49 Shall we dance?

One of her female bodyguards couldn't help but stared at him, utterly shocked. Meanwhile, Gaya desperately tried to pinch his hand, subtly signaling that the girl they were dealing with held significant sway, and caution was in order. However, she couldn't help but admire his audacity when it came to getting on the wrong side of attractive but difficult women.

Furthermore, his sheer nerve was commendable. Not many would dare to speak so brazenly in front of Bradford's most irrational and overbearing young lady.

The girl locked her fierce gaze onto him and issued a thinly veiled threat, "Do you even know who I am? I'm not in the best of moods today, and if you're not careful, I can assist you in parting with some of those precious bones of yours."

"Bloody hell, this bitch is hell-bent on dying," Gaya muttered under her breath while discreetly grabbing Michael's hand.

"Look here, Lady Jane, Daughter of Baron Totonk." Gaya added the last part as an unnecessary but informative flourish to clue Michael into the girl's identity.

He was visibly taken aback, muttering a curse under his breath at his rotten luck. Nevertheless, he was in too deep now to back down without appearing utterly spineless.

The boy who had been trailing the girl found himself in a state of shock. He vividly remembered that Jane Totonk, the young lady before him, was the notorious terror of Bradford. He had borne witness to her wrath in the past, having been on the receiving end of a severe beating due to his affection for her. That thrashing had left him bedridden for nearly a week.

"Let's not forget, without your father's precious Baron title, you're just another girl with an inflated ego. Now, if you'll excuse me," Michael interjected, swiveling his gaze toward Manager Ti, eager to make a hasty exit. He feared that if Jane continued to being a bitch, he might end up losing his patience and resort to violence.

Jane's face flushed crimson with anger, and she appeared on the verge of launching herself at him for a physical confrontation. Gaya had heard that, despite her young age, Jane possessed formidable combat skills. She had mastered powerful spells and fighting techniques that could easily overpower a typical Body Refining stage level 5 cultivator. However, Gaya recognized that Michael was far from ordinary. He had the capacity not only to defeat Jane but also kill her bodyguards.

"Hahaha." Jane's laughter took on a manic quality. "I'm eager to witness how you'll speak when my guards have knocked every last tooth from your mouth," she taunted Michael before turning to address her entourage. "I want to see him beg for mercy. As for his wench, toss her out of my store."

"Whore? Fuck this. Human, kill them all!" Gaya lost all restraint upon being branded a whore. She couldn't fathom how someone like Jane, a mere baron's daughter, could publicly insult her in front of a crowd, especially when she considered herself a princess and prodigy.

"Hold on!" Michael raised his hand, commanding the guards to halt their advance.

"You aren't seriously considering begging, are you?" Jane maintained her haughty demeanor, her gaze fixed squarely on him.

""Why don't we take this fight outside?" Michael suggested, acknowledging that a confrontation was now inevitable. He aimed to maximize the spectacle. Engaging in a fight indoors would limit the audience to the few dozen present, but taking it outside would expose his actions to a larger crowd, potentially earning him more badass points.

Although he was fully aware that facing off against this arrogant girl would likely result in adverse consequences, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of accumulating more badass points from the impending brawl.

In that moment, the girl and her retinue of bodyguards resembled sheep marching toward a lion, blissfully unaware of the impending slaughter. Gaya recognized that there was no stopping Michael now, as Jane had sealed her own fate with her reckless words.

"Why did you have to mess with him? You may be a significant figure in Bradford, but you've picked the wrong human to mess with," Gaya chided Jane, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Jane contemplated for a brief moment as she regarded the audacious expression on the young man's face. "If you want the entire city to witness my guards beat the crap out of you, so be it," she declared without hesitation, displaying her remarkable boldness.

"Miss..." One of Jane's female bodyguards tentatively tugged at her sleeve, trying to dissuade her. The female guard wasn't privy to Jane's motivations for challenging the young man. However, upon observing his attire—a distinctive black outfit—she was reminded of a notorious figure known as Ghost, who had massacred the entire Blood and Bone sect, including its Sect Master Ralphy. Rumors had circulated that Ghost wore a distinctive black outfit, similar to what the young man was currently clad in.

Uncertain of her ability to defeat this potential Ghost, the female guard also recalled hearing stories about his exploits during the Heaven's Gate competition, marking him as a prodigious fighter with unpredictable tendencies.

Jane, however, was undeterred by caution. With eagerness in her voice, she taunted, "Bring it on, then."

