The commotion among Wayne and his friends quickly subsided.
With narrowed eyes, Flynn swept his gaze over them, up and down, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smirk.
Flynn?
Madeline recognized him immediately. Wasn’t he the discarded son of the Clark family?
Just yesterday, Paxton had publicly announced cutting all ties with him, yet here he was today, shamelessly seeking out Slatin?
“I’m here to see Lawson Langford,” Flynn said indifferently.
He couldn’t care less about what Madeline was doing at Slatin-it had nothing to do with him anymore. Whatever she wanted to do, she could.
But as soon as those words left his mouth, the crowd burst into laughter.
Madeline looked at him as though she had misheard. “Flynn, you’re not seriously thinking about approaching Lawson Langford, are you?”
Perhaps Flynn hoped to use Lawson’s relationship with Paxton to glean the Clark family’s true position. Or maybe he intended to present an extravagant gift and ask Lawson to mediate, reconciling him with his father.
But why now?
If, back when the Clark family went to Niarak, he hadn’t been so arrogant and naive, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.
If Paxton had seen the potential Flynn displayed in Niarak, he might have accepted him as a lesser son. That way, Flynn could have leveraged the Clark family’s influence to expand his own network.
But now, his achievements were capped at Niarak.
Even though his medical skills were impressive, they wouldn’t amount to much in a place like Slatin, which was teeming with talent.
Flynn ignored her and turned toward the gates of the Langford estate.
“Hey, where are you going? Do you even understand Lawson Langford’s position in Slatin?”
“This isn’t Niarak! Leave immediately. Even if you want to meet him, you need an appointment first!”
“This isn’t a place for you. Go back to Niarak!” Madeline grabbed Flynn’s arm, anxiously trying to dissuade him.
She feared Flynn would cause trouble, further worrying her father.
Though she and Matteo had their disagreements about coming to Slatin, Madeline still cared about her father’s health.
She couldn’t stand Flynn’s recklessness. A figure as powerful as Lawson Langford, and Flynn wanted to barge in uninvited? Even Wayne’s father wouldn’t dare behave like that.
No sense of propriety!
Flynn, annoyed, shook off her hand.
What was wrong with this woman? Did he need her permission to do anything?
“A half-baked fool, huh? What do you want with my father?” Chase Langford sneered, his breath reeking of alcohol.
The Clark family, being the top power in Slatin, had their every move widely circulated.
Everyone knew about Paxton’s two marriages and the discarded son, Flynn.
Even though Chase Langford had never met Flynn before, he had heard of him.
They had even chatted about Flynn earlier during the banquet.
Sizing him up, Chase shook his head.
There wasn’t a shred of nobility in this guy-just a regular nobody. Compared to Vicente Clark, Flynn was like an ant beneath the stars. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.
Bloodlines didn’t lie. Adrianna’s humble origins were evident.
“You’re his son? Take me to him,” Flynn said bluntly.
Wayne and the others erupted into laughter again.
“Mr. Langford, Flynn just got out of jail a few months ago. He’s been stuck in that backwater Niarak ever since. If he’s offended you, I hope you won’t take it to heart…” Madeline’s face flushed as she lowered her head, embarrassed to even be associated with Flynn.
Chase Langford laughed heartily. “Of course I wouldn’t take offense at a country bumpkin like him. I’m just having a little fun with the fool.”
“You all can leave. I’ll chat with this guy for a bit and let him go.”
As the son of Slatin’s king, Chase naturally wouldn’t stoop to Flynn’s level.
“Madeline, don’t worry. Mr. Langford won’t take it personally,” Wayne said, pulling Madeline into the car.
“Flynn, Mr. Langford is a Great Grandmaster. Leave Slatin immediately. If the Clark family sees you, they’ll be furious!” Madeline glanced at Flynn one last time as she left with Wayne.
Her parting words were meant as a warning.
Even Flynn, no matter how foolish, wouldn’t dare challenge a Great Grandmaster-especially not here, in Slatin.
“Mr. Langford, we’ll be off!”
“See you tomorrow!”
“This guy’s crazy to show up here unannounced. Mr. Langford, just kick him out!”
