Lin Tianyou's rage had reached its boiling point. He was just about to drag Su Han outside to settle things once and for all when a sudden, heavy silence fell over the massive hall.
Two young women dressed in vibrant, flowing red robes emerged from a side entrance. They moved quickly and with practiced grace, heading straight for the stage to begin the final preparations.
The atmosphere in the Phoenix Pavilion shifted instantly. Everyone knew what this meant—the legendary Black Lotus was about to appear. The crowd was here for her voice, the finest in all of Linkshan Town.
One of the girls stepped forward and bowed deeply to the audience, her gesture full of respect.
"Thank you all for your patience," she announced, her voice clear and melodic. "The moment you have all been waiting for is finally here. In just a few moments, the Black Lotus will grace us with her presence."
"Please, everyone, return to your seats and prepare to enjoy the performance."
She bowed once more before retreating. Beside her, the second girl had finished setting up the musical instruments and arranging the seating on the stage with flawless precision.
When Lin Tianyou heard this, the veins in his eyes turned even redder. He shot a look of pure loathing at Su Han.
"Look, you piece of trash. I don't have time to deal with you right now," Tianyou hissed, his voice trembling with suppressed anger.
"I'm here for a special occasion—to see my woman. Don't waste another second of my time. Get lost before I really lose my temper."
Su Han didn't back down. He glared back, his gaze as sharp as a cold blade.
"I don't have time to waste on a piece of filth like you either," Su Han countered, his voice steady and dangerous.
"Tell me exactly where Chu Yao is, then you can go ahead and enjoy your little show."
Wang Ran let out a playful chuckle. He looked at Lin Tianyou with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Haha! Brother Tianyou, that's news to me. I've heard the Black Lotus doesn't have a lover. Since when did you two become a couple?"
He glanced toward the girl Tianyou had been playing with earlier, a teasing smirk on his face. "Honestly, looking at you... it's hard to believe."
Tianyou's face was already twisted with rage, but Wang Ran's constant poking was making his blood boil. He turned his head sharply.
"This is none of your business, Wang Ran! Everyone knows I have eyes for her. Keep your mouth shut."
"Oh? You like her, so that makes her your girlfriend?" Wang Ran teased. "What if I say I like her too? Does that make her mine?"
The fury inside Lin Tianyou was becoming unbearable. He wanted nothing more than to tear both Su Han and Wang Ran limb from limb right where they stood.
Su Han, done with talking, took a sudden step forward. His hand shot out, aiming straight for Tianyou's throat.
But before he could reach him, Zhao Mang stepped into his path. His face was twisted into a sneer, and his eyes were bloodshot as he rubbed his hands together.
"Su Han... no, you're just trash now," Zhao Mang mocked. "You used to be so arrogant, looking down on everyone. Even now, with a shattered Dantian, you still have this much attitude?"
"You ignore me and speak to Young Master Lin Tianyou like he's your equal? Don't forget, your time in the Su Clan is running out."
He leaned in closer, his voice dripping with malice. "Everyone knows Su Chen is the real future of the Su Family. You're nothing. Aren't you afraid someone will kill you and throw your body to the dogs?"
Su Han looked at him with eyes that were terrifyingly cold.
"Zhao Mang, you professional bootlicker... have you ever looked at your own reflection in a puddle of your own piss?"
"Before, you didn't even have the courage to speak to me. You followed me around like a shadow, calling me 'Young Master' at every turn."
Su Han stepped closer, the pressure radiating from him making the air feel heavy.
"Now that you think my cultivation is gone, you think you can step on me? I'll give you one chance. Just one. Get out of my sight."
"If you don't, I won't just ruin your face... I might just erase you from the face of this world entirely."
For a split second, Zhao Mang felt the killing intent and his skin crawled. His heart skipped a beat in genuine fear.
Earth
But then, his embarrassment turned into a hot, blinding rage. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"It seems you won't learn your lesson until I beat you senseless in front of everyone!" he roared, forgetting all about the rules of the pavilion.
Just as he lunged forward, a massive roar of excitement erupted from the hall.
"Wow! She's as beautiful as ever!"
"Black Lotus! I'm your biggest fan! Just show us your face once!"
"If I could just have tea with her, I'd give up ten years of my life!"
The voices of the crowd drowned out everything else as the legendary beauty finally made her entrance.
The hall was buzzing with hushed whispers. Even though people were trying to stay quiet, the constant muttering was hard to ignore.
"Hey, keep it down! Look over there... two Young Masters and that 'trash' are about to start a war. If they get angry, we're all in trouble."
