happen, I should have strangled you to death earlier! So that you won’t bring disaster to our whole family!” His father’s angry rant immediately stunned Gabriel, After a while, Gabriel tentatively asked, “Dad, what happened exactly?”

“You still have the nerve to ask what happened? It’s all your fault! It’s all because of you, you despicable animal! Our entire family has been banned from killing by the military! Do you know who issued the kill ban order? It was Adam Spanner! It’s the God of War, Adam Spanner! One of the twin stars of the Spanner family and the youngest chief commander in Dragonmarsh! If the God of War personally takes action, what the hell have you done to offend him?!”

As he listened to his father’s shouting in his ear, Gabriel felt as if he had been struck by lightning and stood there stunned!

God of War?

Adam Spanner?

Kill Ban?

H–how could this be possible?

“Die! Just go and die! No one can protect you! And no one dares to protect you! Only when you die can the Horst family survive!” His father’s voice came through the phone again.

Gabriel stood there, at a loss. His face was full of disbelief. How could the world–renowned God of War, Sergeant Spanner, suppress the Horst family? Who could request Sergeant Spanner to intervene?

“So? Do you still think that the Horst family will stand up for you?” Dustin’s indifferent voice sounded.

“W–was it you?! Was this…all you doing? W–Who are you? Why would even Sergeant Spanner stand up for you?!” Gabriel trembled all over, raised his head, and looked at Dustin in horror.

He couldn’t believe it. How could such a deity–like a person be hiding in a small place like Swinton?

“You don’t deserve to know who I am. Now, I’ll give you a chance to take your own life, so that you can still save your family. As he spoke, Dustin kicked the broken sword on the ground toward Gabriel.

“Take…my own life?” Looking at his broken sword, Gabriel was stunned; his face was ashen, and his eyes were filled with despair.

Then, in front of a group of people with shocked, astonished, and unbelieving eyes, Gabriel picked up the sword and directly severed his own neck. In an instant, his head rolled off and blood spattered on the ground.

“Uh…”

Looking at the head rolling on the ground prompted a brief silence from those in the martial arts gym, followed by the commotion and screams. No one expected that Gabriel would choose to commit suicide so decisively and ferociously. With one sword, he cut off his own head. Has he lost his mind!?

“What did you do to Sir Gabriel?! Nigel was sweating with fear.

“You want to find out? Go ask him yourself.” Ignoring the shocked expressions of everyone, Dustin turned around and left the gym. As soon as he left, a fully armed team immediately rushed in and sealed off the scene. Everyone involved was arrested. He didn’t care to worry about what happened next.

With Sergeant Spanner’s power, there would naturally be no loopholes in handling this small matter.. On the other side, at Fallridge Haven.

“What? Dustin didn’t die?! How could this happen? Gabriel is in the top ten on the Hundred Immortals, and he brought many elite members of the Horst family to help him out. It should have been easy to deal with that kid.” When the news came out, Caden couldn’t help but furrow his brows slightly.

“We still don’t know the details. There was no news from the dojo. We only heard that Dustin returned unharmed,” the guard whispered.

“That’s odd. Where is Gabriel? Call him and ask,” Caden said thoughtfully.

“Sir Gabriel disappeared. The phone won’t get through, and the dojo has been sealed off by the military,” the guard replied.

“Sealed off by the military? What happened?”

“We’re not sure yet.”

“Send someone to investigate and find out what happened,” Caden ordered.

“Yes, sir!” The guard agreed and quickly left.

However, at that moment, a strong windy blade sound could suddenly be heard from outside. A military helicopter descended from the sky and landed steadily on the square.

As the cabin door opened, an old man with white hair and a burly figure, followed by several subordinates, walked out confidently.

The old man had a square face, a goatee, and a dignified look, emitting a strong and powerful aura. That was the aura of a seasoned warrior, formed after many years on the battlefield! Ordinary people would shiver at the sight of him and wouldn’t dare to get close. The old man was none other than Christopher Murray, the founding father of Dragonmarsh!

“Father? What brings you here?” When Christopher walked into the council chamber, Caden, who was drinking tea, was startled. The tea spilled all over the floor, and the teacup shattered on the ground.

