Chapter 176 – 180
Chapter 176 – 180 An Understated Dominance
Chapter 176
“Ruth, when did you get a boyfriend? Why wasn’t I informed?” Nigel’s face turned ugly as he stared at Dustin with hostility.
“Do I need to report to you when I have a boyfriend? You really think too highly of yourself.” Ruth rolled her eyes. She had already rejected Nigel multiple times, but he just wouldn’t give up and continued to pester her.
“I’m just worried that you might be deceived. There are a lot of con artists these days who use their good looks to cheat people out of their wealth.” Nigel said in a mocking tone.
“That’s not true! Dustin is not a con man!” Sheila quickly defended him.
When everyone fixed their gazes on her, Sheila realized that she had spoken out of turn and immediately shut her mouth.
“Ms. Murray, what’s with the sachet on your neck?” Dustin suddenly noticed something unusual.
“Is there a problem?” Sheila picked up the sachet and examined it.
“Throw it away. It’s a little suspicious.” Dustin shook his head.
“Hey, what do you mean? This aromatic sachet can calm the mind and improve sleep. How suspicious can it be?” Claudia was displeased.
“I’m just telling the truth, Dustin replied calmly.
“If you’re not sure, then shut up and stop being a smart aleck!” Claudia didn’t mince her words.
“Claudia!” Sheila pouted in annoyance.
“Alright, alright. It’s just a sachet. What’s there to argue about? Come on, let’s sit down and enjoy ourselves.”
Ruth pulled Sheila to sit down beside her and started chattering away.
Dustin was left feeling a little left out.
Claudia glared at him and turned away in a huff. For some reason, she always felt uneasy around Dustin.
“Claudia, who is this guy anyway?” Nigel narrowed his eyes at Dustin.
“He’s nothing special, just a doctor from the countryside. If you really want to know about him, he’s skilled in the use of obscure hidden weapons,” Claudia said coldly.
“I thought he was some big shot. Turns out, he’s just a doctor. Hey, you there! Don’t blame me for not warning you, you won’t fit in our circle. If you have some brains, you’ll leave on your own initiative!” Nigel sneered with disdain.
“That’s right, a burn like you doesn’t deserve to be Ruth’s boyfriend, let alone compete with Mr. Lincoln!”
Another girl dressed in yellow taunted Dustin.
“Oh, so what?” Dustin remained expressionless.
“So, you better have some self–awareness. Don’t embarrass yourself. Do you see the Patek Philippe watch on Mr. Lincoln’s wrist? You’ll never earn that much money in your lifetime!”
“Oh, so what?”
“It seems like you still can’t comprehend Mr. Lincoln’s background. Let me educate you then. Mr. Lincoln’s family dabbles in real estate located within Millsburg, owning assets worth several billion dollars. Their family’s network is spread throughout the marketplace and the underworld.” The girl in yellow said arrogantly.
“Oh, so what?”
“Not only does Mr. Lincoln have a strong family background, but he’s also extremely outstanding. He
graduated from Oxford University and earns millions of dollars every year. Besides that, he has practiced martial arts since a young age. Due to his natural talents, he was invited to be a member of the Martial Arts
Association. He’s truly accomplished in both literature and martial arts!”
“Oh, so what?”
“With Mr. Lincoln’s identity and abilities, he is in the spotlight wherever he goes. A loser like you can never compare to him!”
“Oh, so what?”
“Hey, can’t you say anything else?”
“Oh, so what?” The girl in yellow rolled her eyes. Her face turned red with anger and disgust. It was so damn infuriating to talk to this guy!
“Punk, you’ve got a sharp tongue, but what good does it do? You will always be inferior to me in every way. In the face of my complete dominance, sweet talk and flattery will get you nowhere!” Nigel sneered.
“Oh, so what?” Dustin retorted.
“You…” Nigel’s mouth twitched, feeling annoyed.
Damn it, why was this punk repeating the same sentence over and over again?
Couldn’t they have a decent conversation?
