A Lesson in Controlled Violence

Han Li listened, first stunned, then caught between exasperation and bitter amusement.

He finally understood why the middle-aged man surnamed Feng had shown him such hostility. The man had taken a liking to Mei Ning, the lovely woman beside him, and had likely assumed, upon seeing them arrive together, that they shared some kind of intimate relationship.

It was understandable, really. He wasn’t sure if it was a matter of local climate or something else, but the women here, while not outright ugly, all had rough, dark skin. Even those with decent features were hardly pleasing to the eye. No wonder this Elder Feng had set his sights on Mei Ning the moment he saw her.

After all, with her delicate, graceful beauty, she was a rare sight, even if she wasn’t on the level of disaster-bringing beauties like Yuan Yao or Zi Ling. And having cultivated for years, she carried an ethereal grace that mortals lacked, making her all the more striking.

“I will pretend I never heard what you just said,” came Mei Ning’s voice, unexpectedly firm and cold. Han Li was taken aback. Without him by her side, she was far more resolute than he had expected. “I am a cultivator. I will not marry a mortal. Please leave. Now.”

“Hmph! It seems Miss Mei hasn’t quite grasped the situation,” the middle-aged man scoffed. “This is the Netherworld Domain. Your status as a cultivator means nothing here. Perhaps ordinary folk hold your kind in some awe, but in my eyes, without any Netherworld Beast Crystals, you are no more valuable than any commoner. Do you truly believe that male companion of yours can stand against me in this place? I, Feng Tianji, have roamed the Western Extreme Sea as its premier martial expert. If I decided to destroy him, who in this village could stop me?” The man’s tone had turned sinister, his patience worn thin by her refusal.

“Are you threatening me?” Mei Ning’s voice trembled, seemingly unable to believe a mortal would dare.

“Why not? I’ll go even further. What are you—”

A startled cry from Mei Ning cut through the air, followed by the sounds of a struggle.

Han Li rubbed his nose, a bitter smile crossing his face.

Strictly speaking, this woman had nothing to do with him. They were merely fellow cultivators who had ended up here together. Yet to stand by and do nothing… he wasn’t quite that cold-blooded or heartless.

The bitter smile vanished from his lips, replaced by a cold sneer.

With a single kick, the door burst open. Before Mei Ning’s second scream could even begin, Han Li stepped calmly into the room.

Inside, Feng Tianji had cornered Mei Ning against the wall, a leering grin on his face. He spun around at the commotion, a flicker of confusion passing through his eyes when he saw Han Li, before his expression quickly darkened.

Mei Ning, her composure shattered, cried out in joy at the sight of Han Li and rushed over, hiding herself behind him.

“Brother Han, be careful. He means you harm,” she warned, her voice still unsteady.

“Relax. I caught part of your conversation from outside,” Han Li replied flatly, without turning around.

“When did you get back? I didn’t hear a thing,” the man named Feng said coldly, staring at Han Li without even deigning to use his name. His arrogance was palpable; he prided himself on his refined inner energy, capable of hearing a leaf fall from ten zhang away. That Han Li had stood silently outside his door was an anomaly he couldn’t explain.

“You seem quite confident in your martial arts,” Han Li said, his tone lazy, almost distracted, as he met the man’s gaze. “But picking a fight with me is a foolish move.”

“Foolish? No one has dared say that to me in quite a while. As a reward, I’ll break one of your arms as a small lesson.” The man’s eyes flashed with unrestrained cruelty. Without another word, his figure blurred, shooting forward like a bolt from a crossbow. His right hand, now enlarged by a third, shot out with a fierce wind, aiming to grab Han Li’s right shoulder. The intent was clear: to crush the arm in a single, brutal grip.

Han Li remained expressionless as he watched the man’s swift approach. Then, without warning, his body flickered left and right. In a dizzying blur, three or four identical afterimages shot forth, directly meeting the charging man.

Startled, the middle-aged man instinctively swept his arm out in a half-circle, enveloping all the phantom figures before striking fiercely.

But every image was as insubstantial as a mirage. The moment his palm touched them, they dissolved into nothing.

“What is—”

Before the man could even finish his thought, a small, green-tinted sword pressed silently against his throat from behind. The cold kiss of the blade against his Adam’s apple sent a chill racing down his spine.

“I suggest you don’t move,” Han Li’s voice came from behind him, utterly flat and devoid of emotion. “I’d rather not have to kill someone and get myself expelled from the village. But if you force me to, I suppose I could give it a try.”

The man’s body went rigid.

This small flying sword was clearly razor-sharp. He had no doubt it would take only the slightest pressure from the wielder’s fingers to slit his throat.

But his face was a mask of disbelief. When had this boy gotten behind him? He hadn’t sensed a thing.

“Since you were planning to break my arm, I’ll return the favor,” Han Li said before the man could react. His other hand darted out like a viper, seizing the man’s forearm. Then, with a twist and pull from an impossible angle, assisted by a subtle, masterful application of leverage—

A sharp crack echoed through the room.

The arm snapped cleanly in two.

The man let out a choked grunt, his face beaded with sweat the size of soybeans. Though he was clearly a man of extraordinary fortitude, the sudden, searing agony was too much to fully suppress. But after that single, stifled sound, he clenched his teeth and bore the pain in utter silence.

“Remember this,” Han Li warned, his voice calm as he withdrew the sword, his figure flashing back to his original position in a single, fluid motion. “If you set foot in this room again, it won’t just be an arm I break. I’ll take your life as well.”

He had used the miraculous Smoke Step to gain the upper hand, but he couldn’t very well kill the man outright. Who knew how many people in the village knew he was here? He had just arrived in this strange land and had no desire to be hunted again so soon.

With a broken arm, the man would be unable to fight properly for at least half a month. By the time he recovered, Han Li might have already left this village.

So, for now, a minor punishment would suffice. If another, less traceable opportunity presented itself later, he wouldn’t hesitate to finish the job quietly.

“I misjudged you. I didn’t realize you were also a supreme martial arts master.” The man named Feng, his face ashen, left these words behind before cradling his injured arm and stumbling out of the room. His retreating figure was a picture of utter defeat.

“My thanks to Brother Han for his aid,” Mei Ning said, finally letting out a sigh of relief. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she gave a formal bow of gratitude.

“Forget it. If you have no interest in the man, just try to avoid him,” Han Li said noncommittally, fiddling with his flying sword for a moment before tucking it back into his robes. “Though, if you wanted to stay in this village, accepting his marriage proposal wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“Marry him? I would never agree to that,” Mei Ning said, shaking her head without a moment’s hesitation. “Ever since I set foot on the path of immortality with my brother, I vowed to marry no one below the level of a high-stage cultivator. He is a mortal without even a single Spiritual Root. How could I ever consent to such a thing?”

Han Li’s expression didn’t change. He offered no reply. Instead, he walked to a chair on his own, sat down unhurriedly, and closed his eyes to rest.

“Brother Han, do you have any good ideas for how we can escape this place?” Unable to match his calm, Mei Ning asked anxiously after a moment, her face full of hope. She had tried to sit as well, by the stone bed, but her mind was far too restless.

“Miss Mei heard the escape method the elder explained just as clearly as I did,” Han Li said flatly, opening his clear eyes to look at her. “What other ideas could I possibly have?”

“Brother Han, don’t tease me. When I heard that elder’s method, I knew it was impossible for me. But you, though you didn’t say a word, have been completely at ease the whole time, as if you are quite confident you can leave this place. Do you find me a burden, Brother Han, and plan to act alone?” Her eyes reddened as she spoke.