The Rise of David - IX

Chapter 401: Know It Like The Back Of His Hand

Thousand Crane Shrine not only housed many experts but also a few hidden organizations.

The Watanabe family was merely Thousand Crane Shrine’s subordinate family, responsible for providing resources and funding.

David frowned when he heard what Fandor said.

If what he said was indeed true, it would be difficult for David to eliminate the Watanabe family—even if it was just Asuka’s line of descent.

Furthermore, Kazuo did not even mention the Thousand Crane Shrine when introducing the Watanabe family to David.

Evidently, Kazuo was deliberately concealing this from David—he had not truly pledged allegiance to David.

“In that case, it won’t be that easy to eliminate the Watanabe family,” said Flaxseed solemnly.

“Everything’s in your hands…” commented Fandor before grabbing the glass of alcohol and drinking.

Since things had turned out this way, David decided to follow his initial plan. Instead of letting his mind run wild, he drank together with Fandor.

Back in his mansion, Ryosuke was filled with shock when he heard what his two subordinates reported to him.

“Who’s that young man? Is he Fandor’s friend? Looks like I should meet him personally!”

Filled with curiosity toward David, Ryosuke instructed his subordinate, “Ask Yuri to come here.”

Soon, Yuri was summoned over. Ryosuke quickly asked, “Yuri, be honest with me. What’s the name of the person who saved you? How did you know him?”

“Why are you asking that, Dad?” Yuri stared at him warily.

She knew that her father was a suspicious and cunning man. If she revealed anything about David, she was afraid that Ryosuke would do something bad to him.

“Since I’d like to thank him properly, I need to know more about him. Tell me…” urged Ryosuke anxiously.

Yuri was left with no choice but to reveal everything honestly. After Ryosuke heard that she met David on the plane, his expression changed slightly.

He could not be certain that David’s meeting with Yuri was purely coincidental and that it was not part of an intricate plan.

“Do you know his name?” asked Ryosuke again. “He said he’s called David, but it doesn’t seem like he’s lying…” replied Yuri.

“David?” Stunned, Ryosuke frowned. “Why does that name sound so familiar? I’ve heard that before somewhere…”

At that moment, a subordinate stepped forward and whispered softly beside Ryosuke’s ear. His eyes immediately widened as a look of astonishment filled his face.

“It can’t possibly be him, right? How dare he come to Jetroina?” Ryosuke could barely believe his ears.

“What are you talking about, Dad?” asked Yuri in a confused tone, having seen his reaction.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Go back and rest.”

After Ryosuke sent his daughter away, anxiety started to invade him. If that David was the same man who murdered Ichiro, it would definitely be inappropriate for Ryosuke to meet him.

Furthermore, it was evident that the target of David’s trip to Jetroina was the Watanabe family.

In that case, his encounter with Yuri was probably planned beforehand. The fact that he managed to save Yuri was probably just an act to gain her trust. Ryosuke, who initially planned to meet David, was now at a loss for what to do. After all, since David did not know the real situation with the Watanabe family, he would definitely blame the entire family for hunting him down. As the head of the Watanabe family, Ryosuke would be David’s first target for revenge.

Yet, unbeknownst to Ryosuke, David knew everything about the Watanabe family like the back of his hand.

“Mr. Watanabe, if David has come to Jetroina to take revenge, you’ll be in danger. I heard that he’s the most powerful person in Jadeborough, Chanaea. Furthermore, he eliminated the Warriors Alliance in Jadeborough and founded the Deragon Sect. It’s grown to be the largest clan there! Now that the election is coming, there are already a lot of internal and external threats to deal with. If David intends to create mess things up here, we’d be in trouble,” said a worried subordinate to Ryosuke.

Naturally, Ryosuke knew that well. However, there was nothing that he could do.

“Asuka could’ve provoked anyone but David! Now, that man’s probably going to settle the score with me!” Ryosuke cursed angrily at his younger brother.

If Asuka had not kept going to Chanaea to take revenge on David, David would not have come to Jetroina. Didn’t he only lose a son? Since he already has three, losing one doesn’t make a huge difference at all!

“Mr. Watanabe, since Ms. Yuri knows David, why don’t we ask her to explain everything to him? She can make it clear to him that we aren’t the ones trying to kill him. If she can secure David’s help, we’d have a decent shot at winning the election! I’ve already heard that Asuka’’s trying to contact Old Mr. Watanabe...” reported his subordinate in a low voice.

“What? Asuka has already contacted Grandpa? He is already over ninety years old! It’s been a long time since he stopped caring about family affairs. Could it be that he managed to convince Grandpa otherwise?”

Ryosuke was filled with shock.

The “Grandpa” whom he was referring to was Masato Watanabe. He was actually not his and Asuka’s real grandfather. Instead, he was their grandfather’s brother.

Since Masato was already over ninety years old, he had stopped managing family affairs for a long time. However, as the eldest member of the Watanabe family with the highest seniority, he was considered an extremely important person in the family.

Hence, Masato’s words held considerable power over the family. The branch family members of the Watanabe family would definitely obey his every sentence.

If Asuka managed to secure Masato’s help, it would be impossible for Ryosuke to remain the head of the family. More importantly, Masato was able to directly contact the Thousand Crane Shrine that was backing the Watanabe family.

Although the Watanabe family was considered to be the subordinate family of the Thousand Crane Shrine, it was almost impossible for Ryosuke to even step into the shrine despite being the head of the family.

On the other hand, Masato was different. He could pray at the shrine any time and even manage to get a few words in with the higher-ups there.

“No, I can’t wait any longer. Prepare the car. I’m heading to the ancestral home...”

Attacked by a strong sense of threat, Ryosuke decided to meet Masato, hoping that the old man would not intervene in family affairs.

While Ryosuke was rushing to meet Masato, Haruto had already invited Kazuo to Asuka’s villa.

“Please take a seat, Mr. Kawaguchi!” Asuka greeted Kazuo with extreme enthusiasm upon meeting him. Smiling slightly, Kazuo did not sit down. Instead, he asked Asuka, “Why did you invite me here, Mr. Asuka?”

“Since you’ve gone all the way to Chanaea and helped me with such a huge favor, I must thank you properly.”

With a smile, Asuka shot a look at his son.

Soon, Haruto brought a wooden box and placed it in front of Kazuo.

Inside the box lay a snow lotus. Although it was not big, it was evident that it came from Fujio Mountain.

Snow lotuses took an extremely long time to grow, especially those from Fujio Mountain. Even though this one was not big, it had probably been growing for over a hundred years.

Possessing a snow lotus from Fujio Mountain was a symbol of pride for samurai in Jetroina. It was considered an extremely precious commodity.

“Mr. Asuka, w-what are you doing?” Kazuo’s eyes widened when he saw the snow lotus. He didn’t understand what kind of scheme or trick Asuka was pulling.

“You helped me take revenge, so of course I want to repay you. Although some people were sacrificed, it’s nothing,” Asuka replied.

Upon hearing this, Kazuo felt a bit ashamed. After all, he had not been able to kill David and had only deceived Asuka.

But looking at the snow lotus in front of him, Kazuo knew he couldn’t just refuse it…

“Thank you very much, Mr. Asuka.”

Kazuo quickly took the snow lotus from Haruto’s hands.

As he looked at the snow-white lotus, Kazuo couldn’t help but feel enamored with it. Asuka noticed this and curled the corners of his lips into a slight smile. “Mr. Kawaguchi, I actually have one more thing I’d like to ask for your help with…” Asuka said.

“Please, Mr. Asuka, just tell me.” Kazuo’s eyes were fixed on the snow lotus, and he would agree to anything at this point.

“I want you to capture Yuri and bring her here,” uttered Asuka.

When Kazuo heard this, his excitement vanished instantly, and he handed the snow lotus back to Haruto.

“Mr. Asuka, I don’t want to get involved in the Watanabe family’s affairs. I hope you can understand. I have things to do, so I’ll take my leave now…” Kazuo said before running away.

Kazuo wasn’t stupid. He knew he shouldn’t get involved in the power struggles of such a large family because he knew that no matter who won in the end, he would become the sacrificial lamb. Upon seeing Kazuo run away in fear, Asuka couldn’t help but curse, “Coward! He’s just a coward…”

“Dad, what should we do now? It’s going to be difficult to capture Yuri, especially after this…” Haruto asked his father.

After this failure, Ryosuke would certainly strengthen security measures around Yuri and might even prevent her from leaving her home.

“Hmph! Even without Yuri as a bargaining chip, I’ll take the position of the head of the family. Follow me to the ancestral home…” Asuka demanded, his expression grim and menacing.

At the foot of Fujio Mountain in the Xendale suburbs, there was a simple wooden house that served as the ancestral home of the Watanabe family. Masato Watanabe, who lived there, was the most senior member of the family.

Ryosuke arrived at the wooden house with his men and got out of his car, walking toward the house after parking a few hundred meters away. Although he was the head of the Watanabe family, he still respected the elders and observed the necessary etiquette.

Upon reaching the front of the house, Ryosuke gently knocked on the door. It opened slowly, revealing a gathering of people inside who seemed to be discussing something. This caught Ryosuke off guard since Masato had long retired from family affairs and would not allow so many people to disturb him. This situation was very unusual, and as the head of the Watanabe family, he was surprised that no one had notified him of it.

Seeing Ryosuke, many people stood up and bowed to him. After all, his status as the head of the family was higher than theirs. Only two people remained seated—Masato, who had thinning hair and missing teeth, and was seated at the top, and a middle-aged man in a samurai outfit sitting next to him.

The middle-aged man was kneeling next to Masato with an old katana placed in front of him. Although the man’s eyes were cold and filled with disrespect, Ryosuke dared not show any resentment toward him.

This man was Kawano Chishima, a renowned sword master in Xendale whose skill with a katana was legendary, and whose true strength was unknown to anyone.

Kawano had been guarding Masato’s safety since he was young and was still doing so now with the utmost loyalty.

This was why Masato, despite his advanced age and lack of involvement in Watanabe family affairs, remained the soul of the family. It was Kawano’s presence that allowed Masato to enjoy his old age in peace.

As soon as Ryosuke had sat down, the door was knocked on, and then it opened again. Soon, Asuka walked in. Upon seeing the situation, Asuka was also taken aback, especially when he saw Ryosuke there, and conflicting emotions began to swell within him.

“You both arrived just in time. Please have a seat,” Masato said, waving his hand.

Everyone sat down and waited for Masato to speak. No one dared to show any signs of disrespect, knowing that even the slightest movement would be met with Kawano’s sharp katana.

