Angus Warren stood with his hands behind his back in the majestic, black-and-gold main hall of Kunlun Island—the foremost military stronghold of the Summer Empire.

Surrounding him were the Four Heavenly Guardians and the Eight Earthly Sentinels, the elite figures overseeing the empire's twelve military districts, wielding control over all of its armed forces.

Angus spoke, his deep voice steady and commanding, "The flames of war have died down, and peace will reign for the next decade. During this time, I’ll be returning to Raymond Bright to investigate the fire that took my parents and uncover the spies infiltrating the city. While I’m away, I entrust the military affairs to you."

Stepping forward from the group, Mr. Lavers, clad in a striking silver battle armor, gave a respectful nod. "Kunlun, though peace has settled, we've received intelligence suggesting spies from neighboring nations will attempt to infiltrate the empire. We can't afford to underestimate the threat."

A flicker of determination crossed Angus Warren's calm gaze. "I'm well aware. The first wave of spies from the Sunset Empire has already infiltrated Raymond Bright. This time, I plan to personally root out those cancers."He walked down the black stone steps at a deliberate pace, stopping beside the group. His voice, calm yet laden with emotion, broke the silence.

"My seven sisters are still waiting for me. It's been ten years... it's time to go back."

The Four Great Celestials and the Eight Earthly Guardians exchanged astonished glances. In all these years, this was the first time they had seen the Kunlun War God show such gentleness.

Angus Warren swept his eyes over the gathered men, paused for a moment, and gave his orders.

"Mr. Lavers, Mr. Philip, you’ll accompany me to Qing’an City. The rest of you, return to the military district. Keep a constant watch on the borders and await further commands."

"Understood, sir!" they answered in unison, saluting him with utmost respect as they bid the Kunlun War God farewell to his mission.

...

Upon reaching the provincial capital of Xifeng, Angus Warren directed Mr. Lavers and Mr. Philip to proceed to Qing’an City ahead of him in a military vehicle. Meanwhile, he opted for a more inconspicuous approach, boarding a public bus.

This journey back to Qing’an City had two purposes.

First, to uncover the truth behind the fire that tore his family apart seventeen years ago when he was just five. In that inferno, he had watched helplessly as his parents were strangled to death with ropes before his very eyes.

Such a blood debt could not be left unpaid.He aimed to uncover the first batch of foreign spies hidden in Qingshan City, crushing their nation's schemes before they could take root. Achieving this goal meant keeping a low profile, so Angus Warren chose to split up from Mr. Lavers and Mr. Philip, boarding a public bus on his own.

"This ride’s destination is the City Center Tech Plaza North Station in Qingshan City. Total journey time: two hours. Please fasten your seatbelts, and we'll set off shortly."

As he listened to the announcement, Angus gazed out at the familiar yet distant cityscape outside the window, barely holding back the surge of emotion within him.

After ten years, he was finally back.

The painful memories flashed before him: at the age of five, his parents were brutally murdered, and he was sent to a welfare home where he lived with seven half-sisters. By twelve, he thought he was old enough to avenge them and ran away from the welfare home. That was when he met a man who adopted him as a son and took him to Kunlun Island, guiding him step by step to eventually become the mighty Kunlun War God, commanding the nation's armed forces.

Over the past decade, he had fought through countless battles, big and small.Even with his unparalleled military achievements, there were times when Angus Warren had narrowly escaped death in a hail of bullets.

What kept him going through those bleak moments was one thought—his seven sisters.

Time and time again, he reminded himself: I have to survive! Only by staying alive and returning home in glory would he be able to reunite with them, protect them, and shield them from the storms of life, just as they had once done for him.

As Angus sat there, lost in his thoughts, a bald man swaggered over. Draped over his arm was a curvaceous woman.

"I’m taking this seat. Get up and find someplace else," the man declared, his tone brash.

Angus raised his head slightly, a faint frown crossing his face. "This is my seat. Why should I give it to you?" he replied calmly.

The woman, her bright red lips pursed and smiling smugly, chimed in, "The seat next to you is mine. I need to sit with my Mason. Be smart and move."

"And if I don’t? What then?" Angus countered, expressionless as his eyes lingered on the duo. His voice was steady, unflinching. "What’s the big deal about sitting apart for two hours? It won’t kill you.”

“You son of a—”The man’s face turned a deep shade of anger, practically growling, “Kid, listen up. The name's Mason Wild, the big shot of Raymond. If you’ve got no sense, you’d better watch out, or you might just get whacked over the head as soon as you step into town!"

As soon as Mason Wild’s name left his lips, other passengers quickly shifted their gazes away, avoiding trouble at all costs. Everyone knew who he was—a notorious thug of Raymond. A couple of years ago, his violent antics had the entire city hunting him down. He’d only recently gotten out of prison.

“Wild, don’t bother with him,” said the woman clinging to Mason’s arm, rolling her heavily made-up eyes. Her voice oozed mockery as she added, “This guy? He's probably never even been near a woman before. Bet he’s just looking for an excuse to sit close to one—trying to get a whiff of some perfume or something!”

She chuckled darkly, nudging Mason’s arm suggestively. Then, she leaned in and added in an almost playful yet venomous tone, “Why not just toss him out the window? Save us all the noise.”

Mason burst out laughing, smacking her on the rear like he owned the place. Glaring at Angus Warren, he barked, “You hear her, boy? That’s how my girl calls the shots. Alright then, I’ll give you until the count of three. If you don’t get your ass out of that seat, I’ll personally make sure you regret it.”

Angus glanced up at him, his expression as calm as a windless lake. “One, two, three,” he counted, his voice steady. “There. I did it for you. Now, go on—make your move.”

“You—!”Mason Wild glared with his triangular eyes, his face full of coarse flesh turning a deep shade of purple.

He hadn’t expected to come across someone today who seemed more shameless than him!

“Kid, don’t push your luck!”

No way was Mason going to swallow his pride in front of an audience. With a furious shout, he swung a punch straight at Angus Warren’s head!

In that instant, every passenger on the bus felt their hearts leap.

Mason, with his body packed with bulging muscles, was landing a punch that, at the very least, might leave the guy with a concussion.

And if it hit his temple? He might not even make it out alive!

“Bang!”

As everyone watched in stunned silence, Angus calmly raised his right hand and effortlessly blocked Mason’s fist, which had cut through the air with force. With a hint of disdain in his voice, Angus remarked:

“Is that all you’ve got?”