Mrs. and Mr. Smith

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.

“Ethan Smith?” Holmes once-over Ethan, smiling faintly, “What brings you here?”

“What I do is none of your bloody business.” Ethan retorted callously.

Undeterred, Holmes responded with amusement, “I recall the last time I saw you, you were merely a master… Or even just a grandmaster?”

“Now, I’m your father,” Ethan jeered.

“Ethan, I knew from the outset that you and Miss Taylor were doomed to end. It turns out I was right.” Holmes continued.

“I’m with your mother, it’s none of your business.” Ethan snorted.

Eventually, Holmes couldn’t endure any longer.

His face darkened, and he coldly retorted, “Ethan, you used to call me Mr. Holmes with respect—now that you’ve advanced to the half-step Martial Marquis, do you think you’re invincible?”

“How was I supposed to know you were a beast then?” Ethan scoffed.

Narrowing his eyes, Holmes muttered, “Ethan, you truly know no fear. I should’ve ended you when I had the chance.”

Ethan laughed coldly, “You’re welcome to try. I remember clearly the contempt in your eyes.”

Arching a brow, Holmes enquired, “You think you can best me?”

“You’re more than welcome to try!” With a roar of anger, Ethan’s qi burst forth.

Emerson Holmes remained silent, his face as cold as ice.

In the end, he did not throw a punch.

“This is Capital City Martial Arts Association’s territory, out of respect for Miss Taylor, I can let your provocation pass.” Holmes said icily.

“Get the hell out if you don’t want to get arrested!”

Ethan chuckled, “Capital City Martial Arts Association’s territory? You have no claim over these public resources. Whoever seizes it, owns it.”

With narrowed eyes, Holmes retorted, “Ethan, are you trying to make an enemy out of the Capital City Martial Arts Association?”

“Holmes, I’m well aware of the despicable deeds committed by your association.” Ethan sneered, “Sending spies after me, plotting to kill me secretly, do you think I’m unaware?”

“Fight against you all? Are we supposed to be friends now?”

Holmes’ countenance turned gloomy; after a moment, he coldly uttered, “It seems the higher-ups were right; you cannot be spared.”

This caught Ethan’s attention.

He glanced at Holmes, his voice laced with confusion, “What do you mean?”

Ignoring Ethan’s question, Holmes changed the subject, “So, you’re not planning to leave today?”

“What do you think?” Ethan responded.

He walked directly to the young man and woman, helping them to their feet.

“Don’t worry about them. The Capital City Martial Arts Association tries to portray itself as a neutral organization, when in reality they’re just a bunch of beasts that use their power to bully others.” Ethan said sharpley.

Admiration filled the eyes of the young man and woman as they glanced towards Ethan.

“Are you Ethan Smith? People always say that Ethan Smith doesn’t discriminate; it seems to be true!” The two exclaimed excitedly.

“Don’t celebrate too early; be careful not to choose the wrong side.” Holmes cautioned coldly.

Upon hearing this, the pair’s faces instantly changed.

“Don’t worry, I will keep you safe.” Ethan said lightly.

Emerson Holmes sneered, yet didn’t 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 couldn’t 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?

“Strange, this isn’t quite as I imagined,” the mustached man muttered, holding a map.

Ethan glanced at him and asked, “Have you discovered something?”

The mustached man quickly jumped aside, muttering, “I’m not that familiar with you. I can’t let you drag me down, I still have big plans and cannot afford to die.”

Ethan rolled his eyes, “Turns out you’re a coward.”

“Well of course!”

The mustached man seemed inexplicably proud of his fear of death. Ethan couldn’t be bothered to engage him further and stayed in the vicinity to observe the situation, much like Emerson Holmes and the others.

“Mr. Smith, can we really follow you?” At that moment, the young man and woman stepped forward.

Ethan looked at them and responded, “I’ll try to protect you on this journey. As for the matter of following me… we’ll discuss that later.”

Currently, Ethan’s top priority was his showdown with Dexter Blair.

Whether or not they could follow him wasn’t 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.

“No wonder it’s an uninhabited area,” sighed Ethan.

Normally, a Dragon Vein should be a place blessed by both men and earth.

However, this place didn’t have a shred of qi; how could it be a Dragon Vein?

If it weren’t for the Pavilion Master’s information, who would think that this desolate place is a Dragon Vein?

Maybe that’s exactly why the Dragon Vein has been preserved until now.

“Hmm…so that’s how it is,” the mustached man mumbled to himself.

Rubbing his chin, he cheerfully announced, “I’m going to make a fortune today!”

Ethan glanced at him, remarking, “Make a fortune? You think people from the Capital City Martial Arts Association are going to take this lying down? Watch out that you don’t end up losing your life before you manage to make your fortune.”

The man wasn’t bothered, he muttered, “I’m not going to the Dragon Vein, why would they want my life?”

“Not going to the Dragon Vein? Then what are you doing here?” Ethan asked casually.

The man quickly wave his hands, saying, “Nothing, just talking nonsense.”

Ethan didn’t take much stock of his words, given that the man was always a bit crazy.

“Ethan Smith!”

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.

“What do you want?” Ethan asked indifferently.

Soren stood with his hands behind him, smiled faintly and asked, “I heard that you, at the peak form of a Grandmaster, beat a half-step Martial Marquis, is that so?”

“So what if it is, so what if it’s not?” Ethan queried.

Before Soren could respond, Holmes interjected, “Taylor, you’re not his match, don’t act rashly.”

“If he can defeat a half-step Martial Marquis as a Grandmaster, then why can’t I!” Soren retorted.