Han stepped off the man's arm and sheathed his blade.

  Right now, he possessed a sizable collection of weapons. Thanks to his innate mastery of armaments and his proficiency in multiple weapon-based techniques, he had chosen to keep many of them instead of selling them. Who knew when they might come in handy?

  Han had come to realize that having an extra weapon sometimes meant having an extra identity.

  What did a hammer-wielding warrior have to do with the legendary Taibai Sword Immortal?

  And what did a staff-user have to do with the mighty Taibai Hammer Deity?

  Watch your words, or I'll sue you for defamation.

  Han and Bai Ruoyue were about to leave, not sparing another glance at the men groaning on the ground.

  But just as they turned, a commotion stirred at the edge of the crowd. A seven-man patrol pushed their way in—most of them were human, but two bore distinct aquatic features, marking them as members of the waterborne clans.

  "Who dares cause trouble in Yunlong City?"

  A single glance at their matching uniforms told Han who they were—Yunlong City Patrol Guards, a force composed of warriors from various factions and members of the Yunjiang Dragon Palace, tasked with maintaining order.

  While Yunlong City was a free-trade hub with few restrictions, there were still some fundamental rules in place.

  After all, lawless chaos wouldn’t make for a thriving marketplace. If merchants were constantly robbed and travelers slain in broad daylight, no one would dare set foot here.

  Ambushes and assassinations in the shadows? That was a different matter. But blatant lawlessness? That was unacceptable.

  "Just a minor dispute," Han said calmly. "Already settled. Sorry for the trouble."

  The guards glanced at the battered men on the ground. Seeing no one had died, their leader simply snorted.

  "Whatever disputes you have, settle them elsewhere. Don't break Yunlong City's rules."

  With that, they turned and left.

  Yes, Yunlong City had rules.

  But not many.

  The men Bai Ruoyue had thrashed struggled to their feet and, with resentful glares, fled into the distance.

  Far enough away, they finally turned back, their faces twisted with hatred.

  This wasn’t over.

  Han and Bai Ruoyue left the area, and she asked, "Little Junior Brother, did you get what you wanted?"

  Han nodded. "Got my hands on some good stuff. This trip was worth it."

  She didn't ask what exactly he had obtained—so long as it wasn’t a wasted journey, that was enough for her.

  Then, with excitement in her eyes, she grabbed Han’s arm. "Come on, let's go treasure-hunting!"

  Han sighed. His Senior Sister really loved doing this sort of thing.

  If someone didn’t know better, they’d think she had the omniscient view of a god or some kind of treasure-seeking artifact.

  Still, he humored her and went along.

  And surprisingly, she actually found something.

  They stumbled upon a chunk of refined iron, supposedly just a standard-grade weapon material. But the moment Han touched it, his treasure-sensing ability reacted.

  Buying it on a whim, he cracked it open in a secluded spot—inside was a hidden core of Iron Essence, a rare and valuable material for crafting high-tier weapons.

  The value had just skyrocketed several times over.

  It wasn’t a major windfall, but Bai Ruoyue was thrilled nonetheless.

  As the two wandered through the market, another group of Yunlong City patrol guards suddenly rushed toward them.

  Han glanced over and narrowed his eyes slightly.

  Unfriendly intent.

  "Are they coming for trouble?" Bai Ruoyue asked.

  Alongside the seven-man patrol was none other than the young noble they had humiliated earlier.

  His face twisted with malice as he leered at them, relishing the moment.

  "Was it you two who caused a disturbance in Yunlong City?" a middle-aged man barked. "Attacking people in broad daylight—you’ll have to come with us!"

  Han remained composed. "And who do you think you are?"

  The man's gaze darkened. "I am a disciple of the Crescent Moon Martial Hall, currently serving in Yunlong City Patrol."

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "Not only did you attack others in the city, but you insulted Yunlong Patrol Guards. That’s an added offense. By the laws of Yunlong City, you’re to be detained for a month!"

  Han replied evenly, "The incident earlier—those men provoked us first. Yunlong Patrol was already notified, and the matter was resolved."

  "Coming back now to arrest us seems… irregular."

  "Irregular?" The middle-aged man sneered. "In Yunlong City, my word is the law!"

  "I didn’t see them provoke you. All I see is you assaulting them!"

  "Now, surrender. Kneel down, admit your guilt, and come quietly. Otherwise, don’t blame us for being ruthless."

  The young noble smirked and made a crushing gesture toward Han.

  "Blind fool! Do you even know who you're messing with?" he sneered. "How do you plan to fight back?"

  "You humiliated me earlier—now I’ll return the favor a hundredfold. And as for that woman of yours, I’ll make you watch as she—"

  "Smack!"

  Before he could finish, Han delivered a crisp slap that sent him flying.

  The young noble tumbled across the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop.

  Seven or eight teeth went flying. His entire face swelled up like a pig’s head.

  "A stray mutt barking in the streets," Han said coldly.

  "A mere Meridian Realm weakling, thinking he can throw his weight around?"

  "You dare?!" The middle-aged man roared in fury. "Still so defiant? Take him down!"

  He lunged forward, fingers curled into talon-like claws, aiming to seize Han in a swift, decisive strike.

  Han remained utterly calm.

  He pulled something from his robes.

  "Who dares move?"

  His words were spoken softly, yet they carried the weight of a thunderclap.

  The middle-aged man hesitated for a split second, then scoffed.

  "What, you think flashing a piece of jade will—"

  Before he could finish, two of the aquatic guards suddenly stepped forward and cut him off.

  "Watch your mouth!"

  "You blind fool! How dare you disrespect the Lord!"

