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Chapter_243
Howard was dead.
But the blood trail did not end with him. The head of the Duerson family was still alive, and there was still time—plenty of time—to uncover the full truth behind the Massacre of the Young Family.
Inside the scorched estate, silence had returned, save for the roar of flames devouring wood and stone. The crackling of fire echoed like whispers of judgment.
Nash moved quickly through the villa, destroying every surveillance camera in sight before vanishing into the night, as if he’d never been there.
It was 2:00 a.m.
Far from the chaos, outside the Zabel estate, three figures lingered in the darkness of the garden.
The Hidden-Ghost Juggernaut scratched his face irritably. “If the Smiling Grim Reaper isn’t showing up tonight, we might as well come back tomorrow.”
The Buddha Juggernaut agreed with a grunt. “We’re wasting time here.”
But the Grim-Faced Juggernaut scowled, eyes locked on the shadows. “Nash went to the Lee household and hasn’t returned yet. Between us, we have two from the Profound Reality Realm and a Stage Nine Grandmaster. That’s still not enough. We can’t beat the Smiling Grim Reaper.”
The Hidden-Ghost Juggernaut grunted. “It’s not about winning. It’s about pride. If we don’t kill him, we’ll spend the rest of our lives hiding in shame…”
The air around them was still. Even now, they didn’t bear true hatred toward Nash—only the gnawing weight of their own reputations. If they killed him, nothing would change. If they failed, they’d carry the disgrace forever.
Eventually, the three came to a decision.
The mission was off.
They slipped away through the woods, passing a dozen hidden vehicles, and made their way to Howard’s estate on the eastern outskirts.
Half an hour later, the Hidden-Ghost Juggernaut froze at the gate of the villa.
Smoke rose from the ruins. The once-formidable residence was now an infernal grave.
They had been gone only a few hours.
And now, there was nothing left.
“Who… did this?” the Grim-Faced Juggernaut murmured as the devastation sank in.
A few Green Bamboo Association members stumbled out of the wreckage, faces pale with horror.
“There’s no one left alive!” one shouted.
Another rushed over from the other side. “The memory cards! All the surveillance footage is gone!”
Panic flickered in the Juggernauts’ eyes.
Nutcracker Juggernaut.
Giant Juggernaut.
Unibrow Juggernaut.
Their strength had been legendary—enough to crush Jonford’s entire martial arts community. Yet all three had perished in less than four hours. One of them—Nutcracker—had vanished without a trace.
No remains. No survivors. No answers.
The Buddha Juggernaut crouched, inspecting the area. “There are no signs of battle outside. We had over thirty grandmasters inside—none of them even fought back. Whoever did this… must be at least in the Profound Reality Realm.”
He sneezed, unnerved by the thought. Thirty elite fighters wiped out silently? It was unthinkable.
The Hidden-Ghost Juggernaut’s eyes narrowed. “Didn’t Nash… go to the Chateau Hotel?”
Aside from Nash, there wasn’t a single person in Jonford capable of such devastation.
The Buddha Juggernaut quickly pulled out his phone and made a call. After a pause, he said grimly, “Our spies confirmed it. Nash went to the Chateau Hotel to visit the head of the Lee family… and he left just three minutes ago.”
“That’s hearsay,” the Hidden-Ghost Juggernaut muttered. “With Nash’s strength, he could easily fool ordinary grandmasters…”
The Buddha Juggernaut stared at the fire, then swallowed hard. “So what now? Do we find Nash? Take revenge?”
The truth hung in the air like smoke: if Nash really was the one responsible, then none of them stood a chance.
The Grim-Faced Juggernaut’s tone turned ice-cold. “We head back to Sagen. Wait for Mr. Lane to break through to the Profound Reality Realm. Then we deal with that bastard.”
A new presence… Mr. Lane.
The Hidden-Ghost Juggernaut’s eyes gleamed. “Mr. Lane is coming?”
At that same moment, elsewhere in the city, a car pulled up quietly to the Zabel family villa.
Olivia turned off the ignition and looked back. “Nash… we’re here.”
Nash, slumped against the window, stirred from his shallow sleep.
Through the rearview mirror, Olivia saw his face. Exhaustion clung to him, and bruises darkened his jaw. She felt a pang of shock. He looked like he’d just crawled out of hell.
Earlier that night, Nash had needed an excuse to leave the Zabel estate. Olivia had covered for him, claiming she needed to take him away for urgent business.
She brought him to her grandfather’s Chateau Hotel and arranged a private suite. Nash had entered the room without a word, summoned a bodyguard, and swapped clothes with him. He sent the decoy to massage Mr. Lee’s legs—an elaborate diversion—then escaped through the window.
He never said a word about his plan. Olivia didn’t dare ask.
She stayed at the hotel, waiting. Only when he returned did she realize how badly he’d been hurt.
Who could injure someone like Nash?
Her phone buzzed.
It was Theo.