After Elder Linghui left the building, the manager clapped his hands together with a wide grin.
"Alright then, shall we begin?" he said eagerly.
He handed Tian Hao a few props and started instructing him. "Try holding a rose in your mouth… good, now one hand on your sword… yes, just like that! Perfect! Now switch to the white robe—excellent, now a serious pose!"
One by one, the manager had Tian Hao strike every kind of pose imaginable — noble warrior, mysterious monk, even a charming smile with the rose between his lips.
By the end, the portraits were done, and the manager waved them off happily. "Splendid! You may go now. These will sell like crazy!"
Tian Hao walked out stiffly, his face pale from humiliation. His mind was completely blank; he couldn't even speak. Behind him, Soho and the other monks struggled to hold back their laughter, their shoulders shaking as they tried not to burst out.
It was a scene none of them would ever forget — especially poor Tian Hao, who had just experienced the most embarrassing day of his life.
As they walked farther down the crowded street, a sudden commotion caught their attention.
A young girl was being dragged by her hair through the dirt road, crying out desperately, "Help me! Please, someone help!"
Her parents knelt on the ground, begging and weeping, clutching at the man's legs.
"Please, my lord, she's just a child! Let her go!" her mother sobbed.
The man sneered and kicked her aside. "Silence! I am the son of the City Lord! Who dares to stop me?!"
The people around them looked away, faces pale with fear. Not a single person moved to help. The entire street had fallen into silent shame.
Seeing this, Tian Hao's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. Anger burned in his chest as he took a step forward.
But before he could move, Soho grabbed his arm.
"Don't," Soho said quietly. "It's better if we don't interfere. Remember our mission — we can't afford trouble."
Tian Hao froze, trembling with rage. His jaw tightened as he watched the man drag the girl away.
His heart screamed to act, but his mind reminded him of his duty.
For the first time, he felt disgusted — not at evil, but at his own helplessness.
Soho let go of Tian Hao for a moment, jaw tight. "Our mission is important," he said, voice low, "but I will never compromise my sense of justice. If I did, I couldn't sleep at night."
Then, like a gust of wind, he sprang forward and planted himself between the City Lord's son and the girl. "Let her go," he ordered. His eyes were calm but deadly.
The boy sneered. "Who are you to tell me what to do? Do you know who my father is? I am the City Lord's son."
"Tian Hao stepped forward. 'I am a monk from Shaolin Temple,' he said quietly."
"So you're a monk?" the boy jeered. "You think that matters?"
Tian Hao face hardened. "I don't care who your father is. If you don't get out of hear now, you won't recognize your face after I'm done with you."
For a beat the crowd held its breath — the threat from a young monk against the Lord's son felt absurd and brave all at once. The boy's confident sneer weakened; in a city where rank usually silenced people, a monk's quiet fury cut deeper than insults.
The boy regained his swagger and shouted, "Mo Ling! Teach them a lesson!"
A slim figure stepped forward from the crowd and bowed deeply. "Yes, Master Ling Yun," he said. Then Ling Yun pointed at Tian Hao. "Take that girl for me."
Tian Hao's jaw tightened. He stepped into a fighting stance, voice steady. "If you want this girl, you must go through my dead body."
The girl sobbed, eyes wide with hope as she watched him. For a moment, the world narrowed to her trembling face and Tian Hao's steady resolve.
Before the challenge could explode into violence, four monks and Soho moved as one and flanked Tian Hao, forming a silent wall of brothers at his side. Tian Hao glanced at them and grinned briefly. "You came."
Soho answered without hesitation, "I will not let you fight alone." The other monks echoed in unison, "Senior Brother, we stand with you. If anyone dares harm you, we will stop them."
Mo Ling sized them up. Fighting Tian Hao alone might have been easy; fighting them all at once would be different. He glanced toward his master and then back at the little group. A cold calculation slid across his face — he could win a private duel, but not a gang battle. He bowed with a false politeness. "My lord, perhaps we should leave," he suggested.
Ling Yun's face flushed with rage. "You would tell me to run in my own city?" he spat.
Before the words could turn to steel, Tian Hao slammed his foot so hard into the ground that dust cracked from the earth. The impact left a shallow crater. He met Ling Yun's glare and said quietly. "Then Tian Hao said coldly, 'Today is your luckiest day. Remember that — next time, I won't hold back.'"
Mo Ling and his master scowled but stepped back. The crowd that had been holding its breath erupted into scattered cheers and murmurs as the tension broke.
The trembling girl rushed forward, dropped to her knees, and bowed to Tian Hao. "Thank you… thank you," she sobbed, tears still on her face. The attention flushed Tian Hao's cheeks bright red; he felt humiliated and strangely proud at the same time.
Tian Hao turned to her parents, voice low and serious. "You should leave this city," he told them. "Someone like that will come after your daughter again."
They nodded frantically, gratitude and fear mixed on their faces. The family hurried away, and the crowd slowly dispersed, some whispering about the monk who had dared stand against a lord's son.
After some time, they returned to a tavern to rest and eat. But before they could even sit down, Elder Linghui burst through the door, panting slightly.
"So you are here!" he exclaimed. "I've been running all over the city trying to find you."
Tian Hao looked up, irritation flashing in his eyes. "And what for? Haven't you caused me enough trouble already — making me pose like a fool for your so-called 'model contest'?"
Linghui sighed, lowering his voice. "Listen, Tian Hao. I know you're angry with me, but this isn't the time for jokes. Something serious is happening."
The table went quiet.
"I sent several of my men to investigate that woman you mentioned," Linghui continued grimly. "But they've all disappeared. Not a single one has returned. I fear something larger is at play — something dangerous."
Soho frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Linghui glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "Think about it. Someone is trying to gather all the important people in this city. At the same time, rumors of disappearances spread like wildfire — luring officials, sect members, and even mercenaries here. And just today, I received word that unknown powerful figures have been seen entering the city. All at once."
Tian Hao's expression darkened. "You think it's all connected."
"I'm certain of it," Linghui replied. "But before we draw conclusions, we need to find my missing men. They might've discovered something."
Tian Hao nodded. "Then let's not waste time talking. We'll search for them first — everything else can wait."
With that, the group split up, heading into the dark alleys and corners of Xinyang City, unaware that the real nightmare had already begun.