“I’ve received news from the Thousand Crane Shrine that we, the Watanabe family, need to deliver our resources and funds earlier this year,” Masato spoke slowly.

“Grandpa, I’ve already prepared the resources and funds, and they can be delivered at any time,” Ryosuke replied immediately. With the election approaching, Ryosuke needed to show off his capabilities.

“Good!” Masato nodded and continued, “I heard that our samurais had clashed with the Chanaean government some time ago and killed many of their officials. Is that true?”

“Yes, I investigated this matter too. It was Asuka who ordered people to hunt down some enemies in Chanaea, which led to a conflict with the Chanaea authorities and resulted in a negative impact on our family. I have sent someone to Chanaea to explain this matter.”

Ryosuke immediately recounted everything he knew to Masato when the latter mentioned the incident.

He wanted to use this matter to prevent Asuka from competing with him for the position of head of the family.

At this moment, there was no brotherly relationship between them.

Asuka glared at his older brother and began to explain, “Grandpa, I—” However, Masato interrupted with a wave of his hand.

“Asuka, you did well. The Watanabe family will not be bullied by anyone. We will seek revenge, especially when facing the people of Chanaea,” Masato said, leaving Asuka stunned.

The latter quickly nodded and said, “I will follow your advice, Grandpa.”

Ryosuke was also taken aback because he had wanted to suppress Asuka with this matter, but his plan backfired. Masato then looked at Ryosuke coldly and said, “As the head of the Watanabe family, you even took the initiative to apologize, which has damaged our family’s reputation. I also heard that you sent your daughter to study in Chanaea. You seem to have forgotten what blood flows in your veins.”

Subsequently, the old man added, “Now that your daughter has been contaminated, she must be sent to the shrine to be purified…”

What Masato said shocked Ryosuke to the core. It felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

He could endure anything, including losing his position as head of the family, but he would never agree to send his only daughter to the shrine for purification. After all, he knew what would happen to her there.

“Grandpa, I—”

Ryosuke wanted to argue and stop them from sending his daughter to the shrine, but Masato ignored his pleas and waved his hand, saying, “That’s it. Everyone, please leave.”

Everyone got up and left, and Ryosuke had no choice but to do the same. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Asuka looking at him with a mocking smile on his face.

“My dear brother Ryosuke, I warned you not to send Yuri to Chanaea, but you didn’t listen. Now, Yuri will be sent to the shrine, and you may never see her again in this lifetime. My poor niece is still so young, lively, and beautiful…” Asuka said, grinning from ear to ear.

Ryosuke glared at Asuka angrily but couldn’t do anything to the latter. He could only leave in frustration. After all, he was still the head of the family and Asuka’s brother, so he dared not hit Asuka in public.

He returned home fuming, and when Keika saw him, she hurriedly came up and helped him change his clothes. “What happened? What made you so angry, Ryosuke?” Keika asked.

Ryosuke explained everything that had happened today, leaving Keika stunned.

After a while, Keika became emotional and exclaimed, “N-No… That’s impossible. I will never send our daughter to the shrine. If you dare to do so, I’ll die before your eyes…”

Hearing that, Ryosuke held his wife tightly, feeling sorry for her. “I don’t want to either, but what can we do?” he replied. Ryosuke was reluctant to do so, but he had to follow Masato’s orders. Besides, it might be an order from the shrine itself. What could he do to resist?

“We can leave. Let’s go as far away as possible, and you should step down from the position as the head of the family…” Keika suggested.

“Go? Go where? Even if we flee to the ends of the earth, they will find us.” Ryosuke shook his head, finding his wife’s suggestion unfeasible. “I don’t care! I don’t care! I won’t let you send our daughter to the shrine!” Keika shouted like a mad woman.

Ryosuke looked helpless, but fortunately, there was no time limit set. They could still stall for time and come up with a plan.

Three days had passed since then.

David and Flaxseed spent their days drinking and snoring with Fandor, and it had been such a drink-sleep routine for the past three days. “David, it’s been three days already. Your scheme hasn’t succeeded yet? Ryosuke hasn’t come to see you at all,” Flaxseed complained listlessly.

Although they drank and slept every day, the environment here was terrible, and more importantly, there were no women. If Jessica were here, Flaxseed might not be so anxious.

David furrowed his brow slightly. “It’s strange. I saved his daughter’s life. He should at least come and thank me, right?”

David also found it odd that Ryosuke hadn’t shown up since sending people to investigate him last time. There was no news from the Watanabe family, nor had Ryosuke sent anyone to see him, and David found this extremely puzzling.

“What are you two mumbling about? Come and drink!” Fandor beckoned to David and Flaxseed.

But neither of them moved this time.

Seeing this, Fandor picked up the bottle and walked over. “Don’t worry, he’s coming. He’ll be here within ten minutes,” he said confidently, then started drinking by himself.

David and Flaxseed were surprised as they weren’t quite sure whether Fandor was drunk or not.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Ryosuke arrived outside Fandor’s dilapidated house, carrying a gift and accompanied by Yuri.

“Excuse me, I’m Ryosuke Watanabe. I’ve brought my daughter here to pay respects to Mr. Loufury,” Ryosuke politely called out.

“Come in,” Fandor said flatly, with his eyes half-closed.

David and Flaxseed were both confused as to how Fandor knew Ryosuke would come.

Ryosuke entered the run-down house with Yuri and placed a bottle of wine in front of Fandor, saying politely, “Mr. Loufury, this is for you.”

But Fandor didn’t even look at it. He slowly said, “I don’t take gifts for no reason. If you want me to kill someone, just deposit the money into my account.”

Ryosuke looked embarrassed all of a sudden; he didn’t have billions of Anglanduran currency to hire Fandor to kill.

“David, thank you so much for saving me from being kidnapped two days ago,” Yuri said to David happily.

Chapter 402: Take Her Away

“It was nothing,” the man replied with a faint smile.

“Mr. Chance, thank you for helping my daughter. I was busy these past few days, so forgive me for coming late to thank you,” Ryosuke said politely as he came up to David.

“I already said it was no big deal,” David uttered calmly with a serene expression on his face.

This puzzled Ryosuke, who wondered why David was so calm toward him and not showing any sign of resentment or anger if he came to seek revenge. “Aren’t you all tired? Let’s get to the point,” Fandor impatiently interjected. “Ryosuke, I don’t believe you came here just to thank David.”

Ryosuke was caught offguard and hesitated fora moment before explaining, “Mr. Chance, I know your purpose for coming to Jetroina, but I want to explain that although the people who have been hunting you are from the Watanabe family, it was my younger brother Asuka who orchestrated it all.”

He continued, “I had no idea about this, including the attack on Chanaean officials. He never told me about it. Once I found out, I immediately sent people to apologize and explain the situation. I have no intention of going against Chanaea or you, Mr. Chance. I hope you can understand…”

Ryosuke spoke with an earnest face, afraid that David wouldn’t believe him.

However, David replied with a faint smile, “Mr. Watanabe, I already know all of this. You’re not responsible for your brother’s actions, so I won’t hold it against you.”

“Mr. Chance, you already knew about it?” Ryosuke was surprised. He wondered how David knew because only the higher-ups of the Watanabe family were aware of the ordeal.

“Kazuo told me. I brought him back alive from Chanaea for a reason,” David said nonchalantly.

Ryosuke breathed a sigh of relief on hearing that; since David knew, he didn’t have to worry anymore.

“I also know that the Watanabe family’s election is coming up, and you are competing for the head of the family position with your brother. If I kill Asuka, wouldn’t you be the biggest beneficiary?” David added.

Since Ryosuke chose to tell the truth, David also didn’t intend to hide anything. He wanted to see if he could get some resources from the Watanabe family.

After all, now that Ryosuke also wanted Asuka dead, their goals were aligned.

But unexpectedly, Ryosuke let out a mournful sigh after hearing David’s words. “Actually, the position of head of the family is no longer important to me. I only want my daughter to live happily…”

Ryosuke then told David about Yuri’s situation and how she was about to be sent to the shrine. Yuri listened in shock beside them.

“So, Mr. Watanabe, are you saying that you want me to take Yuri away?” David asked, still confused.

Ryosuke nodded. “Yes, because only then can Yuri have a stable life. I know about your powerful influence in Chanaea, and as for killing Asuka, I will help you to complete the task.”

“But if you do this, you won’t be able to become head of the family, and your life will be in danger. After all, nobody would dare to disobey the shrine’s orders, right?” David questioned.

“For Yuri’s sake, this is the only way. As long as she can live happily, that’s all that matters,” Ryosuke replied with a determined and loving expression of a father.

Indeed, the love of a parent for their child knew no bounds.

This decision was made after Ryosuke and Keika had discussed it, as it was the only way for Yuri to escape harm.

“No… No…” Yuri cried and threw herself into Ryosuke’s arms. “Dad, I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to be with you and Mom…”

“Yuri, listen to me. We don’t know what will happen to you if you are sent to the shrine. You’re still young, but you’ll understand later. Follow Mr. Chance, and with his character, I trust that he will protect you.”

After speaking, Ryosuke turned to David and added, “Of course, I won’t ask you to help us for nothing. The Watanabe family will offer a batch of resources to the shrine soon, which I intend to give to you as a reward, Mr. Chance.”

This left David at a loss. He had originally come to destroy the Watanabe family, but now he found himself in this situation.

Am I really going to take Yuri and the batch of resources back with me? Bringing back a beauty from Jetroina all of a sudden like this would be hard to explain, wouldn’t it?

But just as David was unsure of how to respond to Ryosuke, Fandor spoke up. “Ryosuke, stop playing the emotional card of fatherly love. Tell us about your other plans…”

When he heard this, Ryosuke’s face turned red with embarrassment. “Mr. Loufury, I do have another plan…” Ryosuke could only flash them an awkward smile.

“Let’s hear it, Mr. Watanabe,” David urged.

“My other plan is for you to take action and kill both Asuka and Masato, Mr. Chance. Once these people are dead, the entire Watanabe family will be under my control,” Ryosuke said.

He added, “Of course, you will be rewarded handsomely.”

“But if so, you still have to follow the shrine’s orders, and Yuri will still be sent away,” David said, puzzled.

Ryosuke shook his head. “Once the Watanabe family is under my complete control, the shrine won’t abandon the entire family for just my daughter. Moreover, sending my daughter to the shrine may have been Masato’s idea. Once he’s dead, no one will pursue this matter.”

Hearing this, David continued to ask, “You could do it yourself. After all, you are still the head of the Watanabe family. Why spend money to hire me?”

