Zephyr Lodge, on the outskirts of town, was now the base for Kirin Gang. Dustin had gone there to lay low after he left the Hill family residence.
The Hills were upset. So, there was no point in trying to explain himself to them. The best course of action was to uncover the truth to prove his innocence.
Who was the one who murdered Paul? Why did the murderer set him up? With those questions in mind, Dustin ordered everyone in Kirin Gang to uncover the truth. Everyone available was sent out to gather information.
Time was of the essence. They had to stabilize the situation before things got worse.
“Sir Rhys!” Nelson barged into the meeting room with sweat running down his face. “Sir Rhys! We’ve got trouble! The Hills and their men are headed for Zephyr Lodge!”
“So soon?” Dustin frowned.
They had just started using Zephyr Lodge as their base. Only a handful of people knew its location. He never thought they would be able to track him down within mere hours. It was obvious that someone had been keeping an eye on him and his whereabouts.
“It’s not just the Hills. The higher-ups in the alliance and many martial artists have joined them!” Nelson said anxiously.
“Sir Rhys, things aren’t looking good for us. You should escape while you can.
I’ll hold them up!” “I’ll stand my ground, come what may,” Dustin said. “Escaping will only make me look guilty. I’ll have to face them sooner or later.”
After a moment of hesitation, Dustin finally stepped out the door. Running away wasn’t going to solve anything.
If he didn’t clear his name, he’d become the public enemy of the entire martial world in the future!
“Get the hell out here, Dustin! You murderer! Get out and accept your fate!” By then, there were hordes of people gathered outside Zephyr Lodge. At a glance, there were more than a thousand of them.
The Hill family stood at the center, with the Balerno martial arts alliance on the left and the Glenstead martial arts alliance on the right.
Behind them were martial artists who came after hearing about Paul’s death. They were ready to seek justice on his behalf.
“Dustin! I know you’re inside. Come out, or I’ll burn this place down!” Autumn, known for his temper, shouted angrily.
The doors of the lodge were slowly pulled open with a resounding creak. Soon after, Dustin and Nelson stepped out and faced the thousands of furious gazes.
“You’ve finally decided to come out, Dustin!” Autumn huffed indignantly.
“I’ll give you a chance to atone for your sins by killing yourself right here in front of everyone. At least this way, you’ll die a more honorable death!”
“Kill yourself! Kill yourself!” The crowd clamored and shouted.
Their voices thundered across the skies, echoing over Zephyr Lodge. It was a long time before the voices died down.
“Sir Paul’s death has nothing to do with me! Someone tried to frame me! Please be reasonable,” Dustin said seriously.
“Nonsense! So many of us saw it! How could we all be mistaken?” Autumn yelled.
“You only saw the surface of things,” Dustin explained, “I planned to meet Sir Paul this morning. But when I got to the bamboo house, he was already dead.
“Then you guys charged in when I was examining his body. I’m sure
everything was deliberately set up to frame me!”
“You claim that it’s a setup? Very well. Look here and tell me what this is?” With a cold expression, Spring whipped out a bloody dagger.
He shouted, “This was a gift Sir Reeds presented you yesterday. It’s also the weapon that murdered my father! What do you have to say about this?”
Chapter 822
Dustin was surprised by the dagger that clattered noisily by his feet.
The dagger was indeed the one that Ronald gave him. But after a few drinks last night, he had put it in his room.
He hadn’t paid the dagger much attention this morning when he left for the Hill family residence. He hadn’t expected it would be the weapon that killed Paul!
And because of that, he was now the prime suspect!
“Well? Do you have anything else to say? Are you going to tell me that the dagger had been stolen? “Spring asked darkly.
Dustin furrowed his brow. He swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue.
It was true. He indeed wanted to say that the dagger had been stolen. But at this point, no one was going to believe that.
“Rascal, we’ve got solid evidence now. Let’s see how you get out of this!” Autumn roared.
“Dad! Don’t waste your breath on him. Just kill him right now to avenge Granddad!” Torben egged him on from behind.
“Dustin! Did you really kill Sir Paul?” Ronald, who had been quiet the entire time, finally spoke up. “Why did you do it? He had always viewed you as his successor. Why would you do that?”
“We trusted you so much! How could you kill Sir Paul? You beast!” Many members of the alliance shouted.
