Then reality slowly settled in again. These women had just slaughtered veteran guards in seconds. Publicly.
In broad daylight. And still looked calm.
Fear returned. Fast. The duke's son's breathing became uneven again."Wait…"
His tone changed instantly again. Now desperate.
"Listen we can talk about this." No response. "I can pay compensation."
Still nothing. "Please, I am worth a lot."
His voice cracked slightly.
"Somebody, anybody please help me!"
Nearby civilians immediately looked away pretending not to hear him. Not a single person stepped forward. Even his remaining servants had disappeared already.
Then footsteps. Calm. Measured.
Approaching slowly from behind the women. Luo He. And suddenly the duke's son understood something horrifying. Something he should have realized from the start.
The women were not leading this situation. They never were. This man was. Luo He no longer limped. No hunched back.
No trembling. No weakness whatsoever. He walked normally now casually brushing the last bits of dust from his sleeves as though the earlier beating had never happened at all.
The duke's son stared at him in disbelief.
"Y-You…" Luo He smiled faintly. Calm.
Amused. Completely in control.
And that realization made the duke's son irrationally angry. Because suddenly he understood the pathetic weakling act.
The screaming. The crying. The squealing like a pig. All of it was fake.
He had been played from the very beginning. Manipulated. Dragged exactly where this monster wanted him.
And somehow that humiliation hurt more than the defeat itself. The duke's son glared at Luo He with enough hatred to devour flesh. If anger alone could kill Luo He would have died ten times already.
Luo He slowly stepped forward until he stood directly in front of the duke's son.
The three women moved aside slightly for him without even thinking about it.
Naturally as though giving space to the true predator among them.
Luo He crouched slightly so their eyes met evenly. Then he smiled. Warmly.
Almost kind. Which somehow felt far more terrifying than rage.
It was like a teacher observing a disappointing student or a man inspecting a poorly trained dog.
"I have the perfect punishment," Luo He said softly. The duke's son forced himself to glare back despite the cold creeping into his legs and the fire threatening his neck.
"A man this disrespectful toward women should pay an appropriate price." Luo He tilted his head slightly. Thinking. Considering. As though genuinely weighing the matter fairly.
Then finally his smile widened faintly.
"I curse you…" His voice lowered just enough that the surrounding crowd instinctively leaned closer to hear.
"To never again feel the warmth of a woman for the rest of your life."
Silence followed. Complete silence.
Even the market itself seemed to pause.
The duke's son blinked once. Then twice.
His expression slowly twisted from fear into confusion.
"That was it? A curse? No torture? No execution? No shattered limbs? No public humiliation?" He thought.
For a brief moment relief nearly surfaced on his face before disbelief quickly replaced it. "That's your punishment?" he asked. Then he laughed. Actually laughed.
"You stupid fool." He sneered as the fear visibly drained from his body. "I thought you were going to do something serious." Several nearby civilians exchanged uncertain looks.
Even some of the guards appeared puzzled. Compared to the killing intent filling the marketplace moments ago the punishment sounded absurdly light.
The duke's son grinned again confidence slowly returning to his face.
"A curse?" he scoffed openly. "We'll see how effective your little curse is." His eyes swept arrogantly across the surrounding women nearby. Merchant daughters. Servants. Wandering noble ladies watching from afar.
"Do you really think women will suddenly stop wanting me?" He laughed lightly again. Though not quite as confidently as before. Because Luo He still had not changed expression. Still smiling.
Still calm.
And that calmness slowly became unsettling. Because Luo He did not look like a man bluffing. He looked entertained. Like someone already watching the ending of a story everyone else was still trapped inside.
Then Luo He slowly straightened and dusted his sleeves casually as though discussing the weather rather than deciding another man's fate. "Oh yes," he said lightly.
"The curse itself is the punishment." This time there was no amusement left in his voice. Only certainty. Cold, absolute certainty. "And unlike empty threats," Luo He continued calmly. "I possess the means to ensure it's upheld."
