Shock and regret—that’s all that was left in Liu Ba’s eyes.

  ?He stared at Su Han, his mind screaming in a silent frenzy. Why hadn't he just ended this brat earlier? Why did he have to play with his food?

  ?A thin, jagged red line appeared across Liu Ba’s throat. Slowly, almost hesitatingly, a drop of crimson blood began to leak out.

  ?Su Han’s hand had been empty just a second ago, but he had been playing a deadly game. When he had killed those lackeys earlier, the system had rewarded him with a Yellow-Level Middle-Grade Blade.

  ?He had waited. He had endured the crushing weight of Liu Ba’s boot on his arm just for this one moment of carelessness.

  ?As his hand reached Liu Ba’s neck, Su Han mentally pulled the blade from the system storage.

  ?Slash!

  ?The cold steel swept across the throat with surgical precision. Even Su Han, in his battered state, hadn't been 100% sure it would work.

  ?But Liu Ba was blinded by his own arrogance. He thought Su Han was just a broken toy at his mercy.

  ?He had leaned down, not to kill, but to grab Su Han’s collar. He wanted that "Invincible Supreme Dragon" technique. He wanted to torture the secret out of the boy and make it his own.

  ?His greed had led him straight to the executioner’s block.

  ?Thud!

  ?The sound of a heavy body hitting the dirt echoed through the clearing.

  ?The Iron-Fist mercenaries, the two trembling clients, Chen Jian, and Captain Zhao Lucy—everyone was frozen.

  ?Their eyes were bloodshot, their knuckles white. They had been forced to watch what they thought was Su Han’s final moments.

  ?Their minds had gone numb. They had already accepted that Su Han was dead. There was no way out.

  ?But then, the impossible happened.

  ?Their jaws dropped so low you could have stuffed eggs in their mouths. The sight of the 9th-level Liu Ba lying dead while the "dying" kid stood over him was too much to process.

  ?Su Han had danced on the very edge of the grave, and once again, he had pushed death back into the shadows.

  ?Ding!

  ?"Congratulations! Host has slain a 9th Level Body Refining warrior, Liu Ba."

  ?"Rewards: 500 Experience Points and 5,000 Silver Coins."

  ?"Bonus: 'Sea-Splitting Sword Technique' (Part 1) obtained."

  ?Ding!

  ?"Mission Accomplished: Humiliate or Kill Liu Ba and his companions."

  ?"Mission Rewards: 1,000 System Points, 10,000 Silver Coins, 100 System Store Points, and 5 Drops of Blue Blood Essence."

  ?Hearing the system's chime, Su Han felt a wave of relief wash over him. His heart, which had been hammering like a drum, finally slowed down.

  ?Cold sweat soaked his brow as he let out a jagged breath.

  ?"Too close... that was way too close," he thought, his jaw tightening.

  ?He knew he couldn't rely on luck forever. He needed more trump cards—and more healing pills.

  ?During the heat of the battle, he had spent 20 of his original 50 Store Points to buy a Yellow-Level High-Grade Healing Pill. Swallowing it mid-fight was the only reason he was still standing.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  ?He looked at the dead body and didn't waste a second. While the others were still in a state of shock, he grabbed Liu Ba’s Yellow-Level High-Grade blade.

  ?"This should fetch a VIP price," he muttered, tossing the weapon into his system storage to cover his losses.

  ?But the pain was still there, a constant, throbbing reminder of how close he’d come to death. Gritting his teeth, he spent 20 of his newly earned points for another High-Grade Healing Pill and gulped it down.

  ?His eyes burned with frustration. He checked his balance—only 110 System Store Points remained.

  ?"After all that life-and-death struggle... this is all I have?" he thought, his heart aching.

  ?To him, these points were peanuts. One wrong move, one more injury, and he’d be back to zero. He felt cheated, like he was working for a System that took more than it gave.

  ?Thinking about his points reminded him of the "gift" the system had given him earlier—the ultimate betrayal.

  ?"You piece of trash System..." he cursed inwardly.

  ?He remembered the 'Armor' he had received. It wasn't some legendary dragon-scale mail. No.

  ?It was a girls' corset-style armor. Bright pink. Decorated with tiny, delicate blue flowers.

  ?The 'Blue Flower Armor' was clearly designed for a woman, and the system had handed it to him with a straight face.

  Suddenly, the heavy silence broke as everyone snapped back to their senses.

  ?Chen Jian was the first to scramble to his feet. Staggering slightly, he rushed toward Su Han, his face a mix of relief and disbelief.

