A loud shout suddenly drew the attention of countless people.
Emerson Holmes quickly turned around, coldly casting his gaze in the direction of the sound.
When he saw who it was, an iciness and amusement flashed across his face.
âEthan Smith?â Holmes once-over Ethan, smiling faintly, âWhat brings you here?â
âWhat I do is none of your bloody business.â Ethan retorted callously.
Undeterred, Holmes responded with amusement, âI recall the last time I saw you, you were merely a master⦠Or even just a grandmaster?â
âNow, Iâm your father,â Ethan jeered.
âEthan, I knew from the outset that you and Miss Taylor were doomed to end. It turns out I was right.â Holmes continued. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âIâm with your mother, itâs none of your business.â Ethan snorted.
Eventually, Holmes couldnât endure any longer.
His face darkened, and he coldly retorted, âEthan, you used to call me Mr. Holmes with respectânow that youâve advanced to the half-step Martial Marquis, do you think youâre invincible?â
âHow was I supposed to know you were a beast then?â Ethan scoffed.
Narrowing his eyes, Holmes muttered, âEthan, you truly know no fear. I shouldâve ended you when I had the chance.â
Ethan laughed coldly, âYouâre welcome to try. I remember clearly the contempt in your eyes.â
Arching a brow, Holmes enquired, âYou think you can best me?â
âYouâre more than welcome to try!â With a roar of anger, Ethanâs qi burst forth.
Emerson Holmes remained silent, his face as cold as ice.
In the end, he did not throw a punch.
âThis is Capital City Martial Arts Associationâs territory, out of respect for Miss Taylor, I can let your provocation pass.â Holmes said icily.
âGet the hell out if you donât want to get arrested!â
Ethan chuckled, âCapital City Martial Arts Associationâs territory? You have no claim over these public resources. Whoever seizes it, owns it.â
With narrowed eyes, Holmes retorted, âEthan, are you trying to make an enemy out of the Capital City Martial Arts Association?â
âHolmes, Iâm well aware of the despicable deeds committed by your association.â Ethan sneered, âSending spies after me, plotting to kill me secretly, do you think Iâm unaware?â
âFight against you all? Are we supposed to be friends now?â
Holmesâ countenance turned gloomy; after a moment, he coldly uttered, âIt seems the higher-ups were right; you cannot be spared.â
This caught Ethanâs attention.
He glanced at Holmes, his voice laced with confusion, âWhat do you mean?â
Ignoring Ethanâs question, Holmes changed the subject, âSo, youâre not planning to leave today?â
âWhat do you think?â Ethan responded.
He walked directly to the young man and woman, helping them to their feet.
âDonât worry about them. The Capital City Martial Arts Association tries to portray itself as a neutral organization, when in reality theyâre just a bunch of beasts that use their power to bully others.â Ethan said sharpley.
Admiration filled the eyes of the young man and woman as they glanced towards Ethan.
âAre you Ethan Smith? People always say that Ethan Smith doesnât discriminate; it seems to be true!â The two exclaimed excitedly.
âDonât celebrate too early; be careful not to choose the wrong side.â Holmes cautioned coldly.
Upon hearing this, the pairâs faces instantly changed.
âDonât worry, I will keep you safe.â Ethan said lightly.
Emerson Holmes sneered, yet didnât say anything.
From this point, a confrontation had begun in the martial arts world between the common people, represented by Ethan, and the wealthy elites, represented by prominent families.
Gazing at the mountainous terrain, Ethan attempted to sense its qi.
However, he discovered that standing here, he couldnât sense any qi at all.
This left Ethan greatly puzzled.
Normally, a Dragon Vein should be a meeting point of qi. How was it possible he did not sense any qi?
âStrange, this isnât quite as I imagined,â the mustached man muttered, holding a map.
Ethan glanced at him and asked, âHave you discovered something?â
The mustached man quickly jumped aside, muttering, âIâm not that familiar with you. I canât let you drag me down, I still have big plans and cannot afford to die.â
Ethan rolled his eyes, âTurns out youâre a coward.â
âWell of course!â
The mustached man seemed inexplicably proud of his fear of death. Ethan couldnât be bothered to engage him further and stayed in the vicinity to observe the situation, much like Emerson Holmes and the others.
âMr. Smith, can we really follow you?â At that moment, the young man and woman stepped forward.
Ethan looked at them and responded, âIâll try to protect you on this journey. As for the matter of following me⦠weâll discuss that later.â
Currently, Ethanâs top priority was his showdown with Dexter Blair.
Whether or not they could follow him wasnât something to worry about just yet.
After a brief self-introduction, it was revealed that the young man and woman were siblings. The boy was called Jovani Kirby and the girl, Amiya Kirby. Both of their skills were on par with a Grandmaster, showing a decent amount of potential.
They stayed close to Ethan, following him wherever he went.
Time flew by, and Ethan had spent an hour observing without being able to figure out what was strange about the Dragon Vein.
âNo wonder itâs an uninhabited area,â sighed Ethan.
Normally, a Dragon Vein should be a place blessed by both men and earth.
However, this place didnât have a shred of qi; how could it be a Dragon Vein?
If it werenât for the Pavilion Masterâs information, who would think that this desolate place is a Dragon Vein?
Maybe thatâs exactly why the Dragon Vein has been preserved until now.
âHmmâ¦so thatâs how it is,â the mustached man mumbled to himself.
Rubbing his chin, he cheerfully announced, âIâm going to make a fortune today!â
Ethan glanced at him, remarking, âMake a fortune? You think people from the Capital City Martial Arts Association are going to take this lying down? Watch out that you donât end up losing your life before you manage to make your fortune.â
The man wasnât bothered, he muttered, âIâm not going to the Dragon Vein, why would they want my life?â
âNot going to the Dragon Vein? Then what are you doing here?â Ethan asked casually.
The man quickly wave his hands, saying, âNothing, just talking nonsense.â
Ethan didnât take much stock of his words, given that the man was always a bit crazy.
âEthan Smith!â
Suddenly, a shout came from a distance.
Turning to look, they saw a young man, not even twenty, striding towards Ethan.
The young man was none other than Soren Taylor.
âWhat do you want?â Ethan asked indifferently.
Soren stood with his hands behind him, smiled faintly and asked, âI heard that you, at the peak form of a Grandmaster, beat a half-step Martial Marquis, is that so?â
âSo what if it is, so what if itâs not?â Ethan queried.
Before Soren could respond, Holmes interjected, âTaylor, youâre not his match, donât act rashly.â
âIf he can defeat a half-step Martial Marquis as a Grandmaster, then why canât I!â Soren retorted.