But he didn’t have time to care about that and got up to greet him respectfully, like a mouse meeting a cat. Although Christopher had not been involved in the family’s affairs for ten years, his accumulated influence over the years still made people tremble with fear. Even Caden, as the heir, didn’t dare to behave out of line.

“Kneel down,” Christopher uttered two words softly.

“What?” Caden was stunned for a moment, then obediently knelt down on the ground. In the Murray family, Christopher was like a god, and no one dared to defy him.

“Do you know the reason why I made you kneel?” Christopher sat down on the chair, his presence was imposing.

“I don’t know.” Caden lowered his head.

“Hmph! You’ve damaged the reputation of our family. You did things you shouldn’t have done and offended people you shouldn’t have offended. The Murray family’s reputation was almost ruined by you!” Christopher spoke with a cold expression.

“Huh? Father, I don’t quite understand.” Caden was stunned.

“You don’t even know you’ve made a big mistake. The Murray will be destroyed by you sooner or later if you don’t step down from the position of head of the family. If you’re not capable of handling it, then step down now!” Christopher was livid.

“Step down?” Caden was stunned.

He thought his father was just going to scold him a few times, but he didn’t expect him to directly strip him of his power!

Over the years, he had worked hard for the Murray family, focusing on his work and getting things done. Although he didn’t have much merit, he at least kept the entire family in order. Now, he was suddenly asked to step down without knowing the reason behind it. He was very dissatisfied.

“Father, I don’t understand. What did I do wrong?” Caden was unwilling.

“You are ignorant and shortsighted. You don’t recognize a true dragon when you see one. Retire and reflect on it before you cause any bigger trouble. After you’ve figured it out, then we’ll talk.” Christopher left no room for argument

Caden opened his mouth to explain but was interrupted by Christopher. “Save some dignity for yourself, and don’t disappoint me further!” Upon hearing this, Caden fell silent, feeling confused as he knelt on the ground.

“Leave and call Sheila.” Christopher waved his hand.

“Yes…” Caden didn’t dare to disobey, so he bowed deeply before turning and leaving. His face was filled with gloominess.

“Grandpa! You really came?” After a while. Sheila ran into the living room with a surprised look on her face.

She threw herself into Christopher’s arms and tearfully pleaded, “Grandpa! You came just in time. Please, save Dustin! He’s about to die!”

“Okay, alright. Silly girl Dustin is fine now.” Christopher showed a rare smile.

Back then, Caden was able to take the position of head of the family because he gave Christopher this precious granddaughter.

“Really? Dustin is really okay?” Sheila wiped away her tears quickly.

“Of course. When has Grandpa ever lied to you?” Christopher patted her head.

“Thank you, Grandpa!” Excited, Sheila planted a kiss on her grandfather’s face. This made the old man burst into laughter, and he couldn’t stop grinning.

“Little girl, are you so nervous about Dustin because you have a crush on him?” Christopher suddenly asked.

“Huh?”

Sheila was stunned at first, then her face turned red in an instant. “Grandpa! What are you talking about? I don’t have a crush on him!”

“Hehe…if you like someone, then you like them. What’s there to be afraid of admitting? Young people should be bold.” Christopher laughed.

“Grandpa, Dustin saved me before. I’m just grateful to him,” Sheila lowered her head, stuttered, and her neck turned red.

“Just grateful? Then why were you crying for him? Little girl, if you really like him, take the initiative to pursue him, and don’t miss any opportunity. That kid is not an ordinary person. If you can win him over, it will be great news for me too.” Christopher rubbed his beard and laughed. After all, Dustin was the kirin!

“If he can become my grandson–in–law, those old guys will be jealous and crazy, won’t they? Hahaha— He thought.

Chapter 128

When Dustin returned to Peaceful Medical Center, everything that had been smashed and damaged had been cleaned up.

The whole clinic was like new again. Dahlia was sleeping on the table, leaning on it with a slightly haggard look on her beautiful face and eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Looking at her. Dustin felt a complicated mix of emotions and couldn’t help but feel grateful. After all, she had saved Gregory’s life. He took off his coat and draped it over Dahlia.

