Chapter 99: He Is Too Dangerous, Young Master

Chapter 99: Chapter 99: He Is Too Dangerous, Young Master

The man had first collaborated with the Bloodshadow Cult to have Mira’s mother kidnapped, hoping to use her as leverage against Mira.

Now, he had gone a step further by helping Jonathan obtain a Life-and-Death Talisman, which could potentially have placed Mira under his control.

If Collins was willing to go this far now, there was no telling what he might attempt in the future.

Xavier was not willing to leave such a dangerous enemy alive and give him another opportunity to threaten his wife.

It was better to eliminate the danger before it grew.

Based on what Xavier knew, Collins’s cultivation had only reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

With Xavier’s current strength, killing him should not be particularly difficult.

The greater concern was the retaliation that might follow.

The Lindsay family would certainly investigate Collins’s death, but as long as Xavier concealed the evidence and prevented them from identifying the person responsible, he could buy himself enough time to grow stronger.

And even if the family eventually discovered the truth, they would not necessarily be able to connect the killer to Xavier Kane, an inconspicuous alchemy apprentice.

They would have to investigate Mr. X or Graham Cole instead.

By the time anyone uncovered his true identity, Xavier intended to have enough strength to deal with whatever came his way.

With that plan in mind, he quietly followed Collins after leaving the academy.

Before doing so, he changed his clothes and altered his appearance until he resembled Graham Cole.

If something needed to be done in the shadows, Graham Cole would be the one to handle it.

Xavier had no intention of leaving evidence that could lead anyone back to his real identity.

* * *

After leaving Stormvale Martial Academy, Collins was barely able to contain his fury.

"Samuel Bush, Solomon Hart, Vice Principal Johnny, and that ridiculous Mr. X!" he snarled.

"Every one of you has chosen to stand against me."

His expression twisted with resentment. He had grown up as the young master of the Lindsay family, accustomed to being treated with respect wherever he went.

Yet Mr. X had repeatedly challenged him in front of influential figures, making him look like a fool. Collins had never suffered such humiliation.

He wanted nothing more than to find Xavier and kill him on the spot.

Unfortunately, anger alone would not solve his problems.

Even if he believed himself capable of defeating Mr. X, he could not simply kill someone in broad daylight with so many witnesses nearby.

The Lindsay family might be powerful, but it could not openly disregard the kingdom’s authority without consequences.

For now, he had no choice but to endure the insult.

"Half a month," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"I’ll give you no more than half a month. After that, every one of you will regret what happened today."

Once he returned to his hotel, Collins contacted the leader of the Bloodshadow Cult, an organization secretly cooperating with the Lindsay family.

He placed an order for the Cult to deal with the people who had humiliated him. Until he had exacted revenge, he would not be able to rest easy.

However, before he could settle down, an inexplicable chill ran down his spine. His instincts screamed that he was in danger.

Collins reacted immediately, crushing a jade talisman he always kept on his person.

A golden barrier erupted around him, enveloping his entire body in a protective shield.

But the danger had not passed. Without wasting another second, he retrieved a palm sized rune fragment from his spatial ring and poured spiritual energy into it.

The fragment activated.

In an instant, Collins vanished from his original position and reappeared hundreds of meters away.

Only then did he finally feel that he had gained some distance from the threat.

As the young master of the Lindsay family, he had been provided with numerous life saving treasures.

Without those precautions, the sudden attack might already have cost him his life.

His breathing gradually steadied as he turned toward the direction from which the danger had come.

The area was filled with factories, and most workers were inside during the day.

With few people on the roads, it was easy for Collins to spot the lone figure standing in the distance.

The stranger had an unfamiliar face and was staring at him with obvious surprise.

"Who are you?" Collins demanded, his voice cold.

"Why did you attack me?"

The stranger was none other than Xavier, disguised as Graham Cole.

Xavier frowned inwardly. He had not expected Collins to react quickly enough to evade his chaotic energy needles.

