Chapter 387: Chapter 363: The Kane Family Pledges Allegiance

This time, Kyle Kane didn’t hold back. He spun around and charged straight for Leo Warren.

Seeing this, the nearby Warrens immediately swarmed forward to attack Kyle. This was the perfect chance to cripple the little punk.

The Kane Family had somehow gotten lucky and latched onto a powerful family, which was not something the Warrens wanted to see.

Since their patrons had dared to order them to make a move, it was highly likely that the Kanes’ new benefactor was an enemy of the family the Warrens’ own patrons served.

Perfect. They no longer had to be polite.

"Boss, watch out—"

Randall Warren yelled, shoving aside a man who was launching a sneak attack at the back of Kyle’s head.

Kyle spun around just in time to see Randall get lifted up and slammed violently onto the ground.

Immediately, two others swarmed him, viciously kicking his body.

Kyle panicked. He quickly fought off the men surrounding him, strode forward, and yanked the two away by their collars.

But soon, the more numerous Warrens grabbed his arms, punching him in the stomach and head.

He had no choice but to shield his head and defend himself.

The pain searing through his body stimulated his mind. The Fist Technique from Dawn Miles’s video grew clearer and clearer in his memory.

Suddenly, a strange energy filled his body. The attacks coming at him seemed to slow down.

He consciously began using the Fist Technique from the video, and his entire being seemed to sink into a strange, wonderful state.

When he came to his senses, all the Warrens around him were on the ground, groaning in pain.

Leo Warren’s arm, in particular, looked as if it were broken.

"Boss, you... did you have a breakthrough?"

Randall Warren asked with a look of pleasant surprise as he pushed himself up, wincing in pain.

Kyle Kane now felt his entire body brimming with newfound Strength, a warm current seeming to flow within him.

"I think so?"

By the time they supported each other back to the Kane family’s old residence, Fletcher Kane was rubbing his eyes in disbelief. He could faintly sense the emerging "Power" emanating from his nephew.

It wasn’t until Dawn Miles set down her book and calmly said, "Congratulations on your breakthrough..."

"He... he really had a breakthrough?" Fletcher Kane strode over, gripping Kyle’s shoulders and looking him up and down.

Kyle wasn’t sure himself, but hearing Dawn Miles say it, the corners of his mouth lifted in delight.

But the Kanes’ joy was short-lived, because the Warrens showed up at their door.

The martial masters from Warren’s Martial Arts Hall surrounded the entrance to the Kane residence, aggressively shouting challenges at the Kanes.

Someone was even banging a gong and beating a drum, attracting a crowd of onlookers.

The men of the Kane Family looked grim. They had expected the Warrens to object, but they hadn’t expected them to be so shamelessly brazen about it.

Fletcher Kane walked out of the courtyard gate with one arm behind his back, his face stern. "A challenge is fine, but the Kane Family’s dojo hasn’t opened yet. Come back another day."

"What? Are the Kanes planning to be cowards and hide in their shells?"

Fletcher Kane replied in a low voice, "The Kane Family may have withdrawn from the Martial World for decades, but our name still carries weight. Are you here to issue a challenge on behalf of the Grants of Crestfall? If not, you’d best not break the rules."

Standing behind the crowd, Linton Warren’s expression grew increasingly grim. The rules Fletcher Kane mentioned were the rules of the Martial World.

In the Martial World, great importance was placed on a family’s bloodline and status. Although the Kane Family had fallen, Fletcher Kane was indeed the Family Head from the Core Lineage. Therefore, if the Warren Family wanted to challenge the Kanes, they had to be personally led by a descendant of their own Core Lineage.

As someone from a mere branch lineage of the Warren Family, he was not qualified to challenge the Core Lineage of another family.

Furthermore, these kinds of family-versus-family challenges were now strictly regulated by the Martial Alliance. To issue a challenge, one had to file an application with the Alliance and have their representatives present. Moreover, the rules forbade any second-degree or more severe injuries, as well as any deaths.

To circumvent this regulation from the Martial Alliance, people had replaced formal family challenges with another form of conflict: industry battles.

Since the Kane Family currently had no businesses, the only way for the Warrens to challenge them was to wait for the Kane dojo to open.

