Translator:Â 549690339
Ethan Smith wasnât surprised by Mike Taylorâs words.
He said with a smile, âThereâs no need to be kind to such a rude and unreasonable person.â
Although this was what he said, it wasnât exactly what he thought.
As an orphan, Ethan Smith did not have many significant people in his life, but Mike Taylor was undoubtedly one of them.
Thinking about how Mike Taylor, who had once dominated the world and stood at its peak, was insulted by such a ruffian, Ethan found it intolerable.
âMr. Taylor.â Ethan Smith suddenly turned to Mike Taylor.
âHmm?â Mike Taylor raised an eyebrow slightly in response.
Ethan Smith chuckled, âSomeday, you will return to the Capital City and reclaim the position of the Family Master of the Taylor Family.â
Upon hearing this, Mike Taylor burst into laughter and said, âI hope so.â
But then his demeanor shifted, and he said solemnly, âWith your current capabilities, itâs almost impossible to overthrow the aristocratic families in the Capital City.â
âOverthrowing the noble families?â Ethan Smith gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
âIndeed, itâs impossible with my present abilities. My only desire is to have Emily Taylor leave the Capital City on September 9th,â Ethan Smith stated gravely.
Mike Taylor was silent for a moment before saying, âDo you know what will be the consequences if you take away that dayâs leading lady in front of the Blair and Taylor families?â
âNo matter the consequences, I will go.â Ethan Smith said coldly.
âDo you know the extent of the power that the Taylor and Blair families can wield? Thinking of taking Emily away under everyoneâs eyes, do you think itâs likely?â Mike Taylor said earnestly.
Ethan Smithâs gaze turned icy, his expression becoming frostier.
âI had a wager with Dexter Blair. If I win, I can take Emily away.â Ethan Smith stated.
Mike Taylor waved his hand dismissively, saying, âEthan Smith, youâre still too naive. If you truly beat Dexter Blair, that would be the equivalent of slapping the Blair family in the face, even all the aristocratic families!â
âThey, for their part, wonât allow you to win, no matter what they have to do.â
âIf you truly defeat Dexter Blair, there will be only one consequence â death by a collective attack.â
Ethan Smithâs face instantly turned even colder.
He had, of course, thought about this issue.
But for the current Ethan Smith, did he have any other choice?
âIf thatâs indeed the case, then I wonât hesitate to shed blood.â Ethan Smith said coolly.
Such a reckless statement could not help but make Mike Taylor stifle a chuckle.
Spill blood?
Could it be that he planned to fight against two noble families all by himself?
âMr. Taylor, since I promised Emily, I will definitely fulfil it.â Ethan Smith said.
Seeing this, Mike Taylor did not say anything else.
He fell silent for a moment, and then laughed, âHow about a chess game?â
Ethan Smith was momentarily taken aback but soon joined in the laughter.
âAlright, letâs play a chess game.â
In the vast living room, Ethan Smith and Mike Taylor began studying a chess game.
The game was full of unexpected twists, the moves both astonishing and unpredictable.
Within a few short minutes, the two seemed to wage a personal battle on the chessboard.
âI heard you announced to the public that your dantian is ruined?â Mike Taylor asked Ethan Smith casually, carefully considering his next move.
âYes, only in this way will some people come to kill me.â Ethan Smith replied.
Mike Taylor moved his knight across the board, and said calmly, âHave you ever considered a problem.â
âWhatâs that?â Ethan Smith asked, looking up at Mike Taylor.
Mike Taylor elaborated, âIf itâs true that your dantian is ruined, then what kind of people would be assigned to kill you?â
Upon hearing this, Ethan Smith was taken aback.
Indeed.
Throughout this time, it seemed as though only a bunch of second-rate fighters had come to kill him.
He hadnât even seen a Peak Form of Grandmaster!
The strongest were only those three Grandmasters of the Sixth Rank!
âYour point seems to have some merit,â Ethan Smith was forced to acknowledge.
Mike Taylor, playing with his chess piece, added indifferently, âSomeone wants to kill you because your future presents a potential threat. So, they want to eliminate this threat.â
âAnd if one becomes a has-been, who would bother about him?â
Ethan countered heavily but softly, âBut there are many who want to step on me to ascend and establish their power.â
Mike shook his head dismissing the idea.
âThose who have reached the Peak Form of Grandmaster Realm, who among them is not a prodigy? They either serve the great families, or they themselves belong to such a family.â
âWhy would such a person need to step on you?â
At this, Mike paused.
He played a killing move on the chessboard and went on, âOf course, some might, but not many.â
Ethan fell silent.
This is a question he had neglected to consider.
On the Martial Arts Forum, many proclaimed their desire to eliminate him, yet only those three actually came.
âAnd have you thought about Emily?â Mike added.
Ethan abruptly looked up, a look of puzzlement in his eyes.
âThe more ruckus you create outside, the safer Emily will be,â Mike Taylor explained nonchalantly.
Ethanâs face was instantly a scramble of emotions.
These were all factors he had never thought of before.
Setting down his chess pieces, Mike stood and spoke, âDo not undervalue yourself. Your first thirty years were spent as an ordinary person, cooking and cleaning. The strides youâve made in such a short time summarily are indeed remarkable.â
Having said this, Mike muttered to himself, âI am always drowsy once night fallsâ¦â
That night, Ethan sat in the living room, unable to sleep for a long time.
He was so engrossed in his pursuit of the way of cultivation that he had become a martial arts fanatic.
But can martial arts fanatics topple the great families?
Given the current era, this seemed an impossible feat.
âMike was right.â Ethan Smith inhaled deeply.
âMaybeâ¦my direction has been wrong all along.â
If faking incapacity doesnât work, then heâll stir up heaven and earth!
What would the situation look like if the great families were upset?
Presumably, it would attract even more ambitious individuals.
The next day was when he was supposed to travel to Brightheart Island.
Mike Taylor made a special effort to tidy up and appeared quite spirited.
As always, Ethan Smith was nondescript, so unassuming that no one would give him a second look.
For Mike, this trip wasnât for âtravelâ as he had said, but rather to expand his network of contacts as quickly as possible.
Such an opportunity was not to be missed.
The two of them left the villa, and there, already parked on the open seas was a vast and incredibly luxurious cruise liner.
Ethan and Mike walked towards the liner, and as they did, Ethan suddenly sensed a change in the atmosphere.
One, two, threeâ¦five signals!
Five Grandmasters! And all of them bore an intense will to kill!
âHuh?â Ethan traced the scent of the murderous spirit and glanced in its direction.
Before long, Ethan spotted a familiar figure.
âKamden Lee?â A chill traces the corners of Ethanâs lips.
âMr. Smith.â
Just then, Evelynâs voice echoed by his ear.
Turning around, he saw Evelyn Norton and a young man walking slowly towards him.
âDudley Lynch from Central Plains?â Seeing this young man, a spark ignited in Ethan Smithâs eyes.