Han Yu paused mid-step.
The name struck a faint chord in his mind before the memory surfaced clearly.
Hou Luli.
The disciple who had moved into the cave two spaces to the right of his. The one whose presence had caused repeated fights on the Fifth Rib Peak. The one drowning in debt, constantly harassed by creditors, yet strong enough to drive them off every time.
He slowly turned to face her fully and took a proper look at her.
Up close, she looked a bit different from what he had imagined. Her posture was relaxed but not careless, shoulders straight in a way that suggested long familiarity with violence. The scar on her cheek was thin and pale, old rather than fresh, and it did not ruin her looks.
If anything, it gave her face a sharp edge, a reminder that she had survived something unpleasant.
Her cultivation base was solidly at the late Core Condensation realm.
Han Yu registered that immediately.
Not weak. Not average either.
