Novels by Camellia

Kane let out a low, bitter laugh, flicking his cigarette butt out the car window. His eyes swirled with helplessness and inner turmoil.Cole knew full well this was the one and only time he would use their bond as mentor and protégé to pressure Kane. Just this once. Never again.A phone ring suddenly sliced through the quiet inside the vehicle.Kane answered the call, his eyes closed for four long seconds. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and his eyes stung red. “Every single one of us owes our lives to Uncle Cole.”Holt fell silent on the other end of the line.“Spare his life.” Kane kept his eyes shut, speaking each word slowly and heavily....Two precise gunshots rang out. Bullets tore clean through Kennard’s knees.A heavy thud. Blinding pain exploded through Kennard’s legs, and his body crashed hard to the ground.Holt stepped forward and drove his boot brutally into Kennard’s chest. Kennard screamed in agony, slamming backward onto the floor, his body convulsing.Holt’s face

The trembling female companion pointed toward a white cellphone. “That one’s his.”“Unlock it.” Lacey ordered coldly.Within a dozen seconds, the phone was unlocked. Lacey dialed the top-pinned number straight away.The call connected, and Kennard’s anxious voice came through. “Hello? What now?”Lacey spoke in a flat, emotionless tone, every word cutting deep. “Kennard. It’s Lacey. I’ve just dealt with your son.”A dead silence crashed over the line, nothing but stunned disbelief.“My father told me to tell you, this feud is far from over.” Lacey’s voice turned icy. “If you make it out of this building alive, come see him for one last look.”He ended the call right after speaking.“Pull out.”...More than ten minutes later, two black SUVs cut through the night and pulled over steadily at the curb.Holt, clean-shaved bald with a hardened aura, pushed open the door and stepped out. Rafe and a squad of elite fighters followed close behind. The lethal ambush outside the Nightspot club an

Hagan kept a respectful posture and answered Thaddeus in a clear, methodical tone. “Mr. Thaddeus, I’m here on Kane’s behalf. You demanded he answer for what happened tonight. He says grudges and rules are separate matters, and personal conflicts cannot override business.”He stepped aside to reveal the two captives behind him, his voice turning icy. “These two are the answer. They are the ones who ambushed you on the street and opened fire to assassinate you tonight.”Thaddeus’s pupils narrowed in stark shock.“Tonight’s chaos stirred up far too much commotion.” Hagan passed along Kane’s message. “Kane knows he disrupted South Screen District. He’s essentially solved this shooting case ahead of Director Bradford. These two men are left entirely in your hands to deal with.”Thaddeus stared at Hagan, silent for a long moment, his mind racing with thoughts.“I’ve delivered the message. I’ll take my leave.” Hagan turned to go.“Wait.” Thaddeus spoke up before he could leave.Hagan halted

"Yeah, just one shot, clean and lethal." The gunman shook his head. "Unknown shooter. Most likely a trap set by the crew at the Nightspot club.""This incident carries massive repercussions. If they launch an investigation, there’ll be endless trouble." The contact issued the order at once. "Wipe all traces from the scene, erase every lead, and return to base immediately.""Copy."The call ended, and the air inside the car turned suffocatingly heavy.The driver lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, muttering in frustration. "We botched the job, and he still has the nerve to blame us?""He’s sitting safe and sound judging from afar." The gunman in the passenger seat seethed. "No one could’ve gotten out unscathed in that dead-end situation. I don’t think this guy understands the field at all!""Tell me about it. I always thought he—"A dull gunshot suddenly ripped through the quiet suburbs!The bullet punched through the front windshield and buried itself dead-center in the driver’s for

