Yan Ruochen had always believed fear was something meant for the weak.
As the son of the Yan family head, he had grown up surrounded by praise, protection, and power. Even when bound and beaten, he still believed this situation would somehow end in his favor.
That belief shattered the instant he looked up.
The sword.
Not in Fang Lin's hands—
but in Vren's.
A child.
Too small. Too young.
And yet… impossibly steady.
Vren stood there with the blade raised, his grip firm, his posture wrong in every way for a child—yet terrifyingly right. His eyes were not trembling. They were not confused.
They were locked onto Yan Ruochen alone.Yan Ruochen's pupils shrank.
His breath hitched as something cold crawled up his spine. This was not the fear of death delivered by a strong cultivator. This was worse.
This was the fear of someone who had nothing to lose.
'No…'
His mind screamed.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He had planned everything. Calculated everything. Fang Lin was the target. Vren was nothing—just a wild brat from the Southern Wildlands.
So why…
Why did his throat feel tight?
Why did his hands, bound in chains, tremble uncontrollably?
Yan Ruochen could no longer hear the whispers of the crowd. He couldn't hear Fang Lin. He couldn't even hear his own heartbeat.
All he could see was the blade.
Raised.
Waiting.
And behind it, a boy whose eyes held no hesitation—only raw, instinctive resolve.
For the first time in his life, Yan Ruochen understood something terrifying:
This child was not threatening him.
He was protecting someone.
And that made him far more dangerous than any cultivator Yan Ruochen had ever faced.
-----------
The moment stretched.
Vren's sword was already moving—
not fast, not slow—just inevitable.
"You can't kill my brother!"
Yan Ruochen's breath stopped.
And in that single heartbeat—
Fang Lin moved.
He didn't shout.
He didn't hesitate.
He lunged forward and wrapped both arms tightly around Vren, locking the boy against his own chest with all his strength.
The force of Fang Lin's sudden movement threw them both off balance.
They fell forward together.
But Fang Lin twisted midair.
Vren was protected—
pressed tightly against Fang Lin's chest, completely shielded by his arms.
Fang Lin, however, hit the ground hard, landing flat on his back.
Thud.
The sound echoed across the market.
Vren felt nothing.
Not pain.
Not impact.
Only Fang Lin's arms around him—unyielding, firm, absolute.
At the same instant, the sword's trajectory was violently altered.
The blade missed its true target.
Instead, it tore through Yan Ruochen's robes, ripping open the fabric across his chest.
A sharp sting followed.
A thin scratch appeared on his skin—nothing deep, nothing fatal.
But enough.
Enough to make Yan Ruochen freeze completely.
His eyes dropped to his torn clothes.
Then to the faint line of red on his chest.
His face drained of color.
The crowd erupted into gasps.
Fang Lin lay on the ground, breathing steady despite the fall, still holding Vren tightly—his grip never loosening for even a second.
Only then did Fang Lin speak, his voice calm but heavy with authority:
"Enough, Vren."
The sword slipped from Vren's hand.
Fang Lin slowly sat up and gently pulled Vren to sit in front of him.
Vren's eyes were wide open, unfocused—still trying to understand what had just happened, how he had ended up like this. Fang Lin looked straight into those trembling eyes and thought quietly,
"It doesn't seem like this will turn into trauma… but something definitely awakened."
Placing both hands on Vren's shoulders, he shook him lightly and spoke in a steady voice,
"Vren, look at me.
It's me. I'm here.
I'm your big brother."
Then his tone grew firmer—not angry, but heavy with authority.
"You should not have done that for me.
You don't need to dirty your hands for my sake.
Not now."
Vren finally focused on him. He blinked several times, then softly asked,
"Big brother… are you okay?"
His lips trembled.
"I thought they were going to hurt you.
I… I don't want to lose you, big brother."
Tears streamed down his face.
Fang Lin pulled him into a tight embrace, one hand resting protectively on the back of Vren's head.
"It's fine. I'm not hurt," Fang Lin said calmly.
"No one can separate us.
No one can hurt me."
Inside, however, his thoughts were far from calm.
"Something is wrong…
That killing intent—so sudden, so pure.
It was as if he was facing an enemy from long ago."
Fang Lin's gaze darkened slightly.
"I'll need to find out what really happened to Vren's brother."
The people standing in the marketplace couldn't believe what they had just witnessed.
For a moment, everyone froze, the same thought echoing in their minds:
"What kind of relationship does Fang Lin have with that child…
that a ten-year-old boy was ready to kill for him?"
Whispers quickly spread through the crowd.
"That kid is insane…"
"Doesn't he know who he was trying to attack?"
"Just because he's close to Fang Lin doesn't mean he can hurt the sons of the five major familys. If Fang Lin hadn't stopped him at the last moment, today would have turned into a full-blown war between families."
Tian Xueya looked at Vren with a complicated expression.
"Is this boy out of his mind? Acting without knowing anything…" she thought.
"What did he see in Fang Lin to accept him as his big brother so completely?"
Mu Chen, meanwhile, stared at the small child in shock.
"How could he do that?" Mu Chen thought.
"I was bullied for years, and I never even thought of fighting back…
But this kid—he's different. Completely different."