Paul was a respectable figure. Many of them in the alliance had received kindness and guidance from him. With his death, they were both saddened and angry.
“Sir Reeds, I’m innocent! Someone framed me. Think about it. I hold no grudges against Sir Paul! Why would I do this?” Dustin frowned.
“You’re the only one who can answer that. Who exactly are you?” Spring shouted.
“I know who he is!” Just then, a masked lady stepped out of the crowd. It was Lexi, the one Dustin had gone up against just the day before.
She pointed at Dustin and said venomously, “This man is from Kimboku. He’s an assassin from Shadowslayer. He has been staying undercover in Dragonmarsh to assassinate Dragonmarshian experts!”
The crowd was sent into an uproar.
“What? An assassin from Kimboku?”
“Damn it! No wonder the rascal killed Sir Paul! He’s a traitor!”
“He’s an enemy of the state! People like him deserve to die!”
Everyone was riled up. They had assumed that it was just a personal grudge, until now. But this was tied to the entire nation!
“I have shown you mercy and spared your life. Why are you spreading lies about me?”
Dustin’s gaze shot over to Lexi. He hadn’t used all his strength in the punch yesterday and had spared her. He didn’t expect his kind gesture would put him in trouble.
“Stop denying it! I heard you clearly yesterday! You’re a spy from Kimboku! You were the one who poisoned all three of us from the Glenstead martial arts alliance!” Lexi yelled.
“So that’s what happened! I was wondering how the experts got poisoned! So this bastard was behind it!”
“We can’t let him get away with this! Take him down*!” “Charge! Slay the national traitor!”
As the shouts rang out, many martial artists charged forward with fury. They had already lost all sense of rationality. It no longer mattered to them who was in the wrong.
They were convinced that Dustin was the murderer and were out to kill him! “Calm down, all of you!”
With a forceful stomp, an explosion sounded. A large crater formed at Dustin’s feet where he had stomped.
He unleashed a burst of energy. Then, all the martial artists rushing toward him were swept off their feet.
“This person is powerful! Attack together!”
As tens of the men fell, more of them charged toward Dustin with bloodlust. Dustin frowned. Just as he was about to channel his energy again, a large group of men appeared.
Their numbers were vast, and they appeared from all around. It was the disciples of the Kirin Gang!
“Hold it right there! Who dares harm Sir Rhys?” Cornelius, from the Darklaws, shouted. He was at the forefront of the men, leading them forward.
Then, along with the four major guilds, they surrounded all the people from the Balerno and Glenstead martial arts alliance.
Chapter 823
There were just slightly more than a thousand people from the alliances.
However, the disciples of the Kirin Gang added up to over five thousand people.
Skills aside, just their numbers alone were enough to scare their opponents.
Those clamoring to kill Dustin earlier on now kept their mouths shut.
The people from Kirin Gang not only had knives with them. Some of the elites even had firearms. Unless one was a grandmaster, they could not hold up against those weapons.
“Sir Rhys, are you alright?” Cornelius and a group of elites from Kirin Gang rushed up to Dustin. They formed a circle around him, protecting him from the crowd.
“I’m fine.” Dustin shook his head.
If he wished to leave, no one could stop him. But he might have to live with the label of a murderer and be hated by everyone for the rest of his life.
“Dustin! Do you honestly think your underlings can fend off the Hill family’s hidden guards?” Spring took a step forward aggressively.
Though the Kirin Gang had the numbers, the hidden guards could easily wipe them all out. Of course, they would also suffer a great loss.
“And it’s not just the Hill family’s hidden guards! There’s also us, elites from the alliance!” Several elders from the alliance stepped forward with stern gazes.
So what if Kirin Gang had the numbers? In the face of true experts, these weaklings amounted to nothing!
“Dustin, surrender yourself if you do not wish to sacrifice innocent lives,” Ronald warned.
“Sir Reeds, I have no intention of making an enemy out of everyone.” Dustin waved his hand, signaling for the disciples of the Kirin Gang to disperse.
Then, he continued, “I know I’m the prime suspect, but please give me a chance to prove my innocence.
“Sir Paul’s death is odd, and there are too many points of suspicion
surrounding it. I hope to investigate it.”
“Investigate my foot! You’re the murderer!” Autumn shouted.
“If I were really the murderer, would I just wait for you to catch me? Wouldn’t it be better for me to escape immediately?” Dustin countered.