Just as they were talking, they were interrupted by a commotion outside the door.
“Stop right there! This place has been booked for another event. Everyone who is not involved, please leave-!”
“Surround them! Don’t let anyone escape!”
Amidst curdling screams and cries, the door to the private room burst open.
A group of masked assassins dressed in black rushed in with an imposing aura. The bodyguards guarding the door were all taken out.
“Who are you people? Who let you in? Get out!” The girl in yellow stood up angrily.
“Fuck you!” The assassins‘ leader slapped her and sent her flying.
“What arrogance! How dare you have the audacity to stir up trouble here?” Nigel jumped up in a rage.
“Our target is Sheila Murray. Anyone who is not involved, get out of here!” The assassins‘ leader shouted.
“What?” Claudia frowned, on high alert. Judging from their attire, these assassins were most likely the same ones who ambushed them a few days ago.
“Bastards, who do you think you are, demanding to hand Sheila over? If you don’t want to die, get the hell out of here!” Nigel’s gaze was ferocious.
“What, are you trying to save the damsel in distress?” The assassins‘ leader eyed Nigel carefully.
“So what if I do?” Nigel puffed out his chest.
“You foolish idiot! Kill him!” The leader ordered his men without hesitation.
“Yes, sir!” The other assassins drew their swords and attacked Nigel.
“How dare you show off such petty tricks in front of me?” Nigel laughed coldly.
He rushed towards the assassins and gave them a roundhouse kick in the guts. His attack was swift and vicious. In a matter of seconds, he had defeated all of the assassins.
After finishing them off, he struck a confident pose.
“Oh my god! Mr. Lincoln is amazing!”
Everyone’s spirits were lifted upon seeing his victory. Some of the girls couldn’t help but scream with adoration on their faces.
“These punks are no match for me! Nigel turned around and flashed a handsome smile to his fans.
However, at the next second, a fist the size of a sandbag hit him square in the face.
Nigel was caught by surprise. The attack caused him to become disoriented and his nose to bleed profusely.
Nigel’s high spirits were short–lived.
Chapter 177
“You attacked out of turn!” Nigel held his bleeding nose and scowled at the assassins” leader.
Damn it, he didn’t even have a chance to show off in front of Ruth! Where were his manners!
“It’s your fault for getting distracted in battle! Are you tired of living?” The leader sneered.
“Scumbag, you are getting on my nerves! I’ll give you one last chance to kneel and beg for mercy, otherwise. I will roundhouse kick you in the arse! Nigel glared at him viciously.
As he threatened, Nigel leaped into the air and did a somersault, looking quite impressive.
“Arrogant fool!” The assassins‘ leader’s eyes were cold as he and his remaining men rushed toward Nigel at once.
“Be careful, Mr. Lincoln!” The girls exclaimed in shock.
“Don’t overestimate yourself!” Nigel reared fearlessly as he took a step back to perform his special move.
He spun around like a spinning top, attacking the assassins ferociously.
His kicks were merciless and deadly; anyone who got close to Nigel was knocked down easily like dominoes. Even the assassins‘ leader could not withstand Nigel’s attacks and was blown off his feet.
In just a minute, all the assassins were defeated.
For that moment, Nigel seemed unrivaled and invincible!
“Wow, Nigel is amazing!”
“Oh my goodness, his fighting technique is cut of this world!”
“As expected of Mr. Lincoln, he is truly a terrifying martial artist!TM
Looking at the number of assassins
were lying incapacitated on the ground, everyone started
complimenting Nigel. Their eyes were shining as they rained praise on their hero.
“This victory is not worth mentioning. They are just small fries!” Nigel stood with his hands behind his back, feigning nonchalance.
However, he couldn’t help but steal a glance at Ruth while he spoke, with a haughty expression on his face.
“Mr. Lincoln, you were incredible! You make all of us feel safe just by having you around! Any girl would be lucky to have you as a boyfriend!” The girl in yellow held her hands to her chest, looking up at Nigel with admiration.