“Because he doesn’t have the ability to. Even with all the high-level experts that Ryosuke can gather, they may not be a match for Kawano, the samurai by Masato’s side,” Fandor explained before Ryosuke could respond.

“Mr. Loufury is right. Kawano is a famous sword master, and nobody knows his true strength, so…” Ryosuke laughed awkwardly, his voice trailing off at the end of his sentence.

“But are you sure that I can beat Kawano?” David asked in confusion. After all, Ryosuke didn’t know David’s true strength, so how could he be sure that David could defeat Kawano?

If David failed, wouldn’t Ryosuke also suffer?

Ryosuke didn’t say anything but looked at Fandor.

The meaning was clear. If David wasn’t a match for Kawano, then Fandor should take action. After all, Fandor was David’s friend!

David instantly understood Ryosuke’s intentions. Ryosuke was trying to get Fandor to take action through him.

“For ten billion in Anglanduran currency, I’ll kill whoever you want,” Fandor said slowly as Ryosuke looked at him.

A troubled look then flitted across Ryosuke’s visage. “Mr. Loufury, I really can’t come up with ten billion, but I’ll do my best to offer everything I can. You and Mr. Chance are friends, so I hope—”

“Stop. Friends are friends, and business is business. They can’t be mixed together. If you can’t produce the money, then there’s no point discussing it.” Fandor spoke candidly, which put Ryosuke in a difficult spot.

After Fandor finished speaking, he quickly added, “But if you don’t have money, there is another way…”

“What way?” Ryosuke asked, his voice laced with eagerness. He believed that Fandor was the only one who could defeat Kawano, and he was willing to do whatever it took to get Fandor on board with his plan.

“I heard that you have an ancient snow lotus from Fujio Mountain. If you hand it over, I can consider your request,” Fandor said mildly.

Ryosuke was stunned when he heard that because no one knew about his possession of the snow lotus, not even the top brass of the Watanabe family or the shrine. Otherwise, the shrine would have requested it.

How did Fandor find out about such a secret?

Ryosuke was puzzled, but Fandor must have known for certain to mention it. “Mr. Loufury, in fact, the snow lotus has already withered. It’s just a specimen and has no value,” Ryosuke explained.

“I don’t care if it has value or not. I’m only asking if you’re willing to give it up,” Fandor asked firmly, staring at Ryosuke as he uttered each word.

“Um…” Ryosuke hesitated, but after a moment, he glanced at Yuri. Gritting his teeth, he finally made up his mind. “Okay, I’m willing to give it up as long as you can kill Kawano, Mr. Loufury.”

Fandor laughed heartily when he heard that and uttered with utmost confidence, “Hahaha, don’t worry, Kawano is as good as dead.” David and the others then followed Ryosuke to the Watanabe family’s mansion. It was the residence of the head of the Watanabe family, so it was in a central location.

Yet, David was brought here. If Asuka found out, he would be livid.

“Ryosuke, show us what you promised. If you’re sincere, not only can we kill Masato, but we can also destroy the Thousand Crane Shrine,” Fandor said in a serious manner.

Hearing this, Ryosuke nodded and had his men bring out many resources. He then went to the bedroom and after a long time, he came out with a transparent glass box.

Inside the box was a snow lotus, but it was already withered and devoid of spiritual energy.

Fandor took the snow lotus over, and his eyes widened. Then, he smiled mildly and said, “This is very precious…”

He carefully put the snow lotus away and said to Ryosuke, “All right, arrange a place for us to stay. You don’t have to worry about the Watanabe family’s affairs anymore.”

Ryosuke quickly nodded and offered the largest mansion he owned for Fandor and David to stay in.

“Fandor, why do you want a withered snow lotus?” Flaxseed asked, puzzled by the old man’s intentions.

“You don’t understand. I have a way to revive it,” Fandor said.

He then opened the glass box and poured some wine from a flask at his waist into it.

Flaxseed and David were both befuddled, wondering if Fandor was planning to make liquor with the ancient snow lotus.

But something magical then happened. As the snow lotus was soaked in the liquor, it slowly came back to life and became more vibrant in color.

Then, a large amount of spiritual energy began to spread throughout the room, and inhaling it made them feel refreshed and happy.

Seeing this, Flaxseed and David couldn’t help but feel envious. If they could refine this ancient snow lotus into a pill, it could greatly enhance their strength.

If it were David, he could probably break through to the level of Martial Arts Saint. However, since the snow lotus belonged to Fandor, they couldn’t just take it without permission.

“Fandor, now that you have taken the snow lotus, are you confident that you can kill Kawano?” Flaxseed asked him.

However, Fandor shook his head. “I’m not…”

Flaxseed was taken aback. “You’re not confident? Then how could you brag and even say you would destroy the shrine? Your boasting is too much!”

“I’m not boasting. I’m not confident in myself, but I’m confident in someone else!” Fandor remarked.

“Who?” Flaxseed asked.

Fandor pointed to David. “He can definitely beat Kawano, and with his strength, it shouldn’t be a problem even if he attempts to destroy the shrine.” “Me?” The latter was surprised to hear that. “I’m only at the level of Greater Martial Arts Marquis now. I’m not as strong as you say.”

“You’ll reach Martial Arts Saint soon,” Fandor said, tossing the ancient snow lotus to David. “With this and other resources, I’m sure you can break through.

Once you become a Martial Arts Saint, what’s the Watanabe family or the Thousand Crane Shrine to you?”

“You’re giving this to me?” David’s eyes widened in disbelief. He never expected Fandor to give him such an expensive and precious item.

“You paid for my drinks, so I’m giving this to you to even it out,” Fandor said with a slight smile. “Besides, this thing is useless to me…

David didn’t understand Fandor’s words, but he saw Fandor suddenly make a move toward him. He panicked and also made a move.

When their palms met, David was surprised to find that Fandor had some restraining power inside him that seemed to be limiting his strength. Moreover, Fandor’s strength wasn’t as great as he had imagined. At most, Fandor was a Sixth Level Greater Martial Arts Marquis.

How could this level of strength induce fear in that many people?

Seeing David’s reaction, Fandor smiled slightly and said, “When I killed all of the assassins in Xendale, it caused a stir. However, it also drew the attention of an expert from Jetroina, who destroyed my cultivation and only left me at the level of Greater Martial Arts Marquis. I also had a restraining power imposed on me.”

He continued, “No matter how much I cultivate, I cannot increase my power even a little bit. So, I could only increase my assassination fee to ten billion in Anglanduran currency, just to make sure people don’t come and hire me. I can no longer take on assassination jobs with my current strength. I’ve been living off my reputation for these past years. The reason why I agreed to Ryosuke’s request is that I know you can do it with your strength. Besides, Ryosuke’s ancient snow lotus can provide you with great help.”

Fandor’s words made David feel a pang of sadness. From the beginning, Fandor had only dealt with Ryosuke because of him.

“Don’t worry, Fandor. I will find a way to break the restraining power that was imposed upon you,” David said firmly. But Fandor waved his hand dismissively. “No need. I’m fine with the way I am. I no longer pursue power. Drinking and having fun is more comfortable for me.”

Flaxseed looked at Fandor in surprise. He never imagined his old friend had such experiences.

Then, David turned the ancient snow lotus and some of the resources into pills and swallowed them in one gulp.

At that moment, thick swirls of spiritual energy flowed within him.

A week later, a large dark cloud suddenly appeared over Ryosuke’s mansion, covering the entire sky. Many people stopped to watch this sudden phenomenon, and even Ryosuke looked up with a serious expression.

This sudden phenomenon in the sky could only mean trouble for his family.

Only Flaxseed and Fandor were excited.

“I never thought David could break through so fast…” Fandor said slowly. “The Golden Dragon’s True Form is not something to be taken lightly. Let’s move away so we don’t get struck by the heavenly thunder and die in an instant,” Flaxseed said, quickly leaving the mansion.

Fandor followed closely behind, keeping a safe distance from the mansion.

Rumble…

The rolling black clouds grew increasingly lower, accompanied by the deafening thunder that seemed to engulf Ryosuke’s entire residence. “Dad, what… is happening? I’m scared…” Yuri looked shocked as she subconsciously hid behind her father.

Keika’s face was pale as she also clutched onto Ryosuke’s clothes tightly.

Ryosuke himself was shocked, but because of his wife and daughter, he could only try to remain calm.

Crack!

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed, striking the mansion where David was located.

Rumble…

After the lightning strike, the mansion collapsed in an instant!

“Ah!” Yuri screamed in fear, constantly retreating backward.

Ryosuke also hurriedly pulled his wife back, looking at the once- intact mansion that had turned into ruins in the blink of an eye. Instantly, he felt uneasy at the sight.

At this moment, Ryosuke saw Fandor and Flaxseed running over and hurriedly asked, “Mr. Loufury, what’s going on? How could this happen?” “Ryosuke, your family is lucky now. The deity has descended,” Fandor said playfully.

“The deity has descended?” Ryosuke was stunned, but soon a look of joy flashed across his face.

Crack…

Another bolt of lightning struck fiercely at the same spot!

At the moment when the lightning struck down, David’s body emitted a faint golden light and slowly rose up.

The lightning struck David’s body, and his body convulsed as if he was receiving an electric shock, and then a smell of burning flesh wafted out.

“Uh…” Ryosuke widened his eyes at the scene.

“David!” Yuri couldn’t help but shout.

But David seemed to be unaware. His eyes were tightly shut, and his body was emitting a golden light as he floated in the air motionlessly.

CrackIRumble…

The heavenly thunder began to strike David’s body continuously.

Fandor looked at David, who was in midair and couldn’t help but sigh. “I have never seen anyone causing such a commotion during their ascension to the Spirit Divider realm and suffering such a lightning tribulation…”

Flaxseed also couldn’t help but exclaim, “With this ascension, David is probably unbeatable in the entire mundane world now.”

Ryosuke listened to their conversation, his face at a loss because he had no idea what the Spirit Divider realm was, or what the mundane world was. To him, there was only the existence of the martial arts world, and he didn’t know about spiritual energy cultivators or the existence of secret realms. Rumble…

The heavenly thunder continued to strike. Yuri watched nervously with sweat on her forehead, and she clenched her fists. She was probably worried about David!

After the ninth heavenly thunder struck, the black clouds in the sky began to disperse.

Subsequently, the radiant sunlight shone back onto the earth, and David’s body slowly descended.

“Uh… is David the deity you were talking about, Mr. Loufury?”

Ryosuke looked up at David, his face full of disbelief.

“Yes, go and welcome your deity.” Fandor nodded.

Ryosuke quickly led his wife and daughter toward David, while Flaxseed followed behind Fandor.