“Well…” Autumn was at a loss for words.
The rest of the people also exchanged puzzled glances. Things did seem strange.
“Hmph! Maybe you were just trying to luck out, hoping we wouldn’t find you!” Torben said.
“Fine! Then tell me, who would leave behind a weapon that carried their identity after killing someone? Do you think I’m that stupid?” Dustin challenged.
That was enough to shut Torben up. Even the crowd also seemed to show a thoughtful expression.
They had only followed what others said without giving it much thought. Their anger had completely clouded their judgment.
Now that Dustin pointed it out, there were indeed many points of suspicion.
“What you said makes sense, but that doesn’t prove your innocence. You were the only one present when my father died!”
Spring said frostily “That’s why I said I need time to prove my innocence. I will certainly find out who the real murderer is!” Dustin said solemnly.
“How long will you need?”
“Seven days,” Dustin blurted. “I’ll uncover the truth within seven days!” “Fine! I’ll give you seven days. If you can’t prove you’re innocent by then, be prepared to face the consequences!” Ronald declared.
“Sure!” Dustin agreed.
“Sir Reeds! What are you doing? This is the man who assassinated my father!” Autumn lost his cool.
“There’s something fishy going on. We need to get to the bottom of things. If he really is the murderer, I’ll kill him to avenge Sir Paul!” Ronald said sombrely.
“Sir Reeds, what if he escapes?” Autumn frowned.
“That’s right! How will we find him if he escapes?” Torben echoed.
“If I set my heart on killing someone, they won’t be able to escape death, no matter where they run to!” Ronald said coldly.
“There’s no need for such hassle.” Conrad stepped forward.
He said with a smile, “This here is a Septemortis. If you don’t take the antidote within seven days, you’ll surely die. You can have this.”
Then, with a flick of his finger, he sent a black pill flying toward Dustin. It landed squarely on his palm.
Septemortis was one of the ten deadliest poisons to ever exist. It was capable of poisoning even grandmasters!
Chapter 824
“Septemortis?”
Everyone looked wary of the black pill. It was an extremely poisonous substance. Once consumed, death was certain if one didn’t have the antidote.
No one could resist the poison’s effect, regardless of their cultivation. It was something that struck fear in everyone’s hearts.
“Dustin! If your conscience is clear, then take the pill!” Spring shouted at him. “That’s right! If you don’t take the pill to show you’re innocent, we won’t let you go!” the Hills clamored.
They weren’t happy to let Dustin go. But now that they had the Septemortis, things were different.
No matter what tricks Dustin had up his sleeves, he couldn’t escape death unless he gave them a satisfactory explanation.
“Fine. I’ll take it.” Dustin nodded and placed the pill in his mouth.
“Sir Rhys! No!” Nelson immediately stopped Dustin when he saw what he had done. “This is highly poisonous! You’ll die!”
“If he doesn’t take it, he’ll die too!” Autumn yelled. “Damn it! I’ll fight it out with you!” Nelson roared.
“We’ll fight it out!” The disciples from Kirin Gang drew their weapons, ready to fight till the end.
They couldn’t stand to see their leader forced into taking poison. “That’s enough!” Dustin raised a hand, stopping them in their tracks.
He said calmly, “All this commotion is because of me. I’m willing to take the risk. I’ll give everyone an explanation in seven days.”
Then, he swallowed the Septemortis.
“Alright. I’ll let you off today for Sir Reeds’ sake. But you better bear in mind that you have only seven days! Let’s go!”
Seeing that Dustin had swallowed the pill, Spring didn’t want to stay any longer. With a wave, he led the Hill family’s elite guards away.
“Uncle Spring, wouldn’t it be better to kill him now? Aren’t we being too generous to give him seven days?” Torben was still displeased.
He held a grudge against Dustin and wanted to see him dead.
“We don’t know how powerful he is. And those around him aren’t ordinary people, either. Unless Sir Reeds helps us out, I’m afraid we won’t get anything from going against that brat,” Spring explained.
Then, he added, “We might as well do Sir Reeds a favor now. After all, the rascal has taken the poison He won’t live more than seven days.”
“Hmph! Then we’ll let him live his last seven days!” Torben said, gritting his teeth.
Though he wasn’t happy with the outcome, he had to admit that Dustin was very powerful. They’d suffer significant losses if they insisted on going against him.
