Su Han finally hit the bed. The mattress groaned under his weight, a welcome sound after the endless ringing of steel and wolf howls.

  ?He hadn't had a single second of peace in what felt like forever. The quiet of the room was thick, almost heavy, but it was exactly what he needed to clear the fog in his brain.

  ?"System," he muttered, his voice raspy.

  ?Ding!

  ?A sharp blue interface flickered to life in front of his eyes, glowing with a cold, digital light. He ignored the flashy edges and went straight for the meat of his stats.

  ?Name: Su Han

  Cultivation: Body Refining Level 7

  Experience: 7,800 / 10,000

  Bloodline: Invincible Supreme Dragon (Level 1)

  ?Note: Boosts power by one full level. Grants immunity to all Yellow Level Middle-Grade poisons and below.

  ?Bloodline Skill: Wrath of the Supreme Dragon

  ?Effect: Boosts power by an additional level for 60 seconds. Cooldown: 1 hour.

  ?His eyes scanned down to his techniques. Tiger’s Palm and Nine Times Slash were maxed out at 100% mastery. They were his bread and butter, his reliable killers.

  ?But Shadow Steps was still lagging at 63%. It was fast, sure, but in a real life-or-death dance, that missing 37% felt like a death sentence.

  ?Then there was the Supreme Dragon Sword.

  ?He looked at the progress: 1/5 pieces collected. It sat in his inventory like a sleeping beast—heavy, silent, and completely unusable.

  ?The system was blunt about it: his current strength was a joke compared to the sword's weight. He needed to hit at least the 4th Level of Qi Refining before he could even dream of swinging that thing.

  ?He skipped past the sub-professions. Alchemy, Forging, Array Refining—all zeros. He wasn't a crafter, not yet.

  ?He glanced at his loot. 30,000 silver coins. A pile of wolf pelts, bones, and jars of monster blood. It was a messy haul, but it was his.

  ?He had 110 System Store points. A pathetic amount, really. He remembered the first time he looked at the shop; everything decent cost a fortune.

  ?"Keep saving," he whispered to himself. "Don't waste it on trash."

  ?Then, his mind shifted to the latest rewards. Defeating Liu Ba had gifted him the Sea-Splitting Sword Technique. And that wolf king? It dropped a "shitty, stinking armor."

  ?He reached into the void of his storage and pulled the armor out.

  ?Shua!

  ?The moment it hit his hands, Su Han’s face didn't just turn red—it turned a deep, angry crimson. His veins pulsed at his temples.

  ?"System, you've got to be shitting me," he growled.

  ?The armor was small. It was delicate. It was, without a doubt, designed for a woman.

  ?It was pink. Soft, shimmering pink, decorated with tiny, intricate blue flowers. It looked more like a rich girl's silk vest than a warrior's protection.

  ?His first instinct was to chuck it out the window or sell it to the nearest merchant for a laugh. But then, a face flashed in his mind.

  ?Chu Yao.

  ?The anger drained out of him, replaced by a dull ache of concern. Chu Yao had been by his side since his father brought her back from a ruined village when they were kids.

  ?She wasn't just a maid. She was his anchor. And in the Su Clan, being an anchor meant having a target on your back.

  ?"She needs this more than I need the silver," he reasoned.

  ?The Su Clan rules were garbage. His father couldn't teach her the family’s cultivation techniques because she didn't carry the "Su" name.

  ?Because of that, she was defenseless—a mortal in a world of monsters. But Su Han was done with that.

  ?There are two ways to get strong: Inner Cultivation to draw energy into the meridians, and Outer Techniques like fists and movement.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  ?The Su Clan's best internal technique was a Yellow Level Peak Grade manual. It was the best in Linkshan Town, but to Su Han, it was just the beginning.

  ?"I’ll find her something better," he vowed, his grip tightening on the pink armor. "Something that makes the Su Clan's secrets look like trash."

  ?He looked at the armor again. In the dim light of the room, the blue flowers seemed to glow.

  ?He imagined Chu Yao wearing it. She was small, pretty, and always smiling despite the hell they lived through. It would look perfect on her.

  ?A rare, genuine smile tugged at the corners of his mouth before he shoved the armor back into the system storage.

  ?Next, he pulled out a heavy, ancient-looking scroll.

  ?The Sea-Splitting Sword Technique.

  ?He needed this. If he had this technique mastered and a decent Yellow Level High-Grade sword, the upcoming clan meeting would be a bloodbath for his enemies.

  ?He wasn't just being arrogant. He knew the stakes.

  ?Su Chen, the Grand Elder's son, was already at the 9th Level of Body Refining eight months ago. Now, with Su Han's father gone, the Grand Elder was dumping every resource, every pill, and every dirty trick into Su Chen's mouth.

  ?The old man wanted the Young Master title for his son. If Su Han lost, he lost everything.

  ?"Half-step Qi Refining? Or maybe he's already crossed the line," Su Han hissed through grounded teeth.

  ?Kr-r-r-ing!

  ?The sound of his teeth grinding echoed in the silent room. His eyes turned sharp, glowing with a cold, predatory light.

  ?He didn't care what pills Su Chen swallowed or what dirty games the Grand Elder played.