“Mmm?”

Dahlia trembled all over and instantly woke up. “You’re back? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, thank you for today,” Dustin said politely.

“Don’t mention it; it’s only right for me to take care of Mr. Jones when he’s injured,” Dahlia said, pursing her lips.

“Have you eaten? Are you hungry?”

“A little.”

“You want your usual, spaghetti bolognese?”

“Mmm, thank you.”

“Wait a moment.” Without much ado, Dustin walked into the kitchen and began to skillfully cook the dish.

In the three years of their marriage, whenever Dahlia came back late and hungry, he would prepare a midnight snack for her. Especially spaghetti bolognese; she never got tired of it.

But at some point, the distance between them grew farther and farther, and their relationship became more and more estranged. Eventually, they ended up divorcing.

“Here’s your spaghetti.” About 15 minutes later, Dustin brought up a steaming plate of spaghetti bolognese.

“Mmm, it smells so good.” Dahlia sniffed, immediately digging in.

In no time, she had finished the bowl of pasta, even drinking up all the sauce.

“The taste is amazing. It seems like your cooking skills have improved.” Dahlia gave a rare smile.

“Maybe it’s just that you haven’t eaten it in a long time,” Dustin said suddenly.

“Is that so? Maybe.” Dahlia’s gaze became a little dim. Unknowingly, three years had passed.

Over time, many things that had once been routine had become second nature to Dahlia. She had grown accustomed to having someone bring her warm clothes when the weather turned cold, to having someone cook for her whenever she felt hungry, and to have someone by her side when she was ill. But when those routines changed, she found herself at a loss.

“Dustin, will we…be able to return to what we were before?” After a moment of silence, Dahlia suddenly asked. Dustin, who was about to wash the dishes, froze for a moment and was speechless for a while. Could they go back to the past?

Maybe a while back, they could have. At one point, he even wished that she would say so.

But now…

“Ring ring ring!” At that moment, a phone started ringing. Dustin put down his fork and answered, greeted by a gentle and crisp voice.

“Hey honey, where are you? Do you want to come out for a late–night snack together? This is a great opportunity for you to get me drunk.”

“Uh…I can’t go tonight. Gregory’s not feeling well, I have to stay home and take care of him,” Dustin replied awkwardly.

“Gregory is sick? Then I’ll come over right away!” Natasha said anxiously.

“No need, it’s just a minor illness, nothing serious,” Dustin quickly responded.

“Gregory is getting old. We shouldn’t be careless about it. How about this, I’ll send someone over tomorrow to help take care of him.”

“That’s too much trouble. I can take care of him myself.”

“You’re a big man, clumsy, and prone to making mistakes; you’ll inevitably overlook something. I’ll send an experienced caretaker over to take care of Gregory’s daily needs, and that’s settled!” Natasha declared, leaving no room for argument.

“Alright then.” After thinking about it, Dustin finally agreed. Having someone around to accompany Gregory would make it safer to avoid any further accidents.

“Oh, by the way, there’s one more thing. Immortunol has already made a name for itself, but if we want to sell it everywhere, we’ll need to find a few agents. Tomorrow, I’ll be holding an open recruitment at Mirage. You, as the major shareholder, can’t be absent,” Natasha said.

“Okay, I’ll definitely be there tomorrow.” After hanging up the phone, Dustin met a pair of resentful eyes.

“That was Natasha who just called, right? Talking on the phone so late at night, it seems like your relationship with her is not ordinary.” Dahlia said in a sour tone.

“We’re just-”

“Enough! You don’t need to explain anything to me. I’m not interested in listening. Take care of Gregory well, I’ll go back to rest,” Dahlia said, getting up and leaving before Dustin could even respond Dustin shook his head; he was rendered speechless by Dahlia’s behavior.

What was that all about?

The following morning, the council hall at Mirage was packed with people who had gathered for the distributorship of Immortunol. Ever since the press conference held by the Harmon family, news of the popular medicine had spread across Swinton, and many wealthy people were looking to get a piece of the action.

