C13 Defeat Him

The moment the bullet was fired, Miron's face remained stoic, save for a cruel smirk that briefly twisted his lips.

He surged forward, vanishing from his original spot, leaving nothing but a lingering afterimage.

The bullet had missed its mark.

Dawson stood, utterly stunned.

In a mere heartbeat, Miron materialized beside Dawson like a specter.

"Ah!"

Miron seized Dawson's arm and twisted viciously. The sickening snap of breaking bones echoed as Dawson let out a wrenching scream of pain.

The pistol clattered to the ground.

*Thud!*

Miron delivered a fierce kick, sending Dawson hurtling through the air to slam against the wall. Dawson crumpled, trembling and bleeding from the mouth, the very picture of defeat.

Dawson's face, once flushed with anticipation, now turned ashen in terror. He had never imagined Miron could move faster than a bullet, let alone disarm him in the process.

With an impassive face, Miron advanced step by step toward Dawson.

"What do you want? Stay back!" Dawson, panic-stricken, pleaded as he faced the demon before him. "Hold on! It's all a misunderstanding! Mr. Howard, I never meant to kill you; it was just a warning shot, that's all!"

"A warning?"

Miron let out a cold laugh and slapped Dawson hard across the face, drawing blood.

"Do you think you can still deceive me at this point?" Miron's icy gaze bore into Dawson. "The instant you pulled the trigger, you were aiming for my left calf. And you have the nerve to call it a warning?"

Dawson's face contorted with fear and disbelief.

He hadn't planned on killing Miron, just shooting him in the leg to teach him a lesson, slowly and painfully.

But he hadn't counted on Miron's terrifying acuity. To discern the bullet's path and evade it in a split second, then disarm him—what sort of being had he provoked?

Dawson was filled with regret, but then something clicked, and he looked up, fixing Miron with an intense gaze.

"You... Could you be an ancient martial artist?" Dawson inquired, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Oh?" Miron responded, intrigued. He hadn't expected Dawson to be aware of the existence of ancient martial artists.

"So, you're familiar with ancient martial artists?"

"Figures," Dawson murmured to himself, realizing that his defeat was not without reason. He had previously made the acquaintance of a prominent figure in a neighboring province who had some knowledge of ancient martial arts. That individual could effortlessly defeat a dozen armed bodyguards, yet he paled in comparison to Miron. The big shot had told Dawson that true ancient martial artists were so swift they could evade bullets, and facing one, it would be futile to rely on firearms.

Moreover, he had cautioned Dawson against crossing the powerful entities backing such martial artists.

With these warnings echoing in his mind, Dawson dropped to his knees, pleading, "Master Howard, I beg for your forgiveness. I failed to recognize your stature. I assure you, I had no intention of crossing you—it was all the doing of that scoundrel from the Simons family!"

"So, the Simons family instructed you to come after me?" Miron's expression turned icy as he began to understand the situation.

"Yes, that bastard Leon set me up, ordering me to abduct you. I was unwittingly made his pawn," Dawson spat out bitterly, his anger palpable.

He now loathed Leon for dragging him into this life-threatening mess.

Dawson's initial intent was to curry favor with Leon, the Simons family's eldest son, by assisting him with a seemingly minor task. Little did he know it would lead to such catastrophic trouble.

Leon had confidently claimed that Miron was nothing more than a worthless son-in-law, easy to capture. Clearly, he had been set up for a fall.

After a moment's thought, Miron demanded in a chilling tone, "What's the full story? I want to hear every last detail."

Relieved, Dawson straightened up and explained earnestly, "Master Howard, Leon invited me to a dinner this afternoon and handed me a photo. He ordered me to have my men kidnap the person in the picture, promising a reward of five million."

"Where are the photos?" Miron interrupted sharply.

Dawson fished two photographs from his pocket and handed them over. One was a family portrait of Julietta's family; the other was a solo shot of himself. Miron's expression grew increasingly grim as he examined the photos.

