“Look at him, acting tough,” cackled the eye-patch-wearing scammer. “You think this is some kind of joke?”
“Enough chit-chat,” another man cut in sharply. “Let’s grab what we came for and get out of here.”
Han Rui turned toward the speaker, his brows lifting in surprise. Would you look at that. The whole gang’s here. It was the same eager money lender from their earlier encounter.
“Hey!” the eye-patch scammer snapped, regaining Han Rui’s attention. “There’s only one way you’re getting out of this unscathed. So if you know what’s good for you, hand it over.” He extended a hand menacingly.
Han Rui frowned, genuinely puzzled. What the hell is this idiot talking about?
“Come on, we don’t have all day!” the money lender barked, pulling a dagger from his inner robe. “Give us the treasure, or else…” He trailed off, licking the blade theatrically—only to nick his tongue. Blood spilled instantly.
A stunned silence followed, everyone’s cheeks puffing as they fought to contain their laughter. Even the scammers avoided looking at their wounded companion, their faces contorting as they tried to suppress the hilarity of the moment.
It was a lost cause.
Han Rui erupted into laughter first, his mirth echoing through the night. The scammers soon followed, their laughter spilling out in waves until tears streamed down their faces.
The wounded money lender stood frozen, his face a vivid shade of red, avoiding all eye contact.
The group’s amusement ebbed and flowed, stretching on for several minutes. Every time one of them started to regain composure, another snort or chuckle would reignite the laughter. Finally, still nursing his injured pride and tongue, the money lender retreated to the back, leaving the confrontation to his companions.
“Alright, enough,” the man with the eye patch said, though he couldn’t fully wipe the grin off his face. “Let’s not make this complicated. Hand it over.”
“There you go again,” Han Rui replied, exasperation creeping into his voice. “What the hell are you even talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb!” one of the scammers snapped. “Just give us the treasure, or we’ll beat it out of you!”
Han Rui sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Because you call it ‘the treasure’ doesn’t mean I magically know what it is. If this is a robbery, shouldn’t you at least know what you’re trying to steal?” His gaze shifted among the robbers, eventually settling on the man with the eye patch.
The other robbers glanced at him, as if waiting for confirmation.
Why are they all looking at him? Is he their leader? Han Rui mused silently.
[It’s because of the treasure in his possession,] the system’s voice chimed in, audible only to him.
What treasure? Han Rui thought, his brows furrowing as he studied the man.
[It’s the eye patch,] the system revealed.
Han Rui’s gaze sharpened, locking onto the leather patch covering the man’s eye. That’s a treasure? he thought skeptically. But the system rarely lied. If it said it was a treasure, then it had to be one.
“What kind of treasure is it?” Han Rui asked mentally.
[Why ask me? Use your fame points to find out,] the system replied smugly.
Han Rui’s lips twitched. “How many fame points?”
[100. Do you want to proceed?]
“Yes, just do it,” Han Rui replied quickly, before the system could hike the price or demand something absurd.
[Scanning item…]
A brief pause followed before the system responded.
[Scanning Complete!]
Name: The Eye of the Golden Dragon
System Rating: A little bit trashy!
Abilities:
- Grants the host temporary vitality (men) or flawless beauty (women) by consuming their life force.
- Detects rare treasures within 100 meters, classifying them by rarity: White (Mortal), Blue (Spiritual), Yellow (Ethereal), Lilac (Celestial), and Gold (Immortal).
- Distinguishes mortals, cultivators, spirits, demons, and undead.
- Tracks the location of discovered treasures for up to 20 hours.
Han Rui blinked, his mind racing. That ridiculous eye patch is actually useful?
Han Rui’s brows arched as he read through the system notification. Pieces began falling into place, and his eyes gleamed with sudden realization. With the Eye of the Golden Dragon equipped, he could finally understand why the robbers had been so adamant that he possessed some sort of treasure.
So, the incident earlier was premeditated, he nodded slowly recalling their previous encounter. Apart from the life force-draining restriction, this isn’t a bad item at all.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
His thoughts were interrupted as the man with the eyepatch broke the silence, his voice sharp with accusation. “Enough with the lies!” he barked, pointing a finger at Han Rui. “How dare you claim you have no treasures on you?”
“Listen,” the man continued, his tone darkening, “we don’t want to make this harder than it has to be. Hand over the treasure, and we’ll let you off with a simple warning.” His expression grew stern. “If not, don’t blame us for being cruel.”
The robbers closed in, their eyes glinting with greed as if Han Rui were a cornered rabbit in a forest full of wolves.
Han Rui, however, remained calm, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “How do you know I have a treasure?” he asked evenly.
“Why does that matter?” one of the robbers spat. “Just hand it over!”
“No,” Han Rui replied, shaking his head. “I need to know. Do you realize that you’re taking a massive risk by robbing me? You’re mortals. What if I’m a cultivator? You could all be throwing your lives away.”
“Nonsense!” The man with the eyepatch snickered confidently. “You’re not fooling anyone. I know for a fact that you’re not a cultivator. Last chance—hand it over!”
Han Rui’s smile deepened. “Wait,” he said, his hand dipping into his robes, “I’ll hand it over.”
The robbers tensed; their anticipation palpable.
“Do it slowly, you bastard,” the leader snarled. “And no tricks.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Han Rui said with sincerity. “I’m a man of integrity.” His fingers emerged with a single gold coin. “But can I ask just one question before we part ways?”
The robbers exchanged confused glances but didn’t object.
“What color are you seeing?” Han Rui asked, directing his gaze at the man with the eyepatch.
