Novels by Camellia

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Raven smirked, though soft affection lingered in her gaze. “I’ll just take a sip. You finish yours.”“Deal.”Their glasses clinked lightly. Kane tossed his drink back in one go. The hard liquor burned his throat, yet it could not dampen the relief settling inside him.Raven wiped liquor from the corner of her mouth with a napkin. Her smile faded a little, and her tone turned earnest. “I need to ask you for a favor.”“Go on.” Kane bent forward to top up his drink.“Once you’re back in Novara, tell the landlord at Compound 88 for me,” Raven said softly. “I’m giving up that apartment.”Kane’s hand holding the bottle froze abruptly. His heart sank, though he forced a light‑hearted quip. “Did the web‑broadcast station assign you new housing?”Raven looked up at him, helplessness and reluctance hidden in her eyes, and spoke quietly. “I’ve handed in my resignation. I’m leaving Novara to figure out what comes next.”His worst suspicion was confirmed, and loss washed

Money was only the most superficial benefit. The true core lay in power‑for‑sex exchanges and intelligence recruitment.Using children as bargaining chips, the welfare home catered to various high‑ranking officials and powerful figures in return for resource favors and capital backing. Meanwhile, it served as Military Intelligence’s most secret training ground for new operatives.Children trafficked in from outside the district had no family, no official records, and no ties to hold them back. They made the most controllable and loyal low‑level intelligence recruits. Military Intelligence constantly picked promising candidates from among them, trained them in secret, and placed them across all walks of life to build an invisible intelligence network.Those who failed selection and showed mediocre aptitude lost welfare support upon reaching adulthood and were left with nowhere to turn. Most ended up as street enforcers, workers in shadow industries, or employees in entertainment venues

Falkner snapped back to his senses and barked sharply, "You’re bluffing me!"Cole let out a faint chuckle, his tone casual yet cutting, "You’re overreacting."Falkner fell silent at once, his expression darkening repeatedly.Cole was not gambling blindly. Before coming, he had asked old contacts in Southspire to dig up critical inside information. Even without the murders of the two high‑ranking officials, Military Intelligence would have protected the welfare home at all costs. Falkner’s loss of composure fully confirmed his hunch: Silas held leverage capable of blowing the whole case wide open."You claim he doesn’t carry enough weight." Cole took a drag from his cigarette, smoke curling around his eyes, and spoke crisply, "Then let’s bet on speed. Push through legal proceedings to execute Brown, and I will immediately break Silas. I’ll drag every dirty secret he’s been hiding out into the open. Let’s see who caves first."Falkner clenched his fists so tight his knuckles turned whit

He could have pulled out and fled that night at the welfare home. Yet the suffering of the children before his eyes shattered his breaking point. Polished, high‑ranking figures were committing acts worse than beasts. He pulled the trigger and executed the two old men—not for pay, but simply because he could not stand to watch.To the world, he was a vicious criminal, yet he clung to the conscience so many elites had cast aside. That was Brown.Out in the hallway, Kane stared at his smile, weighed down by a foreboding sense of doom. Brown would most likely never walk out of this place alive.“Take care, brother.” Brown waved, a hint of reckless nonchalance in his tone. “If fate allows, we’ll meet again over our graves.”Kane held his gaze, then turned and hurried away.……Minutes later, Kane’s phone rang. It was Raven.“There was nothing more I could do for those men.”“Thank you.”Raven softened her voice. “I’m coming to get you.”……Elsewhere.Pierce and his crew had slipped back to

Andre picked up his teacup and spoke in a calm tone. "For Military Intelligence work, knowing where to draw the line and reading the tides are the fundamentals of survival." "You have done well.""I tread carefully at every step and dare not grow complacent."Andre tapped his teacup lightly and cut straight to the point. "I summoned you here for two matters.""Please go ahead." Jasper focused his attention at once."Kane is close with someone in my family." Andre took a small sip of tea. His voice was soft yet carried immense weight. "Let me ask you. Do you have solid evidence linking him to the case when you took him into custody?"Jasper weighed his words and replied cautiously. "Initially, we identified him as a suspect solely based on call frequency. We were unaware of his police status and detained him under the assumption he was involved. Now that you have personally stepped forward, whether evidence exists no longer matters."Andre let out a faint laugh, seeing right through hi

