Lucien's words had been a veiled attempt to steer the situation away from escalating too much, particularly in his own favor. He was hoping that John would avoid taking things too far, fearing the potential backlash. However, John had other plans.
Before Lucien could even register the full impact of his words, John had already raised his knee and slammed it into Lucien's face.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The sound of Lucien's teeth breaking was sickening. Two of his front teeth were knocked out by the brutal knee strike. John grinned, his face a picture of innocence, and said with mock confusion, "What is stupid? Is this what it is?"
Lucien, now crumpled to the ground, covered his bloody mouth with one hand while desperately searching for the missing teeth. The pain was excruciating, and a burning hatred for John boiled inside him. But despite his fury, he knew he was in no position to retaliate.
Amidst the chaos, Tony's furious voice rang out from the corner, "Fuck, your fucking Lucien, what are you doing?" Tony had been unable to fight back, as Jacob kept him pinned down with relentless blows. Tony, in his panic, had assumed Lucien would come to his aid, but the coward was still searching the ground for his teeth.
With no help forthcoming from his supposed ally, Tony attempted to defend himself, but his movements were sluggish, and Jacob took full advantage, landing punch after punch to Tony's face. Tony tried to cover up, but each time he did, he was hit harder, his anger and frustration mounting.
"Who the hell are you?" Tony shouted as he fought through the haze of pain. "How dare you hit Mr. Will and Mr. Ward?"
Just as the situation seemed ready to spiral out of control, a commanding voice cut through the din: "Stop right now!"
A middle-aged man, his face stern and his posture rigid, entered the scene with urgency. This was Guy Porter, the owner of the Seafood Restaurant, and the one who had unwittingly invited the two factions to collide. He had been informed by the manager of the escalating conflict and rushed in to intervene before the situation escalated any further.
Guy had no time to explain the full complexity of the situation. All he knew was that a conflict involving Tony, the grandson of Carl Will, was happening under his roof, and it could ruin him. Despite his own connections to the White Dragon King, Guy knew this was far beyond his control. The Will Family was too powerful, and any mistake here would lead to dire consequences.
Tony, still reeling from Jacob's attacks, finally found the opportunity to rise from the floor, wiping the blood from his face. His features, already angular, now seemed even sharper, distorted by the bruises and swelling.
John, seeing Tony's battered face, couldn't help but crack a smile. "It seems Mr. Will was born to be beaten. Look at this, after a good thrashing, he looks like he's had some plastic surgery."
The room fell silent. Everyone stared at Tony, his rage evident, yet his features now more grotesque than before. Guy, visibly uncomfortable, shot a quick, disapproving glance at John. The situation was spiraling out of control, and it was clear that Tony, despite his rage, was not someone to be taken lightly.
Guy hurried to Tony's side, trying to salvage whatever he could. "Mr. Will, please…" he began, but was immediately cut off.
"Fuck off!" Tony roared, shoving Guy aside with surprising force. His focus shifted from Guy to Lucien, and in a flash, he slapped Lucien hard across the face. "Fuck you!" Tony shouted, his voice filled with frustration. He had been humiliated, and now, he was taking it out on the only person he could: Lucien.
Lucien, though internally fuming, knew better than to retaliate. He kept his head down, swallowing his pride as Tony vented his fury.
With his anger barely contained, Tony pointed at John and Jacob, his voice seething with rage. "Where are your Porter Family people? Get them here! I want these two bastards dealt with!"
Guy nodded quickly, trying to calm Tony down. "Please wait, Mr. Will. I will resolve this and give you a satisfactory outcome."
Guy had already started making plans to involve his most powerful ally, the White Dragon King, who had long been a figure of terrifying strength in Houston. White Dragon King was a force to be reckoned with, and Guy hoped that his intervention would smooth things over. Guy had no choice; he needed to appease Tony's anger before it destroyed him.
"Who the hell are these two?" a loud, booming voice suddenly interrupted, and through the door came the imposing figure of White Dragon King. He entered with such force that the entire tavern seemed to shake beneath his feet, sending shockwaves of fear through the onlookers. His presence was overwhelming, his body larger than life, his aura one of absolute authority.
White Dragon King didn't waste time. "How dare you disrespect Mr. Will?" he thundered. "If I don't kill them today, I'll change my name to Water Dragon King!"
The entire room fell into an uneasy silence as White Dragon King's momentum rattled the building. It was clear he was doing everything in his power to showcase his strength to Tony, to ingratiate himself with the powerful Will Family. The louder he was, the more it would leave an impression on Tony.
Just as White Dragon King approached, a mocking voice interrupted him: "Are you going to break me into pieces?"
White Dragon King froze mid-step, his menacing aura suddenly dissipating. His eyes widened as he recognized the voice.
And then, when he saw who was speaking, his face blanched. "King... King!" His voice faltered as a look of disbelief crossed his features.
4o mini