"Lin Tianyou is obsessed with the Black Lotus. Just watch, things are about to get ugly."
Zhao Mang, who had been lunging toward Su Han, suddenly froze. He turned his head toward the stage as a breathtaking figure emerged.
It was a girl of impossible beauty. Even with a silk veil covering her face, her elegant posture and mesmerizing eyes told a story of a beauty that could topple kingdoms and start wars.
Zhao Mang's mouth hung open, a disgusting trail of saliva escaping his lips as he swallowed hard, his eyes glued to her.
Lin Tianyou wasn't any better. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with blatant lust as he shamelessly scanned every curve of her body.
In fact, every man in the hall was staring at her with hungry eyes, waiting for even a single note from her voice.
The Black Lotus stepped onto the stage with a graceful, dignified air. She bowed slightly to the crowd, acknowledging the audience.
She could feel the burning, predatory gazes fixed on her, but she was used to it. She had learned long ago to simply shut them out.
Suddenly, a loud, arrogant voice cut through the air. "Lotus! What do you think of my proposal? Why don't we skip this show and have our own private program?"
The hall went deathly silent. People gasped, their hearts hammering. Behind the Black Lotus, a female guard with cold, sharp eyes glared toward the source of the voice.
It was Lin Tianyou. He sat there with a smug, cocky grin, chest puffed out as he stared at the Black Lotus.
She simply offered a professional smile and looked away. "The performance is about to begin. Please, everyone, take your seats."
Her voice was like soothing silk, calming the crowd, but Lin Tianyou's eyes narrowed. He knew she was dodging his question again.
He was about to snap back when he caught the icy stare of the female guard behind her. He cursed inwardly, knowing he couldn't push too far in this place.
He settled back into his chair, a demonic smirk playing on his lips. 'How long will you keep running, Lotus? You will be mine eventually,' he thought.
As the Black Lotus scanned the room, her eyes suddenly landed on Su Han. Her pupils sparkled with recognition.
'Hmm? So you did come to see my show after all,' she thought, a sense of pride swelling in her chest.
'And here I thought you were actually uninterested when we bumped into each other. Nice act, kid.' She sat down, preparing to start her song with a confident smile.
Su Han looked up and recognized her instantly. 'Oh, so it's her. The girl I ran into earlier.'
Coming from Earth, Su Han had seen plenty of beauties, but even he had to admit she was stunning. Any other guy would have lost his mind.
But right now, his heart was heavy with worry for Chu Yao. A girl's beauty meant nothing if his sister was in danger.
He saw Lin Tianyou staring at the stage like a starving wolf, and his patience vanished. He took another step forward, ready to force the truth out of him.
"You still want to cause a scene here?" Zhao Mang blocked his path again, a mocking smile on his face. "If you want to play, I'm more than ready."
Lin Tianyou glanced at Zhao Mang and spoke in a low, cruel voice. "Zhao Mang, I'll give you a job. Take this trash away and beat him until his own mother wouldn't recognize him."
"And make sure he never sees the light of day again. You understand what I mean, right?"
Zhao Mang's eyes lit up with excitement. He bowed deeply toward Lin Tianyou. "Yes, Young Master! I understand perfectly. Leave it to me."
He stepped closer to Su Han, leaning in to whisper into his ear with a snaky grin.
"If you really want to know where that girl is... follow me outside."
Su Han's eyes turned cold. He knew that if a fight broke out here, the experts of the Phoenix Pavilion would intervene, and he wasn't ready to face them yet.
But if he went with Zhao Mang, he could get the information he needed. As for Lin Tianyou...
'I will make you pay for this a thousand times over,' Su Han vowed silently. 'You better hope nothing happened to Chu Yao.'
He gave a cold, dismissive snort and turned around, walking out of the hall without a second glance.
The Black Lotus, who had been feeling quite proud of herself, was stunned. She watched Su Han's retreating back, her fist clenching under her sleeve.
'You arrogant brat! You're actually leaving?' she thought, her ego taking a massive hit.
Lin Tianyou watched Su Han leave and whispered one last instruction to Zhao Mang.
"Don't let him die too quickly. I want him to suffer. I want him to scream for mercy before he takes his last breath."
Zhao Mang nodded with a cruel, jagged smile and followed Su Han out of the hall, his heart racing with the anticipation of the kill.
"Su Han is walking into a trap, but does Zhao Mang realize he's leading a monster to his own grave?"
"Your Power Stones are the fuel for my daily updates. If you liked this chapter, drop a few stones to support the grind!"