Chapter 369: Such a Coward

"How did you know Phoenix?" Lizbeth asked Jared curiously on their way back.

"What do you mean?" Jared feigned ignorance.

"Stop pretending. Why would the head of the Phoenix Regiment be so polite to you? Don't tell me she's interested in you…" Lizbeth leaned forward, scrutinizing Jared's expression for any clue. His face remained impassive.

"Hmm… maybe you're right. Who knows? After all, all women like handsome men!" Jared joked.

"Stop fooling around. If you don't tell me, get out of the car. I won't interfere in your business again!" Lizbeth threatened.

Jared offered a weak smile and recounted his encounter with Phoenix at the Phoenix Bar, explaining the conflict with the regiment and his subsequent encounter with Phoenix. He omitted Phoenix's connection to the Dragon Sect, claiming he'd defeated her, hence her respectful attitude.

"You defeated Phoenix?" Lizbeth exclaimed, shocked.

"Why are you so surprised?" Jared asked, puzzled.

"If you could defeat Phoenix, maybe you can defeat Zachariah too! He became a Grandmaster of internal energy long ago, as did Phoenix, I heard. We wouldn't need to fear the Jantz family!" Lizbeth's excitement grew. Defeating Zachariah would solve everything.

"I thought I told you the Jantz family isn't a problem for me," Jared scoffed.

"All right, stop bluffing. The Jantz family has elites besides Zachariah. You still need to be careful," Lizbeth attempted to temper his pride.

Jared, however, remained unconcerned about the Jantz family's strength, dismissing martial artists as insignificant compared to energy cultivators.

By midnight, they reached Lizbeth's home. Lizbeth, feeling sleepy, planned to rest after freshening up. Then Oliver arrived.

Upon seeing Jared asleep on the couch, Oliver yelped in surprise.

"Oliver, what are you doing here at this hour? And why the fuss?" Lizbeth snapped, annoyed.

"Lizbeth… isn't he dead?" Oliver trembled, pointing at Jared.

"Dead?" Lizbeth was dumbfounded.

Jared opened his eyes, staring at Oliver. "Who told you I was dead?"

"How could you be alive after offending the Phoenix Regiment? Did they let you go?" Oliver was bewildered.

Jared smiled, ignoring Oliver's remark. This guy is such a coward, he thought.

"What nonsense? This is your fault for taking him to the bar and offending the Phoenix Regiment. Luckily, everything's fine now!" Lizbeth explained Jared's victory over Phoenix and her subsequent respectful behavior.

Oliver was thrilled. "Damn, Jared, you're the man! You really defeated Phoenix? Does this mean we don't have to fear the Phoenix Regiment anymore?" He squatted before Jared, continuing, "Jared, why aren't you sleeping with Lizbeth? In this era, it's normal to sleep together before marriage. In fact, having a baby beforehand would be fine!"

(The final promotional sentence should be removed as it's irrelevant to the cleaned-up text.)