“How do you wish to dispose of them?”

Zhuo Hongyi’s voice was calm, yet it thundered through the clearing. He did not look at the trembling culprits; his gaze was fixed solely on Han Lie, awaiting instruction.

The crowd erupted.

The disciples stared, jaws slack with disbelief. Zhuo Hongyi was the Captain of the Vermilion Bird Squad, a Nascent Soul powerhouse who walked with the gods of the Sect. Yet, he was deferring to this unknown man? Not just asking for testimony, but asking for a verdict?

Han Feng’s eyes were wide saucers. He looked at his brother as if seeing a stranger. He had always known Han Lie was strong, but this? This was influence. This was power that transcended mere cultivation cultivation base.

“Captain Zhuo flatters me,” Han Lie replied smoothly, his expression unreadable. He caught the flicker of amusement in the older cultivator’s eyes. “You are the hammer of the Law Enforcement Hall. Justice is yours to dispense.”

It was a polite deflection, a way to save face for the Captain in public, but the message was received.

“Very well,” Zhuo Hongyi nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching almost imperceptibly. He turned his cold, dead gaze upon Xie Anhua and Ru Yan. “I will handle this according to Sect law. You two—come with me.”

His voice brooked no argument. Before a Nascent Soul entity, resistance was not just futile; it was suicide. Xie Anhua and Ru Yan slumped, their spirits broken, and allowed themselves to be dragged away like sackcloth dolls.

As the spatial rift closed behind them, the crowd dispersed, their whispers buzzing like disturbed hornets.

“Brother Lie…” Han Feng stood with his head bowed, staring at his boots, unable to meet Han Lie’s eyes.

Han Lie stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his silhouette sharp against the darkening trees. “You showed a spine at the end,” he said, his voice cutting through the evening air like a frost blade. “That is the only reason I am helping you today.”

Han Feng flinched.

“If you had uttered a single word of forgiveness to those parasites,” Han Lie continued, stepping closer, “I would have slapped you myself.”

“I… I understand.”

“Do you?” Han Lie’s voice dropped, heavy with a century of cynicism. “Open your eyes. Use your brain. In the Heavenly Void Sect, trust is a poison. Today it was a badger game for Spirit Stones. Tomorrow? It could be a ‘brother’ smiling as he slips a knife between your ribs.”

Han Lie’s eyes darkened. He remembered his own past, the century of humiliation before his awakening. If he hadn’t had Zhuo Hongyi watching his back years ago, the likes of Bai Ling would have chewed him up and spat him out long before he reached his prime.

“This Sect eats people without spitting out the bones,” Han Lie said, his tone suffocating. “You are a greenhouse flower, Han Feng. You think the world is kind because you have talent. But naivety here is a death sentence. People die every day in the Outer and Inner Sects, and no one asks questions if the body is hidden well enough.”

Han Feng swallowed hard, his face pale. He nodded rapidly, like a chicken pecking rice. “I know, Brother Lie! I’ll remember!”

“You better.” Han Lie exhaled, the oppressive aura retracting. “Don’t expect me to save you next time. Now, get out of here. Or do you need me to tuck you in?”

“No! I’m going!” Han Feng scrambled back, eager to escape the pressure. He paused at a safe distance, glancing between Han Lie and the silent beauty beside him. “Goodbye, Brother! Have fun… Sister-in-law!”

With that, he fled into the shadows.

Xiao Qingge froze, then a brilliant, flower-blooming smile spread across her face.

“Brother,” she giggled, leaning into him. “Your little brother is a bit silly, but his mouth is certainly sweet~”

“He lacks awe,” Han Lie grunted, watching Han Feng’s retreating back. “He has a little talent in Alchemy and thinks the world loves him. He’s a walking target.”

“So he’s an Alchemist?” Xiao Qingge’s eyes flashed with understanding. “No wonder they targeted him.”

Disciples of the Myriad Pill Hall were walking treasuries. It was common knowledge that even a novice alchemist was wealthier than a veteran fighter. The profit margins on pills like the Thousand Flower Pill were obscene. To a predator like Xie Anhua, Han Feng must have looked like a fat, defenseless sheep.

“Still,” Xiao Qingge hummed, shifting the topic seamlessly. Her eyes sparkled with adoration. “Your connections are truly terrifying, Brother. To have Captain Zhuo treat you with such respect…”

“Low profile,” Han Lie waved a hand dismissively, though a small smile touched his lips. “Captain Zhuo and I go way back. We’re old acquaintances.”

It was the truth. Aside from Sect Leader Ye Qingxuan, Zhuo Hongyi was perhaps the only person in this godforsaken mountain range Han Lie actually respected.

“Is that so~?” Xiao Qingge didn’t press. She was smart enough to know when to stop digging. “Well, we’ve been walking all day. Shall we rest?”

“Let’s.”

They moved deeper into the grove, finding a secluded stone bench beneath the boughs of an ancient pine. The night had fully set in, the moon hanging high and cold, casting a silver veil over the forest.

It was quiet. Intimate.

Xiao Qingge sat beside him, her shoulder brushing his. The silence stretched, filled with the scent of pine needles and her faint, sweet perfume. Her heart began to race, a rhythmic thumping against her ribs.

She lowered her head, her voice dropping to a husky, innocent whisper.

“Brother… my Junior Sister told me something.” She peeked up at him through her lashes. “She said that when you go on a date with someone you like… you have to kiss. is that true?”

Han Lie looked at her. Her eyes were shimmering pools of moonlight, her expression a perfect blend of naivety and temptation. He didn’t know if she was truly ignorant or playing the game of her life, and frankly, he didn’t care.

“Yes,” Han Lie said, a wicked grin curling the corner of his mouth. “Your Junior Sister wasn’t wrong.”

“Oh…” She bit her lip. “It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just…”

“Just what?”

“Ah—!”

Before she could finish, Han Lie reached out. With a fluid motion, he pulled her from the bench and settled her onto his lap. The sudden shift in gravity left her clinging to his shoulders, her breath hitching in her throat.

“Just what?” he murmured, his face inches from hers.