Chapter 395: Chapter 395 - Cannon Fodder
"Murder?" I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrow slightly.
This caught me off guard.
Throughout our interactions, Zendaya Andrew had always seemed like someone who kept her emotions in check.
The icy demeanor she showed today was completely out of character.
"Tell me, who needs to die?" I nodded.
Zendaya’s voice turned cold, "First target is Glenn Kessler. Second is Saul Holt. Both will be at the battlefield today."
"Glenn Kessler... is he Lainey Kessler’s old man?" I took a guess.
Zendaya looked taken aback, "How did you figure that out?"
I grinned, "Lucky guess. So... what’s your beef with these two?"
Zendaya stayed quiet in response.
Her face looked pretty grim though.
Sensing this might be a touchy subject, I switched gears, "What kind of power are we dealing with?"
Zendaya glanced my way and said, "They’ve been stuck at Grandmaster Peak for years, their abilities are solid, and they’ve made quite a name for themselves across the Central Plains."
"Grandmaster Peak..." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.
Given where I stood cultivation-wise, taking down two peak Grandmasters quickly would be a real challenge.
If things got messy, we’d blow our cover for sure.
"You’ve got my word." After weighing it over, I finally gave her a nod.
Zendaya let out a long breath, clasped her hands together, and said, "Much appreciated, Mr. Raymond."
I chuckled, "I’m the one who should be grateful."
Even though I had no clue what went down, judging by Zendaya’s face, she was nursing some serious bad blood.
"About this hat... can we go with a different shade?" I scratched my head.
Having a green hat perched on my head was bound to draw stares.
Zendaya smirked, "Nope."
"Why should Mr. Raymond worry? These days, plenty of young folks don’t sweat the small stuff."
I scratched my head again, "It’s just way too obvious..."
Zendaya shrugged, "My hands are tied. If it really bugs you that much, skip wearing it."
"Guess I’ll stick with it." I grumbled.
I secured the hat properly, and it actually looked pretty sharp.
"How come you’re not joining the action yourself?" I looked at Zendaya and asked.
Zendaya put on a helpless act, "I’m just a regular Grandmaster. I don’t have your kind of skills, Mr. Raymond. If I actually showed up, I’d probably come back empty-handed and in trouble."
I rolled my eyes, "Miss Andrew, cut the humble act. You’re definitely more than you let on."
Zendaya played up being scared, "Mr. Raymond, you can’t just throw accusations around. I’m nothing but a fragile woman..."
I didn’t keep up the banter with Zendaya. Time was ticking, so after our farewells, I grabbed a ride toward Shiglance City.
——
The group made it to Shiglance City pretty quick.
"Mason, I’m coming with you." Mya Winona announced.
I rolled my eyes, "If you tag along, I’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Just hang tight at the hotel."
Then I turned to Zendaya and said, "Miss Andrew, keep an eye on these two for me."
Zendaya gave a slight bow and said, "Mr. Raymond, consider it handled."
I nodded without another word and got ready to drive to the battlefield.
Right now, the blockade around the village had been lifted, and elite families from everywhere had shown up early again.
Besides the heirs from these families, some hermit masters had also made their way to the scene.
This was proof enough of how crucial this battlefield was.
I couldn’t help frowning as I picked up on the vibe around here.
At first, I figured there’d be crowds of people today, but I never expected to see only about a dozen folks in sight.
Every single one of these people was at Peak Grandmaster level! Not even one regular Grandmaster in the bunch!
And I was the only one at basic Grandmaster level!
"No surprise Zendaya stayed back." I stuck my tongue out, feeling a bit anxious.
The hat on my head already made me stand out, and with such weak cultivation, I looked even more out of place.
Sure enough, the second I showed up, everyone’s eyes locked onto me.
"Huh? Some Grandmaster actually has the guts to show up here?" someone frowned and muttered.
"And sporting a green hat too, what’s wrong with his brain?"
"Just a bug, and he thinks he can grab the treasure?"
In no time, over a dozen people were staring right at me!
My expression shifted a bit.
What I’d been dreading just happened!
Before long, this crowd started moving toward me.
"Who gave you permission to come?" an old guy with white hair demanded coldly.
I frowned and shot back, "This place doesn’t belong to anyone specific, so why can’t I be here?"
"Ha, you think you can claim a share of the treasure with your pathetic skills? You’re dreaming!" someone snapped coldly.
"People should know their place, get too greedy, and you’ll bring trouble on yourself!"
"To stop this kid from leeching off us, how about we just take him out first?"
As they talked, killing intent started radiating from these dozen-plus Peak Grandmasters.
"Crap." My face went pale.
I had zero chance against this many Peak Grandmasters!
"Looks like I need to bail now." I thought to myself.
Just as I was about to use my movement technique to get out of there, a voice suddenly cut through from nearby.
"Even ants serve a purpose. This battlefield is loaded with hidden dangers. Keep him around to scout ahead." A middle-aged guy nearby suggested.
When he spoke, everyone turned to look at this middle-aged man.
The scene went quiet for a moment, with each person apparently thinking through the idea.
"Mr. Kessler makes a good point." Finally, someone backed his suggestion.
Mr. Kessler?
I raised an eyebrow.
Could this guy be Glenn Kessler?
"Exactly, this place is crawling with dark energy and hazards. One wrong move and we’re done for. He’s perfect for reconnaissance."
"Yeah, I’m on board with Mr. Kessler’s idea."
Glenn Kessler immediately looked my way and said, "Kid, if you don’t want to die, just shut up and do what we say. If you’re lucky enough to make it through, you might even score something."
I quickly responded, "I’ll definitely follow your orders..."
Even though I said that, I was cursing them all internally.
After that, this group brushed me off and started talking among themselves.
From their chatter, I roughly worked out who these people were.
Apart from Glenn Kessler and Saul Holt, who Zendaya Andrew wanted dead, the others were all leaders of top martial arts families from the Central Plains!
In the Central Plains, they were basically the big shots, wielding serious influence in martial arts, business, and other areas!
"These guys... could be valuable to me." My eyes narrowed as the thought crossed my mind.
Right then, a car slowly pulled up nearby.
After the car stopped, a young man in fancy clothes stepped out.
Seeing this young guy, everyone rushed over to greet him.
"Mr. Sean, you made it. We’ve been waiting for ages."
This person was none other than Sammy Sean, Clarence Sean’s son from the Sean family and Mabel Sean’s cousin!
Sammy Sean’s features had an unmistakable noble bearing. He nodded to everyone and said, "My great uncle mentioned that if you’re all willing to work for the Sean family, we’ll make it worth your while."
Hearing this, everyone quickly replied, "Oh, serving the Sean family would be such an honor!"
Sammy Sean gave a slight nod and said, "The Sean family will soon bring together all the major and minor martial arts families in the North. When that happens, you’ll all be recognized as the founding contributors."
When I heard those words, my face suddenly changed!
The Sean family is planning to unite all the big and small martial arts families in the North?
