An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

"Oh yeah? Let's wait and see who wins in the end." Dustin smiled faintly, but his eyes conveyed a chilling indifference.

Though he didn't know the identity of these assassins, he could tell they were Dragonmarsh's enemies.

"Hmph! Kid, | hope you don't regret this!" The man in black sneered at Dustin. His expression suggested that Dustin's days were numbered.

To him, Dustin was the epitof ignorance and arrogance. He was overly dependent on his skills and prone to reckless behavior.

The man in black was convinced that Dustin was unaware that there were always stronger individuals out there.

After all, there was always a bigger fish in the sea.

Moreover, Dustin was just a young man in his 20s. So, no matter how talented he was, the man in black knew Dustin couldn't be compared to the renowned Old Beast.

"Whether | regret it or not, you'll find out soon enough. But before that happens, | must deal with the three of you." Dustin slowly approached the three assassins.

"You... What are you going to do with us?" The man in black's face paled. "You better not mess around.

Once our reinforcements arrive, you'll wish you were dead!" "Why are you so nervous? I'm not going to kill you. At least not until your reinforcements show up," Dustin said and waved his hand.

Three silver needles shot out from his sleeve and accurately hit the three assassins' necks. Instantly, they were rendered immobile.

"Quick! Move faster! Don't let any suspicious individuals get away." Following the shout, a group of righteous martial artists ing the assassins returned in full force.

Despite their efforts to surround and capture the assassin, they ended up with nothing, as the assassin escaped by jumping into the river.

"Look! There are three men in black over there!" The other martial artists spotted the talongside Dustin and hurried over to him.

When they saw Dustin unscathed and the three assassins subdued, the martial artists couldn't contain their astonishment and respect.

Despite their numbers, they had failed to capture even one assassin, yet Dustin had single-handedly subdued three.

Evidently, there was a stark contrast in skills between Dustin and them.

"Dustin, are you okay?" After receiving the news, Dalen and his group rushed back immediately.

They finally realized they had fallen for the assassins’ diversionary tactic. Using one assassin to lure them away and try to assassinate Dustin was quite cunning.

Yet, they were relieved that Dustin was strong enough to subdue the three assassins successfully. Otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.

"I'm fine. These three little pests couldn't touch me." Dustin shook his head.

Upon hearing Dustin calling them little pests, the man in black gritted his teeth, visibly annoyed.

As a grandmaster martial artist, he was a key member of his organization. Yet, he was treated with such disdain.

How frustrating.

"Good to hear you're alright." Dalen sighed and was overwhelmed by guilt. "My plan went awry and nearly got you killed. I'm truly sorry." His initial plan involved Dustin acting as bait to draw out the assassins and then ambush them together.

However, they were outsmarted by the assassins. Not only did they fail to capture anyone, but they also endangered Dustin in the process. It was unquestionably a double failure.

"No, your plan seems solid, but it's the people we need to watch out for." Dustin shook his head slightly.

"You mean... there's a traitor among us?" Dalen's eyebrows shot up as he quickly understood the situation.

He found it surprising that despite their seemingly flawless plan, the assassin had fled before entering the ambush circle.

Upon further reflection, Dalen finally realized it was likely due to someone leaking information from within their group.

There weren't many people who knew the detailed plan, but there were plenty of martial artists participating in the ambush. If an investigation were to be launched, suspicion would fall on each of them.

"Dustin, we owe it to you tonight. Otherwise, our efforts would have been in vain." At that moment, Quincy stepped out from the crowd, followed by several elite members of the Celestial Alliance.

Most of the martial artists participating in the ambush had been gathered by Quincy.

As the guardian of the Celestial Alliance, he wielded significant influence, possessed formidable skills, and boasted extensive connections. Whatever decision he made was sure to garner widespread support.

Moreover, the murder of Vincent, also known as Spearhawk, had angered the Celestial Alliance.

The faction had granted Quincy special authority to hunt down the assassin. Hence, he showed his unwavering determination not to let the perpetrator escape easily.

"Elder Douglas, you're too kind. I just got lucky and caught three mice." Dustin nodded slightly. His words were neither humble nor arrogant.

Quincy replied, "Dustin, there's no need for modesty. Your strength speaks volumes. These assassins aren't your average enemies. Even | might not have been able to capture them. You subduing three of them is impressive." Then, he raised his hand and said, "Cand take those three men. Use whatever means necessary to extract information about the mastermind behind them!" "Yes, sir!" Several elite members of the Celestial Alliance behind him responded and stepped forward to take the three assassins away.

"Hold on." Suddenly, Dustin raised his hand to stop them. "Elder Douglas, tonight's business isn't over yet. These three mice still have their uses." Quincy raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "Oh? Do you have a plan?" "Elder Douglas, did you notice the distress signal earlier?" Dustin replied.

"Yes. | saw it and rushed here with the reinforcements. Wait, are you implying that you didn't set it off?" Quincy looked puzzled.

"But | don't have any signal flare with me. He's the one who set it off." Dustin pointed at the man in black and added, "This guy is a coward. After | injured him, he fired off the signal flare for backup. | reckon all the assassins within a ten-mile radius are probably on their way here." "Are you suggesting..." Quincy rubbed his chin, unsure of Dustin's intentions.

"Well, instead of playing hide and seek with them, why not confront them head-on?" Dustin said firmly, "What | mean is, we'll use these three mice as bait and wipe out all the assassins who crushing in!" Upon hearing that, Quincy's expression changed slightly.

He thought Dustin had the nerves of steel. Did he think they could take down the whole assassin organization with just a handful of men? He was playing with fire. One slip-up and it would be gover for all of them!