"Continue," Miron commanded. "Leon ordered you to kidnap someone—then what?"

"Master Howard, I'm almost too scared to tell you! Leon's cruelty knows no bounds," Dawson confessed, visibly shaken. "Despite my humble origins, I have principles and loyalty. I couldn't stoop to such vile acts. So I refused his worst demands and only agreed to deliver the individuals to him. What he did after that was out of my hands."

"I was cautious in my dealings with him, so I recorded our conversation as insurance. Would you like to hear it, Master Howard?" Dawson asked earnestly, bowing deeply in a plea for mercy. "I was blind to have crossed you, Master Howard. Spare my life, and I swear to serve you loyally from here on out."

"Give me the recording," Miron ordered coolly.

Dawson handed over a voice recorder pen, his anxiety palpable. Miron activated the device, and the voices of two men filled the air. He skipped the initial trivial chatter, finding the part where the kidnapping was discussed.

"Master Dawson, I'm entrusting you with this task. Your compensation will be five million."

"Leon, you're willing to pay five million for a worthless son-in-law from the Evans family? Are you sure there's no catch? Once we've got them, what's your plan?"

"That Miron is nothing but a spineless fool. Just break one of his legs after you've got him. I want him crippled for life!"

"The real target is Julietta. I want some men to assault her, and make sure it's all on video. I intend to destroy her reputation and let that pathetic Miron watch his wife's disgrace!"

"Leon, I can't be a party to such things! But since you've asked, here's what I'll do: I can deliver the person to you, but you'll have to handle the aftermath yourself."

"That works for me. Just bring them in, and I'll take care of the rest later."

...

Miron's face remained expressionless, but a cruel smirk betrayed his ruthless intentions.

Heh, it seems I've been far too lenient with Leon and his family...

"Master Howard, Leon is a vile creature. If you plan to take him down, count me in as the first to charge," Dawson said, his voice seething with anger.

"Save your flattery. You think I'd forgive you after you sent someone to abduct me and even had the audacity to shoot me?" Miron inquired coolly.

Dawson felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. Facing a martial expert like Miron, who didn't even flinch at bullets, was beyond his capabilities.

And who knows what kind of astonishing wealth and power backed Miron, considering the extensive resources and training required to become an ancient martial artist.

He had no doubt that Miron could make him vanish from the earth in a hundred different ways if he so desired.

"Master Howard, I beg for your mercy! It was an unintentional mistake. Please, give me a chance to atone for my misdeeds! My life is yours to command from this moment forward!"

Dawson's head struck the floor three times in a display of utter desperation and fear.

"You wish to serve me? Then let's abide by the code of the streets. Prove your sincerity by severing one of your fingers."

With that, Miron watched Dawson impassively.

Dawson inhaled sharply, gritted his teeth, and forcefully twisted his left pinky finger upwards.

*Crack!*

The sound of breaking bone filled the room as Dawson's pinky went limp, grotesquely swollen and bent out of shape—effectively ruined.

His face turned ashen, his body shaking uncontrollably as he bit down hard to endure the excruciating pain. The act of severing one's own finger was a torment that few could bear.

Miron spoke with a hint of indifference, "I'll spare your life this time."

"Thank you, Master Howard," Dawson panted with gratitude.

"Not a word about tonight's events must leak out," Miron instructed calmly. "The moment Leon reaches out to you, I want to know immediately."

"Understood, Master Howard. My life is yours from this point forward. Whatever your command, consider it done," Dawson affirmed with earnest.

Relief washed over him as he realized he had narrowly escaped death. In a strange twist of fate, his misfortune had turned into an opportunity. Despite taking a hard fall, he had gained Miron's favor. Aligning himself with such a formidable figure promised a future full of potential.

Having pieced together the night's occurrences, Miron saw no reason to linger. He departed from Starlight, leaving the night's events behind him.