Ch. 2211..2220
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2211
"Yeah! Not only are these criminals powerful, but they have also been on the criminal list for over seven years, so not even the Dragon Corps has what it takes to take them down!" Alfred sighed with resignation.
The names on the criminal list were ever-changing, as the Dragon Corps would often succeed in eliminating one or two criminals a year, only for other criminals to be added to the list later on.
The Poisonwielder, who ranked last place, was recently added to the list merely a few months ago.
Since both the Poisonwielder and the Scarlet Thief ranked under third place, they would likely be eliminated within five years judging from past references. However, the criminals ranking at the very top of the list were on the list for years despite the relentless effort in capturing them.
This was proof of how formidable these criminals were.
"That shouldn't be! There are so many skilled martial artists in the Dragon Corps, so why would you all struggle so much with three criminals?" Leon asked in surprise.
To his knowledge, the Dragon Corps was understaffed, but all members were powerful martial artists with quite several Almighty martial artists in the organization.
With such a formidable force, the Dragon Corps should be capable of eliminating the three criminals if they sent out all capable individuals to attack the criminals, so it seemed impossible that these criminals managed to run free for years.
"Yeah, you're right! The central region lies in the middle of Sky County and the martial artists there are far more powerful! It's not challenging for them to deal with those three criminals, but these people are even more cunning than the likes of Poisonwielder. If the Dragon Corps in the central region target these criminals, they'll take the opportunity to run to other regions. Hence, the central region has not been able to take much action,' Alfred explained.
Since the people on the criminal lists were all ruthless and would take lives easily when it became necessary to them, the Dragon Corps would often need to dispatch a large group of Dragon Guards to eliminate them.
The criminals ranked the first three places were all martial artists in the Advanced or Peak Almighty States, so only the Dragon Corps in the central district had what it took to take them down; branches in other regions were understaffed and could not cover such large areas.
The central region was connected to all directions, so once the Dragon Corps took action against the criminals, they would run toward other regions to wreak havoc as revenge. Hence, the Dragon Corps in the central region did not dare to employ full force against the criminals.
To prevent the criminals from causing trouble, the Dragon Corps had influential martial artists patrolling the area to limit their movement to a certain zone.
The criminals did not dare to show themselves throughout the years and hid themselves from the public's view for the most part.
They hid in the central region mainly because all three of them originated from the region itself and knew the area best; on top of that, the central region was connected with all other regions, so they could evade any attack from the Dragon Corps by running off to any of the other four regions anytime.
Hence, by remaining in the central region, these criminals were able to keep an eye on the Dragon Corps and plan their escape when necessary
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2212
"I see!" Realization dawned on Lon as to why the Dragon Corps failed to eliminate the top three criminals on the list for years on end.
Sky County covered a large piece of land and the criminals lurked in the dark, making it difficult for the Dragon Corps to find them.
Criminals with high ranking were more difficult to defeat compared to others, and Leon knew that part of the reason he managed to defeat three criminals in a row was luck.
Asmodeus, the Opensider, and the Scarlet Thief all underestimated him and let their guards down, making it easy for Leon to utilize his strength and eliminate them.
"Leon, the top three criminals are far smarter than the Scarlet Thief and others, so you can't go up against them! Naturally, the contribution points that come with defeating these criminals are that much higher because of how formidable they are! If you manage to kill any one of them on your own, you'll obtain ten-thousand contribution points! That'd be sufficient for a few super herbs!" Alfred said thoughtfully.
Leon seemed to be rather blessed by fortune to be able to kill three criminals in a row, so Alfred hoped for nothing more than for Leon to find the remaining three criminals.
However, the top three criminals were far too powerful
compared to the Scarlet Thief, so Leon might be too young to survive in a fight with these criminals and would likely die before he could do anything.
"What?! Ten-thousand contribution points? That many?! If a chance comes by, maybe I can try it!" Leon wavered.
If killing the criminals ranking the first three places on the list could bring him ten-thousand contribution points each, he would have more than enough to trade the points with three herbs that contained light energy.
Though the criminals were far more powerful than Leon, he still had the last Potential Energy Force he received from Master Haslewood after using two.