“Sir Reeds, I’ll entrust the antidote to you.” Conrad flicked a white pill into Ronald’s hand.
Then, he said, “I have always respected Sir Hill. I am truly saddened by his passing. I trust you’ll handle things fairly and give the murderer the punishment he deserves!”
“This isn’t something you should be worrying about, Sir Melling. We’ll handle things at Balerno martial arts alliance our way,” Ronald said calmly.
He knew very well that Conrad was just gloating over their misfortune. He wasn’t in the mood to entertain him now.
“Since you already know what to do, I won’t comment further. I’ll take my leave now.” Conrad nodded at Ronald and left with his men.
He looked cheerful and full of energy.
Paul’s death meant the Balerno martial arts alliance would lose significant support. And most importantly, Dustin, their up-and-coming genius, would soon fall too.
Those were two great pieces of news to the Glenstead martial arts alliance. He decided to get himself several celebratory drinks once he returned.
“Dustin, I know that you’re not the murderer. But I have no choice. If I didn’t do what I did, they wouldn’t back off. I hope you can understand where I’m coming from.” Ronald’s expression was complex.
“It’s fine as long as you trust me,” Dustin said respectfully.
Chapter 825
If Ronald hadn’t calmed the crowd and bought Dustin some time to investigate, violence would’ve erupted. Things would be vastly different if that happened.
“Dustin, I can’t help you openly. But if you ever run into any problems, you may come to me in private, Ronald told him sincerely.
“Thank you, Sir Reeds.” Dustin was thankful.
“Now that things have come to this, you should watch your back.” Ronald shook his head and sighed before walking away.
The crowd came quickly and left just as quickly.
Once they saw Dustin swallow the Septemortis, they knew he would die. It no longer mattered to them whether he was guilty.
“Sir Rhys, you were too rash to take the poison! Why would you risk your life like that?” Cornelius sighed heavily. He really couldn’t understand why Dustin would take the pill.
“All the elites from Balerno and Glenstead martial arts alliance were gathered here. Even with all of you here, you won’t be able to stop them,” Dustin answered calmly.
“Even if we can’t defeat them, we can take a few down with us. I refuse to believe that all of them aren’t afraid of death!” Cornelius retorted defiantly!
“Alright. There’s no point discussing this anymore. Your main focus now should be to find the culprit as soon as possible!” Dustin said seriously.
“What about you, Sir Rhys?” Cornelius asked with his brow furrowed. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. Go on.” Dustin waved his hand to dismiss them.
“Yes, sir!” Cornelius answered and led his men away.
“Sir Rhys, your nose is bleeding!” Nelson suddenly exclaimed.
“What?” Dustin touched his nose and saw blood on his fingers. “Damn it! The Septemortis is truly extraordinary! Who’d have thought that I would experience a reaction so soon?”
He was practically invincible. However, his body was unable to withstand the ten deadliest poisons.
The residual venom from the Deadly Slither before was enough to make him unconscious.
Now that he had taken an entire Septemortis pill, it weakened his immune system.
Most importantly, the Septemortis poison couldn’t be expelled by a person’s cultivation. There was absolutely nothing he could do as the toxin slowly entered his bloodstream. Once that happened, it would move on to attack his organs.
Though the process would take time, it was deadly. And the scariest thing was how complicated it was to clear out the poison completely.
Dustin had excellent medical skills. But his hands were tied if he didn’t have the relevant medications.
Chapter 825
“Seems like we’ll have to get our hands on the culprit this time, no matter what,” Dustin mumbled to himself. He was starting to feel the pressure building up.
“Sir Rhys, are you alright? Do you need to go to the hospital?” Nelson asked.
It was concerning to see Dustin’s nose bleeding right after he had swallowed a poisonous pill.
“I’m fine. That wouldn’t be necessary.” Dustin shook his head. If he couldn’t get rid of the poison,
the hospital couldn’t either. “Are you sure you’re alright? The bleeding isn’t stopping. In fact, it looks like you’re bleeding even more now,” Nelson asked anxiously.
“It’s just a nosebleed. It’s nothing serious.” Dustin smiled, trying to appear calm. “Besides, just a little poison won’t be enough to harm me.”
The moment he finished talking, the world before him turned black. Dustin had collapsed.
Chapter 826
When Dustin finally opened his eyes again, he was in the hospital.