  ?He was the host of the Supreme Dragon. And dragons didn't lose to snakes.

  ?Su Han glanced out the window. The world outside was drowning in ink, the stars barely fighting through the haze. He let out a long, bone-cracking stretch.

  ?"Whatever," he muttered to the empty room. "Tomorrow’s problems are for tomorrow’s Su Han. Right now, I’m done."

  ?He flopped onto the bed without even pulling off his boots. The second his head hit the pillow, the exhaustion from days of slaughter and sprinting dragged him into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  ?The next morning, the inn's restaurant was buzzing. The survivors of the Iron-Fist group sat together, a small island of bruised faces in a sea of morning travelers.

  ?Su Han was halfway through his meal when the air in the room suddenly changed. The loud chatter died down into a stifling, heavy silence.

  ?He frowned, lifting his head from his bowl. Every eye in the place was glued to the entrance.

  ?Zhao Lucy was standing there.

  ?Gone was the blood-stained leather armor and the heavy shield. She was wearing a casual blue dress that flowed around her like water. Without the grime of battle, her pale skin and sharp features looked almost ethereal—like a fairy that had accidentally wandered into a dusty tavern.

  ?She didn't glance at the dozens of men staring at her with open mouths. She simply nodded to her team and slid into the empty seat directly across from Su Han.

  ?"So," Lucy said, her voice softer than usual. A small smile played on her lips. "You’ve made up your mind? You’re really leaving?"

  ?Su Han blinked, his brain momentarily short-circuiting. He felt a weird heat creep up his neck.

  ?"Uh, yeah," he stammered, clearing his throat to find his dignity. "After breakfast. I’ve got things to handle. Important things."

  ?Lucy stared at him for a long beat, her eyes searching his face. Finally, she nodded. "It’s your call. I won't stop you."

  ?The rest of the restaurant-goers were looking at Su Han like they wanted to skin him alive. If glares could kill, Su Han would have been reduced to a pile of ash right there in his chair.

  ?They couldn't understand why this random kid was getting the time of day from a beauty like Lucy.

  ?Drip...

  ?A cold bead of sweat rolled down Su Han’s back. He could feel the murderous intent from the surrounding tables, but he ignored it and focused on finishing his food.

  ?Once the meal was over, Su Han stood up and cupped his fist in a respectful salute.

  ?"Take care, everyone."

  ?Chen Jian stepped forward and pulled him into a rough bear hug, nearly cracking a rib.

  ?"Brother Han, it was a hell of a ride. If you’re ever looking for a fight again, find us. I’d walk into a wolf den with you any day."

  ?Su Han laughed, patting the big man’s arm. "Count on it."

  ?As he walked away, the mercenaries watched his back. There was no doubt in their minds: this kid was a dragon in training. It was only a matter of time before he shook the world.

  ?But as Su Han stepped out into the Mercenary Market, the relaxed vibe vanished. The streets were crawling with warriors.

  ?He saw groups of men moving with a cold, synchronized purpose. His eyes narrowed.

  ?Wait... those robes.

  ?Every single one of them was wearing the dark, jagged insignia of the Shadow Blade Sect. And every man had a blade resting at his hip.

  ?"What the hell did I miss?" Su Han whispered, pulling his hood lower.

  ?His mind raced. Was this because of Liu Ba? No, it hadn't even been twenty-four hours. Even a Sect can't move that fast.

  ?Then, a cold realization hit him like a bucket of ice water.

  ?The Viper.

  ?He had killed the Viper and his three goons days ago. If the Sect had found the bodies, this frenzy made sense.

  ?"Did they track it back to me?" he wondered, his heart thumping a steady rhythm against his ribs.

  ?He didn't stay to ask questions. He didn't want a fight—not yet. He needed to get to Chu Yao.

  ?He activated Shadow Steps, his body becoming a blur as he weaved through the crowded stalls and vanished into the outskirts of town.

  ?Meanwhile, in a luxury suite overlooking the market, the atmosphere was suffocating.

  ?Elder Li sat in a carved wooden chair, his eyes fixed on a man kneeling on the floor. Three other disciples were behind him, trembling so hard their teeth were chattering.

  ?"Speak," Li commanded. His voice was a low, freezing rasp.

  ?"E-Elder... we found them," the man stammered, eyes fixed on the floor. "Viper is dead. The other three too. The bodies were scattered... some animal tracks were nearby, some scavenging, but..."

  ?"But what?"

  ?"There were marks, sir. Human marks. A heavy strike. They were hunted down by a person."

  ?The two other men in the room, also Elders, didn't even open their eyes. They acted like this was beneath them, but the killing intent radiating from Elder Li was enough to make the walls groan.

  ?Li looked at the kneeling disciples, a cruel, bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face.

  ?"I’ll give you exactly one day," Li whispered.

  ?The disciples looked up, hope flickering in their eyes for a split second before it was crushed.

  ?"If I don't have the head of the man who killed Viper by this time tomorrow... I’ll send all of you to join him in the dirt."

  ?He leaned back, his eyes glowing with a lethal, crimson light.

  ?"Nobody spills Shadow Blade blood and lives to tell the tale. Nobody."

  ?Su Han is moving fast to reach Chu Yao, but the Shadow Blade Sect is closing in.