Bullets slammed hard into the armored doors and windows, sending showers of sparks flying. The noise shrilled like pounding hail. The vehicle’s heavy armor held firm, not a single round piercing the hull. Everyone inside remained unharmed.The gunman on the left cursed under his breath, stunned. "Damn it! The old man’s ride is bulletproof!"He shuffled sideways quickly to establish a tactical stance and barked an order. "Move in close. Toss the grenade!"The gunman on the right ceased fire at once. He rushed toward the SUV, one hand closing around the grenade at his waist, thumb braced against the safety ring, ready to pull and throw.Inside the vehicle, Thaddeus heaved for breath, shaken and furious, fear mixing with rage in his eyes. "These bastards are dead set on killing me!""Sir, don’t stand up!" The aide pressed Thaddeus down firmly to shield him, drawing his gun with his free hand and snapping out an urgent command. "Call every man inside, tell them to come out and back us up

Weston burst into the hall with four trusted men, striding straight toward the standoff at the booth.Kane kept his head down, typing a message rapidly without lifting his eyes.Weston leaned over, brows knotted tight, voice urgent and furious. "Have you lost your mind? You’re destroying everything you’ve built!"Kane lifted his gaze to meet his, tone cold and distant. "Are you here to watch the spectacle, or to mediate and settle this?"Weston shot the question back. "What do you think?"Kane rose slowly. His eyes sharpened like blades, full force of his presence rolling out. "If you’re here to watch, step aside. Try to step in and mediate, and I will settle scores with you too.""How dare you spout such reckless threats?" Weston erupted in rage. He drew his gun in an instant, pressing the muzzle hard against Kane’s skull, his voice vicious. "In South Curtain District, I could put a bullet in you and might not even face the death penalty!"Instead of backing away, Kane stepped forwar

The blazing fire waterfall roared, carrying terrifying scorching ripples. Like a world-ending fire dragon, it crashed straight toward Albert.The whole world turned into a blazing furnace, sweltering and hot.Divine Realm Art, Extreme Flame Heavenly Waterfall!Albert watched the surging fire waterfall closing in and smiled. “A Fire Element Soul? I happen to possess a Water Element Soul. It seems fate makes me your natural counter.”He slashed his blade, tearing cracks into the void. The rumble of flowing water echoed out an instant later.From behind the spatial rift, a black dragon charged through the air riding frigid nether water. Dragon roars merged with the rush of water, resounding across the sky.Black Dragon Netherwater Banner!Wrapped in pitch-black nether water, the black dragon slammed directly into the heavenly fire waterfall. A deafening crash exploded. Steam churned from clashing water and fire, blotting out the sun.“A counter to me? Does a tiny stream hope to put out a

Sure enough, this power from the two Thousand Guard units was far more domineering than what he had felt at the Boundary River Falling Star Platform.Nicolle and Woodrow watched their actions. The pair froze for a moment before sneering.What an arrogant fool. He dares to bear the empowerment of two Thousand Guard units with a Peak Advanced Heavenly Spirit Realm body. Does he not fear his flesh tearing apart completely?They had not expected Albert to take such a risk. Had he truly been cornered and decided to fight to the death?Up on the mountain peak, Freya frowned. If backlash struck from Albert’s reckless move, he might crumble before Nicolle and Woodrow even lifted a finger.Not only would Albert be grievously wounded by the recoil, the two Thousand Guard units would also suffer heavy repercussions.Beneath all those shocked gazes, Albert drew a deep breath and unleashed the True Dragon Seed Pill within him without hesitation.True Dragon Seed Pill, transform into dragon!A low

“Albert, hand over the King Pearl. This is your limit. You will never cross Black Soul Ridge.” A laugh echoed out. Standing beside Nicolle, another burly man stepped into view.It was Woodrow, second commander of the Divine Tiger Guard, a high 1-star God Realm powerhouse.Nicolle stared at Albert with a smirk. “Look.”He gestured toward the rear. Multiple figures hovered in midair, countless greedy gazes locking onto them from afar. These were the rogue cultivators who had tailed them for a long time.Trapped between Nicolle and Woodrow blocking the front, with the rogues cutting off their retreat, this final stretch of the journey would be brutal.Albert’s eyes turned sharp.Just then, a woman’s soft laugh drifted down from a nearby mountain peak.“Albert, this last stretch seems quite troublesome.”Albert lifted his gaze and spotted a feminine figure emerging. It was Freya, whom he had met before.His brows drew tight. Was she here to seize the King Pearl as well?Seeing Albert’s fr

