Chapter 247

Dustin decided Dahlia must have had nothing better to do. He tossed his head, washed up, and opened the door to the medical center as usual.

As the door grated and groaned, a blood-soaked figure suddenly collapsed on the floor. The injured man, dressed in blood-drenched white, carried a broken sword on his back and appeared to have been unconscious for some time.

Dustin approached to examine him, only to realize it was Maximus Kane!

“I don’t recall hurting him yesterday. Or did I?” Dustin rubbed his chin in confusion. Although Maximus, ranked sixth among The Hundred Immortals, wasn't exactly the best of the best, he was still one of the top fighters in tiny Swinton. How had he gotten so badly beaten?

“Consider yourself lucky,” Dustin mumbled, lifting Maximus into the medical center. After all, he couldn’t ignore a dying man at the entrance.

Maximus suffered multiple external injuries, simple wounds treatable with bandages. However, he'd sustained severe nerve damage, including to his core energy. Whoever had done this aimed to cripple him permanently. Thankfully, years of extensive martial arts training had provided a solid foundation, preventing complete incapacitation. With Dustin's medical skills, he was confident he could heal Maximus within a few weeks.

First, Dustin gave Maximus an injection, then administered some medicine. About half an hour later, Maximus regained consciousness, slowly opening his eyes.

“Hey, you’re awake. How do you feel?” Dustin casually asked.

“Did you save me?” Maximus was surprised. Last night, he’d sustained severe injuries and, between moments of consciousness, found a medical center. Before he could knock, he’d blacked out at the entrance.

“Who else? Do you see anyone around?” Dustin was speechless at the question.

“Thank you,” Maximus struggled to get up and bow.

Dustin forced him back onto the bed. “That’s enough. Stop moving around when you’re badly injured.”

“He’s on the brink of death, yet hung up on manners. What’s wrong with this guy?” Dustin wondered.

“You’re not bad at martial arts. So, how did you end up getting beaten up?” Dustin asked. Maximus clenched his teeth, struggling to speak. “It’s fine. Don’t tell me if you don’t feel like it. I’m not that curious.”

Dustin waved dismissively and started to leave.

“Wait…” Maximus took a deep breath and confessed, “What you said yesterday was right. I had three fatal flaws in my Illusory Sword Technique.”

“Oh, really? Did you meet a worthy opponent that fast?” Dustin was surprised his casual mention of the flawed moves during their battle had proven true.

Chapter 247

“It wasn’t just any stranger. It was my mentor, Luther Williams!” Maximus gritted his teeth, his face grim.

“Your mentor?” Dustin was astounded. “Why did he hurt you for no reason?”

“Because… I caught him having an affair with my female mentee!” Maximus said resentfully. “I went home after the defeat, intending to question Luther Williams about the flaws in his technique, but instead, I caught him with my young female mentee in the bedroom!”

Maximus continued, “So, I kicked the door open out of anger and confronted him. He was probably humiliated and provoked, and he fought me with his sword, slashing me twice. I had no choice but to fight back. Silly me. I thought, given my expertise, I could at least fend off his attacks, even if I couldn’t win.”

He hissed, “I realized how naive I was when we fought. It wasn’t practice or strength I lacked—he exploited my flawed moves! The third, ninth, and twenty-sixth moves. Whenever I used them, Luther spotted my weaknesses and destroyed me. That’s when I found out Luther, the mentor I was so proud of, had set me up from the beginning! I was just a tool to him; he never truly cared. When I upset him, he’d use my flawed moves to kill me and save himself!”

Maximus’s eyes reddened and filled with tears. He’d always considered his mentor a father figure. Who would have thought the kind, generous old man was a hypocrite?

“Well, what can I say, except you have a scoundrel of a mentor?” Dustin shook his head sympathetically. Maximus’s situation was common in the martial arts world. History was full of cases where disciples and mentors tore each other apart. The human heart is the most deceitful of all things.

“I’m fine with being exploited. He could have sent me on a dangerous mission, and I would have gone without complaint. But why? Why did he have to defile my female mentee? She’s my fiancée!” Maximus bellowed, smashing a hole in the wall in rage.

Dustin gaped at the confession. He opened his mouth several times but couldn’t speak.