Chapter 10: The Mysterious Black Gold Society

Words : 1805 Updated : Dec 11th, 2025

Every one of them wore tight black clothes and a black mask, machetes gleaming cold in their hands. The leader stepped forward two paces, voice like ice. "All here, huh? Good. Then none of you are leaving." Murphy Scurr's face went ashen. He grabbed Asher Jauncy's arm. "Asher! They're here for the Scurr family! Get Maria out of here-don't worry about me! As long as you two make it out alive, everything the Scurrs own will be yours one day! Please, protect Maria!" He had lived a long life and weathered countless storms. But these men looked like professional killers. They would show no mercy. He didn't care if he died. He would not let his granddaughter be harmed. Maria Scurr panicked; she had never faced anything like this. She clutched Asher's shoulder. Asher's tone stayed as calm as if nothing had happened. "Why panic? They're just a few ants. I won't need a minute to deal with them. Get behind the car, so you don't get splashed." "A minute?" Murphy and Maria stared, stunned. Even the leader barked out a laugh. The kid had to be scared stupid, right? A dozen men with blades, and he claimed he'd finish them in a minute? The leader sneered. "Kid, you really picked the worst time to brag. Today you learn what it means to be at death's door. Brothers, go! Cut down this arrogant whelp first!" As his words fell, several masked men lifted their machetes and charged. Blades sliced through the air with a hard whoosh, driving straight for Asher's chest. Maria cried out, "Asher, careful!" Before she finished, there came a series of muffled impacts-thud, thud, thud-and then shrill screams. When they focused again, both of them went slack-jawed. The three who had rushed in lay sprawled on the ground, their machetes tossed aside. Asher stood right where he had been. He hadn't even shifted a foot. "That's it?" He arched a brow, contempt in his voice. "Didn't your boss tell you not to provoke people you can't afford to?" The rest froze; even the leader stood dumbfounded. How was that possible? Three men charged, and they didn't even brush his clothes? What kind of monster was this guy? "Don't just stand there! All together! He's one man-wear him down if you have to!" Panicking, the leader raised his machete and rushed in. The others snapped out of it and surged after him. Asher moved even faster than before, slipping between them like a gust of wind. Murphy and Maria widened their eyes, trying to track him in that tangle of black figures, but they couldn't even catch his silhouette. "Ah! My hand!" "My knee! It's killing me!" "Stop! I surrender!" In under half a minute, the dozen masked men lay across the ground in a mangled mess. Not one could stand. Only the leader was still upright, his machete shaking like a leaf. He backed away, step after step. He suddenly whipped around and bolted for the trees. Asher smiled, stepped forward, and flicked out a foot. The leader pitched down with a heavy thud, his machete skittering away. Asher planted his boot on the man's chest, heel pressing over the heart, his voice glacial. "Talk. Who sent you? Andrew Zorn?" Pinned under that weight, the leader wheezed, yet still forced out a snarl, eyes blazing. "Don't get cocky! We're with the Black Gold Society! Touch me, and Albert Lawes won't spare you! The Scurrs are about to be wiped out. By then you'll be crying too late!" "Black Gold Society?" Murphy's face drained even further. He stepped back, muttering under his breath. "How could it be the Black Gold Society? The Zorn family actually hooked up with them…" Maria tugged Asher's sleeve and spoke quickly, low. "Asher, the Black Gold Society is Zerton's number one underground force-over a thousand members. They run smuggling and loan-sharking, and their methods are vicious. "Any family that crossed them came to a bad end. "Even their chairman, Albert Lawes-no one knows his real name. He's frighteningly mysterious and powerful, the one person in Zerton you can't afford to offend. Even the four great families pay protection money to the Black Gold Society." Murphy's expression edged into despair. If the Black Gold Society made a move, almost no family in Zerton could withstand it. And this time, the Scurr family had become their target. No wonder even Kevin Warth had urged Asher to cut ties with the Scurrs. "Asher, we will remember what you've done for us. Before this blows up, take Maria and leave Zerton." After thinking it through, Murphy could only find that one way out. As long as Maria survived, the Scurr family wouldn't be finished. "This Black Gold Society sounds interesting." Asher didn't move, as if weighing something. The leader mistook it for fear and hurried to bluster, "So you finally know what you're up against. I'm a core member of the Black Gold Society-Albert Lawes's nephew! "Be smart and let me go! Get on your knees and kowtow three times, apologize, and maybe I'll plead with Albert Lawes to let you die quickly. Otherwise, he'll wipe out everyone in the Scurr family-no survivors!" He grew more and more arrogant. The Black Gold Society's name in Zerton was no joke. But he had barely finished when he saw a thin, cold smile hook at Asher's mouth, eyes freezing over. "You still don't understand your situation." Asher didn't raise his voice, but the chill in it made blood run cold. He stamped down. Crack! A crisp snap of bone cut through the night. The leader's eyes bulged. His head lolled to the side, and his breath stopped. Asher lifted his foot slowly. He didn't spare the corpse a glance, only muttered with disgust, "Noisy." Murphy and Maria stared, stunned, mouths open wide enough to fit an egg. They hadn't imagined Asher would actually dare kill a member of the Black Gold Society-and do it that cleanly, without a flicker of hesitation. "Asher… Asher? You killed someone from the Black Gold Society?" Murphy felt the sky collapsing. Seeing their alarm, Asher just cocked a brow, utterly indifferent. "We're already on their bad side. Killing him changes nothing." At that, Murphy and Maria both nodded reflexively. The Black Gold Society had already pressed a blade to the Scurr family's throat. Letting this group go would only set a tiger free. "This isn't far from the Scurrs. Let's head back." The three didn't bother with the car and set off on foot toward the Scurr family. They reached Scurr Villa quickly, and Murphy frowned. It was deep into the night, yet the Scurr estate blazed with light.

Chapter 10: The Mysterious Black Gold Society

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