  Before Han even had to act, the two waterborne warriors struck first.

  They kicked the middle-aged man to the ground, pinning him in place.

  The sudden turn of events left the onlookers stunned.

  Why?

  What was happening?

  Then, they watched as the two aquatic warriors respectfully bowed to Han.

  "Lord, we greet you!"

  Han tucked away the dragon-engraved jade token and glanced at them.

  "This is how Yunlong Patrol enforces the law?"

  The two warriors wore troubled expressions, unsure of how to respond.

  "It was our oversight."

  The middle-aged man lay stiffly on the ground, staring at Han in shock.

  Why?

  Why were the Yunjiang water clans treating him with such reverence?

  Han took a few steps forward and asked, “So, in Yunlong City, your word is the law?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Since when did the Yuanyue Martial Hall become the ruler of Yunlong City?”

  One of the aquatic warriors snapped angrily, “Nan Xuan! Apologize to the lord immediately!”

  “This matter will be reported. By tomorrow, you’ll be kicked out of the Yunlong Guard. No—scratch that. Every single member of the Yuanyue Martial Hall will be expelled!”

  Nan Xuan’s face burned with rage, but a chill ran down his spine at the same time. If this reached the provincial capital, his master would skin him alive!

  He took a deep breath and bowed deeply. “My lord… I was blind and ignorant. I had no idea who I was dealing with. Please, have mercy.”

  Han’s voice was cold. “Who said you could apologize while standing?”

  Nan Xuan trembled. The words he had so arrogantly spat out earlier—Han remembered every single one.

  “Nan Xuan, kneel! Now!” The aquatic warriors barked.

  A wave of humiliation crashed over him, but when he thought of the consequences, he clenched his teeth and endured it.

  Thud!

  Nan Xuan dropped to his knees.

  Han, however, didn’t even spare him a glance. Instead, he walked straight to the young man he had slapped earlier.

  Looking down at him, Han saw that the arrogance and malice on the young man’s face had been replaced with sheer terror.

  “W-What are you doing?! I’m the son of the Yuanyue Martial Hall’s master! You can’t—”

  Smack!

  A burst of energy erupted from Han’s palm, sending another seven or eight of the young man’s teeth flying.

  “You? Worthy of speaking to me?”

  Han sneered and repeated the young man’s own words back at him. “What do you have to fight against me?”

  The young man whimpered, unable to respond with his battered mouth.

  Then, Han calmly placed his foot on the young man’s other arm and applied pressure.

  Crack!

  A scream tore through the air.

  Both of his arms—completely ruined.

  With Han’s strength, the bones beneath his foot were reduced to fragments. Even in a world of cultivation, recovering from this would not be easy.

  Han then turned to the two aquatic warriors. “How do you handle a situation like this?”

  They exchanged glances before responding viciously, “My lord, rest assured—we will take good care of him.”

  Without hesitation, they grabbed the young man, binding him roughly. His shrieks echoed through the streets as they dragged him away.

  Nan Xuan, still kneeling, never once dared to lift his head.

  By now, the commotion had drawn a massive crowd.

  Everyone watched in stunned silence.

  Who was this man?

  To command such authority in Yunlong City—just who was he?!

  One of the aquatic warriors hesitated before asking cautiously, “My lord, shall we…?”

  Han waved a hand dismissively. “You may go.”

  The two warriors bowed. “Please rest assured, my lord. This matter will be resolved to your satisfaction.”

  Then, they swiftly departed, dragging the broken young man with them.

  As Han and Bai Ruoyue walked forward, the crowd instinctively parted to clear a path.

  Once they had distanced themselves from the scene, Bai Ruoyue, who had been silent this entire time, finally spoke, her voice full of disbelief.

  “Little junior brother… what just happened?”

  “Those aquatic warriors were way too respectful toward you. What did you show them just now?”

  Han glanced at her and explained casually, “It was a token from the Dragon Maiden, given to me when I attended the Dragon King’s Banquet last time.”

  “This jade token represents her authority.”

  More precisely, it symbolized status within Yunjiang Dragon Palace.

  Not every aquatic being had seen the Dragon Maiden in person, but they all recognized this jade token.

  Anyone in possession of such an artifact was undoubtedly a figure of immense importance to these aquatic warriors stationed outside the palace.

  The Yunlong Guard was made up of warriors from various factions. Under normal circumstances, the aquatic warriors were willing to give face to other powers.

  After all, though the Yunjiang Dragon Palace was mighty, these guards were just low-ranking members. Maintaining good relations with different factions was often a wise choice.

  However, giving face in ordinary situations was one thing.

  When it came to offending a distinguished figure from the Dragon Palace, the Yuanyue Martial Hall was nothing.

  Even if their master personally arrived, those two aquatic warriors would not hesitate to put him in his place.

  After all, if this incident was reported to the higher-ups, the ones who should be worried… certainly wouldn’t be them.

  This was Yunlong City.

  And Yunjiang Dragon Palace was its true master.

  They were the true heirs of the dragon’s lineage.

  It was them who had the final say here.

  Bai Ruoyue listened to Han’s explanation and pouted slightly.

  “You and the Dragon Maiden sure have a great relationship, huh? She even gave you her personal token.”

  “…”

  They walked for a while, the streets gradually emptying.

  Suddenly, they noticed a lone figure standing in their path, watching them with amusement.

  “Well, well. You come all the way to Yunlong City, and you don’t even bother to visit me?”

  Speak of the Dragon Maiden… and the Dragon Maiden appears.

  Han stole a quick glance at Bai Ruoyue’s expression.

  His senior sister… looked completely calm.

  That was terrifying.