"Will you stop cheating this time?" Han Yan said, feeling uneasy.
"I swear on the honor of a Sword Master and my masterâs reputation that if you let me out of this array, all these elixirs will be your compensation." Han Yutang was so anxious he almost spat blood. He was being so humble, sacrificing his dignity, yet Han Yan still didnât trust him?
He forgot that if he hadnât cheated earlier, the other party wouldnât have doubted him.
"Alright, Iâll trust you this once. That hole beside you, you dug it yourself, right? How could you forget?" Han Yan pointed at the dog hole.
Everyone froze in shock, and Han Yutangâs mouth was agape, his eyes vacant, almost ready to smack himself hard.
The Thousand Illusion Demon Suppressing Array had only one flawâthis dog hole. Of course, this flaw was deliberately left by him to humiliate the opponent, which was why he had forgotten about it.
"Hurry up, the array is about to activate again. Also, remember your promise earlier; donât cheat this time." Han Yan pointed at the Sword Light gathering, urging him.
"Fine, you win!" Han Yutang gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and crawled out of the dog hole.
Almost at the moment he crawled out, there was a light crack above him, and the faint glow of the array seemed to be cut apart by an invisible sharp sword. The unique aura of the array quickly dissipated, and the Sword Light that nearly gathered into shape vanished.
The array broke, just like that!
Everyone stared blankly at Han Yutang, who had just poked his head out, with half his body still in the dog hole, wanting to laugh but polite enough not to.
Han Yutang was gazing upward, lost in thought for quite a while.
"You tricked me!" After some time, Han Yutang angrily pointed at Han Yan.
"Donât accuse me unfairly; you set the array yourself. How would I know it would suddenly break?" Han Yan spread her hands, looking so helpless, so innocent, her gaze so clear.
If they didnât already know her as the notorious playboy from Anyun, witness her effortlessly dealing with Han Yutang, understanding her calculating strategies, perhaps they would have believed her. But now, no one would. Han Yutang was thoroughly tricked by Han Yan, apologizing, offering compensation, and then crawling out of a dog hole he dug personally, utterly humiliated.
"In the future, donât randomly dig pits, or rather, donât randomly dig holes. Be low-profile, low-profile." Han Yan grabbed the elixirs, ignored whether others believed her, and led Zhuang Pingâan and the others away.
Though Han Yutang was furious enough to want to kill Han Yan, he was too exhausted to dare act and, moreover, he had sworn on his masterâs honor. He couldnât damage both his and his masterâs reputation.
"Who exactly are you?" Han Yutang asked through clenched teeth.
"Anyun, Mu Family, Mu Han Yan." Han Yan paused and said.
"I, Han Yutang, will remember todayâs incident. Letâs go." Han Yutang picked up the array formation magical artifacts, led his people, and turned away. Of course, his sycophant companion, half-dead from the Thunder Swordâs power, had to be dragged away like a dead dog.
Seeing them come aggressively, yet leave dishonorably, the descendants of the Guardian of the Gods laughed cheerfully, with several spirited youths whistling.
As scions of aristocratic families and even the Royal Family, and descendants of the Guardian of the Gods, they often bullied others, but it was the first time theyâd been bullied themselves. The sense of pride and relief was unique and satisfying.
"Right, everyone come and pick elixirs. Choose whatever you need." Han Yan took out the elixirs, offering them to Zhuang Pingâan and the others.
"If Han Yutang offered these elixirs as compensation, itâs all thanks to Young Master Muâs skill. Young Master Mu should decide how to distribute them." Zhuang Pingâan and Sang Qinghe said in unison. Their gaze toward Han Yan was still respectful, but now it contained more fear than awe.
Han Yan earned the title of Anyunâs top playboy for good reasonâbesides her strength and cunning, her ruthless style of not showing mercy when taking action impressed everyone.
Han Yan smiled; this outcome was precisely what she wanted. Making these proud and unruly descendants of the Guardian of the Gods accept her willingly couldnât rely on moral persuasion; striking fear into them was essential.
"I donât know what elixirs you need, so please choose for yourselves." Although not fond of intrigues, Han Yan knew that giving both kindness and authority was essential to leadership, so she spoke sincerely.
"Really, we can pick ourselves?" Zhuang Pingâan asked cautiously, sensing Han Yanâs earnestness devoid of hypocrisy.
Though the elixirs were stored in Jade Bottles, the colors visible through them indicated high quality, far superior to the best elixirs from various countriesâ alchemy workshops, which tempted him greatly.
"Do I look like someone who enjoys crawling through dog holes?" Han Yan laughed, evidently mocking Han Yutangâs entrapment.
Her words made everyone chuckle knowingly.
"Iâll pick this one." Zhuang Pingâan said, selecting an elixir. This time, he didnât choose the highest grade, but the one most suitable for him.
"Then Iâll pick this one." Sang Qinghe also selected an elixir. Seeing Zhuang Pingâan not seeking advantage, he restrained himself, choosing one that suited him.
Once theyâd chosen, the others stepped forward, each picking the elixir best for them.
Yue Fanchen, the Shangyue cultivators, and Huayue were last. They understood this opportunity was Han Yanâs chance to establish authority with kindness and strength, naturally not contesting outsiders for it. Moreover, they knew Han Yanâs alchemyâthey wouldnât suffer real loss.
The Beiqi and West Qin cultivators led by Zhuang Laiâan and Sang Qinghe didnât know this, but seeing Han Yanâs group act only after everyone had chosen, felt ashamed yet admired her more.
"Good pill!" A young man eagerly opened a Jade Bottle, praising instantly.
Though already expecting the Holy Courtâs elixirs to surpass those from the continent, truly opening the Jade Bottle led them to admire its quality greatly.
The elixir was crystalline, its surface radiating a jade-like glow. More astonishingly, a faint mist, like that around the legendary Immortal Divine Pill, surrounded it.
Others opened their Jade Bottles, full of praise.