They would take their revenge by challenging the dojo itself.

Linton Warren crossed his arms, his gaze sharp as he stared at Fletcher Kane. "Since Lord Kane has put it that way, then we Warrens will wait for your dojo to open. Let’s go!"

He knew they would surely come away empty-handed today, but after being publicly humiliated by that little punk Kyle Kane, the Warren Family had to regain their reputation.

Otherwise, their family wouldn’t be able to hold their heads up in town anymore. That’s why they had to come today, and they had to make a show of force to intimidate anyone who might be getting ideas.

"I won’t see you out!"

Fletcher Kane’s expression was composed, as if he were full of confidence, but the moment he closed the gate, he nearly lost his footing.

His back was drenched in sweat, and the hand he held behind it was numb from being clenched so tightly. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The Warren Family had five or six martial masters. The Kanes, even counting Kyle, only had the two of them.

And there was no point even mentioning the Kane Family’s branch lineages; they had basically abandoned the path of Martial Arts.

"Uncle..." Kyle looked at him, his face full of guilt.

’If I hadn’t insisted on opening the dojo, the Warrens wouldn’t have targeted our family like this.’

"What’s coming will come. Even if you didn’t open a dojo, the Warrens wouldn’t have let us be. It was only a matter of time."

Fletcher Kane patted his shoulder, then cast a complicated glance at the girl who was still calmly reading her book, before turning and heading to the backyard.

Soon, he returned holding the wooden box that contained the Kane Family’s legacy. He approached Dawn Miles and performed a respectful Ancient Martial Ceremony. "Miss Sinclair, the Kane Clan wishes to offer you this Sheepskin Scroll. We ask that you lend us your aid in helping our family return to the Martial World."

Dawn Miles’s hand, which was turning a page, paused. She looked up at him and said coolly, "The Martial World has never been a kind place."

"The Kane Family wouldn’t dare ask for Miss Sinclair’s protection forever. We only ask for a chance to return. As for the path ahead, the Kanes will prove their worth with their own strength."

Dawn Miles closed her book, slowly stood up, and took a few steps forward to accept the wooden box from his hands. "I accept."

Her voice was flat, yet it carried a reassuring Strength.

The anxiety in Fletcher Kane’s heart gradually subsided.

***

「Two days later.」

The Kane & Ming Dojo opened with little fanfare, but a large crowd had gathered at the entrance, all of them here for the spectacle.

Kyle Kane and the other young men had specifically changed into training uniforms today. They had all dyed their hair back to black and removed the jewelry they used to wear, making them look much more respectable.

As a string of firecrackers at the entrance went off with a CRACKLE-POP, members of Warren’s Martial Arts Hall gradually blocked the main gate of the Kane & Ming Dojo.

Fletcher Kane pretended not to see them. He stood at the entrance and announced to the crowd with a smile, "The Kane & Ming Dojo opens today! Anyone who joins to learn martial arts can learn a complete Fist Technique for free..."

Before he could finish, Linton Warren interrupted him.

"Is that so? Then why don’t you teach me first, Lord Kane?"

His face was cold, and the "Power" around his body began to rise.

Fletcher Kane’s expression changed slightly, but he made a welcoming gesture. "Of course. Please, step inside, Master Warren."

That composed expression made Linton Warren wary, and he didn’t move from his spot.

For a moment, the two families were locked in a standoff at the entrance.

"Uncle-in-law, can I learn?"

Just then, a man’s voice suddenly called out from the crowd.

Linton Warren frowned and looked over as a tall man emerged from the crowd.

’I can’t believe this kid from the Lawson Family is still here.’

"Of course! Please, come in. This Fist Technique will definitely be useful for you. If you master it, you can help your uncle-in-law promote it back at the base."

With the first person entering the dojo, the surrounding crowd grew restless. A few brave individuals followed Wesley Lawson inside.

Seeing this, Dylan Warren immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, "Lord Kane, Warren’s Martial Arts Hall is here today to issue a dojo challenge! Do you dare to accept?"

His voice was loud and resonant, as if to ensure everyone in the vicinity could hear.

But the moment his voice faded, a clear, cold female voice that could pierce eardrums came from within the dojo:

"The Kane & Ming Dojo accepts the challenge—"