  ?"Haha! Su Han, you lucky bastard! You cheated death again!"

  ?He pressed a hand against his chest, feeling his heart drumming wildly against his ribs.

  ?"Brother, you’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days. You have no idea how fast my heart was going!"

  ?Su Han looked at him, his brow arching. "Zian, what do you mean I was lucky? That black crow deserved to die because he was scum. He was the unlucky one, not me."

  ?Chen Jian burst out laughing, and even Su Han managed a small, jagged smile. But as they laughed, the pain in their battered bodies flared up.

  ?Squelch!

  ?Their faces twisted in agony as their muscles cramped, but they looked at each other and laughed again, the shared danger forming a bond deeper than words.

  ?Just then, Captain Zhao Lucy stepped toward them. Su Han met her gaze, his expression softening slightly.

  ?He tightened his fist against his chest and spoke with a sincere depth. "Captain... thank you for standing up for me this time. I won't forget it."

  ?Lucy looked at him, her face as calm as a frozen lake. "You came with my team. It is my duty to protect anyone traveling under my wing. My men would do the same."

  ?Chen Jian nodded firmly, but Su Han just smiled.

  ?"I was only a temporary member for this mission, Captain. The Iron-Fist Group didn't need to provoke a giant like the Shadow-Blade Sect for my sake. My safety wasn't your legal responsibility."

  ?Lucy’s eyes flickered. She sensed the stubborn pride in his voice.

  ?"How would you know our rules? You didn't even want to join us," she remarked, her tone laced with a hint of dry sarcasm.

  ?Su Han let out a short laugh, bowing his head slightly. "Regardless, I will remember this kindness. If the Iron-Fist Group—or especially you—ever need me, I will be there."

  ?He looked directly into Lucy’s beautiful eyes as he said it. For a split second, her icy exterior cracked.

  ?Beneath that cold gaze, a hidden smile flickered. She realized she hadn't helped a dishonest man; Su Han had a spine of steel and a heart of honor.

  ?"Hmph!"

  ?She snorted, turning away quickly to hide the faint glow in her eyes. "Rest up. We leave in an hour."

  ?Chen Jian nudged Su Han, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Brother Han... you’re the first person to ever reject Captain Zhao’s invitation and still have her risk her life for you. You really are something special."

  ?"Shut up," Su Han muttered, giving Chen Jian a playful shove.

  ?Despite his embarrassment, Su Han’s gaze lingered on Lucy’s back. She was undeniably beautiful, but he quickly shook the thought away.

  ?His focus had to stay on his cultivation. He had to reclaim the title of Young Master at the Su Clan's monthly meeting.

  ?It wasn't for the status; it was for his father. His father, who had wandered into the unknown just to find a cure for Su Han’s broken Dantian.

  ?"I won't let him down," he vowed. "And as for the Grand Elder who made my life a living hell... his time is coming."

  ?Lucy’s voice cut through his thoughts, sharp and commanding.

  ?"Everyone, listen up! Treat your wounds. We move out in sixty minutes. We need to be far from this place by sunset."

  ?Her eyes drifted to the corpses of Liu Ba and his thugs. Her brow furrowed, a shadow of worry crossing her forehead.

  ?She knew this was bad. Very bad.

  ?Liu Ba wasn't just some random thug; his father was a powerful Elder in the Shadow-Blade Sect—a man at the 6th Level of Qi Refining.

  ?If the news reached him that his son was slaughtered, he would burn cities to find the killer.

  ?Lucy turned back to her team, her voice dropping into a lethal, low tone.

  ?"Listen to me carefully. What happened here today... no one saw anything. No one heard anything. We never met Liu Ba. Do you understand?"

  ?One mercenary hesitated. "But Captain... what about the Four-Colored Snake? People will know we were hunting here."

  ?Lucy’s gaze turned into shards of ice. "We hunted the snake, rested for a bit, and left. We never crossed paths with the Shadow-Blade Sect. Is that clear?"

  ?The man felt a cold sweat break out on his neck. He quickly lowered his head. "Yes, Captain. Crystal clear."

  ?She was doing this for Su Han. She knew if his name was linked to this bloodbath, he would be a dead man.

  ?Chen Jian looked at Su Han with eyes full of concern. Su Han’s own gaze sharpened.

  ?He was already an enemy of the Shadow-Blade Sect from his past encounters, but they didn't know his identity yet. This time, however, he had killed a "VIP" target.

  ?The road ahead was no longer just a path; it was a trail of blood.