"Ryan, if you don't want me to go, I absolutely won't go. Don't worry!" Seeing Ryan Ling's face so dark, Sophie Su immediately shook her head.
Ryan said nothing, but he was clearly annoyed. As the son of Lord Yama and now someone whose strength surpassed even grandmasters, how could he let anyone touch his girl?
"Alright, Ryan, stop looking so scary. I, Sophie Su, swear to the heavens—I'll only ever love you in this life. I won't even glance at any other man!" Sophie looked at Ryan nervously, then dove into his arms like a frightened rabbit.
Ryan steadied himself and quickly withdrew his aura. Having just broken through the first layer of the Purgatory Soul-Suppressing Art, his presence now could really unsettle people—especially someone as delicate as Sophie.
"It's fine, I'm not that petty. You're not some caged bird I keep locked away. You can go—but only if I get to be your dance partner!" Ryan finally snapped out of it.
"Mm, balls like this are rare. All the big names in Harbor City will be there. Now that I'm acting chair of Su Group, if I don't go, it's disrespectful. But showing up is enough to give them face—choosing my dance partner is up to me!" Hearing Ryan say that, Sophie finally relaxed and immediately grabbed his arm.
"Alright, that's settled then—I’ll go with you. With me there, no one will dare mess with you. And if that so-called master can really help your grandpa, I’ll figure out a way to deal with him!" Ryan said, though a wave of unease suddenly hit him. He couldn't shake the feeling that this master had some hidden agenda in Harbor City.
"Good, with you around, I’m not worried about anything. It’s getting late, let’s go to bed—want to try again?" Sophie cheered up and shot Ryan a flirty look.
"If I told you a terrifying being warned me that if I sleep with you, he’ll chop off my little bro right away—would you believe it?" Ryan sighed helplessly.
"Believe you? I’d believe in ghosts first! Tomorrow when we’re back in Harbor City, I’m definitely calling a specialist for you. We have to cure your problem!" Sophie huffed, clearly fed up.
Ryan hung his head, cursing Lord Yama, the System, and Granny Soul all at once. If this kept up, something was going to blow sooner or later!
...
Right now, at a lakeside villa on East Lake in Harbor City, the venue for the elite ball was already set up—classic European style everywhere, with elegant floor-to-ceiling windows and a bronze piano. The luxury was enough to make anyone stop and stare.
At a round table by the window, two rich young masters were sipping coffee. One of them, wearing a plaid shirt, gray vest, and slicked-back hair, was none other than Drake Long—the star of tomorrow’s ball, son of Logan Long, Hall Master of the Azure Dragon Society’s Mystery Hall.
Across from him sat his cousin, Brandon Feng—the same guy Ryan had slapped silly in Peachvale County a few days back.
Brandon took a sip of coffee, gritting his teeth. "Bro, your move is genius—demanding that chick as your dance partner, making her drink and dance with you. I hear she’s pretty hot. Why not just take her to bed tonight?"
Drake Long gave a sly smile. "Hey, her grandpa begged me to make it rain and cool things down—sure, I’ll help, but his granddaughter has to keep me company."
"Exactly! The best part is, her boyfriend is that bastard Ryan Ling. Just thinking about that punk makes me want to skin him alive!" Brandon couldn’t help touching his own face—even now, his cheek was still swollen.
"Easy, cousin. Show some class, will you? We’re top-tier elites—what’s that kid compared to us? If we’re going to crush him, we’ll do it slow. The ball is just the beginning!" Drake Long looked calm as ever, straightening his vest and adding smugly, "Honestly, having that chick as my dance partner is doing her a favor. If she wasn’t decent-looking, she’d never get the chance to dance—or sleep—with me."
"You’re right, bro—you’re a real gentleman, the Asian dance king, an international award winner! These Harbor City bumpkins probably haven’t even seen someone like you before. In a couple days, let them all see what real talent looks like. Who knows, maybe that chick will throw herself at you after seeing your moves!" Brandon Feng immediately started sucking up.
"Enough. The Azure Dragon Society has already lost face twice because of that kid. This time, we’re going to rip out all his allies by the roots. My dad’s organizing a martial arts tournament across seven cities in Jiangdong Province, and he made it clear—Harbor City’s riffraff have gotten too bold. Not only do we need to crush that punk, we have to put the whole Harbor City martial world back in its place. Anyone who goes up against the Azure Dragon Society will always be at the bottom!" Drake Long clenched his fist.
"Uncle Logan and you are real masterminds—I can’t even compare. I just hope I can follow you and do my part!" Hearing Drake mention Logan Long, Brandon Feng immediately straightened up.
"Don’t sell yourself short. You may have lost face in Peachvale, but if you help me take down that brat and restore the Azure Dragon Society’s prestige in Harbor City, I’ll make sure my dad gives you at least an Incense Master slot. That bald loser Li embarrassed us last time—his spot will be yours soon enough!" Drake Long finished, and Brandon’s excitement was written all over his face.
...
By noon the next day, Ryan and the group finally wrapped up their Peachvale trip and returned to Harbor City.
Harvey “Million” Jin had planned to come along for some fun in Harbor City, but his father-in-law wanted to stay in Peachvale for health reasons, so he had to bail. He’d just signed for a villa in Greencrest Garden and finished setting up the Ghost Bureau there, so someone had to manage it, and the house needed renovations. Warren Yuan also had to stay behind to buy jade in Peachvale, so Ryan left him there.
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^ Please click next page to continue reading!
Lily Liu was still running her country inn, and business was booming. She’d thought about taking a few days off, but with the current tourism craze, she probably wouldn’t get a break for months.
Back in Harbor City, Ryan immediately felt the heat. Just like Sophie Su said, this year Harbor City was like an oven—during the day, not a soul outside, and even the asphalt looked ready to melt.
The temperature was at least forty degrees, and it had been like this for half a month. Sophie hadn’t been home in days, so she went back to take care of family business. Jason Lin returned to the Axe Club, and the brothers split up for now. Ryan took Frank Qin back to his own little house.
As they say, gold nests and silver nests are nothing compared to your own doghouse. Back at home, Ryan could finally relax and let loose. He even cut off a few pieces of snake meat for his neighbor Seven Wang. Word was, Seven Wang had been really lucky in love lately—he’d started dating someone, a solid woman around thirty-eight or thirty-nine who treated Molly Wang well. But looking at her face, and then Seven Wang’s pale complexion, Ryan could tell she was the energetic type.
That snake meat was just what Seven Wang needed.
With snake meat and liquor, tonight he’d be ready to go three hundred rounds.
Seven Wang even wanted Ryan to join him for drinks, but Ryan politely declined.
Back in his room, Ryan grabbed a quick bite and collapsed onto the bed. Even zombie Ryan was exhausted—he sprawled out on a makeshift board and started snoring.
Time to get some sleep!
Ryan didn’t bother overthinking. But just as he lay down, a shrill voice suddenly rang in his ear.
"The Special Item Store is open again! Welcome, shoppers—just step inside for a free premium gift, first come first served!"
Hearing that, Ryan shot up from bed. He’d waited two weeks for the store to reopen, but the memory of Granny Soul extorting ninety-five thousand Merit Points still stung. Still, a free premium gift was too good to pass up.
Without a second thought, Ryan clicked right in—and instantly, a gift dropped into his inventory.
"Congratulations! You’ve received the Supreme Dance-King Shoes from our store. Put them on and you’ll have the style of a world-class dance king…"