Clearwater Town slept under a veil of moonlight.The night market had closed, the streets lay empty, and the sound of a stray dog rummaging through refuse was the only sign of life.
Inside the small rented room above the Old Lantern Inn, Li Han sat cross-legged on the bed, circulating his Qi. The day's trade with Madam Xue had put him halfway to the silver goal. But he knew the Black Serpent Gang wouldn't let the humiliation slide.
He wasn't afraid.In his previous life, he had learned a simple truth: Fear is the enemy's first victory.
A faint creak came from the window.
Li Han's eyes snapped open.Moonlight glinted off a blade sliding through the gap.
With a swift motion, he rolled off the bed as the shutters burst inward. Three masked figures leaped into the room. Their black sashes marked them unmistakably — Black Serpents.
The first man lunged, stabbing for Li Han's chest. Li Han stepped inside the attack, twisting the attacker's wrist and driving his knee into the man's gut. The thug collapsed with a strangled gasp.
The second swung a short sword in a brutal horizontal slash. Li Han ducked, grabbed the edge of the wooden table, and kicked it forward. The table's legs slammed into the man's shins, and before he could recover, Li Han's palm smashed into his jaw.
The third hesitated only a heartbeat before rushing in with a curved dagger. Li Han's left hand caught the man's wrist while his right hand jabbed a precise point at the man's shoulder — a nerve strike he remembered from his past life. The dagger clattered to the floor.
[System Notification]Minor Combat Victory – +20 FPReputation in Clearwater Town: Slightly increased
Before Li Han could drag the bodies out, slow, deliberate clapping came from the doorway.
A man in plain brown robes stepped inside. He had the kind of face that would disappear in a crowd — utterly forgettable — except for his eyes. Sharp, calculating, and faintly amused.
"You fight well for an outer sect nobody," the man said. "Better than some inner sect brats I've seen."
Li Han straightened. "And you are?"
The man smiled faintly. "Someone who dislikes the Black Serpents as much as you do. Let's say I… invest in people with potential."
Li Han didn't move. "What do you want?"
"To help you," the man said simply, "and in return, you help me. The Black Serpents aren't just street trash — they're the pawns of a certain elder in the sect. I'd like to remove that piece from the board."
Li Han studied him in silence.The man continued. "You're already on their list. Whether you like it or not, the game has begun. Work with me, and you won't just survive — you'll profit."
"And if I refuse?" Li Han asked.
The man shrugged. "Then you fight alone… and eventually, you'll lose. Everyone does, sooner or later."
Li Han weighed the offer.An ally meant leverage.But leverage often came with chains.
Still, he remembered the time ticking down on his quest. He couldn't afford to play safe.
"Fine," Li Han said at last. "But I choose my battles."
The man's smile widened. "That's all I ask."
He stepped forward, handing Li Han a small, sealed scroll. "Your first opportunity. Read it when you're ready."
Then he vanished into the shadows as silently as he'd appeared.
[System Notification]Special Quest Updated: New Path Unlocked – "The Hidden Patron"
Outside, far away in the Black Serpent Gang's hideout, Scarface Hao slammed his fist on the table."Kill him. I don't care how much it costs. I want his head before the moon wanes."
The room filled with the sound of steel being drawn.