Still, even with his explosive growth over these years, Emily’s monstrous talent weighed heavily on Albert.This fiancée of mine is just too overpowered. I have my work cut out for me.Albert clenched his fists tight. That was exactly why he burned with urgency to evolve his Heavenly Dragon Soul. His goal was to break through into the Divine Realm right here in the Boundary River Domain, and more than that — he would forge his own ten-pillar golden platform.The ten-pillar golden platform was notoriously difficult to create, and the Heavenly Dragon Soul would likely be the most critical piece of that endeavor.While Albert’s mind raced with these thoughts, the main force dared not slow for a single moment. They could sense that though Emily held back most of the heavy hitters, several energy signatures were still closing in on their trail.Without Emily, they would have to rely entirely on themselves for the rest of the journey.And their next roadblock appeared sooner than expected.

Emily leaned her red lips close to Albert’s ear, her voice soft with a hint of allure. “Bring the King Pearls back to Dragon Ridge, and I will give you a reward.”Albert let out a helpless laugh. “Are you coaxing a child?”Still, he sighed. Emily was set on splitting their forces. Her words showed her unyielding resolve.It truly was the only viable choice they had right now.Tamara spoke up to persuade him. “Albert, rest assured. With Envoy Emily’s strength, even if she meets powerful foes and falls into a disadvantage after we leave, she can still break away whenever she wants.If we stay here, she will only have to divide her focus to protect us.”Albert fell silent for several breaths, then said at last. “Leave one more thousand-guard unit with you.”Emily shook her head. “One extra unit will not boost my power by much. If you get blocked along the way, all our efforts will be for nothing.”Her bright eyes fixed on Albert, her tone softening. “Albert, if things grow truly desperat

They all wore white robes, with bone-chilling cold sweeping across heaven and earth."Albert, hand over the King Pearl!" they roared in unison. Their shouts rolled forth like frigid currents, sending the temperature plummeting all around.Twelve towering Divine Platforms rose into the sky, resembling ancient city walls to block their path.Seeing this, Tamara spoke urgently. "Those are Divine Realm cultivators from the Dark Ice Sect. They are vassals of the Langman Supreme Clan. It looks like they received orders!"Yet even facing the blockade of four 3-star Divine Realm experts, Emily had no intention of slowing down. The Holy Thorn Crown nestled amid her hair blazed brilliantly with light. A ten-pillar golden platform forged from coloured glass materialized above her head, while the immense power channeled from four thousand-guard formations surged into it.Emily lifted a slender finger. A beam of light shot forth from the Holy Thorn Crown, and matchless divine smoke billowed out, w

Ito Keiko also stood up quickly and knelt down right behind her aunt. "Allen‑kun, please accept my bow of gratitude!" she said sincerely.Allen let out a soft sigh and spoke earnestly, "Please both of you get up. There is really no need for this. By chance, I lent the Ito family some help, but in the end, it is the Ito family’s own good fortune that allowed you to survive this disaster."Only then did Ito Emi and Keiko rise to their feet.Ito Emi turned to Ito Takehiko. "Brother, Mr. Allen is right. Beyond his help, our family has truly met with rare good fortune. We can absorb the market shares left behind by the Takahashi and Matsumoto clans. With the Takahashi family badly weakened, we can push forward our partnership talks with the Bruce family. At this point, the Bruce family will have no other choice but us.""No!" Ito Takehiko replied without the slightest hesitation. "From now on, we will not enter into any form of cooperation with the Bruce family."Ito Emi could not hide her

Allen told him the truth, "I was originally in Osaka to take over Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s production lines there. I heard Miss Keiko was staying in Kyoto, and since it was only a forty‑minute drive from Osaka to Kyoto, I decided to go visit her. I never expected to arrive just as the Fujibayashi clan’s ninjas were attacking her, so I stepped in."He sighed as he spoke, "It was pure luck. Had I shown up any later, there would have been nothing I could do."Ito Takehiko nodded, filled with lingering fear. "We truly owe everything to you, Mr. Allen."Anger welled up inside him, and he said coldly, "The Fujibayashi ninjas served Takahashi Machi. I cannot for the life of me figure out why he would target me. We were both competing for a partnership with the Bruce family. Even with past frictions and bad blood between us, there was no reason to send assassins after my daughter!"Allen’s brows drew tight at once. "What did you say? The Bruce family? Which Bruce family?!"Ito Takehiko expl

