The courtyard fell into a deathly silence. The elite guards, the arrogant lackeys, and even the "Pride of the Clan" Han Ming stood frozen, jaws hitting the dirt.
In a world where cultivators would rather die than lose face, where "Dignity" was worth more than life itself, Han Jue had just done the unthinkable. He was rolling in the dust, clutching his ribs, and screaming for his daddy like a toddler who'd scraped a knee.
'Surprised? Yeah, keep staring, you idiots,' Han Jue thought, squinting through one eye while faking a pathetic sob. 'Dignity doesn't stop a protagonist from ripping your spine out. Shamelessness, however? That might just keep me breathing.'
Ye Fan stood over him, his fist still glowing with that vengeful, murderous light. But the "Hero" was completely short-circuited. He had prepared for a fight to the death against a cruel villain. He hadn't prepared to fight a guy who was currently yelling, "HE'S BULLYING ME! DADDY, HE'S SCARY!"
"You... you just told me to break your brother's legs," Ye Fan stammered, his killing intent flickering in confusion. "Then you attacked me... now you're crying?"
"I'M A FRAGILE GROWING BOY!" Han Jue shrieked, scooting backward on his ass.
[System: Survival Instinct +10. Shamelessness.]
Suddenly, the air in the courtyard turned heavy. A pressure like a falling mountain crashed down, making the weaker servants drop to their knees.
BOOM!
The heavy oak doors of the Main Hall burst open. A man in deep purple robes, his face a mask of distorted rage and protective fury, blurred across the distance. This was Han Xiong, the Great Elder of the Han Clan, a man who loved two things: stolen money and his "precious" youngest son.
"WHO DARES TOUCH MY SON?!" Han Xiong roared.
His Qi flared out, a Tier-3 shockwave that sent the nearby training dummies splintering into toothpicks. He landed right in front of Han Jue, his eyes locking onto the "bloody" and "shaking" boy on the ground.
"Father! You came!" Han Jue sobbed, grabbing the hem of his father's expensive robes with his dirty, sludge-stained hands. "This stable-boy! He's a monster! He hid his cultivation and tried to murder me! Look! He nearly broke my ribs!"
Han Xiong's gaze snapped to Ye Fan. The sheer pressure made the floorstones under Ye Fan's feet crack.
'Yeah, that's right, old man. Protect your investment,' Han Jue thought, hiding his face against his father's leg. 'Ye Fan is strong, but he's still just a kid in the Mortal Forge. He can't take on a Tier-3 Elder. Not yet.'
Ye Fan grit his teeth, the confusion in his eyes hardening back into cold hate. He knew he had been played. He looked at Han Jue—the "trash" young master who was currently sticking a tongue out at him from behind the Great Elder's back.
"Elder Han," Ye Fan growled, his voice vibrating with suppressed power. "Your sons provoked me. Your family killed—"
"SILENCE, SLAVE!" Han Xiong raised a hand, a ball of concentrated Qi forming in his palm. "To hide your strength while serving my clan... you clearly had murderous intent from the start! For laying a finger on my Jue'er, I will grind your bones to dust!"
'Wait, wait, wait,' Han Jue's heart skipped a beat. 'If my dad kills him now, the "Old Ghost" inside Ye Fan's ring or whatever he's hiding is going to explode and kill us ALL. This is the part where the villain overreaches and triggers the Hero's final form!'
[System Warning: High-Energy Soul Signature Detected within Ye Fan. Death Flag: Glowing Red.]
'Fuck! I need to de-escalate this without looking like a coward.'
"Father, wait!" Han Jue suddenly "gasped" for air, clutching his chest. "Don't kill him yet! If you kill him here, it's too easy for him! My... my pride is wounded! I want to be the one to break him! Lock him in the Water Dungeon! Let me handle him when I've recovered!"
Han Xiong paused, his Qi flickering. He looked down at his son, impressed by the "cruelty." "You want to torture him yourself, Jue'er?"
"Yes!" Han Jue nodded vigorously.