Inside one of the grand courtyards of the Han Family estate, Young Master Yuwei reclined lazily on an ornate chair. The fragrance of expensive incense filled the room, while two servants fanned him gently.
Yi Min sat beside him, sipping tea with elegant restraint.
But Yuwei's smile… carried unmistakable arrogance.
"That trash Liu Xin always annoyed me," Yuwei said, swirling his cup of spirit wine. "I'm glad he finally learned his place."
Yi Min nodded, though her eyes flickered with hesitation.
"He used to work so hard," she murmured. "But in the end, he was still weak."
Yuwei raised an eyebrow.
"Yi Min, weakness is unforgivable in this city. Those who cannot rise deserve to be stepped on. You made the right choice in choosing me."
Yi Min's cheeks flushed faintly at his confidence.
A servant entered, bowing respectfully.
"Young Master, there is news from the marketplace."
Yuwei waved his hand lazily. "Speak."
"After your departure, Young Master Liu Xin was taken away by two strangers… a man and a woman."
Yuwei frowned slightly. "Trash actually has friends?"
The servant gulped. "Young Master… the witnesses described the woman as incredibly beautiful, with white hair and red eyes…"
Yi Min stiffened.
"That sounds… familiar."
Yuwei scoffed. "White hair and red eyes? Only demonic beasts look like that."
But the servant continued—
"And her aura… was terrifying. Some say she might be a high-level cultivator."
The room fell silent.
Yi Min paled.
Yuwei narrowed his eyes.
"A high-level cultivator? In that tavern? Ridiculous."
But the servant wasn't finished.
"T-The witnesses say she released an aura powerful enough to shake the entire tavern before teleporting away with Liu Xin."
Yi Min gasped. "Teleportation?!"
Yuwei slammed his cup on the table, cracking the wood beneath it.
"Impossible. Teleportation requires at least…"
His voice trailed off.
Mahayana Realm.
No one at that level should be wandering the city casually.
Yi Min bit her lip.
"Yuwei… what if Liu Xin got involved with someone dangerous?"
Yuwei stood up slowly.
His smile had disappeared.
His eyes gleamed with cold calculation.
"Liu Xin is trash. But the people who took him…"
His expression darkened.
"…those are the dangerous ones."
Yi Min whispered nervously, "Should… should we tell your father?"
Yuwei clenched his jaw.
If a Mahayana cultivator really appeared in the city, the entire Han Family should be cautious.
But then—
His pride surged.
"No." Yuwei waved it off. "We don't act based on rumors and trembling fools. I'll send someone to investigate the tavern."
His eyes narrowed.
"Someone dared interfere with my business. Someone dared take that trash right after I humiliated him."
A cruel smirk spread across his lips.
"…I'll find them."
Yi Min felt a shiver crawl down her spine.
Because she knew that expression.
Yuwei wasn't angry.
He was excited.
He loved challenges—
Especially ones that threatened his pride.
...
Later That Night…
A group of Han Family guards knelt before Yuwei in his private hall.
They trembled.
"Young Master…" one stammered.
"The tavern…" the second added.
"…it suffered severe structural damage…" the third whispered.
Yuwei's gaze sharpened.
"And the cause?"
The guards exchanged terrified glances.
"T-The aura… according to the witnesses, it belonged to a Mahayana Realm cultivator… at least early stage or mid stage…"
Silence swallowed the hall whole.
Yi Min slowly covered her mouth, eyes filled with fear.
But Yuwei merely smiled.
A thin, dangerous smile.
"So someone powerful thinks they can hide in my city?" he murmured.
His fingers tapped the armrest rhythmically.
"And they sheltered the trash of the Liu Clan?"
He chuckled softly.
"How interesting."
Yi Min swallowed.
"Yuwei… this is dangerous. Even Elder Yi might not be able to—"
"That's exactly why," Yuwei interrupted, "I want to know who they are."
His eyes gleamed with ambition.
"If a Mahayana Realm expert is involved… then the stage of this city is far larger than I thought."
A spark of hunger flickered in his gaze.
"Liu Xin… you useless worm…"
His lips twisted into a cruel smile.
"…you're not worth the trouble."
He stood up.
"But the people behind you?"
His aura flared with icy sharpness.
"They are worth my attention."
He raised his hand.
"Spread the order. Anyone who sees a white-haired woman with red eyes… or a man beside her… report immediately."
The guards bowed. "Yes, Young Master!"
Yuwei smirked.
His heart beat not with fear—
But with anticipation.