Just then, a thick, mysterious fog slowly spread across the stage.
The noisy hall fell silent.
From within the mist, a graceful silhouette appeared.
A lady sat calmly at the center of the stage, a zither resting across her lap.
Her posture was elegant, her movents unhurried, as though the world itself had slowed to match her rhythm.
She was beautiful but not in a flamboyant way.
There was a detached serenity about her, an air of soone who had already seen prosperity, ruin, and found them all wanting.
Her presence alone stilled the crowd.
She was Fairy Luo.
Luo Xianyin.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
Through the fog, her gaze swept across the hall over the cultivators and admirers who had waited a year for this mont.
Then—
Her eyes paused.
Ever so slightly.
She frowned and the fog thickened.
She then closed her eyes and opened them again.
And looked directly toward a particular seat in the audience.
A ripple ran through the crowd as cultivators unconsciously released their spirit and divine senses talking among themselves.
"Isn’t this pause too long?"
"Is this so kind of soundless prelude?"
"Idiot, you don’t understand art."
"When will the performance start?"
anwhile, Yu Xuan felt it clearly now.
That gaze was directed towards him.
Their eyes t as his expression stiffened slightly.
He recognized her imdiately.
She was one of the participants who had once competed with him for the Martial Ancestor’s Legacy.
And they had not parted on friendly terms.
’Even if she hates , she wouldn’t attack during her performance, right?’
Yu Xuan thought.
And reality answered him instantly.
ZINGGGG—!!
A single zither string snapped.
The sound was sharp, discordant, and utterly vile.
The hall erupted in chaos.
Cultivators clutched their heads as the sound pierced directly into their souls.
Several low-level cultivators scread as blood poured from their ears.
Even so Tier Three disciples staggered.
The announcer’s face turned pale as he hurriedly contacted the pavilion’s higher-ups.
Fairy Luo or not, the mod was angry and injuring guests was unacceptable.
Music could heal the soul...
But it could also tear it apart.
And just then—
Fairy Luo’s gaze locked fully onto Yu Xuan and she had no intention of hiding her hostility.
Her heart thundered.
At that mont, she was absolutely certain.
A whisper echoed in her mind or rather, her own instincts scread at her:
Enemy spotted.
"Demon Xuan!!!"
Her voice rang like a divine decree.
The fog exploded outward as she rose, fingers slashing across the zither.
A violent spirit attack surged toward Yu Xuan without hesitation.
Yu Xuan’s pupils shrank.
"She really attacked—?!"
He reacted instantly, raising his defenses and dispersing the incoming spirit wave, but it was already too late.
Every gaze in the hall turned toward him.
Tier Two cultivators.
Tier Three.
Tier Four.
Even several Tier Five experts.
Suspicion, anger, curiosity, and killing intent converged on a single point.
Yu Xuan exhaled slowly and muttered the holy trinity.
"...Great, great, great."
Not only had Fairy Luo recognized him.
She had just dragged him onto the stage of public outrage.
The murmurs then spread like wildfire.
"Demon Xuan... now that I think about it, isn’t he that famous person who slaughtered nearly a thousand people?"
"No way. He looks too weak."
"I want my sect points back, but... this is getting interesting."
"Heh. If I catch him, Fairy Luo might owe a favor."
"You say so interesting things, skinny guy."
Yu Xuan’s expression slowly went blank.
He lifted his gaze not toward the crowd, but toward the announcer.
"Is this how guests are treated?"
His voice was calm, but infused with Qi, carrying clearly to every corner of the hall.
The announcer’s face tightened.
She imdiately turned and approached Fairy Luo.
Despite Fairy Luo being a peak Tier Four cultivator, the announcer herself was peak Tier Three.
"Fairy Luo," she whispered urgently, "even if you have personal grievances, keep them out of your performance. Our pavilion’s reputation is at stake and you will lose face as well."
Fairy Luo’s eyes were cold.
"I will accept whatever punishnt the Pavilion Lord decides," she replied flatly.
"Even though he is a disciple of a Peak Master, does he truly believe I will just let him go?"
Her lips curved faintly.
Her plan had succeeded.
This was the Twin Fairy Pavilion, her territory.
This was her performance.
And she had admirers everywhere, people willing to act for even a sliver of her favor.
She had done her research on Yu Xuan.
Thoroughly.
As she surveyed the scene, watching the pressure mount around him, her smile deepened.
’People with power and popularity truly have it easy when framing the ordinary,’ Yu Xuan thought.
Cultivators began rising from their seats.
The air thickened with malice and opportunism.
"Hoo~ so you’re Demon Xuan, the one who walks on five legs, why don’t—"
An early Tier Four cultivator stood up, stepping toward Yu Xuan.
Several seats around him cleared instantly.
Yu Xuan didn’t even look impressed.
"Stop."
His voice cut cleanly through the noise.
"Your act is ugly under the pretense of helping when nobody asked for," he said dismissively.
"And I advise you, this matter is between her and . Do not involve yourself."
The man froze.
Inside his shadow, Yu Xuan sighed inwardly.
’Next ti, I’m not listening to your suggestions.’
Number Four, concealed within the shadow, maintained a perfect poker face.
He had absolutely no regrets.
After all, this too was an excellent show.
"Did you just ignore ?" the Tier Four cultivator snarled.
He looked like a seasoned troublemaker, white hair tied ssily behind his head, three thick fingers on each hand, his aura rough and oppressive.
Nearby, several Tier Five cultivators rely shook their heads.
This scene was all too familiar.
The legendary art of bullying.
’Today is a good day,’ Yu Xuan thought calmly.
He had gained a great deal already even if most of it was... technically illegal.
And Fairy Luo had clearly miscalculated one thing.
She, from the reports knew that Yu Xuan was passive.
But.
He was not so helpless ordinary cultivator.
He was also a person of power.
Then after giving ntal instructions, Number One, Two Three and Four, exited his shadow.
The real show was about to begin.
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