“You’re flattering me.” Nigel smiled modestly.
“It’s only natural for a man to protect a woman. I’m not like some coward who hides at the back and relies on women for protection. That’s really pathetic!” Nigel looked at Dustin intentionally to prove his point.
“Hey, you! Cidn’t you have a sharp tongue? Why are you not saying anything now? Are you dumb?‘ The girl in yellow sneered, her face full of disdain.
“If you ask me, someone here is all talk and no action. Most of the time, he is as arrogant as a peacock.
However, when things go wrong, he is the first person to flee.”
“Ruth, now it’s obvious which choice is better, right? If it weren’t for Mr. Lincoln, we wouldn’t have been able to
fight against these vicious people.”
“That’s right! When looking for a boyfriend, we should find a real man like Mr. Lincoln! As for the guy next to you, you should forget about him, What’s the use of having a cowardly and timid man around?”
At that moment, everyone was gossiping about the two of them.
Nigel proved his bravery and strength, while Dustin did nothing like a coward. Comparing the two, it was clear who was better.
“Dustin, why didn’t you do anything just now?” Listening to the harsh comments of those around her, Ruth couldn’t help but frown.
She knew that Dustin was skilled in martial arts, although not necessarily stronger than Nigel. However, dealing with a few petty assassins shouldn’t be a problem.
“These small fries don’t interest me.” Dustin said nonchalantly.
“Small fries? You may be a coward, but your words are quite the opposite!”
“Just admit that you are pathetic. How dare you find excuses for yourself?”
“He only knows how to talk big, but he’s actually just a coward!”
“What a wimp, disgusting loser!”
Remaining silent would have been better for Dustin, as anything he said only led to contempt.
“Punk, it’s obvious that you don’t have the guts nor the ability to fight. Why pretend to be tough? If you kneel down and beg. I might teach you a few moves so you won’t wet yourself from fear the next time.” Nigel. sneered.
“If you’re so capable, then take down those two behind you first.” Dustin pointed his chin to the door.
Nigel turned around in surprise and saw that there were indeed two more people.
Both of them were bald, one dressed in green and the other in black. They were muscular and burly men, with fierce eyes and bulging biceps.
“Oh! Who are these two men who don’t fear death?” Nigel smirked scornfully.
“Was it you who injured our men?” The bald man in green spoke first.
“Yes, it’s me. What are you going to do about it? What, do you want to have a laste of my roundhouse kick too? Nigel replied arrogantly.
“Roundhouse kick? Heh, trash!” The green baldy sneered.
“Fool! How dare you look down on me? Today, I’ll let you witness my special move, the Whirlwind Kick!” As Nigel spoke, he leaped into the air Whirling around, he kicked up a fierce tornado that looked very impressive.
The girls around him were dazzled by his moves.
“Mr. Lincoln, go for it!”
“Take them down!”
Full of admiration, they cheered Nigel on.
Gathering his strength, Nigel smashed a powerful blow into the bald man’s skull.
A muffled sound was heard.
However, the bald man in green was unscathed by the attack. He didn’t even move a muscle, just slightly tilted his head.
On the other hand, Nigel’s bones were fractured, and his whole body went numb.
“You-!” Nigel was stunned, his face full of disbelief.
Even when he attacked using his full power, he still couldn’t break his opponent’s defense. In contrast, his leg was shattered by the reaction force.
What kind of monster was this that popped out of nowhere?
“Whirlwind Kick? Is that all?” The bald man in green sneered and grabbed Nigel’s leg.
He flung Nigel up into the air, smashing into the ceiling.
After that, his body fell to the ground, flattened like a mere bug.
Before Nigel could get up, a deafening sound was heard as the bald man slammed Nigel’s face deeper into the ground, causing the floor to crack.
Blood spurted out from his mouth and nose, and he couldn’t even scream in agony. His body was severely injured, with countless fractures all over.
“You’re not even worth my time!” The bald man in green sneered with an expression of disdain.