The moment the man’s eyes fell on the coin, his smirk vanished. His lips parted in disbelief, and his pupils dilated.
Why is it black? Panic crept into his thoughts, his mind racing. This isn’t right. This bastard might actually be trouble. We need to get out of here.
Without hesitation, the man spun on his heel and bolted, shouting, “Run!”
He sprinted deeper into the night, his chest pounding. I’m sorry, guys. You’re on your own. That guy’s bad news.
He ran with reckless abandon, weaving through alleyways and changing directions multiple times over the course of ten minutes. Finally, he slowed, his breaths coming in sharp gasps as he approached the fish market. I should be safe beyond here, he thought, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
What about the others? The thought struck him, and for the first time since fleeing, he turned to look back.
His heart stopped.
Han Rui stood just a few steps away, smiling and waving casually.
The man blinked in disbelief. Turning his head further, he saw his companions, frozen in the same positions they had been before his flight.
Wait… no. That’s impossible. He rubbed his eyes and felt his forehead. No sweat. His breathing was steady, his legs weren’t tired.
But I ran… didn’t I? For ten minutes… right?
Panic surged. His gaze instinctively drifted to the coin in Han Rui’s hand.
Han Rui smiled warmly. “Did you enjoy your run?” he asked.
The simple question sent waves of shock crashing through the mind of the man standing before him.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” another robber snapped. “You think we’re stupid, huh? You think we came here just for a single gold coin?”
“I’ve seen a lot of people in my life, but this is the first time I’ve met someone so eager to court death,” another robber added, his voice laced with disbelief.
As the robber’s words hung in the air, a system notification appeared in front of Han Rui. This time, it was different. Invisible confetti shimmered around the flashing screen, and imperceptible fireworks exploded above it.
[Congratulations, Host!]
Even more confetti burst around the notification.
[You finally made someone say it!]
[You have completed a hidden mission!]
[You have been recognized for courting death!]
[Courting Death Counter: 1!]
[Congratulations! You have earned the useless title: Death Courter!]
[Good luck discovering other hidden missions, Host!]
Han Rui’s smile vanished, replaced by shock as he stared at the stream of notifications.
Another weird title… he mused to himself. “System, what does the title do?”
[Nothing… really!] The system began in a cryptic tone. [You might be… erm, it’s not important. I guess you’ll find out soon enough. Good luck! I’ll be cheering for you!]
“Hey, you dubious bastard, what were you going to say?” Han Rui roared mentally, but the system ignored him.
Meanwhile, all the robbers, except for the man with an eye patch, approached Han Rui in quick strides, irritation etched across their faces. They stopped in front of him, glaring as he stared blankly into the distance.
“Look at this guy ignoring us even while we’re right here,” one muttered in annoyance.
“I’ve had enough of his disrespect. People like this need to be taught a lesson,” another grumbled. Without warning, he swung his hand to slap Han Rui across the face.
No one interfered. They all watched with radiant smiles as the man’s hand connected with—
A piercing scream filled the air, but it wasn’t from Han Rui. The assailant’s hand swelled five times over, reddening and further expanding. Tears streamed down his face as he fell to his knees, cradling his injured wrist with his free hand.
The other robbers stared blankly, their gazes darting between the injured man and Han Rui, who remained motionless, still staring into the distance. Turning cautiously, they confirmed that apart from their companion with the eye patch, no one else was around.
Sensing an opportunity to redeem himself, the loan shark stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves. “Step back. I’ll teach this bastard a lesson,” he declared with a lisp.
No one objected. Even the man with the swollen hand quietly retreated. The slender man assumed a horse stance, breathing deeply and rhythmically with his eyes closed.
His eyes snapped open as he shifted into a kicking motion, a devious grin spreading across his face. Without warning, his foot shot toward Han Rui’s unprotected groin.
The robbers instinctively flinched, clutching their own groins as the man’s foot struck its target with full force. A loud crack resounded, followed by a sickening bellow. Again, it wasn’t from Han Rui.
Han Rui stood perfectly still, seemingly oblivious to the loan shark’s anguished screams. The man writhed on the ground, clutching his shattered foot as unadulterated pain coursed through him.
Excluding the injured men and the one with the eye patch, the remaining robbers exchanged uneasy glances.
“This bastard must have activated some sort of protective treasure,” one suggested after a long pause.
Realization flickered across the faces of the others.
“No wonder he’s not moving,” one commented.
“We just need to wait until the restriction lifts. Then he’s done for,” the last among them threatened. “The moment he moves, attack him!”
With their resolve renewed, they surrounded Han Rui, poised to strike.
Meanwhile, Han Rui conversed with the system, oblivious to his surroundings.
“System, this is seriously unfair. What were you going to say?” he probed, his tone pleading.
[Nothing… but troublesome young masters might suddenly find you an attractive target to bully. Plus… erm, that’s all you need to know for now! I won’t say anything more, no matter how much you ask!]
The system’s message disappeared. Han Rui frowned. “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath.
At that moment, he felt a gentle tap on the back of his head, then the side of his face, and finally his forehead. “Huh? Was that a mosquito?” he wondered, only to realize all the robbers—except the man with the eye patch—were writhing on the ground, nursing various injuries.
Huh? Did someone attack these fools? he pondered, his gaze shifting to the man with the eye patch. “What happened to your friends? Which asshole attacked them?” He scanned his surroundings but saw no one.
Approaching the man cautiously, Han Rui stopped a few paces away. “As we were saying before you decided to run off,” he began, his tone casual. “What color do you see?”