If he truly came across any of the criminals, he might be able to kill one of them using the Potential Energy Force.
Not only would Leon be eliminating a threat to the community, but he would be able to trade the points for three rare herbs to reinforce his status and power.
Naturally, it was only a thought as he had no knowledge of the criminals' whereabouts and he had no time to travel to the central district.
"Forget it, Mister Glasbey! Please start searching for the Fairy Fruit for now," Leon said thoughtfully.
Since he had insufficient contribution points and could not eliminate any more criminals at the moment, he intended to give up on the herbs that contained light energy and trade his points with a Fairy Fruit, which was more crucial to him.
Angus already agreed to search for herbs containing light energy, and he might obtain a few with some luck; should that happen, all of Leon's problems would be resolved.
"Sure!" Alfred said without hesitation.
Worried that he might enter the recovery phase soon, Leon did not stay any longer and bid his farewell to Alfred, before returning home.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2213
Meanwhile, in the living room where the Southern Boss resided, the Southern Boss gathered his guardians and Four Apostles to wait for updates from the Scarlet Thief.
"This is strange! It's been a while, so why hasn't the Scarlet Thief contacted us? Is it possible that he has an accident like the Third Guardian?" The Southern Boss's expression darned and stood from his seat.
He exposed the whereabouts of Leon and Henry to the Scarlet Thief earlier that morning, and Scarlet Thief departed instantly to hunt them down.
The Southern Boss and the Scarlet Thief reached an agreement for Leon to be eliminated as well, as in return, the Scarlet Thief was to be rewarded handsomely and the Southern Boss would assist the Scarlet Thief's escape from the Dragon Corps.
The day was almost over, yet the Scarlet Thief did not report back to the Southern Boss, which was baffling.
The Southern Boss could not help but recall what happened to the Third, Fifth, and Sixth Guardians and realized that the Scarlet Thief might have suffered the same fate.
"That won't happen! Southern Boss, you're worried over nothing! The Scarlet Thief has reached the Intermediate Almighty State with close to no rival here in the southern region! He won't fail like the guardians who were sent after
Leon the last time,” Grand Apostle said.
"Yeah, Grand Apostle is right! Even the Dragon Corps has been struggling to take the Scarlet Thief down, so Leon can't possibly survive!"
The other Apostles and guardians agreed along.
"Yeah, you're right!" The Southern Boss agreed as well.
The Scarlet Thief was cunning and powerful, so even the Southern Boss himself and Arthur, who were in the Advanced Almighty State, would struggle to defeat the Scarlet Thief, let alone Leon.
Like others, the Southern Boss did not think that Leon could survive the Scarlet Thief s assassination.
If everything went as planned, Leon's demise was certain.
Just as they all were absorbed in the fantasy of having Leon out of the picture, what happened next shook them to their core.
"Sir," Footsteps approached and a member of the Spears ran inside.
"What's going on? Have you heard something from the Scarlet Thief?" The Southern Boss's heart sank and turned to look at the man.
The others turned their attention to the man who rushed in as well.
"Southern Boss, I've just been informed that the Dragon
Corps announced the execution of the Scarlet Thief not long ago," The man kneeled and said.
"What?!"
Jaws dropped and everyone stood from their seats in shock.
They were only discussing how Leon could not escape the Scarlet Thief, and to their bewilderment, not only had the Scarlet Thief failed, but he also got killed in the process.
This was so unexpected that none of them knew how to respond.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2214
"Didn’t the Scarlet Thief go after Leon and Henry? How'd he get killed by the Dragon Corps? Did Leon and Henry manage to capture him as they did with the guardians?"
The others snapped out of it and exchanged stunned looks.
They all thought that Henry and Leon were responsible for the Third, Fifth and Sixth Guardians' arrest by the Dragon Corps, and since the Scarlet Thief suffered a worse fate, the others instantly connected the dots and realized that Leon might be responsible.
"No way! The Scarlet Thief is in the Intermediate Almighty State and has mastered an advanced rank black class technique, so a brat like Leon can't possibly have what it takes to defeat him!" The Southern Boss's expression darkened.
He once attacked Leon after Leon injured Rodney during the sales drive organized by Cynthion Group, and he could tell that Leon was only in the Emperor State.