The duke's son's smile weakened immediately. The surrounding crowd also began to realize something was wrong. Very wrong. Because Luo He still looked too calm. Too composed.
Like a man already standing at the end of the matter. Luo He glanced briefly toward the three women beside him before lowering his gaze back toward the duke's son. Then he smiled again. Sharper this time. Colder.
"From now on he will never feel the true warmth of a woman ever again till death." The duke's son's face slowly paled. Luo He's next words fell softly. Almost gently. "Castrate him."
Silence. Real silence.
The entire marketplace froze. Several civilians visibly recoiled while one nearby merchant nearly dropped the tray in his hands. Even some of the duke's own surviving guards stared in shock at the casual manner in which those words had been spoken.
The duke's son himself stopped breathing for a moment. His eyes widened violently. "What?!" he asked form shock. The arrogance shattered instantly. "You can't be serious!" he mumbled.
For the first time since the confrontation began true fear appeared on his face.
Not fear of death. Something worse.
"No wait WAIT!" He struggled violently now panic finally overtaking pride entirely.
"You mad bastard!" He shouted. Meanwhile Luo He simply watched him. Unmoved. The duke's son's breathing became ragged. "You can't do this to me!" he shouted desperately.
"My father is the Duke of this province."
"And you," Luo He interrupted softly. "Thought that gave you permission to touch whoever you pleased." The words struck harder than any blow.
The duke's son suddenly realized something horrifying. This man truly intended to go through with it. The crowd realized it too. Whispers spread rapidly through the market. Some horrified. Some thrilled.
Some looking at Luo He as though seeing a monster wearing human skin.
And still Luo He remained smiling. Calm. Relaxed. Almost pleasant. Which somehow made the situation even more terrifying.
The duke's son felt cold sweat pour down his back. Because suddenly the spear near his throat no longer frightened him the most. It was the smiling man standing behind it.
"Strip him of his armor and clothes," Luo He commanded coldly. The duke's son immediately began struggling violently.
"No wait! Don't touch me!" He shouted.
Panic had fully overtaken him now. The arrogance from earlier was completely gone. Jin Mulan stepped forward without hesitation.
Before the man could continue thrashing the shaft of her spear slammed sharply against the side of his head. Thud.
His body collapsed instantly onto the frozen stone.
The marketplace remained deathly silent. Even the surrounding spectators looked shaken now. Some turned away.
Others watched with horrified fascination.
A few minutes later consciousness slowly returned to the duke's son. The first thing he felt was terrible cold blade touching his balls. His eyes snapped open violently.
A thin frost covered the ground around him spreading outward in delicate white patterns from Jin Su's feet. And resting near his waist was her blade. Cold steel.
Close enough for him to feel the freezing aura radiating from it.
He froze immediately. Every muscle in his body locked in terror. Luo He crouched calmly nearby adjusting his sleeves as though this were a simple conversation between gentlemen.
"Relax," he said casually. "You're still alive and also will be after this." The duke's son swallowed hard. His breathing became uneven as he realized his garments had been removed.
Leaving him restrained and completely bare in the middle of the streets Infront of all the people. Luo He noticed the fear in his eyes immediately. "Don't misunderstand," he continued calmly.
"I didn't allow any of the women to handle you directly. Two guards took care of that." The duke's son stared at him in disbelief. Luo He smiled faintly.
"Did you truly think I would turn this into public mockery?" he asked. "I'm many things. Cruel is only one of them." That answer somehow made the situation even more terrifying.
Because he said it so naturally. So calmly. Meanwhile Jin Su's icy blade continued moving slowly through the air near his privates as a constant reminder of his status. Never striking. Never rushing.
Just enough to let him feel the freezing steel again and again. Every tiny movement sent another wave of panic through his body.
Jin Mulan stood nearby with her spear resting against her shoulder her expression cold and unreadable.
While faint embers flickered around her fingertips. Su Kim remained silent as well her whip coiled loosely around one arm like a sleeping serpent. None of them looked emotional anymore.
Only resolved. And for the first time in his life the duke's son truly understood what fear felt like.