When they saw Nigel lying motionless on the ground, everyone was stunned. Their eyes widened in shock.
Chapter 178
There was pin–drop silence in the private room.
At a loss for words, everyone was aghast at what had happened. No one expected the twist of events.
Just a minute ago. Nigel was their hero, flaunting his strength and skills, but now he was lying helplessly on the ground like a dead dog.
How could this bald guy be so powerful?
“H–how dare you hurt me? Do you know who I am? I’m Nigel Lin—”
“Shut the hell up!” With a crack, the bald man stepped on Nigel’s leg and broke it.
Nigel wailed in pain, with cold sweat appearing on his forehead.
“If you’ve got the nerve, tell me your names!” Nigel gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with rage.
“Listen up! My name is Brent Garcia, and this is my brother, Wade Garcia!” The bald man in green announced loudly.
“Brent Garcia, Wade Garcia? Could it be…are you guys the Four Scoundrels?” Nigel’s pupils shrank in fear.
“The Four Scoundrels!” Everyone was shocked at the revelation.
The Four Scoundrels was a notorious group of merciless and vicious outlaws that terrorized the Southern province.
These ruffians were infamous for their ruthlessness, and they would stop at nothing to achieve their goals!
Wherever they went, destruction and calamity followed. Countless elites in the Southern province were terrified of the Four Scoundrels, living in constant fear and anxiety.
After learning the identities of the two men, all the girls panicked.
“This is bad!” Claudia furrowed her brows.
The Four Scoundrels were all martial artists with incredible internal energy. Brent and Wade were said to be even stronger than Thor.
It was already difficult enough to deal with one person.
Now, there were two of them at the same time, undoubtedly making things worse. If she were alone, she might still have a chance to escape.
The problem was that she had to protect Sheila as well.
With her previous injuries, Claudia had no chance of winning if she had to go up against two villains simultaneously.
“Brent! I’m warning you, everyone here Is of elite status. You’d better not mess around!” Nigel shouted bravely.
“Who cares if we cause trouble? You’re nothing but a plece of shit!” Brent kicked Nigel forcefully, sending him flying into the crowd.
Amidst the screaming and chaos, Claudia suddenly sprang into action!
She drew her dagger and lunged like a cheetah toward Brent’s throat, hoping to take out one of the two opponents.
In a fair fight, she knew that she was no match for either of them.
By taking out one person, her chances of winning would significantly increase!
Although it was a good plan, Brent was no fool.
As the dagger came at him, he quickly dodged aside and slammed his shoulder into Claudia’s chest.
She grunted and staggered back, but before she could regain her footing, Brent punched her again with tremendous force.
Desperately, Claudia lifted her arm to block the blow. There was a loud thud as Claudia was thrown back once more.
Her arm hanging limply, she spat out a mouthful of blood. Her internal injuries had opened up again.
“Ms. Doyle, if you were at full strength, you might be able to put up a fight with me for a few rounds. In this state, however, I suggest you surrender,” Brent sneered at her.
Claudia’s face darkened, and she rushed at nim again with her dagger.
After they exchanged blows for a few rounds, Claudia was punched heavily in the stomach.
She fell to the ground, unable to stand on her feet.
“It’s over, it’s all over!”
“Even Mr. Lincoln and Ms. Doyle were defeated. Who else can stop them?”
“What should we do? I don’t want to diel”
Seeing Claudia defeated, the girls were on the verge of tears. Their last glimmer of hope was now gone.
“Wade, take Ms. Murray away. I want to have some fun with the beautiful ladies here first,” Brent said with a wicked grin.
“Listen up. all of you. If you don’t want to die, take off your clothes. Otherwise, you’ll have to bear the consequences of inciting my anger!” As soon as he spoke, all the girls turned pale with fear.
Were they going to be violated by this pervert?
“Ms. Murray, come with me.” Wade, the bald guy in black, stepped forward and approached Sheila.
“Stop right there!” Suddenly, Ruth grabbed a fruit knile and stood in front of Sheila.