With such a difference in strength compared to the Scarlet Thief, it seemed unlikely that Leon would manage to defeat the Scarlet Thief.
Henry, on the other hand, was hunted by the Scarlet Thief.
He would not have lost his family to the Scarlet Thief and ended up living on the road.
Considering how powerless Leon and Henry were, the Southern Boss did not believe them to possess the ability to eliminate the Scarlet Thief.
"You're right, Southern Boss! I don't think that a young man like Leon can do that either! I think the Dragon Guards might be the ones who did it! It just baffles me as to how they managed to track and kill the Scarlet Thief so easily!" Grand Apostle said hesitantly.
According to what was publicly announced, the Scarlet Thief was included in the criminal list for three to four years and the Dagon Corps never stopped trying to hunt him down, but failed miserably whenever they tried.
Coincidentally, the Dragon Guards managed to defeat the Scarlet Thief just as he was about to attack Leon, and it was too strange to be concluded as a coincidence.
"That's what confuses me as well! The Scarlet Thief is cunning and alert, so it shouldn't be that easy for the Dragon Corps to get rid of him," The Southern Boss said.
Though there were several skilled martial artists in the southern region of Dragon Corps, it was always a challenge for them to track the Scarlet Thief down.
Even if the Dragon Guards stumbled upon the Scarlet Thief by luck, the Scarlet Thief could easily escape them instead of dying without putting in much of a fight.
The Southern Boss instinctively knew that there was more to the story.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2215
"Southern Boss, I've received another piece of information that says the Dragon Corps in the southern region has sought help from the Dragon Guards in the eastern region. A team has been sent to the southern region this morning and it was led by Zack with the sole purpose of hunting the Scarlet Thief down. I think the Dragon Guards from the two regions are now celebrating their success," The man continued.
The Southern Boss was one of the rulers of the southern region with extensive connections all over the area.
Alfred somehow managed to keep the operation a secret, but since the Dragon Guards from the eastern region arrived and a feast was arranged for the people from the eastern region, it was only a matter of time for the people who worked for the Southern Boss to learn about it.
Hence, the young man from the Spears caught the news that the Scarlet Thief was killed and that Alfred was having a feast with Zack and others.
"What?" The Southern Boss and the others were stunned.
None of them expected the Dragon Guards from the eastern region to travel so far to assist in the attack against the Scarlet Thief, so they were all taken by shock.
"It’s no wonder that the Scarlet Thief failed! So the southern region has joined forces with the eastern region!"
Realization dawned on the Southern Boss.
As one of the most influential forces in the southern region, the Southern Boss heard that the Dragon Corps in the eastern region hunted down The Phantom, who ranked fifth place on the criminal list. He also heard that Zack, who was also in the Advanced Almighty State, was one of the Dragon Guards who hunted The Phantom down.
Since Zack led the Dragon Guards from the eastern region to back the Draon Corps in the southern region up, it made sense that the Scarlet Thief would not survive their attack.
On top of that, the arrival of Dragon Guards from the eastern region was kept a secret, and no one, including the Southern Boss and the Scarlet Thief, caught news of it, so it seemed possible that the Scarlet Thief was caught off guard.
Instantly, the last fog of confusion was lifted and the Southern Boss came to conclude that the Dragon Guards from both the southern and eastern regions joined forces to eliminate the Scarlet Thief.
"That has to be the case! How can Leon be so lucky? Back when the guardians went after him, Henry popped up out of nowhere to save Leon, but now, when the Scarlet Thief went after him, the Dragon Guards from the eastern region came out of the blue to get rid of the Scarlet Thief."
"Yeah. It's because of sheer dumb luck that Leon manages to escape death repeatedly!"
The others swore and cursed in resignation as they also thought that the Scarlet Thief was killed by the Dragon Corps.
What they did not know was that Leon killed the Scarlet Thief on his own and the Scarlet Thief s death had nothing to do with the Dragon Corps at all.
Still, the Southern Boss and his subordinates were looking down on Leon and would rather believe that the Dragon Corps was responsible than think that a young man like Leon had a hand in it.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2216
"Damn it! That little bast*rd, Leon, is just so difficult to kill!" Furious, the Southern Boss slammed his fist against the armrest of the chair and the chair instantly shattered into pieces.
