A Brother’s Last Stand

"Big brother, don’t die. I’ll bring Steffan to save you."

With tears filling his eyes, White Ghost entrusted everything to his elder brother before turning around and fleeing with every last bit of strength remaining in his battered body.

His footsteps echoed for only a brief moment before disappearing into the darkness beyond the courtyard wall.

He never looked back.

He knew that if he hesitated for even a single heartbeat, everything his brother had sacrificed would become meaningless.

Seeing this brotherly love, Julian felt no guilt.

He was the villain.

Heh, this is what I should do.

Julian stood quietly beneath the moonlight, his black hair swaying gently in the cool night breeze. His golden eyes remained calm, without the slightest ripple of pity. The bond between the two brothers was genuine, but they had chosen to walk the path of killers. Tonight was simply the consequence of that choice.

The courtyard fell silent for only an instant before another violent clash shattered the stillness.

Liza Voss and Lina Ashford were tightly held back by Black Ghost’s desperate fighting style, and could only watch helplessly as one of them escaped.

Black Ghost had completely abandoned all thoughts of survival.

Every punch he threw was reckless.

Every step forward ignored the agony spreading through his broken body.

He wasn’t fighting to win anymore.

He was fighting to buy time.

His breathing grew heavier with each passing second. Blood dripped steadily from the corner of his mouth, staining the front of his clothes crimson. Even so, he refused to retreat.

His younger brother had escaped.

That alone was enough.

In their fury, they unleashed a deadly assault on Black Ghost.

Lina’s graceful figure flashed forward with Dragon’s Tempest Step, leaving only a blur behind.

Liza attacked from another angle without giving him a moment to breathe.

The coordination between the two women had become increasingly natural after their breakthrough.

Boom!

Bang!

Their Mountain Flip Hand Strike exploded through the quiet courtyard one strike after another.

Every punch carried the hidden power of Triple Petal Shelter.

The first impact staggered him.

The second force penetrated deeper.

The third hidden shockwave erupted inside his body before he could stabilize himself.

Black Ghost’s arms trembled violently.

His vision blurred.

Still...

He continued to attack.

The moonlight reflected off the broken stone beneath their feet while fallen leaves danced through the air from the pressure created by their exchange of blows.

Even Amara Ravenswood couldn’t help tightening her fists as she watched.

She had never imagined a person could continue fighting after suffering injuries like that.

Julian remained completely composed.

His gaze never left the battlefield.

Inside his mind, another quiet thought appeared.

[He’s got determination... but determination alone can’t change the outcome.]

Only Amara heard those words.

She secretly glanced toward Julian before returning her attention to the battle.

He looked exactly the same as before.

No one would have guessed those thoughts had just crossed his mind.

Several more exchanges followed.

Black Ghost’s movements gradually slowed.

His shattered body had finally reached its limit.

Lina avoided a desperate punch with Dragon’s Tempest Step.

Almost simultaneously, Liza stepped in from the side.

Boom!

Her fist landed squarely against his ribs.

Crack!

The sound of breaking bones echoed through the courtyard.

Before Black Ghost could recover, Lina followed with another Mountain Flip Hand Strike.

The combined force completely destroyed what little balance he had left.

His body flew backward before crashing heavily onto the stone ground.

Dust rose into the air.

Everything suddenly became quiet.

After a few minutes passed.

Black Ghost lay on the ground like a dead dog.

His body was covered with bruises.

Nearly every bone in his body seemed to scream in pain.

His clothes had been torn apart in several places, and blood slowly spread beneath him.

He had been beaten to the point of having multiple fractures all over his body.

He lay there, vomiting blood, yet his eyes showed no regret.

Instead...

There was relief.

At least he managed to let White Ghost escape successfully.

As the big brother, he had to protect his brothers until his last breath!

Lina and Liza slowly lowered their fists.

Neither woman chose to deliver the final blow.

Instead, they exchanged guilty looks before walking toward Julian.

Both lowered their heads slightly.

"Young Master Julian, we didn’t do well, one of them got away."

Their voices were filled with disappointment.

Although they had won the battle, allowing one enemy to escape still felt like a failure.

Julian smiled faintly and shook his head.

"It’s fine, it’s not your fault, you both did very well."

His calm words immediately eased the burden in their hearts.

He truly wasn’t blaming them.

Managing to capture one was already a huge success.

Besides...

The improvement in Lina Ashford and Liza Voss’s combat abilities left Julian quite satisfied.

Watching the two women grow stronger through actual combat had exceeded all of his expectations.

Inside his mind, another satisfied thought surfaced.

[Hugging a big thigh, feeling great!]

Amara almost burst into laughter after hearing that.

She quickly bit her lip and looked away before anyone noticed her strange reaction.

Julian remained completely unaware.

He casually walked toward Black Ghost before squatting beside him.

Tang Yu walked over to Black Shuang, squatted down, and began to scrutinize him.

Being stared at by Julian like this.

Black Ghost immediately felt a threat of death.

The young man hadn’t even lifted a finger during the fight.

Yet somehow...

His calm expression was even more frightening than the brutal beating he had just received.

Still, Black Ghost refused to show weakness.

But he was a tough guy, gritting his teeth, he said.

"Don’t look at me like that, I won’t tell you Steffan’s plans, give it up."

"..."

Julian was speechless.

He hadn’t even spoken yet.

And who the hell wanted to know Steffan’s plans?

He had known them long ago, okay?

He only liked listening to plans of certain lonely housewives seeking revenge on their cheating husbands.

A playful smile appeared on Julian’s face.

"You think too much, I’m just curious why your brother is so tall, and you’re so short?"

Julian asked curiously.

The question struck Black Ghost harder than any punch.

His expression instantly darkened.

His greatest weakness had been exposed.

"None of your damn business."

Black Ghost’s self-esteem was instantly hurt, and with a mindset that he was going to die anyway, he shouted.

Just then, senior Miracle Doctor Ravenswood, who heard the commotion, hurried into the courtyard.

The elderly physician’s eyes immediately widened as he noticed the damage surrounding the clinic.

His gaze soon landed on the blood-covered assassin lying on the ground.

Seeing Black Ghost lying on the ground covered in blood.

He walked over, took a look, and exclaimed, "Little Julian, did you guys beat up this thief?"

Julian nodded without changing his expression.

"Yes, he came in and tried to kill and silence us, so we gave him a beating."

The elderly physician looked at the injured assassin with open disgust.

"Good job, scum like this deserves to die."

Senior Miracle Doctor Ravenswood hated such morally corrupt scum the most.

Throughout his life as a physician, he had treated people without caring about status or wealth.

To him, every life deserved a chance.

But if someone had poor character, no amount of money would make him treat them.

When Dario Ashbourne came to him for treatment, he decisively refused after learning the cause.

Black Ghost glared at the old physician through bloodshot eyes.

"You old dog won’t live much longer either."

Black Ghost cursed through gritted teeth.

An old man who couldn’t even withstand the wind dared to kick him when he was down?

If it were any other time, he could crush him with one finger!

"How can you talk like that? Don’t you know to respect the elderly and love the young?"