As Matt and Julie walked in, Matt turned to Julie and asked, “Can that Harvey guy really help me get a distributorship?”

“Of course! Harvey is a key member of Harmon Pharmaceuticals, and he has influential people supporting him. If he’s willing to help, it’s a guarantee!” Julie replied confidently.

“Fantastic! I’ll make sure to show my appreciation generously after the deal is done,” Matt replied, feeling energized.

The Laney family was struggling, and they desperately needed a way to revive their fortunes. Immortunol was that chance. Therefore, this was an opportunity that could not be missed!

“Matt, you’re too kind. A small favor like this is nothing.” Julie smiled.

As Julie was speaking, she suddenly frowned. “What is that piece of trash, Dustin, doing here?”

Matt followed her gaze and saw Dustin’s face, feeling a sense of irritation as he remembered their encounter a few days ago. Since they had bumped into Dustin today, they needed to humiliate him somehow.

“Let’s have some fun with him,” Matt said coldly to Julie, then walked towards Dustin.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Rhys! Are you also trying to be a distributor for Harmon?”

“Rhys? He’s nothing but a piece of trash! Why would the Harmon family work with someone like him without any qualifications?” Julie added sarcastically.

“I don’t have the qualifications? Do you have the qualifications to work with the Harmon family then?” Dustin sneered.

“Why wouldn’t we? The manager here, Harvey, is like a brother to me. As long as I say the word, it will be easy to get the distributorship!” Julie replied arrogantly.

Dustin shook his head and replied, “Really? I don’t think that would be the case. I believe the Harmon family won’t give you the distributorship.”

“What? You say they won’t give it to us, and they won’t? Who do you think you are?!” Julie sneered. Dustin smiled faintly and said, “Me? I’m the chief physician of the Rhys family, and I’m also the major shareholder of Immortunol,”

“What did you just say? A major shareholder?” Julie paused for a moment before she laughed. “Hahaha! Have you lost your marbles, Rhys? You? A major shareholder? What a joke!”

“Oh, Rhys, you can go around boasting to others for all I care, but what’s the point of bragging to us? You’re just humiliating yourself!” Matt guffawed. He had done a thorough investigation on Dustin, and from what he found out. Dustin was, simply put, a good–for–nothing. He might have had some underhanded tactics up his sleeves, but he definitely had no real capabilities.

“Whether or not you believe me, that’s your choice to make. But I guarantee that you won’t be getting the company’s rights,” Dustin said calmly.

“Hah! Do you guarantee? How highly you think of yourself! Mr. Marcs is in charge here. Just one word from him. and the decision is final!” Julie made a disdainful face.

“I do not know any Mr. Marcs, but I’m sure he does not have the authority to do so.” Dustin remained unfazed.

“Hah! And do you? Take a look in the mirror, sucker! Who are you to say who has the authority and who doesn’t?” Julie ridiculed.

“Oh, get out of here, Dustin. Quit embarrassing yourself!” Matt jeered, looking at Dustin as one would a clown. He didn’t even quite understand how he had lost to such a loser twice in a row.

*Julie.” As they were speaking, an obese man approached them. The man was the manager of Harmon Pharmaceuticals.

“Harvey, you’re finally here!” Julie’s eyes lit up, and she quickly went up to him and hooked her arm around his. fawning all over him.

“Julie, it’s been a while since I last saw you. I swear you’re much lovelier by the day.” Mr. Marcs gave Julie a light smack on her behind and a lecherous smile on his face.

“Stop it,” Julie whined coquettishly as she twisted away. “Harvey, I’ve got some serious business to discuss with you today. Here, allow me to introduce you to Matt Laney. Mr. Laney here comes from a distinguished family in Millsburg.”

“Oh? Mr. Laney? Pleased to meet you!” Mr. Marcs‘ eyes lit up, and he immediately reached out to shake Matt’s hand.

The Laneys were a prestigious family with assets amounting to tens of billions. He definitely considered it an honor to be acquainted with someone from the family.

“And this is?” Mr. Marc’s gaze turned to Dustin.

“He’s just a useless burn. Take no heed of him.” Julie spared Dustin no slack.