After the double‑leg amputation, the doctors had put him on a pain pump, so he barely felt any physical agony. Still, constant worry over Ito Keiko, who was far away in Kyoto, kept him from sleeping soundly.He had just dreamed that Keiko had met with misfortune in Kyoto. The nightmare jolted him awake at once, and he intended to tell his younger sister Ito Emi to send people to bring Keiko back to Tokyo without delay.Yet what he had never dreamed of was that when the ward door swung open, his beloved precious daughter Ito Keiko walked in together with his sister Ito Emi."Keiko?!" Ito Takehiko blurted out in shock. "What are you doing here?"Seeing her father lying pale and bloodless on the hospital bed, with thick bandages wrapped around his knees and everything below gone forever, Ito Keiko burst into tears and cried out, "Oto‑san!"She rushed over to the bedside, grabbed Ito Takehiko’s hand, and wept bitterly.It took Ito Takehiko a moment to collect himself. Relieved and deeply

Sitting in the passenger seat, Ito Keiko stayed tense throughout the whole ride. Even though Ito Takehiko had said over the phone that he was out of danger, Keiko still harbored quiet worries.A little over three hours later, Allen pulled into Tokyo and stopped at the gate of the University of Tokyo Hospital, the top‑rated medical facility in the city.This hospital boasted Japan’s highest global ranking and represented the nation’s pinnacle of medical care.Once the car came to a full stop, Keiko could not wait to push open the door and get out. Before stepping out, however, she turned to Allen and asked, "Allen‑kun, will you come upstairs with me?"Allen looked slightly awkward. "Your father might not want to see me."Keiko said earnestly, "Allen‑kun, you saved my life. No matter how big the misunderstandings or grudges between you two are, I believe Father will no longer hold them against you!"Allen thought for a brief moment and replied, "Very well, I will go with you."His reaso

Allen couldn’t help laughing and said, “If your dad heard that, he’d probably be furious.”Ito Keiko stuck out her tongue. She was about to speak when her phone suddenly vibrated.She looked confused. “Who would be calling this late? Could the servants have noticed we snuck out?”She quickly pulled out her phone and gasped in surprise. “Oh no, it’s Father!”She never expected her father to call her so late at night.She said nervously to Allen, “Allen‑kun, I need to take this call from my father…”Allen nodded with a smile. “Go ahead.”Keiko quickly answered the phone and asked cautiously, “Father, why are you calling me so late? Is something wrong?”Ito Takehiko’s weak voice came over the line. “Keiko, I’ve had an accident. I’m calling to make sure you’re safe. Is everything all right over in Kyoto?”Keiko asked anxiously, “Father! What happened to you? Are you badly hurt?”Takehiko replied, “Tanaka and I were hunted down by attackers. We barely managed to escape. But I’m afraid they

Upon hearing those words, Matsumoto Yoshito completely broke down. He lifted his head and shouted hysterically, “Why! Why wipe out my entire Matsumoto clan?! Why push for total extermination?!”The woman let out a cold laugh. “This is the price you pay for provoking the Bruce family!”Tears instantly streamed down Matsumoto Yoshito’s face. Mixed with blood, they made his whole look utterly gruesome.All will to live had deserted him. He mumbled, “Kill me. Kill me right now.”The woman nodded and pulled out a sunflower‑seed‑shaped carving of white jade from her pocket. “Matsumoto Yoshito, before you die, I want you to remember my name. I’m Suzie.”With a flick of her wrist, the jade sunflower seed shot forward at high speed.The next instant, a tiny bloody hole appeared in the center of Matsumoto Yoshito’s forehead. All life drained from his body, and he crashed to the ground, dead.Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.The police chief finally breathed a sigh of reli