It seems that the toxin within him had finally stabilized. But things still weren’t looking up for him.
“You’re awake, dear?” a surprised voice sounded beside him.
When Dustin turned around, he found Natasha sitting by his bedside. Worry was evident on her beautiful face.
“Natasha, why are you here?” Dustin was shocked.
“I heard from Nelson that you fainted. Of course, I had to come over to check on you. What’s the matter? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”
Natasha asked, concerned.
“I’m fine. I guess I was just exhausted, so I dozed off.” Dustin pretended to be relaxed.
“Exhausted? Poisoned, more like,” Nelson muttered.
“Shut up!” Dustin glared at him.
“Poisoned? What happened?” Natasha asked, furrowing her brow. “It’s just a little poison. It isn’t serious. I’ll be fine after taking some medications.” Dustin chuckled. “Are you sure?” Natasha was doubtful.
“What? Don’t you trust my medical skills? I can’t say that I can bring the dead back to life. But I’m confident I have what it takes to treat illnesses and remedy poisonings.” Dustin looked confident. “You’ve got a point there.”
Natasha sighed in relief.
Ever since she got to know Dustin, he could handle all sorts of complex illnesses. A little poison shouldn’t be of too much concern.
“Alright, don’t worry about me. You should take better care of yourself! Look at you. I haven’t seen you in a few days, and you’re already starting to look exhausted.” Dustin changed the topic.
“I look exhausted? Do I?”
Natasha immediately pulled out a compact mirror to have a look at herself. Women were always very concerned about how they looked.
“Nelson …”
Right then, a pregnant lady walked in with a little girl who looked around five years old.
“Why are you here?” Nelson obviously hadn’t expected to see them.
“Daddy!” the little girl cried happily and jumped into Nelson’s arms.
“Oh! My Sweet darling!” Nelson beamed and picked up the little girl, kissing her cheek.
“Nelson, you’ve been in the hospital for the entire day. You haven’t had anything to eat yet, have you? I brought you all something to eat.” As Cecilia spoke, she gave him a lunchbox.
“Why did you go through all that trouble? I’m a grown man. I won’t starve just because I’ve skipped a meal.”
Though Nelson complained, he couldn’t seem to hide the wide smile on his face.
“You’re a big guy and can handle skipping a meal. But we can’t let Mr. Rhys go hungry,” Cecilia retorted.
“Oh, that’s true! I nearly forgot about Sir Rhys!”
Nelson knocked his head and quickly turned to smile apologetically at Dustin. “Sir Rhys, I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Cecilia, and my daughter, Haley.”
“Hello, Cecilia.” Dustin nodded at her with a smile.
“Mr. Rhys, I’ve prepared a simple meal. I hope it’ll suit your taste,” she said shyly.
Dustin might be young, but he was still her husband’s boss.
“Uncle Dustin, my mom makes the best food! Quick! Try it!” Haley urged, excitement showing on her face.
“Is that so? Then I’ll have to give it a taste!”
Dustin smiled and took the lunchbox. Then, he took a big bite of the food. “It really is delicious!” he praised.
“See, I wasn’t lying, right?” Haley giggled as she looked up at Dustin, appearing very proud of herself.
“Mr. Rhys, I have a request. I hope you’ll be able to grant it,” Cecilia said hesitantly. “Please go ahead, Cecilia.”
Dustin put down the food and looked at her with a serious expression. “It’s Haley’s birthday tomorrow. I’d like to request a day off for Nelson so he can take her to a theme park for some fun,” she said carefully.
“I’d thought it was something serious. Of course, that wouldn’t be a problem!” Dustin agreed with a smile.
Chapter 827
“Yay! We’re going to the theme park tomorrow!” Haley cheered excitedly when she heard Dustin’s reply.
She didn’t forget to thank him sincerely too. “Thank you, Uncle Dustin! I wish you the best of luck and happiness and that you can rest in peace.”
“Rest in peace?” Natasha was first taken aback for a moment before she burst into laughter. The child was too entertaining!
“What nonsense are you spouting? I think you mean to wish him a good and peaceful rest!” Nelson shot her a look and quickly corrected her.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Rhys! She didn’t mean what she said. Please don’t take it to heart,” Cecilia immediately apologized.
She worried he might be offended to hear something like that when he was hospitalized.
“That’s alright. She means no harm.” Dustin smiled warmly, not offended in the least.