“David, y-you’ve broken through?” Flaxseed asked happily.

David nodded, feeling the transformation of his energy in his body. He never expected that his strength would increase so much with just one increase in his cultivation level.

At this moment, David’s body was like a gem as it emitted a faint light. Even without using his Golem Body, David could withstand the attacks of a Martial Arts Saint with just his physical body alone.

Chapter 403: A Deity

Ryosuke hastily stepped forward and sputtered, “Mr. Chance, l-l didn’t realize you were a deity! I have been a fool. I should not have taken you lightly!”

He would have worshiped David on an altar had he known the latter was a deity earlier.

“A deity?” David was baffled by Ryosuke’s words.

Flaxseed noticed his confusion and briefly explained the situation to him. Only then did David realize that this was one of Fandor’s tricks.

Jetroinians were well-known for their superstitious beliefs in deities.

In any case, David had just experienced a breakthrough and was eager to test out his improved abilities. He did not bother correcting Ryosuke’s misconception and declared, “Please bring me to meet Asuka, Mr. Ryosuke.” “Of course!” Ryosuke nodded eagerly.

Ryosuke’s mansion was barely a mile away from Asuka’s, and the group soon arrived at their destination.

Asuka and his son, Haruto, happened to be staring in the direction of Ryosuke’s mansion.

A perplexed Haruto asked his father, “What’s going on, Father? We barely arrived, and it looks as if a heavy thunderstorm is imminent.”

Asuka frowned slightly and replied, “That can’t be right. I didn’t hear of any incoming thunderstorms on our way here. How can the weather change in an instant? Let’s not worry about that for now. Get everything in order and head to your great-grandfather’s. The elections are starting soon, and I must secure my position as the next head of the Watanabe family.” Then, Asuka returned to his room.

Not long after that, Ryosuke arrived at his mansion with David in tow.

David glanced at the front door. With a single kick, he smashed the pure bronze door into debris.

The commotion alerted the guards in Asuka’s household. More than ten men armed with katanas rushed toward the front door, surrounding David in seconds.

Asuka stomped out of his room furiously, though anger quickly turned to confusion when he spotted his elder brother with an unknown young man in the center of the crowd.

He asked, “Ryosuke, what is the meaning of this? Did you bring someone here to smash down my door?”

“I’m not here to destroy your door; I’m here to see you. Haven’t you always wished to avenge your son? This man here is your enemy,” Ryosuke explained and pointed at David.

Asuka stiffened in surprise. He looked at David and frowned. “This man is David Chance?”

David nodded in affirmation. “In flesh and blood. I was the one who killed Ichiro Watanabe.”

“That’s impossible!” Asuka’s disbelief was palpable as he continued, “Kazuo killed David a long time ago. How can he still be alive?”

David merely smirked and drawled, “Don’t believe me? Why don’t you call Kazuo and ask the man himself? Do you really think someone like him could actually kill me?”

Asuka’s expression darkened at David’s words. With a knowing glance, he sent Haruto off to call Kazuo and confirm David’s allegations. Alas, none of Haruto’s calls went through. Asuka’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He was beginning to believe David’s claims. He shot Ryosuke an accusatory glare and demanded, “You’re the head of the Watanabe family, Ryosuke, yet here you are colluding with the enemy. What is the meaning of this? Don’t you know he killed Ichiro?”

To his surprise, Ryosuke replied sneeringly, “Don’t say anything else, Asuka. What haven’t you done to fight for the position of the family head? I haven’t seen you as a brother for a long time! I already know you and Masato conspired to send Yuri to the shrine. I will never agree to it.”

Asuka scoffed and retorted, “Did you truly think working with David would allow you to defy Grandpa’s wishes, Ryosuke? Still, I suppose I must thank you for your little stunt today. It sure will save me plenty of trouble.”

He waved his hand and summoned his guards. “Get them! Kill that man!”

Ryosuke hardly flinched as he roared, “Hold your swords. I’m still the head of the Watanabe family. Now, back off.”

The imposing command immediately stopped the charging guards in their tracks.

At the end of the day, they were in the service of the Watanabe family. They dared not disobey the instructions of the active family head.

“Charge! I’m ordering you to!” Asuka shouted at the guards, who remained frozen in fear despite his command.

Jetroinians were well-known for their strict deference to the traditional hierarchical system. While Ryosuke remained the head of the Watanabe family, the guards simply could not bring themselves to disobey his direct orders.

Seeing this, Asuka cursed at the top of his lungs, but his infuriated protests were in vain.

Meanwhile, David shot Asuka a frosty glare while slowly approaching him. “You’re dead meat today, Asuka.”

Asuka hastily pulled Haruto with him and backed away until they eventually hid in his room.

Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted in front of David, shrouding the place in billowing white smoke.

David waved his hand and instantly dissipated the smoke, but Asuka and Haruto were nowhere to be found.

“Damn it. They must’ve escaped using a secret tunnel under the mansion,” surmised Ryosuke with a deep frown.

“Don’t worry. It’s impossible to escape.”

David closed his eyes and used his spiritual sense to scan the mansion and its surroundings, spanning a diameter of several kilometers.

Soon enough, he tracked the two runaways down.

“Let’s go.”

After his abrupt order, David disappeared in a flash, leaving Ryosuke to hurry after him.

David tracked Asuka’s aura all the way to the foot of Fujio Mountain.

A small army of samurai stood guard outside Masato’s hut at the foot of Fujio Mountain.

Masato was in the hut, engaged in a meeting with numerous branch family members of the Watanabe family.

An elder from one of the branch families piped up, “Ryosuke has been too quiet lately. I don’t think he’d agree to send his daughter to the shrine.”

Several relatives immediately concurred with his views. “That’s right. I even caught wind that Ryosuke was in contact with someone in Chanaea. Perhaps he’s trying to gain their help and move his entire family abroad.”

“I even heard that he’s paying ten billion in Anglanduran currency to hire the assassin, Mr. Loufury, to take out Grandpa!”

Masato remained silent amid their gossip, though his fury was palpable in his aged, wrinkled features.

He scoffed coldly and spat, “He must think I’m some senile old man. He doesn’t bother listening to my orders once I’ve stopped asking about the family’s affairs.”

Just then, the door of the hut was flung open. Asuka and Haruto rushed into the room in a panic.

Their frantic expression caused Masato’s frown to deepen. He demanded, “You rascal. Where are your manners? You can’t barge into this place as and when you please.”

Asuka shouted, “Save me, Grandpa. Save me! Ryosuke’s out for my blood, and he brought David Chance with him. He even said he was going to kill you too!”

“What?” Masato immediately got to his feet.

A chorus of shocked gasps rang out through the hut. They could not believe Ryosuke was completely disregarding his family ties and openly hunting his younger brother down.

One of the branch family members asked Asuka, “Who is this David Chance?”

“He’s the person who killed my son, Ichiro. I heard he’s an extremely strong fighter.”

Asuka’s explanation fueled Masato’s anger. The elder thundered, “A Chanaean? It seems Ryosuke is bent on pledging his loyalty to another country.”

Just then, Kawano, who had appeared to be in a light slumber the whole time, slowly opened his eyes and said, “Whoever he is, as long as he’s bold enough to cause trouble here, the only fate that awaits him is death.”

As he spoke, Kawano rose to his feet and grabbed a katana, shooting a piercing look out the window.

One of the powerful members of the Watanabe family spoke up. “With Master Kawano around, do you think Ryosuke would really be brave enough to chase us down?”

“Let’s go. Accompany me while I meet and kill this Watanabe traitor,” Masato declared calmly.

Asuka and Haruto quickly stepped forward and supported the old man as he left the hut.

Meanwhile, David and Ryosuke continued their chase.

However, as soon as the latter realized where they were headed, his eyes flashed with panic.

“M-Mr. Chance, should we wait for Mr. Loufury? Our family’s ancestral home is up ahead, which is where Masato lives. That means Kawano will also be there. I’m afraid…” Ryosuke’s voice trailed off.

I’m afraid that neither of us will be Kawano’s match! Although Mr. Chance was struck by heavenly thunder today, I still don’t know the extent of his abilities. That’s what worries me! After all, if we were to lose this fight, my entire family would be doomed.

“You can head back if you’re scared. I’ll let you know when I’ve killed them all…” David replied as he marched toward Fujio Mountain without breaking his stride.

Upon seeing that, Ryosuke had no choice but to steel himself and follow behind.

Before long, David reached the wooden hut at the foot of Fujio Mountain, only to see hundreds of samurais gathered outside, along with Masato and the rest. “Ryosuke, you’re an utter disgrace to the Watanabe family! I can’t believe you colluded with the Chanaeans to kill your own brother! You deserve to die…” Masato fumed while staring coldly at Ryosuke and David.

Although he was getting on in his years, his voice remained strikingly loud.

Unfortunately, Ryosuke didn’t dare say a word, nor did he know how to refute Masato. Argh! If they hadn’t forced me to send Yuri to the shrine, I wouldn’t be in this situation now!

Following Masato’s angry roar, hundreds of samurais surrounded Ryosuke and David.

Even though they worked for the Watanabe family, there was no way they’d listen to Ryosuke’s orders. After all, the samurais belonged to the branch families, so why would they answer to him?

“Ryosuke, you’re an embarrassment to the Watanabe family! If we don’t kill you today, we’ll be letting our ancestors down!”

“You’re a sc*mbag, Ryosuke! You’re worse than an animal…”

Needless to say, Asuka was overjoyed to see the Watanabe branch families hurling insults and abuse at Ryosuke.

“Stop wasting your breath on him,” Masato said icily. “Kill them both now…”

With that, the horde of samurais charged at David and Ryosuke, scaring the latter so much that he instantly unleashed all his martial energy.

David, however, merely looked at the samurais with undisguised contempt.

He had never feared them even before he became a Martial Arts Saint, so why would anything change now that he was one?

“Hmph. What a bunch of insignificant beings…”

The next second, he waved his hand like a sword, and a ray of light shot out immediately.

With David’s spiritual energy powering it, the light grew several feet long and slashed through the air, conjuring a blade that was more than ten meters!

The blade was so incredibly sharp that it sliced dozens of samurais by their waists in just the blink of an eye.

“Ah!”

Within seconds, screams of agony and the nauseating smell of blood filled the air.

The samurais who ran behind their fallen comrades couldn’t stop in time and wound up tripping over the bodies and getting covered in a disgusting mix of blood and innards.

It was such a terrifying scene that they halted in their tracks. They were completely stunned and speechless.

