Chapter 71

Upon seeing the former God of War's condition, Stellar sighed. "Time truly waits for no one. I still have a picture of Mr. Lee from our dorm days!"

In the past, the highest-ranking soldiers in the Northern Territory were majors. However, with the consolidation of war zones in recent years, the number of majors had decreased, superseded by colonels and generals.

Tears welled in the warden's eyes at the sight of his former mentor. Simultaneously, Nash felt an almost imperceptible murderous intent, goosebumps erupting on his arms as his eyes widened. A sonic boom shook the ground. In half a second, he had grabbed the warden and pulled him back.

Splat.

Nash's dagger plunged into Mr. Lee's throat. Three streams of blood erupted. Mr. Lee clapped a hand to his throat and collapsed, wheelchair and all, to the ground. Nash lowered his head, noticing blood soaking through his black shirt. It had all happened in an instant.

Deathly silence descended. The Lee family's eyes bulged, mirroring the disbelief etched on the faces of the other guests. Mr. Lee... murdered? On his 88th birthday, it had become his death anniversary. A retired major, a decorated hero, countless medals testament to his service protecting their country. Who was the masked assailant?

Olivia's face paled; Joseph trembled with rage. Even Stellar was frozen in shock. Olivia was the first to react, her eyes blazing as she roared, "You… you killed my grandfather!" Joseph's fists clenched.

Stellar helped the warden to his feet. "Warden, this..." His hands trembled. He had hired Nash. Now, with Mr. Lee murdered before everyone, he couldn't escape the blame.

The warden's gaze was cold. "You hired him, yet you didn't trust him?"

Stellar gulped, lowering his head. He had once trusted Nash implicitly, but that trust was shattered. Nash sat cross-legged on the ground. Then Stellar saw the pool of blood beneath him.

"Warden, look…"

"Nash… is injured?"

Stellar pointed. The warden's eyes narrowed. "Mr. Lee also struck Nash during the attack... That wasn't Mr. Lee; it was a top-tier assassin."

Henderson arrived with armed inspection officers, their gear ranging from ballistic shields to submachine guns. Tears streamed down Joseph's face as he knelt before the warden, wailing, "Warden… you must help my father seek justice!" The implication was clear: the warden, having brought the masked man, was responsible for rectifying the situation.

Nash, at that moment, felt his inner energy disrupted. He couldn't stop the blood pouring from his abdomen; the blade had been coated with a chemical anticoagulant. Without clotting, he would bleed out.

Stellar approached Mr. Lee, lifting him. "Take a good look. This isn't Mr. Lee…"