“I’m warning you, don’t come any closer, or Ill stab you!”
“Get lost!” Without saying another word, Wade swung his hand toward Ruth.
The energy gathered around Wade’s hand was strong enough to whip up a wind around them.
At the crucial moment, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Wade’s wrist. Wade’s palm was frozen, inches from Ruth’s face.
“You can bully the others, but you can’t touch these two,” Dustin said calmly.
“How dare you meddle in other people’s business? You’re asking for it!” Wade’s expression turned ugly, and he raised his other fist to strike at Dustin’s head.
Dustin snorted lightly and made the first move. He punched Wade in the chest, his moves as quick as lightning.
With a dull thud, an invisible beam of energy pierced through Wade’s back, shattering a wine bottle several feet away.
Wade shuddered and slumped to the ground, unconscious.
“Wade!” Brent’s face contorted with anger.
“How dare you hurt my brother? I’ll send you to hell!” He charged forward like a wild bull and threw a punch directly at Dustin’s face.
Dustin caught his fist with one hand and squeezed it gently.
With a loud crack, the bones in Brent’s fist shattered. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere.
Before he could register the pain. Dustin grabbed his collar and slammed him hard against the wall like a sandbag, creating a gaping hole.
Brent hung helplessly on the wall, bleeding profusely and unable to move.
“I wanted to have a decent conversation with you guys, but you had to resort to violence.” Dustin patted the dirt off his clothes indifferently, as if defeating both of the bald guys was a trivial matter.
Everyone present was dumbfounded was stunned at Dustin’s nonchalance, including Sheila, Claudia, and Nigel.
Dustin managed to defeat both of them with just two moves.
It was unthinkable that two of the invincible Four Scoundrels would be trounced and beaten up by a thin, frail guy like Dustin.
Were they dreaming?
Was he the cowardly and useless guy they were making fun of before?
Chapter 179
“H–how was this possible?!” Nigel gasped, his mouth wide and his face full of disbelief.
He finally witnessed how formidable the Four Scoundrels were in person. Either one of them could quickly snuff him out.
It was perhaps fate that an expert like himself had been crippled by a doctor they looked down upon.
Such a thing was practically unheard of!
“How is this guy so powerful?” Claudia’s eyes widened in shock and bewilderment.
Initially, she had assumed that Dustin was an unsavory character who only knew how to resort to using dirty tricks up his sleeve, so she hadn’t expected him to be so skilled in martial arts.
He was miles better than her!
He wielded such strength at such a young age, too. She was frozen on the spot once the revelation hit her that she was no longer a goddess among men.
“Dustin’s way too cool!” Sheila cheered as her eyes sparkled.
After exchanging glances with one another, the rest of the girls also started looking at him in a different light.
Not used to everyone’s starstruck gazes on him, Dustin walked up to Brent before asking. “Tell me, who sent you here?”
“Today’s my day of reckoning anyway, so kill me all you want!” Brent screamed through gritted teeth.
“It’s not like killing you guys will do me any good anyways. As long as you’re willing to talk, I’ll let you all live to see another day.” Dustin said.
“I’ll die either way if I reveal anything!” Brent replied solemnly.
“You’re referring to the spider venom in your stomach, right?” Dustin asked with raised eyebrows. He then pulled out a golden needle and stabbed it directly into Brent’s abdomen,
Immediately, a bulge was seen on Brent’s abdomen. The bulge began moving violently as if something inside him was fighting for their lives.
A few exhales later, the writhing stopped, and the bulge could no longer be seen moving.
When Dustin pulled out the golden needle, it was now stained with a sliver of blackish liquid.
“The venom is gone. You should be able to speak now,” Dustin said flatly.
“H–how did you do that?” Brent gasped, and his expression Immed lately turned into one that was fearful and horrified.
That was because the Four Scoundrels had actually been controlled by someone who led them venom all this time. The mere thought of resistance could inflict pain that was worse than death on the host.
They had tried various ways to get rid of the venom, but not only did none of them have the slightest effect, they even aggravated the pain.
