The Dragon's Mandate

But just as Darrion was feeling triumphant, Navid, still in mid-air, suddenly twisted his body and kicked straight toward Darrion's chest.

Crack! With a bone-chilling sound of breaking bones, Darrion let out a scream, spewing blood as his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

Boom! Darrion's body hit the ground with a heavy thud, shattering several tiles beneath him. Even after coughing up a mouthful of blood, he stubbornly tried to get back on his feet, but no matter how many times he tried, he couldn't stand.

Boom! Navid Byrd delivered a powerful downward kick to Darrion's back. With another gush of blood, Darrion died on the spot.

The hall fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone stared at Navid in utter terror. With just one move, the expert the Zhang family had hired at great expense was dead at Navid's hands.

Navid, on the other hand, was completely unharmed.

The stark contrast was an unimaginable psychological blow to the Zhang family. Hector Zhang, Daniel Zhang, Robert Zhang and the others were left speechless, their hearts filled with fear.

"Today, your Zhang family will mourn, and soon, none of you will be left," Navid declared. He lightly tapped Darrion's sword with his toe and kicked it forcefully.

Whoosh! The sword flew through the air, and with two swift sounds, Robert Zhang and Toby Zhang were beheaded instantly.

The two severed heads were enough to strike terror into the hearts of the Zhang family. Navid intended for the remaining members to live in fear every day, slowly torturing them to death to satisfy his own vengeance.

Seeing Navid Byrd's intimidating presence, Hector Zhang collapsed to the ground, pleading, "Don't kill me!"

"I know your sister Linda is still alive. She didn't die..."

"What?"

Navid's heart trembled. "Are you serious?"

His piercing eyes fixed sharply on Hector.

"Speak!" Navid demanded through gritted teeth.

Hector hesitated, his whole body trembling as he confessed, "She's on Flower Street..."

Navid's expression turned icy as he quickly turned to pick up Nunu and Priya Yarrow, hurrying to the car.

Before leaving, Navid coldly said without looking back, "I've placed a curse on you. There's no cure. Take care of your life."

In the car, Navid looked at Priya gently and said, "I'll have Lira take you and Nunu back to the Byrd family estate and arrange for your treatment."

Priya knew that Navid must be anxious after learning that his sister was alive.

"Go ahead. Nunu and I will wait for you at home."

"To Flower Street!" Navid muttered through clenched teeth once Priya was gone.

He knew the place well; Flower Street was a notorious red-light district. The thought of his sister ending up there filled Navid with a terrifying, vengeful rage.

"Please, sir, have mercy on me..."

"Miss, ma'am, spare some change, please..."

The beggar girl lay on the ground, her face smeared with dirt, her small, frail body shivering as she pleaded with the passing crowd.

She had a daily quota to meet, and if she didn't, she'd be strung up and beaten.

The thought of Wang Mazzi's cruel methods sent shivers down her spine.

Her bony knees protruded through her tattered clothes, revealing white, broken bones. Her ragged outfit couldn't hide the sores on her body, and the stench made passersby avoid her.

Some kind-hearted souls would toss a few coins from a distance before quickly moving away.

Who knew if this filthy beggar had some contagious disease? Her sores and wounds were terrifying to look at.

"That filthy girl is out here whining again. Those sores all over her—she must have some disease, right?"

Little Yellow Hair, a street thug from Flower Street, complained, covering his nose. He often brought his gang to tease the little beggar.

But now, with her covered in sores, they had lost their usual source of amusement.

"Why aren't you dead yet, you filthy little thing?"

"Boss, do you think the parts of her covered by clothes are free of sores? It's strange how she suddenly got sick. Maybe she's faking it to trick us. She was fine when she first showed up."

"Yeah, boss, maybe we should check her out. After all, we're just being kind-hearted, right?"

One of the thugs beside Little Yellow Hair poked the begging girl with a stick he found somewhere, taunting her with each jab.

He cruelly poked at her broken bones, each touch making the dirty little beggar whimper and try to back away. But with both legs broken, how far could she possibly go?