Masato and the rest of the Watanabe branch families, too, looked on in utter disbelief.

Even Ryosuke couldn’t help but stare at David blankly with his mouth agape. “Turning spiritual energy into a sword isn’t that interesting… It isn’t as powerful as the Dragonslayer Sword,” the latter remarked.

With that, the Dragonslayer Sword promptly appeared in his right hand and glowed a brilliant green.

There was such terrifying pressure from the sword that the frightened samurais crumpled to the ground one after another.

Some even forced themselves to be on one knee to prevent falling face down into the bloody mess.

As David swung the Dragonslayer Sword, beams of green light flashed across the air and sliced through everything in front of it. Following a string of explosions, the remaining samurais dropped dead to the ground in one fell swoop.

With just two strikes, David had savagely killed hundreds of samurais.

It was, without a doubt, an absolute bloodbath!

What made it even scarier was that the samurais were all elite fighters of the Watanabe family, yet David had taken them down without breaking a sweat.

Just like that, the Watanabe family had lost hundreds of their best warriors, and the stench of blood overwhelmed them.

Having lost his initial bravado, Masato couldn’t stop himself from shaking like a leaf.

Similarly, Asuka and his son were so petrified that they almost peed in their pants.

Even Kawano flinched at the gory sight. He gripped his old katana tightly as he scrutinized the formidable opponent before him. Ryosuke knelt before David’s feet in immense awe and admiration. “M-Mr. Chance… No… Master, please kill everyone here and save my daughter and me…”

Oh, I don’t care what anyone else soys. I have no doubt that David Chance is a deity through and through! He’s our master!

Upon seeing Ryosuke’s actions, Masato and the rest grew livid with rage. “Kill that brat, Kawano. While you’re at it, cut the traitorous Ryosuke into pieces…” Masato ordered as a wave of fury crashed through him.

Hearing that, Kawano slowly unsheathed his katana and tossed the scabbard away, his face grim and tense.

He knew he couldn’t let his guard down, especially when he had just witnessed David slaughtering hundreds of his fellow samurais.

Even though Kawano’s katana was old and simple, one could still feel the sharp burst of cold air when the blade was revealed.

After all, how could he have earned the title of swordmaster if he didn’t have a formidable sword?

Not only was the katana tough, but it was also extraordinarily sharp; it could cut through anything like a knife through butter.

Swish!

As Kawano lightly swung the katana, a streak of white light appeared and pierced through the air, pulverizing a giant rock near the foot of the mountain.

Everyone else was chilled to the bone by the icy aura of the sword, but at the same time, the display of power was a great reassurance to the Watanabe family.

Masato, in particular, felt a lot more at ease.

“Ryosuke, you disloyal sc*mbag! Shame on you for colluding with the Chanaeans to kill your own family. You, your daughter, and the rest of your direct family shall all die today…” he snapped as he glowered at Ryosuke.

Upon hearing Masato threaten his family, Ryosuke got so riled up that his eyes began twitching uncontrollably.

The next second, he turned to David and fell back on his knees. “Master, please kill these people…”

To everyone’s surprise, David agreed to the man’s earnest plea without a second thought. “Sure.”

With that, the Dragonslayer Sword instantly emitted a burst of sword energy that shot toward Masato and the others.

Pale with fright, the group staggered backward and hastily hid behind Kawano. The latter frowned and swung his katana hard, sending his blade colliding with David’s sword energy.

Boom!

As the burst of energy exploded, strong waves rippled out from the epicenter and shredded the dead, mangled bodies of the samurais into bits and pieces.

The scene became even bloodier and grislier.

When Masato and the rest saw that, they were elated.

Their confidence was instantly renewed after they witnessed how easily Kawano had blocked David’s attack.

In fact, they were starting to think about how to torture David and Ryosuke later.

However, none of them noticed that Kawano’s hands were trembling slightly as he gripped his katana.

A solemn look spread across his face. David’s attack was not as simple as how it had appeared to Masato and the rest. Kawano had given it his all right from the start. Since he was up against David, he did not dare to be careless in the slightest bit.

“Protect Old Mr. Watanabe and leave first!” instructed Kawano while Masato and the rest were gloating confidently.

Everyone was stunned by his words.

“Mr. Chishima, why should we leave with Grandpa first? Aren’t you able to defeat David?”

“Yeah! You can definitely slay David, Mr. Chishima. We’re going to watch them die a horrible death!”

“David has killed so many of our men. We must not let him off the hook!”

Everyone in the Watanabe family protested angrily. They were reluctant to leave, as they wanted to witness David’s and Ryosuke’s deaths.

Seeing how stupid the Watanabe family was, Kawano started to plot his own escape. If he could not defeat David, he would escape first and ignore those fools from the Watanabe family.

“Mr. Chishima, I trust you. I won’t go anywhere. This is my turf, anyway…” As Masato spoke, he instructed someone to get him a chair and plopped down on it.

Kawano was left speechless when he saw that, for those people were the epitome of ignorance and fearlessness.

David had immediately grasped Kawano’s abilities after exchanging a blow with him.

If he had encountered Kawano in the previous two days, he would not have been as confident.

However, now that he was a Martial Arts Saint, it would be a piece of cake to defeat Kawano. “Given your abilities, I’m sure you’re a renowned person in Chanaea too. I hope you will return to the right path and stop intervening in the Watanabe family’s affairs. If you have any misunderstandings with the Watanabe family, I’m willing to apologize to you on their behalf,” Kawano said to David humbly.

“What are you saying, Mr. Chishima? As a citizen of Jetroina, how could you apologize to a Chanaean? They don’t deserve this! They’re nothing but a bunch of weaklings!” bellowed Masato furiously when he saw how courteous Kawano was to David.

Not only did Masato hate Chanaeans the most, but he was also very stubborn.

Glancing at Masato, Kawano wanted to say something. However, he stopped himself.

David’s entire being exuded murderous intent the moment he heard what Masato said.

“If you can block one of my blows, I’ll spare you. However, these people must die.”

David swept his cold gaze across the Watanabes. He had already sentenced them to death.

“Okay!” Kawano nodded. After blocking David’s blow, he would leave without a hint of hesitation.

Masato and the rest of the Watanabe family were dumbfounded when they heard Kawano’s words.

Before they could react, David raised the Dragonslayer Sword high above his head. The sword emitted a green glow.

“Take this!”

The sword energy morphed into a golden dragon that flew into the air with an intimidating roar. The terrifying aura immediately shot toward Kawano. “F*ck!”

Kawano’s expression changed drastically when he saw that. He did not expect David’s blow, which appeared to be so ordinary, to be charged with that much energy. The golden dragon formed by the sword energy looked as though it was about to devour everything in its path.

Chapter 404: Kill With A Single Blow

When Masato and the rest saw the golden dragon rush toward them with a howl, they were scared senseless.

Never had they expected that a simple sword attack like that could have such divine powers.

It almost seemed out of the world. Something like that could only be conjured by a god.

Kawano gripped the katana tightly. He was in no place to care about the Watanabe family anymore. His body trembled violently. Raising his katana which glowed brightly, he swung it down heavily.

The blade shot out like a bolt of lightning streaking across the sky, zooming toward the golden dragon.

Not daring to be careless at all, Kawano had gathered all of his power into that attack.

Boom!

The sword energy and the blade clashed against each other once more.

However, instead of simply swinging the sword this time, David channeled the Power of Dragons into the Dragonslayer Sword.

With a loud explosion, martial energy filled the venue with blood again.

Just like David, who was standing there motionlessly with his Dragonslayer Sword, Kawano did not budge at all.

He was still grasping his katana tightly.

“Mr. Chishima! Mr. Chishima!” Asuka called out to Kawano softly.

However, he merely stood there fixedly, as if he did not hear anything.

When Asuka stood in front of Kawano to check on him, he realized that Kawano’s eyes were wide open. However, his pupils were not moving at all.

Looking downward, Asuka saw there was a red line constantly expanding across Kawano’s neck.

Asuka screamed in shock, causing a commotion to erupt immediately. Kawano’s head suddenly rolled off his neck and tumbled in front of Masato. It was only then that Kawano’s body finally collapsed onto the ground.

Staring at Kawano’s head beside his feet, Masato was stunned.

To them, Kawano was a powerful swordmaster who could never be defeated.

However, he was defeated just by a single blow from David. Even his head had been cut off.

The Watanabes stared at Kawano’s corpse in a stupor, unable to react to what had just happened. They could barely believe what had unfolded in front of them.

“H-How is this possible?” mumbled Masato.

No one replied because everyone from the Watanabe family was equally stunned.

A long time passed before they finally returned to their senses. This time, their eyes were filled with fear when they glanced at David.

He was so terrifying that they could hardly describe him in words.

Meanwhile, many of the relatives from the Watanabe branch families glared at Asuka, their eyes filled with reproach.

If Asuka had not provoked David, he would not have come to Jetroina to seek trouble with the Watanabe family.

Yet, no matter how much they blamed Asuka, it was too late.

Having seen David kill Kawano with a single blow, Ryosuke was filled with even more admiration for him.

He knelt in front of David’s feet, not even daring to lift his head.

With the Dragonslayer Sword in his hand, David strode toward the Watanabes.

The color drained from everyone’s faces when they saw him walking over with strong murderous intent.

“Asuka, you brought this demise upon the Watanabe family! Since you caused everything, you must take responsibility. Kneel and apologize to Mr. Chance right now and atone your sins with your death.” Masato had no choice but to push Asuka out.

Since Asuka was David’s target of revenge, they might have a chance to live if Asuka died.

“Yeah! You created this mess. You must shoulder the consequences!” “Don’t drag us down. The Watanabe family doesn’t acknowledge someone like you.”

Now that Masato had made his stance clear, everyone started to rebuke Asuka.

A look of surprise crossed Asuka’s face.

“If you don’t die, do you expect the whole family to perish together with you? Once you’re dead, our family won’t have to worry anymore.” Masato glared at Asuka.

Asuka had no choice but to step forward and kneel before David.

David looked at Asuka indifferently without saying a word and merely kicked a katana toward him.

Looking at the katana before him, Asuka fathomed David’s intention.

He slowly picked up the katana while lifting his head to look at David. “I can die, but I hope you can spare the others.”

However, David didn’t spare Asuka a glance, nor did he acknowledge him.

Seeing that, Asuka let out a resigned sigh, gently wiped the blood off the katana, and stabbed his own abdomen with the weapon.

Right before the katana pierced Asuka’s stomach, his eyes gleamed, and he swiftly changed the direction of the sword with a flick of his wrist to thrust it at David, who was standing very close and entirely off guard.