Ever since Cynthion Group was formed in the southern region, he sent his men to assassinate Leon time and time again to obtain the company, only to face failure every single time.
It baffled him as to what went wrong to cause an influential man like himself to lose to a young man like Leon.
'Is he just lucky?' He thought.
"Southern Boss, please calm down! Since the Scarlet Thief is already dead, I think we should send Fourth Apostle along with a big group of martial artists against Leon. He might be able to escape death twice, but I doubt he will get lucky again!" Grand Apostle said.
He once suggested sending Fourth Apostle against Leon, but the Southern Boss wanted to use the Scarlet Thief to eliminate Leon and rejected the idea. However, since the Scarlet Thief was already killed by the Dragon Corps, the Southern Boss's plan was ruined.
Hence, Grand Apostle decided to bring up the idea of sending Fourth Apostle instead.
Fourth Apostle was not mentioned on the criminal list, so the Dragon Corps could not possibly interfere.
With the Fourth Apostle's strength in the Intermediate Almighty State along with the assistance of other martial artists among the Spears, they should be able to eliminate Leon without miss.
"Southern Boss, I'm more than willing to take care of Leon for you," Fourth Apostle immediately stood from his seat.
"Very well! Fourth Apostle, I'll leave this to you, then! Take more men with you. Make sure that you eliminate Leon immediately and capture both Iris and Cynthia! Failure is not allowed!" The Southern Boss said sternly.
He did not know why he failed to assassinate Leon repeatedly, but he knew that Leon was growing rapidly and formed a connection with the Thompsons and the Hughes. On top of that, the Cynthion Group became so influential that its potential was immeasurable.
The Southern Boss was determined to kill Leon when there was a chance in the hope of obtaining the Cynthion Group.
He reminded Fourth Apostle to capture Iris and Cynthia mainly because he wanted secrets to the alchemical pills, as that was the most important part of all.
"Yes, sir. I won't let you down," Fourth Apostle said and was about to leave when he was stopped by the sound of footsteps approaching.
"Hang on!” Rodney hurried inside with the Second Guardian, “ Dad, you probably shouldn't do that!"
"What? Why not?" The Southern Boss was surprised as Rodney always wanted to get rid of Leon, so he was confused as to why Rodney would stop Fourth Apostle from attacking Leon.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2217
"I just caught words that Roanne Thompson moved in with Leon last night," Rodney explained.
He knew that the Scarlet Thief was sent to assassinate Leon earlier that morning, and like the others, he was certain that Leon would die.
Once Leon was out of the picture, the Southern Boss would capture Iris and Cynthia and obtain Cynthion Group through them.
Since Leon was close with the Thompsons, Rodney was worried that the Thompsons would try to protect Iris and the Cynthion Group, so he sent the second Guardian to spy on the Thompsons in the hope of updating the Southern Boss on any movement the Thompsons made.
Unfortunately, the Southern Boss's plan fell apart.
Not only had the Scarlet Thief failed to kill Leon, but he also ended up killed by the Dragon Corp and wasted the Southern Boss's effort in scheming everything.
Rodney happened upon the news that Roanne moved in with Leon, Iris, and the others. Realizing that this was important, he immediately hurried home to report his latest finding to the Southern Boss.
"What?! The Thompsons sent Roanne to live with Leon.
What are they trying to do? Are they not worried that they are going to tarnish their reputation?" The Southern Boss
and the others were stunned.
Roanne was the eldest unwed daughter of the Thompsons, whereas Leon already had a girlfriend. If words that the Thompsons allowed Roanne to move in with a man, Roanne's reputation would be on the ground.
As the head of all families in the southern region, the Thompsons always valued their reputation and it seemed out of character for them to make such an arrangement.
"Yeah! Leon has been gathering beautiful women by his side, so he is not a good man! The Thompsons knew that yet they willingly sent Roanne to Leon to be his plaything! They lost whatever dignity they had!” Rodney said jealously.
Iris and the other women by Leon's side were all stunningly beautiful women that any man would dream of dating.
From the first time, Rodney laid eyes on Roanne, he was enticed by her beautiful and frail appearance.