Michael remained calm and impassive, his face revealing no emotion, while Jane's bodyguards exchanged glances and offered strained smiles. They proceeded towards the exit of the building, with the curious crowd trailing behind. None of them wanted to miss the impending spectacle, and the bodyguards, in particular, couldn't help but feel pity for the young man. 

They attributed his current predicament to his unfortunate combination of bad luck and a sharp tongue, as he had provoked Jane, a well-known figure in Bradford notorious for her arrogance.

Despite her knowledge of Jane's reputation, Gaya suspected that the girl had intentionally provoked Ghost. She couldn't help but wonder about Jane's motives and intended to inquire further once Michael had instilled sufficient fear in her by dispatching her guards.

As they stepped outside, they immediately drew the attention of passersby on the street. The expressions on the faces of those who recognized Jane underwent a dramatic change, turning ashen with shock and trepidation.

"Oh no, it's that troublesome Jane!"

"Shush! If she hears you, she will kill you,"

"Hey, look, it's Ghost!"

"Why is he with her?"

The crowd buzzed with questions and concerns, their reactions a mix of curiosity and fear as they observed Jane's presence.

In Bradford, Baron Totonk wielded authority and influence greater than even the King of Bredia himself. This supremacy wasn't due to Baron Totonk's personal leadership skills, but rather because of Jane's grandfather, Reginald Totonk, a formidable Core Formation cultivator at level 7. Reginald was among the select few individuals within the Bredia Kingdom who possessed the strength to rival the kingdom's finest warriors.

Jane, as the sole daughter of the Totonk family, had three brothers serving in the military and two uncles who held prominent positions as generals in the army. The collective might of the Totonk family was not to be underestimated. Being the only daughter, she had been lavishly pampered, which had contributed to her becoming spoiled and conceited. Nonetheless, she possessed extraordinary skills, with her Arch Energy cultivation reaching a superior level despite her young age.

Her reputation among the people had earned her the moniker 'Alpha Girl,' a testament to her strong feminist mindset and her tendency to look down upon males. Many Young Masters present at the scene had experienced bitter encounters with her in the past. Furthermore, she frequently associated with one of Bredia's prodigies, Celina.

"Young man, if you want to blame someone, blame your bad luck," one of Jane's male guards retorted, directing his gaze at Michael.

"Oh, they're going to fight?"

"Who's that kid in black?"

"He's the one who won the Heaven's Gate competition, you moron – Ghost, the Ghost!"

"Holy shit!"

"Ghost vs. Devil!"

"Holy moly, what the hell is going on here?"

The crowd erupted in a frenzy of whispers and exclamations, their eyes fixed on the unfolding spectacle as they slowly backed away from the scene, hoping to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

"Human, beat them to near death, but do not kill them," Gaya whispered into Michael's ear before stepping away from him. Although he would have loved to disagree with Gaya, he knew she was right. Beating them to a pulp was already risky, and killing them would lead to disastrous consequences. At least until he became strong enough, he couldn't afford to be the number one target of the Baron. For now, he had to settle for only badass points, not experience points.

"I hope you have good health insurance." His smile unnerved the guard. Someone who could smile at a time like this must either be insane or incredibly powerful. Setting aside his doubts, the guard raised his sword and charged towards Michael.

Michael sneered as bolts of lightning shot from his fingertips. On the other side, a powerful aura enveloped the guard's body, emanating from his sword.

With the Responsive shield and Michael's current strength, there was no need for him to use his full power unless he wanted to kill the guard. He adjusted the power of the lightning bolts to be just enough to bring the guard to his knees and break a few bones in the process.

This was a battle between a Body Refining stage level 5 fighter and a Body Strengthening stage level 2 fighter!

The guard had just closed the gap to Michael, but in an instant, an enormous force enveloped him. His expression changed drastically as he realized that something was wrong.

"Lightning dash."

Thud, thud, thud!

The guard abruptly halted his steps when he saw the young man in front of him disappear, followed by a sharp and excruciating pain coursing through his entire body. The crowd could only witness a bolt of lightning dancing around the guard, who was bleeding profusely. Jane's face paled as she could see the brutal scene more clearly than the commoners. Michael was striking the guard relentlessly, with enough force to damage his metal armor and shatter his bones.

A few moments later, the guard's body started contorting in unnatural ways before he was sent flying several feet away. He crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, immediately coughing up a spurt of blood before losing consciousness.

The entire crowd fell into a deathly silence; one could hear a pin drop.

"Damn," Gaya exclaimed, raising her eyebrows as she looked at the bloodied bones protruding from the guard's body.

"Now, shall we dance?" Michael flicked his wrist, allowing the blood from the guard to splatter onto the ground.