The katana was jabbed forcefully into David’s abdomen by Asuka.

Unexpectedly, just as Asuka was about to celebrate, he realized the sword appeared stuck after it penetrated a certain distance into David’s body.

No matter how hard Asuka tried, he couldn’t push the sword any further.

Shocked, he jerked his head up and noticed David sneering at him.

Immediately afterward, Asuka saw a flash of white light before him. David severed Asuka’s head with a sword while the katana fell from the latter’s hand.

Only then did members of the Watanabe family see that the katana didn’t pierce David’s abdomen.

It didn’t even leave a scratch on him.

David, who had ascended to the level of Martial Arts Saint, had a physical toughness that couldn’t be penetrated by just anyone.

Thump!

Subsequently, everyone from the Watanabe family fell to their knees. Even the arrogant Masato trembled as he knelt.

They were all begging for David’s forgiveness, hoping that he would spare them.

David stared at the kneeling members of the Watanabe family without the slightest trace of sympathy in his eyes.

“Ryosuke!” David shouted.

Ryosuke slowly got up and walked toward David.

“You’ll handle the Watanabe family’s affairs on your own.” With that, David put away his Dragonslayer Sword and took a few steps back.

Noticing that, Ryosuke picked up a katana from the ground and approached his family members who were kneeling on the ground.

Complicated emotions filled his eyes.

“Ryosuke, what are you doing? I’m your grandpa,” Masato, quivering badly, shrieked.

The other members of the Watanabe family also began to appeal to Ryosuke’s emotions one after the other, hoping he could let them off the hook.

Conflict and agony churned within Ryosuke as he wielded the katana.

Ryosuke’s feelings wouldn’t have been as intense if David were to kill them.

However, he was extremely torn if he had to execute them personally.

Ryosuke turned to look at David, wishing he could get an answer from David.

At that moment, whether David instructed him to take action or let the Watanabe family go, Ryosuke would follow the orders without hesitation.

To his surprise, David didn’t give him any command.

Instead, he turned around and retraced his steps.

David didn’t care if Ryosuke would do it, but if Ryosuke showed mercy and spared those people, David would do away with Ryosuke without a second thought since David had told Kawano the Watanabes must die.

At that instant, David was merely giving Ryosuke a test. “Ahh!”

Shortly after David spun on his heel, horrible screams sounded behind him.

Eyes bloodshot, Ryosuke seemed to have turned into a madman as he relentlessly slaughtered his family members.

Meanwhile, at Ryosuke’s mansion, Flaxseed and Fandor were lounging in a luxurious hot spring.

Placed beside Fandor were a few bottles of fine wine, while Flaxseed was accompanied by two young girls who were gently massaging him. “Fandor, do you think David can defeat that Kawano?” Flaxseed asked worriedly.

After all, Flaxseed wasn’t familiar with the samurais from Jetroina, so he wasn’t sure if David could win.

“Don’t worry. If my guess is right, Kawano should be dead after enduring one strike from David. They should be back soon.” Fandor leisurely sipped on his wine.

Right after he finished saying that, David and Ryosuke returned.

“Dad.” Seeing Ryosuke, Yuri hurriedly stepped forward. “Dad, how did it go?”

“Master killed those people, including Kawano,” Ryosuke replied excitedly.

“Master?” Yuri was caught by surprise. “That’s right. From now on, Mr. Chance will be the Watanabe family’s master. Members of the Watanabe family must unconditionally obey his orders from now on,” Ryosuke said.

She gazed at David’s back in astonishment. David merely kept quiet. He wasn’t interested in becoming the Watanabe family’s master. Perhaps he would never come to Jetroina again after this time.

David strode to the backyard of the mansion. He couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw Fandor and Flaxseed enjoying the time of their lives soaking in the hot spring, not to mention there were even two girls serving Flaxseed.

Noticing David, Flaxseed hastily got up and dismissed the two girls.

“David, how did it go? Were you able to beat Kawano?” he asked.

“One hit was all it took,” David answered nonchalantly.

“Well, what did I say? Dealing with Kawano won’t take more than one move,” Fandor chirped.

“Mr. Flaxseed, you should get ready. We’re going back soon.”

David planned to return to the country. Now that Asuka was dead, he wanted to go back and think of a way to save Josephine.

After all, rescuing Josephine took precedence over everything else.

The trip to Jetroina had allowed David to advance to the level of a Martial Arts Saint, which gave him even more confidence in liberating Josephine.

“We’re going back so soon?” Flaxseed was stunned.

“That’s right.” David nodded.

Despite his reluctance, Flaxseed had no choice but to acquiesce to David’s order.

However, when Ryosuke heard David was leaving, he knelt in front of him with a thud.

“Master, please help the Watanabe family break free from Thousand Crane Shrine’s control.”

Ryosuke knew that although the other members of the Watanabe family had been eliminated and no one could threaten his position as the head of the family anymore, he reckoned the shrine would never let him go.

After David left, the shrine would undoubtedly trouble him. By then, he figured his family might suffer a worse fate.

David glanced at Ryosuke expressionlessly. “Helping you kill Kawano is my repayment for the snow lotus you gave me. I have no obligation to assist you in wiping out Thousand Crane Shrine now, nor do I have the time to spare.” “Master, the Watanabe family is willing to be in your service forever and offer tribute to you in the form of resources every year.” Ryosuke groveled at David’s feet.

“David, I think you should stay. The resources owned by Thousand Crane Shrine are far more abundant than these martial arts families. Besides, each shrine has its own deity. I figure you should be interested in acquiring the power gathered within those deities,” Fandor persuaded David while picking up his wine glass.

David shot a quick look at Fandor and contemplated for a few moments before nodding. “All right.”

Ryosuke was overjoyed to see David agree.

That night, David lay on his bed, his mind occupied with ways he could rescue Josephine.

At that moment, soft footsteps sounded.

David sat up at once, only to see the door being pushed open. The next second, Yuri entered, her body barely covered by clothing.

Her snow-white shoulders and slender thighs were exposed, and her eyes were filled with tender affection.

David was taken aback when he saw Yuri kneeling before him.

“Master, let me serve you tonight…” Yuri’s face flushed, her gaze burning as she reached for David.

Her breathing was heavy and feverish as if she wanted to devour him. David frowned slightly, his finger gently touching Yuri’s forehead, sending a surge of spiritual energy into her body.

Her fiery gaze vanished, replaced by a shy look laced with fear. Quickly, David grabbed a sheet to cover Yuri.

Yuri took in her own look, and streams of tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Go tell your father that since I’ve agreed to stay, I will free the Watanabe family from the shrine. There’s no need for this,” David said.

With that, he closed his eyes and began cultivating.

The path of cultivation was endless, and David knew he couldn’t rest. Many people and matters were waiting for him.

Yuri looked at David’s serene face and was momentarily dazed, her heart pounding.

Initially, Yuri had been unwilling when Ryosuke had asked her to accompany David. However, for her family and parents, she had no choice but to take some medicine to muster the courage to enter David’s room.

To her surprise, David had such incredible self-control, showing no signs of temptation.

Yuri slowly stood up, her eyes fixed on David. After about ten minutes, she finally left.

David opened his eyes and sighed heavily after making sure that she was gone.

He was only human, after all. How could he not react to such beauty before him?

Nevertheless, he knew he couldn’t cross that line. Josephine was still suffering, and he couldn’t do anything that would betray her.

The news of Asuka’s and Masato’s deaths spread quickly throughout Jetroina.

Kawano, who had been by Masato’s side, had also been beheaded.

Many speculations arose, but with no witnesses, the people could only guess who was responsible.

Some believed Ryosuke was the culprit, but others argued he didn’t have the power to kill Masato, who was protected by Kawano. Others suggested it was an expert from Chanaea with a grudge against the Watanabe family, but why was Ryosuke, the family head, unharmed?

This theory didn’t hold up either.

In addition to Ryosuke intentionally stirring up rumors, the identity of the murderer remained a mystery.

However, someone sensed danger in the air.

That person was Kazuo. Although he didn’t witness David killing Kawano and the others, he was sure David was the one responsible, as no one else would do such a thing.

The only explanation for Ryosuke’s safety was his collusion with David.

This way, David could exact revenge, and Ryosuke would be able to eliminate his opponents and maintain his position as the Watanabe family head.

The partnership seemed normal, as both parties stood to benefit.

“Get the car!” Kazuo shouted hastily.

Meanwhile, at Thousand Crane Shrine, four people dressed in traditional Jetroinian attire were seated across from each other.

An old man among them kept his eyes closed and remained silent.

Of the four, there was a woman, with a beautiful face and a hint of coldness in her eyes.

Seated at the head of the table was a middle-aged man, Hiroichi Ono, the president of Thousand Crane Shrine.

“How can Thousand Crane Shrine maintain its dignity when we don’t even know who’s behind the disaster that befell the Watanabe family?”

Hiroichi’s face was filled with anger.

“I have examined Kawano’s wounds. He was killed with a single sword strike that decapitated him. There are only a handful of people in our entire Jetroina who could kill Kawano with one sword strike. It’s very likely that he was killed by a martial arts expert from another country,” a man holding a katana beside Hiroichi said.

The man exuded a profound aura, and his eyes exuded a terrifying cold light.

He was Maki Tanaka, a samurai who was even more famous than Kawano. In terms of swordsmanship, Maki ranked among the top three in the entire Jetroina, his strength surpassing Kawano’s.

Even when compared to Hiroichi, Maki was in no way inferior.

“Mieko, what do you think of this matter?” Hiroichi asked the only woman present.

Mieko Harumi slowly stood up, her curvaceous figure fully revealed.

She slowly walked toward the door, and her figure became more and more ethereal until she disappeared inside the room.

However, the others didn’t find this strange and showed no surprise.

Soon, Mieko reappeared, but now she had another person with her.

This person used to be a guard at Asuka’s house and was a member of the Watanabe family.

Upon seeing Hiroichi, the man knelt down immediately.

“Tell the president everything you know,” Mieko said.

The man didn’t dare to delay and hurriedly recounted what he had witnessed that day without any omission.

However, he only saw Ryosuke take David to Asuka’s house to hunt down Asuka and his son.

He didn’t know whether Ryosuke had killed Masato and Kawano. Hiroichi slightly furrowed his bows. “Ryosuke and Asuka’s brotherly feud for the position of family head is not unexpected. After all, it’s a survival-of-thefittest game. That still doesn’t explain who killed Kawano, does it?”

Mieko nodded. “You’re right. This indeed cannot prove that Masato and Kawano were killed by them. However, I believe you’ll be interested in the young man Ryosuke brought along.”

