The noble estate loomed ahead—tall iron gates lined with crest-bearing banners, and guards stationed like statues in gilded armor.
But today, those statues trembled.
The procession’s arrival was anything but subtle. At the head rode Jin Yu, silent, expressionless, a whip trailing behind his horse like a chain dragging judgment itself. Tied to the end of it, barely conscious, was the noble lady—her once lavish robes now tattered and stained with blood and dirt. Her pride had long since shattered.
Behind him rode Min Li, Haozi, and several onlookers who had dared to follow—either too curious or too horrified to stay behind.
Clang!
The gate guards snapped their spears forward as Jin Yu neared.
"Halt!" one barked, though his voice cracked. "Who dares—"
Snap!
The whip lashed out like lightning.
The man’s spear shattered. He fell back with a scream, his hand torn open.
Jin Yu didn’t even glance at him.
“Announce to your master that a guest has arrived.”
His voice was low, cold, and unquestionable.
The second guard—wiser—nodded frantically and ran inside.
Moments passed in tense silence before the gates groaned open.
From within emerged a stern-looking man in regal robes, flanked by armored warriors. His expression was calm, but his eyes twitched as he spotted the bloody figure dragging behind the horse.
Influence +5,000
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(Emotion provoked: restrained killing intent)
"That's... my daughter," he said flatly, trying to keep a neutral tone. But the system dings betrayed his inner fury.
"Was," Jin Yu replied coldly. "Now she’s your debt."
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
The noble’s gaze hardened. “You think you can walk into my estate and make threats?”
Jin Yu flicked the whip.
Snap!
The woman’s body jerked, scraping against the cobblestone and leaving a fresh smear of blood. The guards flinched. Even the noble paled slightly.
“She tried to enslave a child,” Jin Yu said. “Beat him half to death in broad daylight. I simply returned the favor.”
The noble's lip curled. “If she’s done wrong, we’ll pay the penalty according to the city lord’s—”
“She ordered my head,” Jin Yu cut in. “She struck to kill. So tell me—do the lives of you dogs equal mine?”
His voice dropped lower, each word sharper than a blade.
“You failed—as a parent, as a leader.”
His Qi flared, quiet but suffocating. Every cultivator in the courtyard instinctively stepped back. The weight pressed into their bones, made their hearts race.
“For failing to teach your child the value of a life,” Jin Yu said, “I should take all yours today. But…”
He paused.
“Death would be too merciful.”
He leaned forward slightly, each word like a nail sealing their fate.
“Your riches will belong to the Jin family. You and your bloodline… will serve mine. As slaves. Until the day you die.”
The noble stiffened, barely able to comprehend the sentence. His warriors shifted uneasily.
Min Li moved too—casually placing a hand on his blade, just enough to say we’re ready.
Tension rippled through the air like a drawn bowstring.
Finally, the noble clenched his jaw and raised a hand.
“Stop.”
The guards froze instantly.
He glared at Jin Yu, hatred burning behind his eyes.
“Young Master Jin… you really talk big for a brat.”
Jin Yu dismounted slowly. His bare feet touched the stone with a dull thud. Loose hair draped behind him as he walked forward, dragging the woman even closer.
“Big talk or not,” he said coldly, “you’ll regret thinking the weak can be trampled without consequence.”
He tilted his head.
“So… will you submit, or must I help you kneel?”
The noble’s breath caught in his throat. Rage twisted his features.
“You’re courting death!” he roared.
SHRING!
He drew his sword and pressed it to Jin Yu’s neck.
A soft, mocking laugh escaped Jin Yu’s lips. Instead of backing off, he leaned into the blade—just a fraction.
The noble’s soul nearly jumped out of his skin.
Had Jin Yu tilted just a little clower, the sword would’ve slit his throat. And then… what? How would he explain to Jin Wei—the silent overlord of Louyang? His entire bloodline would be wiped from the city’s history.
The sword trembled in his hand.
Jin Yu met his eyes—no fear, only disdain. Then, without another word, he dropped the whip, turned his back, and mounted his horse once more.
“I want your answer before the sun sets,” he said, then glanced at the doorway.
There stood the noble’s wife, clutching a trembling young girl.
He raised a hand—just once—and then left.
The gesture wasn’t for the noble. It was for the girl.
To the child cowering behind her mother, that hand carried meaning.
A message passed in silence:
“This is your inheritance.”
“This is what arrogance reaps.”
“Never forget what your sister did… and what it cost your family.”
It wasn’t a threat. It was a judgment.
And the girl understood. Her wide, tear-filled eyes never left Jin Yu’s back.
The estate gates remained open long after he disappeared down the road, dragging behind him the silence of a man who never bluffed.
As Jin Yu rode in silence, his expression remained cold—but his thoughts churned.
They’ll call me cruel.
Good.
Kindness meant nothing to people like them. Mercy was weakness. He had shown the nobles of Louyang what price pride could cost.
He glanced at Min Li, who rode quietly at his side.
“Send word to Uncle Lin,” Jin Yu said. “We’ll need scribes. I want the deed to their estate in Jin manor today.”
Inside the estate, chaos brewed beneath a forced calm.
The noble sat stiffly in his hall, fingers trembling as he poured himself wine—only to spill half the cup. His wife paced silently, while the younger daughter huddled in a corner, too scared to speak.
“We can’t defy him,” the steward whispered. “That boy… he carries his father’s shadow. But colder. If we delay, Jin Wei will come himself.”
The noble didn’t answer. But his silence spoke louder than any scream.
---
At the Jin manor, Jin Wei sat in silence as the messenger relayed Jin Yu’s actions. He neither spoke nor showed any reaction. Instead, he continued inscribing patterns onto a smooth jade slip, his strokes precise and patient.
Beside him lay two cultivation manuals—techniques that Jin Yu had once lost. He didn’t even glance at the books. Giving them directly to that brat would only spoil him.
When the jade slip was finally complete, Jin Wei handed it to the waiting man, his tone calm and final.
“Give it to him.”
“Yes, Old Master,” the man replied with a sly grin, his figure blurring like smoke as he vanished from the room.
Jin Wei sat still, fingers lightly tapping the table. For a while, his expression remained unreadable. But then, slowly, a small smile crept onto his lips. His eyes, usually cold and sharp, shimmered with a rare light—quiet pride.