Though Iris and Cynthia were slightly superior in terms of beauty, Rodney had his eyes set on Roanne regardless.
Roanne was the eldest unwed daughter of the Thompsons, and the Thompsons always considered his father, the Southern Boss, an enemy. Hence, Rodney knew that the Thompsons would be devastated if he managed to make Roanne his plaything.
Despite his fantasy, the Thompsons offered Roanne up to Leon before Rodney had the chance of executing his plan.
Instantly, his heart was filled with jealousy and resentment toward Leon.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2218
"Rodney, don't worry! Once Fourth Apostle gets rid of Leon, I'll get them to capture all his women to be your playthings! You can do whatever you want with them!" The Southern Boss narrowed his eyes coldly.
"Southern Boss, we mustn't! The Thompsons have arranged for Roanne to live with Leon. They are trying to protect Leon, Iris, and the others! If we launch an attack toward them and accidentally harm Roanne in the process, the Thompsons will use that as an excuse to start a war with us! That won't do us any good!" Grand Apostle said.
"But," The Southern Boss was instantly rendered speechless as he realized that Roanne moved in with Leon to prevent him from attacking Leon in secret.
The Spears and the Thompsons were always rivals, but since the Thompsons valued their reputation, they never tried to attack the Spears from the dark. However, if the Southern Boss attacked Leon or capture the women, the Thompsons would use that as an excuse to attack the Spears to weaken their influence in the southern region.
Naturally, he did not know that Roanne was the one who proposed to move in with Leon. Still, Angus did agree to her request out of the consideration of hindering the Southern Boss and preventing him from attacking Leon.
"Dad, Grand Apostle is right. Now is not the time for us to declare war against the Thompsons! You have to think this
through!" Rodney said.
He knew that as the head of all families, the Thompsons were even more powerful than the Spears and if they enraged the Thompsons by killing Leon, the Spears were destined to fail.
Even if they succeeded in eliminating Leon, they would not be able to obtain Cynthion Group and would have risked everything over nothing.
"Damn the Thompsons! They asked for it! If they insist on protecting Leon, I won't hold back any longer!" The Sothern Boss scoffed and narrowed his eyes maliciously.
He gave up on sending the Fourth Guardian after Leon and turned to Grand Apostle decisively. "Grand Apostle, the Head Guardian, the two of you are coming with me to the Hiltons'!"
"Dad, why are you going to see the Hiltons?" Rodney asked, only to realize what the Southern Boss was plotting shortly after.
"I'm going to meet with Elder Hilton! He wanted to ally with me to take Leon down, but I refused him. Now, I've changed my mind and I've decided to work together with the Hiltons to get rid of Loen and the Thompsons! With our joined forces, the Thompsons won't be able to rival us!" The Southern Boss said coldly.
Since the Thompsons used Roanne as an inhibitor to stop the Southern Boss from hurting Leon, the Southern Boss knew that he needed to get rid of the Thompsons if he
wished to kill Leon, or he would not gain anything from Leon's death.
The Thompsons were far too powerful for the Spears to take down on their own, so the Southern Boss intended to work with the Hiltons to put pressure on the Thompsons.
It would be ideal if the Thompsons knew what was best for them and backed away, but if the Thompsons insisted on protecting Leon, the Spears, and the Hiltons would destroy the Thompsons to teach the Thompsons what it was like to cross the Southern Boss.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2219
Meanwhile, in the Hiltons Mansion, the Southern Boss arrived with Grand Apostle and the Head Guardian to meet with Devon in the living room.
Joel was seen next to Devon and after a brief exchange of pleasantry, they each took their seats.
"Southern Boss, what brought you here?" Devon asked.
"Elder Hilton, I thought through your proposal about allying a few days ago! Leon's far too capable and has the Thompsons to back him up, so the Spears can't get rid of him on their own! I've come to join forces with the Hiltons to go up against Leon and the Thompsons," The Southern Boss explained.
"The Thompsons, too? Southern Boss, our common enemy is Leon. All we need to do is take him down! There's no point in getting the Thompsons involved!" Devon said.
Though he invited the Southern Boss to ally with the Hiltons, Devon's main purpose was to get rid of Leon.
