Ear

Was Winter's Edge, after years of peace, about to make their move?

Emily, with her silver blade, was able to kill without a sound.

However, that was far too lenient in her eyes.

[I want to see their fear and regret.]

Unbeknownst to Kane and Everett, the guards outside were dropping like flies.

The rapid bullets encircled Emily, leaving her no room to dodge.

Nevertheless, a miracle happened next, which left Tylem who was watching via the array in awe.

From worry, Tylem was now feeling amazement.

The air fissured as Emily's inner force manifested itself into the physical world.

Emily's foot was planted firmly in place, and she was indifferent before the flying bullets.

Covering Emily, a translucent barrier encased her, repelling the bullets.

"Drop."

The sound of the bullets falling was faint, but it was very loud in the ears of Kane and Everett.

Their hearts dropped.

Monster.

There wasn't a much better word to describe this black-coated woman standing in front of them.

Perhaps, a demon—maybe.

What kind of power did one need to have to repel bullets?

"You..." Kane trembled for the first time in years.

Everett was shocked to see his right-hand man displaying such a pathetic side.

Right now, this black-coated woman was giving Kane the same exact feeling as that accursed lady from back then...

The monstrous woman that embodied his nightmares.

The one who had made him feel utterly hopeless.

Like a newborn baby, he could do nothing but wait to be toyed with. It was inhumane, torturing one's mind.

"What are you thinking, Kane?" Everett roared, but he, himself, also dared not move. "Do something!"

Regardless, Everett's call fell on deaf ears.

"Please forgive us." Kane begged, falling to his knees.

Kane wasn't sure how the Lin Family had managed to offend the Winter's Edge leader, but there was nothing else he could do at present.

"I'm still weak." Kane thought that he had defeated the fear in his heart, but when this masked woman stood in front of him again, all that false sense of security, which had been built over many years, came falling down in the blink of an eye.

It was pathetic, but Kane didn't dare to retaliate further. The leftover trauma within him was far too great.

"Keith, your son..." Emily mentioned out of the blue. "Where is he?"

Even now, the truth was that Emily knew where Keith was sleeping, but she wanted this incompetent father to bring her there.

It would be more satisfying this way.

The mental torture was just one aspect of her revenge tonight.

"W-what do you want with my son?" Everett did not instantly give up his son's location.

"You'll find out." Emily smiled.

"Don't bother calling the guards outside." Emily polished her blade. "All of them are dead."

"Heh, and if I see a single suspicious move, you should know what will happen." Emily let out a low laugh.

Finally, Kane gathered the courage to speak up, "Why are you doing this to us?"

"Has Keith and the Lin Family done something wrong?"

"If I'm not wrong, you're the Winter's Edge leader..." Kane continued, "It doesn't make sense. Compared to the other four families, we can be considered as the most low-key. Thus... why after all this time, are you making a move against us now?"

This confused voice awakened Emily's sleeping rage.

"Yeah, of course people like you wouldn't understand what you did wrong." Emily controlled her brimming urge to kill these two worthless humans straight away.

"Just bring me to your damn son."

"Fine... it's not like we have any other choices." Kane's teeth cracked.

"Kane, the fuck are you even saying?" Everett roared. "This is my son we're talking about. You want to give him up just like that?"

Keith was Everett's sole child, his dear wife had passed away years back, but he had never remarried. The gorgeous bearer of his child was unforgettable; he could never forget her bright figure, that beautiful smile.

[I care about your life... but not your son's.] Closing his eyes, Kane thought.

Nevertheless, Everett had different ideas.

"Whoever you really are... I don't believe you're all that. It must be some sort of trick."

Everett hissed through clenched teeth, and at that moment, a loaded pistol appeared in his right hand.

The Lin Family master was looking down, and the pistol was pointing downward in Emily's blind spot.

The entire time, he had not gone anywhere near his clothing or pockets. There wasn't a single visible sign of him pulling out a weapon.

"Don't!" Kane shouted, but it was far too late.

It was idiotic to poke the angry beast, a dangerous being that could see through their shabby tricks without breaking a sweat.

Everett, as the Lin Family's head, was in possession of a spatial ring. In this world, he was one of the few people who could own such a legendary object. It was something to be admired.

In a split second, Everett's gun was revealed as a bullet whistled out.

"Bang!"

The bullet whizzed past Kane, who was next to him, as it flew at Emily's heart.

Everett's swift marksmanship under pressure was very impressive. It was much faster and more fluid than that of even a top veteran soldier. However, doing this just angered Emily further.

Like before, the bullet could not even get near Emily's flesh—much less her heart.

"Ha, that's funny." Picking up the bullet, Emily's expression could not be seen.

"Wait, please." Everett shivered under Emily's cold glare, his gun dropping to the floor.

"We'll give you anything. Just let us off, Great Madam!" Kane, getting up, rushed to push his master out of harm's way.

"Hmph." Emily flicked the bullet with seemingly no effort, and a penetrating noise whistled.

Kane was too slow, the bullet connecting with Everett's right ear.

"Dun." The white earlobe rolled on the carpet.

Somehow, this masked woman had angled the bullet at the perfect angle to cut Everett's ear clean off.

"Isn't this my ear?" Everett's eyes were bloodshot, his noble face ashen.

Finally, the realization and rising pain came to him, flooding all his senses.

"Woman, why the fuck are you doing this to me?!" Everett screamed, his pain tolerance was quite remarkable though. "I'm the Lin Family's master, a higher existence you cannot afford to offend!"

How had he been put in such an unsightly position?

With all his experience, Everett had still been unable to see this moment coming at all.

"Come on, let's go to your son." Emily did not answer the man's question, and at the same time, she picked up another bullet.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want to lose another ear, right?" Playing with the bullet, Emily laughed. "I still have use for that ear, so you can keep it for now."

The demonic laugh sent shivers down his spine, and Everett finally relented.

"F-fine..."

In the end, he could have another child, but he didn't have another life to spare.

Putting his arrogance away, Everett was helped up by Kane, his body trembling in agony.

For the first time, Everett took a very clear look at the masked woman. This person was neither tall nor short; however, at this moment, that figure was taller than any mountain in the world in his eyes.

"Good." Emily's sinister voice echoed in the room, forcing Kane and Everett to do her bidding.