Colton Ranch, sunset.
Golden afterglow sprinkled on the land covered in corpses, plating every fallen creature with a dark red hue.
The air was filled with a heavy scent of blood and burnt smells, mixed with the scent of earth.
Leo stood to the side, hands in his pockets, quietly watching the Azure Dragon eat.
This guy was lying next to the largest cow carcass, two front claws pressing down on the cow's body, head buried, gnawing on the meat of the cow's leg.
It ate with great focus, its Dragon whiskers swaying gently with the chewing motion, corners of its mouth stained with blood and grease.
Leo shook his head helplessly.
This guy was getting pickier; it only ate the leg meat, never touching other parts.
Cow chest, cow back, cow neck—it didn't even glance at them.
Countless creatures had been killed in the past few days, which had really spoiled its appetite.
At the beginning, it would even gnaw on bones with relish.
Now? It only ate the best parts and discarded the rest.
The Azure Dragon finished gnawing on one cow leg, lifted its head, licked the corners of its mouth, then turned to another cow and continued burying itself in eating.
Leo looked at its funny eating posture and couldn't help but laugh.
Raising this thing was quite expensive.
Fortunately, the Colton Family was backing him, otherwise, relying on himself alone, he would have been eaten into poverty long ago.
After a long time, the Azure Dragon finally finished its meal.
It let out a burp, spat out a small puff of sparks, then lay lazily on the ground, belly round, wings half-spread, looking like it didn't want to move.
Leo shook his head helplessly and whistled at the Azure Dragon.
The Azure Dragon's ears perked up.
It raised its head, looked at Leo, then flew over happily.
Its six-meter-long body floated in the air, wings flapping gently, stirring up a strong wind.
It landed beside Leo and rubbed its head against his arm.
One man and one Dragon walked slowly back to Colton Manor, the sunset casting two long shadows behind them.
Leo walked on the ground, the Azure Dragon floating beside him, occasionally lowering its head to smell the wildflowers by the road, occasionally pouncing on passing butterflies.
Twenty minutes later.
Back at the manor, Leo patted the Azure Dragon's head.
"Go play by yourself."
The Azure Dragon howled happily, shot into the sky, wings flapping with force, instantly darting into the high altitude.
It circled the clouds twice, then flew towards the distant hills, soon disappearing without a trace.
No matter how far Xiao Qing ran, he could sense its approximate location.
He and Xiao Qing had a Bloodline connection; as long as Leo called out in his heart, Xiao Qing would sense that Leo was summoning it and would fly back quickly.
Leo withdrew his gaze and walked into the manor villa.
In the first-floor hall, the lights were soft, and there wasn't a speck of dust on the carpet.
Dean stood next to the staircase, wearing a crisp dark suit, hands folded in front of him, posture upright.
Seeing Leo enter, he walked up quickly.
"Mr. Leo, Leader Vivian asked me to ask for your opinion—how should we handle that Shadow Beast we captured earlier, Owl?"
Leo was stunned for a moment.
Owl.
He thought for a moment before digging this name out from the depths of his memory.
It seemed there was such a person.
A member of the Shadow Beasts, the former Ten Dons' direct assassination squad, who had been beaten half to death by him and then captured and imprisoned.
"I think I remember."
Leo touched his chin, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. Has he been locked up for almost two months?"
Dean nodded.
"Yes. After you brought him back, he has been locked in the basement cell. There are dedicated people guarding him, providing only one meal a day, just some bread and water to stave off hunger, so he wouldn't have the strength to escape after being well-fed."
Leo was shocked when he heard this.
One meal of bread a day—that must have starved him down to skin and bones!
This seemed a bit like mistreating a prisoner... He even felt a little sorry for this Owl...
"Let's go, take me to see him."
Basement, cell.
The lights were dim and yellow, water seeping through the walls, the air filled with a damp, moldy smell.
In the cell behind the iron bars, a figure was curled up on the ground in the corner.
Leo looked at the person in front of him and almost didn't recognize him.
Owl was so thin he was nothing but skin and bones.
Sallow and emaciated, cheekbones protruding, eye sockets deeply sunken, eyes dull.
His hair was messy and disheveled, knotted like a pile of hay.
The clothes on his body were dirty and tattered, emitting a foul, sour smell.
The whole person was curled up there like a dried corpse that hadn't quite died yet.
Dean stood behind Leo and lowered his voice.
"He can't take it anymore. He keeps shouting that he is willing to acknowledge the Colton Family as his master and is willing to do anything. He doesn't want to eat bread anymore."
Leo listened to Dean's words and smiled helplessly.
Of course he couldn't take it; Nen Users already had high consumption, and eating bread every day...
It was his mistake; he had been busy with this and that recently and had completely forgotten about this person.
"Let him out."
Dean hesitated for a moment.
"Letting him out just like that, wouldn't it be..."
Leo turned his head, looked at Dean as if he were an idiot, and then pointed at the curled-up figure in the cell.
"He's in this state, and you're afraid of him?"
Owl seemed to have heard the movement and struggled to get up from the ground.
His body trembled incessantly, hands holding onto the iron bars, barely able to stand.
Lips cracked, eye sockets red, the whole person looked like he would fall over if the wind blew.
"I surrender... I will do whatever you ask. I am very useful, I have value, I beg you..."
Owl said with difficulty, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
Dean smiled awkwardly and took out the key to open the cell door.
Leo walked up to Owl and looked down at him.
Owl raised his head, his sunken eyes filled with fear and prayer.
"From now on, you are the vice-captain of the Colton Gang guard team."
Leo's voice was not loud, but every word was clear.
"You will work for the Colton Family alongside Dean."
Owl's lips trembled, and he spoke with difficulty.
"No... no problem. I am willing to submit and pledge allegiance to you."
He didn't say pledge allegiance to the Colton Family; he understood who was in control of the Colton Family.
Leo turned to look at Dean.
"How many Nen Users does the Colton Family have now?"
Dean thought for a moment and replied.
"Directly belonging to the Colton Gang, including myself, there are three. In addition, we have hired five security personnel who know Nen, two of whom are licensed Hunters."
Leo frowned.
"Too few. You should screen a group of people who are loyal to the Colton Family and aren't afraid of death, force them to awaken their Nen, and let them learn Nen. Now that Vivian is one of the Ten Dons, security must be well protected."
He glanced at Owl.
"Let Owl be responsible for teaching them."
Dean nodded.
"Understood."
Owl also hurriedly spoke, his voice weak but his tone very serious.
"Understood, I will definitely teach them diligently."