However, the person in front of him had gotten rid of the spider venom in his body with a mere needle.
These kinds of miraculous means were simply unheard of!
“I’m skilled in the art of poisons and venom, so if you wish to regain your freedom, you need to be honest and tell me everything.” Dustin stated indifferently.
After hesitating for a long while. Brent finally compromised, saying, “Fine, I’ll tell you the truth, but you must promise to spare the both of us,”
Which sensible human would choose death over life?
“Done.” Dustin nodded his head.
“To be honest with you, the person who ordered us to kidnap you was- Before Brent could finish his
sentence, the doors to the room were forcefully kicked open.
Xavier rushed hastily inside the room with a group of elite guards. He scanned the room and quickly found Brent.
“It’s the Four Scoundrels again! Prepare to die!” Without waiting for the crowd to react. Xavier bashed Brent’s skull in with his fists.
He was swift and brutal. Now, his hands were drenched in blood.
“Huh?” Dustin narrowed his eyes.
Did Xavier just kill him to silence him?
“Sheila! Claudia! Are you guys alright?” Right after killing Brent. Xavier immediately turned around and asked Sheila and Claudia while wiping the blood off his hands.
“We’re fine. It was a good thing Dustin came to our aid just now.” Sheila forced a smile.
“Dustin?” Xavier asked as he suddenly turned his head to look at the man.
“What are you doing here? Xavier asked with a condescending gaze.
“What a coincidence.” Dustin replied indifferently.
“What do you mean, ‘what a coincidence? You were there the last time Sheila got ambushed, and you’re here yet again, so how can this be a coincidence?” Xavier scoffed, glaring down at Dustin.
“Your point exactly?” Dustin shot back.
“I suspect that you colluded with the Four Scoundrels to come up with a plan to get close to Shella!” Xavier accused.
“I can assure you it’s not like that- Sheila spoke up before being interrupted by Xavier again.
“Don’t be fooled, Sheila! We don’t know where this guy is from or what his intentions are. Thus, he must be interrogated thoroughly for your safety. Apprehend this man for me at oncel”
At his command, the group of elite guards proceeded to cock their guns.
“Stop! I was the one who brought Dustin here, so I can guarantee that he isn’t a bad guy!” Ruth stepped forward, attempting to mediate the situation.
“Whether he’s a bad guy or not, we’ll know once we catch him!” Xavier retorted.
“Hey, do you still have any sense left in that brain of yours? Can’t you see that you’re being cruel by apprehending an innocent person?” Ruth was getting annoyed with Xavier’s stubbornness.
“Who are you to talk sense to me? Get lost!” Xavier screamed before lifting his hand to give Ruth a hard slap across her face, causing her to stagger and fall to the ground.
Everyone could see five visible, bright red fingerprints on her face.
“Huh?” Dustin gasped as his expression sank. His eyes flashed with anger.
“Are you crazy, Xavier? Why did you hit my friend?!” Sheila scolded Xavier while helping Ruth up.
“I was thinking about your safety, Sheila. I refuse to spare anyone who acts even remotely suspicious! Even if I have to be a villain today, I’ll make sure to get rid of every threat to you! Arrest that punk! Kill him on the spot if he dares to put up a fight!”
At Xavier’s order, all the elite guards attacked Dustin at once.
Dustin merely let out a cold snort and started gesturing with his hands. “Phew! Phew! Phew!”
Golden needles shot out from his hands and accurately navigated their way to the various acupuncture points on the bodies of the guards.
In no time at all all of the guards seemed to be bound by a spell of some sort, as they stood frozen in place, unable to move.
“Do you want to die?!” Xavier shrieked as a scowl appeared on his face. He then immediately fished out his gun and fired at Dustin’s chest.
However, with a mere flick of a finger, Dustin swiftly sent two needles flying into the air. One needle landed on Xavier’s shoulder, and another landed on his neck.
His body instantly stiffened as his arms and legs became paralyzed, and this made it difficult for him to move a bit.