Upon seeing Pierce, his rescuer, Rafe’s strained willpower suddenly crumbled. His eyelids drooped heavily. The arm holding the pistol shook violently beyond his control, his breath shallow and ragged. “Tell him… thank the driver for me… I would never have made it out without him.”Pierce’s heart sank at the sight. He spun around and roared. “Everyone get over here! Move in for backup now!”Operatives from both SUVs poured out in response.Pierce holstered his side‑arm, hauled the exhausted Rafe out of the truck compartment with both arms, and propped up his faltering body. He pressed on in a low, urgent voice. “Where are you hurt? Talk to me!”Rafe hung his head without a word, shivering uncontrollably from the cold.Pierce pressed his palm against Rafe’s forehead. The burning‑hot temperature was a stark, alarming contrast to the frigid surroundings. He glanced down at the ground and his eyes went wide — a pool of dark red blood had soaked through the snow, glaring against the pure‑wh

Right then, Tanaka Koichi, who was nearly over the guardrail, dashed over with every ounce of strength and shoved Ito Takehiko’s body, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Sir! Push hard with your hands! We have to jump, or we are dead for sure!!!”It hit Ito Takehiko like a wake‑up call. He knew they were hanging between life and death.He strained to pull himself upward with both hands. Helped by Tanaka Koichi’s desperate heave, he quickly climbed over the viaduct guardrail.At the very moment he was about to lose his balance and fall, he looked back at Tanaka Koichi, filled with gratitude and reluctance, and yelled, “Koichi! Don’t you give up either!”Tanaka Koichi nodded, put extra force into his arms, and pushed Ito Takehiko off the bridge.Right after that, he scrambled onto the guardrail as fast as he could. As the short blades of several ninjas swung toward him, he threw himself off, leaping right behind Ito Takehiko.One after another, the two men jumped off the over ten‑meter‑

Several subordinates rushed over to support him. Weak yet seething with rage, he barked, “Hurry! Dispatch helicopters and the special tactical unit to rescue Yoshihiko Ito at the Yotsuya Viaduct. Tokyo cannot afford any more deaths today!!!”In theory, the fully‑equipped modern special tactical unit matched special‑forces soldiers in both gear and combat capability.When fighting one‑on‑one against a ninja, these SWAT‑style officers stood little chance against the ninjas’ uncanny movement and hidden weapons.Yet once dozens of them worked together, leveraging overwhelming firepower, formation tactics, and coordinated teamwork, the ninjas’ advantages would vanish completely.The biggest problem, however, was that help was too far away to arrive in time.It would take at least five minutes for the special tactical unit to assemble, several more minutes to board the helicopters, and additional time for the aircraft to take off and rush to the scene. All in all, the response would take we

Yet Yoshihito Matsumoto had no idea that elite operatives from the Bruce family had already surrounded his mansion. The leader in charge did not rush to storm the compound right away. Instead, he drew up a battle plan based on the layout of Matsumoto’s residence, aiming to wipe out the entire Matsumoto clan in one fell swoop.Given Jonas’s temperament, he would never settle for killing only Yoshihito Matsumoto after the man had tried to murder his son and daughter.The most satisfying and thorough solution was none other than exterminating the whole Matsumoto household.The Bruce family had never been a merciful faction.Going all the way back to the anti‑Smith alliance to its present‑day standing as one of China’s top‑tier families, the Bruce family had always conducted business with ruthless brutality.Ten minutes after Yoshihiko Ito left his home,his motorcade was about to enter a two‑kilometer‑long viaduct.It was a fully enclosed roadway.The bridge deck stood at an average heig