The group of thugs found amusement in her desperate attempts to evade them, emboldened to tear at her clothes.

"Stop pretending, girl! Let's see what you're hiding!" one of them jeered.

The sight of her pale skin beneath the tattered clothes piqued their interest, and they seemed determined not to stop until they had stripped her completely.

"How did we never notice this girl's skin was so nice before?" another thug remarked.

"Guys, let me have the first taste, and then you can all have a turn," one of them sneered, reaching out to touch Linda.

Even though the little beggar in front was so dirty and ragged that it was hard to recognize her, Navid Byrd was certain it was Linda.

Navid immediately recognized his sister, and seeing her in such a state felt like a knife to his heart.

Without wasting a second, Navid flashed forward and appeared right in front of Linda.

"Is that... you, big brother?"

Was she dreaming?

Looking at his sister, barely clothed and covered in bruises, Navid's eyes turned bloodshot.

She was the jewel of the Byrd family, the sister he had spoiled since childhood.

Yet, in the years he had been away, she had fallen to such a state.

A broken leg, a disfigured face, begging on the streets, living a life shrouded in darkness. How could she live so humbly?

Was he dreaming?

"Little Linda, it's your big brother. I'm back," Navid called out with a trembling voice, as if his words traveled through five years of time.

"Big brother, you have to leave!"

Linda suddenly shivered, as if remembering something, and spoke urgently, her face full of fear.

"You have to go! This place isn't safe, you need to leave!"

Just as she finished speaking, a man known as Whip King rushed over, raising his whip and aiming it harshly at Linda's face.

"Damn it, beg properly! What are you yelling for?"

He scolded with a frown, looking around. Where were the guards who were supposed to be here?

But before the whip could strike, Navid Byrd swung his hand and slammed it into the wall with such force that it left his hand bloodied.

"Anyone who bullies my sister deserves to die!"

Navid's face was filled with fury, his blood-red eyes like those of a beast ready to devour its prey.

"Who the hell are you, daring to attack us?" shouted the men following Wang Skinner, their anger boiling over.

They surrounded Navid and his sister, glaring menacingly.

The Zhang family's power had been at its peak for years!

Who would be foolish enough to provoke them? They must have a death wish.

Navid's eyes were cold and emotionless as he leaped forward, grabbing the speaker by the throat.

"Join your master in hell," he said, and with a swift motion, there was a sickening crack as the man's head lolled lifelessly.

The remaining men were terrified, their skin crawling as they screamed and turned to flee.

This man is a madman! A fearless lunatic!

Navid crouched down, ignoring the dirt as he cradled his wronged sister, Linda, in his arms.

With a chilling calmness, he said, "Take one more step, and you die."

The terrified men froze in place, the stench of fear mixing with the blood-soaked ground, turning the scene into a hellish nightmare.

They fell to their knees, bowing repeatedly, tears and snot streaming down their faces as they begged for mercy.

"Sir, please let us go..."

"We beg you, sir, I have a family to take care of... I know I was wrong..."

Navid Byrd ignored their pleas, focusing instead on wrapping his coat around his sister, Linda, as he tended to her injured leg.

Her leg had been broken for five years, and the thought of his sister begging on the streets with such an injury made Navid's heart ache.

"I..." Linda looked at her brother in shock, wanting to ask him so many questions.

But Navid gently stopped her, "Linda, be good. Let me help you first."

His words seemed to have a magical effect, and Linda nodded obediently.

Navid began to treat her broken leg. After five years of suffering, Linda's body was covered in countless wounds, but for Navid, healing them was just a matter of time.

Seeing the joy in his sister's eyes at their reunion, Navid's heart ached with compassion.

"Let's go. I'll take you home first and help you recover. I've only treated the visible injuries; the rest will take some time to heal."

A few minutes later, Navid took Linda to freshen up and then brought her back to their old home.

"Daddy, you're finally back!" His daughter, Nunu, heard the car and, despite her own injuries, stumbled over to him, reaching up to be held.