“W–what kind of sorcery is this?” Xavier cried, his face full of shock.
He was one of the top martial artists out there, so how could he be rendered immobile by two tiny golden needles just like that?
“Not only are you not that skilled or powerful, you still have the audacity to show up here and start hurling insults and beating the shit out of people? Dustin asked with an icy stare as he slowly approached him.
“Rhys! You’d better let go of me if you know what’s good for you, if not, I’ll make sure that you never leave here alive!” Xavier sneered fiercely.
“You dare threaten me? This is for speaking out of turn!” Dustin scoffed as he lifted a hand to slap Xavier’s face.
He then gave him another slap. “This is for cursing me!”
After that, he gave him a harsh third slap. “This is for your audacity to even lay a linger on a woman!”
The slapping continued non–stop for a while. Dustin showed no mercy as he kept delivering blow after blow onto Xavier’s face. He delivered a slap after every sentence he uttered.
The atmosphere in the room became tenser and tenser by the second.
“And this is for your stupid fucking face!” Dustin roared as he delivered the most powerful slap he could muster, smashing Xavier to the ground.
Everyone in the whole room became dead silent for a moment!
Chapter 180
Everyone in the room was flabbergasted as they stared at Xavier, who’d been mercilessly battered and bruised.
No one had expected Dustin to be so bold as to slap Xavier. Everyone knew that the Horst family was among
the five most powerful families in the Southern province.
They were the top of the top! They were essentially untouchable!
As an immediate heir, he was the rising star of the Horst family.
So, no matter where he went, he’d have the stars laid out at his feet.
No one had ever dared to humiliate him in public like this, much less slap him like a maniac so many times.
Was this guy batshit crazy?
“Y–you dare hit me?” Xavier asked rhetorically. The corners of his eyes started twitching as he tried to put on a fierce expression.
“I’m not just going to beat you, I’m going to make sure you can never use your hands ever again!” Dustin snorted and proceeded to stomp on his wrist, breaking it.
“Argh!” Xavier wailed in pain as he broke out in a cold sweat, his expression twisted.
It was a pity that he couldn’t even move a muscle at the moment.
“Stop! Have you lost your mind, Rhys? Do you have any idea who Xavier is? How dare you hurt him?” Claudia
shouted angrily at Dustin.
“I don’t care who he is. Anyone who dares mess with me will get a beating from me,” Dustin replied flatly.
“Didn’t he just slap you, Ruth? Come here and give him ten slaps for me!”
“Okay!” Ruth exclaimed and started adjusting her shirtsleeves before going up to Xavier and slapping the shit out of him.
“How dare you hit me! How fucking dare you hit me! I’ll beat your ass up!” Ruth cursed with gritted teeth while venting her anger as she continued slapping him.
“Stop!” Claudia yelled in rage and immediately stepped in to put a stop to everything.
“Get lost!” Dustin sneered and slapped her after, sending her flying into the air.
“Y–you dare hit me too?” Claudia whimpered while covering her face as if she were in disbelief.
“Don’t you think you deserve it? Dustin let out a snort.
“I saved your life on more than one occasion, and this is how you repay me? You didn’t say a word when Xavier framed me, and you also acted as if nothing had happened when Ruth got slapped. So, why is it that you’re turning against us after seeing Xavier get beaten up? Are all of the families who practice martial arts always this vengeful? Dustin snapped at Claudia.
“I-“Claudia stuttered as her face turned bright red. She was stunned and speechless after being bombarded with a series of valid accusations.
This even caused Sheila to be at a loss for words, as she simply did not know what she should do now. On one hand, there was the savior of her life, and on the other, a long–time friend.
After getting caught up in the middle, she was at a loss for words.
“I’m done with him, Brother–in–law!” Ruth announced after she finally came to a stop. Her hands had become numb from all the brutal slapping.
As for Xavier, his face had long since swollen enough to resemble a pig’s head. He felt dizzy all over, as he
didn’t get any chance to catch his breath the whole time.