“Oh…” Mr. Marcs threw him a contemptuous side–eye.

“To tell you the truth, Mr. Marcs, I’m actually here for Immortunol. I’m really interested in getting the Harmons” company’s rights.” Matt cut right to the chase.

Chapter 191

“Mr. Laney. I’m afraid I don’t call the shots regarding the company’s rights.”

Mr. Marcs shook his head, pretending that he was stumped. “Ms. Harmon has given full authority on this matter to Mr. Rhys. He’s the one who calls the shots on who the company’s rights go to.”

“Mr. Rhys? Who’s that? Is he a very powerful person?” Julle was curious.

“Truth be told, not only is Mr. Rhys the chief physician of Harmon Pharmaceuticals, but he’s also someone who’s really close to Ms. Harmon. I heard that he’s the one who came up with the prescription formula for Immortal!” Mr. Marcs explained.

“He must be a really brilliant person to be able to produce Immortunol! I wonder if I’ll ever have the privilege of meeting him!” An expectant expression came over Julie’s face. She always had the habit of forming connections with people by bringing them into her bed.

“Mr. Marcs, where is Mr. Rhys? Could you please introduce him to me?” Matt tried his luck.

“Well–” Mr. Marcs hesitated.

“Ah, right, I have a gift for you. Please have this.” Matt quickly pulled out a million–dollar check and handed it to Mr. Marcs.

“Hahaha! How generous of you, Mr. Laney!” Mr. Marcs beamed brightly at the sight of the check.

“And about the company’s rights?” Matt prompted.

“Of course, there won’t be a problem!”

Chapter 129

“To tell you the truth, Mr. Rhys is a tight buddy of mine. We’d give our lives up for each other. In fact, I had a night out drinking with him just yesterday! As long as I put a word in for you, he’ll definitely do me this favor!” Mr. Marcs assured. Dustin chuckled lightly at that. What an artful liar!

“Hey! What are you sniggering at?” Mr. Marcs glared at Dustin.

“Ignore him, Harvey. He’s just a loser.” Julie rolled her eyes.

“Mr. Marcs, if you can get me the company’s rights, I’ll be sure to repay you handsomely!” Matt promised.

“Haha! No problem! I’ll get it done!” Mr. Marcs was beyond elated.

“Thank you, Mr. Marcs!” Matt grinned too. Judging from the high demand for Immortunol, he would soon be filthy rich once he got the company’s rights. And then, he would have no difficulty restoring his family to its former glory!

“Mr. Matt, I happen to have another business opportunity apart from the company’s rights. Would you be interested?” Mr. Marcs asked sneakily.

“Oh? And what business opportunity is that?” Matt raised a brow.

Mr. Marcs looked around him and said softly. “Our companies demand a very high quality on Immortunol, so products that do not reach the benchmark will be destroyed. Several of us managers agree that that’s a waste, so we kept those substandard products and plan on selling them off. If you want them, I can sell them to you at a really good price.”

“Substandard products? What good will they do?” Julie wondered aloud.

“See, Julie, they may be substandard and less effective, but they can easily be passed off as quality products. Nobody can tell them apart from genuine Immortunols when they are put together!” Mr. Marcs smiled profoundly.

“Really?” Julie’s eyes lit up.

“When have I ever lied to you? Here, how’s this? If you take them, I’ll sell them at a fifth of the original price. You can sell them off and earn a great deal!” Mr. Marcs proposed..

“That sounds amazing! Thank you, Harvey!” Julie was overjoyed.

“What do you think of this deal, Mr. Matt?” Mr. Marcs‘ gaze bore into him.

“It’s a great deal, no doubt! I’ll take however much of the stock you have, Mr. Marcs!” Matt beamed. It was a steal to be able to purchase Immortunol at a fifth of the original price. Matt was not one to let such a good offer pass him by. As for the quality of the products, he couldn’t care less about that. All he cared about was that he’d make money from them. If anything were to

“You! How dare you hit me?” Mr. Marcs held his face, which still burned from the smack. A mix of anger and shock was evident on his face.