Nearby, the stall owner—whose shop had been completely wrecked—held his head in despair.
"Why do monsters like this always end up at my stall…?" he muttered.
"You've destroyed everything…"
He collapsed to his knees, breaking down in tears as the ruined stall lay scattered around him.
Yan Ruochen was the one who suffered the most.
The instant Vren raised the sword and shouted, Yan Ruochen's mind went completely blank.
He couldn't think.
He couldn't breathe.
Death felt real—closer than it had ever been in his life.
His legs trembled uncontrollably, his body freezing in place. A warm, humiliating sensation spread before he even realized what had happened. His pants were wet.
Yan Ruochen's eyes widened in pure terror.
"I… I was really going to die…"
The moment Fang Lin stopped Vren, Yan Ruochen collapsed forward slightly, gasping for air as if he had just escaped drowning. His chest rose and fell violently.
Then—
The two people bound beside him noticed.
Their eyes dropped.
Their expressions changed instantly.
One of them stiffened in disbelief.
The other's face twisted with disgust and shock.
"…Did he just—?"
They hurriedly shifted away from Yan Ruochen, instinctively distancing themselves as if fear itself could be contagious.
Yan Ruochen realized it too.
His face turned deathly pale, then flushed red with shame. His lips trembled, but no words came out. He wanted to scream, to deny it, to disappear—anything.
"I'm the Yan family head's son…"
"I'm supposed to be proud… respected…"
But at this moment, he felt lower than trash.
Around them, whispers erupted again—sharper, crueler this time.
"So much arrogance before… and now look at him."
"Hah, scared stiff by a child."
"This is the son of a major family?"
Yan Ruochen clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms. His eyes filled with humiliation and hatred—not just toward Vren…
…but toward Fang Lin.
"This should have been you."
"You were the useless one."
"Why did it turn into me?"
For the first time in his life, Yan Ruochen understood something terrifying:
No status.
No background.
No family name.
None of it mattered in front of real danger.
And that realization shattered him completely.
************
Wei Shun was walking through the market with a face full of joy. The earlier tension had finally lifted from his heart.
Soon, he stopped in front of Lin Moonleaf Corner, a familiar herb stall.
The moment he saw the scene before him, his eyes widened.
The stall was being shut down.
Herbs were being carefully moved inside, wooden panels pulled halfway closed.
He murmured in confusion,
"Why are they closing the stall right now…?"
This was the same place where he had lost a spiritual stone some time ago.
Without thinking too much, Wei Shun walked straight toward the stall.
The young girl at the stall noticed him immediately.
When she realized that the person approaching was none other than that same boy, her heart skipped a beat.
She lowered her voice nervously and murmured,
"Why did he come now…? Can't he see my father is here?"
Her sudden pause did not go unnoticed.
The stall owner—her father—turned his head.
The moment his gaze landed on Wei Shun, his pupils shrank.
"So it's that boy," he thought coldly.
"The one I chased away last time."
Anger flashed across his face.
He stepped forward, his expression darkening as he muttered,
"This brat has been acting like a hero for too long. Today, I won't let him off so easily."
Before Wei Shun could even speak, a strong hand grabbed his shoulder.
The stall owner leaned closer, his grip firm and threatening.
"Hey, kid," he said harshly, staring straight into Wei Shun's eyes.
"This isn't a place for you to wander around. Leave right now."
His voice dropped, heavy with menace.
"Or things will get very ugly for you."
Before the stall owner could say anything more, Wei Shun slowly raised his other hand.
In his palm rested a golden token, its surface engraved with ancient patterns and a faint noble aura.
The moment it was revealed, the air around the stall subtly changed.
The stall owner's words died in his throat.
His eyes locked onto the token.
His grip on Wei Shun's shoulder loosened instantly.
"That token…" the old man muttered, his voice dropping.
"Where did you get this?"
Wei Shun stood straight, his posture calm but respectful. There was no arrogance in his tone—only sincerity.
"This token belongs to Young Master Fang Lin," Wei Shun said clearly.
"I am merely acting on his behalf."
At the mention of Fang Lin's name, the stall owner's expression shifted again—this time with visible surprise.
"Young Master… Fang Lin?" he repeated slowly.
Wei Shun nodded and continued, his voice firm.
"Young Master Fang Lin was attacked in the Tianjian Clan market today. Despite being targeted by multiple people, he remained unharmed and calm throughout."
"He did not seek revenge immediately," Wei Shun added.
"Instead, he ordered me to purchase pills and medicine for the injured."
The stall owner's breathing became uneven.
"You mean… that Fang Lin?" he asked cautiously.
"The one who awakened an A-grade aptitude?"
"Yes," Wei Shun replied without hesitation.
"That same Young Master."
For the first time, the stall owner truly looked at Wei Shun—no longer as a nuisance, but as someone connected to power.
His gaze drifted back to the golden token.
Only now did he notice the subtle Tian family seal hidden within the engraving.
The stall owner thought to himself, "This is the clan head's token… I must be careful not to do anything that might offend him."
Wei Shun walked toward the stall without even glancing around and said in a brisk tone, "I don't have much time. Find the pill quickly."
