People began shifting in their seats, turning their heads. Murmurs spread through the hall.
Han Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he could feel movent deep within the pavilion. That hidden presence he had sensed earlier was no longer still.
It was moving... Fast.
Snow Reed’s fingers tightened around her flute. She forced her face calm, but Han Yu could see tension in her shoulders.
One of the hunters started to stand. "Should we check that out?"
A courtesan nearby hurried over. "Please stay seated. Our staff will handle it."
Another crash answered her words.
Then angry shouting, clear and ugly.
"You think you can refuse !"
"I paid good money!"
"Do you know who I am!"
A second scream followed, sharper than the first.
Han Yu stood up.
Snow Reed grabbed his sleeve lightly. "It is dangerous. Let the pavilion handle it."
He looked at her calmly. "That does not sound like it is being handled."
He could feel the hidden presence moving closer to that disturbance.
This was his chance to see more.
"I will only look," he said. "I will not start trouble."
She hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.
Han Yu walked out of the hall.
The corridor outside was nothing like the calm hall he had left.
Paper walls were torn. Wooden fras were broken. Chairs lay overturned. A table had been smashed against the wall, splitting in half. Shards of porcelain littered the floor.
Eight courtesans stood huddled near one wall, fear written clearly on their faces.
Two were injured.
One had a red handprint across her cheek, swollen and red.
Another clutched her arm, blood soaking into her sleeve where a sharp piece of pottery had cut her.
They were crying quietly, trying not to draw attention.
In front of them stood five n.
The leader was a burly cultivator with a thick neck and a wide chest. His clothes were expensive but ssy, stained with wine. His eyes were red from drink and anger.
Four other n stood behind him, all cultivators as well. Their stances were loose, careless. They were drunk, but still dangerous.
One of them kicked a broken chair aside.
The burly man pointed at one of the courtesans. "You think you are better than ! I tell you to co, you co!"
"She said she was already chosen by another guest," one of his n laughed. "He did not like that."
Han Yu took in the scene in one glance.
Drunk cultivators.Private room.Refused courtesan.Violence.
It was simple.
The burly man turned when he noticed Han Yu. "Who the hell are you?"
Han Yu looked around at the broken walls, the crying won, the blood on the floor.
"Soone who does not like noise," he said calmly.
One of the n laughed. "Look at this guy. Trying to be a hero."
The burly man sneered. "Get lost. This is private business."
Han Yu stepped forward slowly.
"This stopped being private when you started breaking things that do not belong to you."
The man’s eyes narrowed. "You want to die?"
"Not tonight," Han Yu replied. "But you might, if you keep shouting."
One of the n behind him spat. "Who do you think you are!"
Han Yu released a faint wave of his cultivation.
Not fully.
Just enough.
The air grew heavy.
The drunk n felt it imdiately. Their smiles faded.
The burly man’s face twitched. "Core Condensation realm?"
Han Yu did not confirm it.
He simply said, "Leave."
"Or what!" one of the n shouted, trying to sound brave.
Han Yu looked at the injured courtesan. Then at the handprint on the other girl’s face.
Then back at the burly man.
"Or I will return what you gave," he said softly.
The corridor was silent but sowhere deeper in the pavilion, that hidden presence had stopped moving. It was watching now. Very closely.
Han Yu’s gaze swept over the five n again, slower this ti.
The burly man was still standing tall, chest puffed out, eyes bloodshot with drink and fury. Even after feeling Han Yu’s cultivation pressure, he did not retreat. That alone told Han Yu enough.
Most weak Core Condensation realm cultivators would have shown apprehension when facing soone at the sa realm. But this man did not. He was confident. Either arrogant, or backed by sothing.
Han Yu spread his spirit sense quietly.
The result ca back clear.
Early Stage Core Condensation realm.
Not weak. Not strong either.
The four n behind him were much weaker, all at late to peak Qi Refining realm. Still, in a narrow corridor like this, even weak cultivators could cause deadly chaos if they lost control.
Han Yu glanced at the courtesans. They were pressed against the wall, eyes wide, hands trembling. Two of them were injured. One had already begun to shake from pain and fear.
’If a real fight broke out, these won would be the first to suffer.’ Han Yu thought.
The burly man spat on the ground. "You should step back, boy. I am the Hall Master of the Black Horse Escort Group. You think you can afford to offend ?"
Han Yu tilted his head slightly. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"
The man’s face twisted. His followers cursed loudly.
"You dare!"
"Hall Master, teach him a lesson!"
The courtesans flinched at every shout.
Han Yu sighed quietly.
"So loud," he said. "And you still have not left."
The burly man roared and stepped forward. Black Qi surged around his arm, thick and heavy. It twisted in the shape of a giant hoof.
"Black Hoof Palm!"
The corridor filled with oppressive force.
Several courtesans scread.
The illusory hoof smashed forward, cracking the air. But the man was drunk. His balance was off. His focus was scattered.
Han Yu stepped aside lightly, barely moving his feet.
The Black Hoof Palm slamd into the wall behind him.
BOOM
Wood exploded.
Paper tore apart.
Dust filled the air.
Before the man could even turn properly, Han Yu moved.
WHOOSH
His fist shot forward like a spear.
Crack.
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