“Yes!” Keiko Ito nodded hard with excitement. She walked around the tea table, took Allen’s hand, and said brightly, “Let us go, Allen‑kun!”Having just broken through to a whole new level of strength, Keiko Ito showed none of the poise of a seasoned martial‑arts master.Right then, she was nothing more than a simple, joyful young girl, holding the hand of the man she loved and rushing out into the snowy night she adored.Keiko Ito loved snow, especially snow at night. Out in the quiet snow, free from outside disturbance, she could peacefully enjoy the beauty of falling snowflakes and the dark of night.Such were her girlish thoughts and tender sentiments.A thick blanket of snow covered the courtyard.All traces of Allen’s fight against the Torin clan ninjas had long vanished. The heavy snow crunched underfoot, as if shutting out all the noise and chaos of the city.Keiko Ito would not let go of Allen’s hand. She led him wandering through the snow, then lifted their joined hands high

Ryosuke Matsumoto pressed urgently, “Brother! We still do not know if our plot has been exposed. Are we just going to sit here and wait for our fate to be decided? That would leave us far too vulnerable. Even if death is certain, we have to fight back. We cannot give up like this!”“Right!” Ryosuke Matsumoto’s features twisted with ferocity. “If we are going down, we will drag others down with us. Either way, we lose nothing!”At that very moment.After setting the two‑story building ablaze, Allen made his way back to the Ito family estate.He took the same route and slipped into Keiko Ito’s private courtyard.Keiko Ito was seated at the tea table, eyes half‑closed, fingers gently turning a string of bodhi prayer beads as she silently chanted Buddhist scriptures to pray for Allen’s safety.Buddhism had long flourished not only in China but also in Japan. Ever since Master Jianzhen journeyed eastward, Buddhism had spread rapidly across Japan.Though there were minor differences between

He then added, “Mr. Jonas, even if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gets involved, they will still hand the case over to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. After all, the Foreign Ministry is not a law‑enforcement agency and has no extra manpower for this…”Jonas let out a cold snort. “Then move faster! Stop dragging your feet!”With that, Jonas spun around angrily and stormed off.Once outside the police building, the very first thing Jonas said after getting into his car was to give orders to his trusted aide beside him. “Robbie, take twenty men to Kyoto right away and bring Michael and Louise back. I will send you a phone number shortly for you to contact Louise.”The middle‑aged man named Robbie was a loyal confidant who had served Jonas for many years. Upon hearing the order, he asked immediately, “Sir, have we located the young master and young lady?”“Yes.” Jonas nodded. “They are safe now, yet the mastermind behind this has far exceeded our expectations.”Robbie pressed o

Vance fell silent for several breaths, then shook his head. To cultivate a Ten‑Pillar Golden Platform required such extraordinary talent and potential; she was indeed worthy of being Uncle Andrew’s disciple.His odd reaction left both Albert and Emily confused. Isabel leaned in toward Emily and whispered, “Pay him no mind. He idolizes Third Uncle deeply. He once hoped to become Third Uncle’s student but failed, and that regret has lingered ever since. When he heard you are Third Uncle’s disciple, he could not help but draw comparisons.”“Still, your Ten‑Pillar Golden Platform is overwhelmingly powerful, laying your immense talent and potential bare for all to see. In the end, he had nothing left to say.”Vance’s mouth twitched. He shot Isabel a sharp glance. Intimidated by his usual authority, Isabel twisted her body and hid behind Emily.Emily’s eyes shifted slightly. She nodded and addressed Vance, “I will be joining the Dragontooth Guards going forward. Should the opportunity arise

Joseph spoke. "I tried to probe her, but she concealed herself perfectly and gave nothing away. Still, guesses get us nowhere. Short of catching them red‑handed, how can we hold the Bruce Supreme Clan accountable?"Albert nodded slightly. "Be that as it may, we have to treat her as a suspect. We’ll stay extra cautious if we cross paths with her in the future."Cold glint flashed in his eyes. "If it really was her, I will make her pay for this debt when the chance comes."The ambush had been deadly. Their enemies had come fully prepared. If he and Emily had not worked together to buy time, they would have been captured long before the Dragontooth Guards arrived.Joseph nodded. That madwoman Patty was definitely someone they needed to watch out for.Nearby, the Dragontooth Guards held their position while several figures streaked through the air and landed before the group.Leading them was none other than Vance, the Commander of the Dragontooth Guards.Beside him stood several familiar

