The fight started quick and ended even quicker—Xiao Yan crushed Jia Lie's clan leader's son and Liu Xi as if they were nothing.
From the sidelines, Wu Chen narrowed his eyes. His gaze lingered briefly on Xiao Xun'er—slim, elegant, and dazzling—but that wasn't worth dwelling on now. His thoughts were elsewhere.
Ya Fei. She was the one he truly had to consider. But how? He had nothing rare to sell at the auction, nothing that would draw her eye. Forcing it would only backfire. Maybe it was better to wait, to let things unfold naturally. Still, she was a woman who admired strength. If he wanted to matter to her, he needed power—real power. That could be earned in time.
Leaning against a stall post, Wu Chen watched the crowd scatter after the fight, his thoughts racing.
"Liu Xi…" he muttered. The arrogant fool had stirred up too much greed, too much lust, and tonight it would bury him. Xiao Yan and Xun'er wouldn't let the insult slide. By midnight, Liu Xi would be nothing more than a corpse in Wu Tan City's shadows.
Wu Chen smiled thinly. "One less piece on the board."
The irony gnawed at him. Tomorrow people would praise Xiao Yan—calling him the righteous genius who crushed Liu Xi, the brave youth who protected his clan, the rising star who humbled the Jia Lie family. A neat little tale for the crowd to swallow.
But when you looked closer… it wasn't neat at all.
If Xiao Yan hadn't walked into the auction house with his pills, the Jia Lie clan wouldn't have scrambled for an alchemist. Without that panic, Liu Xi wouldn't even be here. And now? Xiao Yan would look like a hero for destroying the very mess he created.
Wu Chen chuckled under his breath. "That's how it goes—you kick a stone down the hill, then everyone cheers when you 'save' them from the avalanche."
To the world, Xiao Yan looked like the underdog rising against the odds. But Wu Chen knew better. This wasn't fate or destiny—it was chaos dressed up as heroism. Xiao Yan didn't solve problems; he caused storms, then stood in the calm pretending to be their end.
That was the real trick.
Wu Chen's eyes narrowed, voice low. "The hero they'll praise tomorrow… is the same fool who set the fire tonight."
The streets of Wu Tan City were still buzzing from the clash, whispers darting like rats through every corner. Wu Chen adjusted the hood of his plain black robe, keeping his face in shadow as he slipped into one of the narrower alleys that connected back toward the main road.
It didn't take long before he heard the sound of angry voices and unsteady steps.
"Damn that Xiao Yan!" a young man spat, clutching at his bruised ribs. His guards followed, dragging along a barely-conscious Liu Xi. At their head was a tall, sharp-eyed youth with the arrogant posture of someone who had never once needed to bow in this city. Jia Lie Ao, the Jia Lie clan's young master.
Wu Chen's eyes flickered. So, the spoiled cub himself shows up…
The group staggered forward until they noticed a lone figure standing squarely in the alley, blocking their way.
"Out of the way." Jia Lie Ao's voice was cold, entitled. His men echoed the command with sharp glares, but Wu Chen didn't move. He simply stood there, head lowered, the shadows hiding his expression.
Irritation sparked across Jia Lie Ao's face. "Did you not hear me? Move, or—"
He stepped closer, hand lifting as though to shove this nameless obstruction aside.
Sometimes, you have to make others see a storm where there is none.
He whispered to the system in his mind: "Mask my cultivation. Fake pressure—make it suffocating."
At once, an invisible weight rolled through the narrow alley. The air thickened, pressing against skin and bone. The drunken arrogance in Jia Lie Ao's eyes faltered as he froze mid-step. His men stiffened, their breathing ragged as their knees buckled.
"What… what is this…?" one of them gasped.
Wu Chen finally raised his head, letting a sliver of his eyes show beneath the hood. Cold.
"Didn't your parents teach you?" Wu Chen's voice was low, unhurried, yet heavy with menace.
"When you crawl back from a beating, you don't bark at strangers. You lower your head and limp home quietly."
The silence was suffocating.
Then, a weak groan cut through it.
Liu Xi, barely conscious in his guards' grip, suddenly twitched. His swollen eyes cracked open, pupils trembling as he looked toward Wu Chen's hooded figure. His lips moved, muttering like a man seeing death crawl toward him.
"D-Dou… Dou Wang (斗王)…" His voice cracked, the words spilling in a fearful whisper. "Impossible… in Wu Tan… a Dou King…"
The words struck like thunder. Jia Lie Ao froze, color draining from his face. His arrogance shattered, replaced by sheer dread. He staggered back two steps, then dropped to his knees with a thud, his forehead nearly touching the dirt.
"Senior, forgive us!" His voice trembled, the words rushing out. "We were blind! Offended without knowing! Please, grant mercy to this ignorant one!"
His men collapsed in panic, bowing their heads so low their noses scraped the ground. None dared breathe too loudly.
Wu Chen said nothing. He simply let the silence hang, the weight pressing on their souls like a mountain. The fear carved deeper than any blade could.
At last, Jia Lie Ao dared to lift his head, eyes wide with desperation. "Senior, if… if you would allow it… our Jia Lie Clan would be honored to host you. To serve you as a guest. Please, grant us the chance to show respect."
Inside the hood, Wu Chen's lips curled faintly.
So quick to bend.
A chime rang in his mind, sharp and mechanical.
[System Notice: 40 points consumed to simulate Dou Wang (斗王) pressure.]
[Current available points: 450]
Wu Chen's eyes flickered. Forty points… costly, but worth the lesson.
He let the silence stretch for another heartbeat, then exhaled slowly. The suffocating pressure vanished like mist in sunlight.
Wu Chen stood still as the heavy silence melted away. The crushing pressure was gone, as though it had never existed.
Jia Lie Ao's head shot up, eyes filled with both fear and hope. He looked like a man who had just seen death pass him by.
"Senior…" his voice shook, but he forced a smile. "Thank you for your mercy. Truly, it was my clan's fault for offending you. If… if you would allow it, our Jia Lie Clan would be honored to host you. To serve you as a most respected guest."
He bowed low again, the arrogance from before gone without a trace. His guards echoed him, their foreheads still pressed against the dirt.
Wu Chen tilted his head slightly, as if their groveling bored him. His voice was calm, flat."Forget it. I won't waste my time on insects who don't know their place."
Relief flooded Jia Lie Ao's face, but he quickly pressed on, his tone trembling with flattery."Senior is too magnanimous. Truly, your greatness humbles us juniors. Please, if you would grace us with a visit, the Jia Lie Clan would give you the best hospitality. No expense spared."
Wu Chen said nothing for a while. Then, with the faintest nod, he replied,"…We'll see."
Jia Lie Ao bowed even lower, like he had just been granted divine favor.
"Yes! Yes, of course! Whenever Senior desires, the Jia Lie Clan's doors will always be open."
Inside the hood, Wu Chen's lips curled faintly.
The plan I'm playing with is risky… but risks are needed for greater rewards. Farming points slowly won't get me far. If I want to get strong faster, I need bigger moves.
His eyes glinted coldly.
Wu Chen gave a light nod, his tone calm, almost dismissive.
"Very well. I'll see for myself how your Jia Lie Clan treats its guests."
Jia Lie Ao's eyes widened in delight, relief flooding his face. He bowed once more, almost shaking with excitement.
"An honor beyond words, Senior! The Jia Lie Clan will prepare everything at once. You will not be disappointed."
Wu Chen said nothing more. He simply walked past them, slow and steady, his robe brushing lightly against the ground.