With the Harmons behind him, people fought to curry favor with him everywhere he went. When has anyone ever had the gall to hit him?

“So what if I smacked you? As an employee, you’re supposed to uphold the standards of the company.

but look what you’re doing! You steal from the company and mix substandard products with quality products. I think you deserve every bit of that smack!” As Dustin spoke, he went up and delivered a few more smacks. Mr. Marcs saw stars and bled from both his nose and mouth. The commotion attracted a lot of onlookers.

“Goodness! Who’s this? How dare he hit Mr. Marcs?”

“Wreaking havoc on Harmons‘ premise! I gotta say, he’s something else!”

“I think he’s just ignorant. He’s going to end up in a lot of trouble!”

The crowd gathered around to watch and exchanged comments among themselves.

“Rhys! Are you out of your mind? Stop it this instant!” Shocked, Julie halted him immediately.

“Dustin! Have you any idea how much trouble you’ve gotten yourself into? How dare you hit Mr. Marcs? You’re not getting out of this door in one piece today!” Matt roared.

But Dustin was not the least bit fazed. He went ahead and gave Mr. Marcs another round of beatings.

He could let things slide if all he did was run his mouth and be unrepentant about them. But he was even about to get violent! How reckless! That did not sit well with Dustin at all.

“Security! Someone! Anyone!” Mr. Marcs shouted in agony. Soon, a large number of guards swarmed over. They had Dustin surrounded in less than a minute.

“Rhys! How dare you beat Mr. Marcs up! You’ll be sorry!” Julie scowled when she saw that they had backup. She looked at Dustin, waiting to see what misfortune would befall him.

“Hmph! You ignorant fool! Nobody can save you now!” Matt also basked in the pleasure of seeing Dustin get Into trouble with Mr. Marcs.

Dustin had rubbed him the wrong way for quite a while now. He simply hadn’t taken action yet because he had an image to uphold. Matt couldn’t be happier now that someone was about to teach Dustin a lesson.

“What are you guys doing just standing there? I want to see his arms and legs broken. Right now! I’ll bear the consequences!” Mr. Marcs hollered at the guards as he pointed his finger at Dustin.

“What’s going on?” A loud voice rang just as the guards were about to get rough.

A man with a squarish face rushed over with an imposing presence. He had several men following behind him. Dustin spared him a glance and recognized him as Morgan Finn, the vice president of Harmon Pharmaceuticals.

The moment they caught sight of him, the crowd made way for him to pass through. Even Mr. Marcs, who had been barking orders at the guards, quieted down.

“Is this their superior? We can’t be so unlucky, can we?” Julie wondered. She gulped dryly, an inexplicable anxiousness coming over her. She could tell that this man approaching them was someone of status based on how much Mr. Marcs feared him.

“This bastard really lucked out!” Matt thought as he gritted his teeth out of annoyance. He had thought that Mr. Marcs would be able to avenge his grudge against Dustin, but this man’s unexpected appearance seemed to have ruined that.

“Mr. Finn, you’ve come at the right time. This man here is stealing from the company when he should be protecting it. He’s stolen and sold substandard products. This will badly tarnish the company’s reputation. You need to arrest him,” Dustin said as he pointed at Mr. Marcs.

Morgan squinted and hummed lightly. “Oh? Are you telling me what I should be doing? And who are you to be doing that? Do I even know you?”

“Mr. Finn, we’ve met before,” Dustin replied.

“So what? I’ve met lots of people. Am I supposed to know all of them?” Morgan gave Dustin a derogatory once over. “Also, who do you think you are? Who are you to butt into the internal affairs of the company?”

Dustin frowned when he heard what Morgan had to say. “Mr. Finn, as vice president of the company, are you not going to look into actions that will ruin the company’s reputation?”

“Whether or not I look into the matter is my call to make. What evidence have you got to claim that Mr. Marcs is selling substandard products?”

“You want evidence? Here’s your evidence!” Dustin kicked the box over, spilling Immortunol all over the ground.

“Hey, young man, so what if these Immortunols are substandard? How are you going to prove that they belong to Mr. Marcs? Who’s to say you didn’t steal them?” Morgan retaliated.

