Morin's disciple, Kastro, was not only a One-Star Bounty Hunter but had also risen to become one of the Hunter Association's Twelve Zodiacs!
The irony was stark—a criminal with a bounty of 627 million having a disciple who went on to achieve great merit as a bounty hunter.
It was as though the heavens were playing a cruel joke on the Hunter Association—or even mocking them outright.
If this fact were ever leaked, it would be a colossal embarrassment to the organization!
Sure, many of the individuals who signed up for the Hunter Exam, hoping to obtain their licenses, were murderers or criminals with a litany of offenses.
But at least they knew to keep such things under wraps. None were as brazen as Morin, who openly proclaimed his identity without any hesitation.
At the very least, maintaining appearances was usually necessary.
Morin's boldness, however, was bound to stir controversy.
But to Morin, was this even an issue?
He calmly observed the various reactions in the room and let out a faint chuckle in his heart.
He had never tried to hide his identity as a member of the Phantom Troupe.
To him, the world was crystal clear: as long as you had strength, no matter how vile your actions, no one could do anything to you.
Even without concealing his Phantom Troupe membership, the worst-case scenario for Morin would be to end up no different from the Zoldyck family—a clan of unrestrained assassins operating with impunity.
"Ah, so Mr. Morin is a criminal?" Pariston feigned surprise. "In that case, you'd better be careful not to get caught by a bounty hunter."
"Oh, wait! How could I forget?"
Pariston theatrically slapped his forehead. "One of the Twelve Zodiacs, the Bounty Hunter Shen Hou, is your disciple, isn't he?
"With such an exceptional student, who would dare capture you?"
Though Pariston's words seemed celebratory on the surface, they dripped with veiled sarcasm.
His remarks cleverly mocked both Morin and Kastro, hinting at collusion between teacher and disciple while subtly criticizing Hwa's status as a member of the Twelve Zodiacs.
"What's this? Does the Hunter Association prioritize family ties now? Are we heading toward nepotism?"
Morin gave Pariston a cold glance and responded evenly:
"Even if we were talking about nepotism, that usually involves direct relatives. It has nothing to do with mentors and disciples."
"Moreover, if even the Zoldyck family—the world's foremost clan of assassins—can qualify for a spot among the Top Five Nen Users, then as another so-called criminal, I don't see why I should be treated any differently."
"Well, there's no need for different treatment," Pariston replied with his signature smile. "However—"
"No need? Then that's settled."
Morin cut him off, his voice calm but laced with warning as he shot Pariston a frosty look.
"Has anyone ever told you how annoying you are?"
"From now on, if you say another word, I'll tear your mouth apart."
His tone was chillingly firm, leaving no room for doubt. Morin then glanced away from the now slightly frozen smile on Pariston's face.
"Don't test me. I always do what I say."
The smile vanished from Pariston's face entirely.
Among the Twelve Zodiacs, aside from Ging, Morin found Pariston to be the most memorable. A fellow spy planted by Beyond Netero, Pariston was notoriously sly and relished sabotaging others' plans.
The moment Pariston began probing Morin, it was clear he had ulterior motives.
And as the events unfolded, Morin's instincts were proven correct.
Without hesitation, Morin had shut him down in the most direct and forceful way possible.
In front of all the top brass of the Hunter Association, Morin had blatantly threatened Pariston—a deputy vice-chairman and a member of the Twelve Zodiacs.
He showed no regard for the presence of Chairman Netero or the other Zodiacs in the room.
Mizaistom frowned, clearly displeased by the audacity of a known criminal acting so brazenly.
Kanzai smirked, while Piyon remained indifferent, scrolling on her phone.
Botobai observed Morin silently, while Gel remained nonchalant and uninvolved.
Saiyu raised an eyebrow, and Cheadle adjusted her glasses, her expression calm.
Kastro shrugged, clearly unwilling to get involved.
Cluck clicked her tongue and subtly distanced herself from Morin.
Meanwhile, Ging casually clasped his hands behind his head, secretly giving Morin a thumbs-up.