The other wealthy heirs bid their farewells and departed one by one.
“Alright, leave him to me!” Chase Langford raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued as he leaned closer to Flynn and whispered conspiratorially:
“Hey, kid, I heard you went to jail for harassment. What part of Tessa Watson did you touch? Or did you… you know… go all the way?”
“Boom!”
Flynn had run out of patience.
With a single punch, he sent Chase Langford flying.
“Take me to your father!”
Chase crashed through the courtyard wall like a cannonball, leaving a human-shaped hole before landing heavily in the yard.
His body curled in pain, but thanks to his Great Grandmaster physique, he survived.
The loud commotion immediately alerted the estate’s guards, who rushed to the scene.
Each one was a Great Grandmaster.
Their overwhelming presence filled the air, their movements heavy as mountains.
They were responsible for patrolling the estate at night.
“Who dares trespass… huh? Mr. Chase!”
The guards gasped audibly.
“Who are you, boy?”
Chase Langford was a Great Grandmaster, yet this guy had injured him so badly?
“Tell Lawson Langford to crawl out here and meet me!” Flynn’s voice boomed like thunder, shaking the earth.
His killing intent erupted, saturating the air.
“You’re courting death! Break his legs and bring him to Mr. Langford!” the Great Grandmasters roared, fury igniting as they charged at Flynn.
For years, they had safeguarded the Langford estate-never had anyone dared to act so brazenly here.
A whirlwind of energy surrounded Flynn as the Great Grandmasters launched their assault.
The clash of their immense power created a storm so violent it seemed to uproot the heavens and earth.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
What happened next was beyond comprehension.
One by one, the Great Grandmasters approaching Flynn exploded into blood mist.
A torrential rain of blood flooded the courtyard, painting the ground crimson.
Chase Langford’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
“You… you…”
Wasn’t this discarded Clark son just a Grandmaster?
What was happening?
Flynn had caught him off guard earlier, but these guards had been fully prepared. Yet they were obliterated, reduced to nothing but blood and ash.
Chase’s face was filled with disbelief.
This guy had to be at least a Semi Greater Sovereign!
What was going on?
Was Madeline an idiot?
At dinner earlier, hadn’t she said Flynn had been stuck in Niarak for three months?
She even mentioned his past marriage.
How could she not know his true strength?
If Chase had known Flynn was this terrifying, he never would have provoked him.
“Take me to your father,” Flynn demanded, stepping closer to Chase.
“Don’t… don’t come any closer…”
“There’s no need!”
A thunderous roar echoed through the courtyard.
On the high platform ahead stood a towering man.
His frame was broad and imposing, his eyes sharp, his face chiseled like stone. His shoulders were wide and powerful, exuding an aura of unmatched dominance.
This was Lawson Langford, the king of Slatin’s underground.
Years ago, he had ascended to the Semi Greater Sovereign realm using Adrianna’s legendary refining formula.
He had already been resting but was roused by the chaos in the courtyard. Flanked by three Semi Greater Sovereigns, he arrived in a fury.
Surveying the carnage-the blood-soaked ground, his injured son-Lawson’s eyes burned crimson with rage, like two blazing infernos.
“Boy! What grudge does the Langford family have with you that you would storm in here so violently?”
Lawson’s voice reverberated like crashing waves, shaking everyone to their core.
As his roar echoed, the gates of the estate swung open.
From outside, a thousand guards poured in-elite soldiers who had long been stationed to protect the Langford family.
They entered the courtyard like an imperial guard, armed with sharp blades, encircling Flynn in an impenetrable formation.
Their strength was staggering.
Among them were over thirty Great Grandmasters and more than a hundred Grandmasters.
With Lawson Langford and his three Semi Greater Sovereigns present, even a fully-fledged Greater Sovereign would hesitate to act rashly.
The guards glared at Flynn with seething hatred, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
This was why even the Eight Extremities dared not provoke Slatin.
Lawson Langford’s forces were comparable to an army.
And this was only a fraction of their strength.
Thousands more warriors were stationed throughout Slatin. At Lawson’s command, they would assemble in no time.
Slatin truly lived up to its name-a land of dragons and tigers, a realm of kings.