Mr. Marcs was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly reacted. “That’s right! Mr. Finn, this fella here is a thief! I caught him stealing from us! I did not expect this brazen rascal to fight back so violently! He’s truly heinous and despicable!”

“I can vouch for that! He’s the one who stole the Immortunols!” Julie added.

Chapter 130

“Do you hear that? Everyone’s saying that you’re the thief.” Morgan smirked maliciously. Which insolent bastard is this who dared meddle in his affairs?

“Mr. Finn, it seems like you’re going to cover up for him, then?” Dustin’s eyes narrowed, a menacing look in his eyes.

It suddenly made sense to Dustin why Mr. Marcs dared to act so rampantly. It was because he had an equally unrighteous superior! Dustin had thought that he had seen the worst from Mr. Marcs, but it turns out that Morgan was worse! Not only did he distort the truth, he even framed others for things that they did not do. It was plain for all to see that his subordinate was in the wrong, but he blatantly put the blame on Austin. That was too much!

“So what if I cover up for him? Who do you think calls the shots here?” Mr. Finn pressed his lips together into a thin line. “I’m giving you a chance now. Get down on your knees and apologize to Mr. Marcs right now, and admit that you were wrong. If you don’t, I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your days behind bars!‘

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Dustin challenged.

“Do I look like I’m joking? You should check if your opponent has someone behind him before you go throwing your weight around like that! Who do you think you are to do as you wish on my turf? Now get on your knees and apologize!‘ Morgan roared.

“Do you hear that? Get on your knees!” Mr. Marcs jeered, looking at Dustin like he had victory over him.

“Rhys! Why did you even intervene in the first place? This is what you get for meddling in other people’s business!” Julie gloated.

“You really think too highly of yourself! Matt shot him a contemptuous and dismissive look. In the face of absolute power, it was irrelevant whether you were right or wrong. So what if you were right?

When the person in power dictated that you’re wrong, you have no way of defending yourself, Such was the law of society.

“Alright, if you’ve made your choice, then don’t regret it.” Dustin didn’t waste much time talking to them. He whipped cut his phone and made a call.

“Oh? Are you calling for backup? Hahaha!” Morgan snickered. “Hey, brat! I don’t think you get the idea here! This is my turf, and I call the shots here! Who do you think can save you now?”

“Mr. Finn, let’s not get too cocky. I think the Harmons are in charge here at Harmon Pharmaceuticals, not you.

Mr. Finn,” Dustin corrected him.

“So what? I’m a founding member of Harmon Pharmaceuticals! Even Natasha Harmon has to address me respectfully, What more of a scoundrel like you?” Morgan announced arrogantly.

As he finished his sentence, a crisp and clear feminine voice rang out. “Is that so? So I should be addressing you respectfully now?”

The crowd turned to the source of the voice to see an elegant woman dressed in red entering and approaching them. It was Natasha Harmon!

“Ms. Harmon?” Morgan felt a premonition of oncoming trouble. He immediately forced a smile and went up to her. “Why have you come?”

“I’m here to join in the fun! Am I not welcome here, respected Mr. Finn?” Natasha put extra emphasis on how she addressed Mr. Finn.

“Ms. Harmon, that was just a joke. Don’t take it to heart,” Morgan explained awkwardly. How was he to that she would appear at such terrible timing?

“A joke? It didn’t sound like one to me. You sounded so sure of yourself back there,” Natasha said, unperturbed.

“Well— Morgan could not find the words to excuse himself for what he said.

“Forget it; I’ll let that go. Now tell me, what’s going on here?” Natasha asked calmly.

“Ms. Harmon, here’s what happened.” Mr. Marcs was just about to explain when he was cut off by a glare from Natasha. “Are you in a position to speak now?”

“Know your place!” Morgan turned to Mr. Marcs and scolded him. Then he turned back to Natasha and smiled apologetically. “Ms. Harmon, it’s nothing much. It’s just that there’s someone here with unethical intentions who stole some Immortunols. I’m already handling it, and this will be settled in no time.”

“Oh? Who’s so audacious to steal Immortunols?” Natasha asked.