Zeno sipped his tea, amused, while Netero watched the entire spectacle in silence, smiling as if enjoying a good show.
The room was heavy with an odd tension.
Even Mizaistom, who abhorred violence, refrained from commenting on Morin's outrageous words.
After all, he didn't know Morin well enough.
Passing judgment without understanding the truth or the real situation behind it goes against his professional ethics and competence as a lawyer.
Secondly… it was Morin's anger directed at Pariston.
Among the Twelve Zodiacs present, there was hardly anyone who didn't dislike Pariston.
Pariston gave off the impression of a cheerful young man with a bright smile, but in truth, he was an ambitious schemer with an incredibly cunning nature, and the only member of the Zodiacs who openly opposed Netero.
Before Netero's passing, Pariston did everything he could to make life difficult for him, treating Netero as an opponent in a grand game. Causing trouble for Netero was, to him, just another part of the game.
Though Pariston was eloquent and resourceful, he was also shrouded in rumors of using Association-exclusive hunters as personal servants, embezzling Association reserve funds, and overseeing a drastic tenfold increase in hunter disappearances since becoming Vice Chairman.
During the Chairman Election, he even used a critically injured Gon as a shield to undermine Ging's candidacy. Whenever Pariston smiled, it either meant he was in complete control of the situation or hiding his true thoughts.
In the election for the next Chairman, Pariston, isolated by the rest of the Twelve Zodiacs, implemented his own schemes to secure the position. His boundless ambition and ability to entangle everyone around him in his plans earned him the title of an "unstoppable monster."
Yet at this moment, even this "unstoppable monster" lost his smile after Morin's threat.
Pariston could tell—Morin meant every word.
"Just a reminder, Pariston," Ging chimed in, his laid-back, troublemaking nature taking over.
"This guy isn't someone you should mess with."
With a grin, Ging added, "He really can back up his words."
"After all, he's a monster even I wouldn't dare fight."
A monster even Ging admitted he couldn't defeat?!
The Zodiacs looked at Morin, who remained calm, with a mix of astonishment and unease.
"Really?"
At that moment, Piyon reluctantly tore her gaze away from her phone and looked at Ging with wide, curious eyes.
"Even you can't beat him?"
Her big, blinking eyes made her seem particularly innocent.
"I always thought you were really strong."
"Strength is relative," Ging replied, leaning back in his chair with his feet propped on the table.
"When it comes to raw combat skills, it could go either way between us."
"But if Nen abilities are factored in…"
Ging's grin faltered as he seemed to recall something unpleasant.
"I might be instantly killed."
Instantly killed?!
Though Ging's words were often playful, the Zodiacs knew he wasn't prone to exaggeration. But this…
Wasn't it a bit too much?!
"Exaggeration?"
Reading their expressions, Ging shook his head slightly.
"Actually, it's not exaggerated at all."
"With the tools Morin possesses, he might have weapons capable of killing me instantly, even from thousands of miles away."
"Instantly killed might actually be putting it kindly."
Ging had a very clear understanding of Morin's tools, as did Zeno, who had just finished his cup of tea.
"If I were to face Morin, I wouldn't stand a chance," Zeno suddenly interjected.
For reasons unknown, Zeno chose to back Morin, offering this blunt assessment.
The Zodiacs: "Ooooooh?!"
What was going on?!
Even Zeno—one of the world's Top Five Nen Users—was singing Morin's praises alongside Ging.
Two of the world's strongest fighters voicing the same opinion left the Zodiacs re-evaluating Morin's strength.
Simultaneously, their gazes shifted to Pariston, now tinged with something unusual.
If someone of Morin's caliber despised you, it could spell trouble in the future.
However…
They believed they understood Pariston's personality, but in truth, they didn't.
"So, he's really that strong?"
Pariston's mind churned with these thoughts, but his lips curved into a slight smile.
"To be hated like this…"
That slight smile soon twisted into something disturbingly euphoric.
"This feeling… it's wonderful!"
Yes, Pariston had once openly stated that he found happiness in being hated and despised.
He was, undoubtedly, one of the more extreme cases among those with such peculiar tendencies.
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