the two-faced Adopted Girl Who Melted CEO's Ice-Cold Heart
Chapter 244: Among the younger generation in the South Sea, Ignatius Leclair is a monster among monsters.

Chapter 244: Chapter 244: Among the younger generation in the South Sea, Ignatius Leclair is a monster among monsters.

"I didn’t expect that Yeager Family kid would let you all up here so soon," Sylvester Cloud said with a bright, dashing smile. His grin carried a natural charm, effortlessly captivating. "I just returned to the South Seas and already heard about Mr. Squire’s illustrious exploits. I wonder if you’d be up for a little sparring?"

With that, Sylvester gestured for someone to bring out the gun he had secretly stashed away.

Griffith Squire raised his eyebrow slightly, a faintly amused smirk tugging at his lips. Interesting. So this kid wasn’t here to scout ahead for the Cloud Family but to challenge him to a sharpshooting contest?

"This gun hasn’t been calibrated; it’s an old and obsolete weapon. Mr. Squire, do you think you can hit that balloon in the forest over there?" Sylvester pointed to a tiny red balloon, a thousand meters away, swaying in the mountain wind.

Sylvester had been enamored with firearms his entire life—passionately so since childhood. But unfortunately for him, the elite scions in his social circle were mostly amateurs. They were fine for casual shooting games, but when it came to serious contests, they were hopeless. His mother, being frail, couldn’t stand the sight of guns or knives, and his father, out of consideration for her feelings, had strictly forbidden him from indulging in such "immature distractions."

Left with no choice, Sylvester could only indulge his hobby in secret. The moment he heard that Griffith Squire was fresh out of the Golden Triangle, his curiosity burned uncontrollably. He volunteered without hesitation to head to the ancestral shrine.

Griffith gauged the distance and then smiled. "Master Cloud, are you joking? This gun’s as ancient as it gets, completely uncalibrated. The mountain winds here are strong, the temperature fluctuates, and even the balloon keeps shrinking and drifting with the breeze. You want me to shoot *that*?"

A trace of slyness flickered in Sylvester’s eyes. He grinned and said, "Mr. Squire, you did manage to infiltrate the Golden Triangle’s southern core all on your own back then. Surely you’ve got this much skill."

With his arms crossed, Sylvester stood boldly by, waiting without a care. He’d tested it himself—ten attempts, and he only hit the target three times. If Griffith turned out to be worse than him... Well, even if he did make it past this trial, Ignatius Leclair would finish him off. That man, after all, was a master at manipulating people’s minds.

Griffith’s face revealed a hint of hesitation.

Growing impatient, Sylvester said, "If you manage to hit it, I won’t say another word and will let you all pass."

"Deal." With an impish, fox-like grin, Griffith accepted briskly. Grabbing the gun from the Cloud Family member, his hands moved with lightning speed to make minor adjustments to the weapon. He raised the gun, surveyed the distant target, closed his eyes briefly to feel the air’s humidity and wind flow, and fired in one smooth motion. The small red balloon burst instantly, the sound startling a flock of birds into flight from the forest.

Sylvester was left dumbfounded, as if he’d just taken a heavy blow.

Griffith lazily tossed the rundown gun back to the Cloud Family member with a wicked grin. "Master Cloud, you must have forgotten where I come from."

Delphine smiled softly. For ordinary people, such a feat would be nearly impossible. But in the dense, remote forests of the Golden Triangle, the environment and climate were ten times harsher than here in these hills. Griffith was an expert in survival, stealth, and taking down his enemies from unimaginable distances. Forget just shooting—he once led his enemies into a minefield and managed to walk away unscathed himself.

This man’s survival skills were something she had rarely seen in her life.

Sylvester paused for a second before suddenly slapping his thigh with a loud "Oof!" He laughed as realization dawned, though his eyes still burned slightly as he gazed at Griffith. With a dashing and magnanimous wave, he said, "Alright, you can move on. My challenge may have been easy, but it’ll be a completely different story when you get to Ignatius Leclair’s trial. Among the younger generation in the South Seas, that guy is a monster among monsters."

Griffith glanced at Delphine, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his lips, but he said nothing.

The group continued their ascent, while Sylvester called for his men to pack up the gun and head back down the mountain. He had only taken a few steps before he turned to glance at Delphine’s retreating figure. A glimmer of thought flickered in his eyes. The woman trailing behind Griffith gave him an inexplicably familiar and warm feeling. But as far as he could recall, he had never met her before.