“I don’t care what you say. The fact that you laid a finger on Xavier means that you’re now an enemy of the Horst family. I’m afraid no one will be able to save your asses if you don’t state your case right now!” Claudia shrieked.
Despite everything, the Doyle family had been friends with the Horst family for generations, so she couldn’t possibly stand up for mere outsiders now.
“You want us to state our case, right? Fine, I’ll grant you your wish,” Dustin said and suddenly turned to face Sheila before continuing. “May I know if the sachet in front of your chest is a gift from Xavier, Miss Murray?”
“I–I’m not sure. All I know is that Claudia gave it to me.” Sheila said with her head lowered.
“What if I told you it was from Xavier?” Dustin continued to probe.
Claudia felt that she had nothing to hide, so she immediately shot back, “Xavier had to beg an expert to procure this sachet, and he had me deliver it to Sheila afterward. It was said to aid in one’s sleep and nourish the soul, so why are you finding fault in this?”
“It was said to aid in one’s sleep and nourish the soul? What a load of crap!” Dustin snickered before snatching the sachet off her chest and throwing it into a glass of wine.
“Gurgle gurgle.” The sound of bubbles could be heard as the sachet suddenly started expanding in size, as if hinting that there was something inside.
Immediately after, a thin, red–colored snake slithered out of the sachet and began thrashing about wildly in the wine.
“W–what is that?!“.
“It’s a snake! My goodness, it’s a snake!”
“How horrifying! How can there be a snake inside the sachet? What if it bites someone?”
A sea of horrified looks could be seen almost immediately from the crowd. More and more started to murmur among themselves at the sight before them as their hearts raced with fear.
“How could this be?” Claudia gasped and didn’t know how to react to this.
“Do you know what this is, Miss Murray?” Dustin probed while pointing at the small red snake.
Sheila remained frozen on the spot as she shook her head, still reeling from her shock.
“This is called a Serpent Love Charm and it can be used to confuse people’s minds. Once the snake enters one’s body, the charm will slowly take effect until the host completely falls head over heels for someone. The host’s heart could even stop beating after that!” Dustin explained plainly.
“That was a “Serpent Love Charm“?”
Everyone in the room was stunned after they heard this.
Even Claudia started feeling a little uneasy after hearing that. She did not expect that there would be a Serpent Love Charm inside the sachet.
“I’ve only heard stories about it before, but I didn’t know that such a thing even existed in our world!”
“Utterly ridiculous, right? To think that he put a Serpent Love Charm on her so that he could manipulate her feelings toward him. How shameless!”
“So, Miss Doyle, do you still think that this sachet can aid in one’s sleep and nourish their soul?” Dustin asked sarcastically.
“Well-..” Claudia frowned, and her gaze subconsciously shifted to Xavier. She couldn’t believe what was happening in front of her right now.
“Stop listening to his nonsense!” Xavier spoke in defense immediately after coming back to his senses.
“What the fuck is a Serpent Love Charm? I’ve never heard of this in my life! This sachet was gifted to me by someone else! I’m the victim too here!”
“That’s right! Even if there was a Serpent Love Charm in the sachet, that doesn’t prove that Xavier was the one who put it there. For all we know, some bigshot could’ve set him up!” Claudia roared.
“Yeah! Xavier’s always been an upright and honest person, so he would never stoop this low!” Nigel and the others also backed her up.
“Him? ‘Honest‘ and ‘upright‘? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Dustin snickered.
“The Serpent Love Charm only works if there is a pair of snakes, one female, and one male snake. Now that the female snake has appeared, we’re only missing the male snake. Since you all still don’t believe me, allow me to show you!” With that, he waved one hand and sent two needles flying toward the arca between Xavier’s chest and abdomen.
His body spasmed as a pained expression took over his face. Soon after, he spat out a dark, black liquid. And thrashing around inside the black liquid was a thicker, reddish snake.
The crowd was dumbfounded the moment they witnessed this!
