The Understated Dragon Lord
Chapter 177

Chapter 177 The Martial Master

Ryan's body came to rest in front of the artificial mountain. The small stones that fell like rain were much heavier than the pinecones before, and they were also much harder. As they pelted his body, Ryan let out cries of pain.

Daniel approached, a grin on his face as he looked down at Ryan. "How does it feel, Ryan? Is the massage from these stones any better than the pinecones?"

After being kicked away twice, Ryan's face felt swollen. He was one of The 72 Martial Masters! Yet he couldn't get close to this country bumpkin, let alone kill him. Enraged beyond measure, he secretly grabbed a stone and hurled it at Daniel's face.

Daniel skillfully kicked the stone back. It shot straight at Ryan's face.

Bang!

A dull sound was followed by a spurt of blood.

"Ah... Ahhh..."

Ryan clutched his face, where the stone had left a gaping hole, and screamed in agony.

"I'm in a good mood today; I don't want to kill you! Get out of here!"

Facing Daniel's warning and knowing he couldn't complete his mission, Ryan didn't hesitate and took off running.

Jessica moved in to inspect Daniel, checking him from head to toe. Then she asked, "Are you hurt?"

"I'm injured. It's pretty bad. I need a kiss from you to heal!"

"Get lost!!"

Jessica gave Daniel a pointed glare and then walked away, her heels clicking solemnly.

In another villa, Joseph was enjoying his music and drink when Jessica rushed in, a concerned look directed at her grandfather. "Grandpa, are you all right?"

"What could possibly happen to me?"

"There was a hitman here to kill Daniel. Luckily, he was more ruthless than the hitman and chased him away."

Joseph looked at his granddaughter with curiosity. "Daniel? Who would want to kill him?"

"How would I know!"

"Speaking of which, why didn't you come to me right away when you met the hitman? Is there something going on between you and Daniel?"

"Grandpa, what are you talking about?"

"I mean, do you have some special feelings for him?"

"Grandpa! What are you thinking? I don't like him at all! At most, I just don't hate him as much!"

"You used to hate him?"

"Grandpa! I'm not talking to you about this anymore!"

Jessica stomped her foot in frustration, though she didn't leave.

"Oh right, grandpa, do you know anything about The 72 Martial Masters?"

"I do. Only the strongest martial artists in the USA can be called martial masters. There are two lists of martial masters in the USA: The 36 Martial Masters and The 72 Martial Masters. Being on The 36 Martial Masters list means meeting much higher standards. But anyone ranked in The 72 Martial Masters list is among the top 108 martial artists in the USA. Even the New York Martial United here in New York has four strong fighters, but none of them have made it as a martial master, let alone be ranked among The 72 Martial Masters."

Joseph looked at his granddaughter with curiosity. "Why the sudden interest in this?"

"The guy who got beaten up and ran away by Daniel claimed to be one of The 72 Martial Masters."