Some guests watched on with smug amusement. Ruth bit down her rage and gave a chilling command to the man at her side. "Wait until they finish their meal and leave the restaurant. I want that punk's tongue." With that, she turned and walked away, the contempt on her face thick enough to cut through glass. What a joke—he actually thought he could touch her? Ruth was beautiful, yes, but she was also powerful. In a place like this, people did not just treat her with courtesy—they treated her with reverence. No one had ever dared to say something so disrespectful to her, and the reason was simple. Behind her stood a monster of a man, a silent force that kept Aroma Exchange untouchable. He was the one who made this restaurant sacred ground. … Back in the private suite, the food was served again, freshly plated. A new bottle of Celestial Reserve had also been opened. Andrew ate happily, completely unbothered. Meanwhile, Aspen sat stiff as a board, her face pale and tense, an
Ruth was breathless, her chest rising and falling rapidly from the long-haired man's teasing touch. Still, she looked thrilled. After punching his chest a few times in mock protest, she giggled and purred, "You're the one who made the restaurant rules, remember? No violence on the premises. If we go after that punk now, aren't we just ruining our own reputation?" The long-haired man scoffed. "Those rules were made for others to follow, not me." Ruth laughed seductively, pressing her chest against him with a flirtatious smirk as they linked arms and headed downstairs. The moment they appeared, every guest in the restaurant stood up, rushing to greet them respectfully. The long-haired man returned each nod with a warm smile, walking with effortless dominance, radiating presence. Ruth, however, wore a wicked smile. Now that her man was involved, that little punk Andrew? He was dead meat. Someone exclaimed, "Look, look! Mr. Fischer's heading toward the private room! That kid's
"Zac! Do it! What are you waiting for?!" Ruth shrieked, stamping her heel in a fury. Without a word, Zachary raised his hand and slapped her across the face hard. The force sent Ruth flying, blood trickling from the corner of her lips. Stunned, she clutched her cheek and stared at him in disbelief like she had just seen a ghost. "Why… Why the hell did you hit me?" she stammered. Around them, everyone froze in place. They all could not believe what had just happened, and they could not help but wonder if it was a mistake. After all, they all thought Andrew was the one who should have been hit. Andrew stared at Zachary, shocked. Then, he let out a low, amused laugh. He certainly had not expected to see a familiar face, of all things. Meanwhile, Zachary shuddered. From the moment Andrew had stepped into the light, he had been frozen, like some spell had locked his limbs in place. His legs were shaking as he stammered, "C-Captain, is it really you?" Andrew's lips curled int
"Ms. Stevens, please have a seat," Zachary said warmly. Aspen was caught off guard but quickly sat beside Andrew, feeling like she had entered a surreal dream. Never in her life had she imagined someone like Zachary Fischer—a living legend in the southern martial arts world—would personally invite her to sit. "Ruth, go grab the two vintage bottles I've been saving," Zachary added, turning to her with a tone that left no room for negotiation. "Tonight, I'm going all out for Mr. Lloyd." Ruth's face tightened with resentment. Why was her man, always so powerful and untouchable, suddenly acting like a bootlicker? However, when Zachary's icy gaze locked onto her, she shuddered and hurried off to obey without another word. Andrew chuckled, clearly amused. "Zac, you're living large these days. And your woman? Man, she carries herself like she the damn queen." Zachary forced a bitter smile. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lloyd. Ruth's gotten spoiled by me. I'll discipline her better going forward
Zachary let out a cold snort. "You better make sure there isn't a next time. Everyone seated here has earned their place—except you. You're just a cheap nobody who doesn't belong at this table." He added, "Get on your knees and pour drinks for Mr. Lloyd and Ms. Stevens." Ruth stared at him in disbelief. Was he seriously asking her to kneel now, all for Andrew? Was he really worth this level of humiliation? Ultimately, she gritted her teeth and dropped to her knees like a servant—silently pouring drinks as ordered. Aspen watched, wanting to say something but stopped herself. She could not help but shoot Andrew a look, annoyed he had not said a word to stop it. Letting someone kneel like that was seriously inhumane. However, Andrew just sipped his drink quietly, as if he had not seen anything. He had no intention of stepping in—not after how Ruth had acted earlier. If anything, this was just karma being served cold. Zachary downed half his glass and looked across the table
Aspen could only imagine how terrifying Andrew's real identity was. Everyone knew that Holtrien had no shortage of prodigies, but those who made it onto the Titan List were monsters in human form—true legends among legends. Take Aspen, for example. In her hometown of Bridgefields, she was the pride of the city, admired by everyone. Yet, not a single person from Bridgefields had ever qualified for the Titan List. Even the Underworld Index only had at most two names from there, and they were way at the bottom. Andrew stood up and said, "Alright then, I should head back and get some rest. Thanks for the hospitality, by the way." Zachary stood up right after him, eyes blazing with passion. "Come back with us. Let's rise again together. Once the old crew hears you're back, they'll drop everything and come running!" Andrew chuckled and replied, "Don't exaggerate. I'm just a regular guy, just trying to live a simple, quiet life. All that talk about fighting and war? I'm not into
After leaving the Aroma Exchange, Andrew got into the car and said, "Drive. I'm tired and just want to rest." However, Aspen did not start the engine. She had been holding back her curiosity all evening and finally asked, "Was Mr. Fischer really your subordinate?" Andrew kept his eyes on the window and replied calmly, "Something like that." Aspen's heart skipped a beat. She had suspected that Andrew was not an ordinary man. She pressed on, "Mr. Fischer called you… General. Andrew, were you some kind of military general before?" Andrew glanced at her and said, "Why the interrogation? Are you trying to run a background check?" The Ferrari shot forward with a roar, and Aspen huffed, "Fine, don't tell me. It's not like I'm dying to know anyway." Andrew said, "The more you know, the more dangerous it gets for you." Aspen scoffed, "There it is. The mysterious act. You think you're in a movie or something?" A vein popped on Andrew's forehead. "Aspen, I just complimented your
Aspen was so furious, and she shouted, "Andrew, you're such a bastard!" Nonetheless, Andrew stayed calm and replied, "Using yoga to try and reach senior grandmaster level? It's not a bad approach. However, your method is flawed. "You should try activating your twin core meridians and running your energy through the full-body cycle. It'll get you results with half the effort." With that, he turned and went upstairs to rest. Aspen stood frozen in place, full of shock and suspicion. "So he wasn't staring at my body… he was analyzing my training? Hmph, acting all high and mighty as if his advice would actually help!" She did not want to admit it, but deep down, she was tempted to try what he said. So, she adjusted her posture and started cultivating again, following his method. … Upstairs, Andrew collapsed onto the huge bed in his room. He had just arrived in the capital and had already run into trouble—no wonder he felt drained. Still, there were things he needed to keep up