The Thompsons were extremely influential as the head of all families, so there seemed to be no reason at all for them to target the Thompsons, or they would face tremendous loss even if the Hiltons joined forces with the Southern Boss.
"Elder Hilton, you may not know this, but the Thompsons have sent Roanne Thompson to move in with Leon to protect him! If we want to get rid of Leon, we'll have to get
rid of the Thompsons first," the Southern Boss said.
"What?! The Thompsons are a respected family, and they sent their eldest unwed daughter to live with a man who has a girlfriend. Have you gone insane?" Devon gaped.
Like the Southern Boss, he instantly knew that the Thompsons did so to protect Leon, Iris, and the others. However, each move Roanne made represented the Thompsons, and Leon was a womanizer as he was surrounded by women apart from Iris.
Since Roanne moved in with them, she would soon find herself swarmed by rumors questioning her honor.
Devon simply could not understand why the Thompsons would do something so foolish.
"Yeah! The Thompsons have sacrificed the honor of Roanne to protect Leon! There is nothing they won't do! In any case, let's just try pressuring the Thompsons into moving Roanne out of Leon's house for now! If they refuse, we will rage war against them and make them pay for their arrogance!" The Southern Boss said.
He felt the same as Devon and did not wish to declare war against the Thompsons unless it was necessary.
However, if the Thompsons were determined to protect Leon, the Southern Boss would have no choice but to attack the Thompsons in the hope of obtaining the Cynthion Group.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2220
"Well," Devon's expression darkened and he instantly fell into silence.
Elegante Group became a threat to the Hiltons Corporation and out of consideration for the family's benefit, the Hiltons desperately needed to get rid of Leon and Elegante Group as soon as possible.
Since the Thompsons invested in the Elegante Group, they would not stand idly by if the Hiltons attacked Leon, so Devon knew that it was a good thing to have the Southern Boss's help.
However, since the tables turned and the Southern Boss was the one who brought up the alliance, Devon decided to act hesitant for more gain.
"Don't worry, Elder Hilton! If you agree to the alliance, I can offer you thirty percent of the profit made by Cynthion Group once I obtain the company!" The Southern Boss saw right through Devon's act and promised.
The Southern Boss refused to ally with the Hiltons mainly because he wanted Cynthion all to himself. However, he failed in multiple attempts to kill Leon, and with the Thompsons in the way, he would have to make sacrifices to bring the Hiltons onto his side.
"Alright. It's a deal!" Devon smiled.
The Spears were one of the most influential families like the
Hiltons, but the Southern Boss reached the Advanced Almighty State and slightly more power compared to the Hiltons and it was considered rather sincere of the Southern Boss to offer thirty percent of profit to the Hiltons.
Hence, Devon decided to accept the offer.
"Southern Boss, what plan do you have to take Leon and the Thompsons down?" Joel asked.
"I don't have any plan now, but rumors can cut just as sharply as knives! I decide to get my men to spread the word about how Roanne Thompson has moved in with Leon. The Thompsons value their reputation, so let's see if they can withstand being mocked by everyone," the Southern Boss sneered.
His plan was simple, and that was to pressure the Thompsons into giving up by spreading rumors.
Out of consideration for the honor of the family and Roanne, the Thompsons might move Roanne out of Leon's house, and the Hiltons and Spears would be able to attack Leon to their hearts' content.
"That isn't bad, but I have a better suggestion," Joel said thoughtfully.
"Oh? What idea do you have? Go ahead!"
The Southern Boss and Devon immediately turned their attention to Joel.
"Here's the thing, the son of the second bloodline of the Thompsons, Yonas, is ambitious and arrogant. He has
always wanted to replace Yuri as heir and because of that, his relationship with the first bloodline is hardly considered harmonious. We can work on that and try to divide the first and second bloodlines of the Thompsons. If the Thompsons start fighting amongst themselves, they won't have time to care about what happens to Leon," Joel explained with an evil sneer on his face.
The Hiltons and the Thompsons were both powerful families, so Joel interacted with Yonas on multiple occasions and knew that Yonas was an arrogant man. Hence, he intended to use Yonas and stir up internal conflicts amongst the Thompsons.