“Uncle Dustin, it’s my birthday tomorrow. Will you join us to celebrate my birthday?” Haley cocked her head and asked innocently.
“Sure! I’ll be there!” Dustin ruffled her hair affectionately and agreed with a smile. “Awesome!” Haley jumped with joy.
“Haley, you invited Uncle Dustin. What about me?” Natasha teased.
“You’re welcome to join, pretty lady!” Haley nodded enthusiastically.
“You’re such an adorable child! I’ve got a gift for you!”
As Natasha spoke, she pulled out an intricate crystal necklace and placed it in Haley’s hand. Then, she asked her with a smile, “Do you like it?”
“I do! Thank you, pretty lady!”
Haley quickly planted a kiss on Natasha’s cheek, making her giggle.
“Miss Harmon, the necklace is too expensive for Haley! You should keep it!” Nelson was shocked.
“I can’t take back a gift that I’ve given her! Besides, it’s just a necklace. It isn’t worth much.”
Natasha patted Haley on the head.
“Well, thank you then, Miss Harmon.” Nelson smiled politely at her.
The crystal necklace was worth millions, and she gave it out so easily. Nelson was impressed by her generosity.
“Haley, do you know if it’s a younger brother or a younger sister in Mommy’s tummy?”
Natasha asked jokingly.
“Um…” Haley scratched her head. In the end, she said, “It doesn’t matter. I’ll love him or her a lot either way.”
The adults smiled at each other when they heard that. They were amazed at how clever the child was.
“When will you be having a baby too, pretty lady?” Haley asked earnestly.
“Me?” Natasha was caught off guard.
She shot Dustin a gaze before chuckling. “Well, I can’t have a baby by myself. You’ll have to ask Uncle Dustin about that. See if he agrees to it.”
“Uncle Dustin, why won’t you have a baby with her?” Haley turned to look at Dustin.
“Well …” Dustin found himself momentarily speechless. He looked at her awkwardly.
He wasn’t affected by her wishing him to rest in peace. But now, she threw him such a tough question to answer?
“Do you not want a baby with the pretty lady because you don’t like her?” Haley asked
again. “Hmm?” Natasha looked at Dustin with her arms crossed.
“I do! Of course, I do like her,” Dustin said with a nervous smile.
“Are kids these days all so mature?” he wondered.
“Well, if you like her, then why won’t you have a baby with her?” Haley asked.
“We’re not married yet. We’ll have a baby after we get married,” Dustin forced an answer. “And when will you get married?” Haley seemed relentless.
Dustin was stumped. “Can we please change the conversation, kiddo? I’m begging you!” Dustin silently pleaded in his head.
Chapter 828
“Alright, Haley. Don’t make things difficult for Uncle Dustin. Look, his forehead is already dripping with sweat.” Natasha couldn’t help but laugh, trying to save Dustin from embarrassment.
Only he would get bullied by a child so badly.
“Uncle Dustin, you’re sweating? Let me wipe your forehead.” Haley took out a couple of tissues and began to dab at Dustin’s forehead.
“Haley, it’s getting dark. You should head back with Mom,” Nelson interjected.
“But I still want to talk to Uncle Dustin.” Haley seemed reluctant to go. “It’s your birthday tomorrow, right? We can talk more tomorrow,” Dustin hurriedly added.
“Really?” Haley’s face lit up with joy.
“Of course.” Dustin nodded seriously. “Pinky promise,” Haley said while sticking out her pinky finger.
“I promise.” Dustin smiled and hooked his pinky with hers.
“Uncle Dustin, I want to tell you a secret.” After linking pinkies, Haley leaned close to Dustin’s ear.
She whispered, “Dad keeps coughing a lot these days. He must be sick. Could you take good care of him for me?”
“Of course.” Dustin nodded with a smile.
“Here, this is a transformer I just bought. I want to give it to you.” Haley took out a toy and thrust it to Dustin.
“If you’re in trouble, you can use it to transform into Mister Strong. Take care of my father and maintain world peace.”
Dustin broke into laughter. “Okay. I’ll transform into Mister Strong and take care of your father.” This little girl was such a funny kid.
“Then it’s a deal. Bye!” Haley waved. Then, she followed her mother and left happily.
“Nelson, I really can’t imagine how your daughter is so cute when you’re so tough and brawny.” Dustin was envious.
