Chapter 2019 by Marina Vittori

“Hmph! He’s just putting on a show! What’s so impressive?” Garrett grumbled under his breath as he watched Dustin’s receding figure.

A man wouldn’t reject the advances of a beautiful woman who approached willingly. Garrett believed that Dustin was merely putting on a noble act, presenting one side while hiding his true intentions in the shadows.

However, while he was displeased, he dared not act recklessly due to the significant gap in strength between them.

After muttering to himself, he departed with the members of the Black Scorpion Squad. Their expedition to the Deadlands this time had resulted in heavy losses.

Fortunately, they managed to secure a considerable amount of treasure. After selling their loot, it would undoubtedly leave them with wealth enough to last a lifetime.

“Seems like you got the wrong idea, Sophia. Dustin was never interested in you,” a disciple from the Embersteel Order mocked.

Sophia was undeniably beautiful but had a nasty character, marked by a malicious personality. Getting entangled with a woman like her would only lead to trouble.

“Hmph!” Sophia’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold expression.

Her attempts to use her charm on Dustin had failed repeatedly, fueling not just her anger but also a tinge of resentment. She refused to accept that she couldn’t capture a man’s heart.

“Sophia, it’s likely that Dustin’s heart already belongs to someone else. Moreover, he doesn’t even take the Drakes Dominion Order seriously with his abilities, let alone our sects,” Jackson reminded her.

Five years ago, Jackson fell for Sophia at first sight and couldn’t get her out of his head.

He was even so shameless as to beg his master to propose on his behalf. After paying a considerable price, the marriage proposal was finally accepted.

While he felt uncomfortable seeing Sophia’s attitude toward Dustin, he didn’t want to force anything on her.

It was reasonable for Sophia to be interested in someone as talented as Dustin, but they were worlds apart. A prodigy like Dustin was beyond the reach of a small sect like Harmony Sect.

“Sophia!” Right then, a voice called out from behind them.

When they turned, they saw a group of women dressed in Harmony Sect uniforms enter briskly.

At the forefront was a charming middle -aged woman adorned in lavish attire. She had the bearing of a strong, confident woman, causing onlookers to hesitate to meet her gaze directly.

Following closely behind her were two formidable-looking elderly ladies and a group of women spanning various ages.

They were the elites of Harmony Sect, and the middle-aged woman leading the group was none other than the sect leader, Bertha Peach.

While Bertha wasn’t one of the top martial artists in the Southwest, she was a grandmaster with a substantial reputation in the martial world.

“Master Peach? You’re finally here!” Sophia lit up in joy when she noticed the newcomers and hurriedly went to greet her.

“I immediately brought people over as soon as I received your call for help. Unfortunately, I couldn’t reach you all this time, so I had to wait in Dusthaven Village.

“How are you? Are you hurt?” Bertha examined her disciple, looking worried.

Sophia was her personal disciple and also the future successor of the Harmony Sect. Bertha had trained her since childhood, giving her special attention and guidance.

That was why Bertha was particularly concerned about her.

“Thank you for your concern, Master Peach, but I’m fine. There was no signal in the Deadlands, and we also encountered many challenges along the way. I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to inform you,” Sophia explained.

“It’s okay. Everything is fine as long as you’re safe.”

Bertha smiled and then asked, “Oh, by the way, where are your juniors? Why haven’t I seen any of them?”