He seated himself on a chair placed by the stall, waiting patiently. The stall owner hurried inside to fetch the pill, and for a brief moment, his gaze fell on his daughter, who was standing near the gate, as if giving her a silent signal.
The girl couldn't understand why her father's attitude had changed so suddenly. Confused, her gaze shifted toward Wei Shun, who was sitting calmly on the chair in front of the stall.
She pointed at him and asked sharply,
"Hey… what did you show my father that made him change like this?"
Wei Shun smiled faintly and lifted his hand, revealing the token for just a moment.
The girl's pupils shrank.
Wei Shun spoke in a low, controlled voice, his tone neither arrogant nor loud—only cold.
"Some things don't need explanations. Especially not to people who don't hold authority."
He stood up slowly and added,
"If I wished, I could speak directly in front of your father and demand whatever I want. But today, I'm not here for that."
He glanced toward the inner room of the stall.
"I'm here on my young master Fang Lin's orders. Don't misunderstand your importance."
The girl staggered back a step, shock written across her face as realization finally struck her.
Wei Shun stepped past her without another glance, his voice firm and final:
"Stay out of my way."
She lost her balance and fell backward onto the floor, more shaken by the truth than the fall itself.
He simply sat there, relaxed—
as if the entire stall, the token, even her father's sudden silence…
were already under his control.
Her eyes flickered to the golden token in his hand.
"Who… who are you really?" she asked, her voice no longer sharp.
Wei Shun tilted his head slightly, a faint smile appearing—not warm, not cruel—
just calculating.
"I'm no one worth remembering," he said calmly.
"Just someone who learned one thing early in life."
He raised his eyes to meet hers.
"In this world, feelings don't protect you.
Allegiance does."
The girl clenched her fists.
For the first time, she felt it—
not attraction, not fear alone—
but danger wrapped in calmness.
"My father…" she began.
Wei Shun interrupted softly,
"You don't need to worry about him."
Then, colder:
"Worry about where you stand."
The stall owner returned quickly, a wooden tray in his hands.
On it rested several jade boxes, each sealed with faint spiritual markings.
He lowered his head respectfully and asked,
"Which pill does Young Master require?"
Wei Shun didn't even glance at the other boxes.
His voice was calm, flat, carrying no emotion at all.
"Recovery Pill."
The stall owner froze for a brief second.
"R-Recovery Pill?" he repeated carefully.
"There are several grades. Basic, mid, high… may I ask—"
Wei Shun finally lifted his eyes.
The pressure in his gaze alone made the old man's throat dry.
"High grade," Wei Shun said.
"No impurities. Fast absorption."
The owner swallowed hard and nodded repeatedly.
"Y-Yes, of course. Please wait."
He turned and hurried inside, his movements far quicker than before.
The girl stood near the doorway, still trying to steady herself.
Her eyes kept drifting back to Wei Shun—
to the way he sat there, relaxed, as if this place belonged to him.
"…Recovery Pill?" she muttered under her breath.
"Who's injured?"
Wei Shun didn't look at her.
"For someone who crossed the line" he replied.
That single sentence made her chest tighten for reasons she didn't understand.
Before she could ask more, the stall owner returned, holding a single jade box with both hands, as if it were priceless.
"This is the best Recovery Pill we have," the owner said carefully.
"It can heal internal injuries and restore vitality even after severe injuries "
Wei Shun placed the golden token on the table.
"Price doesn't matter."
The old man's hands trembled slightly as he accepted it.
He forced a smile, far more respectful than before.
"Then… may this pill serve its purpose well."
Wei Shun took the jade box, stood up, and turned to leave.
As he passed the girl, he paused for half a second and spoke quietly—so softly that only she could hear.
"Don't mistake kindness for weakness."
By the time she realized what those words meant,
Wei Shun was already gone—
leaving behind a stall filled with silence
and a girl whose heart was beating far too fast for comfort.
When Wei Shun reached the center of the market, chaotic voices flooded his ears.
"Did you see that? That small kid actually tried to kill the Lin family's young lord!"
"If Fang Lin hadn't acted in time, who knows what would've happened today…"
Wei Shun's expression tightened.
He pushed through the crowd quickly, forcing his way inside.
There—
Fang Lin stood with Vren beside him.
Fang Lin's clothes were covered in dust, his posture calm but firm, while Vren stayed close, still shaken. The surrounding ground bore clear signs of destruction.
Wei Shun immediately stepped forward.
He lowered his head respectfully and offered the jade box with both hands.
"Young Master Fang Lin, please take this pill," Wei Shun said in a steady voice.
"And please forgive me. Because I wasn't here, all of this happened."
Fang Lin accepted the pill and glanced at Wei Shun calmly.
"There's no need to blame yourself," Fang Lin replied.
"This didn't happen because of you. Vren just acted in anger."
Wei Shun's shoulders relaxed slightly, but guilt still lingered in his eyes as he looked at Vren.
Around them, the crowd continued whispering—
some fearful, some shocked, some unable to believe what they had witnessed.
But at the center of it all, Fang Lin stood unmoved,
as if the chaos of the market had nothing to do with him at all.