“Heh, she got it from her mother.” Nelson laughed, looking proud.
Although his little girl was a chatterbox, she was a considerate angel.
“It looks like your wife is going to give birth any time now. For now, you don’t have to personally see the gang’s matters. Spend more time with your wife and child. Pregnant
women need extra care,” Dustin reminded him.
“Thanks, Sir Rhys. I’ll do that.” Nelson nodded with a smile.
While the two were speaking, a beautiful woman suddenly walked in. When Dustin raised his head, his expression froze.
It was none other than Dahlia!
“What are you doing here?” Natasha raised an eyebrow as her smile disappeared. “I heard Dustin was sick, so I came to see him.” Dahlia plopped a fruit basket on the table.
“Naturally, I should be the one to take care of him when he’s sick. You don’t need to worry about him,” Natasha said lightly.
“Ms. Harmon, you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. You’ve never gotten your hands dirty. So, you may not know how to take care of someone properly,” Dahlia replied coldly.
“Hmph, even if I’m useless, I’m still better than a certain ungrateful someone,” Natasha retorted sarcastically.
Dahlia frowned slightly. She didn’t have the patience to continue bickering, so she walked straight to the bed.
She hesitated for a moment before saying, “Dustin, how are you? Where are you hurt?”
“Thanks for the concern, Ms. Nicholson, but I’m fine,” Dustin said indifferently. “Good” Dahlia sighed in relief before continuing, “I wanted to talk to you about what happened that night.”
“What’s there to talk about? It’s all in the past.” Dustin remained unmoved.
Chapter 829
“That night, I was too impulsive and unintentionally hit you. I should apologize.” Dahlia bit her lip.
Changing the topic, she continued, “Nonetheless, everything I do is for your own good. Mr. Killian comes from a prominent background. If you hit him, you’d only cause trouble for yourself.”
“Gavin does have some status, but that doesn’t mean I fear him,” Dustin said indifferently.
“Dustin, Mr. Killian isn’t as ordinary as you think. You can’t afford to offend someone as important as him!” Dahlia warned.
Gavin was a successful young man from an influential family. He also has a high rank and even commanded a massive troop.
With just one order, he could command the entire troop to go against someone. To offend someone like that was equivalent to digging one’s own grave.
“You can think whatever you want. If you think I can’t afford to offend him, then so be it.” Dustin didn’t want to explain himself.
He knew that no matter what he said, Dahlia wouldn’t believe him.
“What? You’re still mad at me?” Dahlia frowned.
“Why would I be? You have no ties to me. There’s no need to get mad,” Dustin said expressionlessly.
“No ties? What do you mean by that? Are you going to keep treating me as an outsider?”
Dahlia said with a cold expression.
“Duh.” Dustin shrugged. “Dustin, don’t you have a conscience?!” Dahlia was getting angry.
“All I did was slap you. If you’re still upset, then slap me in return. If one slap isn’t enough, then give me two. If two isn’t enough, then give me ten. I’ll stand still and let you vent your anger until you’re satisfied. Would that work?”
Yes, she had indeed lost control and hit him. But she’d already apologized. Did he have to hold a grudge and refuse to let go?
Not to mention, because of the mess Dustin caused, she had to make compromises for everyone’s sake. She had to persuade Gavin and apologize to him.
Only then did Gavin’s anger die down, and he stopped pursuing the matter. If she hadn’t done that, Dustin would be in hot water!
Everything she did was in hopes that he would be fine.
She didn’t understand where she had gone wrong.
“Dahlia, it seems like you still don’t understand the big picture. It’s not the slap I care about.
It’s how you’ve never trusted me,” Dustin said solemnly,
He added, “You were like this back then, and you’re still like this now. No matter how many things happen, you never change.”
“How do you expect me to trust you? I saw it with my own eyes. Could that have been fake?”
Dahlia raised her eyebrows in anger.
She’d already lowered herself to apologize. Must he try to rip her of her dignity?
“Whatever. Pretend I never said anything.” Dustin shook his head, looking disappointed.
As he thought, she was still the same.
“You are impossible to reason with!” Dahlia gritted her teeth. She was so mad that she just turned around and left.
When she reached the door, she stopped abruptly.
She took a deep breath and said coldly, “Dustin, today is my mother’s birthday. I’m throwing her a banquet in the Lunos Hotel. I hope you’ll come. If you don’t, then we’ll never see each other again!”
