Chapter 70: A Clandestine Seizure [Second Recommended Update]

"No... no, I don't want to die. Please, let me go. I can give you all my treasures. I have a seventh-rank crystal core, I have the Dragon Claw Technique!"

The old man in a traditional suit, his voice hoarse with fear, pleaded with the terrifying young man before him, trembling all over. This youth was simply too frightening.

He was only at the third rank, yet he could so easily pin him against the wall, leaving him utterly powerless. That alone proved the young man's strength. He might appear to be at the third rank, but surely he was hiding his true power. Even the head of the Heaven's Evil Sect had been killed by this youth—what kind of monster was he? Never had he heard of a seventeen-year-old boy who could pin a seventh-rank expert to the wall without any resistance.

"Jiuzhou City isn't safe right now. What is this F Organization?"

Luffy's face was grave as he questioned the old man.

"F Organization? I haven't heard of it... I truly don't know," the old man replied, his face full of dread.

"You don't know? Then you can die."

Luffy's hand suddenly exerted force—"Crack!"—and under the shadowy balcony, flames erupted. The seventh-rank old man was instantly obliterated by Luffy.

The fire flashed and disappeared.

No one would have expected that a seventh-rank elder would be killed with a single strike by a youth of the third rank.

If anyone had witnessed it, their eyes would have nearly popped out of their heads.

Luffy glanced at the ashes and items left behind, crouched down, and picked them up. To his delight, there was a seventh-rank crystal core—equivalent to a million first-rank cores. What a stroke of luck.

Then, he found a martial arts manual, the Dragon Claw Technique, which he pocketed, as well as a bottle of pills. He collected everything and stashed them in his spatial ring.

After erasing all traces from the balcony, he turned and headed home.

Moonlight drifted like silk, and the night was hazy.

Luffy walked along the path back, in excellent spirits, when he caught sight of a group of people approaching in the distance. Clearly, they too were after the spatial ring.

Moreover, they were from the Wang family.

There were five of them, all masked.

"Damn, these people really are throwing their lives away for treasure," Luffy muttered as he walked toward them. If they wanted to take the spatial ring he’d given Qin Bailing, they’d have to get through him first. He donned a black outfit and covered his face before approaching them.

"Hey, you guys are after Qin Bailing's spatial ring too, aren't you?"

Luffy lowered his voice, addressing the five before him.

"Wow, we thought we were well hidden, but you found us. You must be skilled too. Yes, we're here for the ring, but Qin Bailing hasn't appeared yet, so we haven't figured out how to act," whispered the man on the left.

"What nonsense are you spouting, blurting out our plan like that?" the second man on the left berated him. "We don’t even know if he’s friend or foe." He eyed Luffy warily.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? I'm not here to compete with you for the ring. I just want to know—who sent you?" Luffy asked with genuine curiosity. Was it Wang Third Young Master, Wang Second Young Master, or Wang First Young Master?

"Haha, you really don’t know, huh? Our Wang family is about to ally with the Li family to deal with the incoming high-rank zombies. And no, we're not from Wang Third Young Master—he’s too infatuated with Qin Bailing to send people to steal her ring. We're from Wang First Young Master," the man on the left replied with a chuckle.

"Damn!"

The second man on the left was furious. He couldn't believe how foolish his companion was, blurting out their master's name. Kicking the idiot aside, he snapped, "Who the hell are you? Don't pretend with us. You clearly don't share our goal!"

"Who am I?" Luffy sneered, removing the black cloth from his face.

His true appearance stunned the remaining four, leaving them speechless. None of them had expected it to be him.

"You... aren't you Luffy, the one who stole the spotlight at Qin Bailing's birthday banquet? What do you want?" The second man on the left was startled, but upon seeing that Luffy was only at the initial stage of the third rank, he calmed down and even stopped stuttering.

"But you're only at the third rank. In our eyes, you’re nothing but a minor character. Are you looking to die? Daring to play tricks with us? That spatial ring in Qin Bailing’s hand is as good as ours. You’d better get lost, or we’ll deal with you after we finish our business."

"Heh... you really have no idea. Let me tell you—do you know what happened to Li Chaodan’s master? I killed him. Now it’s your turn. Anyone who dares covet what I gave Qin Bailing will never return," Luffy said, his eyes growing cold.

"You must be joking. You killed Li Chaodan’s master? You, a third-rank nobody, are all talk. The rest is just boasting," the masked men laughed. They'd seen arrogance before, but nothing like this—claiming to have killed Li Chaodan’s master. Such a powerful figure could never have been defeated by a mere third rank. This youth must be out of his mind.

"Die."

Luffy had no interest in further conversation. With that word, dragon energy swept toward the four masked men.

Screams echoed. In an instant, the four were reduced to ashes.

Then,

Luffy stepped up to the foolish masked man who had been kicked aside and flicked a bit of dragon energy at him.

The air grew scorching hot, engulfing the man in flames and burning him to death.

Those who dared to steal from him truly did not know their place. Wang First Young Master? He'd deal with him in due time.

Seeing that none of them carried anything valuable, Luffy shook his hand dismissively, turned away, and vanished without a trace.

He made his way home; the night grew silent, and no one else came seeking trouble.

Wang First Young Master—Wang Shi—repeatedly tried to call his subordinates via satellite phone, but none of the calls went through. He knew then that everyone he’d sent had perished.

His face was cold and grim.

Meanwhile, Li Chaodan sat on a sofa, gazing at the rift in the blackened sky, lost in thought over all that had occurred. That youth named Luffy was simply extraordinary.

Never had he imagined that the one who had always bested him—and whose assassins he sent had all been wiped out—could, even in terms of wealth, outshine him, all while being only at the third rank.

Tonight had been a nightmare for him. In front of the woman he loved most, Qin Bailing, he’d been utterly humiliated. He was so furious that the glass wine goblet in his hand was crushed to pieces.

Shards of glass fell to the floor, but he paid them no mind.

His heart ached as though cut by a knife. He had to find a way to turn the tables—he could not allow that youth to continue as he pleased.

****

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(End of chapter)