Han Yu laughed. It was sharp, loud, and utterly dismissive.
"I owe you nothing," he said. "Especially not explanations. I am on a mission for the sect. A covert mission. Why in the world would I reveal my identity before the job is done?"
Every elder flinched.That explanation fit too well.No one dared question it.
Huamu Ran's complexion turned even paler. The man was now shaking visibly. His mind worked frantically, connecting dots that Han Yu was deliberately scattering.
"So… so honored disciple was hiding his identity… to not alert enemies…" he muttered.
Han Yu smirked. "Finally, soone in your clan has a functioning brain."
The insult landed like a brick, but no one dared protest.
He continued, voice slow and mocking, "Your son bumped into . Did I kill him? No. Did I cripple him? No. Did I even break anything permanent?"
Huamu Ran shook his head like a man facing judgnt.
"No… honored disciple… no permanent damage…"
"See?" Han Yu spread his arms mockingly. "I acted within reason. I was rciful. More rciful than ninety nine percent of my sect would have been. If any other disciple had been bumped into by your son or this… creature…" he jerked Elder Bai forward by the collar, "they would have slaughtered the whole street."
Several elders wept silently.
Han Yu leaned forward, eyes cold and accusing. "But your clan. Oh, your clan. You dared to send guards to break my limbs. And after that? Punishnt? A slow death perhaps? Truly impressive bravery. Tell , just how insane are you people?"
The irony, of course, was that Han Yu's own actions had been the insane ones. But cornered prey cannot argue with a hunting predator.
Everyone in the hall dropped to their knees.
"We were mistaken!" Huamu Ran cried. "Honored disciple, please… we were ignorant! We did not know who you were!"
"Yes, yes!" Madam Shu shrieked. "We beg forgiveness! We beg for rcy! We will compensate you!"
Han Yu smiled. A slow, chilling, predatory smile.
"Compensate ?" he repeated with amusent. "Do you dare to insult the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect?"
Everyone froze.
Han Yu widened his eyes mockingly. "Compensate ? As if this is a rchant dispute? As if my sect is so poor we need your loose change? What do you take the sect for, a street stall?"
The clan mbers trembled violently.
"If I spare you now," Han Yu continued, "what do you think the world will say? Oh look, the mighty Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect lets a rchant clan trample its disciple. Is that what you want?"
"N-no! Never!" the elders shouted frantically.
"Then do not speak of compensation," Han Yu snapped. "There is only one thing you can offer that is equal to your cris."
The hall fell silent.
No one wanted to say it.
Han Yu said it for them.
"Your lives."
Madam Shu scread.
Huamu Ran's soul nearly flew out of his body.
The elders collapsed, howling, begging, so even smashing their foreheads into the floor.
Han Yu watched them with calm indifference.
"To insult is to insult my sect," he said. "To attack is to attack my sect. The only paynt for that is blood. You all should understand this. It is basic logic. Even a donkey would understand it."
He tilted his head, smiling again.
"But it seems the Birch Leaf rchant Clan is dumber than donkeys."
The clan shattered into wails and sobs.
Han Yu's presence descended heavier and heavier, filling the hall with suffocating dread. Every person felt like the air around them had turned to iron.
The elders begged.The stewards cried.Madam Shu fainted.Huamu Ran trembled so violently he nearly vomited.
Han Yu lifted Elder Bai's broken body slightly, letting the man's tortured breathing echo through the hall.
"And now," Han Yu said softly, "the only thing left is to decide the order in which you die."
The hall collapsed into hysteria.
And Han Yu simply watched, calm, unwavering, and utterly in control.
The hall had gone silent except for the ragged sobbing and panicked whimpers echoing from corners. Every clansman stared at Han Yu with the hollow eyes of prey that had realized the predator was not just hungry, but delighted.
Han Yu leaned back slightly, watching their fear bloom and wilt and bloom again. The way their minds broke, one after another, was almost artistic. The amount of Eight Emotions Energy he got from them was intoxicating.
It was one of the reasons he had gone through this entire act. Partially it was to take revenge and partially so that he could harvest more energy for his soul cultivation. But as much as he was enjoying it, he knew he had to end it soon.
He had already declared he would decide the order of their deaths. That alone was enough to send half the room into trembling hysteria.
But Han Yu had no intention of killing every single person here.
He could.
He absolutely could. In fact, there was a part of him that found the idea rather amusing. However, it would be inconvenient.
If every last mber died, he would have to spend hours if not days searching storerooms, cracking safes, digging up hidden caches, interrogating records and ledgers. And he did not have that kind of ti or patience.
He needed people alive.
People knowledgeable.People terrified.People who would obey any order he gave out of fear of becoming the next to burn.
Han Yu exhaled once, then spoke calmly.
"I will not kill all of you," he said. "I will spare so."
The mont the words left his mouth, a wave of desperate hope swept across the room. So even raised their heads slightly, eyes wide and shining with trembling expectation.
The clan head Huamu Ran opened his mouth, ready to speak.Ready to beg.Ready to offer his life's savings, his limbs, his pride, anything.
Han Yu flicked his fingers lazily.
Shua
A bead of Blood Fla leapt from his fingertip, gliding through the air like a crimson spark carried by a breeze.
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