With that, she walked out.
That was her final warning. The last glimmer of hope between them.
Whether they stayed together and walked away from each other was up to Dustin.
“Your little girlfriend seems really angry. What, you’re not going to try to talk her down?”
Natasha teased with a smirk.
“Let her be mad. It has nothing to do with me.” Dustin rolled his eyes. He didn’t have the patience to deal with that.
“Hmph, at least you have some backbone!” Natasha nodded with satisfaction.
If he desperately tried to appease her just after getting slapped two days ago, then he really didn’t have a single shred of dignity.
“Sir Rhys, there’s good news!”
At that moment, Felix-the guildmaster of the Charging Tiger Guild-suddenly ran over. He was overjoyed.
“What good news?” Dustin was surprised.
“We found him … We found Sir Paul’s killer!”
Chapter 830
“You found him?” Dustin’s expression turned grim. “Who was it?!”
“An assassin from Shadowslayer. He’d laid low in the Hill family for many years. Today, when Sir Paul had his guard down, he drugged and killed him!” Felix reported.
“It was the Shadowslayer again?” Dustin frowned slightly. “Where’s the murderer? Were you able to track him down?”
“According to our investigation, he’s hiding in a house at the foot of Mount Shinefield,” Felix answered.
“Gather all the elite warriors in the gang and head to Mount Shinefield for a manhunt! We can’t let him get away!” Dustin ordered.
“Yes, sir!” Felix said. He turned around and left.
Twenty minutes later, Dustin led over a hundred elite members of the Kirin Gang. They charged their way up Mount Shinefield.
In order to not spook the target, they didn’t notify anyone else. This operation was kept under close wraps. When they got to Mount Shinefield, the sky was almost completely dark.
Yesterday, Mount Shinefield was bustling with excitement because of the Knighthood Society tournament. Yet, it seemed very deserted tonight.
Gazing at the horizon, the entire mountain was pitch black. It looked like a deep abyss, ready to swallow its victims.
Dim moonlight fell on the ground, casting blinking light.
“Dear, I think something’s not right here,” Natasha suddenly said after everyone got down from the car.
“What’s not right?” Dustin swept his gaze over the surroundings. He began to survey it carefully. “It’s too quiet.” Natasha shook her head. “A mountain should be teeming with animals, but if you listen closely, you can’t hear a single sound.”
Her intuition was telling her that something was amiss.
“Ms. Harmon, it’s already dark. The animals have to rest too, right? What’s strange about it?” Nelson said, unconcerned.
“Don’t you know that many animals are nocturnal?” Natasha frowned slightly. “Really?” Nelson was dumbfounded. He never graduated middle school, so he really hadn’t known.
“Wait.” Suddenly, Dustin’s eyes widened.
He noticed a faint glimmer of light in the dark forest. It was so subtle that an ordinary person wouldn’t have noticed it.
However, he was certain that it was a reflection of a gun’s scope!
“Watch out!” Sensing something was amiss, he immediately pushed Natasha to the ground.
As Dustin reacted, a spark flashed in the dark forest, followed closely by a gunshot. One armor-piercing bullet after another suddenly shot out from the darkness. They narrowly missed Dustin’s body. It ended up hitting the car instead.
With a loud boom, there was another explosion.
The entire car was riddled with holes. The sheer impact was causing it to sway from side to side.
Nelson was momentarily stunned. He then let out a furious roar, “This is an ambush! Those f*ckers!”
As soon as he finished speaking, more gunshots were fired. Elite members of the Kirin Gang were shot dead one after another.
The human body was as delicate as a piece of paper in the face of the terrifying armor- piercing bullets. A light touch could rip right through them If they were shot in the torso, at least they’d die instantly without suffering.
However, if they were hit in the arms or legs, their limbs would just break. Then, they’d die of blood loss after a long bout of agony.
In the span of a few seconds, over a dozen Kirin Gang members fell.
Wails and cries filled the air.
Not just that, after the gunshots were fired, two rows of cars suddenly switched on their headlights along both sides of the roads.
They were all black Jeeps that were growling like beasts. They began to surround them.
The people in the cars were firing bullets nonstop.
“Sir Rhys, we were tricked! This is a trap!”
Watching his brothers die one after another, Nelson flew into a rage.