The protective treasures provided by the Lindsay family were more troublesome than he had anticipated.

Still, this discovery did not discourage him. If anything, it made him more curious about what other treasures Collins carried.

The Lindsay family really has spared no expense protecting its heir, Xavier thought. If I manage to kill him and get my hands on everything he carries, this trip might turn out to be quite profitable.

He had no intention of answering Collins’s question.

There was nothing worth discussing with a man he had already decided to kill.

Since the initial ambush had failed, he would simply finish the job face to face.

Xavier bent his knees and launched himself forward, moving toward Collins with explosive speed.

But halfway through his charge, a sudden warning flashed through his mind.

He immediately changed direction. A dagger sliced through the space where he would have been a moment earlier.

At the same time, a lean, middle aged man appeared as though he had materialized out of thin air.

The man wore a plain brown training uniform and had an ordinary face that would have been easy to forget.

Yet the dagger in his hand and the speed of his movement made it clear that he was no ordinary bodyguard.

"Uncle Pat!" Collins said, his tension easing as soon as he recognized the newcomer.

As the heir to the Lindsay family, he would never travel without protection.

The man before him, Pat Marty, was one of the experienced guardians assigned to keep him safe.

His cultivation had reached the 8th-Level of the Spirit Platform Realm, making him far stronger than Collins himself.

With Pat here, Collins finally felt that he had a chance to survive the encounter.

However, before he could relax completely, Pat’s expression turned grave.

"Young Master, we need to leave," he said. "This opponent is far more dangerous than he looks!"

The moment Pat Marty warned him, Collins Lindsay’s expression changed.

He knew Pat well enough to recognize when the older man was genuinely alarmed.

Pat was not someone who panicked easily, and he certainly would not advise retreating unless he believed the situation was dangerous.

Collins did not waste time asking questions. He immediately turned and fled.

Pat had remained at the 8th-Level of the Spirit Platform Realm for more than a decade.

Although his cultivation had long since reached its limit, he had spent those years refining his combat skills and mastering techniques that compensated for his lack of progress.

Not every martial artist could continue advancing indefinitely.

Talent, aptitude, and comprehension all played a role in determining how far someone could go.

Many spent their entire lives trapped at a single level, no matter how diligently they cultivated.

Pat was one of them.

The 8th-Level of the Spirit Platform Realm was probably the highest he would ever reach.

However, his inability to advance further did not make him weak.

Over the years, he had developed a formidable understanding of martial arts and accumulated extensive combat experience.

One of his most valuable techniques was a 5th-Grade martial art known as Void Walking.

At its highest level, the technique supposedly allowed its practitioner to merge with the void itself, becoming almost impossible to detect.

Pat had only achieved minor mastery, but that was sufficient to conceal his presence by blending into his surroundings.

Combined with his keen instincts and years of battlefield experience, the technique made him exceptionally good at detecting danger before it arrived.

If someone like Pat was warning him to run, Collins knew better than to hesitate.

His own cultivation had only reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Against an opponent who could make Pat feel threatened, staying behind would be little more than suicide.

Unfortunately, escaping would not be as easy as he had hoped.

"Phantom Step!"

"Heaven Piercing Sixfold Finger!"

Xavier did not know the full extent of Pat’s abilities, but the danger he had sensed from the older man was enough to convince him not to hold back.

He decided to end the fight as quickly as possible.

Two fingers extended from his left hand while his right hand drew the Thunder Sword from his spatial ring.

At the same time, he activated Phantom Step, his body surging forward with explosive speed.

In an instant, he crossed several dozen meters and closed in on Collins.

"Your opponent is me! Come back here!" Pat let out a thunderous shout.

His own movement technique activated, and he shot forward like a bolt of lightning, placing himself directly in Xavier’s path.

Without slowing down, he drove a powerful kick toward Xavier while extending his free hand toward Collins.