She took out a photo and placed it on the table. The person in the photo was David.

“Who is this person?” Hiroichi asked with a frown.

“He looks very young. I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before…” Maki carefully examined the photo, deep in thought.

“This man is David Chance, a rising martial arts expert from Chanaea. He killed Asuka’s son, Ichiro, which is why the Watanabe family holds a deep grudge against David. This time, Ryosuke brought David with him. I heard that to assassinate David, Asuka sought out Kazuo Kawaguchi and went to Chanaea with a group of people. That is why David is here in Jetroina,” Mieko explained.

“Kazuo?” Hiroichi was stumped. “Bring him here right now. I want to personally ask him what happened!” However, as soon as he said that, a subordinate came and reported, “Mr. Ono, Kazuo Kawaguchi is here to meet you. He is waiting right outside the door.”

Speak of the devil.

“Hurry up and show him in,” Hiroichi said.

Soon, Kazuo entered the shrine. He dared not even lift his head and fell to his knees upon seeing Hiroichi.

Chapter 405: Put Their Plan Into Action

“Mr. Ono…” Kazuo, despite being an influential figure and having worked as an emissary, had no choice but to remain subservient to the people in the shrine.

After all, these shrines held the highest level of authority in Jetroina.

“What brings you here, Kazuo?” Hiroichi asked.

“Mr. Ono, I know who murdered Masato and Kawano,” Kazuo replied.

“Who?” Upon hearing that, the agitated Hiroichi stood up.

“It must be Ryosuke Watanabe and David Chance,” Kazuo said.

“Is it him?” Hiroichi handed Kazuo a photo.

Kazuo took a glance at it and replied, “That’s right. It’s him. This man is David Chance.”

“He’s such a young lad, yet he was able to kill Kawano? Just how capable is this man?” Maki asked while knitting his brows.

“Mr. Tanaka, I’m not sure about his capabilities, but it was clear that I, a Greater Martial Arts Marquis, was no match for him.” Kazuo then told them about his experience in Chanaea.

“Please, Mr. Ono. Please help me…” Kazuo explained everything to them because he wanted to seek refuge from the shrine.

He knew that the deity in the shrine could help him purge the poison that David had made him consume in a matter of minutes.

Hiroichi snorted, exuding a majestic aura. “How dare a Chanaean step on our toes?”

Suddenly, a white beam shot out and hit on Kazuo’s body.

“You’re not poisoned. David must have lied to you,” Hiroichi said.

“Mr. Ono, I…” Kazuo did not believe it, but before he could finish his sentence, he noticed Mieko was glaring at him.

“Are you questioning Mr. Ono?” Mieko asked indifferently.

“No, no, no, no, no…” Kazuo shook his head several times and backed away from the shrine.

“Mieko, now that Ryosuke has betrayed us, I want you to take charge of the Watanabe family. As for the man named David, I’ll get Maki to deal with him. Let’s not disturb the deity with such small matters,” Hiroichi said.

“All right, Mr. Ono.” Mieko and Maki stood up together and bowed.

After Mieko and Maki left, the elderly man who had not uttered a word gradually stood up and opened his mouth wide.

A dark mist began to pour out from his mouth and swiftly flew into the statue of the deity located behind the shrine.

Upon noticing that, Hiroichi immediately got up, held his body, and put him in a hidden pavilion.

After the discussion on how to deal with Ryosuke and David at Thousand Crane Shrine, they promptly put their plan into action.

Meanwhile, David and the others, blissfully unaware of what was to come, were enjoying the comfortable life in the Watanabe residence.

David eagerly anticipated the annual activity at the Jetroinian shrines and had already begun devising a plan to take down Thousand Crane Shrine during the event.

Ever since David arrived there, Yuri had been taking care of him.

While David was sunbathing, Yuri brought him a glass of fruit juice. She kneeled before him and put the straw into his mouth.

“Master, have some juice,” Yuri said in her sweet voice.

“Yuri, stop calling me Master. Just call me by my name.” David felt uncomfortable with someone calling him that way.

“Master, you’re the master of the Watanabe family, so I cannot address you by your name directly. In Jetroina, we pledge loyalty to only one master. Once we acknowledge someone as our master, we will remain faithful to them until our last breath,” Yuri explained softly.

Upon hearing that, David decided to let it go and not let it bother him anymore. Oh, well, she can call me whatever she wants.

Just when he was about to take a sip of the juice, he knitted his brows. His gaze turned cold as he looked up at the walls of the mansion.

“Master, what’s wrong?” Yuri immediately asked when she noticed the change of expression on David’s face.

“It looks like we have a guest,” David uttered with a smirk.

“A guest?” Yuri followed David’s line of sight and turned her head to the door with a puzzled look but saw no one.

“I don’t see anyone by the door, Master,” Yuri said, looking confused.

“Our guest should be arriving in no time!” David said.

All of a sudden, he reached out and released an invisible burst of energy at the wall.

A figure suddenly appeared on the once-empty wall, and with a quick leap, he landed on the ground and retreated at lightning speed!

“We have an intruder here!” Yuri exclaimed.

Upon noticing that, members of the Watanabe family gave chase to the figure. Ryosuke knitted his brows and ran after the intruder.

Not long after, David heard the sound of fighting, and before he knew it, Ryosuke appeared, escorting a man in a tight-fitting suit.

Despite being in captivity, the man remained composed and displayed no signs of fear at all.

“Who are you? Why did you sneak into the Watanabe residence?” Ryosuke asked while staring at the man.

The man gave Ryosuke an icy glare but did not utter a word. He tilted his head, revealing a tattoo on his neck.

It was a tattoo of a scorpion with a long tail that seemed to have been carved deep into the skin.

Ryosuke’s expression changed when he saw the tattoo.

“Scorpion? You work for Mieko?” Ryosuke was taken aback.

The man sneered, “Are you not going to release me now that you know who I am? Otherwise, you’ll face the wrath of Ms. Harumi.”

David was repulsed by the man’s arrogance.

He turned to Ryosuke and asked, “Ryosuke, who is this Ms. Harumi?”

“Master, Mieko Harumi heads the intelligence department at Thousand Crane Shrine, overseeing the collection of intel from families beneath the shrine. The department employs highly-skilled individuals as spies, all of whom bear a scorpion tattoo. Mieko is known for her ruthless demeanor, but her striking beauty also commands attention. As a result, she’s earned the nickname Scorpion Beauty among those who know her,” Ryosuke explained in detail. “It looks like the shrine already has begun to suspect you,” David said with a faint smile.

“I guess so.” Ryosuke nodded in response.

“You better release me, Ryosuke Watanabe. Ms. Harumi is on her way here now,” the man threatened Ryosuke. Somehow, he was unaware of his perilous situation.

“Are you not afraid of death?” asked David curiously upon seeing his brazen attitude even when he was captured.

The man snorted and replied with a cold, disdainful gaze. “I fear nothing, not even death!”

“I’m impressed. I like men who don’t fear death,” David remarked, waving his hand and enveloping him in a burst of energy.

The man suddenly felt his body tighten, and his breathing became labored as his face reddened.

“I’ll leave him to you, Mr. Flaxseed. But don’t let him die too easily since he’s not afraid of dying,” David instructed.

In the blink of an eye, Flaxseed emerged from the mansion. After stretching his body, he said, “Young man, do you really have to bother me with something so insignificant?”

He then took out a charm, recited a few incantations, and tossed it onto the intruder’s body.

Within seconds, swarms of ants and insects crawled out from all directions, surrounding the man.

His screams of agony echoed throughout the entire mansion.

The man’s scream alone was enough to convey his agony.

Yuri’s and Ryosuke’s expressions changed as their hearts trembled.

They watched David standing beside the man calmly as though he had nothing to do with his victim.

“You have some nerve, Ryosuke! You knew he was my subordinate, yet you still watch as he gets attacked!” a feminine voice shouted.

Ryosuke felt a jolt in his heart because he recognized the voice. Mieko!

However, he only heard her voice and could not see her figure.

Suddenly, the guards of the Watanabe family dropped dead with long gashes on their necks.

Ryosuke panicked. He knew she was close based on her voice, but he couldn’t see her at all.

The inexplicable deaths of his subordinates only add to his distress.

“Trying to act mysterious, eh? Hmph!” David waved his hand.

Slap!

Abruptly, at a spot not too far away from Ryosuke, Mieko appeared, pressing one of her hands on her swelling cheek and staring at David with fury. “So, you’re David Chance. I can tell you’re skilled. No wonder you managed to kill Kawano in a single strike.”

Murderous intent swirled in her eyes.

“I can do the same to you.” Slowly, David stood up.

He was filled with boundless confidence at that moment because he had become a Martial Arts Saint.

Upon sensing David’s murderous intent, Mieko reflexively took two steps backward.

David’s body shook gently as a powerful wave of aura enveloped the entire area, rapidly exposing the ninjas in hiding by force.

The ninjas kneeled on one knee with a wince under David’s intimidating aura.

Fear was visible on Mieko’s countenance when she witnessed that scene.

The power David displayed was beyond her imagination.

“How dare a mere Chanaean cause a ruckus in Jetroina!” someone exclaimed before a similarly powerful aura clashed against David’s, effectively removing the latter’s overpowering aura.

Mieko and her subordinates were free to move again.

At that moment, a middle-aged man in a samurai outfit stepped into the courtyard with a katana in his arms. “Maki?” Ryosuke’s pupils constricted, and his expression became awkward.

Yuri leaned toward David and introduced, “He’s Maki Tanaka, one of the three most powerful swordsmen in Jetroina. Be careful, Master. He’s considerably more powerful than Kawano.”

Even though Yuri was just a student, she was greatly familiar with Maki, which spoke volumes about his fame in Jetroina.

Expressionlessly, Maki approached David and then stopped a few meters before him.

He studied David briefly. “Are you the one who killed Kawano?”

“Yes!” David nodded as though murdering Kawano was nothing out of the ordinary. “Your ability to kill Kawano in a single strike illustrates your skilled swordsmanship. Draw your weapon.” As Maki spoke, he removed his blade from its sheath.

David shook his head. “No, my swordsmanship isn’t great at all. It’s just that Kawano’s a terrible swordsman. If someone as unskilled as him was known as a swordmaster in Jetroina, it would seem your country’s swordsmanship is nothing impressive. Hmph!”

His sneer at the end was filled with disdain and mockery, instantly enraging Maki.

“Draw your weapon,” uttered Maki as murderous intent surrounded him.

“I won’t. Because if I do, you won’t stand a chance,” David stated calmly.

