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Chapter_281
The tension in the room thickened as Finn continued his relentless attack on Winnie, his movements surgical and precise. He grabbed Winnie‘s right hand and pressed it against the wall, his dagger flashing in the dim light. The blade slid through Winnie‘s thumb and index finger, severing them with a sickening crunch. Winnie screamed in agony, his voice shrill and desperate, but the six bodyguards remained frozen. They were too frightened to intervene, knowing that stepping in might just result in Winnie‘s death.
The entire room was deathly silent, the only sound the distant muffled cries of Winnie and the occasional clink of glass as the young masters of the Green Bamboo Association held their breath. How had it come to this? How had they been reduced to helpless bystanders in the face of such a brutal display?
Xeno, standing off to the side, swallowed hard, unable to tear his eyes away from the carnage. He had expected Nash to act ruthlessly, but witnessing it firsthand was an entirely different matter. The man had no mercy, no hesitation. And to think he had dared challenge someone like Nash…
Meanwhile, Nash remained seated, unfazed by the bloodshed. He casually took a sip from his wine glass, his demeanor one of complete indifference. Then, with a glance at the other three men, he said with a smile, “Didn’t you invite me for a meal? Come, let’s toast!”
The three men—Taka, Hugh, and Xavier—hesitated, but ultimately, they each picked up their glasses, their hands trembling slightly. Taka raised his glass but couldn’t help the fear that gnawed at him. Hugh and Xavier followed suit, their expressions more subdued than before.
“Cheers!” Nash said lightly, tipping his head back and drinking the wine in one smooth motion, while the others barely managed to sip from their glasses.
Setting the glass down with a soft clink, Nash turned his attention back to them. “Tell me, why are you lot looking for me?”
Taka, his voice unsteady, spoke up. “M-My grandfather wants you to go to Imperial Summer Manor in the southern suburbs tonight!”
A flicker of amusement passed through Nash’s eyes as he leaned back in his chair. “Oh?” he said, his smile widening. “Then tell the Hidden-Ghost Juggernaut to get his neck ready for me.”
At this, Hugh’s eyes narrowed in irritation. The audacity. “We thought you’d be too afraid to go!” he sneered. “My grandfather stands at the peak of the Profound Reality Realm. He could kill you without breaking a sweat!”
Nash didn’t flinch. He picked up the bottle of 1982 Lafite, pouring more wine into his glass with an air of complete confidence. “I’ll go look for you guys at midnight,” he said coolly, as though the situation were nothing more than an inconvenience.
Sydney couldn’t contain a sneer. “How arrogant,” she muttered under her breath, her disdain palpable as she took another sip of her wine. She couldn’t understand where Nash’s confidence came from. The Green Bamboo Association had already dispatched a force of a hundred martial arts grandmasters. The seven Juggernauts alone were Stage Nine great-grandmasters, and the powerhouses of the Profound Reality Realm were no small threat.
How could Nash, even with his strength, possibly stand a chance against such overwhelming force?
Olivia leaned closer to Sydney, whispering, “Nash used your glass earlier.”
Sydney’s eyes widened in disgust, and she quickly grabbed her glass, tossing it into the trash. “How disgusting!” she muttered, her face twisting in revulsion.
Undeterred, Nash chuckled and set the bottle down, his eyes gleaming with an unshakable resolve. “Your current arrogance isn’t impressive at all. I hope to see you maintain that confidence tonight.”
One of the other men, Simon, wasn’t at all intimidated by Nash. He leaned forward, his lips curling into a confident smirk. “I hope you’ll maintain this confidence,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Nash, however, didn’t break his composure. “Confidence is the pinnacle, and I am the pinnacle.”
Even Olivia, who had been trying to maintain her calm, lost her composure at that moment. She had always been able to tolerate Nash‘s bravado, but this time, he was truly going overboard. There was something almost absurd about his arrogance, yet it felt dangerous, like a storm on the horizon.
Behind him, Finn wiped the blood from his dagger with Winnie’s clothes before returning to stand silently beside Nash. “Do you feel better?” Nash asked, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
Finn nodded vigorously, a grin spreading across his face. “I’m so happy. I’ve never been this happy before.” There was an unspoken bond forming between him and Nash, one that was solidified with every moment spent in his service. He had made up his mind—he would follow Nash for the rest of his life.
Meanwhile, Winnie lay on the floor, his ten fingers a mangled mess, blood pooling beneath him. He was crying out, pleading for help, his voice raw and desperate. “Take me to the hospital quickly… Hurry…” The pain had reduced him to a broken man, his arrogant demeanor completely shattered.
At once, the six bodyguards rushed to his side, their faces etched with concern. They were clearly unsure how to proceed. This situation was beyond their control.
Helena, looking at Kai with concern, helped him up from the ground. Her voice trembled with worry. “Kai, a-are you alright?”
“I-I’m fine,” Kai said weakly, blood staining his lips. He coughed again, the blood leaving a grim mark on his shirt.
“You’re coughing up blood!” Helena’s face turned pale with fright as she looked at him, her voice laced with fear.
“I’m fine. Let’s go!” Kai urged, trying to push past his own pain.
The group stood at a crossroads, the looming confrontation at Imperial Summer Manor hanging over them like a storm cloud. It was clear that Nash was not just a man of strength, but of unyielding will. His path would not be deterred, no matter how formidable the opposition. The night was far from over, and its outcome remained uncertain, but one thing was for sure: the pieces were now in motion, and neither side would back down.