Without making a sound, Gù Tiānháo stepped out from the shadows of the alleyway, his movement fluid and silent thanks to Shadow Steps. He didn't immediately reveal his cultivation, keeping his aura retracted, but his sudden, quiet appearance was enough to startle the three cultivators harassing Lin Xiao Yue. They turned, their leering expressions shifting to annoyance and surprise.
"Who the hell are you?" the apparent leader, a young man with a sneer and slightly better robes than the other two, demanded. He instinctively sized Tiānháo up – noting the simple cloak, the carried cauldron, and the youthful face partially hidden by the hood. He likely registered Tiānháo as just another young traveler or perhaps a low-level cultivator trying to act tough. "This doesn't concern you. Piss off before you get hurt.
"Tiānháo ignored him, his gaze calm as he positioned himself directly between the harassers and the frightened but resolute Lin Xiao Yue. His simple action spoke volumes, a clear statement of intervention. Lin Xiao Yue looked at him, recognition dawning in her eyes, followed by a surge of hope that quickly mingled with renewed fear for his safety. She knew he was strong, having seen him dispatch the Horned Rabbits, but these three were clearly cultivators, not mere beasts. "I said, beat it!" the leader repeated, his voice rising in anger at being ignored. He took a step forward, puffing out his chest. "Can't you see we're busy here? This little sister owes us for protection in this dangerous town. Unless you want to pay her debt?
"One of his companions, a lanky youth with shifty eyes, snickered. "Yeah, maybe he wants some trouble. Look at him, probably some brat who just entered Body Refinement. Hey kid, do you even know who we are? My brother here," he gestured to the leader, "is already at the 4th Level of Body Refinement! Me and Sanzi are 3rd Level! You're courting death meddling in our affairs!
"The third cultivator, 'Sanzi', a stockier individual, cracked his knuckles menacingly, adding his own threat. "Get lost now, and we might let you keep your teeth. Try to be a hero, and we'll break more than just that stupid pot you're carrying.
"They deliberately released faint traces of their Qi, trying to intimidate Tiānháo with their cultivation pressure. Two streams of Level 3 Body Refinement Qi and one slightly stronger stream of Level 4 Qi washed over him. To ordinary people or cultivators below their level, this pressure might have been stifling, inducing fear and submission.
To Gù Tiānháo, who had faced down peak Level 2 beasts and even a Low-Level 3rd Rank Venomous Mist Spider, their combined pressure felt like little more than a weak breeze. His own 3rd Level Body Refinement cultivation, tempered by intense battle and supplemented by Profound Rank techniques, was far more solid and potent than their likely mediocre foundations. He remained utterly unmoved, his expression hidden in the shadow of his hood, giving them no reaction.
His silence and lack of fear seemed to infuriate the leader even more. The perceived disrespect, especially in front of the girl they were trying to intimidate, bruised his ego. "Fine! You asked for it, brat! Don't blame us for teaching you a lesson about respecting your superiors! Get him! " he snarled, signaling his two companions to attack. The confrontation had escalated from harassment to violence in mere moments, fueled by arrogance and petty cruelty.