Chapter 10: Martial Grandmaster

"You're asking to die." A cold glint flashed through Liam Cutmore's eyes as he moved without hesitation. He hated having a gun pointed at his head. So kill. "I'm pretty sure the one asking to die is you." Jasper Good's expression hardened when Liam advanced instead of backing off. He squeezed the trigger without a second thought. "Bang!" A bullet screamed out. Beyond seven steps, the gun was fast. Within seven steps, it was faster, and dead accurate. Liam was as good as dead. The hope that had just sparked in Stella Quiney's chest dimmed to ash. Unless he was a Martial Grandmaster, there was no way flesh and blood could contend with a firearm. And Liam was so young. How could he possibly be a Martial Grandmaster? Was she really going to die here today? Then, something unbelievable happened. Liam caught the bullet with his bare hand. In the same breath, his figure blurred like a phantom, and he was already in front of Jasper Good. Jasper did not even get a chance to react before Liam's fingers clamped around his throat like iron. "N-no… that's impossible…" Jasper finally tasted fear. The scream tore out of him. That was a bullet. He caught it. With his hand. Was he really a Martial Grandmaster? "Young Mr. Good…" "Bastard! Let go of Young Mr. Good!" "Die!" Jasper Good's bodyguards burst forward all at once. Their job was to keep him safe. If anything happened to him, the Good family would bury them. "Get lost." Liam's voice dropped like thunder. He stamped his right foot, and a terrifying surge of True Energy rippled out. He had truly snapped. In an instant, the dozen-plus bodyguards, all Fifth-Grade Martial Artists, had their Energy Centers shattered. They flew backward like broken dolls. Stella's eyes snapped wide, light flooding back into them. She had not expected Liam to be this brutal. Catching a bullet barehanded. Killing a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist in a single move. Everything pointed to one conclusion. He was the real deal, a genuine Martial Grandmaster. But what thrilled her most was not just that her crisis had been resolved. It was that she had met a Martial Grandmaster this young. If she could befriend him, the danger hanging over her would be lifted for good. "If you've got a trump card, use it. All of it." Liam's voice sounded low and steady, like death itself. "If you don't… then it's time to go." Jasper felt as if the Grim Reaper had him by the throat. His arrogance vanished without a trace. Trembling, he forced out, "I admit you're strong, but I'm from the Good family. You can't touch me." "Otherwise, the Good family won't let you off." Liam gave a contemptuous snort. "The Good family. So what?" "If they dare come, I'll wipe them out too." He tightened his grip. Crack. Jasper Good's neck snapped. From beginning to end, Liam's expression barely changed, as if killing the eldest son of the Good family was no different from wringing the neck of a chicken. "What?" "You… you actually killed Young Mr. Good?" Trey Lawes stared in horror, his face drained of color. That was the Good family's eldest son. How did he dare? Stella was shaken as well. Even a Martial Grandmaster should not be this unrestrained. She opened her mouth, about to warn him- "Mmm… ah!" A sultry moan slipped from her lips. Her cheeks flushed a deep red. Her breathing turned ragged. Heat rolled through her body until it was almost unbearable. She clawed at her collar, yanking it open and exposing a swath of pale skin. "Ms. Quiney…" Ruby's face tightened with worry. She hurried to pull Stella into her arms, but she had no idea what to do. She could tell at a glance. Stella had been drugged with an aphrodisiac. And it was not something a woman could treat. "Move. I'll handle it." Liam had already recognized how serious it was. He strode over. "Sir… that might not be appropriate." Ruby lowered her voice, clearly thinking he meant that kind of solution. "Don't get ideas," Liam said, exasperated. "I don't need to sleep with her. I can cure her anyway." "Uh…" Ruby's ears burned. "Sir, I'm sorry. I misjudged you." She did not hesitate after that. She immediately handed Stella over to him. The moment Liam showed what he could do, Ruby had believed in him completely. And shame stabbed at her for how rude she had been earlier. A man this strong, yet he had tolerated her disrespect. That meant he was broad-minded, an upright man. Someone worth trusting. And Liam did exactly what she expected. He only used Floating Cloud Hands. His palms moved rapidly over Stella's curvy body, patting and striking in quick succession. Sometimes his hand brushed places that should not have been touched. Yet the feverish flush on Stella's face faded like a receding tide. Not long after, she returned to normal and let out a long breath. "Sir, I'll never forget this kindness," Stella said as she slowly stood, tears shining in her eyes. "In the future, no matter what you need, just say the word. The entire Stella Group will do everything we can to help." "There's no need to repay me," Liam said. "Just be smarter next time." With that, he turned his gaze to Trey Lawes. Already trembling, Trey met Liam's icy stare and felt his soul leave his body. With a thud, he dropped to his knees. "I-I was wrong, sir." "Please… please spare me this once." "As long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything." Liam frowned in impatience. "Enough. Pay back what you owe the Yale family. Now." What he owed the Yale family… Trey froze, then exhaled hard. So he was here to collect a debt. That was manageable. "I'll pay! I'll pay right away!" Trey fumbled out a bank card and offered it with both hands. "Sir, I owe the Yale family thirty million. This card has fifty million. The extra twenty million is my… my respect to you." Liam shook his head, cold and unmoved. "Not enough." Trey's heart sank. If he wanted to live, he would have to bleed for it. He gritted his teeth, then pulled out two more cards. "Sir, one hundred million. That should be enough, right?" Seeing how clueless he still was, Liam smiled thinly. "Three hundred million. One cent short, and I'll take a piece of you." "Pfft!" Trey Lawes spat a mouthful of blood, furious to the point of shaking. Damn it! He was the loan shark, but even he had never been this ruthless! A thirty-million debt turned into three hundred million. This was a vampire.