Though the Dragontooth Guards before him were not at full strength in numbers, they still held a huge advantage against him, a 6‑Star God‑Realm expert.Bitter thoughts welled up within the 6‑Star God‑Realm cultivator. He knew he had missed his best chance. Now that the Dragontooth Guards had arrived, more powerful experts from Dragonspine Ridge would surely be drawn soon. This assassination attempt was all but a failure.With that realization, he abandoned all will to fight. His six God‑Platforms above his head rumbled and shook, rising like towering mountains to meet the dragon’s breath that descended like heavenly fire.Terrifying energy ripples raged outward.The 6‑Star God‑Realm expert threw back his head and let out a long roar. The sound rolled forth and reached his allies in the distance.“Useless! A dignified 6‑Star God‑Realm warrior, and you still failed to capture a bunch of brats!”The 8‑Star God‑Realm leader who had been pinning down Joseph had long sensed the Dragontooth

“Suppress them!” The 6‑Star God‑Tier cultivator wove hand seals. His six God‑Tier Platforms thundered with earth‑shaking roars. Surging pillars of energy crashed onto the golden pagoda, which instantly burst forth ten thousand streaks of golden light. Its mouth slowly descended, forcibly crushing both the Glazed Light Sword and the shadowy sword‑dragon blocking its path.Then the pagoda tilted, its opening locking onto Albert, Emily and Tina as they fled through the air.Deep within its maw, golden light churned and rumbled, as if a devastating blow was being prepared.A few breaths later, the 6‑Star God‑Tier expert extended a finger and spoke coldly, “Heaven‑Gold Mystic Water!”Massive golden radiance shot out from the pagoda’s opening. The light carried overwhelming sharpness, yet it flowed like liquid gold, forming what looked like a golden river.Cutting through the void, the golden river resembled a ten‑thousand‑li golden greatsword, tearing the firmament apart.At this point, th

If it possessed that kind of power, why would it even be stuck with you?Albert felt a little awkward. Admittedly, he had been asking far too much of the Five‑Tailed Heavenly Wolf. Still, they were in the same boat. If Albert died, the wolf would not survive either.“I cannot handle a 6‑Star God‑Tier!”“Figure something else out on your own!” The Five‑Tailed Heavenly Wolf roared, almost giving up entirely.Albert sighed upon hearing that. “I thought our bond built over all these years had long transcended the boundaries of race.”The Five‑Tailed Heavenly Wolf sneered inwardly. Bond with you, kid? Go ahead and release me, and you will see exactly who I bite first.Albert kept talking through the mental link. “Truth be told, I planned to ask my grandfather to lift your seal once I advanced into the God‑Tier Realm. I also came to the Boundary‑Realm River Region partly to seek opportunities for you. Spirit beasts do not need to forge God‑Tier Platforms to cultivate, yet certain special Fo

They had only just entered the Boundary‑Realm River Region and carried no great treasures. No rogue cultivator would be crazy enough to attack a flying ship flying the banner of the Martin Sovereign Clan.“Could it be the Langman Sovereign Clan?” Albert’s mind raced. Back in the Cave‑Heaven Secret Realm, he had made bitter enemies of the Langman Sovereign Clan. The conflict had nearly sparked a royal‑rank battle between their God‑Tiger King and Thomas. It was only the arrival of the Langman Clan’s Heavenly‑Phoenix King and Louis, the lord of the Dragon‑Bloodline Branch, that had defused the situation.With the Langman Sovereign Clan’s power, they could easily send such a force to ambush him.“Or could it be Patty from the Bruce Sovereign Clan?” That deranged woman seemed to harbor deep hatred toward his whole family. If she spotted an opening, she would not hesitate to strike to kill.Both factions had clear motives and suspicions. Besides, the attackers had concealed their true ident