“Insolence!” Maki barked. “I never duel with someone without a blade in their hands. Draw your weapon. Today, I shall give you a taste of Jetroina’s true swordplay.”

In response, David turned to Flaxseed. “I’ll leave the chick and her subordinates for you to handle, Mr. Flaxseed.”

Staring at Mieko with a grin, Flaxseed assured, “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her.”

Mieko was flushed with anger upon noticing his lecherous look.

David walked toward a nearby tree and snapped a branch.

Holding the branch, he said, “Now, I have a weapon. You can attack me now.”

Maki was dumbstruck for a moment. He roared, “Are you seriously going to fight me with a branch?” He’s clearly mocking me!

“A branch is good enough for me to take you down. I wasn’t even going to use a branch at first.” As David took one step forward, his aura exploded from his body.

After he injected the Power of Dragons into the ordinary branch, it immediately started glowing faintly and turned unimaginably tough.

Maki was furious. Thousands in Jetroina admire me, yet this brat is making fun of me! Unforgivable!

The katana in his hands began trembling with a buzz.

An aura of bloodlust emanated from the blade. It was clear that the weapon had claimed many souls.

As the katana buzzed, Maki swung it at David, tearing black holes open in the space it slashed past. That feat displayed just how mighty he was.

However, David merely lifted his branch in a composed manner and blocked the attack.

Maki’s katana clashed against the branch with a loud clang.

Boom!

An explosion followed, its shockwave blowing everyone and everything around it away, including the nearby mansion.

David took two steps backward, his branch broken into two.

Meanwhile, Maki had only taken one step back. He was still holding the katana tightly, and nothing seemed unusual.

While it would appear Maki was the victor, he didn’t think so.

Not only was my blade chipped by his branch, but my wrists are trembling while turning numb! That attack didn’t give me the upper hand at all! I can’t believe David did all that with a random branch he snapped from a tree! This frightening power and sensation is something only I can understand! If he had used a genuine sword instead, our fight would’ve ended very differently! Seeing that Maki had gained an advantage, Mieko understood she shouldn’t hesitate. With a wave of her hand, she led her subordinate to attack Ryosuke.

Her mission was to either capture Ryosuke alive or kill him so she could temporarily control the Watanabe family.

Ryosuke was fearless because he was confident Mieko couldn’t do anything to him with Flaxseed and Fandor around.

Right after Mieko sprinted toward him with her ninjas, they gradually turned invisible before disappearing completely.

Ryosuke knitted his eyebrows. They’re using Jetroinian Martial Arts! “To think you’ll use a petty trick like that!” Flaxseed scoffed before he pulled out multiple charms and spurted his blood essence into them.

“Break!” He tossed the charms into the air, turning the sky above the mansion red.

Suddenly, Mieko and her ninjas were visible again.

“Kill them!” Ryosuke hollered, spurring the guards to assault his enemies.

The courtyard was filled with the deafening sounds of battles.

However, no one dared to approach the area David and Maki occupied.

David tossed the broken branch away and spat, “Feel free to attack me. You still have one more chance.”

Maki didn’t request David to use a weapon like last time because he knew his victory wouldn’t be guaranteed in that situation.

“Go to hell!” With a roar, Maki swung his glinting katana at David. I refuse to believe David can block my attack with his body!

Upon witnessing that scene, Yuri screamed, “Master, look out!”

David remained collected. A red light could be seen flashing from his right hand.

Right before the katana was about to hit him, he grabbed the blade.

Even though that slash from Maki was powerful enough to cut a small mountain in half, David held the weapon as though it was a toy sword a child swung at him.

Maki stared at David in disbelief when he noticed his opponent’s palm was unharmed.

Try as he might all his strength, he couldn’t pull the katana from David’s grasp.

It was then fear flooded into his eyes.

“I told you this was your last chance.” Having said that, David snapped the blade in half.

With the half-broken blade in hand, he dashed forward and swung it at his adversary’s neck.

A cold glint flashed past Maki’s eyes, then he felt a frigid sensation from his neck.

He tossed the katana in his hand away and fearfully pressed his hands on his neck as blood spurted from the wound, hoping he could slow down the blood loss.

As he peered at David in disbelief and horror, he attempted to speak but couldn’t even get a word out.

Gradually, the light in his eyes vanished before he collapsed to the ground.

Yuri was so startled by that scene that she was rendered speechless.

Maki had always been an indomitable symbol in their minds because he had been one of Jetroina’s rare experts since they were children.

In the past, she had admired him, hoping to become a swordmaster like him one day.

Yet, at that moment, David had effortlessly cut down her idol as though stepping on an ant.

Her reverence for David soared as she kneeled before him and exclaimed, “Master!”

Chapter 406: Not Getting Away

Mieko, who was battling against Flaxseed, panicked when she saw Maki collapse.

If Maki, someone far more powerful than her, had been felled by David, it was unlikely she would meet an end better than his.

In a moment of her distraction, Flaxseed struck her chest with his palm, sending her flying away.

“Wow, they felt pretty soft.” He was slightly taken aback.

As Mieko zipped through the air, her body gradually turned transparent before vanishing before his eyes.

Just as he relished in the sensation he felt earlier, he abruptly realized she was gone and panicked. Hastily, he hurled out a couple more charms in hopes of exposing her again.

Sadly, those charms didn’t work. It was as though Mieko had disappeared into another dimension.

“You’re not getting away after coming here.” David snorted before releasing invisible energy into the air, rapidly manifesting a gigantic palm large enough to envelop nearly the entire mansion.

Mieko was retreating when her invisibility technique was dispelled under the palm.

Unfortunately for her, David was too powerful for her to resist. In an instant, she was sucked toward him by a mighty force, her neck landing directly and firmly in his grasp.

She grimaced with pain. “Spare me… Please…”

“I thought ninjas would rather die than submit to their enemies. Why are you begging for mercy?” David was slightly surprised. The male ninja from earlier didn’t submit, so why is she, their leader, doing this?

“Please… Spare me…” she continued to beg because it was her only option.

After witnessing Maki’s death at David’s hands, she knew she stood no chance of escaping him.

However, David didn’t plan to release her. In fact, he had never shown kindness to his enemies.

Upon noticing the murderous intent in his eyes, she realized he wouldn’t let her live and focused her attention on Flaxseed.

When Flaxseed saw Mieko kept hinting at him with a pitiful look in her eyes, he licked his lips.

David noticed that and promptly released Mieko before facing Flaxseed. “I’ll let you handle her, Mr. Flaxseed.”

After she was set free, she gasped greedily for air, then crawled toward Flaxseed.

She hugged Flaxseed’s leg and kept rubbing herself against it.

“Please, spare me…”

In response, Flaxseed helped her up. “Stand up. Quick.”

Mieko looked at him seductively and sighed in relief because she could tell he couldn’t bear to kill her.

“If you spare me, I’ll do anything you want. I’ll serve you well, Master.” Leaning against his body, she pretended to be weak.

Ryosuke and Fandor were speechless when they saw how much Flaxseed was enjoying himself.

Before Fandor could offer Flaxseed a word of reminder, David stopped him.

He wanted to see how Flaxseed would deal with Mieko.

She was still leaning against Flaxseed’s body as she grinned. I don’t have to die…

“Are you really willing to do anything I want?” asked Flaxseed.

“Of course. I promise I’ll do anything you want right now, Master.” Mieko gazed at Flaxseed affectionately. It’s obvious he’s a pervert, considering where he was looking at me when we fought earlier. In fact, I’m certain he intentionally hit my chest! It’s why I gambled on him and hoped he’d be receptive to my appeal. It definitely paid off since he’s staring at me lustfully.

“Good. I love an obedient woman.” Grinning, Flaxseed touched Mieko’sface.

In response, Mieko acted shyly as though she was a young virgin.

Yuri almost vomited upon witnessing that.

Everyone in Jetroina knew Mieko was a femme fatale, yet she was pretending to be an innocent young woman at that moment.

Teasingly, Flaxseed asked, “Since you’re so obedient, what if I ask you to die now?”

Mieko was stunned, her eyes filled with horror.

Before she could react, he removed his hand from her cheek and hit her head, cracking it open like a watermelon.

Blood spurted into the air, shocking everything at the scene.

“How dare you try to seduce me, you dirty b*tch. Did you really think I’m a tasteless man who’s fine with any cr*ppy women?” He wiped his hand clean and spat at her corpse.

Yuri was flabbergasted, I didn’t expect David and Flaxseed, the people I rode a plane with together here, to have this kind of personality! Their cruel, murderous demeanor doesn’t fit their images at all!

“When will Thousand Crane Shrine’s grand ritual be held, Ryosuke?” asked David.

“Tomorrow, Master,” Ryosuke answered quickly.

“Good. I’ll visit the shrine the next day to meet with Jetroina’s divine being.” David smiled faintly.

Ryosuke flattered him, “The other divine beings are fakes, Master. You’re the only genuine one I know of.”

Meanwhile, Hiroichi was sitting in a room inside Thousand Crane Shrine while people were busying about outside.

The towering altar and many grandstands had been built. Tomorrow would be the day of Thousand Crane Shrine’s grand ritual.

Every shrine in Jetroina regarded its own grand ritual with great importance.

All shrines relied on their worshipers to develop, and the grand ritual was their chance to showcase themselves. If the shrines did an outstanding job with the ritual, they would attract more worshippers.

The number of worshippers represented the influence of the shrine in Jetroina.

Frowning, Hiroichi wondered aloud, “Tomorrow is the grand ritual. Why hasn’t Maki or Mieko reported back? No matter what happens to them, I mustn’t allow any mistakes at the ritual tomorrow.”

It was then an old man, who sat with Hiroichi and Maki a few days ago, appeared behind Hiroichi.

Upon seeing him, Hiroichi kneeled before him. “I’ll definitely make this ritual a success, Your Holiness.”

Aside from Hiroichi, no one knew the old man was a divine being. “All right. Once I’ve recovered my godly strength, I’ll help you achieve your breakthrough,” promised the old man.

“Thank you, Your Holiness!” exclaimed Hiroichi without lifting his head.

After he sensed the old man had left, he slowly stood up with cold sweat covering his forehead. I hope tomorrow’s ritual will conclude without a hitch.

The next day, David and his group made their way to Thousand Crane Shrine.

It was located on the peak of Fujio Mountain. The climate there was frigid all year round, and the fog was thick.

Even then, it didn’t stop the worshippers from making the trip to the shrine forthe grand ritual.

The worshippers’ journey up the mountain was a strange sight to behold because many of them were accompanied by a young girl.

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