“It’s that rascal!” Morgan pointed at Dustin.

“Mr. Finn, are you sure it’s him?” Natasha looked like she was holding back a smile.

“Of course I’m sure!”

“And do you know who he is?” Natasha asked, amused.

“No matter who he is, he’s committed a grave offense by stealing the Immortunols! We need to ensure that justice is served!” Morgan declared in feigned righteousness.

“Alright then. I’ll have you know!” Natasha’s expression darkened over. “This man whom you’ve accused of theft is the chief physician of Harmon Pharmaceuticals and the developer of Immortunol, Dustin Rhys!” An uproar broke out when the crowd heard that.

“What? Mr. Rhys?” Morgan had shock written all over his face.

He had indeed received news that the developer of Immortunol, Mr. Rhys, would be present today, but he hadn’t expected him to be so young!

“N–no way! H–he’s He’s Mr. Rhys?!” Mr. Marcs’s eyes widened in disbelief. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the person he had been bragging about being a tight buddy with was right there in front of him. This was bad. This was really bad. They were in deep trouble now.

“Mr. Rhys? Dustin Rhys?” Julie looked around in bewilderment. “They must be mistaken! The brilliant Mr. Rhys who developed Immortunol was Dustin. How is that possible?” She mused.

“What ability does this rascal possess to be able to come up with the prescription formula for Immortunol?” Matt felt astonished, which was soon taken over by jealousy. Immortunol was a precious drug that was able to bring in endless fortune! But how did such a treasure end up in the hands of such a worthless person? It was truly a waste!

“Mr. Finn, I’ll ask you one more time,” Natasha said. “Do you think that Mr. Rhys is the person who stole these Immortunols?”

“This Well—This might be a misunderstanding.” The corners of Morgan’s eyes twitched and he forced a smile.

“A misunderstanding? So what you’re saying is that Mr. Rhys isn’t the thief?” Natasha scoffed.

“Of course! Why would Mr. Rhys steal his own products?” Morgan nodded repeatedly.

“Alright, then tell me, who was the one who stole this box of substandard Immortunol?” Natasha asked authoritatively.

“I understand now!” Morgan pretended to finally understand what was going on. “It must have been Mr. Marcs who stole the company’s products when he was supposed to be guarding them! He misused his authority and accused Mr. Rhys before we even looked into the issue! We cannot tolerate such a vile person in the company! I’ll fire him right away!”

“Mr. Finn, I-”

“Shut up!” Just as Mr. Marcs was about to speak, Morgan gave him a hard slap and reprimanded him loudly. You piece of trash! Admit your mistakes or I’ll not go easy on you!”

“Yes, yes. I was wrong. Please forgive me, Mr. Finn. I’ll never repeat my mistakes again.” Mr. Marcs covered his face with his hands, shaking as he admitted his wrongdoing.

“Why are you apologizing to me? It’s Ms. Harmon you should be apologizing to!” Morgan roared.

“Ms. Harmon, I’m so sorry! Please let me off this time. I know that I was wrong!” Mr. Marcs fell to his knees, asking for forgiveness.

Natasha ignored him completely, her gaze fixed on Morgan. “What a smart move, Mr. Finn. You’re pushing someone else under the bus to save your own sorry ass. But do you really think that you’ll get away scot–free?”

“Ms. Harmon, what do you mean? I’m afraid I do not follow.” Morgan’s brows were tightly knit.

“Don’t assume that I do not know what you’ve done. I just never bothered to take action. But you’ve messed with the wrong person now! I’m giving you one last chance. Give Mr. Rhys a sincere apology for your behavior today, or be prepared to bear the consequences!” Natasha ordered with an icy expression.

“Ms. Harmon, you must be kidding me!” Morgan’s expression darkened. “I’m a founding member and the vice president of the company! How could you make me apologize to a mere boy toy like him? How will I put my subordinates in line if I do that?”

“You’re not apologizing, are you? Guards beat him up!” Natasha wasted no time with him. With a snap of her fingers, two bodyguards came up to them and gave Morgan several hard smacks on his face. He was totally befuddled.